IT Week (UK) articles from March 2008

IT Week (UK) archives from March 2008

IT prophet urges greater eco-awareness.(green technology to be used by IT firms)
March 3, 2008... IT prophet urges greater eco-awareness Nicholas Carr talks about the future of IT departments, privacy issues and green technology David Neal When Nicholas Carr's seminal Does IT Matter? Information Technology and the Corrosion of...

Technology sector can help to save the world.
March 3, 2008... Technology sector can help to save the world IT is moving to the frontline in the war against C02 emissions, says Intellect's director general The Egyptian IT minister introduced a conference I spoke at recently. He observed that this...

Middleware unlocks IT's business potential.(BMC Software Inc. chief executive Bob Beauchamp )(Occupation overview)
March 3, 2008... Middleware unlocks IT's business potential BMC chief executive Bob Beauchamp explains how he turned around his firm by focusing on technologies that give IT professionals the freedom to add value A 20-year veteran at middleware...

Mobile opportunities knock.
March 3, 2008... Mobile opportunities knock The latest handsets offer retailers a new sales channel Improvements in handsets and increasing take-up of mobile data services are persuading many retailers to enter the mobile space, according to industry...

Demands on storage to reach new heights.
March 3, 2008... Demands on storage to reach new heights Hitachi's Hubert Yoshida predicts growth in instructured data will have the biggest impact Dave Bailey IT Week: As Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) chief technology officer, do you think the...

Hosted desktops offer PC as a service.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Hosted desktops offer PC as a service Extrasys offers corporate users secure access to Windows XP desktops via a browser Daniel Robinson Extrasys Hosted Desktop is a service designed to let businesses...

Mike Blakemore is the group technical director at Lovefilm. He heads a team of 30 staff.
March 3, 2008... Mike Blakemore is the group technical director at Lovefilm. He heads a team of 30 staff What does your role at the online DVD rental giant entail? I'm responsible for the management of all hardware, software and engineers across...

Law firm makes strong case for Itil training.
March 3, 2008... Law firm makes strong case for Itil training Shoosmiths took the Itil approach to IT management to boost customer service Rosalie Marshall Following an assessment of its internal strengths and weaknesses, national law firm...

IT leader profile.(talk with Mike Blakemore of LOVEFiLM)(Interview)
March 3, 2008... IT leader profile Mike Blakemore is the Group Technical Director of LOVEFiLM. He is responsible for a team of 30 people Although firms like Google and Yahoo already offer an impressive range of advertising options and platforms...

Update boosts server-based computing.
March 3, 2008... Update boosts server-based computing Windows Server 2008 shows improvements across a number of areas, but significant updates in particular have been made to Terminal Services, which enables applications to be moved onto a server and...

How to keep data safe from prying eyes.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson How to keep data safe from prying eyes IT departments need to be aware of where they are at most risk to stop sensitive data being exposed Following yet more revelations concerning lost or stolen...

Wi-Fi dream turns sour.
March 3, 2008... Wi-Fi dream turns sour Hopes for hassle-free public Wi-Fi were riding high five years ago. So what went wrong? "Of course, the airport departure lounge is not the only location where mobile wireless systems would be useful," wrote my...

IT leaders advised to plan for cost cuts.(information technology)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... IT leaders advised to plan for cost cuts Rosalie Marshall IT leaders need to start planning now for potential budgets cuts in light of the worsening global economic outlook, according to analyst firm Gartner. The fallout from...

Novell swoops on PlateSpin.
March 3, 2008... Novell swoops on PlateSpin The acquisition will underpin Novell's bid to deliver next-generation datacentres Dave Bailey Software vendor Novell is to acquire Canadian datacentre management specialist PlateSpin for [pounds...

Firms facing pressure over piracy.
March 3, 2008... Firms facing pressure over piracy Government is ready to get tough with service providers if self-regulation fails David Neal Lawmakers in the UK have turned their attention to internet service providers (ISPs) in a bid to limit...

