Computing articles from July 2008

Computing archives from July 2008

IT plugs into the green agenda.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Linda More IT plugs into the green agenda In the first of our four-part definitive guide to green computing, Linda More looks at why the datacentre is the best starting point z Being green may once have been considered a...

Five startups to watch out for.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Linda More Five startups to watch out for OpenEco.org For free, easy-to-use tools that help users assess, track and compare energy performance, OpenEco is a global online community formed to encourage sustainable...

Five green computing approaches to consider.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Linda More Five green computing approaches to consider Power monitoring systems Historically, no one bothered to measure the power consumption of IT equipment and datacentres because power was cheap and the bill...

Top tips for greening your IT.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Christopher Mines Top tips for greening your IT Christopher Mines, Forrester Research z Many IT leaders are addressing the energy use and environmental impact of their firm's computing operations, seeking to reduce...

Mobile market may be too fast for Symbian.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Mobile market may be too fast for Symbian Newly-formed open source alliance has its work cut out defending its mobile platform lead Martin Courtney z The Symbian Foundation may struggle to maintain...

Keep your head in the cloud.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Bob Tarzey Keep your head in the cloud The changing face of malware prevention will protect your business from a rainy day, says Bob Tarzey z Most of the malware that threatens businesses comes from the internet, so it...

Is this progress or are we wasteful?
July 3, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels Is this progress or are we wasteful? The popularity of the computer has provided us with many benefits, but just what are we going to do with them all, asks Mark Samuels z Depending on your point of view,...

Williams F1 drives through changes.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly Williams F1 drives through changes Formula 1 team uses a virtual private network to exchange strategic data with its UK factory Neon Kelly z Williams Formula 1 team is using a virtual private...

Ad firm promotes green IT rollout.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Ad firm promotes green IT rollout Warmer datacentres and print management spearhead green push Janie Davies z Media and advertising firm Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) has drawn up an IT policy to tackle...

Reports reveal poor security practices behind data losses.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Reports reveal poor security practices behind data losses Data handling review spells out what the government must do to regain the public's confidence Tom Young z Poor public sector information...

Carbon Trust funds datacentre simulation project to cut emissions.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Ambrose McNevin Carbon Trust funds datacentre simulation project to cut emissions ambrose mcnevin z The BCS and the Carbon Trust are developing a Java tool to simulate energy use in datacentres in the hope of driving...

Relaxed domain laws may fuel legal costs.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly Relaxed domain laws may fuel legal costs Experts warn that changes could tempt new cyber-squatters Neon Kelly z The loosening of restrictions on internet domain names could lead to a boom in cyber-squatting...

Currys to unite web and stores.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Currys to unite web and stores Angelica Mari z Electrical retailer Currys is aiming to improve links between its online and store sales operations in advance of a web site relaunch this summer. Head of...

Advantage for Wimbledon fans.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels Advantage for Wimbledon fans Mark Samuels z Tennis fans have been using collaborative technology to monitor the progress of their favourite players at this year's Wimbledon Championships. Wimbledon.org A-...

Moucheli?1/2s servers go central.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Mouchel's servers go central Services firm adopts virtualisation and trials WAN acceleration Janie Davies z Services giant Mouchel is centralising its server infrastructure, deploying virtualisation...

Considering a fresh approach to consumer technology.(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Considering a fresh approach to consumer technology z EasyJet is hoping to exploit social networking and mobile technologies, but the airline has admitted running into problems with Facebook at its Luton...

Digital ID for police moves closer to rollout.(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Digital ID for police moves closer to rollout Tom Young z Single digital identities for police officers and criminal justice system workers came a step closer this week as procurement started for an identity and...

EasyJet reviews IT processes.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari EasyJet reviews IT processes Cutting fuel costs and improved services high on airline's agenda Angelica Mari z Budget airline EasyJet is carrying out an IT-driven strategic shift in its aircraft...

HMRC blunder leads to further private data leak.(Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs)(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... Byline: Tom Young HMRC blunder leads to further private data leak Tom Young z An online tax system run by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has inadvertently exposed private business details. The error with the pay as you earn...

Bank quits London datacentre.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Bank quits London datacentre Dresdner Kleinwort overhauls its IT and heads out of Docklands Angelica Mari z Investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort is relocating its London Docklands datacentre in a...

IT chiefs caught up in power crunch.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Computing IT chiefs caught up in power crunch z More than two years ago, Computing first reported that firms in the City of London and Docklands were facing serious power supply problems that could restrict their IT expansion...

