IT Week (UK) articles from March 2006

IT Week (UK) archives from March 2006

How long will the internet captivate us?
March 3, 2006... How long will the internet captivate us? Online content providers could face a tough task maintaining the web's newly-won lead over TV According to recent research, Britons are spending more time on the internet than watching...

Appliance simplifies single sign-on.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Appliance simplifies single sign-on Imprivata's OneSign 3.0 appliance can control access for thousands of Windows users Imprivata's OneSign is an appliance for quickly implementing single-sign on for up to...

Microsoft offers BPM tips on way to BizTalk 2006.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Microsoft offers BPM tips on way to BizTalk 2006 Roger Howorth Before launching its BizTalk 2006 business integration and process management tool this month, Microsoft is briefing customers about the benefits...

Prize contest to promote virtualisation it week staff n IT managers could get an unexpectedly high return on investment from server virtualisation following VMware's announcement of a competition with prizes totalling $200,000 in cash. Participants must.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Prize contest to promote virtualisation it week staff n IT managers could get an unexpectedly high return on investment from server virtualisation following VMware's announcement of a competition with prizes...

Waiting for the perfect smartphone.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Waiting for the perfect smartphone Handsets ranging from Sony's P900 to the MDA Vario all have their virtues -- and shortcomings Over the past few weeks I've been comparing several smartphones. My journey...

Suite combats Windows misuse.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Suite combats Windows misuse Roger Howorth Windows management specialist Winternals will today unveil a new whitelist tool that enables IT staff to restrict the software used on Windows 2000, XP and Server...

Pop-ups versus adverts on TV.(television and internet advertising)(Column)
March 6, 2006... Pop-ups versus adverts on TV When do television adverts and high-street shops have the advantage over their online counterparts? While in the supermarket the other day I found myself drawn to a curious item on the shelves that I did...

Sign-language takes to the web.(Malcolm Wright interviewed)(Interview)
March 6, 2006... Sign-language takes to the web Malcolm Wright explains how systems are developing to help firms reach more people IT Week: As chief executive of sign-language services provider SignPost, can you explain why web sites need live signing?...

Who will firms turn to for mobile IM?
March 6, 2006... Who will firms turn to for mobile IM? Microsoft may beat mobile carriers in providing instant messaging systems for corporates Of all of the mobile communications stories that came out of last month's 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona,...

Switch gives firms power over power.
March 6, 2006... Switch gives firms power over power 3Com's 4500PWR provides controllable Power over Ethernet for converged networks Launched in December, 3Com's SuperStack 3 4500 series of Layer 3 10/100Mbit/s stackable switches is aimed at firms...

Reed hires virtual operator to cut costs.(Reed Managed Services contracts with Sirocom)
March 6, 2006... Reed hires virtual operator to cut costs Reed Managed Services says its new telecoms contract will save millions of pounds Reed Managed Services, best known for its high street recruitment operation, Reed Employment, recently signed a...

Gateway appliance stops malware.
March 6, 2006... Gateway appliance stops malware Phil Muncaster Content security specialist Trend Micro last week released a new web security appliance to act as a gateway to protect enterprises from malware and other security threats, and provide...

Swap scheme gives firms free pop-up ads.
March 6, 2006... Swap scheme gives firms free pop-up ads IT Week staff n Webmasters and marketers at smaller firms could encourage more visitors to their sites thanks to new technology that enables them to advertise for free on other sites via pop-ups...

IBM plans to increase choice of hosted apps.
March 6, 2006... IBM plans to increase choice of hosted apps Phil Muncaster IBM is to boost the number of applications that enterprises can access via the internet, by launching several initiatives to encourage third-party software vendors to deliver...

Jilting Jeeves is dashed bad form.(Ask.com Internet Ltd. changed its name)
March 6, 2006... Jilting Jeeves is dashed bad form Ask.com giving the name of the world's greatest valet the old heave-ho is bally nonsense Touching on this matter of my man Jeeves -- it seems he is no more. Dashed rum affair but those crafty American...

Mobile security needs enforcing.
March 6, 2006... Mobile security needs enforcing James Murray Many mobile staff have an irresponsible attitude to data security, and firms are not doing enough to enforce mobile security policies, according to a report published last week. Almost...