IE8 beta designed to calm broken web fears.
March 3, 2008... IE8 beta designed to calm broken web fears Sites built for IE7 should require minimal intervention to work with the new browser Martin Veitch Microsoft has surprised watchers by saying that it will shortly make a first beta of...

Experts urge CIOs to bridge information gap.
March 3, 2008... Experts urge CIOs to bridge information gap Phil Muncaster Chief information officers (CIOs) have been warned that failure to take a stronger role in fostering an information-centric culture in their organisations is resulting in poor...

Windows Server 2008 hits the road.
March 3, 2008... Windows Server 2008 hits the road continued from page 1 The mish-mash of availability will put a brake on short-term deployments for some firms. However, IT Week tests and outside experts suggest Windows Server 2008, in gestation for...

Mainframes back in bu.
March 3, 2008... Mainframes back in bu Last week saw the launch of a range of mainframe-related kit from IBM, EMC and Sun to ease the enterprise storage burden Dave Bailey and Rosalie Marshall Large enterprises embarking on big infrastructure...

Wyse goes virtual.(Wyse Technology Inc.)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Wyse goes virtual The vendor's terminals now come with embedded support for VMware's VDM Daniel Robinson Wyse Technology has expanded its support for desktop virtualisation in its terminals, adding support for VMware's desktop...

VMware goes native on servers.
March 3, 2008... Servers ship with embedded VMwar Daniel Robinson Server consolidation is likely to become easier with the integration of VMware's hypervisor technology into servers from Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, HP and IBM. VMware said its ESX 3i...

VMware goes native on servers.
March 3, 2008... VMware goes native on servers Daniel Robinson Server consolidation is likely to become easier with the integration of VMware's hypervisor technology into servers from Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, HP and IBM. VMware last week said its...

Windows Server 2008 hits the road.
March 3, 2008... Windows Server 2008 hits the road Martin Veitch Microsoft has unveiled the most significant version yet of its server operating system, but users seeking to deploy its major infrastructure products will be frustrated, as critical...

Server upgrade delivers security and savings.
March 3, 2008... Server upgrade delivers security and savings The latest version of Windows Server makes for simpler and more flexible deployments, but firms need to plan migration carefully Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn, is the...

Will IT availability be lost in space?
March 3, 2008... Will IT availability be lost in space? We may be able to conquer the moon, but it is proving harder to beat downtime As you are no doubt aware by now, IT Week has changed, and looking at the new full-length picture of myself, it looks...

Open-source adopters prove a mixed bag.
March 10, 2008... Open-source adopters prove a mixed bag A new study offers useful insight into how companies evaluate and deploy open-source code Martin Veitch Enterprise content management (ECM) firm Alfresco Software's latest research uncovers...

Mobile data keeps fire crews from harm.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Mobile data keeps fire crews from harm Kent Fire and Rescue Service has wireless-enabled its vehicles to receive risk data Daniel Robinson Mobile data access is often portrayed as all about executives...

There's still life in the old workhorse.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson There's still life in the old workhorse The mainframe's persistence shows that it still has a valuable business role It would seem that the mainframe is enjoying a miniature renaissance at the moment. Sales...

How to avoid embarrassing leaks.
March 10, 2008... How to avoid embarrassing leaks Fostering good staff morale may prove more effective than tough usage rules I happened to overhear a conversation between my neighbours the other day. I didn't get all the details as my listening...

Licence to cut down IT bills.
March 10, 2008... Licence to cut down IT bills Fast says licensing complexity can lead to significant waste Fast Corporate Services considers its primary task as providing educational and consulting services to end-user organisations struggling to...

Poor old Microsoft.
March 10, 2008... Poor old Microsoft The firm often likes to cast itself as the victim despite being manifestly ill-suited to the role It's a safe bet that if you ask the average PC user to name a well-known computing resource starting with "lin" they'd...

