In Depth

In Depth

Enterprise software

• Businesses need to equip staff with the tools to do the job

  Workforces will become frustrated if they do not have the technology they need to deliver what their organisation wants  Continue Reading

• Top five things you need to know about VMware Virtual Volumes

  VMware’s Virtual Volumes (VVOLs) promise a revolution in storage for virtual machines, but what are the key things you need to know?  Continue Reading

• How building information modelling is changing the construction industry

  The Cabinet Office says that by 2016, “collaborative 3D building information modelling will be required on all government projects”  Continue Reading

• How to combat VM sprawl

  VMs are easy to create, but when unmanaged they proliferate around your infrastructure. Here, we explain VM sprawl and how to combat it  Continue Reading

• What are the options for electronic patient records in the NHS after NPfIT?

  Many hospitals lack comprehensive electronic patient record (EPR) systems. What are the options now, in the wake of the NPfIT disaster?  Continue Reading

• A closer look at Google Container Engine

  In just 12 months, Docker has transformed from a simple open-source container management project into a powerful platform  Continue Reading

• Thin provisioning – hypervisor vs array

  Thin provisioning can be done at the storage array or virtualisation hypervisor. We look at the pros and cons of each – or both  Continue Reading

• How to make applications resilient on AWS

  Cloud services are susceptible to network and other outages. There is no silver bullet to boost the resilience of an AWS-hosted application  Continue Reading

• Top five issues in VM backup

  Virtual machine backup is a vital task for IT departments. But pitfalls abound. We look at the top five issues encountered in VM backup  Continue Reading

• Microservices: How to prepare next-generation cloud applications

  A microservice architecture promotes developing and deploying applications composed of autonomous, self-contained units  Continue Reading

• The state of mobile back end as a service

  Common mobile application services are increasingly being hosted on central back-end servers – but what does that mean for the enterprise?  Continue Reading

• Dutch organisations gradually take up cloud HCM software

  While organisations in the Netherlands tend to use the traditional HR modules of the large software packages, some diversity is beginning to emerge  Continue Reading

• In-store retail experience evolves with the demands of tech-savvy shoppers

  The increasing demands of today's "always-connected" shoppers are redefining the in-store buying experience  Continue Reading

• How the development of standards will affect the internet of things

  As the internet of things (IoT) grows, so will the number of applications developed to control internet-connected devices and objects  Continue Reading

• Key challenges in storage and virtualisation, and how to beat them

  Server virtualisation brings benefits but increases storage-capacity needs. Here we survey the key challenges and what to do about them  Continue Reading

• Currency exchange business Travelex cuts HR costs by 25% with cloud IT systems

  Travelex's cloud human resources (HR) project survived a budget overrun to cut costs and job recruitment times  Continue Reading

• Social media for communication inside the enterprise

  Companies have long used social media technology such as Facebook and Twitter to reach more customers – but how are businesses using it internally?  Continue Reading

• Backup and disaster recovery in the age of virtualisation

  One of the benefits of using virtual machines is the scope for improved backup. We look at the product offerings from traditional and new suppliers  Continue Reading

• Q&A: MarkLogic CEO Gary Bloom talks strategy

  Gary Bloom, CEO of NoSQL database supplier MarkLogic, talks to Computer Weekly about strategy  Continue Reading

• The digital CIO: Why embrace digital innovation?

  Having the right digital strategy can make or break an organisation  Continue Reading

• Demystifying Kubernetes: the tool to manage Google-scale workloads in the cloud

  We are witnessing a new technology wave in the form of immutable infrastructure and micro-services  Continue Reading

• Sweden’s Klarna and Spotify design big data architectures to aid business growth

  Many organisations still don't know how to capitalise on big data. Swedish firms Klarna and Spotify are making use of its possibilities  Continue Reading

• Choice and ease of use: key elements of a good app store

  Companies need to focus on individual user requirements and make sure their app store delivers the right tools for the right job  Continue Reading

• The internet of things is coming: Is your datacentre ready?

  Gartner estimates the IoT will see 26 billion units installed by 2020 – channelling huge volumes of data traffic into datacentres  Continue Reading

• What ingredients go into the successful app store?

