IT Week (UK) articles from April 2006

IT Week (UK) archives from April 2006

Will Ofcom allow BT prices to leap?
April 3, 2006... Will Ofcom allow BT prices to leap? Ofcom is relying on its continuing control over wholesale pricing and the effect of market forces to keep the telco giant in check Ofcom has announced plans to end its control of BT's retail...

It pays to give web users a good time.(web site management)
April 3, 2006... It pays to give web users a good time Achieving and maintaining good web site usability should be high on all IT managers' agendas Do you really know what people think of your company's web site? Chances are the answer is no. ...

More choice for business intelligence.
April 3, 2006... More choice for business intelligence Oracle and Lawson have extended their BI capabilities to challenge the specialists Experts last month remained divided on the merits of extending application suites to include business intelligence...

Integrated system secures firms.(McAfee Inc. introduced Total Protection for Enterprise)
April 3, 2006... Integrated system secures firms Phil Muncaster Antivirus and intrusion-prevention specialist McAfee will today announce a major new integrated system, designed to let IT managers control their firms' entire systems security from one...

Design flaws hit e-traders.(research of web sites by Verdict Consulting)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Design flaws hit e-traders n Poorly performing web sites are costing firms millions of pounds in lost sales and damage to their reputations, according to new research by retail analyst Verdict Consulting. The study, commissioned by...

Stratus launches consulting arm.
April 3, 2006... Stratus launches consulting arm Roger Howorth in Las Vegas Fault-tolerant server specialist Stratus has launched a new Solutions Services Group to help firms design and implement highly fault-tolerant datacentres. The firm made the...

Security staff need business skills.(event of International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium Inc.)
April 3, 2006... Security staff need business skills PHIL MUNCASTER Information security professionals are coming under increasing pressure to broaden their business knowledge, but the proliferation of competing qualifications could hinder their career...

IT teams near to users help projects succeed.(says Stephen Agar-Hutty)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... IT teams near to users help projects succeed James Murray The cultural divide between the IT department and the rest of the business is frequently cited as the main cause of IT project failures, and countless attempts have been made to...

Enhanced BI tools tailored to industries.
April 3, 2006... Enhanced BI tools tailored to industries JAMES MURRAY n Business intelligence (BI) giants SAS and Cognos went head-to-head last week with major updates to make their respective reporting tools more accessible to larger numbers of...

Why coders must mind their language.
April 3, 2006... Why coders must mind their language An application's flaws can often be traced back to vulnerabilities in the programming language One of my serious research interests as a computer scientist is the vulnerabilities in programming...

Red Hat aims to woo developers.
April 3, 2006... Red Hat aims to woo developers Martin Veitch Red Hat is reaching out to developers as part of efforts to extend its open-source platform. The Linux distribution giant plans to update toolkits this year, and create a new developer...

Alcatel and Lucent mull merger.
April 3, 2006... Alcatel and Lucent mull merger Dave Bailey Network vendors Lucent Technologies and Alcatel are in talks to combine their operations -- a move that some experts said could lead to lower prices for IT buyers due to economies of scale....

Mobile IP system offers quick handover for voice.
April 3, 2006... Mobile IP system offers quick handover for voice IT Week staff Allied Telesyn launched a new integrated mobility and voice over IP (VoIP) system in Europe last week, consisting of its TenQ business mobility package and VioCall...

Microsoft integrates business apps.
April 3, 2006... Microsoft integrates business apps PHIL MUNCASTEr at convergence 2006 At its Convergence event in Dallas last week, Microsoft fleshed out its vision for an integrated, user-friendly Dynamics line of business applications. Wave 1...

Mobile products extend giant's ERP framework.
April 3, 2006... Mobile products extend giant's ERP framework PHIL MUNCASTER at convergence 2006 Microsoft bulked up its enterprise resource planning (ERP) line last week, by announcing new mobile ERP tools and additional integration and compliance...

Microsoft eases hosting of CRM.
April 3, 2006... Microsoft eases hosting of CRM Microsoft last week announced a new version of its Dynamics CRM product that will be hosted by its global partner teams. Microsoft's Kevin Faulkner said the Dynamics CRM Professional Edition for Service...

Storage kit saves power.(Pillar Data Systems planning to improve its products)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Storage kit saves power Martin Veitch Much-discussed storage startup Pillar Data plans to introduce new features including the ability to power down idle drives in forthcoming revisions of its Axiom products. Pillar emerged from a...

