In Depth

In Depth

• Prepare for tough talking as suppliers fail to keep pace with hardware developments

  Negotiate to avoid paying twice as much on fees for dual-core processors  Continue Reading

• IBM adjusts to harsh PC world

  IBM's decision to form a joint venture with China's Lenovo Group underscores the challenges that manufacturers face in the modern...  Continue Reading

• Endemol UK backs up

  Putting together the UK's most famous reality TV show, Big Brother, is no mean achievement. Endemol UK Productions produces over...  Continue Reading

• Oracle chairman 'bullish on China'

  At the Oracle Open World in San Francisco, chief financial officer Jeff Henley said China's recent moves towards favouring local...  Continue Reading

• Acquisition strengthens IBM’s insurance portfolio

  The acquisition of Liberty Insurance Services (LIS) will enhance IBM’s life insurance and annuity offerings, with insurance...  Continue Reading

• Ofcom’s plans to open up UK airwaves will Irk 3G operators

  The UK telecom regulator wants to deregulate most of the country’s wavebands. Operators that paid huge sums for third-generation...  Continue Reading

• Citrix acquisition makes VPNs more accessible

  Citrix Systems’ acquisition of Net6 will offer broader, lower-cost options to those seeking remote access alternatives to IPsec...  Continue Reading

• Oracle quarterly patch cycle is encouraging but unproven

  With its new quarterly critical patch program, Oracle has significantly improved how it handles security updates. But Oracle does...  Continue Reading

• BT’s new services confirm trend to fixed/mobile convergence

  Many telecom providers plan to increase revenue by offering unified fixed and mobile services. BT is among the first to announce...  Continue Reading

• Videoconferencing saves PepsiCo executives travel time and costs

  PepsiCo UK has rolled out a video conferencing product for all its main factories and offices in the UK in an effort to save...  Continue Reading

• Helping the network to take control of itself

  The dream of a self-sufficient network is growing closer to realisation. The key challenge is to integrate self-healing...  Continue Reading

• UMTS boosts 3G skills demand

  UMTS is the chosen technology for most 3G networks  Continue Reading

• Drive your budget harder to deliver value

  There are cautious predictions of a rise in IT budgets throughout 2005, but the IT director will have to spend shrewdly to get...  Continue Reading

• Action plan gives employers opportunity to direct the future of IT training in the UK

  UK draws up proposals to transform UK IT training and education  Continue Reading

• Mobile phones the biggest target for hackers

  Having managed to cripple PCs on more than one occasion over the last decade, viruses, worms and trojans are now heading for...  Continue Reading

• IT spending in 2005 to grow 6%, says IDC

  In making its annual predictions for the upcoming year, IDC said it expects worldwide IT spending to grow 6.1 percent for 2005, a...  Continue Reading

• The web - past, present and future

  Internet luminaries gathered in Boston on Wednesday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C),...  Continue Reading

• Should a small firm outsource its security?

  Can a small business justify employing a full-time in-house IT security manager?  Continue Reading

• Interview: John Swainson, CA's new CEO

  John Swainson, who was named CEO-elect of Computer Associates International last week, speaks about his new post, the decision to...  Continue Reading

• Identity management goes global but not federated

  Robust identity management is critical in today’s environment of regulatory mandates. You cannot comply with financial reporting...  Continue Reading

• Who will reach the top?

  With more and more CIOs coming from outside IT, the challenge is to nurture good managers - combining IT skills with commercial...  Continue Reading

• In a crossover world, performance and security converge to give fast, secure apps

  Mainstream applications are increasingly adding top-end security features  Continue Reading

• How EDI is jumping through new hoops

  In the age of the internet, surely EDI is a concept whose time has gone? Not so, there's life in the old dog yet as it finds ways...  Continue Reading

• Deploy Microsoft Windows XP SP2 in 2005

  The number of clients asking when to deploy XP service pack 2 has increased recently as they enter their planning and budgeting...  Continue Reading

• Sun opens new front in OS wars with Solaris 10

  The Solaris 10 operating system (OS) may be Sun Microsystems’ biggest bet on its future in five years. But Sun’s effort at a...  Continue Reading

