In Depth

In Depth

• Docker backup: Deciding what to protect and how

  Docker is a simplified form of virtualisation whose popularity has rocketed. We look at the key decisions about what parts of Docker you need to backup and how to do it  Continue Reading

• Interview: How Hackney Council will help accelerate innovation across London boroughs

  Hackney Council’s director of ICT, Rob Miller, talks to Computer Weekly about how one of the most digitally advanced local authorities plans to collaborate with counterparts across the capital to revamp public services delivery  Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud: Weighing up what to run in the cloud and on-premise

  The hybrid cloud model promises a lot, but enterprises really need to take their time when working out what applications and workloads to run where – or they will find themselves on a hiding to nothing  Continue Reading

• Uptime and availability: Making sense of supplier SLAs

  Enterprises need to read the fine print of supplier service-level agreements (SLA) or risk finding themselves caught short during downtime incidents  Continue Reading

• AI storage: Machine learning, deep learning and storage needs

  Artificial intelligence workloads impact storage, with NVMe flash needed for GPU processing at the highest levels of performance – and there are other choices right through the AI data lifecycle  Continue Reading

• Interview: Rackspace EMEA CTO on why it pays to put people at the heart of IT transformation

  Rackspace EMEA CTO Lee James opens up about how taking a people-first approach to digital transformation raises staff morale and engagement levels while helping the managed cloud provider win new business  Continue Reading

• Rise in business-led IT spend increases risks and opportunities

  Digitally leading businesses benefit from faster time to market, better employee experience and improved finances, but lack of partnership between CIOs and business units can jeopardise progress, says Harvey Nash / KPMG survey  Continue Reading

• Oracle and The World Bee Project expand partnership following trials

  Trials of ‘smart hive’ technology have enabled The World Bee Project to collect billions of data points about the health and activity of honey bees, for scientific research and conservation efforts  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

• Enterprise HPC: Why HPE is buying Cray

  HPE’s decision to acquire supercomputing pioneer Cray for $1.3bn serves to highlight the growing importance of high-performance computing (HPC) deployments in the enterprise market  Continue Reading

• Big tech chiefs boycott parliamentarians investigating citizens’ privacy

  An International Grand Committee on Big Data, Privacy and Democracy considers whether failure to protect citizens’ privacy constitutes grounds for anti-trust regulation against Facebook and other big tech companies  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

• Cloud storage and its main cost components

  We run through the main items charged for by the big cloud storage providers, such as capacity, storage type, transactions, data egress, networks and data protection  Continue Reading

• Making multicloud work: Is it really worth it?

  Enterprise interest in multicloud deployments is on the rise, but with so many moving parts to take care of, will the benefits end up being too hard-fought to make it viable for most enterprises?  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

• Sainsbury’s Bank moves data to AWS cloud with Teradata UDA

  Bank decided on a fundamental shift to AWS cloud, using Teradata’s Unified Data Architecture, after it was divested from Lloyds in 2013. Here’s how it built from a new ground zero.  Continue Reading

• European businesses are the worst in the world at encrypting data

  European businesses are trailing behind the rest of the world when it comes to data encryption, and are not proactive enough when it comes to assessing data security risks  Continue Reading

• Microsoft’s modern desktop management

  How cloud services make the critical business of keeping Windows 10 patched and up to date easier for administrators  Continue Reading

• Data governance: The importance of getting it right

  With ever-increasing storage capacity, organisations are needing to take more control of their file management systems with thorough data governance policies. Otherwise, they run the risk of project data being exposed  Continue Reading

• SAN vs NAS vs hyper-converged for virtual machine storage

  The pros and cons of file and block access storage arrays vs the new breed of all-in-one server/storage architecture for storage of virtual machine systems and data  Continue Reading

• Skills, digital and the manufacturing sector

  Manufacturing still accounts for a large amount of the UK economy, and when it comes to the fourth industrial revolution, the UK has aspirations to be a world leader – but does it have the digital know-how to back it up?  Continue Reading

• Norway’s autonomous ships point to new horizons

  Norway is a pioneer in the autonomisation of shipping, which conveys environmental benefits as well as efficiency gains – but human mariners are likely to stay on board for a while yet  Continue Reading

• Serving up managed desktops

  Microsoft is dropping its table d’hôte-like Windows 7 menu in favour of a more tapas-style offering, in the form of Windows 10. This will mean big changes for sysadmins  Continue Reading

• Winning ways with Windows 10 updates

  We look at how IT leaders can effectively manage the major changes Windows 10 imposes on businesses  Continue Reading

• Software-defined storage vs NAS/SAN: What are the options?

