In Depth
In Depth
Business intelligence and analytics
-
Open source promises advantages for business applications
Open source software may provide a cost-effective approach to building business applications, as well as ensuring transparency, but there are challenges to keep in mind Continue Reading
-
Retail’s Big Show: Reporting from the retail technology front line
What themes will we be seeing in the retail tech space over the next year according to the 2024 National Retail Federation’s Big Show? Continue Reading
-
Richer customer experiences at your service
The arrival of contact centre technologies and services into the world of unified communications and collaboration has seen core features expanded to make customer experiences richer and more profitable Continue Reading
-
Data: the golden thread of military defence
Information has been the lifeblood of warfare for centuries and modern data strategies are no different. From frontline fighters to logistics, manufacturing, R&D, and recruitment, data is crucial Continue Reading
-
How generative AI is put to work in business applications
Generative AI has kicked up a storm in 2023. We look the opportunities and challenges for businesses, highlighting a range of live applications Continue Reading
-
Industry 5.0: What is it and what does its future hold?
As Industry 5.0 becomes a more popular topic of conversation in the business tech world, critics have come out to question its legitimacy as a revolution instead of a progression Continue Reading
-
Jaguar TCS Formula E racing team making breakthroughs that will fine-tune electric road vehicles
The Jaguar TCS Formula E racing team is using software and digital simulations to continually improve its electric racing cars, leading to better performing electric vehicles on our roads Continue Reading
-
Will computational storage meet data processing demands?
Computational storage promises performance for workloads that can benefit from dedicated oomph, but it’s not a cure-all. It may come at a cost, and with added application complexity Continue Reading
-
AI interview: Gavin Mueller, media studies professor
Author Gavin Mueller speaks to Computer Weekly about the history of resistance to automation, and why Luddite perspectives and practices are useful in pushing for more equitable digital futures Continue Reading
-
IBM reorients to offset historic storage hardware decline
Storage profile: We look at IBM and the strategic shifts it has made towards the cloud, cloud-native and as-a-service offerings that aim to reverse a long-term decline in revenues Continue Reading
-
The challenges of integrating SaaS applications
SaaS has grown from a handful of applications to a vast market covering almost every type of business task. We look at the integration challenges Continue Reading
-
Large language models harnessed for education
Large language models are being used to teach, support and assess students, enhancing education rather than impairing it Continue Reading
-
Chief data officer interview: Neema Raphael, Goldman Sachs
After two decades at Goldman Sachs, Neema Raphael tells Computer Weekly about his tech journey at one of the world’s biggest banks Continue Reading
-
How generative AI fuels customer experience programmes
Generative AI could be a game-changer for CX if firms think use case and not tech. What do recent AI developments mean for customer experience programmes? Continue Reading
-
HR software and strategies to combat staff attrition
While there is no simple technological solution to the problem of staff attrition, a combination of management strategies and business applications can improve engagement and retention Continue Reading
-
How to assess and stem digital transformation failures
Digital transformation projects have bred a litany of failure. How can this tendency be reversed? Continue Reading
-
Hitachi Vantara: Small part of a big corp and analytics focus
We look at Hitachi Vantara, its storage, its cloud offer, the workloads it targets, and its efforts in containerisation and consumption models of storage purchasing Continue Reading
-
Could social media revolutionise war crimes trials?
Computer Weekly speaks with open source investigators about how they use social media to gather evidence of war crimes, and the trouble with using such evidence in legal proceedings Continue Reading
-
Why low code/no code opens doors but no panacea for skills shortages
Citizen development is not without risk but it has a bright future in the enterprise, especially as a way to handle skills gaps Continue Reading
-
Data classification tools: What they do and who makes them
Data classification is necessary for all organisations for reasons that range from simply putting data on the most cost-efficient media to ensuring legal and regulatory compliance Continue Reading
-
Quantum computing: What are the data storage challenges?
