Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Servers

    An Era of Elastic Accounting Unfolds

    By
    Eric Lundquist
    -
    July 8, 2002
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      One of the tenets of the dot-com age was that sales didnt matter. Companies measured success by Web click-throughs, unique visitors or the number of deals with other dot-com companies.

      All those measures ended in ashes, along with the companies that tried to convince the world that revenues were old measures best relegated to the old world. One of the tenets of the unfolding age of elastic accounting is that true sales dont matter when you can simply throw a couple zeros onto the revenue side of the ledger sheet and take care of yourself and your cronies while screwing your employees, investors and customers.

      If the dot-com story ends with a chuckle over the naiveté of executives and business consultants, the final chapter of the elastic-accounting era can only be disgust. If you want a book to send to your company president to remind him or her of their responsibilities, you might want to skip the recent buzzword-laden management books and send the slim volume “On Leadership” by John W. Gardner, the deceased founder of Common Cause. We continue to follow the sad saga of WorldCom and others (see “Sidgmore: UUNet Is Safe”).

      One technology saga from the past several years that does thrive is open-source software in the enterprise. As Deb Donston points out in this weeks Labs report, “Open-Source Enterprise,” we struggled with the headline in the 1999 review of Linux 2.2s kernel. We asked ourselves then if open source was a passing fad or something IT professionals should consider for development and deployment. This year, we asked our Labs analysts to report on the state of the open-source movement. From handheld operating systems to enterprise resource planning, this report compares the maturity, functionality, cost benefits and inherent risk of open source vs. traditional commercial applications. We talked with users who make enterprise-level open-source decisions. Many were surprised by the amount of open-source software that entered their companies unannounced to upper management. Another surprise was the range of open-source solutions that are available.

      Security is the first priority for any software deployment decision, and security in the open-source world presents some vexing problems. In this weeks issue, Dennis Fisher does a good job sorting out the security flap that developed over the recent finding of a flaw in Apache servers (“Whos Watching Whom?”).

      What makes a good leader? Write to me at [email protected]

      Eric Lundquist
      Since 1996, Eric Lundquist has been Editor in Chief of eWEEK, which includes domestic, international and online editions. As eWEEK's EIC, Lundquist oversees a staff of nearly 40 editors, reporters and Labs analysts covering product, services and companies in the high-technology community. He is a frequent speaker at industry gatherings and user events and sits on numerous advisory boards. Eric writes the popular weekly column, 'Up Front,' and he is a confidant of eWEEK's Spencer F. Katt gossip columnist.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×