Computer Weekly articles from August 2004

Computer Weekly archives from August 2004

IN BRIEF.(Software Industry Trend)
August 3, 2004... Red Hat unveils Java application server Red Hat has released its first Java application server. At this week's LinuxWorld conference in San Francisco, the Linux distributor launched Red Hat Application Server, which is being sold through a...

Suppliers sold us wrong products, claim a third of smaller businesses.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... l Directors are unclear what the business wantsl Many SMEs have problems integrating ITl Suppliers are giving "poor customer service" Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk More than 40% of executives from small and medium-sized...

Rotherham squeezes more out of Microsoft to enable e-gov upgrade.
August 3, 2004... l Council gets client licences for no extra cost, based on OGC contractl New software cuts helpdesk calls by 20% and enables remote fixes Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Rotherham Council has taken advantage of a 2002...

GPs' support for IT scheme falters.(General practitioners)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... Lindsay Clark computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Support for the [pounds sterling]2.3bn national programme for IT in the NHS may be dwindling among clinicians, according to a new survey. The latest Medix survey of more than 800 doctors,...

BCS praises quality of award entries.(British Computer Society Appreciation)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk UK IT specialists have won high praise from the British Computer Society for the quality of entries in its 2004 IT Professional Awards, run in association with Computer Weekly. "Some...

BT cuts price of wireless broadband.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk BT has cut the overall access price of its BT Openzone wireless broadband service in an attempt to attract more users. Since launching Openzone two years ago, BT has set up 4,000 wireless...

Virgin works to boost mobile signal on trains.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Virgin Trains is struggling to improve mobile connectivity on its new trains, after some travellers complained of problems with voice calls and accessing the internet over mobile networks. ...

HHG updates 13 systems for Bacs IP move.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk Financial services group HHG will this month complete a project to migrate its payroll and insurance systems to Bacs' new IP network. The project has involved changes to 13 IT systems and a review of...

Trust builds cheaper record sharing system.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk United Bristol Healthcare Trust has begun the next stage in its ambitious project to provide a central repository for patient records. The trust is hooking up its ultrasound scanners to its...

Secrecy puts identity card project at risk, warn MPs.
August 3, 2004... "The Gateway process has not yet demonstrated a robust track record on procurement projects that would allow it to be relied upon for a project of this scale," it said. The committee called on the Home Office to stop using "commercial...

Inferior quality data is costing banks millions.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk UK investment banks are losing hundreds of millions of pounds every year due to poor quality data and the cost of maintaining numerous databases, an analyst report has warned. Ageing IT systems and...

Microsoft rolls out SQL Server beta 2.
August 3, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Microsoft rolled out the beta 2 release of SQL Server 2005 last week to 500,000 developers. The company said the update to its relational database will offer performance enhancements and support...

T; Sort out citizen database mess, MPs tell Whitehall.(UK government departments must co-ordinate databases)
August 3, 2004... l Whitehall has at least 19 personal data initiatives l Little co-ordination between projectsl Select committee calls for review of the situation Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk An influential parliamentary committee has...

Data watchdog's alarm at national ID card plan.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk The information commissioner Richard Thomas has told the Home Office that he is becoming increasingly alarmed about its plans for a compulsory biometric national identity card. The scheme goes...

Users battle MyDoom resurgence.(Google)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk The MyDoom e-mail worm slowed down internet search engine Google and brought down the DoubleClick advertising network for several hours last week. The variant had its own e-mail engine which...

Intel chip takes heat out of the datacentre.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Intel has launched a line of 32-bit Xeon processors which allow a radical redesign of 32-bit servers. The Nocona architecture offers increased performance and could have a profound impact on the...

British computer society; BCS technology finalists focus on the users.
August 10, 2004... John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Projects using IT in areas ranging from intelligent data analysis to helping elderly people live independently are among the finalists in the Technology section of the 2004 BCS IT Professional...

