IT Week (UK) articles from September 2006

IT Week (UK) archives from September 2006

IT can lead the green revolution.(information technology)
September 4, 2006... Byline: James Murray IT can lead the green revolution Evironmentally-aware technologists could be the planet's best hope to avert disaster Ever since the first cavemen worked out how to turn flint and sticks into axes and spears,...

The eco-friendly way to meet.
September 4, 2006... Byline: James Murray The eco-friendly way to meet New web-based communication tools are limiting the need for travel and saving cash With the average return flight from Heathrow to New York producing an estimated 1.54 tonnes of...

Energy costs force server rethink.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Martin Veitch Energy costs force server rethink New system designs reflect the growing need for IT managers to conserve power For most of the history of commercial IT, servers have been measured largely by one metric:...

Service helps firms to cover staff shortages.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Byline: James Murray Service helps firms to cover staff shortages IT Week staff n IT consultancy and systems integrator Eurodata Systems last month launched a new service for mid-market firms to provide them with short- to...

Charity gives second life to old kit.
September 4, 2006... Byline: James Murray Charity gives second life to old kit Tony Roberts explains why companies should donate old PCs to developing countries IT Week: What is the environmental case for companies to use Computer Aid International to...

TUC seeks payouts for axed staff.(Trades Union Congress)
September 4, 2006... Byline: James Murray TUC seeks payouts for axed staff James Murray Firms making savings by moving IT work offshore could be required to compensate former UK employees under new proposals released last month by the Trades Union...

How to curb IT's hunger for power.
September 4, 2006... Byline: James Murray How to curb IT's hunger for power In the first of a two-part report on the green IT department, IT Week looks at how firms can cut energy consumption The manufacturing process for the average PC requires two...

Oracle acquires analytics software for its BI range.
September 4, 2006... Byline: James Murray Oracle acquires analytics software for its BI range James Murray Oracle continued its push into the business intelligence (BI) market last month, spending an undisclosed sum to acquire the intellectual...

Less power to the people.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Kelvyn Taylor Less power to the people Will recent headlines about exploding batteries deter vendors from the quest for the all-day laptop? The recent brouhaha over defective Sony batteries in Dell and Apple laptops has at...

A home from home for Windows users.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson A home from home for Windows users The latest version of Ubuntu Linux is a user-friendly Windows desktop alternative Ubuntu Linux is free to download and includes everything needed for basic desktop...

Privacy breaches put IT chiefs in peril.
September 4, 2006... Privacy breaches put IT chiefs in peril IT managers for AOL and the Australian government may have had some sleepless nights last month August wasn't a good month for promoting the security of personal data, as various big names were...

Virtual desktops cut support costs.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Virtual desktops cut support costs A major US education provider is rolling out virtual PCs to make management easier With more than 45,000 students and 5,000 staff, Collier County is one of the largest...

Core 2 Duo brings 64bit to laptops.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Core 2 Duo brings 64bit to laptops Daniel Robinson Intel has officially released the mobile version of its Core 2 Duo processor for laptops, boosting performance by about 20 percent over previous dual-core...

Xen's coming, ready or not.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Xen's coming, ready or not Firms should evaluate the open-source server virtualisation technology despite its rough edges The recent launch of Suse Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 10 put Xen into the...

Vista set for 30 January n Windows Vista and Office 2007 are both set for availability on 30 January 2007, according to ordering information published on retail site Amazon.com. The next versions of Windows and Office were originally due to ship in the f.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Vista set for 30 January n Windows Vista and Office 2007 are both set for availability on 30 January 2007, according to ordering information published on retail site Amazon.com. The next versions of Windows...

Apps testing falls short.
September 4, 2006... Apps testing falls short James Murray Failure to adequately test the performance of new enterprise applications is increasing the risk of downtime and business disruption at nine out of 10 firms, according to research published today...

Simple language is key to a high search ranking.
September 4, 2006... Simple language is key to a high search ranking David Neal Net guru Jakob Nielsen is advising firms to give more thought to the words they use on their web sites and to use simple terms where possible to attract more traffic. ...

