Computing articles from April 2007

Computing archives from April 2007

Keep the traffic flowing.(enterprise networks management)
April 5, 2007... Byline: John Malachy Keep the traffic flowing There are other ways to satisfy growing network demands than investing in more bandwidth, writes John Malachy As any business expands, so does the network underpinning its...

What the experts say about network management.
April 5, 2007... Byline: John Malachy What the experts say about network management z Every school in the country has a target of a 2Mbit/s link, and secondary schools 8Mbit/s, and we have met that, but we still get schools saying they have a problem...

Case study: ICI.(Imperial Chemical Industries PLC used ReporterAnalyzer from NetQoS for managing network traffic)
April 5, 2007... Byline: John Malachy Case study ICI z Network traffic at ICI's global paints, adhesives and specialty products business spans some 400 locations in 46 countries. Yet the company had little or no idea of what application traffic...

Case study: Peterborough City Council.
April 5, 2007... Byline: John Malachy Case study Peterborough City Council z Peterborough City Council (PCC) was confident it could meet government targets on broadband provision in primary and secondary schools. But network and schools technical...

Accenture bounces back.(sales increased)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Accenture bounces back Healthy second-quarter sales helps firm remain strong. Dave Friedlos reports z Record outsourcing revenues of $1.9bn ([pounds sterling]967m) have helped consultancy Accenture to...

metrics.(Get Safe Online survey of internet fraud)(growth in public sector IT)(simple mail transfer protocol is the cause for malware, report by Symantec)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Tom Young metrics Portfolio management takes hold 1 A third of firms are attempting to put IT portfolio management processes in place, according to analyst Forrester Research. IT portfolio management examines the role...

Let's hear it for the people's internet.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Let's hear it for the people's internet The UK government should take a leaf out of Canada's book when it comes to consulting the public and creating trust, says Sarah Arnott z No serious discussion of...

Setbacks fail to dent SAP's ambitions.(Company overview)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Setbacks fail to dent SAP's ambitions Software giant has a target of double-digit growth. Dave Friedlos reports z Innovation and organic growth rather than acquisitions is software giant SAP's strategy to...

Council plots vehicle tracking plan.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Council plots vehicle tracking plan Dave Friedlos z Sunderland City Council is to install vehicle tracking technology in its maintenance vehicles to improve efficiency and encourage more flexible working. ...

Pharmaceutical firm revamps intranet to improve data access.(Shire Pharmaceuticals Group PLC uses Rhythmyx )(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Pharmaceutical firm revamps intranet to improve data access Lara Williams z UK pharmaceutical firm Shire is overhauling its intranet technology to improve staff efficiency. The company will replace its...

UK e-crime tactics questioned.(Parliament's House of Lords of United Kingdom passing a bill )
April 5, 2007... Byline: Tom Young UK e-crime tactics questioned House of Lords Committee says a national cyber crime strategy is crucial, writes Tom Young z Last week the government made a public declaration of its commitment to tackle electronic...

Four steps to e-crime crackdown.(United Kingdom. Computer Misuse Act 1990)(United Kingdom. Data Protection Act 1998)(United Kingdom. Privacy and Electronic Communications Act 2003)(United Kingdom. Serious Crime Bill 2007)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Four steps to e-crime crackdown Despite the appearance of four major pieces of legislation over the past two decades, experts argue that the UK still lacks a coherent policy for tackling electronic crime. ...

financial world.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos financial world Red Hat z Open source software firm Red Hat has increased sales by 23 per cent for the fourth quarter and 44 per cent for the year to $400.6m ([pounds sterling]204.4m), driven by the release...

Man City scores with mobile ticketing system.(Manchester City Football Club)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Man City scores with mobile ticketing system Dave Friedlos z Manchester City Football Club has successfully completed a mobile ticketing trial but cannot offer the service until next-generation handsets are...

Somerfield saves on till fraud.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Somerfield saves on till fraud Software will detect suspicious activity and reduce internal theft Dave Friedlos z Supermarket chain Somerfield expects to save up to [pounds sterling]5m a year by...

