50 Must-Read IT Blogs from BizTech
Blogging, the content revolution that has swept the Internet, has given an incredible number of voices a medium for airing ideas and building followings. This trend holds true in the IT field as well, with everyone from vendors and developers to CIOs and technicians joining in the conversation to discuss everything from cloud computing and server virtualization to the rise of tablets for business.
But it can be hard to separate worthwhile content from all the noise. So the BizTech team has crawled the web and put together this list of the 50 Must-Read IT Blogs for your convenience.
Our list is a mix of independent, media, analyst and vendor blogs. You’ll recognize some big names, and you’ll find some unfamiliar names too (and if we’ve overlooked one of your favorite blogs, feel free to tell us in the comment section). Known or unknown, all of the blogs on this list have valuable content to contribute to the IT discussion.
Is your blog one of the 50 listed here? Grab the official BizTech Must-Read IT Blog badge for your site here.
UPDATE: We now have an OPML file with RSS feeds of all 50 Must-Read IT Blogs for your convenience. Download the file here. For assistance on importing the OPML file into Google Reader, see the instructions here.
Absolute Software Blog
Absolute Software offers software for managing and securing mobile devices, and its blog shares valuable insights for customers and noncustomers alike. Whether it’s the latest report on mobile security or a conversation-starting infographic, for those interested in mobile computing, the Absolute Blog is a handy source of information.
Follow: @absolutecorp | Read the blog: blog.absolute.com
Andrew McAfee's Blog
Written by McAfee, a principal research scientist at MIT, this blog is an exploration of the intersections between business and IT. As the man who coined the phrase “Enterprise 2.0,” McAfee is well versed on the subject, and the proof is in his posts, which offer critical insights and analysis on trends, news and topics in business IT.
Follow: @amcafee | Read the blog: andrewmcafee.org/blog
Around the Storage Block
Maintained by Calvin Zito, an IT professional since 1983, this blog explores all things storage within the HP universe. Zito offers tips, product announcements and multimedia podcasts for all storage enthusiasts.
Follow: @HPStorageGuy | Read the blog: Around the Storage Block
Chuck's Blog
EMC doesn’t just offer top-tier products, they’ve also got some of the best minds in IT on their staff, and Chuck Hollis, global marketing vice president and CTO, is one of them. His posts are full of grand ideas and offer a big-picture point of view on IT.
Follow: @chuckhollis | Read the blog: chucksblog.emc.com
CIO Dashboard
Targeted at CIOs and CTOs, the CIO Dashboard focuses on IT news and topics most useful to the leaders in business IT. Written by Chris Curran, a principal at PwC (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers), this blog cuts straight to the chase and offers up practical ideas and advice.
Follow: @cbcurran | Read the blog: ciodashboard.com
Cisco Blog - Small Biz
Cisco Systems may be a big company, but they’ve got a group of folks that really get small business. This blog brings together experts in small-biz IT who inform readers on major aspects of running and growing a small business.
Follow: @CiscoGeeks | Read the blog: blogs.cisco.com/category/smallbusiness
The Citrix Blog
As an authority on virtualization and cloud computing, Citrix knows a thing or two about virtual, flexible infrastructures. Readers of the blogs in the Citrix network can expect to find strategies, news and advice about the use of Citrix platforms.
Follow: @Citrix | Read the blog: blogs.citrix.com
CloudAve
Got cloud fever? Then it’s time to take a stroll down CloudAve. This blog aggressively and comprehensively covers everything in the cloud computing space, offering reviews, news and insights to its readers.
Follow: @CloudAve | Read the blog: cloudave.com
Cloud Computing
For readers who want a strategic point of view on cloud computing and social media, look no further than this blog written by Chirag Mehta, a SAP employee. Mehta analyzes startups and shares insightful wisdom on how cloud services impact IT.
Follow: @chirag_mehta | Read the blog: cloudcomputing.blogspot.com
CloudTweaks
Established in 2009, CloudTweaks aims to deliver news, interviews and analysis for cloud computing enthusiasts. The site boasts contributions from CEOs, CTOs, bloggers and entrepreneurs, so people of all levels are welcome to the discussion.
