Computing articles from October 2007

Computing archives from October 2007

Five information management technologies to look out for in the next three years.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Linda More Five information management technologies to look out for in the next three years Consistency and interoperability via emerging standards z Standards particularly relevant to information management and...

Keep your data safe.(using computer aided design and document management systems)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Linda More Keep your data safe In the first of a four-part weekly guide to information management, Linda More looks at how companies manage their data z The growth in data over the past few years has almost...

Five tips for strategic information management.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Linda More Five tips for strategic information management by Tina Nunno, managing vice president, and Patrick Meehan, vice president, of Gartner Remember, not all information matters equally z Many enterprises have...

Doni?1/2t get your hopes too high over the SOA hype.(Service oriented architecture (Software design))
October 4, 2007... Byline: Chris Barling Don't get your hopes too high over the SOA hype Users must keep a sense of perspective when considering service-oriented architecture, says Chris Barling z As someone who wrote his first program more than 35...

M&A integration without tears.(methods for performing acquisitions and mergers by information technology services in)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Graham Nugent M&A integration without tears Graham Nugent explains how to make a success of integrating an acquisition's IT z A merger and acquisition (M&A) starts with the due diligence process, when the company being...

Red Hat grows fat on the profits of open source.(Financial report)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Red Hat grows fat on the profits of open source But the Linux supplier is having trouble digesting its JBoss acquisition, reports Tom Young z Open source software provider Red Hat has seen a sharp rise in...

Are you doing your bit for the world?(information technology services industry must manage corporate social responsibility)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Bryan Glick Are you doing your bit for the world? Corporate responsibility is just as important as business strategy for lending the developing nations a helping IT hand, says Bryan Glick z Unlikely as it may seem, the...

Innovative Project of the Year.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies Innovative Project of the Year BBC Worldwide z BBC Worldwide has transformed its BBC Showcase event, working with Microsoft to replace DVDs with an online digital viewing service. Clients from more than...

Community Project of the Year.(Buchan Information Technology provising IT knowledge)(Computer Aid International, Sightsavers International and the Kenyan Union of the Blind IT education to blind persons)(National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and The Children's Society provisding IT services)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies Community Project of the Year Buchan Information Technology E-Learning Service z Buchan Information Technology E-Learning Service (Bites) provides IT training to improve education for the benefit of the...

European bank strives to compete in global economy.(Magi Clava employee of European Union. European Central Bank)(Interview)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Tom Young European bank strives to compete in global economy Tom Young z The European Central Bank (ECB) was created in 1998 to set monetary policy for the Eurozone. ECB IT director Magi ClavA[c] talked to Computing about...

Business faces up to social networks.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Business faces up to social networks Lara Williams z Some of the world's biggest internet companies are bidding for stakes in social networking site Facebook. Microsoft is said to be in talks to buy a...

Offshoring changes the recruitment landscape.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Offshoring changes the recruitment landscape Lara Williams z UK technology jobs are becoming less technical as emerging economies increasingly absorb development roles, according to the latest research. ...

Safety system delayed again.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Safety system delayed again Computerised rail management scheme put back to 2025 Lisa Kelly z The proposed Europe-wide computerised safety system for high-speed trains will not be fully in place in the...

How will the UK match the worldi?1/2s broadband elite?(Office of Communications (United Kingdom) promotes use of broadband)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott How will the UK match the world's broadband elite? The regulator has a key role in upgrading the UK communications infrastructure Sarah Arnott z The communications regulator Ofcom launched its...

Tate Modern modernises its IT z Londoni?1/2s Tate Modern art gallery is planning innovative IT and audio-visual installations as part of a i?1/2138m building extension. The gallery has started tendering for contracts that will run from February until 2011. It is.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Tate Modern modernises its IT z London's Tate Modern art gallery is planning innovative IT and audio-visual installations as part of a [pounds sterling]138m building extension. The gallery has started tendering...

Lack of IT investment to delay Mifid benefits.(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Lack of IT investment to delay Mifid benefits Tom Young z The benefits of incoming European financial services regulations will not be felt for up to 18 months because some firms are not making the requisite...