Easy branch office storage consolidation.(EMC Corp. (Hopkinton, Massachusetts))
March 10, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Easy branch office storage consolidation EMC's AX4 array delivers flexible networked storage to mid-sized firms and branch offices Dave Bailey Launched in January, EMC's Clariion AX4 storage system is...

Hot seat.(talk with Alex Thomson of Travelodge Hotels Inc.)(Interview)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Alex Thomson is director of IT services at hotel chain Travelodge. He manages 75 staff What does your job entail? I am responsible for providing technology systems to support Travelodge's expansion plans across the UK, Ireland and...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
March 10, 2008... Made to feel like a criminal by Fast The Federation Against Software Theft (Fast) contacted a client of mine last year and suggested a visit. The presentation started quite harmlessly. However, it soon started to feel like a sales pitch,...

Microsoft's cloudy vision.
March 10, 2008... Microsoft's cloudy vision A series of announcements last week from Microsoft may have been intended to show the software giant is still capable of capturing the zeitgeist A- in this case that it could lead a cloud computing revolution. In...

Tough tablet targets workers in the field.
March 10, 2008... Tough tablets target workers in the field Daniel Robinson Motion Computing and Mitac subsidiary Getac have both unveiled new ruggedised Tablet PCs designed for staff working in the field. The Motion F5 is aimed at "walking workers"...

Tool aides device admin.
March 10, 2008... Tool aids device admin Capricode's SyncShield brings PC-like management functions to smartphones Daniel Robinson Finnish mobility firm Capricode is bringing its SyncShield smartphone management suite to the UK. The package...

Microsoft unveils vision of a web-based future.
March 10, 2008... Microsoft unveils vision of a web-based future The software giant is to offer more support for web working while fighting shy of a full-blown move into cloud computing IT Week Staff Microsoft is inching towards an online future,...

Cisco router secures voice and video traffic.
March 10, 2008... Cisco router secures voice and video traffic Dave Bailey Network giant Cisco has launched a new WAN router intended to process and secure voice and video traffic at the edge of firms' networks. The Aggregation Services Router...

Catherine Doran is director of information management at Network Rail.
March 17, 2008... Catherine Doran is director of information management at Network Rail What does your job entail? I wear two hats A- I'm a member of the Executive Management Group in Network Rail, charged with building the strategy for the...

HP means business with its latest iPaq.
March 17, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson HP means business with its latest iPaq The iPaq 214 handheld from HP adds a larger screen and a management agent Daniel Robinson The iPaq 214 Enterprise Handheld from HP is a Windows Mobile device that...

Think ahead to avoid IT blindspots.(Viewpoint essay)
March 17, 2008... Byline: Kelvyn Taylor Think ahead to avoid IT blindspots Firms shouldn't assume that tech-savvy kids will grow up used to Windows My three-year-old granddaughter believes that some cars can talk and know where they're going. And...

Service writes the wrongs of voicemail.
March 17, 2008... Service writes the wrongs of voicemail SpinVox forwards voice messages as text to PCs and mobiles to boost staff productivity Daniel Robinson SpinVox has a different take on fixed-mobile convergence. It offers the ability to...

Formats vie for acceptance.
March 17, 2008... Formats vie for acceptance Microsoft has much riding on ISO approval for its OOXML format, but what would users and IT teams get out of it? Microsoft's Open Office XML (OOXML) document format may soon clear the final hurdle on the road...

Government U-turns do IT managers no favours.
March 17, 2008... Government U-turns do IT managers no favours Efforts to improve identity management and curb IT crime are being hindered by government vacillation The government's recent about-turn on identity cards gave its opponents a great...

The iPhone of 2003.
March 17, 2008... The iPhone of 2003 Pocket PCs like the MobilePro 200E made a big stir in 2003, but now look hopelessly outdated Mobile devices are ubiquitous nowadays, and none has caught the public imagination recently quite as much as Apple's...

