Computing articles from April 2006

Computing archives from April 2006

Berners-Lee visits key web issues.(Tim Berners-Lee)(Interview)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Brian Runciman Berners-Lee visits key web issues Father of the web Sir Tim Berners-Lee looks back on the past 15 years of the web and considers the future, with Brian Runciman z Sir Tim Berners-Lee is perhaps the UK's most...

Meeting the public face of Google.(Vinton G. Cerf)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Samuels Meeting the public face of Google Meeting, greeting, networking and recruiting: vice president Vint Cerf is playing a key role in Google's future, writes Mark Samuels z She shouted out across the reception...

Accenture extols local power.
April 6, 2006... Byline: James Brown Accenture extols local power The firm's researchers are exploring the benefits of local-level power generation, says James Brown z Last week the UK government launched its first micro-generation energy strategy...

Wire-free education.(being offered by Telford College )
April 6, 2006... Byline: Cath Everett Wire-free education Cath Everett discovers how Telford College is using wireless to deliver resources to staff and students Updating education facilities to ensure that your new state-of-the-art campus...

financial world.
April 6, 2006... financial world Red Hat Open source software firm Red Hat announced fourth-quarter revenue of $78.7m ([pounds sterling]45.3m), a rise of 37 per cent on the same period last year. Net income was $27.3m ([pounds sterling]15.7m), up 131...

Red Hat ups Linux sales.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick Red Hat ups Linux sales Open source specialist outpaces its main rival Novell, writes Bryan Glick z Open source software specialist Red Hat says its business version of Linux was sold to a record 10,000...

UK makes top 10 in IT efficient users table.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas UK makes top 10 in IT efficient users table Report analyses how IT is used to develop economy, writes Daniel Thomas z The UK has climbed two places in a major world ranking survey that analyses how well...

An individual responsibility.(professionalism in information technology workers)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick An individual responsibility In the first of three debates, the issue of professionalism comes under the spotlight, as key figures from the world of technology discuss what it means as a concept and how...

Businesses get the message.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Cath Everett Businesses get the message Email has had its day. Instant messaging is becoming the communication method of choice for companies, says Gary Flood Instant messaging (IM) is the email version of texting:...

What the experts say.(instant messagin usage)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Cath Everett What the experts say z IM use can lead to significant and quantifiable productivity gains. Research examining discussions between two employees and other co-workers on a conference call found that using IM in such...

What the experts say.(machine to machine communication)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Kim Thomas What the experts say z M2M is adopted by businesses to solve a certain problem, but then it makes other problems visible for the first time. So you may find that you know what cash is in the machine, but you actually...

London Waste.(uses Orange PLC's FleetLink system)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Kim thomas London Waste z M2M has enabled recycling and disposal company LondonWaste to kill several birds with one stone. The firm, which provides services for the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), a consortium of...

Mobiles move on.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Kim Thomas Mobiles move on Kim Thomas reports on machine-to-machine communication, a new use for mobile phones On the face of it, the uses of mobile phone technology have been exhausted: we can now use our...

The rise and rise of smart tagging.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Dye and Lisa Kelly The rise and rise of smart tagging Radio frequency identification was once driven by the retail and manufacturing industries. But other sectors are recognising the benefits of introducing smart...

Core business processes.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Dye and Lisa kelly Core business processes z The secret to implementing a successful radio frequency tagging project is not to make it an RFID project. 'It should be a supply chain improvement project. RFID is an...

RFID facts.(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Dye and Lisa kelly RFID facts RFID is a worthy technology and one that has many business or security merits. There are wide-ranging uses, from speeding up the supply chain by allowing fast stocktaking, to eventually...

Can technology handle ID stress? ONow the government has forced through its controversial ID card legislation (ID cards bill finally passed, www.computing.co.uk/2153101), we can look forward to billions of pounds of public money being wasted on a database.
April 6, 2006... Can technology handle ID stress? ONow the government has forced through its controversial ID card legislation (ID cards bill finally passed, www.computing.co.uk/2153101), we can look forward to billions of pounds of public money being...

