Computing articles from September 2007

Computing archives from September 2007

CASE STUDY.(Case study)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Cath Everett CASE STUDY The Royal Academy of Arts z 'Our business and revenues have grown over the past couple of years and that's gone hand-in-hand with the introduction of our hosted CRM system,' says Kim Jenner,...

What the experts say about small businesses.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Cath Everett What the experts say about small businesses z Information is fundamental to any business, but the hardest thing in today's world is only getting access to what you need, as there's so much out there. With the...

CASE STUDY.(Case study)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Cath Everett CASE STUDY Flexible Steel z After Flexible Steel changed its business model and relocated from Glossop in Derbyshire to Bradford, it introduced a unified communications system to retain key staff and enable...

Value for money.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Cath Everett Value for money Technology can offer huge benefits to small and medium-sized businesses. Cath Everett looks at the factors they must consider when purchasing IT T hree of the big challenges for small to...

Zopa opera.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Zopa opera Lara Williams meets the two men at the vanguard of a financial online revolution Among the new wave of social computing technologies comes the world's first online peer-to-peer...

Facts on Zopa.(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Facts on Zopa z Zopa stands for Zone of Possible Agreement. It is the overlap between one person's bottom line A- the lowest they are prepared to get for something A- and another person's top line A- the most they...

CV: Tim Parlett.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams CV: Tim Parlett z Parlett is a prototype for the hybrid business technology leader. As the role of chief information officer (CIO) in most firms becomes more business focused, it is increasingly difficult to find...

Best practice: implementing a successful mobility project.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Linda More Best practice: implementing a successful mobility project by Leif-Olof Wallin, research vice president, Gartner Don't treat everybody the same z To successfully address enterprise mobility, it is...

Mobile momentum.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Linda More Mobile momentum In the first of a four-part weekly guide to mobility in the enterprise, Linda More reports on the advances that have taken place in mobile technologies in the past few years A- and the...

Five startup suppliers that could change your approach to mobility.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Linda More Five startup suppliers that could change your approach to mobility NetMotion z NetMotion provides secure remote access to corporate network resources from virtually anywhere through a mobile virtual private...

Five technologies to look out for in the next three years.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Linda More Five technologies to look out for in the next three years Integration of presence information into applications z Presence is a status indicator that provides information regarding the current location and...

Gaming content needs to toe the line, not cross it.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Dave Evans Gaming content needs to toe the line, not cross it The gaming industry should respect and heed the BBFC's decision to ban Manhunt 2, says David Evans z Is the decision by the British Board of Film Classification...

More than one way to outsource.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Andrew Parker More than one way to outsource Andrew Parker offers some advice to companies interested in bucking the IT outsourcing trends z A recent Forrester Research study reviewed three years of survey data on large IT...

It is time for privacy debates to grow up.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott It is time for privacy debates to grow up As electronic data trails explode in every area of life, the government ID scheme is only one of many, says Sarah Arnott z What will ID cards be for?...

LogicaCMG let down by UK sales drop.(LogicaCMG PLC)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos LogicaCMG let down by UK sales drop And the Anglo-Dutch services firm still has to find a new chief executive, reports Dave Friedlos z LogicaCMG has increased first-half sales by 36 per cent to more than...

Mobile technology opens skills gap.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Mobile technology opens skills gap Employer training struggles to keep up, says Lara Williams z A shortage of mobile software development skills has driven contractor salaries up by 16 per cent in the past 12...

Airwave receives a police caution.(AirWave Wireless Inc.)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Airwave receives a police caution Tom Young z The [pounds sterling]3bn Airwave emergency services radio network is being rolled out to east of England ambulances and is meeting with 'only positive feedback' from...

Councils look to IT to drive efficiency.(information technology)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Councils look to IT to drive efficiency Lisa Kelly z As public sector budgets fall, efficiency and IT-enabled shared services are major growth areas for local authorities. Steve Palmer, vice president of Socitm,...

Business intelligence set to lift retail profits at Manchester Airport.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Business intelligence set to lift retail profits at Manchester Airport Dave Friedlos z Manchester Airport is using business intelligence software to help replace revenue lost to the rise of low-cost airlines....

Virtual hospital opens doors.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly Virtual hospital opens doors Second Life hospital to demonstrate future of healthcare in London Neon Kelly z The UK's first virtual hospital opens to the public this week to demonstrate the future of...

LSE cuts fees and increases trading speed.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams LSE cuts fees and increases trading speed New regulations and faster technology are changing share dealing Lara Williams z The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has cut its prices in response to competition...