Chip boost for virtualisation.(Azul Systems planning to upgrade Vega processor)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Chip boost for virtualisation Azul Systems plans to integrate 48 cores on its second-generation Vega chip, expected next year in the startup firm's virtual-machine accelerator appliances. The first-generation Vega processor has 24...

Bluetooth breakthrough.
April 3, 2006... Bluetooth breakthrough Daniel Robinson High-speed Bluetooth devices using ultra wideband (UWB) technology could ship as soon as next year, following the decision by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) to back the UWB standard...

Software to make change control faster DAVE BAILEY n Network configuration management vendor Intelliden has launched version 4.4 of its R-series software to help large enterprises and service providers perform network change, configuration and service a.
April 3, 2006... Software to make change control faster DAVE BAILEY n Network configuration management vendor Intelliden has launched version 4.4 of its R-series software to help large enterprises and service providers perform network change,...

Compulsory identity cards promised by 2010.
April 3, 2006... Compulsory identity cards promised by 2010 James Murray Biometric identity (ID) cards moved a step closer last week. But organisations interested in using the technology still face some uncertainty, as new legislation means the cards...

IT chiefs need forensic expertise.
April 3, 2006... IT chiefs need forensic expertise Phil Muncaster Firms need more staff with computer forensic skills and should lobby suppliers for safer products, according to speakers at last week's E-Crime Congress in London. At the event,...

Nokia boosts mobile apps.
April 3, 2006... Nokia boosts mobile apps n Nokia will today launch a Mobility Hosting system to make it easier for telcos and service providers to roll out new mobile services and applications. The move will let new entrants take a "try it and see"...

EC may force telcos to cut roaming charges.
April 3, 2006... EC may force telcos to cut roaming charges Madeline Bennett The era of extortionate charges for using a mobile phone aboard could soon be over, as the European Commission (EC) plans to introduce price caps on international roaming...

IT managers ponder SOA plans.
April 3, 2006... IT managers ponder SOA plans James Murray IT directors' interest in service-oriented architectures (SOAs) is set to grow and is likely to have a major impact on firms' application purchasing decisions. That is the view of senior...

Egypt touts outsourcing.
April 3, 2006... Egypt touts outsourcing James Murray Egypt has become the latest country to tout for outsourcing business and some experts say it offers a cheaper alternative to rival locations. Speaking last week at an event organised by...

Stratus announces first quad-core server range.
April 3, 2006... Stratus announces first quad-core server range Roger Howorth in Las Vegas At its user conference in Las Vegas last week, fault-tolerant server specialist Stratus announced details of its first own-brand storage system, and forthcoming...

Member-mailings reveal the most security flaws.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Member-mailings reveal the most security flaws Roger Howorth A senior Red Hat software engineer has put forward evidence that members-only security mailing lists are the best way of discovering information...

Thin clients blur boundary with PCs.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Thin clients blur boundary with PCs Wyse's thin clients combine the advantages of centralised control with the flexibility of desktop PCs Thin clients have been around for many years, but somehow always...

Is IT measuring up to expectations?(Column)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Martin Banks Is IT measuring up to expectations? New metrics may be needed to show the value of technology and help IT and business chiefs to understand each other Server vendors always complain about the fear,...

BizTalk Server adds flexibility to processes it week staff n Microsoft chose London as the worldwide venue to launch its BizTalk Server 2006 last week. The event was held at the London Stock Exchange and included speakers from Tesco, HP and Derby City Co.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth BizTalk Server adds flexibility to processes it week staff n Microsoft chose London as the worldwide venue to launch its BizTalk Server 2006 last week. The event was held at the London Stock Exchange and...

Handsets get wake-up call from mNotes.(enhanced software mSuite 4.2 from CommonTime)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Handsets get wake-up call from mNotes Daniel Robinson n CommonTime has released version 4.2 of its mSuite software that enables access to Lotus Notes email from Windows Mobile PDAs and handsets. The new...

Microsoft delays Office to coincide with Vista.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Martin Veitch Microsoft delays Office to coincide with Vista Martin Veitch Microsoft's announcement that Office 2007 will join Windows Vista in being delayed is a further blow to the credibility of the firm, but is...

