News

IT for retail and logistics

November 26, 2020 26 Nov'20
Government must hold technology companies to account on e-waste

MPs urge UK government and global technology companies to deal with ‘tsunami of electronic waste’, which is throwing away valuable resources vital for building a sustainable future
November 26, 2020 26 Nov'20
Data safes will give users control over their data

Belgian computer scientist tells Computer Weekly how people can regain control of their online personal information
November 26, 2020 26 Nov'20
Robots taking jobs, but creating careers

Robotic process automation developers tell Computer Weekly about the job they never expected to be doing
November 25, 2020 25 Nov'20
Securing UK’s critical national infrastructure is a 2021 priority

Government outlines the UK’s strategic cyber security policies for the coming 12 months, with critical national infrastructure a clear priority

November 24, 2020 24 Nov'20
Post Office accused of lying and being in contempt of Parliament in IT scandal

Campaigning politician demands access to documents that could prove that the Post Office lied
November 24, 2020 24 Nov'20
Nominet introduces new resources for cyber scam victims

Domain name registrar is working with law enforcement to provide new information, guidance and resources for potential victims of online scams
November 23, 2020 23 Nov'20
Amazon Swedish language site will expand reach of local retailers

Amazon launches Swedish language website and promises to make more products available in the Nordic region
November 23, 2020 23 Nov'20
NCSC issues retail security alert ahead of Black Friday sales

National Cyber Security Centre issues refreshed guidance as cyber criminals turn their eyes to the holiday shopping season
November 23, 2020 23 Nov'20
Subpostmasters want £300m from a government that allowed Post Office ‘reign of terror’

The government allowed the Post Office to “run amok” and destroy lives, says complaint to Parliamentary Ombudsman
November 19, 2020 19 Nov'20
Fujitsu staff under investigation for potential perjury in Post Office IT trial named

Court documents reveal the names of the Fujitsu employees under investigation for potentially providing misleading information in criminal trials

November 17, 2020 17 Nov'20
Botched software update to blame for Post Office Horizon crash

Post Office says planned firmware update caused the problem that left branches unable to do business for 90 minutes
November 16, 2020 16 Nov'20
Post Office explanation of IT system outage so vague it is ‘pointless’

Post Office criticised over vagueness of its explanation of the cause of a UK-wide IT failure that saw subpostmasters unable to do business
November 13, 2020 13 Nov'20
IT Priorities 2020: European IT budget share reflects home-working challenges brought by Covid

European organisations are being forced to redivert more limited budgets during the pandemic
November 13, 2020 13 Nov'20
Police open criminal investigation into potential perjury by Fujitsu staff in Post Office IT trials

Current and former Fujitsu staff could face prosecution for giving false evidence in the trials of subpostmasters accused of theft and false accounting
November 11, 2020 11 Nov'20
Norway has lowest physical cash use in the world, says report

Norway claims to use less cash as a proportion of total spending than any other country across the globe, according to a study by its central bank
November 11, 2020 11 Nov'20
Amazon charged with breaching EU antitrust rules

Tech giant accused of using data it collects on smaller retailers to benefit its own e-commerce business
November 11, 2020 11 Nov'20
Lack of openness on Horizon errors remains as Fujitsu refuses to explain latest outage

Subpostmasters are being kept in the dark about errors in the branch computer system they use, despite the Post Office and Fujitsu being slammed in court over their lack of openness
November 06, 2020 06 Nov'20
Finger pointed at Fujitsu as Post Office Horizon system crashes nationally

Post Office branches offline during busy business hours after suffering an IT error that the Post Office said related to IT from supplier Fujitsu
November 05, 2020 05 Nov'20
Mastercard: Looks like a tech firm, acts like a tech firm, is a tech firm

Financial services giant finds itself in a prominent position as the volume of digital transactions increases
November 03, 2020 03 Nov'20
Mixed blessings for robots in retail

Ocado has acquired two US firms to boost its robotics expertise, while Walmart has reverted to using staff for shelf inventory checks
November 03, 2020 03 Nov'20
Subpostmasters’ complaint about government begins its journey to Parliamentary Ombudsman

