Computer Weekly articles from August 2005

Computer Weekly archives from August 2005

British computer society ; ITprofessionals should beware environmental cost of complexity.
August 2, 2005... Millions of working PCs are dumped in landfill sites in the UK every year, but why? Some need to be replaced because of faults or failures. Most, though, are deemed to be too old, too slow or incapable, and are scrapped. Why must we...

Downtime.(Microsoft Corp's new Virtual Earth website)(London, England. Transport for London's contract with Aligned Assets)(prices of payroll systems)
August 2, 2005... Danes come up with a beer for everyman Vores 01 is the world's first open source beer. It will have its recipe registered under a "creative common licence" that allows people to brew and sell it anywhere in the world, providing they...

INSIDE the bcs; Management qualifications in demand.(reports of British Computer Society)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The changing nature of the IT jobs market is reflected in record growth in demand for BCS management and business systems qualifications, the society says. Demand for the foundation...

Eliminating 'us and them' approach.(human resource management)
August 2, 2005... Julia Vowler julia.vowler@rbi.co.uk It makes sense to place IT at the core of the business, but how do companies make this practice part of the everyday working environment and career development of IT staff? At scientific...

document management Content management is tucked away in several SAP products; Acquisition or development will improve content management components of SAP.
August 2, 2005... As far back as 1999 SAP attempted to offer document management capabilities with R/3. It was also involved in the foundation of Ixos, a company that developed a standard connector to SAP modules to provide archiving facilities. Ixos grew...

IN BRIEF.(investigation of Microsoft Corp.)(Computer Associates International Inc. to lay off)(Next's contract with Cable and Wireless PLC)
August 2, 2005... Vulnerability found in anti-virus software Researchers have warned of flaws in security software from Sophos, Ethereal and ClamAV. The systems are vulnerable to buffer overflow attacks, according to researchers Alex Wheeler and Neel Mahted....

IN BRIEF.(Specsavers implements new financial system from Cedar)(Lenovo Group Ltd. to build 1,000- teraflop supercomputer)(The Officers Club implemented a system from BancTec)
August 2, 2005... Child Support Agency's backlog of cases grows The Child Support Agency's backlog of cases climbed to 263,000 in June this year from 238,000 in November 2003, according to a parliamentary statement. All 263,000 cases in the backlog are...

software; Underground gets real-time reporting.(information management of London Underground Ltd.)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk London Underground is working on a real-time incident reporting system to be rolled out next year. The project, dubbed Nimrod, will build on the company's successful Erif incident reporting system,...

software; Eclipse set to shine as standard, say analysts.(Forrester Research Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk The Eclipse programming environment is set to become the de facto standard for software developers who need an alternative to Microsoft's Visual Studio, analyst group Forrester Research has predicted....

software; IBM to withdraw its support for Hyperion.(relationship severance with International Business Machines Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Lindsay Clark computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Businesses using IBM databases for online trade could be in for a nasty shock now that the company is to withdraw from its relationship with supplier Hyperion, research firm AMR warned. ...

networks; TNT Express overcomes network bottleneck with modelling tool.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Network modelling product ensures better use of bandwidthl IT Guru software a key part of three-year global roll-out of SAP Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Logistics company TNT Express is using network modelling software to...

women in it; City firms use jobs board to recruit women.(services of womenintechnology)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk An online job board for female IT professionals is being used by some City firms to recruit staff. Citigroup, Lehman Brothers, Accenture and Credit Suisse First Boston are among the companies...

operating systems It may have fewer security vulnerabilities than Windows, but can Linux match the Microsoft operating system's support, applications and user experience? ; Is Linux a viable alternative to Windows?
August 2, 2005... There has been a lot of noise both from the desktop Linux camp and from Microsoft trying to rebut everything the Linux brigade says. So should you be considering Linux as an alternative to Microsoft on the desktop? First, Linux is more...

software; Microsoft cracks down on pirates.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk People running Windows software will now need to provide a licence key before they can download any free Microsoft software. Through Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA), Microsoft's...

desktop; QinetiQ first UK firm to choose Lenovo PCs.(contract with Lenovo Group Ltd.)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Seven months after IBM formed a company with Lenovo Group, after selling its PC business to the Chinese firm for [pounds sterling]770m, the new company has announced details of one of its first...

