Project Manager of the Year Award

As reported in Trading Markets.

New York, NY, Jul 02, 2009 (PRWeb.com via COMTEX) — JW/A | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating — International Institute for Learning, Inc. (IIL) has opened the application process for the 2009 Kerzner International Project Manager of the Year(TM) Award. A global leader in professional training in Project, Program, and Portfolio Management, Business Analysis, Microsoft(R) Office Project and Project Server, PRINCE2(R), and Lean Six Sigma, IIL established this prestigious international award in 2006 to recognize project management professionals who demonstrate superior performance, outstanding skills, and innovative project management techniques, as well as those who make significant contributions in business, industry, government, community, or not-for-profit environments. The Award bears the name of Dr. Harold Kerzner, Ph.D, M.S., and M.B.A., Senior Executive Director of IIL. Considered by many to be “the father of modern project management,” he is an expert in the areas of project, program, and portfolio management and is the author of a number of best-selling project management textbooks, including Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, which is now in its tenth edition. His most recent textbook, Value-Driven Project Management (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) will be released in September of this year.

“Dr. Harold Kerzner is a true visionary in the field of project management and it is with great pride that we pay tribute to his contributions through the Kerzner International Project Manager of the Year(TM) Award,” said E. LaVerne Johnson, Founder, President, and CEO of IIL. “IIL is delighted to reward outstanding professionals for their dedication to the pursuit of project management excellence.”

Previous winners of the award have seen tremendous growth in their professional endeavors as a result of the honor. “Following my selection as International Project Manager of the Year, I have been very satisfied to see my career make a ‘quantum leap’, my network expand, and my credibility grow. The honor has elevated my status in the field, resulting in a new career opportunity that has profoundly changed my life and the lives of my family,” said Scot Hanley, PMP, MCP, 2008 Kerzner International Project Manager of the Year. “I have also been asked to contribute to Dr. Kerzner’s latest book and have been invited to lecture regularly on project management at the University of Alabama.”

To be eligible, candidates must possess the PMI(R) PMP(R) cred

What Does Cloud Computing Mean to Project Managers?

I was watching an online video the other day where some IT industry experts were asked what cloud computing meant to them. It’s funny how it means something a little different to everyone and some of them were at a loss of words to describe which gives you an idea of how new it still is to everyone…and yet how simple the concept really is. And that’s mostly what it is…a concept. Like the flow chart that would have this big box that said “and something happens here” when no one could figure out the right process to show or how to solve the problem.

Defining Cloud Computing

Cloud computing isn’t quite like that…it isn’t something that just happens…but done right it is something that sort of “just happens.” Like the internet…you turn your computer on and there it is and your connected to information, networks, servers somewhere else, a remote printer, etc. You don’t really worry about it, it’s there. And that’s the concept of cloud computing.

Cloud means Internet. The computing takes place on the Internet – in place of the software you use executing on your desktop pc, it’s hosted on the Internet on a server installed in a data centre usually staffed by people who are experts in managing technology. This type of “cloud” software is sometimes called “on demand” or Software as a Service (SaaS).

After all, the cloud idea came from the image used to display the concept of the Internet in diagrams. Like a big cloud that we connect to not caring really what is in that cloud and how we get information and services from it. Back to the video I was watching…one individual described it simply as…”if you need more than your laptop and an Internet connection, then it’s not cloud computing.”

Cloud Computing and the Project

So what does cloud computing mean to project managers? What does it mean for our projects? At a minimum, this is what I believe it means to me as a project manager:

• New web-based testing processes (see my article on startup Skytap teaming with HP)
• Web-based project management software (ProjectOffice.net, Liquid Planner, MindManager, etc.)
• Greener project management
• Lower costs
• Elimination of unnecessary hardware
• Incredible scalability
• Ease of information sharing between delivery team members, customer team members and executive management
• Rapid dashboard info on portfolio of projects
• Information sharing through Wiki’s, etc.
• More remote management
• Meetings using web-based tools
• Add-on software part of the cloud and not a requirement for your customer to have loaded on his users’ machines

Summary

To me, as a Project Manager, cloud computing means a more green, less costly, and more carefree processing environment for the customer. Does this mean a more carefree and less costly implementation? Possibly less costly, but from the PM perspective I don’t believe it’s any more carefree. Everything must still be tested, everything still must work upon deployment, and everything must still be supported.