Computer Weekly articles from March 2006

Computer Weekly archives from March 2006

Awards From flexible working hours to career development programmes, we look at the most effective ways to create a environment in which staff work at their very best What makes a Best Place to Work in IT?
March 7, 2006... Julia Vowler computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Given the amount of time spent working, it stands to reason that most people want that experience to be as good as possible. But what are the factors that make an IT employer good to work for? ...

Roll up for biggest IT show on earth.(CeBit trade show)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... The world's largest technology trade show begins this Thursday, and will attract thousands of IT professionals to the showground in Hanover, Germany, to learn about the latest business hardware, software and services. The annual CeBit trade...

storage Users urged to move on beyond SAN.(storage area network)(CeBit exhibition)
March 7, 2006... Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk Data compliance and management issues have brought storage technologies to the fore at this year's CeBit exhibition. Analysts are recommending that visitors consider emerging storage...

IT directors balk at idea of financial penalties being used to accelerate large-scale schemes Forcing shared services on us will not work, warn council IT chiefs.
March 7, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Local authority IT directors have voiced opposition to Ian Watmore's announcement that large-scale shared services projects between councils will become mandatory. Senior IT management condemned...

the evolutionary approach.(voice over internet protocol application for business networks and private branch exchange)
March 7, 2006... Voice over IP is catching on. In a survey of more than 600 businesses carried out for BT last year, 37% of respondents said they had moved to a converged network in the past 12 months, with 43% using their local area networks for voice calls...

Retailer to show RFID applications.(Metro Group AG)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... German supermarket chain Metro Group will be demonstrating technology from its Future Store Initiative in the Auto ID/RFID in Hall 6. The retailer will be demonstrating innovative applications in radio frequency identification (RFID) on an area...

Financial services IT directors wary on compliance.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk Almost nine out of 10 IT directors working in the financial services sector say complying with regulatory requirements is crucial to their business, but only a minority are confident...

I.T training International standard aimed at improving quality of e-learning.(International Organization for Standardization)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Tash Shifrin computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk An international standard for e-learning courses could drive up the quality of work-based training for IT professionals. The standard - ISO/IEC 19796-1:2005, created by standards body ISO and...

software Organisations will need to update their IT architecture soon in preparation for the 64-bit version of Microsoft's e-mail, contacts and office collaboration platform Time to get ready for Exchange 12 upgrade.
March 7, 2006... Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk IT managers should start planning now for Microsoft Exchange 12, the next version of Microsoft's e-mail, contacts and office collaboration platform, IT analysts have advised. The biggest change...

Mobile Digital pen and paper delivers cost savings for medical company.(Medicals Direct Group)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Medical examinations company Medicals Direct is rolling out a digital pen and paper system to 500 nurses. Nurses employed by Medicals Direct carry out 15,000 to 16,000 medical examinations a...

software Renting an online CRM system can remove many of the headaches of an on-site installation - as long as concerns over trust and accessibility can be satisfied Remote possibilities increase for CRM.(customer relationship management software)
March 7, 2006... Eric Doyle computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Software as a service is one of the fastest-growing areas in IT and the main area of interest is customer relationship management (CRM) systems. The importance of this approach to delivering...

SERVERS Discounts up to 40% for IBM p5 570 users.(International Business Machines Corp.)(Power5+ server family)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Users have been urged to assess IBM's latest Power5+ server family because it includes an important discount, analyst Gartner has advised. Last month the hardware firm introduced a new family of...

Security Physical security used more on IP networks.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk IT directors are increasingly looking to install physical security such as biometrics and card readers to protect their IP networks. A survey of 100 companies conducted by Vanson Bourne for IT...

Software Microsoft's SMS 2003 R2 enters beta testing.(Systems Management Server 2003 R2)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Microsoft has launched Systems Management Server 2003 R2 into beta testing, and plans to commercially release the upgraded deployment platform around May. The R2 version has a new inventory...

