IT Week (UK) articles from December 2006

IT Week (UK) archives from December 2006

Vista takes Windows to new heights.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Vista takes Windows to new heights Microsoft's new Windows client brings improvements in security, usability and admin Windows Vista introduces a host of changes to improve the security, reliability and...

Can Vista live up to expectations?
December 4, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Can Vista live up to expectations? Windows XP's maturity and Vista's teething troubles may delay migration to the new operating system With the release of Windows Vista to volume customers, large firms can...

2007 will see surge in Web 2.0.(business firms are planning to adopt Web 2.0 technologies)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Phil Muncaster 2007 will see surge in Web 2.0 Phil Muncaster More than half of firms are planning to adopt Web 2.0 technologies next year, but many are still failing to offer a consistent customer experience across online...

Windows celebrates 21 eventful years.
December 4, 2006... Windows celebrates 21 eventful years Microsoft's operating system landed when Starship was No 1 and still flies high on users' radars It's worth more than $100bn at a conservative estimate. It has been the subject of lawsuits and...

CSR boots up wireless mice.(Cambridge Silicon Radio Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson CSR boots up wireless mice n Bluetooth chipmaker CSR has introduced software to improve compatibility between PCs and Bluetooth keyboards and mice. BlueICE enables a CSR BlueCore4-based Bluetooth adapter to...

London tops forgetful list.(mobile phones were left in London taxis)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: James Murray London tops forgetful list n The scale of the security risk posed by corporate mobiles was highlighted again last week after a new report revealed that 55,000 mobile phones were left in London taxis in the past six...

When legislation is not fit for purpose.(Computer Misuse Act)
December 4, 2006... When legislation is not fit for purpose Recent amendments to the Computer Misuse Act could land unsuspecting businesses in hot water As a lawyer, I am always annoyed when the legislators draft a law that is vague, illogical or which...

Firms gain more WLAN options.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey Firms gain more WLAN options Dave Bailey Wireless service provider Colubris today unveiled its first products targeted at the enterprise market. The four products are the MSC-5100 MultiService Controller,...

Appliances to check IDs.(Infoblox launched Network Services for Authentication software tool)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey Appliances to check IDs n Network identity services vendor Infoblox today launched the Network Services for Authentication (NSA) software tool to deliver distributed Radius services across its security...

Can Wi-Fi damage your health?
December 4, 2006... Can Wi-Fi damage your health? Claims that electromagnetic radiation from wireless kit can cause illness merit investigation I've not been feeling that good recently. I'm tired most of the time, listless and quite irritable. It's...

Service spots web app risks n Web security firm Acunetix last week launched an on-demand service designed to provide firms with a cost-effective means of auditing their web applications for vulnerabilities. SiteAudit utilises the Acunetix Web Vulnerabili.
December 4, 2006... Service spots web app risks n Web security firm Acunetix last week launched an on-demand service designed to provide firms with a cost-effective means of auditing their web applications for vulnerabilities. SiteAudit utilises the...

Dell pushes easier management.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Dell pushes easier management Daniel Robinson Dell is simplifying hardware management for enterprise customers with a free tool that replaces three earlier pieces of software. The supplier is also launching...

Java accelerator picks up speed.(Azul Systems released new versions of its server appliance)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Java accelerator picks up speed Martin Veitch Azul Systems will today release new versions of its server appliance, promising to accelerate Java performance by a factor of three compared with its first-generation products, while at the...

EC urges action on spam.
December 4, 2006... EC urges action on spam Madeline Bennett The European Commission (EC) has called on member states to step up their efforts to fight spam, spyware and other malware and prosecute more online offences. Viviane Reding, commissioner...

Better datacentre control.(Symantec Corp. launched data center management software)(Veritas Server Foundation)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Better datacentre control Phil Muncaster Symantec last week launched new capabilities for its Veritas Server Foundation (VSF) suite, designed to simplify the management of enterprise datacentres and offer more patch management...

Unisys backs open-source n Open-source systems management firm GroundWork gained a significant boost last week when Unisys said it would license the technology. Unisys will offer GroundWork Monitor Professional as an element of its Oasis management framew.
December 4, 2006... Unisys backs open-source n Open-source systems management firm GroundWork gained a significant boost last week when Unisys said it would license the technology. Unisys will offer GroundWork Monitor Professional as an element of its Oasis...

