(These systems integrators) still need to partner with IBM because IBM has some very strong software products - they are going to be forced to walk the fine line between partnership and competition.

Software is usually accompanied by documentation in the form of big fat scary manuals that nobody ever reads. In fact, for the past five years most of the manuals shipped with software products have actually been copies of Stephen King's The Stand with new covers pasted on.

The Internet "browser"... is the piece of software that puts a message on your computer screen informing you that the Internet is currently busy and you should try again later.

I regularly read Internet user groups filled with messages from people trying to solve software incompatibility problems that, in terms of complexity, make the U.S. Tax Code look like Dr. Seuss.

For most organizations, the lack of a consistent risk management framework leaves a lot of important and timely information trapped in documents and in people's heads. Effective information management not only helps make business operations more efficient, but also mitigates risk. Most organizations are so busy just trying to manage structured information that they haven't yet addressed unstructured content -- much less given enough attention to litigation risk associated with information.

The long-term promise here is the ability to bring some more management to this unmanaged content.