Computing articles from January 2006

Computing archives from January 2006

News - Banks set security standard. Apacs completes work on two-factor online authentication specification.
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Watson. Banking industry body Apacs has completed work to establish a standard for a device to physically authenticate online and telephone-based transactions. After almost four years of development, technical...

News - Watmore promoted to key government post.(Ian Watmore)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott. Ian Watmore, head of the Cabinet Office eGovernment Unit (eGU), is being promoted to lead the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit (PDU). The promotion came six weeks after the publication of the eGU transformational...

News - Think tank calls for an Office of IT.(Dr Madsen Pirie from Adam Smith Institute plans for a new government department)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Whitehall needs an Office of IT headed by a Cabinet minister to make the most of technology's potential to reshape the way government does business, says a leading think tank. Independent policy group the Adam Smith Institute says that only...

News - Sainsbury's mulls online insourcing. Decision follows termination of wider Accenture contract.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights. Sainsbury's is considering bringing the IT that supports its ecommerce activities back in-house, following the decision to terminate its main outsourcing contract with Accenture last year (Computing, 27 October). ...

News - Royal Mail plans HR technology for short term. IT system will be interim measure while integrated portal is developed.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas. Royal Mail is to implement a new human resources (HR) IT system as an interim measure until it switches to an integrated portal in three to five years' time. The company will develop the performance management...

News - UK company launches first Galileo satellite.(Giove-A)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas. A UK company has launched Europe's first navigation satellite as part of a project to rival the US global positioning system (GPS). Guildford-based firm Surrey Satellite Technology worked with the European...

News - Countdown to a pivotal year for the IT industry. Bryan Glick previews the key trends and challenges facing IT in 2006.(Column)
January 5, 2006... This year presents enormous opportunities for IT leaders with ambition, vision and ability. After the years of cost-cutting, technology is back on the boardroom agenda as a means to increase competitiveness and improve public services. ...

News - Financial world.
January 5, 2006... Oracle has announced second-quarter revenue of $3.3bn ([pounds sterling]1.9bn), up 19 per cent compared with the same period last year. But net income of $798m ([pounds sterling]452m) fell two per cent. Software revenues were up 18 per cent to...

News - Firm first to fall foul of spam law.
January 5, 2006... A UK internet marketing firm has been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]300 in damages for sending spam emails to a businessman in the Channel Islands. The case against Falkirk-based Media Logistics is believed to be the first successful UK...

News - BAE eyes new IT services deal.
January 5, 2006... BAE Systems is poised to sign a $1.9bn ([pounds sterling]1.1bn) IT outsourcing contract with services firm CSC. The contract is still subject to final approvals, but when completed will cover what the companies describe as next-generation IT...

News - OBE for Rebecca George.(IBM United Kingdom Ltd., New Year Honours)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Rebecca George, IBM director of UK government business, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list. For more than 10 years, George has committed her own time working to get more women into the IT industry. She has written papers,...

News - Broadband lines top 200 million.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... There are now more than 200 million broadband lines worldwide, according to research firm Point Topic. The estimate is based on research from the third quarter of 2005, when broadband connections grew to 190.3 million. Point Topic says the UK...

News - Unilever signs outsourcing deal.
January 5, 2006... Unilever is outsourcing key parts of its financial transactional IT systems to IBM in a seven-year, six-figure deal, covering 20 European countries as part of the 'One Unilever' programme which aims to deliver nearly [pounds sterling]500m in...

News - Report shows gaps in financial firms' continuity plans.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Watson. The UK financial services industry would benefit from stronger and more heavily IT-focused business continuity plans, according to a report on the sector's ability to cope with major operational disruptions such as...

News - Joint venture to speed up online payments.
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Watson. Payment provider Voca and cash machine network operator Link have been awarded a contract to build and manage a central infrastructure to allow faster online payments in the UK by 2007. The project will ensure...

News - IP rights rules win approval. Academics vote on intellectual property policy.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights. Cambridge academics have voted to approve controversial rules that will give the university full rights to all patentable innovations developed through it, regardless of where funding has originated (Computing, 1...

News - Backbytes.(humor at information technology services industry)
January 5, 2006... THE ART OF LUVVYING Dougie Lithgow has been looking at the acknowledgements sections in his computer books, and he doesn't like what he reads. 'You know those cringing, tearful speeches we get at the Oscars? Is there anything more that...