RFID; Tibco links RFID data to ERP apps.
August 2, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Tibco Software has introduced software for integrating radio frequency identification data with enterprise applications. Event data generated when RFID tags are read needs to be aggregated from...

security; Open specification to aid PC server security.(standards of Trusted Computing Group)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Tash Shifrin computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The Trusted Computing Group has announced an open specification for trusted servers to allow manufacturers to improve hardware security on PC servers. The standards group's specification...

health & safety; IT managers feeling the strain due to 'lack of control' over software.
August 2, 2005... TUC survey reveals stress to be "worst hazard" in the workplace l IT bosses feel they are expected to work to unrealistic deadlines Will Hadfield william.hadfield@rbi.co.uk A lack of control over standardised software products and...

e-mail; Avoid long-term e-mail hosting, warns Gartner.
August 2, 2005... Microsoft's takeover of FrontBridge likely to cause services shake-upl Market consolidation could create technical problems with integration Lindsay Clark computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Users should not sign long-term deals for hosted...

graduate recruitment; Demand for IT graduates is rising.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Will Hadfield william.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Companies' appetite for new IT graduates will increase at a faster rate in 2005 than in any year since the dotcom boom, according to a survey by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR). ...

skills; Psychometric tests help to identify IT bosses' skills.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Will Hadfield william.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Employers are increasingly using psychometric tests to identify IT managers' skills, according to one of the world's largest suppliers of personality tests. SHL Group's research director,...

mainframes; Double performance mainframe raises software cost concerns.(details of IBM z9)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Z9 will offer up to twice the performance and capacity of the Z990l Licensing details will be available in September, when mainframe launches Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk IBM has revealed further details of the z9, the...

SMARt projects New systems will improve efficiency and hit e-government targets; North Hertfordshire begins [pounds sterling]2.2m project to transform processes and boost services.(North Hertfordshire District Council's contract with Anite Group PLC)
August 2, 2005... Will Hadfield william.hadfield@rbi.co.uk North Hertfordshire District Council has signed a [pounds sterling]2.2m deal with public sector IT specialist Anite in an overhaul of its IT systems and business processes. The council...

flexible working; Flexi-work must match staff and business needs, warns institute.(Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Will Hadfield william.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Employers should ensure the needs of the business are matched with the needs of employees if they want to make flexible working a success, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and...

Councils are doing their best with limited funds.(information management of Leeds City Council)
August 2, 2005... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Although Leeds has been able to substantially overhaul its IT, many local authorities have struggled to secure funding for IT projects, and make do with what they can get hold of, said public...

e-government IT overhaul paying off with council on course to hit government targets; Strong business case links IT spending to e-gov and service improvements in Leeds.(Leeds City Council)
August 2, 2005... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Leeds City Council has fought hard to win the funding for the multi-pronged IT infrastructure overhaul which is essential for it to meet e-government targets and the efficiencies required in...

enterprise software; Budvar to roll out ERP to Europe.(enterprise resource planning, Budweiser Budvar)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Lindsay Clark computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Czech beer maker Budweiser Budvar is to introduce enterprise resource planning software across Europe after a successful implementation in the UK. ERP software from Geac helped Budweiser...

mobile; ITdirectors urged to prepare for growing mobile demand.(beliefs of Monica Basso)
August 2, 2005... Will Hadfield william.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Enabling mobile workforces will become the top priority for businesses over the next three years, according to analyst firm Gartner. Speaking at a seminar about mobile applications, Gartner...

rfid ; Virgin to pilot RFID aircraft parts tracking system at Heathrow.(radio frequency identification, Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.)
August 2, 2005... Trials will use RFID tags on plane parts in Heathrow warehousel Airline hopes to get efficiencies from better supply chain management Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Virgin Atlantic is to test a radio frequency identification...