Quantum computing will be able to process massive amounts of data at extraordinary speeds, but challenges exist in data storage. How will today’s storage systems keep pace? Continue Reading
-
Belgian experts take on data challenges
Having been involved in storage and data management for more than two decades, Belgian experts are positioned to help tackle the challenges brought on by a growing volume of unstructured data Continue Reading
-
How sustainability software bears broad benefits beyond cost savings
The imperative for organisations to do a better sustainability job is clear. There is business software that can help, with data at its core, and smart companies are acting now Continue Reading
-
How APCOA is using big data to reinvent car parks
Car park operator APCOA is using big data to transform traditional car parks into mobility hubs that will offer electric vehicle charging, space for small businesses and depots for delivery companies Continue Reading
-
Culture eats technology in digital transformation
Digital transformation without culture change is an empty phrase, but get the balance right and you can reap rewards Continue Reading
-
Unstructured data and the storage it needs
We look at unstructured and semi-structured data and find increasing amounts of production workloads that have their own storage hardware – file and object – needs, including flash Continue Reading
-
AI in healthcare in northern Europe suggests future pathways
AI is used sporadically across northern Europe. If the healthcare sector is to provide affordable, high-quality care as the population ages and the economy falters, it will be needed more, experts say Continue Reading
-
The one problem with AI content moderation? It doesn’t work
The use of artificial intelligence for content moderation is likely to become more pronounced with the passage of the Online Safety Bill, but practitioners and experts question the efficacy of this approach Continue Reading
-
The importance of improving data quality at source
Data replication crises have struck government and scientific data quality efforts. A lack of scrutiny over data being used at source has led to oversights from national statistics to financial auditing Continue Reading
-
Can real-time data visualisation deliver trust and opportunity?
More than ever, decision-makers are relying on data to plot a path through the economic turmoil. We explore where real-time data fits Continue Reading
-
How to get structure from unstructured data
We look at how to gain structure from unstructured data, via AI/ML analytics to create new records, selecting object data via SQL and storing unstructured files in NoSQL formats Continue Reading
-
Siemens aims to pioneer industrial metaverse usage
German engineering giant is exploring industrial metaverse use cases, and the Biosphere Foundation in Devon is proving out Siemens technology Continue Reading
-
Candidate experience evolves to engender more emotional engagement
Despite the cost-of-living crisis, employment is high and companies need to create a compelling candidate experience when competition is strong and ‘ghosting’ is common Continue Reading
-
Computer simulation at work for the future of nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion works, just not yet well enough. Learn how software simulations running on modern supercomputers and data science are lighting up possible paths forward Continue Reading
-
AI experts question tech industry’s ethical commitments
The massive proliferation of ethical frameworks for artificial intelligence has done little to change how the technology is developed and deployed, with experts questioning the tech industry’s commitment to making it a positive social force Continue Reading
-
Improving finance and accounting software with AI
Artificial intelligence algorithms and datasets have potential value across many areas in finance and accounting, but usage isn’t yet widespread Continue Reading
-
Efficiency to empathy: Customer experience in cost-of living crisis
Find out how businesses can shore up their CX strategy to support consumers struggling with the cost-of-living crisis Continue Reading
-
High data quality key to reducing supply chain disruption
What could be the role of data quality enhancement in reducing the supply chain disruption that has beset the UK economy because of Brexit, Covid, and war in Europe? Continue Reading
-
Is object storage good for databases?