Girls outclass boys in IT exams.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Girls outclass boys in IT exams Madeline Bennett Girls outperformed boys in their IT GCSEs this year, but despite girls' success many more boys took the subject. The figures indicate the need to get more females involved in IT as the...

Google packages free and easy comms tools.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Google packages free and easy comms tools David Neal Google this week released free tools for firms wanting to roll out communications services to small groups of staff. Google Apps for your Domain, currently in beta, includes...

Oracle continues PeopleSoft push.
September 4, 2006... Oracle continues PeopleSoft push Martin Veitch Enterprise software giant Oracle last week continued its post-merger rollout of PeopleSoft programs and its push into business intelligence analytics with the release of PeopleSoft...

Appliances optimise WAN links.
September 4, 2006... Appliances optimise WAN links Dave Bailey Application acceleration vendor Riverbed Technology last week released new hardware and software to ensure quality of service over WAN links. The offerings may appeal to IT managers wishing to...

HP stacks up switch range.
September 4, 2006... HP stacks up switch range n HP launched three new ranges of ProCurve Layer 2 stackable switches last week, all with a lifetime warranty, the 1800, 2510-24 and 2810 series. The new products may attract IT buyers wanting to replace their...

Network configuration systems pay off.
September 4, 2006... Network configuration systems pay off What tools do IT staff need to keep track of network changes and avoid expensive downtime? At many firms the network is the backbone of the business and needs to be treated accordingly. An...

Multifunction printers advance.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Multifunction printers advance Sharp has released three new models in its MX range of network multifunction printers (MFPs), adding support for fast colour printing and security features such as requiring users to enter a PIN to output...

Web blurs information boundaries.
September 4, 2006... Web blurs information boundaries The web is stuffed with useful facts, as well as plenty of useless misinformation for the unwary Merrily typing an entry for my blog the other day, I happened to drop in the word "deconvolve". Of course...

Typosquatters pose spyware risk.
September 4, 2006... Typosquatters pose spyware risk Phil Muncaster An unholy alliance of so-called typosquatters, domain kiters and malware writers could pose new threats to firms and web users, according to email security vendor IronPort. Domain...

Web analytics proves popular.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Web analytics proves popular n Sales of web analytics tools and services in the UK will grow by 22 percent this year to total [pounds sterling]56m by the end of December, according to predictions by internet marketing specialist...

Scalable server capacity for the masses.
September 4, 2006... Scalable server capacity for the masses Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud offers scalable server capacity online at an attractively low price Sun has been talking up grid computing for years, but it is the e-commerce giant Amazon that is...

Tough business laptops offer longer battery life.
September 4, 2006... Tough business laptops offer longer battery life James Murray in Newport Panasonic last week updated the roadmap for its Toughbook line of robust notebooks, revealing plans for three new lightweight business models and an updated...

Microsoft curbs piracy.
September 4, 2006... Microsoft curbs piracy Martin Veitch Microsoft last week claimed it is chipping away at the problem of software piracy and announced it would extend its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) scheme for Windows Vista and offer sweeteners for...

Students turned off by IT.
September 4, 2006... Students turned off by IT Madeline Bennett Information technology is a popular choice for university students, with almost one in 10 opting for an IT degree course, according to a recent study. However, two-thirds of IT students said...

Browser system protects privacy.
September 4, 2006... Browser system protects privacy n A new internet browser lets people use the web via shared PCs without the risk of others accessing their information or tracking sites visited. Browzar, the brainchild of Freeserve co-founder Ajaz...

More stock probes shake industry.
September 4, 2006... More stock probes shake industry Martin Veitch Novell has added itself to the long list of IT companies investigating their previous accounting practices. Some experts believe that the trend could affect customers as suppliers get...

Discounted PCs for public sector.
September 4, 2006... Discounted PCs for public sector The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has set up an initiative to help public-sector IT buyers purchase discounted PCs from approved vendors. The OGC and its trading arm, OGC Buying Solutions, last...

Open-source routers hit limitations.
September 4, 2006... Open-source routers hit limitations Martin Courtney Firms hoping to reduce network costs by deploying open-source routers may be disappointed since experts say such systems are hard to configure and lack the processing power required...