Advantage programme.
April 5, 2007... Advantage programme Get free access to white papers and analyst reports z Securing business advantage starts right here. KnowledgeStorm.co.uk, in partnership with Computing, is offering Computing readers free registration...

E-crime is a national concern.(online fraud)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott E-crime is a national concern z For banks to become the first point of contact for customers who are victims of online fraud makes sense. The old, round-the-houses reporting process was unnecessary,...

ISPs uneasy about data retention.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Tom Young ISPs uneasy about data retention Tom Young z ISPs are concerned about plans to make it a legal requirement to store and provide data about communications to police and security services on request. At the...

feedback.(Letter to the editor)
April 5, 2007... feedback No such thing as a free lunch OI moved recently and my new neighbours are constantly asking me to pop round to install their new wireless network or fix their PC. None of them is willing to pay for my time. They would...

UK ranked ninth in global IT poll.(World Economic Forum's Networked Readiness Index 2006-7)(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly UK ranked ninth in global IT poll Lisa Kelly z The UK ranks ninth in a global poll that assesses how well countries are capitalising on IT. The UK rose one place in the World Economic Forum's Networked...

Motorway data set for revamp.(Highways Agency of United Kingdom)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Motorway data set for revamp Highways Agency will cut congestion using real-time information Dave Friedlos z The Highways Agency (HA) is to change the way it uses and presents data to make it...

talking point.(banks are going green by becoming paperless)(data security)(passwords)
April 5, 2007... talking point On green computing Businesses realise value of going green, computing.co.uk/2183316 z I agree that banks need to be energy efficient by reducing paper use. I opted for electronic bills from my telephone company...

Supplier deals advance NHS IT.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Supplier deals advance NHS IT Sarah Arnott z The [pounds sterling]6bn National Programme for NHS IT (NPfIT) is to appoint suppliers for technology framework contracts worth up to [pounds sterling]100m. ...

backbytes.(using CAPS lock key on the keyboard)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Tim Phillips backbytes The key to your caps lock problem z More on the problem of accidentally typing words with the cAPS lOCK on. You are surprisingly analytical about all this. 'Given the positioning of the Caps...

bulletin.
April 5, 2007... bulletin McKinnon loses extradition appeal z Gary McKinnon, the UK hacker accused of the biggest military hack of all time, has lost his High Court fight against extradition to the US. McKinnon, 41, faces 45 years in prison if...

IT sector jobs model to meet skills needs.(e-Skills UK providing standards for IT jobs)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott IT sector jobs model to meet skills needs Common terms will help clarity in communications Sarah Arnott z Standard terminology for describing IT skills and career paths will help the sector produce the...

Banks' role in reporting e-crime raises concerns.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Banks' role in reporting e-crime raises concerns Tom Young z Industry experts have criticised new procedures that make banks the first point of contact for reporting online fraud. From this week, businesses...

Police signal shift in strategy.(National Policing Improvement Agency)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Police signal shift in strategy New police agency turns focus to creation of common standards Sarah Arnott z This week's launch of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) heralds a...

Sign of the times.(demand for IT workers)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Linda More Sign of the times IT professionals can no longer linger in the shadows, as UK firms now require more business technology specialists. Linda More reports The good news for the IT industry, and the...

What the experts say about skills requirements.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Linda More What the experts say about skills requirements z We are receiving very consistent buying signals from our clients who are looking for candidates with cutting-edge skills and qualifications with experience. The...

Case study: Allen & Overy.(information technology management)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Linda More CASE STUDY Heather Webster, Allen and Overy z Sixteen years ago, Heather Webster began her working career as a secretary in the finance department with international legal practice Allen and Overy. Encouraged by...

Role profiles will replace job descriptions for IT professionals.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Linda More Role profiles will replace job descriptions for IT professionals z Soon, as IT professionals, we will all be promoting ourselves in terms of what we are, rather than what we do. As more organisations move towards...

metrics.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Tom Young metrics Virgin Media leads broadband table 1Virgin Media is the UK's largest provider of retail broadband services with 3.3 million customers, most of whom access services over cable, according to media...

