In Depth

In Depth

Mobile apps and software

• Robots delivering the goods for retailers

  Amazon is investing in autonomous robot delivery in the UK, adding to pioneering work undertaken by Co-op and Starship Technologies  Continue Reading

• Morrisons and Pret join UK retail’s growing subscription economy

  Morrisons and Pret A Manger join growing UK retail movement towards subscription models – a space frequented by technology-led players such as Gousto  Continue Reading

• The UK switches on to mobile contact tracing

  Long overdue and attracting descriptions ranging from ‘essential’ to ‘cherry on the cake’, the UK’s contact-tracing app is now widely available, but where will further developments lead?  Continue Reading

• Hangar 51 supports startups taking off in travel tech

  International Airlines Group’s accelerator programme aims to give travel technology companies a flying start in the sector  Continue Reading

• 2B or not 2C? That is the question for 5G

  A flurry of 5G network launches in all major markets in Asia, North America and Europe, focused on consumer applications and services. This looks set to change in 2020 as the operators get down to business  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: Retailers reach for tech to keep staff connected in the crisis

  From fast-tracking home-working strategy, to conducting training and board meetings virtually, read about how retailers are keeping staff connected during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis  Continue Reading

• Contact tracing: The privacy vs protection debate

  The Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated extreme measures not seen in peacetime for over 100 years. Contact-tracing apps are being developed as a tool for managing the pandemic, but are they a step too far?  Continue Reading

• Unified communications: The key to prospering in the new working reality of Covid-19

  Covid-19 lockdowns are causing a collective rethink in the way companies operate, with unified communications transformed from a nice-to-have to a business essential as remote working becomes the new normal  Continue Reading

• Australian firms soldier on amid Covid-19 outbreak

  From the largest financial institutions to small companies, Aussie firms have been dialling up their use of technology tools to keep their businesses humming during the coronavirus pandemic  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: Contactless limit rises as retailers make point-of-sale changes

  The spending limit for contactless card payments is increasing to £45 today (1 April), which is just one of several ways that retail point-of-sale is evolving in response to the coronavirus  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: Grocers scrambling to update online and delivery propositions

  The supermarkets have effectively become the fourth emergency service as the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis takes hold, aided by significant online and delivery changes  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: How to implement safe and secure remote working

  Find out what CIOs and CISOs need to know to enable their end-users to work remotely and stay secure during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis, and learn how users can help themselves  Continue Reading

• Shirts and suits retailers using tech to stay smart

  Enhanced personalisation, increased visualisation and much more customisation with a digital twist comprise the to-do lists of several UK formalwear retailers  Continue Reading

• The big retail tech themes from Retail’s Big Show

  The National Retail Federation’s Big Show signals the kick-off of the retail events calendar. We look over the themes promised for retail tech over the next year  Continue Reading

• How Halfords is using tech to rev up its customer service

  Live chat, virtual contact centres and a new unifying web platform are set to enhance Halfords’ customer service proposition in the year ahead  Continue Reading

• Future fashion: does that dress come in digital?

  A visit to a technology-fuelled fashion pop-up paints a picture of a world where retailers and brands sell virtual clothes for usage solely in consumers’ digital lives  Continue Reading

• What’s new in UK retail’s online-to-offline movement?

  US menswear retailer Untuckit used to be an online pureplay, but by the end of 2019 it will have 80-plus stores, including its two new UK shops, as the online-to-offline trend continues  Continue Reading

• How retailers are using social to reach Gen Z and beyond

  The younger generation of shoppers are all using social media, so how are retailers using influencers to reach these potential customers and their spending power?  Continue Reading

• Disabled consumers left logged out of retail’s digital revolution

  Retailers are being urged to make their digital assets more accessible to disabled consumers, not just for moral and social reasons, but because of the commercial opportunity  Continue Reading

• The emergence of the shopping centre-as-a-service model

  Shopping centres have been morphing into wider entertainment, leisure and hospitality venues for some time, but their role is set to evolve yet further  Continue Reading

• Samsung KX gives consumers and retailers a glimpse of the future

  Samsung puts its Galaxy range, the internet of things and community events at the heart of its new central London consumer space – but don’t call it a store...  Continue Reading

• From cleaners to architects – lessons learnt by a serial entrepreneur

  After the emotional sale of her first company, Alex Depledge, co-founder of and CEO of Resi, explains the lessons she has learnt and what she will and will not do again  Continue Reading

• Building a 5G city: Bristol’s valuable lessons for the UK’s digital future

  West of England Combined Authority is taking part in DCMS’s 5G Testbeds and Trials programme, exploring applications for tourism and entertainment. We find out how it is applying its learnings to life in Bristol and Bath  Continue Reading

• What 5G applications will transform your business?