Enterprise - Bupa invests [pounds sterling]5m on system integration.(Edenbrook, British United Provident Association Ltd., contract)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Tom Young. Private healthcare provider Bupa has awarded a two-year contract worth [pounds sterling]5m to systems integrator Edenbrook to overhaul its technology systems. Under the terms of the deal, new systems will be...

Enterprise - Olympus snaps up IT service savings. Firm centralises service delivery across Europe.(Numara Software, contract)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas. Camera and binocular manufacturer Olympus has made huge IT administration cost savings by installing centralised IT service delivery technology. The company is deploying applications from Numara Software in 22...

Enterprise - VoIP system helps brewery cut costs. Wolverhampton & Dudley aims for improvement in customer services.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights. Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries is installing voice over IP-based (VoIP) systems to improve services and reduce costs. The independent brewing and pub company, whose brands include Marston's Pedigree and the...

Enterprise - WHSmith to upgrade software.
January 5, 2006... WHSmith is upgrading its financial management software system across the UK. The retailer has signed a [pounds sterling]500,000 contract with OpenCedarAccounts. It hopes to increase efficiency, strengthen the use of standardised processes and...

Enterprise - ABN Amro signs security deal.(ABN AMRO Bank N.V., MCI Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Financial services group ABN Amro has awarded MCI a $550m ([pounds sterling]311m) five-year networking deal, which will involve setting up and running a secure network at more than 6,000 locations in 25 countries. Peter Josse, global head for...

Enterprise - North-south pay divide widens.(survey on information technology professionals salary)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... The gap between pay rates for IT professionals in the north of England and those in London and the south has widened by two per cent, according to figures from skills body e-Skills UK released by Rethink Recruitment consultancy. The research...

Enterprise - More finance deals done online.(use and forecast of home banking)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Market research firm GfK Financial says 3.9 million people completed a financial application online between June 2004 and 2005. It expects this figure to climb 23 per cent to 4.8 million by June 2006. Individual banks have noted a similar...

Enterprise - Net shopping tops [pounds sterling]2bn mark.
January 5, 2006... UK internet shopping topped [pounds sterling]2bn for the first time in November 2005, outstripping sales made in the same month of the previous year by 50 per cent, according to research from the Interactive Media in Retail Group. ...

Enterprise - Coty gets a makeover for its purchasing processes. Cosmetics firm agrees deal to standardise control of growing procurement structure.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights. Global beauty retailer Coty has signed a five-year managed services deal to standardise its purchasing processes. The company, which makes beauty products for brands including Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood, Marc...

Enterprise - Single sign-on raises security at Scottish council.(Enline, Imprivata, contract)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Brown. Midlothian Council is using a single sign-on password system to increase its IT security. OneSign, a system provided by suppliers Imprivata and Enline, will make it easier for the local authority to protect...

Enterprise - Data and voice convergence brings host of new threats.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas. Organisations that use a single network to transmit telephony and data services should take precautions to protect against business continuity threats, a leading security body has warned. Adoption of voice over...

Enterprise - Council workers to use handhelds.(Intellisync, contract)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Brown. Worcestershire County Council has installed a mobile worker management system to reduce costs and improve services. The system, which includes more than 100 XDA handheld PCs, will be used primarily by senior staff...

Enterprise - Utility installs programme management software. Water firm will use system to meet regulatory and quality commitments.(United Utilities PLC, Primavera Corp., contract)
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Brown. Water firm United Utilities has installed project management software to help comply with regulatory requirements. The company is using the programme and investment management system (Pims) from vendor Primavera to...

Enterprise - Swansea signs Capgemini for consolidation project.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Brown. Swansea Council is to sign a 10-year business transformation contract with Capgemini worth about [pounds sterling]80m. The resource@swansea project will form the first part of a two-phase egovernment programme that...

Comment - A happy new year for outsourcing? The nature of outsourcing is set to change in 2006 as contracts become more complex, predicts Stephen Dunn.(Column)
January 5, 2006... As the $300bn ([pounds sterling]169bn)-plus outsourcing industry matures, its structure is shifting. More than a third of outsourcing is now non-IT, and delivering very different benefits from traditional IT outsourcing. This is changing...

Comment - Time to justify the air of optimism.(prediction of investment on business technology)(Brief Article)(Column)
January 5, 2006... Would it be tempting fate, foolish even, to suggest that there is a distinct air of optimism around UK IT as we enter the New Year? We all became immune to predictions of great things ahead two or three years ago, before 2005 saw a return...

Management - Advisers on the right track to offering better services. Friends Provident's Dave Mace discusses integrated data systems in the financial services industry.
January 5, 2006... One of the most significant stumbling blocks in the financial services industry has been the accessibility and sharing of data between product providers, such as Friends Provident, and its intermediaries, advisers selling financial products to...