We look at object storage vs block access SAN storage and ask if object storage can be used for database workloads, or is it just good for bulk storage of analytics datasets? Continue Reading
-
Clickwork and labour exploitation in the digital economy
Often ignored or assumed to be work conducted by machines rather than people, Computer Weekly explores the hidden human impact of the ‘clickwork’ that underpins the global digital economy Continue Reading
-
How to design a data architecture for business success
To gain business value from data, enterprises need to get their data architecture right – and the right business leadership and culture is critical to that Continue Reading
-
Edge storage: What it is and the technologies it uses
Storage is moving from the datacentre to the edge. We define edge storage, look at the characteristics of edge computing that shape it and the technologies it requires Continue Reading
-
Bfloat16: What it is and how it impacts storage
Bfloat16 is an emerging way to handle very large numbers, developed by Google for its machine and neural learning and prediction. We look at what it means for IT and storage Continue Reading
-
Unstructured data storage – on-prem vs cloud vs hybrid
We look at storage for unstructured data on-premise, in the cloud and across multiple locations. There are advantages to a hybrid approach, but there can be hidden costs, too Continue Reading
-
Employee experience joins CX for total enterprise view
Total experience is emerging to join up employee and customer experience for organisations intent on being holistic and progressive Continue Reading
-
Embedded analytics emerges to offer new level of business intelligence
Analytics suppliers are increasingly offering embedded analytics – based inside applications, often real-time, and driven by APIs – as a way to get to the next level of business intelligence Continue Reading
-
How IoT and digital twins could help CIOs meet ESG pledges
Many local authorities have set ambitious net-zero targets. Can IoT technology, allied to digital twinning, help CIOs hit them? Continue Reading
-
Tech sector efforts to root out forced labour are failing
Digitally mapping supply chains to identify forced labour and slavery is no longer a technology problem for the IT sector, but a lack of government enforcement and corporate inaction are major barriers to effective change Continue Reading
-
Composability set to be next big thing for digital experience platforms
Digital experience platforms are the latest word in increasing customer loyalty by engaging across all channels. Gaining real-time views of customers while managing data compliantly is critical Continue Reading
-
How to track greenhouse gas emissions
Companies from a range of sectors, as well as public authorities, are using software and data analytics to track greenhouse gas emissions, partly to meet new regulatory demands Continue Reading
-
Data gravity: What is it and how to manage it
Data gravity can attract increasing amounts of data, and brings with it onerous management overheads. We look at how to mitigate data gravity in datacentre and cloud Continue Reading
-
How algorithmic automation could manage workers ethically
Managing workers by algorithm and automated process has generated ethical problems aplenty. Can such means be pressed into the service for a more ethical mode of worker management? We find out Continue Reading
-
Enterprises shore up supply chain resilience with data
Using data to gain better visibility over their supply chains and forge closer connections between disparate links is helping organisations respond to disruptions faster Continue Reading
-
Industry clouds are all the rage, but are they driven by marketing or customer need?
Industry clouds – cloud applications designed for specific sectors – are fashionable staples of supplier marketing, but are they what corporate IT is demanding? Continue Reading
-
Dynamic workforce planning gains ground in more turbulent economy
Some organisations are developing dynamic workforce planning approaches to cope with increasing economic turbulence and change – the South Central Ambulance Service is one Continue Reading
-
How data analytics drives wind turbine power generation
Data analytics and related software lies behind the burgeoning wind turbine industry, with predictive maintenance to the fore. We find out how Continue Reading
-
Best-of-breed cloud ERP applications proffer a modern strategy
How organisations are using best-of-breed SaaS products to fill gaps in their enterprise application strategy and deliver a modern approach to ERP Continue Reading
-
Why some data-driven decisions are not to be trusted
Companies often express the desire to be data-driven – but what if the data isn’t right? Data democratisation could be part of the solution Continue Reading
-
Christal Bemont, Talend CEO: Show up as yourself
Christal Bemont, CEO of data management firm Talend, reflects on coming through difficult times in solidarity with co-workers, and how data quality assumes a heightened significance in the digital era Continue Reading
-
Evolving a data integration strategy
Linking IT systems together is never going away, but the approach CIOs adopt is key to ensuring relevant data feeds the decision-making process Continue Reading
-
Four emerging data integration trends to assess