Microsoft eyes Facebook stake.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Microsoft eyes Facebook stake Bid raises concerns of investment bubble as technology stock prices reach record highs Lara Williams z Microsoft is reported to be seeking a five per cent stake in Facebook...

Fears for e-crime unit as top cop quits post.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Fears for e-crime unit as top cop quits post Tom Young z The resignation of a senior police officer central to the UK's e-crime strategy has raised fresh concerns over the progress of plans for a national...

Major boost for shared services.(Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills contracts with Fujitsu America Inc.)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Major boost for shared services Whitehall departments sign up to central IT infrastructure strategy Sarah Arnott z Government plans to cut costs by sharing administration systems are forging ahead as two...

IT sector has wised up to the hype.(Brief article)
October 4, 2007... Byline: Computing IT sector has wised up to the hype z A broad definition of intelligence might include the ability to learn from mistakes. But it is equally important to be aware that circumstances that look similar from a...

Case study: British Airways.(Case study)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Case study: British Airways z Paul Coby, chief information officer for British Airways (BA), says a service-oriented architecture (SOA) will help the airline develop its self-service approach and ensure the...

Energetic integration.
October 8, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Energetic integration In the second of a four-part weekly guide to integration, Lisa Kelly looks at how three companies have implemented integration systems to improve their efficiency and data...

Key to successful integration at Calor Gas.
October 8, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Key to successful integration at Calor Gas z Building logic into the process determines the success of an integration project, says Simon Went, head of development for Calor Gas. 'We use Tibco software and it...

Case study: Liverpool Victoria.(Case study)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Case study: Liverpool Victoria z Liverpool Victoria (LV) is intent on getting integration right. The insurance company is pursuing growth and cannot afford to worry about the technology fit of any company it...

Outsourcing value for money.
October 8, 2007... Byline: John Parker Outsourcing value for money John Parker reviews The Corporate IT Forum's plan to bring better evaluation techniques to outsourcing z Companies spend significant proportions of their IT budgets on outsourced and...

Climate change analysis for Africa.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Climate change analysis for Africa z The UK Met Office helped to form the Climate Outlook Forum as a regional framework incorporating 15 African countries. The forum encourages member countries to participate...

What is the WEEE Directive?
October 11, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams What is the WEEE Directive? z The 2005 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive is a European regulation designed to tackle the growing amount of electronic equipment waste. Electrical...

Green Project of the Year.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies Green Project of the Year Barclays Capital z Barclays Capital regards environmental impact as a key part of its IT strategy and recognises that technology can be a major contributor to reducing its overall...

Outsourcing Project of the Year.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies Outsourcing Project of the Year Co-operative Financial Services z Co-operative Financial Services worked with its trade unions on plans to outsource more than 800 staff to supplier Xansa. The company and...

The three steps to outsourcing.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Andrew Parker The three steps to outsourcing Forrester has set out a three-step plan for a more co-ordinated approach to outsourcing, reports Andrew Parker z Companies that frequently use IT outsourcing fail to co-ordinate...

Giving a voice to speech recognition.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly Giving a voice to speech recognition Neon Kelly z After much initial promise, speech recognition technology has battled with accuracy problems. But the next generation of tools that are now available are...

Free WiFi with fries.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly and Lara Williams Free WiFi with fries McDonald's rolls out wireless internet access in all 1,200 UK restaurants Neon Kelly and Lara Williams z McDonald's is to become the UK's biggest provider of free...

Supermarket pilot lets customers pay at checkout via a mobile phone.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Lisa Kelly z The first European trial of mobile phones linked to online debit accounts to pay for goods launched in the Netherlands last week. A six-month pilot is taking place at a branch of Dutch supermarket...

Green aims drive outsourcing.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Green aims drive outsourcing Energy regulation is inevitable and will push users to supplier-run datacentres Tom Young z Technology outsourcing is set to rise if business is landed with the financial burden...

Utilities face radical change.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies Utilities face radical change Real-time smart meters will change the way electricity is sold Janie Davies z National rollout of smart meters is set to revolutionise the UK electricity market by enabling...

