IT Week (UK) articles from November 2006

IT Week (UK) archives from November 2006

Energy confusion is costing the earth.
November 4, 2006... Energy confusion is costing the earth IT vendors must back up their fine words about the need for an energy-efficiency standard with action Last month, I attended a debate on IT energy efficiency that managed to be encouraging and...

Windows CE updated for next-generation devices.
November 6, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Windows CE updated for next-generation devices Daniel Robinson Microsoft has released version 6.0 of Windows Embedded CE. The latest version supports devices and information appliances with more advanced...

Monitoring firm pinpoints site problems.(interview with Michael Bromilow )(Interview)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Phil Muncaster Monitoring firm pinpoints site problems MD Michael Bromilow explains Gomez's approach to online performance management IT Week: As European managing director for internet performance management specialist...

How to build a site that really works.(interview with Zamir Cajee)(Interview)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Phil Muncaster How to build a site that really works Zamir Cajee of UKWebCo.com explains the fundamentals of successful e-commerce IT Week: As marketing director of web site designer UKWebCo.com, what significant trends...

PC takes Windows update in its stride.
November 6, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson PC takes Windows update in its stride With its Core 2 Duo chip, Dell's OptiPlex 745 has enough power for Microsoft's latest OS Dell's latest corporate desktop line aims to offer the performance demanded by...

Can chiefs make server sums add up?
November 6, 2006... Byline: Martin Banks Can chiefs make server sums add up? A new protocol to assess the power efficiency of servers may result in more questions than answers It looks like the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken a...

Today's PCs will meet Vista's demands.
November 6, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Today's PCs will meet Vista's demands Reports that Vista's hardware requirements are challenging may have been somewhat exaggerated Much has already been written about Windows Vista, Microsoft's...

IT key to Easynet's low-energy push.
November 6, 2006... Byline: James Murray IT key to Easynet's low-energy push Internet service provider Easynet is giving its IT infrastructure an eco-friendly makeover Following its acquisition by Sky earlier this year, one of the more surprising...

What will Sigma bring to Oracle's BI party?
November 6, 2006... Byline: James Murray What will Sigma bring to Oracle's BI party? Oracle BI chief Paul Rodwick plans a bigger role for Sigma's predictive analytics tools IT Week: Oracle has been investing heavily in developing its own business...

Capgemini in offshore deal.
November 6, 2006... Byline: James Murray Capgemini in offshore deal n IT services giant Capgemini has announced plans to boost its offshore outsourcing capabilities with the proposed acquisition of Indian IT services specialist Kanbay. The $1.25bn...

Firms invest more in security skills.
November 6, 2006... Firms invest more in security skills Phil Muncaster IT security qualifications and risk management skills are two of the most important attributes for IT security professionals, according to new research from IDC and security...

Keep your kit kosher.
November 6, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Keep your kit kosher Network component counterfeiters are ripping off customers as well as networking vendors A friend took a watch to a repairer recently only to be told his expensive-looking timepiece was a...

LogMeIn cuts VPN's complexity.
November 6, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson LogMeIn cuts VPN's complexity Daniel Robinson Remote access firm LogMeIn has added to its line-up a virtual private network (VPN) service that needs no complex configuration. The tool lets a user easily set...

System revs data recovery.
November 6, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey System revs data recovery n Virtualisation storage software vendor Datacore last week announced Traveller, a continuous protection and recovery (CPR) system designed to allow admins to roll back to any previous...

Ruthless Oracle aims to behead Red Hat.
November 6, 2006... Ruthless Oracle aims to behead Red Hat The open-source specialist has good reason to be worried about Oracle's plan to support Linux Whatever you think about Oracle's move to support Red Hat Linux, financial analysts and investors...

Let's talk about sex.com.
November 6, 2006... Byline: David Neal Let's talk about sex.com What does the sale of the sex.com name for $12m mean for UK companies' domain-registering policies? I've been thinking about selling sex, recently. Not my own, as the aim would be to...