To accelerate their performance in data integration, companies are evaluating and adopting a range of contributing technologies Continue Reading
-
Data integration dogged by complexity and vital to business
Integrating data is one of the thorniest challenges in business intelligence and analytics – achieving it is technically and organisationally complex, while it is gaining in importance all the time Continue Reading
-
How to make AI greener and more efficient
Artificial intelligence promises both to combat the ill effects of climate change and to make the emergency worse with excessive energy use. How can AI be made greener? Continue Reading
-
How to create a sustainable continuous learning culture
How can organisations create a continuous learning culture that will militate against the so-called great resignation? We explore, using Vodafone and Deutsche Bank as cases in point Continue Reading
-
University of Edinburgh extends IoT data science to south-east Scottish pupils
The University of Edinburgh is part of a 15-year mission to educate the data scientists of tomorrow among school pupils in its south-east Scotland sphere Continue Reading
-
Fuzzy logic: The challenge of building data science teams
In the face of a dearth of data science talent, and a crippling lack of diversity in the pool as it is, what are companies doing to build, manage and keep data science teams together? We find out Continue Reading
-
SMEs step up e-commerce ventures under shadow of Covid
A raft of smaller retailers have stepped up their e-commerce businesses during the pandemic, ranging from books to candles, rugs to togs Continue Reading
-
Mining for intelligence: Why business process intelligence makes for agility
Business process improvement is a never-ending quest for betterment that can be lit up by a new generation of process mining software. We take a deep dive Continue Reading
-
IT’s role in sustainability for a resilient supply chain
A circular economy is among the long-term measures needed to combat climate change. This requires data transparency across supply chains Continue Reading
-
How software can help clean up emission-intensive industries
The potential to reduce emissions by making heavy industries and commercial buildings more efficient using software is immense. We explore the field Continue Reading
-
How companies are rethinking digital customer experience in wake of pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed much digital rhetoric as hollow, as companies are now rethinking the digital customer experience, leveraging instant messaging and other tools Continue Reading
-
What lies beyond the data warehouse?
Has the traditional data warehouse finally reached the end of its life? If so, what will follow it? Will it be a hybrid? We find out Continue Reading
-
AI more likely to complement than replace predictive analytics
The discipline of predictive analytics is likely to increase in importance as it is complemented by artificial intelligence. NHS and National Express case studies prove the point Continue Reading
-
Oracle Fusion cloud applications pathways tend towards pragmatic
Oracle’s full suite of cloud applications can be a pragmatic step-by-step journey for customers – we look at some examples Continue Reading
-
Lakehouse concept aims to merge data lake and data warehouse
Data lakes are big, amorphous and difficult to access, while data warehouses are costly and aimed at structured data. The data lakehouse aims at analytics in an age of unstructured data Continue Reading
-
Real-time analytics begins to find business vocation
Continuous real-time analytics, operating at sub-second speed, are finding real-world applicability across industry sectors, such as retail, transport and banking. Their value crux: can businesses act on the signals provided? Continue Reading
-
Covid-accelerated recruitment digitisation to gain sophistication with hybrid models
Recruitment has had to go remote and digital during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis and looks set to fill out and become more sophisticated as hybrid models of working emerge Continue Reading
-
Computational storage: What is it? Why now, what for, who from?
Computational storage is an emerging architecture category, in which compute is put near storage to address I/O bottlenecks resulting from large volumes of data Continue Reading
-
Deploying productivity monitoring software ethically
While software that tracks the activities of staff can be helpful to companies with a remote workforce, managers must consider employees’ concerns and privacy Continue Reading
-
Customer experience market made leap forward during pandemic
The discipline of customer experience management made significant advances during the Covid-19 crisis, according to practitioners and advocates Continue Reading
-
How the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium sequenced Sars-Cov-2
Consortium of universities and other institutions has harnessed datasets, analytics and cloud computing to sequence Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in a blisteringly short time Continue Reading
-
How robotic process automation is getting smarter as it evolves
Robotic process automation is evolving, adding artificial intelligence layers that render it more resilient and agile. What are its limitations and prospects? Continue Reading
-
Data warehouse storage: Has cloud made on-premise obsolete?