YouTube poses enterprise risk.(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... YouTube poses enterprise risk The increasing popularity of video-sharing on the web is likely to make it a target for hackers, according to security specialist McAfee's top 10 threat predictions for 2007. McAfee warned that users are...

Infor lifts SOA options.(service oriented architecture)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Infor lifts SOA options Madeline Bennett Enterprise software provider Infor is set to add weight to its service-oriented architecture (SOA) strategy next month, with the launch of Infor Open SOA. Infor Open SOA will offer firms a...

Rethink over mobile rates.(reducing mobile call charges, in response to European Commission pressure)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Rethink over mobile rates Dave Bailey Ofcom last week revealed it will rethink its proposals for reducing mobile call charges, in response to European Commission (EC) pressure. In September, the UK telecoms watchdog announced that...

Datacentres call for cool thinking.
December 4, 2006... Datacentres call for cool thinking Dave Bailey and Martin Veitch IT managers attending the London Datacenter Facilities & Engineering conference last week were urged to make sure their current datacentre operations are under control...

Mixed methods deliver better intranet results.(Online Information 2006)
December 4, 2006... Mixed methods deliver better intranet results David Neal Firms need to make use of multiple search techniques to get the best from their intranets, including meta-tags, taxonomies and controlled terms, according to experts at last...

Tools bring virtual kit under control.
December 4, 2006... Tools bring virtual kit under control Martin Veitch Novell, Symantec and Dell last week outlined updates to their systems management tools to account for uptake of technologies such as virtualisation and Windows Vista. Novell's...

IT chiefs should learn to say no.(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... IT chiefs should learn to say no n IT chiefs must start rejecting unreasonable requests from business executives if they are ever to tackle the high failure rate of projects, experts at IT governance specialist Mercury's customer...

Tax scheme rewards green investments.
December 4, 2006... Tax scheme rewards green investments James Murray and Martin Veitch The government came under fire last week for its failure to adequately publicise the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme, which offers sizeable environmental tax...

Kalido plots data warehousing shift.
December 4, 2006... Byline: James Murray Kalido plots data warehousing shift Kalido CEO Bill Hewitt outlines how his firm's approach to data warehousing cuts costs IT Week: Kalido has been quite critical of the current approach to data warehouse...

Pizza firm improves IT delivery.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Madeline Bennett Pizza firm improves IT delivery Domino's IT director explains how to manage expansion and shares her mobile vision IT Week: Since taking over as IT director at Domino's Pizza in June, what have been your...

Organised crime gangs lure IT graduates.
December 11, 2006... Organised crime gangs lure IT graduates Phil Muncaster Organised criminals are starting to recruit IT students, according to a new report from security vendor McAfee. The revelation came as experts called for a greater focus on ethics...

Sun Fire offers safe haven for data.
December 11, 2006... Sun Fire offers safe haven for data The X4500 provides a fault-tolerant alternative to storing data in SANs or NAS devices > storage hardware by IT Week staff Sun's Sun Fire X4500, which started shipping in October, is a...

TV's pain could be business's gain.
December 11, 2006... Byline: david neal TV's pain could be business's gain Streaming video may be giving broadcasters a headache but it presents a golden opportunity for firms A survey from the BBC has found that people are watching more television...

Cisco boosts VPN performance.
December 11, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey Cisco boosts VPN performance Dave Bailey Firms using Cisco's integrated services routers (ISRs) can now roll out a new type of virtual private network called Group Encrypted Transport (GET) VPN, which Cisco...

Qualcomm hits acquisition trail.
December 11, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey Qualcomm hits acquisition trail n Wireless comms vendor Qualcomm has moved to boost its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth offerings by acquiring multiple-input multiple-output (Mimo) pioneer Airgo for an undisclosed sum, plus the...

New threats from IM and spam.(instant messaging)
December 11, 2006... Byline: Phill Muncaster New threats from IM and spam Phil Muncaster Anti-spyware specialist Webroot last week teamed up with antivirus vendor Sophos to launch a new version of its popular Spy Sweeper software that is designed to...

