InSys Views - March 2007

Volume 2, Issue 3 - March 2007

If you read last month's issue, you know that InSys Consulting was in the running for the 2007 WEPO Award, which recognizes an Outstanding Women's Business Enterprise in the New York and Washington DC area. The winner was announced at an awards breakfast March 1, and (drum roll, please)...it wasn't us. Still, it was nice to be nominated, and it was fun to take part. Maybe next year!

Being at this breakfast session got me thinking about the importance of supplier diversity programs in a new way, too. When we're making a sales pitch, we never lead with the company's woman-owned status, because we think it's more important to be known as a firm that can deliver quality resources. If you have a supplier-diversity program, we can help, but we'd rather emphasize our ability to find you the right people.

When you think about it though, a diverse supplier network is a good thing in itself, for the company, the vendors and the community at large. And it's not just for big companies, either. Here's an interesting article about putting a diversity program together. It's not as hard as you might think.

Talk to you next month,

Linda Magnusson-Rosario, CEO

Ramping Up Your Retention Efforts

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be nearly 1 million more IT jobs in 2014 than exist today, and the figure jumps to more than 1.3 million when retirements are factored in. With fewer young people pursuing computer science degrees, demand will be greater than supply, making employee retention something all managers need to consider. Read the article.

Issues and Challenges Facing Legacy Systems

Maintaining and upgrading legacy systems is one of the most difficult challenges IT departments face - struggling with the problem of modernizing while keeping functionality intact. This developer.com article provides a brief history and advice on choosing the best approach. Read the article.

Do You Love Your BlackBerry Too Much?

While many of us couldn't imagine life without our wireless devices, we may be letting it get out of hand. Take this fun CIO quiz to find out where you stand. Take the quiz.

On Another Note...

This month's spotlight is on Catherine Rivera, an administrative assistant in our Rochelle Park office. Catherine works for InSys part-time, and is also working toward a Marketing degree at Ramapo College. This May, InSys will be sponsoring her participation in the BRIDGES program, a Catholic Ministries effort that's been providing community services to the remote regions of the Dominican Republic since 1997.

Along with twenty other students, Catherine will spend two weeks in La Cuchilla, a remote mountain village in the southern region of Provincia de Peravia. BRIDGES participants work on improving the local school and also teach classes in English, math, and arts and crafts.

The program's goal is to build understanding and provide an opportunity to learn first hand what life is like in a Third World nation. Good luck, Catherine!

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