In Depth

In Depth

• Should you migrate to Vista?

  Microsoft says its Windows Vista operating system will offer improvements in security, usability, stability and manageability - but is this enough to justify a costly upgrade? Cliff Saran reports  Continue Reading

• Is Skype really all blue sky for business?

  The free internet telephony service Skype has moved from being a consumer play into the business arena. So what canit offer you and how is it best implemented?  Continue Reading

• Securing victory in a game of cat and mouse

  There is a variety of anti-malware products to help IT managers in their battle to keep users' machines safe, and understanding the product categories is key.  Continue Reading

• CRM system pays for itself 'in first month'

  Tight project management and winning end-user support has enabled a buying consortium to achieve a impressive return on investment on a low-cost customer relationship management implementation.  Continue Reading

• West Midlands council finishes 15-month migration of property data to new system

  Sandwell Council has migrated more than one million records on individual properties to a new property management system in time to meet a nationwide end-of-2005 deadline to offer planning application searches online.  Continue Reading

• Prophet boost for shirt company

  Luxury shirt manufacturer and retailer Thomas Pink is aiming to boost its online sales by using a web analytics tool from Speed-trap.  Continue Reading

• City-wide wireless network makes a big splash in Bath

  The city of Bath is establishing a city-wide wireless network as part of a research project looking how people will use mobile technology in the future.  Continue Reading

• IBM offers alternative in the Workplace

  Microsoft has a huge leadership on the desktop, which has recently been challenged by the Linux brigade. But could there be another option coming down the line?  Continue Reading

• Cricket ground checks the score on IT

  The Hampshire Rose Bowl, home of Hampshire County Cricket Club, is reviewing its IT infrastructure in support of its development plans over the next three years.  Continue Reading

• Cannons' financial system shapes up

  Cannons Health Clubs, which operates a national chain of health and fitness clubs, has upgraded its financial management system to give both finance and non-finance staff direct access to relevant data.  Continue Reading

• Flexible working is a real winner

  Shortlisted firms in the Best Places to Work in IT 2006 Awards demonstrate the value of letting staff adapt their hours to their lifestyles  Continue Reading

• Downtime: Taxing time as Revenue looks after the pennies

  Taxing time as Revenue looks after the pennies  Continue Reading

• Be careful you don't get more than you pay for with VoIP

  Implementing VoIP is attractive for all companies in particular SMBs. However, there are issues to address that may cost you more than what you save  Continue Reading

• Mobile handsets down the line for SMBs

  This year's 3GSM revealed a whole host of products. We look at some that SMBs may find useful  Continue Reading

• ROI for SMBs

  How SMBS can deliver and demonstrate the benefit they are getting from their technology investments.  Continue Reading

• BAA begins Terminal Five roll-out

  UK airports operator BAA has begun a £250m IT roll-out at London Heathrow's new Terminal Five.  Continue Reading

• Awards: Turning the spotlight on yourself

  Shortlisted firms in the Best Places to Work in IT 2006 Awards carry out regular surveys to ensure satisfaction across the board.  Continue Reading

• Negotiation: Knowing what you want - and what the other party wants - is the key to success

  Negotiation is the one skill every head of IT must possess to run their department effectively - and that is not negotiable.  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing provides hot topic for conferences

  The controversial area of outsourcing is a fertile breeding ground for a series of events running this year. There is currently much debate about the pros and cons of outsourcing, insourcing, multisourcing, as well as offshoring and near-shoring.  Continue Reading

• Voice over IP special report: From dial to click

  Cost cuts are the immediate lure of VoIP. But greater business efficiency is also a potential prize for users, as John Kavanagh reports  Continue Reading

• More than just squeezing down the price

  Negotiating with business users and suppliers need not be a daunting task. In our two-page special, we speak to two top IT professionals on how to get results  Continue Reading

• Crawley combines content and document management to meet planning deadline

  Crawley Borough Council has implemented a joint content and document management system to meet a government deadline for enabling online planning applications.  Continue Reading

• Agency gets real-time data on the road

  The Highways Agency has revamped its website to provide real-time information on road conditions.  Continue Reading

• SAP application security learning guide

  Learn best practices for SAP security and applications security in this learning guide from SearchSAP.com and SearchAppSecurity.com.  Continue Reading

• Mobile SMB solutions

  You want to mobilise your business, but what is on offer to help you do this?  Continue Reading

• IT security is more than dealing with viruses

  SMBs should be as concerned with adware and spyware as they should with virusesand worms  Continue Reading

