In Depth

In Depth

• Dunlop Slazenger plans savings of 70% with virtual network roll-out

  Sports goods manufacturer Dunlop Slazenger is aiming to cut its network overheads by 70% by deploying a virtual network across its European operations.  Continue Reading

• Newcastle upon Tyne to cut its back-office headcount by 20% through move to SOA

  Newcastle upon Tyne City Council has begun cutting its back-­office staffing levels, after replacing its core IT systems and moving to a service oriented architecture.  Continue Reading

• Savills extends CRM to aid global expansion

  International property services group Savills has extended its contract with customer relationship management software supplier Pivotal to support planned global expansion.  Continue Reading

• Bookseller scores a first with RFID move

  A Dutch bookseller has become the first large retailer to introduce item-level radio frequency identification tagging across its entire product range.  Continue Reading

• The FAST track to justice on piracy

  SMBs beware: The Federation Against Software Theft has just embarked on phase two of a campaign designed to catch corporate perpetrators of software piracy.  Continue Reading

• Brent goes with the flow

  How Brent Council implemented a new document flow system that also had a positive effect on staff working practices  Continue Reading

• Security special report: Compliance quandary

  Confusing regulatory requirements mean that some companies may be overlooking perils elsewhere in their drive for compliance.  Continue Reading

• Deperimeterised approach to security is not suitable for everyone, warn analysts

  Infosecurity conference will highlight one of the biggest issues facing IT chiefs  Continue Reading

• Case study - Great Mills

  In addition to cost savings, a simplified infrastructure has enabled quick response to business change for food company Great Mills  Continue Reading

• Case Study - Queen's University

  In scientific research, it’s all about having the fastest, most advanced systems to achieve dramatic breakthroughs  Continue Reading

• Case Study - Allgemeine Bausparkasse

  Allgemeine Bausparkasse (ABV) believes it can deliver market-leading performance from future-proofed technology including virtual partitioning  Continue Reading

• IT consolidation rests its case for PLC

  How Practical Law Company gained business benefit from consolidating multiple data sources into a single repository.  Continue Reading

• Mergers: Taking a good, hard look at IT

  IT directors are increasingly involved in due diligence operations designed to ensure that everyone knows what they are getting into when a bid is in the offing.  Continue Reading

• Security special report: Fingertip security

  The Trusted Platform Module, together with biometrics, can strengthen notebook security, writes Anthony Allan  Continue Reading

• Security special report: Accessing all areas

  The popularity of hotspots is presenting IT directors with the problem of protecting remote users as well as the corporate network.  Continue Reading

• All3Media switches to hosted messaging

  When TV programming producer All3Media inherited an inflexible internal messaging and communications system, it turned to a more appealing, hosted alternative.  Continue Reading

• Wal-Mart to adopt latest RFID tags

  Wal-Mart will stop using generation-one radio frequency identification tags by the end of June.  Continue Reading

• Security special report: Who sees your data?

  Security at data level is rising up the corporate agenda. So what actually works?  Continue Reading

• Weetabix boosts information flow

  Breakfast cereal maker Weetabix is implementing a demand planning application from TXT e-solutions to improve the information flow for its supply chain.  Continue Reading

• Entertainment UK gets clear view

  Entertainment UK has combined advanced planning software (APS) with demand sensing mathematical templates developed by Imperial College to improve visibility in its supply chain.  Continue Reading

• Time Out forecasts 50% saving from SAP

  Publishing group Time Out has forecast it will save 50% on support costs for its accounting systems after adopting SAP software.  Continue Reading

• Electrolux takes Accolade for a spin

  Household appliance manufacturer Electrolux is deploying Sopheon's Accolade as part of a company-wide initiative to change the way it develops products.  Continue Reading

• Lloyd's members learn lessons of Kinnect as insurers pick up the e-trading baton

  Six Lloyd's insurers are working together on electronic data transfer systems  Continue Reading

• How to use open source with confidence

  Open source software can offer a business opportunity for both users and developers if an effective risk analysis is carried out to relieve fear, uncertainty and doubt  Continue Reading

• Security special report: The changing threat

  Companies are getting much better at keeping their defences up to date. Unfortunately the attackers are changing their tactics too, says Chris Potter  Continue Reading

• Security special report: The internal threat

  Careless staff can pose a real danger to company networks. John Kavanagh finds that solutions range from educating users to drastic restrictions on their internet access  Continue Reading

• Microsoft chief executive to address Institute of Directors at the Albert Hall

  Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is delivering the keynote at the Institute of Directors annual convention tomorrow (26 April) at the Royal Albert Hall.  Continue Reading

