Computing articles from November 2006

Computing archives from November 2006

What the experts say.(Backing up branch offices data)
November 2, 2006... Byline: John Malachy What the experts say Backing up branch offices does not necessarily have to be too much of a problem. They are all generally connected to either a private wide area network (Wan) connection or to the internet, and...

Case study.(Fulcrum Pharma contracts with Availl and plans for designs and implements drug development programmes)
November 2, 2006... Byline: John Malachy Case study Fulcrum Pharma z The Buncefield fuel depot fire threatened to blow a huge hole in the profits of Fulcrum Pharma, a drug development services company that designs and implements drug development...

Remote control.(businesses realise the importance of backing up and protecting branch office data)
November 2, 2006... Byline: John Malachy Remote control As more businesses realise the importance of backing up and protecting branch office data, John Malachy reports on some new technologies that can help Most companies have evolved...

Case study.(Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust was running localised backups on individual servers)
November 2, 2006... Byline: John Malachy Case study Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust z Two years ago Ian Wood, head of IT at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), a registered international conservation charity, was running localised backups on...

Start spreading the news.(Smiths News relies on its technology division to ensure the successful delivery of its ambitious IT plans)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Mark Dye Start spreading the news Wholesaler Smiths News relies on its technology division to ensure the successful delivery of its ambitious IT plans. Mark Dye reports For Chris Gibbons, general manager at...

What the experts say.(video surveillance equipment installation and video over IP investments)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: John Malachy What the experts say z The key to return on investment for video over IP surveillance systems is being able to re-use infrastructure, provided a suitable network is already in place, and just overlay the video...

Case study.(Wansbeck District Council deployed an IP-based CCTV surveillance system using Alcatel OmniSwitches)(closed circuit television)
November 2, 2006... Byline: John Malachy Case study Wansbeck Council z Wansbeck District Council in the north-east of England recently deployed an IP-based CCTV surveillance system on a converged voice-data network built using Alcatel 6600, 6800 and...

In the frame.(A collaborated network to support video, voice and data is spurring the corporate shift to virtual meetings across countries)
November 2, 2006... Byline: John Malachy In the frame A collaborated network to support video, voice and data is spurring the corporate shift to virtual meetings across countries, writes John Malachy Afew years ago, the idea of delivering...

The secret to employers' success.(Corporate Research Foundation's Top IT Employers in the UK)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Guy Clapperton The secret to employers' success The Corporate Research Foundation, in conjunction with Computing and our Computing Awards for Excellence, has published the second edition of the Top IT Employers in the...

How they measure up.(Business enterprises rankings for work environment)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... How they measure up Pay and benefits 1 JPMorgan 2 BP 3 Centrica 4 The Carphone Warehouse 5 Atkins 6 Unilever 7 Accenture 8 ThoughtWorks 9 RM 10 Xansa Promotion and development 1 HCL...

Overall top 10.
November 2, 2006... Overall top 10 1 JPMorgan 2 BP 3 Centrica 4 Atkins 5 Accenture 6 EDF Energy 7 Kingston Communications Group 8 The Carphone Warehouse 9 ThoughtWorks 10 Xansa

Developing the UK's role as a software innovator and leader.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Elizabeth Sparrow (BCS) Developing the UK's role as a software innovator and leader Elizabeth Sparrow looks at how the UK software development industry can be sustained and helped to prosper z The BCS has formed part of a...

Financial world.(Google has announced a third-quarter increase)(SAP has announced a third-quarter increase)(Yahoo's third-quarter profits fells)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos financial world Google z Google has announced a third-quarter increase in revenue of 70 per cent to $2.7bn ([pounds sterling]1.4bn) driven by strong advertising sales on its own and third-party sites. Its...

Metrics.(Share values on the rise across IT sector)(Phishing hits financial services hardest)(Steady growth in European IT spending)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Tom Young metrics Business partners under scrutiny 1 Of 61 per cent of organisations that conducted assessments of their business partners' information systems, 23 per cent did so both before and during their partnership,...

BA technology strategy holds the key at Heathrow's Terminal 5.(British Airways)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos BA technology strategy holds the key at Heathrow's Terminal 5 Airline's impending move poses a massive IT challenge, writes Dave Friedlos z The move to Heathrow Terminal 5 will be chief among British...

