IT Week (UK) articles from January 2008

IT Week (UK) archives from January 2008

Gigabit switch offers flexibility.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Martin Courtney Gigabit switch offers flexibility D-Link's Layer 3 Gigabit Ethernet switch provides room for LAN and WAN growth The xStack DGS-3427 is a Layer 3 managed Ethernet switch aimed at companies looking to connect...

Moving to a more mobile workforce.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Moving to a more mobile workforce Bolton Council aims for a future where fewer of its staff are permanently office-based While many businesses are increasingly using laptops rather than desktop PCs, Bolton...

Useful tools are not always costly.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Kelvyn Taylor Useful tools are not always costly Many software products with serious business applications can be downloaded for free Ihave decided that to get 2008 off to a good start, we need to forget, for a moment, the...

Women team up to raise their profile.
January 7, 2008... Women team up to raise their profile A group dubbed the "Google Girls" is helping IT services firm Connect to attract more women As the proportion of women working in the IT sector continues to drop, IT services and support company...

Darwin didni?1/2t see this coming.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Darwin didn't see this coming Could Microsoft's Home Server package provide the catalyst for the next stage in human evolution? As the frequency of hangovers starts to return to normal after the festive season...

Reader input should drive our content.
January 7, 2008... Reader input should drive our content Covering IT can be such a daunting task that any feedback from readers A- even negative A- is useful Winston Churchill once wrote, "Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils...

Guide points way to network savings.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Guide points way to network savings Networking kit does not have to cost the earth, and can even help to reduce expenditure A new guide to purchasing network equipment published by analyst firm Gartner...

How to make women feel more positive about IT.
January 7, 2008... How to make women feel more positive about IT Hayley Davis, a first line support engineer at Connect, thinks school and college visits from female IT workers could help encourage more women to consider IT careers I've worked in the...

Can datacentres grow old gracefully?
January 7, 2008... Can datacentres grow old gracefully? Better management tools are the key to getting the best from legacy datacentres Many firms will either have to upgrade their datacentres or outsource operations to third parties if they are to take...

Tool mobilises HP suite.(Vettro 360 for IT Service Management application supports Hewlett-Packard's Service Manager 7.0)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Tool mobilises HP suite Daniel Robinson Enterprise mobility firm Vettro has announced support for HP's new Service Manager 7.0 software in its Vettro 360 for IT Service Management (ITSM) application. The move is designed to let IT...

DESlock+ offers full disk encryption.
January 7, 2008... DESlock+ offers full disk encryption Daniel Robinson Data Encryption Systems (DES) is planning to ship version 4 of its DESlock+ encryption tool for PCs later this month, adding full disk encryption to the software's existing folder...

Christmas e-sales soar.
January 7, 2008... Christmas e-sales soar David Neal Festive online sales continued their upward trend last year, with 4.4 million people hitting UK shopping sites on Christmas day alone. The Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) studied internet...

EMC and IBM renew storage wars.
January 7, 2008... EMC and IBM renew storage wars Dave Bailey and Martin Veitch EMC and IBM are both starting the new year by improving enterprise storage options. EMC will tomorrow launch new hardware featuring Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) drives, while...

Rise of hosted IT spells gloom for outsourcers.
January 7, 2008... Rise of hosted IT spells gloom for outsourcers Rosalie Marshall and Dave Bailey This year will see in a shift in the IT services market as firms turn to direct sourcing from hosted software providers, rather than traditional...

Influence of CIOs set to increase.
January 7, 2008... Influence of CIOs set to increase Phil Muncaster New research has painted a positive picture for IT professionals in 2008, with increasing resources for council IT departments and greater influence for chief information officers...

A simpler way to scour content.(Interview)
January 7, 2008... A simpler way to scour content Exalead's Raymond Bentinck says many enterprise search solutions are needlessly complex IT Week: As managing director of enterprise search vendor Exalead, how do you ensure that your company stands out in...

