We've heard a lot about workforce productivity recently, with particular regard, to mobility, thanks to XT and 2degrees. While researching the topic of workforce optimisation, I got to thinking about the way I work and how ICT facilitates my productivity. I recently went to an IDC presentation on cloud computing (also part of the productivity argument). You may have read the resulting web story Is cloud computing for you?, but what you won’t know is that I wrote it on the bus on my snazzy new smartphone. I was able to type the article on the QWERTY en route back from the presentation. By the time I arrived at the office the story was waiting in my work inbox to be proofread and published, saving me about half an hour.

There are, of course, many facets to workforce optimisation, from training to CRM, ERP and mobility, and my experience is but one example. Dip into the many examples in this issue (pp15-24) and see how technology can improve your workforce’s productivity.

I hope you enjoy this, my first edition of IT Brief. I’d also like to welcome our new regular columnists, Saatchi & Saatchi's CIO Peter Mangin and NZCS's Paul Matthews. And you'll see there are lots more faces in this issue, in our special Who you show know section, starting on p28.

Clare CoulsonEditor, IT Brief