Law against ripping is just ripping us off.
November 6, 2006... Law against ripping is just ripping us off Moves to introduce a US-style "fair use" clause into UK copyright legislation are long overdue One of the many differences between the US and the UK is that across the Atlantic they have the...

Seagate adds encryption to laptop drives.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Seagate adds encryption to laptop drives Daniel Robinson n Seagate is to introduce hard drives with built-in encryption and password security to guard sensitive data stored on laptops. Users will have to...

CA improves eHealth.
November 6, 2006... CA improves eHealth Madeline Bennett CA has enhanced its network performance management software with improved reporting capabilities and unified administration in a bid to simplify the management of firms' IT infrastructures and...

Ingres to ship Icebreaker stack.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Ingres to ship Icebreaker stack Martin Veitch Open-source database developer Ingres plans to release its Project Icebreaker program next month, combining database services and operating system code in a lightweight infrastructure stack...

APC sale heats up cooling space.
November 6, 2006... APC sale heats up cooling space Martin Veitch APC is to be acquired by power and automation control firm Schneider Electric in a $6.1bn deal that adds more scale to the leader in uninterruptible power-supply (UPS) units and...

Backup Exec upgraded.
November 6, 2006... Backup Exec upgraded Dave Bailey Symantec last week launched an upgraded version of its Backup Exec tool, adding continuous data protection (CDP) for Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server. Symantec inherited the popular Backup Exec...

Regions bypassed in LLU drive.
November 6, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey Regions bypassed in LLU drive Dave Bailey Research firm Point Topic last week published findings that show the divided nature of unbundled broadband access. The quarterly growth rate for local loop...

Symbol aims to unify RFID and wireless.
November 6, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey Symbol aims to unify RFID and wireless IT Week staff n Wireless comms firm Symbol, acquired by Motorola, has been first to bridge the gap between radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and standard...

Will eco-fear stifle innovation?
November 6, 2006... Will eco-fear stifle innovation? Knee-jerk IT choices made in the face of imaginary meltdowns could stymie technological innovation At US investment bank Morgan Stanley, the IT department conducts dress rehearsals of how it would...

Nevis brings network access controller to UK.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey Nevis brings network access controller to UK Dave Bailey Competition in the network access control (NAC) market increased last week with the arrival of Nevis Networks in the UK. Nevis offers technology that is...

Premium domains lose appeal.
November 6, 2006... Premium domains lose appeal Martin Veitch Premium generic domain names may be losing some of their appeal after an auction failed to bring in large sums for many that would once have been deemed highly valuable. An auction of...

ISPs urged to blacklist sites.(Internet service providers )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Phil Muncaster ISPs urged to blacklist sites n Internet service providers (ISPs) have a responsibility to do more to inform their customers about inappropriate or potentially dangerous web sites, according to a leading security...

Stern puts green IT in limelight.
November 6, 2006... Stern puts green IT in limelight James Murray Experts are predicting a big increase in demand for green IT solutions after the release last week of a major report on the potential economic impact of global climate change. The...

iAnywhere fits mobility tools tighter together.
November 6, 2006... iAnywhere fits mobility tools tighter together Daniel Robinson Sybase's wireless subsidiary, iAnywhere Solutions, has updated key components of its Information Anywhere mobile access suite, improving their interoperability. ...

DriveSentry on hard-disk patrol.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... DriveSentry on hard-disk patrol DriveSentry will launch a new file-monitoring tool today, designed to protect firms from zero-day threats and to lock down machines so that malware and unauthorised applications cannot write themselves ...

Mail for large data files.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Mail for large data files Daniel Robinson FolderMail has introduced a new version of its service for sending and receiving outsize files that would otherwise choke a corporate email system. FolderServer allows large organisations to...

IronPort adds encryption edge.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... IronPort adds encryption edge Phil Muncaster Email security specialist IronPort expanded its portfolio last week through the acquisition of email encryption specialist PostX, and announced improvements to its content-scanning suite to...

Hyperion lifts BPM platform.
November 6, 2006... Hyperion lifts BPM platform Business intelligence (BI) software specialist Hyperion has updated its business performance management (BPM) platform with enhanced modelling capabilities and improved data management. The new visual...

