Computer Weekly articles from May 2003

Computer Weekly archives from May 2003

NEXT MOVE.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... The question Employers will not look at my CV I am an Indian national with a degree in computer science and engineering. I have 18 months' experience in software development as an assistant systems engineer at Tata Consultancy...

Independent project reviews reduce IT disasters to save Whitehall [pounds sterling]500m a year.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... British computer society New initiatives are boosting efficiency in government projects John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk New discipline in managing government IT projects is starting to pay off, with the prospect of...

E-learning firm offers computer science MSc to graduates worldwide via the web.
May 6, 2003... IT lessons UKeU offers University of Hertfordshire computer masters course online careersRoss Bentley ross.bentley@rbi.co.uk UK eUniversities, a government-backed company that provides online degrees from UK colleges to students...

A skilled workforce is the best investment.
May 6, 2003... Businesses need to shift from training as a separate activity to ongoing on-the-job learning BYLINE: Gerwyn Davies Opinion The continued fall in unemployment remains one of the most enigmatic features of the current economic...

Demand for CRM skills rises 19%.
May 6, 2003... hot skills In the SSP/CW list of top IT skills, CRM is number 35 What is it? Customer relationship management began as a fancy label for the products telesales and service centres used to link calls with customer records. The CRM boom...

virtual evidence.
May 6, 2003... The scene of a cybercrime needs to be secured just like the scene of any other crime. Karl Cushing finds out what you should and should not do to protect vital evidence Clifford May, computer forensic investigator at IT security specialist...

Fastest time for Cisco and Aironet.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... The ability of wireless networking to get away from the starting line quickly and scale hurdles was shown when the organisers of the Badminton Horse Trials got an 802.11b network up and running in just two days. The results from the event -...

Coal Authority cuts costs and speeds up delivery of homebuyer subsidence reports.
May 6, 2003... smart projects The Coal Authority updates its mining report system Ross Bentley ross.bentley@rbi.co.uk The Coal Authority has implemented a new computer system to help potential house buyers quickly find out whether properties are...

Offshore deals or employees: you decide.
May 6, 2003... offshore outsourcing The European market for outsourcing overseas is set to grow by 40% this year, but there are issues IT chiefs should know about before taking the plunge Julia Vowler computerweekly@rbi.co.uk A growing number of...

web services; JP Morgan pioneers real-world web applications for end-users.
May 6, 2003... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk With technology standards still in development, web services can seem like blue-sky technology, at least a year or so away from being commercially viable. However, while some businesses are giving web...

software patches; Microsoft issues patch for security flaw in NT4.0 after six-week wait.
May 6, 2003... Karl Cushing karl.cushing@rbi.co.uk Microsoft has finally issued a software patch for a major flaw in NT4.0 that enables hackers to take over servers via the internet, after keeping users waiting for six weeks. The vulnerability...

Securing more than a return on investment.(Interview)
May 6, 2003... interview Art Coviello, chief executive at RSA Security, believes that investing in IT security measures for areas such as remote access can bring a dual advantage for firms Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk IT security has...

windows 2003; Sea Containers moves to Win2003.
May 6, 2003... Antony Adshead antony.adshead@rbi.co.uk Multinational transport and services giant Sea Containers has completed the first stage in a multimillion-poundMicrosoft Windows 2003 Active Directory migration project. The move to Windows...

64-bit computing; Testing times ahead in 64-bit server migration.
May 6, 2003... James Rogers james.rogers@rbi.co.uk Mid-range server users will have to endure extensive systems testing to ensure a smooth transition to Intel's forthcoming Madison processor. The launch of Madison, the next product in Intel's...

software ; MS delays Office launch.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Karl Cushing karl.cushing@rbi.co.uk Microsoft is to delay the launch of Office 2003 to carry out more "improvements" following negative feedback from users beta testing the software. The company had planned to release the latest...

Analysts face a shakeout.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Firms are learning they have to meet IT bosses' needs BYLINE: Duncan Chapple Opinion Until recently, analyst firms such as Gartner and Ovum controlled the complicated triangle between technology users, suppliers and analysts. Now...

UK IT professionals need to carve a new niche.
May 6, 2003... Ross Bentley ross.bentley@rbi.co.uk IT professionals in the UK will need to move away from pure technical skills and gain management and business competencies as the amount of IT outsourced to external service providers increases. ...

