IT Week (UK) articles from May 2008

IT Week (UK) archives from May 2008

Israel well placed to mount defence strategy.
May 5, 2008... Byline: rosalie Marshall Israel well placed to mount defence strategy Expertise nurtured in the army gives Israel's security vendors a head start in war against IT threats Rosalie Marshall Israel is widely recognised as one of...

Row over iPlayer highlights need for fibre.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Row over iPlayer highlights need for fibre The UK's creaky internet infrastructure has brought the BBC and ISPs to blows Have you used Aunty Beeb's streaming TV programme service, the iPlayer, yet? I hadn't...

Microsoft upgrades mobile device support.
May 5, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Microsoft upgrades mobile device support Windows Mobile update brings with it new infrastructure for enterprise-wide deployments Daniel Robinson When Microsoft introduced the latest version of its...

Smartphone points users in right direction.(Product/service evaluation)
May 5, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Smartphone points users in right direction HP's latest smartphone boasts satellite navigation capabilities, but battery life is limited Daniel Robinson HP's iPaq 614 Business Navigator is, as its name...

Wireless vendors pile on 802.11n pressure.
May 5, 2008... Wireless vendors pile on 802.11n pressure Firms are spoilt for choice when it comes to 802.11n kit, but is it still too early to upgrade? Dave Bailey The latest standard for wireless networking, IEEE 802.11n, is currently in draft...

Poor data protection must carry a heavy price.
May 5, 2008... Poor data protection must carry a heavy price If firms want to avoid tougher penalties and more regulation, they must step up their data protection efforts It was difficult to avoid the issue of IT security last month. Two of the...

Another notch on the belt.
May 5, 2008... Another notch on the belt CIOs should pursue effective, not just fast, ways to cut back As the credit crunch continues, IT managers are under increasing pressure to reduce budgets, with projects involving relatively unproven technology...

CSIA: a progress report.(Central Sponsor for Information Assurance)(Organization overview)
May 5, 2008... CSIA: a progress report When the history of useless security initiatives is written, a chapter should be set aside for the CSIA Happy birthday, the CSIA. No, I don't mean the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, which recently got...

Microsoft opens arms to Linux.
May 5, 2008... Microsoft opens arms to Linux Many IT experts will check the date to make sure it is not the first of April when they hear that Microsoft is to support Linux servers in a beta update to its System Center Operations Manager suite for...

Security and Web 2.0 can be made to coexist.
May 12, 2008... Security and Web 2.0 can be made to coexist Web 2.0 technologies can be used in a risk-free way to improve productivity Many employees take the functionality delivered by Web 2.0 consumer applications, such as Facebook, MySpace, blogs...

The changing landscape of risk.
May 12, 2008... The changing landscape of risk Ray Stanton, global head of the Security & Governance Practice at supplement sponsor BT Global Services, argues that no firm hoping to thrive in today's interconnected world can afford to neglect risk...

Keeping the business running.
May 12, 2008... Keeping the business running The government-sponsored Information Security Breaches Survey 2008, carried out by consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers, found that, although almost all UK firms back up their critical IT systems and data, more...

Stay on the right side of the law.
May 12, 2008... Stay on the right side of the law It feels like an epidemic of carelessness. Ever since HM Revenue & Customs announced last November that it had lost 25 million Child Benefit records in the post, new incidents of data loss or theft have...

Tips for Web 2.0 identity management.
May 12, 2008... Tips for Web 2.0 identity management n Assess the risk of deploying Web 2.0 applications, prioritising those projects that are comparatively low risk first. n Map Web 2.0 project requirements to existing IT security systems to identify...

Internet service providers put user privacy at risk.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Internet service providers put user privacy at risk Will ISPs drive a gaping hole through internet security for the sake of advertising revenues? There has been a great deal of commotion recently about...

Chris Brown is IT support manager at server hosting firm Smartbunker, heading 35 staff.
May 12, 2008... Chris Brown is IT support manager at server hosting firm Smartbunker, heading 35 staff What does your job entail? I oversee internal IT support at the organisation and that of our managed services. How did you get into the IT...

Data analytics pays dividends.
May 12, 2008... Data analytics pays dividends The New York Stock Exchange is deriving more value from its data after replacing a cumbersome warehousing system with an analytics appliance David Neal The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the...

How to profit from social networking.(Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies )(Book review)
May 12, 2008... How to profit from social networking Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies Authors: Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff Publisher: Harvard Business Press ISBN: 978-1-4221-2500-7 David Neal This...

Viglen chief predicts uphill struggle for Vista.
May 12, 2008... Viglen chief predicts uphill struggle for Vista As head of a PC vendor with a big presence in the public sector, Bordan Tkachuk sees little appetite for major Vista deployments Dave Bailey Bordan Tkachuk is perhaps best known for...