Intel developer forum Intel's multicore PC chip pushes notebook performance a step closer to desktop levels.(Intel Corp.)(Core Duo)
March 7, 2006... The PC business got off to a good start this year with the launch of Intel's new Core Duo - the first mainstream PC chip to provide two processors on a single die, and the first Intel processor to appear in Apple Macintoshes. It's not a...

browser Explorer 7 is a move in the right direction.(Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0)(Column)
March 7, 2006... Microsoft has made Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) available in Beta 2 preview form to web developers and IT professionals for compatibility testing. So what should an IT department do about implementing IE7 in its company? This, like so many...

Fraud IBM software aims to tackle internal fraud.(International Business Machines Corp.)
March 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk IBM has released a new product that aims to tackle internal fraud conducted over company networks. The Identity Risk and Identification software analyses user activity on a network and looks...

Desktop computing Lenovo bundles IBM 'self-healing' software with own-branded PCs.(International Business Machines Corp.)(Lenovo Group Ltd.)
March 7, 2006... PCs expected to be popular with small and medium-sized companiesl Desktop and notebook family offers tools to help users cut IT costs Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk Chinese supplier Lenovo has begun selling its first...

contracts Whether you stay or go, outsourcing can open up new career opportunities IT transfer can provide a timely nudge for professionals to consider their next move.
March 7, 2006... John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The news that an employer is planning to transfer IT to a services company could be just the jolt IT specialists need to get them thinking about their careers and where they are going. And these...

Security ISS adds Cisco support to protect networks.(Cisco Systems Inc.)(Internet Security Systems Inc.)
March 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Internet Security Systems, a provider of pre-emptive, enterprise security, now supports Cisco's Network Admission Control (NAC) framework through its Proventia Desktop Endpoint Security product. ...

in brief.(nCipher Classified Document Security Appliance)(Proofpoint 4.0)(Software AG has introduced Crossvision)
March 7, 2006... in brief Tangosol Coherence has WebLogic integration Tangosol, a supplier of Data Grid technology for high-availability installations, has introduced the latest version of its Coherence 3.1 Java platform. Coherence provides in-memory...

printers Brother's network deal.(Brother International Europe Ltd. introduced HL-5200 series laser printers)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Brother is bundling network management software in its new HL-5200 range of mono laser printers to simplify the management of networked printers in large office spaces, The HL-5200 series offers...

FINANCial systems IT upgrades play key role in next stage of automated share trading.(algorithm trading)
March 7, 2006... Algorithmic trading strategies can now be formulated more quickly l Trading firms must be ready for huge increases in storage and bandwidth Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Algorithmic trading, a form of automated trading in the...

in brief.(Neil Balthaser of Balthaser Online company received US patents)(wide area networks outsourcing)(radio frequency identification equipment usage)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... US patent awarded for rich-media applications A tiny San Francisco website development company has been awarded a US patent covering the use of rich-media applications on the internet, which could signal the beginning of a big patent battle...

Services Back-up offer to universities.(United Kingdom Education and Research Networking Association)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Universities are being encouraged to back up their data with a system introduced by the United Kingdom Education and Research Networking Association. Ukerna has partnered outsourced managed...

sERVICE oRIENTED aRCHITECTURE IT buyers get chance to consider SOA options.(CeBit exhibition)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk IT managers attending CeBit will be able to weigh up their options to develop a service oriented architecture (SOA) strategy. SAP will be among the software platform suppliers to announce...

