Computer Weekly articles from February 2006

Computer Weekly archives from February 2006

IBM calls for global co-operation in shifting security environment.
February 7, 2006... IBM report highlights security threats for 2006l Shift to more organised attacks on IT by criminalsl Staff increasingly used as a way in to systems Justin Richards computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The global IT threat remained at a...

Providing opportunities to grow.(training on employee motivation and career development)
February 7, 2006... For organisations that are best places to work, career development is not just about ensuring employees excel at their current jobs, or even grooming them for their next job within the organisation. It is much broader than that. It is about...

Retail Asda to begin testing RFID tags as Wal-Mart extends worldwide trial.(Asda Wal-Mart)
February 7, 2006... rfid The use of radio frequency identification technology is becoming more widespread across all industry sectors. We look at how firms are using it to streamline their operations Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Asda, the UK...

Logistics TNT rolls out RFID along supply chain.(radio frequency identification, TNT Express (UK) Ltd.)
February 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Delivery provider TNT Express is expanding its multimillion-pound RFID programme in trials to optimise global supply chains. The first pilot involves a PC manufacturer, which has been tagging a...

Blackberry or Microsoft for mobile e-mail?(a mobile e-mail service as a patch to Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0)
February 7, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Last month Microsoft launched mobile e-mail functionality to challenge Research In Motion's Blackberry system. Blackberry dominates the mobile e-mail market, with users such as Abbey, Friends...

Capitalising on the opportunities of SOA.(service oriented architecture)
February 7, 2006... Service oriented architecture (SOA) was one of the hottest topics in enterprise software in 2005, and it is set to continue to generate a huge amount of interest in 2006, as more and more people look to it to help them deliver IT which is more...

Enterprise software Large suppliers and niche ERP players both offer advantages for small and mid-sized businesses, so which do you choose? We examine the options Buying ERP tools to fit the smaller business.(enterprise resource planning, Nuffield Hospitals)
February 7, 2006... Jessica Twentyman computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Chris Cook, IT director at independent healthcare group Nuffield Hospitals, does not like nasty surprises. In fact, he will make every effort to be sure about the long-term viability of an IT...

Spoilt for choice with mobile hardware.(market research of handheld devices)
February 7, 2006... Gary Eastwood computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The choice of mobile device for the enterprise is growing at a rapid rate. By 2008 it is estimated that there will be more than 500 mobile phone and PDA models. For chief information...

Outsourcing GM in [pounds sterling]8.4bn outsourcing programme.(General Motors Corp.)
February 7, 2006... Computer Weekly reporter computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk General Motors last week awarded contracts to EDS, Capgemini, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Compuware, Covisint and Wipro as part of an [pounds sterling]8.4bn outsourcing programme. The...

Financial services IT 'not to blame' for Kinnect flop.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk Lloyd's of London should not blame technology for the failure of its electronic trading platform, according to law firm Barlow Lyde and Gilbert. The exchange pulled the plug on the...

Mainframes IBM mainframe processor add-on could cut cost for enterprise apps.(new products DB2 for z/OS 8.0 and zIIP)
February 7, 2006... Mainframe processor range extended with zIIP add-on for IBM z9l DB2 for z/OS version 8 will be first IBM software to take advantage of zIIP Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk IBM is developing an add-on processor for its z9...

NHS IT NHS system security criticised.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... smartcard can access details of patient appointments, their passwords, information on some disabilities, or change the "consent" field to sharing records. The Information Commissioner's Office, which polices the Data Protection Act, said...

in brief.(new multifunction printers introduced MX-3501N and MX-4501N Sharp Corp.)(enhanced product Merchandising Software from Lawson Software)(new product GUI Design Studio 2.0 from Caretta Software)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Sharp multifunction printer range extended Sharp has extended its MX range of digital, colour multifunctional printers. The MX-3501N and the MX-4501N provide an integrated 80Gbyte hard disc and network authentication which allows ID,...

Servers Sun's Fujitsu server collaboration delayed.(Sun Microsystems Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Sun Microsystems' server collaboration with Fujitsu has run into delays, meaning some promised products may now not appear until next year. Sun reported a [pounds sterling]131m quarterly...

Software IBM acquires tracking resources specialist.(IBM United Kingdom Ltd., CIMS Lab Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk IBM has acquired CIMS Lab, a provider of software that helps businesses track the use of computing resources across virtualised technology environments. CIMS tracks IT usage in servers,...