• PeopleSoft resists Oracle bid despite majority share tender

  Although 60% of PeopleSoft’s shares were tendered to Oracle, PeopleSoft’s board of directors has rejected Oracle’s offer of $24...  Continue Reading

• New Bofra attack may be a sign of things to come

  A new malicious-code attack exploits security flaws in Apache Web servers to attack, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser....  Continue Reading

• IBM sets a new standard for server power but not for pricing

  A Power5-based IBM eServer has set a spectacular new record for transaction-processing throughput. For most customers, however,...  Continue Reading

• Top 10 IT stories of 2003

  2003 offered some respite from megamergers, corporate scandals and the boom-and-bust cycle, but 64-bit computing, worms and spam...  Continue Reading

• Butler Group: OpinionWire

  Read research on IBM, Siebel, Hull-based telco, Kingston Communication and the positive impact of open-source software  Continue Reading

• Security software turns its attention from the external threats to the dangers within

  Technology can safeguard your firm from employee activity.  Continue Reading

• Challenges of switching to Linux systems

  Gartner finds that early adopters of Linux face lingering uncertainties.  Continue Reading

• The need for regulation for saftey-critical software

  After the Blackpool rollercoaster crash, Tony Collins asks who regulates safety-critical software systems.  Continue Reading

• Preparation is the key to successful projects

  Making sure that the groundwork is done thoroughly before an IT project begins will reduce the risk of cost or time overruns...  Continue Reading

• Study finds e-voting irregularities in Florida

  Voting irregularities in three Florida counties that used electronic voting machines may have awarded as many as 130,000 votes to...  Continue Reading

• Latest acquisitions expand ScanSoft’s speech offerings

  ScanSoft continues to add to its speech recognition capabilities by acquisition. Customers should get assurances from ScanSoft...  Continue Reading

• ICANN domain transfer request policy puts owners on notice

  The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has enacted new rules for domain transfer requests. Domain owners...  Continue Reading

• IBM’s Workplace will be the future of Lotus Notes/Domino

  Gartner expects IBM’s Workplace will supersede Lotus Notes/Domino. New Workplace packages aimed at solving business problems...  Continue Reading

• Cable & Wireless restructuring reduces focus on Europe

  Cable & Wireless will reorganise its management and concentrate its European business on carrier services. This may help the...  Continue Reading

• Businesses should gain from Deutsche Telekom reorganisation

  Germany’s leading provider of network services will reorganise into three groups to serve businesses, consumers and users of...  Continue Reading

• Pick 'n' mix support for users

  There is a large selection of user groups for IT directors and managers to choose from, but which one would do most for you?...  Continue Reading

• Mapping out a future for the NHS

  The controversy over costs makes it easy to lose sight of what the government is aiming to achieve with its IT programme for the...  Continue Reading

• Pinder's public sector IT verdict? 'Soggy'

  Andrew Pinder, former government e-envoy, has joined a US-based security firm. He shares what he has learned about government IT...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Warning: e-mail may be used in evidence

  Don't wait for a lawsuit before you resolve the issue of storing and retrieveing e-mails, says Maxine Holt  Continue Reading

• New security standards to strengthen supervisory control and data acquisition systems

  The security of critical-infrastructure processes, long festering as a thorny issue in securing everything from food and water to...  Continue Reading

• New Google Scholar search service aimed at academics

  Google has formally launched a new search service aimed at scientists and academic researchers.  Continue Reading

• Linux keeper and SpikeSource CEO talk about open source

  Accommodating large patch sets in Linux is expected to mean separating version 2.7 of the platform to accommodate these changes,...  Continue Reading

• Cordys president talks about web services

  Cordys was founded almost three years ago by Jan Baan and others from his team at ERP software company Baan Software (now part of...  Continue Reading

• In search of a better way to look for data

  Search engine Google has enjoyed a successful flotation and its recently released desktop search tool is receiving lots of...  Continue Reading

• ARM strategy may cause friction with partners

  Starting off as an intellectual property (IP) provider of the ARM embedded Risc microprocessor core, ARM Holdings has expanded...  Continue Reading

• European banking giant adopts agile development methodology

  Agile development, part of the extreme programming methodology, aims to improve the quality and delivery time of projects.  Continue Reading

• Offshore developers and open source turn the tide to favour tailor-made applications

  Open source, new tools and technologies, and offshoring make building, rather than buying, an application an increasingly viable...  Continue Reading

• Strategy clinic: How do I break down 'them and us' divide?