Our judges are expecting excellence.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Bryan Glick Our judges are expecting excellence z The entries are already coming in for this year's Computing Awards for Excellence A- and we can now announce the prestigious line-up of judges who will decide the winners. ...

Pick your green strategy.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Lisa Kelly Pick your green strategy In the second part of our definitive guide to green computing, Lisa Kelly looks at how UK businesses are reducing carbon emissions z "Driving green initiatives in...

Case study: K Line.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Lisa Kelly Case study: K Line z Multinational shipping company K Line is in the second stage of a virtualisation project to cut energy bills by [pounds sterling]50,000 per year and reduce its carbon footprint as part of its...

Case study: Northumbria University.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Lisa Kelly Case study: Northumbria University z Northumbria University is keen to champion sustainable IT that can support a growing student population A- and to help save energy, the institution's new campus uses a thin-client...

Taking an automated approach to green IT.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Lisa Kelly Taking an automated approach to green IT z The Co-op is making its 8,000 tills greener by rolling out technology to reduce the amount of power they consume. The initiative will save the company [pounds...

How to stop the IT brain drain.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Ade McCormack How to stop the IT brain drain Your technology staff need to be valued and nurtured to attract and retain the best people, says Ade McCormack z According to Gartner's 2008 global chief information officer...

Once more unto the breach, dear friends.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Nigel Bell Once more unto the breach, dear friends BCS view: Consultant Nigel Bell leaves self-employment behind for a permanent position z After nearly 15 years of working as an independent IT consultant, I am giving up...

Hey, you, get on to my cloud...
July 10, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels Hey, you, get on to my cloud... If the analysts are right, the IT industry is set for an evolutionary step. Mark Samuels discovers cloud computing's potential benefits z Once again, everything is...

Life gets interactive for Intel as it turns 40.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Life gets interactive for Intel as it turns 40 Chip giant has plans for a brave new world of parallel computing, but needs developer support Martin Courtney z Intel will use its forthcoming 40th...

Innovators demand tax help.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Innovators demand tax help Tom Young z Sustained innovation will be a key survival tool for firms that want to successfully weather the credit crunch, says a report from the CBI and QinetiQ. The study says...

Latest iPhone joins Microsoft and BlackBerry on battlefield.(Company overview)
July 10, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly and Ambrose McNevin Latest iPhone joins Microsoft and BlackBerry on battlefield Despite support for the iPhone, the application development fight is about to get fierce Neon Kelly and Ambrose McNevin z...

Social networks bring women to IT.(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Social networks bring women to IT Janie Davies z Social networking tools will encourage more women to consider a career in IT, but they must accept that they will be engaged in a battle with social norms,...

Managers must face security responsibility.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Managers must face security responsibility Implement secure access and remove data transfer, say experts Janie Davies z There needs to be clear accountability for data protection within organisations to...

Building firm pushes services onto the web.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Building firm pushes services onto the web Taylor Woodrow targets [pounds sterling]1m a year savings with Google platform Tom Young z Construction giant Taylor Woodrow has transferred its...

Payment data rules criticised.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Payment data rules criticised John Lewis IT chief says changing requirements hinder PCI compliance ANGELICA MARI z Department store John Lewis is unhappy about the inconsistency of requirements for...

Criminals snared by new biometric cross-checks.(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Criminals snared by new biometric cross-checks Tom Young z The UK visas agency has identified a number of suspected criminals from overseas by cross-matching its new biometric database of visa applicants with...

Government under fire over e-crime reporting.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Government under fire over e-crime reporting Tom Young z The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has again called on the government to change the reporting system for electronic fraud. Under...

Royal Mail goes hands-on.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Royal Mail goes hands-on 30,000 handheld devices will help van drivers capture delivery data Angelica Mari z Royal Mail is finalising contracts with a range of suppliers for the provision of 30,000...

Privacy issue will dictate data debate.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Computing Privacy issue will dictate data debate z The oldest and truest clichA[c] about data privacy is that technology is both the problem and the solution. This is the cleft stick in which the government finds itself...

Alliance & Leicester IT chief joins the board.(Ian Buchanan)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Alliance & Leicester IT chief joins the board ANGELICA MARI z Alliance & Leicester (A&L) has appointed group IT head Ian Buchanan to its board of directors. Buchanan's new job title is that...

A greener future.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney A greener future In the third part of our definitive guide to green computing, Martin Courtney looks at the challenges of building the skills needed to support carbon-friendly policies z...

