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  New leaders emerging in WAN optimization market

  In yet another sign that growing revenues are reshaping the vendor outlook in the network management sector, Gartner recently named vendor Silver Peak one of the leaders in its magic quadrant for the WAN optimization market.

• Apple has become biggest buyer of semiconductors: Gartner

  Apple became the biggest buyer of semiconductors last year, ahead of Samsung Electronics and Hewlett-Packard, according to Gartner.

• Help desks critical to BYOD efforts

  This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter's approach.

• IT leaders continue to juggle multiple priorities in 2012

  Analytics and business intelligence has moved back to the top of the technology priority list for CIOs, according to the latest Gartner research into CIO priorities, followed by mobile technologies and Cloud computing — but the pressure is as IT leaders juggle multiple priorities.

• 4 ways to beat data bloat

  This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter's approach.

• Gartner: The top 10 strategic technology trends for 2012

  ORLANDO -- The technology that makes up many of the systems in the ITworld today is at a critical juncture and in the next five years everything from mobile devices and applications to servers and social networking will impact IT in ways companies need to prepare for now, Gartner Vice President David Cearley says.

• Print: the last bastion of cost cutting?

  Print management services provide a major opportunity for CIOs to slash cost at their organisation according to Andrew Rowsell-Jones, research vice president at Gartner’s CIO Research Group.

• The pros and cons of Windows 7 security

  Businesses are eyeing a transition to Microsoft Windows 7, and with a wealth of security features that are part of it, it's worth figuring out the good and bad about each of them, says Gartner analyst Neil MacDonald, who notes in some cases, third-party security products might be the better fit.

• 5 virtual desktop pitfalls

  Most CIOs have started considering virtual desktop infrastructure and other types of desktop virtualization, but only a minority has reached the deployment stage. (See related story, "As Windows 7 gains steam, VDI set to rise".) Virtual desktops can potentially provide more flexibility for users, make it easier to apply patches and reduce IT help desk calls, but there are still numerous problems that keep desktop pros up at night. Here are five pitfalls to watch out for.

• 2010 tech forecasts: What the accurate analysts predict

  A venerable New Year's tradition in the tech world entails trotting out year-old predictions by analyst shops and laughing at their off-base prognostications. But here's a surprise: The two biggest analyst firms still standing -- Gartner and IDC -- did a pretty good job a year ago forecasting the shape of IT in 2009, as did the smaller Forrester Research and 451 Group.

Whitepapers about Gartner

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  Unlocking the power of data: The cost of dirty data and how to improve its accuracy

  Data is the life blood of a business; it plays a crucial role in influencing key decisions and organisational developments, such as product offerings, expansion plans and financial acquisitions. Read on.

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  HP Identified as Leader in Leading Analyst Firm’s Magic Quadrant Report for MFPs and Printers