  The UK’s mobile network operators have started work on their 5G roll-outs, but what applications are most likely to gain enterprise traction for the new standard?  Continue Reading

• APAC buyer’s guide to human capital management software

  More Asia-Pacific organisations are turning to HCM software to recruit, engage and retain a new breed of employees who increasingly expect personalised services from HR teams  Continue Reading

• Securing your mobile estate – best practice for CIOs

  The prevalence of mobile devices in every part of daily life is shaping how enterprises make choices about software and network infrastructure, but how do businesses go about securing these vast new endpoint estates?  Continue Reading

• How to get the basics of mobile device management right the first time

  When adopting mobile device management, there are often fears around implementation and whether or not the strategy is even required  Continue Reading

• Convenience, digitisation and the impact on the physical store

  Digital technologies and the need for convenience have changed the way consumers shop, but what will this mean for the purpose and size of physical stores?  Continue Reading

• How retail store technology is filling the ‘imagination gap’

  Retailers are using in-store technology to reduce the time between shoppers’ consideration phase and purchase, but how is it engaging them and triggering conversions?  Continue Reading

• Cutting employees some Slack: The rise of messaging apps in retail

  Slack’s 2019 stock market debut raises the profile of enterprise collaboration software, but what options do retailers have in this space and how are they using the technology?  Continue Reading

• Rehumanising healthcare through technology

  Tech companies internationally are offering innovative ways to access niche healthcare services that promise to ease patients’ fears about the use of technology over humans  Continue Reading

• The nightmare driving test: How to make sure self-driving cars are safe

  Simulating realistic environments using deep learning to enable self-driving cars to learn the rules of the road will prove more useful than any amount of real-world practice. We find out why, and meet the people doing something about it  Continue Reading

• Interview: Andy Berks, digital product director, Asos

  Asos’s digital product director Andy Berks talks about how the online retailer has used AI and machine learning technologies – and why the needs of the customer have to come first  Continue Reading

• Ready, headset, go: Retailers racing ahead with VR for staff training

  Has virtual reality found its prime retail user case as a staff training tool? Recent moves from Costa Coffee and Walmart suggest it has  Continue Reading

• Fashion retail’s sustainability challenge and how technology can help

  UK fashion retailers were grilled in Parliament last month on sustainability, so how might technology like blockchain or online recommendation tools help as they look to improve their green credentials?  Continue Reading

• Nike and Zara drive fashion retail’s self-service future

  New store openings from Nike and Zara show it is not just in grocery stores where self-service technology is impacting retail.  Continue Reading

• CIO interview: Tamara Lohan, founder and CTO of Mr & Mrs Smith

  Head of technology and co-founder of luxury travel firm Mr & Mrs Smith explains how the firm is revamping its technology to provide customers with a seamless experience  Continue Reading

• Mobile-first strategy rings true for jeweller

  Mobile has played a key role in how London jeweller Taylor & Hart has changed the rules for buying a ring  Continue Reading

• Doorstep challenge: How retailers are innovating on delivery and fulfilment

  Every retailer selling online in 2018 needs great shipping options for customers who have got used to an expanding list of choices. How are some retailers developing the proposition, and where does technology fit into the equation?  Continue Reading

• Employers turn to wearable technology to help staff manage work-life balance

  Companies are realising that there are sound business reasons for ensuring their employees get enough sleep and exercise, so they are turning to wearable technology to help their staff stay healthy, despite the pressures of work  Continue Reading

• The use cases, challenges and benefits behind retail AI

  Retailers have been collecting customer data for years, and with AI technology now available to help them use it effectively, they’re jumping at the chance – but what challenges lie ahead?  Continue Reading

• Amazon, Toys R Us and a tale of two technology approaches

  Many factors contributed to the collapse of Toys R Us, but did a partnership with Amazon at the turn of the millennium play a part in its eventual demise?  Continue Reading

• How to find the right mobility strategy for your SME

  Small businesses still need a strategy to make the most of mobility, so what should business owners look out for?  Continue Reading

• Retail legacy systems: how can we overcome them?

  With technology adoption changing the retail landscape, many retailers are left with legacy systems. We look at how they are dealing with them in today’s digitally led environment  Continue Reading

• How to make the leap from traditional bank to digital bank

  To compete effectively in an increasingly digital financial landscape, conventional banks need to build greater efficiency, value and trust through technology  Continue Reading

• Have traditional banks weathered the fintech challenge?

