In Depth

In Depth

• DPM’s diary: 8 August 2006

  Weekly roundup of events at Bogcaster City Council  Continue Reading

• Eurostar cuts 170 apps in IT infrastructure overhaul

  Train operator Eurostar has completed a major IT overhaul, standardising hardware and software infrastructure and culling more than 170 applications.  Continue Reading

• Filtronic upgrades ERP to boost data integration

  Telecoms and radio engineering firm Filtronic Comtek is to transfer its operations in China on to a new enterprise resource planning system following a successful roll-out in the UK.  Continue Reading

• Secure business: Knowing the dangers

  Special report: Business continuity plans should be part of a wider security strategy that is closely aligned with business needs and accounts for everyday threats as well as major disasters.  Continue Reading

• Toolkit for a common approach

  To achieve joined-up IT, Unilever decided on the challenging solution of implementing ITIL across the global business. Helen Beckett discovers the secrets of Unilever’s successful integration  Continue Reading

• Secure business: The usual suspects

  Disaster recovery needs to shift to focus more on everyday threats. John Kavanagh looks at how to ensure business continuity that will definitely work, at an acceptable price  Continue Reading

• IT bosses preparing for Byte Night

  About 250 senior IT professionals will take part in the annual Byte Night charity sleep-out on London’s Embankment on 22 September in an effort to raise £300,000 to combat child homelessness.  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Software licensing

  Computer Weekly readers' views on the week's news  Continue Reading

• Take a walk or sleep over to aid children’s charities

  IT professionals wishing to take part in the outdoor approach to charity fund-raising, should mark two dates in September in their diaries.  Continue Reading

• Secure business: Weighing up the risks

  Although most companies have information security measures in place, few have carried out a proper risk analysis. John Kavanagh asks the experts how to perform a systematic risk assessment  Continue Reading

• How globalisation alters your world

  Globalisation has opened up new sourcing opportunities to help businesses handle large-scale change, demanding new skills and attitudes from CIOs.  Continue Reading

• Waitrose adopts SAS demand forecasting system

  Waitrose has rolled out SAS forecasting software to help it manage its supply chain.  Continue Reading

• Next move: Is web training a sound investment?

  Expert advice for readers' career problems  Continue Reading

• Inside MSRC: Time to rethink security workarounds

  Christopher Budd of the Microsoft Security Response Center recommends implementing one of several security workarounds to ensure a secure infrastructure until this month's most important Windows update can be installed.  Continue Reading

• ITIL knows best

  The latest analysis, opinion and news covering the ITIL IT services management framework.  Continue Reading

• Thwarting IM management challenges

  Product review: Information Security magazine's Sandra Kay Miller says Symantec's IM Manager 8.0 has limited public network features, but offers excellent reporting  Continue Reading

• Akonix A-Series offers complex, best-of-breed IM security

  Product review: Information Security magazine's Sandra Kay Miller says The Akonix A-Series instant messaging security appliances works well but needs better documentation.  Continue Reading

• Countering attackers with NAC, IPS

  Product review: Information Security magazine's Wayne Rash says ForeScout Technologies' flexible CounterACT appliance combines NAC with IPS and is worth the investment.  Continue Reading

• Security event management, no strings attached

  Product review: Information Security magazine's Joel Snyder says Check Point's vendor-agnostic Eventia Analyzer 2.0/Eventia Reporter is worth consideration despite limited BI options.  Continue Reading

• The new Nokia 9300 smartphone reviewed

  John Shepler takes a look at the new Nokia 9300 smartphone  Continue Reading

• Are smaller companies storage-stupid?

  Storage guru Jon Toigo questions the buying process of storage in SMBs .  Continue Reading

• Endpoint security quiz answers

  The answers to the Endpoint quiz  Continue Reading

• Web services represent security's next battlefront

  The evolution and mainstream use of Web services has placed the nascent technology in the crosshairs of attackers, and one firm in particular says it can mitigate the threats.  Continue Reading

• PING with Heidi Kujawa

  Heidi Kujawa, director of enterprise architecture services for Sony Pictures Entertainment, explains how combatting piracy takes more than just keeping bootleggers out of the theatres  Continue Reading

• Unwelcome voices on the network

  VoIP: Unauthorised web phone software can hog bandwidth and create security risks  Continue Reading

• Cheaper chips in store as Intel speeds up Core Duo

  Intel's new Core Duo microprocessors, which are currently selling well in both PCs and Macs, are to be superseded.  Continue Reading