Cisco pushes Microsoft CRM.
November 6, 2006... Cisco pushes Microsoft CRM Martin Veitch Cisco has teamed up with Microsoft in an alliance that will see the pair push the latter's Dynamics CRM 3.0 customer relationship management (CRM) product on the former's Unified Communications...

Google buys JotSpot.
November 6, 2006... Google buys JotSpot Martin Veitch Google has taken another step towards building up a free online applications suite with the purchase of JotSpot. The move puts pressure on Microsoft to add more detail to its strategy for web-based...

Privacy debate is needed now.
November 6, 2006... Privacy debate is needed now Information Commissioner Richard Thomas last week called for a national debate on what is an acceptable level of data that can be collected and stored about individuals, as he warned that the UK has become a...

Card standards ignored.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Card standards ignored Phil Muncaster Many organisations are ignoring new Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards on secure data storage, and could be exposing themselves to the risk of data breaches and regulatory non-compliance as a...

Workday's enterprise app revolution kicks into gear.
November 6, 2006... Workday's enterprise app revolution kicks into gear Martin Veitch One of the most closely watched software startups of recent years will come out of stealth mode today when Workday officially launches. Founded by former PeopleSoft...

Advances in storage go on show.
November 6, 2006... Advances in storage go on show Dave Bailey IT storage giants were out in force last week to promote their new wares, promising more capacity, easier administration and blade-based options. At the Storage Networking World (SNW)...

Quad-cores excel in high-end role.
November 6, 2006... Quad-cores excel in high-end role n Tests of Intel quad-core chips show a performance boost of about 50 percent over dual-core parts when running multi-threaded applications. Intel's first chip, the Core 2 Extreme QX6700, is aimed at...

Virtual vendors rise to testing challenge.
November 6, 2006... Virtual vendors rise to testing challenge Martin Veitch Virtualisation will confirm its status as fastest-rising datacentre trend this week at the VMworld conference in Los Angeles, with testing and benchmarking taking centre stage....

Microsoft confirms Vista ship date.
November 6, 2006... Microsoft confirms Vista ship date James Murray Microsoft has finally confirmed a 30 November launch date for Windows Vista for volume customers, as a new National Computing Centre (NCC) survey suggested the desktop operating system...

Oracle users vent frustrations.
November 13, 2006... Oracle users vent frustrations Martin Courtney Oracle's recently expanded user base has expressed growing concern over falling customer support standards and fears that they will be forced to migrate to new products too soon. The...

Green moves will put firms in the pink.
November 13, 2006... Byline: James Murray Green moves will put firms in the pink Regardless of your eco-persuasion, competitive pressures make a compelling case for firms to go green Last week in these pages James Woudhuysen argued that concerns about...

Social networking finds a safer site.(interview with Jeremy Verba)(Interview)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Phil Muncaster Social networking finds a safer site Jeremy Verba, head of Piczo, explains how his firm differentiates itself from MySpace IT Week: As chief executive of social networking site Piczo, how would you describe...

Quad-cores take high-end.(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Quad-cores take high-end Intel will this week ship its first quad-core chips: the Core 2 Extreme QX6700 for performance enthusiasts and the Xeon 5300 series server chips. A quad-core processor aimed at...

Consumers protect data with Garlik.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Phil Muncaster Consumers protect data with Garlik Tom Ilube explains why firms must give users more control over personal information IT Week: You have just founded a new company called Garlik, which promises to help...

Beware of revolting end-users.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Alistair Dabbs Beware of revolting end-users Sometimes consumers are king but they should not always rule in the realm of business This column has often championed the customer against the might of the manufacturer. It's...

Appliance of science to boost web.(Massachusetts Institute of Technology teams up with Southampton University )(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Byline: pHIL mUNCASTER Appliance of science to boost web Phil Muncaster The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has teamed up with Southampton University to foster a generation of technologists to improve the web. The...

Stellent deal may shake up ECM.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Martin Veitch Stellent deal may shake up ECM Martin Veitch Oracle's agreement to acquire Stellent will bolster the database giant's enterprise content management (ECM) wares but the deal raises questions about product...

