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Mary K. Pratt - The Stack
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Explaining the hidden costs of ERP implementations
ERP software remains a bedrock of nearly every organization's IT stack, and demand for the technology remains high. Fortune Business Insights, a market research and consulting firm, valued the global ERP software market at $92.6 billion in 2025 and predicted it will hit $281.6 billion by 2034 -- a 13% compound annual growth rate.
10 edge computing trends to watch in 2026 and beyond
4. Edge options continue to expand The number and type of edge computing devices and deployments are expanding. "Edge is a family of technology that includes hardware, software, data and services and ensuring that those elements are located where they can be optimized. And it's becoming much more strategic and broader in nature," said Michele Pelino, a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research and leader of the firm's edge computing and IoT research.
10 must-know blockchain trends for 2026 and beyond
5. The appeal of stablecoin is put to the test The value of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin can fluctuate dramatically. Digital assets known as stablecoins are designed to maintain a stable price. They can do that because they're pegged to fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or to other stable assets, such as gold.
10 edge computing trends to watch in 2026 and beyond
4. Edge options continue to expand The number and type of edge computing devices and deployments are expanding. "Edge is a family of technology that includes hardware, software, data and services and ensuring that those elements are located where they can be optimized. And it's becoming much more strategic and broader in nature," said Michele Pelino, a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research and leader of the firm's edge computing and IoT research.
10 factors reshaping the role of the CIO in 2026
8. The need to upskill the IT team and the overall enterprise workforce As executives embrace innovation and transformation, they must contend with a workforce that must change as well. The Society for Human Resource Management found that 78% of the executives surveyed anticipate a growing emphasis on organizational agility in workforce management over the next 12 months, and 87% said AI-driven upskilling and reskilling will be more prevalent over the next 12 months.
How to set business goals, step by step
Why is it important to set business goals? Although the concept of a business goal seems basic, setting business goals is critical for achieving success. "Historical studies -- ours and others -- find that businesses don't succeed in their missions without business goals, with failures sometimes estimated as high as 75%," said Gartner's Tyler. That's because business goals, when done well, play a significant role in shaping everyday activities and decisions.
10 online digital transformation certifications and courses
10. More DX programs on Coursera and edX Online learning providers Coursera and edX offer extensive listings of courses related to digital transformation for beginners, intermediate and advanced participants. Coursera provides access to digital transformation courses offered by numerous academic institutions and vendors, including Google, the London Business School and the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation.
17 real-world use cases of the metaverse, plus examples
The promise and benefits of an interconnected virtual world – commonly labeled the "metaverse" are still highly anticipated. However, the technologies that enable the metaverse -- from AI to smart goggles -- are advancing and bringing it closer to reality -- and eventually to widespread use, according to Samantha G. Wolfe, founder of marketing consultancy PitchFWD, an adjunct professor at the NYU Steinhardt School, and co-author of Metaversed: See Beyond the Hype.
Sovereign wealth funds: What every CIO should know
Action items for CIOs to take CIOs may not be the ones making deals with the funds looking to invest in their companies, but they should keep abreast of how investments are shaping their industry and whether investors could be looking to invest in their own companies.
IT系の職場から女性を遠ざける「IT系男子」の過酷な文化
IT業界に女性が少ないという現実を生む要因の一つになっているのが、教育と雇用の間にある壁だ。第2回「『女子は数学ができない』という誤解が“IT人材不足の原因”だった？」では、女子学生が中高生の段階からSTEM（科学・技術・工学・数学）分野を選びにくくなっている現実を紹介した。 だが問題はそれだけではない。仮に教育や採用の壁を乗り越えてIT分野でキャリアをスタートさせても、女性は職場で「男性優位文化」という新たな壁に直面する。 会議での発言をさえぎられたり、食事の手配など本来の職務とは関係のない役割を押し付けられたりするケースは珍しくない。こうした無意識のバイアスや軽視の積み重ねが、女性を「IT業界では歓迎されていない」と感じさせ、離職や転職につながっているのだ。 「IT系男子」という過酷な文化...
Why digital literacy in the workplace is important
What is digital literacy? Digital literacy is commonly defined as the ability to use technology to accomplish everyday tasks in ways that are faster or easier than performing those activities manually. In other words, possessing digital literacy is a person knowing how to use digital tools to communicate and collaborate in both their personal and professional lives.