Working in the public sector planning and process key to good recruitment.
February 7, 2006... Over the past five years the public sector has been successful in attracting a highly skilled IT workforce. Much of this can be attributed to the slowdown in the private sector from about 2001. The lack of large-scale IT spend in the...

e-mail Open-Xchange adds Windows e-mail log-in.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Open-Xchange is to offer an add-on to its e-mail server software that will support Windows log-in, allowing users to replace Microsoft Windows and Exchange servers with Linux servers. The add-on,...

Identity management BMC adds its identity management to .net.(BMC Software Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk BMC Software has introduced a version of its identity management suite for Microsoft's .net platform. The product is designed to offer users running a .net environment end-to-end identity...

Working in finance City contractor rates hit four-year high as compliance drives demand.
February 7, 2006... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Recruitment is booming in City IT departments as financial companies increase their investment in systems to support regulatory compliance and security. Rising demand for IT staff has pushed...

Training Degree offers professional certification.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk IT professionals are being offered a combined university/supplier course that they can complete while they are in full-time work. The two-year foundation degree combines an academic...

Servers HP water-cooled rack system aims to boost efficiency of blade farms.(new product Modular Cooling System)
February 7, 2006... Modular Cooling System allows racks to consume more power l Power management software released to monitor datacentres Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk Hewlett-Packard has launched a water cooling system that could address the...

in brief.(new unit Unified Communications Group formed by Microsoft Corp.)(Adobe Systems Inc. released a beta edition of its Flex 2.0)(management of compliances regarding Wi-Fi)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Do not rely on 802.11n compliance, says Gartner Gartner has advised users not to buy a product based solely on its claims regarding 802.11n draft compliance since maturity is still a year away. "Enterprises' slowness to adopt other...

Recruitment Planned expansions to fuel boom in IT recruitment in South East.(survey)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk The South East is on the brink of a boom in IT recruitment as technology firms plan to expand over the next three years. Research by property consultant Atisreal has estimated that 11,000 new...

Service oriented architecture Logistics network uses SOA to create advanced tracking system.(PalletForce)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Transport Management System built on service oriented architecturel System uses wireless network to track PalletForce deliveries Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk PalletForce, a distribution network that transports goods to...

IT security paramount at Winter Olympics.
February 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Atos Origin, the lead technology company behind the IT that runs the Olympics, has been preparing for the games in Turin, Italy since Athens 2004. Its role is to integrate, manage and secure the vast...

Security Israel hacking suspects extradited.(Michael Haephrati)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk A London-based Israeli couple at the centre of one of the world's largest industrial espionage and computer hacking scandals have been extradited to Israel to face trial. Computer specialist...

Security Firms warned of instant messaging worm threat.
February 7, 2006... Attacks could double this year, study warnsl Exploits are becoming more sophisticatedl Take up of prevention technology has been slow Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Businesses have been warned to prepare for an onslaught of...

Security Cisco patches vulnerability in IOS.(Internetwork Operating System, Cisco Systems Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Cisco Systems has patched a hole in its main operating switch and router operating system which could allow users to get access to network privileges above their authorisation. The...

Why Lloyd's walked away from Kinnect.(Lloyd's of London plan to discontinue its service)
February 7, 2006... Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk Lloyd's of London's announcement that it is to pull the plug on the Kinnect electronic trading platform (Computer Weekly, 31 January) surprised few in the City. Only days earlier,...

Letters.
February 7, 2006... How to ensure good practice in outsourcing Martyn Hart Chairman, National Outsourcing Association Jim Leduc's letter on outsourcing (Computer Weekly, 17 January) touches on some key mistakes made by those entering outsourcing...

How designer data helps Debenhams.(use of datawarehouse appliance)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Debenhams is to deploy a datawarehouse appliance to speed up the analysis of trading data across 120 department stores in the UK and Ireland and on its transactional website. According to Debenhams IT director Steve Kircher, the Netezza system...

Case study Cosworth revs up with collaboration tools.(Cosworth Racing UK, SAP AG, contract)
February 7, 2006... Motor racing firm uses document management system alongside SAPl eRoom has enabled Cosworth to accelerate product development Lindsay Clark lindsay.clark@rbi.co.uk British motor racing engine manufacturer Cosworth will continue to...

Case study Electrolux targets contact centre savings with integrated CRM tool.(customer relationship management, Computer Software Group)
February 7, 2006... Customer management software replaces nine call centre applicationsl Initial roll out paid for itself within six months, says Electrolux Lindsay Clark lindsay.clark@rbi.co.uk Electrolux aims to cut its call centre costs by a third...