IN BRIEF.(Astaro AG and Utimaco Safeware AG demonstrates unified threat management appliances)(Fujitsu Ltd. demonstrates Palm Vein)(Patton Electronics Co. shows network software)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Early example of unified threat management With security still high on the agenda, US-based Astaro and Germany's Utimaco Safeware will demonstrate one of the first unified threat management (UTM) appliances. It combines strong encryption...

business intelligence Roles-based tools offer business users smarter and simpler analysis.(CeBit exhibition)
March 7, 2006... Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk User organisations searching for business intelligence (BI) developments at this week's CeBit exhibition in Hanover will find new tools that can carry out complex operations on changing business...

communications Softphone digs deeper.(Cycos introduced CyPhone, computer telephony integration software)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk CeBit 2006 will have many innovative examples of technologies that link communications and telephony into business systems. One company, Cycos, will demonstrate its CyPhone product, a computer...

software Future Travel switches to hosted service for virtual contact centre.(Smartnumbers software of Teamphone)
March 7, 2006... Home-based staff use Smartnumbers software to take bookingsl System improves performance reporting and saves costs Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk Future Travel, a division of the Co-op Travel Group, has upgraded...

Defra gives poultry power of speech.(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs introduced speech driven data capture service)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Poultry owners have been using a speech-driven data capture service to register their details with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as part of the government's efforts to tackle any outbreak of avian flu. All poultry...

Touch-screen kiosks take off at Airbus.(Airbus S.A.S. using Touch-screen kiosk terminals of 3M Touch Systems for its Airbus A380 )(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Touch-screen kiosk terminals have been installed in the production halls for the new Airbus A380 aircraft. More than 200 terminals, developed by 3M Touch Systems, will be used by Airbus engineers in Germany to access construction plans,...

RAD in step with online service needs.(Royal Academy of Dancing)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD)is to develop the online service it offers to its examination centres, registered teachers and members worldwide, after reinvesting in web-based membership software from CS Group. The RAD will use Profile...

case study The London Stock Exchange is in the final stage of an IT systems overhaul Stock Exchange begins year-long testing programme for new core trading system.(London Stock Exchange PLC testing Accenture in India's l System)
March 7, 2006... Team of 80 will test platform developed by Accenture in India l System designed to cope with growth in automated trading Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has finished developing a new core trading...

Why LSE went its own way for middleware.(London Stock Exchange PLC designed its own IBus middleware)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk The London Stock Exchange has chosen to build its own platform to link up its core systems, rather than buy commercial middleware. The LSE ran a complete review of commercial middleware platforms but...

news analysis London council responds to Audit Commission criticism of [pounds sterling]25m IT modernisation project by revamping procedures to ensure greater accountability Haringey draws up action plan on projects.
March 7, 2006... Tony Collins tony.collins@rbi.co.uk Anyone reading the report of the Audit Commission on a new infrastructure and IT systems upgrade for council staff in Haringey, north-east London, could conclude that the project had been managed...

Server swap helps to cut costs of IT overhaul.(London Stock Exchange PLC uses HP Proliant x64 server)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk A central aim of the IT overhaul at the London Stock Exchange has been to cut costs by 20% while developing a system that offered scalability, availability, agility and security. To help with the...

retail Chemists get managed broadband.
March 7, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk Pharmaceutical group Alliance UniChem is rolling out a managed broadband service to more than 3,000 independent pharmacies that it supplies in preparation for the launch of electronic...

Software P&O Ferries charts course for SOA to cast off duplication in systems.(service oriented architecture)(Cape Clear Software)
March 7, 2006... Ferry operator predicts project will pay for itself in two yearsl Cape Clear's ESB messaging middleware will manage services Lindsay Clark lindsay.clark@rbi.co.uk P&O Ferries is about to embark on a service-oriented architecture...

middleware Virgin Mobile uses new tool to test integration of Tibco middleware.(GH Tester from Green Hat)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Virgin Mobile is using a new tool to test integration within a service-oriented architecture. Francesca Kay, test manager at the company, said the tool, GH Tester from Green Hat, is being used to...