Giants sprinkle sweeteners on software deals.
September 4, 2006... Giants sprinkle sweeteners on software deals Martin Veitch Software suppliers are getting creative with pricing to protect their markets against the new wave of software-as-a-service vendors -- and better deals may be available for IT...

How safe are RFID cards?
September 11, 2006... Byline: James Murray How safe are RFID cards? RFID specialists say security flaws are being addressed Advocates of radio frequency identification (RFID) wireless tags have denied suggestions that RFID deployments could pose a...

Intel needs to think along parallel lines.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Martin Banks Intel needs to think along parallel lines More development for parallel processing could help Intel's new chief to revitalise the ailing giant Intel's Paul Otellini has followed the pattern of many incoming...

Is Windows Vista a must-have?
September 11, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Is Windows Vista a must-have? The next version of Windows is due to ship soon but doubts about its benefits are growing With Release Candidate 1 of Windows Vista now available, it is high time for IT...

Vista RC1 garners mixed reviews.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Vista RC1 garners mixed reviews Daniel Robinson The unveiling of the Release Candidate 1 (RC1) of Windows Vista suggests the operating system is largely complete and almost ready to ship. Microsoft...

Dress smarter for a better life.
September 11, 2006... Dress smarter for a better life Fashionistas and technologists are starting to develop off-the-peg solutions to everyday problems With the Nike/iPod "Sport Kit", you place a wireless sensor in your Nike+ shoe, attach the receiver to...

Thin clients to deliver a richer media experience.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Thin clients to deliver a richer media experience Daniel Robinson Wyse Technology is working with Microsoft to greatly improve the multimedia experience for thin client users. An update to Microsoft's...

Open suite monitors IT.(information technology)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Open suite monitors IT n Open-source systems management firm GroundWork Open Source last week launched GroundWork Monitor, its alternative to enterprise frameworks from IBM, HP, CA and BMC. GroundWork aggregates open-source tools and...

Blu-ray disk can store up to 200GB.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Blu-ray disk can store up to 200GB IT Week staff n TDK last week announced that it has developed a Blu-ray disk capable of holding up to 200GB of data, making it a potentially attractive option for...

Top execs blind to insider threat.
September 11, 2006... Byline: James Murray Top execs blind to insider threat James Murray Negligent or malicious employees pose one of the biggest security threats to firms, according to a report to be published tomorrow that reveals over...

TUC calls for rules to increase staff training.
September 11, 2006... TUC calls for rules to increase staff training James Murray Firms are not providing enough IT training and other basic education for staff, and the government should increase investment and introduce laws to tackle the problem,...

Browzar searches found wanting.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Browzar searches found wanting Phil Muncaster Browzar, a new browser that is supposed to protect users' privacy, has been widely criticised by web experts for directing surfers to online advertising, and for not erasing users' web...

Dual-core Itanium gives HP servers 64bit power.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Dual-core Itanium gives HP servers 64bit power Roger Howorth HP last week launched two Itanium-based servers running the new dual-core version of Intel's 64bit processor, previously codenamed Montecito....

Kit enforces access rules for branches.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Kit enforces access rules for branches IT Week staff n Security specialist Secure Computing Corporation last week launched its SafeWord SecureWire 50 identity and access management (IAM) appliance. The...

WAN optimisers jostle for position.
September 11, 2006... WAN optimisers jostle for position Bottlenecks between datacentres and branch offices are fuelling demand for WAN optimisation According to a recent IDC report, the market for WAN optimisation solutions is growing at about 19 percent...

BT rolls out IP network in Cardiff.
September 11, 2006... BT rolls out IP network in Cardiff Dave Bailey BT customers in Cardiff will be the first in the UK to have their residential lines migrated onto BT's 21st Century Network (21CN), it was announced last week. BT said the process...

Zeus updates traffic system n Zeus Technology announced an upgrade to its traffic management hardware and software last week. Zeus Extensible Traffic Manager (ZXTM) is available as both software and an appliance. Zeus said that the 2U rack-mounted ZXTM 7.
September 11, 2006... Zeus updates traffic system n Zeus Technology announced an upgrade to its traffic management hardware and software last week. Zeus Extensible Traffic Manager (ZXTM) is available as both software and an appliance. Zeus said that the 2U...