「ローコード」×「BPM」で業務をどう変革できる？ すぐに応用できる活用例：ローコードとBPMの共通点、相違点【後編】
ローコードとBPMは、性質の異なる取り組みではあるが、企業はローコード開発のメリットをBPMの中で生かすことができる。それが可能になるのは、企業がビジネスプロセスの構築や管理において、ローコード開発のアプローチを採用した場合だ。ローコード開発ツールを活用すれば、最小限のコーディングで以下のような機能を実装できる。 プロセスを分析する際に必要な情報の収集と検証 プロセスの自動化と管理レポートの作成 グラフィカルなUI（ユーザーインタフェース）を使ったプロセスの設計と統合 ローコード開発対応のBPMツールを使えば、大量のコードを書かずに上記のタスクを実行できるようになる。そのため、高度なプログラミングスキルを持つ技術者だけでなく、組織内の多くのユーザーにとっても、従来のBPM機能を使いやすくなる。 ローコードBPMを実行するには、ローコードとBPMの両方に対応したツールを選定する必要がある。企業が採用できる代表的なローコード開発ツールには、以下のようなものがある。 Kissflow Mendix Microsoft Power Platform Zoho Creator...
「ローコード開発」と「BPM」、業務改善“2大手法”の違いと活用ポイント
ローコード開発とBPM（ビジネスプロセスマネジメント）を活用すれば、ほとんどの企業が業務の迅速化や効率化の恩恵を受けられるようになる。ローコードとBPMは、どちらも「より少ないリソースで、より多くの業務をより短時間で実行する」ことを支援する手法だ。ただし、この2つの共通点はそれにとどまる。ローコード開発とBPMは、それぞれ異なるプロセスに重点を置いており、使われるツールや手法も大きく異なる傾向にある。 そうした違いはあっても、両者がそれぞれの手法で似たような目標の達成を目指しているという点が重要だ。場合によっては、ローコード開発ツールを使ってBPMを実施するなど、両者を組み合わせることもできる。ローコード開発とBPMを個別に活用して業務効率を高める方法と、両者を組み合わせてメリットを最大化する方法を解説する。 ローコード開発とBPMの比較...
Digital literacy vs. digital fluency: Learn the differences
What digital literacy means at work Those who distinguish between digital literacy and digital fluency see it play out in the work world. Those who are digitally literate can use technology tools as they've been instructed to use them. As an example, workers in an office who are digitally literate can use Word, Outlook and Excel to accomplish their day-to-day tasks as they were trained or shown by others to do, Robinson said. But they don't manipulate the tools much beyond that, he said.
4 examples of IT department goals
How to set IT goals Many organizations follow the SMART framework for goal setting, which requires that goals be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. An important consideration for setting IT goals is aligning them with the overall goals of the larger organization. Achieving that alignment requires that CIOs understand their company's vision as well as its goals.
A guide to risk registers: Benefits and examples
Why should your organization use a risk register? Organizations of every kind, from governmental agencies to nonprofits to the global giants, have always had to contend with risks. However, organizations today generally face more and more complex risks than their counterparts from the past. Current business risks include volatile economic conditions, rapidly changing geopolitical policies, cyberthreats, talent shortages, third-party vulnerabilities and disruptive innovation.
「身代金を支払う」のは得か損か？ ランサムウェア攻撃で迫られる苦渋の選択：ランサムウェア攻撃者との交渉ガイド【後編】
ランサムウェア攻撃の際には経営陣は身代金を支払うコストと、支払わずに自力で復旧できるかどうかを、“てんびん”にかけなければならなくなる。考えなければならないのは、回復に要する時間とコスト、失われたデータの価値と業務停止時間の影響などだ。契約しているサイバー保険の内容も、交渉するかどうかの判断を左右する。 企業が身代金を支払わないとしても、攻撃者との交渉にメリットがある場合もある。交渉には少なくとも24時間、通常はそれ以上の時間を要するが、これは被害状況を調査できる時間として貴重だ。法律事務所Clark Hillでサイバーセキュリティ、データ保護、プライバシー領域を統括するメリッサ・K・ベントローネ氏をはじめとする専門家によれば、この間に復号キーを他の方法で入手できるか、バックアップファイルが十分か、身代金を支払わずに復旧できるかを判断できるという。 攻撃を受けた企業が攻撃者と交渉するメリットもある。メリットの例として以下が挙げられる。 身代金の減額 ベントローネ氏によれば支払額には数千ドルから数百万ドルまで幅がある。 被害の一時抑止...
Key steps to developing a healthy risk culture
What's the difference between risk culture and risk awareness? Risk awareness and risk culture are not synonymous terms. Risk awareness is typically defined as an individual's understanding of the potential threats facing the organization and knowledge of the organization's policies for handling those threats. As such, it measures whether and how well individuals are educated on the topic.