Internet stakeholders -- it's good to talk.
November 13, 2006... Internet stakeholders -- it's good to talk Can talking shops really make a difference? A recent forum about the web was certainly worthwhile It's been a busy time at IT Week central recently -- or at least it has on the pages of the...

Outlook 2007 adds SMS feature.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Outlook 2007 adds SMS feature Daniel Robinson Microsoft has released to manufacturing (RTM) its Office 2007 suite in readiness for launch later this month. The firm has also added last-minute features...

Mobile workflow service provides GPS capability.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Mobile workflow service provides GPS capability Daniel Robinson Digital forms specialist Destiny Wireless has announced a mobile workflow service that equips staff with a digital pen and paper plus a phone...

More secure VPN clients for handsets.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey More secure VPN clients for handsets Dave Bailey n Mobile devices are getting better security options, with the announcement of two new client-side virtual private network (VPN) tools for secure communications...

Cable tester to bring Christmas cheer.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Martin Courtney Cable tester to bring Christmas cheer Saving money on unnecessary cabling could increase the chance of a getting a seasonal bonus What the majority of network managers would most like for Christmas is a...

Analyst firm marks Skype's card.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey Analyst firm marks Skype's card Dave Bailey Analyst firm Current Analysis has released a report that offers advice to both carriers and corporate customers on dealing with IP telephony specialist Skype. In...

Has Google got its head in the clouds?
November 13, 2006... Byline: Tim Anderson Has Google got its head in the clouds? To function effectively, a web-based office still needs the richness that desktop applications provide Last month Google acquired JotSpot, a wiki that understands rich...

Too much technology for its own sake?
November 13, 2006... Too much technology for its own sake? A recent BBC debate considered whether our love of technology is hastening a Big Brother society I recently took part in a debate at the BBC's Free Thinking festival in Liverpool on whether or not...

Juniper NAC system is out.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Dave Bailey Juniper NAC system is out n Comms vendor Juniper Networks will today release a new version of its Unified Access Control (UAC) network access control (NAC) system that integrates technology from its acquisition of...

Eclipse tool deploys apps.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Phil Muncaster Eclipse tool deploys apps n IBM has unveiled an Eclipse-based development platform that aims to let firms integrate existing and new applications and deliver them to a range of connected and disconnected devices....

Online bank fraud soars.
November 13, 2006... Online bank fraud soars Madeline Bennett Online banking fraud has risen by 55 percent in a year, mainly due to the impact of phishing attacks, according to new research from UK payments association Apacs. Internet banking fraud...

Qualys eases compliance with credit card standards.
November 13, 2006... Qualys eases compliance with credit card standards Phil Muncaster Vulnerability management specialist Qualys has launched a platform developed to help firms that accept online credit card transactions comply with new Payment Card...

Sage modernises lines via suites.(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Sage modernises lines via suites Martin Veitch Sage is to take a suite approach to its business software by forging links between its lines to gain a larger slice of IT budgets beyond its mainstay accounting and payroll interests. ...

Workday apps to rival SAP.
November 13, 2006... Workday apps to rival SAP Martin Veitch Much-discussed software startup Workday came out of the shadows last week to detail plans for a suite of on-demand enterprise applications that challenge the hegemony of SAP and Oracle. ...

NetApp updates systems.
November 13, 2006... NetApp updates systems James Murray Network Appliance (NetApp) last week launched a major revamp of its mid-range storage systems, featuring two new platforms, a series of management software upgrades and new implementation services....

Verizon adds hosted PBX n Verizon Business has added a managed IP private branch exchange (PBX) element to its voice over IP (VoIP) service, allowing corporate customers to choose whether they keep telephony on site or have it hosted by Verizon. Enhanceme.
November 13, 2006... Verizon adds hosted PBX n Verizon Business has added a managed IP private branch exchange (PBX) element to its voice over IP (VoIP) service, allowing corporate customers to choose whether they keep telephony on site or have it hosted by...