Fedora strengthens virtualisation.
September 11, 2006... Fedora strengthens virtualisation By Roger Howorth Red Hat is preparing to release version 6 of its free Fedora Core Linux operating system next month. The updated system includes version 3.0.3 of the open-source Xen...

UK to double offshore demands.
September 11, 2006... UK to double offshore demands Martin Veitch The number of people in foreign countries providing software and IT services to the UK will double in the three years to the end of 2008, and the UK will lose 5,000 local jobs each year,...

Why green thinking pays off for kit disposal.
September 11, 2006... Why green thinking pays off for kit disposal In part two of a report on green IT practices, IT Week looks at the benefits of eco-friendly asset disposal and teleworking From a financial perspective there is a case for firms to dispose...

Network monitoring made simple.
September 11, 2006... Network monitoring made simple Mutiny's appliance offers an affordable and easy way to oversee equipment on a LAN Launched in June, Mutiny's Network Monitor is a rack-mounted 1U appliance designed to monitor server hardware and network...

E-traders must prepare systems for Xmas rush.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... E-traders must prepare systems for Xmas rush Phil Muncaster Online merchants should plan now to ensure they can cope with the high volumes of traffic predicted for the Christmas period this year, e-commerce specialists advised last...

Host helps SMEs compete online.
September 11, 2006... Host helps SMEs compete online Web hosting specialist 1&1 Internet has launched a new service to provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the tools to set up online marketing initiatives to compete with larger rivals. ...

CRM host caters for blue-chips.
September 11, 2006... CRM host caters for blue-chips Martin Veitch RightNow Technologies plans to release a key upgrade for its fast-growing on-demand customer relationship management (CRM) platform in December. Although not so well known as rival...

More laptop battery woe.
September 11, 2006... More laptop battery woe James Murray Matsushita Electric Industrial, the company behind electronics giant Panasonic, is offering free replacement batteries for its Let's Note CF-W4G laptops, after last week joining the list of vendors...

Mobile IT advances through charity.
September 11, 2006... Mobile IT advances through charity The arrival of low-cost laptops for deprived kids could have welcome spin-offs for business buyers At a time of flaccid PC sales growth, Quanta is set to make 10 million systems within 12 months in a...

ISP offers early warnings.
September 11, 2006... ISP offers early warnings David Neal and Phil Muncaster Internet service provider Pipex has launched an early-warning service that aims to provide almost real-time alerts and information about possible security attacks. Pipex said...

In praise of chief document officers.
September 11, 2006... In praise of chief document officers Firms that appoint a document chief may reap rewards from storage savings and other benefits A month or so ago a very large producer of copying equipment suggested that businesses should appoint a...

Czech outsourcing grows.
September 11, 2006... Czech outsourcing grows James Murray Infosys last week became the latest Indian IT outsourcing specialist to bolster its presence in Europe, announcing plans to double the size of its Czech "nearshore" development centre to over 350...

BI suite offers easier analytics.(business intelligence)(WebFocus PMF 3.1)(Information Builders Inc.)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... BI suite offers easier analytics BI specialist Information Builders has updated its WebFocus performance management framework. WebFocus PMF 3.1 includes predictive analysis and forecasting functionality to help firms plan for future...

Intel job cuts may free cash for new initiatives.
September 11, 2006... Intel job cuts may free cash for new initiatives Martin Veitch Intel last week announced plans to lay off about 10,500 staff as it tries to shore up its mainstay microprocessor business, which has been suffering under competition from...

Python slithers onto .Net CLR.
September 11, 2006... Python slithers onto .Net CLR Version 1 of the shared-source IronPython software was released last week. IronPython is an implementation of the Python dynamic programming language that runs on Microsoft's .Net Common Language Runtime (CLR)...

Semantic web means business.
September 11, 2006... Semantic web means business Semantic technology is helping firms improve data access and system interoperability After years of talk about the semantic web -- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) director Tim Berners-Lee's vision for a more...

