Computing articles from December 2006

Computing archives from December 2006

At your service.(converged internet telephony )
December 7, 2006... Byline: John Malachy At your service Converged IP technology vastly improves customer satisfaction, write Nadia Aylott and John Malachy Europe may not yet have honed its customer service skills to the same extent as the US, but...

Case study.(ebookers PLC with the help of British Telecommunications PLC enhances quality management)
December 7, 2006... Byline: John Malachy Case study eBookers z As one of Europe's largest and fastest-growing online travel companies, eBookers offers everything the globe-hopping traveller could need, from discounted flights, hotels and car rentals...

What the experts say.(call centers convergence intenet telephony services)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Byline: John Malachy What the experts say z You may well see hybrid applications in the contact centre, where companies with investments in existing customer relationship management (CRM) systems or order management achieve tight...

Ready, willing and cable.(10gigabit ethernet network wiring)
December 7, 2006... Byline: John Malachy Ready, willing and cable Firms looking to upgrade their cabling should start taking 10Gigabit Ethernet into account for their future networking needs, writes John Malachy It may be stretching the...

The long and the short of UTP cabling.(Cat5, Cat6 unshielded twisted pair)
December 7, 2006... Byline: John Malachy The long and the short of UTP cabling z The argument for 10GbE cabling becomes more complicated for companies looking to upgrade their existing infrastructures. Such challenges become particularly intractable when...

Case study.(Forth Electrical Services installed cable wiring for Oki Printing Solutions used )
December 7, 2006... Byline: John Malachy Case study Oki Printing Solutions z Oki Printing Solutions, the brand name of the Oki Data Corporation, sells a range of printers and printer peripherals to offices in 120 countries worldwide, with 49 per cent...

What the experts say.(about 10gigabit ethernet cables)
December 7, 2006... Byline: John Malachy What the experts say z The cost of copper is going up whereas fibre is fairly stable, so there is more convergence in pricing. If you consider the price of the cables, jacks and active link components, the two will...

Strong results for Sage.(Sage Group PLC's earnings)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Strong results for Sage Acquisitions pay off for financial software group, writes Dave Friedlos z Financial software giant Sage Group has announced strong preliminary year-end results following a number...

financial world.(Sage Group PLC, BearingPoint Inc. and Phoenix IT Services earnings)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos financial world Sage Group z UK software giant Sage Group has released preliminary results for the year with total sales rising 22 per cent to [pounds sterling]936m. UK sales rose seven per cent to [pounds...

HP picks software as key area for growth.(Hewlett-Packard Co.'s strong sales increase)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos HP picks software as key area for growth The world's largest IT vendor wants to keep its top spot, writes Dave Friedlos z HP is claiming the title of biggest IT company in the world, surpassing major rival...

metrics.
December 7, 2006... Byline: Tom Young metrics Firms look externally for IT skills 1Chief information officers expect that 69 per cent of staff they employ to fill positions requiring IT experience will come from outside their business, according to...

IT on target for Whitehall efficiency.(Stephen Timms talks on Comprehensive Spending Review)(Interview)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott IT on target for Whitehall efficiency Treasury chief secretary Stephen Timms talks to Sarah Arnott about efficiency and future funding z Technology programmes have a central role in policy objectives and are...

Malware enters new phase.(report of Kaspersky Lab Ltd.)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Malware enters new phase Malicious code makes a new turn as profit-driven gangs take over from hobbyists. Tom Young reports z The hacking community has run out of fresh ideas when it comes to creating malware,...

Gaobot.AAF ... in 30 seconds z Creators of malicious code are poor programmers, according to security firm PandaLabs. z PandaLabs analysed the Gaobot botnet and found a 'strangely complex' system with no internal organisation. z The original source c.(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Gaobot.AAF ... in 30 seconds z Creators of malicious code are poor programmers, according to security firm PandaLabs. z PandaLabs analysed the Gaobot botnet and found a 'strangely complex' system with no...

Digital revolution must be open to all.(United Kingdom is ranked fifth for broadband services)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Emma Nash Digital revolution must be open to all The eAdmissions National Project success seems to counter arguments that broadband access is a preserve of the privileged, says Emma Nash z Adoption of broadband in the...

Key dates in malware growth Over the past 35 years malware has evolved constantly. Security experts now believe that creators of malicious code have run out of fresh ideas. But just because the threats are more predictable does not make them less effec.
December 7, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Key dates in malware growth Over the past 35 years malware has evolved constantly. Security experts now believe that creators of malicious code have run out of fresh ideas. But just because the threats are...