• Skills on the rise as market shifts

  The outsourcing of IT jobs overseas appears to be having a major impact on the employment market in the UK.  Continue Reading

• DPM's diary: 1 August 2006

  Weekly round up of events at Bodcaster City Council.  Continue Reading

• BCS unveils shortlist for IT awards

  The British Computer Society has announced the shortlist for its IT Professional Awards, which are organised in association with Computer Weekly.  Continue Reading

• Emphasise relationships as well as targets to ensure project success

  Leadership, stakeholder relationship and risk management within project management are often neglected in favour of setting and achieving aggressive time and cost targets, according to research by BCS member John McManus.  Continue Reading

• Next move: What is the best way to an IT manager job?

  Expert advice for readers' career problems  Continue Reading

• Plan ahead for a major Office move

  Moving up to the next version of Microsoft Office will mean a migration to a whole new business applications platform rather than a simple software upgrade.  Continue Reading

• Opportunities grow outside the City

  As major organisations look to move operations away from London to save money, IT professionals in the regions will get more career options.  Continue Reading

• Beyond HIPAA and GLBA

  Most firms are familiar with HIPAA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley and Sarbanes-Oxley, but newer regulations are pushing certain industry sectors to adopt strong authentication  Continue Reading

• Lewisham uses electronic records to improve care services performance

  Smart projects: London borough tests benefits of data sharing via electronic records  Continue Reading

• Automated provisioning quiz answers

  the key questions answered  Continue Reading

• Don't overlook Amanda for your storage data protection needs

  Storage analyst Arun Taneja suggests thinking outside the box by using Amanda in your data protection process.  Continue Reading

• Authenticating Windows

  Three options for Windows authentication with eSSO clients.  Continue Reading

• British Computer Society announces IT professional awards shortlist

  The British Computer Society (BCS) has announced the shortlist for its prestigious IT Professional Awards.  Continue Reading

• Tobacco firm picks Vordel web security

  British American Tobacco has deployed management technology to protect XML communications across its datacentre network in 180 countries.  Continue Reading

• Technology advances add to licensing headache

  Server virtualisation, multicore processors and capacity on demand do not fit with traditional models of software licensing, and IT managers are facing growing complexity as suppliers struggle to find a solution  Continue Reading

• Who are winners as focus changes on licence challenges?

  In the run up to the millennium, Computer Weekly ran a successful two-year campaign for fair play on software licensing. Today, licence issues continue to demand attention, especially as new technologies blur old boundaries and create added ...  Continue Reading

• Standard Life reaps the benefits of asset tracking

  The benefits of getting a grip on the complexity of software licensing arrangements has been highlighted by insurer Standard Life, which earlier this month gave up its mutual status to list on the London Stock Exchange.  Continue Reading

• HBOS on recruitment drive for system overhaul

  HBOS has begun a major recruitment drive for IT staff, as it invests in a programme to develop its e-commerce, management and back-office systems.  Continue Reading

• Next move: How do I move from law to an IT career?

  The question: I am a student of law, but I want to switch to an IT career as a network engineer or a web developer. What would you suggest?  Continue Reading

• Iconoclasts look at how to conquer the future

  The technological future and how we will need to adapt will be a key discussion point at the Inter: Action 2006 event  Continue Reading

• Don't get caught out on IT finance

  A forthcoming lecture from Michael Blackstaff, author of a new BCS book, Finance for IT Decision Makers, aims to help IT professionals avoid the big but all-too-common IT finance blunders.  Continue Reading

• Licensing: How buyers can flex their muscles

  The buyer needs to be proactive to ensure a software licence deal meets their needs, rather than the supplier's convenience. Helen Beckett looks at how to create value and flexibility in real-world negotiations  Continue Reading

• Milton Keynes Council uses Adobe forms to get public services online

  PDF forms underpin electronic services for staff and the public  Continue Reading

• Voca's big BACS switch

  The ups and downs of Voca's massive IT programme, which began in 2002 with the switch-over to an IP network.  Continue Reading

• Server-based computing gets a lift

  With advances in server hardware, Citrix and Microsoft are putting muscle behind server-based architectures, luring users with lower cost and greater efficiency  Continue Reading

• Key user gives glimpse of secret stiffing techniques

  25 May 2000: One of the UK's most experienced IT negotiators lifts the lid on some of the sharp practices used by software suppliers to get more of your money.  Continue Reading