ランサムウェア集団への「身代金支払い」を企業が拒否し始めた理由
インシデント対応サービスを提供するCoveware（Veeam Softwareが2024年に買収）が2025年2月に発表した調査内容によれば、2024年第4四半期（10〜12月）にランサムウェア（身代金要求型マルウェア）攻撃を受けた企業のうち、身代金を支払ったのは25％にとどまった。これは過去最低の水準であり、「ランサムウェアとの戦いの重要な節目」であると同社は述べている。 同調査では、支払われた身代金の中央値が11万890ドルで、2024年第3四半期（7〜9月）と比べて45％減少したことも明らかになった。企業による身代金の支払いが減少している背景には何があるのか。企業がランサムウェアによる攻撃を受けた場合、どのような判断をすべきか解説する。 ランサムウェアの身代金支払い額が減っている理由とは ブロックチェーン関連サービスを提供するChainalysisは、ランサムウェアグループが2024年に集めた支払総額を8億1300万ドルと推定しており、これは2023年の12億5000万ドルと比較して約35％の減少だ。...
Key differences between chief data officers vs. CIOs
What is a CDO? The chief data officer is responsible for the company's data strategy, including the management and governance of its data. Many CDOs are in agreement about the role's core responsibilities.
Chief digital officer vs. chief technology officer: An explainer
CDO vs. CTO: What's the difference? The CDO and CTO are similar, if not synonymous, jobs in many ways. Indeed, the responsibilities of each position do overlap. For example, in some organizations, company leaders might assign duties that traditionally go to a CTO to a CDO and vice versa, particularly if their organization employs only one of the two positions.
How quantum computing can improve supply chains
How supply chains can begin integrating quantum computing technology Quantum computing at scale is still a ways off, and predictions about when the technology will be ready for broad commercial adoption vary from a few years to more than a decade. Exact predictions aside, Likens said the technology is advancing faster than most people predicted. He and others advised supply chain and logistics leaders to prepare now for quantum computing's arrival.
Informatique quantique : les cas d’usage pour la Finance | LeMagIT
Informatique quantique vs Informatique classique L’Assemblée générale des Nations unies a fait de 2025 l’Année internationale des sciences et des technologies quantiques. Et pour cause : les promesses sont immenses. Contrairement à l’informatique classique, fondée sur des calculs déterministes (un même input donne toujours le même output), l’informatique quantique fonctionne de façon probabiliste. Un même input peut déboucher sur plusieurs résultats possibles.
Quantum computing in finance: Key use cases
Quantum computers versus traditional computers for finance The United Nations General Assembly declared 2025 the "International Year of Quantum Science and Technology." There's good reason for such a bold designation. Quantum -- more specifically, quantum computing -- promises to be transformative. Part of quantum computing's power and how it differs from classical computing stems from the nature of its calculations.
Quantum computing in finance: Key use cases
Quantum computers versus traditional computers for finance The United Nations General Assembly declared 2025 the "International Year of Quantum Science and Technology." There's good reason for such a bold designation. Quantum -- more specifically, quantum computing -- promises to be transformative. Part of quantum computing's power and how it differs from classical computing stems from the nature of its calculations.
AI規制は乱立したまま？ 2025年に押さえておくべき生成AIのトレンド5選：生成AIを取り巻く10大変化【後編】
コンサルティング企業Boston Consulting Group（BCG）のテクノロジー・デジタルアドバンテージ部門でグローバルリーダーを務めるブラド・ルキッチ氏は、2025年の重要事項として「AIエージェント」の展開を挙げる。AIエージェントとは、人間の直接的な介入なしに自律的に動作するプログラムを指す。 BCGのグローバル調査「AI Radar」によると、回答者の67％は「AIによる変革の一環としてAIエージェントの導入を検討している」と回答している。同調査は2024年9月〜12月、企業の最高経営幹部（CxO）1803人を対象に実施した。 コンサルティング企業／国際会計事務所KPMGが2025年1月に公開した調査レポート「AI Quarterly Pulse Survey」によると、「2025年は、企業全体でAI技術の活用を進める好機であり、その実現手段としてAIエージェントが注目されている」という。調査結果によると、51％の企業がAIエージェントの活用を検討している。この調査は、年間売り上げ10億ドル以上の米国企業の経営幹部や管理職100人を対象にしたものだ。...
