Special Report: Most Popular Stories of 2011

What's been on Profit Online reader's minds in 2011?

Our round-up of the year's most popular stories shows that business leaders are focused not only on Oracle's latest technology solutions, but also strategies that successful companies and executives are using to navigate today's turbulent times. Indeed, stories about Oracle's Java claimed the first two spots, while readers also were quick to click on stories about the changing roles of CIOs, how to sell IT projects to senior management and even how to create a more peaceful office environment.

“This year, we wanted to engage Profit's executive readership in a conversation about what works best in today's marketplace — from explaining Oracle's new technologies to getting expert insight into what it takes to get projects done,” says Profit's editor-in-chief Aaron Lazenby. “ Obviously, it is a conversation our readers want to continue having.” Read on to see what headlines proved most popular with Profit Online's readers.

Special Report: Java
Discover what makes Java the foundation for virtually every type of networked application and the global standard for developing and delivering mobile applications, games, Web-based content, and enterprise software. Plus get the latest issue of Java Magazine, a bimonthly, digital-only publication is an essential source of knowledge about Java technology, the Java programming language, and Java-based applications for people who rely on them in their professional careers, or who aspire to.

Captains of Industry
A dramatic decrease in demand in 2009 spurred Hong Kong–based global container shipping and logistics company Orient Overseas Container Line Limited (OOCL) to look for new ways enterprise technology could deliver a competitive advantage. Learn how Java and Oracle SOA technologies helped transform OOCL's enterprise applications infrastructure.

Dealing With Drama
“Drama always exists but the question is, do the managers have the courage to address it head on? A lot of times they let it fester and the longer you let it fester, the worse it gets in terms of draining productivity,” says Jim Warner, co-author of The Drama-Free Office. Get his advice for handling office drama in this exclusive interview with Profit.

Faster Fashion
“Customers are always demanding more information from us,”says Jon Kubo, senior vice president of e-commerce and CIO for the Wet Seal, Inc. “They want information about the product. They want to know not only what their peers think about it, but how it can be used with other products. Mobile provides that ability to carry that information with them—not only when they’re away from their computers, but in the store itself.”

Special Report: Business Intelligence
More and more organizations use analytics to identify new business opportunities, reduce costs, and optimize business processes. How? By making business information available throughout the enterprise—and making sure that it is relevant, actionable, and easy to access.

Developing Possibilities
In June 2010, Oracle released Oracle Application Express 4.0. “This is our biggest release since it was first released in 2004,” Michael Hichwa, vice president of software development at Oracle and the tool’s original developer, told Profit. Release 4.0 “modernizes and improves a lot of the mainstay features,” he said. Here Hichwa answers queries submitted by Profit readers through Twitter. Find out what he has to say about Oracle Application Express, the future of user-generated applications, and how you can try the application for free.

Closing the Deal
Approximately 80 percent of most IT budgets are for maintenance and support of software, so the competition for new investment is intense. Here are four sales tips that can help enterprise techies and line-of-business managers close the deal on essential IT projects.

Verizon's Billion-Dollar Story
To streamline operations, Verizon leadership decided to launch a shared-services organization. The shared-services model entails the creation of a centralized business unit that performs common services and functions for the rest of the company. This allows other operating units to focus on their core business.

Special Report: Today's CIO
There's no doubt IT's role is changing: Dell CIO Robin Johnson and USTA CIO Larry Bonfante both acknowledged this evolution in their recent interviews with Profit: “I think the role becomes far less about the technology itself. But it becomes far more about how you use those technologies to create business value,” says Johnson. Here, take a look a closer look at these interviews, and how CIOs can manage their new responsibilities. Plus, get tips for building a solid technology strategy in a rocky economic environment.

The Silent Treatment
“Interestingly enough, as the economy worsened, it became even more important for both people who were trying to keep their jobs and people who were finding jobs to increase what we call their 'curbside appeal,'” says Louder Than Words author Joe Navarro, a retired FBI special agent who now consults with many Fortune 500 companies.