Our professional goal.(annual IT skills survey )(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Our professional goal z Throughout the history of our industry, the biggest challenge for IT workers has been keeping up to date with the rapid pace of technical change. New products, new versions of existing products, or whole new...

Talking point.(Calendar)
April 6, 2006... talking point On cultural change Work in progress, 23 March z If local authorities -- and equally commercial organisations -- are to integrate back-office systems with numerous other applications in the IT network, they need to...

metrics.(Staff web misuse report, IT directors increase their spending survey, firms reluctant to be early Vista adopters)
April 6, 2006... metrics Staff web misuse higher in large firms 1 Larger companies are more likely to suffer staff misuse of email and the internet, according to research by the Department of Trade and Industry and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The...

Thomas Cook takes data precautions.(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Thomas Cook takes data precautions Daniel Thomas z Travel operator Thomas Cook has spent more than [pounds sterling]1m upgrading data backup and disaster recovery systems to protect business operations. ...

Air industry plots security standard.
April 6, 2006... Air industry plots security standard z A benchmark is being created to measure the reliability and maturity of information security infrastructures in the air transport industry (ATI). Sita, the IT service provider to the air industry,...

DTI cranks up supercomputer.(Department of Trade and Industry )
April 6, 2006... DTI cranks up supercomputer Europe's fastest computer to boost science and innovation James Brown z The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is investing [pounds sterling]52m in a high-end computing environment for use...

bulletin.
April 6, 2006... bulletin Platform to unite government bodies z Supplier Xansa has won a [pounds sterling]27m five-year contract for a web and content management platform for the Department of Health, Department for Education and Skills, and the...

Aberdeen in talks to extend smartcard uses.(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly Aberdeen in talks to extend smartcard uses Lisa Kelly z Aberdeen City Council is considering extending a smartcard scheme to allow citizens to collect welfare payments from cash machines. The Accord Card...

West Yorkshire Police puts ID checks on the beat.(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Byline: James Brown West Yorkshire Police puts ID checks on the beat JAMES BROWN z West Yorkshire Police is using a system based on BlackBerry handheld computers to help officers identify suspects when they are out on the beat....

Interflora ebusiness blooms.(Interflora British Unit Ltd. uses an ebusiness system )
April 6, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly Interflora ebusiness blooms System upgrade cuts order times at flower delivery company Lisa Kelly z Interflora has used an ebusiness system to reduce order processing times and increase competitiveness. ...

Police plan licence plate search system launch.(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Police plan licence plate search system launch SARAH ARNOTT z Police will have a nationally searchable automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system in place by June. Officers using the technology will...

Research data.(smaller businesses up their storage capacity)(supply chain is changing)(banks advised to upgrade processes)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... research data Smaller businesses up their storage capacity z Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will start using bigger storage systems this year as new technologies increase backup and recovery requirements, says...

British Council consolidates IT.
April 6, 2006... Byline: James brown British Council consolidates IT Cultural agency streamlines global financial and planning James Brown z The British Council has spent [pounds sterling]27m on a finance management and planning system to...

Accenture saves up to cover NHS project losses.(National Health Service)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Accenture saves up to cover NHS project losses Sarah Arnott z Supplier Accenture is setting aside money to protect against the ongoing losses of its two NHS National Programme contracts. A total of $450m...

Whitehall cancels catalogue bids.(OGC Buying Solutions )(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Whitehall cancels catalogue bids Sarah Arnott z The government has cancelled one part of its public sector catalogue of framework deals because of the impact of the shared services agenda. More than 20...

Rail firm to use smart tickets.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Rail firm to use smart tickets Train operator will start updating barriers and machines by 2009 Daniel Thomas z Passengers on the new south-western train franchise will be the first outside London to use...

UK IT faces skills ultimatum.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott UK IT faces skills ultimatum Review reveals dire need for greater project management skills SARAH ARNOTT z The UK IT workforce faces terminal decline unless project management skills become an immediate...

ID card scheme moves to procurement phase.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott ID card scheme moves to procurement phase Technology deals expected to be worth [pounds sterling]6bn SARAH ARNOTT z The technology procurement for the national identity card scheme is expected to begin...