Work/life balance; recovery will put focus on job satisfaction.(IT workers may find better working conditions with economic recovery)
August 10, 2004... Myles Hewitt myles.hewitt@rbi.co.uk Tight budgets and the growth of offshoring could mean many UK IT jobs come under threat, and those which do not could become less interesting, according to Margaret Smith, IT director of Legal &...

PAy is on the up.
August 10, 2004... All the signs are that the recovery in the IT industry is putting on muscle, and this is translating into bigger pay packets for many IT professionals. Nicholas Enticknap reports on the highlights from the latest SSL/Computer Weekly salary...

IN BRIEF.
August 10, 2004... Munich delays Linux over EU patent fears The city of Munich has put its Linux migration project on hold because of concerns that the proposed EU software patents directive will affect it. A report identified 50 possible European patent...

Web system lets Kent emergency services share crime data and plan use of resources.(Crime and Disorder Data Information Exchange (Caddie))
August 10, 2004... Kent services share data via website to improve service planning Karen Gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Kent County Council has reduced its reliance on paper records for crime detection by developing a website to share information between...

Projects are failing because firms expect them to, warns IT barrister.
August 10, 2004... l Legal, technical and business people are not communicatingl IT directors gain legal protection from using specialist suppliers Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Firms are setting their sights too low and are assuming that IT...

Probation Service may be forced to extend use of troubled system.
August 10, 2004... Lindsay Clark computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk A troubled electronic case management system might have to be extended across the Probation Service despite long-standing concerns about its usability. The Unix-based Case Record and...

Open source move means longer life for Ingres.
August 10, 2004... soft SQL Server," he said. "If you have concerns about SQL Server 2005, I suggest you trial Ingres." The source code for Ingres is available from the CA website. The availability of Ingres through CA's open source programme could mark...

IN BRIEF.
August 10, 2004... PNG images 'could spread malicious code' Users have been warned that a number of flaws in the open source PNG image format could compromise Windows, Mac OS and Linux security. US advisory service Cert said viewing a rogue PNG image could...

A checklist for getting SLAs right.(service level agreements)
August 10, 2004... Jimmy Desai Opinion As demand for outsourcing continues, it is crucial that there is no confusion about what is expected of suppliers - and what users' responsibilities are. Mistakes in drafting service level agreements can be...

Critical flight testing role keeps BAE's IT staff on the right course.
August 10, 2004... Julia Vowler julia.vowler@rbi.co.uk Mike Bhatti, flight test ground station manager at aerospace and defence company BAE Systems, has no doubt why his department won a Computer Weekly Best Places to Work award earlier this year. "It is...

outsourcing; Outsourcing deals fail to support the business plan.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk Nearly 40% of IT departments have an outsourcing policy that is out of synch with the strategy of the business they are supporting, according to research by Gartner. And despite the importance of IT...

Rates of pay; fewer IT managers change posts despite upswing in jobs market.(Chartered Management Institute)(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... Bill Goodwin and Antony Savvas bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk IT managers are staying in their jobs despite growing evidence that the IT jobs market is recovering and demand for experienced managers is rising. The number of IT managers...

Landmark Intel chip offers 32-bit users a path to 64-bit computing.
August 10, 2004... l Server processor is 3.4 times faster and supports Extended Memory 64l Itanium architecture may be necessary only for niche applications Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk The introduction of the latest Intel 32-bit server...

Users take two months to patch internal IT.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Companies are taking an average of two months to patch internal systems, according to research presented to the Black Hat Briefings security conference. The Laws of Vulnerabilities assessment...

Unisys adds Linux support to ES7000.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk The Unisys ES7000 multi-processor 32-bit and 64-bit server family, which has traditionally run Windows datacentre applications, is now available with Linux support. Michael Hjalsted, director of...

Service Pack 2 sheds light on Longhorn.(Microsoft's Longhorn update)
August 10, 2004... Arif Mohammed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk With the release of Microsoft's Service Pack 2 for Windows XP later this month, users will be re-evaluating their upgrade plans. Existing Windows XP desktops are likely to receive the SP2...

