News

Information technology in the Nordics

• December 10, 2020 10 Dec'20

  Data on Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine stolen in cyber attack

  The European Medicines Agency has launched a full investigation into an apparent security incident that has seen documents on the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine stolen

• 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

  Finnish finance giant pilots fingerprint payments

  OP Financial introduces biometric security technology to enable higher-value payments to be made safely using contactless cards

• November 16, 2020 16 Nov'20

  Privacy advocates call for European probe into Palantir

  Dutch group SOMI is trying to raise awareness of Palantir’s data privacy practices and how it works with European government agencies

• 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 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 09, 2020 09 Nov'20

  Tampere’s perfect storm triggers a startup revolution

  Previously a hub for Nokia and Microsoft, Finland’s second-largest city is capitalising on a wealth of technical knowhow to become the dark horse of the Nordic startup scene

• November 04, 2020 04 Nov'20

  Nordic countries to develop common digital system

  Common digital platform will help small and medium-sized enterprises across the Nordic region with data sharing

• 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 28, 2020 28 Oct'20

  Finnish therapy centre accused of covering up cyber attack

  Private therapy practice Vastaamo faces questions over its security and business practices in the months leading up to one of the biggest data breaches in Finland’s history

• October 26, 2020 26 Oct'20

  Highly unusual hacking attack directly threatens therapy patients

  A hacker has directly contacted therapy patients to say their highly personal therapy notes will be put on the internet unless they pay the ransom

• 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 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 22, 2020 22 Oct'20

  Nordic CIO Interview: Teemu Salmi, Stora Enso

  Working with startup communities helps to drive digital transformation at one of the world’s largest forest industry companies, Stora Enso

• October 19, 2020 19 Oct'20

  Estonian rude awakening spurs tech startup activity

  Money laundering scandal in Estonia has sparked tech startup activity in the Baltic country as banks look for answers

• 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 25, 2020 25 Sep'20

  Nordic CIO interview: Per Boström, Skanska

  The construction industry may be a slow starter when it comes to adopting digital technology, but it is reaping the benefits quickly, with Sweden’s Skanska focused on playing catch up, according to CIO Per Boström

• September 22, 2020 22 Sep'20

  Green Cargo extends Rimini contract to keep legacy SAP backend running

  Mainframe and SAP to provide systems of record, with real-time data for new digitisation initiatives, built on multi-cloud, RPA and low-code platforms

• September 17, 2020 17 Sep'20

  Swedish bank cuts branches and jobs, increases IT spend

  Swedish bank is increasing investment IT to improve digital banking as it reduces its branch network

• 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 08, 2020 08 Sep'20

  Nordic banks invest and innovate to keep digital rivals at bay

  Large traditional banks are accelerating their digital transformations as the regional fintech sector makes its presence felt

• September 01, 2020 01 Sep'20

  Norway’s corporates want government to support ‘herd immunity’ to cyber attack

  Leading business organisations in Norway call on government to play a more active role in improving and coordinating the country’s cyber defences

• August 25, 2020 25 Aug'20

  Nordic startups send a message to global investment community

  Early-stage tech companies across the world should set up Nordic operations earlier in their development journeys

• August 05, 2020 05 Aug'20

  Netherlands investigates innovative privacy technology SSI

  Dutch research organisation is looking into areas where self-sovereign identity technology could be used in society and business

• 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

• August 03, 2020 03 Aug'20

  Private equity leads Nordic IT sector consolidation

  Private equity firms and industrial giants are triggering mergers and acquisitions in the Nordic tech sector as investment slows amid the Covid-19 pandemic

• August 03, 2020 03 Aug'20

  Estonian police and border services need better IT to block criminals from becoming e-residents

  Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia needs to improve its IT systems to stop criminals from becoming e-residents, says report

• July 30, 2020 30 Jul'20

  Finland government funds work on potential quantum leap

  Finland's government is committing money to the development of quantum computing technologies to potentially provide a giant leap for the nation's industries

• 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 21, 2020 21 Jul'20

  BMW Group signs six-year HPC contract with eco-friendly Swedish colocation firm

  Motor manufacturer agrees to double-down on its use of EcoDataCenter's environmentally friendly colocation facilities

• July 21, 2020 21 Jul'20

  Santander consumer arm to automate further after Nordic project

  Time and cost savings achieved by RPA pilot were high and customer experience improved, says bank