Advantage programme.
November 2, 2006... Advantage programme Cycle across Kenya with Computer Aid International z Join Computing on a unique IT industry cycle challenge from Mount Kenya to Lake Victoria, from 2 to 11 February next year. Computing readers have pledged more...

We celebrate a year of excellence.(Computing Awards for Excellence UK IT)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick We celebrate a year of excellence This year the Computing Awards for Excellence was bigger and better than ever, and proved a great night out. Over the next five pages we take a special look at the Oscars of the IT...

The winners.(Outstanding Contribution to UK IT awards)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick The winners Outstanding Contribution to UK IT British Airways Information Management Department Private Sector Project of the Year BP Public Sector Project of the Year London Grid for...

HP must be doing something right.(Hewlett-Packard's Carly Fiorina plans)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Bryan Glick HP must be doing something right The vendor's latest PC sales figures could force Carly Fiorina's numerous critics to eat their words, writes Bryan Glick z If you gave someone a representative sample of...

How the palm system works Todholm Primary School is using a palm vein biometric system to allow pupils who have school dinners to get their lunch.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: James Brown How the palm system works Todholm Primary School is using a palm vein biometric system to allow pupils who have school dinners to get their lunch. 1 The child enters their class number into the machine, reducing...

School uses hands-on biometrics.(palm-vein biometric system being deployed for cashless dinner payments)
November 2, 2006... Byline: James Brown School uses hands-on biometrics James Brown reports on the palm-vein biometric system being deployed for cashless dinner payments z A Scottish primary school has installed a biometric system that uses the...

Banks seek advantage from security profiles.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Banks seek advantage from security profiles Authentication plays key role in online banking marketing, writes Tom Young z Alliance & Leicester (A&L) has seen a 22 per cent increase in online banking and reduced...

Feedback.
November 2, 2006... feedback Slave to sexist selling techniques OPlease could you stop publishing sexist adverts? One you run repeatedly for ViewSonic is particularly upsetting. While one advert in the campaign shows the face of a man, another...

Making e-crime mainstream.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Computing Making e-crime mainstream z Just three weeks ago, Computing wrote in this column of the need to treat e-crime in the same way as any other crime (Computing, 12 October). In the words of the Metropolitan Police,...

New storage system helps NHS trust with diabetic diagnosis.(UK National Health Service Foundation Trust )(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Tom Young New storage system helps NHS trust with diabetic diagnosis Tom Young z Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust has installed storage systems to enable faster and more accurate diagnosis of diabetic...

Apacs puts databases in order.(payments association contracts with Novell for installing an identity management system)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams Apacs puts databases in order Lara Williams z UK payments association Apacs is installing an identity management system to synchronise data access across its three main databases and improve the accuracy of...

Co-op replaces network with managed service.(Retailer chooses virtual broadband-based IP network across shops)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Co-op replaces network with managed service Retailer chooses virtual broadband-based IP network across shops Dave Friedlos z High-street supermarket Southern Co-operatives has signed a three-year...

British Energy to boost user password security.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: James Brown British Energy to boost user password security James Brown z British Energy is installing a single sign-on system to increase security and reduce password confusion among staff. The system, which allows...

NHS Scotland in licensing deal with Microsoft.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly NHS Scotland in licensing deal with Microsoft Lisa Kelly z NHS Scotland has signed a three-year desktop and mobile software licensing deal with Microsoft to help with the introduction of electronic health...

Report backs shared services.(Government white paper encourages local authorities to further develop shared back office systems)
November 2, 2006... Byline: James Brown Report backs shared services Government white paper encourages local authorities to further develop shared back office systems James Brown z Local councils must work harder to implement shared services to...

BA gets Google search technology on board.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos BA gets Google search technology on board Dave Friedlos z British Airways (BA) is using search technology from internet giant Google to enable staff to access information on its intranet more easily. ...

BSI standard to speed up recovery.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams BSI standard to speed up recovery Lara Williams z A new British Standard in business continuity will help IT departments save money and recover core systems faster in the event of a disaster, says the...

Handhelds perk up Whitbread deliveries.(Whitbread Group issuing mobile devices to its drivers to improve delivery of food stocks)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Handhelds perk up Whitbread deliveries Dave Friedlos z Whitbread Group is issuing mobile devices to its drivers to improve delivery of food stocks to more than 1,400 sites during the Christmas...