What will satisfy the need for speed?
March 17, 2008... What will satisfy the need for speed? From the internet backbone to the enterprise datacentre, today's networking hardware is feeling the strain from the ever-increasing demands placed on it. However, technologies are ...

Document capture tools cut down on paperwork.(Brief article)
March 17, 2008... Document capture tools cut down on paperwork Daniel Robinson Document capture vendor eCopy is opening up its product line to enable firms to use a more diverse range of scanners and multi-function devices (MFDs) in document workflow...

IT chiefs vent SOA frustration.(Service-oriented Architecture )
March 17, 2008... IT chiefs vent SOA frustration Cultural issues and board-level parsimony are hindering progress Rosalie Marchall IT leaders are eager to embrace the benefits of service-oriented architecture (SOA), but many are frustrated by the...

Most CIOs stick innovation on back burner.
March 17, 2008... Most CIOs stick innovation on back burner Experts argue that IT chiefs need more support from business leaders to drive change Phil Muncaster Consultancy Capgemini's third annual global CIO survey, which was published last week,...

Firms seek simple solutions to risk.(Brief article)
March 17, 2008... Firms seek simple solutions to risk Gareth Morgan The complexity of managing governance, risk and compliance (GRC) activities is driving the adoption of integrated platforms from enterprise application vendors. According to...

Time running out for foreign IT skills.
March 17, 2008... Time running out for foreign IT skills David Neal Business leaders face an end-of-April deadline to convince immigration authorities that there is a shortage of IT skills in the UK. The Migration Advisory Committee is currently asking...

Oraclei?1/2s hosted CRM given social makeover.
March 17, 2008... Oracle's hosted CRM given social makeover Vendor said update should lift productivity Gareth Morgan Oracle has updated the on-demand version of its customer relationship management (CRM) software, adding additional support for...

Mobile thin client promises data protection.
March 31, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Mobile thin client promises data protection Laptop-format thin client keeps data off the hard drive and safely in the datacentre Daniel Robinson The TST750 from Thinspace is a laptop-style thin client...

Watchdogs barking up the wrong tree.
March 31, 2008... Byline: Alistair Dabbs Watchdogs barking up the wrong tree Regulators' obsession with unbundling has made them blind to more pressing concerns BT's broadband division, BT Wholesale, wants regulator Ofcom to force internet service...

Technology drives Travelodge expansion.
March 31, 2008... Technology drives Travelodge expansion Director of IT Alex Thomson explains how technology is supporting the firm's rapid growth Madeline Bennett When hotel chain Travelodge decided to embark on an expansion programme with the aim...

Microsoft sheds light on its internet strategy.
March 31, 2008... Byline: Tim Anderson Microsoft sheds light on its internet strategy A new version of its Silverlight platform shows how the software giant is focusing on web applications based on its own tools Tim Anderson At Microsoft's...

Enemies of privacy.
March 31, 2008... Enemies of privacy Self-appointed defenders of privacy should lay off Phorm and save their ire for the government "For every IT breakthrough, an army of scandalised paranoiacs stands ready with a banning order," wrote columnist James...

Microsoft moves towards utility computing.
March 31, 2008... Microsoft moves towards utility computing The firm is to offer access to SQL Server functions via the cloud Also unveiled by Microsoft at Mix08 was SQL Data Services, a hosted SQL Server that Microsoft will market as a pay-as-you-go...

Nelson plots course for SaaS success.(Zach Nelson)(Biography)
March 31, 2008... Nelson plots course for SaaS success Zach Nelson, chief executive of hosted software specialist NetSuite, believes the emergence of a new generation of web-savvy executives is helping his firm to drive the SaaS concept deeper into...

Capitalising on innovation.
March 31, 2008... Capitalising on innovation Government is to spend [pounds sterling]1bn over the next three years on supporting the commercial exploitation of new technologies Despite the turmoil on the financial markets, there has never been a better...

