News

Business applications

April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
Analysis: Is the Epsilon data breach a watershed for the marketing industry?

Thousands – potentially millions – of e-mail addresses have been stolen in a hacker attack on US marketing firm Epsilon, but the firm has downplayed the incident, saying that the data is limited to e-mail addresses and/or customer names.
April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
New Look expands multi-channel strategy with mobile commerce site

Fashion retailer New Look has launched a new mobile commerce website as part of its multi-channel strategy.
April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
Microsoft lock-in forces European Commission into Windows 7 upgrade talks

The European Commission has been forced into extraordinary negotiations with Microsoft because it is locked in to using the vendor's software and standards.
April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
Microsoft alerts business to cost benefits of secure software

The software industry can do a lot better to improve the security of applications, says Microsoft.

April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
Lizamoon hits thousands of websites, but claims few victims

The Lizamoon mass SQL injection attack in which rogue code was injected into thousands of legitimate sites to lure users to malicious sites has claimed few victims.
April 04, 2011 04 Apr'11
The fundamentals of preparing for desktop virtualisation

Virtual desktop infrastructure allows IT departments to break free from the cost of PC renewal cycles and simplify desktop support.
April 04, 2011 04 Apr'11
West Nottinghamshire College halves IT spend through 2X Software's desktop virtualisation

West Nottinghamshire College has halved IT costs and saved 80 man hours a week through desktop virtualisation.
April 04, 2011 04 Apr'11
Web plug-in apps let in criminals too, says HP

Web exploit toolkits have become the favoured weapons of cyber criminals
April 04, 2011 04 Apr'11
Cloud contracts stalled by existing support/maintenance

A survey of 200 IT directors within large enterprise organisations has found that IT directors are worried about the potential management headaches of cloud computing.
April 04, 2011 04 Apr'11
Chivas Brothers use CommVault data deduplication to maximise disc back-up

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch Whisky company, has deployed CommVault to manage data deduplication.

March 31, 2011 31 Mar'11
SMB IT spending seeing significant growth

Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are increasing IT budgets and recruiting more IT skills
March 31, 2011 31 Mar'11
Flaws in NASA network put operations and personnel at risk, report reveals

Computer servers on NASA's agency-wide mission network have high-risk vulnerabilities that can be exploited from the internet, a US government report has revealed.
March 31, 2011 31 Mar'11
RSA breach did not enable a specific attack - Coviello

The security and business world is reeling from the news that attackers managed to breach the information systems of security firm, RSA.
March 30, 2011 30 Mar'11
Vaizey wins cautious praise on net neutrality

The government won cautious praise for its approach to net neutrality, otherwise known as the open internet, at a public all-party parliamentary committee debate on Tuesday.
March 30, 2011 30 Mar'11
Government IT strategy 'lacks local council focus’

Jos Creese, president of Socitm, has welcomed the government's new IT strategy, but says it lacks details on the involvement of local government.
March 30, 2011 30 Mar'11
Microsoft partners with Telefonica to provide BlueVia SDK for .NET developers

Microsoft will use its Windows Azure platform alongside Telefonica's application API project, BlueVia, to provide a free SDK for .NET application developers.
March 30, 2011 30 Mar'11
Windows Phone 7 will take second place behind Android by 2015, says IDC

Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 OS is set to surge to second place in the OS market behind Google's Android by 2015, according to a research firm.
March 30, 2011 30 Mar'11
SAS and Teradata establish customer council

Users of SAS and Teradata are being encouraged to join a Product Advisory Council that aims to provide customer input and validation to joint SAS and Teradata in-database products.
March 30, 2011 30 Mar'11
Network failures cause BBC website outage

A network problem caused all BBC online news websites to suffer a complete outage for an hour.
March 30, 2011 30 Mar'11
Firefox 4 now available for Android phones

Mozilla's Firefox 4 web browser is now available for smartphones running Google Android.
March 30, 2011 30 Mar'11
Australian Prime Minister hit by suspected Chinese hacking attack