Lloyds TSB gives blades to traders.(Lloyds TSB Group PLC installed blade workstations)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams Lloyds TSB gives blades to traders Lara Williams z Lloyds TSB has equipped its new trading floor with 255 blade workstations to make maintenance easier and improve the working environment for staff. ...

Revenue gives online VAT returns a boost.
December 7, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Revenue gives online VAT returns a boost Sarah Arnott z Within the next 12 months small businesses will be able to file VAT returns directly from their accounting software, according to plans published by HM...

feedback.(Letter to the editor)
December 7, 2006... feedback Forced out of IT by arrogant males OHaving been searching for a job yet again, I was interested to read your article about the lack of women in IT (IT industry culture failing women, 23 November). Although I am a...

Network Rail studies IT outsourcing deal.
December 7, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Network Rail studies IT outsourcing deal Rail operator seeks partner in transformation plan Dave Friedlos z Network Rail is considering outsourcing its IT operations as part of a major transformation...

Cricket body fields ERP to handle profit growth.(The International Cricket Council installed enterprise resource planning system from Epicor Corp.)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Byline: James Brown Cricket body fields ERP to handle profit growth james brown z The International Cricket Council (ICC) is installing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to handle a 10-fold increase in revenues in the...

talking point.(internet banking fraud)(public sector information technology management)(It departments)
December 7, 2006... talking point On women in IT IT industry failing women, 23 November z The difficulty lies in a self-perpetuating cycle: women perceive IT to be a man's world so they do not consider entering it. Making IT appeal to women is about...

Firms fall short in capacity planning.(Aperture Research Institute survey on data centers)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly Firms fall short in capacity planning lisa kelly z More than a third of data centres are poorly run and unable to predict capacity needs, according to new research. Some 37 per cent of firms surveyed said...

Firms slow to apply card standards.(payment card industry data security standards)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams Firms slow to apply card standards Lara Williams z Forty per cent of companies admit they have no plans to achieve the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard, according to research published today...

LSE sharpens trading updates.(London Stock Exchange PLC uses Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Excel)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams LSE sharpens trading updates Information-retrieving system is part of IT transformation process Lara Williams z The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has equipped staff with a real-time dashboard system to...

Backbytes.
December 7, 2006... Byline: Tim Phillips backbytes Your shortcut to ultimate oblivion z More opinions on Antony Hawkins and the Ultimate Journey Planner software. As several of you pointed out last week, the random directions it tended to throw...

bulletin.(Manchester City Council planning largest wifi zone in Europe)(Indian outsourcing market growing)(Yorkshire Water PLC enhancinh wireless communications services)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... bulletin Manchester plans largest WiFi zone z Manchester City Council is planning the largest WiFi zone in Europe to enable more citizens and local businesses to access the internet. The proposed wireless area will cover 400 square...

online.
December 7, 2006... online Computing.co.uk's most popular stories this week China responsible for phishing rise z A massive jump in phishing messages being sent from South Korea and China is the primary cause of a threefold increase in...

Firms improve IT failure plans.(disaster recovery)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly Firms improve IT failure plans But survey says that companies cannot afford to be complacent Lisa Kelly z Only half of UK businesses regard themselves as very well-prepared for an IT systems failure,...

EC renews its attack on spam.
December 7, 2006... Byline: Tom Young EC renews its attack on spam Countries urged to strengthen defences against spam and malware as tougher laws are planned Tom Young z The European Commission is to introduce legislative proposals at the...

Industry urged to share grid facilities to save energy.
December 7, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Industry urged to share grid facilities to save energy Tom Young z Businesses and industries should work together and share grid computing facilities to reduce the carbon footprint generated by IT, says supplier...

EU grants to back IT research.(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott EU grants to back IT research Sarah Arnott z IT is the biggest winner in the European Commission's A[currency]54bn ([pounds sterling]36bn) plan to boost economic growth through innovation and scientific...

Child database faces delays.
December 7, 2006... Byline: James Brown Child database faces delays Many local authorities will miss deadline for installing IT systems James Brown z Nearly two-thirds of local authorities will miss a government deadline to implement systems...

Alliance & Leicester to launch mobile banking.(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams Alliance & Leicester to launch mobile banking Lara Williams z Alliance & Leicester (A&L) is to start offering mobile banking services in the New Year. Customers will be able to use mobile devices to check...

