Strategic Business Information

Stay Informed With Strategic Business Information.

The Mass Technology Leadership Council’s continuing mission is to assist entrepreneurs in starting, managing and growing their companies, and to help Massachusetts technology companies be successful in global markets. In partnership with our Global Sponsors, Foley Hoag LLP, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Silicon Valley Bank, Travelers, and WilmerHale, we have compiled the following series of articles on strategic business topics to help industry executives make better, more informed decisions for their companies.

Release of Second Draft of Version 3 of GNU GPL Highlights Difficult Issues in Open Source Software Licenses

By Marc Temin, Foley Hoag LLP

The increasing development and use of open source software, which is due not only to whatever virtues such software may inherently have but also to the "copyleft" nature of the most popular open source software licenses, the GNU General Public License ("GPL"), has focused attention on open source software licenses and in particular on a proposed new version of the GPL.  . 

Taking a Service-Oriented Approach to Achieving Business Flexibility


By Sandy Carter, IBM Vice President SOA & WebSphere, Marketing, Strategy and Channels


The business terrain for today’s organizations is fraught with challenges from competitors, complexity, regulations, consolidation and demanding customers – across all industries but especially in the banking and financial services industries. To navigate successfully, firms must be able to make changes to their business models quickly and precisely. They must also be flexible and thus require flexibility in their IT infrastructures. Many firms are pursuing an approach that addresses these needs by integrating systems based on a service-oriented architecture (SOA).

Promoting Innovation, Interoperability, and Government Procurement Options: Getting the Definition of “Open Standards” Right


Nicos L. Tsilas, Microsoft Corporation


As the information technology (IT) marketplace becomes more competitive and heterogeneous in nature, and customers increasingly deploy software and hardware from multiple vendors to best meet their IT needs, the need for interoperability among diverse systems and components has increased. While levels of interoperability will vary depending on the product, nature and technology maturity, customer needs, vendor business models, and other industry factors and trade-offs such as security and reliability, interoperability has increasingly become a desired feature for IT components.

Running Lean and Green


By Jim Newcomer


In recent years, some of the most far-sighted companies worldwide—such as Apple, HP, and Toyota—have led the way in environmental and social responsibility. Originally they may have done it for moral and humanitarian reasons, to comply with increasingly strict environmental laws, to avoid future regulations they anticipated, or even to avoid customer and stockholder protests. But reasons for social and environmental commitment have changed rapidly in the last year from basic compliance or altruism to just plain good business.

Technology Company Risk Management: A Holistic View


By Bob Gazdik


Technology companies must cope with risk factors unique to their industry as well as those common to many industries. In addition to guarding against and planning for the potential compromise of sensitive data, technology ventures must pay strict attention to the bricks and mortar aspect of risk management such as building security and fleet management. The following tips are designed to help these businesses take a holistic view of risk management with an emphasis on prevention, mitigation and recovery.

Top Legal Mistakes Made by Founders of Early Stage Companies


By Michael D. Bain and Joshua D. Fox, WilmerHale


While technology has made forming a corporation less expensive and less time consuming, doing it right remains critical. This article discusses common legal mistakes made by entrepreneurs during the process of incorporation and in the early stages of a corporation’s existence. Errors can be corrected, but serious mistakes can jeopardize the ability to raise capital or complete a sale or public offering.

If Only the World Was Really Flat: Mitigating Payment and Foreign Exchange Risk When Selling Overseas


By Mary Papazian, senior foreign exchange advisor, and Carla Winfield, senior global advisor, SVB Silicon Valley Bank


Massachusetts-based companies are increasingly looking to foreign markets for new sales opportunities, which can be challenging but rewarding if you are properly prepared for the risks involved. Understanding the risks associated with entering new markets and gaining the knowledge necessary to mitigate those risks can help you grow your business successfully overseas.