IT Week (UK) articles from August 2006

IT Week (UK) archives from August 2006

BMC extends hosted offer n IT management software specialist BMC last week signed two new partnerships to extend its hosted software offering. Under the agreements, managed security services provider DNS will deliver BMC Identity Management Suite as a hos.
August 7, 2006... Byline: James Murray BMC extends hosted offer n IT management software specialist BMC last week signed two new partnerships to extend its hosted software offering. Under the agreements, managed security services provider DNS will...

The charge of the multicore chips.
August 7, 2006... Byline: Martin Banks The charge of the multicore chips Are IT buyers and software vendors ready for the changes coming soon with multicore hardware? How should software vendors calculate licence fees, and should charges be tied to...

India builds higher-value services.
August 7, 2006... Byline: James Murray India builds higher-value services James Murray Indian IT trade group Nasscom believes the country's IT industry will be worth a trillion dollars a year by 2020 as more and more Western companies make use of...

IBM refreshes Opteron memory.
August 7, 2006... Byline: Martin Veitch IBM refreshes Opteron memory Martin Veitch IBM is making a bigger bet on AMD's Opteron processors for servers, pairing them with a new memory technology it said will offer unique advantages. The IT giant...

The beige box that changed the world.
August 7, 2006... The beige box that changed the world The first PC was widely viewed as a novelty, but it helped to spark a business revolution On 12 August 1981, IBM began selling the first IBM Personal Computer. With a 4.77MHz Intel 8088 processor...

Will desktop PCs be around in 2031?
August 7, 2006... Will desktop PCs be around in 2031? The desktop PC's decades-long dominance of the business client market is waning Today's top-end Pentium systems are nearly a thousand times more powerful than IBM's first PC. But some aspects have...

Small-scale BI tool goes free.(Business Intelligence )(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... Small-scale BI tool goes free n Business Intelligence (BI) specialist SeeWhy Software last week launched SeeWhy Community Edition, a free version of its new event-driven BI platform. SeeWhy's Charles Nicholls said the tool can be...

The PC celebrates its 25th birthday.
August 7, 2006... The PC celebrates its 25th birthday An open architecture that encourages third-party innovation is one secret of the PC's longevity When IBM shipped its first PC 25 years ago this week, it defined a standard platform for the industry...

What Tony might learn from the Valley.
August 7, 2006... What Tony might learn from the Valley The prime minister's visit to Silicon Valley leaders should provide some ideas to reinvigorate UK IT Tony Blair recently visited Silicon Valley, meeting Apple's Steve Jobs, Cisco's John Chambers,...

Document role mooted.
August 7, 2006... Document role mooted Jonathan Lake and Martin Veitch Xerox is calling for companies to introduce a new role of "director of documents" to streamline control of business documents, ensure compliance with regulations and cut costs. ...

BI vendors refresh product sets.
August 7, 2006... BI vendors refresh product sets James Murray Leading business intelligence (BI) software vendors last week announced they would extend their respective portfolios. SAS detailed plans to address smaller firms, Business Objects confirmed...

Oracle Fusion portfolio receives fourfold boost.
August 7, 2006... Oracle Fusion portfolio receives fourfold boost James Murray Oracle last week revealed details of imminent upgrades to its Fusion middleware line to enhance its ID management, portal, business intelligence (BI) and service-oriented...

Public shun mobile web.
August 7, 2006... Public shun mobile web Phil Muncaster Nearly three-quarters of people are avoiding the mobile internet because of high costs and poor experiences of the technology, according to research published today. The findings highlight the need...

Telcos retain VoIP savings.
August 7, 2006... Telcos retain VoIP savings Telcos striving to build up their voice over IP (VoIP) profits are unlikely to pass on any savings on capital or operating expenditure to their VoIP customers in the near future, analysts said last week. ...

US consults on privatising Icann.
August 7, 2006... US consults on privatising Icann Phil Muncaster The US government may loosen its control over internet domain oversight body Icann, according to John Kneuer, acting administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information...