Web dashboard keeps tabs on app developers.
March 6, 2006... Web dashboard keeps tabs on app developers James Murray IT chiefs wanting to improve their application management processes have been given new options as IT management tool specialists Cast and Numara have both announced new software....

Word slips out of Microsoft's BI intentions.
March 6, 2006... Word slips out of Microsoft's BI intentions IT week staff n Microsoft's ambitions in the business intelligence (BI) market have been in the news again, with stories of two new projects to improve knowledge workers' access to corporate...

Equality promises rich rewards.
March 6, 2006... Equality promises rich rewards Firms will not attract the best talent into IT until they address the issue of equal pay for women Last week the government again turned its attention to equal pay. The reason this time was the...

Businesses weigh biometric benefits.
March 6, 2006... Businesses weigh biometric benefits Biometric ID systems can improve security and productivity, but is the cost justified? Many people harbour doubts about the technical viability and ethics of government plans for biometric identity...

Appliance manages all messaging.
March 6, 2006... Appliance manages all messaging Dave Bailey Network security vendor Barracuda Networks has announced what it describes as the "first and only all-in-one instant messaging [IM] appliance" to help companies manage and protect all their...

Kit protects remote users' sensitive data.
March 6, 2006... Kit protects remote users' sensitive data it week staff n Access security vendor AEP Networks will today launch Net Remote, a new appliance to help firms protect data and applications over remote connections. "It's a portable...

Tools to test and monitor application performance.(Allot Communications Inc. introduced NetXplorer)(InfoVista Corp. (Redwood City, California) introduced VistaWatch 2.0)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... Tools to test and monitor application performance Dave Bailey Allot Communications and InfoVista last week launched new products to help firms check whether the performance of business applications conforms to service-level agreements....

Microsoft details its Vista line-up.
March 6, 2006... Microsoft details its Vista line-up Daniel Robinson Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Vista will come in six core versions, two of which will target businesses. Of these, an Enterprise edition will include better deployment tools...

Pioneer unveils first 25GB Blu-ray drive.
March 6, 2006... Pioneer unveils first 25GB Blu-ray drive Daniel Robinson Pioneer will this month ship one of the first Blu-ray drives to hit the market, enabling PC users to store up to 25GB of data on media similar to CDs and DVDs. With plans for...

Tools combat threats to XPE thin clients IT Week staff n SecureWave last week ann ounced its Sanctuary security tools have been extended to cover devices running Windows XP Embedded (XPE) as well as PCs. The move primarily addresses the malware threa.
March 6, 2006... Tools combat threats to XPE thin clients IT Week staff n SecureWave last week announced its Sanctuary security tools have been extended to cover devices running Windows XP Embedded (XPE) as well as PCs. The move primarily addresses the...

Giants improve identity controls.
March 6, 2006... Giants improve identity controls David Neal IBM, Novell and Parity Communications have teamed up for an open-source initiative to make it easier for users and companies to manage and protect identity information online. The...

Monitor spots e-trade flaws.(Wily Technology Inc.'s customer relationship management software)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... Monitor spots e-trade flaws Phil Muncaster Wily Technology last week released new application management tools to help firms monitor customers' online transactions in real time and diagnose and resolve problems before they harm...

Updates for compliance.
March 6, 2006... Updates for compliance James Murray Governance specialist Compliance 360 is to launch a system to keep companies informed of the latest changes to regulations, after it signed an agreement with news service LexisNexis. The...

C&W to focus on top-end users.(Cable and Wireless PLC)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... C&W to focus on top-end users MARTIN VEITCH Cable & Wireless (C&W) plans to cut its UK staff by half and reduce its customer base to cut costs and sharpen its focus. The telecoms giant will reduce its headcount by 50 percent and...

Council web sites failing.
March 6, 2006... Council web sites failing DAVID NEAL Many public sector web sites are failing to comply with usability guidelines, possibly putting them in breach of accessibility laws, according to new research. The Better Connected report...

BPM technology advances.
March 6, 2006... BPM technology advances James Murray Business process management (BPM) specialist Metastorm is on the prowl for acquisitions to add more performance management capabilities to its portfolio. Greg Carter, chief technology officer...

Lower Wi-Fi prices on the horizon.(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... Lower Wi-Fi prices on the horizon Martin Veitch Experts say Wi-Fi prices are set to fall as competition in the sector heats up. Most laptops now ship with Wi-Fi and many public areas are equipped with hotspots, but users often complain...