• July 17, 2020 17 Jul'20

  Nordic CIO interview: Brede Nielsen, Avinor

  The Covid-19 pandemic put Avinor’s IT head at the centre of the airport operator's response

• 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 06, 2020 06 Jul'20

  Avinor creates contactless airport check-in for Norway

  Norwegian airport operator introduces touchless travel check-in to limit the potential spread of Covid-19

• July 03, 2020 03 Jul'20

  Bergen’s tech hub seeking to scale after positive start

  Norway's second largest city is building a tech ecosystem that is beginning its development with a focus on the city's industrial heritage

• June 29, 2020 29 Jun'20

  Lawyers learn of fresh US allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from press reports

  The US has filed an updated indictment against Julian Assange alleging that he conspired with hacking groups to obtain information for WikiLeaks. Defence and prosecution lawyers learned about it from press reports

• June 18, 2020 18 Jun'20

  Nordic business is leading open banking charge in Europe

  Nordic region has the right ingredients to prove open banking can benefit consumers, businesses and the economy

• June 18, 2020 18 Jun'20

  Datacentre investment boost as Norway’s government reinstates tax relief

  Government reinstates datacentre energy tax relief for cryptocurrency mining organisations after investments in the country’s datacentres drops

• June 17, 2020 17 Jun'20

  Amnesty identifies most privacy-invasive Covid-19 contact-tracing apps

  Bahrain’s ‘BeAware Bahrain’, Kuwait’s ‘Shlonik’ and Norway’s ‘Smittestopp’ are the most privacy-invasive contact-tracing apps, reveals Amnesty International study

• June 16, 2020 16 Jun'20

  Danske Bank begins process of creating autonomous development teams

  Danish bank begins the process of changing how thousands of its staff work as it attempts to be more responsive to digital demand

• June 16, 2020 16 Jun'20

  Norway’s contact-tracing app suspended over privacy concerns

  Norway has been given until 23 June to justify the location tracking of citizens who download its contract-tracing app

• June 11, 2020 11 Jun'20

  Tech firms respond to Nordic government calls

  Nordic firms are working with tech suppliers to help them get back up and running after Covid-19

• June 08, 2020 08 Jun'20

  Nordic CIO interview: Janne Puustinen, Valmet

  Janne Puustinen built Finnish industrial technology company Valmet’s entire IT organisation from scratch after a demerger

• June 03, 2020 03 Jun'20

  Lidl Finland speeds up with new local server racks

  Lidl brings server racks to its Finnish stores in a bid to improve connectivity and introduce new services to its customers

• May 20, 2020 20 May'20

  Coronavirus: Pandemic spurs QR code app upgrade at PayPal

  PayPal introduces QR code payment functionality to its mobile app to support social distancing

• May 18, 2020 18 May'20

  Swedish mining firm LKAB revamps data backup setup to support downtime avoidance goals

  State-owned Swedish mining company LKAB scooped the prize for Best Data Security and Data Protection Project at the Best of VMworld 2019 Europe User Awards. Here we run through what the project involved

• May 15, 2020 15 May'20

  Sweden’s Preem puts automation to the test

  Preem is automating software testing as part of a wider plan that includes the introduction of robotic process automation software

• May 12, 2020 12 May'20

  Opportunity in times of crisis for Nordic tech startups

  Nordic tech startups face some major challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, but this could be the making of some of them

• May 07, 2020 07 May'20

  Finland’s postal service targets new revenue streams through digitisation

  Posti plans to use the new SisuID digital authentication method to accelerate business growth and opportunities

• May 06, 2020 06 May'20

  Sustainability credentials of underground datacentre in Norway lure green investment fund

  Norway’s Lefdal Mining Datacenter has designs on becoming Europe's largest server farm, and its green credentials have secured further investment to help it reach its goal

• May 05, 2020 05 May'20

  Coronavirus: Total outsourcing spending collapses in March

  IT spending plunged in March, drastically reducing increases that had been expected in the EMEA region

• May 04, 2020 04 May'20

  Nordic real estate sector becoming increasingly digital

  The Nordic real estate and construction industry is modernising through digital technology, with an injection of urgency amid global pandemic

• 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 29, 2020 29 Apr'20

  Nordic CIO interview: Stefan Olowsson, Swedish Social Insurance Agency

  Stefan Olowsson, CIO at Sweden’s Försäkringskassan, helps to ensure social security payments run smoothly, which is a balancing act of innovation, data security and reliable delivery

