• iPhone, Android account for 82% of smartphones shipped

  Android and iPhone smartphones together made up 82% of all such devices shipped to retailers in the first quarter of 2012, IDC said Thursday.

• Tech guns for hire: 5 places to find skilled IT contractors

  Even for organizations with a stellar full-time IT staff, situations often arise where temporary outside help is needed. A big Web project might demand a few extra programmers to meet a tough deadline, for example, or a rollout of tools to support a sales force bent on capturing a broader market may require expertise not available in-house.

• Android in enterprises 'severely limited' by weak management support from Google

  Adoption of Android tablets and smartphones in large businesses has been "severely limited" because of the complexities of managing the various Android models and versions, market research firm Gartner said in an evaluation of 20 mobile device management (MDM) software vendors released Friday.

• Android, Samsung top smartphone sales, topping Apple's iPhone

  Android smartphones made up 56% of the global smartphones sold to end users in the first quarter of 2012, giving them a far higher share than the 22.9% held by Apple's runner-up iPhone, Gartner said Wednesday.

• 1

  Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 on sale Sunday for $400

  Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is set to go on sale at retailers nationwide Sunday for $399.99, furthering the variety of tablet sizes from the vendor.

• Defining 'big data' depends on who's doing the defining

  Big data is an IT buzzword nowadays, but what does it really mean? When does data become big?

• 1

  Analysis: Why Linux is a desktop flop

  It's free, easier to use than ever, IT staffers know it and love it, and it has fewer viruses and Trojans than Windows.

• What's in the Tech Crystal Ball For 2011?

  Market research firm IDC makes a number of tech-related predictions near the end of every calendar year, but its prognostications for 2011 may well be among the company's most dramatic yet.

• Cloud Computing: How big is big data? IDC's answer

  I came across a link to a new report from IDC called the "2010 Digital Universe Study".

• 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 IDC

• 

  IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Managed Print Services 2011 Hardcopy Vendor Analysis

  This IDC study assesses 11 hardcopy vendors that are participating in the worldwide managed print services (MPS) market. Vendor selection included vendors with existing and developing MPS programs. This assessment discusses both quantitative and qualitative characteristics that explain success in this important market. Growth of print services will continue to escalate as companies of all sizes recognise the savings and efficiencies that can be realised under such programs, and vendors compete aggressively to expand market reach and gain share.

• 

  The Business Value of Large-Scale Server Consolidation