In Depth

In Depth

IT supplier relationship management

• Electric vehicle transition comes with uneven costs

  Governments, car makers and tech companies are promoting electric vehicles, but are they considering the uneven social and environmental costs from extracting the critical minerals needed to make batteries?  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

• English Channel surveillance used ‘to deter and punish migrants’

  Instead of opening safe and legal routes to the UK, the country’s border control ecosystem is deploying surveillance technologies in the English Channel to deter migrant crossings, it is claimed  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage cost challenges and how to tackle them

  We look at cloud capacity procurement pitfalls, forecasting challenges, the danger of over-buying, supplier lock-in, deciphering billing and resizing capacity when projects finish  Continue Reading

• Cloud-era disaster recovery planning: Staff training, incident and media management

  In the third in a series on cloud-era disaster recovery, we set out the key components of DR staff awareness and training programmes, as well as incident management and dealing with the media  Continue Reading

• Finland brings cryostats and other cool things to quantum computing

  Not only is Finland the clear leader in refrigeration technology for quantum computers, but it also leads in fundamental research into the underlying quantum information theory  Continue Reading

• Cloud-era disaster recovery planning: Setting strategy and developing plans

  In the second in a series on cloud-era disaster recovery, we look at how to formulate a DR strategy and develop detailed DR plans for your organisation, while taking cloud services into account  Continue Reading

• Cloud repatriation: Five reasons to repatriate data from cloud

  We look at key drivers of cloud repatriation, including cost, compliance, issues around latency and data gravity, reversing poorly planned moves to the cloud, and supplier failure  Continue Reading

• Social value not yet fully embedded in procurement practices

  Social value procurement rules are designed to diversify the public sector’s supplier base while providing society with wider collective benefits, but are yet to be fully introduced  Continue Reading

• How Estonia’s country-as-a-service scheme has attracted tens of thousands of foreign entrepreneurs

  Estonia has created a country-as-a-service offering which is attracting entrepreneurs and businesses from across the world  Continue Reading

• Five key questions to ask about storage-as-a-service and consumption models

  We look at important questions to ask providers of consumption-based storage procurement services, such as base costs and burst, usage measurement and upgrade paths  Continue Reading

• Storage-as-a-service: Consumption models from the big six

  We look at the big six storage makers’ consumption model offers, which allow customers to pay for on-prem hardware and cloud storage capacity on a pay-per-use basis, within limits  Continue Reading

• Europe’s proposed AI regulation falls short on protecting rights

  The European Commission’s proposal for artificial intelligence regulation focuses on creating a risk-based, market-led approach replete with self-assessments, transparency procedures and technical standards, but critics warn it falls short of being ...  Continue Reading

• How Bureau Veritas migrated 85% of its applications to the AWS cloud

  In six years, France-based services giant BV has migrated 115 applications to the AWS cloud, mostly using in-house expertise. We talk to the company’s IT director  Continue Reading

• Container-native storage: A definition, and what to ask suppliers

  We look at container-native storage – aka cloud-native storage – what defines it, and its benefits as a way of bringing persistent Kubernetes storage to containerised applications  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

• Where now for storage? Dell EMC, NetApp and HPE

  Part I: Storage supplier strategy in the cloud era: Dell EMC, NetApp and HPE. We snapshot the big six hardware makers, as they take things to the cloud and as-a-service models  Continue Reading

• Ecolabels and data sanitisation key to recycling and reusing IT assets

  Ecolabels on hardware and data sanitisation of devices are key to recycling and reusing old IT equipment respectively, helping enterprises avoid unnecessary asset destruction and contributing to increasingly high levels of electronic waste globally  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

• With connectivity on the rise, Africa is a hotspot for datacentre investments

  We look at opportunities for datacentre operators in setting up or partnering with local firms in Africa  Continue Reading

• Cloud DR from the Big Three: Who’s best at what?

  We look at cloud disaster recovery from AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google to see which is best for provision of turnkey solutions, breadth of portfolio and modular building blocks  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Windows’ future is all about users

  We look at how Microsoft is evolving the Windows desktop operating system platform and providing developer flexibility  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage costs: How to get cloud storage bills under control

  Many organisations look to the cloud to cut storage budgets, but the potential costs are many and varied. So what are the key ways to cut cloud storage costs?  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage on-site hardware: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud

  We look at the big three cloud vendors’ on-site offerings: AWS’s Outposts, Gateway and Snow hardware, Azure’s Stack and Arc appliances, and Google Cloud’s software-defined Anthos  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage 101: File, block and object storage in the cloud

  We run the rule over file, block and object storage from the big three public cloud providers: AWS, Azure and GCP. We look at what’s on offer and the use cases they are aimed at  Continue Reading