• Stockport Council revamps website in drive to boost service delivery for citizens

  Web initiative kicks off overhaul of document management systems  Continue Reading

• Workshops for female IT professionals

  Workshops aimed at helping women develop their IT careers are to be held in May in London and Edinburgh.  Continue Reading

• SMB finds the perfect host

  When All3Media, a medium-sized TV programming producer, inherited an inflexible communications system, it turned to a more appealing, hosted alternative.  Continue Reading

• Newham saves time with single interface for customer relationship management

  The London Borough of Newham has reduced the time council staff spend updating systems with customer queries by developing an interface that allows front-line employees to input directly into back-end systems.  Continue Reading

• Is Linux ready to challenge MS Vista?

  Another turbulent period of change is facing organisations over the next two years. Desktop roll-outs are one of the biggest and costliest headaches for any enterprise, and the prospect of another version of Windows is daunting.  Continue Reading

• Rich prospects as HTML comes of age

  If HTML was a person, it would be almost old enough to drink. Unlike your average 18-year-old, however, HTML has hardly grown at all since it first appeared.  Continue Reading

• Infosecurity preview: Cautionary security tales

  Not all security risks require a high-tech solution, and protecting your systems from internet-borne attacks will not guarantee that you remain safe.  Continue Reading

• Infosecurity preview: Fightback against phishing

  IT security is multi-faceted and ever-evolving, and the criminal act of phishing is the latest form of malicious software to be drawn to the public’s attention.  Continue Reading

• Infosecurity preview: Changing users' behaviour

  There is something strange going on in information security. Increasing amounts of time and money are being spent implementing controls to meet legislative requirements.  Continue Reading

• Infosecurity preview: Trying too much, too young

  Many firms face the demands of achieving greater returns from technology while decreasing IT spend, improving security and controls, and meeting compliance requirements.  Continue Reading

• Infosecurity preview: Don't lose your best asset

  Companies across the world have always preferred not to reveal details of IT security breaches. To do so could create problems ranging from loss of key information, adverse publicity, loss of trust and legal action by customers, to official censure ...  Continue Reading

• Infosecurity preview: The inside track on hackers

  A few years ago I did my masters dissertation on honeypots. At that time it was a fascinating subject where the age of information security was starting to be discussed in the boardroom, in the datacentre and at home.  Continue Reading

• Infosecurity preview: A mark of accreditation

  The Central Sponsor for Information Assurance Claims Tested (CCT) Mark Scheme is a government quality mark initiative for IT security products and services. It was officially launched by the Cabinet Office minister Jim Murphy on 8 September 2005.  Continue Reading

• Infosecurity preview: Protect your assets

  Information security has become a top priority for government and business, from the largest corporate to the smallest enterprise.  Continue Reading

• Developing secure enterprise Java applications

  Java applications are not immune to web atacks; but there are steps you can take now to ensure your applications' security -- before attackers set their sights on them.  Continue Reading

• Case study: mobile ERP - Efficiency in connectivity

  In the first of two case studies, Antony Adshead reports on how mobile technology helped BT Industries simplify its truck maintenance scheduling and service system and save £1.7m a year  Continue Reading

• Buying BPM for a service oriented world

  Business process management (BPM) is still a young area, with new products and technologies.  Continue Reading

• Case study: Mobile data - Mobile waterways

  A GPRS roll-out is enabling British Waterways to monitor the UK's canal networks more effectively. Antony Adshead reports  Continue Reading

• Kent to launch online self-assessment system

  Kent County Council has worked with IT supplier Anite to develop an online self-assessment application for citizens seeking council care services.  Continue Reading

• HSBC business users to get two-factor security

  HSBC is to roll out two-factor authentication to its business customers for online banking. It is the first UK bank to announce such a move.  Continue Reading

• IT and business leaders look to future as global web conference comes to Edinburgh

  The global World Wide Web Conference (WWW2006) in Edinburgh from 23-26 May is set to be one of the most influential IT events in the UK this year.  Continue Reading

• Liverpool centre pilots shared justice systems

  Liverpool's Community Justice Centre is close to completing the first stage in evaluating an approach to criminal justice IT that could pave the way for similar developments across the country.  Continue Reading

• Health officials say IT scheme has enough scrutiny in response to technical audit call

  The Department of Health has reacted with only limited enthusiasm to a call by more than 20 top academics in computer-related sciences for an independent audit of the technical feasibility of the NHS national programme for IT (NPfIT).  Continue Reading

• Tests boost software reliability for M&S

  Marks & Spencer has improved the reliability of its software by testing more than 450 application upgrades since it set up its IT centre of excellence 12 months ago.  Continue Reading

