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Business applications

May 01, 2008 01 May'08
T-Mobile picks Software AG for IT governance

T-Mobile has signed an agreement with Software AG to help develop the mobile operator's IT governance tools and methodology.
May 01, 2008 01 May'08
Microsoft revamps Live Search to take on Google

Microsoft has revamped its Live Search engine, expanding the types of searches users can run.
April 30, 2008 30 Apr'08
IT professionals off their marks for Beijing's Olympic Games

An IT team of 400 IT professionals behind the Beijing Olympic Games is making final preparations before the event begins on 8 August.
April 30, 2008 30 Apr'08
Interop 2008: IT does matter in delivering globalised, says professor

One of the biggest US IT conferences began with a keynote speech emphasising the importance of IT innovation in business, as companies look to deliver services globally to customers.

April 30, 2008 30 Apr'08
Bank of America to integrate reporting systems with ERP

Bank of America will further integrate and enhance the its internal reporting systems with an ERP system.
April 30, 2008 30 Apr'08
HP introduces SOA deployment management software

HP has introduced new quality and management software designed to increase the success of deployment of service-oriented architectures (SOA) by businesses.
April 29, 2008 29 Apr'08
Diabetes programme keeps Ears to the ground with new reporting platform

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust is streamlining its national diabetes reporting programme with a bespoke system from Quicksilva.
April 29, 2008 29 Apr'08
Sainsbury’s deploys voice-based picking to increase accuracy in distribution chain

Sainsbury's has deployed voice-directed product picking at three of its busiest distribution centres to increase accuracy.
April 29, 2008 29 Apr'08
Five open source tools to rock your desktop

You don't need to abandon Windows to enjoy the benefits of open source on the desktop, as Adam Turner explains in this roundup of open source productivity tools.
April 28, 2008 28 Apr'08
BT brings enterprise CRM to SMEs

New solutions aim to offer SMEs software for their specific needs, plus service and suppor all from a single source.

April 28, 2008 28 Apr'08
Manufacturer Hubron saves £25,000 a year with document management

"By automating this process, efficiency has improved, staff time has been freed up and room for error has been eliminated," Dunwoody said.
April 25, 2008 25 Apr'08
Merril Lynch rolls out trading platform for clients

Merrill Lynch is deploying a fully integrated electronic trading and prime brokerage platform for its clients.
April 25, 2008 25 Apr'08
Microsoft might reconsider shelving XP, says Ballmer

Microsoft might re-think its plan to phase out the Windows XP operating system by 30 June.
April 24, 2008 24 Apr'08
BT and Unilever size up virtual worlds

Businesses such as BT and Unilever have begun exploring the use of virtual world technology like that used by Second Life to see if it has worth inside the enterprise.
April 24, 2008 24 Apr'08
Update: HSBC considers global roll-out of UK security software

HSBC is considering rolling out security certificates in a move to prevent phishing attacks across 650 websites worldwide after rolling out the technology in its UK retail operation.
April 24, 2008 24 Apr'08
Recession could force UK software firms out of business

The UK computer software market is moving towards recession and one in five companies could disappear, according to analyst Plimsoll.
April 24, 2008 24 Apr'08
Virgin Trains to run financial management system from COA

Virgin Trains has signed a £750,000 contract with COA Solutions to provide it with an integrated financial management system.
April 24, 2008 24 Apr'08
Faster bank payments ready to roll

From May, businesses will be able to have UK internet, telephone banking and standing order payments cleared in as little as 15 seconds instead of three days.
April 23, 2008 23 Apr'08
RTS will support Turquoise European equity trading platform

Trading systems provider RTS Realtime Systems Group will provide connectivity to the new European equity trading venue Turquoise.
April 23, 2008 23 Apr'08
Microsoft starts testing ‘Live Mesh’ cloud computing initiative

Microsoft is testing its "Live Mesh" cloud computing technology with US users.
April 23, 2008 23 Apr'08
Infosecurity 2008: car and plant makers turn to encryption to safeguard intellectual property

Automotive and machinery manufacturers are turning to encryption technologies to protect intellectual property, it has emerged at Infosecurity 2008, which is taking place in London this week.
April 23, 2008 23 Apr'08
Firms hampered by poor flow of information