CSR backs WiMedia UWB for high-speed Bluetooth.
March 6, 2006... CSR backs WiMedia UWB for high-speed Bluetooth Chipmaker Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) has announced it is backing the WiMedia Alliance ultra wideband (UWB) technology. The move makes it more likely that this type of UWB will become the...

MPLS deals need SLAs.(Multiprotocol Label Switching)(service-level agreement)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... MPLS deals need SLAs MARTIN VEITCH A leading corporate lawyer has urged IT buyers to ensure that they get comprehensive service-level agreement (SLA) guarantees when they move to Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) networks. MPLS...

Salesforce CRM tariff offers all you can eat.
March 6, 2006... Salesforce CRM tariff offers all you can eat Martin Veitch Salesforce.com will today announce a top-end licence to give firms more flexible access to its hosted platform, though analyst Gartner said the CRM specialist should also offer...

HP and Oracle cheer on Itanium.
March 6, 2006... HP and Oracle cheer on Itanium James murray and Martin Veitch HP, Oracle and Intel last week mounted a three-pronged attack to strengthen each other's prospects around Itanium-based servers, insisting the beleaguered platform is key to...

Update adds IM for BlackBerry.
March 6, 2006... Update adds IM for BlackBerry n Research In Motion (RIM) will this week update its BlackBerry Enterprise Server platform, adding instant messaging (IM) tools and enhanced administration capabilities. BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES)...

Progress on many fronts at Europe's major IT show.
March 6, 2006... Progress on many fronts at Europe's major IT show DAVE BAILEY Among the main themes at this week's Cebit IT trade show in Germany will be the growing move to voice over IP (VoIP) and converged systems. There will also be previews of...

RFID systems bolster integration.
March 6, 2006... RFID systems bolster integration JAMES MURRAY The ability of firms to extract useful information from radio frequency identification (RFID) systems was bolstered last week as Sun Microsystems and IBM upgraded middleware to handle the...

Intel boosts virtual kit.
March 6, 2006... Intel boosts virtual kit JAMES MURRAY Virtualisation is likely to be a core talking point at this week's Intel Developer's Forum in San Francisco, where the chip giant is expected to outline developments in its next-generation server...

Directors enjoy the flexible life.
March 6, 2006... Directors enjoy the flexible life Company directors are making the most of flexible working opportunities, supported by technology such as high-speed internet access, according to a study published last week by telecoms company Avaya. ...

DSL reaches Max speed.
March 6, 2006... DSL reaches Max speed Martin Courtney and Phil Muncaster New 8Mbit/s broadband services for teleworkers and branch offices should soon be available, because BT is set to roll out ADSL Max and Premium Max ADSL wholesale services to...

When downtime becomes intolerable.
March 10, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth When downtime becomes intolerable Regulations and the desire to reduce risks are pushing fault tolerance higher up the IT agenda The recent New Orleans flood and the Bunsfield oil depot fire in the UK have...

Reliable iSCSI storage for the corporate SAN.
March 13, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Reliable iSCSI storage for the corporate SAN Roger Howorth EqualLogic, an iSCSI storage specialist, demonstrated its PS Series storage area network (SAN) system at the Cebit show in Hanover last week....

Why backup tools still let you down.(data recovery)(Column)
March 13, 2006... Why backup tools still let you down A file backup system does not guarantee the recovery of data will be hassle-free should a software failure go undetected Without wishing to tempt providence, over the years I've been fairly...

IT staff should look the business.
March 13, 2006... IT staff should look the business If IT staff want to be taken more seriously at work, they must lose the faded jeans and Cebit T-shirts Every morning on my way to work at IT Week's central London bunker I stroll through Hanover Square...

Built-in security poses a dilemma.
March 13, 2006... Built-in security poses a dilemma Should firms trust the security measures built into hardware when they cannot fully check them? So many problems in IT require a balance to be struck between hardware and software workarounds; and so...

IBM tailors BI systems for specific industries.
March 13, 2006... IBM tailors BI systems for specific industries James Murray IBM is to spend much of its recently announced $1bn information management fund on the development of tools and services to support specific industries and tasks, according to...

Suite boosts IT performance and security.(BMC Software Inc. introduced IT Systems Management Express )(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Suite boosts IT performance and security Phil Muncaster n Systems management specialist BMC last week released a new integrated suite of products designed to optimise use of IT assets, lower support costs and enhance the security of...