Follow: @cloudtweaks | Read the blog: cloudtweaks.com
Cutter Consortium
The Cutter Consortium is an IT advisory firm, and its blog is a potpourri of contributions from IT analysts and experts, sharing their wisdom and insight with readers. This is definitely a reliable place for gathering credible opinions in IT.
Follow: @cuttertweets | Read the blog: blog.cutter.com
Data Center Knowledge
Managing and optimizing the data center is probably at the top of every IT leader’s list of priorities. Thankfully, Rich Miller, editor of Data Center Knowledge, takes data centers as seriously as his readers do.
Follow: @datacenter | Read the blog: datacenterknowledge.com
DoubleCloud
Pulling its name from the duality of the public and private cloud approaches, Steve Jin, a VMware employee, writes about virtualization for VMware architects and developers. For those looking for a virtualization/cloud blog that gets down to the nitty gritty, DoubleCloud is it.
Follow: @sjin2008 | Read the blog: doublecloud.org
Exchange Server Pro
Managing the Exchange server for a company can feel like Mission Impossible at times. The team at Exchange Server Pro, however, is here to help with solutions, tutorials and tips for Exchange Server professionals of all levels.
Follow: @exchservpro | Read the blog: exchangeserverpro.com
Face2Fujitsu
Solving problems and building solutions — that’s what the team at Fujitsu hopes to offer with its Face2Fujitsu blog. The blog humanizes the company by sharing posts from different employees within the company that touch on the robust technology and products that have made Fujitsu famous.
Follow: @Fujitsu_TS | Read the blog: blog.ts.fujitsu.com/face2fujitsu
Fountainhead
Ken Oestreich, a cloud and virtualization marketer for EMC and the writer behind Fountainhead, has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to IT. He compares and contrasts cloud computing with real-world examples and pushes his readers to challenge their limits on everything from data, storage and beyond.
Follow: @Fountnhead | Read the blog: fountnhead.blogspot.com
Gartner Blog Network
How many IT analysts does it take to screw in a light bulb? Whatever the answer is, there have to be enough of them over at the Gartner Blog Network to do the job. The renowned IT research firm is a stable of great thinkers, and its blog network opens the door to these insightful minds.
Follow: @gartner_inc | Read the blog: blogs.gartner.com
GottaBeMobile
With the dawn of the mobile computing age, the days of being tethered to a desk or workstation are long behind us. Gotta Be Mobile lives its mantra by digging into the mobile world and offering news, reviews and sneak peeks at the latest in mobile technology.
Follow: @gottabemobile | Read the blog: gottabemobile.com
Greg's Server and StorageIO Blog
Greg Schulz is an expert in storage technologies. As a well-known author and speaker, Greg has spoken at length about IT best practices. On his blog, readers can expect real-world tips, practical insights and informed opinions on storage, virtualization and more.
Follow: @storageio | Read the blog: storageioblog.com
Hu's Blog
As VP and CTO at Hitachi Data Systems, Hu Yoshida’s words carry weight. He digs into the meat and potatoes of storage and virtualization for the company, offering his point of view on emerging trends and technologies.
Follow: @hdscorp | Read the blog: blogs.hds.com/hu
Inside System Storage
An acknowledged authority on storage software, systems and services, Tony Pearson, an IBM managing consultant, hosts an insider’s discussion on all things storage on this official IBM blog. He also provides on-the-ground reporting and commentary at conferences and events.
Follow: @az990tony | Read the blog: Inside System Storage
Mastering SharePoint with Bob Mixon
If you need a hand with deploying, managing or troubleshooting your company’s instance of SharePoint, Bob Mixon can probably help. As an experienced SharePoint expert, Bob offers valuable resources and insight to his readers. Bookmark this one — you’ll be visiting often.