Services - Diary.(meetings of software industry)(Calendar)
January 5, 2006... Financial Services Outsourcing Conference 25 January 2006 London Stock Exchange Outsourcing is one of the fastest-growing areas in the financial services technology market, with strategic sourcing reviews high on the agendas of...

Services - Give your marketing intelligence a boost.(new services)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Computing market intelligence directories provide more detailed market intelligence than any other source you can buy. These directories give you all you need to make your calls and your marketing hit the target more accurately, more often....

BCS diary events.(British Computer Society)(Calendar)
January 5, 2006... BCS Lecture with the Business Information Specialist Group 10 January. 5.30pm for 6.15pm. 'A pragmatic guide to business process modelling.' BCS, 5 Southampton Street, London. Visit: www.bcs.org/events/processmodelling BCS West London...

Training - listings.
January 5, 2006... 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...

Careers - Growth in demand for permanent staff.(survey)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights. IT recruitment levels will increase during 2006, but could slow towards the end of the year if economic confidence drops, according to research. Some 61 per cent of IT recruiters predict an increased demand for...

Careers - Backbytes.
January 5, 2006... ELF AND SAFETY Welcome to a new year of Backbytes. We'd like to say that from now on, backbytes will become a serious, in-depth commentary on your business, looking behind the scenes for the stories behind the stories, the stories that the...

Growth in demand for permanent staff.(IT recruiters predict an increased demand for permanent staff)(Brief article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights Growth in demand for permanent staff Miya Knights IT RECRUITMENT levels will increase during 2006, but could slow towards the end of the year if economic confidence drops, according to research. Some 61...

Elf and safety Welcome to a new year of Backbytes. We'd like to say that from now on, backbytes will become a serious, in-depth commentary on your business, looking behind the scenes for the stories behind the stories, the stories that the other papers.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Tim Phillips Elf and safety Welcome to a new year of Backbytes. We'd like to say that from now on, backbytes will become a serious, in-depth commentary on your business, looking behind the scenes for the stories behind the ...

Give your marketing intelligence a boost.(Brief article)
January 5, 2006... Give your marketing intelligence a boost COMPUTING market intelligence directories provide more detailed market intelligence than any other source you can buy. These directories give you all you need to make your calls and your...

Advisers on the right track.(integrated data systems in the financial services industry)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Dave Mace Advisers on the right track to offering better services Friends Provident's Dave Mace discusses integrated data systems in the financial services industry ONE of the most significant stumbling blocks in the...

Time to justify the air of optimism.(distinct air of optimism around UK IT)(Brief article)
January 5, 2006... Time to justify the air of optimism WOULD it be tempting fate, foolish even, to suggest that there is a distinct air of optimism around UK IT as we enter the New Year? We all became immune to predictions of great things ahead two or...

A happy new year for outsourcing?(nature of outsourcing is set to change in 2006 as contracts become more complex)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Stephen Dunn A happy new year for outsourcing? The nature of outsourcing is set to change in 2006 as contracts become more complex, predicts Stephen Dunn AS the $300bn ([pounds sterling]169bn)-plus outsourcing industry...

Council workers to use handhelds.
January 5, 2006... Byline: James brown Council workers to use handhelds James Brown Worcestershire County Council has installed a mobile worker management system to reduce costs and improve services. The system, which includes more than 100 XDA...

Utility installs programme management software.(United Utilities contracts with Primavera Corp.)
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Brown Utility installs programme management software Water firm will use system to meet regulatory and quality commitments James Brown Water firm United Utilities has installed project management software to...

Swansea signs Capgemini for consolidation project.(Swansea Council)(Brief article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Brown Swansea signs Capgemini for consolidation project James Brown Swansea Council is to sign a 10-year business transformation contract with Capgemini worth about [pounds sterling]80m. The resource@swansea...

Data and voice convergence brings host of new threats.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Data and voice convergence brings host of new threats Daniel Thomas Organisations that use a single network to transmit telephony and data services should take precautions to protect against business...

Single sign-on raises security at Scottish council.
January 5, 2006... Byline: James brown Single sign-on raises security at Scottish council James Brown Midlothian Council is using a single sign-on password system to increase its IT security. OneSign, a system provided by suppliers...

Coty gets a makeover for its purchasing processes.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights Coty gets a makeover for its purchasing processes Cosmetics firm agrees deal to standardise control of growing procurement structure Miya Knights Global beauty retailer Coty has signed a five-year managed...

