In Depth

In Depth

• SDN will change the world of network professionals

  By providing the capability to move a large proportion of a switch’s work to an abstracted software layer, SDN is the way forward.  Continue Reading

• Social technology, big data can increase productivity, says McKinsey

  Social technologies and the effective use of data can stoke economic productivity, according to the McKinsey Global Institute  Continue Reading

• Organisational design of data analytics sparks brightest and best

  Business leaders confront thorny issues in the organisational design of data analytics. Buy or build vies with data science or democracy as issues in play  Continue Reading

• SDN will transform your network – but not just yet

  Software-defined networking (SDN) will revolutionise the router and switch business and wipe millions off costs. So what’s holding it up?  Continue Reading

• CW500: Why security professionals need to rethink their role

  Security professionals need to think less about technology and more about the business needs of their organisation  Continue Reading

• Wired vs wireless in the enterprise

  What are the pros and cons of wired and wireless connectivity, and what does the future hold for the corporate environment?  Continue Reading

• Dedicated VM storage emerges to meet virtualisation demands

  Virtual machine (VM) storage built to serve the large and random I/O needs of virtual servers and desktops is a key new trend in storage and a departure from existing SAN and NAS  Continue Reading

• Technology in schools and the new curriculum: Shut down or restart?

  Teachers and business share their views and fears of new computer science curriculum and whether the changes will make a difference  Continue Reading

• How to tackle big data from a security point of view

  Before leaping into big data, companies must be clear what they are trying to achieve, otherwise their investment will be wasted  Continue Reading

• Driving datacentre efficiency to meet future demand

  Changes can wreak havoc in a datacentre that will outlive generations of servers. How can green facilities stay efficient in the face of IT progress?  Continue Reading

• Oh dear, our datacentre provider has gone bust

  Ensure that you enter into a sensible contract with your datacentre provider and factor in all possibilities including them going bust  Continue Reading

• Can mobile networks learn to share?

  Mobile operators are not renowned for playing nicely with one another, but sharing networks and backhaul may be the only option for survival  Continue Reading

• CW500: Shared services present challenges and opportunities for CIOs

  Shared IT services can help organisations cut back-office costs by as much as half, but CIOs face political battles to make them work  Continue Reading

• Horror stories of women in tech: The worst advice I’ve ever received

  Women share experiences of being told to think like a male, keep your head down, and to not even bother with a career in tech.  Continue Reading

• How to manage the risk of the human factor in database administration

  Fail to manage the risk of the human factor in database administration and you court disaster. DBAs, like air traffic controllers: work in pairs?  Continue Reading

• Configure datacentres with green tech to save costs

  The current driver for green technology is to save money through optimising energy use, rather than a desire to be seen to be green.  Continue Reading

• Public sector backup strategy: Easier than ever; harder than ever

  Public sector backup strategy is a complex beast that must operate in large and heterogenous IT environments.  Continue Reading

• Top technologies that can make your datacentre green

  Energy-efficient technologies that can reduce running costs in the datacentre and across the business  Continue Reading

• Standards key to realising the benefits of connectivity

  A network of smart appliances could revolutionise energy efficiency but suppliers must agree on common specifications.  Continue Reading

• In-house tape vs cloud archiving: What are the pros and cons?

  Have cloud archiving services reached a tipping point that makes them cheaper and easier to manage than in-house tape archives?  Continue Reading

• Business applications, data analytics can make business lean

  Centralised business apps, such as ERP and CRM can frustrate, but also make a business lean. Data analytics has a fresh Six Sigma role to play  Continue Reading

• How to find the most vulnerable systems on your internal network

  Most corporate networks share common vulnerabilities, but many could be mitigated with education in “hacker thinking” for technical staff  Continue Reading

• Storage struggles to keep up with data growth explosion

  Big data analysis needs a split from the traditional approach of matching back-end infrastructure to application requirements.  Continue Reading

• Social media: A security challenge and opportunity

  Generation Y workers are posing increasing security challenges to their employers as they share data unreservedly  Continue Reading

• Rugby Football Union uses IBM predictive analytics for Six Nations

  IBM tries out predictive analytics software, TryTracker, developed in association with the Rugby Football Union (RFU)  Continue Reading