NHS IT; Consultants save time with tablets.(National Health Service, tablet computers)(technology use by Nuneaton's George Elliot Hospital Trust)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Will Hadfield william.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Nuneaton's George Elliot Hospital Trust has deployed tablet PCs to 20 of its clinicians, including consultants doing ward rounds. The deployment, which has been paid for by Intel as part of...

events; IT professionals will go to the ball.
August 2, 2005... John Riley john.riley@rbi.co.uk It is Take 2 for A Night at the Movies - the theme of this year's Intellect ICT Charity Ball - after the original event had to be called off following the terrorist attacks in London on 7 July. The...

The Bard goes broadband at the RSC.(Royal Shakespeare Company's contract with altoHiway Ltd.)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... The Royal Shakespeare Company has installed an SDSL link to connect its Stratford and London sites. The work was carried out by ISP altoHiway. Upgrading from ADSL has allowed the RSC to make better use of resources and boost communications with...

support; Network Rail cuts deal for mainframe savings.(Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd.'s contract with Atos Origin S.A.)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Will Hadfield william.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Network Rail will save [pounds sterling]500,000 a year on mainframe costs after it renewed a managed services contract with technology integrator Atos Origin. The organisation, formerly...

software; Windows beta previews biggest update since XP.(development of Microsoft Windows Vista)(Microsoft Windows XP)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... New features include improved security and reduced PC running costsl Beta version to be delivered to more than 10,000 testers Tash Shifrin computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Microsoft last week released a beta 1 version of Windows Vista,...

storage; EMC boosts capacity with DMX-3.(EMC Symmetrix DMX-3 launched)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk EMC has unveiled its latest high-end storage product, the Symmetrix DMX-3, which is capable of storing a Petabyte of data. DMX-3 is targeted at users carrying out datacentre consolidation. Based...

IT professional awards; BCS finalists go forward.(British Computer Society)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Tash Shifrin computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk A record number of IT professionals are to go forward for the final judging stage of the British Computer Society's third IT Professional Awards. A total of 94 finalists have made it to the...

enterprise software; Single ERP and HRapps cut costs, says report.(enterprise resource planning, human resource)(reports of The Hackett Group)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Consolidating enterprise applications can deliver up to 30% savings on costs, independent business advisory body Hackett Group said this week. Its latest report, Optimising a Return on Business...

Bombings spark all-out effort by transport police IT team.(information management of British Transport Police)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk IT staff at British Transport Police have worked around the clock to update systems following last month's bombings in London. In the immediate aftermath of the 7 July blasts IT staff had to...

IT directors put the focus on infrastructure in the face of continued financial pressures ; Big projects are key to IT growth.
August 2, 2005... Will Hadfield and Cliff Saran william.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Spending on IT projects will continue to grow in the second half of 2005, despite uncertainty about the economy and anxiety caused by the terror attacks on London, according to...

dpm's diary; c p bound.(personal narratives)
August 2, 2005... Monday Dave was due to fly to Mexico for his holidays today, but I went round to see him last night and administered the poisoned apple. Actually, it was a drugged pint of his favourite scrumpy, but then I am not the wicked stepmother and...

hot skills Language is now business interchange standard of choice; XML and web services skills are a 'prized commodity' for business.(extensible markup language)
August 2, 2005... Nick Langley computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk What is it? Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a metalanguage, which is used to create other languages. It has been adopted almost universally: organisations using it include Microsoft, IBM...