A vote of no confidence for electronic ballots.(E-voting appears to raise more problems that it promises to solve)
December 7, 2006... Byline: Jason Kitcat A vote of no confidence for electronic ballots E-voting appears to raise more problems that it promises to solve, says Jason Kitcat z To a web-surfer, voting online appears no different to shopping on the...

How to organise a printer strategy.(achieved lower costs and higher productivity)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly How to organise a printer strategy Two companies that reviewed their printer infrastructure achieved lower costs and higher productivity, says Lisa Kelly Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust overhauled its...

Outsourcing off the beaten track.
December 14, 2006... Byline: Mark Samuels Outsourcing off the beaten track Forward-thinking IT directors are looking to a broader range of locations in their search for cost-effective services, says Mark Samuels z Where next for...

Equity Insurance boosts business with intelligence tool.(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly Equity Insurance boosts business with intelligence tool Lisa Kelly z Equity Insurance has overhauled financial reporting across the company and improved accountability and planning using business intelligence...

Avoid those printing errors.(web seminar examined how to save costs and the environment with the right strategy)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick Avoid those printing errors Our exclusive web seminar examined how to save costs and the environment with the right strategy, says Bryan Glick Printers are often one of the most overlooked aspects of an IT...

Take control of your output.(Many firms have neglected their print management and are turning to outsourcing for help)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Malcom Hancock Take control of your output Many firms have neglected their print management and are turning to outsourcing for help, says Malcolm Hancock Print management is becoming more of a concern in mid-size and...

A managed print service.(business processes automation)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Malcolm Hancock A managed print service Gartner provides these recommendations when opting for an MPS: z Raise senior management's awareness of MPS. Awareness is beginning to emerge at middle management level. But it needs...

High-speed check-in The MiSense biometric trial is intended to speed up air travellers' passage through Heathrow airport, while increasing security.
December 14, 2006... Byline: Tom Young High-speed check-in The MiSense biometric trial is intended to speed up air travellers' passage through Heathrow airport, while increasing security. 1The passenger scans their passport and gives a ...

Airport eyes up faster process.(Biometric technology trials to reduce passenger bottlenecks at Heathrow airport)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Airport eyes up faster process Biometric technology trials to reduce passenger bottlenecks at Heathrow airport. Tom Young reports z Heathrow Airport started trials of biometric technology last week to strengthen...

Ask the experts.(document output and management spending management)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick Ask the experts z Even in a large organisation, we are seeing that almost 50 per cent of the printer products installed are based on inkjet technology. And 80 per cent of those products are personal products sitting...

Metrics.(Technology staff training still falling )(Disk storage capacity shipments hit 783PB)(Small firms grow infrastructure budgets)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Tom Young metrics Disk storage capacity shipments hit 783PB 1HP is still the leading vendor of disk storage systems, according to research by analyst IDC. International factory revenue from external disk storage systems...

Chancellor turns up heat on skills deficit.
December 14, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Chancellor turns up heat on skills deficit Joined-up services are also focus of Pre-Budget Report, says Sarah Arnott z The UK's skills requirements and joined-up government services are the two main IT-related...

UK needs petascale strategy.(high-performance petascale computers for country's economic competitiveness)
December 14, 2006... Byline: James Brown UK needs petascale strategy James Brown z The UK science industry must be given access to high-performance petascale computers as soon as possible to ensure the country's economic competitiveness. The...

Financial world.(Xansa reported revenue for the six months)(Novell has reported fourth-quarter revenue)(Agile Software has announced preliminary second-quarter sales)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... financial world Xansa z Outsourcing specialist Xansa has announced that its revenue for the six months to 31 October increased 7.4 per cent from [pounds sterling]175.4m last year to [pounds sterling]188.4m. Profit before tax also...

Contracts boost Xansa.(signs contract with UK National Health Service)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick Contracts boost Xansa Profits rise as services supplier wins new customers, writes Bryan Glick z IT services supplier Xansa has reported strong growth in sales and profits as the firm's focus on outsourcing and...

Waste firm installs VPN to aid supplier access.(London Waste, virtual private networks)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Waste firm installs VPN to aid supplier access Tom Young z Rubbish disposal firm London Waste has installed an IP virtual private network (VPN) to improve mobile access to its systems. The company, which has...

