IT Week (UK) articles from November 2005

IT Week (UK) archives from November 2005

Microsoft dips toe into hosted applications.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Martin Veitch. Microsoft last week inched its way into the world of hosted applications by detailing two services offering incremental upgrades and free or subscription-based tariffs. However, critics said the approach does not...

Giant plots open software stacks.
November 7, 2005... Unisys last week announced it will develop and support full open-source software stacks based on Linux and Windows operating systems that target hardware from any vendor. The move will see the IT services and server giant line up alongside...

Judge says law allows DoS attacks.(denial-of-service, Computer Misuse Act)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: David Neal. Lawyers say urgent amendments to the law may be needed, after a denial-of-service (DoS) attacker escaped conviction last week. It was ruled that the activity fell outside the scope of the Computer Misuse Act (CMA),...

Comment - Software dogma comes under the spotlight. A newly launched blog examines the doctrines of enterprise software with refreshing candour and undermines some long-established principles.(Column)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Martin Veitch. There's a very good new blog that has helped to crystallise a lot of my ideas about the crisis in the way enterprise software is marketed, sold and consumed. It seems to me that the underpinnings of software are...

Skybox models network change.(new product Skybox Assure)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Security firm Skybox last week launched its Skybox Assure software, to help IT staff predict the impact of network changes before they alter systems. Skybox said Assure offers a "virtual staging environment" for IT deployments and...

Datacentre hosts agree to merge.(Redbus Interhouse)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Datacentre host TeleCity is to pay around [pounds sterling]59m for the datacentre business of Redbus Interhouse, forming a combined operation that will be Europe's largest, according to the firms. Talks to merge the two companies first took...

Government plans to integrate IT.
November 7, 2005... Byline: James Murray. The government last week announced its IT strategy for the next five years, focusing on tighter integration between IT systems and more shared service centres. But experts warned that the plans will face significant...

Microsoft Visual Studio and SQL Server updates.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Roger Howorth. Following months of beta tests and public demonstrations, Microsoft will today launch its Visual Studio 2005 suite for software developers and its SQL Server 2005 database software, delivering new data integration...

Control toolset secures phones.(new product from Good Technology Ltd.)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Good Technology will today unveil a toolset to help firms manage smartphones, supported by a new partnership with McAfee that enables McAfee's antivirus software to be deployed using Good's over-the-air update technology. Good Mobile...

Oracle users question roadmap.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Martin Veitch. Oracle users are catching on to the latest versions of the firm's software although many remain on pre-9i editions, according to the UK Oracle User Group (UKOUG) annual survey, published last week. They also have...

BT tags personal calls.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Dave Bailey. BT last week launched its new Autobalance service to help companies improve control of mobile phone bills by allowing staff to tag the personal calls they make on business handsets. Under the service, employees...

Cash to offset data law costs.(new data retention laws)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... To smooth the introduction of data retention laws, ministers are proposing that affected companies should receive compensation for storing communications data. The Home Office last week said it had agreed with one firm to extend the...

MessageLabs acquires IM capability.(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Phil Muncaster. Managed email specialist MessageLabs last week announced plans to acquire instant messaging (IM) services provider Omnipod. The deal will result in better manageability and a lower total cost of ownership for...

Security watch - Spybot scans Cisco routers.
November 7, 2005... Antivirus vendor Symantec is categorising W32.Spybot.ZIF as a network-aware worm that targets Windows-based systems. The worm can spread by exploiting up to eight flaws, including six in unpatched Microsoft operating systems. Sans Internet...

Security watch - Cisco IOS vulnerability.
November 7, 2005... Versions 12.0 to 12.4 of Cisco's Internetwork Operating System (IOS) contain a flaw that remote attackers could use to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary commands. An error in internal timers could execute code from memory...

Security watch - Aladdin offers mobile security.
November 7, 2005... Security vendor Aladdin has announced its eSafe Mobile Content Security Gateway software, which can be installed on appliances to sit between the internet and a mobile carrier's network. The system can inspect MMS, WAP, HTTP and SMTP content...

Security watch - Apple security update.
November 7, 2005... Apple has released Mac OS X security updates to patch seven flaws that could otherwise allow local attackers to bypass security restrictions or uncover sensitive data. Users are advised to upgrade Mac OS X 10.4.2 desktops and servers to version...

Security watch - New Mitglieder trojan.(new computer viruse)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Antivirus vendor Panda has warned that a new Mitglieder (or Bagle) trojan variant called FK is using spam to spread quickly. Compromised systems may download other threats from over 60 URLs. Sans Internet Storm Center has recorded another five...