Remote-offices backup package.
April 3, 2006... Remote-offices backup package Symantec will today announce an all-in-one backup, replication and disaster-recovery package for remote offices. NetBackup 6.0 PureDisk Remote Office Edition is designed to let firms manage their remote office...

Dell unveils 3G-enabled laptops.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Dell unveils 3G-enabled laptops Daniel Robinson Dell has announced new corporate laptops and mobile workstations with integrated 3G connectivity, enabling staff to access company email and other resources...

Workers give mobile email thumbs up IT Week staff n Most staff would welcome mobile access to email, according to a survey on behalf of mobile email provider Visto. The research suggests that wider access to email via handsets could help staff improve th.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Workers give mobile email thumbs up IT Week staff n Most staff would welcome mobile access to email, according to a survey on behalf of mobile email provider Visto. The research suggests that wider access...

Councils to get more IT guidance.(public sector IT professionals are given more training)
April 10, 2006... Byline: James Murray Councils to get more IT guidance James Murray Public sector IT professionals are to receive better training opportunities, improved support to deliver shared service centres, and new advice on how to comply...

NEC aims LCD screens at finance and publishing.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson NEC aims LCD screens at finance and publishing Daniel Robinson NEC Display Solutions has introduced a new range of LCD monitors for offices and public display applications. The new models will focus on...

Web 2.0 moves into the mainstream.
April 10, 2006... Web 2.0 moves into the mainstream MySpace.com has put Gnarls Barkley on top of the charts, showing that Web 2.0 is on the march Dance band Gnarls Barkley has reached number one in the singles charts with Crazy, purely on download...

Giants promote mobile web standards.
April 10, 2006... Giants promote mobile web standards Neil Edwards of mTLD explains how specifications for mobile content are advancing IT Week: As general manager of .mobi domain registry mTLD, can you explain how you are promoting the mobile web? ...

CipherTrust fishes for illegal sites.(introduced Phishregistry.org )
April 10, 2006... CipherTrust fishes for illegal sites Phil Muncaster Mail security firm CipherTrust has released a new online resource to help companies combat phishing and brand-spoofing attacks. Phishregistry.org monitors the content of...

Denial-of-insight attacks could damage e-traders.(says Whit Andrews of Gartner Group Inc.)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Denial-of-insight attacks could damage e-traders Phil Muncaster Online companies and search vendors may soon face a new form of attack that could cripple their ability to gain meaningful data by analysing search results, according to...

Homes must come with fibre.(fiber optics networks)
April 10, 2006... Homes must come with fibre The productivity of teleworkers could be restricted in future unless action is taken now Should the UK government insist on better network connections to new homes? The government thinks we'll need a few...

Integrated tool boosts LAN access controls.(ConSentry Networks introduced LANShield 2.0)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Integrated tool boosts LAN access controls Dave Bailey ConSentry Networks has released version 2.0 of its LANShield software, integrating Check Point's Integrity Clientless Security to manage network access for mobiles and guests. ...

Fibre Channel switch grows to 528 ports.(Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director)(SAN-OS 3.0)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Fibre Channel switch grows to 528 ports it week staff n Cisco launched new Fibre Channel (FC) products last week to help companies improve the performance of storage area networks (SANs). Cisco announced a new MDS 9513 13-slot...

Help me fight Dumb User Syndrome.
April 10, 2006... Help me fight Dumb User Syndrome With the support of IT Week readers, I believe I can develop a technology that will eradicate DUS forever I hope you are paying attention because I have a proposal for you. Seriously, this could make us...

Will IT crooks finally meet their match?(internet crimes)
April 10, 2006... Will IT crooks finally meet their match? Online crime can pay handsomely and the risks are relatively small, but this may be about to change Give somebody the opportunity to commit a crime and the chances are good that they will rob...

Pipex to push WiMax in UK cities.
April 10, 2006... Pipex to push WiMax in UK cities Martin Veitch Chip giant Intel and internet services provider Pipex are to team up for the UK's first commercial WiMax deployment. The pair plan to cover major cities, starting from next year. A...

Storage rivals set sights on mid-sized companies.
April 10, 2006... Storage rivals set sights on mid-sized companies James Murray Storage giants EMC and Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) went head to head last week, as the two vendors launched new versions of products aimed at small and medium-sized...

