Computer Weekly articles from January 2005

Computer Weekly archives from January 2005

Time to mobilise your business.(mobile computing in business)
January 11, 2005... Mobile phones have gone forth and multiplied to the point that in some places they have become a nuisance which requires a banning order. Meanwhile, mobile computing lags behind, with most end-users still chained to their desktops. But the...

British Computer Society ; Experiment shows users readily reveal info that could aid hackers.
January 11, 2005... John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk It is easy to get people to divulge information that could be used to break into computer systems, a simple experiment in social engineering at Liverpool John Moores University has revealed. ...

Inside the bcs; BCS sets this year's coding challenge.(British Computer Society)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Teams of IT professionals and students are being invited to pit their skills against each other by entering the annual BCS Programming Competition. The competition is open to teams of...

enterprise software; Victorious Oracle's pledge on PeopleSoft.
January 11, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Oracle's [pounds sterling]5.5bn takeover of rival ERP supplier PeopleSoft at the end of last year will affect the future IT strategy of thousands of PeopleSoft and former JD Edwards users across the...

Legislation The board will be legally required to protect the business from known risks; Define IT risks to the company to comply with new business continuity legislation.
January 11, 2005... Marcus HillOpinion Is your board taking adequate measures to avoid risks to your company? Apparently not, according to a report released in 2004 by the Chartered Management Institute, which found that three out of four directors are...

Prince 2 and ITIL are on the rise as users seek to boost efficiency.(Projects in Controlled Environments, Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
January 11, 2005... l A drive for corporate efficiency has boosted project managementl Longhorn is expected to trigger a host of new operating system courses KarenGomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Project management and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) skills...

Outsourcing The IT Infrastructure Library methodology can help IT departments calculate how effective their service is compared with offerings from external suppliers; Common sense standard boosts efficiency.
January 11, 2005... Richard Foden Opinion The IT industry has a track record of producing acronyms that fail to live up to their initial hype. Fortunately, one four-letter acronym has largely kept its promise: ITIL, or the IT Infrastructure Library. ...

IN BRIEF.(Phil Sayer, Communications Management Association)
January 11, 2005... New CMA chairman to put pressure on Ofcom Phil Sayer is the new chairman of the Communications Management Association as the organisation plans to further pressure regulator Ofcom and the government over the poor state of UK broadband. The...

IT professional makes shortlist for Britain's 'skills Olympics' team.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk An IT professional has made it to the shortlist for the UK team that will compete in the annual "skills Olympics" in Finland. Steven Parrot, who until recently worked for ICT Education in London,...

NPfIT timetables set before wide consultation.(national programme for information technology)
January 11, 2005... But the documents launched the programme and set timetables before the full implications were known and before there had been widespread consultation with clinicians. After Granger joined, the output specifications expanded to about 800 pages....

Offshore ITdeals fuel key skills pay hike.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk Employer concerns about losing key IT staff and problems with offshore outsourcing deals are pushing up salaries for a handful of skills, a major survey has revealed. The survey of 45,000 IT staff...

IT professional sets up ageism support group.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk An IT professional with nearly 30 years' experience has set up a support group to combat ageism in the industry. Tony Wells, 49, decided to form the group after his letter about ageism in IT...

A year of change on the desktop.(personal computers)
January 11, 2005... This should be an interesting year in the PC market, because many of the people who are least able to cope with change will suddenly be faced with lots of it. In fact, the companies at the tail end of the PC upgrade cycle - the risk-averse...

in brief.(computer industry news)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Netcraft offers free anti-phishing toolbar Web consultancy Netcraft has developed a free-of-charge anti-phishing toolbar to help prevent corporate and domestic users falling prey to fake bank websites. The Netcraft Toolbar uses the...

RIM signs up support.(Research In Motion contracts with smartphone makers)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Research In Motion has signed up a number of third-party smartphone makers to support its Blackberry wireless e-mail system in a bid to offer business users a greater choice of devices. ...

AMR predicts merger of ERP apps and IT infrastructure to cut costs.(AMR Research)(enterprise resource planning applications)
January 11, 2005... l Analyst firm says 80% of IT budget is spent managing myriad systemsl "Applistructure" cuts number of suppliers and boosts business flexibility Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Over the next two years businesses will merge...

