News

IT consultancy

• January 13, 2021 13 Jan'21

  European IT outsourcing spend up in 2020 after cloud boost

  IT outsourcing sector growth is an indication that businesses are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic disruption it has brought

• December 23, 2020 23 Dec'20

  Wipro acquires IT units at German wholesalers

  German wholesaler Metro has sold IT units to Indian IT services company Wipro, as part of a long-term agreement

• December 17, 2020 17 Dec'20

  UK police unlawfully processing over a million people’s data on Microsoft 365

  The roll-out of Microsoft 365 to dozens of UK police forces may be unlawful, because many have failed to conduct data protection checks before deployment and hold no information on their contracts

• December 15, 2020 15 Dec'20

  Air purifier manufacturer creates IoT service in the cloud

  Sweden’s Blueair introduces new functionality for customers through a cloud-based internet of things platform

• December 10, 2020 10 Dec'20

  After critical year, Vodafone trains security sights on CNI market

  Vodafone’s security head Steve Knibbs explains how he plans to bring the lessons of a transformative few years in cyber security to bear on new markets

• November 12, 2020 12 Nov'20

  Financial Stability Board says it’s time to talk about IT outsourcing risks

  International organisation that monitors the finance sector asks for the industry to discuss the risks that IT outsourcing brings to the sector

• November 12, 2020 12 Nov'20

  TCS acquires Prudential Financial tech operation unit for free

  Hot on the heels of its €1 acquisition of Deutsche Bank’s Postbank Systems IT unit, TCS has taken on 1,500 people from the insurance giant’s Ireland-based IT unit

• November 10, 2020 10 Nov'20

  Deutsche Bank to sell retail banking IT unit to TCS for €1

  Deutsche Bank has agreed to sell its retail banking IT operation to one of its main IT suppliers for a token €1

• November 04, 2020 04 Nov'20

  Contractors claim IR35 reforms pose ‘bigger threat’ to their livelihoods than Covid-19 or Brexit

  Latest poll by contractor tax consultancy Qdos suggests freelancers are less concerned about the threat the coronavirus and Brexit pose to their businesses than the havoc the IR35 private sector reforms might cause

• October 20, 2020 20 Oct'20

  Rackspace expands Singapore office, eyes ASEAN market

  Managed cloud services supplier expands regional office to develop deeper relationships with local customers as demand for its services grows

• October 16, 2020 16 Oct'20

  Services Australia taps AI in document processing

  Services Australia and Capgemini have developed an AI engine to classify and extract information from claim documents in a pilot project

• October 13, 2020 13 Oct'20

  Can chameleon Big Blue change its colours?

  IBM is renowned for reinventing itself. It now plans to spin out its Global Technology Services business, a division that was once its crown jewels

• October 09, 2020 09 Oct'20

  TCS results signal enterprise readiness to spend on IT after Covid-19 pause

  TCS’s financial results signal that enterprises are ready to invest in IT to help them recover from the coronavirus-related business slowdown

• October 08, 2020 08 Oct'20

  Accenture acquires NZ firm to bolster SAP practice

  Accenture’s acquisition of Zag comes amid growing demand for expertise in S/4 Hana migrations in Australia and New Zealand

• September 25, 2020 25 Sep'20

  Tips on breaking free from long-term IT contracts

  Far-reaching, multi-year contracts are less popular these days, but IT departments often find the renewal date is still years away

• September 17, 2020 17 Sep'20

  Loan charge under review: Government’s tax policy set to be challenged under EU law

  A fresh attempt to judicially review the government’s controversial disguised remuneration policy is being launched, and its backers have already secured 85% of the £180,000 needed to test whether the loan charge breaches EU law

• September 11, 2020 11 Sep'20

  Government 'making progress' on Smart Freight System prep ahead of Brexit transition deadline

  The government appears to be heeding warnings about the readiness of the Smart Freight border IT system, as the January 2021 Brexit transition deadline looms large

• September 10, 2020 10 Sep'20

  Edinburgh council to create smart city operations centre

  Edinburgh council extends an outsourcing agreement with CGI as it steps up its smart city programme

