Computing articles from April 2009

Computing archives from April 2009

Fast and loose.(high-speed wireless technology)
April 2, 2009... Byline: Linda More Fast and loose High-speed wireless technology has brought huge benefits to organisations of all kinds. Linda More talks to IT leaders working in five very different sectors about their experiences (Wireless...

And now for the good news.
April 2, 2009... Byline: Iain Thomson And now for the good news It's not all doom and gloom -- some parts of the tech industry are defying the downturn (Last October, the head of Sequoia Capital, the top dog in Silicon Valley venture capital,...

Communication breakdown.
April 2, 2009... Byline: Martin Butler Communication breakdown Poor IT project management is no fairy tale, but happy endings are possible (Once upon a time, there was a large manufacturing company in the UK that embarked on an ambitious...

A perfect storage storm is heading our way.
April 2, 2009... Byline: Andy Hardy A perfect storage storm is heading our way IT must find ways to curtail the rising cost of storing data or face some tough consequences, says Andy Hardy IT spending may be on hold as businesses weather the...

Five tips for wireless success.
April 2, 2009... Five tips for wireless success Companies are increasingly looking to mobile working to boost productivity while driving business process improvements through continuous access to information. But while wireless technologies can deliver...

Fast and loose.(high-speed wireless technology )
April 2, 2009... Fast and loose High-speed wireless technology has brought huge benefits to organisations of all kinds. Linda More talks to IT leaders working in five very different sectors about their experiences (Wireless technologies have...

Five tips for wireless success.
April 2, 2009... Five tips for wireless success Companies are increasingly looking to mobile working to boost productivity while driving business process improvements through continuous access to information. But while wireless technologies can deliver...

Five of the latest wireless technologies.
April 2, 2009... Long Term Evolution (LTE) LTE is one of the next major steps in wireless broadband delivery, offering increased capacity, higher speeds and lower latency. Based on pure IP protocols, LTE promises richer communication including enhanced...

Selling the benefits of IT.
April 2, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari Selling the benefits of IT The retail sector continues to invest in IT despite the downturn because of the cost savings that technology can bring, reports Angelica Mari (While consumer spending falls and many...

DWP guilty of security lapses.(Department of Work and Pensions)
April 2, 2009... Byline: Tom Young DWP guilty of security lapses Freedom of information requests reveal the DWP was guilty of the same security breaches it warned others about, writes Tom Young (Much of the recent furore about the growth of the...

How to gear up for a surge in remote working.
April 2, 2009... Byline: Dave Bailey How to gear up for a surge in remote working New legislation is expected to lead to a big rise in remote working. Dave Bailey explains what this is likely to mean for IT departments (On Monday 6 April, an ...

Virgin Trains drivers get PDAs.
April 2, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari Virgin Trains drivers get PDAs Angelica Mari Virgin Trains is to equip train drivers with handheld computers to improve customer service and reduce the company's environmental impact. Over the next three...

Half of councils fail to hit security deadline.
April 2, 2009... Byline: Tom Young Half of councils fail to hit security deadline Tom Young and Dave Bailey Only half of local authorities have hit the deadline to implement a secure communications infrastructure for exchanging information across...

Firms must look to IT to restore trust.
April 2, 2009... Byline: Computing Firms must look to IT to restore trust ( There is one word that is being ever more frequently used when talking about business, government and employment -- trust. As customers, we trusted banks and the financial...

The DWP memo in full.(Department for Work and Pensions)(Brief article)
April 2, 2009... The DWP memo in full The DWP chastised local authorities (LAs) over unauthorised access to CIS -- before it was revealed that the department had suffered a handful of similar incidents itself: "DWP and HMRC interrogate CIS to...

How retailers are investing in IT in 2009.
April 2, 2009... How retailers are investing in IT in 2009 n Supermarket chain Morrisons committed to a major four-year IT transformation that will streamline supply chain and distribution operations. n Domino's Pizza will focus on analysing client...

A better work environment.
April 9, 2009... Byline: Lisa Kelly A better work environment As well as enabling more flexible and innovative business practices, wireless technologies can make the modern office a more pleasant and greener place to work, as Lisa Kelly...

Smart meters lead to tidy savings.(office design consultancy Morgan Lovell)(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Byline: Lisa Kelly Wireless technology has become synonymous with empowering the workforce, allowing people to embrace flexible working patterns. But wireless technologies are now doing so much more. At office design consultancy Morgan...

Keeping clients in the picture.
April 9, 2009... Byline: Lisa Kelly Keeping clients in the picture When it comes to grabbing attention for a billboard advertisement, location is critical. Understandably, advertisers that have shelled out for prime locations are keen to know their...

Hot Seat: Alan Ovenden.(Interview)(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Byline: Computing Alan Ovenden is IT director at recruitment firm NetworkersMSB, where he has introduced innovations such as CV-reading systems What was your first job and how did you get into IT? My first job was as an electronics...

Making the best of the worst of times.
April 9, 2009... Byline: Ollie Ross Making the best of the worst of times If firms are to emerge stronger from the current recession, they must allow their IT workers to shine (This year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Dickens' A...

