Computing articles from May 2008

Computing archives from May 2008

A helping hand to profit.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Linda More A helping hand to profit In the first part of our four-part guide to outsourcing, Linda More looks at how trends such as contract length and size of deals have changed z Outsourcing A- the transfer of the...

Five organisations that could change your approach to outsourcing.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Linda More Five organisations that could change your approach to outsourcing Diligenta z Established in 2005 and specialising in the provision of business process outsourcing for the UK life and pensions market, Diligenta...

Five outsourcing approaches to look out for during the next three years.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Linda More Five outsourcing approaches to look out for during the next three years Increased use of third-party advisers z The use of third-party advisers (TPAs) A- companies with expertise in brokering successful...

iPlayer piling the pressure on worried ISPs.
May 1, 2008... Byline: David Evans iPlayer piling the pressure on worried ISPs BCS view: the evolution of next-generation technologies is creating some friction, says David Evans z The BBC managed to upset ISPs recently by launching what has...

Advanced lessons in teamwork.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Paul Hopkins Advanced lessons in teamwork Paul Hopkins believes much can be learned from the way services are being shared at colleges and universities z At a time when there is a great deal of comment about disappointing...

Five best practice tips for getting the most from Indian offshore providers.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Sudin Apte Five best practice tips for getting the most from Indian offshore providers Sudin Apte, senior analyst, Forrester Research Start rewarding outcome z The most popular offshoring pricing model is based on time...

Rise in global security spend set to continue.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Rise in global security spend set to continue Smaller businesses to play catch up to corporates, while software as a service drives prices down Martin Courtney z Projected global spending on security...

Act now to prevent project lethargy.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels Act now to prevent project lethargy IT departments are at the heart of business development plans, so it is time to make sure you stay one step ahead, says Mark Samuels z Computing tends to concentrate on the...

Privacy watchdog plans spot checks.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Privacy watchdog plans spot checks tom young z The UK's privacy watchdog will start security spot checks on government departments by the end of the year, after the idea was approved by prime minister Gordon...

Security update.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Security update z The cost to the UK of information security breaches fell 35 per cent from [pounds sterling]10bn in 2006 to about [pounds sterling]6bn in 2007, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey. It...

Council CIOs to work together.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Council CIOs to work together Computing reports on initiatives helping to raise the profile of IT in local government janie davies z The Society of Information Technology Management (Socitm) has created a...

Citizen Service Platform set to save City i?1/21.2m.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Ambrose McNevin Ambrose McNevin z Microsoft has identified local government as a key market, and rolled out its Citizen Service Platform (CSP) to an audience of local council chief information officers (CIOs) in...

Eco-lies are bad move in long run.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly Eco-lies are bad move in long run z Vendors are at risk of alienating users by jumping on the eco-friendly bandwagon and labelling their products as green, say experts. The temptation to "greenwash" IT...

IT needs green information.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly IT needs green information UK businesses reluctant to commit to green practice without being able to fully measure cost and effect Neon Kelly z A lack of clear information is discouraging UK business from...

OCR to run digital learning scheme.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Tom Young OCR to run digital learning scheme Tom Young z Examination board OCR has launched a digital literacy training course and qualification. The government-backed scheme aims to reduce the IT skills gap in the...

Mayoral candidates talk IT ahead of polls.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Mayoral candidates talk IT ahead of polls As the polls open, London's three mayoral candidates outline how their policies may affect IT, including travel systems and computer recycling Tom Young z As...

Olympics IT systems pass their first test.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Olympics IT systems pass their first test Janie Davies z The first technical rehearsal for the IT systems of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, featuring a run-through of more than 100 scenarios, has been completed....

MPs call for intervention on number of sites.(Member of Parliament )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... MPs call for intervention on number of sites z MPs have accused the government of letting enthusiasm for web-based services run out of control. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the number of government sites...

Politics is stuck in the dark ages.
May 1, 2008... Politics is stuck in the dark ages z Government has been wholeheartedly A- if not always successfully A- embracing the potential for technology to improve services to citizens, but the politicians have some way to go. As local...

British Red Cross wants more help from banks.
May 1, 2008... British Red Cross wants more help from banks angelica mari z The British Red Cross (BRC) is considering working with other not-for-profit organisations to meet the demands of new credit card data security requirements. The charity...

Calls for greater government transparency.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Calls for greater government transparency tom young z Greater government transparency will only happen if MPs are granted access to the management information systems of departments either online or through a new...

Unilever makes green progress.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Unilever makes green progress Datacentres set to go green amid calls for carbon-friendly IT Angelica Mari z Consumer goods giant Unilever has started a European datacentre decommissioning programme...