Capita hits contract high.(Capita Group PLC)(Brief article)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Capita hits contract high Record number of deals increase sales for services firm, reports Dave Friedlos z Services firm Capita has increased annual sales by 21 per cent to [pounds sterling]1.7bn on the back...

financial world.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos financial world CedarOpenAccounts z UK business software firm CedarOpenAccounts has acquired document management and imaging company Version One. The acquisition, Cedar's seventh in four years, will extend...

BA pilots T5 technical systems.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos BA pilots T5 technical systems Rigorous testing of Heathrow Terminal 5's technology begins ahead of 2008 opening, says Dave Friedlos z British Airways (BA) will this month start end-to-end testing of the IT...

IT for Terminal 5 takes off.(BAA PLC)(Heathrow terminal)(Brief article)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos IT for Terminal 5 takes off The IT infrastructure at the new Heathrow terminal has now reached the testing stage. 2005 December BAA installs the IT network for Heathrow T5, supporting voice, data and...

Motivational tactics.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Cath Everett Motivational tactics Detailed plans for staff development can help improve retention. Cath Everett reports It appears that a lot of IT professionals are unhappy in their work these days. A recent survey,...

Case study: North Cornwall District Council.(information technology management)(Skills Framework for the Information Age)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Cath Everett CASE STUDY North Cornwall District Council z 'Providing training is a retention issue because people know that they will be developed here -- it is a form of staff investment,' says Russell Conway, ICT...

[pounds sterling]4bn admin systems see action overseas.(Ministry of Defence of United kingdom's Defence Information Infrastructure )
April 12, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott [pounds sterling]4bn admin systems see action overseas Sarah Arnott reports on Ministry of Defence plans for consistent information z Better information has won as many battles as superior numbers of troops,...

Law firm increases web security after spam attack.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Law firm increases web security after spam attack Tom Young z Scottish law firm MacRoberts has improved its online security after suffering a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. The attack at the end...

Endsleigh looks to scrap manual invoice processes.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Endsleigh looks to scrap manual invoice processes Lara Williams z Insurance firm Endsleigh is considering adding optical character recognition (OCR) to its document imaging and management system to...

Hospital eyes up interactive training.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Hospital eyes up interactive training Lisa Kelly z Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is using interactive software to train 500 staff how to use a new patient administration system (PAS). The...

Anti-virus software builds up P&O's defences.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Anti-virus software builds up P&O's defences Lara Williams z Freight company P&O Ferrymasters has reduced email administration by 90 per cent in three months using anti-virus and spam filtering software. ...

Honda accelerates race car technology.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Honda accelerates race car technology F1 team to use same systems as Japanese parent to speed design Dave Friedlos z The Honda Racing Formula One (F1) Team is overhauling the technology used to design its...

IT leadership: be in five minds about it.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Bryan Glick IT leadership: be in five minds about it A new book offers an insight into how the next generation of IT leaders will be chosen. Are you ready for the challenge, asks Bryan Glick z What sort of questions were...

feedback.(Letter to the editor)
April 12, 2007... feedback Both sides of the argument OIt is interesting to read about the perceived lack of hybrid IT-business skills (IT sector jobs model to meet skills needs, 5 April). I spent 11 years as a real estate business manager before...

All forensics are the same.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott All forensics are the same z The point about the confusion surrounding police forces' contracting of digital forensic analysis is not to cast aspersions on the competence of the contractors. Nor is it even a...

Scottish Water refreshes IT.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Scottish Water refreshes IT Utility to undertake a [pounds sterling]250m legacy update to transform performance Tom Young z Scottish Water is overhauling its legacy IT systems to meet its changing...

Rail asset project is on track.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Rail asset project is on track View of maintenance priorities system set for September completion Dave Friedlos z Network Rail will complete development of an asset management system later this year,...