Hackers are believed to have broken into computers owned by the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard
March 30, 2011 30 Mar'11
Spam plummets following Rustock botnet shutdown

Global spam levels have dropped by a third since a Microsoft-led operation took down the Rustock botnet.
March 29, 2011 29 Mar'11
Pin+ offers matrix encryption

Security firm PinPlus has developed a one-time password system with 2.1 billion combinations.
March 29, 2011 29 Mar'11
Amazon leads the way on multi-media storage in the cloud

Amazon has stolen a march on Apple and Google with two services that enable users to store multi-media files in the cloud and stream them to computers and smartphones.
March 28, 2011 28 Mar'11
Spotify hit by malicious ads

Spotify, the popular streaming music service, has been displaying malicious advertisements to users of its Free version.
March 28, 2011 28 Mar'11
Microsoft rolls out Windows Phone 7 OS update

Microsoft is rolling out its first major software update to its Windows Phone 7 operating system.
March 25, 2011 25 Mar'11
UK police cyber operations gear up ahead of new funding

The Metropolitan Police Central e-Crime Unit is expanding operations in anticipation of new funding over the next four years.
March 25, 2011 25 Mar'11
Victory in patent battle with Apple and RIM worth over $1bn, says Kodak

Eastman Kodak says it could receive over $1bn in royalties if it wins a patent battle with Apple and Blackberry maker Research in Motion over camera technology used in their mobile devices.
March 25, 2011 25 Mar'11
Oracle reports strong third fiscal quarter results

Enterprise IT supplier Oracle has reported total revenue of $8.8bn for the third fiscal quarter, up 37% on the same period a year ago.
March 24, 2011 24 Mar'11
European Commission prepares for cuts to sprawling €500m IT spend

The European Commission is preparing a plan to slash its sprawling IT estate after an audit revealed it spends €500m a year on 2,000 IT systems that often do the same thing for different departments.
March 24, 2011 24 Mar'11
US-Cert warns of SQL holes in Scada control systems

The US Cyber Emergency Readiness Team has issued a warning that industrial control systems widely used in the UK and US are at risk from SQL Injection attacks.
March 24, 2011 24 Mar'11
Apple's Steve Jobs to face US lawyers over digital music monopoly claims

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been ordered to face questions from US lawyers after antitrust complaints about the distribution of music on iTunes and Apple iPod
March 24, 2011 24 Mar'11
Twitter improves security on mobile site using Firefox 4 features

Twitter is using Mozilla's new Content Security Policy (CSP) in Firefox 4 to help prevent web-based attacks on its mobile site. Mozilla has made
March 24, 2011 24 Mar'11
Programmable networks the goal as industry giants hook up

Deutsche Telekom, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Verizon, Yahoo and 17 other companies are to work together to develop a programmable network management protocol they call Software-Defined Networking through a new body, the Open Networking Foundation
March 23, 2011 23 Mar'11
Budget 2011: HMRC might combine NI and income tax systems

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) could face major IT integration following the government's announcement in the budget that the income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) systems could be brought together in an effort to reduce complexity.
March 23, 2011 23 Mar'11
Firefox 4 now available to download

Mozilla has made Firefox 4 available to download for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Mozilla released...
March 23, 2011 23 Mar'11
SAP combines GRC and BI in new platform

SAP has launched a new governance, risk and compliance platform that combines and integrates existing GRC and business intelligence technologies.
March 23, 2011 23 Mar'11
Amazon Android app store set to shake up status quo, say analysts

Amazon has launched an online app store for Android-based mobile phones and tablets in competition with Google's own Android Market
March 22, 2011 22 Mar'11
Citizens must take control of personal data, says information commissioner

Using internet services such as social networking sites does not have to be a pact with the devil, says UK Information Commissioner Christopher Graham.
March 22, 2011 22 Mar'11
Governments need new policies to cope with

Every government agency needs a "big data" policy to cope with the rising tsunami of data, to protect personal data, and to extract information on which it can act, says a report from the US President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology ...
March 22, 2011 22 Mar'11
The security benefits and pitfalls of using HTML5 for web apps