• CW500: Skills shortages loom as development comes back in-house

  Businesses will have to raise their game to recruit the developers they need to take advantage of cloud, big data and mobile computing  Continue Reading

• CW500: Five technology forces that will change businesses forever

  CIOs have a unique opportunity to take the lead in innovation as disruptive technologies overturn traditional business models  Continue Reading

• Process big data at speed

  Low-cost solid state memory is powering high-speed analytics of big data streaming from social network feeds and the industrial internet.  Continue Reading

• How to effectively manage datacentre temperature and humidity

  A datacentre is a complex facility with different cooling equipment and power systems. Here's how to monitor its temperature and humidity  Continue Reading

• How 3D printing impacts manufacturing

  With the ability to create on-demand specialist tools, any initial investment in 3D printing technology could quickly pay for itself.  Continue Reading

• Choosing a platform to manage the big data mix

  Big data requires a change in both mindset and technology as businesses seek to analyse various forms of data from myriad sources.  Continue Reading

• Online gambling sector bets on business intelligence

  Online gambling and gaming industries crave structured business data. Volumes can be huge and they need to react to customer behaviour  Continue Reading

• BYOD policy and the data protection products that can help

  We look at BYOD data protection in backup apps and specialist products as BYOD policy demands backup and remote wipe capabilities  Continue Reading

• Buy or build afflicts data scientist capability

  ‘Data scientist’ once barely registered as a search term but is now close to a million web results. What is this job role, of which so much is said?  Continue Reading

• Consult experts to get the most out of a SaaS roll-out

  Businesses often lack in-house expertise and services providers can help them with the project planning, design and up-to-date practices.  Continue Reading

• GE uses big data to power machine services business

  GE, one of the UK's largest manufacturers, is using big data analytics with data generated from machine sensors to predict maintenance needs  Continue Reading

• How clean is your data?

  Within a transactional system, data rarely appears to be anything other than squeaky clean. Find out why data is dirty, and how to see the dirt  Continue Reading

• The limitations of traditional SaaS integration approaches

  Time and budget constraints are forcing many organisations to rethink their integration strategy and find a well-aligned solution  Continue Reading

• How to integrate SaaS with your local business systems

  As software as a service matures, CIOs need to look at how well cloud-based products integrate with existing on-premise systems  Continue Reading

• Business priorities: what to protect, monitor and test

  How information security professionals can prioritise what to protect, monitor and test in the light of current budget and resource constraints  Continue Reading

• How to manage the security of cloud implementations

  Tips for organisations adopting cloud computing on how to ensure that they secure data in line with the expectations of all stakeholders  Continue Reading

• Six datacentre resolutions IT must make and stick to in 2013

  IT executives must put the datacentre where it needs to be – at the heart of the business – with these new year's resolutions  Continue Reading

• Extreme teleworking from Everest Base Camp

  Technical project manager Astrid Byro is planning to work remotely from 5000m above sea-level in the Himalayas using a Kindle Fire  Continue Reading

• Entry-level SAN products target SME virtualisation projects

  Virtual machines need shared storage. Sometimes that means block access via an entry-level SAN. We survey the entry-level SAN market  Continue Reading

• CW500 Club in 2012

  Computer Weekly's CW500 Club attracts the top IT leaders in the UK to talk to their peers about the topical challenges they face  Continue Reading

• Big data and master data management more coupled than expected

  Master data management provides the dimensions for big data facts, as a slew of big data projects highlight a link to data governance and quality  Continue Reading

• Top 10 networking stories of 2012

  We give a run down of the top 10 stories in the networking industry throughout 2012  Continue Reading

• Top 10 gadget reviews of 2012

  Inspect-a-Gadget has been busy reviewing a range of gadgets over the past 12 months and it has been another big year in the world of tech  Continue Reading

• Top 10 public sector IT stories of 2012

  There were big moves to reform government IT this year, but despite an appetite for change there are also signs that old habits do not die easily  Continue Reading

• Manufacturing execution system captures factory floor data at Cummins

  Operators provide vital MES data for manufacturing processes as global engine maker Cummins standardises manufacturing execution system  Continue Reading

• Amazon: Gold standard of the cloud?