Upstarts crash the search party.
January 7, 2008... Upstarts crash the search party A new breed of enterprise search tools promises to make it easier for managers to mine corporate data Tired? Disorientated? Confused? That's probably not all down to the 15 pints of lager you saw the new...

Checkups maintain web site health.(Website overview)
January 14, 2008... Checkups maintain web site health SiteConfidence's Bob Dowson believes the sooner sites are put to the test, the better After six years operating as an independent company, web site monitoring and testing firm SiteConfidence was...

Crunch time for Windows Vista.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Crunch time for Windows Vista Will enterprises begin migration to Microsoft's new platform this year or hold out for a successor? This year has only just begun for many workers, but 2008 already looks like...

Desktop host lightens admin load.(service provided by Extrasys)(Company overview)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Desktop host lightens admin load Rajesh Sinha of Extrasys explains how companies can simplify client provisioning While software as a service has freed many firms from having to manage key applications,...

Web service updates Office experience.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Martin Veitch Web service updates Office experience InstaColl's Live Documents enables users of older versions of Office to collaborate online Startup company InstaColl caused a stir last year when it launched Live...

Time to end the Wi-Fi security obsession.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Alan Stevens Time to end the Wi-Fi security obsession IT managers need to think about wireless defences, but only as part of a comprehensive security plan Ask most corporate networking managers why they have yet to...

How to strengthen customer bonds.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Phil Muncaster How to strengthen customer bonds Success at e-commerce increasingly depends on monitoring customer experience Acontrasting picture of the general quality of customer service on the internet has emerged over...

Holiday company sends online glitches packing.(TUI Thomson makes information seeking easy by usage of website)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Holiday company sends online glitches packing TUI wanted insight into the user experience when it relaunched Thomson.co.uk When tourism group TUI updated its Thomson Holidays web site it enlisted the help of customer experience...

Network infrastructures go green.
January 14, 2008... Byline: Danny Bradbury Network infrastructures go green The green revolution finally looks set to spread to businesses' network infrastructures Companies pursuing a green technology agenda had lots to work with last year, with...

Staff loyalty is key in company growth.
January 14, 2008... Staff loyalty is key in company growth Bell Micro's Antony Young explains how its training programmes are helping the firm to grow Bell Micro is a UK-based IT reseller that has enjoyed steady growth over the past few years. Even so,...

A stolen domain highlights new web risks.
January 14, 2008... A stolen domain highlights new web risks As firms increasingly turn to the cloud for their computing needs, securing the desktop is no longer enough The rise of hosted services is giving new opportunities to malware. Consider the case...

Ten predictions for the year ahead.
January 14, 2008... Ten predictions for the year ahead How will green technology, and ethical business in general, evolve over the next 12 months? 1 The "greenwash" will fade. "Both consumers and the press are becoming more jaded about the kinds of...

Aruba extends its reach.(Aruba Wireless Networks acquires AirWave Wireless Inc.)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Aruba extends its reach Dave Bailey Aruba Networks last week agreed to acquire Wi-Fi management specialist AirWave Wireless for $37m in a bid to help firms better manage systems from multiple vendors. AirWave's core product allows...

Data hosts ramp up capacity.
January 14, 2008... Data hosts ramp up capacity Martin Veitch Datacentre hosting companies are building out their facilities to cope with surging demand for services, but London could become less central to their plans. Digital Realty last week said...

SuccessFactors updates service.
January 14, 2008... SuccessFactors updates service On-demand employee performance management pioneer SuccessFactors will today post a new version of its service that adds a host of web 2.0 capabilities. New features in the Ultra release include a revamped...

HP unveils new rack servers.
January 14, 2008... HP unveils new rack servers HP will today launch entry-level Intel- and AMD-based servers for firms with up to 1,000 staff, together with Citrix Access Essentials and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 application solution "blueprints". ...

Testing tool smooths migration path.
January 14, 2008... Testing tool smooths migration path Martin Veitch AppDNA will launch a new tool today that checks firms' preparedness for migrations to Windows Vista or Microsoft's on-demand application streaming program, Application Virtualisation,...

