Computing articles from December 2005

Computing archives from December 2005

News - BA steps up IT initiative. Airline board set to approve a major overhaul of firm's back-end systems.(British Airways PLC.)
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Watson. BA'S board is expected to approve an IT project within the next few weeks intended to simplify complex back-office systems and reduce costs. Although the airline will not reveal any cost reduction targets until...

News - EU backs key role for egovernment. Declaration from ministers endorses value of transformed public service.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Sarah Arnott. European Union (EU) ministers have unanimously approved a declaration recognising the importance of IT-enabled government service transformation to Europe's economic goals. The statement was made at last week's...

News - Indian IT firms widen horizons.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Indian IT companies are rapidly expanding their efforts into higher-value work, such as research and development, while acquiring western companies to support their growth. Gopi Shankar, IT sector lead at the UK's High Commission in...

News - Jobcentre Plus hit by MPs' criticisms. Government is urged to review IT and process problems.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Sarah Arnott. Parliamentary pressure is mounting for the government to acknowledge the extent of problems affecting Jobcentre Plus (JC+) and its Customer Management System (CMS). 'The strategic delivery of the CMS has been...

News - XML speeds up congestion charge admin.(Transport for London of England introduced computerised system to handle congestion charge appeals)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. Transport for London (TfL) has introduced a computerised system to handle congestion charge appeals, eliminating an annual paper mountain twice the height of the BT tower. The transport body has replaced a manual...

News - Centralised education IT procurement starts. Government begins hunt for suppliers for national infrastructure framework.(British Education Communications and Technology Agency)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Sarah Arnott. National framework deals for the education sector are being established to try to keep IT prices down and set minimum service standards. The contracts are part of the plan to create a common digital...

News - Financial World.
December 1, 2005... Shares in IT services firm Computacenter rose 17.95 per cent to 253p last week, following news that a group of company executives are to launch a management buyout. Chairman Ron Sadler, chief executive Mike Norris, and financial director Tony...

News - R&D focus putting innovation at risk. CBI says government is ignoring business creativity.
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Watson. Government policy focuses too heavily on research and development (R&D) and fails to support much of the innovation being conducted by businesses, says the CBI. A survey from the employer's group published this...

News - University wants rights to all staff research. But opponents say locking down patent rights may harm UK economy.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. Proposals to strengthen the intellectual property rights (IPR) of Cambridge University could stifle UK technology innovation, opponents are warning. The institution is balloting senior staff and academics on the...

News - Give your old PCs a new life.(donation of computers to Computer Aid International)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Mark Samuels. Computing is calling on IT directors to donate PCs to its Computer Aid appeal. Working with specialist charity Computer Aid International, we are asking the UK's technology leaders to donate old PCs so they can...

News - IT benefits are going unnoticed, says survey. Research shows that firms are failing to monitor the impact IT projects are having on their business.(survey by KPMG consultancy)
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Mortleman. Companies are failing to realise the business benefits of IT projects because of poor governance, research shows. In an international survey of 600 organisations by consultancy KPMG, almost nine out of 10 said...

News - Government IT tricky, says Blair.(Tony Blair, government information technology services)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Sarah Arnott. The Prime Minister has said difficulties with government IT are to be expected, especially given the scale of the programmes involved. 'IT projects in government have always been difficult - actually, IT projects...

News - Data mining software reveals fraudulent employee activity. Retailer identifies 20 cases of fraud in just six weeks.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. Retailer Peacocks has identified 20 cases of internal fraud within the first six weeks of implementing specialist data mining software (Computing, 7 July). Already five cases of fraud identified by the software...

News - Data privacy compliance tested.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The British Standards Institute has launched an online tool for businesses to check their level of compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy in Electronics Communications Act 2003. The 57-point scorecard forms part of the...

News - Finance firms test disaster plans.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... UK financial institutions took part in an exercise on Monday to check the effectiveness of their disaster recovery strategies should a terrorist attack or a natural disaster occur. The test, in which more than 1,000 people took part, was...