Businesses are being hampered by the poor flow of information, according to research commissioned by application infrastructure software firm Progress Software.
April 23, 2008 23 Apr'08
JPMorgan spends £15m on Temenos banking platform

Financial services firm JPMorgan is spending £15m on implementing a central platform to support its global treasury management and liquidity services.
April 23, 2008 23 Apr'08
HSBC to validate UK websites in face of increased phishing threat

HSBC is to begin using software to visually demonstrate that its websites are genuine and help prevent its customers becoming victims of increasing numbers of phishing scams.
April 22, 2008 22 Apr'08
Derbyshire Health Informatics Service boosts ITIL service management strategy

Derbyshire Health Informatics Service (DHIS) has selected Touchpaper's IT Business Management (ITBM) system to enhance its service management based on IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practice.
April 22, 2008 22 Apr'08
Teradata launches entry-level data warehouse

Teradata, a provider of enterprise data warehouse appliances, has introduced an entry-level data warehouse, designed for lower-cost installations.
April 21, 2008 21 Apr'08
Network Rail maps assets to ease roadwork disruption

Network Rail has mapped its assets on the National Street Gazetteer to help cut road work disruption.
April 18, 2008 18 Apr'08
Centralising applications key to information security, Google says

Google says centralising business-critical applications, services and processes is key to ensuring information security in the face of increased mobile working and communications convergence.
April 18, 2008 18 Apr'08
Oracle files new charges against SAP

Oracle has filed new charges against SAP alleging that its TomorrowNow subsidiary stole Oracle software with the knowledge of SAP executives, according to court papers filed yesterday.
April 17, 2008 17 Apr'08
Public unaware of banks’ Faster Payments initiative

The banks' adoption of the Faster Payments system is not common knowledge among the public, 70% of whom have not heard of it.
April 17, 2008 17 Apr'08
Microsoft will progress online with or without Yahoo, says chief operating officer

Microsoft's chief operating officer has said the company will continue to make progress with its search and portal products with or without the Yahoo acquisition.
April 16, 2008 16 Apr'08
Hammonds uses automated document platform to produce home information packs

Conveyancing firm Hammonds Direct has deployed an automated system for producing home information packs.
April 16, 2008 16 Apr'08
Conveyancing firm Grindeys deploys LexisNexis information system

Conveyancing firm Grindeys has awarded LexisNexis a contract for its Axxia dna* information product.
April 16, 2008 16 Apr'08
Murdock builds new IT architecture to aid business expansion

Irish builder Murdock Group has invested in new IT architecture to help it cope with company expansion.
April 15, 2008 15 Apr'08
BSkyB rolls out automated stock-taking

Satellite TV operator BSkyB has rolled out a project to provide a stock-taking application to BSkyB installers based on an inventory control system from ERP supplier IFS.
April 15, 2008 15 Apr'08
Sybase releases new data management beta

Sybase iAnywhere has released the beta of "Panorama," code-name for the next release of its SQL Anywhere version 11 data management and synchronisation system.
April 15, 2008 15 Apr'08
Oracle provides access security for Siebel CRM platform

Oracle has announced the certification of Oracle Database Vault for use with Oracle's Siebel CRM, providing out-of-the-box policies that prevent unauthorised access to critical application data by privileged users.
April 15, 2008 15 Apr'08
Salesforce offers free integrated Google apps with CRM platform

Salesforce.com is now offering its customers integrated Google document and e-mail software with their Salesforce on-demand customer relationship management platforms.
April 15, 2008 15 Apr'08
Novell slashes cost of Linux offering for IBM mainframe

Novell has reduced the cost of its Linux offering for the IBM System z mainframe platform.
April 14, 2008 14 Apr'08
NYSE improves data management with datawarehousing

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which trades shares in Europe, the US and Asia, is using off-the-shelf technology to cut the time taken to access business-critical data on its network from as long as 26 hours to just over two minutes.
April 11, 2008 11 Apr'08
WHSmith increases voice-based picking by 50% at distribution centre

WHSmith has increased the use of voice-based picking technology at a major distribution centre by 50%.
April 11, 2008 11 Apr'08
Gartner identifies seven ‘Grand Challenges for IT’

