Desktop virtualization, also referred to as virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), can save companies money by eliminating the need to maintain a fully configured PC for each employee and reducing the support burden.

How should IT be organized? There's no one right way to organize, according to IT expert Richard Ross, however there are some basic guidelines to follow when trying to get your organization on track.

Companies are opting to maintain rather than cut technology and R&D spending, according to AMEX's second annual Global Business & Spending Monitor survey. The reason, says Wendy Prewitt, VP of global business development at AMEX, is that technology allows companies to reduce costs elsewhere, generate more revenue, and attract customers.

Before you consider outsourcing, which can demoralize and disrupt your organization and still not produce the results or savings you want, take these five steps. By doing so, you can reduce your overall IT spend, lower the cost of owning and operating your IT infrastructure, and increase the speed and responsiveness of your IT group and, in turn, your business.

The dream of unified communications, which would allow the seamless flow of voice, data, video, and applications across different networks, protocols, vendors, and devices as if they were all one, is becoming a reality. Telecom vendors, carriers, and mobile providers are in on the action and major players like Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft are staking their turf.

This spring has seen corporate performance management (CPM) move squarely into the cloud. According to an April Gartner report, the market for CPM continues to grow, primarily because spreadsheets for CPM are being replaced with products that have built-in analytics. One of the fastest growing areas is SaaS CPM solutions, which allow fast implementations with low investment and with less of a need for IT infrastructure.

How many IT vendors does your organization really need? The more IT vendors an organization uses, the greater the overall cost, yet one vendor won't meet all of the needs of most businesses.

The 6th Annual BPM Summit brought together some of the business world's foremost practitioners to explore the transformational role of finance in the enterprise. If you missed the live event, you can still enjoy access to the audio and slide shows from the keynote presentations at our on-demand archive.

Using eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) could enhance the liquidity and alleviate some of the stress and uncertainty plaguing today's markets. Read Ventana Research's "Tag Fannie and Freddie with XBRL" in the BPM Resource Center.

Has the downturn helped or hampered tax executives' quest for a more strategic and proactive role? What tactics and technologies are tax leaders embracing to steer through economic turmoil? Help us track the forces shaping today's tax departments by participating in this 10-minute survey. All of the information you provide will be kept strictly confidential. The results will be presented in an upcoming issue of Business Finance. If you respond by June 26, you'll be entered into a drawing for one of two $100 Visa gift cards!