Murphy pushes IT as social cure.(Jim Murphy)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Murphy pushes IT as social cure Minister Jim Murphy believes technology can break poverty cycles. Sarah Arnott reports z Jim Murphy is in many ways an old-style Labour politician. The MP for East Renfrewshire...

Accenture tech labs... in 30 seconds.(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Byline: James Brown Accenture Tech Labs ... in 30 seconds Accenture's research and development labs at Sophia Antipolis in the south of France explore new and emerging technologies. Researchers have several projects on the...

How Eastserve helped deprived Manchester go online.
April 6, 2006... How Eastserve helped deprived Manchester go online z Manchester's Eastserve initiative provides low-cost wireless broadband access for more than 3,000 households in three of the city's less affluent areas. z 'This is a fairly deprived...

Computing offers discounts for social media forum.
April 6, 2006... Computing offers discounts for social media forum z Computing is offering readers an exclusive discount to the Blogs & Social Media Forum on 17 May 2006 at the Hilton London Metropole. Chaired by Euan Semple, independent consultant and...

IM users out in the field.(Newmark Knight Frank using instant messaging software for meeting clients)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Cath Everett IM users out in the field z A US convert to instant messaging (IM) is Sandy Jacolow, chief technology officer (CTO) of east coast real estate company Newmark Knight Frank. 'We have been using IM for the past...

Case study: Instant messaging: The Woodland Trust.(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Cath Everett The Woodland Trust z The Woodland Trust is the UK's leading woodland conservation charity and is a major user of instant messaging (IM), according to its network and systems manager, Richard Otter. About half...

Case study: Philips semiconductors.(Softworld Supply Chain and Logistics event)(Mark Gillott)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Dye and Lisa Kelly Philips z Practising what you preach comes easily to Mark Gillott, logistics RFID business development champion for Europe at Philips Semiconductors, after he experienced the challenges of implementing...

Backbytes.(Wire-free joy)(Who recruits the recruiters?)(Serving up a fight)
April 6, 2006... Byline: Tim Phillips Wire-free joy z People often tell us that we jeer at people. It has dawned on us that this is intended as a criticism, so to mollify our critics we bring you this: 'I have just acquired a Super Mini RF Wireless...

Met Office IT revamp to improve forecasts.
April 13, 2006... Byline: James Brown Met Office IT revamp to improve forecasts Weather prediction service is piloting SOA project, writes James Brown z The Met Office is planning fundamental changes to its IT infrastructure to help make more...

UK strives for smarter travel.
April 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas UK strives for smarter travel Interoperable smartcard transport schemes could soon be used nationally, writes Daniel Thomas z The Department for Transport's announcement last week that it plans to introduce...

Is IT in danger of becoming trendy?
April 13, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick Is IT in danger of becoming trendy? As WiFi makes the evening news and internet domains feature on Radio 4, Bryan Glick notices IT is now newsworthy for all the right reasons z Have you noticed how the BBC has...

financial world.
April 13, 2006... financial world CSC z IT services supplier CSC is investigating a potential sale of the company. The firm said last week that it is to 'explore strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value,' including a possible sale, following...

RIM eases out of dispute.(Research in Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry sales)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick RIM eases out of dispute Post-litigation stability encourages rise in handheld sales. Bryan Glick reports z Canadian handheld supplier Research in Motion (RIM) says more than five million people worldwide are...

metrics.
April 13, 2006... metrics Outsourcing deals still rising 1Infrastructure management, applications management, and helpdesk and support were the most popular services to be outsourced in 2004, but formed a far smaller percentage of all deals signed in...

Inside job.
April 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Inside job While companies guard against external hacks, Daniel Thomas says it is easy to overlook threats closer to home Last year, more than a dozen employees who had worked for Citibank's Indian call...

Computer cluster to boost UK brain power.(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Byline: James Brown Computer cluster to boost UK brain power Cardiff scientists use computer power to speed up scan results JAMES BROWN z Cardiff University is creating the UK's biggest computer cluster as part of a [pounds...