Business Objects deal key to SAP strategy.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Business Objects deal key to SAP strategy Tom Young z SAP's proposed purchase of Business Objects for ?4.8bn ([pounds sterling]3.3bn) complements the German application giant's strategy to expand into the...

i?1/21bn for UK innovation needs to be doubled.(government aid to education on information technology)(Brief article)
October 11, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams [pounds sterling]1bn for UK innovation needs to be doubled Lara Williams z The government must double its [pounds sterling]1bn commitment to technology innovation if the UK is to remain globally competitive,...

Too many cooks will spoil ID fraud broth.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Computing Too many cooks will spoil ID fraud broth z Calls for an ID tsar to tackle the growing problem of identity fraud are misjudged. The idea is being proposed by an all-party committee of MPs to provide a fulcrum for...

Are the bank robbers winning?(Richard Hackworth employee of HSBC Holdings PLC)(Marcus Alldrick employee of Abbey National PLC)(David Luijerink employee of KPMG)(managing data security)(Interview)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Are the bank robbers winning? Financial institutions offer phishers and hackers the juiciest of targets. Tom Young asked an expert panel how confident the banks can be about their IT security Financial...

Case study: Hampshire County Council.(Case study)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Joe Devo Case study: Hampshire County Council z Hampshire County Council invests [pounds sterling]30m a year in IT, which serves a broad range of internal departments, 30,000 employees and a number of partner agencies. ...

Skills in demand.(information technology workers must have proper skills to survive in IT world)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Joe Devo Skills in demand Leadership z The hunt for a magic bullet to take your information management skills to a level where no employer could possibly resist your allure can turn into a frustrating search. Ideally,...

The formula for success.(information technology workers must improve personal skills to develop career)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Joe Devo The formula for success In the third of a four-part weekly guide to information management, Joe Devo identifies the key skills required by ambitious professionals z What is the industry crying...

Sectors in search of specialists.(information technology services industry looking out for employees with best skills)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Joe Devo Sectors in search of specialists z Ask the question of where the growth in demand for information management skills in the coming three years will come from and you get a muted response. Financial services is the only...

The time has come for the IT profession to grow up.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Adam Thilthorpe The time has come for the IT profession to grow up Industry-specific standards and regulation are essential for IT to be an effective business tool, says Adam Thilthorpe z Not very long ago, anybody with a...

Copyright must be watertight.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Robin Fry Copyright must be watertight Whether it's illegal file sharing or unlicensed software, businesses are the enforcers' new target, warns Robin Fry z A Honeywell factory in Motherwell was raided by Strathclyde...

IT Leader of the Year.(promotion of Mark Akas employee of BT Global)(appointment of John Crane employee of National Australia Group)(sevice provided Richard Cross employee of ITV)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies IT Leader of the Year Mark Akass BT Global Financial Services z Mark Akass was promoted to chief technology officer (CTO) of BT Global Financial Services in January 2007, having served as CTO of BT...

IT Professional of the Year.(Stewart Fawley employee of RBT (Connect))(Paul Fremantle employee of WS02)(Rob Hobart employee of Berwin Leighton Paisner )
October 18, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies IT Professional of the Year Stewart Fawley, RBT (Connect) z Stewart Fawley is a desktop support officer at RBT (Connect), a partnership between Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and BT, and is described...

LogicaCMG finally appoints chief executive.(appointment of Andy Green )(Brief article)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Tom Young LogicaCMG finally appoints chief executive BT Global Services' Andy Green will take over the role from January, reports Tom Young z LogicaCMG's share price rose 14.5p with the appointment of BT Group's Andy Green...

financial world.(rise in revenue of Infosys Technologies Ltd.)(trends in revenue generation of Carphone Warehouse Group PLC)(share market trend of Vodafone Group PLC)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly financial world Infosys z IT services supplier Infosys has seen revenue climb $1bn ([pounds sterling]500m) during the second quarter of 2007, reflecting a year on year growth of 37 per cent. Total earnings...

Election watchdog goes online.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Election watchdog goes online Lisa Kelly z The Electoral Commission is planning a web-enabled database to increase its effectiveness and improve public access to political parties' financial information. ...