Regulations dominate security.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Madeline Bennett. Compliance with regulations is now the top driver for IT security strategies, according to a report published last week by services provider Ernst & Young. However, this focus could prevent IT chiefs from focusing...

Sage adds BI flavour.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Martin Veitch. UK software giant Sage is reinvigorating its range with a new business intelligence (BI) program and an updated version of its lower mid-market product, MMS, at a time when its grip on small and mid-sized businesses...

Apps integrate VoIP for click-to-call.
November 7, 2005... Byline: James Murray. Citrix and NetSuite are developing systems that allow firms to integrate their business applications with voice over IP (VoIP) networks to enable click-to- call functionality. Click-to-call capabilities could...

More firms harness grid power.(use of grid computing)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Martin Veitch. Grid computing is gaining acceptance within corporate firewalls and in networks beyond organisational boundaries, according to two new reports. An 18-month-old Enabling Grids for E-science (EGEE) project,...

Oracle database for free.(Oracle 10g Express Edition)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Phil Muncaster. Oracle has released a free, low-spec version of its flagship 10g database, which it said will enable developers to deploy database software for enterprises more cheaply. The Oracle 10g Express Edition (Oracle...

IT lack thwarts home working.(survey)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Over a third of public-sector managers believe a lack of suitable technology is preventing flexible work- ing, according to research published last week by communications services provider NTLBusiness. The survey found that this and other...

Call centres unimpressed by VoIP.
November 7, 2005... Byline: James Murray. Voice over IP (VoIP) technology is struggling to penetrate contact centres, despite its growing use in other departments, according to Wes Hayden, chief executive of contact centre software firm Genesys. Genesys,...

Comment - Insecurity spreads by default. Too many IT products can be easily activated while in a dangerously unprotected state.(Column)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Neil Barrett. My long-standing love affair with computers and the internet has moved into a more intense place over the past few months as an existing habit of buying techie toys has spiralled somewhat out of control. I have...

Comment - Dealing with car-phone distraction. Some simple steps might safeguard mobile staff who want to talk on the phone while driving.(Column)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Lem Bingley. As anyone who regularly talks on the phone while driving will attest, it's hard not to feel a little distracted from the road ahead if the conversation is in the least bit taxing. The ban on using handheld phones...

Enterprise Week - Red Hat gains virtual strength.(Brian Stevens, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Roger Howorth. Red Hat's new chief technology officer, Brian Stevens, has announced that server virtualisation and a new stateless form of Linux will be the key technologies in Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 5, due in spring. The...

Enterprise Week - Continuent upgrades MySQL clustering tool.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Roger Howorth. Database availability specialist Continuent has announced details of a new version of its M/cluster tool for clustering the popular open-source MySQL database, plus new venture capital funding and a major shift in...

Enterprise Week - Intel ships a VM-boosting bi-core Xeon.
November 7, 2005... Byline: IT Week Staff. Intel last week began shipping the first Xeon server chip to include its VT feature to improve the performance and reliability of virtual machines. VT also enables para-virtualisation tools such as Microsoft's...

Enterprise Week - Comment - Blades take larger slice of server pie. The range and versatility of blade servers is growing, making them more suitable for mid-range roles.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Martin Banks. The arrival of the first blade servers based on Intel's 64bit Itanium processor is another sign that blades will become an important architecture for mid-range systems. And IT departments may welcome this trend as...

Internet Week - Google and IBM team up for searches.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Phil Muncaster. IBM is working with Google to integrate the search giant's Desktop for Enterprise tool with its own search technology, to let users retrieve a greater range of information on their desktops. Users of IBM...

Internet Week - UK firms come last in use of e-government.(survey)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Phil Muncaster. UK firms use e-government systems less than companies in other EU countries, according to recently published research. According to the EU's statistical office, Eurostat, the UK ranks last for the number of...

Internet Week - Comment - Beware the power of the blog. Companies may not like blogs, but if they ignore them they may be inviting some PR disasters.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Tim Anderson. The number of blogs on the internet is doubling every five months, according to blog-tracking site Technorati. The total is now around 20 million, with around 1.3 million posts made each day. Most are no more...

Internet Week - Phishing scams Report - E-crime fighters discuss new tactics. New laws and better authentication are being developed to combat online crime.
November 7, 2005... Byline: David Neal. At a recent phishing-awareness event in London, members of financial institutions discussed the wider problems of e-crime as well as phishing attacks where crooks pose as legitimate firms or individuals to commit fraud....