Police stick to beat with PDAs.(British Transport Police, personal digital assistants)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Police stick to beat with PDAs British Transport Police officers to trial mobile devices to report crime Sarah Arnott z British Transport Police (BTP) officers have become the first foot patrols in the...

Local police take control of emails.(Dorset Police contracts with Waterford Technologies )(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Local police take control of emails Tom Young z Dorset Police has installed an email monitoring and archiving system to boost the security and efficiency of email delivery. Michael Knight, information...

Council helps smaller businesses to tender for contracts online.
December 14, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly Council helps smaller businesses to tender for contracts online Lisa Kelly z Caerphilly County Borough Council has extended its eprocurement system to eliminate paper processes and encourage local businesses to...

Feedback.(Letter to the editor)
December 14, 2006... feedback Further ways to scupper spammers OThe problem with trying to deal with spam is that the email protocols used are too trusting (EC renews its attack on spam, 7 December). Genuine sender authentication with a verifiable...

Joining up has only just begun.(improving public services by cross-government working)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Joining up has only just begun z Joined-up government appears finally to be moving from theory into practice. The Varney review, published with the chancellor's Pre-Budget Report last week, was commissioned to look at the...

Talking point.(Law cracks down on denial-of-service attacks)
December 14, 2006... talking point On network security Law cracks down on denial-of-service attacks, 16 November z While the recent amendments to the Computer Misuse Act in the Police and Justice Bill 2006 prohibit denial of service (DoS) attacks, I...

End of big outsourcing deals on the horizon.
December 14, 2006... Byline: Lara williams End of big outsourcing deals on the horizon Research suggests small deals are better value Lara Williams z Multimillion-pound outsourcing contracts are set to be a thing of the past, according to research...

UK Sport gives finance management a workout.(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams UK Sport gives finance management a workout Lara Williams z UK Sport, the government organisation responsible for managing and distributing public investment and lottery grants for events and athletes, is...

Care trust looks to IP technology.(Hounslow Primary Care Trust, internet protocol)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly Care trust looks to IP technology Lisa Kelly z Hounslow Primary Care Trust (PCT) is to open the largest primary health centre equipped with IP multimedia technology in the UK in February. The Business IP...

Microsoft agrees race formula.(contracts with McLaren Electronic Systems)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly Microsoft agrees race formula Motor racing tie-in to help develop data analysis at high speed Lisa Kelly z Technology developed for Formula One (F1) racing cars by Microsoft will be used to improve...

Backbytes.
December 14, 2006... Byline: Tim Phillips backbytes International sign language z We hope our coverage of the world's road signs is encouraging you to drive safely. Martin Williams at Powys City Council writes with more evidence of the very...

Single point for details updates.(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Single point for details updates Sarah Arnott z The government is to establish a single 'change of circumstances' service for citizens by 2010, according to a Treasury report. Sir David Varney's report...

Bulletin.(Swindon takes UK broadband crown)(Leonard Cheshire for disabled revamps IT support)(four million in UK, fall victim to ID fraud)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... bulletin Review gives teeth to software copyright law z Authorities could soon be able to raid businesses suspected of using unlicensed software without needing warrants, under reforms proposed to copyright laws last week. Section 107A...

Botnets pose growing online threat.(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams Botnets pose growing online threat Lara Williams z Botnets account for 22 per cent of all malware, up from three per cent in 2004, according to research published last week. Security vendor McAfee's...

Met Office hones forecasting.(supercomputer upgrade will allow intensive calculations about weather conditions)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Byline: James Brown Met Office hones forecasting Met Office supercomputer upgrade will allow intensive calculations about weather conditions James Brown z The Met Office is to replace its supercomputer infrastructure by 2009...

Fire project costs spiral.([pounds sterling]70m increase blamed on unrealistic early estimate)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Fire project costs spiral [pounds sterling]70m increase blamed on unrealistic early estimate Sarah Arnott z Technology costs for the government's planned regional Fire Service control rooms have risen...

Online.(retail industry has failed to in take-up of radio frequency identification technology)(Paul Smith overhauls financial reporting)(National Aeronautics and Space Administration contracts with Computer Sciences Corp.)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... online Computing.co.uk's most popular stories this week RFID boom yet to materialise z This year's expected rise in take-up of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in the retail industry has failed to...