"HTML5 provides new ways to create highly interactive sites and explicitly addresses more security that its predecessors.
March 22, 2011 22 Mar'11
Five concerns from developers about app stores

1. App store cuts
March 22, 2011 22 Mar'11
What is the cost of developing apps for mobile marketplaces?

Targeting consumers through smartphone apps is proving to be a good business bet. Jenny Williams reports on the costs of creating apps for different mobile marketplaces.
March 22, 2011 22 Mar'11
Play.com issues warning over personal data breach

Online retailer Play.com has e-mailed customers warning of a security breach that could compromise personal details.
March 21, 2011 21 Mar'11
Lessons from the library: Behind the UK's web archive

Anyone unfamiliar with the British Library might imagine it to be a stuffy old organisation that's full of dusty books and documents – the last vestige of a bygone age, writes Dale Vile, managing director of Freeform Dynamics.
March 21, 2011 21 Mar'11
Cisco defers IOS patch until September

Cisco has deferred the release of its March 23 patch update to the Cisco IOS operating system, as used on its switches and routers, due to the earthquake in Japan. Users will have to wait six months for the update.
March 21, 2011 21 Mar'11
Facebook expands mobile user reach with Snaptu acquisition

Facebook is to acquire Snaptu, a company which provides access to social networking sites for non-smartphone users.
March 17, 2011 17 Mar'11
Tests show Android is 50% faster than Apple iOS for web browsing

The latest version of Google's Android operating system (OS) is 50% faster at loading web pages than Apple's iOS, according to research.
March 17, 2011 17 Mar'11
Twitter increases security with HTTPS encrypted tweets setting

Twitter has added a new profile setting to increase the level of security when accessing the mobile blogging site over an unsecured Wi-Fi connections.
March 16, 2011 16 Mar'11
Olympic ticket sales website glitch affects Visa cardholders

As applications for tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games opened, some Visa card users were unable to register after a payment system glitch on the ticket website
March 16, 2011 16 Mar'11
Google Docs adds multi-user collaboration function

Google is adding more collaborative functionality to Google Docs, allowing multiple users to share notes and edit shared documents simultaneously.
March 16, 2011 16 Mar'11
Big business plagued by missing encryption keys and digital certificates, survey reveals

Businesses are deploying increasing numbers of digital certificates and encryption technologies, but these security assets are also becoming lost, stolen...
March 16, 2011 16 Mar'11
Deutsche Bank uses social CRM to fine-tune corporate banking

Social media is driving product development at Deutsche Bank. The banking giant is using web 2.0 technologies to engage with 1,000 of its corporate customers, to find out how it can make corporate banking run more smoothly.
March 15, 2011 15 Mar'11
Software testing in banks puts customer data at risk, says research

UK banks are failing to protect confidential customer data used for software development and testing purposes, according to research.
March 15, 2011 15 Mar'11
Highlands and Islands Enterprise moves to shared services

The Scottish government's Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) economic and community development agency has signed a deal with Atos Origin to move to a shared services model.
March 15, 2011 15 Mar'11
IE9 will have low take-up in enterprises, says Ovum analyst

Enterprises are unlikely to adopt Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9, analysts have said.
March 15, 2011 15 Mar'11
Adobe warns of zero-day vulnerability in Adobe Flash

Adobe has published a security advisory for a critical vulnerability in Adobe Flash that can be used to take control of an attacked machine.
March 14, 2011 14 Mar'11
IE9 out today, but beta users want more

Microsoft will be releasing Internet Explorer 9 today in Austin, Texas, at 9pm Pacific Standard Time.
March 11, 2011 11 Mar'11
SAP in-memory technology swallows 1.3TB database

The SAP In-Memory Appliance (SAP HANA) running on IBM 3850 servers can perform 10,000 queries an hour against 1.3 terabytes of data, returning results within seconds, according to a benchmark from WinterCorp.
March 11, 2011 11 Mar'11
Private cloud takes Harris schools higher