Council slashes time taken to roll out patches.
August 10, 2004... Lindsay Clark computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Wolverhampton Council has cut the time it takes to patch its systems against viruses from eight weeks to 24 hours by using Microsoft's Systems Management Server. The council said 95% of its...

Oracle works to patch rash of security holes.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Oracle has yet to release patches for multiple security holes in its software. As Computer Weekly went to press, the software company said it would release patches for the flaws shortly, but it...

Europcar aims to save 60% with move to VPN.
August 10, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Car rental company Europcar is close to completing a two-year revamp of its network, which it expects will slash communication costs by 60%. The upgrade is key to Europcar's business plans to...

Forrester: ITIL boosts efficiency.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk IT departments can improve their efficiency by using IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) guidelines for running services, according to Forrester Research. In a paper discussing ITIL, Forrester...

Legacy migration saves council [pounds sterling]200,000 a year.
August 10, 2004... l Cambridgeshire replaces financial systems with Oracle E-Business l Move cuts support costs, frees up staff and improves budget tracking Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Cambridgeshire County Council is making savings of...

Grand Marnier gets on track with Aldata.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... Karen Gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Drinks multinational Grand Marnier is installing software to track goods along the supply chain to help it comply with new US export requirements. Under US anti-bioterrorism legislation introduced...

Ignorance is biggest cause of infection.(controlling computer viruses)(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Lack of security awareness among staff is the biggest cause of virus infections in small businesses, a survey by the Institute of Directors and Messagelabs has revealed. The survey of more than...

Swansea IT staff vote to strike over outsourcing.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Swansea Council is facing an indefinite strike by 100 IT staff from 16 August in response to outsourcing plans. All payments and billing, including housing benefits, are likely to be affected....

contracts.
August 10, 2004... Wakefield Council to replace benefits system Wakefield Metropolitan District Council has signed a [pounds sterling]400,000 deal with Sx3 to replace systems for making benefits payments and managing council tax collection. The council's...

Salaries on the rise as IT jobs recovery strengthens.
August 10, 2004... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk The number of job vacancies advertised for IT professionals has grown rapidly over the past three months, as the recovery in the jobs market accelerates. Compared to the same period in 2003, the...

CA move could mark new era for user support.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk The decision by Computer Associates to license its enterprise database under an open source agreement could change the way suppliers support older software products, experts believe. Users will no...

the corporate it forum; Tif moves up a gear to maximise business value.(Corporate IT Forum)
August 10, 2004... Maximising business value from IT is the theme of a series of events organised by blue-chip user group the Corporate IT Forum for its members this autumn. Since its launch in 1995 as the Technical Infrastructure Forum, the group has...

z/OS shows the way 40 years on.
August 10, 2004... hot skills IBM's mainframe operating system z/OS has a long pedigree Nick Langley computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk What is it? IBM's current flagship operating system is z/OS, released in 2000 at the same time as the 64-bit eServer...

NEXT MOVE.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2004... The question How can I write an effective CV? I know that writing an effective CV is supposed to be what gets you an interview, but judging by the lack of interviews my CV does not seem to be effective. What are the key...

Open source pushes deeper into the enterprise at LinuxWorld.
August 10, 2004... l Growth of Linux in business will continuel Apache is used by 70% of internet serversl Red Hat and HP launch new Linux products Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The steady rise of Linux in the business market was...

Hackers conference shown how to bypass Active Directory controls.
August 10, 2004... l Conference delegates shown how to hack credit card detailsl Microsoft Active Directory vulnerabilities are often overlooked Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Security threats to Bluetooth wireless technology, credit card hacking...

YOUR SHOUT; Have your say at ; computerweekly.com.
August 10, 2004... On project management in the public sector In response to news that the Housing Corporation has launched an investigation into allegations about the management of a [pounds sterling]17m IT modernisation project (Computer Weekly, 20 July)...