Brown mulls PC U-turn.
April 10, 2006... Brown mulls PC U-turn Martin Veitch The government looks set for a partial change of course over its much-derided decision to scrap tax-exempt status for staff PCs bought via the Home Computing Initiative (HCI). The Budget...

IT myths can prove costly to business.(Column)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Kelvyn Taylor IT myths can prove costly to business Did Bill Gates really say 640kB would be enough for anyone? Some IT myths are amusing but others could cause headaches We all know that the internet was originally...

Scorecarding module aids budgeting.(ALG Software plans for business performance management software)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Byline: James Murray Scorecarding module aids budgeting IT week staff n Activity-based costing and budgeting software specialist ALG Software has revealed plans to push further into the business performance management market later...

Intel details its Core architecture.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Intel details its Core architecture Daniel Robinson Intel has disclosed further details of its next-generation Core architecture that will feature in its chips from the second half of 2006. The new...

Open-source BPM suite advances.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Open-source BPM suite advances Roger Howorth Open-source Java specialist JBoss announced a major update to its jBPM business process management (BPM) suite last week at LinuxWorld in Boston. Sacha...

VMware frees virtual disk.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth VMware frees virtual disk n Virtualisation specialist VMware announced last week that the specification of its virtual disk format is now openly available for free download and royalty-free use. The move should...

Kit stops staff transmitting illicit content.
April 10, 2006... Kit stops staff transmitting illicit content it week staff n Security vendor Code Green Networks released a new content inspection appliance last week to help firms stop staff sending unauthorised or inappropriate content, which...

Cisco spec will deliver 100Gbit/s.
April 10, 2006... Cisco spec will deliver 100Gbit/s Dave Bailey Cisco and Cortina Systems last week announced their Interlaken protocol specification, which aids chip-to-chip packet transfers, and should lead to faster network kit this year. Serial...

EMC enhances email search and recovery.
April 10, 2006... Byline: James Murray EMC enhances email search and recovery James Murray Storage giant EMC bolstered its archiving and content management tools last week by launching new products to make it easier for firms to search and recover...

IT holds key to East London regeneration.(Olympics gives the government a golden opportunity to promote technology for urban renewal)
April 10, 2006... IT holds key to East London regeneration The Olympics gives the government a golden opportunity to promote technology for urban renewal In Docklands, the University of East London (UEL) holds an excellent conference around the 2012...

Rewards must reflect results.(PIPC Global's IT outsourcing contracts get the best out of consulting service)
April 10, 2006... Rewards must reflect results PIPC's Simon Rawling says performance-based contracts get the best out of consultants Balancing risk with reward is often held up as the way forward in IT outsourcing deals, to ensure that both parties are...

Reliable backups ease Easter stress.
April 17, 2006... Reliable backups ease Easter stress IT teams often upgrade systems over Easter but experience shows that good planning is essential T he Easter weekend will see many people heading off for a few days. But many larger businesses,...

Search tools speed decision-making.
April 17, 2006... Search tools speed decision-making Factiva's Clare Hart explains how search technology can improve the way firms work IT Week: As chief executive of knowledge management specialist Factiva, can you explain your approach to enterprise...

Scheme keeps tabs on adult content.(Stephen Balkam from Internet Content Rating Association)(Interview)
April 17, 2006... Scheme keeps tabs on adult content Stephen Balkam describes how content rating protects kids from harmful web material IT Week: As chief executive of the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA), could you describe what your...

Cisco kit speeds software rollouts.
April 17, 2006... Cisco kit speeds software rollouts Dave Bailey Cisco last week improved the way it supports application rollouts by announcing a new services module for its flagship Catalyst 6500 series switches. Called the Application Control...

VPN security system update n Network security vendor AEP Networks has announced version 5.2.2 of its Netilla Security Platform appliances for SSL VPNs. The major new features are Client Machine ID (CMID) authentication, and access to both Windows and Ci.
April 17, 2006... VPN security system update n Network security vendor AEP Networks has announced version 5.2.2 of its Netilla Security Platform appliances for SSL VPNs. The major new features are Client Machine ID (CMID) authentication, and access to...

NetSuite aims for Salesforce KO.
April 17, 2006... NetSuite aims for Salesforce KO The lesser-known firm in hosted software has the credentials to upset the reigning champion Compared to the jamboree surrounding Salesforce.com over the last few years, the noise surrounding NetSuite has...

