Computer Weekly readers' give their views on the week's
news
Let's reap the rewards of doing things
differently
Cliff Moore, IT manager, Quadrant Connections
What an interesting news item your headline story, "Insurer
saves £4m a month with SAP" (Computer Weekly, 12 September),
was.
How many of us in the IT industry have developed systems that
promised to greatly improve the way the organisation worked, only
to come up against the barriers that Jon Taylor at CIS seems to
have smashed his way through.
Such expressions as "tail wagging the dog" and "we are a unique
industry that must have its established procedures followed" are
typical of those used at user/management specification meetings to
halt any major changes to the way the organisation works.
The cynical of us may complain this is because of narrow
departmental self-interest or "politics". How many systems end up
becoming just unwieldy copies of previous procedures, with most of
the perceived benefits lost? For example, a new financial system
ends up being little more than an electronic copy of a daybook.
Of course there are also plenty of examples of new systems being
abandoned with large loss of time and money. CIS is to be
congratulated on giving the appropriate level of authority to its
project management team.
However, is it all plain sailing, clearing the project team to
introduce only standard packages? Where will the company's unique
selling points come from if all firms in the market operate alike?
Will it be ease of software upgrade and system integration that
dictates the future of the organisation, rather than management
vision or customer choice?
This debate will go on and on - efficiency versus individuality,
to reduce it to its bare bones. I know which side I will champion
when I am suggesting a new system and I will be emboldened by
Taylor's successful example.
Now I'm 'overqualified' how do I get the right
job?
Paul Durrant
With reference to your article "Don't let them kick you out
after 40" (Computer Weekly, 19 September), what about those of us
who are trying to get back in ?
My position of IT manager was made redundant in 1999, when I was
45. After this, I obtained what I thought was a similar position
but it turned out to be a short-term
"get-us-through-the-millennium" post.
Since then I have gained several qualifications. Despite this,
and the fact that my CV does not contain my age, I have been unable
to gain a full-time permanent position since 2000. Even getting an
interview seems to be nigh on impossible.
Most feedback I get is that I am overqualified and
over-experienced. It seems a shame to waste all that experience in
the industry when we keep on hearing about failed projects!
Clearing the air over Dell laptop safety
Josh Claman, vice-president & general manager, Dell
UK
With regard to your story "Airline bans use of Dell and Apple
laptops" (Computer Weekly, 12 September), Korean Air has not banned
the use of Dell or Apple notebooks on its flights but has said they
can be used with aircraft power - the batteries are not allowed in
the cabin.
As to the points raised in Paul Ireland's letter (Computer
Weekly, 12 September) regarding the bomb threat posed by laptop
batteries, lithium ion batteries are safe when used properly,
including on planes.
Lithium ion batteries have a well documented safety record and
are used in cellular phones, portable music players and other
electronic products, as well as in notebook computers.
Additionally, all Dell systems meet all applicable safety
standards, and Dell's qualification standards far exceed agency and
industry safety standards.
The batteries we recently recalled impact approximately 16% of
Dell notebook batteries shipped between January 2004 and July
2006.
We place the highest priority on the safety of our customers and
operation of our products and we are working hard to make it as
easy as possible for people to return affected batteries and get
replacements quickly.
In the meantime, it is safe for customers with affected
batteries to use their notebooks on AC power with the battery
removed.
Do semiconductors have secret superpowers?
Colin Mackay
In "Hybrids give sluggish PCs the boot" (Computer Weekly, 19
September), Danny Bradbury states, "The problem is hard drives are
mechanical, and while companies have had great success at driving
efficiencies into semiconductors, mechanical devices are still
bound largely by the laws of physics."
I am wondering at which point semiconductor technology stopped
being subject to the laws of physics?
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