Why firms may spurn souped-up PoE.(Power over Ethernet)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Why firms may spurn souped-up PoE Rising energy prices may cause problems for the forthcoming Power over Ethernet Plus standard I was watching Soylent Green recently, a classic film about overpopulation. In one scene, Edward G Robinson...

What price software?
March 13, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth What price software? Putting a value on a software licence is an art that even leading vendors have not mastered Calculating the price of software licences is often difficult, and as Microsoft is one of the...

Google aims to be host with the most.
March 13, 2006... Google aims to be host with the most The search giant's latest announcements signal an inexorable pull towards web-hosted applications Google is thinking big. "We are the largest single source of the world's information," said chief...

Content needs a controlled environment.
March 13, 2006... Content needs a controlled environment Stellent's David Macey explains systems and strategies to manage dynamic content IT Week: As European vice-president of sales for content management systems vendor Stellent, can you explain what...

A word-of-mouth success.
March 13, 2006... A word-of-mouth success Speech-to-text tools are improving and can be a real boon for people who find typing difficult Having long called for voice-operated interfaces, I'm finally using a speech-to-text application -- to dictate this...

Microsoft brings BI to the Office party.
March 13, 2006... Microsoft brings BI to the Office party Chris Caren describes how BI functions are being built into Microsoft productivity tools IT Week: As Microsoft's general manager of Office business applications, you oversee marketing for...

Network managers join risk business.
March 13, 2006... Network managers join risk business Neon Software chief Craig Isaacs offers advice on network control and outsourcing IT Week: As president of Neon Software, how do you think network management has developed over the past five years?...

Laptops offer power and stamina.
March 13, 2006... Laptops offer power and stamina Daniel Robinson Three months after Intel unveiled its dual-core laptop platform, business-oriented models are starting to arrive from enterprise vendors. Both HP and Toshiba have refreshed their business...

Intel reveals advances in portable platforms.
March 13, 2006... Intel reveals advances in portable platforms James Murray in San Francisco Intel last week detailed its mobile technology roadmap, unveiling specifications for the next version of its Centrino platform and demonstrating a new Ultra...

Vendors team up to protect mobile data IT Week staff n Seagate and security firm Secude are teaming up to deliver full-disk encryption to protect information on corporate laptops. The system, due this spring, combines Seagate's Momentus 5400 Full-Dis.
March 13, 2006... Vendors team up to protect mobile data IT Week staff n Seagate and security firm Secude are teaming up to deliver full-disk encryption to protect information on corporate laptops. The system, due this spring, combines Seagate's...

Cisco offers unified comms pack.(Cisco Systems Inc. introduced Unified Communications System)
March 13, 2006... Cisco offers unified comms pack Dave Bailey Competition in systems for unified voice, video and data communications increased last week as Cisco announced significant new packages and collaborations with Microsoft. Cisco launched...

Brocade offers 4Gbit/s Fibre Channel switches.
March 13, 2006... Brocade offers 4Gbit/s Fibre Channel switches Dave Bailey Brocade has announced two new SilkWorm Fibre Channel (FC) switches -- the 4900 and 7500 models -- that could appeal to companies that are using FC technology and want to upgrade...

Carriers plan high-speed 3G for summer.
March 13, 2006... Carriers plan high-speed 3G for summer IT Week staff n Mobile carrier T-Mobile last week announced that its "Super 3G", High-Speed Download Packet Access (HSDPA) service will be rolled out in the UK in the third quarter of this year....

Deal lets VeriSign hike .com fees.
March 13, 2006... Deal lets VeriSign hike .com fees Phil Muncaster Registration fees for the .com domain could rise by nearly 30 percent over the next six years after domain name oversight body Icann voted to approve a controversial settlement with...

Firms miss opportunity to win customers online.
March 13, 2006... Firms miss opportunity to win customers online Phil Muncaster Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are losing revenue because they do not submit their web sites to search engines and are therefore missing potential visitors...

Oracle makes enterprise search easier.
March 13, 2006... Oracle makes enterprise search easier IT WEEK STAFF n Oracle has announced new search technology to help staff trawl through a firm's data sources. The system is designed to be easy to manage and can enforce security policies. ...

