In Depth

In Depth

IT strategy

• Financial success enables BCS to offer new services

  The most successful financial year in the BCS' 45-year history is enabling it to forge ahead with new Web services, a new...  Continue Reading

• 5 minute interview: Scott Ross; Cablefree

  Scott Ross, business development manager, Cablefree, speaks  Continue Reading

• Sitting on a fortune

  When customers refuse to buy, it is sometimes a good idea to abandon the hard sell and encourage firms to review and refresh the...  Continue Reading

• EDS - an indication of struggles to come for the IT outsourcing market?

  EDS' announcement regarding lower-than-expected revenues for the third quarter of 2002 came as a shock to the IT services...  Continue Reading

• Same job, different world

  IT roles can vary greatly depending on which sector you work in. Karl Cushing talks to IT professionals in the financial...  Continue Reading

• Police officer reaps the benefits of switch to IT

  Changing career is always a daunting step to take, but when police officer David Norris decided he wanted to enter the world of...  Continue Reading

• Next Move: How do I become a CIO?

  I have a masters degree in computer science and have worked in IT for seven years in a variety of roles from systems manager on...  Continue Reading

• How to prepare for the Euro domain

  Next year may see the biggest new domain name registration process to date, with the launch of the ".eu" top-level domain. It is...  Continue Reading

• Reflections of the past?

  The dotcom boom and bust is nothing new - look back to the 1980s, when a familiar pattern appears. So which suppliers will...  Continue Reading

• Leaders call for radical shake up to improve IT project success rate

  A call for radical change to improve the poor success rate of IT projects and gain more respect for IT people has come from the...  Continue Reading

• Are IT employers asking too much?

  Many IT workers believe employers are increasingly asking for an unrealistically large number of skills in the people they take...  Continue Reading

• Screening process

  Twenty years ago, monitors were not updated as often as processors or software, but time has altered the way they are now viewed  Continue Reading

• Peregrine users weigh up the options

  Organisations using Peregrine Systems infrastructure asset management software must consider their options carefully following...  Continue Reading

• Understanding the TCO of server-based computing

  There are several factors that make it more difficult for companies to develop better application management strategies.  Continue Reading

• Portal eases strain on intranet

  The education department is rolling out a portal to relieve pressure on its intranet, writes Karl Cushing.  Continue Reading

• Dicing with data laws

  The legislature has taken a growing interest in data and network traffic over the past few years. Lindsay Nicolle finds IT...  Continue Reading

• Don't leave loose ends in contracts

  In the wake of the financial difficulties suffered by large suppliers such as WorldCom and KPNQwest, you would be best advised to...  Continue Reading

• Getting Wired: The biter bit and beyond

  New EU legislative teeth could make it easy to fall foul of litigation-happy suppliers.  Continue Reading

• Shaken not stirred

  The merger of drinks giants Guinness and United Distillers involved more than a simple blend in terms of IT - managers found a...  Continue Reading

• Are you getting the balance right?

  Under pressure to perform at work? Stress is getting to most of us. Roisin Woolnough reports.  Continue Reading

• Offshore outsourcing in India: Is this the way forward?

  Offshore outsourcing is a means of reducing costs but there are a number of issues to watch out for.  Continue Reading

• Sound foundations

  The booming construction industry has enormous potential as a market for IT vendors, but selling systems in this fragmented...  Continue Reading

• Let your supplier take the risk

  Project management is a risky business and IT history is littered with supplier/customer relationships that have abruptly ended...  Continue Reading

• UK and EU retailers and suppliers leading RFID implementations

  How radio technology is being deploy to reduce theft in retail.  Continue Reading

• Communication skills: Speech therapy

  Frustrated by constantly having your infrastructure projects shelved? Then you probably need to learn to justify the project...  Continue Reading

• When colleagues wind you up

  Roisin Woolnough finds out how to deal with office politics.  Continue Reading

• Moving on painlessly

  Julia Vowler talks to the outgoing IT director of Autoglass about how he has prepared for his new post heading software...  Continue Reading

• Dispute may force employers to confront Tupe muddle in court

  The row about who should pay off Atos Origin's staff after their work for Lucent was transferred to Compaq could lead to...  Continue Reading

• Companies must be prepared for voice over IP

  A number of organisations are already reaping the benefits of carrying their voice and data traffic on the same network, and...  Continue Reading

• Prudent firms should learn from Prudential's project

  A leading software supplier is facing court action over a problem project for the third time in a decade. Are suppliers and...  Continue Reading

• Open source Slapper poses new threat to Net security

  The Apache/mod_ssl, or "Slapper", worm that is fast infecting Web servers worldwide marks a new milestone in the evolution of...  Continue Reading

• Goldman Sachs: IT spending to stagnate in 2003

  Large US multinational companies remain unhappy with Microsoft's new licensing regime and as a result will barely increase IT...  Continue Reading

• Customer-targeting IT turns round Boots Wellbeing site

  After dropping its digital TV channel last year Boots Wellbeing worked hard to rescue its online marketing effort. Its successful...  Continue Reading

• Could you go far in a small firm?