Host enables custom blogs.
August 7, 2006... Host enables custom blogs n Web hosting specialist Strato has launched two new products to enable users of its web hosting packages to set up and customise their own blogging sites. EasyBlog is pre-installed as part of Strato's EasyWeb...

Typos spell trouble for online businesses.
August 7, 2006... Typos spell trouble for online businesses The web and the net may promote speed and informality, but firms cannot afford to be too relaxed With the proliferation of online and mobile blogs, and up-to-the-minute news reporting it...

UK energy rules leave managers cold.
August 7, 2006... UK energy rules leave managers cold Systems to help firms obey the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive have a few shortcomings According to a survey of 50 firms in the South-East -- including giants such as Glaxo SmithKline, Sun...

VoIP traffic to double in a year.
August 7, 2006... VoIP traffic to double in a year Martin Courtney The volume of voice over IP (VoIP) traffic crossing telecoms networks is predicted to double over the next 12 months, and IP call quality on some services may suffer as a result. A...

Tool backs up mobile email.(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... Tool backs up mobile email n Application optimisation specialist Packeteer has upgraded its iShared Mobiliti software to allow mobile and remote desktop users to back up email and contact information stored in individual Outlook .pst files...

The ultimate in plug-and-play.
August 7, 2006... The ultimate in plug-and-play New powerline switches make it remarkably easy to create or extend a network over AC mains wiring I get to look at a lot of networking products in my job and although nearly all claim to be easy to use,...

PC reign set for a golden jubilee.
August 7, 2006... PC reign set for a golden jubilee n The PC is 25 years old this week and supporters say it could stick around for another quarter century despite moves to web-based services. IBM's Personal Computer 5150 began shipping on 12...

Union demands reduction in IT work permits.
August 7, 2006... Union demands reduction in IT work permits Madeline Bennett and Jonathan Lake The government is under pressure from the Amicus union to award fewer work permits for overseas IT workers, after new figures revealed that most such staff...

Microsoft offers SAM licensing aid.
August 7, 2006... Microsoft offers SAM licensing aid Martin Veitch Microsoft has launched a free Customer Software Asset Management (SAM) toolkit and is attempting to play down concerns that its SAM programme is a way to audit users. SAM, available...

Asset controls to bolster Tivoli.
August 14, 2006... Byline: James Murray Asset controls to bolster Tivoli James Murray IBM plans to spend $740m to acquire asset management specialist MRO Software, to plug gaps in the Tivoli IT service management (ITSM) suite and extend its...

Waste law should be welcomed.
August 14, 2006... Waste law should be welcomed The WEEE directive is likely to increase the cost of electrical goods, but it is a price worth paying After months of wrangling the government has finally published its plans for the implementation of the...

The French have a word for IT.(information technology)
August 14, 2006... The French have a word for IT The way other professions view IT reveals a lot about the shortcomings of current technology Computers were invented for data processing; everything else is a bonus. In many instances, though, you can...

A sting in the e-banking security tale.
August 14, 2006... A sting in the e-banking security tale Banks' efforts to combat identity fraud could provide a pretext to shift liability onto consumers I should have learned my lesson by now: in this business it's never sensible to make big public...

The future of appliances is virtual.
August 14, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth The future of appliances is virtual Virtualisation is set to consign traditional hardware appliances to the dustbin of computing history I was lucky enough to look at a huge number of virtual appliances over...

System boosts storage efficiency.
August 14, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth System boosts storage efficiency Roger Howorth Virtual tape library specialist Sepaton opened a UK sales office last month. In an exclusive interview with IT Week, Christo Conidaris, Sepaton sales director...

Reports fault ID card plans n The government's ID card scheme has received a dual blow after two reports criticised the handling of the project. A Commons Science and Technology Committee report said that the Home Office had followed best practice in part.(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... Byline: James Murray Reports fault ID card plans n The government's ID card scheme has received a dual blow after two reports criticised the handling of the project. A Commons Science and Technology Committee report said that the...

Is traffic prioritisation strictly legal?
August 14, 2006... Is traffic prioritisation strictly legal? The Computer Misuse Act might be a useful weapon for those who want to ensure net neutrality T he principle of net neutrality -- that data should be carried on the net without differentiation...