• April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Nordic digital educators collaborate with authorities amid pandemic

  Nordic education technology startups are supporting education establishments in offering continued education during the Covid-19 crisis

• April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Nordic authorities use tech in fight against Covid-19

  Nordic government organisations are working with private technology firms in the region to support their efforts to contain the coronavirus

• April 09, 2020 09 Apr'20

  How Bolt plans to be more uber than Uber

  Overcoming competitors with brand names that have become part of the modern vernacular is a challenge Estonia-based Bolt has set itself as it takes on Uber

• April 06, 2020 06 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Nordic tech startups face job cuts amid falling sales and a lack of funding

  Tech startups based in the Nordic region face difficult decisions as the Covid-19 pandemic leads to falling sales and investment

• April 01, 2020 01 Apr'20

  Swedbank to rebuild anti-money laundering systems after damning report

  Report finds that €36.7bn in transactions, all carrying a high risk for money laundering, were processed through the bank’s branch network in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

• March 26, 2020 26 Mar'20

  Nordic fintechs urge financial literacy to be taken seriously before it’s too late

  Fintechs in the Nordic region hope to prevent more adults getting into financial difficulty through apps that educate people about managing their finances at an early age

• March 25, 2020 25 Mar'20

  Coronavirus: Chatbot to help Estonians cope during pandemic

  Estonian government is using a chatbot developed by local startups to answer the many questions its citizens have about Covid-19

• March 24, 2020 24 Mar'20

  Norwegian banking app gives access to other banks’ accounts

  Banking customers can access and make payments from their other bank accounts using the DNB Mobile Bank app

• March 20, 2020 20 Mar'20

  How an Estonian digital nation emerged from the embers of Soviet rule

  Estonia’s minister for foreign trade and IT tells Computer Weekly how the country went from having no governmental infrastructure in the early 1990s to acquiring the label “digital nation”

• March 18, 2020 18 Mar'20

  Estonia offers digital tools to countries struggling with coronavirus school closures

  Government and tech companies in Baltic state unite to offer advanced digital learning tools to other countries

• March 18, 2020 18 Mar'20

  Swedish municipalities test AI to drive efficiencies and cost savings

  Research in Sweden measures the benefits of using artificial intelligence in local government operations

• March 17, 2020 17 Mar'20

  Telenor opens Norway’s first 5G service

  Commercial 5G network opens in nine different cities and villages across Norway, making Telenor the first mobile operator in the country to offer 5G to customers

• March 12, 2020 12 Mar'20

  IT Priorities 2020: Nearly two-thirds of Nordic IT leaders expect a budget increase this year

  Nordic IT leaders are expecting budgets to rise as they move to more advanced stages of their digital transformations

• March 11, 2020 11 Mar'20

  International Women’s Day provides platform for Nordic women in tech

  International annual event reminds tech industry that work needs to be done to reduce inequality, but organisations must work towards this on a daily basis

• March 02, 2020 02 Mar'20

  Nordic lessons on digital transformation

  Swedish financial services firm reports a successful IT outsourcing project with India-based IT services company

• February 28, 2020 28 Feb'20

  Long, dark winters contribute to Finland’s advantage in video game development

  Finland and Southern California are worlds apart at first glance, but both are leaders in video game development. We find out why.

• February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20

  Finland launches free AI skills course for EU citizens as presidency parting gift

  Finland is making a course in basic artificial intelligence available to citizens of all European Union countries

• February 26, 2020 26 Feb'20

  Thousands of UK entrepreneurs register businesses in Estonia since Brexit referendum

  UK entrepreneurs are registering businesses in Estonia to make sure they can continue to trade freely in the EU

• February 25, 2020 25 Feb'20

  Mastercard creates 1,500 tech jobs in Ireland

  New roles at tech hub in Dublin will include professionals with expertise in artificial intelligence, cyber security, blockchain and user experience

• February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20

  Estonia to give citizens Alexa-like access to public services

  The Estonian government is working on a project that will ultimately allow citizens to ask Siri, Alexa or almost any other virtual digital assistant to interact with government departments on their behalf

• February 21, 2020 21 Feb'20

  Exploring the Nordics’ healthy advantage in leisure tech

  The Nordic region is home to an increasing number of global leisure tech startups