Government faces scrutiny of its handling of the Post Office IT scandal that destroyed subpostmasters’ lives and livelihoods
November 02, 2020 02 Nov'20
Finnish government rolls out digital projects to support SMEs

Finland is set to create network of technology hubs that will support SMEs in the country, as well as create links across the EU
October 30, 2020 30 Oct'20
Amazon posts 'better than expected' Q3 results as Covid-19 pandemic continues to drive sales up

Online retail giant Amazon has enjoyed a bumper third quarter, as demand for its goods and services continues to soar as the pandemic forces people to stay home
October 27, 2020 27 Oct'20
Ikea on how Google Cloud has helped it cope with Covid-induced shifts in customer demand

Ikea Retail CDO Barbara Martin Coppola tells us how cloud technologies have helped the company adapt to the rapid changes in consumer behaviour brought about by the pandemic
October 27, 2020 27 Oct'20
ICO slams Experian over ‘invisible’ data processing

Data processing practices used by Experian broke data protection law, says Information Commissioner’s Office
October 27, 2020 27 Oct'20
Calls for clarity over Amazon insider breach

Security experts call for more clarity from Amazon over an apparent leak of customer data
October 26, 2020 26 Oct'20
Dutch government ‘unambitious’ in digital

The Netherlands has been working at home as much as possible since the outbreak of Covid-19, but its dependence on technology and connectivity does not seem to be reflected by the government’s approach to digitisation
October 26, 2020 26 Oct'20
Cooperation between Norway’s security agencies planned following cyber attack on parliament

Government seeks to develop enhanced national IT infrastructure with an embedded early warning system and defence shield to protect the IT systems of public and private organisations
October 23, 2020 23 Oct'20
NHS trust takes another look at its appointment of IT scandal CEO

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has asked for external review of its process when appointing controversial executive
October 22, 2020 22 Oct'20
Nordic countries in denial over IT industry equality

Arriving in Denmark to find she was the only woman on a computer science master’s course was a shock to Plamena Cherneva
October 21, 2020 21 Oct'20
Customer loyalty accounts in danger from cyber criminals

Billions of credential stuffing attacks are harvesting valuable customer data for the dark web economy
October 21, 2020 21 Oct'20
Retailers get access to new security toolkit

The British Retail Consortium has worked with the NCSC to develop a new cyber security toolkit pitched at retailers
October 20, 2020 20 Oct'20
Labour shares concerns over ‘whitewash’ Horizon IT inquiry

Labour MPs write to postal affairs minister expressing fears that the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal does not guarantee cooperation from the Post Office, Fujitsu and government
October 15, 2020 15 Oct'20
Post Office races to solve IT error under gaze of public and banks

The Post Office is focusing urgently on fixing an IT error suffered by a subpostmaster amid the ongoing IT scandal
October 14, 2020 14 Oct'20
Unions urge government to improve conditions for Amazon workers

Unions have urged the UK government to leverage its position as a client of Amazon to improve conditions for workers
October 14, 2020 14 Oct'20
Fintech ‘unicorn’ Klarna probed over data misuse

Online bank blames misuse of user data on human error as Information Commissioner’s Office weighs in
October 13, 2020 13 Oct'20
Government minister’s plea for subpostmasters to take part in review of IT scandal rejected

Government minister met with former subpostmaster online in an attempt to get victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal involved in government review
October 12, 2020 12 Oct'20
UK economy could see blockchain boost worth £57bn by 2030

Blockchain could provide major economic benefits by being used to track and trace products and services
October 12, 2020 12 Oct'20
Government gives update on post-Brexit customs systems

Cabinet Office’s Border and Protocol Delivery Group provides further clarity on the readiness of the UK’s post-Brexit border IT systems
October 09, 2020 09 Oct'20
Magecart strikes website of school payments service Wisepay

Magecart credit card skimmer harvested financial data of users of Wisepay’s platform over a two-day period
October 08, 2020 08 Oct'20
Care Quality Commission enquiries into IT scandal CEO continue