• Make e-mail work for you

  Poorly managed e-mail is not just a nuisance, it can affect business performance. So it can be cost-effective for small and...  Continue Reading

• IP networks hit right note for Four Seasons

  Care home provider looking healthy after an injection of convergence technology.  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing: No need to get squashed

  The IT outsourcing industry has come a long way from its roots, when a few large, in-house IT organisations sought economies of...  Continue Reading

• The whats and whys of customer management for SMBs

  Why should you care about customer management? Here's what you can gain by a successful customer management implementation  Continue Reading

• Finding the right disaster recovery balance

  Find teh answer to a pressing question for SMBs  Continue Reading

• More than safety in numbers

  User groups are not just a way to influence suppliers, they can be a valuable source of information and support. Danny Bradbury reports.  Continue Reading

• Buying ERP tools to fit the smaller business

  Enterprise Software: Large suppliers and niche ERP players both offer advantages for small and mid-sized businesses, so which do you choose? We examine the options.  Continue Reading

• Electrolux targets contact centre savings with integrated CRM tool

  Electrolux aims to cut its call centre costs by a third with a customer relationship management system.  Continue Reading

• How to avoid open source licensing pitfalls

  Open source software can offer users great commercial advantages when care is taken to address intellectual property issues and minimise contractual risks.  Continue Reading

• Council uses business intelligence system to standardise highways project delivery

  Smart projects: Oxfordshire County Council has deployed a business intelligence application to fast track the delivery of the local transport plan it agreed with the Department for Transport.  Continue Reading

• Blackberry or Microsoft for mobile e-mail?

  Last month Microsoft launched mobile e-mail functionality to challenge Research In Motion's Blackberry system.  Continue Reading

• Cosworth revs up with collaboration tools

  British motor racing engine manufacturer Cosworth will continue to run a separate document management system, despite standardising its business on SAP software from July.  Continue Reading

• Why Lloyd's walked away from Kinnect

  Financial services: Lloyd's of London's decision to scrap its £70m electronic trading platform highlights the importance of getting end-user buy-in at the start of a project.  Continue Reading

• Spoilt for choice with mobile hardware

  An IT director looking to mobilise the workforce can choose from hundreds of devices. Here we provide an overview of the options and how they fit with business needs.  Continue Reading

• IT security paramount at Winter Olympics

  The 2006 Winter Olympics kicks off in Turin, Italy later this week - the culmination of two years' careful preparation. We look at the IT behind the games.  Continue Reading

• DPM's Diary

  Catch up with events from Bogcaster Council  Continue Reading

• BCS: Lamborghini or Lexus?

  Deciding which servers, storage and infrastructure you’ll need to run your business-critical solutions requires the same kind of thought processes as buying a car  Continue Reading

• Secure convergence for SMBs

  What security problems can arise for SMBs using a converged network?  Continue Reading

• Top tips for virtualisation

  A guide to making the transition to a new way of working without huge time and financial implications.  Continue Reading

• AUP – Acceptable Use Policy or Acute Underlying Problems?

  The subject of monitoring in the workplace continues to attract press and public interest. It was back in 2000 when the lewd email sent to a City lawyer by his girlfriend was first forwarded to 6 colleagues and then circulated Worldwide in a matter ...  Continue Reading

• Instant messaging targeted for malicious worm attack

  Businesses have been warned to prepare themselves for an onslaught of malicious worm attacks through corporate instant messaging systems.  Continue Reading

• Your shout: data spine outage story in full, new ERP approaches

  Computer Weekly readers have their say  Continue Reading

• Law firm aims for resilience with fibre roll-out

  International law firm Allen & Overy has reached the midway point in a £4.5m project to link its datacentre and global locations via a state-of-the-art Cisco metropolitan area network.  Continue Reading

• Preserving our digital heritage

  The British Library is on a mission to digitise its immense collection of books and manuscripts. It is a challenge of mind-boggling proportions, as Helen Beckett discovered  Continue Reading

• Awards: Developing staff through training

  Companies shortlisted for the Best Places to Work in IT 2006 Awards are committed to helping their employees progress their careers  Continue Reading

• Audit speeds Newcastle's path to BS7799

  Newcastle Building Society has used its work to comply with a Federation Against Software Theft (Fast) software licensing audit as a stepping stone to achieving BS7799 information security certification.  Continue Reading

• Construction firm speeds work allocation with mobile roll-out

  Construction firm McNicholas plc has deployed mobile devices featuring a customised worktime management application to 800 staff.  Continue Reading

• Advertise with ComputerWeekly.com

  ComputerWeekly.com is dedicated to providing IT professionals with the best information, the best knowledge and the best range of solutions that will enable them to succeed in the industry.  Continue Reading

• 2006, the year for Linux on the desktop?