Software licensing MS licensing changes get a mixed response.(Software Assurance)
February 7, 2006... User groups welcome changes to Software Assurance schemel More value but some features will be of limited benefit, groups warn Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk IT directors groups have hailed Microsoft's revamped Software...

Financial services Tokyo Stock Exchange replaces trading system.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk The Tokyo Stock Exchange has replaced its Fujitsu trading system with a product from Hitachi to guard against future systems failings. The move comes after capacity problems in...

Government IT MoD saves [pounds sterling]10m by apps rationalisation.(Ministry of Defence)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Lindsay Clark lindsay.clark@rbi.co.uk The Ministry of Defence has saved more than [pounds sterling]10m by cutting the number of applications it runs by 150, with more cuts to follow. Since 2000, the MoD has been developing a...

Security CBI publishes guide to SME online security.(small and medium sized companies)(Confederation of British Industry)
February 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk More than half of medium-sized firms that do business on the internet lack basic online security measures, according to research by the Confederation of British Industry. The finding has...

Downtime.(investments of Larry Ellison from Oracle Corp.)(systems failure at Alaska due to the computer viruses)(music industry uses peer to peer networking)
February 7, 2006... He may be rich, but he knows how to spend it Larry Ellison, the billionaire founder of Oracle, may be one of the world's richest men, but it appears he is as bad with money as the rest of us. The San Francisco Chronicle reckons it has...

Mobile Keep Blackberry open, urges US government.(the case of patent infringement)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The US Department of Justice has urged a federal judge not to close down the US Blackberry wireless e-mail service as a result of an ongoing patent dispute, until it can be demonstrated that the...

Government IT Revenue site copes well with last minute flurry.(United Kingdom. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk The HM Revenue and Customs website held up last week as the final flurry of self-assessment tax returns were submitted in the days leading up to the 31 January deadline. At the peak...

Security Third-party Oracle fix dilemma.(Oracle Corporation UK Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk A war of words between Oracle and a UK security researcher who issued his own workaround to a serious Oracle security vulnerability has highlighted a dilemma facing IT security professionals. ...

Government IT Home Office rapped over accounts system failures.
February 7, 2006... National Audit Office report blames IT failures for late accounts deliveryl Home Office report makes no mention of the problems with the system Lindsay Clark lindsay.clark@rbi.co.uk The National Audit Office delivered a damning...

Networks Cisco discovers resellers dealing in fake stock.(Cisco Systems Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Following the discovery of counterfeit networking equipment at four of its resellers, Cisco has urged any corporate users who think they might have bought fake kit to contact it immediately. ...

Compliance Warning on spreadsheet reliance.(survey)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk Financial services firms are too reliant on spreadsheets for compliance monitoring and reporting, the Chartered Management Institute has warned. A CMI survey of 109 City compliance...

NHS national programme for IT criticised over system's security and lack of confidentiality Tighten up smartcard access to protect patient data, warn GPs.(National Health Service)
February 7, 2006... Tony Collins tony.collins@rbi.co.uk Whitehall officials are facing a series of new disclosures over the NHS IT programme as they try to rebuild confidence in the multibillion-pound scheme. They had to deal last week with...

Broadband is too pricey say users.(survey)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Telecoms managers in some of the UK's largest businesses are concerned about the availability of broadband, the quality of voice over IP services, the security threats of instant messaging and...

news.(University of London. Imperial College of Science and Technology uses blade coolant system)(safety measures for the biometric passports)(introduction of customer relationship management software by SAP UK)
February 7, 2006... IN BRIEF Home Office ID fraud figure 'overestimation' The Home Office released figures last week putting the annual cost of ID fraud at [pounds sterling]1.7bn - and immediately ran into a storm when payments association Apacs said the...

Servers VMware offers free virtualisation.(VMware Server)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk Organisations that want to try out virtualisation, particularly the ability to run multiple operating systems on the same computer, are being offered VMware Server software free of charge. With...

news.(Barclays Bank PLC, Getronics N.V., contract)(defect in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0)(patch work in Mozilla Firefox 1.5)
February 7, 2006... IN BRIEF Barclays awards [pounds sterling]135m five-year support deal Barclays has signed a five-year [pounds sterling]135m desktop and application management support contract with Getronics. The company will provide services to more...

Hot skills IBM Workplace is more than just an alternative to Microsoft Office.(IBM United Kingdom Ltd., Lotus Workplace)
February 7, 2006... Nick Langley computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk What is it? Lotus Workplace is a set of customisable online work collaboration products from IBM's Lotus division. The products consist of Workplace Messaging, Workplace Team Collaboration,...