IT jobs ; Industry sees first rise in number of job vacancies since April 2001.
May 6, 2003... Karl Cushing karl.cushing@rbi.co.uk The number of IT job vacancies advertised in the UK increased by 2.8% in the first quarter of 2003, marking the first quarter-on-quarter increase since April 2001. However, industry experts have...

Council workers in West End get wireless network access.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Westminster City Council is to pilot a wireless network for its employees and the public which could result in a pound sterling15m borough-wide roll-out. A number of "smartbox" 802.11b wireless access points will be installed on streets in...

ERP; Premier consolidates ERP to save [pounds sterling]200,000 pa.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Antony Adshead antony.adshead@rbi.co.uk Premier Foods has successfully completed the first stages of an enterprise software consolidation project that it anticipates will save pound sterling200,000 a year. The company, which makes...

Common integrated IT infrastructure will facilitate cross-border payments in the EU.
May 6, 2003... financial services A standard payments system for countries in the European Union could reduce costs and allow banks to offer more sophisticated services Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk The expansion of the European Union last...

Sending development work offshore gives companies an edge in a cutthroat market.
May 6, 2003... offshore outsourcing UKsupermarket chain Somerfield has made significant efficiency gains and saved pound sterling1m by outsourcing its complex development work to India Daniel Thomas daniel.thomas@rbi.co.uk Offshore outsourcing...

Effective local initiatives in danger of being cut short in favour of national NHS IT plan.
May 6, 2003... NHS IT A world-renowned professor of telemedicine warns that health IT professionals are feeling ignored and fear the NHS IT programme will override local projects Mike Simons mike.simons@rbi.co.uk Narasimha-Moorthy Shastry,...

e-government; New Socitm chief makes e-gov plea.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... James Rogers james.rogers@rbi.co.uk Fahri Zihni, the new president of the Society of IT Management, has called for greater dialogue between central and local government as councils push towards making services available online. ...

local government; Councils are a great place to work in IT, says Socitm.
May 6, 2003... James Rogers james.rogers@rbi.co.uk Local authority IT departments are a great place to work if you are an IT professional looking to pick up a wide range of skills, according to officials at the Society of IT Management. Speaking...

e-commerce; Online age verification scheme will protect children and cut fraud.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Daniel Thomas daniel.thomas@rbi.co.uk A new online age verification scheme designed to prevent fraud and protect children promises to help online retailers' increase sales of age-restricted services by allowing people who do not have...

software; College set to make savings with trailblazing Office 2003 roll-out.
May 6, 2003... Karl Cushing karl.cushing@rbi.co.uk Northumberland College has embarked on a pre-release roll-out of Office 2003 in the hope it will lower administration overheads and enable it to make better use of government funding. The...

disaster recovery; Terror attacks prompt Foreign Office to scrap [pounds sterling]23m IT project.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... James Rogers james.rogers@rbi.co.uk The Foreign Office's decision to scrap a pound sterling23m IT project following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the UShas highlighted the importance of effective disaster recovery...

cybercrime; Fluffi Bunni hacker suspect had been on Siemens' staff for a year.
May 6, 2003... l Police swoop after spotting notorious hacker working at exhibitionl Suspect was manning stand of IT consultancy with MI5 links Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk IT security suppliers Siemens Communications and Insight...

open source; Nottingham City Council rolls out open source e-mail system at [pounds sterling]8 per user per year.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Nottingham City Council has implemented an open source e-mail system for 7,500 staff at an average cost of pound sterling8 per user per year. Richard Heggs, systems analyst at the council, said it...

public sector; MP calls for damning report on criminal records IT to be released.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Parliamentary reporter computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk The government may publish a confidential IT consultancy report into the Criminal Records Bureau computer fiasco. Home Office minister Hilary Benn promised to look into whether a...

intranets; Content management system cuts Interbrew HR admin time by 50%.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Daniel Thomas daniel.thomas@rbi.co.uk The UK arm of global brewing company Interbrew has almost completed the roll-out of a new company-wide intranet, which has already cut administration time for the human resources department by 50%....

software licensing; Licence deals pay off for Whitehall.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Parliamentary reporter computerweekly@rbi.co.uk Government departments have been told by the National Audit Office to make more use of new agreements between the Office of Government Commerce and major suppliers such as Microsoft, to...