VMware plans tool for Macs.(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth VMware plans tool for Macs n Server virtualisation specialist VMware last week announced that it plans to release a new product for the latest generation of Apple Macs, but the company declined to reveal the...

US ratifies anti-cybercrime treaty.
August 14, 2006... US ratifies anti-cybercrime treaty Madeline Bennett The US Senate this month agreed to ratify the Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime. The convention, which came into force in some territories in 2004, was drawn up to...

Google alerts users to sites holding malware.(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... Google alerts users to sites holding malware Phil Muncaster Google has launched an alert service to warn web users if they are about to visit a site that could contain malware. Users clicking on suspect links will be diverted to a...

Advertising body fights click fraud.
August 14, 2006... Advertising body fights click fraud Phil Muncaster Online advertising body the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has launched an initiative to combat click fraud -- a problem that threatens to undermine internet search marketing....

Typos put .com users in adland.(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... Typos put .com users in adland n Firms with .com domains are at risk from a new ploy involving the .cm country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Cameroon. According to domain name web site CircleID, the Cameroon state-owned .cm...

Registry fights .uk tasting.(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... Registry fights .uk tasting Phil Muncaster Nominet, the operator of the .uk domain, has started to clamp down on registrars it suspects of "domain tasting" -- an abuse of its automated registration service. Domain tasting is the...

LogMeIn extends VPN offerings.
August 14, 2006... LogMeIn extends VPN offerings Martin Courtney LogMeIn has expanded its offerings for web-based remote access by acquiring Applied Networking, owner of virtual private network (VPN) software client Hamachi, for an undisclosed sum. ...

Dual-core chip speeds Macs.
August 14, 2006... Dual-core chip speeds Macs n Apple last week unveiled a new 64bit workstation with two Dual-Core Intel Xeon 5100 series processors at up to 3GHz, each with 4MB of shared L2 cache and 1.33GHz front-side buses. The Mac Pro has a...

McAfee strengthens risk control.
August 14, 2006... McAfee strengthens risk control Dave Bailey Security tools vendor McAfee last week upgraded its risk management, auditing and compliance packages. McAfee Foundstone Enterprise 5.0 is a new version of a vulnerability management...

Mismanaged apps add cost.(information technology services industry)(surveys)(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... Mismanaged apps add cost n The average multinational loses more than a million hours of employee productivity each year due to badly managed application performance, according to a new report from analyst Yankee Group, commissioned by BT....

Why open-source routers are shut out.
August 14, 2006... Why open-source routers are shut out Vyatta's open-source router promises to reduce costs, so why are buyers slow to consider it? Last week Vyatta launched an open-source router -- software that can be installed on any PC or other...

Fibre channel rivals combine.
August 14, 2006... Fibre channel rivals combine Leading fibre channel vendor Brocade last week announced its intention to buy rival McData. The proposed $713m deal might protect both vendors from being targeted for acquisition by Cisco. A McData...

RFID tags can be cloned.
August 14, 2006... RFID tags can be cloned James Murray Experts are divided on the scale of the security risk posed by radio frequency identification (RFID) wireless tag technology, after a computer expert demonstrated that data held on the tags could be...

Voice control for Vista.(Microsoft Corp.)(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... Voice control for Vista James Murray Microsoft used the SpeechTEK conference in New York last week to demonstrate the voice recognition capabilities in Windows Vista and unveil its plans to integrate speech recognition tools into...

Apple stalks Vista with a deft Leopard preview.
August 14, 2006... Apple stalks Vista with a deft Leopard preview Martin Veitch Apple has increased its challenge to Microsoft's Windows Vista by previewing "Leopard", the next version of Mac OS X. At its Worldwide Developer Conference in San...

SugarCRM tops LinuxWorld bill.
August 14, 2006... SugarCRM tops LinuxWorld bill Martin Veitch LinuxWorld kicks off today in San Francisco, with major vendors including AMD, Sun and SugarCRM lined up to show off their latest wares. SugarCRM will release version 4.5 of its...