• September 01, 2020 01 Sep'20

  Here East CEO advises startups to generate own revenue streams

  In a time of deep uncertainty, startups with their own streams of revenue independent of investors and large corporates will have more options and be in a much stronger negotiating position

• August 25, 2020 25 Aug'20

  Council to connect hundreds of its sites through wide area network

  Local authorities invest in networking and contact centre technology through IT outsourcing contracts

• August 17, 2020 17 Aug'20

  The Security Interviews: How Crest is remaking the future of consultancy

  Crest president Ian Glover taught himself cyber security while working on government computing systems in the 1970s and 1980s. Now he is on a decade-spanning mission to change security consultancy models

• August 06, 2020 06 Aug'20

  Coronavirus: IT contractors cite lack of government support during Covid-19 as source of stress

  ContractorCalculator research highlights the mental health toll the pandemic is taking on IT contractors

• August 04, 2020 04 Aug'20

  Nordic enterprises look for SAP price reductions as they navigate Covid-19

  Businesses in the Nordics are using SAP Cloud Platform to address Covid-19 challenges and are also seeking price reductions

• July 30, 2020 30 Jul'20

  Accenture selected for key role in Bank of England core settlement system replacement

  Accenture will be technology delivery partner in project to replace the core system used to settle payments between banks

• July 24, 2020 24 Jul'20

  Loan charge: HMRC's plans to clampdown on loan-scheme promoters slammed by IT contractors

  HMRC is seeking feedback on its plans to tackle tax-avoidance scheme promoters, in the wake of criticism over its past enforcement of the loan-charge policy

• July 22, 2020 22 Jul'20

  Inside Intel’s transition into an enterprise tech company

  Computing giant Intel is pushing deeper into the enterprise with investments in data-centric and emerging technologies along with partnerships with local firms to develop new solutions

• July 21, 2020 21 Jul'20

  IBM's Q2 tapered by pandemic business recovery

  Country-specific coronavirus responses directly correlate to IBM customer IT investments, with some contemplating dialling back cloud subscriptions

• July 16, 2020 16 Jul'20

  Loan charge: Government dashes hopes of revised down settlements for contractors

  HMRC and HM Treasury confirm there are no plans to alter the loan charge settlement terms, despite calls from cross-party MPs to consider doing so

• July 16, 2020 16 Jul'20

  What do Accenture’s UK job cuts mean to the IT services industry?

  Accenture's decision to reduce its UK workforce by 8% will not be the last in an IT services sector hit hard by the Covid-19 disruption.

• July 15, 2020 15 Jul'20

  Huge declines in traditional outsourcing as Covid-19 puts a stop on deals

  Traditional IT outsourcing deals value plummets in the last quarter as contracts dry up amid Covid-19 disruption

• July 07, 2020 07 Jul'20

  MSP Xchanging attacked in ransomware incident

  Specialist managed services provider is restoring customer access to systems after an unspecified ransomware incident

• July 02, 2020 02 Jul'20

  Accenture to cut 900 UK staff

  Accenture is cutting 900 jobs in the UK, as business levels drop amid the global Covid-19 pandemic

• June 29, 2020 29 Jun'20

  Go lean and embrace partnerships to plot a path for recovery

  Starting with the lean principle of a minimum viable product, CIOs should aim to partner with outsourcers and IT suppliers to deliver business value

• June 11, 2020 11 Jun'20

  CISOs buying into unified security proposition

  The time is right for all-in-one security solutions, according to a report

• June 03, 2020 03 Jun'20

  Security procurement framework goes live for NHS and public sector

  Cyber Security Services Framework, developed by NHS Shared Business Services, has formally launched

• June 01, 2020 01 Jun'20

  Coronavirus: Government under renewed pressure to ramp up support for limited company directors

  Chancellor of the Exchequer's announced extensions of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme prompt renewed calls for more tailored financial support for limited companies

• June 01, 2020 01 Jun'20

  Inside India: The world’s IT powerhouse

  The Covid-19 pandemic is turning out to be a big fork in the road for many companies. But what about the industry that keeps the lights on for them?