• Prevention better than cure when it comes to evading a contract's squeeze

  20 August 1998: Before outsourcing its IT, Asda managed to persuade its suppliers to renegotiate fairer contracts. Julia Vowler spoke to the store's head of IT John Lister to find out how stiffing is a bit like Aids – it's out there and anyone can ...  Continue Reading

• Stiffing – the price you pay

  26 November 1998: The cost extent and likely targets of software stiffers have been uncovered by a Computer Weekly/Banner survey. The evidence, writes Joia Shillingford, highlights the importance of our Stamp Out Stiffing campaign  Continue Reading

• Code of practice guidelines for software licences

  20 August 1998: An abridged version of the Software Licence Code drawn up by Computer Weekly with law firm Hammond Suddards.  Continue Reading

• Software buyers beware

  16 December 1999: The usual rules of procurement simply cannot be applied when buying software. Bill Monk of Sema Group offers a guide through the buying process.  Continue Reading

• Have you been stiffed?

  11 June 1998: Last week at the UKCMG user conference in Torquay, IBM lifted the lid on some of the tough practices used by some software suppliers to squeeze more cash out of users. Karl Schneider reports.  Continue Reading

• Stiff upper lip

  23 July 1998: Are you the proud possessor of a piece of expensive third-party software? Then odds are you have been stiffed, and it is a safe bet to say the experience was not pleasant or cheap.  Continue Reading

• Time for software suppliers to eliminate sharp practices

  20 August 1998: The next step in our campaign to stop suppliers from exploiting users is to get suppliers to sign up to our Software Licence Code, writes Ian Mitchell.  Continue Reading

• English Heritage: Gateway to cost-effective IT

  Case study: To provide consistent and high-quality IT services across more than 130 sites, English Heritage relies on outsourcing.Helen Beckett hears how a balance of good relations, effective penalties and flexibility does the trick  Continue Reading

• Taking control of your bandwidth

  Staff watching the World Cup over corporate IT networks has thrown the spotlight on network monitoring to avoid bandwidth drain and viewing inappropriate material  Continue Reading

• Users in driving seat at fire service

  West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has made end-user involvement a priority during the roll-out of a new £500,000 human resources system.  Continue Reading

• E-mail back-up keeps Arup on move

  Engineering consultant Arup Group has rolled out back-up technology to ensure that 800 engineering specialists can continue to receive e-mails in the event of a server failure.  Continue Reading

• Unilever rolls out automated back-up service for laptops

  Unilever has reached the halfway point in the global roll-out of an automated back-up service for 30,000 laptops in Europe and America.  Continue Reading

• Next Move: With no contacts, what is my best bet?

  Expert advice for readers' career problems  Continue Reading

• Internet's hardware complexity to make way for a simpler optical core

  Over the next decade the technical core of the internet will become much simpler, with optical technology dominating in switchers and routers, according to this year's BCS Lovelace lecture.  Continue Reading

• Hot skills: Developers given choice of languages with SQL Server

  Existing Microsoft skills let developers fast track  Continue Reading

• Council puts self-service apps on the map with geographical system

  Smart projects: Mapping system integrated for development and fault enquiries  Continue Reading

• Peacocks completes £6m Epos roll-out

  Value fashion group Peacocks is reaching the end of a two-year £6m project to deploy a new electronic point of sale (Epos) system.  Continue Reading

• The simple way to tackle complexity

  Case study: Breaking down complex system implementations into "little and often" incremental successes proved a winner for National Lottery operator Camelot  Continue Reading

• Endpoint security quiz

  Take this five-question quiz to see how much you've learned about endpoint security.  Continue Reading

• Security Blog Log: Was the analyst a scapegoat?

  A scathing report on May's massive Veterans Affairs data theft in the US causes some to ask who deserves the most blame: the analyst or his supervisors?  Continue Reading

• Inside MSRC: Debunking Excel exploits

  Microsoft's Christopher Budd puts the magnifying glass to Microsoft's July bulletinsand says one alleged Excel exploit isn't what it seems.  Continue Reading

• XML Security Learning Guide

  Securing XML is an essential element in keeping Web services secure. This SearchSecurity.com Learning Guide is a compilation of resources that review different types of XML security standards and approaches for keeping your XML Web services secure.  Continue Reading

• Growth of cybercrime is among top global threats to security, says FBI

  "Your security will be breached; it is just a case of when," David Thomas, deputy assistant director, FBI Cyberdivision, told the recent BCS-sponsored World Wide Web Conference in Edinburgh.  Continue Reading