Interactive system takes off at airport.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Interactive system takes off at airport Lisa Kelly z Newcastle International says it is the first UK airport to replace touch-tone keypad call handling with interactive voice response (IVR) technology. The...

IT Department of the Year.(working of management information systems)(Berwin Leighton Paisner)(Canterbury City Council)(Norton Rose )
October 18, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies IT Department of the Year Berwin Leighton Paisner z The success of Berwin Leighton Paisner's (BLP's) IT department relies on its internal communication and its strong links with other departments. BLP ran...

IT Team of the Year.(managing the information technology used)(Barclays Bank Ltd.)(Bechtel Corp.)(Berwin Leighton Paisner)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies IT Team of the Year Barclays Bank z Barclays' mainframe stability (MFS) team consists of a small number of analysts providing live support 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The team's technical...

Wickes: payment card security is hard to DIY.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Wickes: payment card security is hard to DIY Lisa Kelly z DIY retailer Wickes is working towards compliance with payment card data security rules by upgrading its chip-and-PIN systems and improving security. ...

Christiei?1/2s online goes global.(making payment possible online for customers)(Brief article)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Christie's online goes global Lara Williams z Auctioneer Christie's is rolling out an online sale programme globally following successful implementation in the UK. Auction rooms across the firm's 14 sites...

STA Travel uses Web 2.0 for less corporate feel.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Tom Young STA Travel uses Web 2.0 for less corporate feel Tom Young z STA Travel is using Web 2.0 and social networking technology to attract more customers to its web site and sell more products online. More...

A worthwhile enterprise.(business performance management)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Warren Clements A worthwhile enterprise Warren Clements says enterprise performance management systems can help your business decision-making processes When you are consolidating and reporting financial...

Free is the future for mobile computing.(Wi-Fi systems would be free)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Bryan Glick Free is the future for mobile computing Now that free WiFi connectivity is on the menu, network operators must find a way to make money out of giving it away, says Bryan Glick z Who would have thought that...

Call for government to help startups.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly Call for government to help startups Neon Kelly z Entrepreneurs are calling on the government to do more to support UK innovators by imitating the US startup approach. Venture capital funding for the...

Green juggernaut is reshaping IT landscape.(business enterprises are expecting information technology services industry to provide green technology)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Green juggernaut is reshaping IT landscape Suppliers emphasise green IT as buying priorities change Tom Young z The green agenda is starting to have a real effect on organisations' IT spending...

Biometrics needs the banks.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Biometrics needs the banks Trusted brands needed for widespread rollout of fingerprint payments LISA KELLY z Pay By Touch, the supplier behind the UK retail sector's first fingerprint payment system, is...

MPs demand analysis of Galileoi?1/2s benefits.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly MPs demand analysis of Galileo's benefits Lisa Kelly z UK contributions to Europe's Galileo global positioning system are running at [pounds sterling]97m so far, and MPs are demanding that no more money be spent...

Stock Exchange trades up IT.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Stock Exchange trades up IT Italian purchase and web-based portal have necessitated major technology changes, writes Lara Williams z It has been a big year for the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The...

Police to be assessed on e-crime response.(police departments to provide service for controlling computer crimes)(Brief article)
October 18, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Police to be assessed on e-crime response Changes may help boost funds to fight e-crime Tom Young z Electronic crime is to be included for the first time in the criteria by which local police forces are...

Mobile phone boarding passes are ready to fly.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Mobile phone boarding passes are ready to fly Lara Williams z The use of airline boarding passes sent as a barcode to passengers' mobile phones has come a step closer following the agreement of a global...

Data centres hike CO2 levels.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Data centres hike CO2 levels Rising carbon emissions will double again in five years, warns analyst Tom Young z The world's data centres are responsible for the same volume of carbon emissions as the average...

Innovation must be encouraged.
October 18, 2007... Byline: Computing Innovation must be encouraged z The government's rhetoric about the knowledge economy is starting to look dangerously like hot air. The replacement of capital gains tax taper relief with a flat rate of 18 per...