MG Rover ditches legacyIT for streamlined model.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Standardisation to cut pound sterling14m from car maker's annual budget by 2007 Myriad of legacy systems dumped for single ERP solutionl Nine discrete e-mail systems replaced by Microsoft Exchange Antony Adshead ...

individual learning accounts ; Training firms sue education department.
May 6, 2003... l 180 companies join forces to launch court action over ILA debaclel Firms have not been paid more than 18 months after scheme's closure Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk IT training companies that were pushed to the brink of...

skills; SQL is still the UK's most sought-after IT skill.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Karl Cushing karl.cushing@rbi.co.uk For the fourth consecutive quarter SQL was the most sought-after software skill in the UK, according to the latest Computer Weekly/SSP Quarterly Survey of Appointments Data and Trends. Although...

mobile; Britannia Airways cabin crew get PDAs to process duty free sales.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Karl Cushing karl.cushing@rbi.co.uk Britannia Airways is issuing 1,800 ruggedised personal digital assistants to it cabin crew to be used as electronic point of sale terminals and in-flight communications devices. The company...

e-voting; PC glitches disrupt online voting.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Mike Simons mike.simons@rbi.co.uk Telecoms giant BT has blamed a sub-contractor for glitches that disrupted online voting in St Albans and Sheffield during council elections on 1 May. Electors turning up to polling stations were...

Linux e-mail set-up slashes costs to [pounds sterling]8 per user.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Nottingham City Council has shattered the industry average for implementing large-scale e-mail systems, using open source tools. In the first year of the implementation the council has spent about...

Have a ball with IT's best.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... IT industry charity ball People from across the computer industry join ranks to help the disabled Several hundred IT professionals will have an evening to remember on Thursday, 2 July, with a champagne reception, celebrities, sumptuous...

training; Tailor training for SMEs, says CBI.
May 6, 2003... Ross Bentley ross.bentley@rbi.co.uk The government is failing to understand the training needs of small and medium-size companies, the Confederation of British Industry said last month The organisation has published a report that...

Elite goes for inclusive approach with competitors and suppliers.
May 6, 2003... BCS Elite group Collaboration and inclusion are the key words for the British Computer Society's body of senior IT user professionals IT user groups should work together more, according to David Rippon, chairman of the British Computer...

Microsoft's mobile battle.
May 6, 2003... Consumers will determine who will rule the market BYLINE: Nick Hunn Opinion It is common knowledge that Microsoft would like to become a major player in mobile phones. More than one billion users already have handsets and the...

get the knowledge.
May 6, 2003... Nick Langley checks out what security qualifications you need to join IT's traffic police We may be seeing the rise of a new kind of auditor: the information security specialist. Top suppliers are talking up the market for the services of...

EXCLUSIVE; Fluffi Bunni's; day job; revealed.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... An IT supplier of some of the largest government IT projects is investigating how a suspected computer hacker, with a warrant out for his arrest, was manning its stand at the InfoSecurity Europe 2003 show last week. Lynn Htun, the suspected...

Letters.(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2003... Managers should think about the end-user Mike Lucas Technology manager, Compuware The article by Jo Ticehurst on the psychology of usability was spot on (Computer Weekly, 22 April). All of us in the IT world need to take a step...

Race is on for the top place to work in IT.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Time is running out for you to nominate your IT department for Computer Weekly's Best Places to Work in IT survey 2003. This aims to turn the spotlight on the UK organisations that are blazing a trail in the field of attracting, retaining...

strategy clinic getting the best return on investment.
May 6, 2003... In the past year, return on investment has become the mantra of our business, but how can I justify vital IT projects such as enterprise application integration and disaster recovery in terms of ROI? THE SOLUTIONS Those who benefit...

Downtime.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Prince voices nanobots world domination fears Having tired of lambasting modern architecture and genetically modified foods, the ever-zealous Prince of Wales has turned his attention to another, potentially more sinister, evil lurking in...

Look up for tomorrow's security solution.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2003... Encryption A Harvard professor claims to have solved the problem of data security BYLINE: Peet Morris Getting wired If anyone finds an efficient mechanism for factorising huge prime numbers, security as we know it will all but...