ISO checks software management.
August 14, 2006... ISO checks software management Martin Veitch The group behind the ISO standard for software asset management (SAM) will next month release a toolkit to help companies self-assess their processes. Not-for-profit group Investors In...

IBM buys FileNet content control.
August 14, 2006... IBM buys FileNet content control n IBM is to acquire FileNet in a move that will reshape the enterprise content management (ECM) sector, but could concern FileNet customers. The $1.6bn cash deal will take IBM head to head with EMC...

Spate of blunders raises e-security fears.
August 14, 2006... Spate of blunders raises e-security fears Phil Muncaster Data security weaknesses at HSBC and AOL made headlines last week, raising questions about whether major companies are doing enough to protect online customers. Security...

Tips to boost e-marketing n Web analytics specialist Omniture has released a free best practices guide to help firms improve their search marketing. Seven Advanced Steps to Effective Search Marketing is targeted at online marketers. Tips include selecting.
August 21, 2006... Tips to boost e-marketing n Web analytics specialist Omniture has released a free best practices guide to help firms improve their search marketing. Seven Advanced Steps to Effective Search Marketing is targeted at online marketers....

What is meaning-based computing?
August 21, 2006... What is meaning-based computing? Mike Lynch, head of content management specialist Autonomy, explains his vision IT Week: Autonomy has started to talk about itself as a provider of meaning-based computing [MBC]. As its chief executive,...

Consolidation makes SOAs stronger.
August 21, 2006... Byline: Martin Banks Consolidation makes SOAs stronger Buyers may benefit from the growing power of Cisco, HP and IBM in service-oriented architecture One sure sign that a technology is making progress is when its vendors...

BSA distances itself from Fast anti-piracy.
August 21, 2006... Byline: James Murray and Phil Muncaster BSA distances itself from Fast anti-piracy James Murray and Phil Muncaster Anti-software-piracy group the Business Software Alliance (BSA) has distanced itself from the recently criticised...

Management tools need a sanity check.
August 21, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Management tools need a sanity check Firms know the risk from hackers, but carelessly used IT management tools can be just as dangerous Earlier this month, I took a well-earned break from editing the client...

Site helps pick e-sales systems.
August 21, 2006... Site helps pick e-sales systems Phil Muncaster A new web site was launched last week to help firms choose e-commerce shopping software to suit their needs. Ecommerce-comparison.com was developed by several companies in the UK...

What makes a web site influential?
August 21, 2006... What makes a web site influential? Many predictable names are on the Observer's list of 15 leading sites, but it has notable omissions This month the web turns 15, which by rights means that it should run upstairs, slam its door, shout...

Speech recognition suits network apps.
August 21, 2006... Speech recognition suits network apps Microsoft's voice technology and progress on speaker-independent systems have the industry talking The IT industry seems to work like London buses: you see nothing new in a field for ages, then...

Sun expands open-source Java.
August 21, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Sun expands open-source Java Roger Howorth Sun last week announced the start of a process to release its Java Micro Edition (Java ME) mobile device platform under an open-source licence. Simon Phipps,...

Apps whitelist backs patches.
August 21, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Apps whitelist backs patches n Security vendor SecureWave last week announced a deal with patch management specialist PatchLink to tighten integration between PatchLink Update Server (PUS) and the SecureWave...

Lotus messaging for Linux PCs.
August 21, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Lotus messaging for Linux PCs Daniel Robinson IBM's Lotus division has added support for Linux to its Lotus Sametime collaboration tool. The move enables firms to cut costs by using Linux servers as a...

Car sat-nav sales double n Sales of GPS satellite navigation kits for cars are booming in Europe. Shipments in the second quarter of 2006 were double those of the same period in 2005, according to figures from research firm Canalys. Almost two-and-a-half.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... Car sat-nav sales double n Sales of GPS satellite navigation kits for cars are booming in Europe. Shipments in the second quarter of 2006 were double those of the same period in 2005, according to figures from research firm Canalys. ...

Schedule for 802.11n kit slips to 2008.
August 21, 2006... Schedule for 802.11n kit slips to 2008 IT Week staff n Users waiting for Wi-Fi kit faster than current 802.11a/b/g hardware had their hopes dashed last week when ratification of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers...