Client Week - Malware stopper checks behaviour.(new product StormShield from NEC Computers (UK) Ltd.)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Daniel Robinson. NEC Computers has introduced a new security tool to defend PCs against malware by analysing application behaviour and blocking unauthorised actions. The software is designed to provide firms with an extra layer...

Client Week - USB storage controller audits network devices.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Daniel Robinson. Centennial Software has extended its DeviceWall software for managing USB storage devices to include auditing functions, so IT departments can see what devices employees are using and plan policy accordingly. ...

Client Week - Competition set to keep PC prices low.
November 7, 2005... Byline: IT Week Staff. The PC industry will see further upheaval as vendors are still struggling to generate a profit and are facing the introduction of new and disruptive technologies such as virtualisation, according to research firm...

Client Week - Comment - Will virtualisation be affordable? Virtual desktop systems offer a host of advantages for IT teams, but licensing issues pose problems.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Daniel Robinson. Virtualisation is being promoted as the solution for activities ranging from server provisioning to the consolidation of desktop systems for easier management. Some seem to regard virtualisation as "pixie dust"...

Client Week - Abacus Wrist PDA Review - Abacus puts PDA into a watch. Despite its shortcomings, the first wristwatch PDA to run Palm OS may find a niche.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Martin Veitch. Over three years after it was first mooted, a wristwatch running the Palm OS is finally available in the UK. For buyers with a lust for gadgets and Palm applications, or a need for ultra-portability and a system...

Network Week - O2 may extend European reach.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Dave Bailey. Spanish telco Telefonica Group last week announced a cash bid of just under [pounds sterling]18bn for O2, including its German, Irish and UK operations. If the deal goes through, it may make it easier for corporate...

Network Week - Barracuda appliance eats spam and viruses.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Dave Bailey. Network security vendor Barracuda last week announced an email gateway appliance to combat spam aimed at carriers and large enterprises. Barracuda said the Spam Firewall 900 has more storage set aside for...

Network Week - ISP improves worldwide VPN service.
November 7, 2005... Byline: IT Week Staff. Global communications firm MCI last week updated MCI Private, its virtual private network (VPN) service based on Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS). MCI has added extra Ethernet and IP access points for the...

Network Week - Comment - A rising star of mobile comms. Wi-Fi phones have made it onto the silver screen, and will soon carve out a bigger role in the real world.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Dave Bailey. IT managers with an unhealthy interest in medical dramas may notice something unusual in the forthcoming US film Just Like Heaven. The difference is, unlike the denizens of the BBC's Holby City, the movie's medical...

Network Week - Network security Interview - Telecoms partners and data defences. Cable & Wireless security chief Mark Hanvey explains strategies to protect networks.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Dave Bailey. IT Week: As chief security officer of UK telecoms provider Cable & Wireless, what do you think is the biggest network security problem for enterprises? Mark Hanvey: At this point, it's the speed at which you need...

Management Week - Supermarket giant reclaims its IT.
November 7, 2005... Byline: James Murray. Sainsbury's decision last month to axe its [pounds sterling]1.8bn IT outsourcing contract with service provider Accenture has raised questions about the commercial benefits of outsourcing IT functions. However,...

Management Week - RFID tag printer meets European standards.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Dave Bailey. Printronix last week launched new printer and applicator systems to enable firms to produce radio frequency identification (RFID) wireless tags that comply with new industry standards. The company said its SmartLine...

Management Week - CRM helps firms obey credit law.
November 7, 2005... Byline: James Murray. Experts have warned that IT directors at banks, building societies and retailers must act now if they are to ensure their customer relationship management (CRM) systems are fully compliant with new rules for consumer...

Management Week - Comment - Can gurus take IT to a higher plane? An IT guru does not need to know what makes a business tick if they can inspire managers to action.(David Taylor)(Column)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Ken Young. Imagine the scene: I am having breakfast with ebullient IT guru - Mr Naked Leader - David Taylor, in a Barcelona Hotel. I am ready to be impressed but I also fancy a nice hot coffee with milk please, and am murmuring...

Management Week - Business intelligence - Analysis - Oracle and Microsoft lead BI squeeze. Specialist vendors of business intelligence tools face new competition from IT giants.
November 7, 2005... Byline: James Murray. In the past month, Microsoft and Oracle acquisition target Siebel have both announced products that show business intelligence (BI) software is no longer the preserve of specialist vendors. Experts say these software...

Management Week - Multinational - IT management - Interview - Pilots keep Compass IT on course. Gerry Eygelaar, IT director of Compass Group, offers tips to improve management.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Phil Muncaster. IT Week: Food service firm Compass Group has staff in many countries. As its IT director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, can you describe the biggest challenges in supporting those staff? Gerry Eygelaar:...