IT downtime is a crisis.
August 10, 2004... Educate the board in the importance of IT continuity BYLINE: Russell Flower Opinion We operate in an era of heightened corporate risk awareness. Corporate scandal, the threat of terror and high-profile disasters mean businesses...

Bad data eats IT budgets.
August 10, 2004... Effective data integration is vital for business success BYLINE: Paul Brown Opinion In most businesses, IT departments take little notice of data quality or ongoing data management. Senior management also tends to under-estimate...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
August 10, 2004... State regulation cannot increase IT efficiency BFJ Cricklewood Senior software engineer Lindsay Nicolle's article on compliance (Computer Weekly, 13 July) makes the claim that state regulation of IT may increase its efficiency....

Relevance of engineering method to software development waning.
August 17, 2004... John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The growing complexity of IT systems is reducing the effectiveness of traditional engineering techniques and computer science courses need to adapt accordingly. A recent BCS thought...

Mobility drives flexible working practices.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Myles Hewitt myles.hewitt@rbi.co.uk There is a lot of talk about the work-life balance, but for many the routine of the daily commute seems set in stone. But with IT spending, vacancies and salaries all on the up, employers need some...

Analysts advise users to test SP2 thoroughly before deployment.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... said he was encouraged by the release of SP2 but warned users, "Precede with caution because SP2 is not a simple update." Owen Williams, head of IT at property company Knight Frank, said his company was planning to upgrade to SP2. "We need...

IN BRIEF.
August 17, 2004... OECD sets up taskforce to tackle spam crisis The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has set up a taskforce to marshal the efforts of government, business and the public to tackle unsolicited spam. The taskforce's...

operating systems; SP2 users face compatibility issues.
August 17, 2004... l Applications may have to be re-engineered to cope with high securityl Gartner advises users to wait at least two months and test SP2 thoroughly Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk With the code for Windows XP Service Pack 2...

Prove that IT pays real dividends.(information technology)
August 17, 2004... Lindsay Clark computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk As the recovery in corporate IT spending continues there will be renewed focus on measuring the performance of technology and its impact on profits. But despite the higher profile of...

Single solution: multiple benefits.(document management)
August 17, 2004... At least 80% of the volume and 50% of the value of information in a typical organisation is contained in unstructured content such as documents, e-mails, reports, images and web pages. For most firms, the impetus to invest in software for...

Yukon and 3G set to fulfil their promise as chip hardware guards against viruses.(Microsoft Corp's SQL Server 2005)
August 17, 2004... SQL Server 2005 "Yukon" Microsoft released an early version of its database SQL Server 2005, Beta 2, to 500,000 developers earlier this month. The product is due to go on sale next year. SQL Server 2005, previously known as Yukon, will...

High-level sponsors secure web projects.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... The main force driving IT development is a credible project champion - a chief executive or chief information officer - who can oversee the internet development group. Success is assisted by high-level sponsors who facilitate the budget and...

PC & desktop; Desktop revolution virtually here.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Virtualisation technology, which allows PCs to run more than one operating system, is set to change the way users run their desktops, analyst firm Gartner has said. PC virtualisation technology...

e-business; Only 3% of smaller retailers trade online.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Karen Gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Only 3% of small and medium-sized retailers are trading online despite growing consumer demand for the service, according to a survey by PFA Research. The main reason cited for not doing business...

Unix is most sought-after IT skill.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Growing demand for Unix and Java skills are driving the recovery in the jobs market, the latest Computer Weekly/SSL Quarterly Survey of Appointments Data and Trends has revealed. Unix topped the...

Fujitsu cuts remote working costs.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Fujitsu Services claims to have reduced the cost of providing remote system access for thousands of mobile staff. The IT services company has signed a pay-as-you go contract with Ipass to...