Fibre deficiency threatens UKi?1/2s wellbeing.
March 31, 2008... Byline: Bill Pechey Fibre deficiency threatens UK's wellbeing The knowledge economy will struggle to thrive without a last-mile connectivity boost Bill Pechey Fibre to the home (FTTH) is one of the hot topics in networking at...

Visual feast for developers.
March 31, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Visual feast for developers Visual Studio 2008 offers a tasty smorgasbord of programming options Dave Bailey The latest release of Microsoft's chief developer platform, Visual Studio 2008 (VS 2008), adds...

John Turnbull is network manager at the University of Birmingham, with a team of 12.
March 31, 2008... John Turnbull is network manager at the University of Birmingham, with a team of 12 What does your job entail? I manage the campus network, including the wireless system, identity management systems, authentication systems,...

Race to be green saps creative energy.
March 31, 2008... Race to be green saps creative energy The energy conservation fad is symptomatic of IT leaders' narrowing ambition I had to laugh. Was this new and epic Cabinet split about whether the Home Office really can and should equip the police...

Acquisition opens virtual path to Vista.
March 31, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Acquisition opens virtual path to Vista Kidaro's technology will help firms to avoid compatibility hitches when moving to Vista Daniel Robinson Microsoft's acquisition of virtualisation specialist...

Intel aims to deliver more welly per watt.
March 31, 2008... Intel aims to deliver more welly per watt New quad-core and six-core chips promise performance and energy efficiency gains Daniel Robinson Intel has introduced new energy-efficient processors for servers and workstations offering...

Microsoft to take centre stage at CTIA symposium.
March 31, 2008... Microsoft to take centre stage at CTIA symposium IT Week staff The CTIA wireless symposium kicks off in Las Vegas this week, with industry leaders poised to debate the business impact of next-generation communications. However,...

IT qualifications lack clarity.
March 31, 2008... IT qualifications lack clarity IT chiefs demand a widely recognised chartered qualification Rosalie Marshall IT leaders last week castigated the state of professional qualifications in the sector, arguing that an industry-wide...

NetSuite aims to cater for vertical and global needs.(Brief article)
March 31, 2008... NetSuite aims to cater for vertical and global needs Firm will tailor apps for specific sectors David Neal On-demand enterprise applications firm NetSuite will unveil a number of vertical solutions at its user event in San...

Microsoft sheds light on its internet strategy.
March 31, 2008... Microsoft sheds light on its internet strategy A new version of the Silverlight platform shows how the software giant is focusing on web applications based on its own tools Tim Anderson At Microsoft's Mix08 conference for web...

Compliance helps IT security take off.
March 31, 2008... Compliance helps IT security take off Continued from page 1 Speaking at a recent Chief Information Security Officer Council organised by Microsoft, Marc Rogers, performance and security manager at Vodafone, said compliance initiatives...

Security is built on compliance.(Brief article)
March 31, 2008... Security is built on compliance The headlines in IT security over the past few months have all been centred on the importance of securing corporate data assets. But is the view from the ground any different from the one so often perceived...

Google adds BI to web app mix.
March 31, 2008... Google adds BI to web app mix Daniel Robinson Google has ratcheted up its rivalry with Microsoft by adding business intelligence (BI) capabilities to its free web-based Google Docs productivity suite A- a move that could make Google...

Vista SP1 debut fails to spark migration.
March 31, 2008... Vista SP1 debut fails to spark migration Rosalie Marshall Microsoft's latest efforts to persuade customers to upgrade to its much-maligned Vista operating system have met with a cool response from users. Historically, Microsoft's...

Compliance Helps IT security take off.(Brief article)
March 31, 2008... IT security chiefs have identified compliance as the ideal mechanism to drive security improvements across the enterprise. Mike Grenham, British Airways' information security manager, argued that while data breaches have attracted most...