BCS young professionals group; Events offer skills for up and coming IT bosses.(British Computer Society)
August 2, 2005... A series of events organised by the British Computer Society Young Professionals Group aims to help those at the start of their careers develop the skills they need to progress. An event on 1 September will focus on the importance of...

ready for trouble?(business continuity planning of Markel International, Voca and Iglu.com)
August 2, 2005... Having a business continuity plan is one thing. Knowing it works is another. Sally Flood finds out how three organisations meet the challenge Your organisation probably has a business continuity plan, which outlines how it will cope in the...

Successful outsourcing is long-term and monogamous; Commitment will pay off.
August 2, 2005... If you are committing to one partner, a critical success factor is to sign a contract with a supplier that is the right shape and fit. Similar core values are a must Overanxious or underinsured? The problem with business continuity...

vHow it works.(TNT Express (UK) Ltd. uses OPNET IT Guru)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... IT Guru is being used to maximise network performance. The software: Profiles new applications before they are deployed on the network, to assess the impact of the infrastructure on transaction response times Predicts the impact of new...

IT directors test continuity plans.(beliefs of Keith Young)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2005... Many IT directors used the recent terrorist attacks to verify their business continuity plans. Keith Young,at Standard Life, said, "We already had an emergency committee in place because the bombings came in the same week as the G8 summit...

Successful outsourcing is long-term and monogamous; Commitment will pay off.
August 2, 2005... The history of outsourcing partnerships can seem a bit like that of the Beckhams' marriage: some early golden years, a lot of hype and, more recently, a load of bad press. But in both cases, look past the rumours and gossip and you will find...

ICT INdustry charity ball; IT ball moves to Hammersmith following bombing disruption.
August 2, 2005... The IT industry has rallied round to ensure the Intellect ICT Industry Charity Ball takes place this year despite being disrupted by the terrorist attacks in London on 7 July. Sponsor and supplier support has ensured that the event can take...

Overanxious or underinsured?(analysis of business continuity planning)
August 2, 2005... The problem with business continuity planning is the third word in that phrase. All the planning in the world is pointless if the reality fails to match when things go pear-shaped. Many surveys have drawn attention to companies' failings...

British computer society ; Road congestion charging could be just the ; start as cars take over from their drivers.
August 9, 2005... Technology exists now for intelligent roadside units to ease congestion l Vehicles could overrule decisions made by drivers, to reduce accidents John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk A future in which cars communicate with...

skills; IT departments tuned in to business strategy.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Employees in the IT department have a better understanding of their employer's strategies than employees working in the other areas of the business, according to a study by e-learning company...

security; Jericho winners show how to deperimeterise network security.(Jericho Forum)(achievements of Tomas Olovsson and Jamie Bodley-Scott)
August 9, 2005... System removes need for a hardened network security perimeterl Approach meets need for openness required by modern businesses Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Appgate Network Security's proposal for network security won the...

STORAGE; EMC makes it easier to scale up data storage.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk EMC has added software and storage products to its Clariion range designed to make it easier for IT departments to scale up and manage their storage. Barry Ader, senior director, Clariion...

E-MAIL; E-mail outage a major concern for businesses.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Companies have become so reliant on e-mail that 85% of firms admit that e-mail downtime would severely affect their business, according to research from analyst firm Quocirca. As a result,...

women in IT; Awards to recognise women's IT success.(Blackberry Women and Technology Awards)(Aurora)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Tash Shifrin computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk An awards scheme to recognise the achievements of women working with IT has been launched by Research In Motion, the company behind the Blackberry personal digital assistant. The Blackberry...

in brief.(prices of British Telecommunications PLC)(Sybase Inc. to acquire Extended Systems Inc.)(AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ launched)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... BT slashes cost of SDSL to attract business BT is to cut the price of its symmetrical digital subscriber line products by 30% in a bid to stimulate the SDSL market. The new SDSL prices, effective from November, will apply to both connection...