"Seven grand challenges" facing IT over the next quarter of a century have been identified by analyst Gartner.
April 11, 2008 11 Apr'08
David Attenborough launches Google Earth endangered species project

Sir David Attenborough has launched a layer on Google Earth which illustrates the world's endangered species.
April 11, 2008 11 Apr'08
RSA 2008: American public ignorant of botnet threat

Seven out of 10 Americans don't know what botnets are or the threat they pose to the internet, a study by the US National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) revealed.
April 10, 2008 10 Apr'08
Npower consolidates six million customers onto single database

Npower, the retail arm of the UK's largest electricity supplier, RWE npower, is consolidating the details of its six million residential customers onto a single database.
April 10, 2008 10 Apr'08
Greggs accounts for its dough with Coda

Greggs the Bakers has purchased Coda software worth £600,000 as part of a three-year finance modernisation programme.
April 10, 2008 10 Apr'08
Procter & Gamble to boost code re-use with service oriented architecture

Manufacturer Procter & Gamble expects to be able to re-use up to half of its internally developed application code across the business within 18 to 24 months, after rolling out a service-oriented architecture (SOA).
April 10, 2008 10 Apr'08
XML e-commerce standard to boost mortgage brokers

Mortgage lenders have completed work on an XML e-commerce standard set up by financial service technology standards group Origo.
April 09, 2008 09 Apr'08
Service-based security approach claims to break new ground

New services designed to prevent malicious requests that could compromise databases and also new tools thto track data
April 09, 2008 09 Apr'08
Banks consider off-the-shelf software to remain competitive

Nationwide Building Society is blazing a trail in the financial services industry by becoming one of the first lenders to replace its outdated legacy systems with off-the-shelf software. Other building societies and banks, with systems that are up ...
April 09, 2008 09 Apr'08
IBM unveils enterprise mash-up portfolio

IBM has unveiled a mash-up portfolio for business use, allowing individuals to create situational applications, or mash-ups, to help them do their jobs more effectively.
April 09, 2008 09 Apr'08
Microsoft releases public beta of Forefront business security offering

Microsoft has released the public beta of its next-generation Microsoft Forefront business security system, currently code-named "Stirling".
April 09, 2008 09 Apr'08
ING Direct to deploy management dashboard software

Direct savings bank ING Direct has begun rolling out IT management dashboard software to provide real-time metrics on the state of the company's web and call-centre operations.
April 09, 2008 09 Apr'08
Lloyds TSB rolls out change management software

Retail bank Lloyds TSB has begun rolling out a change-management tool to 2,100 users in the business in a bid to standardise change management across the company.
April 08, 2008 08 Apr'08
Dogs Trust unleashes Hornbill service management software

Charity the Dogs Trust is using IT service desk management software from Hornbill to help it manage IT helpdesk requests as the number of employees it manages increases.
April 08, 2008 08 Apr'08
David Lloyd Leisure deploys new cash reconciliation platform

David Lloyd Leisure has selected Trintech's ReconNet platform to help improve daily productivity and increase reporting and financial controls.
April 08, 2008 08 Apr'08
Information Builders offers SMEs entry-level performance management system

Information Builders has developed WebFocus Performance Metrics Manager (PMM) to deliver "entry-level" performance management to SMEs.
April 08, 2008 08 Apr'08
RSA 2008: Collaboration Oriented Architecture key to Web 2.0 security

Businesses that adopt the Jericho Forum's new Collaborative Oriented Architecture (COA) will operate more securely in environments where social networks and trust are vital, and where mergers and acquisitions are common.
April 08, 2008 08 Apr'08
Yahoo rejects latest Microsoft offer

Yahoo has rejected Microsoft's offer yet again, saying that the current bid undervalues its company but that it remains open to a deal with the software giant.
April 08, 2008 08 Apr'08
AstraZeneca deploys Tibco Spotfire for enterprise analytics

Netherlands-based AstraZeneca is using the Tibco Spotfire enterprise analytics platform to improve sales and marketing efficiency.
April 07, 2008 07 Apr'08
Storage virtualisation market poised for strong growth