SAP denies panic following a fall in profits.(Financial report)
May 1, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney SAP denies panic following a fall in profits Software firm claims currency fluctuations and acquisition charges underpin poor results Martin Courtney z German software giant SAP last week announced a...

Web openness under threat.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly Neon Kelly z The open nature of the web is being threatened by the spread of media plug-ins from Adobe and Microsoft, according to Tristan Nitot, founder of the Mozilla open source browser. Applications such as...

Internet World show heralds evolution of social networking.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly Internet World show heralds evolution of social networking Neon Kelly z The impact of social networks on corporate IT is set to accelerate, visitors to last week's Internet World conference were told. ...

Fixed deadlines will present unique challenge to the Games technology teams.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Fixed deadlines will present unique challenge to the Games technology teams Janie Davies z The main challenge associated with delivering the world's largest sports-related IT contract A- providing the...

The next generation of payment systems.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari The next generation of payment systems Mobile and contactless systems lead the way to the payments of the future Angelica Mari z The revolution in payment systems heralded by the 2006 introduction of...

Industry leaders discuss contactless payment issues.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Industry leaders discuss contactless payment issues z This analysis contains the highlights of a Computing video roundtable which discussed the key innovations introduced by the payments industry after the...

Beijing Olympics primed to break sports and IT records.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Beijing Olympics primed to break sports and IT records Technology infrastructure master plan foresees unprecedented range of global services Janie Davies z The Beijing Olympics are the most...

UK market losing skilled workforce.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies UK market losing skilled workforce Janie Davies z The UK IT market is in danger of losing a huge portion of its workforce to overseas rivals as companies fail to evoke staff loyalty. Almost two-thirds (66...

Sainsburyi?1/2s checks out secure payments system.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Sainsbury's checks out secure payments system Angelica Mari z Sainsbury's is to start a contactless payments trial as part of a multimillion-pound revenue protection programme. The retailer is selecting a...

Lose data and you go to jail.
May 1, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Lose data and you go to jail Act amendments mean tough penalties for losing or trading in data Tom Young z Individuals who negligently disclose personal data could be jailed for up to two years under...

Smart meter rollout hit by further delays.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Smart meter rollout hit by further delays Smaller businesses must wait longer for a government decision Janie Davies z The government has been accused of "dithering" over the compulsory rollout of smart...

Taking time to test the water.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Hugh Buckley Taking time to test the water It is far better to discover system faults during testing rather than after launch, writes Hugh Buckley z You have only to consider the recent problems experienced during the...

The steady rise of the rupee.
May 8, 2008... Byline: Andrew Parker The steady rise of the rupee Questions over the future of Indian IT service providers do not mean a decline in their success, says Andrew Parker z IT industry watchers have had a lot to say recently about the...

Preparing to outsource.
May 8, 2008... Byline: Lisa Kelly Preparing to outsource z Involving the company, securing board buy-in and boosting employee understanding were three essential elements of Royal Dutch Shell's recently agreed $4bn ([pounds sterling]2bn) outsourcing...

Drilling down.
May 8, 2008... Byline: Lisa Kelly Drilling down In the second of our four-part guide to outsourcing, Lisa Kelly looks at how three very different organisations have approached their external IT provision z A...

Case study: Equality and Human Rights Commission.
May 8, 2008... Byline: Lisa Kelly Case study: Equality and Human Rights Commission z To mitigate any associated risk from in-house IT provision, and to cover any internal skills shortfall, Julian Massel A- head of IT for the newly created Equality...

Case study: Yo Sushi.
May 8, 2008... Byline: Lisa Kelly Case study: Yo Sushi z The Zen principle of simplicity could be applied to Yo Sushi's adoption of outsourcing A- it makes IT a lot easier to manage, especially as the company grows at a rate of about 10 new...

Youi?1/2ve got mail... but is it necessary?
May 8, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels You've got mail... but is it necessary? Cutting down the amount of content we send and store would help reduce the IT industry's impact on the environment, says Mark Samuels z The world is close to destruction...

IT giants battle for mid-market lead.
May 8, 2008... Byline: Tom Young IT giants battle for mid-market lead Tom Young z The battle between software giants SAP and Microsoft to capture the software as a service (Saas) mid-market took a dramatic turn last week as SAP announced its...

Silver service from MySpace.(Brief article)
May 8, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly Silver service from MySpace Neon Kelly z MySpace will launch a platform for promoting small businesses, to expand its user base. The Silver Squirrel service will offer templates to help firms build a...

Time we stopped passing the buck.
May 8, 2008... Byline: Computing Time we stopped passing the buck z The realisation is growing that data protection is not somebody else's responsibility. Moves to make individuals liable for the loss or disclosure of personal information held...