Users reveal the benefits of open software.
May 6, 2003... Graham TitteringtonOpinion open source As proprietary IT suppliers offer support, obstacles to adoption disappear Open source software should not be seen as a transient phenomenon. As the proprietary sector consolidates around a...

opinion; Software patching: are you guilty of corporate stupidity?(Column)
May 6, 2003... Ian Kilpatrick Tech Talk Return on investment is a very sensible business idea, yet many companies are practising what could be called negative return on investment by choosing IT products that cost them more money the longer they...

Online English courses prepare foreign students for postgraduate internet studies.
May 13, 2003... it lessons UK universities create modules for the Worldwide Universities Network Ross Bentley ross.bentley@rbi.co.uk UKeU, the government-backed company set up to provide online degrees from UK universities to students around the...

Can your department take a challenge?(Vanco Three Peaks Challenge)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Teams in this year's Vanco Three Peaks Challenge for IT departments, sponsored by Computer Weekly, are well on the way to raising at least [pounds sterling]5,000 for international charity Care. One team, from builder's merchant Travis Perkins,...

disable barriers.
May 13, 2003... In this, the European Year of the Disabled, John Lamb outlines the steps you must take to ensure that websites and internal company systems can be used by people with disabilities Despite the potential of IT to help the UK's eight million...

Housing charity slashes 70% off call costs with integrated communications solution.
May 13, 2003... smart projects The PeabodyTrust implements an IP communications network Ross Bentley ross.bentley@rbi.co.uk Housing charity the Peabody Trust has cut its annual communications bill by 70% by updating its telephone, fax and e-mail...

security; ICI tightens web security.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk ICI has dramatically improved the security of hundreds of its public websites using a service that automatically scans its hosted sites, identifies security weaknesses, and recommends remedial...

E-envoy urges IT professionals to help the technology have-nots get started online.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... digital divide New government campaign aims to get more people using the internet James Rogers james.rogers@rbi.co.uk E-envoy Andrew Pinder has called on firms to encourage their IT staff help people get to grips with the web as...

future trends ; XBRL technology will drive business success.(PricewaterhouseCoopers report on Extensible Business Reporting Language )(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Karl Cushing karl.cushing@rbi.co.uk Technologies such as Extensible Business Reporting Language and web services will drive business success by putting more accountability into business processes and making them more transparent,...

e-government; Pinder talks of e-envoy's changing role.(Brief Article)(Interview)
May 13, 2003... James Rogers james.rogers@rbi.co.uk E-envoy Andrew Pinder has predicted that his post will develop an increasing focus on central government over the next few years. The former Inland Revenue IT director said there is now a greater...

e-business ; Business intelligence to boost Opodo focus.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Daniel Thomas daniel.thomas@rbi.co.uk European online travel portal Opodo has improved operational efficiency and introduced more customer-focused services since rolling out business intelligence software at the end of last year. ...

IT people; Fugitive 'dead' IT contractor repays scam cash.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk A high-flying IT contractor who faked his own death after stealing [pounds sterling]10,000 from his employer has paid the money back after an IT worker spotted him alive and well and working for a...

More change on the horizon for IT bosses.
May 13, 2003... IT directors' forum As the UK's top IT directors look forward to an exhausting three-day conference on board the Oriana, we examine their changing role in business Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk As the cream of the UK's IT...

software ; Beware analytical CRM.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Daniel Thomas daniel.thomas@rbi.co.uk Companies purchasing analytical customer relationship management applications should be wary of claims that the software will work immediately without being tailored to requirements, analysts have...

Could self-healing software be the IT director's way of cutting support costs?
May 13, 2003... systems management Difficulties lie behind the supplier hype for self-managing systems Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Last week, Hewlett-Packard announced the launch of its Self-healing Software Services for Openview, its...

mobile; Cheaper field staff tracking services.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Antony Adshead antony.adshead@rbi.co.uk New mobile telecoms services could help companies keep track of the location of their staff. Particularly useful for sales force automation or making better use of field engineers, the...

financial services ; Banks appoint IT security chiefs.(Industry Overview)
May 13, 2003... l Two thirds of top 500 financial firms now have chief security officers l 40% of firms have been compromised by cyber attack in past 12 months Bill Goodwin bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk The majority of the world's leading financial...

market forecast; Service firms must cut costs by 30% to survive.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Lindsay Nicolle computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk Service sector companies must cut their costs by 30% during the next five years just to remain competitive, analyst firm Gartner has warned. The cuts must go hand in hand with improved...