  IT experts have predicted the eminence of desktop Linux for over 15 years. It may be that this is the year it fulfils its promises  Continue Reading

• US clothing firm trials BI system in the UK

  US-based clothing manufacturer Russell Corporation is using the UK to trial a global roll-out of business intelligence software.  Continue Reading

• Managing complexity is the main event

  The latest generation of service oriented architecture (SOA) technology could help IT departments meet demands for business process monitoring systems that can combine information in real time.  Continue Reading

• MP spells out failings in the Child Support Agency's systems

  As Stephen Timms was setting out his vision of a golden, technology-driven future for the Department for Work and Pensions, Labour MP Frank Field was spelling out his concerns in a letter to Tony Blair about the litany of technological and ...  Continue Reading

• Forestry Commission uses web system to improve VAT recovery

  The Forestry Commission, the government department responsible for managing the UK's woodlands, has dramatically cut its costs and improved its VAT recovery seven-fold by replacing its manual expenses system with expenses management software.  Continue Reading

• Henkel rolls out e-recruitment across Europe

  Henkel, a manufacturing company whose brands include Persil, is rolling out electronic recruitment software from Jobpartners across Europe in a move designed to shorten the time it takes to hire staff and reduce recruitment costs.  Continue Reading

• The benefits of staff development

  No employer would be considered a good employer if they did not strive to bring on those who work there and maximise the individual potential of every member of staff.  Continue Reading

• Uncovering the big issues in small print

  Companies that pay attention to the small print in their ITsupply contracts are likely to benefit in the long run. There are key contractual areas that users should review to underpin the success of IT projects and avoid costly disputes.  Continue Reading

• Something for everyone in 2006 IT charity events

  Last year IT professionals gave hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash and time to help charitable causes, and in this, our 40th anniversary year, Computer Weekly will be supporting a range of events to help even more people do their bit.  Continue Reading

• The multifunction printer comes of age

  The all-in-one networked printer/copier/fax has overcome early teething problems to emerge as an attractive option in a world of increasing digital convergence.  Continue Reading

• GAP eyes £3m profit leap from rentals software

  Construction plant hire firm GAP Group has signed a £1.4m contract with software and services supplier Intentia for an enterprise rental management system.  Continue Reading

• Trust and strong business culture identified as key to IT governance

  IT governance is not a luxury but an essential element in a business's long-term survival, according to a BCS seminar on the subject earlier this month.  Continue Reading

• Bridging the cultural divide

  Once you have found the right offshore supplier it is essential to have a watertight contrat. But it is just as important to develop a common cultural bond to ensure the relationship lasts the distance. Helen Beckett reports.  Continue Reading

• Optimise to maximise your IT

  adidas is one of the world’s most famous brands and a business critical IT infrastructure is fundamental to its market position.  Continue Reading

• Blades get sharpened for all

  There’s been a recent wave of optimism regarding blade server. Most of the interest however is coming from the larger enterprises? Are blade servers appropriate for all?  Continue Reading

• Standard Life builds VPN

  Financial services company Standard Life is rolling out a virtual private network that will allow 800 staff to access critical business applications securely from any location.  Continue Reading

• Lettings group looks to hosted messaging for franchise support

  Belvoir Letting Agents, one of the UK's largest residential property lettings and management organisations, is rolling out a hosted messaging and collaboration service for its staff and franchised operations across 92 offices.  Continue Reading

• AgustaWestland boosts network availability

  Helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland has installed a network comprising three Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprises platforms running over a fibre infrastructure in a bid to ensure it does not lose more than a third of its network at any one time.  Continue Reading

• Store card provider implements Oracle 10g system to ensure around-the-clock service

  PrePay Technologies, which runs prepaid debit card, gift card and travel card schemes for retailers, has implemented an Oracle 10g database.  Continue Reading

• Event offers expert advice on using scenarios

  The BCS Requirements Engineering Specialist Group is running a day of events on scenarios on 9 February  Continue Reading

• Labatt rolls out datawarehouse to boost performance measurement

  Labatt Breweries has rolled out a Kalido business intelligence system to cut the time it takes to introduce business performance measures from months to one week.  Continue Reading

• All change at Network Rail

  Network Rail's five-year business transformation plan is placing IT at the heart of the business. Will Hadfield reports on how the technical and managerial challenges are being met  Continue Reading

• Best Places to Work finalists

  The shortlist of the leading candidates for the Computer Weekly Best Places to Work in IT 2006 Awards is revealed today.  Continue Reading

• Did your firm make the shortlist?