Security Small firms weak on IT protection.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk About 70% of small companies are ill-equipped to deal with IT security breaches, according to a National Computing Centre survey. Many small and medium-sized enterprises risk going out of...

software assurance Gartner backs SA for server deals.(Microsoft Corp.'s Software Assurance programme)(Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and VeriSign Inc. settlement)
March 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Microsoft will next week introduce the latest changes to Software Assurance, which it says will increase the value of its controversial licence scheme to corporate users. The changes add support,...

survey Growth in IT spending falls as larger firms tighten their belts.(survey by Kew Associates/ Computer Weekly )(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Kew/Computer Weekly survey shows downturn in IT spending in 2005l Larger companies are squeezing their IT budgets to raise profits Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Growth in IT spending fell at the end of 2005, reaching its...

security Corporate IT vulnerabilities are hitting record levels, says report.(by Symantec Corp.)
March 7, 2006... New vulnerabilities discovered at average of 10 a day, says specialistl Firms are advised to adopt multi-layered approach to security Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Businesses are under threat from organised criminal groups,...

Awards Use training for competitive edge, urges Price.(Karen Price of E-skills UK on Computer Weekly's Best Places to Work in IT awards)
March 7, 2006... Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk Giving IT staff the support and resources to continue adding to their skills makes crucial business sense in an era of growing competition, Karen Price, chief executive of E-skills UK,...

Britannia wins the best of the best award.(Britannia Building Society)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk The IT department of Britannia Building Society has been named overall winner of Computer Weekly's Best Places to Work in IT for 2006, following this year's search for organisations that...

business alignment IT still struggles with image in boardroom.(Economist Intelligence Unit survey)
March 7, 2006... Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk IT still has a poor reputation in many UK boardrooms, despite top-level awareness of the crucial role played by technology in global business. A survey of 555 global business heads...

government it Haringey in row over Tech Refresh.(Haringey Council information management program)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Tony Collins and Mike Simons tony.collins@rbi.co.uk Opposition members of Haringey Council in north-east London have accused the ruling party of giving evasive answers to questions about a [pounds sterling]24.6m "Tech Refresh" project...

Wireless Blackberry goes ERP.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Research in Motion has given its Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) support for web services to enable wireless access to enterprise systems such as SAP. The company's aim with the 4.1 release of...

Britannia rules at Best Places to Work in IT Awards 2006.(Britannia Building Society)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Christian Annesley christian.annesley@rbi.co.uk Britannia Building Society was the overall winner of Computer Weekly's Best Places to Work in IT Awards 2006, which were held last week at London's Park Lane Hotel. Now in their...

News.(British Telecommunications PLC withdraws bid from Department for Constitutional Affairs)(Audit Commission for Local Authorities in England and Wales has approved Walsall Council's decision to terminate partnership talks with Fujitsu Services)(Birmingham City Council has launched a website)
March 7, 2006... IN BRIEF Oracle releases critical patch ahead of schedule Oracle has released a critical security patch to fix a number of vulnerabilities in its E-Business Suite software. The patch has been released two months ahead of Oracle's...

Finance Lloyds' two-factor proves effective.(Lloyds TSB Group PLC)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk Lloyds TSB has cut fraud levels to zero for customers taking part in the UK's largest trial of two factor authentication technology for internet banking. The bank has reached the halfway point...

News.(International Travel Partnership signs services contract with Amadeus)(Carrefour signs RFID contract with Checkpoint Systems)(British Telecommunications PLC launch high speed broadband)
March 7, 2006... IN BRIEF Microsoft's new handheld to run XP Microsoft is due to unveil a new handheld device later this week at the CeBit trade show in Hanover, which will run the Windows XP operating system. Codenamed "Origami", it is expected to...

Retail DSGoutsources to Capita.(Capita Group PLC)(DSG International Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Will Hadfield will.hadfield@rbi.co.uk DSG International, owner of Dixons, PC World, Currys and The Link, has outsourced a 900-seat call centre to Capita in a [pounds sterling]120m seven-year deal. All 900 staff have transferred to...

Open source Alliance promotes open source in public sector.(OpenDocument Format Alliance)
March 7, 2006... Antony Savvas computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Around 30 academic institutions, professional bodies, companies and trade groups have formed the OpenDocument Format Alliance, to promote open source document standards in the public sector. ...