Government IT market will continue to grow.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Government IT market will continue to grow Sarah Arnott z The public sector IT market grew by nine per cent to more than [pounds sterling]8bn in 2006 and will expand by 11 per cent this year, according to...

Irresistible charm of the media bundle.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly Irresistible charm of the media bundle Competition is lowering broadband prices and blurring the boundaries. Neon Kelly reports z The UK communications market was worth in excess of [pounds sterling]50bn in 2006...

IT reuse benefits Whitehall.(information technology)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott IT reuse benefits Whitehall Exploiting existing assets will cut costs and speed up future projects Sarah Arnott z The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is setting up an application delivery centre...

Tesco checks out way to share data and cut costs.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Tesco checks out way to share data and cut costs Dave Friedlos z Tesco plans to adopt a service-oriented architecture (SOA) across its supermarket management systems to cut costs and improve the flexibility...

HSBC to challenge two-factor system.(Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Tom Young HSBC to challenge two-factor system Tom Young z HSBC is developing a rival form of security authentication because of concerns about the standard two-factor system backed by industry body Apacs. HSBC's...

Army stats face delay from MoD.(United Kingdom. Ministry of Defence)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Parliamentary reporter Army stats face delay from MoD Parliamentary reporter z Publication of up-to-date army manning statistics has been delayed by problems validating data from the Ministry of Defence's new Joint...

Commission plans e-invoicing.(European Union. European Commission)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Commission plans e-invoicing Stakeholders to meet next year to discuss the practicalities Tom Young z The European Commission is considering plans that could save the region's businesses a[logical...

Women in IT are scarce and underpaid.(information technology)(Survey)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Women in IT are scarce and underpaid The IT industry does not recruit enough female staff A- or keep those it has Lara Williams z More than half the women working in IT say they are not being paid...

Is e-invoicing a government issue?(European Union. European Commission)(Brief article)
September 6, 2007... Byline: Computing Is e-invoicing a government issue? z Electronic invoicing A- one of the darlings of dot com optimism A- might be making a comeback. First, Abbey set up the UK's first commercially available business-to-business...

The new skillseekers.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Ian Campbell The new skillseekers Ian Campbell reports on the changing face of the IT industry and what IT lite will mean for the technology departments IT chiefs within The Corporate IT Forum (Tif) are predicting...

Can we solve the skills crisis?
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Can we solve the skills crisis? Lara Williams reports on a deteriorating situation that the UK IT industry must address if it wishes to remain competitive in the global economy With IT leaders finding it...

What the experts say about skills.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams What the experts say about skills z Too many UK IT professionals lack business skills, and their technical skills are falling behind those available from overseas because their employers no longer run...

Developing closer links between academia and industry.(IT sector skills )
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Developing closer links between academia and industry z Closing the IT skills gap in the longer term requires a shift in the way technology is taught. Or at least that is what IT sector skills council e-Skills UK...

Dispelling sexism and ageism in IT.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Dispelling sexism and ageism in IT z Women make up 46 per cent of the UK's workforce, yet the percentage of women in high-tech occupations has dropped from between 19 to 21 per cent in 2000 to just 16 per...

An appetite for growth.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly An appetite for growth In the second of a four-part weekly guide to mobility in the enterprise, Lisa Kelly reports on the mobile policies at three companies and how they are using the technology ...

Mobile policy at Elior UK.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Mobile policy at Elior UK z Catering company Elior UK does not have a policy specifically designed for PDA use A- but IT director Alistair Fuller does insist that mobile workers are familiar with email etiquette. ...

Case study: Filton College.(West of England Institute of Specialist Education)(wireless LANs deployment)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Case study: Filton College z Filton College in Bristol chose a wireless system to complement its new state-of-the-art campus and allow staff to flexibly deliver information learning technologies (ILT) within their...

Case study: Bradford Community Housing Trust.(Case study)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Case study: Bradford Community Housing Trust z Since equipping mobile employees with PDAs, Bradford Community Housing Trust (BCHT) has increased productivity and reduced fuel costs. BCHT manages 22,000 homes in...

China is primed to be a major IT player.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Bryan Glick China is primed to be a major IT player As China continues to adapt and learn at a rapid rate, the UK should take note of its successes in the technology arena, says Bryan Glick z The Chinese language symbol...

Single sign-on the key to security.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Mark Williams Single sign-on the key to security The use of online resources in the educational sector requires collaboration on privacy issues, says Mark Williams z The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills...

BSkyB set to trigger shake-up in ISP sector.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos BSkyB set to trigger shake-up in ISP sector Company is bucking the bundling trend by offering customers broadband only, reports Dave Friedlos z BSkyB's plan to become a standalone broadband provider could...