Talking point.(web traffic surges Glastonbury online registration)(intellectual property theft increases due to data sharing agreements)(Banks' role in reporting e-crime raises concerns)
April 12, 2007... talking point On web traffic surges Glastonbury registration heads online, computing.co.uk/2174046 z I was not surprised to read that the thousands off people eager to get Glastonbury tickets brought down the web site. With big...

online.
April 12, 2007... online Computing.co.uk's most popular stories this week Unicef unites with BT to deliver tech training z BT has launched a three-year global development partnership with charity Unicef that will include investing [pounds...

Fire scheme will make a [pounds sterling]14m saving.(FiReControl scheme)(EADS N.V.)(Brief article)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Fire scheme will make a [pounds sterling]14m saving Sarah Arnott z The plan to consolidate 42 local fire control rooms into nine regional centres will save [pounds sterling]14m a year, according to...

Digital forensics lack standards.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Digital forensics lack standards Lack of checks by police on digital investigators jeopardising evidence Tom Young z Court cases involving digital evidence are at risk of collapsing because some police...

backbytes.(tracked vehicles)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Tim Phillips backbytes Russians stopped in their tracks z Help is at hand for the German government with its load-bearing calculations for tracked vehicles, which are the subject of many road signs out there. 'When a...

bulletin.
April 12, 2007... bulletin First Great Western tracks ticket sales z Rail operator First Great Western is using revenue management software to track ticket sales across all routes and reduce overcrowding on its busiest services. The software...

Army personnel to have HR access on the move.(Ministry of Defence's Joint Personnel Administration programme )(Brief article)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Army personnel to have HR access on the move Sarah Arnott z The Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) [pounds sterling]100m next-generation human resources (HR) system will start to be rolled out to the army's 140,000...

Bookmaker bets on real-time monitoring.(Betfred)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Bookmaker bets on real-time monitoring Betfred installs server management software to handle customer growth Dave Friedlos z Bookmaker Betfred is implementing server monitoring and management software to...

Politics delays ID card tender.(Brief article)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Politics delays ID card tender Sarah Arnott z The government's ID card procurement will go ahead slightly later than planned so it can benefit from the 'clear air' of a new prime minister, say sources. ...

Promote your professional identity.(advice for IT leaders)
April 19, 2007... Byline: Mark Samuels Promote your professional identity IT leaders must take more of a proactive approach to controlling how they are perceived and dealt with in your firm, says Mark Samuels z When was the last time you were...

Case study: ABN Amro.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Linda More Case study ABN Amro z Biometric voice verification security is being used by Dutch international bank ABN Amro to enable four million retail bank customers in the Netherlands to access automated telephone...

What the experts say about biometrics.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Linda More What the experts say about biometrics z Anything involving long time frames is always problematic for technology -- because it never stands still. Some of the rules and regulations are asking for data to be...

At your fingertips.(biometry for data security)
April 19, 2007... Byline: Linda More At your fingertips Biometrics is increasingly used by organisations to verify identities, but coupled with quantum cryptography it offers a new range of security benefits, says Linda More Identity...

Case study: BAA and the MiSense project.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Linda More Case Study BAA and the miSense project z For the first three months of this year passengers travelling from Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific or to Dubai with Emirates were able...

Case study: Savills Hamilton Osborne King.(used Sanctuary software from SecureWave S.A.)
April 19, 2007... Byline: Linda More Case study Savills Hamilton Osborne King z Concerned about the potential security threat posed by the increasing proliferation of USB memory sticks, which could be used to store downloaded confidential data from...

The threat from within.(how to avoid internet fraud)
April 19, 2007... Byline: Linda More The threat from within Internal fraud is on the rise and IT organisations must be prepared to address the problem. Linda More reports In a recent survey 78 per cent of IT professionals claimed that their...

metrics.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Tom Young metrics Pop-ups are main cause of viruses 1Adware designed to display pop-up adverts is the most damaging form of spyware, accounting for 68 per cent of infections in March, according to security vendor...

financial world.(Company overview)
April 19, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos financial world Seagate Technology z Storage firm Seagate Technology is expecting third-quarter sales of $2.8bn ([pounds sterling]1.4bn), some $800m ([pounds sterling]405m) lower than previous estimates. The...