Backbytes.(Cumberland Tourist Board's travel information services)(survey on british male spends six months of his life ogling women)(Salesforce.com Success on Demand Tour trade show)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Tim Philipps backbytes Enjoy a winter wonderland z Now that the clocks have gone back and the nights are getting chilly, we know that many of you will be suffering from winter blues in the office. We were delighted to...

Data centre energy to cost [pounds sterling]11m a year.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Data centre energy to cost [pounds sterling]11m a year Cost will double from [pounds sterling]5.3m by 2010, says research TOM YOUNG z The annual cost of the energy needed to run an average data centre in the...

Satellite tracks the beer that RFID cannot reach.(Heineken is using satellite and mobile technology to track cargo shipments of beer from the Netherlands to the UK)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Satellite tracks the beer that RFID cannot reach Dave Friedlos z Dutch beer manufacturer Heineken is using satellite and mobile technology to track cargo shipments of beer from the Netherlands to the UK. ...

Two-factor buoys confidence.(introduction of two-factor authentication technology sees rise in customer transactions)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Two-factor buoys confidence Introduction of two-factor authentication technology sees rise in customer transactions Tom Young z Alliance & Leicester (A&L) has seen a 22 per cent rise in active online...

Report critical of DWP IT systems.(UK Department of Work and Pensions)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Parliamentary reporter Report critical of DWP IT systems Parliamentary reporter z Problems with Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) IT systems are hampering operations at its 62 call centres, according to a Public...

Online.(total investment in UK technology research and development raises)(IBM has unveiled a high-tech chip cooling system)(companies admit to laptop losses)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... online Computing.co.uk's most popular stories this week IT research on the rise z The total investment in UK technology research and development was [pounds sterling]1.88bn during the 2005/06 financial year, accounting for...

Rural payment system faces continued delay.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Parliamentary Reporter Rural payment system faces continued delay Parliamentary Reporter z The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has warned that farmers may have to wait until 2007 before its computer systems can process...

Police fail to record e-crime.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Police fail to record e-crime Fewer than one in four forces can generate computer crime reports Tom Young z Senior police officers and industry experts have voiced concerns about a lack of systems for...

Stena speeds up patch delivery.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Byline: lisa Kelly Stena speeds up patch delivery Lisa Kelly z Ferry operator Stena Line has installed systems management software across its PCs and servers to reduce administration overheads and speed up the delivery of security...

Metrics.(US leads in research investment)(Data centre running costs on the increase)(VoIP tops application popularity list)
November 2, 2006... Byline: Tom Young metrics US leads in research investment 1The US spends [pounds sterling]44bn a year on IT research and development (R&D), twice as much as any other country, according to the Department of Trade and Industry's...

Microsoft flies high.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Microsoft flies high Xbox sales help software giant to exceed expectations. Dave Friedlos reports z Microsoft has defied market expectations with first-quarter revenue up 11 per cent to $10.8bn ([pounds...

financial world.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos financial world Microsoft z Microsoft announced an 11 per cent increase in revenue for the first quarter to $10.8bn ([pounds sterling]5.7bn). This was driven by a 70 per cent rise in sales of entertainment...

Take cover.(Your service agreement must include adequate provision for disaster recovery)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Christian Bartsch Take cover Your service agreement must include adequate provision for disaster recovery, says Christian Bartsch A natural disaster has occurred: IT managers across the globe might well be tempted to...

Taxing situations.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Dave Riley Taxing situations Savvy IT managers will minimise the chance of tax-related inspections, says Dave Riley When it comes to headline crime, size matters. But relatively few people are aware of one offence that...

On the level.(effective service level agreements can help ensure the success of outsourcing deals)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Jim Mortleman On the level Effective service level agreements can help ensure the success of outsourcing deals, says Jim Mortleman As more and more organisations opt to outsource some or all of their IT functions and...

How to make the most of your SLA.(service level agreement)(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Jim Mortleman How to make the most of your SLA z Work out what is important to your business and develop metrics that map onto those business objectives. Ensure you are using a small enough number of measurements so...

Top dos and don'ts of due diligence.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Martyn Hart Top dos and don'ts of due diligence z Do be realistic Unrealistic expectations of the supplier carrying out due diligence will cause disappointment and frustration further down the line. z Do allow for...