AstraZeneca to roll out Adobe Acrobat to track drugs trial data.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will roll-out Adobe Acrobat software to standardise its communications and help it meet regulations for data storage. AstraZeneca said it will be buying...

outsourcing; Immigration directorate farms out infrastructure to Atos for [pounds sterling]200m.(Immigration and Nationality Directorate)(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Lindsay Clark computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has signed a six-year, [pounds sterling]200m outsourcing contract with Atos Origin. Atos Origin will take over the design, building and operation...

staffing; Lockheed tribunal shows danger of using 'permanent' contractors.
August 17, 2004... l Lockheed faces tribunal for switching to cheaper replacement contractorl Contractor may have a case because he had been doing job for five years Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk IT services company Lockheed Martin is facing...

Enter the Best Places to Work Awards.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... There is still time to enter your organisation in the Computer Weekly Best Places to Work in IT 2005 Awards. The awards celebrate organisations that combine a high level of professionalism with good remuneration and an enjoyable working...

outsourcing; Carrot and stick used ; on suppliers.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Most companies now use risk and reward incentives in their outsourcing contracts to improve the performance of their suppliers, according to a survey by Accenture and the Economist Intelligence...

BT controls password access with Netegrity.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk BT has signed a multimillion-pound contract with Netegrity for systems to manage access to its internal systems and websites. The systems will give BT the ability to manage users' passwords and...

IT contracts could save NHS [pounds sterling]30m.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Karen Gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk The national programme for IT in the NHS has signed contracts with six software suppliers which it estimates will save the taxpayer [pounds sterling]30m. The agreements with Cisco, EMC,...

National Savings introduces Ernie 4.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... National Savings and Investments will unveil the latest version of Ernie (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment) this week at the Science Museum. Previous incarnations of Ernie have picked 110 million winning premium bond numbers to...

Charity for visually impaired revamps its website services.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... The Macular Disease Society is expanding its website and online services for its 13,000 members. The self-help society, which caters for people who have lost the central vision in one or both of their eyes, will use new media agency...

Users set to benefit from HP's Synstar takeover bid.(Hewlett-Packard)(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... l HP users could get access to extra continuity and network services l Synstar users could get HP's network consulting and development skills Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Thousands of Hewlett-Packard users could get...

Users warned of new Bagle worm and phone virus.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The mass-mailing Bagle worm has reappeared as an infected Zip file that can bypass some file filters and firewalls. Bagle.aq arrives via an e-mail message with a spoofed sending address and...

Users told to delay XP SP2.
August 17, 2004... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Users are being advised to delay roll-outs of Windows XP Service Pack 2 to allow time to test application incompatibility, despite Microsoft's insistence that the upgrade is essential. Within...

Size of settlement raises questions about government's reasons for terminating the contractEDS gets [pounds sterling]9m compensation for cancelled NHS e-mail contract.
August 17, 2004... Tony Collins tony.collins@rbi.co.uk IT services supplier EDS is to receive [pounds sterling]9m in government compensation and other payments after the Department of Health prematurely ended its contract to supply a secure e-mail and...

software; Newham: staying with Microsoft is '68% cheaper than open source'.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Newham Borough Council has revealed that staying with Microsoft software is 68% cheaper than open source systems, according to an independent study. The results emerged from the high-profile trial...

Political parties line up to reveal their IT strategies.(Calendar)
August 17, 2004... After a brief August respite, Oracle users kick off the autumn season for user-focused events and activities with the Open World Europe conference in London. Other user groups move into gear by the middle of September, as does the political...

The risk is real, so be prepared.
August 17, 2004... We live in a society that seems to increasingly abhor the idea that there should be any risk. As health and safety officers tighten their grip on the physical corporate environment, trying to make sure that no one slips on a polished floor or...

Websphere can offer high rewards but you will never master all of it.
August 17, 2004... Nick Langley computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk What is it? Websphere is IBM's e-business platform. The Websphere portfolio includes an application server, a "studio" bundling many of IBM's development products, business portals and a...

NEXT MOVE.(Brief Article)
August 17, 2004... The question What courses are best for IT support? I have a business degree taken in Denmark but have been working in the UK for the past four years, mainly doing customer service. I worked in system support for about a year and...