Microsoft eyes Fast as Wikia engine falters.
January 14, 2008... Microsoft eyes Fast as Wikia engine falters David Neal and Rosalie Marshall Enterprise search received a boost last week as Microsoft announced plans to acquire Norwegian search specialist Fast for $1.2bn. Meanwhile, the much-hyped...

ITi?1/2s role in a utility computing world.
January 14, 2008... IT's role in a utility computing world Nicholas Carr's latest book argues that computing is set to become more like an electricity grid In his new book, The Big Switch, Nicholas Carr predicts a world where computing is consumed like...

Stick with HSUPA for faster downloads.
January 21, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Stick with HSUPA for faster downloads The UK's fastest mobile connectivity can now be accessed via a handy USB modem stick Launched earlier this month, Vodafone's USB modem stick is a neat little device for...

Why IT managers are here to stay.(Bailey-Teswaine)(Interview)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Why IT managers are here to stay Rising energy prices and inadequate networks will prevent utility computing from eradicating IT chiefs It's not every day in technology journalism that you get threatened with...

The hard disk is spinning towards its grave.
January 21, 2008... The hard disk is spinning towards its grave The buzz from CES suggests the choice between spinning and solid state storage is nearing a tipping point Bill Gates is notorious for his entertaining industry fortune telling. For every...

Line between PCs and devices is fading.
January 21, 2008... Line between PCs and devices is fading New platforms aim to make it easier to integrate devices with business infrastructure Microsoft expects to see its embedded platforms appear in more appliances and other business kit in future, as...

Dashboard steers firms clear of trouble.(SolarWinds.Net)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Dashboard steers firms clear of trouble IpMonitor 9.0 makes it easy for admins to spot anything untoward occurring on the network Launched today, SolarWinds ipMonitor version 9.0 is a feature-rich package for...

Yahoo gives the mobile web a push.
January 21, 2008... Byline: Phil Muncaster Yahoo gives the mobile web a push The firm hopes to build an ecosystem around its new Go client and developer platform At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month, search giant...

Firefox in the hunt for mobile users.
January 21, 2008... Firefox in the hunt for mobile users Mozilla Europe's Tristan Nitot discusses Firefox 3 and developments in the mobile arena IT Week: As president of Mozilla Europe, how do you manage a large open-source community? Tristan Nitot:...

Monitoring tool takes care of business.
January 21, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Monitoring tool takes care of business Network Monitor 7.0 is a good choice for firms looking for a no-nonsense troubleshooter ActiveXperts Network Monitor 7.0 is a no-frills package for server, application and...

Nokia adds VoIP to business handset.
January 21, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Nokia adds VoIP to business handset The Nokia E51 fits the business essentials into a slim handset with IP telephony support Nokia's E51 handset is aimed squarely at business users, offering email access...

An IT giant thati?1/2s short on ideas.
January 21, 2008... An IT giant that's short on ideas Bill Gates' reluctance to make predictions at CES shows how much Microsoft's influence has shrunk It looks like Bill Gates has been reading my column. Surely it was my wise words about the future of...

The operational benefits of virtualisation.
January 28, 2008... The operational benefits of virtualisation Migrating from physical to virtual servers can deliver a wide range of administrative efficiencies Towards the end of last year, Microsoft and VMware both made significant announcements around...

Fast deal heats up enterprise search.
January 28, 2008... Fast deal heats up enterprise search Microsoft's agreement to buy a business search specialist will lead to another stand-off Enterprise search is becoming the latest battleground among software giants after Microsoft agreed a $1.2bn...

E-marketing set to go mobile.
January 28, 2008... Byline: Phil Muncaster E-marketing set to go mobile LinkShare's Kevin Kozinchik discusses the impact of m-commerce and social networking IT Week: What are the biggest trends in online marketing today? Kevin Kozinchik: The...