Analyst firms consolidate as users keep tight hold of purse strings.(Gartner and Meta merge, Datamonitor to acquire Butler Group)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Gartner and Meta, two of the largest US-based IT analyst firms, have agreed to merge in an [pounds sterling]86m cash deal. Meanwhile, UK analyst Datamonitor is to acquire Butler Group, also...

How Xansa's pioneering IT dame led way for women.(Hilary Cropper )(Brief Article)(Obituary)
January 11, 2005... Karen Gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Hilary Cropper, former chief executive of IT services company Xansa, director of Barclays Bank, and one of the most prominent women in IT, died at the end of last month, aged 63. Cropper became...

best places to work; UK's best ITworkplaces make the shortlist.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Next week Computer Weekly will reveal the IT departments shortlisted for the Best Places to Work in IT Awards 2005 - the only UK awards dedicated to highlighting and rewarding employment best practice in the IT industry. All the IT...

Reuters calls on NetSec to meet its ITsecurity monitoring needs.(Reuters Group PLC)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Reuters has signed up managed security company NetSec to handle its security monitoring and ensure its IT meets the security requirements set by its clients. The global information provider...

Admiral automates tests to aid upgrades and fixes.(Admiral Insurance Group)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... l Insurance group installs software to improve efficiency of app testingl Tool frees end-users from the testing process for upgrades and patches Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Insurance company Admiral Group has developed a...

Anticipate risks from IT supplier mergers.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Lindsay Clark computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Corporate IT users will inevitably be concerned when faced with IT supplier consolidation. They need to develop strategies to mitigate potential risk, according to Philip Carnelley, research...

Symantec takeover of Veritas may open new dimensions of security.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Along with PeopleSoft and Oracle, the industry witnessed another mega deal at the end of last year when anti-virus supplier Symantec announced a [pounds sterling]7.2bn acquisition of Veritas. ...

Demand for IT staff with business skills to increase.
January 11, 2005... l Managers want staff for networks, e-commerce and security projectsl Recruitment freeze has led to a shortage of experienced IT staff Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk There will be an upsurge in demand for IT professionals...

security; Security leaders create blueprint for raising professional standards.
January 11, 2005... l Top CIOs back creation of IT security institutel Blueprint slams current piecemeal approachl Institute would accredit exams and ethics code Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Senior IT security professionals are pressing for...

Microsoft to offer hybrid 64/32-bit XP.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Cliff Saran and Antony Savvas cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Microsoft has scaled back development work on a version of Windows XP for high-end 64-bit Itanium-based workstations to offer its "x64" hybrid 64-bit/32-bit operating system on...

e-business; Online sales up 64% on Xmas 2003.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Karen Gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Online sales took off at Christmas, with online retailer Amazon recording its largest number of shipments to date. It dispatched more than 400,000 items on its busiest day. The UK's largest internet...

Adobe software tracks electronic documents.(Acrobat 7.0 Professional)(Livecycle Policy Server)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Adobe has launched its Livecycle Policy Server security software to help companies control and monitor electronic document usage inside or outside their firewalls. The software can be used...

tsunami disaster; Industry rallies to disaster victims.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk The IT industry has been offering technical help and donations to aid the relief effort in south east Asia following the tsunami that hit the region on Boxing Day. IT professionals across the UK...

CIO Council to rate project success.(chief information officers council)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Tony Collins tony.collins@rbi.co.uk A new super-group of government chief information officers was expected to discuss how to improve the success rate of large IT projects at its first meeting last Friday. The CIO Council has been...

NHS IT plan ignored the practicalities.(National Health Service's 21st Century IT plans)
January 11, 2005... Tony Collins tony.collins@rbi.co.uk The world's biggest civil computer project, the IT-led modernisation of the NHS, was launched without a full understanding of its engineering implications, Computer Weekly has learned. The...

Heat is on IT directors to boost the business in 2005.
January 11, 2005... Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk Flexibility in the face of uncertainty and delivering more value to the business are set to be the key tasks for IT directors in 2005. Despite the recovery in IT spending, IT directors should ensure...