• May 13, 2020 13 May'20

  COO interview: Suresh Viswanathan, TSB

  TSB’s chief operating officer is overseeing the bank’s operations as it strives to build the right kind of IT reputation

• May 07, 2020 07 May'20

  Facebook announces oversight board members

  New board will rule on freedom of expression issues and make policy recommendations to social media giant.

• May 04, 2020 04 May'20

  Coronavirus: Do Indian companies still have an edge in Nordic outsourcing?

  Covid-19 lockdowns and social distancing have affected Nordic outsourcing strategies. Do Indian firms still have the upper hand?

• April 30, 2020 30 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Government under pressure to give limited company IT workers more financial support

  IT contractors who provide services through their own limited companies and pay themselves in dividends are largely uncatered for by the goverment's various coronavirus-focused business support packages, and are facing financial difficulties

• April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20

  How likely are IT service providers to offer discounts in an unprecedented global recession?

  As the global economy slows, businesses are trying to cut costs, with IT services one of the first stops – but what are the chances of a happy outcome?

• April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: Treasury ignores sub-committee’s plea to delay April 2021 start date

  Despite the Finance Bill Sub-Committee claiming it would argue for the IR35 reforms to be delayed even if there were no pandemic, HM Treasury remains committed to revised April 2021 roll-out date

• April 20, 2020 20 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Pandemic will see consolidation of offshore captive centres

  Offshore captive IT operations owned by western businesses will be sold off to raise cash and boost efficiency amid Covid-19 pandemic

• April 17, 2020 17 Apr'20

  Covid-19 will leave its legacy on global IT services

  IT services buying and selling will go through a transformation during the coronavirus crisis

• April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Indian IT sector takes hit

  India’s IT market will see slower growth this year though opportunities abound in artificial intelligence and cyber security

• April 09, 2020 09 Apr'20

  Loan charge contractors face double whammy of life-changing repayment demands as past loans recalled

  IT contractors already under pressure from HMRC to pay life-changing tax bills relating to their past involvement in loan remuneration schemes now face calls to repay the original loans, too. Computer Weekly investigates

• April 06, 2020 06 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: BPO and IT services delivered from India face big challenges

  UK businesses receiving business process outsourcing and IT services from India will face disruption, but IT services from large IT suppliers less so

• March 31, 2020 31 Mar'20

  Loan charge MPs secure ‘unanimous’ support for motion to curb policy’s retrospective powers

  A motion raised by the Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), aimed at removing all retrospective elements of the controversial tax policy, has secured the “unanimous” support of the House of Commons

• March 27, 2020 27 Mar'20

  IR35 reforms: Chancellor slammed for dig at self-employed tax habits during coronavirus briefing

  Rishi Sunak under fire for making a veiled reference to self-employed people needing to pay their “fair share of tax” during the government’s daily coronavirus update

• March 27, 2020 27 Mar'20

  Lorca calls on security scaleups to tackle coronavirus challenge

  Lorca innovation programme has launched an open call for its next cohort of cyber security scaleups, with a timely focus on coronavirus challenges

• March 27, 2020 27 Mar'20

  Coronavirus: IT contractors ‘left stranded’ by exclusion from support for self-employed

  IT contractors who provide services through their own limited companies will not be able to access government scheme to support self-employed through coronavirus outbreak

• March 24, 2020 24 Mar'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: Coronavirus prompts calls for fairer deal for self-employed IT workers

  ContractorCalculator CEO Dave Chaplin says the deferral of the IR35 reforms should be upgraded to a cancellation, as the response of employers to coronavirus highlights glaring inequalities between treatment of inside IR35 contractors and employees

• March 19, 2020 19 Mar'20

  Loan charge under review: Cross-party group of MPs slams government inquiry into tax policy

  The government’s independent inquiry into the loan charge disguised remuneration policy has been criticised in a report by a cross-party group of MPs for being ‘fundamentally flawed’

• March 18, 2020 18 Mar'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: Coronavirus prompts Treasury to delay start date to April 2021

  HM Treasury confirms roll-out of IR35 reforms to the private sector will be halted for a year to ease the pressure on businesses in the face of the coronavirus outbreak

• March 13, 2020 13 Mar'20

  Budget 2020: Full of promises, but is it enough?

  Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget provided plenty of cash for technology and innovation, but has the government done enough to make the tech industry happy?

• March 05, 2020 05 Mar'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: Firms risk legal action by pushing employers’ NI onto contractors

  Largest-ever study into the impact the IR35 private sector reforms are having on contractors suggests firms are leaving themselves open to litigation by misinterpreting the new rules

• March 05, 2020 05 Mar'20

  IR35 tribunal sees Nationwide project manager lose £70,000 tax bill appeal to HMRC

  IR35 tribunal judge concludes working relationship between two parties is one of employment, with project manager Robert Lee described as ‘part and parcel’ of Nationwide’s organisation

• March 03, 2020 03 Mar'20

  MPs double down on criticism of HMRC's loan charge enforcement action report

  The war of words between the Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and HMRC has deepened, as the cross-party group of MPs pens three-page letter outlining its issues with how tax agency is reporting on its enforcement activities

• March 02, 2020 02 Mar'20

  HMRC CEO denies it is ‘deliberately misleading’ public over loan scheme promoter arrests

  HMRC CEO Jim Harra has “strongly rejected” claims made on social media by the Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group of cross-party MPs that it is “deliberately misleading” the public about its recent loan scheme-related enforcement activities

• February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: Treasury review concludes no delay needed to April 2020 start date

  Contracting groups describe HM Treasury’s highly anticipated review into the implementation of the IR35 reforms as “recklessly inadequate” as it concludes roll-out should proceed as planned

• February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20

  IR35 reforms: IT contractors warned off joining non-compliant umbrellas to avoid loan charge risk

  Contracting stakeholders are calling on the government to do more to regulate umbrella companies ahead of the IR35 private sector reforms coming into play, to prevent more contractors falling into the scope of the loan charge

• February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: First year of enforcement won't be ‘heavy-handed’, claims chancellor

  New chancellor Rishi Sunak has moved to assure business leaders that HMRC will not be heavy-handed in enforcing the new IR35 rules

• February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20

  Executive interview: Innovation requires radical choices

  Is IT innovative? Would a tech executive scrap an idea that took months to develop, and start afresh? True innovation requires a culture change

• February 23, 2020 23 Feb'20

  Australian government inks sourcing deal with Rimini Street

  The whole-of-government agreement will provide Australian government agencies with easier and cheaper access to third-party software support

• February 19, 2020 19 Feb'20

  Macquarie Cloud Services sets up Azure practice

  Macquarie Telecom’s cloud division will deliver Azure managed services to new and existing customers, complementing its existing cloud, hosting, datacentre and telco businesses

• February 18, 2020 18 Feb'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: National Grid contractors up in arms over tax status assessments

  Assessments are claimed to have resulted in “99%” of utility firm’s off-payroll workers having their roles reclassified as inside IR35

• February 13, 2020 13 Feb'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: IT contractors weigh up their post-April 2020 work options

  There are eight weeks to go until the IR35 reforms come into play for the private sector, but the IT contractor community is already feeling the effects of HMRC’s latest disguised employment clampdown

• February 12, 2020 12 Feb'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: Protesters demand government halts April 2020 roll-out date

  With contractors due to stage an anti-IR35 reform protest march at the Houses of Parliament today, stakeholders pen open letter to the Chancellor outlining their concerns about how the changes are affecting the self-employed sector

• February 11, 2020 11 Feb'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: Research suggests 75% of contractors will leave posts by April 2020

  Just eight weeks before the IR35 reforms are due to be extended to the private sector, new research suggests contractors are planning to vote with their feet and leave their positions as blanket bans take hold

• February 09, 2020 09 Feb'20

  Australian government to roll out SAP S/4 Hana

  Australia’s finance department earmarks S/4 Hana as its ERP system to provide common financial and HR services across government