ISP packages web hosting.
April 17, 2006... ISP packages web hosting n Berlin-based ISP Strato has launched in the UK with a range of new web hosting products to help firms achieve an online presence without expensive in-house development work. Two packages are targeted at...

Better control and security for IM.
April 17, 2006... Better control and security for IM Phil Muncaster FaceTime Communications has released a major upgrade of its flagship instant messaging (IM) product for enterprises, including enhanced manageability, reporting, archiving and security....

European polo game ends early.
April 17, 2006... European polo game ends early The .eu registration process offers an important lesson for firms wanting to guard their interests It seems to me that at the moment everyone is going crazy about the new European domain name suffix, the...

Fight for .eu domains.(companies are applying for the registration of domain names)(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... Fight for .eu domains Phil Muncaster The public registration period for the .eu domain is now under way, and experts said there is still a chance to grab some sought-after generic names. But complaints have already begun to surface...

Council web site kudos.
April 17, 2006... Council web site kudos James Murray The government's strategy of driving public sector services online received a ringing endorsement this month, as a new Socitm survey revealed that the number of visitors to council web sites...

Red Hat builds stack with JBoss.(Red Hat Inc. acquired JBoss Group L.L.C.)(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... Red Hat builds stack with JBoss Martin Veitch Red Hat, the world's biggest Linux distributor, is to extend its open-source reach by buying application server leader JBoss. JBoss was recently reported as being a target for Oracle...

IBM technology to embed encryption in mobile chips.
April 17, 2006... IBM technology to embed encryption in mobile chips Daniel Robinson IBM has announced new technology to bring a higher level of security to devices such as phone handsets. The move could eventually make data encryption ubiquitous in...

BI host shares reports.
April 17, 2006... BI host shares reports James Murray Business intelligence (BI) giant Business Objects pushed further into hosted software last week by launching an on-demand report-sharing capability. Crystalreports.com gives users of the Crystal...

Carphone declares broadband price war.
April 17, 2006... Carphone declares broadband price war Martin Veitch Carphone Warehouse is set to change the broadband landscape with possibly the most attractive package yet for consumers and teleworkers. However, the service is likely to be rivalled...

DTI bankrolls IT security body.
April 17, 2006... DTI bankrolls IT security body n A new thinktank will launch on 9 May to advise the government on IT security issues and to fund solutions. Defence specialist Qinetiq will manage the new Cyber Security Knowledge Transfer Network...

Lawson details strategy for Intentia acquisition.
April 17, 2006... Lawson details strategy for Intentia acquisition Martin Veitch and James Murray Lawson Software used its annual user event in Florida last week to reveal it is about to complete its protracted merger with fellow enterprise applications...

Two-way authentication to reassure customers.(says Simon Perry)
April 17, 2006... Two-way authentication to reassure customers Madeline Bennett Organisations should develop two-way authentication methods to combat the problems of identity theft and electronic fraud, according to CA security expert Simon Perry. ...

Salesforce mobilises applications.
April 17, 2006... Salesforce mobilises applications IT week staff Two developments in the hosted software sector last week may give firms more mobile applications and better security. Hosted customer relationship management (CRM) pioneer...

Don't forget to make handhelds usable.
April 17, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Don't forget to make handhelds usable The simplicity of Palm's original PDA shows how device makers can make life easier for customers Last month, Palm celebrated the 10th anniversary of its first PDA, the...

Windows invades Linux territory.
April 17, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Windows invades Linux territory Roger Howorth Microsoft is preparing to take on Linux in a battle over price and performance, according to John Borozan, product manager for the forthcoming Windows Compute...

Intel urges fine-tuning of apps for Woodcrest.
April 17, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Intel urges fine-tuning of apps for Woodcrest Roger Howorth Software vendors may need to update their applications to optimise them for forthcoming Next Generation Micro-Architecture (NGM) processors from...

Acer offers more laptop choice.
April 17, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Acer offers more laptop choice Daniel Robinson Acer has unveiled a raft of new products and disclosed plans to grab a larger share of the worldwide PC market by working more closely with reseller partners....

App server goes free.
April 17, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson App server goes free n Thin client software firm 2X is making its application server available as a free download as part of a limited offer. The 2X ApplicationServer makes server-hosted Windows applications...