• Five pillars of public sector IT

  Finding better ways for people to collaborate and share information digitally is the challenge government needs to embrace. We look at ways in which this can be achieved  Continue Reading

• How APAC firms are coping with the Covid-19 outbreak

  The air of change looms large in companies operating in the Asia-Pacific region, with some doing better than others in keeping the lights on amid the coronavirus pandemic  Continue Reading

• Upcoming conflict minerals regulation does not cover major technology companies

  A forthcoming regulation designed to stem the flow of conflict minerals is unlikely to change the behaviour of technology companies because loopholes in the new rules mean they are not covered  Continue Reading

• The future of open source licences is changing

  The Open Source Insider blog on Computer Weekly recently asked industry experts for their views on the future of open source licensing  Continue Reading

• Alan Bates: The ‘details man’ the Post Office paid the price for ignoring

  In 2003, subpostmaster Alan Bates had his contract terminated when he refused to comply with Post Office policy. A decade and a half later, against the odds, he took the Post Office to the High Court and won a multimillion-pound legal case  Continue Reading

• Do you use cloud storage for these use cases yet?

  We look at the use cases most suited to a quick transition to the cloud: backup, archiving, disaster recovery, file storage and cloud bursting – cloud storage’s low-hanging fruit  Continue Reading

• Big storage meets cloud in the datacentre 'as-a-service' revolution

  Cloud is mainstream but the datacentre’s here to stay. This has resulted in a trend towards as-a-service in the datacentre where big storage array makers and the cloud giants meet  Continue Reading

• Key differences between cloud storage offerings

  Cloud storage offerings are often largely similar. We run through the key areas where they can differ, such as location, range of services and data protection  Continue Reading

• Integrating security with robotic process automation

  RPA’s power is that it can mimic human behaviour. Enterprises must secure robotic automation with this principle in mind to avoid security failures  Continue Reading

• EBA outsourcing guidelines: What banks, fintechs and cloud providers need to know

  The regulatory landscape for financial services and outsourcing will undergo a refresh this month with new guidance from the European Banking Authority. We look at what banks, fintechs and cloud firms need to do  Continue Reading

• Top five cloud storage pitfalls

  Cloud storage offers apparent simplicity, but unexpected costs, complexity, data movement and integration challenges can arise. We look at how to avoid common cloud storage pitfalls  Continue Reading

• Cutting the cord: Negotiating cloud contracts with problematic customers

  How accountable should cloud firms be for the actions of the customers that use their platforms, and how much thought should they give to aligning themselves with problematic brands before hosting them?  Continue Reading

• Hop jumps to Pure Storage to avoid big storage complexity

  Air France short-haul and regional brand Hop jumps to Pure Storage after coming up against Dell EMC, NetApp and HPE, which all tried to sell it solutions ill-suited to its needs  Continue Reading

• Facebook’s privacy game – how Zuckerberg backtracked on promises to protect personal data

  Facebook promised its users privacy then quietly abandoned its promises in pursuit of profits. Now it faces antitrust regulation  Continue Reading

• Exploring UCaaS: The main benefits for enterprises

  Getting unified communications-as-a-service right can mean more agility, higher productivity, and cost control  Continue Reading

• Employee activism: How staff revolts are shaking up the IT recruitment landscape

  As staff at tech giants Microsoft, Google and Amazon continue to speak out about pressing social issues, pressure is growing on firms to better align themselves with their employees on ethics  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage 101: Specifying for cloud storage

  We run through key questions to ask when specifying cloud storage, such as disk type, performance, availability and the possible hidden cost of getting data out of the cloud  Continue Reading

• Competitive threats: What the growth in new public sector cloud frameworks means for G-Cloud

  Public sector IT buyers may soon find themselves spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where to procure their cloud services, thanks to the emergence of several new frameworks, but where does that leave G-Cloud?  Continue Reading

• Options for deferring or upgrading to S/4 Hana

  Businesses on SAP ERP Core Component software will need to consider what they plan to do after 2025. We investigate the options open to them  Continue Reading

• Digital transformation makes team players of suppliers – caveat emptor

  C-level executives organising digital transformation programmes prefer their suppliers to work as a single team. But it is not all plain sailing  Continue Reading

• Canada’s tech sector is targeting Europe – does it have what it takes to compete?

  Following its free-trade agreement with the EU – and the contrast with its noisy neighbour – Canada is promoting its tech sector to European IT buyers. We take a look at what CIOs can expect  Continue Reading

• How SAP’s digital access licence influences your ERP strategy

  Following the high-profile legal cases against brewers Diageo and Anheuser-Busch InBev, SAP has brought some clarity over indirect access to its core ERP system  Continue Reading

• Government IT contracts: Are the new kids taking over the block?