• February 07, 2020 07 Feb'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: HMRC confirms last-minute tweak to incoming off-payroll rules

  The government is rolling out a tweak to the IR35 private sector reforms that it claims will give businesses more time to prepare, but stakeholders are unconvinced

• February 06, 2020 06 Feb'20

  IR35 reforms subject to pre-Budget inquiry as self-employed hit by crisis of confidence

  The House of Lords’ Economic Affairs Committee is calling for an immediate inquiry into the real-world impacts of the IR35 reforms on private sector businesses and contractors

• February 04, 2020 04 Feb'20

  Record-breaking rise in global cloud infrastructure spend between Q3 and Q4

  Synergy Research Group’s fourth-quarter look at the cloud infrastructure market reveals a huge jump in sequential spend since the third quarter

• February 03, 2020 03 Feb'20

  Cost-cutting and digital transformation spur increased European IT outsourcing in 2019

  The need to rein in costs while digitally transforming has led to growth in traditional and as-a-service base outsourcing

• January 31, 2020 31 Jan'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: BP contractors notified of incoming ban on PSCs

  BP is understood to have begun notifying its self-employed workforce about its plans to terminate PSC engagements from 31 March 2020, in anticipation of the IR35 reforms coming into play the following month

• January 29, 2020 29 Jan'20

  Inside DXC Technology’s APAC playbook

  DXC Technology’s CTO for Asia-Pacific talks up efforts to support the region’s enterprises that are in varying stages of digital transformation

• January 29, 2020 29 Jan'20

  IR35 reforms are 'demonising' contractors and locking them out of work, chancellor warned

  The CEO of online accountancy consultancy InniAccounts has written to the chancellor of the exchequer, Sajid Javid, to call for legislation to be passed that will ensure enterprises take time to individually assess tax status of contractors

• January 21, 2020 21 Jan'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: Recruitment industry urges chancellor to halt April 2020 roll-out

  Major players from the UK recruitment industry want the government to delay plans to roll out the IR35 reforms to the private sector so enterprises have more time to prepare

• January 20, 2020 20 Jan'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: IBM joins list of enterprises applying blanket ban to PSCs

  Tech giant IBM has notified its personal service company IT contractors that they must switch to PAYE terms or use umbrella companies from the end of March, as the private sector races to achieve IR35 compliance

• January 17, 2020 17 Jan'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: Blanket bans ‘devalue’ IT contractor contributions to digital projects

  James Poyser, CEO of contractor-focused online accountancy firm InniAccounts, claims large firms that are failing to assess contractors fairly will lose out in productivity, reputation and talent retention

• January 15, 2020 15 Jan'20

  Loan charge under review: IT contractors slam government's planned policy revamp

  The IT contractor community shares its verdict on the UK government's plans to revamp its controversial loan charge policy, which has left thousands of people facing life-changing tax bills and financial ruin

• January 14, 2020 14 Jan'20

  UK tech sector leads global growth in 2019

  Venture capital and foreign investment in the UK’s tech sector is at an all-time high, benefiting both early-stage and already-mature businesses

• January 09, 2020 09 Jan'20

  New GDPR service aims to ease compliance challenges

  Security consultants claim their software platform will address a pressing need for an effective and efficient means of complying with data protection rules

• January 07, 2020 07 Jan'20

  Government confirms IR35 private sector reforms under review ahead of April 2020 start date

  Government honours pledge to embark on a review of its plans to extend the IR35 off-payroll rules to the private sector that will focus on ensuring the changes are introduced in a “smooth” way in April 2020

• December 20, 2019 20 Dec'19

  Loan charge review results: Government agrees to policy amendments to cut tax bills of 30,000 people

  The government has announced a package of amendments to the loan charge policy that will remove 11,000 people from its scope, and cut the tax bills of 30,000 others

• December 18, 2019 18 Dec'19

  HM Treasury mulls loan charge review findings, but will not confirm public release date

  Contractor community frustrated by lack of concrete release date for review as loan charge settlement date of 31 January 2020 looms

• December 16, 2019 16 Dec'19

  Release of loan charge review must be prioritised by new government, urge IT contractors

  With prime minister Boris Johnson expected to announce a reshuffle of his new-look government today, IT contracting stakeholders are calling for the publication of the loan charge review to be prioritised and for the 31 January 2020 settlement date ...