Charity Ball and walk lead the way for WCIT's fundraising.(Worshipful Company of Information Technologists)
March 7, 2006... Computer Weekly reporter computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Two events this year will enable the IT community to see at first hand how the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists (WCIT) acts as a hub for IT charitable activity in the...

The power of now.(business continuity and disaster recovery)
March 7, 2006... The worlds of disaster recovery and business continuity have become part of a much broader school of thinking that might more usefully be called business resilience. And the smaller company would be well advised to devote some time to the...

make sure it is business as usual.(disaster recovery management)
March 7, 2006... Physical disasters such as last December's explosion at the Buncefield oil depot hit the headlines and prompt the realisation among business people that catastrophes need to be a key element of all strategic planning, especially as even small...

MOBILEIT More and more companies are providing mobile devices for their staff, but strategies must be put in place to manage security and control systems effectively Security the priority for mobile workforce.
March 7, 2006... Putting in place an organisation-wide mobility strategy will rise up the IT department agenda in 2006 and this, I am afraid, will cause pain. In many large enterprises, about 20% of the workforce has a company-provided mobile device. That...

information mining Search tools to exploit growth of groupware.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk Software to help companies communicate and share information more efficiently will feature strongly at this year's CeBit technology conference. Groupware and collaboration technology encompasses...

IT Services, including Outsource Providers.(Imerja Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Imerja Number of IT professionals: 9 Number of staff supported: 14 A key distinguishing factor of Imerja, based on its foundation of strong ethical principles and key core values, is its determination to allow staff to take the...

Central and Local Government.(Her Majesty's Land Registry)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Land Registry Number of IT professionals: 339 Number of staff supported: 9,000 Land Registry is a fast growing organisation and runs the world's largest online transactional databases, 35Tbytes mirrored across multiple sites, used...

Construction, Agriculture & Mining.(WSP Group PLC)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... WSP Group Number of IT professionals: 40 Number of staff supported: 2,424 WSP's aim is to be seen as an attractive employer for IT. It aims to achieve this with a combination of competitive remuneration packages - supplemented...

Other Public Sector & Non-Profit Sector.(Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Number of IT professionals: 66 Number of staff supported: 1,500 One of the key benefits of working for a charitable or voluntary organisation is the psychologically reassuring knowledge...

Utilities & Communications.(Kingston Communications (Hull) PLC)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Judges' Special Award: Kingston Communications (Hull) Number of IT professionals: 198 Number of staff supported: 2,500 Kingston Communications places particular emphasis on the quality of its IT management, and has invested...

IT Software & Hardware.(Compuware)
March 7, 2006... Compuware Number of IT professionals: 7 Number of staff supported: 430 As the internal IT function for a software company, the IT staff at Compuware serve a twin purpose of providing first-user experience of the company's own...

Media, Hospitality, Entertainment & Leisure.(Yell Group)
March 7, 2006... Yell Number of IT professionals: 220 Number of staff supported: 3,820 With one of the most recognisable brand names in the country - Yellow Pages is an official "superbrand" - Yell is also one of only 24 companies that the...

Business Services.(Eaga Partnership)
March 7, 2006... Eaga Partnership Number of IT professionals: 30 Number of staff supported: 1,250 Eaga demonstrates a work hard/play hard ethos that shows up across the company, including IT. The company is owned by its 1,250 employees, so there...

Retail, Wholesale & Distribution.(Past Times )
March 7, 2006... Past Times Number of IT professionals: 15 Number of staff supported: 1,500 The self-avowed challenge for Past Times is to do a lot of IT for little money. As a small company with big pressures, high demands and very tight money...

the pick of the bunch.(Best Places to Work in IT Awards 2006)
March 7, 2006... The Best Places to Work in IT Awards 2006 were announced at the Park Lane Hotel in London on 1 March. We profile the winners, whose effective and innovative employment practice has put their IT departments at the top of the list. The...

security Identity management is set to top the agenda at CeBit show.
March 7, 2006... Arif Mohamed arif.mohamed@rbi.co.uk Security will be top of the agenda at the CeBit exhibition and conference which opens in Hanover later this week. Analysts saying that identity management will be the key technology that users need...