  My 10-strong IT team has good technical skills, but their poor personal interaction with users is creating a "them and us"...  Continue Reading

• The NCC connection explained

  The National Computing Centre is the grandfather of not-for-profit IT user organisations, set up in 1965 in the Wilson era of...  Continue Reading

• Management update: Predicts 2005: IT asset management adds value, lessens risk

  IT asset management is receiving more attention as businesses continue to face cost controls and increased asset regulatory...  Continue Reading

• Oracle users should take security patch 68 seriously

  Oracle refuses to release more specific information about the security vulnerabilities in its products that are addressed by a...  Continue Reading

• Infonet acquisition will widen BT’s global reach

  Infonet’s global coverage will benefit BT and its customers. But Infonet customers should act to minimise the potential...  Continue Reading

• Financial services providers must better report cybercrime

  The recent US Secret Service arrest of alleged cybercriminals shows why financial service companies must proactively disclose...  Continue Reading

• Bank’s web vulnerability shows need for secure programming

  A security flaw made cahoot, an online bank in the UK, take its website offline for 10 hours. Take this as a warning not to...  Continue Reading

• Don't close your eyes to workplace stress

  IT's long-hours, deadline-driven culture makes it a breeding ground for stress. Both employers and staff could pay a high price...  Continue Reading

• NetApp offers virtualised storage

  Network Appliance's microkernel appliance operating system, Data ONTAP, has had virtualisation added in its latest version, 7G.  Continue Reading

• Next move: How can I increase employers' interest?

  I used to earn £42,000 a year as a software developer, programming principally in Perl for the Unix platform. Following...  Continue Reading

• Break out of old-school habits to secure Windows

  When it comes to security, most Windows administrators follow an old-school programmer's mentality, which keeps them working in crisis management mode. In this column, SearchWindowsSecurity.com reader Al Reust explains how and why administrators ...  Continue Reading

• Enterprise content management systems aim to ease the pressure of compliance

  Regulatory compliance requirements are driving demand for IT systems that can secure, store and manage documents and data in a...  Continue Reading

• Highly secure systems work only if they need no input from users

  In the second extract from his book, security expert Bruce Schneier argues that no end-user can be trusted to keep systems...  Continue Reading

• Adobe improves collaboration and security features in Acrobat 7

  Adobe has improved security, collaboration and integration with enterprise software in the new version of the Acrobat document...  Continue Reading

• Cisco turns to AirDefense for Wi-Fi security

  Cisco Systems has claimed that big suppliers' wireless security is not good enough without help form smaller, specialist...  Continue Reading

• Standards struggle in Sun-Microsoft love-in

  As Sun Microsystems and Microsoft prepare for an early December unveiling of the first step in their technology collaboration,...  Continue Reading

• 64-bit Viagra for workhorse servers

  IT managers often think of x86-based servers as no more than PCs with bigger and fancier boxes. But AMD and Intel have breathed...  Continue Reading

• Blue Titan fine tunes SOA tool

  Attempting to fine-tune its software for use in business-critical applications, Blue Titan Software will unveil Network Director...  Continue Reading

• Sun's Schwartz details Solaris 10 launch

  We grilled Jonathan Schwartz, Sun Microsystems' president and chief operating officer, about open source and Solaris 10, which...  Continue Reading

• Is BT-Infonet another global networking déja vu?