WHSmith to upgrade software WHSmith is upgrading its financial management software system across the UK. The retailer has signed a [pounds sterling]500,000 contract with OpenCedarAccounts. It hopes to increase efficiency, strengthen the use of standardised processes an.
January 5, 2006... WHSmith to upgrade software WHSmith is upgrading its financial management software system across the UK. The retailer has signed a [pounds sterling]500,000 contract with OpenCedarAccounts. It hopes to increase efficiency, strengthen...

VoIP system helps brewery cut costs.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights VoIP system helps brewery cut costs Wolverhampton & Dudley aims for improvement in customer services Miya Knights WOLVERHAMPTON & Dudley Breweries is installing voice over IP-based (VoIP) systems to...

Olympus snaps up IT service savings.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Olympus snaps up IT service savings Firm centralises service delivery across Europe Daniel Thomas CAMERA and binocular manufacturer Olympus has made huge IT administration cost savings by installing...

Report shows gaps in financial firms' continuity plans.(Brief article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Watson Report shows gaps in financial firms' continuity plans James Watson THE UK financial services industry would benefit from stronger and more heavily IT-focused business continuity plans, according to a report...

IP rights rules win approval.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights IP rights rules win approval Academics vote on intellectual property policy Miya Knights cambridge academics have voted to approve controversial rules that will give the university full rights to all...

Joint venture to speed up online payments.
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Watson Joint venture to speed up online payments James Watson Payment provider Voca and cash machine network operator Link have been awarded a contract to build and manage a central infrastructure to allow faster...

The art of luvvying Dougie Lithgow has been looking at the acknowledgements sections in his computer books, and he doesn't like what he reads. 'You know those cringing, tearful speeches we get at the Oscars? Is there anything more that could make you thr.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Tim Phillips The art of luvvying Dougie Lithgow has been looking at the acknowledgements sections in his computer books, and he doesn't like what he reads. 'You know those cringing, tearful speeches we get at the Oscars?...

Financial world.(Oracle, Adobe Systems and Civica income revenue)(Brief article)
January 5, 2006... Oracle has announced second-quarter revenue of $3.3bn ([pounds sterling]1.9bn), up 19 per cent compared with the same period last year. But net income of $798m ([pounds sterling]452m) fell two per cent. Software revenues were up 18 per...

Firm first to fall foul of spam law A UK internet marketing firm has been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]300 in damages for sending spam emails to a businessman in the Channel Islands. The case against Falkirk-based Media Logistics is believed to be the first successful.
January 5, 2006... Firm first to fall foul of spam law A UK internet marketing firm has been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]300 in damages for sending spam emails to a businessman in the Channel Islands. The case against Falkirk-based Media Logistics is...

Countdown to a pivotal year for the IT industry.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick Countdown to a pivotal year for the IT industry Bryan Glick previews the key trends and challenges facing IT in 2006 THIS year presents enormous opportunities for IT leaders with ambition, vision and...

UK company launches first Galileo satellite.(Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. teamed with European Commission and European Space Agency)(Brief article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas UK company launches first Galileo satellite Daniel Thomas A UK company has launched Europe's first navigation satellite as part of a project to rival the US global positioning system (GPS). ...

Royal Mail plans HR technology for short term.(Royal Mail Group PLC, human resource management software)(Brief article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas Royal Mail plans HR technology for short term IT system will be interim measure while integrated portal is developed Daniel Thomas Royal Mail is to implement a new human resources (HR) IT system as...

Banks set security standard.
January 5, 2006... Byline: James Watson Banks set security standard Apacs completes work on two-factor online authentication specification James Watson BANKING industry body Apacs has completed work to establish a standard for a device to...

Watmore promoted to key government post.(Ian Watmore, Prime Minister's Delivery )(Brief article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Watmore promoted to key government post Sarah Arnott IAN Watmore, head of the Cabinet Office eGovernment Unit (eGU), is being promoted to lead the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit (PDU). The promotion came...

Think tank calls for an Office of IT.(Brief article)
January 5, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Think tank calls for an Office of IT WHITEHALL needs an Office of IT headed by a Cabinet minister to make the most of technology's potential to reshape the way government does business, says a leading think...

News - IT security body approved. Government authorises institute for computer security professionals.
January 12, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas. The government has approved plans for an institute of IT security to give computer security experts professional status on a par with occupations such as accountancy and law. The Department for Trade and Industry...