SMARt projects Management of seized vehicles taken back in house as powers extended; West Midlands Police rolls out tracking software to help target uninsured vehicles.(contract with WPC Software)
August 9, 2005... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk West Midlands Police will be the first in the UK to use new powers to seize uninsured vehicles after the implementation of a car tracking application. By using the Easy-Link Vehicle...

health & safety; ITstaff at higher risk of burnout than other workers, says survey.
August 9, 2005... 59% of IT staff report symptoms of burnoutl Staff say 24x7 service is a contributing factorl Motivation and performance suffer Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk IT employees are more at risk of suffering burnout from overwork...

government IT; Births, marriages and deaths to go digital.(United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics's contract with Siemens Business Services)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Tash Shifrin tash shifrin@rbi.co.uk The Office for National Statistics has signed a deal with Siemens Business Services to digitise 250 million birth, marriage and death records. The three-year Digitisation of Vital Events project...

outsourcing; Swansea seeks staff OK as transfer date looms.(agreement with UNISON )(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Swansea Council is racing to get staff agreement on its plans to transfer 73 members of its IT department to outsourcing supplier Capgemini on 1 October. The council made assurances on pay and...

case study: enterprise software; Bemis says central ERP system could allow it to halve stock levels.(enterprise resource planning)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Efficiencies created by the system are expected to lead to stock level reductions of up to 50%. The company, which supplies bathroom fittings to DIY stores including B&Q, Homebase and Plumb Centre, has moved from Strategix enterprise...

software; Speech tools to be added to Exchange.(enhancement of Microsoft Exchange Server)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Tash Shifrin computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Speech technologies will be integrated into future versions of Microsoft Exchange Server. The company's speech recognition products are currently aimed at call centres and users of...

Paddy Power to use real-time data analysis on betting site.(contract with Speed-Trap)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Paddy Power is to install dynamic data collection technology on its website in a bid to improve customer service. The gaming company will use Speed-Trap's Prophet system, which analyses events in real time, rather than relying on web server...

software; Add-on hides sensitive MS Word content.(Microsoft Office Word 2003 Redaction launched)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Tash Shifrin computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Microsoft has launched an add-on for Word that lets users blank out sensitive information before releasing documents. The Word 2003 Redaction add-on takes its name from the verb "redact" - to...

NHS IT; NHS staff reveal serious concerns over IT plan.(United Kingdom. National Health Service)
August 9, 2005... Tony Collins tony.collins@rbi.co.uk Some NHS staff and executives involved in implementing the national programme for IT (NPfIT) have serious misgivings about aspects of the scheme, including its failure to engage local health...

hot skills W3C advises novice web developers to learn XHTML rather than HTML; Next generation HTML adds flexibility of XML to the 'lingua franca of the web'.(extensible hypertext markup language, hypertext markup language, extensible markup language, World Wide Web Consortium)
August 9, 2005... Nick Langley computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk What is it? Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML) is essentially HTML extended and reformulated in XML. Like its predecessor, XHTML is a general purpose markup language for...

Letters.
August 9, 2005... Emphasise creativity in drive to attract women Robert Chapman Co-founder The Training Camp The news that British young women associate IT with secretarial duties (Computer Weekly, 19 July) proves that the true nature of a...

employee benefits Winners of the Best Places to Work in IT Awards show how a well structured benefits schemes can attract and retain staff, and make employees feel valued; Using benefits to maximise staff retention.(human resource management of Birmingham Midshires Building Society)
August 9, 2005... Julia Vowler julia.vowler@rbi.co.uk A company benefits package can be an effective differentiator for IT departments looking to attract and retain excellent staff. At Birmingham Midshires, part of the Halifax and Bank of Scotland...

A flexible benefits scheme is key to staff loyalty.
August 9, 2005... Julia Vowler julia.vowler@rbi.co.uk Flexibility is the key to an effective staff benefits scheme. "When benefits are flexible it shows employees that their employers are trying to think from the employee point of view, rather than just...

education; MSc course to help technology start-ups.(services of University College London)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Mike Simons mike.simons@rbi.co.uk University College London is to offer an MSc course aimed at people starting technology ventures. The MSc in technical ventures and foundations of entrepreneurship (TVFE) will be comparable with...