  They may not offer the benefits and structured career path of big corporates, but small companies still have plenty to offer...  Continue Reading

• Next Move: Becoming a project manager

  I have two years' development experience. My problem is that I have become quite knowledgeable in many areas but not really an...  Continue Reading

• BCS trumpets success of its end-user qualification

  More than 500,000 people in the UK have now registered for the European computer driving licence (ECDL), run by the BCS. The...  Continue Reading

• Learning the hard way

  Online learning promises to improve the learning experience and reduce costs. Ovum research director Richard Holway examines the...  Continue Reading

• Interview: Ask yourself what your vulnerabilities are, say Bush officials

  Richard Clarke and Howard Schmidt have a unique challenge. President George W Bush has charged them with securing the US...  Continue Reading

• Are our civil liberties now under attack?

  UK campaigners claim the Government has reacted to the terrorist attacks of last September with an unprecedented attack on civil...  Continue Reading

• Are your business continuity plans up to scratch?

  The 11 September terrorist attacks sent company directors and IT professionals around the world reaching for their business...  Continue Reading

• What have we learned? IT directors speak out

  Since last year's terrorist attack in the US, IT directors in Britain have seen business continuity and disaster recovery issues...  Continue Reading

• Check out the supplier before taking the outsourcing plunge

  Pressure to save cash is leading companies to take on outsourcing contracts that make little allowance for a future need to...  Continue Reading

• Prospects in the public arena

  While career options are drying up in business, the public sector is experiencing an IT boom. Mike Cross finds out what pitfalls...  Continue Reading

• Ten steps to successful IT support

  Noel Bruton introduces his new book, picking out key pointers for helpdesk managers  Continue Reading

• Managing the climb

  When IT professionals move from a technical role into management it can be a huge culture shock. David Mascord looks at how to...  Continue Reading

• Untidy, scruffy, rude people don't get jobs

  A quarter of all job seekers fail at interview because they are untidy, scruffy or don't know how to behave, according to a...  Continue Reading

• Time to turn the spotlight on our many professionals

  IT has in many ways "got away with murder" through poor delivery and many employers are now thinking hard about their IT...  Continue Reading

• How to fail your job interview

  One in four job applicants fail at interviews because of their appearance on the day.  Continue Reading

• Five networking technologies to watch

  In the fast-paced world of networking, technology is constantly evolving to meet demands from business for greater bandwidth....  Continue Reading

• Inside track: How to pick a winner

  Leadership, integrity and partnership are the watchwords for success.  Continue Reading

• When do Tupe rules apply?

  I have recently made staff redundant from a business analyst firm in the UK. Their jobs have been taken by an outsourced company...  Continue Reading

• 5 Minute Interview: Ian Tait, Anite Public Sector

  Ian Tait, managing director, Anite Public Sector  Continue Reading

• Fixing security on wireless networks

  Security problems have become a limiting factor in the deployment of WLAN networks. Graham Titterington describes the problem and...  Continue Reading

• Keep an eye on your site

  A proper analysis of who visits your Web site will help to justify the cost of maintaining it and improve advertising sales. Web...  Continue Reading

• Evening inspiration

  With many new courses due to start next month, Roisin Woolnough looks at what evening classes can offer IT professionals  Continue Reading

• Next Move: Finding a business-oriented role

  I have three years' experience in technical support at a large international company, but my employer has decided to move its IT...  Continue Reading

• Days of the workplace smoker are numbered

  Smokers who are able to enjoy their habit at work could be puffing on borrowed time if the results of a recent study lead to a...  Continue Reading

• IT jobs downturn will not last long

  Concern over the downturn in IT job opportunities in Europe is unlikely to last long, according to research by BCS fellow Matthew...  Continue Reading

• Basic programming mistakes expose company Web sites

  A security firm found shocking lapses in security in Web servers that exposed clients of major Internet service providers to the...  Continue Reading

• Protecting Web site content

  Enterprises need to manage a growing number of issues as Web sites become ever more complex.  Continue Reading

• Can BA weather the storm?

  Facing massive losses, pressure from low-cost competitors and the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the US last year, British...  Continue Reading

• The umpire's decision is final

  IT contract disputes range from questions of fraud to complaints that a particular behaviour is "just not cricket". Arbitration...  Continue Reading

• Data protection guideline sparks Big Brother fears

  The third part of the Data Protection Code of Practice, which deals specifically with monitoring of communications in the...  Continue Reading

• Job hunting by word of mouth

  Landing a new job is increasingly dependent on who you know. David Mascord offers some tips on how to mix with the right people  Continue Reading

• Coder takes IT skills to Commonwealth Games

  Software engineer Paul Durrand has recently returned to work after spending three weeks working as an unpaid IT volunteer for the...  Continue Reading

• BCS backs online service to get more women into IT

  A new online service to encourage the recruitment and career progression of women in IT has been launched with backing from the...  Continue Reading

• Your shirt is louder than you think

  When you fall out of bed in the morning and pull on your clothes you probably don't consider the effect they will have on the...  Continue Reading