Vista tools on show.
November 13, 2006... Vista tools on show Daniel Robinson Microsoft's Windows Vista was released to manufacturing last week, as the software giant and its partners queued up to show off supporting tools. At its Tech Ed Developers Conference in...

Virtualisation advances.(information technology services industry)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Virtualisation advances Martin Veitch About 7,000 attendees gathered at the VMworld conference in Los Angeles last week as vendors announced plans to help IT departments harness the potential of virtualisation. Symantec showed...

Gomez improves web site reliability.
November 13, 2006... Gomez improves web site reliability Web performance management specialist Gomez will today launch the first product of its new ExperienceFirst platform, designed to help firms better assess the reliability of their web applications. ...

System offers insight into datacentre power drain.
November 13, 2006... System offers insight into datacentre power drain James Murray Datacentre management software specialist Aperture will today launch a new version of its suite for monitoring physical assets in firms' datacentres, featuring enhanced...

Chip choices expand for Dell buyers.
November 13, 2006... Chip choices expand for Dell buyers Daniel Robinson and Martin Veitch Dell will demonstrate its new openness on processors this week by shipping quad-core servers and workstations, and its first AMD laptop aimed at business buyers. ...

Skype update adds text chat.
November 13, 2006... Skype update adds text chat n VoIP pioneer Skype has released a beta of the next version of its software, adding the ability to create and join public discussion groups via a pop-up window while talking. Skype 3.0, limited to Windows...

Sun declares open season for Java developers.
November 13, 2006... Sun declares open season for Java developers Dave Bailey Sun Microsystems will today begin the process of open-sourcing all its Java code, in a move that could see the technology further embedded in the web's infrastructure and...

Appliance inspects web app traffic.
November 20, 2006... Byline: Phil Muncaster Appliance inspects web app traffic Phil Muncaster Web application security specialist Breach Security last week launched version 2.0 of its ModSecurity web application firewall appliance. The new version...

Maps and charts point way to BI gold.(business intelligence )
November 20, 2006... Byline: James Murray Maps and charts point way to BI gold The latest BI interfaces make it easier for firms to visualise business opportunities For years the US Food Stamps Agency has collected data for each transaction that...

Analytics develops 64bit power.
November 20, 2006... Byline: James Murray Analytics develops 64bit power The arrival of affordable 64bit computing marks a new era for business intelligence Ever since mainstream 64bit platforms emerged two years ago, business intelligence (BI)...

Mid-market abandons spreadsheets.(interview with John Wilkinson of Business Objects )(Interview)
November 20, 2006... Byline: James Murray Mid-market abandons spreadsheets John Wilkinson of Business Objects explains why BI is no longer just for large firms IT Week: As Business Objects' mid-market director, how do you see demand for business...

We know what you ate last summer.
November 20, 2006... Byline: James Murray We know what you ate last summer Retailers are increasingly using analytical BI systems to scrutinise customer data and maximise sales Two years ago I moved to London, and by geographical default Sainsbury's...

Analytics success hinges on cultural changes.
November 20, 2006... Byline: James Murray Analytics success hinges on cultural changes Systems that predict business outcomes offer many benefits but the road to successful implementation can be tricky Analytical business intelligence (BI) software...

Office suite looks good on older kit.
November 20, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Office suite looks good on older kit The SoftMaker Office suite supports many platforms, including old Windows systems SoftMaker's SoftMaker Office 2006 is a low-cost full-featured office suite available...

Size still matters for mobile apps.
November 20, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Size still matters for mobile apps More innovation is needed for smartphones and other mobile devices to meet the needs of business Mobile devices have come a long way since the days of the first Palm...

DotMobi puts guide online.(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... DotMobi puts guide online n DotMobi, the registry for the new .mobi top level domain, has launched a guide and online resource designed to help web developers create content for the mobile internet. The dotMobi Developer guide...

The price of cheap broadband.
November 20, 2006... Byline: Bill Pechey The price of cheap broadband What does fierce broadband competition mean for the increasing number of rural telecommuters? Vodafone's recent announcement that it will offer a broadband and fixed-line telephone...