Green schemes make strategic sense.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Green schemes make strategic sense Tom Young z Technology is the ideal place for businesses to start tackling green issues because of the speed of progress and adaptation. Two areas are open to improvements:...

CASE STUDY.(Case study)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Tom Young CASE STUDY Eaga z Energy efficiency advisory group Eaga is sending its old IT equipment for reuse in developing countries in Africa rather than shipping it to the recycling plant. The EU Waste Electrical and...

CASE STUDY.(Case study)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Tom Young CASE STUDY Powys County Council z Powys County Council is cutting electricity use in its data centres by 75 per cent with virtualisation software that reduces server numbers from 80 to four. The new...

Municipal WiFi continues to struggle.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly Municipal WiFi continues to struggle Neon Kelly z Wireless internet provider The Cloud has only signed up an average of 20 users for each of its WiFi hotspots. And with municipal networks across the world...

Councils press on with shared services plans.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Councils press on with shared services plans Lisa Kelly z Plans for three London boroughs to create a joint IP telephony network is just one example of how the public sector is embracing shared...

NHS trust gets ready for national sign-on smartcard applications.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Tom Young NHS trust gets ready for national sign-on smartcard applications Tom Young z A London NHS trust is using smartcards delivered through the [pounds sterling]12bn health service national IT programme to manage...

CIOs must lead culture change.(Chief information officers )
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams CIOs must lead culture change Management must set example to bring IT industry up to date Lara Williams z Chief information officers need to lead by example to overcome outdated working practices in the...

Mobile devices are a growing security risk.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Mobile devices are a growing security risk Only one in 10 firms keeps track of data created on the move Tom Young z Nine out of 10 large businesses are not keeping track of information on mobile devices such...

Rural pay scheme branded a disaster.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Janie Davies Rural pay scheme branded a disaster Janie Davies z Problems with the Rural Payments Agency's Single Payments System (SPS) were a 'masterclass in failure' that could cost the taxpayer [pounds...

Research in action: tomorrowi?1/2s technology.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly Research in action: tomorrow's technology Supermodel z Typically, the creation of a three-dimensional model requires expensive and time-consuming laser scanning. But Cambridge InnoVision has developed...

UK innovation needs backing.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly UK innovation needs backing Lack of seed funding is preventing UK research projects from reaching their full potential Neon Kelly z UK innovation is being hampered by a lack of early financial support,...

Offshoring trend hits high-end skills.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Offshoring trend hits high-end skills Lara Williams z BT's plans for a research base in China are the latest evidence that the trend for offshoring is affecting high-level skills, say experts. The...

Rail project nears completion.(Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd.)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Dave Friedlos Rail project nears completion But Network Rail says a single view of assets will take five more years Dave Friedlos z Network Rail is finally on track to complete a virtual register of its...

Remote working gains popularity.(Survey)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Remote working gains popularity Sarah Arnott z Remote working is now four times as popular among UK businesses as it was in 2004, according to a survey published this week. Almost half (46...

Whitehall plans web accounts.(DirectGov)(Department for Work and Pensions)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Whitehall plans web accounts Government proposal is part of wider plans to join up service delivery Sarah Arnott z The government is considering creating individual online accounts for citizens accessing...

Two-tier internet could damage future growth.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly Two-tier internet could damage future growth Neon Kelly z A 'two-tier' internet where content providers pay a premium to guarantee a speedy web site will damage the future growth of the web, according...

The web needs a level playing field.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Computing The web needs a level playing field z As a general rule, Computing is wary of calls for regulation. But the case of net neutrality could be an exception. In a nutshell, the take-off of massively high-bandwidth...

CASE STUDY.(speech recognition software used by Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Byline: Tom Young CASE STUDY Hammersmith Hospitals z The Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust has cut the time it takes to process x-ray reports by a third, thanks to speech recognition software adopted as part of wider IT upgrades in...

Betting on a better future.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Bryan Glick Betting on a better future Bryan Glick reports on two organisations aiming to boost their energy efficiency Betfair improved the energy efficiency of its IT after concerns over the supply of sufficient...

CASE STUDY.(World Wide Fund for Nature implemented virtualisation technology)
September 20, 2007... Byline: Bryan Glick CASE STUDY WWF z Conservation charity WWF cut the energy consumption of its UK server environment by more than 50 per cent by implementing virtualisation technology. Using software from VMware, WWF moved...

Going green will cut costs.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Bryan Glick Going green will cut costs Computing reports from our web seminars discussing how green practices can help your bottom line For businesses, green IT is about more just than the worthwhile goal of making a...