  Amazon Web Services is the benchmark for cloud in the enterprise but can it handle the challenge of federated cloud services?  Continue Reading

• Shore up your organisation’s fleet with the right MDM

  There are many mobile device management products, but approaches vary. We outline how to choose the right one for your business  Continue Reading

• Mobile banking innovation stimulates banks’ IT spending

  European banks are racing to catch up with the mobile services available in the US but remain twitchy about over-extending budgets.  Continue Reading

• The importance of resilience in troubled times

  Jessica Pryce-Jones, joint founder and partner of the iOpener institute for People & Performance examines the factors that contribute to resilience in IT professionals, and how it can be nurtured  Continue Reading

• Top 10 business applications stories of 2012

  Connection between information and applications has impressed SAP’s and Oracle’s customers with innovation but assimilation has been tough  Continue Reading

• Top 10 IT skills stories of 2012

  A run through of an eventful year in the IT education system  Continue Reading

• The IT challenges of building Heathrow's Terminal 2

  Neil Clark, CIO of Heathrow, reveals the IT challenges behind the airport's futuristic Terminal 2 building  Continue Reading

• How to preserve forensic evidence in the golden hour after a breach

  There is a golden hour at the outset where a clear head and good planning can make or break any subsequent forensic investigation  Continue Reading

• CIOs debate the future of the datacentre

  IT leaders met at a roundtable event hosted by Computer Weekly in association with Oracle to discuss the future of the datacentre  Continue Reading

• Deduplication and single instance storage cut primary data storage costs

  Data deduplication and single instance storage can cut costs in primary data environments, but implementations vary between suppliers.  Continue Reading

• Reviving Cornwall’s fortunes

  The Superfast Cornwall project has brought high-speed broadband to homes and businesses across the county  Continue Reading

• Aerospace online supply chain hub eases bottlenecks in manufacturing

  Matthais Naumann, senior vice-president at EADS, leads the development of ‘AirSupply’, an online supply chain hub created by five leading European aerospace manufacturers, hosted in the cloud by SupplyOn  Continue Reading

• How to secure Macs in the enterprise

  Apple computers are becoming increasingly used in the enterprise - we look at how to securely introduce Macs in the corporate network  Continue Reading

• Top 10 supplier profiles 2012

  Download in-depth reports on leading IT suppliers from Computer Weekly  Continue Reading

• How to minimise costs when overhauling a datacentre

  Virtualisation and cloud technologies are pushing IT to take a revolutionary and replacement approach to datacentres. How can it be done efficiently?  Continue Reading

• VoIP security strategy helps WNS tackle cross-party risk

  Indian BPO major WNS ensures robust risk management and PCI-DSS compliance through simple VoIP security solution, despite outdated client infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• SMEs see the benefits of cloud disaster recovery

  Cloud disaster recovery cuts costs and puts effective DR provision within reach of SMEs. We talk to two SMEs that opted for it  Continue Reading

• Accenture: How to wage the war for big data analytics talent

  CIOs face a struggle to recruit big data analytics talent. Accenture research suggests thousands of new analytics jobs will be created in the UK  Continue Reading

• How to conduct a strategic review of your mobile policy

  While there are a number of mobile device management (MDM) tools on the market, CIOs need to take a broader overview of corporate devices  Continue Reading

• Fruit and veg distributor keeps food fresh with Infor’s M3 ERP

  Catering supplier Reynolds is enjoying the fruits of an Infor ERP system that cuts down on food waste and streamlines operations  Continue Reading

• Half of UK IT professionals looking to leave current employer in the next 12 months

  Due to a lack of innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities, 53% of tech professionals admit to wanting to leave their current employer  Continue Reading

• Lack of cloud standards holds up enterprise progress

  Problems with management, portability and interoperability are preventing firms realising the benefits of infrastructure on demand.  Continue Reading

• Server consolidation gains boost trading house’s national business bid

  When Indian financial services company Destimoney struggled with capacity, availability and rapid business growth, server consolidation came to the rescue.  Continue Reading

• Data quality essential to master data management

  It is possible to have a data quality initiative without master data management, but every MDM project must have a data quality element  Continue Reading

• How to gather BI dashboard user requirements to nail business strategy alignment

  Many analytical systems -- data warehouses, business intelligence systems -- fail because user requirements are not collected properly  Continue Reading

• CW500: Inside the government's CloudStore

  The government's cloud store means an end to the big four to five-year IT projects of the past, says the CloudStore lead of the G-Cloud programme  Continue Reading

