IT struggles with project management

Industry analyst firm Gartner has been holding its annual project management summit in London, where an expert has asserted effective project management remains a difficult area for many IT professionals, says Tech Central.

Whether it is something as complex as a major public service system, or the relatively simple issue of a systems upgrade that goes failed, such as the recent outage that affected Twitter, IT usually hits the headlines when projects run into difficulties.

Sometimes, a technical issue will come up that even the best-prepared team could not anticipate. As Greg Balestrero, chief executive of the Project Management Institute, and a keynote speaker at the event, points out, IT is increasingly complex, especially as more of the value in an IT system moves into software.

In the race between Asia's economic giants, India is seen to be lagging behind China in one key growth area: project management skills, writes the Economic Times.

The PMI India, part of the worldwide not-for-profit association for the project management profession, feels India fades in comparison to China in equipping enough professionals with PM skills.

And that is believed to be a drag on the country's growth prospects, considering project management capabilities are relevant for everything from constructing a bridge or launching a rocket, to initiating an HR change management programme or organising a wedding reception.

Canberra-based ICT service provider Crystal Approach has signed a deal with Unisys Australia to be its supplier of project management services across ANZ, states TechDay.

Crystal's business development director, David Mathews, says Crystal Approach has worked with Unisys on federal government projects since 2007.

Under the agreement, Unisys will draw on Crystal Approach to provide additional project management resources during short-term surges in project work.