  An enterprise app store should provide the controlled availability of apps for employees.We look at what is available for organisations to use  Continue Reading

• Wearable technology will up the game for sports data analytics

  Wearable technology is a big industry thanks to the ‘quantified self’ movement. It’s now giving a boost to professional sports data analytics professionals  Continue Reading

• Big Apple revolution: How to manage Macs in the enterprise

  Apple’s products were once niche devices. Now, following a consumer-led initiative, they are widely used across the enterprise  Continue Reading

• A guide to smart home automation

  Unless it is a new build, the challenge in creating a smart home is that technology must work irrespective of the age of the property  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of iPads in the enterprise

  The iPad is often the first platform for which developers produce apps – but it is substantially more expensive than its competitors  Continue Reading

• Unilever puts SAP at the captain’s table

  Consumer goods company Unilever works hand in glove with SAP in “speeding up its growth”, according to senior executives at the two firms  Continue Reading

• OpenStack storage: Cinder and Swift explained

  is a rising star in private cloud infrastructures. But what about OpenStack storage? We run the rule over OpenStack Cinder and Swift  Continue Reading

• Future of in-house datacentres in the cloud era

  It is predicted that companies will spend three times more on the cloud by 2017. But as cloud goes mainstream, are in-house datacentres really dying?  Continue Reading

• In-memory databases - what they do and the storage they need

  In-memory databases offer high performance data processing, but how do you protect data in volatile DRAM and what kind of storage is needed for longer term retention?  Continue Reading

• VMware versus Hyper-V storage comparison

  VMware versus Hyper-V storage: How do the two leading hypervisors compare when it comes to deploying storage and in terms of their key storage features and functionality?  Continue Reading

• Can the mainframe remain relevant in the cloud and mobile era?

  IBM mainframes run more than 1.1m transactions per second, yet the mainframe has remained largely unfashionable. We investigate  Continue Reading

• Using NoSQL databases to gain competitive advantage

  NoSQL is attracting growing interest from businesses - we examine three case studies: Amadeus, i2O and Temetra  Continue Reading

• The digital CIO: How digital technology will change the way organisations work

  If you are an IT leader, digital technology is likely to be a pivotal factor in your career over the next five years  Continue Reading

• No more email? Why companies are turning to collaboration technology

  Collaboration technologies are helping companies improve their employees' work-life balance  Continue Reading

• Hadoop 2 opens new vistas beyond current UK data management practice

  Hadoop 2 enables a greater range of data-crunching tasks, beyond Hadoop’s previous scope of batch processing, directly within the stack itself  Continue Reading

• The UK’s problem with power

  Datacentre power buyers say Britain’s deregulated energy market is as complex as trading in derivatives  Continue Reading

• Create a mobile policy employees can trust

  With Gartner predicting a fifth of all enterprise BYOD projects would fail by 2016, we look at how businesses can embrace mobility successfully  Continue Reading

• Big banks' legacy IT systems could kill them

  A banking T-Rex is dying and nimble competitors will pick at its carcass. Is it too late for the retail bank giants to overhaul their IT and survive?  Continue Reading

• Minerals firm Imerys upgrades IFS ERP as economy lifts

  Imerys has 30 different ERP systems around the globe. A plan to move to a single instance of ERP, thrown off course by recession, was achieved in 2012; other business benefits have accrued  Continue Reading

• Realising the benefits of a totally connected world

  The internet of things will transform everyday life, from managing airports’ passenger flow to heating buildings and caring for the elderly.  Continue Reading

• BlackBerry Enterprise Server – Should you stay or should you go?

  John Chen’s recent open letter to BlackBerry customers holds many promises for the future  Continue Reading

• Optimising performance and security of web-based software

  On-demand applications are often talked about in terms of how suppliers should be adapting the way their software is provisioned to customers.  Continue Reading

• Procter & Gamble uses Teradata cloud analytics for global marketing

  Procter & Gamble has 15,000 websites, but sells almost exclusively through retailers. This makes gathering intelligence on customers tough  Continue Reading

• Why agile development races ahead of traditional testing

  Traditional testing practices optimise large, centralised testing but struggle to support the rapid delivery of agile development.  Continue Reading

• High street stores embrace digital to entice customers

  Customers are using technology in favour of the high street, but some stores are fighting fire with fire.  Continue Reading

• A guide to WebRTC

  Real-time communications standards aim to help more users speak with ease over the internet. Computer Weekly looks at how the systems work  Continue Reading

• Top 10 Android security tips

  As Android becomes more prevalent in the enterprise, Computer Weekly gives you 10 top tips for keeping your devices secure  Continue Reading