NHS IT; Analysts warn suppliers will not be able to meet IT tsar's deadlines.(Ovum Holway)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Mike Simons mike.simons@rbi.co.uk IT suppliers do not have the capacity to deliver the [pounds sterling]2.3bn national IT programme for the health service within the ambitious deadlines set by NHS IT chief Richard Granger, according to...

multi-supplier Outsourcing; Royal Mail signs [pounds sterling]1.5bn outsourcing contract.
May 13, 2003... Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk The trend towards multi-supplier outsourcing deals has been highlighted by the announcement of a [pounds sterling]1.5bn outsourcing contract between Royal Mail and the Computer Sciences Corporation-led...

NHS IT; Lack of IT puts NHS patients at risk, says BMA.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... James Rogers james.rogers@rbi.co.uk The British Medical Association has urged the government to upgrade health service IT to support forthcoming changes in doctors' working practices. A report from the BMA's Junior Doctors...

TV soap opera highlights digital divide.
May 13, 2003... The government has teamed up with the TV soap Coronation Street to publicise its Get Started campaign, which began this week, to bridge the digital divide. People will be eligible for a free internet introductory session at one of 6,000 UK...

offshore outsourcing; Honda UK turns to Vietnam for new human resources systems.
May 13, 2003... Nick Huber nick.huber@rbi.co.uk Honda UK is to develop a major software project in Vietnam. The motor manufacturer's decision to develop a new staff training and personnel system overseas was driven by the low labour costs and...

Ford Europe's blueprint for $75m IT cuts.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Antony Adshead antony.adshead@rbi.co.uk Ford Europe is planning to cut $75m ([pounds sterling]46.8m)in IT spending as part of a global plan by the company to reduce costs by a fifth in the business. IT director for Ford Europe,...

supply chain; Procter & Gamble logistics saving.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk Procter & Gamble has implemented an integrated supply chain in the UK for less than [pounds sterling]2m, without replacing any of its existing IT systems. Last Friday (9 May) the consumer goods...

NHS-wide payroll system faces two-year overrun.
May 13, 2003... Systems delays set worrying precedent for centrally-decreed health IT [pounds sterling]400m NHS payroll and HR system already one year behind schedulel DoH will not force shared financial services on foundation hospitals Mike Simons...

NHS IT; Bosses say NHS shared financial services initiative will not work.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Mike Simons mike.simons@rbi.co.uk The NHS' shared financial services project will struggle to survive under its new remit, according to its chief executive and a former finance director. The NHS aimed to save [pounds sterling]480m...

Linux to save big users 29% on server licences.(according to Soreon Research)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... Cliff Saran cliff.saran@rbi.co.uk A Swiss research firm, Soreon Research, has estimated that large business can save 29% on server software licensing costs by switching from proprietary to open source software. "In a large...

'Learn the good, the bad and the ugly' from users.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2003... The IBM CUA, which started in the early 1960s, is an independent not-for-profit organisation, which receives no funding from IBM. Most of the 280 members are users of the traditional AS400 midrange computer. The group plays an important...

UK software industry pioneer dies.(John Ockenden)(Obituary)
May 13, 2003... John Ockenden, chairman of the National Computing Centre from 1992 to 1999, died last week. One of the swashbuckling group of early UK software industry pioneers, Ockenden was chief executive or chairman of a number of IT companies, including...

IBM computer users' association; Users work on IBM to listen to its customers.
May 13, 2003... IBM's understanding of corporate IT users and their issues is cyclical, swinging from high to low, according to Ray Titcombe, chairman of the IBM Computer Users' Association. "IBM goes through four- to five-year cycles. It gets close to us and...

Downtime.
May 13, 2003... Thirty somethings are most profitable texters The most profitable mobile phone users were always thought to be in the youth market, but new research has revealed that the Bridget Joneses of this world are rapidly reversing that trend. ...

IT is invited back into the boardroom as analysts acknowledge its business value.
May 13, 2003... British computer society Stock market analysts take an interest in IT spending John Kavanagh computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk IT departments seeking influence and support at board level now have a new group of allies in stock market...

Do you work for a great IT department?
May 13, 2003... have your say Help our search for the UK's best places to work for IT professionals Mark Lewis mark.lewis@rbi.co.uk This year Computer Weekly launches its Best Places to Work in IT 2003 survey. The research will showcase and...