Rim doubles its revenue.(Research in Motion Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 19, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Rim doubles its revenue Mobile provider grows BlackBerry sales to eight million. Dave Friedlos reports z Research in Motion (Rim) sales rose by 66 per cent in the fourth quarter to $930.4m ([pounds...

Innovation broadens Accenture's horizons.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Emma Nash Innovation broadens Accenture's horizons Accenture UK managing director tells Emma Nash that technology use is starting to mature z David Thomlinson took up his position as managing director of Accenture UK and...

Council drives RFID parking.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Council drives RFID parking Milton Keynes is to introduce smartcards to enable cashless parking for residents, writes Dave Friedlos z Milton Keynes Council's next-generation parking programme will include...

Storage saves police time.(Dorset Police Hi-tech Crime Unit used Sun StorageTek storage array)
April 19, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Storage saves police time Tom Young z Dorset Police Hi-tech Crime Unit has overhauled its data storage capabilities to improve access to growing amounts of digital forensic evidence. The force was struggling...

Hampshire moves to e-booking to improve services.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Hampshire moves to e-booking to improve services Lara Williams z Hampshire County Council is to implement an e-booking system to allow citizens to book council services online. The council saw the...

Backbytes.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Tim Phillips backbytes Bottoms up for project names z Is there no end to the silliness of people who name projects? Apparently not. Ian Murphy at Data Dialogue remembers a software company that he worked for 'that...

feedback.(Letter to the editor)
April 19, 2007... feedback University is not the only path to IT OMuch fuss is made about this country's IT skills shortage (How can we attract more students into IT? www.tinyurl.com/38x88h). Not enough graduates this, not enough degrees that. But...

Cashless zones ... in 30 seconds.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Cashless zones ... in 30 seconds z In Hong Kong, more than 13 million Octopus smart travelcards have been issued since 1997. The cards can be used to make cashless payments for goods and services at more than...

Scottish schools set for cashless payments.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Scottish schools set for cashless payments Scotland to install an extra 3,000 smartcard readers Lara Williams z Scottish councils are to extend their use of smartcards to allow cashless payments in...

research data.(success tips for chief information officers)(mobile television market)(Brief article)
April 19, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams research data Mobile TV to take off z This year will be critical for the take-up of mobile broadcast television in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, says analyst Datamonitor. At the end of 2006 there...

Council strengthens data recovery.(Warwick District Council used HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array 3000)(Brief article)
April 19, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Council strengthens data recovery Lisa Kelly z Warwick District Council is to improve its back-up and recovery capabilities and cut costs by upgrading storage systems and installing virtualisation technology....

Firms fail to see security risks in IT offshoring.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Firms fail to see security risks in IT offshoring Tom Young z Companies are underestimating the security challenges posed by offshore outsourcing, according to analyst Gartner. Different legal frameworks,...

Talking point.(On web 2.0 impact)(On green computing)
April 19, 2007... talking point On web 2.0 impact Computing innovations -- web 2.0, computing.co.uk/audio-video z Web 2.0 is not a short-term fix -- businesses must be in it for the long haul to reap the benefits. For example, a corporate wiki...

National Rail Enquiries outsources web service.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos National Rail Enquiries outsources web service Contract will ensure the web site can cope with peaks in demand Dave Friedlos z National Rail Enquiries is outsourcing its web site infrastructure to improve...

EU must focus on content.(IT industry report )(European Commission's i2010 report)(Brief article)
April 19, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott EU must focus on content z From the documentation surrounding the Commission's annual i2010 report, you could be forgiven for thinking that Europe's battle for digitally-led economic competitiveness is well on the...

Birmingham IP network connects 750 council sites.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Birmingham IP network connects 750 council sites Dave Friedlos z Birmingham City Council has completed the installation of one of the largest converged networks ever introduced by a local authority,...