Cost Control in a mobile world.(management )
January 11, 2005... As more workers require mobile access to corporate systems from home or on the road, support costs can spiral. Jessica Twentyman maps out ways to understand these costs, minimise them, and justify the expense to the board The mobile...

Lloyds TSB set to sign major Fujitsu contract.(Lloyds TSB Group PLC. )(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Lloyds TSB is set to sign a multimillion-pound desktop outsourcing contract with Fujitsu Services. The move will involve the transfer of about 200 staff (including 30 temporary workers) to...

NEXT MOVE.(career counsel)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... The question Where can I get practical experience? What is the best way to secure a job in IT? After graduating with a 2:1 degree in computer studies, finding a job has proved unsuccessful. I am told I do not have commercial...

Socitm warns that councils' IT systems are not ready for Freedom of Information Act.
January 11, 2005... l Socitm says some councils will be preparing systems late into the yearl It encourages councils to not allow responsibility to fall to the head of IT Lindsay Clark computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Some local authorities do not have the...

Clarity, not speed, makes Python an ideal language for beginners.
January 11, 2005... Nick Langley computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk What is it? Python is a scripting language that can be learned quickly using tutorials and other material available free on the internet. Like Perl, PHP and TCL, Python comes from the...

Callers pushed to web to cut costs.(call centers to be closed)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2005... The National Outsourcing Association has predicted that in 2005 many services companies will scale back their call centres because they are too expensive. Martyn Hart, chairman of the NOA, which represents user and supplier organisations,...

building.(Response Maintenance & Building Services recieved award)(use of information technology)
January 11, 2005... a mobile workforce When a building services firm wanted to monitor its activities and stock levels and gain an overall view of the business, it put its supplier to the task of developing a system that could be used by its staff and...

e-business Calculate costs, efficiencies and potential growth to get the most from the web; How do I use the web to generate business?(ofiicials say)
January 11, 2005... Our company is successfully using IT for administrative and management functions but we are failing to use it to develop new business. What are the main technical and business considerations in establishing an e-commerce initiative? ...

untangle the web.(regulations for the websites)
January 11, 2005... Callum Sinclair Opinion The web can be a great equaliser for SMEs which, with a professional website, can set out their wares in competition with larger businesses. However, the web is no longer the unregulated anarchic environment it...

IT challenges for 2005.
January 11, 2005... The foremost area of concern for IT directors in 2005 must be uncertainty in the business environment. In the UK we have seen economic recovery, with an attendant increase in IT spend. Economic forecasters are predicting a decline towards the...

Rise of the digital mafia.
January 25, 2005... A frightening online development is the increasing involvement of organised crime groups in internet scams. It represents a significant challenge for corporate IT to defend against as threats - particularly theft of confidential company data...

More young IT staff turning to BCS for professional recognition.(British Computer Society)
January 25, 2005... John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Young IT staff are increasingly seeking professional recognition by joining the BCS, according to figures showing a big drop in the average age of members since the society introduced a revamped...

Latest edition of glossary lifts the lid on IT jargon.(a dictionary from British Computer Society)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk More than 3,000 computing terms are explained in the 11th edition of the BCS Glossary of ICT and Computing Terms, which has just been published. The glossary has been a standard for...

IN BRIEF.
January 25, 2005... Isle of Man to roll out voice and data network The Isle of Man government is to install a [pounds sterling]5m converged voice and data infrastructure, called Connect Mann. Dimension Data Holdings and Manx Telecom will build the network over...

Lotus users demand reasons for upgrading.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Users of Lotus Notes and Domino will this week question whether to upgrade to forthcoming versions of the e-mail and groupware products, at the annual Lotus user conference in Orlando. Some...

Virtual office block tests show scalability of wireless local area network technology.
January 25, 2005... Ask any doubters of wireless Lan (WLan) technology what the key potential problem is and chances are they will say scalability. WLan technology is still in its infancy, and most deployment has either been in the home or in public "hotspot"...