Checks verify site safety n Web site content labelling organisation the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) has unveiled a new validation service designed to ensure the accuracy of its own labelling system. ICRAchecked involves human checks of sit.
December 11, 2006... Checks verify site safety n Web site content labelling organisation the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) has unveiled a new validation service designed to ensure the accuracy of its own labelling system. ICRAchecked involves...

Making a tidy sum from all fears.(environmental concerns and contamination fears to generate big business for technology firms)
December 11, 2006... Making a tidy sum from all fears Environmental concerns and contamination fears are likely to generate big business for technology firms It's tough to make predictions, it was once said, especially about the future. The quotation is...

Web 2.0 is no turkey, but beware takeoff.
December 11, 2006... Web 2.0 is no turkey, but beware takeoff Before firms get too carried away with the technology, they need to mitigate its inherent risks Apparently, 'tis the season to be jolly. But as we all know, it's actually the most nauseatingly...

Big iron still pulls its weight.
December 11, 2006... Big iron still pulls its weight Server sales figures show that venerable Unix-on-Risc platforms are thriving in modern enterprises We all know the old saying, "The more things change, the more they stay the same," but it is interesting...

BI firm snaps up app host.
December 11, 2006... Byline: James Murray BI firm snaps up app host n Business intelligence (BI) software giant Business Objects has stepped up its push into the hosted software market with the acquisition late last month of software-as-a-service (SaaS)...

Vista flaws are greatly exaggerated.(Microsoft Windows Vista)
December 11, 2006... Vista flaws are greatly exaggerated Despite some unfavourable reports, Windows Vista may turn out to be more secure than XP with SP2 In an analysis of a network of Trojan-infested PCs used for sending spam, security researcher Joe...

Wi-Fi cities may fail to realise potential.
December 11, 2006... Wi-Fi cities may fail to realise potential There is an audience for urban Wi-Fi, but how much of it only wants local government content? A lot of column inches have been dedicated to Wi-Fi over the past few years, at the expense of...

Dell launches green servers.
December 11, 2006... Dell launches green servers Dell has released its first servers designed especially for firms where energy efficiency is a priority. The PC maker said its new PowerEdge Energy Smart 1950 and 2950 reduce power consumption by 20 percent...

HP unveils blade workstations.
December 11, 2006... HP unveils blade workstations Daniel Robinson HP has introduced to Europe a blade workstation system for environments where multiple screens and high performance are vital, such as City trading rooms. As well as centralising...

Novell to heal Office divide.
December 11, 2006... Novell to heal Office divide n Novell has announced that, as part of its new collaborative relationship with Microsoft, it is to support Microsoft's new Office 2007 file formats in versions of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite. ...

Firms playing safe on Vista adoption.
December 11, 2006... Firms playing safe on Vista adoption Industry reaction to Vista's launch has been lukewarm because everybody wants to wait and see My wife has a theory that only bad things happen in November. It is, she says, the time when the...

Microsoft BI emerges.
December 11, 2006... Microsoft BI emerges Daniel Robinson Microsoft has made available a preview version of its forthcoming PerformancePoint Server 2007. Due to ship next summer, the tool is designed to open up access to business intelligence (BI)...

Key IT challenges revealed n Improving levels of service and demonstrating the value of IT to the business were among the five key technology challenges facing IT chiefs this year, according to a new survey from consultancy Accenture. Only 13 percent of f.
December 11, 2006... Key IT challenges revealed n Improving levels of service and demonstrating the value of IT to the business were among the five key technology challenges facing IT chiefs this year, according to a new survey from consultancy Accenture. Only...

Appliance boosts backups.(Quantum launched disk-based backup appliances)(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... Appliance boosts backups James Murray Storage specialist Quantum will today launch a range of disk-based backup appliances featuring new data de-duplication technology that the company claims will increase capacity between 10 and 50...

Firms must drive training.(employers play a greater role in developing the country's skills agenda)(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... Firms must drive training James Murray Employers should play a greater role in developing the country's skills agenda, according to a report released last week that is likely to spur efforts to tackle the ongoing IT skills gaps. ...