Faster 3G service due by Xmas.
August 21, 2006... Faster 3G service due by Xmas Dave Bailey Mobile carrier 3 is to launch a High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) service within months, it announced last week after demonstrating the technology in central London. HSDPA is a faster...

Recycling PCs poses risk to data.
August 21, 2006... Recycling PCs poses risk to data James Murray The discovery of internet banking data stored on recycled PCs sent from the UK to Africa has highlighted the need for IT directors to adopt best-practice standards to wipe hard drives when...

Content management sector set to consolidate.
August 21, 2006... Content management sector set to consolidate Martin Veitch Enterprise content management (ECM) firms and other business software vendors are bracing for more mergers following IBM's agreement to buy FileNet last week. According to...

DSL internet package offers managed routing.
August 21, 2006... DSL internet package offers managed routing Dave Bailey IP convergence vendor Switch IP, part of specialist communications provider Switch Communications, last week announced its business class internet service -- Switch Globalreach....

China Telecom gains global reach.
August 21, 2006... China Telecom gains global reach The Chinese firm is one of the world's most dynamic telcos and is touting for European business To London's swish Landmark Hotel, where China Telecom (CT) is to hold a seminar. Foolishly, I imagine...

Dell recalls battery units.
August 21, 2006... Dell recalls battery units IT Week staff Dell has announced probably the largest ever recall of batteries in a move that could harden airlines' attitudes against laptops. The recall of 4.1 million battery units follows several...

Why meetings are flying online.
August 21, 2006... Why meetings are flying online Face-to-face encounters and a firm handshake used to be essential for business, but times change Time was when an opportunity to travel with work could be deemed a perk of the job, or at least a necessary...

Software upgrades put users to the test.
August 21, 2006... Software upgrades put users to the test Problems with the Freeview TV text system illustrate weaknesses in software development processes I'm often amazed by the poor quality control of some software development organisations, and I...

HP firm on Mercury deal.
August 21, 2006... HP firm on Mercury deal James Murray HP last week insisted it would successfully integrate IT governance software specialist Mercury Interactive into its business despite some analysts' doubts. Meanwhile, rival Managed Objects...

Subscription grace for Vista.
August 21, 2006... Subscription grace for Vista Microsoft is likely to offer a "period of grace" for customers whose subscription agreements run out shortly before the release of its Windows Vista operating system. "Microsoft is formulating a programme...

Google traffic analysis.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... Google traffic analysis David Neal Google has made it easier for web site operators to use its free Analytics tool, which is designed to give owners, advertisers and publishers more information about site traffic . Google's...

Intel bankrolls mobile WiMax.
August 21, 2006... Intel bankrolls mobile WiMax Martin Courtney and Dave Bailey Broadband service provider Pipex Wireless has published the results of its WiMax trial in Stratford-upon-Avon, coinciding with reports that its financial backer Intel has...

New AMD chips prepare path to quad-core future.
August 21, 2006... New AMD chips prepare path to quad-core future Daniel Robinson AMD has introduced updated versions of its Opteron processors featuring hardware support for virtualisation and better power efficiency. A new motherboard socket also paves...

BSA presses for higher licensing penalties.
August 21, 2006... BSA presses for higher licensing penalties Phil Muncaster and James Murray The Business Software Alliance (BSA) last week called for the government to increase penalties to eradicate software copyright abuse, but downplayed calls from...

IBM leads giants backing Linux.
August 21, 2006... IBM leads giants backing Linux Martin Veitch Linux continued its long haul to datacentre credibility last week at the LinuxWorld conference in San Francisco, where a series of big-name vendors announced supportive moves. IBM...

Fewer students take IT A-levels.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... Fewer students take IT A-levels n The number of students taking IT A-levels has dropped by nearly eight percent over the past year, with worrying implications for the future strength of the UK's IT workforce. Just over 20,000 students...

VM tool gains ESX3 support.(Brief article)
August 31, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth VM tool gains ESX3 support n Server virtualisation tools specialist PlateSpin will next week ship version 6 of its PowerConvert tool to automatically migrate software between physical servers and virtual machines...