ROIの追及が進む？ 2025年に注目すべき生成AIのトレンド5選：生成AIを取り巻く10大変化【前編】
2022年、AI技術ベンダーOpenAIが提供するAIチャットbot「ChatGPT」が登場し、ユーザー企業は生成AIを業務に活用するための試行錯誤を続けてきた。一方、2025年にはROI（投資対効果）を追求する企業が増加するという見方がある。 「投資に見合う価値や収益を示せ」。IT調査会社Info-Tech Research Groupの主席リサーチディレクター、ブライアン・ジャクソン氏は「他のサービスと同様に、生成AIも投資した分、価値を生み出すことが期待されるようになった」と述べる。 一部のユーザー企業はすでに成果を出し始めている。Google Cloudが2024年8月に公開した調査レポート「The ROI of Gen AI」によると、生成AIを使用しているユーザー企業の74％がROIを改善し、約35％は半年以内にROIを改善できる見通しだと回答した。 生成AIの導入による測定可能な効果として、調査対象者は以下の項目を挙げる。 従業員の生産性向上 ユーザー体験（UX）の改善 ユーザーエンゲージメントの改善 ユーザー満足度の向上...
An essential guide to 6 IT executive roles Original
Changes in the marketplace and new company tech needs led to changes in enterprise organizational charts, with companies creating new positions to oversee different aspects of IT. Today's various tech-related C-suite jobs might confuse other employees, but understanding each C-suite tech role and its duties is crucial to ensure optimum collaboration. The earliest IT positions required skills in the physical installation and management of the technology needed to run the company.
O futuro da IA generativa: 10 tendências a serem observadas em 2025
Vários relatórios mostram que os líderes empresariais esperam que seus investimentos em IA generativa gerem valor mensurável este ano, uma indicação clara de que os dias de experimentação com GenAI apenas para fins de aprendizado acabaram. Por exemplo, 75% dos 1.803 executivos de nível C pesquisados pelo Boston Consulting Group (BCG) para sua pesquisa global “AI Radar” incluem IA/GenAI entre suas três principais prioridades estratégicas para 2025.
El futuro de la IA generativa: 10 tendencias a seguir en 2025
Varios informes muestran que los líderes empresariales esperan que sus inversiones en IA generativa generen un valor medible este año, una clara indicación de que los días de experimentar con la IAGen solo con fines de aprendizaje han terminado. Por ejemplo, el 75 % de los 1.803 ejecutivos de nivel gerencial encuestados por Boston Consulting Group (BCG) para su encuesta global "AI Radar" incluyen la IA/IAGen entre sus tres principales prioridades estratégicas para 2025.
How Has Generative AI Affected Cybersecurity?
Generative AI is proving to be a game changer in cybersecurity, enabling both bad actors and defenders to operate faster, at a higher level and at a larger scale. For example, hackers are using GenAI to craft more sophisticated phishing campaigns and develop code that's more likely to evade detection. On the other side, enterprise security teams are using GenAI to more accurately identify vulnerabilities and boost their abilities to spot zero-day attacks.
How Will Generative AI Reshape the Enterprise?
By Mary K. Pratt Published: 17 Jan 2025 The use of generative AI in the enterprise has surged, with the technology making its way into nearly all functional areas within the typical organization. For example, an October 2024 survey of more than 800 senior business leaders found that the number of weekly users of GenAI jumped from 37% in 2023 to 73% in 2024.
How AI is shaping the future of the travel sector
The travel sector was an early adopter of AI, with airlines, cruise lines and hotels leading the way decades ago by using advanced analytics to optimize pricing and operations. Now, the travel and tourism industry is figuring out how to advance its use of AI to improve business operations and better serve customers. "AI and generative AI have truly emerged as disruptive technologies," said Kartikey Kaushal, a senior analyst with Everest Group, a global research and management consulting firm.
Análisis FODA (Fortalezas, Oportunidades, Debilidades y Amenazas)
¿Qué es un análisis FODA? El análisis FODA (SWOT en inglés) es un marco para identificar y analizar las fortalezas, debilidades, oportunidades y amenazas de una organización. Estas palabras forman el acrónimo FODA. El objetivo principal del análisis FODA es aumentar el conocimiento de los factores que intervienen en la toma de una decisión comercial o el establecimiento de una estrategia comercial.
Tech's glaring gender gap and how to fix it
Year after year -- despite the looming skills shortage -- the tech field fails at attracting and keeping women. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) -- including in areas of gender -- is critical to modern workforces. Research has consistently shown that nearly equal representation of women and men in the ranks translates into better business performance for organizations across many metrics, from efficiency and innovation to revenue and growth.