News - Outsourcing figures to rise.
December 1, 2005... Almost a fifth (19.1 per cent) of UK IT budgets in 2006 will be spent on outsourcing infrastructure management to free up internal staff time, says research from Globix. Spending on outsourced infrastructure will rise 48 per cent compared with...

News - Chicken wired for touch.
December 1, 2005... Researchers at a Singapore university have demonstrated technology that can send touch via the internet, using a chicken wearing a sensory jacket. The jacket records and transmits the animal's movements and sends data over the internet from a...

News - University signs [pounds sterling]10m NTL deal.(NTL Group Ltd., University of Salford)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The University of Salford has signed a [pounds sterling]10m 20-year managed telephony services contract with provider NTL. The deal builds on an existing relationship to supply an IP network between the university and its campus sites. It will...

News - Anglian Water IP pipe aims to cut staff travel. Water utility gains remote control of sites with voice and data convergence.
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Mortleman. Anglian Water is installing a converged IP-based voice and data network as part of a [pounds sterling]25m managed service contract. The utility expects the five-year agreement with Siemens Communications to...

News - Download your free Computing Podcast now.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... This week Computing launches its online podcast service. The Computing Podcast is a regular audio programme in MP3 format that can be downloaded and listened to on any PC, Mac, digital audio player, PDA or smartphones with MP3...

News - Thames Valley Police agrees [pounds sterling]10m converged network deal.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Brown. Thames Valley Police has signed a [pounds sterling]10m, five-year managed contract to upgrade voice and data network and cut costs. The police force says the deal with managed service provider Affiniti will save...

News - Virgin Trains adds to mobile service.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Daniel Thomas. Virgin Trains has installed devices on its trains to provide business passengers with improved access to corporate data via 3G mobile networks. The train operator has signed a deal with mobile phone operator...

News - Backbytes.(humors at information technology industry)
December 1, 2005... A chicken and pig situation Last week we carried the story of Marks & Spencer and its improved recipe traditional British gammon, unchanged since 1900. Surely a contradiction? 'Maybe Marks & Spencer improved the recipe of Brian...

Enterprise - Sports retailer uses software to join up data.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. Retailer Streetwise Sports is using software to automate the integration of till data with CCTV camera footage. The sportswear chain, which has 30 stores in the UK, is one of the first to use this software to...

Enterprise - Film institute adds security to picture. Software halves the number of threats to the network.(British Film Institute used Secure Computing Corp.'s unified threat management technology to reduce spam emails and viruses)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Daniel Thomas. The British Film Institute (BFI) has improved business productivity and reduced email traffic by 50 per cent since switching IT security systems. The institute, which runs the National Film Theatre and the London...

Enterprise - Mayor's office testing performance software. The London Development Agency to prove budget is meeting public need.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. The London Development Agency (LDA) is acceptance-testing business intelligence software intended to improve internal budgeting processes. The Mayor's agency, responsible for steering London's sustainable economic...

Enterprise - New discs can hold 300GB.(computer disc from InPhase Technologies)(it also collaborated with Hitachi Maxell Ltd. to sell the discs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A computer disc about the size of a DVD that can hold 60 times more data, will go on sale in 2006, according to its developer InPhase Technologies, a Lucent spin-off. The discs, holding 300GB each, use so-called Tapestry holographic memory...

Enterprise - Branded email from Vodafone.
December 1, 2005... Vodafone UK has announced its own branded email service, Vodafone Business Email. It will support the launch with offerings for BlackBerry Connect and Microsoft Windows Mobile-based devices. Vodafone Business Email is being provided through a...

Enterprise - Reuters makes messaging links.(Reuters Group PLC. enhanced instant messaging system services by the help of America Online Inc. and Microsoft Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... News and financial information provider Reuters has expanded its instant messaging system by linking to services from AOL and Microsoft. Users of Reuters Messenger will now be able to send and receive messages from MSN Messenger and AOL Instant...