Virtual tools advance.
March 13, 2006... Virtual tools advance Daniel Robinson Intel and Microsoft last week unveiled technology to boost the performance and reliability of virtual machines running in server environments. The two companies also detailed plans to bring...

Intel plans 100-core chip.
March 13, 2006... Intel plans 100-core chip James Murray in San Francisco Intel's first quad-core processor is not expected until next year, but that did not stop the vendor last week predicting that it could soon produce chips with over 100 cores. ...

Lamp stack cuts program errors.
March 13, 2006... Lamp stack cuts program errors Martin Veitch Code analysis firm Coverity has examined leading open-source software projects, and concluded that the widely-used Lamp stack -- consisting of Linux, Apache, MySQL and Perl/PHP/ Python -- is...

Email privacy laws set challenge for marketing.
March 13, 2006... Email privacy laws set challenge for marketing Madeline Bennett Current inconsistencies in electronic marketing laws across Europe could make it difficult for organisations to manage promotional campaigns that use email, according to...

Suite helps to embed BPM.
March 13, 2006... Suite helps to embed BPM Lombardi Software will tomorrow launch a new edition of its business process management (BPM) suite designed to make it easier for other software vendors to embed the technology in their applications. ...

Councils to share IT know-how.
March 13, 2006... Councils to share IT know-how Martin Veitch Local authority IT managers are clubbing together to share services and address back-office integration issues. The National Computing Centre (NCC), Microsoft and Dell last week...

Biometric passports arrive.
March 13, 2006... Biometric passports arrive Martin Veitch The first biometric passports are being dealt out to British citizens now, the government has confirmed. However, a plan to tightly link the passports with identity cards has been voted down by...

Laptop boasts HD-DVD.(Toshiba Corp. introduced laptop computer)(high definition)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Laptop boasts HD-DVD Daniel Robinson Toshiba last week unveiled a laptop with a built-in HD-DVD drive, which will let users access up to 30GB of content on next-generation DVD media. Although the firm is aiming the Toshiba Qosmio...

Giants back design to cut PCs down to size.
March 13, 2006... Giants back design to cut PCs down to size Daniel Robinson Microsoft last week paved the way for a new generation of mobile devices with the launch of the Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) platform. Supported by Intel and several hardware...

Intel and AMD launch power plays.
March 13, 2006... Intel and AMD launch power plays James Murray in San Francisco Intel and AMD last week went head to head in energy-efficient systems, as Intel demonstrated a new power-saving micro-architecture and AMD launched three new...

Linux desktop targets business.
March 13, 2006... Linux desktop targets business n Novell last week showed off a new Linux desktop edition, intended to offer business-class usability with a new user interface and integrated desktop search tools. Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop, due to...

Guidelines to develop accessible web sites.
March 13, 2006... Guidelines to develop accessible web sites Phil Muncaster Firms wanting to improve the accessibility of their web sites to attract a wider audience and comply with anti-discrimination laws can refer to a new best practice guide from...

Bid rumours as BT woos C&W users.
March 13, 2006... Bid rumours as BT woos C&W users MARTIN VEITCH Reports suggesting BT could be acquired by a private equity group sent the company's shares soaring last week. However, industry watchers were divided on whether taking the telecoms giant...

System wipes lost clients.
March 13, 2006... System wipes lost clients Roger Howorth Data protection specialist Iron Mountain has launched a new server-based security system called DataDefense, designed to delete data stored on client devices if they are lost or stolen. Nick...

More jail time for hackers.
March 13, 2006... More jail time for hackers David Neal Tougher penalties for hackers and other internet offenders came a step closer last week, as amendments to the UK's Computer Misuse Act (CMA) passed their first reading in Parliament. Under the...

IT workers face permit changes.
March 13, 2006... IT workers face permit changes The government last week introduced a new points-based system to award work permits, a move that experts said could clarify the process for bringing overseas IT workers to the UK. The Home Office scheme...

Appliances save time and money.
March 20, 2006... Byline: Martin Banks Appliances save time and money IT managers are turning to hardware and software appliances to avoid costly integration work Much has been said about the move towards virtualised systems, but there is another...

Application virtualisation advances.(Altiris Inc. introduced Software Virtualization Solution )
March 20, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Application virtualisation advances Roger Howorth Desktop management specialist Altiris will this month launch its Software Virtualization Solution (SVS). This application virtualisation software based on...