Cost reduction, staff resource constraints and burgeoning volumes of data plus a aims to decouple stored data from users driving virtualisation
April 07, 2008 07 Apr'08
Microsoft extends life of XP for portable PCs

Microsoft is to extend the life of its Windows XP Home operating system until 2010, specifically for ultra-low-cost computers (ULCPCs).
April 07, 2008 07 Apr'08
SDM aids Windows Vista policy management

Windows Vista group policy management can be made easier with SDM Software's new web-based interface for simplified desktop configuration management.
April 04, 2008 04 Apr'08
Business continuity brings strategic gains

UK and other European companies are beginning to reap benefits from business continuity management...
April 03, 2008 03 Apr'08
Technology plays crucial role in vaccination distribution

Technology is playing an increasingly important role on the African continent, helping medical teams ensure children and vulnerable people are given essential vaccinations.
April 03, 2008 03 Apr'08
Vista ignored as businesses wait for Windows 7

Business are deferring upgrades to Microsoft Vista in favour of the next release of the Windows operating system...
April 03, 2008 03 Apr'08
BT to trial Phorm adware

BT is to start public trials this month of controversial new advertisement-serving technology from AIM-listed Phorm.
April 03, 2008 03 Apr'08
Gartner's tips for IT managers thinking about moving to Google Apps

A year after its launch, Google Apps looks set to pose serious competition to Microsoft Office's dominant position on business desktop applications, but some say there remain challenges to overcome before it can make significant headway. Gartner ...
April 03, 2008 03 Apr'08
Google Apps' challenge to Microsoft Office

Google's challenge to Microsoft's dominant position on desktop applications took a fresh turn last week as it focused its competitive attack against Microsoft Word.
April 02, 2008 02 Apr'08
Lean, green thin-clients sprout from fat, old PCs at Housing Trust

Cheshire's largest social landlord, Weaver Vale Housing Trust will use Citrix thin client technology to deliver office applications to 350 office-based and remote staff, in a bid to extend hardware shelf life and cut IT maintenance costs.
April 02, 2008 02 Apr'08
Enterprise tool halves Eversheds search time

International law firm Eversheds is rolling out an enterprise search tool across its offices in the UK, Europe and Asia to around 4,000 users to save between 50% and 75% of time...
April 02, 2008 02 Apr'08
RandomStorm provides Premier League security

Premier League football clubs Sunderland and Reading have both recruited RandomStorm's online security management service to protect their online sales and comply with payment card industry standards.
April 02, 2008 02 Apr'08
EMC to buy Conchango for $84m

EMC is to buy UK IT consulting firm Conchango for $84m, in a move designed to boost its global IT Consulting Services arm and support UK and European users. Conchango...
April 02, 2008 02 Apr'08
Adept and Northwest Analytical keep National Blood Service pure

The National Blood Service (NBS) is using a quality monitoring system from Adept Scientific and Northwest Analytical to help preserve the integrity and reputation of the UK's blood banks.
April 02, 2008 02 Apr'08
Hot skills: Eclipse takes the RAP for Ajax-based projects

The Eclipse Foundation's Rich Ajax Platform (RAP) enables Java developers to build Ajax-enabled web applications and desktop-based rich client applications from the same code-base.
April 01, 2008 01 Apr'08
Masternaut keeps Irn-Bru and Tizer flowing

Soft drinks giant AG Barr is to use a GPS and satellite tracking system to keep an eye on its precious cargoes of Irn Bru and Tizer.
April 01, 2008 01 Apr'08
Siemens switches from Unix to Linux to run critical SAP systems

Siemens' IT services arm will use SUSE Linux over Unix as the de facto operating system for running 350 business-critical SAP systems
April 01, 2008 01 Apr'08
Google Docs squares up to Microsoft Word with offline access

Google has introduced technology to allow users to edit online documents offline. The announcement marks a step forward in cloud computing, an alternative to having local servers or personal devices handling users' applications by sharing computing ...
April 01, 2008 01 Apr'08
Thus returns to Thresher

Retailer Thresher is to extend its contract with telco Thus to run the communications services for its 1,800 licence sites and head office.
April 01, 2008 01 Apr'08
Government rental database to turn spare rooms into lets