NHS regulator continues enquiries about the appointment of former Post Office CEO at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as more damning details emerge
October 08, 2020 08 Oct'20
Tesco hires 16,000 staff to cope with Covid-19 shopping habits

After an increase in online sales as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, supermarket Tesco made 16,000 temporary staff permanent to cope with the shift in customer behaviour
October 07, 2020 07 Oct'20
Consumers find new payment methods during pandemic

Non-cash payments have grown at their fastest rate for a decade and due to Covid-19 restrictions, more people are discovering different ways to pay
October 07, 2020 07 Oct'20
UK accounts for 45% of Europe’s card fraud as criminals target online transactions

Payment card fraudsters steal €1.5bn, with card-not-present attacks accounting for three-quarters of this sum
October 06, 2020 06 Oct'20
Government deaf to loud calls for statutory public inquiry into Post Office scandal

MPs are demanding the government holds a full statutory public inquiry into the Post Office IT scandal
October 02, 2020 02 Oct'20
Benelux ports use blockchain in major efficiency drive

Belgian startup T-Mining develops application based on blockchain technology to make container handling safer and more efficient
October 02, 2020 02 Oct'20
Future UK-EU data sharing put at risk by Brexit legislation

When the Brexit transition period ends, UK ministers will have the power to forge new data-sharing arrangements that risk undermining the viability of future data transfers with the European Union
October 02, 2020 02 Oct'20
Justice for subpostmasters as wrongful criminal convictions are set to be quashed

The Post Office has chosen not to contest 44 out of 47 appeals, meaning most are likely to have their names cleared, but others still face a Court of Appeal battle for justice
October 02, 2020 02 Oct'20
How a Singapore startup is disrupting logistics management

Portcast’s cloud-based logistics management platform uses machine learning and big data to improve supply chain visibility for logistics companies, shipping lines and manufacturers
September 30, 2020 30 Sep'20
Norway leaves door open to Huawei

Government gives telecoms companies responsibility to choose their equipment suppliers, which could include Huawei
September 29, 2020 29 Sep'20
Subpostmasters still in the dark about live Horizon errors

Subpostmasters still not being told about all the known errors in the controversial Post Office branch accounting and retail system that they use
September 28, 2020 28 Sep'20
Case Study: Douglas and Gordon uses video to make house searching safer

Estate agent Douglas and Gordon has made videos of prospective properties to make it safer and easier for house hunters to find their new home during the coronavirus pandemic
September 24, 2020 24 Sep'20
Coronavirus shows inadequacy of rear-view mirror planning

Looking at historical data has hampered businesses’ attempts to move forward effectively during the pandemic
September 24, 2020 24 Sep'20
How FedEx sustains tech innovation

At the start of the Tibco Live virtual conference, FedEx CIO Rob Carter was asked how he helps the business drive innovation
September 23, 2020 23 Sep'20
Over half of firms intend to continue US data transfers despite Schrems II

Survey shows many organisations do not intend to significantly change their data-sharing practices, at least until there is more guidance from regulators or governments
September 22, 2020 22 Sep'20
The inside story of Taiwan’s AI whizz

Not content with his stellar achievements in artificial intelligence, Chih-Han Yu wanted to create an impact with his work and formed one of Taiwan’s most important unicorns
September 21, 2020 21 Sep'20
Royal Mint coin production freeze points to digital future for small payments

Royal Mint freezes production of certain coins as demand dries up amid changing consumer habits
September 16, 2020 16 Sep'20
Ocado sees increased weekly orders following lockdown

Weekly orders for online grocer Ocado increased in the third quarter of 2020 as customers settle into online shopping behaviour
September 16, 2020 16 Sep'20
Retailers urged to get to grips with Magento as attacks spike

A huge spike in online retailers being hacked with Magecart credit card skimmers is being blamed on unsupported versions of Adobe Magento
September 10, 2020 10 Sep'20
Nordic CIO interview: Maria Lundberg, ICA Gruppen

The CIO of Swedish retail giant ICA Gruppen, Maria Lundberg, who is overseeing the digitisation of four retail sectors, tells Computer Weekly about the challenges of providing shared IT services for localised needs
September 09, 2020 09 Sep'20
Abu Dhabi government launches peer-to-peer coding campus