• Building the value profile

  Cost control is just the start in quantifying the benefits of IT projects. Helen Beckett finds that traditional measurement techniques no longer cut the mustard  Continue Reading

• DPM's diary 11 July 2006

  There are no programmers any more; only a dwindling band of ageing men and women slyly slipping a few bits of C++ here and there into the cracks in the great parameterised global information framework.  Continue Reading

• A more sophisticated approach

  As the IT outsourcing market matures, organisations are changing the way they interact with suppliers and the type of deals they make. Miya Knights looks at the road ahead for outsourcing  Continue Reading

• Next move: Should I study system analysis at university?

  Expert advice for readers' career problems  Continue Reading

• Council's two-year transformation enables more work in less time

  Wiltshire County Council has moved its key front-office functions to a customer care unit that is accessible through a single telephone number.  Continue Reading

• Paper firm links mobile staff to CRM

  Paper supplier Antalis has improved the efficiency of its mobile sales operation using a business intelligence system that is automatically updated with data uploaded by the company's mobile salesforce.  Continue Reading

• The CEO is serious about IT, so you need to get serious about business

  Strategy clinic: Our panel of experts offer advice on IT management dilemmas  Continue Reading

• Speciality add-ons keep mainframes on the move

  Mainframe users are increasingly polarised, with larger organisations showing no signs of giving up their big iron but smaller firms looking at Unix and Microsoft, according to a survey of IBM mainframe users.  Continue Reading

• This examination of NHS IT scheme has failed to probe the painful facts

  Parliamentary IT adviser Tom Brooks argues that NAO report overlooks crucial issues  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Boardroom bafflement, council services, NHS IT

  Have your say at computerweekly.com  Continue Reading

• P&O adopts web accounts system to improve reports

  Freight ferry operator P&O Ferrymasters has upgraded its accounting system and moved it on to Windows to lower the cost of ownership and offer business managers more up-to-date information.  Continue Reading

• Case study: A valuable solution

  A new telephony and call centre solution from Inter-Tel has transformed the way that e.surv Chartered Surveyors is able to work.  Continue Reading

• Case study: Going is good as Ascot upgrades its infrastructure

  Wireless local area networking technology has turned Ascot Race Course into a cutting edge sports facility, following a complete rebuild of the site.  Continue Reading

• It pays to be something in the City

  The hours are long, pressure high and competition fierce – but the rewards are big enough to make a financial services IT job worth its weight in gold  Continue Reading

• Hampshire extends user access with latest Citrix thin client system

  Hampshire County Council has gone live with the latest version of the Citrix thin client platform as part of a five-year, £40m IT transformation project that is saving the council £4m a year in IT costs.  Continue Reading

• Buy-in is key to BASF’s SAP savings

  Having cut 4,000 customisations from its SAP systems, chemicals firm BASF is ready to create global standards for its processes to save millions of pounds  Continue Reading

• Vista drives a hardware shake-up

  When Vista and its server version, Longhorn, finally arrive, they will herald a change in basic hardware requirements, especially for desktop systems  Continue Reading

• Harrods to get single view of its customers

  London department store Harrods will finish work on a system to provide a single view of its customers and prices next month.  Continue Reading

• Investec rolls out system to monitor desktop security

  Investment bank Investec plans to deploy sophisticated software to monitor the security and configuration of up to 4,000 desktop machines used in offices in eight countries.  Continue Reading

• Greenpeace launches online platform

  Environmental campaign group Greenpeace is launching an online platform this month to share information and mobilise action against climate change.  Continue Reading

• Managing the mother of all projects

  Inspiring vision or pipedream? Tash Shifrin finds that government plans to transform public services with the aid of IT are in urgent need of more detail and clear lines of responsibility  Continue Reading

• United Co-op updates Epos for central stock control

  United Co-operatives, the second largest chain of co-operative stores in the UK, is rolling out a new point of sale system in its 510 shops to standardise the replenishment process across the business.  Continue Reading

• The price of datacentre reliability

  Building a datacentre is one of the most expensive tasks an IT director can face. Understanding where the costs and benefits lie is a key first step to success  Continue Reading

• Next move: How do I come back after a career break?

  Expert advice for readers' career problems  Continue Reading

• Oldham sets up £260m IT transformation deal

  Oldham Council has awarded preferred bidder status to a partnership of three suppliers for a business transformation project worth £260m over 10 years.  Continue Reading