Oracle donates database to UK Muslim charity.
April 13, 2006... Byline: James Brown Oracle donates database to UK Muslim charity James Brown z The Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH) is using database software to improve its record keeping. The charity provides culturally sensitive support...

Finance firms gear up for compliance changes.(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Finance firms gear up for compliance changes DANIEL THOMAS z More than half the UK's biggest financial institutions say they are ready for the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (Mifid), even though...

research data.
April 13, 2006... research data Warning over patent threat to innovation z Analyst Ovum is warning that current patent rules are damaging innovation. It claims the system makes it easy for larger firms to register patents but harder for...

How to get the board on board.
April 13, 2006... Byline: Sally Flood How to get the board on board Chief information officers have their work cut out to convince senior executives of the importance of investing in security systems. Sally Flood considers possible solutions ...

Organisational necessity.
April 13, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick Organisational necessity In our second roundtable debate on professionalism in IT, our panel of IT industry experts discuss how the users of business technology -- the companies and organisations themselves -- can...

Backbytes.(spring and information technology services)(emergency preparedness)
April 13, 2006... Byline: Tim Phillips Why spring is not to be sniffed at z So far this year we have been carrying on your suggestions about the worst day of the year, which Jenneffer Key at Community Network Services points out is not the...

MoT garage network passes rollout test.(Ministry of Transport)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott MoT garage network passes rollout test Sarah Arnott z The [pounds sterling]230m MoT computerisation programme has been successfully rolled out to all 18,500 testing stations across the UK. The system has...

bulletin.(contract delays cause losses in IT services)(Manuel GarcA-a RodrA-guez accused for identity theft)(government websites surveyed)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... bulletin Scotland to join Firelink radio z The [pounds sterling]350m Firelink national radio network for fire and rescue services is to be rolled out to brigades in Scotland. The network was due to be in place by 2005, but...

How to win the security war.
April 13, 2006... How to win the security war z There cannot be a business or public sector body that does not take its security seriously. Recent research by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) says that 98 per cent of businesses in the UK now use...

No such thing as a shortage of skills OI am convinced that if all the unemployed, highly skilled IT professionals were recruited to appropriate roles, the skills shortage could evaporate overnight (UK IT faces skills ultimatum, 6 April). I do not wish t.
April 13, 2006... No such thing as a shortage of skills OI am convinced that if all the unemployed, highly skilled IT professionals were recruited to appropriate roles, the skills shortage could evaporate overnight (UK IT faces skills ultimatum, 6 April)....

talking point.
April 13, 2006... talking point On CRM CRM projects high on firms' 2006 agendas, 16 March z Gartner predicts that companies buying customer relationship management (CRM) in 2006 will avoid past mistakes by relying on business-led strategies. I...

GPS test may ease congestion.(global positioning system)
April 13, 2006... Byline: James Brown GPS test may ease congestion Highways Agency and police test accident clear-up system James Brown z The Highways Agency is working with police to test a GPS-based system aimed at speeding up evidence...

Axa covers network against security violations.
April 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Axa covers network against security violations Daniel Thomas z Insurance firm Axa plans to introduce new technology to check that its information security policy is being complied with. The company is...

Wireless deals rise in venture capital funds.
April 13, 2006... Byline: James Brown Wireless deals rise in venture capital funds Investment in IT reaches [pounds sterling]1.7bn in first quarter jAMES BROWN z Venture capital (VC) investment in IT totalled $3bn ([pounds sterling]1.7bn)...

Case system trial ends up in courts.(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Case system trial ends up in courts SARAH ARNOTT z The Xhibit criminal trial information system has been successfully installed in all 99 Crown courts across the country. The web-based system is part of...

Virgin pilot leads way for RFID.(Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.)
April 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Virgin pilot leads way for RFID Tagging trial could speed up repairs and cut plane parts fraud DANIEL THOMAS z Virgin Atlantic is evaluating whether or not to extend the use of radio frequency...