NEXT MOVE.(career advice to information technology professionals)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... The question How can I move into the private sector? I have six years' IT experience working in the public sector. I am very close to completing my CCNA (Cisco certified network associate) qualification and want to make a sideways...

What is Software Assurance?(marketing of Microsoft Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... Software Assurance gives users the right to any new versions of licensed software released during the term of their agreement. Additional benefits include: Free licences for teleworkers and home workers Discount of up to 40% on any...

Have we been here before?(reports of United Kingdom. National Audit Office)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2005... In the mid-1990s there were long delays in the publication of an NAO report into the way the Department of Health managed the Read Codes scheme to introduce a standard coding system for recording medical ailments. An NAO investigation began in...

where are the visionaries?(analysis of computer based research)
August 9, 2005... When J Presper Eckhert and John William Mauchley of Pennsylvania University conceived the idea of a fully programmable electronic computer in the early 1940s, they were proposing a vision of computing that many thought was impossible. Even...

British computer society ; Can traditional technology leaders make the transition to become hybrid managers?
August 23, 2005... In the Industrial Revolution, with its smoking chimney stacks and noisy steam engines, the impact of new technologies on the way people worked was obvious. In the digital information revolution, however, the link between technology and...

Check out the changes in Windows Vista.(product development by Microsoft Corp.)
August 23, 2005... Microsoft has released the first beta test version of Windows Vista, formerly known as Longhorn, and it would be a good idea for companies to try it as soon as possible. Compared with the simple transitions from Windows NT4 to 2000 to XP Pro,...

skills; Career coaching can help disillusioned and burnt-out IT employees get back on track.(beliefs of Steve Errey)
August 23, 2005... Many IT professionals suffer from early life crises and demotivationl Coaching can help people pinpoint what they want from their careers Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Steve Errey was a successful IT project manager with a...

m; Blinds retailer to save [pounds sterling]1m with mobile deployment to salesforce.(technology use by Hillarys)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2005... Hillarys to equip its 1,000-strong salesforce with smartphonesl Handsets will run Fujitsu's custom-built sales adviser application Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Blinds retailer Hillarys expects to make annual savings of...

Virtualisation key to service improvement in next phase of datacentre consolidation.
August 23, 2005... Datacentres are going through various stages of consolidation. Driven by the development of technology and the need to contain costs and improve services, the system infrastructure has become more resilient, more available and more secure. ...

rfid; More radio spectrum for RFID devices.(radio frequency identification)(telecommunications policy of Office of Communications of United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Ofcom has increased the amount of radio spectrum available for use by radio frequency identification (RFID) equipment used to track items in the supply chain. But the move has not addressed concerns...

crm systems; RightNow CRM suite is given sales upgrade.
August 23, 2005... Tash Shifrin computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk RightNow Technologies has upgraded its customer relationship management suite and launched two add-ons to automate telesales and self-service operations. RightNow CRM 7.5 has new features in...

Project management; Oracle adds analysis tools to Projects.(Oracle Projects enhanced)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2005... Tash Shifrin computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Oracle has added a Portfolio Analysis module to the latest release of its Projects suite of applications to allow users to perform impact analysis. The company hopes the addition will attract...

software; Microsoft tool will ease deployment of Vista.
August 23, 2005... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Microsoft has developed a tool to make Vista, its next version of Windows, easier to install. The Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) will be included in Windows Vista, which is expected to...

APPLICATION SERVERS; IBM WebSphere XD aids operational efficiency.(product launch by International Business Machines Corp.)
August 23, 2005... Software tool helps enterprise users optimise their applicationsl WebSphere XD suitable for firms that experience spikes in traffic Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk IBM has released a software tool called WebSphere Extended...