  We look at the pros and cons of software-defined storage and weigh up when it’s a better option than buying NAS and SAN pre-built hardware shared storage arrays  Continue Reading

• APAC buyer’s guide to NVMe storage

  NVMe storage is becoming popular among Asia-Pacific enterprises that want to reduce latency and speed up application performance  Continue Reading

• Cloud’s low-hanging fruit: Backup, tiering and data sharing

  Native cloud operations can have a steep on-ramp in terms of enterprise IT readiness, but some things are relatively easy to port to a tier of storage in the cloud  Continue Reading

• Vulnerability assessment done. Now what?

  Vulnerability assessment establishes the current state of an organisation’s cyber security, but to meet industry best practices, companies should go beyond that to achieve continuous improvement  Continue Reading

• CW500 Club: Rising to the IT ethics and sustainability challenge

  As technologists are asked to take a position of continuing leadership in the digital revolution brought about by tools such as artificial intelligence, the Computer Weekly CW500 Club looked at how to innovate in an ethical and sustainable way  Continue Reading

• Debugging bug bounty programmes

  Bug bounty programmes have recently become a popular method of vulnerability management, but poor programme management can lead to development teams becoming overwhelmed and bugs being missed  Continue Reading

• Regional differences in the UK’s computing curriculum

  Teaching young people about the importance of digital skills is a focus of the education system across the UK, but the delivery of these skills is different across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – who has it right?  Continue Reading

• The future of the Norwegian startup ecosystem

  The Norwegian startup ecosystem has been expanding massively for the past few years, with tech entrepreneurs now looking for new ways to grow it even further  Continue Reading

• Interview: Data takes centre stage at Lloyd’s of London

  The 330-year-old insurance market is evolving its data efforts as part of a far-reaching modernisation strategy, focusing on artificial intelligence and driving employee data literacy  Continue Reading

• XaaS models are reshaping the future of outsourcing

  The outsourcing sector is suffering reputational damage after some high-profile failures, just as companies are turning to the "as-a-service" model instead. Can the two approaches co-exist?  Continue Reading

• How to avoid a hyper-convergence minefield

  How firms can implement hyper-converged infrastructure to make cost and performance savings  Continue Reading

• Protecting your digital assets: Why it pays to invest in cyber insurance

  Cyber insurance offers financial protection against the worst happening to a company’s data and digital assets, and is something few businesses can afford to be without  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

• Don’t let datacentres be a waste of space

  Storage costs can be saved by improving the utilisation of existing storage infrastructures  Continue Reading

• Scale-out NAS: File storage with cloud and flash from big five

  We run the rule over scale-out NAS from the big five storage array makers to find all-flash and hybrid-flash commonplace and use of the cloud as a tier almost ubiquitous  Continue Reading

• Mobile phones and health: is 5G being rolled out too fast?

  European countries are rolling out 5G mobile communications at breakneck speed as they seek to gain a competitive edge over the US and Asia. But some scientists have raised questions about the effects of 5G mobile phone radiation on public health ...  Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged infrastructure vs NAS and SAN shared storage

  Can compute, storage and networks in one box be a better option than shared storage? And which organisations can most benefit from it, and for what scale of deployment?  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage 101: Specifying for cloud storage

  We run through key questions to ask when specifying cloud storage, such as disk type, performance, availability and the possible hidden cost of getting data out of the cloud  Continue Reading

• Politics, privacy and porn: the challenges of age-verification technology

  The age-verification requirements of the Digital Economy Act are to come into force in July this year, but registering people’s personal details for accessing age-restricted content carries significant risks and challenges  Continue Reading

• How DataOps helps organisations make better decisions

  DataOps is helping organisations to accelerate the time it takes to derive value from the data they collect  Continue Reading

• Retail technology, sports sponsorship and a global marketing opportunity

  Sports sponsorship remains a focus area for B2B software companies and retail technology businesses looking to impress the C-suite  Continue Reading

• How botnets pose a threat to the IoT ecosystem

  While connected devices are transforming our personal and working lives in a multitude of ways, they are also a growing security risk – attackers are hijacking these devices and turning them into internet of things botnets  Continue Reading

• Competitive threats: What the growth in new public sector cloud frameworks means for G-Cloud

  Public sector IT buyers may soon find themselves spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where to procure their cloud services, thanks to the emergence of several new frameworks, but where does that leave G-Cloud?  Continue Reading

• Silicon Valley startups look to plug gaps in data value chain

  A group of California-based startups and early-stage data management companies are promising CIOs ways to plug gaps in the data-to-insight value chain  Continue Reading

• How modern business intelligence shapes up to big data

  Business intelligence and analytics strategies have evolved in recent years in the face of big data. Here, we get a supplier CEO perspective, some analyst counsel, and testimony from Nationwide, Schroders and King  Continue Reading