An easier online payments system.
September 11, 2006... An easier online payments system Click&Buy's Fabian Siegel explains how its e-payment service benefits buyers and sellers IT Week: As founder of e-payment network Click&Buy, can you explain how your system works? Fabian Siegel:...

IT jobs market heats up in UK.
September 11, 2006... IT jobs market heats up in UK n The number of IT jobs on offer in the second quarter leapt almost 50 percent compared with the previous three months, according to figures published today by Computer People. The IT recruitment...

Firefox aims to reel in phishers.
September 11, 2006... Firefox aims to reel in phishers Dave Bailey and Phil Muncaster Continuing its battle for browser supremacy, Mozilla this month launched the second beta of Firefox 2, just one week after Microsoft delivered Release Candidate 1 (RC1) of...

Search tools up productivity.
September 11, 2006... Search tools up productivity n Firms could improve productivity and performance by providing tools to give staff easier access to information related to their work, according to research released today by business intelligence specialist...

New BlackBerry can work or play.
September 11, 2006... New BlackBerry can work or play Daniel Robinson BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) is aiming to take a larger share of the smartphone market with the launch of a compact new device, the BlackBerry Pearl. Available from...

Nortel places faith in 4G.
September 11, 2006... Nortel places faith in 4G Martin Courtney Fourth-generation (4G) mobile data services delivered over cellular networks could offer up to 40Mbit/s of bandwidth to end-users, but they may not appear in the UK or Europe until 2010,...

Savings from hosted IT in doubt.
September 11, 2006... Savings from hosted IT in doubt James Murray The widespread belief that hosted business applications prove more cost-effective than on-premises alternatives was challenged last week after two new studies suggested larger hosted...

Intel unleashes next-generation desktops.
September 11, 2006... Intel unleashes next-generation desktops Daniel Robinson Intel has launched its vPro desktop platform, designed to boost performance and security while also improving power-efficiency and cutting management costs for IT departments....

Numara acquires rival to beef up its helpdesk line.(Footprints Inc.)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Byline: James Murray Numara acquires rival to beef up its helpdesk line James Murray Numara Software, a helpdesk software specialist focused on mid-market companies, moved to broaden its appeal to larger firms last week by...

Industry-specific business intelligence.(Jim Goodnight )(Interview)
September 18, 2006... Byline: James Murray Industry-specific business intelligence Jim Goodnight of BI vendor SAS explains his firm's plans to create more value for users IT Week: How would you summarise SAS's product roadmap for business intelligence...

Fedora Core 6 offers more Xen power.
September 18, 2006... Byline: Roger Howorth Fedora Core 6 offers more Xen power Version 6.0 of Red Hat's Linux for developers improves support for virtual machines Version 6 of Fedora Core -- Red Hat's Linux distribution for testing and development --...

Linux honed for smartphone role.
September 18, 2006... Byline: Daniel Robinson Linux honed for smartphone role Embedded developer Trolltech says scalability and openness give Linux the edge While Microsoft and Symbian battle for domination of the smartphone market, Linux will become...

Where do all the missing laptops go?
September 18, 2006... Byline: Alistair Dabbs Where do all the missing laptops go? The statistics for laptops that go astray at Heathrow and other airports should cause alarm Holidaymakers endured check-in desk torture when the "terror plot" affected...

CSI effect lights up forensic computing.
September 18, 2006... Byline: James Murray CSI effect lights up forensic computing The popularity of the CSI TV shows has turned companies on to the benefits of forensic computing All is not well in the world of forensic science -- and I'm not talking...

SLA monitor reveals cost of service delivery.(Digital Fuel)(service-level agreements software)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Byline: James Murray SLA monitor reveals cost of service delivery IT Week staff n Digital Fuel, a specialist in software for managing service-level agreements (SLAs), will today launch a suite that can monitor the cost as well as...

IT jargon baffles business execs.
September 18, 2006... Byline: James Murray IT jargon baffles business execs James Murray The use of IT jargon is undermining attempts by IT staff to work closer with other departments because many executives fail to understand the terminology,...