  How will the financial technology-based challenger banks evolve as the traditional retail banking industry ups its digital game?  Continue Reading

• The future of 5G mobile networks: support and development

  In the second part of our exploration of the 5G market, we find out how UK plc is innovating around 5G mobile networks, and ask what lies in store at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona  Continue Reading

• Getting a handle on mobile security in your enterprise

  Everyone now has a mobile device at work, so how can enterprises ensure they are secure?  Continue Reading

• The great 5G bake-off: where are we and where are we going?

  With Mobile World Congress 2018 a week away, early 5G network standards formalised and tests up and running at the Winter Olympics, we assess the state of 5G, and what's needed to kick-start commercial roll-outs  Continue Reading

• Smart security: Go beyond the basics with biometrics

  With smartphone makers offering new features such as biometrics, there are lots of options available to businesses when putting mobile security into practice  Continue Reading

• Organised thinking builds app success

  We look at how large enterprises can create an efficient organisational structure for mobile app development  Continue Reading

• Developers at the mobile edge

  We look at the challenges and opportunities to be found in creating mobile apps for an expanding array of devices  Continue Reading

• UK sale of surveillance equipment to Macedonia raises questions over export licence policy

  The UK approved an export licence for the sale of surveillance equipment to Macedonia – while the country was engaged in an illegal surveillance programme against its citizens. A senior minister was consulted on the decision  Continue Reading

• ASEAN firms warming up to enterprise mobility amid roadblocks

  From startups to postal companies, organisations across the ASEAN region see mobility as strategic to their businesses, even as they face headwinds such as security and talent shortages  Continue Reading

• CIO interview: How River Island is using cloud to fend off its fast fashion competitors

  River Island's CIO, Doug Gardner, discusses how embracing cloud, online and mobile devices is driving sales in its high street stores  Continue Reading

• Hard work, big prize: Bristol is shaping what it means to be a smart city

  Two-and-a-half years after the ambitious Bristol is Open smart city project launched, we return to the West Country to explore how things are progressing, and find out what has been learned  Continue Reading

• Australia's holistic approach to enterprise mobility

  As one of the most progressive markets in the Asia-Pacific region, Australia is taking a more proactive approach towards enterprise mobility  Continue Reading

• Brexit uncertainty dominates UK’s digital conversation

  Uncertainty over the impact of Brexit dominated conversations at TechUK’s second annual Supercharging the Digital Economy event. Can technology really lessen the impact?  Continue Reading

• Where the device hits the network – a mobile device management update

  As business becomes increasingly mobile, we look at the latest trends in mobile device management to give businesses the edge  Continue Reading

• How retailers are using technology to remain relevant

  From the constant innovation at Asos, Amazon and Missguided to the new supply chain prowess flaunted by Diesel and Gap, fashion retailers are investing in tech to stay relevant to their customers  Continue Reading

• Formula 1: Mercedes team turns to big data in quest for victory in Grand Prix

  Data analytics could help Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team gain an edge on rival Ferrari during the 2017 and 2018 Grand Prix season. Its head of IT, Matt Harris, reveals the team’s plans  Continue Reading

• Data takes to the road - the technology behind the Tour de France

  The world's greatest cycle race is transforming its relationship with fans thanks to internet of things, data analytics and machine learning technologies  Continue Reading

• The supply chain’s growing importance in modern retail

  Efficient supply chain management is crucial if retailers are to offer their customers the required shopping experience in today’s complex trading environment  Continue Reading

• Bring the cup home: mobile holds key to UK’s America’s Cup challenge

  Computer Weekly visited the Land Rover BAR sailing team in Portsmouth to find out how mobile innovation may help bring the America’s Cup back to the UK for the first time since 1851  Continue Reading

• MWC 2017: How virtual reality could be the next big thing for healthcare

  Consumer virtual reality was again a hot topic at Mobile World Congress in 2017, but the technology is now advanced enough that use cases are emerging in other sectors. The IEEE’s Wendy Powell reveals how virtual reality could transform healthcare  Continue Reading

• Build mobile experiences that drive engagement

  Mobile experiences throw open the door to new opportunities for firms to win, serve and retain customers  Continue Reading

• Making mobile apps work

  Mobile users have high expectations, and there is no such thing as one size fits all. We look at how this affects mobile app development  Continue Reading

• Australia a hotbed for data analytics

  Market for technologies that help organisations make sense of vast volumes of data is hotting up Down Under  Continue Reading

• The changing shape of mobile apps

  We find out how organisations can gain the agility they need to keep pace with mobile app innovation  Continue Reading

• CW500: The journey to successful enterprise collaboration

  Implementing a mobile collaboration strategy may give your organisation a huge boost in morale and productivity, but it’s not easy to achieve  Continue Reading

• Navigate to unified workspace success

  To remove barriers to workforce mobility, CIOs need to deliver the right apps and information to the right user, on the right devices  Continue Reading

• Digital transformation gives CIOs chance to be agents of change

  Whether it’s the IoT, cloud, mobility, big data or analytics, there is always something new to grapple with. Attendees found out how to keep up at Cisco Live in Las Vegas  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

• European omni-channels: Hype or reality?

