Features

• Google weaves Larry Page's social strategy into Maps, Search

  It became clear at Google I/O this week that Google is quietly but assuredly implementing CEO Larry Page's strategy to use Google+ to transform the entire Google experience.

• Google dives headfirst into streaming music pool

  At Google I/O on Wednesday, Google unveiled a streaming music service that will compete directly with the likes of Pandora and Spotify -- in what is said to be a growing market, however.

• Sizing up open source: Not so simple

  Choosing open-source software is more complicated than picking traditional software. Is your IT department prepared to contribute code fixes to the community?

• Free (with strings attached): Keeping track of open-source code

  Just about anyone in the office can introduce open-source code into the company's IT infrastructure. Yet CIOs face real dangers if they're not properly managing their open-source assets.

• What IBM's x86 exit may mean for rivals

  IBM's reported interest in selling parts of its x86 server business to Lenovo may bring major changes to the global market.

• SAP's first quarter: The key questions

  SAP will announce its first-quarter 2013 earnings on Friday, a report that will get heavy scrutiny from company watchers. Here's a look at some of the more important topics that should come up during SAP executives' conference calls with press and analysts on Friday.

• Open your data to the world

  Not having an API is becoming like not having a website, but the interface has got to be easy for outside developers to work with.

• Marketo IPO may spark suitors, including Salesforce.com

  Cloud-based marketing automation vendor Marketo's plans to raise up to $75 million in an initial public offering, which were revealed this week, could influence larger companies to acquire the company, including Salesforce.com and SAP.

• 5 strategic tips for avoiding a big data bust

  Failed expectations, increased costs, unnecessary legal risks -- going blind into a big data project doesn’t pay

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  Microsoft Office 2013 vs. Office 365 price calculator

  Which is the better value, an Office desktop license that's good 'forever' or an annual cloud subscription? The answer is: It depends on your situation. Our interactive calculator will show you the price for each to help you make the best choice.

• Email addiction: Why the enterprise can't break free

  Atos CEO Thierry Breton caught a lot of flak last year when he announced he wanted his employees to give up email, but he may have been on to something.

• Cloud services can save you money - if you're careful

  Calculating the real ROI of cloud apps requires the analysis of a lot of factors, and cutting corners on that process means you might not save money.

• UX specialists are hot commodities

  Blame Apple's aesthetic: Even the stodgiest enterprise shops are engaging user experience experts who can design logical, beautiful interfaces for mobile computing's limited spaces.

• Analytics boost social marketing efforts

  Big-name companies including General Electric and Best Western are maturing their social marketing programs and integrating social metrics with back-end systems.

• Applying Big Data approaches to information security a challenge

  Applying Big Data approaches to information security can help enterprises build better situational awareness capabilities, but implementation could prove to be a major challenge, security experts said at the RSA Conference 2013 being held here this week.