Abu Dhabi government launches a specialist programming school that uses peer-to-peer teaching methods and gamification
September 08, 2020 08 Sep'20
Post Office Horizon IT scandal victims face further battles as government digs heels in

The government repeats that it won’t pay victims’ legal costs and confirms review into the scandal will not have the power to call witnesses
September 04, 2020 04 Sep'20
Covid-19 has strained London tech firms but they have central role in recovery

London tech startups are feeling the effects of the economic slowdown brought on by Covid-19, but there is a huge opportunity for those with the right focus
September 04, 2020 04 Sep'20
Virtual London Tech Week is a sign of the future

London Tech week's virtual event is another sign of how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation
September 03, 2020 03 Sep'20
Amazon to recruit 7,000 permanent workers in UK during 2020 hiring spree

The online retail giant’s UK workforce looks set to expand to 40,000 employees by the end of 2020, as its network of fulfilment centres continues to grow
September 03, 2020 03 Sep'20
M&S and Ocado enter first week of online delivery partnership

Customers can now order M&S food through online supermarket Ocado’s website as part of an ongoing partnership between the two retailers
September 03, 2020 03 Sep'20
One actor behind Magecart skimmer kit

RiskIQ has identified that variations in software tools used for Magecart ecommerce site attacks are based on kits from the same group
September 02, 2020 02 Sep'20
Asos launches TikTok brand campaign

Fashion brand Asos has launched a campaign on TikTok to bring awareness of its products to a wider audience
August 27, 2020 27 Aug'20
Asda trials platform for customer parcel updates

Retailers Asda is trialling delivery management from tech platform Sorted to provide customers who have ordered clothing online with a better customer experience
August 27, 2020 27 Aug'20
Aggrieved Amazon employees organise protests at homes of Jeff Bezos

A newly formed workers’ collective will protest outside the homes of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos seeking to secure a number of concessions for essential workers
August 26, 2020 26 Aug'20
Co-operative cuts branch network and jobs

Co-operative bank will rely more heavily on its digital channels as 18 more branches are shuttered
August 20, 2020 20 Aug'20
Pandemic behaviour shift will continue for many consumers, research finds

A large number of customers say the way they have been forced to shop during the pandemic will have a lasting impact on their shopping behaviours
August 10, 2020 10 Aug'20
Retailer Monsoon allegedly exposing data via Pulse Connect server

A researcher has found a critically insecure Pulse Connect Secure VPN version belonging to UK retailer Monsoon Accessorize, but claims the firm is ignoring his disclosures
August 10, 2020 10 Aug'20
CIO interview: DFS’s Russell Harte on the Google ecosystem

The furniture retailer has standardised on G Suite and has bought into the Google Cloud Platform and Chrome OS devices
August 07, 2020 07 Aug'20
Government pumps £650m into Northern Ireland border

Funding for the Northern Ireland border includes £200m for a Trader Support Service and £155m to develop technology to support traders during post-Brexit transition period
August 05, 2020 05 Aug'20
Egypt’s datacentre plans take key step forward

Government lays the foundations for a datacentre industry with its new data protection law
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 29, 2020 29 Jul'20
Amazon to create 1,000 skilled tech roles in Ireland

Retail giant Amazon will be adding several skilled tech roles to its locations in Ireland over the next two years
July 29, 2020 29 Jul'20
Cosmetics firm Avon faces new cyber security incident

Technical information relating to Avon’s web and mobile sites was inadvertently left exposed on an unsecured Microsoft Azure server
July 28, 2020 28 Jul'20
Why supply chain visibility is key to APAC retailers

Having complete visibility over the supply chain will enable retailers to tide over the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and transform their businesses
July 27, 2020 27 Jul'20
Volkswagen Group to open up AWS-powered Industrial Cloud to third-party tech firms

Car manufacturer Volkswagen Group has unveiled the next phase of its Industrial Cloud strategy, which includes the creation of an open ecosystem of supportive software partners
July 22, 2020 22 Jul'20
Aramex ships in Rackspace Technology to accelerate datacentre downsizing and move to AWS cloud