• Blackout after Brexit: UK datacentres brace for post-EU power supply and cost changes

  As the uncertainty over how the UK intends to extricate itself from the European Union rumbles on, datacentre operators are weighing up how Brexit might affect the availability and cost of the power they need to run their facilities in future  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage 101: Cloud gateways for hybrid cloud connectivity

  Two of the big three public cloud providers – Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure – offer gateway on-ramps that can speed the deployment of hybrid cloud operations for SME and remote office locations  Continue Reading

• Keeping cloud costs in check: What enterprises need to know

  Organisations should not be rushed into moving to the cloud, because doing so could result in mistakes that are costly to put right  Continue Reading

• How to find a much sought-after data scientist

  Every organisation seems to be hunting for a data scientist, but securing the right people with the right skills is a challenge  Continue Reading

• EMIS Group CIO: Breaking down NHS patient data silos by going all-in on AWS

  EMIS Group CIO Pete Malcolm is in the throes of a sizeable revamp of the healthcare provider's flagship software system for GPs that will see it go all-in on AWS, while addressing the government's push to make NHS data systems more open and ...  Continue Reading

• Storage 101: Object storage in the big three public clouds

  We look at the object storage services of the big three cloud providers – Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure Blob and Google Cloud Storage – and how customers can achieve compatibility between them  Continue Reading

• 5G in ASEAN still a way off despite optimism

  Spectrum is yet to be assigned in many ASEAN nations, while applications and services are still being tested in pilot projects across the region  Continue Reading

• Layer your approach to web security

  Combining unified threat management with other security systems and a strategic CISO is essential to defend against threats  Continue Reading

• Enterprise and midrange SAN survey 2019: Hitachi, IBM and NetApp

  Part two of two: While all-flash is mainstream, NVMe is an option as disk replacement for most suppliers, while NetApp leads the way with NVMe end-to-end to hosts  Continue Reading

• Making unified threat management a key security tool

  As data protection becomes critical to businesses, we look at how unified threat management can be a useful tool, providing it is selected and deployed correctly according to business needs  Continue Reading

• Enterprise and midrange SAN survey 2019: Dell and HPE

  Part one of two: All-flash is mainstream, with NVMe also offered. Dell offers NVMe drives while HPE reserves it for use as storage-class memory as a cache layer  Continue Reading

• Room to spare: Could space constraints slow London's record-breaking datacentre growth spree?

  The London colocation market enjoyed another record year of growth in 2018, thanks to the hyperscale cloud community's insatiable demand for datacentre capacity. But is the capital running out of space?  Continue Reading

• How Europe’s largest datacentre is helping to expand broadband access

  NGD, the operator of the largest datacentre in Europe, is playing an unlikely role in helping expand access to full-fibre broadband in south Wales. We find out how, and why  Continue Reading

• How B2B startups can build a successful business

  Computer Weekly speaks to a number of founders and investors to find out what makes a successful startup  Continue Reading

• Futuristic logistics: retailers focused on rapid delivery

  From Asos Instant to Ocado Zoom, and a host of new services in between, rapid delivery is gaining traction in UK retail in an attempt to meet customer demand  Continue Reading

• Choosing the right kind of hybrid cloud management

  We look at the various factors businesses should consider when looking to solve their cloud management problems  Continue Reading

• Is it too soon for AI in the education landscape?

  This year saw education secretary Damian Hinds call for more tech in schools to help reduce teacher workload, but are schools ready, and how do we fix the pressing issues faced by UK education?  Continue Reading

• Using simulated disaster management to tackle the security skills gap

  With the increasing need for cyber security professionals, organisations are turning to new ways to address the skills gap facing the security sector  Continue Reading

• What are the CDN options for enterprises?

  We look at how content delivery networks can give your organisation’s web presence a literal edge  Continue Reading

• Interview: OVH CEO on offering a European alternative to the US public cloud giants

  Six months into his tenure as OVH’s CEO, Michel Paulin sets out the work the firm is doing to stand out from the public cloud crowd through its local knowledge of the European data protection landscape and its open source credentials  Continue Reading

• Counting the costs of IaaS and SaaS

  Cost management is a priority for organisations seeking to use infrastructure and software as a service  Continue Reading

• Backup product approaches vary as they take aim at the cloud

  Use of the public cloud for backup data is something all the backup software suppliers provide, but implementations range from simple S3 connections to expansive software offerings  Continue Reading

• Cloud-era backup appliances aim at hybrid content platform

  While traditional backup apps evolve to meet the cloud via S3 and Azure, a new breed of backup appliances aims to build a single environment across cloud and on-premise  Continue Reading

• Collaborative security approaches underpin container success

  Containers are helping organisations to accelerate age-old software development approaches, but success is underpinned by a constant and team-wide attention to security  Continue Reading

• Steering a safe course through hybrid cloud

  We look at why hybrid cloud can create a tricky infrastructure to manage  Continue Reading

• Can work allocation algorithms play fair?