• Interview: Stafford Murray, head of performance analysis, English Institute of Sport

  Stafford Murray and his team’s data analytics efforts at London 2012 helped deliver success for Team GB. How did they do it?  Continue Reading

• CW500: The legal risks of migrating to the cloud

  Experts from the public and private sectors discuss the legal challenges of moving to the cloud  Continue Reading

• Genpact boosts security management with SIEM tool

  An early adopter of SIEM technology in India, leading BPO firm Genpact’s nine-year journey to SIEM nirvana forms the focus of this case study.  Continue Reading

• Software-defined datacentres demystified

  As datacentre managers increasingly rely on software and automation, what can a software-defined datacentre bring to the enterprise?  Continue Reading

• Five personal branding obstacles CIOs face

  Know the common personal branding obstacles faced by the Indian CIOs. Learn to do successful self-branding, step by step.  Continue Reading

• Industry still failing to attract female talent, everywoman survey finds

  Survey by everywoman reveals females still believe the sector is failing to attract women yet most feel their career aspirations can be met  Continue Reading

• Data visualisation tools evolve with big data

  The world of data analysis is changing, as is data visualisation. Learn about recent and emerging data visualisation tools and principles  Continue Reading

• Combining DCIM and BIM tools for effective datacentre management

  If datacentre IT equipment and datacentre building was combined, the building and cooling could be tailored to increase efficiency  Continue Reading

• IDBI’s unique BS 25999 certified BCM model a first among PSU banks

  Indian BFSI player IDBI became the first PSU bank to get BS 25999 certified for all branches and processes. We take a look at the BFSI player’s BCP strategy.  Continue Reading

• Unilever enterprise data warehouse locked to business programmes

  Unilever is building a global enterprise data warehouse (EDW) locked into the critical paths of high-profile business programmes.  Continue Reading

• Manage your assets to cut costs and plan capacity

  Compiling an inventory of the organisation’s IT estate can help CIOs rationalise licensing fees and negotiate services needed in the future.  Continue Reading

• Defining End-User Requirements in an HPC Project

  Without properly defined requirements, an HPC project can spiral out of control. Taking a strategic approach when defining user requirements will lead to the ultimate success of an HPC project.  Continue Reading

• Storage vendors address server SSD shortcomings

  Server SSD is a smart idea, delivering I/O where needed, but it can lack resilience and become siloed - so how do vendors plan to overcome this?  Continue Reading

• Identifying truths and myths of datacentre efficiency

  There is no one-size-fits-all solution to optimising datacentre efficiency, so CIOs should consider all available options. Archana Venkatraman reports  Continue Reading

• How to manage your assets and control business costs

  Asset lifecycle management allows the IT department to improve governance, mitigate risk and improve service quality and efficiency  Continue Reading

• Is wind energy just blowing in the face of datacentre cooling reality?

  Using renewable energy such as wind energy for datacentre cooling may not address issues of carbon emissions as directly as suppliers claim  Continue Reading

• M2M technology ushers in the age of total connection

  Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications is transforming the world into one where everything and everyone is networked.  Continue Reading

• Airtel's ISO 27001 certification tale: Benefits, challenges & lessons

  Leading Indian telecom player Bharti Airtel’s ISO 27001 implementation is one of the largest in the world. Join us, as we take a peek under the hood.  Continue Reading

• CW500: Managing the mobile workforce (part 2)

  Glenn Morgan, head of service transformation at British Airways, explains how the airline is harnessing consumer technology  Continue Reading

• CW500: Managing the mobile workforce (part 1)

  Mobile working has transformed Colt Telecommunications beyond recognition over the past three years  Continue Reading

• Forrester: Microsoft takes new approach to Windows app development

  Windows 8 signals a huge change, which will require a major effort in rewriting existing applications  Continue Reading

• Cloud APIs at hand to connect to databases

  The pros and cons of using cloud application programming interfaces (APIs) to connect users to databases via mobile or web  Continue Reading

• How to manage unstructured data for business benefit

  The cloud offers some progress in the resource-sapping management of unstructured data, but it is critical to work back from the business case.  Continue Reading

• Aster Data founders explain unified approach to data, big and small

  Aster Data’s founders explain their approach to handling relational data and, within the same engine, multiple forms of non-relational data: the principle of closure  Continue Reading