News - Watmore says new job boosts Whitehall's drive for change. Focus will remain fixed on strategy for technology.(Ian Watmore of Cabinet Office promoted to lead Prime Minister's Delivery Unit )(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott. Former head of egovernment Ian Watmore says his promotion to lead the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit (PMDU) will reinforce the government's focus on IT-enabled transformation. Under his leadership the Cabinet...

News - Car tax renewals go online.(Department for Transport introduced online car tax renewal services)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... The Department for Transport has launched an online car tax renewal service so that motorists no longer have to take paper documents to their local post office. The scheme went live this week and is automatically available to owners of...

News - Capacity boost for education network. SuperJanet5 comes to the rescue of academic user growth.(Joint Information Systems Committee given a contract to MCI Inc.)(Joint Academic NETwork )
January 12, 2006... Byline: Mark Samuels. Higher education IT body the Joint Information Systems Committee (Jisc) has announced details of a [pounds sterling]29m next-generation network to support multimedia education and research. Traffic on the UK's...

News - Chip-and-PIN deadline race is on for Waitrose. Supermarket continues to suffer transactional problems with system.(PIN- personal identification number)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights. Supermarket chain Waitrose is confident its chip-and-PIN systems will be operational before a critical deadline next month, after technical problems forced it to suspend the system six weeks ago (Computing, 8...

News - CPS weighs up appeal against email ruling.(Crown Prosecution Service of United Kingdom planning to appeal against district court)(case against teenager for crashing an insurance firm's systems)(Computer Misuse Act 1990)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is considering appealing against a court ruling last year involving a teenager charged with bombarding and crashing an insurance firm's systems with five million emails. ...

News - Barclays helps customers tighten up online security. Discount prices for downloading anti-virus packs.
January 12, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas. Barclays is to offer discounted anti-virus software to its online banking customers as part of a strategy to protect users from internet fraudsters. The bank has signed a deal with Finnish internet security...

News - Manchester Airport gets full WiFi access.
January 12, 2006... Byline: Daniel Thomas. Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has completed a major deployment of wireless internet technology, and now plans to extend the project to other airports. The company has installed 90 wireless access points to...

News - Scotland moves closer to broadband capacity.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... Byline: James Brown. Some 51,000 households in remote Scottish communities now have access to broadband, putting Scotland's availability on a par with the rest of the UK. A total of 99.8 per cent of the country now has access to...

News - Financial World.(earnings of Manugistics Group Inc., Accenture Ltd., EMC Corp., TIBCO Software Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... IT services provider Accenture reported first-quarter revenue of $4.17bn ([pounds sterling]2.4bn), a 12 per cent increase over the same period last year. Operating income was also up 12 per cent, to $513m ([pounds sterling]290.5m). Storage...

News - Report warns of cost of RFID conversion.
January 12, 2006... Byline: Miya Knights. Use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology will increase this year, but early adopters moving to new standards could face costly transition periods, according to research. A report published last week...

News - Microsoft to face licence value test. Open source threat to Microsoft's educational dominance.(British Educational Communications and Technology Agency)
January 12, 2006... Byline: James Brown. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) is to review the value of Microsoft software in the education sector and consider the viability of open source alternatives. The review will...

News - US court hits spammer with record fine. Hefty fine may be a deterrent but experts warn legislation alone will not stop spam.
January 12, 2006... Byline: Tom Young. A spammer in the US has been ordered to pay an ISP a record $11.2bn ([pounds sterling]6.4bn) for sending 280 million unsolicited emails to its customers. Although James McCalla will be unable to pay the fine to CIS...

News - Network Rail signs mobile deal.(Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd., iAnywhere Solutions Inc., contract)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... UK rail infrastructure firm Network Rail has signed a deal with Sybase subsidiary iAnywhere, as part of a mobility project. iAnywhere's Afaria software will be installed on 1,300 Windows mobile devices used by on-site engineers working on the...

News - Openreach opens for business.(Office of Communications, contract)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... Openreach, the access division of BT formed in an agreement with telecoms regulator Ofcom last year (Computing, 29 September), officially opened for business yesterday (Wednesday). The unit is intended to create a more equal access to...

News - HMV seals data conferencing deal.
January 12, 2006... HMV has signed an audio and data conferencing contract with specialist provider Arkadin to reduce the retailer's communication costs through bespoke charging facilities. It will also provide HMV with dedicated teleconferencing access numbers,...

News - Huge growth of new 3G devices.(third generation technology)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2006... The number of 3G devices in production is soaring, according to research by the Global Mobile Suppliers Association. A total of 272 Wide-band Code-Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) handsets and PC datacards have been launched to date, compared...