Enterprise - Steel firm seals IT flaws from attack. Foseco guards its global intellectual property with automated patches.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Daniel Thomas. Steel giant Foseco is updating its IT security management systems to protect intellectual property and guard against viruses, spyware and hackers. The FTSE-listed firm has installed BigFix patch configuration and...

Enterprise - Housing body updates payment software. Glasgow Housing Association spends [pounds sterling]300,000 on Anite finance system.(Glasgow Housing Association uses Anite Housing software system )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Brown. Glasgow Housing Association (GHA), the largest registered public landlord in the UK, is installing a payment and charging system to handle financial transactions from its 70,000 tenants and 23,000 privately-owned...

Enterprise - Alton Towers boosts web site bookings.
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Mortleman. Alton Towers has more than tripled its online hotel reservations by using web-based booking software. The leisure company has revamped its online booking system, developed using Macromedia Flex, and made huge...

Enterprise - Nissan accelerates IT security.
December 1, 2005... Car manufacturer Nissan has signed a deal with IT security firm ActivIdentity to integrate physical and computer security. Staff will be issued with new cards to gain access into buildings; they will also control log-on to computers and access...

Enterprise - Browsers to build trust in surfers.(standard methods for web browsing)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Browser developers, including Mozilla, Microsoft and Opera, are looking to create a standard method of providing surfers with more information about the trustworthiness of a web site. The initiative aims to use the information provided in...

Enterprise - Big brother nears, says study.(International Telecommunication Union)(telecommunications equipment)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A world in which electronic devices know who we are and what we are doing is getting ever closer, according to a study from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Devices from radio frequency tags to smartcards and mobile phones will...

Enterprise - Nokia business phones go WiFi.
December 1, 2005... Nokia will no longer sell business phones without WiFi capability. All handsets using the Series 80 operating system, and a growing number of Series 60 phones, will have wireless Lan functionality built in, as Nokia moves beyond concentrating...

Enterprise - BigFix patches finance firms.
December 1, 2005... US security patch management firm BigFix has opened offices in Europe after winning deals with financial services firms Norwich Union and Abbey, and broadcaster BSkyB. Norwich Union is using the technology to automatically update systems and...

Enterprise - Medical company reaps benefits of CRM system. CRM software boosts efficiency as staff arrive to gather evidence more quickly.
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Brown. Specialist outsourcing firm Essex Medical and Forensics Services (EMFS) is using customer relationship management (CRM) software to organise the 150-strong group of doctors, nurses and paramedics it has on its books....

Enterprise - Sheffield NHS Trust unites IT helpdesk effort.(Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Brown. Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has installed contact centre software across its IT helpdesk to better manage technology problems. The organisation has installed HP OpenView software to overhaul...

Enterprise - NHS body upgrades dated email archiving processes.(Two Shires NHS Ambulance Service)(Archive One)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Brown. Two Shires NHS Ambulance Service has installed email management software to properly manage and archive messages sent to and from its 400 staff. The NHS body says the management system - supplied by Archive One -...

Enterprise - Indian IT market comes of age. Business demand for outsourced functions in India is changing.
December 1, 2005... Byline: James Watson in Bangalore. After years of astronomical growth, the question of how long the Indian outsourcing model can continue its sustained rise is becoming more pressing. A recent Datamonitor report shows flat year-on-year...

View from the top - Joined-up IT extends long arm of the law. Assets developed for criminal justice have value for whole public sector, says CJIT director general.(United Kingdom. Criminal Justice Information Technology)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Sarah Arnott. The [pounds sterling]2bn Joined-up Justice programme is delivering the largest changes to the criminal justice system since the Magna Carta, says John Suffolk, director general of the Criminal Justice IT (CJIT) unit...

Enterprise - EDS payout a matter of expediency.(compensation to United Kingdom. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Sarah Arnott. Supplier EDS's agreement to pay compensation to the government for the tax credits debacle was made with an eye on future business, rather than as an admission of culpability, according to experts. After years of...

Enterprise - Merit marks to those who spend wisely.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Mark Samuels. Pay attention class. Hands up those of you who are responsible for spending in an education institution and know what you are doing? Come on, there are not many hands up, and it is not a difficult question. ...