The government is planning a £3m programme to combat the housing shortage by opening up unused rooms in properties across the country for rental. It will...
March 31, 2008 31 Mar'08
Trampoline says social networking can bounce productivity

Trampoline Systems has launched what it claims is the world's first organisational intelligence and diagnostics tool.
March 31, 2008 31 Mar'08
Websense launches Threatseeker Honeygrid

The first fruits of Websense's purchase last year of Surfcontrol and PortAuthority were evident as the malware scanner launched its Threatseeker Honeygrid web and email scanning service.
March 28, 2008 28 Mar'08
Document management speeds NHS data entry by 80% in Scotland

NHS Scotland is rolling out document management and imaging software across 22 health boards to reduce manual data entry processes by 80%.
March 28, 2008 28 Mar'08
Speedy Hire tools up for savings after rationalising Microsoft licences

Tools hire firm Speedy Hire expects to save £2m over the next six years after rationalising the way it licenses Microsoft software.
March 27, 2008 27 Mar'08
Councils sign up for Fujitsu enterprise resource planning service

Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire County Councils have selected Fujitsu Services to provide what is believed to be the first enterprise resource planning (ERP) shared service in local government.
March 27, 2008 27 Mar'08
Oracle customers delay purchase of new software

Oracle has said that corporate customers have delayed investing in new software owing to the turmoil in the financial markets, which led to revenue growth lower than expected, according to a Financial Times report.
March 26, 2008 26 Mar'08
BAA suspends fingerprint biometrics security system at Heathrow Terminal 5

Heathrow Airport owner BAA is pulling a biometric fingerprint system at the new Terminal 5 (T5) the day before the building opens to the public, after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) raised concerns about the system.
March 26, 2008 26 Mar'08
Sabre to identify origin of malicious HBOS rumours

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is using complex event processing (CEP) software to monitor transactions as it attempts to find the source of rumours that threatened HBOS last week.
March 26, 2008 26 Mar'08
Reed recruits Windows Server 2008

Recruitment agency Reed is using Windows Server 2008 to support the growth of...
March 26, 2008 26 Mar'08
Virtualisation presents security challenges

The advent of virtualisation is changing the way we think about datacentres, servers and networks.
March 25, 2008 25 Mar'08
Email back-up compliance saves solicitors time and money

A solicitors firm has reduced its email and storage overheads and saved two days' work from the email backup, search and retrieval process using software from Waterford Technologies.
March 25, 2008 25 Mar'08
A guide to practical encryption across the business

There is only one thing worse than realising that you have left your laptop in the back of a taxi. That is the recollection that you have not encrypted any of the data on it - including all of your contact information, your sensitive e-mails, all of...
March 24, 2008 24 Mar'08
Windows XP Service Pack 3 download to include Vista features

The third service pack...
March 20, 2008 20 Mar'08
E.ON maps overhead powerlines

Central England electricity distribution company E.ON...
March 20, 2008 20 Mar'08
Bruichladdich distillery adopts Tropos ERP system

Scotland's Bruichladdich Distillery Company has invested £200,000 in an ERP system developed for food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries to help manage its complex supply chain and support planned expansion.
March 20, 2008 20 Mar'08
Prisoner database riddled with errors

Prison Service staff are trying to correct errors in a database covering more than 80,000 prisoners after it emerged that thousands of records were wrong,...
March 20, 2008 20 Mar'08
Business metrics software can combat recession, says Gartner

Gartner has urged IT directors to push the use of business metrics software in their companies as a recession-busting tactic.
March 20, 2008 20 Mar'08
Microsoft releases final test version of Hyper-V

Microsoft has released the final test version of its virtualisation software, Hyper-V, for public testing.
March 19, 2008 19 Mar'08
Brocade unveils file management system for Windows

Brocade has unveiled what it describes as a "breakthrough" file management system for Windows environments.
March 19, 2008 19 Mar'08
Premier Decorations takes HighJump for supply chain platform

Premier Decorations, an importer of Christmas decorations and Halloween products, has selected the HighJump Warehouse Advantage platform to boost operations at its distribution warehouse in Wrexham.