On the web, it pays to suspect everything.
May 12, 2008... On the web, it pays to suspect everything Users must be taught that even the most innocent-looking sites can harbour threats When I was a much younger man I foolishly bought some magic beans. I say foolishly, because these beans led to...

SP3 strengthens XP security.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey SP3 strengthens XP security Dave Bailey SP3 is likely to be the final service pack for Windows XP, and consists largely of previously released updates and hotfixes. However, it does include some enhancements,...

Mobile SDK melds Java and Flash.
May 12, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Mobile SDK melds Java and Flash Daniel Robinson Sony Ericsson last week demonstrated a new developers toolkit that should make it easier to build compelling mobile applications. Codenamed Project...

Service aims to allow easy hotspot hopping.
May 12, 2008... Byline: David Neal Service aims to allow easy hotspot hopping The Cloud promises seamless handover David Neal Wi-Fi hotspot operator The Cloud is beta testing a new service that aims to make it easier for users to hop...

Prescient IT punditry.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Gareth Morgan Prescient IT punditry Mergers, upgrades and wireless gave experts plenty to pontificate about in 1998 Gareth Morgan On 18 May 1998, the IT industry was still reverberating with the aftershock of Compaq's...

Rise of the handhelds.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Rise of the handhelds The past decade has seen rapid advances in mobile technology Daniel Robinson Back in 1998, phones could only do voice calls and text messages, while PDAs were little more than...

So what will the next 10 years bring?
May 19, 2008... So what will the next 10 years bring? IT Week asked a number of forward-thinking organisations how they saw technology and the role of the IT director changing in the future. The feedback was then fed through our patented Hype-o-meter to...

The PC does not fall far from Applei?1/2s tree.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Alistair Dabbs The PC does not fall far from Apple's tree The iMac tops the list as one of the last decade's most influential products The first decade of IT Week's existence has seen plenty of changes in the computing...

Desktop security on a stick.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Desktop security on a stick Daniel Robinson BeCrypt's Trusted Client is a complete user environment on a USB memory stick, designed to let mobile workers connect securely with corporate resources using any...

Hackers to concentrate on moving targets.
May 19, 2008... Hackers to concentrate on moving targets Renowned security guru Howard Schmidt says more must be done to bolster mobile defences David Neal In a long and illustrious career in both the public and private sectors, Howard Schmidt...

Why fortified software is a safer bet.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Why fortified software is a safer bet Fortify chief John Jack explains how his firm helps developers build security into their code Dave Bailey If you were one of the many thousands of people who placed a...

Mixed picture for IT recruiters.
May 19, 2008... Mixed picture for IT recruiters Experts split over how points system will affect job market Rosalie Marshall Recent figures from recruitment analyst NTC Economics suggests IT directors will find it easier to find skilled staff over...

Denise Plumpton is director of information for the Highways Agency, with a i?1/260m annual budget.
May 19, 2008... Denise Plumpton is director of information for the Highways Agency, with a [pounds sterling]60m annual budget What does your job entail? I'm a board member of the agency, so I'm involved in all corporate decisions. I'm...

VMware bundles ease VM management.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson VMware bundles ease VM management Daniel Robinson VMware is set to release two bundles of management and automation tools for datacentres operating numerous virtual machines, as competition in the server...

Why iti?1/2s high time we celebrated technology.
May 19, 2008... Why it's high time we celebrated technology Amid all the stories of project failures, it is too easy to forget the huge benefits that IT brings to society Tenth anniversaries seem to be all the rage. This week marks IT Week's, while...

Computing courses skim over IT security.
May 19, 2008... Byline: Phil Muncaster Computing courses skim over IT security Phil Muncaster Most newly qualified software developers have had little or no instruction in creating secure applications, government-sponsored research has revealed....

RIM makes Bold move onto iPhonei?1/2s turf.(Research in Motion Ltd.)
May 19, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson RIM makes Bold move onto iPhone's turf Daniel Robinson Research in Motion (RIM) has announced its first BlackBerry smartphone with support for high-speed HSDPA networks. The device offers better web...

EMC gears up for XML.
May 19, 2008... Byline: David Neal EMC gears up for XML Tools help firms to marshal their data David Neal EMC has extended the XML capabilities of its enterprise document management system, making it easier for users to manage both structured...

A promising merger.(Electronic Data Systems and Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... A promising merger There is always uncertainty when a company is involved in a multibillion-pound takeover. But customers of EDS and HP may have less to fear than most. For, although the deal will inevitably result in some streamlining, HP...