Management Week - Security standards - Report - Offshoring pushes BS7799 security. Offshoring specialists are using security certification to assure firms that data is safe.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Madeline Bennett. When organisations allow outsourcers or other third parties - whether local or offshore - to handle customers' information, they will increasingly demand evidence that this data is protected while offsite. And...

E-crime fighters discuss new tactics.
November 7, 2005... E-crime fighters discuss new tactics New laws and better authentication are being developed to combat online crime At a recent phishing-awareness event in London, members of financial institutions discussed the wider problems of...

Abacus puts PDA into a watch.
November 7, 2005... Abacus puts PDA into a watch Despite its shortcomings, the first wristwatch PDA to run Palm OS may find a niche Over three years after it was first mooted, a wristwatch running the Palm OS is finally available in the UK. For...

Malware stopper checks behaviour.(new product from NEC Computers (UK) Ltd.)
November 7, 2005... Malware stopper checks behaviour Daniel Robinson NEC Computers has introduced a new security tool to defend PCs against malware by analysing application behaviour and blocking unauthorised actions. The software is designed to...

Competition set to keep PC prices low IT WEEK STAFF n The PC industry will see further upheaval as vendors are still struggling to generate a profit and are facing the introduction of new and disruptive technologies such as virtualisation, according to.
November 7, 2005... Competition set to keep PC prices low IT WEEK STAFF n The PC industry will see further upheaval as vendors are still struggling to generate a profit and are facing the introduction of new and disruptive technologies such as...

Supermarket giant reclaims its IT.
November 7, 2005... Supermarket giant reclaims its IT James Murray Sainsbury's decision last month to axe its [pounds sterling]1.8bn IT outsourcing contract with service provider Accenture has raised questions about the commercial benefits of outsourcing...

CRM helps firms obey credit law James Murray n Experts have warned that IT directors at banks, building societies and retailers must act now if they are to ensure their customer relationship management (CRM) systems are fully compliant with new rule.
November 7, 2005... CRM helps firms obey credit law James Murray n Experts have warned that IT directors at banks, building societies and retailers must act now if they are to ensure their customer relationship management (CRM) systems are fully...

Telecoms partners and data defences.
November 7, 2005... Telecoms partners and data defences Cable & Wireless security chief Mark Hanvey explains strategies to protect networks IT Week: As chief security officer of UK telecoms provider Cable & Wireless, what do you think is the biggest...

A rising star of mobile comms.
November 7, 2005... A rising star of mobile comms Wi-Fi phones have made it onto the silver screen, and will soon carve out a bigger role in the real world IT managers with an unhealthy interest in medical dramas may notice something unusual in the...

Blades take larger slice of server pie.
November 7, 2005... Blades take larger slice of server pie The range and versatility of blade servers is growing, making them more suitable for mid-range roles The arrival of the first blade servers based on Intel's 64bit Itanium processor is another sign...

Offshoring pushes BS7799 security.
November 7, 2005... Offshoring pushes BS7799 security Offshoring specialists are using security certification to assure firms that data is safe When organisations allow outsourcers or other third parties -- whether local or offshore -- to handle...

Dealing with car-phone distraction.
November 7, 2005... Dealing with car-phone distraction Some simple steps might safeguard mobile staff who want to talk on the phone while driving As anyone who regularly talks on the phone while driving will attest, it's hard not to feel a little...

Insecurity spreads by default.
November 7, 2005... Insecurity spreads by default Too many IT products can be easily activated while in a dangerously unprotected state My long-standing love affair with computers and the internet has moved into a more intense place over the past few...

Will virtualisation be affordable?
November 7, 2005... Will virtualisation be affordable? Virtual desktop systems offer a host of advantages for IT teams, but licensing issues pose problems Virtualisation is being promoted as the solution for activities ranging from server provisioning to...

Oracle and Microsoft lead BI squeeze.
November 7, 2005... Oracle and Microsoft lead BI squeeze Specialist vendors of business intelligence tools face new competition from IT giants In the past month, Microsoft and Oracle acquisition target Siebel have both announced products that show...

Can gurus take IT to a higher plane?
November 7, 2005... Can gurus take IT to a higher plane? An IT guru does not need to know what makes a business tick if they can inspire managers to action Imagine the scene: I am having breakfast with ebullient IT guru -- Mr Naked Leader -- David Taylor,...