Accenture secures Unilever IT deal.(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Accenture secures Unilever IT deal Daniel Thomas z Consumer goods giant Unilever has awarded a multi-million pound, seven-year contract to Accenture to manage IT applications across Europe. The IT...

Banking on your mobile phone.(HSBC Holdings PLC and First Direct are to launch a mobile banking service)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Banking on your mobile phone z HSBC and First Direct are to launch a mobile banking service this summer so customers can access account details in real time and top up pre-pay phones. While other banks offer...

Online benefits claim success with applicants.(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Online benefits claim success with applicants Sarah Arnott z More than 750 people made benefits applications over the internet in the first two weeks of the online service going live, Computing can reveal. ...

Threatened by the enemy within.
April 20, 2006... Byline: Emma Nash Threatened by the enemy within Recent figures revealing the extent of employee fraud will create a big cultural upheaval in businesses, says Emma Nash z The message has largely sunk in: IT security is a massive...

Firms want to stay flexible.
April 20, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly Firms want to stay flexible Figures show that organisations are demanding more from their outsourcing contracts, says Lisa Kelly z Flexibility and innovation are high on businesses' list of priorities when...

IT and culture merge in Ipsos Mori project.
April 20, 2006... Byline: Clint Witchalls IT and culture merge in Ipsos Mori project Clint Witchalls reports on the merged company's IT integration programme z Market researcher Ipsos Mori is undertaking a major IT integration programme following...

A case of professional conduct.
April 20, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott A case of professional conduct Whitehall is working with IT staff to create a coherent professional structure, reports Sarah Arnott z The Cabinet Office eGovernment Unit's (eGU's) decision to redefine the...

metrics.(China's spending on telecommunications)(offshore and onshore business)(IT job market)
April 20, 2006... metrics China spends heavily on telecoms 1China is investing significantly on telecommunications, but lags behind in packaged software and IT services spending, compared with India, Japan and the US, according to Gartner. The analyst...

Closer relationships.
April 20, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick Closer relationships In the third roundtable debate on professionalism in IT, our panel of industry experts discuss the key issues in the creation and promotion of standards that allow firms to benchmark...

Financial world.
April 20, 2006... Financial world AMD z Chip maker AMD reported an increase in first-quarter sales of 70.5 per cent to $1.33bn ([pounds sterling]759m). Net income for the company rose to $185m ([pounds sterling]105.6m) from a loss of $17.4m ([pounds...

AMD picks up its share.
April 20, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick AMD picks up its share While Intel remains market leader, AMD is gaining ground, says Bryan Glick z Chip maker AMD continues to gain market share from dominant processor supplier Intel. AMD announced...

BBC Scotland to go digital.(contracts with Siemens Business Services)
April 20, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas BBC Scotland to go digital [pounds sterling]53m deal to digitise corporation's Glasgow broadcast centre Daniel Thomas z The BBC has awarded a [pounds sterling]53m contract to equip its new Scottish...

Westminster boosts flexible working.(Brief article)
April 20, 2006... Byline: James Brown Westminster boosts flexible working James Brown z Westminster City Council is to replace its communications network to cut costs and support more flexible working practices. The council is to provide its...

EU plans in-car emergency call.(Brief article)
April 20, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott EU plans in-car emergency call Sarah Arnott z The European Parliament will vote on the adoption of an EU-wide in-vehicle emergency call system next week. The proposal is to fit all new cars with a device...

Police force introduces converged IP network.
April 20, 2006... Byline: James Brown Police force introduces converged IP network Increased bandwidth to improve communication and support new systems james brown z South Yorkshire Police has introduced a converged IP network to improve...

VPN links civil engineering firm's sites.(virtual private networks, Edmund Nuttall Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 20, 2006... Byline: James Brown VPN links civil engineering firm's sites james brown z Civil engineering company Edmund Nuttall is implementing a virtual private network (VPN) to improve communication with employees at building sites around...

Hosted server a hit for online music provider.(Brief article)
April 20, 2006... Byline: James Brown Hosted server a hit for online music provider Trinity Street meets need for reliability and speed with managed ecommerce system JAMES BROWN z Trinity Street, an online services provider for the music...