The Best of the Best.(Britannia Building Society appreciated for its information technology management)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2006... Britannia Building Society Number of IT professionals: 240 Number of staff supported: 4,200 As this year's Best of the Best, Britannia Building Society wins its accolade by an across the board attention to a wide range of factors...

Manufacturing & Engineering.
March 7, 2006... Kimberly-Clark Number of IT professionals: 173 Number of staff supported: 5,500 As the IT function for an international company, fielding a global IT team, Kimberly-Clark needs to ensure that the service it provides meets...

Next move.(Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician course)(Brief article)
March 7, 2006... The question Is a Microsoft Technician course the best way into IT? I am seeking my first step on the IT ladder in a front-line desktop support role, and am considering becoming a Microsoft Certified Desktop Support...

Case study Managed service option proved too costly when force needed a comms upgrade Do-it-yourself converged voice and data network cuts telephone bill for Kent Police.
March 7, 2006... Helen Beckett computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The Kent Police Force is an enthusiastic advocate of do-it-yourself when it comes to managing voice and data networks - for the sound reason that it is cheaper. Recent experience of migrating to...

Case study BMRB rolls out VoIP and looks ahead to fully integrated network services Enhanced management and cost advantage set market research firm on the VoIP route.(British Market Research Bureau)
March 7, 2006... Helen Beckett computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk For market research agencies, the telephone is a crucial instrument in conducting business, and the potential benefits of adopting voice over IP (VoIP) systems were scrutinised early on. For...

Inside the BCS Covering security from the cradle to the grave.(British Computer Society)(Brief article)
March 7, 2006... This year's BCS-ISSG (BCS Information Security Specialist Group) Annual Conference on 30-31 March will be looking at "The seven ages of InfoSec", covering information security issues from the cradle to the grave. With a number of keynotes,...

British Computer Society Asset management can offer base to calculate budgets and contracts.
March 7, 2006... Most large organisations do not actually know what IT assets they have or who is looking after them. However, a proper process of inventory, investigation and improvement can provide real gains in value and productivity. This is a theme which...

Hot skills Open source status threatened by interest from Oracle JBoss Java application server in great demand by enterprise users.
March 7, 2006... Nick Langley computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk What is it? There are all sorts of ways of defining market share. IBM may dominate the "application deployment server market", followed by BEA and Oracle, but JBoss claims "the most widely...

Shared services can't be forced.(management of government employees)
March 7, 2006... Central government is in danger of making a grave mistake if it forces local authorities to adopt shared services against their will. You would be hard-pressed to find a single IT professional who did not think shared services are, in...

Letters.
March 7, 2006... Students view IT as just a job, not a career Peter Robertshaw Oracle DBA BT Consulting With regard to your leader "One degree under" (Computer Weekly, 21 February), is Computer Weekly genuinely surprised at the fall in...

Outsourcing If other remedies fail and you must terminate your deal, it is not a good time to find that contract flaws create major problems in achieving a successful handover Don't let it end in tears - check the details.
March 7, 2006... Although the market for outsourcing services is now well established across various industry sectors and the contracts used to support such services have evolved significantly in the past ten years to reach relative stability and maturity, it...

Global coverage will be key to services partnerships Source of transformation.
March 7, 2006... There are so many models of sourcing - from business process outsourcing to offshore; application service providers to supply chain management - that many decision-makers are unsure of the best way to move forward. It may be easier to hand...

Gartner Midsize Enterprise Summit Europe Gartner addresses midsize needs.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2006... Computer Weekly reporter computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The IT director's role in using scarce IT resources to solve both immediate and long-term business needs will be the theme of the Gartner Midsize Enterprise Summit Europe, at...