• Hot skills: SQL Server 2008

  Now that it has missed its own launch party, only the bravest would stake their reputations on when SQL Server 2008 will actually be with us. But even when it starts to ship, widespread adoption is likely to take years. There are still substantial ...  Continue Reading

• Annual IT charity ball to be held on 27 June

  At the opposite end of the spectrum to Byte Night is the grandest IT charity event of the year, Intellect's IT Charity Ball, which takes place on 27 June.  Continue Reading

• Family fun for IT people

  IT professionals looking for a fun family day out should put Sunday 17 September in their diaries, for that is the date of this year's WCIT Charity Walk.  Continue Reading

• Data security for SMBs webinar

  The recent ComputerWeekly.com webinar – Data security for SMBs – outlined what technological solutions and services are available to address threats and vulnerabilities, and what is needed to adopt a security awareness culture within SMBs.  Continue Reading

• NHS Focus: Open Letter: Questions that need to be answered

  The IT community's leading academics call for an independent review of the national programme  Continue Reading

• NHS Focus: Top UK IT experts demand audit of troubled system

  Leading computer science experts are this week writing to parliament calling for an independent audit of the NHS national programme for IT (NPfIT).  Continue Reading

• Debate identifies skills and innovation as key to maintaining UK's lead in IT services

  Skills development and the ability to innovate and deliver added-value projects will be key to the UK maintaining its position as a global leader in IT services, according to a recent BCS Thought Leadership Debate.  Continue Reading

• Law firm monitors with Mutiny

  Law firm Bird & Bird has rolled out a network management device to manage 130 servers across 14 offices from its London head office.  Continue Reading

• Go straight to the info you need

  You're the IT manager in a small business selling widgets, and your managing director has a problem.  Continue Reading

• Lloyd's underwriter Chaucer begins move from spreadsheets to improve reporting

  Growing complexity of business prompts move to new reporting system l Workflow-based system is expected to pay for itself within 12 months  Continue Reading

• New rules put staff rights in the spotlight

  When looking at an IT outsourcing deal, it may not be immediately apparent how employees are going to be affected.  Continue Reading

• Packets more punch for mobile data users

  From this summer, the main mobile operators will launch services based on fast mobile technology called HSDPA (High-Speed Data Packet Access).  Continue Reading

• Independent audit could be key to success

  Officially the NHS's national IT programme, the largest civil IT scheme in the world, is a success.  Continue Reading

• Warning signs surround world's largest IT project

  Computer Weekly has closely followed the national programme for IT (NPfIT) in the NHS since its inception in 2002. Some of the key events and turning points that led to the call for an independent review of the national programme are outlined below.  Continue Reading

• Signatories to health committee letter

  The national programme for IT in the NHS: The Select Committee may be aware of the concerns of health professionals, technologists and professional organisations about the £6bn NHS national programme for information technology (NPfIT):  Continue Reading

• Questions that need to be answered on NHS IT plan

  Four years ago the government announced to a grateful NHS a national IT programme that would become the world's largest civil computer scheme.  Continue Reading

• Collaborative working drives Lotus adoption at hotel builder

  Hotel building and refurbishment company Vascroft has rolled out Lotus Notes to support flexible working arrangements.  Continue Reading

• Police get Streetwyse to mobile ID checks

  West Yorkshire Police able to access records on the beat via Blackberries  Continue Reading

• Deutsche Bank extends continuity plan to include avian flu scenario

  Deutsche Bank has conducted an exercise to assess the impact of a potential avian flu pandemic on its business during a continuity planning exercise in Hong Kong.  Continue Reading

• Welsh force tackles overheating desktops

  A Welsh police force has solved the problem of over-heating desktop computers by rolling out PC blades.  Continue Reading

• Building IT security for flexible working

  In the dark ages of five years ago, we had suppliers selling us standalone security systems based on securing this platform, this data, this application, these PCs and so on.  Continue Reading

• A big bang approach

  When replacing an outdated system with integrated IP telephony, law firm Forsters saved money with a bold "all or nothing" approach. Helen Beckett reports  Continue Reading

• IP telephony to the rescue

  In the first of two case studies, Helen Beckett looks at how the distributed nature of a voice over IP phone system adds to its resilience in the face of unexpected incidents  Continue Reading

• STA Travel moves global IT infrastructure to hosted datacentre in bid to lower costs

  Travel agency STA Travel is moving most of its IT infrastructure into a managed, outsourced datacentre. The infrastructure migration is part of STA's efforts to combat the high IT complexity and cost that had crept into the organisation over the ...  Continue Reading

• Mobile computing: Where are they and what are they doing?