Securing your networks against the risk of rogue wireless access is no longer optional.
January 25, 2005... Alison Connolly computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Wireless technology is becoming ever more popular, both in the business world and with consumers. The ease with which wireless access points can be installed and the risk of unauthorised access...

Put safeguards in place now to avoid problems with future converged networks.
January 25, 2005... No one questions the critical role of IP networks in today's business environment. Few organisations can function without e-mail, to say nothing of the integrated applications powering front-end and back-end processes. The emergence of new...

Politics and IT: a difficult mix.(disagreement of National Audit Office on usage of Choose and Book system)
January 25, 2005... The dangers of mixing politics and IT projects are clearly illustrated by the reaction of ministers and senior civil servants to the National Audit Office report on patient choice in the NHS. The Department of Health tried to brush aside...

Early warning of Choose & Book flaws could help ensure success.(about new technology in health care industry)
January 25, 2005... Tony Collins tony.collins@rbi.co.uk The release of the National Audit Office report on the NHS' Choose and Book system before the project has ended marks a major departure from past practice. Previously, auditors have examined...

Calumet puts higher bandwidth in the frame.(Calumet Photographic Inc.)
January 25, 2005... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Calumet, a supplier of professional photographic products, has overhauled its voice and data wide area network to give customers a better service from retail outlets and call centres. Its old...

in brief.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... 3Com network switch offers PoE to SMEs 3Com is targeting SMEs with an enterprise-class network switch, the 3Com Baseline Switch 2226-PWR Plus. The web-configurable switch offers a high level of network control and enables smaller firms to...

Nokia introduces VPN gateways for mobile staff.(virtual private networks)
January 25, 2005... l Four VPN gateway appliances are designed for small and large firmsl Nokia plans to charge per gateway, rather than by number of users Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Nokia has bolstered its mobile enterprise strategy with...

Most IT staff plan to hop to the top.(job hopping, survey)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Job hopping is the career strategy preferred by most IT professionals, a survey of 225 IT staff by recruitment company Hudson has revealed. Despite growing demands from employers for IT...

in brief.
January 25, 2005... CA updates desktop management software Computer Associates has released Unicenter Desktop DNA r11, the first update to its desktop management software since it bought Miramar Systems. The Desktop DNA tool captures application and system...

Mobile speech software to benefit blind users.
January 25, 2005... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk New mobile phone speech software is poised to improve the working lives of many blind and visually impaired users, giving them access to SMS, e-mail, Wap services, contact lists and other mobile...

Interwoven web content tool aims to take pressure off IT department.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Enterprise content management software supplier Interwoven has introduced a tool to help end-users manage their websites. Livesite Content Publishing Server creates, deploys and manages...

Compliance demands set to drive storage management innovation.
January 25, 2005... l Information lifecycle management expected to take off in 2005 l EMC, Veritas and Cisco have all upgraded their data storage products Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The storage industry is set to offer a host of products...

Compuware updates Java tools.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Software development tools manufacturer Compuware is updating its Java family with new versions of its OptimalJ, Devpartner and Vantage enterprise tools. OptimalJ will allow developers to model...

Patent directive could mean less software choice and more red tape for IT directors.
January 25, 2005... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Plans to introduce European-wide laws on computer software patents have unleashed a storm of controversy as rival political groups argue about the impact they could have on the cost and availability...

IT key to stock exchange takeover.(Deutsche Borse AG, London Stock Exchange PLC, acquisition)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk The Deutsche Borse stock exchange will need to win approval from investment banks and regulators for possible changes to trading technology at the London Stock Exchange if its planned takeover is to be...

HP steps up moves to standardise on 64-bit servers with Itanium.(Hewlett-Packard Co. introduces operating system)
January 25, 2005... l HP users urged to migrate to Itanium chipl HP-UX Linux, Windows and Open VMS availablel Scalability of 32-bit Xeon is limited, HP warns Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Hewlett-Packard has taken the next step in its strategy to...

ISP acts to stop denial of service threat.(internet service providers, COLT Telecom Group PLC)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Telecoms and internet service company Colt is rolling out technology to protect its international networks and its customers from denial of service attacks, following a spate of extortion attempts...