Ofcom casts light on dark fibre.(Office of Communications (United Kingdom))
January 28, 2008... Byline: Bill Pechey Ofcom casts light on dark fibre A review of the leased line market by Ofcom could result in BT having to provide dark fibre services Many businesses today could not function without effective telecommunications...

Flash to drive mobile storage in 2008.
January 28, 2008... Byline: Martin Veitch Flash to drive mobile storage in 2008 The hard disk drive's days as the primary means of storing data in PCs may be numbered The advent of Flash-based primary storage is likely to be one of the most...

Thin clients, new niches.
January 28, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Thin clients, new niches Thin clients are taking steps beyond the corporate LAN While thin client vendors have been trying to wrest corporate market share from PC vendors for years, one manufacturer is...

Top sites fail to offer easy access to all.(Survey)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Phil Muncaster Top sites fail to offer easy access to all A new study suggests retailers' recent efforts to boost accessibility and usability have stalled New research by web consultancy Webcredible indicates that many...

Data security is not rocket science.
January 28, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Data security is not rocket science An alarming number of data loss incidents continue to make news, despite the fact that multiple tools exist to address the problem The rash of recent scandals...

New Office may attract firms to Macs.
January 28, 2008... New Office may attract firms to Macs Microsoft's Office 2008 for Mac aims to let Apple users integrate better with Windows Businesses are likely to show renewed interest in the Mac as a desktop client platform, following the release of...

New 802.11n AP works with legacy PoE.
January 28, 2008... New 802.11n AP works with legacy PoE Siemens is offering firms a route to 802.11n that does not involve a costly PoE upgrade Comms vendor Siemens announced plans earlier this month to release 802.11n equipment that is designed to make...

The difference between usability and accessibility.(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... The difference between usability and accessibility A highly accessible web site is not neccessarily a highly usable one A- and vice versa The idea that usability and accessibility are interchangeable terms is a common misconception,...

Suni?1/2s open source experiment.(MySQL AB)(Sun Microsystems Inc.)
January 28, 2008... Sun's open source experiment The MySQL database should thrive under Sun's ownership. But then again, it might not Sun's acquisition of MySQL has been widely applauded. It is easy to see why. MySQL has a huge installed base, thanks to...

System brings email to entry-level handsets.
January 28, 2008... System brings email to entry-level handsets Daniel Robinson and Phil Muncaster Mobility specialist Synchronica is to demonstrate forthcoming products at the Mobile World Congress exhibition in Barcelona next month, including a way for...

Microsoft makes virtual moves.
January 28, 2008... Microsoft makes virtual moves Martin Veitch and Daniel Robinson Microsoft last week said it will buy Calista Technologies as part of a plan to speed up adoption of virtualisation technologies. The Calista deal will give Microsoft...

Security hosts plug holes as threat to Macs grows.
January 28, 2008... Security hosts plug holes as threat to Macs grows Phil Muncaster Security companies looked to stem the growing tide of technology threats last week by launching new products in the hosted services space, while experts warned that this...

Gates touts hosted CRM options.
January 28, 2008... Gates touts hosted CRM options Martin Veitch Bill Gates will visit London this week to boost Microsoft's latest release in customer relationship management (CRM). The Microsoft chairman, currently on a farewell tour as he winds...

IPhone packaged up for business.
January 28, 2008... IPhone packaged up for business Charlotte Baxter Business iPhone users in the US now have specific packages tailored to their needs, thanks to carrier AT&T, which announced new payment structures last week. However, UK users will have...

Firms pool data to combat fraud.
January 28, 2008... Firms pool data to combat fraud The concept of companies sharing data in order to protect against fraud may finally be taking off after two-year-old Dublin-based firm Ethoca last week added to its already impressive customer roster. ...

ICT provider boosts buildingsi?1/2 IQ.
January 28, 2008... ICT provider boosts buildings' IQ Bailey Teswaine's Tony Henderson explains how buildings can be smarter and greener IT Week: As managing director of Bailey Teswaine, the ICT arm of leading building services provider NG Bailey, how...