  A new breed of SME supplier is challenging the reported status quo on government contracts and replacing the usual suspects. However, with distractions such as Brexit and GDPR, can David really take on Goliath?  Continue Reading

• Seeking services with a clear digital focus

  We take a look at the pros and cons of using mid-sized nearshore IT service providers to support digital transformation  Continue Reading

• How innovation in cycling helps Trek-Segafredo create a competitive edge

  Cycling team is using technology from design to the track to improve its business and sporting competitiveness  Continue Reading

• Can cloud-based ERP buy you business agility?

  Enterprise applications has evolved into silos of software systems. The cloud is now offering a different approach to ERP  Continue Reading

• Office 365 at your service

  An overview of Microsoft’s subscription-based software offering  Continue Reading

• Microsoft SPE helps joined-up thinking

  We assess how Microsoft’s secure productive enterprise licence can help enterprises coordinate their digital transformation  Continue Reading

• Gamekeeper to poacher: should a CIO cross the IT divide?

  As IT leaders switch jobs more often after completing major change programmes, should they consider moving to work for suppliers?  Continue Reading

• Tips for buying hyper-converged systems

  Hyper-converged infrastructure has become a commonly used term. But what is it? And is it necessary for your organisation?  Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of CRM software

  Computer Weekly reviews the latest research into the leading customer relationship management and customer experience software providers  Continue Reading

• Cloud data portability: Obstacles to it and how to achieve it

  Cloud providers are very keen to get your data into their systems but sometimes it can be difficult or costly to move it elsewhere. We look at solutions to cloud portability  Continue Reading

• Locked in by choice: How European governments are handling their Microsoft addiction

  Europe-wide research finds that government departments are deeply dependent on Microsoft software and services, while attempts to migrate to open source are difficult, temporary and sometimes under the radar  Continue Reading

• How CIOs can apply IT supplier management skills to digitisation

  The digital supply chain can be managed in much the same way as the software supply chain, where CIOs have gained expertise in working with multiple providers to effectively run a complex ecosystem  Continue Reading

• Why there is more to digital than ones and zeros

  These days no business strategy seems complete unless it is qualified by the adjective “digital”  Continue Reading

• Can you work around SAP indirect access software licensing?

  The SAP legal case against Diageo highlights the seemingly arbitrary rules governing software licensing  Continue Reading

• Software asset management maturity in the age of SaaS

  For asset tracking, software as a service is no different from any other type of software licensing – but the process of software asset management needs adapting  Continue Reading

• Cloud contracts are still a minefield

  Cloud computing is maturing in the enterprise space, but the contracts that underpin cloud services have not evolved at the same pace  Continue Reading

• Saab CIO Mats Hultin says be open, flexible and agile – or die

  Saab CIO Mats Hultin is directing the Swedish defence company’s IT function globally to be streamlined and standardised, but open and flexible for a future that includes the internet of things  Continue Reading

• How to beat Oracle licence audits

  An eight-step guide to tame the Oracle auditors. Don't take the bait...  Continue Reading

• A Good American: Surveillance, 9/11 and the NSA

  Computer Weekly sat down to watch Friedrich Moser's documentary about the NSA whistleblower Bill Binney - A Good American  Continue Reading

• Open source storage hits the mainstream

  Open source storage has gained mainstream acceptance in high performance computing, analytics, object storage, cloud (OpenStack) and NAS use, but can it crack the enterprise?  Continue Reading

• CIO Interview: Graeme Hackland, Williams Martini Racing

  Williams Martini Racing CIO Graeme Hackland discusses network infrastructure, data analytics and the future for wearable tech and augmented reality in Formula 1 motor racing  Continue Reading

• [email protected]: A history of IT outsourcing

  Computer Weekly looks at where and when IT outsourcing was invented and considers the changes the sector has gone through since  Continue Reading

• Why are telcos so readily adopting open standards for NFV?

  Communications services providers are lining up to make their future virtualised networks as open as possible. What’s the attraction?  Continue Reading

• Co-ordinate outsourced services with Siam

  We look at the practical considerations of implementing an effective service integration and management strategy  Continue Reading

• Three steps towards a hierarchy of needs for smart cities

  Smart cities face challenges around network connectivity, standardisation and data governance, say IoT experts, and these needs must be met for them to flourish  Continue Reading

• Getting dirty with open source databases

  With many companies looking at more agile, open source alternatives to proprietary databases, how do you choose which is the best fit for your needs  Continue Reading

• Five CIO tips for working with startups

  CIOs share their experiences and advice about how to work with tech startups as part of their technology strategy  Continue Reading