• Get security straight first at HQ

  The concept of the "extended enterprise" - where your systems are connected to suppliers, partners and distributors - is an...  Continue Reading

• Sun focuses application strategy with LAMP initiative

  Sun Microsystems' announcement of a new, entry-level Linux server this week is the opening salvo in an aggressive effort to...  Continue Reading

• Linuxworld: Assessing the commercial reality

  The Linux operating system has seen dramatic growth in the past year as users try to stretch their tight budgets.  Continue Reading

• Life on the front line - the reality of end-user IT in 2002

  What are the realities of current end-user attitudes to technology adoption in the European IT industry?  Continue Reading

• UK in moves to improve special relationship in IT

  Florida governor Jeb Bush's recent trade mission to the UK aimed to forge stronger technology links between the state of Florida...  Continue Reading

• Keeping an eye on metadata

  Metadata can ease data overload, making it an area business should be watching closely  Continue Reading

• Get a taste for unusual combinations

  IT directors attending the forum aboard the cruise ship Aurora earlier this year applied the principles of fusion cooking to IT....  Continue Reading

• Reality and Royal London lift the trophies in Cardiff

  Nathalie Towner reports from the 2002 Computastars UK final  Continue Reading

• Next Move: Should I do a Java apprenticeship?

  Since graduating three years ago I have been working in IT support. I find the work unfulfilling and want to get into software...  Continue Reading

• Do left-handers make good IT professionals?

  Winston Churchill, Fidel Castro, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein and Pele all have one thing in common - the dominant use of...  Continue Reading

• Securing the ethereal Ethernet

  Wireless networking is taking the IT world by storm, but security technologies are struggling to keep up  Continue Reading

• Air traffic chief briefs staff against leakers

  The chief operating officer of National Air Traffic Services, has recorded a message to staff denigrating those who leak...  Continue Reading

• IT staff on a high

  Antony Adshead reports from this year's Vanco Three Peaks Challenge  Continue Reading

• Where should old PCs go to die?

  The jury is out on whether new European rules on disposal and re-use of redundant IT kit will boost recycling, and on how much it...  Continue Reading

• Next Move: Moving from ERP to objects

  I am a certified SAP Basis consultant with several years experience of Oracle DBA. I used to be an RPG programmer and following a...  Continue Reading

• E-mail in the dock

  There is no substitute for properly managing your e-mail. The words it generates often have the same status in law as legal...  Continue Reading

• ECDL exam achieves 95% satisfaction rate

  A study of people taking the European computer driving licence (ECDL) end-user qualification shows that 80% take the exam for...  Continue Reading

• Cover for the latest telecoms crisis

  Virtual networks could offer a useful risk-reduction strategy in the wake of recent provider bankruptcies.  Continue Reading

• Readers urge Home Office to change UK's outdated IT law

  The aim of Computer Weekly's Lock Down the Law campaign is to co-ordinate industry efforts to persuade the Government to update...  Continue Reading

• Where the money is

  The financial services market has suffered many blows of late, but modernisation and cost-saving requirements are driving IT...  Continue Reading

• Is the decline in IT spending perception or reality?

  Companies are still making Information Technology (IT) investments--they are just much more prudent about where they spend  Continue Reading

• How IT governance can help stop scandal

  Recent publicity over accounting failures emphasise the need for timely, accurate and complete information. While effective IT...  Continue Reading

• Pakistan offers all-in deals to entice UK investors

  There is little, it seems, that the Pakistan government will not do to win a share of the billion-pound international outsourcing...  Continue Reading

• Computer graduates still enjoy above-average pay

  IT graduates enjoy higher levels of employment better rates of pay and more career opportunities than the general graduate...  Continue Reading

• Time to train

  IT training companies are having a tough time, and ambitious ITers could turn the situation to their advantage, writes Roisin...  Continue Reading

• Prepare for the inevitable

  Handheld devices are going to become ubiquitous, replacing laptop computers and mobile phones. IT managers need to start...  Continue Reading

• The power of four

  The recent formation of UnitedLinux has caused some confusion in the industry on a number of levels.  Continue Reading

• Nats chief attacks reporting of controllers' safety concerns

  In a remarkable attack on the press the head of National Air Traffic Services has condemned revelations about controllers' air...  Continue Reading

• The future of IT: What's on the horizon?

  Between San Francisco and San Jose along Highway 101 is Silicon Valley - widely regarded as the beating heart of the world IT...  Continue Reading

• IT personality of the year

  Systems administrator Paddy Tyrer of Sentinel Housing Group has been named Computer Weekly's IT personality of the year, writes...  Continue Reading

• Thirsty ITers enjoy beer at Blackfriars

  The promise of free drink and good company had ITers flocking to a London pub to enjoy another Thirst Thursday on 4 July, writes...  Continue Reading

• Next Move: Project management qualification

  I am a 39-year-old VB/SQL developer who has been out of work for almost a year. Prior to this I had been a team leader and my...  Continue Reading

• Time to update your e-mail database

  The draft Directive on Data Protection and Electronic Communications approved recently by the European Parliament is on course to...  Continue Reading