Suite to manage virtual machines.
December 11, 2006... Suite to manage virtual machines IT management software vendor Managed Objects has revealed plans for a new suite specially designed for monitoring and managing virtual machines. Siki Giunta, Managed Objects' chief executive, said the...

Collaboration spurs on Microsoft.
December 11, 2006... Collaboration spurs on Microsoft Martin Veitch Less than a fortnight after their launches, Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange 2007 are attracting a crowd of supporters with many experts seeing changes to collaborative processes as...

Vendors pursue different paths to SOA deployment.
December 11, 2006... Vendors pursue different paths to SOA deployment Martin Veitch and Phil Muncaster Iona Technologies and Tibco both launched products last week to help firms deploy service-oriented architectures (SOAs). But IT consultancy ThoughtWorks...

Office visitors seen as Wi-Fi risk.
December 11, 2006... Office visitors seen as Wi-Fi risk Martin Courtney Many companies are reluctant to provide wireless access to visitors because they fear they will be held liable for the activity of non-employees using their networks, according to new...

Service connects mobiles to IM.
December 11, 2006... Service connects mobiles to IM n A new service promises to link mobile phones with PC-based instant messaging (IM) clients and cut the cost of making calls when roaming abroad. Talkster will today unveil a beta version of its namesake...

Girl techies need better support.
December 18, 2006... Byline: Madeline Bennett Girl techies need better support Madeline Bennett The government needs to do more to attract women to the technology sector, according to the founder of the Axios 'A' Star Awards aimed at female students...

Barclays can't bank on its intelligence.(Banks using business intelligence systems to improve its customer service )
December 18, 2006... Byline: James Murray Barclays can't bank on its intelligence BI systems can prove a liability if, like one high-street bank, you measure the wrong things A couple of weeks ago I popped into my local branch of Barclays to pay my...

Firms pay for asset errors n Many companies are overstating their assets and could risk losing significant sums of money and punitive action from auditors, according to a leading asset management firm. Overstating the asset management registry can have.
December 18, 2006... Byline: Phil Muncaster Firms pay for asset errors n Many companies are overstating their assets and could risk losing significant sums of money and punitive action from auditors, according to a leading asset management firm. ...

IP phones offer comms choice.
December 18, 2006... IP phones offer comms choice Dave Bailey Comms vendor Siemens has launched new desktop IP telephony devices that offer a number of unique features, according to the company. Siemens says its OpenStage desktop IP phones are the...

Blind confidence buoys shoppers.
December 18, 2006... Byline: david neal Blind confidence buoys shoppers Phil Muncaster Consumer confidence in the safety of online shopping is riding high, according to two new surveys, but experts have warned that users and online retailers must...

192.com adds new directory n Online directory provider 192.com last week launched a new service that utilises offline and online records to display vital information about a much wider number of businesses than previously available. The firm's new Web Dat.
December 18, 2006... Byline: Phil Muncaster 192.com adds new directory n Online directory provider 192.com last week launched a new service that utilises offline and online records to display vital information about a much wider number of businesses than...

Laplink keeps Vista PCs in sync.
December 18, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Laplink keeps Vista PCs in sync Daniel Robinson Laplink is preparing Vista-ready versions of its PC utilities ahead of the wider availability of Microsoft's new platform in January. Among these will be...

Will Palm revitalise its old platform?(Palm's agreement to buy a perpetual licence for Palm OS from Access Systems)
December 18, 2006... Byline: daniel robinson Will Palm revitalise its old platform? Reports of the demise of Palm OS were premature, but can it compete in today's world? Palm's agreement to buy a perpetual licence for Palm OS from Access Systems...

The Queen addresses her IT subjects.(Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs)(Column)
December 18, 2006... The Queen addresses her IT subjects Her Majesty turns her attention to an annus horribilis for IT workers, managers and suppliers Scene: Christmas Day in an ordinary British household. Father and son are in the Grey Horse. Mother is in...

Palm grabs old OS rights.(Access Systems)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Palm grabs old OS rights n Palm has signed an agreement with Access Systems giving Palm a perpetual licence for Palm OS, the software in many of its handhelds and smartphones. The move enables it to use the...