Damage limitation.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Raj Samani Damage limitation Raj Samani introduces our business briefing with a four-step guide on managing risk A- from identifying potential problems to implementing and reviewing processes The concept of managing...

Managing risk is about people, process and technology.(Discussion)
May 15, 2008... Byline: Bryan Glick Managing risk is about people, process and technology Bryan Glick reports from Computing's web seminars on managing risk and gives you the answers you need to make sure your company is not headed for disaster...

Lessons learned is a good place to begin.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Ray Stanton Lessons learned is a good place to begin Preparation is key to dealing with emergencies effectively A- but even having security standards in place does not necessarily mean good response mechanisms. Ray Stanton and...

Policy must be practical and to the point.
May 15, 2008... Byline: John Walker Policy must be practical and to the point John Walker z What is security? It has to be practical. Many organisations have risk management policies which read like War and Peace and one that I came across...

Case study: Croydon Council.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Case study: Croydon Council z Croydon Council recently signed a contract with consultant Capgemini worth [pounds sterling]83m over a five-year period. The organisation has completely outsourced all its IT...

Shape up or ship out.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Shape up or ship out In the third of our four-part guide to outsourcing, Martin Courtney looks at the in-demand skills required by today's IT professionals z Believe it or not, there...

Six IT roles most likely to be outsourced.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Six IT roles most likely to be outsourced Software development z Traditionally the first thing to be outsourced in any company, given the project-oriented nature of the role where programmers can be...

Does IT outsourcing appeal to some industry sectors more than others?
May 15, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Does IT outsourcing appeal to some industry sectors more than others? z There is no distinct industry to speak of, but demand for IT outsourcing appears to come in business cycles, particularly where companies...

We want to be in good company.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels We want to be in good company Be in IT to win it: send in your nominations for the Computing Awards for Excellence Company Awards category z This year's Computing Awards for Excellence are designed to...

Why home work can sometimes equal more work.
May 15, 2008... Byline: William Hudson Why home work can sometimes equal more work BCS view: Andrew James believes that working from home is not necessarily as liberated as it may seem z Undoubtedly, technology improves our lives in many ways,...

Intranets should be easy as ABC.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Andrew James Intranets should be easy as ABC Corporate speak is a barrier for IT managers tasked with deciphering complex documents, says William Hudson z We have all struggled with corporate speak, where documents are...

Harnessing IT value.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Joe Peppard Harnessing IT value The challenges relating to IT management have shifted, leaving more CIOs with a pressing need to increase the value they deliver, says Joe Peppard The IT function is typically portrayed as...

UK IT will have to diversify to survive.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels UK IT will have to diversify to survive Outsourcing is here to stay so IT professionals will have to be flexible and expand their knowledge areas, says Mark Samuels z Computing reported last week that UK...

AMD playing catch-up on latest processors.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney AMD playing catch-up on latest processors Roadmap set to deliver lower-power quad-core chips for server and workstations in early 2009 Martin Courtney z AMD updated its processor roadmap last week to...

BSF infrastructure at Forest Hill Secondary School in Lewisham, London.(Brief article)
May 15, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies BSF infrastructure at Forest Hill Secondary School in Lewisham, London z Central server farm based off-site in Portsmouth A- supports storage and backup services and will eventually serve all schools in the London...

School plan is to build, not demolish.(Interview)
May 15, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies School plan is to build, not demolish Building Schools for the Future project chief Tim Byles answers the scheme's critics and tells Janie Davies his plans for the future of the controversial [pounds...

Politics pushing NHS scheme.(National Health Service)
May 15, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Politics pushing NHS scheme Tom Young z An influential report into the Summary Care Records (SCR) component of the [pounds sterling]12.4bn NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT) suggests that political agendas...

IT startups need more cash.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly IT startups need more cash Investors challenge the government over knowledge-based economy spending plans Neon Kelly z Venture capitalists (VCs) have challenged the government to increase support for...

Norwich Union insures consolidation success.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari and Ambrose McNevin Norwich Union insures consolidation success Angelica Mari & Ambrose McNevin z Norwich Union decided to use a niche supplier to handle the transition to a virtualised server environment...

University stacks up eco-friendly credentials.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly University stacks up eco-friendly credentials Neon Kelly z Sunderland University has installed what it claims is one of the UK's first eco-friendly supercomputers, capable of handling powerful processing tasks...

Public sector strategy nearly there.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Bryan Glick Public sector strategy nearly there Bryan Glick z The top chief information officers (CIOs) in Whitehall will deliver the first public sector green computing strategy to ministers in July. The CIO Council...

Basic steps cut power costs.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Basic steps cut power costs Janie Davies z Thin-client computing is saving 792,000kWh a year at Hampshire County Council, enough energy to power 180 homes for a year, claims chief information officer Jos...