• VPNs: The past, present and future

  We give you a rundown of all you need to know about virtual private networks and how the cloud is changing their future  Continue Reading

• Virgin Media uses ETAdirect to manage engineers more predictively

  Virgin Media is using predictive analytics to get the right engineer out to the right problem. It believes its use of TOA Technologies cloud-based ETAdirect system gives it a competitive advantage  Continue Reading

• Big data journalism exposes offshore tax dodgers

  How journalists harnessed big data to challenge offshore financial secrecy  Continue Reading

• From chess to ping pong: How Pegasystems is capturing the Fortune 500

  Pegasystems is winning business from the world's leading companies as business process management technology enters the mainstream  Continue Reading

• Best practices in software asset management for a flexible, resilient IT

  Managing software assets is vital in order to maintain a highly flexible and up-to-date IT platform and more importantly remain compliant  Continue Reading

• Tools for talent management

  An increasing number of human resources management systems are coming to market.. What are the benefits?  Continue Reading

• Manage identity and access to improve business processes

  Streamlining identity and access management is essential to exploiting your organisation’s assets and employees’ productivity.  Continue Reading

• Workplace IT services in flux: wherever, whenever, whatever

  Enterprise computing is in upheaval as the emphasis shifts towards automation and user-device provision.  Continue Reading

• CW500: 4G to underpin ubiquitous mobile services

  The catalyst for debate at April’s CW500 Club meeting was the arrival of the 4G mobile network in the UK  Continue Reading

• Windows XP end of support: What to do next

  CIOs may not wish to carry on running a 12-year-old desktop OS, but thousands of incompatible applications leave many with no choice  Continue Reading

• The history of OpenFlow

  Computer Weekly takes a look back at the beginnings of the software-defined networking protocol and the technology behind it  Continue Reading

• Process big data at speed

  Low-cost solid state memory is powering high-speed analytics of big data streaming from social network feeds and the industrial internet.  Continue Reading

• How 3D printing impacts manufacturing

  With the ability to create on-demand specialist tools, any initial investment in 3D printing technology could quickly pay for itself.  Continue Reading

• Online gambling sector bets on business intelligence

  Online gambling and gaming industries crave structured business data. Volumes can be huge and they need to react to customer behaviour  Continue Reading

• GE uses big data to power machine services business

  GE, one of the UK's largest manufacturers, is using big data analytics with data generated from machine sensors to predict maintenance needs  Continue Reading

• The limitations of traditional SaaS integration approaches

  Time and budget constraints are forcing many organisations to rethink their integration strategy and find a well-aligned solution  Continue Reading

• How to integrate SaaS with your local business systems

  As software as a service matures, CIOs need to look at how well cloud-based products integrate with existing on-premise systems  Continue Reading

• Amazon: Gold standard of the cloud?

  Amazon Web Services is the benchmark for cloud in the enterprise but can it handle the challenge of federated cloud services?  Continue Reading

• How to secure Macs in the enterprise

  Apple computers are becoming increasingly used in the enterprise - we look at how to securely introduce Macs in the corporate network  Continue Reading

• How to gather BI dashboard user requirements to nail business strategy alignment

  Many analytical systems -- data warehouses, business intelligence systems -- fail because user requirements are not collected properly  Continue Reading

• Software-defined datacentres demystified

  As datacentre managers increasingly rely on software and automation, what can a software-defined datacentre bring to the enterprise?  Continue Reading

• CW500: Managing the mobile workforce (part 1)

  Mobile working has transformed Colt Telecommunications beyond recognition over the past three years  Continue Reading

• How to manage unstructured data for business benefit

  The cloud offers some progress in the resource-sapping management of unstructured data, but it is critical to work back from the business case.  Continue Reading

• Gathering retail intelligence

  Learning their customers’ habits through business intelligence is vital for bricks-and-mortar retailers to stay competitive  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing IT services: goals and negotiations

  Tactical and strategic negotiations are important to businesses of all sizes, from SMEs to the largest enterprises  Continue Reading

• How to make sense of the big data universe

  Analysing big data can be a daunting prospect, so find out what you need, where it is and how to deal with it  Continue Reading

• Data virtualisation on rise as ETL alternative for data integration

  The Phone House and Novartis have turned to data virtualisation from Denodo and Composite to gain a single logical view of disparate data sources.  Continue Reading