How to avoid open source licensing pitfalls.
February 7, 2006... Open source software has long held an important place in fulfiling the IT needs of business and that role continues to grow. The software often provides great commercial opportunities, but those ready to take advantage of such opportunities...

Features.(government information technology services)(Diary entry)
February 7, 2006... dpm's diary c p bound Monday I Wantmore and the wordsmiths of e-government have come up with a grand newspeak phase to develop their careers sorry, I mean symbolise public sector IT reform moving into a new and more exciting...

End-user buy-in is IT's insurance.(Lloyd's of London plans to discontinue its service)
February 7, 2006... If the end-users of a business system are not convinced by the merits of a new approach, IT directors should understand that there is usually little point in forcing it on them. Yet when Lloyd's of London called time on its electronic...

Manufacturing Ford IT leaders co-ordinate global RFID effort.(plan on use of radio frequency identification)
February 7, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk IT managers from Ford's US and European manufacturing businesses met last week to co-ordinate their RFID projects. The meeting was set up to enable Ford America, Ford Europe, Jaguar and Land...

Managed services Travelcare deal means more online flexibility.(Attenda Ltd., contract)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Computer Weekly reporter computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Travelcare, the travel arm of the Co-operative Group, is consolidating its online brands on one platform through a managed services deal with Attenda. The three-year contract...

next move.(career choice of programmers)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... The question How do I move to financial sector role? I have been working as a programmer for five years and I would like to spend a year in training to move into the financial services sector as a business analyst. Could you...

Business leaders must beware creeping complacency Are you ready for a crisis?(survey)
February 7, 2006... As we grow older, most of us lose our childhood fears. But those responsible for the integrity of their company's data should never lose their sense of dread about things that go bump in the night. Seven months on from the terrorist attacks...

SMARt projects Oxfordshire Council deploys software to support local transport plan Council uses business intelligence system to standardise highways project delivery.(Primavera Systems Inc.)
February 7, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Oxfordshire County Council has deployed a business intelligence application to fast track the delivery of the local transport plan it agreed with the Department for Transport. The council's IT...

More than safety in numbers.(different categories and management of user groups)
February 7, 2006... An effective user group can work wonders in helping firms form better relationships with their IT suppliers, especially for a small and medium-sized enterprises. But to get the most out of membership requires effort by both users and suppliers....

INSIDE the bcs Public sector security conference.(British Computer Society)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2006... Justin Richards computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Determining a potential security threat and minimising risk while maintaining confidentiality, integrity and availability of information is a key challenge faced by all public sector...

British computer society Public sector security conference will stress importance of usability.
February 28, 2006... Conference will address the human factor in public sector IT securityl Security products need to be designed with end users in mind Angela Sasse computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Increasingly computer security is focusing on the human...

inside the bcs IR staff can network at European conference.(British Computer Society Information Retrieval)(Brief Article)
February 28, 2006... Justin Richards computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The BCS European Conference on Information Retrieval is the main European event for the presentation of new research results in the field. This year it will be followed by a day devoted to...

awards Shortlisted firms in the Best Places to Work in IT 2006 Awardssee social activities as vital in building team spirit among employees Staff need to let their hair down.
February 28, 2006... It goes without saying that gainful employment must be in exchange for business value. But it is equally true that to be able to work in pleasant surroundings, with amiable colleagues in an ambience that is not focused entirely on work, helps...

Great London IT Charity Walk marches into September.(The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists)(Brief Article)
February 28, 2006... It's all systems go for this year's family-oriented Great London IT Charity Walk, which this year moves from its traditional June slot to Sunday 17 September. The event takes place in the grounds of the Honourable Artillery Company in City...

news.(GFI Software launched Network management software)(Mutiny updates Network management software)(Expand Networks launched business management software 'Expand Compass')(Brief Article)
February 28, 2006... IN BRIEF GFI reporting software will check on security GFI Software has launched reporting software for its Languard Network Security Scanner 7.0 to give users a graphical security health check of their network. Data can be collated to...

internet Ofcom issues consultation on VoIP regulations.(Office of Communications (United Kingdom))(Brief Article)
February 28, 2006... but since then the choice of providers and the range of services offered have increased, and equipment has also developed significantly. The regulator has published proposals for a new approach, which outlines how Ofcom will investigate...

skills Cambridge course promises to hone your business skills in a week.(Brief Article)
February 28, 2006... Myles Hewitt myles.hewitt@rbi.co.uk IT directors and managers who want to sharpen their entrepreneurial skills could benefit from the one-week summer school at the University of Cambridge. Run by the university's Centre for...