Secrets of outsourcing success.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Martyn Hart Secrets of outsourcing success Observing a two-way process of due diligence can help both supplier and end user to avoid failure in their outsourcing relationship. Martyn Hart provides some advice ...

Aims of the directive.(Markets in Financial Instruments Directive)(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams Aims of the directive z The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (Mifid) has the same aims as the Investment Services Directive (ISD) that it replaces: to set out basic high-level provisions to govern the...

Beat the deadline.(what measures financial services companies are expected to implement to comply with Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (Mifid))
November 9, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams Beat the deadline Lara Williams looks at what measures financial services companies are expected to implement to comply with Mifid, and the implications of the Europe-wide directive As if the steady...

Advantage programme.
November 9, 2006... Advantage programme Gain special discount entry to data centre conference z Computing readers can take advantage of a special discount price for entry to the fifth Annual DatacenterDynamics London Conference & Expo Flagship...

The online customer is important, too.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Emma Nash The online customer is important, too Businesses with an online presence must make sure their levels of service match those of traditional retailers, says Emma Nash z Online services are meant to simplify...

IT industry core to global e-crime battle.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Tom Young IT industry core to global e-crime battle Tom Young looks at the potential impact of the international cyber crime convention z Earlier this month, Russian authorities jailed three criminals who used distributed...

Bill gets mixed chain reaction.(concern over proposed IT upgrades to improve firms' supply chain visibility)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Bill gets mixed chain reaction Concern over proposed IT upgrades to improve firms' supply chain visibility, reports Dave Friedlos z Businesses could be forced to update their IT systems so they can disclose...

Oracle starts up its innovation schedule.(entrepreneurial culture)
November 9, 2006... Byline: James Brown Oracle starts up its innovation schedule Software giant targets an entrepreneurial culture, reports James Brown z Oracle wants to create a culture reminiscent of a startup to attract school and university...

Fulham mobilises ticket data.(Fulham has implemented a wireless network, contracts with Pipex )
November 9, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Fulham mobilises ticket data Dave Friedlos z Premiership football club Fulham has implemented a wireless network at its Craven Cottage stadium as part of an overhaul of its IT infrastructure. The club...

New software helps police to share data.(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... Byline: James Brown New software helps police to share data James Brown z Humberside Police is introducing software to standardise and cleanse its crime information to meet data sharing requirements. The force is...

Broadband boost for Scottish schools.(government agencies contracts with Thus PLC)(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Lisa Kelly Broadband boost for Scottish schools Lisa Kelly z The South of Scotland Broadband Pathfinder Project has selected Thus to provide its high-capacity broadband network to schools, libraries and council offices in...

MPs uneasy over benefits plans.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Parliamentary reporter MPs uneasy over benefits plans Parliamentary reporter z An influential Commons committee has issued a warning over government plans to rush the implementation of a [pounds sterling]295m IT system for...

Rugby club installs CRM to target fans.
November 9, 2006... Byline: James Brown Rugby club installs CRM to target fans james brown z Castleford Tigers rugby league club has installed a customer relationship management (CRM) and ticketing system to tailor special offers to fans. The...

Archiving system gives Lloyd's a savings boost.(Lloyd's Register )
November 9, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams Archiving system gives Lloyd's a savings boost Risk management firm now looking to extend system to other departments Lara Williams z Independent risk management organisation Lloyd's Register is to...

IT directors slow on WEEE uptake.(Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Tom Young IT directors slow on WEEE uptake Research highlights widespread ignorance of directive on waste Tom Young z A quarter of IT directors are unaware of the impact that the Waste Electrical and Electronic...

Banks must stop the phishers.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Banks must stop the phishers z That phishing is up nearly 1,500 per cent and online banking fraud cost the UK [pounds sterling]22.5m in the first six months of this year will knock public confidence. But the...

Virgin Wines toasts security with hosting deal.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Virgin Wines toasts security with hosting deal Dave Friedlos z Europe's largest online wine retailer Virgin Wines is migrating servers to a hosted data centre to improve security and ensure constant...