Comment - Co-operation key to Europe's future.(Brief Article)(Column)
December 1, 2005... Last week's declaration on egovernment by the relevant ministers from EU member states is a hugely positive development. But it is only the beginning. The statement was put forward as part of the i2010 agenda to make Europe the most...

Comment - Compliance must be innovation's ally. Compliance has been blamed for stifling creativity, but it can be used to your advantage, says Jonathan Gibbs.(Column)
December 1, 2005... Percy LeBaron Spencer was working on developing radar when a chocolate bar in his pocket melted. This was perhaps an accident, but he saw the significance and the microwave oven was born. Dr James Schlatter was developing a treatment drug...

Networking - Tearing down the fences of traditional security. Computing kicks off this month's networking special with a look at how a mobile workforce and the popularity of outsourcing and hiring contractors are changing security needs. Mark Dye reports.
December 1, 2005... The growth of a ubiquitous internet landscape is forcing a major change in how companies view their security needs, with more and more organisations seeking to move away from the traditional perimeter data defence policy. But with no outer...

Networking - West Midlands emergency services see net benefits. Technology upgrades offer improvements for public and staff, reports Gary Flood.
December 1, 2005... Prepare for a shock: the West Midlands is a diverse and interesting place. The region - the cradle of the industrial revolution - is home to 5.3 million people. Conurbations such as Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton are surrounded by...

Networking - Mobile VoIP gains impetus. Take-up is still slow, but mobile VoIP is set to revolutionise the way we work, says Linda More.
December 1, 2005... Mobile voice over IP (VoIP) has many attractions and, although call costs is one of them, the real drivers for adoption include seamless service, an integrated communication system and access to more services. IP telephony has already...

Networking - Project Nomad moves on. A project for councils to establish mobile strategies is working, reports Gary Flood.(Cumbria County Council)(Column)
December 1, 2005... Project Nomad sounds like a cool sci-fi exploration initiative - indeed, some may have spotted the link with a classic Star Trek episode. However, Project Nomad is more usefully known as the title of an ambitious [pounds sterling]5m...

Networking - Smartphones are poised to find their business calling. Miya Knights talks to Palm president Ed Colligan on the future of mobile computing.(Interview)
December 1, 2005... Once dominant in the PDA market, Palm is facing stiff competition from rival mobile vendors, such as Research In Motion (RIM) and Motorola. Palm has been losing market share to rival converged handheld technologies that offer extra...

Management - The trials and tribulations of searching for an IT job. A sharp CV, a winning personality and a bit of passion go far in the job market, says Martin Veitch.
December 1, 2005... Leaving a positive first impression is often regarded as a basic requirement for job candidates. According to IT recruiters, the most basic errors continue to be the most common. But with a bit of effort, your chances of landing the right...

Management - The legal issues of bringing your project back in-house. More and more companies are starting to insource - bringing their outsourced services contracts back in-house, under their own control. Quentin Archer and Katrina Dick guide you through the legal aspects you will need to consider.(Column)
December 1, 2005... There are various reasons why a company may wish to insource their technology services after using an outsourcing arrangement. Most commonly, businesses might chose to bring IT back in-house because the cost savings envisaged by the original...

Services - See Kenya by cycle with Computer Aid.
December 1, 2005... Computing is teaming up with Computer Aid International to offer readers the chance to take part in a unique cycle challenge across Kenya, from Mount Kenya to Lake Victoria, to fund the deployment of more than 1,000 computers in Kenyan schools...

Services - Diary.
December 1, 2005... Content Management Europe 30 November - 2 December Olympia, London Content Management Europe showcases providers of enterprise and web content management solutions to the public and private sector. The event consists of an...

BCS Diary events.(British Computer Society)(Calendar)
December 1, 2005... North Staffordshire Branch with IEE 5 December. 5.30pm for 6.15pm. 'Radiation from Power Systems.' Yarnfield. Visit: www.nstaffs.bcs.org/ BCS Glasgow Branch 5 December. 6.30 pm. Biometrics in IT: Usability in Security Systems. The...