Academy school body the Harris Federation has deployed cloud technology to link its member schools together and provide an IT platform that can scale up as membership grows.
March 11, 2011 11 Mar'11
Scottish police seek national information system

The Scottish Government has launched a national information management programme for its police service. The programme will develop a national model of common policing processes and provide a scalable solution for recording, management and analysis ...
March 11, 2011 11 Mar'11
Apple iPhone 3G vulnerable to attacks after iOS 4.3 software update

Apple's iPhone 3G is vulnerable to attacks after the latest software update, iOS 4.3, fails to defend the device, according to a security firm.
March 11, 2011 11 Mar'11
Is Oracle ending the honeymoon for Sun users?

The Service Industry Association has filed a complaint against Oracle in Europe and the US concerning the limitations Oracle puts on its hardware support. Cliff Saran investigates the changes to Oracle support.
March 09, 2011 09 Mar'11
CSA spends millions processing claims by hand

The Child Support Agency is spending millions processing child maintenance claims by hand because of failures in its computer systems
March 09, 2011 09 Mar'11
DHL launches real-time information to improve supply chain

DHL Supply Chain has launched a live order tracking system (Lots) to deliver real-time information to its customers.
March 09, 2011 09 Mar'11
Four risk areas CIOs must consider when contracting cloud services

CIOs should be aware of four main risks when contracting for cloud services, says analyst firm Gartner.
March 08, 2011 08 Mar'11
Google buys price comparison website for £37.7m

Google is to acquire UK price comparison website BeatThatQuote.com for £37.7m.
March 08, 2011 08 Mar'11
Exclusive: Free software guru Richard Stallman on government IT and why he hates the cloud

The founding father of the free software movement tells Computer Weekly why government just doesn't "get it"
March 08, 2011 08 Mar'11
Facebook enlists Samaritans to counsel suicidal users

The Samaritans has teamed up with Facebook to enable users to report friends contemplating suicide.
March 08, 2011 08 Mar'11
Adobe extends Flash to Apple devices with free HTML5 conversion tool

Adobe has released for free download an experimental Flash-to-HTML5 converter to the development community through beta technology site, Adobe Labs.
March 08, 2011 08 Mar'11
EU cyber security agency gets tough on botnets

The EU's cyber security agency, ENISA, has published a study on the botnet threat and how to address it.
March 08, 2011 08 Mar'11
Metro bank latest to get Trusteer security

Metro Bank has become the latest bank to offer its customers security software from Trusteer which prevents hackers accessing online banking sessions via browsers.
March 08, 2011 08 Mar'11
Kroes seeks comms bosses' ideas for high-speed broadband funds

Europe's Digital Agenda boss Nellie Kroes invited CEOs from communications equipment manufacturers, network operators and content providers to suggest new ways to finance her broadband goals.
March 07, 2011 07 Mar'11
Lack of legal safeguards could lead to census data breaches, warns law professor

Information from this month's UK census is at risk of confidentiality breaches from data being shared with policing or intelligence services, warns a law professor
March 07, 2011 07 Mar'11
BBC commits to the cloud

The BBC is moving to the cloud as a key part of its new technology strategy.
March 07, 2011 07 Mar'11
France's G20 files target of cyber attack

France's files on the G20 meetings were the target of a cyber attack, the country's finance minister has confirmed.
March 07, 2011 07 Mar'11
Light MS Patch Tuesday, but mobile security could pile on the pressure

Microsoft is expected to release only three security bulletins in their monthly Patch Tuesday security update on 8 March, according to the latest advance notification.
March 07, 2011 07 Mar'11
Dassault Systemes wins at McLaren, Jaguar

Two of the world's leading car brands, McLaren and Jaguar Land Rover, have picked Dassault Systèmes (DS) computer aided design systems to take forward their next generation car design and manufacturing systems.
March 07, 2011 07 Mar'11
Microsoft uses Twitter to encourage IE8 upgrade

