IBM is offering employees who are nearing retirement, and who might be worried about layoffs, a one-time opportunity to participate in a program that would guarantee their employment through Dec. 31, 2013.

The National Football League may have big stadiums, big players and big games, but when it comes to computer systems, the league's vice president of IT, Nancy Galietti, doesn't use the word big.

Allan Hackney of John Hancock Financial Services Ask a Premier 100 IT Leader Allan Hackney Title: Senior vice president and CIOCompany: John Hancock Financial Services

Cybersecurity jobs are plentiful, from government, financial services and utilities to manufacturing and retail. But what skills do IT professionals need to qualify for these high-paying jobs?

University of Florida computer science students remain fearful about their department's future, despite the school's decision this week to "set aside" an earlier plan to reorganize the department and cut its budget.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) isn't giving up on a bill to give green cards to college graduates with advanced degrees in technical fields, but she has been unable to find any Republican backing for it.

The University of Florida in Gainesville is on the verge of dismantling its computer science department through budget cuts and restructuring, a move that has shocked students in the program.

Enterprise IT departments are struggling to take advantage of the benefits big data can bring due to a lack of skills in the marketplace, according to IDC research VP Susan Feldman.

Running the internal IT operations of Cisco Systems is a big job not just because of the size of the company -- more than 70,000 employees worldwide and a market capitalisation in the range of $US100 billion -- but also because Cisco is continually developing new IT products across a broad range of technologies and is known for rapidly adopting those products for its own use. Cisco CIO Rebecca Jacoby spoke with IDG News Service on the sidelines of the NetWork conference last week and shared some insights into the legendary enterprise IT company's own enterprise IT.

What does an average work day involve for you at Austereo? The average day at Austereo is an adventure. It's a combination of managing daily operational needs and activities and taking on the new challenges associated with an organisation that continually pushes itself and the traditional boundaries of our industry.

A lot of technology professionals are frustrated with the IT profession. They can't find a job or move into the position that they want. They're always hearing that demand exists, but that's not what their personal experience has shown them. They feel they have the skills for the job, and have even put in the time it takes to be qualified or certified in the technologies in demand. But the requirements for IT career development remain elusive.

Kristine Harper and her father, Tom, both work on mainframe computers. BOSTON - Kristine Harper was about 12-years-old when her father took her to his office to take part of a "take your daughter to work day." Tom Harper said his daughter was less than enthusiastic about his profession that day.

For a device with "smart" in its name, a smartphone sure can help you do a lot of stupid things. Whether it's racking up thousands of dollars in international roaming fees or encouraging dozens of eye rolls with your misrouted voice dialing -- I'm looking at you, guy who calls Ben O'Lynn in accounting every time he means to call Bennigan's for lunch -- our modern-day mobile devices provide plenty of opportunities for tech-tinged embarrassment.

So you arrive at a big job interview confident and prepared. It starts off strong. Conversation flows smoothly. You're saying all the right things.

Tanya Harris was head of human resources at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in Wellington when she made a lateral career move.

IT professionals asked to do more work for less pay and fewer benefits might be able to forgive their employers' financial choices, but industry watchers say high-tech workers won't soon forget being treated poorly during the most recent economic recession and will look to find other employment opportunities as soon as the recovery gets under way.

It's been really difficult using the Force to convince your HR manager or boss to see things your way: Your threats of turning fellow workers to the Dark Side sound hollow and that Jedi mind trick you've been working on for the past six months doesn't seem to be getting you anywhere. Your big promotion? You might as well be working in the Spice Mines of Kessel.

In recent days, "less bad" has become the favored description of much of the economy, including the IT industry. However, the number of positions needed for efficient operation of data centers has remained strong, continuing to show overall growth even in a down economy.