18 Data Science Tools to Consider Using in 2025
The increasing volume and complexity of enterprise data as well as its central role in decision-making and strategic planning are driving organizations to invest in the people, processes and technologies they need to gain valuable business insights from their data assets. That includes a variety of tools commonly used in data science applications.
Tech's glaring gender gap and how to fix it
Strong candidates from diverse sources Objections to DEI efforts often center on the idea that focusing on diversity equates to subpar applicants. While the issue is complex -- including the compounding effects of either receiving or not receiving chances for upleveling. But it can help to remember that, at heart, attracting and keeping more women in tech is about expansion, especially as a means to help compete on AI skills and other new areas.
Biometric privacy and security challenges to know
The use of biometrics for identity and access management has increased dramatically in recent years, as organizations and individuals seek more secure ways to authenticate who is truly authorized to access apps, systems, data and services. Biometrics enables people to use facial recognition, for example, to unlock their devices or to prove their identity at airports.
How to Build an Effective Business Intelligence Strategy
Explore the eight steps organizations need to develop and implement a successful business intelligence strategy, as well as some of the challenges staff can encounter. By Mary K. Pratt Published: 15 Nov 2024 Corporate executives continue to invest heavily in data and analytics initiatives.
What is continuous intelligence?
Continuous intelligence (CI) is a data analysis process that delivers real-time analytics and insights as a part of ongoing business operations. CI technology takes current and historical data, analyzes it, and provides insights and actions an organization can take in response. Continuous intelligence also provides decision support and automated decision-making capabilities.
What is Embedded Analytics?
Embedded analytics is a data analysis technology that puts analytics capabilities within a business software application, platform or web portal instead of a separate tool. Also referred to as embedded business intelligence or embedded BI, embedded analytics brings data analysis and data visualization functionality to the applications or platforms workers use to perform processes and tasks.
What is Machine Learning Bias (AI Bias)?
By Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor Alexander S. Gillis, Technical Writer and Editor Mary K. Pratt Machine learning bias, also known as algorithmbias or AI bias, is a phenomenon that occurs when an algorithm produces results that are systemically prejudiced due to erroneous assumptions in the machine learning (ML) process. Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence (AI), depends on the quality, objectivity, scope and size of training data used to teach it.
What is Value-Sensitive Design?
Value-sensitive design is a concept that advocates the consideration of human principles and standards when planning technology. VSD brings human values to the forefront of the technical design process, providing technologists, designers, business leaders and others involved in developing technology with strategies for identifying and incorporating human values into the design and development process.
What is Unsupervised Learning?
By Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer Alexander S. Gillis, Technical Writer and Editor Mary K. Pratt Unsupervised learning is a type of machine learning (ML) technique that uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to identify patterns in data sets that are neither classified nor labeled. Unsupervised learning models don't need supervision or preexisting categories while training data sets, making them ideal for discovering patterns, groupings and differences in unstructured data.
12 key benefits of AI for business
As organizations increase their use of artificial intelligence technologies in their operations, they're reaping tangible benefits that are expected to deliver significant financial value. Eighty-nine percent of organizations believe AI and machine learning will help them grow revenue, boost operational efficiency and improve customer experiences, according to research firm Frost & Sullivan's "Global State of AI, 2024" report. Those are only a few of the benefits AI can deliver.
ESG audit checklist: 6 steps for success
A thorough audit can rate corporate strategies on key environmental, social and governance metrics and ensure that ESG reporting meets accepted standards. By Mary K. Pratt Published: 12 Jun 2024 Investors increasingly rank environmental, social and governance issues among their top priorities for companies.
What are the pros and cons of shadow IT?
Most organizations have elements of shadow IT running within their environment, according to analysts, reports and veteran CIOs. That can be good, bad or both, depending on who's speaking. Shadow IT -- technology created, purchased, deployed or managed by workers without the IT team's knowledge or consent -- is a reality of modern life. Forty-one percent of employees acquired, modified or created tech outside of IT's visibility in 2022, according to research by Gartner published in 2023.
15 Benefits of Outsourcing Your Cybersecurity Operations
For companies battling data breaches and cyberattacks, MSSPs can offer lower costs, better reliability, broader experience, more skills and other benefits. By Mary K. Pratt Published: 20 Nov 2023 Cybersecurity executives are increasingly seeking to outsource some or all of their organization's enterprise security tasks, driven partly by the growing complexity of the work and the need to keep ahead of proliferating cyberthreats.
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