• Interview: James Bamford on surveillance, Snowden and technology companies

  Investigative journalist and documentary maker James Bamford was among the first to uncover the secrets of the US National Security Agency and its global surveillance  Continue Reading

• HP Inc lays the foundations for a digital future

  Following HP’s split on 1 November 2015, how will the printer and PC components of the business define the future of HP Inc?  Continue Reading

• Microsoft wins the PC argument for Windows 10

  Microsoft stands a good chance of gaining wide acceptance for the operating system on enterprise PCs in cutting admin with automated updates  Continue Reading

• EU Data Protection Regulation: What the EC legislation means for cloud providers

  With the European Commission's data protection rules set to drop before 2016, take a look at what the changes mean for the cloud and datacentre community  Continue Reading

• Why Pegasystems' CEO, Alan Trefler, has learned to think smaller

  Pegasystems has made its name supplying CRM, analytics and case management software to the world's largest companies. Now CEO Alan Trefler plans to use cloud computing to broaden Pega's appeal  Continue Reading

• Appliances move well beyond the hype

  Simplicity and big data are driving appliance adoption while suppliers strive to integrate cloud services  Continue Reading

• Barriers to adoption: Why are local councils holding back on G-Cloud?

  Is outsourcing, the dominance of incumbent providers, or a lack of central government guidance to blame for the low number of councils using G-Cloud?  Continue Reading

• Case study: Open University uses Microsoft Azure to create course content clearance hub

  The Open University recently scooped the award for Best Cloud Project at the CW European User Awards, and here's why  Continue Reading

• CIOs say SaaS compliance is a two-way street

  We’ll ensure we don’t break contract terms, but providers must better meet our needs in terms of simplicity and flexibility, say IT bosses  Continue Reading

• Where next for virtualisation?

  CIOs met to discuss the past, present and future of virtualisation at Computer Weekly's CW500 Club in June 2015  Continue Reading

• Should businesses upgrade to Windows 10?

  Many organisations skipped the PC-unfriendly Windows 8 release. But Windows 10 is far more enterprise-focused  Continue Reading

• Should the strong US dollar prompt European CIOs to shop around for cloud?

  The strengthening dollar is predicted to send IT costs soaring – so what steps can cloud-focused CIOs take to protect their budgets?  Continue Reading

• Still running Windows Server 2003? Don’t panic

  Many organisations are facing the prospect of running Windows 2003 server unsupported. Where do you go from here?  Continue Reading

• How to write supplier contracts for agile software development

  Typical supplier contracts are not suited to agile software projects where there is no requirements specification – so what should IT leaders do?  Continue Reading

• CW500: Tackling complexity in IT

  At a recent Computer Weekly CW500 Club event, CIOs discussed IT complexity and whether it hinders performance or is simply a consequence of complexity in business  Continue Reading

• Local authorities band together to share enterprise software

  Local authorities in London and elsewhere in England are banding together to share enterprise software to cut costs, from the bottom up  Continue Reading

• Journey to the West: Will Huawei make its services ambitions stick?

  As network hardware supplier Huawei enters the services game, we consider if the West is ready to buy IT services from China  Continue Reading

• CW500: Where next for IT outsourcing?

  IT outsourcing is emotive, but it is hard to find a company today that doesn’t do it in some way.  Continue Reading

• How to dance the innovation step with CRM suppliers

  When it comes to outsourcing your company’s technology activities, you need more than just a degree of trust  Continue Reading

• $/GB vs $/IOPS and how to compare enterprise storage pricing

  While raw drive prices are pennies per GB, the actual cost of enterprise storage is much higher. Finding a baseline can save you money  Continue Reading

• Economy, jobs and technology trends on CIOs' minds in 2015

  CIOs gathered at the first CW500 meeting of 2015 to discuss the economy, the technologies driving business and good IT leadership  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage: The top five things that go wrong – and how to avoid them

  Cloud storage provides cost savings and ease of management, but there are pitfalls – and here are the top five things that can go wrong  Continue Reading

• Software-defined datacentres a work in progress

  IT managers need to adopt interim SDDC offerings and build on them as the technology matures  Continue Reading

• Chief data and digital officers rise to threaten the CIO

  Just as the most senior IT executive finally proves their worth, a new evangelist tries to take credit for all-things-digital: the CDO  Continue Reading

• Storage performance metrics: How suppliers spin performance specifications

  Array makers’ storage performance specs are not always what they seem. Storage analysts explain how suppliers spin spec sheet figures  Continue Reading

• Firms set eyes on digital, but will it fulfil their demands?

  We look at the effect of digitisation and how CIOs can help businesses move forward while keeping day-to-day systems running  Continue Reading