What is the future for digital rights management?
September 20, 2007... Byline: Jude Umeh What is the future for digital rights management? Jude Umeh looks at the changes that need to be made for DRM to be considered a useful and viable tool z I am often asked if there is a future for DRM (digital...

Case study: Swindon Commercial Services.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Jim Mortleman Case study: Swindon Commercial Services z If you live in Swindon, you may soon find that the council deals with problems such as potholes, fly tipping and graffiti far more quickly thanks to mobile technology. ...

Top sectors for mobility.(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Byline: Jim Mortleman Top sectors for mobility z Traditionally the leading sectors for the deployment of mobile technology have been campus-style or warehouse environments, and those with a more flexible approach to home working....

Top five mobility skills over the next three years.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Jim Mortleman Top five mobility skills over the next three years Security and application management Organisations will need the skills to develop, deploy, communicate and manage security policies that minimise the risk of...

Skills on the move.
September 20, 2007... Byline: James Mortleman Skills on the move In the third of a four-part weekly guide to mobility in the enterprise, James Mortleman reports on the effect of mobile technology on skills and careers z Mobile working, once...

IT autonomy will attract talent.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Nick Kirkland IT autonomy will attract talent Giving more control of IT to its users makes sense as staff become more tech-literate, says Nick Kirkland z The debate over whether or not IT departments should hand over more...

Given time, China could be smashing.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Bryan Glick Given time, China could be smashing Mutual mistrust between the East and West must be broken down for China to become a major player, says Bryan Glick z In this column last week, Computing discussed China's aim...

Computacenter profits but UK struggles.(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Computacenter profits but UK struggles Strong European sales boost revenue, but UK profit dropped 28 per cent, reports Tom Young z Infrastructure services provider Computacenter posted revenues up four per cent...

EU ruling vital to content sector.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams EU ruling vital to content sector Lara Williams z This week's European Court decision on Microsoft's alleged monopolistic behaviour will have a profound effect on the emerging market for next-generation ...

Prepare now for the green transformation.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Francis Rottenburg Prepare now for the green transformation Organisations that act quickly to comply with new environmental regulations will increase their efficiency and improve their reputation, says Francis Rottenburg ...

And the awards nominations are...(Awards list)
September 20, 2007... Byline: Bryan Glick And the awards nominations are... z We are pleased to announce the shortlists for the Computing Awards for Excellence 2007. For the third year running we have received a record number of entries, 20 per cent up...

US patent reform brings relief.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Neon Kelly US patent reform brings relief Neon Kelly z The US Congress has passed a bill that aims to bring the country's intellectual property laws into line with international standards. The changes proposed by the...

Betfair rewards its suppliers.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Betfair rewards its suppliers Gaming firm backs collaborative approach to IT providers Lara Williams z Betfair is promoting a collaborative approach to IT suppliers with the first annual awards programme...

MPs call for revision of NHS IT programme.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Parliamentary reporter MPs call for revision of NHS IT programme Parliamentary reporter z The [pounds sterling]12bn National Programme for NHS IT (NPfIT) needs reviewing if it is to meet its objectives for modernising the...

Eden Project embeds Web 2.0 to win i?1/250m.(Lisa Kelly)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Byline: Lisa Kelly Eden Project embeds Web 2.0 to win [pounds sterling]50m Tourist centre plans interactive facility to boost bid for funds Lisa Kelly z The Eden Project is to use Web 2.0 technologies in an attempt to win...

Use of mobile technology will reduce the time spent on duties in the police station.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Use of mobile technology will reduce the time spent on duties in the police station Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the UK's chief inspector of constabulary, says better use of mobile devices such as BlackBerrys could...

Police IT edges closer to a national programme.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Police IT edges closer to a national programme Too many systems are developed on a force-only basis, says watchdog Sarah Arnott z The police service took another step towards a more centralised approach...

Public sector shares admin.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott Public sector shares admin Sarah arnott z Shared services could save the UK public sector up to [pounds sterling]2.8bn per year within two to three years, according to research from consultancy A T Kearney....

UK needs broadband offensive.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Sarah Arnott UK needs broadband offensive Government-led summit to address lagging investment Sarah Arnott z The government is calling a meeting of broadband industry stakeholders to ensure the UK keeps up with...

Barclays uses visitor profiles to build online sales.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Tom Young Barclays uses visitor profiles to build online sales Tom Young z Barclays is making 10 per cent extra from online promotions by building a profile of each web site visitor and tailoring advertising accordingly....

Microsoft loses appeal against monopoly charge.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Lara Williams Microsoft loses appeal against monopoly charge Lara williams z A European Court has dismissed Microsoft's challenge to the 2004 European Commission judgement that the software giant was abusing its market...