Case study: Beaverbrooks the Jewellers.(Case study)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Linda More Case study: Beaverbrooks the Jewellers z Beaverbrooks the Jewellers is a family business established a century ago A- and with staff dispersed between branches and head office locations, increased paperwork,...

Case study: Denton Wilde Sapte.(Denton Wilde Sapte uses information technology for managing it's databases)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Linda More Case study: Denton Wilde Sapte z With 600 lawyers and a global network of 12 offices, law firm Denton Wilde Sapte offers a full range of commercial legal services, including dispute resolution, mergers and...

What the experts say about information management.
October 25, 2007... Byline: Linda More What the experts say about information management z Any piece of information, in the right context, delivered at the right time, is an asset to the company. Information management has gone from being an opportunity...

Storing up good ideas.(managing data storage with help of technology)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Linda More Storing up good ideas In the final part of a four-part weekly guide to information management, Linda More looks at the effective and secure ways businesses have found to store data z Information...

Wireless agenda.(Google Inc. bids for radio spectrum)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly Wireless agenda z At the start of next year, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold an auction for control of radio spectrum in the 700MHz bandwidth. In July, Google announced it was prepared...

What the experts say about Google.(evaluating service provided by Google Inc.)(Brief article)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly What the experts say about Google z It clearly doesn't make sense for Google to buy wireless spectrum from a public relations standpoint, because there's clearly a lot else you could do with $4.2bn ([pounds...

What next for Google?(company overview )(Company overview)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly What next for Google? Google has enjoyed phenomenal growth since its relatively humble beginnings, but how does the company plan to expand further? Neon Kelly reports on the search giant's continued bid for...

Computing interview: Peter Norvig, director of research for Google.(Interview)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly Computing interview: Peter Norvig, director of research for Google Which technologies will have the biggest effect on Google and the rest of the market over the next few years? It is always hard to predict, but...

Council of hope.(information technology workers getting salary in public sector is below their expectation)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Stewart Jackson Council of hope Salary is not the only factor to consider when making the move to local government IT, says Stewart Jackson Several thousand local government IT jobs were created over the past few years...

Public sector skill sets.(trends in public sector information technology )
October 25, 2007... Byline: Robert Chapman Public sector skill sets Robert Chapman looks at the IT knowledge and experience necessary for survival in modern government Public sector IT is changing. It is no longer the slow and rather...

Educate to innovate.(information technolgy education is booming)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Fahri Zihni Educate to innovate Fahri Zihni introduces our special report on public sector recruitment by reviewing how much, and how little, has changed for IT staff in education and government in the past three years ...

In the public eye.(public sector expenditure on information technology)
October 25, 2007... Byline: John Kost In the public eye IT leaders attracted to the political world will need to master a new set of rules, says John Kost As public sector IT spending has grown, so too has the frequency of large project failures....

An inconvenient truth about science.
October 25, 2007... Byline: Bryan Glick An inconvenient truth about science The winners of the Nobel Prize for physics have received scant public recognition, despite their huge contribution to IT, says Bryan Glick z How many of you know who won the...

Banking on staying ahead of the trends.
October 25, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Banking on staying ahead of the trends Tom Young talks to Stefan Sutter, Deutsche Bank's head of advisory IT, about its future plans z Deutsche Bank is one of the largest investment banks in the world. It employs...

Slow 3G uptake causes Ericsson profit woes.
October 25, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Slow 3G uptake causes Ericsson profit woes Phone company is being forced to rely on the lower-yield developing markets, reports Tom Young z A profit warning from Ericsson last week saw share prices drop by nearly...

Europe must act now on digital divide.(broadband access must be equally divided)(Brief article)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Computing staff Europe must act now on digital divide Computing staff z The digital divide between countries with widespread broadband access and those without is growing, says the European Commission. Across the...

Businesses to benefit from smart meters.(Opus Energy uses real time systems for checking electric meters)
October 25, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies Businesses to benefit from smart meters But high cost means national domestic rollout is uncertain JANIE DAVIES z Electricity supplier Opus Energy is rolling out [pounds sterling]5m-worth of smart ...