The pace of technological change is accelerating, hyper competition is growing, opportunities for business model disruption are exploding, and comprehensive cloud delivery is readily available. These factors challenge every aspect of business technology strategy. The Innovator's Imperative: Rapid Technology Adoption for Digital Transformation prepares twenty-first century businesses leaders for competing and leading in this disruptive digital environment. Five years of research conducted by the authors suggests that leading companies have all but abandoned the requirements analysis and modeling best practices of the twentieth century. Accordingly, the authors put forth the innovator's imperative that contends: All companies wanting to be competitive should adopt emerging and disruptive technologies as quickly as possible, and in many cases, immediately. Technology is driving business strategy, and companies are rethinking their technology strategy, especially the governance that determines how and why technology investments are made. Based on their research the authors have developed a five-step framework for digital transformation: Model and simulate Identify high-leverage opportunities Prioritize transformational targets Identify digital opportunities Find courageous leaders The book explains each of these steps to guide business leaders in architecting digital transformation projects according to their organization's market positions, budgets, objectives, and corporate culture. Hyper-competitive, disruptive companies are jumping across technology adoption phases without regard to any phasing whatsoever. Companies focused on digital transformation often adopt emerging technologies immediately. They have become early adopters of technologies that can impact existing-and create whole new-business models and processes. This book examines this jump into new technologies, processes, and business models to prepare twenty-first century business leaders to make that leap.

The pace of technological change is accelerating, hyper competition is growing, opportunities for business model disruption are exploding, and comprehensive cloud delivery is readily available. These factors challenge every aspect of business technology strategy. The Innovator's Imperative: Rapid Technology Adoption for Digital Transformation prepares twenty-first century businesses leaders for competing and leading in this disruptive digital environment. Five years of research conducted by the authors suggests that leading companies have all but abandoned the requirements analysis and modeling best practices of the twentieth century. Accordingly, the authors put forth the innovator's imperative that contends: All companies wanting to be competitive should adopt emerging and disruptive technologies as quickly as possible, and in many cases, immediately. Technology is driving business strategy, and companies are rethinking their technology strategy, especially the governance that determines how and why technology investments are made. Based on their research the authors have developed a five-step framework for digital transformation: Model and simulate Identify high-leverage opportunities Prioritize transformational targets Identify digital opportunities Find courageous leaders The book explains each of these steps to guide business leaders in architecting digital transformation projects according to their organization's market positions, budgets, objectives, and corporate culture. Hyper-competitive, disruptive companies are jumping across technology adoption phases without regard to any phasing whatsoever. Companies focused on digital transformation often adopt emerging technologies immediately. They have become early adopters of technologies that can impact existing-and create whole new-business models and processes. This book examines this jump into new technologies, processes, and business models to prepare twenty-first century business leaders to make that leap.

Why on earth would an emperor walk down the street in his underpants? This first-person narrative provides readers with the answer directly from the emperor himself while subtly teaching about point of view.

A torrential storm knocks out communications and power stranding travelers, including Nick Cotton, in a tourist convenience store near the Oglala Sioux reservation. Inside the store a murder was committed and a tribal cop enlists Nick's aid in the investigation.

At the turn of the 20th century a prominent small town family, led by respected matriarch Grace Blaisdell, faces a struggle for identity and survival when a young prostitute is brutally murdered. Grace's young grandson, Tony Hunter, works with family friend Lon Shirley to clear the name of Tony's itinerant father who is accused of the killing.

Ramon Sanchez and his girlfriend, K.C. Roth, find adventure and danger as they try to rescue K.C.'s friend from an overextended deep-water dive into a ship's graveyard. Legend has it that the sunken vessels are protected by a "ghost shark." Ramon and K.C. already had discovered a large shark in the area. A further danger is the fact that the diving companions are criminals seeking a treasure in illicit drugs in the same location. As they descend into dark, risk-laden waters, the kids face two imminent threats: the monster shark and two dangerous men who will use anyone and stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

Albert Canady, his sister Pepper, and his friend, Airlia Moss, a witch, investigate a strange calling from a reopened school building that had sat empty for many years. Ghostly appearances and fantastic indoor storms set the stage for the youngsters' quest for the truth of a long-ago tragedy that cost lives and gave rise to restless spirits. Trapped inside the building, with darkness encasing them, Albert, Pepper, and The Witch are forced to face their fears and fight back against unseen, poisonous, and flesh-eating creatures that are always in pursuit. Other adversaries include another witch with a personal agenda and people threatened with losing their minds to their inner guilt and horrible memories. Albert realizes that solving the mystery is the only way to save innocent lives and bring peace to the disturbed.

Butch's mother was beaten by unknown persons. Feeling helpless and alone, Butch seeks to learn what happened and how to help his mother. For the first time in a long time, he is coerced into trying to pray. Jesus appears to him as a slightly older teenager and accompanies a skeptical Butch on his quest for understanding.

Aided but never pushed by his new friend, Butch comes of age, growing through his search for justice, and gradually finds his emotions altered from rage to understanding to sympathy, and, finally, to a more fulfilling love. His adventure, Butch realizes, is one of self-discovery.

He learns the identity of his mother's attacker, confronts that person and another in a ramshackle warehouse, but the warehouse is soon ablaze. Butch performs heroically, an action he conceals from his mother, as he learns the value of life and the protection of it. Ultimately, he learns that being alone and resentful is a choice he does not have to make for himself.

An independent movie company is beset by conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder from within when a crew of inept lawbreakers try to rip off a wealthy, though shady, businessman. One humorous situation follows another as a short, half-Chinese clown and two of the businessman's associates posing as "stunt men" try to protect the aging lead actress from herself and kidnappers. While this bumbling movie is being filmed, the clown and stuntmen find themselves working at cross purposes leading up to a comic conclusion full of double crosses, treachery and mayhem.

When retired army colonel Tom Morgan returns to his hometown for his 45th high school class reunion, he is handed a long-misplaced letter from his former lover that intimates something bad may happen to her. She had died, in a somewhat suspicious circumstance, the same day she had written the letter. At the same time, taking place in the community was the kidnapping and ransom demand for a little girl, who later is discovered dead. Morgan embarks on his own investigation into the coincidence of the proximity of the two events and uncovers local corruption and cover-ups. The deeper involved he becomes, the more likely it is that Morgan will not be allowed to leave town alive. Harking back to his days as an Army Ranger, Morgan is forced into battle with superior numbered and heavily-armed opponents.