  Multinational companies have seen global networking ventures come and go. Now a new one is about to be born, following BT Group's...  Continue Reading

• Meeting notes: 20 October 2004

  Beware imposing Draconian penalties and liabilities on your outsourcer supplier, as they will backfire on you.  Continue Reading

• Don’t leave it all to the firewall

  Although firewalls form the first line of defence for most companies, it is becoming clear that a layered approach is vital to...  Continue Reading

• Appoint a champion to lead IT to changes

  Setting a company-wide strategy for standards, technologies and suppliers can deliver a leaner, meaner business, if you put...  Continue Reading

• C# goes head to head with Java

  When resources are tight companies try to limit the number of programming languages they support. Microsoft's C# and Sun's Java...  Continue Reading

• Red Hat joins directory fray with Netscape technology buy

  Red Hat’s planned purchase of Netscape Directory Server and Certificate Management System should allow it to compete with Novell,...  Continue Reading

• Manning the breaches

  Most companies do not employ staff with information security qualifications and yet they are confident they can cope with any...  Continue Reading

• Swisscom follows trend by re-integrating its internet unit

  Combining Bluewin with Swisscom’s fixed-line business will immediately benefit consumers. In the long term, Swisscom will be...  Continue Reading

• Cisco improves security for VoIP phones

  Cisco Systems’ CallManager 4.1 includes improved encryption for IP phones and other IP voice devices. This will benefit...  Continue Reading

• Capgemini/Hewitt deal continues HR BPO consolidation

  In another sign of industry consolidation, Hewitt Associates will manage Capgemini’s North American human resources (HR)...  Continue Reading

• Process portal - composite not complicated

  A process portal can reduce errors and improve customer service by eliminating the need for staff to switch between different...  Continue Reading

• Public sector welcome for open source

  IT managers see possibilities for increased flexibility but will not be taking risks following OGC verdict that open source is...  Continue Reading

• Who goes there?

  Passwords alone are no longer sufficient, and with the rapid rise in phishing, companies that host valuable assets are seeking...  Continue Reading

• Take control of your staff

  How do you make staff aware of the latest social engineering ploys, teach them to protect company data and stop them leaving work...  Continue Reading

• Microsoft joins industry move towards using domain-specific modelling languages

  Microsoft has released a programming utility that will allow users of Visual Studio 2005 Team System to create their own visual...  Continue Reading

• Which agency is best for an IT technician?

  Which are the best IT agencies to deal with an IT technician with six years' experience including migration of desktops to...  Continue Reading

• Pre-built functionality and ease of use makes PHP beginners' choice

  Elegance and power has made PHP a top scripting language.  Continue Reading

• Report warns of skills shortage bombshell

  The UK's economy could be damaged within a decade unless employers and educators act now to create a new breed of IT...  Continue Reading

• Thomas Cook joins the network

  A giant on paper but Thomas Cook is a collection of SMEs with a critical ICT needs  Continue Reading

• Security breached again at US giants

  Two major US corporates have suffered apparent security breaches that are embarrassingly similar to incidents earlier this year.  Continue Reading

• Novell vice-chairman unexpectedly departs

  After helping Novell reinvigorate itself last year through the endorsement of Linux and the acquisition of suppleir SuSE Linux,...  Continue Reading

• Protect yourself from meltdown

  Invading computer viruses can enslave your PC, destroy your data and ruin your business. Protect yourself from meltdown says...  Continue Reading

• Ease the pain of complying with legislation

  There is no way for IT directors to avoid the impact of regulation. Suppliers are of limited help but careful planning can reduce...  Continue Reading

• Get the most from your IP network

  Joe O’Halloran sees what you can expect to gain from a single converged network for your voice, video and data requirements  Continue Reading

• IP: The financial benefits

  How can you use IP networks to gain financial benefits in addition to taking advantage of sophisticated features? Antony Adshead...  Continue Reading

• Hydratight Sweeney rolls out UK IP infrastructure

  Hydratight Sweeney is struck by the benefits of a converged network infrastructure  Continue Reading

• Toyota races for success

  In all sectors of manufacturing, it’s absolutely vital to reduce the design to production cycle. Time is literally money. In no...  Continue Reading

• 500 Club IT directors to tackle mobile challenges

  The management implications of mobility and flexible working will be the topics of the Computer Weekly 500 Club's last two...  Continue Reading

• In-house teams are vital when outsourcing

  When leading IT directors met to discuss the criteria for successful outsourcing, the importance of governance and in-house...  Continue Reading