Oracle database for free.
November 7, 2005... Oracle database for free Phil Muncaster Oracle has released a free, low-spec version of its flagship 10g database, which it said will enable developers to deploy database software for enterprises more cheaply. The Oracle 10g...

Call centres unimpressed by VoIP.
November 7, 2005... Call centres unimpressed by VoIP James Murray Voice over IP (VoIP) technology is struggling to penetrate contact centres, despite its growing use in other departments, according to Wes Hayden, chief executive of contact centre software...

O2 may extend European reach.
November 7, 2005... O2 may extend European reach Dave Bailey Spanish telco Telef-nica Group last week announced a cash bid of just under [pounds sterling]18bn for O2, including its German, Irish and UK operations. If the deal goes through, it may make it...

ISP improves worldwide VPN service IT Week staff n Global communications firm MCI last week updated MCI Private, its virtual private network (VPN) service based on Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS). MCI has added extra Ethernet and IP access points f.
November 7, 2005... ISP improves worldwide VPN service IT Week staff n Global communications firm MCI last week updated MCI Private, its virtual private network (VPN) service based on Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS). MCI has added extra...

Barracuda appliance eats spam and viruses.(introduced Spam Firewall 900 )
November 7, 2005... Barracuda appliance eats spam and viruses Dave Bailey Network security vendor Barracuda last week announced an email gateway appliance to combat spam aimed at carriers and large enterprises. Barracuda said the Spam Firewall 900...

USB storage controller audits network devices.
November 7, 2005... USB storage controller audits network devices Daniel Robinson Centennial Software has extended its DeviceWall software for managing USB storage devices to include auditing functions, so IT departments can see what devices employees are...

Continuent upgrades MySQL clustering tool.
November 7, 2005... Continuent upgrades MySQL clustering tool roger howorth Database availability specialist Continuent has announced details of a new version of its M/cluster tool for clustering the popular open-source MySQL database, plus new venture...

Red Hat gains virtual strength.(Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 5.0)
November 7, 2005... Red Hat gains virtual strength roger howorth Red Hat's new chief technology officer, Brian Stevens, has announced that server virtualisation and a new stateless form of Linux will be the key technologies in Red Hat Enterprise Linux...

Intel ships a VM-boosting bi-core Xeon it week staff n Intel last week began shipping the first Xeon server chip to include its VT feature to improve the performance and reliability of virtual machines. VT also enables para-virtualisation tools such as.
November 7, 2005... Intel ships a VM-boosting bi-core Xeon it week staff n Intel last week began shipping the first Xeon server chip to include its VT feature to improve the performance and reliability of virtual machines. VT also enables...

Google and IBM team up for searches Phil Muncaster n IBM is working with Google to integrate the search giant's Desktop for Enterprise tool with its own search technology, to let users retrieve a greater range of information on their desktops. Users.
November 7, 2005... Google and IBM team up for searches Phil Muncaster n IBM is working with Google to integrate the search giant's Desktop for Enterprise tool with its own search technology, to let users retrieve a greater range of information on their...

RFID tag printer meets European standards.
November 7, 2005... RFID tag printer meets European standards Dave Bailey Printronix last week launched new printer and applicator systems to enable firms to produce radio frequency identification (RFID) wireless tags that comply with new industry...

Sage adds BI flavour.
November 7, 2005... Sage adds BI flavour Martin Veitch UK software giant Sage is reinvigorating its range with a new business intelligence (BI) program and an updated version of its lower mid-market product, MMS, at a time when its grip on small and...

UK firms come last in use of e-government.
November 7, 2005... UK firms come last in use of e-government Phil Muncaster UK firms use e-government systems less than companies in other EU countries, according to recently published research. According to the EU's statistical office, Eurostat, the...

More firms harness grid power.
November 7, 2005... More firms harness grid power Martin Veitch Grid computing is gaining acceptance within corporate firewalls and in networks beyond organisational boundaries, according to two new reports. An 18-month-old Enabling Grids for...

Regulations dominate security.
November 7, 2005... Regulations dominate security Madeline Bennett Compliance with regulations is now the top driver for IT security strategies, according to a report published last week by services provider Ernst & Young. However, this focus could...

Apps integrate VoIP for click-to-call.
November 7, 2005... Apps integrate VoIP for click-to-call James Murray Citrix and NetSuite are developing systems that allow firms to integrate their business applications with voice over IP (VoIP) networks to enable click-to- call functionality. ...

BT tags personal calls.
November 7, 2005... BT tags personal calls Dave Bailey BT last week launched its new Autobalance service to help companies improve control of mobile phone bills by allowing staff to tag the personal calls they make on business handsets. Under...