Research data.(Build in security before Web 2.0 deployment)(Hewlett-Packard Co. expand its software business and clarify its services )(Web collaboration taken to the next level)(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams research data Build in security before Web 2.0 deployment z Building security into Web 2.0 applications should be done before applications are deployed to avoid negative business impact, says Gartner. The...

Backbytes.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Tim Phillips backbytes Public transport -- it could catch on z 'I think I can improve Sebastian Thrun's idea of a car in which he can send emails and read the paper while not having to concentrate on driving,' says...

Bulletin.(UK Home Office contracts with British Telecommunications PLC and Raytheon Aircraft Co.)(Young Enterprise installed IT architecture)(Former Computer Associates Inc. chief gets 12-year jail sentence)(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... bulletin Eborders procurement moves to next stage z The procurement for the government's [pounds sterling]400m eBorders scheme has moved on, with the elimination of the consortia led by EDS and T-Systems from the bidding. Groups...

Construction giant rebuilds data centre.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Construction giant rebuilds data centre Taylor Woodrow server overhaul boosts productivity Dave Friedlos z Construction company Taylor Woodrow has improved productivity by 90 per cent after implementing a...

Concern over Companies Bill clause.(proposed bill that could force businesses to disclose information on their supply chains)(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Concern over Companies Bill clause Dave Friedlos z A proposed bill that could force businesses to disclose information on their supply chains is causing concern because of the potential investment required to...

UK faces up to technology skills deficit.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Computing Staff UK faces up to technology skills deficit Firms must plan for long-term skills needs as IT talent war looms Computing staff z Technology skills shortages are continuing to affect all sectors, according...

Britannia's IT moves in-house to cut costs.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Lara Williams Britannia's IT moves in-house to cut costs Britannia speeds up vast data transfer with new infrastructure Lara Williams z Britannia Building Society expects to save [pounds sterling]8m in IT operating...

Fire IT delays stoke up costs.(government's controversial plans to consolidate Fire Service control centres)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Sarah Arnott Fire IT delays stoke up costs Consolidation to nine regional centres at least two years behind SARAH ARNOTT z Delays to the technology for the government's controversial plans to consolidate Fire...

Rise in phishing attacks causes [pounds sterling]22.5m fraud loss.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Rise in phishing attacks causes [pounds sterling]22.5m fraud loss Tom Young z The amount of money lost to online banking fraud in the UK increased 55 per cent to [pounds sterling]22.5m in the first half of 2006,...

Vista sets sights on 30 November release date.(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Computing Staff Vista sets sights on 30 November release date Computing staff z Microsoft will release the long-awaited business version of Vista, the latest incarnation of the Windows operating system, on 30 November....

Key links in the chain.(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... Byline: Dave Friedlos Key links in the chain Experts have identified a number of IT systems that can be installed to improve visibility of the supply chain: 1Master data management provides a consistent view of all data...

Online.(briefs)(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... online Computing.co.uk's most popular stories this week Microsoft gives Novell Linux its blessing z Microsoft and Novell have forged a partnership around Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Server distribution that includes a...

Cost of ID fraud could reach [pounds sterling]3.8bn in four years.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Tom Young Cost of ID fraud could reach [pounds sterling]3.8bn in four years Tom Young z ID theft could cost the UK economy [pounds sterling]3.8bn a year by 2010 if nothing is done to quell its rise, according to a survey...

V&A Museum puts image retrieval on display.(Victoria and Albert Museum contracts with Southampton University)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: James Brown V&A Museum puts image retrieval on display James Brown z The Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum is introducing an image matching and retrieval system to allow staff to quickly search its multimedia archive. ...

Fast reactions on demand.(technology that allows small firms to respond rapidly to market changes)
November 16, 2006... Byline: Linda More Fast reactions on demand Technology that allows small firms to respond rapidly to market changes is becoming increasingly affordable. Linda More reports On-demand business practices are helping...

Case study.(Rococo Chocolates implementing business management software)
November 16, 2006... Byline: Linda More Case study Rococo Chocolates z In the highly competitive confectionery market, London-based manufacturer of luxury chocolates Rococo is a growing business with two prestigious high-street shops and a flourishing...

What the experts say.(Becoming an on-demand business is dependent on technology )
November 16, 2006... What the experts say z Becoming an on-demand business is dependent on technology. However, technology is getting to the stage, especially with web applications, where you can combine ideas and applications without having too many...