Dubai-based international shipping and logistics firm Aramex is in the midst of a cloud-focused digital transformation designed to tighten up its last-mile delivery operations with the help of Rackspace Technology
July 22, 2020 22 Jul'20
New opportunities for Nordic startups post-Covid-19 as virtual offices become the norm

As companies adjust to digital office life in the pandemic era, a host of Nordic startups are already helping them convert these short-term fixes into long-term strategy
July 17, 2020 17 Jul'20
Enterprises need to rethink how end-of-life equipment is dealt with

Electronic waste is a massive and growing problem, but many companies are not recycling or reusing IT equipment, instead opting for physical destruction of the assets
July 16, 2020 16 Jul'20
Room for improvement in Dutch digital skills

The Netherlands has good telecommunications and IT networks that can be used safely and reliably, but there is room for improvement in digital skills among the Dutch
July 16, 2020 16 Jul'20
Ocado hired 300 tech workers over past six months

Online supermarket Ocado has hired a significant number of technology workers over the past six months to cope with coronavirus demand, it announced in its half-year results
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 14, 2020 14 Jul'20
Subpostmasters hit funding target to prevent government from burying IT scandal

The government is set to face scrutiny over its involvement in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, described as one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in modern UK history
July 08, 2020 08 Jul'20
Over 15 billion credentials for sale on dark web

Research by Digital Shadows reveals the scale of the security threat facing consumers as it uncovers 15 billion usernames and passwords stolen in more than 100,000 different data breaches
July 08, 2020 08 Jul'20
Post Office scandal victims have days to raise thousands of pounds or perpetrators go scot-free

Victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal need to raise thousands of pounds in a week or those responsible for their suffering will avoid scrutiny
July 06, 2020 06 Jul'20
North Korea behind spate of Magecart attacks

The Magecart credit card skimmer found on the website of retailer Claire’s Accessories was likely put there by the Lazarus or Hidden Cobra North Korean APT group, reports Sansec
July 06, 2020 06 Jul'20
How Infor Nexus is helping to digitalise Asia’s supply chain

Infor’s Nexus unit has been supporting digitalisation efforts in Asia’s supply chain industry before the Covid-19 pandemic, which has accelerated adoption of cloud-based offerings in the region
July 03, 2020 03 Jul'20
CIO interview: Nick Burton, chief information and digital officer, Avon International

The international beauty brand faced a major problem when the UK went into lockdown – how could its door-to-door sales model adapt to a socially distanced world?
July 01, 2020 01 Jul'20
CIO interview: Richard Gifford, CIO, Wincanton

Transforming legacy systems, making use of real-time data and exploring emerging technologies are high on the agenda for the logistics giant’s IT team
July 01, 2020 01 Jul'20
FakeSpy Android malware targets Royal Mail app users

The FakeSpy malware was first identified in October 2017 but is now significantly more powerful and dangerous
June 29, 2020 29 Jun'20
MPs to examine fairness of private prosecutions in light of Post Office IT scandal

Parliamentary Justice Committee to hold short inquiry into the rules and regulations surrounding private organisations’ ability to initiate criminal proceedings
June 25, 2020 25 Jun'20
Former Post Office CEO and Fujitsu play the blame game in Horizon IT scandal

Post Office and Fujitsu blame each other for many of the failings in the Horizon IT scandal that wrecked lives
June 24, 2020 24 Jun'20
Amazon’s carbon emissions surge during 2019

Amazon’s carbon footprint continues to grow, jumping 15% in one year, with the company maintaining it will take some time for its green investments to yield measurable results
June 24, 2020 24 Jun'20
Firm that investigated controversial Post Office IT system to support criminal conviction appeals

Second Sight is working with law firm in appeals by subpostmasters against criminal convictions in Horizon IT scandal
June 22, 2020 22 Jun'20
Care Quality Commission to discuss concerns over Paula Vennells’ NHS role

Healthcare regulator will be discussing concerns about former NHS boss chairing an NHS trust at an upcoming meeting