  To ensure security and compliance, large mobile deployments need to be supported by systems management tools. We look at the options for businesses.  Continue Reading

• Bakery stores get first taste of IT

  Cooks The Bakery has connected more than 200 stores to a new network as the first step in an overhaul of IT throughout the business.  Continue Reading

• Specialist unit helps Barclays improve risk management of outsourcing arrangements

  Barclays Bank has made improvements to the way it manages the risks of outsourcing IT and business processes to third-party suppliers after creating a specialist audit unit.  Continue Reading

• Marks & Spencer expands RFID trial as it moves closer to decision over full roll-out

  Marks & Spencer is expanding a trial of radio frequency identification tags on clothing from nine to 53 stores, in preparation for a possible roll-out across the business. The retailer said it would decide in June whether to move to a full ...  Continue Reading

• BT completes RFID trial to track construction site assets

  BT has finished a project to trial RFID tagging in the construction industry. The system, believed to be the first of its type, uses RFID to monitor the condition and location of construction assets in transit around sites.  Continue Reading

• London boroughs' choice system for social housing gets thumbs up from the public

  Smart projects: Locata web application replaces points-based system in West London  Continue Reading

• The IT industry needs to recognise the power of SMBs

  Small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) make up the rump of British business. Some 99% of UK companies employ fewer than 250 people and together they account for the largest proportion of gross national product. Unfortunately for them, they have ...  Continue Reading

• Proven technologies provide quick wins

  Local authorities have seen more IT innovation in the last five years than ever before. The drive to meet e-government targets has seen record investment and the introduction of new technologies.  Continue Reading

• Project management for all

  How do you create a common language and approach across a myriad of projects? Manchester City Council has embarked on an ambitious project to do just that. Helen Beckett gets to grips with the Manchester Method  Continue Reading

• Downtime: Be a winnter and bid for your dinner

  Be a winnter and bid for your dinner  Continue Reading

• RFID tags overtake barcodes in M&S food business supply chain

  Marks & Spencer is using radio frequency identification tags on almost two-thirds of the pallets used in its food business, making it the largest RFID user in the UK.  Continue Reading

• IT department five-a-side team could win the 'World Cup'

  Football mad IT departments could win a replica of the World Cup and a VIP trip to a premiership game by signing up to next month's five-a-side IT national championships.  Continue Reading

• Head of NHS IT programme points finger at 'variability in the supplier community'

  Richard Granger, director general of NHS IT, last week praised the consistency of the work carried out by his team headquartered in Leeds, but was less complimentary towards some parts of the health service and suppliers.  Continue Reading

• Alternative approaches to maximising performance without adding bandwidth

  Beating bottlenecks with network attached processing and interface cards  Continue Reading

• Blue Dragon firm fires up with BI tool to cut reporting costs by 40%

  G Costa, the UK food manufacturer which produces Blue Dragon sauces, has saved 40% on its financial reporting costs by deploying business intelligence software from Infor.  Continue Reading

• Desktop and server updates make Novell stronger alternative for users, say analysts

  Novell builds on open source with raft of major product launches  Continue Reading

• Banks tread warily over two-factor security

  Trading off customer convenience against security, banks are reluctant to follow the lead of Alliance & Leicester and implement two-factor authentication  Continue Reading

• Friends Provident gives greater project control to offshorer after portal success

  Financial services group Friends Provident has extended its use of Indian IT outsourcing supplier Wipro, handing the firm two more projects after its success developing a Friends Provident web portal for the processing of pensions applications by ...  Continue Reading

• Staffordshire Moorlands uses intranet-based app to comply with priority targets

  Smart projects: E-pro application helps council track progress towards compliance  Continue Reading

• Protect and survive : simple rules for the workforce beyond the corporate firewall

  Loss of mobile devices is increasing but there are many ways to protect data  Continue Reading

• Your shout: data management, VPN security, SOA and recycling

  Have your say at computerweekly.com  Continue Reading

• Reception brings policy makers and users together

  Parliamentarians this month called for more input from IT users to help them identify practical delivery issues that are likely to present problems when implementing some of the upcoming IT-related legislation.  Continue Reading

• Society lends its support as global web experts head for Edinburgh

  The British Computer Society is to be one of the main sponsors of this year's World Wide Web Conference (WWW2006), which is coming to the UK for the first time.  Continue Reading

• Prada

  See how Prada used business critical solutions to become an IT super model  Continue Reading

• High performance servers drive Audi

  In computer aided engineering, performance is key, and equates to a competitive advantage-or disadvantage.  Continue Reading