Training - Listings. Information for the courses page should follow our usual format - course category, title of course, venue, date, price, organising company/body, telephone number. Unless the information is presented in this way, we regret that it cannot be included. For details on how your courses can be included, contact John O'Grady on (020) 7316 9373.(Calendar)
December 1, 2005... MICROSOFT SUPPORT Windows 2003, Active Directory Services and Exchange Server courses delivered at client's site at any location in the UK. For information and prices call (020) 8538 1376 www.m8uk.com/training Implementing and...

Careers - Engineers required to service Google growth.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. Google is recruiting engineers at its new UK research and development (R&D) centre to work on its expanding product portfolio. The London-based office, which was opened two weeks ago, will house 200 Google staff...

Careers - backbytes.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... All together now, which lyric is the fabbest? It's the time you have all been waiting for: time to vote for your favourite spoof Beatles lyrics. We have whittled down the many entries we have published to three, and now it's time to vote...

News - Delays persist for benefits. Upgrade to troubled claims system yet to shorten waiting list for payments.(Job Seeker's Allowance)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Sarah Arnott. Benefits claimants are still waiting weeks for payments to start, despite contingency plans having been put in place and an upgrade to the troubled customer management system (CMS) at Jobcentre Plus (JC+). In...

News - London Olympics puts IT on starting blocks. Countdown to Games will start with appointment of technology director.(Massimo Dossetto)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Mark Samuels in Turin. The 2012 London Olympics IT team is likely to use radio frequency identification (RFID) to manage its assets, and advanced mobile technologies to relay information to fans and athletes. The appointment of...

News - Deadline nears on ageism law.(protection of jobseekers from discrimination )(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Mark Samuels. UK employers have less than a year to prepare for new age discrimination regulations - and the IT profession has more to do than most other industries to address workforce inequalities, say experts. The European...

News - Chip-and-PIN put on ice at Waitrose. Retailer suspends system while it resolves technical issues.(Groupe INGENICO, Wincor Nixdorf Inc., contract)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. Supermarket chain Waitrose was last week forced to suspend its chip-and-PIN credit card processing system because of technical problems. The retailer is operating a temporary card payment authorisation system...

News - Project breakdowns avoidable, says MPs' report. Government ignored lessons spelled out in previous reports, says watchdog.(Public Accounts Committee of United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Parliamentary correspondent. Major government IT project failures over the past decade could have been avoided by learning from past mistakes, according to MPs. House of Commons watchdog the Public Accounts Committee says...

News - Nectar service company to outsource IT.
December 8, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. Loyalty Management UK (LMUK), the company that runs the Nectar retail loyalty scheme, has outsourced its IT infrastructure in a spin-off operation. The new subsidiary, Loyalty Management Services (LMS), will...

News - London database to track planning. Public web site will give idea of capital's development.
December 8, 2005... Byline: Daniel Thomas. The Greater London Authority (GLA) has launched a public web site to give local councils, residents and property developers a greater understanding of planning in the capital. The London Development Database...

News - Banks take the lead on data sharing plans. Four banks announce initiative to pool information on credit behaviour.
December 8, 2005... Byline: James Watson. The UK financial services sector is to increase the sharing of data between organisations, with four banks announcing plans to provide more information about their credit card holders. Barclaycard, Egg, the...

News - Unilever mulls outsourcing of IT functions.
December 8, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. Global manufacturer Unilever is considering outsourcing some central operational functions, including IT. The consumer products giant, which owns household brands such as Flora, Bird's Eye and Dove, says it is...

News - Financial world.
December 8, 2005... Software supplier Novell announced fourth-quarter revenue of $320m ([pounds sterling]183.6m), up from $301m ([pounds sterling]172.7m) for the same period last year. Net loss was $5m ([pounds sterling]2.9m) compared with net income of $15m...