Network Physics aims to allay VoIP concerns.
December 18, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey Network Physics aims to allay VoIP concerns Dave Bailey Application performance management specialist Network Physics last week launched software designed to address IT directors' concerns about the security,...

Lose track of time and yule be sorry.(Internet retailers delivery services during Christmas business)
December 18, 2006... Byline: David Neal Lose track of time and yule be sorry The age-old problem of shopping in good time for Xmas has not been cracked by e-commerce Judging by the fact that when I have visited the houses of friends and relatives...

PoE switches equip firms for voice over IP.
December 18, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey PoE switches equip firms for voice over IP Dave Bailey n Comms vendor 3Com last week completed its enterprise stackable switch refresh with the announcement of the Switch 4500G, a gigabit Layer 3 switch...

Radio spectrum for sale.
December 18, 2006... Radio spectrum for sale Dave Bailey Ofcom last week unveiled proposals for another radio spectrum auction, which the watchdog said could help usher in a range of new services such as mobile broadband and advanced wireless. The...

Host offers more support.(Salesforce.com has created an ecosystem for partner companies selling software as a hosted service)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Host offers more support Martin Veitch Salesforce.com has delivered the latest part of its effort to create an ecosystem for partner companies selling software as a hosted service. The firm's AppStore initiative offers sales,...

Online protection for trademarks.
December 18, 2006... Online protection for trademarks Phil Muncaster VeriSign has launched a suite of services designed to alert companies if their brand is being abused by third parties or phishers, and help them prioritise incident responses. ...

Panasonic updates Toughbooks n Panasonic has added two new models to its Toughbook rugged laptop range. The CF-30 can withstand falls of up to 90cm even when operating and has a 13.3in display. The CF-19 is a Tablet laptop with a swivelling 10.4in screen.
December 18, 2006... Panasonic updates Toughbooks n Panasonic has added two new models to its Toughbook rugged laptop range. The CF-30 can withstand falls of up to 90cm even when operating and has a 13.3in display. The CF-19 is a Tablet laptop with a swivelling...

Here's hoping for a happier new year.
December 18, 2006... Here's hoping for a happier new year Central heating engineers will look back on 2006 with warmth, but few involved with IT will join in This has not been a particularly good year for technology. Systems are still failing frequently...

WEEE moves closer.(government has published its rules for the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... WEEE moves closer Martin Veitch The government has published its rules for the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, which is likely to cause a significant change in disposal options for obsolete IT equipment. ...

BEA revs Java on virtual platforms.
December 18, 2006... BEA revs Java on virtual platforms Middleware vendor BEA last week unveiled new technologies to improve support for Java apps running on virtualised systems. The technologies will let Java apps and services run on x86 servers using...

Sun perks up Java performance.
December 18, 2006... Sun perks up Java performance Martin Veitch Sun has put some substance behind its Java open-source strategy with the release of Java Platform Standard Edition 6 (Java SE 6). In a move likely to cause a stampede of interest, Sun is also...

HP to discontinue tools as Mercury comes on board.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)
December 18, 2006... HP to discontinue tools as Mercury comes on board James Murray in Vienna HP announced a product shake-up at its Software Universe conference in Vienna last week. The OpenView brand will be dropped and several tools axed as the firm...

Microsoft road-tests OCS.
December 18, 2006... Microsoft road-tests OCS Dave Bailey Microsoft last week released a private beta of its enterprise voice server, renamed Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007, to 2,500 IT professionals. Microsoft said OCS 2007 will allow firms...

IBM and Yahoo free up enterprise search.
December 18, 2006... IBM and Yahoo free up enterprise search Martin Veitch IBM and Yahoo are teaming up to offer a free enterprise search tool likely to challenge Google's server appliances and similar alternatives that typically cost thousands of pounds....

IT to focus on people and planet.(Energy-efficient computing and people-focused approach to technology development)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... IT to focus on people and planet Madeline Bennett Energy-efficient computing and a back-to-basics, people-focused approach to technology development should be the top items on every IT manager's agenda, according to IT experts'...

Microsoft aims to foil ID fraud.
December 18, 2006... Microsoft aims to foil ID fraud n Microsoft will next month have another go at trying to reduce the online fraud problem when it announces the names of a major card issuer and an online retail giant that will support its latest identity...