  The shortlist for the Best Places to Work in IT 2006 Awards highlights the most progressive employers across all vertical sectors.  Continue Reading

• Business benefits for all in networked storage

  Networked storage technology has been part of a BCS, for some time. However, they are no longer the preserve of large enterprises with plenty of money.  Continue Reading

• ERP systems under-utilised and unexplored

  Few companies are making full use of their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, despite the high cost of the software and the length of time an implementation can take, according to research.  Continue Reading

• CA buys self-healing system capabilities for Unicenter

  CA plans to add self-healing capabilities to its flagship Unicenter systems management family in a drive to automate IT administration. Industry analysts said the technology could lead to lower IT costs and significant time savings by automating ...  Continue Reading

• As firms count cost of oil depot blast, what are the disaster recovery lessons?

  How companies coped in the aftermath of the Buncefield inferno.  Continue Reading

• No need to firefight on skills

  A skills management framework can help retain staff and increase efficiency through a better understanding of the roles and skills in an IT department.  Continue Reading

• IBM alliance to offer new licence and support options for Linux

  IBM has extended the work it is doing with Red Hat and Novell in a bid to make Linux and open source software a more compelling option for IT directors.  Continue Reading

• Mercury's Systinet buy takes SOA to another level

  Business technology optimisation software provider Mercury is to acquire Systinet, which produces management sofware for service-oriented architectures.  Continue Reading

• NHS IT: worthwhile goals, debateable progress

  Richard Granger, the director general of NHS IT, was optimistic about progress on the health service's technology-based modernisation plan when he wrote the foreword to his organisation's annual report.  Continue Reading

• Hot skills: .net Framework provides basis for integrating data and applications

  Microsoft environment uses standard internet protocols  Continue Reading

• The growing attraction of public sector IT

  The public sector might not excite everyone, but those in the know are starting to use it as a byword for some of the best opportunities in IT.  Continue Reading

• Carpetright SAP implementation on track to save retailer £1m a year

  Carpetright is on course to save £1m a year following the successful implementation of SAP for Retail in its head office.  Continue Reading

• Short duration is key to e-business project success, survey suggests

  E-business projects have a better success rate than IT projects in general, according to a survey by BCS member John Carroll of Carroll Consultants.  Continue Reading

• Next move: how do I get started in software testing?

  I have never worked in IT before, but I am studying for a City & Guilds for IT practitioners. What do you advise as a good route into software testing, short of a good degree and experience?  Continue Reading

• Voicing concerns on Skype

  Skype has blazed a trail in the Voice over IP arena; its popularity hasn’t gone unnoticed by the hacker community however  Continue Reading

• Europe's Diverse Outsourcing Market

  Throughout 2004, Forrester tracked IT outsourcing deals with a minimum contract value of €10 million that large European IT services firms signed. During the year, we gathered details of 248 deals from 29 outsourcing vendors. What did we find? ...  Continue Reading

• IT Spending For Q1 2005

  First-quarter 2005 data on investment in information technology goods and services by companies and governments was mixed, but the net result reinforces our forecast of 7% growth in US IT spending in 2005. Investment was strongest in computer ...  Continue Reading

• Integrated IT Management Drives Efficiency

  Dashboard-type views permit business managers and executives to see business events, to understand their subsequent impact, and to take corrective action. It is thus ironic that IT, the enabler of many dashboard views, lacks any comprehensive view ...  Continue Reading

• Downtime: Waiter, there's a microchip in my chicken

  Waiter, there's a microchip in my chicken  Continue Reading

• Case study - Datacentre consolidation at Ernst and Young

  As Ernst & Young has grown, so have the demands on its data resources. In order to remain the effective outfit that it is, the firm consolidated its datacentres  Continue Reading

• SIP can revolutionise telephony networks but must overcome interoperability issues

  Back in the days of circuit-switched networks, when the only type of electronic communication you would undertake was a telephone call, it was much easier for one device to connect to another.  Continue Reading

• The revolution on the desktop

  The humble desktop PC is changing radically, in a way that promises to make the hardware more secure, enable easier PC management and provide internet users with sophisticated graphical user interfaces.  Continue Reading

• A closer look at fixed mobile convergence

  You don't have to put fixed mobile convergence on your holiday shopping list just yet, according to our wireless expert. But now is the time to determine how the technology can benefit you -- so you can shop smart later.  Continue Reading