Follow: @BobMixon | Read the blog: bobmixon.com
Microsoft Security Response Center
Hackers and malware creators should beware. Microsoft takes IT security seriously and if you needed proof of that, look no further than the Microsoft Security Response Center. This official security blog from Microsoft issues bulletins, statistics and updates that keep IT staffers in the loop.
Follow: @msftsecresponse | Read the blog: blogs.technet.com/b/msrc/
Naked Security
Talk about putting yourself out there — this IT security blog hosted by Sophos is smart, hip and sharp in its coverage of malware, hacking and data security. Definitely worth a daily read.
Follow: @sophoslabs | Read the blog: nakedsecurity.sophos.com
Open Port IT Community
Big ideas can produce big results. The idea behind this Intel-hosted open exchange is to share thoughts on IT for the betterment of the field. Intel experts post on a wide spectrum of topics, including cloud, data center optimization and security.
Follow: @intelopenport | Read the blog: communities.intel.com/community/openportit
OS X Daily
As Apple’s influence and innovation in the computing space pushes forward, more and more businesses are integrating Apple products into their IT infrastructure. Although not affiliated with Apple, OS X Daily covers everything Apple and offers news and useful tips to its readers.
Follow: @osxdaily | Read the blog: osxdaily.com
PandaLabs Blog
Panda Security is a pioneer in cloud-based security solutions, and they leverage this expertise for the company blog, Panda Labs. Offering IT security alerts, advisories and in-depth reports on the state of security, this is a must read for security buffs.
Follow: @Panda_Security | Read the blog: pandalabs.pandasecurity.com
Rational Survivability
If you like your IT blogs with a splash of wit, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and dragon art, Chris Hoff’s Rational Survivability blog is the perfect mixture of informative and humorous with its posts on security, virtualization and cloud computing.
Follow: @beaker | Read the blog: rationalsurvivability.com/blog
Real Business at Xerox
Although the blog is run by and hosted by Xerox, it covers more than just company product offerings, adding anecdotal stories on office productivity into the mix.
Follow: @XEROX | Read the blog: realbusinessatxerox.blogs.xerox.com
Scott Lowe
Lowe is a CTO for EMC, and his blog is a must-read for those who’d like to pick the brain of a veteran IT professional. Some of his posts get deep in the weeds, while others are more casual, technical advice stories.
Follow: @scott_lowe | Read the blog: blog.scottlowe.org
Sean Daniel
Looking for ways to start up, troubleshoot or optimize your servers? Sean Daniel has plenty of tips and tricks for IT staff working on Microsoft’s Small Business Server and Windows Home Server.
Follow: @seandaniel | Read the blog: sbs.seandaniel.com
The Security Catalyst
Ever feel like IT security is a little too removed from humanity to be effective? Michael Santarcangelo did, which is why he founded the Security Catalyst, a blog that aims to connect the dots between people and IT security.
Follow: @catalyst | Read the blog: securitycatalyst.com/blog
Small Biz Go Mobile
Mobile computing is everywhere. As the consumerization of IT makes its way into the enterprise, Small Biz Go Mobile, an AT&T-sponsored blog, documents how small businesses are integrating their systems with mobile technologies.
Follow: @smbizgomobile | Read the blog: marioarmstrong.com/smallbizgomobile
Small Business Labs
Businesses produce a lot of data, but they’re often too busy doing business to sit back and sift through it all on their own. Small Business Labs takes the time to aggregate, analyze and research trends in small business, sharing its findings with readers.
Follow: @smallbizlabs | Read the blog: smallbizlabs.com
Small Biz Technology
Dedicated to educating and informing small businesses about technology and the impact that it can have on their businesses, Small Biz Technology is a handy bookmark for questions about utilizing social media for business.
Follow: @ramonray | Read the blog: smallbiztechnology.com
Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat
This IT blog is a buffet of IT information. Though he’s particularly knowledgeable about storage, Stephen Foskett’s posts cover networking and social media, and offer product reviews as well.