• How technology is changing BPO

  Karl Flinders discovers how IT has become central to the provision of outsourced business processes  Continue Reading

• Making money from data: Financial business intelligence at work

  Finance professionals are heavy users of BI and predictive analytics software. Find out how a variety of European finance functionaries are analysing trends, cutting costs and finding new business.  Continue Reading

• Blade servers: How to decide on Unix or Linux

  If you’re contemplating Unix or Linux for your blade server, or a migration from one to the other, in this guide you will find everything you need to make up your mind. Useful Unix and Linux command lines also included.  Continue Reading

• When X.509 security certificates fail, servers break

  Why are X.509 certificates causing computers to stop dead?  Continue Reading

• Interview: From Apollo Mission to agility manifesto

  One of the 17 original authors of the agile manifesto was Jim Highsmith who, after a previous tenure at NASA, now works as an executive consultant at ThoughtWorks.  Continue Reading

• Case study: Nokia rethinks HR with web portal

  Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia has reduced its HR costs by between 20% to 30% after rolling out a web-based HR portal for its 60,000 employees.  Continue Reading

• CIO interview: Tony Prestedge, COO, Nationwide

  Tony Prestedge took over as COO at Nationwide in 2010, mid-way through a five-year transformation project. He tells Karl Flinders how the company is transforming its business through a £1bn investment in technology, how the IT department changed ...  Continue Reading

• CIO interview: Martin Davies, head of technology at Bet365

  The success story of £5.4bn-per-year online gambling company Bet365 is nothing to do with luck and everything to do with technology.  Continue Reading

• RightNow: Oracle and next-generation CRM

  In his opening keynote presentation at the RightNow Summit 2011 in Newport, Greg Gianforte, RightNow founder and chief executive officer, presented his view of device-aware CRM.  Continue Reading

• How the financial services sector uses big data analytics to predict client behaviour

  The financial services sector has gone through unprecedented change in the last few years. Customers are expecting a more personalised service from their banks. Regulators have reacted to the credit crunch with significant changes to regulation with...  Continue Reading

• What is big data and how can it be used to gain competitive advantage?

  Cliff Saran discovers how big data can deliver big business benefits without excessive IT investment  Continue Reading

• Case study: How a small business can benefit from SaaS

  Professional beauty products distributor SweetSquared considers using Microsoft Office 365 alongside browser-based SaaS.  Continue Reading

• Clarion Events Extends the Life of its System i and JD Edwards environment with Magic Software

  Clarion Events is one of the UK's leading exhibition and event organisers. For over 30 years Clarion Events has been creating and developing stimulating and effective exhibitions, conferences and seated events in the UK, EMEA, Asia and America. ...  Continue Reading

• Case study: Bell Canada rings up big revenues with Infor CRM

  Bell Mobility, a division of Bell Canada Enterprises, implemented an Infor customer relationship management solution, Interaction Advisor, and worked with Infor to transform Bell Mobility’s two call centers - with a combined 550 customer service ...  Continue Reading

• The cloud computing revolution

  Hewlett-Packard has become the latest supplier of many to sound the death knell on the IT department.  Continue Reading

• The CERN laboratory and the Big Bang theory – Essential Guide

  We answer 10 frequently asked questions about the CERN laboratory and Big Bang theory  Continue Reading

• Facing up to security perils of outbound traffic

  What about the threat from within and, more specifically, the security issues that arise from outbound traffic risks?  Continue Reading

• Chinook helicopter disaster - computer software failure or pilot error?

  Chinook helicopter crash: was it computer software failure or a cause we'll never know? This article gives the background to the Chinook helicopter disaster with links to all the relevant articles published by ComputerWeekly and other useful web ...  Continue Reading

• How to select a storage capacity planning tool

  To select a storage management and capacity planning tool, first calculate how much storage is available and how much of your total storage capacity is actually being used.  Continue Reading

• How data deduplication works

  Chapter one of our data deduplication handbook takes you under the hood to show how data deduplication works so you can maximise the efficiency of this data reduction technology.  Continue Reading

• Vanderbilt hospital fights archive growth with grid

  Vanderbilt University Medical Centre simplifies document management using Bycast's archiving grid system.  Continue Reading

• Checklist for purchasing hardware-based encryption

  Encryption appliances sit inline on a network and use specially designed electronics to encrypt data at line speeds, essentially eliminating the performance penalty imposed by encryption software running on a general server. While software-based ...  Continue Reading