News - Tax office shuts credits site after identity theft. Criminals used stolen details of civil servants to make false claims via site.
December 8, 2005... Byline: Daniel Thomas. The government has shut down the tax credits web site after discovering it has been targeted by online fraudsters. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) took the decision last week to close the site, which processes tax...

News - Capgemini wins Ofcom contract.(Office of Communications)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. Ofcom has announced that supplier Capgemini has been selected as the preferred bidder for a five-year, [pounds sterling]25m managed services deal. The consultancy will take over the running of the communications...

News - IT is pivotal to [pounds sterling]40m Prudential savings plan after Egg takeover. Cost cuts expected when buy-back of bank is complete.
December 8, 2005... Byline: James Watson. Technology is expected to play a key role in the [pounds sterling]40m annual cost savings that Prudential promises to make after taking full ownership of online banking subsidiary Egg. The financial services group...

News - WH Smith updates backup.(WH Smith News, EMC, contract)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... WH Smith News has implemented a storage architecture and management software from supplier EMC to help back up 21TB of data every day. The system will help manage more than 101,000 SAP transactions an hour, reduce storage costs by 50 per cent...

News - RSA confirms Cyota acquisition.
December 8, 2005... RSA Security has agreed to buy online security and anti-fraud firm Cyota for $145m ([pounds sterling]83.5m). Subject to regulatory approval, Cyota technologies will be used alongside RSA's to protect internet users against phishing emails, and...

News - Royal Mail loses security chief.
December 8, 2005... Royal Mail director of information security David Lacey is to leave the organisation after six years of protecting it against hackers and viruses. Lacey played a key role in ensuring that Royal Mail's [pounds sterling]1.5bn outsourcing contract...

News - Novell signs health agency deal.(United Kingdom. Department of Health)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Connecting for Health, the Department of Health agency responsible for the [pounds sterling]6bn National Programme for NHS IT, has signed a [pounds sterling]21.8m enterprise-wide deal with supplier Novell. The three-year agreement exploits the...

News - Web site ownership doubles.
December 8, 2005... Companies maintain an average of 34 external, customer-facing web sites each, double the figure in 2001, according to a report from Dynamic Markets. One quarter have so many public sites that executives could not provide a specific number. And...

News - Microsoft launches research initiative. Biologists and software developers are teaming up.(University of Trento, Microsoft Research)
December 8, 2005... Byline: James Watson. Microsoft Research and Italy's University of Trento are setting up a new research centre to look at how the interaction of software and biological systems can help improve both fields. Researchers will work on...

News - Utility computing model gains approval. Film-makers say pay-as-you-go access to IT resources was secure and reliable.(SE3D Animation Showcase )(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Miya Knights. A project to use pay-as-you-go access to IT resources in a real-life commercial environment has demonstrated the viability of the utility computing model, according to participants. The SE3D Animation Showcase run...

News - Leeds goes digital to beat benefit fraudsters.(Leeds City Council)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: James Brown. Leeds City Council is using a digitised fraud transcription service to help improve the way it gathers evidence about benefit fraudsters. Neil Platts, Leeds' investigations manager, says his team used to post tapes...

News - NTL plans Virgin Mobile takeover.(Virgin Mobile Telecoms Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Cable services group NTL has made an [pounds sterling]835m offer for Virgin Mobile. The takeover proposal is aimed at creating a media and telecoms group capable of operating in the fixed and mobile marketplaces, as well as offering broadband...

News - Growth in new internet threats.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... The number of new internet security threats rose this year by 48 per cent, according to anti-virus firm Sophos. On average, one in every 44 emails in 2005 contained a virus, rising to one in 12 during major outbreaks, while 15,907 new malware...

News - Banks plan service agreement.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... SAP has set up a programme with senior IT executives in the banking industry to define sector-specific requirements for implementing service-oriented architectures. Leading banks including ABN Amro, Absa, ING, Barclays, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya...

News - Ericsson takes on 3 operations.(Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Mobile network operator 3 has signed a deal that will see Ericsson take over management of the 3 network and its IT infrastructure in the UK. Under the seven-year contract, 3 will retain ownership of the network and IT assets, and...