Alone after all this time.
May 19, 2008... Alone after all this time Our celebrated pundit looks back to how he became the solitary voice of the back page As IT Week is celebrating its 10th birthday this week, I've been having a look back at my very first column from the launch...

Dell convertible offers a touch more usability.
May 26, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Dell convertible offers a touch more usability The first Tablet PC from Dell supports touch activation as well as stylus-based input Daniel Robinson Dell's Latitude XT is a convertible Tablet PC design...

Where conferencing and software services meet.
May 26, 2008... Where conferencing and software services meet WebEx has ambitious plans to augment its conferencing products with a range of on-demand business services Phil Muncaster Bert van der Zwan, European vice president of web collaboration...

Dai Davies is general manager of academic network operator Dante.(dialogue with Dai Davies )(Interview)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Byline: Dave Bailey Dai Davies is general manager of academic network operator Dante What does your job entail? I'm responsible for overseeing the building and operation of GA[c]ant, a global not-for-profit research network linking...

BI upgrade cures health insureri?1/2s data woes.
May 26, 2008... BI upgrade cures health insurer's data woes Exeter Friendly has improved customer care, eased compliance and lightened the load on its IT department by replacing its data management suite Rosalie Marshall Medical insurance...

Office rival raises its game.
May 26, 2008... Office rival raises its game Dave Bailey The OpenOffice.org project has released its first beta of OpenOffice.org 3.0, the next version of its free-to-download office application suite. New features include native Mac OS X support and...

The skyi?1/2s the limit for cloud-based business.
May 26, 2008... Byline: Tim Anderson The sky's the limit for cloud-based business Forward-looking companies are seeing online applications as cost-effective solutions Salesforce.com's chief executive Marc Benioff now talks less about software as...

Yahoo fixation may end up hurting Microsoft.
May 26, 2008... Yahoo fixation may end up hurting Microsoft The software giant cannot afford to let its hapless courtship drag on much longer Okay, prepare yourselves for a tenuous analogy. In the business of love, there comes a tipping point, after...

Uncertainty dogs Office 2007 file formats.
May 26, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Uncertainty dogs Office 2007 file formats Uptake of Microsoft's Office 2007 suite is beginning to take off, but ISO approval of the firm's XML file formats may mean the upswing is short lived Daniel...

SAP tailors enterprise CRM for mid-market.
May 26, 2008... Byline: Gareth Morgan SAP tailors enterprise CRM for mid-market Gareth Morgan SAP released a customer relationship management (CRM) module for medium-sized firms at its Sapphire user event in Berlin last week. SAP has taken...

Why Redmond prevails.
May 26, 2008... Why Redmond prevails Microsoft will get away with shooting itself in the foot so long as the IT skills pool remains stagnant No surprise, I suppose, that the great white hope of May 2003 failed the IT business, and that the Sun/Oracle...

Study reveals extent of IT project failure.(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Byline: Gareth Morgan Study reveals extent of IT project failure Gareth Morgan New research suggests that nearly half of firms have recently canned IT-related projects before completion. A survey of nearly 400 IT professionals...

IBM sprouts green tools.
May 26, 2008... Byline: Dave Neal IBM sprouts green tools New software aims to cut energy use David Neal IBM used its Pulse conference in Orlando last week to unveil a series of new systems management tools, including software designed to...

Government data plans put CIOs on alert.
May 26, 2008... Byline: Phil Muncaster Government data plans put CIOs on alert Phil Muncaster New government proposals for a database to store details of all phone and voice over IP (VoIP) calls, emails and internet browsing by UK citizens could...

Sleep mode promoted.
May 26, 2008... Byline: David Neal Sleep mode promoted Campaign will urge public bodies to do more to reduce PC power consumption David Neal The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) last week launched a new campaign designed to reduce the...

Agency ruling will cause IT headaches.
May 26, 2008... Byline: Gareth Morgan Agency ruling will cause IT headaches Gareth Morgan The agreement brokered by the government to give agency staff many of the same employment rights as permanent employees is set to cause havoc for ...

Vendors bolster support for virtual desktops.
May 26, 2008... Byline: Daniel Robinson Vendors bolster support for virtual desktops Daniel Robinson Enterprises gained new support options for virtual desktops last week as VMware announced professional services to help firms implement its...

Rendering for mobile browsing i?1/2pointlessi?1/2.
May 26, 2008... Byline: Phil Muncaster Rendering for mobile browsing "pointless" Phil Muncaster Efforts to tailor web content for mobile users may prove futile, as new research reveals most mobile internet users are happy to access standard...

Hands off comms data.(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Hands off comms data Government proposals that would require telcos and internet service providers to hand over their logs on all communications data are likely to set alarm bells ringing in IT departments. The Home Office has been...