There once was no alternative to building a data warehouse on-premise, but with cloud providers targeting analytics, building data warehouses on-site is looking obsolete Continue Reading
-
Anti-money laundering technology must operate in a collaborative ecosystem
With new technologies making it easier for banks to spot money laundering activity, we look at why the problem persists at scale, finding that ecosystems and collaborative processes need to be built Continue Reading
-
AI projects yield little business value so far
Artificial intelligence has been red hot in recent years, but it is generating precious little business value so far, although World Remit and Virgin Hyperloop have met with some success Continue Reading
-
Covid-19 and the art and science of data visualisation
The pandemic has seen political leaders and civil servants using data visualisation like never before – but there is more to the art than meets the eye Continue Reading
-
Gaurav Dhillon: Silicon Valley is poised to grow up to seize a more spiritual future
Gaurav Dhillon, co-founder of Informatica and founder CEO at SnapLogic, comes from a generation of Silicon Valley Indian immigrants who followed a scholarship route and have helped to shape the area’s tech companies. Here he reflects on his career ... Continue Reading
-
Data lake storage: Cloud vs on-premise data lakes
The data lake is a fundamental concept of data management. But what type of storage do you need to build a data lake on and what are the pros and cons of on-premise vs the cloud? Continue Reading
-
Five key points about unstructured data storage on-prem and cloud
We look at unstructured data, the myriad forms of data it comprises and the key storage options available, which include NAS and object storage on-prem and in the cloud Continue Reading
-
How to monitor remote workers humanely
Monitoring employees who work remotely has taken on a whole extra dimension in the Covid-19 pandemic year of 2020. Financial services firms are among those which suggest ways of doing it humanely and legally Continue Reading
-
Get real: Live streaming analytics important to post-Covid growth, but not without good data
Live streaming analytics could assume increased importance as a fuel for post-Covid growth, but not without good data Continue Reading
-
Extended reality software gets pandemic lift
Extended reality software is not new, but the Covid-19 public health crisis has seen it take on a new lease of life as organisations face up to virtuality Continue Reading
-
Learning on the job when working from home
Learning a new job and inducting hires when working from home has been tricky for employees and employers alike. We look at what workarounds have been adopted that could become the post-pandemic normal Continue Reading
-
Covid-19 crisis has speeded up contact centre digital transformation
Pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in many business sectors, including contact centres such as those of the University of Huddersfield and UK Power Networks Continue Reading
-
Brain researchers get NVMe-over-RoCE for super-fast HPC storage
French neurological researchers deploy Western Digital OpenFlex NVMe array for super-fast HPC storage with Ethernet-based NVMe-over-Fabrics connectivity across several floors Continue Reading
-
How crowd simulation modelling enables organisations to develop social distancing strategies
Crowd simulation modelling has a role to play in maximising the Covid security of offices and other buildings by facilitating social distancing to help get people back to workplaces Continue Reading
-
BI not BS: how businesses are building futures with data analytics
Business intelligence software is finding an intensified mission as companies try to forecast beyond the global Covid-19 health pandemic Continue Reading
-
UK government coronavirus data flawed and misleading
Government Covid-19 coronavirus data has been a miasma of inexactitude, often basically flawed and misleading Continue Reading
-
Business process automation expansion could founder on IT drift from business focus
Business process automation might find new territory to expand into as businesses have become bloated with excess processes since the 2008 crash. But has IT drifted out of business alignment again? Continue Reading
-
Covid crisis shifts supply chain management from efficiency to resilience
Supply chain management seems to be changing profoundly as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, possibly shifting from an economy of efficiency to resilience, harnessing trading networks, machine learning and robotic process automation Continue Reading