• December 13, 2019 13 Dec'19

  New government faces calls to urgently deliver on pre-election pledge to review IR35 reforms

  Contracting groups and trade associations say prime minister Boris Johnson must deliver on his party’s pledge to review the IR35 reforms and allay fears that it was an empty promise made to secure votes

• December 13, 2019 13 Dec'19

  IR35 private sector reforms: GSK gives contractors 'quit or go PAYE' ultimatum

  Pharmaceutical giant GSK confirms limited company contractors will be phased out from its workforce from early 2020, as it rushes to comply with the private sector IR35 reforms

• December 02, 2019 02 Dec'19

  Private sector warned off delaying IR35 reform prep as Conservative Party promises review

  The Conservative Party has followed in the footsteps of the Liberal Democrats, The Labour Party and the Scottish National Party by committing to a review of the IR35 reforms

• November 29, 2019 29 Nov'19

  Labour SME minister back-tracks over claims party will scrap IR35 reforms if it comes to power

  Shadow small business secretary Bill Esterson clarifies comments he made during an event this week that suggested Labour had made halting the roll-out of the IR35 reforms to the private sector policy

• November 28, 2019 28 Nov'19

  Conservatives urged to join Labour, Lib Dems and SNP in committing to post-election IR35 review

  With several major political parties making pre-election pledges to conduct a review of the IR35 tax avoidance reforms, pressure is growing on the Tories to follow suit

• November 26, 2019 26 Nov'19

  Revamped HMRC IR35 status checker tool still lacks key functionality, contractor groups claim

  HMRC releases an updated version of its IR35 tax status checker tool, CEST, to accommodate the onset of the tax avoidance reforms being rolled out to the private sector, but contracting stakeholders claim it still lacks basic functionality

• November 21, 2019 21 Nov'19

  Lib Dem election manifesto: Party vows to scrap loan charge and review IR35 private sector reforms

  The Liberal Democrats’ General Election manifesto sees the party pledge to scrap the controversial loan charge policy, and undertake a review of the IR35 private sector reforms

• November 19, 2019 19 Nov'19

  IR35 reforms put IT contractors at risk of 'second wave' of loan charge-like tax bills, experts warn

  Concerns raised over re-emergence of umbrella firms targeting IT contractors with loan-based remuneration schemes ahead of the private sector IR35 reforms coming into play

• November 15, 2019 15 Nov'19

  Loan charge under review: The 20-year retroactive tax policy pushing IT contractors to the brink

  Thousands of IT contractors are at risk of financial ruin as HMRC pursues them for tax it claims they owe on work they did up to two decades ago and were reimbursed for via loan remuneration schemes. Computer Weekly investigates

• November 04, 2019 04 Nov'19

  IR35 tribunal rules HMRC wrong to pursue ex-DWP IT contractor for £240,000 in unpaid employment tax

  HMRC has vowed to appeal against the outcome of an IR35 tribunal that ruled it should not be pursuing an ex-DWP and Accenture IT contractor for more than £240,000 in unpaid tax as his engagements classify him as self-employed

• November 04, 2019 04 Nov'19

  NHS Digital hit with £4.3m IR35-related tax bill after using HMRC CEST tool to assess contractors

  The digital arm of the NHS used HMRC's much-maligned online tool to assess contractors, only for the tax agency to call into question its IR35 determinations and hit it with a tax bill totalling £4.3m

• October 31, 2019 31 Oct'19

  IR35 reforms: Concerns raised over private sector’s lack of preparedness for April 2020 start date

  As the countdown towards the IR35 reforms coming into force in the private sector continues, research by recruitment firm Hays draws concerns over an apparent lack of awareness and preparation amongst enterprises