ING Direct seeks security using anti-keylogging.
December 14, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams ING Direct seeks security using anti-keylogging Lara Williams z Savings bank ING Direct is to introduce anti-keylogging measures in January to protect the accounts of its 500,000 online customers. Users...

Google guru prepares for internet evolution.(Vint Cerf)(Interview)
December 14, 2006... Byline: Brian Runnciman Google guru prepares for internet evolution Internet guru Vint Cerf tells the BCS's Brian Runciman about Google's strategy and gives his opinion about developments in the IT industry z Vint Cerf is...

Technology strategy driven by efficiency.(Automobile Association contracts with International Business Machines Corp.)
December 21, 2006... Byline: Mark Dye Technology strategy driven by efficiency Through rationalisation, reducing costs and outsourcing, breakdown specialist the AA is moving towards a more cost-effective IT department. Mark Dye reports ...

Moto moves to electronic invoicing.
December 21, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Moto moves to electronic invoicing Dave Friedlos z Motorway services operator Moto is implementing electronic invoicing software to eliminate the paper processing of thousands of invoices each week. Moto...

Green Computing.(Green Computing campaign to raise awareness of environmental issues in IT departments)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick Green Computing In August, we launched our Green Computing campaign to raise awareness of environmental issues in IT departments and in doing so, to reduce business costs and improve efficiency. With power...

Technology at the heart of change.(technology industry mainstream in 2006)
December 21, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick Technology at the heart of change as IT goes mainstream Bryan Glick looks back at the high and lows of an eventful 2006 for the technology industry z Will 2006 go down as the year that IT went mainstream?...

What they said.(UK National Health Service information technology programme)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick What they said z Contrary to the pre-reports, on the whole the National Audit Office was complimentary about the NHS IT programme. It is a huge programme, but it will deliver real benefits. Prime minister Tony...

Barclaycard agrees smartcard deal.(Transport for London)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Barclaycard agrees smartcard deal Dave Friedlos z Barclaycard has signed an exclusive three-year contract to combine Visa with the Oyster travel card, paving the way for contactless payments in London. ...

WEEE rules lack incentive.(Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)(Electronic waste laws finally published after two-year delay)
December 21, 2006... Byline: Tom Young WEEE rules lack incentive Electronic waste laws finally published after two-year delay Tom Young z The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations were officially published last week, some...

Whitehall spends [pounds sterling]1.1bn on IT consultants.(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Whitehall spends [pounds sterling]1.1bn on IT consultants sarah arnott z IT consultants make up more than half of the [pounds sterling]1.8bn that central government departments spend on external...

Whitehall plans guidance team.(Civil Service Steering Board to implementation of cross-government initiatives)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Whitehall plans guidance team Sarah Arnott z Whitehall is to establish a Civil Service Steering Board to oversee implementation of cross-government initiatives such as the Varney Review. The Cabinet...

Linx upgrades infrastructure.(Internet hub increases capacity to deal with growth in Internet service providers membership and internet traffic)(London Internet Exchange)
December 21, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Linx upgrades infrastructure Internet hub increases capacity to deal with growth in ISP membership and internet traffic Dave Friedlos z The London Internet Exchange (Linx) has upgraded its infrastructure...

Bulletin.(Morrisons speeds up product development)(Lex Vehicle Leasing accelerates accident claims)(Automobile Association gets motoring with compliance software)(Brief article)
December 21, 2006... bulletin Firms count the energy cost of Christmas z The amount of energy used by office equipment left on standby over the Christmas period in the UK is enough to roast 4.4 million turkeys, according to research by Canon UK. Equipment...

Feedback.(Letter to the editor)
December 21, 2006... feedback Email 2.0 could stop spammers OJohn Collins (Letters, 14 December) is in many ways correct about email protocols being too trusting, and a technical solution being required to stop spam. He is also correct that changing...

Publicise the phishing facts.
December 21, 2006... Publicise the phishing facts z Apparently phishing is not just on the rise -- it is exploding. The number of incidents of criminals using spam emails to persuade people to part with online banking passwords has rocketed by 8,000 per cent...

online.
December 21, 2006... online Targeted security attacks on the rise z Corporate and industrial espionage attacks are on the rise, using targeted trojans to steal intellectual property and confidential information, according to security software supplier...

Banks reject Lords' call to disclose security details.
December 21, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Banks reject Lords' call to disclose security details Tom Young z Banking industry body Apacs has rejected calls to publish details of which banks have poor online security. Members of the House of Lords...