Follow: @sfoskett | Read the blog: blog.fosketts.net
Tenable Network Security
There are a lot of great IT security blogs out there. Some of the better ones happen to be published by the vendors themselves. Tenable Network Security’s is one of them. The company’s network security podcast, in particular, is a highlight.
Follow: @TenableSecurity | Read the blog: blog.tenablesecurity.com
Threatpost
The team at IT security vendor Kaspersky Lab knows their stuff. And they share their knowledge with the world at Threatpost, issuing warnings about dangerous malware and worst practices that can leave your IT vulnerable to attack.
Follow: @threatpost | Read the blog: threatpost.com
Toshiba Telephone Systems
Getting the right fit when it comes to your business's telephone systems can be a daunting task. Toshiba, a leader in telephony, brings together employees and experts to offer tips, advice and case studies on telephony, VoIP and other phone system products.
Follow: @toshibaphonesys | Read the blog: blog.telecom.toshiba.com
Tripwire Blog
This informed and measured blog from IT security vendor Tripwire offers insights, best practices and tips on IT security.
Follow: @tripwireinc | Read the blog: tripwire.com/blog
Uncommon Sense Security
Written by IT security veteran Jack Daniel, the tone of the blog is as strong as a stiff shot of whiskey. It’s a great read for those who like the unvarnished truth from time to time.
Follow: @jack_daniel | Read the blog: blog.uncommonsensesecurity.com
VMware Security & Compliance
As a leader in the virtualization space, VMware is also, logically, a leader in the security and compliance of virtualization as well. This blog is updated regularly with announcements, advice and insights. A good read for companies seeking more security as they explore virtualization.
Follow: @VMwareBlogs | Read the blog: blogs.vmware.com/security
VMware Videos
This blog from a training consultant provides video tutorials that will guide IT pros through the steps of managing and troubleshooting virtual environments — a reliable source of information on all things pertaining to VMware virtualization.
Follow: @davidmdavis | Read the blog: vmwarevideos.com
Websense News and Views
Published by information security vendor Websense, this blog offers profiles, news and views on the latest trends in IT security. If you have a question about something fishy that’s spreading on Facebook or Twitter, these guys will likely have it covered.
Follow: @websense | Read the blog: Websense News and Views
The Windows Blog
This blog provides its readers with official information on — you guessed it — all things Windows. This includes the mobile phone OS Windows Phone 7, as well as the desktop versions of Windows 7 and the future version, Windows 8.
Follow: @windowsblog | Read the blog: windowsteamblog.com
Wingspan
High performance is the name of the game for Brocade, a networking hardware and software vendor. On this blog, company executives offer their insights on data centers and highly available networks.
Follow: @BRCDcomm | Read the blog: Wingspan
The Wisdom Of Clouds
Acting as a sage of sorts in the crowded cloud-computing field, James Urquhart writes with authority and clarity on the issues and trends emerging in the cloud. The updates aren’t as frequent as other blogs, but when he writes, it’s always worth reading.
Follow: @jamesurquhart | Read the blog: news.cnet.com/wisdom-of-clouds
Women 2.0
Let’s face it, the IT world can sometimes seem like a boys’ club. Women 2.0, however, aims to inspire, support and encourage women to contribute and work in IT, particularly by getting involved in startups.
Follow: @women2 | Read the blog: women2.org
The World According to Mitch
Mitch Garvis, an IT pro trainer, knows a lot about a lot of things. And he shares his multitude of thoughts, opinions, rants and ideas on the world of IT professionals in a loose and personal style on his blog.
Follow: @mgarvis | Read the blog: garvis.ca
Yellow Bricks
This blog on virtualization written by Duncan Epping, a VMware employee, dives deep into the strategic and tactical applications of virtualization. The blog gets its name from an Arctic Monkeys song, “Old Yellow Bricks” — solid but flexible at the same time, Yellow Bricks let you build almost anything, he explains.
Follow: @DuncanYB | Read the blog: yellowbricks.com
If your blog is one of the ones featured in our 50 Must-Read IT Blog list, you can grab a badge here.