Microsoft has launched a social media campaign using Twitter to encourage web users to upgrade Internet Explorer 6.0 to the latest release.
March 07, 2011 07 Mar'11
National Archive releases open source digital records tool

The National Archive has released a file-profiling tool, originally developed to support its archiving effort.
March 07, 2011 07 Mar'11
HSBC uses token to secure smartphone banking

HSBC is sending four million online banking customers a security token which will enable them to log in to their online bank account wherever they are, without using a card reader.
March 07, 2011 07 Mar'11
Libya internet blackout continues

Libya's internet service is still down following a weekend of blackouts, according to Google's Transparency Report.
March 03, 2011 03 Mar'11
Google rolls out new style profile pages

Google has launched a new profile page for all account holders, which the company says highlights the most important information.
March 02, 2011 02 Mar'11
HTML 5-compatible H.264 video format challenges Flash

The proportion of online videos compatible with HTML5 has increased from 10% to 63% in the past year, according to video-tracking site MeFeedia.
March 01, 2011 01 Mar'11
CeBIT 2011: G Data unveils Android security product

Security firm G Data has unveiled MobileSecurity at CeBIT 2011 taking place in Hanover, Germany 1 to 5 March.
March 01, 2011 01 Mar'11
Intel finalises £5bn acquisition of McAfee

Intel has confirmed the completion of its $7.7bn (£5bn) acquisition of security software giant McAfee.
March 01, 2011 01 Mar'11
Google blames software update for Gmail failure

Google has blamed a bug in a storage software update for weekend interruptions to its Gmail service in which thousands of users lost e-mail contacts and folders.
February 28, 2011 28 Feb'11
Gartner's five tips to succeeding with social media

Analyst Gartner has identified five key approaches to succeeding with social media
February 28, 2011 28 Feb'11
Centrica signs £247m deal with HP

Centrica, owner of British Gas, has signed a seven-year $400m (£247) cloud outsourcing deal with HP.
February 28, 2011 28 Feb'11
Download the final Firefox 4 beta

The final Firefox 4 beta is now ready to download and test.
February 28, 2011 28 Feb'11
London Stock Exchange tackles malware problem

Some parts of the London Stock Exchange website have been exposed to a computer virus after an advert on its website hosted malware.
February 28, 2011 28 Feb'11
Gmail bug hits 150,000 users

Around 150,000 Gmail account holders were hit by a system glitch at the weekend which reset their accounts, losing e-mails, attachments and Google Chat logs.
February 28, 2011 28 Feb'11
Planned JPMorgan investment will boost Twitter value to $4.5bn

A JP Morgan fund is reportedly in talks to acquire a 10% stake in microblogging site Twitter for $450m (£278m).
February 25, 2011 25 Feb'11
Government crowdsources open standards review

The government has launched a crowdsourcing review of elements of public sector IT with an online survey to determine which open standards should be supported in its IT systems.
February 25, 2011 25 Feb'11
Salesforce.com sales rise 29% as profit drops in fiscal Q4 2010

Salesforce.com's subscription-based CRM has grown to over 92,000 users during 2010, an increase of over 27% compared to the previous year.
February 25, 2011 25 Feb'11
Alan Turing's papers stay in UK with £200,000 donation

The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) has stepped in to provide last-minute funding of £213,437 to keep papers written by computer science pioneer Alan...
February 25, 2011 25 Feb'11
Can the government really move to open source IT?

The government has started making serious noises about using open source products.
February 25, 2011 25 Feb'11
Government IT suppliers claim procurement system excludes open source

Systems integrators took on a disapproving audience of open source advocates this week after the government told its biggest suppliers to explain why its open source policy has been thwarted for so long.
February 24, 2011 24 Feb'11
Free Azure...but just 750 hours

Microsoft is offering developers a free trial of its Azure cloud computing platform until June 2011.
February 24, 2011 24 Feb'11
Companies analyse social network traffic to target key influencers

Some companies are applying business analytics to social network traffic to identify the influencers and decision makers in complex organisations.