Special report: When it comes to business process outsourcing there is no question that IT plays a critical role. So as companies consider whether to outsource certain business processes, IT needs to be involved at the executive level. “If IT doesn’t have a seat at the table, it risks calamitous fallout from business decisions that gloss over technology implications,” writes Leon Erlanger in Business Process Outsourcing: IT Makes the Call. The online package also includes a piece on handling those layoff jitters amidst outsourcing decisions, and the great business process handoff. Search: Google’s Desktop for the enterprise continues to incite concerns about privacy and security. AOL, meanwhile, jumps right back into business IM by introducing AIM Pro, software developed with WebEx that the companies hope will improve security and integration. SOA: Software AG says it is wrapping existing products into a platform for SOA management and governance. Dave Linthicum outlines why Craigslist is akin to SaaS, in Real World SOA. Hint: they’re both drawing similar complaints from rivals. The news beat: Rumors are swirling that on March 2 Microsoft might unveil a low-cost portable device code-named Origami, and some backing evidence exists at www.origamiproject.com. MySQL buys Netfrastructure, a Web application company, and hires founder and noted database architect Jim Starkey, for an undisclosed sum. Sybase enhances its RFID Enterprise 2.0 to help companies integrate and analyze data collected via RFID. Technology Industry