  Organisations in Europe are adapting to demands for omni-channel services from consumers across the continent  Continue Reading

• My first IoT project: A guide for businesses

  We’ve all had a good giggle about having our fridges hacked – but now it’s time to get real. What are the first steps enterprises should take when implementing their first internet of things project?  Continue Reading

• CW@50: From bricks to clicks – how technology has changed the shopping experience

  As Computer Weekly prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, we look back at how retail has evolved from the small corner store of the 1960s to the omni-channel world of today  Continue Reading

• Apple Pay struggles in Australia as banks profit from a fee-phobic market

  Despite Australia being iPhone crazy its banks aren’t exactly rushing to enable the payment process  Continue Reading

• CW@50: From Captain Kirk to 5G – 50 years of mobile

  As Computer Weekly prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our first edition in 1966, we look back at 50 years of British innovation and development in mobile networking  Continue Reading

• Striving for a balanced mobile world: the Connected Women of MWC

  At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the GSMA’s Connected Women initiative began a new drive to connect more women in the developing world. Computer Weekly meets programme director Claire Sibthorpe  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

• Interview: How John Deere uses connectivity to make farms more efficient

  After pioneering the use of automated vehicle technology 15 years ago, farm equipment supplier John Deere is now going further, with its sights set on efficiency and sustainability, says sales VP Christoph Wigger  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

• Inclusive Technology Prize showcases apps and services for the disabled

  The government’s Inclusive Technology Prize is using innovative IT to address some of the day-to-day challenges faced by disabled people in Britain  Continue Reading

• It’s high time support staff relinquished control

  There’s no reversing the widespread BYOD trend, so IT must adopt new ways of delivering applications to employees  Continue Reading

• Roaming charges: How will changes in mobile legislation affect business in Europe?

  With mobile roaming charges on the way out across the European Union, what are the implications for businesses and business travellers?  Continue Reading

• Is digital disruption a threat or an opportunity for banks?

  Banks have been relatively unaffected by the digital revolution that has transformed other industries – but that's about to change  Continue Reading

• Risky and untested: What went wrong with the ESN procurement?

  In his first major interview since walking away from the Emergency Services Network procurement, Airwave COO John Lewis reveals why his company could take no further part in the process, and discusses the future of emergency services communications  Continue Reading

• Mobile strategies increase need for data loss prevention technology in Europe

  Data loss prevention technology that covers all popular mobile platforms and is easy to use and implement is called for as mobile strategies evolve  Continue Reading

• Inside Taiwan: The engine room of the internet of things

  Computer Weekly travelled to Taiwan to meet some of the tech companies that are quietly laying the foundations for the internet of things  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

• Mobile security -- what works and what doesn't?

  Experts told the CW500 Security Club how mobility brings new challenges to security departments and an opportunity to go beyond building walls around the enterprise  Continue Reading

• The API economy – or the API Tower of Babel?

  Application programming interfaces promise to open up back-office systems to the business and third parties. We assess the impact  Continue Reading

• How Ordnance Survey will use 250 years of data to support startups

  Ordnance Survey is embarking on a project to foster startups, applying its vast repository of data to solving emerging challenges around urban spaces and smart cities  Continue Reading

• Managing your customer’s multi-channel service experience

  Customers expect the same levels of service however they contact you – by phone, in store, on the web or from mobile. How do you deliver the best multi-channel experience?  Continue Reading

• App development companies fight back against digital piracy

  How can digital companies protect their IP against a tidal wave of smartphone boosted piracy? Is digital rights management software effective enough, or is it better to adapt your business model?  Continue Reading

• Polish companies come around on mobile safety

  Polish companies have been the target of many mobile attacks, as Krzysztof Polak investigates  Continue Reading

• London-based virtual reality startup in quest for alternative worlds

  Visualise, a nine-strong UK startup, is developing cutting-edge virtual reality simulations  Continue Reading

• Mobile device management (MDM) vs backup

  MDM tackles the challenge of mobile devices flooding the enterprise, but it doesn’t mean you can stop worrying about mobile data protection  Continue Reading

• Five tech trends that will change the mobile world in the next 10 years

  Computer scientist Kevin Curran discusses some of the trends that will shape the future of mobile at Mobile World Congress 2015  Continue Reading

• Mobile apps bring benefits and problems for enterprises in Poland

  Mobile business applications are gaining importance in Poland as broadband coverage expands and smartphone and tablet use increases  Continue Reading