The top five green IT practices.(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney The top five green IT practices Turning equipment off Encouraging users to simply turn off computers, monitors, printers and other IT equipment at night, rather than leave them on standby. Unplugging mobile...

Case study: Department for Work and Pensions.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Case study: Department for Work and Pensions z When the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) upgraded its desktop PC estate as part of an ongoing deal with supplier EDS in 2005, cost savings rather...

Case study: The Eden Project.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Case study: The Eden Project z Jon Curry, head of IT at Cornwall's ecological park the Eden Project, started looking at how the organisation would refresh about a third of its desktop PC estate in November...

Push the envelope all the way home...
July 17, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels Push the envelope all the way home... Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to bore my customers and colleagues with unnecessary stuff and nonsense, says Mark Samuels z "Being a business winner means you need to...

You woni?1/2t get fooled again.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Raj Samani You won't get fooled again Understanding social engineering and implementing a leak prevention policy is essential, says Raj Samani z Do you remember the induction you were given when you started your job? From...

Electricity dictates datacentre locations.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Electricity dictates datacentre locations Portable datacentres can be sited close to power supplies, adding flexible capacity to capability Martin Courtney z The shortage of electricity in London...

On the right road to IT success.(Interview)
July 17, 2008... On the right road to IT success Highways Agency information director Denise Plumpton reveals her strategy Tom Young z Denise Plumpton has been the Highways Agency director of information for over three years A- a key role in such...

Financial firms set for more virtualisation.
July 17, 2008... Financial firms set for more virtualisation The technology is thriving in uncertain economic climate, but adoption plans vary Angelica Mari z Virtualisation has been embraced by the financial services industry, but users are...

A decade of data confusion.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Tom Young A decade of data confusion Information Commissioner's Office demands a review of the 10-year-old Data Protection Act Tom Young z The Data Protection Act reached its 10th birthday this week amid some...

Firms taking datacentres outside M25.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Firms taking datacentres outside M25 Facilities outside the City are in high demand as companies investigate the benefits of moving their datacentres Angelica Mari z The recent datacentre moves of...

Online passport check suffers security breach.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Online passport check suffers security breach Tom Young z The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) has admitted a data breach in its online passport application progress checking service. The incident was...

Councils to miss data deadline.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Councils to miss data deadline Many local authorities to seek exemptions from requirements Janie Davies z Local authorities will struggle to implement secure data exchanges before a government-imposed...

More problems for rural payments.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Tom Young More problems for rural payments Tom Young z Farmers are still receiving incorrect subsidy payments despite major IT investment to rectify the fault, says a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report this week. ...

Birmingham taps into i?1/2young digital nativesi?1/2.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Birmingham taps into "young digital natives" Janie Davies z Birmingham City Council is connecting with its younger citizens using a Google Maps and Second Life mash-up which could be developed to work in...

Virgin Trains to link IT systems.
July 17, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Virgin Trains to link IT systems Integration project set to precede PDAs for drivers and train crew Angelica Mari z Virgin Trains is planning a three-phase project to integrate staff and train management...

A holistic approach to green IT is essential.
July 24, 2008... Byline: David Tebbutt A holistic approach to green IT is essential David Tebbutt explains how businesses must look at the whole picture when implementing green strategies A- and the best way to motivate company bosses who are...

Waste not, want not.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Michael Peeters and Helen Keele Waste not, want not In the final part of our definitive guide to green computing, Michael Peeters and Helen Keele look at the impact of green legislation on IT z Many chief information...

How the South West was won.(Geographic overview)
July 24, 2008... Byline: Colin Slater How the South West was won The South West offers everything that technology professionals could wish for A- from wireless communications to supercomputing, reports Colin Slater The South West of England has...

Spiralling energy costs demand new strategies.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Steve Yellen Spiralling energy costs demand new strategies BCS view: Moore's Law was once a reliable power guide, but the figures no longer add up, says Steve Yellen z The IT managers of today have been reared on Moore's...

People are your best defence.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Jonathan Penn People are your best defence Look beyond encryption and focus on training for good data protection, says Jonathan Penn z As many as 81 per cent of chief information security officers (CISOs) rank data...

Perhaps iti?1/2s time for me to get a life.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels Perhaps it's time for me to get a life Some IT firms now use avatars to communicate on a daily basis, heralding the growth of virtual worlds. Where will it end? asks Mark Samuels z I'm not a member of...

Egypt acts to attract IT offshoring.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Egypt acts to attract IT offshoring Big challenges face those countries wanting to be the next technology destination of choice TOM YOUNG z Egypt is the latest in a long line of countries to set up a...