Cloud computing comes of age.
April 9, 2009... Byline: Phil Muncaster Cloud computing comes of age Software-as-a-service is here to stay and companies in the know are reaping the rewards (Isn't it time IT leaders stopped asking where software-as-a-service (SaaS) might be...

BSkyB dishes out new web tools to customers.
April 9, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari BSkyB dishes out new web tools to customers Angelica Mari Broadcaster BSkyB is redeveloping its e-commerce platform to take advantage of the increasing convergence between television and the internet. ...

IT viewed through a moral prism.
April 9, 2009... Byline: Dave Bailey IT viewed through a moral prism An EU-wide study of emerging technologies led by Leicester's De Montfort University aims to alert policy makers to any potential social and ethical problems. Dave Bailey...

British Gas updates call centre IT.
April 9, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari British Gas updates call centre IT Angelica Mari British Gas is rolling out a call monitoring service to help reduce customer defections and assess training needs for contact centre staff. Improving...

Uniqlo refashions its fraud defences.
April 9, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari Uniqlo refashions its fraud defences Angelica Mari Clothing retailer Uniqlo has boosted its fraud defences to ensure web security and speed up order fulfilment. The firm has implemented a new fraud...

Giving thought to tomorrow.(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Byline: Computing Giving thought to tomorrow (If you are a close follower of the forecasts of futurologists, you are probably disappointed not to be wearing your robotic exo-skeleton while flying your hover car using only the power of...

Cashless plans need retailer buy-in.
April 9, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari Cashless plans need retailer buy-in Angelica Mari Plans for a widespread system for cashless payments to be in place in time for the 2012 Olympic Games are likely to be thwarted by retailers' hesitation in...

Project to assess potential pitfalls of ambient intelligence.(Brief article)
April 9, 2009... Project to assess potential pitfalls of ambient intelligence One emerging technology being addressed by the ETICA project is ambient intelligence, whereby people live in an environment where computers or objects with embedded processing...

Harnessing the airwaves.
April 16, 2009... Byline: Martin Courtney Harnessing the airwaves From 3G to Wi-Fi hotspots and beyond, Martin Courtney looks at the technologies available to companies looking to unleash their business systems (From the mobile phone revolution of...

Conficker: the worm that may just turn the world.
April 16, 2009... Byline: John Colley Conficker: the worm that may just turn the world It beggars belief that malware can still spread rapidly through corporate networks, writes John Colley The furore that has accompanied the spread of the Conficker...

Fuel for the digital economy engine.
April 16, 2009... Byline: John Higgins Fuel for the digital economy engine Incentives for firms to innovate and invest in technology are just what the country needs (Amid the mind-boggling pledges, unruly protests and first-lady outfits that...

Army supply chain mission accomplished.
April 16, 2009... Byline: Tom Young Army supply chain mission accomplished A [pounds sterling]2m upgrade of the army's Unicom system was completed on time and on budget, says Tom Young (The Unicom system is one of the less well-known parts of the...

Malware attacks shoot up.
April 16, 2009... Byline: Phil Muncaster Malware attacks shoot up Phil Muncaster Last year saw another staggering rise in malicious software, with more than 1.6 million new threats created, according to the latest Internet Security Threat Report...

Electronic ticket advances get Go-Ahead.
April 16, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari Electronic ticket advances get Go-Ahead Angelica Mari Transport group Go-Ahead has brought its ticketing systems back in-house to enable better use of passenger travel data and offer more targeted...

Admiral sees new CRM platform on the horizon.
April 16, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari Admiral sees new CRM platform on the horizon Angelica Mari Insurance giant Admiral Group is set to implement a customer relationship management (CRM) platform as part of an IT overhaul that is designed...

TCS child support contract stirs up offshoring debate.
April 16, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari TCS child support contract stirs up offshoring debate Experts believe a major Whitehall offshoring deal with India's Tata Consultancy Services heralds a significant shift in public sector IT provision, writes...

Busting cyber crime: who you gonna call?
April 16, 2009... Byline: Tom Young Busting cyber crime: who you gonna call? Despite new funding, e-crime strategy remains mired in confusion, says Tom Young (Businesses and consumers concerned about e-crime could be forgiven for thinking that...

E-crime strategy is not much cop.(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... Byline: Computing E-crime strategy is not much cop (The principle of Occam's Razor says that when all of a number of possible solutions are equal, you should always choose the simplest. Clearly nobody told the authorities in...

Forces to reckon with.(National Fraud Reporting Centre )(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... Forces to reckon with All fraud is ultimately reported to the National Fraud Reporting Centre (NFRC) at City of London Police, who will investigate if it is deemed serious enough. They will flag up any e-enabled crime to the Police Central...

The continuing rise of offshore outsourcing.
April 16, 2009... The continuing rise of offshore outsourcing The adoption of a global IT delivery model by private and public sector organisations is one of the key trends for outsourcing in 2009, along with a rise in the use of services delivered from...

