From the category archives:

Web Pro Minute Podcasts

Trusted Identity in Cyberspace

by Bill Cullifer on May 5, 2011

A Look at White House’s National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace

The need to improve the current state of online identity has been hailed at the highest levels of the U.S. government.

“By making online transactions more trustworthy and better protecting privacy, we will prevent costly crime, we will give businesses and consumers new confidence, and we will foster growth and untold innovation,” President Obama said in a statement on Launch of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace. This podcast covers the topic from the point of view of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The NSTIC proposes the creation of an “identity ecosystem” online, “where individuals and organizations will be able to trust each other because they follow agreed upon standards to obtain and authenticate their digital identities.” The strategy puts government in the role of a convener, verifying and certifying identity providers in a trust framework.

First steps toward this model, in the context of citizen-to-government authentication, came in 2010 with the launch of the Open Identity Exchange (OIX) and a pilot at the National Institute of Health of a trust frameworks — but there’s a very long road ahead for this larger initiative.

Why is this important?

* 10 Trillion Dollars of Online Transactions
* Could ensure the growth of the Web
* Could ensure the success of the Web profession
* Could ensure private sector involvement
* Cyber crime cost consumers 37 billion dollars a year
* Could serve as a identity protection program for consumers

The final version of NSTIC is a framework that lays out a vision for an identity ecosystem. Video of the launch of the NSTIC at the Commerce Department is embedded below:

ber crime cost consumers 37 billion dollars a year

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Web Content Analysis and Strategy: Make Your Website Fly

by Bill Cullifer on October 25, 2010

Web Content Analysis and Strategy: Make Your Website Fly Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Web Content Analysis: Make Your Website Fly Interview with Colleen Jones, Principal of Content Science

Ever launch a beautifully designed website, only to watch it crash and burn? Too often, bad or unexpected content sabatoges our designs–and keeps our websites from getting results. But, there’s hope in content analysis. Jones will walk through the practical process of understanding what content you need to make your next website soar.

In this three minute podcast WOW’s roving reporter Jeri Hastava asks Colleen Jones about the latest in Web content analysis and strategies at the 2010 Voices that Matter Web Design Conference in San Francisco, CA.

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IT Savvy – What Top Executives Must Know to Go from Pain to Gain

by Bill Cullifer on December 14, 2009

IT Savvy - What Top Executives Must Know to Go from Pain to Gain Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

IT Savvy – What Top Executives Must Know to Go from Pain to Gain and What Top IT Professionals Need to Know About the C-suite

Greetings and Happy Holiday’s Web Professionals!

Today’s podcast is an extended interview with Dr. Jeanne W. Ross, Director and Principle Research Scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management Center for Information Systems Research and author of a recently published book entitled, “IT Savvy” what Top Executives Must know to Go from Pain to Gain.

I reached out to interview Dr. Ross in response to and interview with Cia Romano CEO, Interface Guru last week regarding her take on the state of the Web and frustration with the lack of education of those providing and contracting for Web services.

If you ever wanted to better understand the mindset of the folks in the C-suite regarding the topic of Information Technology, (IT) you owe it to yourself to listen to this thirty minute podcast on today’s Web Professional Minute.

Dr. Ross’s research centers on the organizational and performance implications of enterprise initiatives related to enterprise architecture, governance and new IT management practices. At MIT she lectures, conducts research and teaches public and customized executive courses on IT management.

I’ll have a full transcript of this podcast shortly. In the meantime, here is what I asked Dr, Ross to respond to.

* What prompted you to write IT Savvy?

* What is the role of IT from the perspective of the C-suite?

* How does the Internet fit in to that role and that definition?

* How can companies strive to convert IT from a strategic liability to a strategic asset?

* A lot has been said about the potential divide among and executives and IT and you refers to this in your writings. For example in your book you recommend that executives become IT Savvy. Does that mean that executives are solely responsible or should IT professionals become more business savvy?

* What effect if any did the tech bubble bust have on the reluctance of some companies to invest in IT?

* Many in this industry talk about a talent and a skills gap? What are your thoughts?

* Is outsourcing contributing the reluctance on the part of some executives to embrace becoming IT savvy?

* Is their a role that education can play in improving the synergy between IT and the executives?

* What role should business and industry play to encourage parents and youth to see the opportunities IT as a profession? Second part of that question what role if any should business and industry play in promoting the benefits of IT both from employment productivity point of view.

* What kind of foundational knowledge should future IT and business professional’s posses and what will they need to succeed.
* In the book you talk about the importance of IT empowerment. Can you expand on the benefits of this?

* In the book you talk about empowering the digital culture? Can you summarize that and can you provide with a summary benefit statement on Why IT Now?

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