Technology giants ride out the downturn.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Technology giants ride out the downturn Strong companies may survive in a challenging economic climate, but others are left vulnerable Martin Courtney z Microsoft, Google and other large IT companies...

Intel faces European anti-trust investigation.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Ambrose McNevin Intel faces European anti-trust investigation Ambrose McNevin z When standup comic Bill Hicks described England as "a socialist nightmare" he clearly had not been to Europe. Last week the European Union...

Government pushes for green.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Government pushes for green Carbon neutral plans include a promise that if emissions are not reduced, they will be offset Tom Young z Government plans revealed last week to make the energy consumption of...

Plan to link councils runs into problems.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Plan to link councils runs into problems Government Connect programme aims to link all local authorities on a network, but take-up is slow Janie Davies z The [pounds sterling]33m Government Connect (GC)...

IT integration is key to firmsi?1/2 merger success.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari IT integration is key to firms' merger success When companies go shopping, they put IT integration on the list Angelica Mari z Chief information officers (CIOs) facing a company acquisition process must...

Trafford boosts co-ordinated care.(Brief article)
July 24, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Trafford boosts co-ordinated care Janie Davies z Trafford Council is rolling out an electronic system for delivering frontline social care services, supporting multi-agency working and providing a standardised...

Helpdesk record improved by ITIL adoption.(Information Technology Infrastructure Library)(Brief article)
July 24, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Helpdesk record improved by ITIL adoption Janie Davies z Take-up of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) standard has surged in the past four years, and staff with these skills will become ...

Gala marks compliance card.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Gala marks compliance card Gaming group rolls out system to improve data reporting capabilities Angelica Mari z Betting group Gala Coral is rolling out software to improve security and reporting in line...

HMRC announces delay to tax system rollout.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Tom Young HMRC announces delay to tax system rollout Tom Young z HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is postponing the launch of its new PAYE payroll tax systems because of concerns it would not be able to handle sufficient...

Question over watchdog funds.(Information Commissioner's Office )
July 24, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Question over watchdog funds Additional 10 per cent of funds cannot be used to police data security Tom Young z An MP is demanding an explanation from the Cabinet Office after it emerged that an extra 10 per...

Get real to reduce carbon emissions.
July 24, 2008... Byline: Computing Get real to reduce carbon emissions z The publication of the government's long-awaited green IT strategy raises an interesting question for the role of technology in reducing carbon emissions. The plan aims to...

A social change.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Linda More A social change In the first of our four-part guide to collaboration, Linda More looks at how businesses are turning to social networking tools traditionally used in the home to provide stronger ...

Five technologies that are crucial to collaboration.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Linda More Five technologies that are crucial to collaboration Wiki The Hawaiian word for "quick" has been adopted to denote a collection of web pages where content can be easily contributed to, or modified by,...

How can IT leaders focus collaboration on people?
July 31, 2008... Byline: Peter Burris How can IT leaders focus collaboration on people? Peter Burris Principal analyst, Forrester Research z Thanks to Web 2.0, enterprise collaboration applications are about to take a giant leap forward A- if...

Five companies that could boost your collaborative approach.(Jive Software)(Brief article)
July 31, 2008... Byline: Linda More Five companies that could boost your collaborative approach Jive Software Clearspace from Jive Software offers a neat package that is setting standards in corporate social networking. The platform incorporates...

Reasons to be cheerful... 1, 2, 3.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels Reasons to be cheerful... 1, 2, 3 Surviving the downturn with a smile could be as easy as counting your blessings A- even if you're not a young entrepreneur, says Mark Samuels z Young, successful and rich...

Outsourcing is a balancing act.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Harkness Outsourcing is a balancing act Jennifer Harkness explains how to maintain good relations with companies providing your outsourcing needs z With more companies outsourcing their IT services because of cost...

Dell sets notebook trends to beat off rivals.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Dell sets notebook trends to beat off rivals Born-again direct sales specialist puts faith in customised notebook design, channel and retail sales Martin Courtney z Dell is preparing an assault on the...

How do you set about digitising 150 million items?
July 31, 2008... Byline: Ambrose McNevin How do you set about digitising 150 million items? As the demand for digitisation grows, the British Library faces a huge storage test AMBROSE MCNEVIN z The British Library A- more than most...

Accenture sees profit in green IT.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Accenture sees profit in green IT The company claims that its three-part services suite will be different to offerings from other large hardware vendors Tom Young z Accenture is positioning itself to...