internet Love it or hate it, Network Address Translation will not be going away soon Do we really need to have IPv6 when Nat conserves address space and aids security?
February 28, 2006... It is a common belief that IP addresses are running out. Every device on a network needs to be uniquely identified by its IP address, and the problem is that there are simply not enough IPv4 addresses. The key advantage of IPv6 is that its...

software Network modelling can iron out performance problems in advance Simulation or emulation - the model way to build and analyse your virtual network.
February 28, 2006... Danny Bradbury computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk What do large corporate computer networks and spacecraft have in common? Apart from being complex and expensive, they are also critical pieces of equipment. If one goes wrong in operation, the...

analysis Industry and financial regulations driving the demand for forensic IT specialists.
February 28, 2006... Firms must be able to show clean accounts, says PricewaterhouseCoopers l Investment in forensic services could prevent compliance delays Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Five years ago, businesses were turning to forensic IT...

Newcastle bridges gap between home and working life.(Brief article)
February 28, 2006... Newcastle City Council is claiming to have gained big productivity benefits from a home working trial. The small trial showed a 25% productivity boost and a 75% reduction in sick days. The three-month pilot, entitled the City Service...

3gsm conference Lower costs on the cards as Nokia gets serious on Wi-Fi convergence.(Third generation wireless technology)
February 28, 2006... Technology offers lower costs and better productivity for usersl IEEE plans to standardise version of 802.11 Wi-Fi protocol Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk Integrating mobile phones into a corporate wireless local area network...

wireless HP unveils wireless high speed laptop.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief Article)
February 28, 2006... HP has shown a prototype HP notebook PC using a UMTS/HSDPA network at the 3GSM show. The demonstration highlighted how wireless high-speed UMTS/HSDPA technology provides users with secure wireless access to e-mail, the internet and...

case study Hospital upgrade will offer Pacs.(picture archiving and communications system)
February 28, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) is building a wireless network as part of a major infrastructure upgrade to support the use of Picture Archiving and Communications System (Pacs) on...

benefits Perks are on the rise as employers fight to attract and retain staff with top IT skills.
February 28, 2006... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk A growing number of employers are offering a wide choice of perks to IT staff, as firms seek to recruit and retain IT professionals with sought-after skills. The proportion of firms offering...

business-aligned IT A more collaborative approach between IT and the business is required towards software development, in order to align IT systems with business needs How software tools can help bridge the gap.
February 28, 2006... Charles Dickens might have been talking about social upheaval, but his opening paragraph for A Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", can just as well be applied to today's software development process. ...

smart projects FoI applications accelerated by product that searches e-mail threads Isle of Wight Council deploys e-mail search programme to meet FoI requests.(Freedom of Information Act)
February 28, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk The Isle of Wight Council has deployed a new search tool to improve its ability to comply with the Freedom of Information Act. The application enables council officers to find e-mail threads...

working time IT professionals 'work most unpaid overtime'.(Brief Article)
February 28, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk IT managers and professionals work more unpaid overtime than any other group of employees in the UK, according to research by the TUC. Over 50% of IT managers worked an average of nine hours 18...

processors Small success for IBM in chip development.(International Business Machines Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 28, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk IBM researchers have found a way to extend a key chip manufacturing process that they expect will extend the life of current chip fabrication processes by up to seven years. This should enable...

working in finance Compliance drives IT training.
February 28, 2006... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Banks and insurance companies are spending more on training their IT staff to meet the demands of regulatory compliance, according to training provider Thomson NETg. Investment in IT training by...

mobile Ofcom auction clears path to local GSM.(Office of Communications (United Kingdom))(Brief Article)
February 28, 2006... Tash Shifrin computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Communications regulator Ofcom has launched its first spectrum auction, which will enable mobile operators to run low-power GSM services. Such services could allow the creation of local GSM...

servers Heat problem is undermining datacentre advances, says analyst.
February 28, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Heat problems are severely restricting the capacity of modern datacentres, and users need to address the problem urgently, an analyst has warned. IDC senior analyst Daniel Fleischer said,...

services Leeds Council set to unveil cutting-edge IP contact centre.
February 28, 2006... Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk Leeds City Council has rolled nine call centres into one by building a [pounds sterling]1.8m contact centre to house 250 agents and 70 back-office staff. The centre will be capable of handling more...

grid computing UK grid tackles climate change assessment.
February 28, 2006... Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk Oxford University, the Met Office and several other universities have developed a huge grid computer for the BBC to predict climate change up to 2080. The climateprediction.net experiment...