Militaryi?1/2s IT manoeuvres are not always so successful.(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... Military's IT manoeuvres are not always so successful The [pounds sterling]7.1bn Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) project provides a secure data and communications network for all the armed forces. The system provides access to a...

Mobilising the enterprise.
April 23, 2009... Byline: Josie Sephton Mobilising the enterprise Wireless communications are becoming an integral part of the enterprise portfolio -- Every organisation is different, but when it comes to implementing an effective wireless strategy,...

Can green IT survive the downturn?(information technology)
April 23, 2009... Byline: Pete Foster Can green IT survive the downturn? The need for IT to take a lead role in environmental matters should not be diminished by the recession (There is a lot of debate as to whether or not there is such a thing as...

To cut or to keep? That is the toughest IT question.
April 23, 2009... Byline: Chris Millls To cut or to keep? That is the toughest IT question Deciding which projects must be shelved to rein in costs is the CIO's thorniest dilemma, writes Chris Mills IT projects are critical to a company's ability to...

Hot Seat: JP Rangaswami.
April 23, 2009... Byline: Computing JP Rangaswami is head of BT Design -- BT Group's IT design and delivery unit -- and a former global CIO at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein What was your first job? My first job was working for a steel company in...

Taking the privacy battle to the streets.
April 23, 2009... Byline: Gareth Morgan Taking the privacy battle to the streets When the residents of Broughton rose up against Google Street View, were they striking a blow for freedom, or succumbing to an irrational fear? (On St George's Day, we...

Harvey Nichols sets great store by new-look IT.
April 23, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari Harvey Nichols sets great store by new-look IT Overhauling systems at the retailer gave Martin Schofield the opportunity to change people's perceptions of IT, writes Angelica Mari (This month, Martin...

PMi?1/2s office signs up for shared services.
April 23, 2009... Byline: Tom Young PM's office signs up for shared services But will 10 Downing Street's endorsement be enough to drum up some much-needed business for the troubled Public Sector Flex framework, asks Tom Young (The news that 10...

Vendors have their heads in the cloud.
April 23, 2009... Byline: Computing staff Vendors have their heads in the cloud computing staff IT managers are starting to show more interest in cloud computing, but it is still far from a top priority -- and vendors are misjudging the ...

Colourful promise that must be kept.(using technological innovation for United Kingdom's future)(Brief article)
April 23, 2009... Byline: Computing Colourful promise that must be kept (Twenty-six years ago, Harold Wilson gave a speech that is remembered for what became perhaps the former Labour prime minister's best-known phrase -- the "white heat" of technology...

Eco opportunities come knocking.(green information technology)
April 30, 2009... Byline: Sean Whetstone Eco opportunities come knocking The torrent of interest in green IT means there are enormous opportunities for IT staff with the requisite skills, writes Sean Whetstone (If the world leaders of the G20...

Iti?1/2s good to video talk.(videoconferencing)
April 30, 2009... Byline: martin Courtney It's good to video talk Environmental concerns and increasing time pressures have cast the spotlight on business travel, rekindling interest in the advantages of videoconferencing, writes Martin Courtney ...

A value focus for enterprise IT.
April 30, 2009... Byline: Andrew Parker A value focus for enterprise IT Priorities have changed for IT leaders as they look beyond the current slump (Recently, Forrester Research has been picking up signals of a shift in mindset among IT...

Performance is the early casualty of a browser war.
April 30, 2009... Byline: Imad Mouline Performance is the early casualty of a browser war IT must keep up with different web browser technology to offer the best user experience, writes Imad Mouline There is always an element of excitement when new...

Network Rail is on the right track.
April 30, 2009... Byline: Angelica Mari Network Rail is on the right track Ambitious IT upgrade scheme aims to improve data quality, cut costs and support massive growth in Britain's railways, writes Angelica Mari (Network Rail has started a...

Chancellor looks to tech sector to drive recovery.(Alistair Darling)
April 30, 2009... Byline: Tom Young Chancellor looks to tech sector to drive recovery The Budget provided the IT sector with some opportunities for growth -- and ways to help the UK out of the recession, writes Tom Young (Last week's Budget, and ...

Chip-and-PIN security goes on trial.(Alain Job sues Halifax Bank over credit card fraud)(Brief article)
April 30, 2009... Byline: Tom Young and Angelica Mari Chip-and-PIN security goes on trial in the UK Tom Young and Angelica Mari A trial that could prove to be a test case for the security of chip-and-PIN card technology starts today (Thursday). ...

Fujitsu says DII is back on track.
April 30, 2009... Byline: Tom Young Fujitsu says DII back on track Tom Young Nearly half the user terminals for the delayed armed forces communications network have now been installed, according to contractor Fujitsu Services. The [pounds...

Breathtaking cost cuts are on the way.
April 30, 2009... Byline: Computing Breathtaking cost cuts are on the way (Forget, if you can, levels of government borrowing. Put aside the rapidly shrinking size of the UK economy. Ignore for now the emergence of deflation. If you work in...