Progress reports gave few hints of problems.(criticism by National Audit Office for the Choose and Book service)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Tony Collins tony.collins@rbi.co.uk Statements made in the past by the Department of Health about Choose and Book and other projects in the national programme for IT have been largely positive, in contrast to the criticisms made by the...

DoH response fails to acknowledge criticism.(Department of Health )(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Tony Collins tony.collins@rbi.co.uk The response of the Department of Health to last week's report by the National Audit Office on Choose and Book makes no acknowledgement of the criticisms and concerns of auditors. Health...

Government urged to aid compliance.(rules on information technology services industry)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk IT professionals and business groups are calling on the government to co-ordinate a rising tide of compliance regulations as IT departments grapple with their implications for companies'...

HBOS to streamline storage in [pounds sterling]35m deal.(Halifax Bank of Scotland, Storage Technology Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Arif Mohamed compute.weekly@rbi.co.uk Halifax Bank of Scotland has signed a [pounds sterling]35m deal with storage supplier StorageTek for storage hardware and datacentre management services. The agreement will help the bank...

Pharmacy foils fraud.(IntelliQ, Lloydspharmacy, contract)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Karen Gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Lloydspharmacy has adopted a loss prevention system across its 1,360 pharmacies to cut back on losses from staff fraud and transaction errors. The firm deployed IntelliQ's Retailkey LP loss...

Oracle outlines eight-year PeopleSoft plan.
January 25, 2005... l Oracle to retain 90% of PeopleSoft's support and development staffl New version of PeopleSoft Enterprise 9.0 to be released Computer Weekly reporters computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Oracle has given a public commitment that it will...

Top users' security manifesto aims to close gaps in supplier offerings.
January 25, 2005... l User group to issue guidelines to help suppliers boost securityl Companies aim to get commitment from suppliers in six months Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk User group the Jericho Forum, whose members include more than 50...

IN BRIEF.
January 25, 2005... Banks see number of phishing attacks soar Banks and financial services companies are bearing the brunt of online phishing attempts, attracting 85% of attacks, research by industry body the Anti-Phishing Working Group has revealed. In...

Retailers see 2005 as year of RFID.(radio frequency identification)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Arif Mohamed computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Leading retailers will gather at a major radio frequency identification conference in London this week to debate how they can maximise return on investment from the tagging technology. Among...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
January 25, 2005... Why does UKadd pain with ECDL time limit? Phil Collins IHC readiness PM, NHS With the widespread adoption of the computer skills certification programme, the European computer driving licence (ECDL), in the public sector and the...

e-commerce: ; BOOMORBUST?(maintenance of consumer confidence )
January 25, 2005... Dotcom trading is enjoying a boom, but its future depends on maintaining consumer trust. Lindsay Nicolle reports on the threats to confidence in online security Like the Wild West, the internet has been largely tamed. But it still has more...

HP sets up 'noisy lab' for RFID testing.(radio frequency identification, Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Hewlett-Packard is opening a "noisy lab" in Omaha to drive development of radio frequency identification tagging technology. The lab was described by HP as one of the most advanced in the...

NEXT MOVE.(career question)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... The question How can I capitalise on my IT experience? I am unemployed and do not know in which direction I should go. The kind of positions I am looking for include technical author, IT trainer and web content creator, and I...

Support brings out the best in staff.(employee motivation schemes)
January 25, 2005... Innovative schemes enable our shortlisted organisations to inspire their employees through continued professional development Computer Weekly's Best Places to Work in IT 2005 Awards are designed to spotlight those organisations which...

Visual Studio .net could help you get to grips with more languages.
January 25, 2005... Nick Langley computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk What is it? Visual Studio .net is Microsoft's integrated development environment for the Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual C# and Visual J# programming languages. Before the .net tag was...

Government offers [pounds sterling]95m carrot to promote its e-booking system.
January 25, 2005... Tony Collins tony.collins@rbi.co.uk The health secretary John Reid has announced a [pounds sterling]95m "reward" scheme which can be used to pay doctors as an incentive to use new electronic booking systems. The Department of...