  Allocating work by algorithm might have advantages for workers as well as employers. Can it be done fairly and with respect for “human capital”?  Continue Reading

• NVMe startups’ different routes to flash performance gains

  NVMe offers huge flash performance benefits, but no one is quite sure how to overcome the challenges that brings and startups are trying several different approaches  Continue Reading

• Career choices for storage admins as technologies converge

  There is collateral damage in datacentre convergence, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for storage administrators to stick with storage-centric skillsets. Two solutions exist  Continue Reading

• Inside the AI developer’s toolbox

  With so much artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning in development, we look at the kit programmers might find useful in their AI toolbox  Continue Reading

• A guide to choosing cloud-based security services

  Cloud-based security services can help organisations with a growing cloud footprint to reduce cost and address the manpower crunch in cyber security  Continue Reading

• How IT leaders can build great relationships with marketing leaders

  Experts dish out their advice on how to work better together with their marketing peers to deliver a high-quality customer experience  Continue Reading

• Cloud the rising star of storage: Eight years of text analysis

  Tracking word frequency in nearly a decade’s worth of storage content shows how cloud has come of age, flash has gone mainstream and how we don’t talk about virtualisation any more  Continue Reading

• What are the SD-WAN requirements for a multicloud environment?

  SD-WAN is becoming an important option for businesses migrating branch and other edge communications to the cloud. But what makes a successful deployment?  Continue Reading

• West Midlands Police turns to predictive analytics

  Force is developing a system to identify potential perpetrators of violent crime and aims to target resources – but how viable is the system and what are the challenges?  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

• Compute strategies for AI applications

  Devising compute strategies for AI applications can be challenging. Find out about the hardware, network and software frameworks available  Continue Reading

• How to create a great strategy in the digital age

  What are the best ways for technology leaders to create a strategy that is fit for the digital age? Computer Weekly asks the experts  Continue Reading

• NetSuite CEO Evan Goldberg: Oracle ownership is symbiotic

  Evan Goldberg, chief executive officer and founder of NetSuite, talks about the company’s narrative, from cloud applications pioneer to its acquisition by Oracle  Continue Reading

• A cloud compliance checklist for the GDPR age

  The cloud is supposed to make things simpler, but when it comes to compliance, things can get complex. Here is a look at the essential elements of a cloud compliance strategy  Continue Reading

• Australia and New Zealand gear up for storage analytics

  Despite the marketing wars, ANZ is ahead of the adoption curve for storage analytics, which promises to alleviate storage management woes  Continue Reading

• Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky talks strategy

  Tableau’s CEO, Adam Selipsky, talks strategy and business intelligence trends with Computer Weekly. He asserts enterprise relevance for Tableau, predicts BI tools consolidation and a ubiquitous user base for analytics  Continue Reading

• The pitfalls of multicloud network management

  Migrating to and managing a multicloud network introduces new complexities into the network. We look at how to avoid the potential pitfalls  Continue Reading

• Cloud bursting: What it is and how to do it

  Cloud bursting offers the ability to rapidly scale compute and/or storage from on-premise to public cloud capacity. But what are the key pitfalls and how are they avoided?  Continue Reading

• Break free from traditional network security

  Highly connected businesses put pressure on traditional network security. We look at how corporate networks are breaking out of their boundaries  Continue Reading

• Where next for AI? Understanding business use cases

  IT leaders share their views on artificial intelligence and how to take advantage of the technology to benefit their businesses  Continue Reading

• Southern Water’s centralised data team geared for silo busting

  Southern Water has centralised its data specialists and overhauled its data management and business intelligence technology to support business decision-making at scale  Continue Reading

• The rise of DevSecOps

  The increasing complexity of security threats facing enterprises is leading to DevSecOps approaches, which combine operations and development with security, so that all business units are involved in security operations  Continue Reading

• How ASEAN firms can tap storage analytics to improve operations

  With storage systems becoming more heterogeneous and siloed, some organisations in ASEAN are turning to storage analytics to reduce costs and address storage issues before they occur  Continue Reading

• Security without borders

  Perimeterless security offers a way to secure each point of connectivity and every device, rather than relying on perimeter protection  Continue Reading

• Storage 101: Structured data and its storage needs

  Structured data is declining as a proportion of all data but its importance to business applications and its organised nature make its storage requirements very specific  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