• Evolution of the C-suite to radically alter IT budgeting
  Business leaders are taking a stronger role in deciding how and where IT dollars are spent, meaning that tech executives must confront their decreasing stature in the IT budgeting process, analysts say. Most notably, changing priorities will lead to increased uncertainty and more fluid budgets, as the traditional focus on capital expenditures -- characterized by spending on solutions -- is replaced by spending on operations platforms, such as the public cloud, which requires no capital investment. CIO.com (1/28)      

• IBM updates enterprise social networking platform
  IBM is launching an updated suite of collaboration and communication products in 2013, including an upgrade to its enterprise social networking platform to improve usage monitoring. The new IBM Connections 4.5, designed to be more competitive with Microsoft SharePoint, will have stronger integration with Microsoft Outlook and new document and content management capabilities. ITWorld.com/IDG News Service (1/28)      

• DOD announces massive restructuring of Cyber Command
  The Defense Department is pursuing a major expansion of its cybersecurity division, including increasing the number of personnel to almost 5,000 and shifting from a primarily defensive posture to more proactive measures. The restructuring calls for the Pentagon's Cyber Command to have three units with responsibility for national, international and internal DOD security, respectively. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (1/27), The Washington Post (1/27)      

• Top solution providers share traits in common
  Cisco, Salesforce.com and Hitachi all made Forbes' lists of top companies and top-paying companies -- but they have a few other traits in common, writes Elliot Markowitz. They're doing business in the cloud, they're diligent when it comes to managing channel programs and they have a loyal customer base. "Salesforce, Cisco and Hitachi all have strong channel programs based on a value and managed services model. They are positioning their solution providers for success and in turn, their channel partners are growing their businesses," he writes. The VAR Guy (1/25)      

• Bill would let H-1B visa cap increase in response to demand
  A group of senators is preparing to introduce a bill aimed at increasing the current H-1B visa cap to at least 115,000, with further increases in response to demand, up to a maximum of 300,000. The bill would do away with limits on H-1B visas from specific countries and would not count graduates of U.S. universities in specific fields toward the cap. It is expected to be introduced this week but is likely to face opposition from key committee members in both parties. Computerworld (1/25), The Hill/Hillicon Valley blog (1/24)      

• How to address the lack of global worker mobility
  It's widely recognized that a globalized company needs a workforce that is mobile, but Deloitte's Strategic Moves 2012 survey finds that few companies have the policies in place for such a workforce, Deloitte's Jeff Schwartz writes. To move past this, companies should agree on "the strategic purpose of global mobility" and the value proposition of international deployments, he writes. Business Finance (1/24)      

Top five news stories selected by SmartBrief on ExecTech readers in the past week.

• Android OS to face onslaught of malware this year (ZDNet)

• HP targets enterprise market with ElitePad 900 tablet (CRN.com (U.S.))

• FCC unveils plan for nationwide access to gigabit Internet within 2 years (CIO.com)

• Fun facts about everyone's favorite caffeine conveyance (MentalFloss.com)

• Intel announces plans to phase out desktop motherboard unit (CNET)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

• Did scientists just see the beginning of a quasar?
  Australian scientists say they've found evidence of a galactic collision that may have resulted in the formation of a quasar. If the findings are confirmed, the sighting of a quasar's birth will be the first ever recorded. InsideScience.org (1/25)      

Given the malicious actors that are out there and the development of the technology, in my mind, there's little doubt that some adversary is going to attempt a significant cyberattack on the United States at some point." --William J. Lynn III, a former deputy defense secretary, as quoted by The Washington Post