Metrics hinder bank project.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Metrics hinder bank project Computing reports from the Green IT 2008 conference on the latest initiatives for eco-friendly technology Angelica Mari z Barclays Capital has started a datacentre review as...

Investment injection boosts digital content.(Brief article)
May 15, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly Investment injection boosts digital content Venture backing aids solid growth for sites Neon Kelly z Venture capital (VC) investment in Europe's next-generation media firms has soared to its...

Points system raises skill level.(Brief article)
May 15, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Points system raises skill level Janie Davies z The government's new points-based immigration system, which came into effect last week, will bring a higher level of skills to the UK IT market, say experts. ...

Council praises child IT system.(Kingston Borough Council )
May 15, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Council praises child IT system Integrated Children's System a success, says Kingston Council Janie Davies z Kingston Borough Council has defended the much-criticised Integrated Children's System (ICS),...

Time for green IT to show true colours.(Brief article)
May 15, 2008... Byline: Computing Time for green IT to show true colours z It is difficult to tell if green computing is today's hot topic, or if people are getting fed up hearing about it. A good turnout and high-profile speakers at last week's...

Talks begin on cutting Europei?1/2s IT energy use.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Talks begin on cutting Europe's IT energy use Tom Young z The European Commission (EC) has started a major consultation on how IT can help cut EU energy use by 20 per cent by 2020. The EC is consulting...

MI6 holds IT staff recruitment drive.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly MI6 holds IT staff recruitment drive Neon Kelly z The British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) is looking for IT skills to securely store and distribute information vital to the security of the country. ...

Citi cracks Egg IT integration.
May 15, 2008... Byline: Angelica Mari Citi cracks Egg IT integration Banking giant's biggest IT project consolidates systems of five companies Angelica Mari z Banking group Citi has completed the first stage of its IT integration...

On the road to a greener future.
May 22, 2008... Byline: Denise Plumpton On the road to a greener future Setting green targets at different levels in an organisation makes for better strategy, explains Denise Plumpton z The Highways Agency is responsible for the safe management,...

Outsourcing: the global game.
May 22, 2008... Byline: Iain Monaghan Outsourcing: the global game In the fourth and final part of our definitive guide to outsourcing, Iain Monaghan looks at the growth of the industry and explains which option could be best for your firm...

The outsourcing force.
May 22, 2008... Byline: Jon Collins The outsourcing force Jon Collins analyses recent research into attitudes to outsourcing and finds that it affects the way IT is viewed within businesses z What does the future of development outsourcing look...

Time to make your mind up. Or is it?
May 22, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels Time to make your mind up. Or is it? Technology workers are happy to recommend a career in IT, but the job titles of our children may be very different, writes Mark Samuels z You have a child who is about...

Which individuals are worthy of a Computing award?
May 22, 2008... Byline: Mark Samuels Which individuals are worthy of a Computing award? Be in IT to win it: we're seeking nominations for the individual and team categories for the Computing Awards for Excellence z This year's Computing Awards for...

Static results leave BT in need of cost cuts.(Brief article)
May 22, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Static results leave BT in need of cost cuts Telecommunications giant's incoming chief is expected to swing the axe over the next six months martin courtney z BT is set to apply immediate cost-cutting...

Feminine skills thrive in IT market.
May 22, 2008... Byline: Janie Davies Feminine skills thrive in IT market Janie Davies z The ability to fulfil the key IT skill requirements being sought by business could be better suited to women than men, according to experts. Business...

Bullish IT industry must front out hard times.(Brief article)
May 22, 2008... Byline: Tom Young Bullish IT industry must front out hard times Tom Young z The UK IT sector should be bullish in the face of the credit crunch, say industry leaders, after trade body Intellect issued a report with six...

Mobile web will split in two.
May 22, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly Mobile web will split in two Technology gap with developing world will lead to extra complexity for business Neon Kelly z Businesses may be forced to deal with two separate tiers of mobile internet, as the...

Lloyds TSB IT workers lose jobs to India z Lloyds TSB is offshoring 450 IT positions to its technical delivery unit in India. The move i?1/2 which will affect IT staff in London, Manchester and Edinburgh i?1/2 will begin in August and is expected to be the star.
May 22, 2008... Byline: Neon Kelly Lloyds TSB IT workers lose jobs to India z Lloyds TSB is offshoring 450 IT positions to its technical delivery unit in India. The move A- which will affect IT staff in London, Manchester and Edinburgh A-...

Barts to begin WiFi voice and RFID trial.
May 22, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Barts to begin WiFi voice and RFID trial Hospital Trust 802.11n WLAN trial on the way Martin Courtney z St Bartholomew's Hospital (Barts), England's oldest hospital and part of the London NHS Trust,...