• February 19, 2020 19 Feb'20

  Swedish consumer-protection legislation will hit fintechs

  New financial regulation to protect consumers from agreeing to unnecessary credit will force financial technology companies to make changes to their products

• February 18, 2020 18 Feb'20

  Swedish council tests virtual reality in care for vulnerable people

  Local authority is testing virtual reality technology to provide care services to vulnerable groups such elderly and disabled citizens

• February 14, 2020 14 Feb'20

  CIO Interview: Siim Sikkut, Estonian government CIO

  Siim Sikkut is one of a generation of tech native Estonians, who is turning his knowledge and experience to transforming government services

• February 10, 2020 10 Feb'20

  Norway braces for possible China backlash over 5G loss

  Norway fears trading relationship with China will suffer as a result of Huawei losing 5G contract to Ericsson

• February 07, 2020 07 Feb'20

  Startup success is ‘The Finnish Dream’

  Finland has a startup mentality running through its veins and its water, with an “all for one” attitude driving fledgling tech companies

• February 06, 2020 06 Feb'20

  Nordic industries increase IT outsourcing for IoT and big data skills

  Nordic industries are outsourcing more to support their internet of things and big data capabilities

• February 05, 2020 05 Feb'20

  Finnish digital initiative to drive EU digital-based passenger services

  Finnish-driven transport-as-a-service concept gets EU-wide appeal as a way of increasing customer satisfaction and reducing fuel consumption

• February 04, 2020 04 Feb'20

  Azimo gets loan from European Investment Bank to build cross-border payments infrastructure in EU

  UK fintech gets validation from EIB through €20m loan which will contribute to building its smartphone app-based payments infrastructure

• February 04, 2020 04 Feb'20

  Swedish rail firm’s digital journey running on time

  Swedish rail company tells Computer Weekly about its successful mission to improve customer experience

• February 03, 2020 03 Feb'20

  New jobs in Ireland as Brexit forces Revolut to migrate work from London

  Brexit has pushed the financial technology firm into moving London jobs to Ireland

• 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

  Estonian CIO gives UK IT professionals hope as Brexit removes rights

  Tech chief says Estonia’s door is open to UK IT professionals if they want to continue enjoying an EU lifestyle

• January 29, 2020 29 Jan'20

  AI is transforming the Nordic workplace – and it won’t stop there

  Nordic startups are applying artificial intelligence to address workplace challenges, with HR and operations managers across the world watching

• January 24, 2020 24 Jan'20

  Cyber gangsters publish staff passwords following ‘Sodinokibi’ attack on car parts group Gedia

  Sodinokibi hacking group steps up pressure on German automotive manufacturer by publishing information, including the CEO’s computer password and sensitive details of its IT systems, on the internet

• January 24, 2020 24 Jan'20

  Gender funding gap reveals complacency in the Nordics

  Tech investors are biased towards men when it comes to investing – even if they are not aware of it

• January 22, 2020 22 Jan'20

  UK and EU AI communities will only be globally significant if they work as one

  The European Union and the UK will be left behind in artificial intelligence research and development if they take separate paths after Brexit

• January 21, 2020 21 Jan'20

  5G builders test vulnerabilities in Finnish hackathon

  University hackathon puts 5G security to the test as new wireless technology’s roll-out nears

• January 21, 2020 21 Jan'20

  High-street banks face disruption three weeks after Travelex hack

  Foreign exchange services still disrupted, three weeks after Travelex received a $6m ransom demand from cyber gangsters

• January 20, 2020 20 Jan'20

  Norway’s government to upgrade digital in school curriculum

  Primary and secondary schools in Norway will introduce more digital learning, following the latest government reforms

• January 20, 2020 20 Jan'20

  Modern telecoms has opened up Sweden’s far north

  Modern telecom infrastructures mean datacentres can be further away from users, and environmental and cost advantages are to be had in locations such as Sweden’s far north

• January 15, 2020 15 Jan'20

  LGBTQ+ social app Grindr accused of breaching GDPR

  Norwegian Consumer Council files complaints about LGBTQ+ social networking app, alleging it is in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation

• January 14, 2020 14 Jan'20

  What is behind Stockholm’s datacentre boom?

  Datacentres are springing up in Stockholm – but what is drawing major IT companies to the Swedish capital?

• January 09, 2020 09 Jan'20

  Travelex hackers threaten to sell credit card data on dark web

  Sodinokibi cyber gangsters have threatened to sell Travelex customers’ private data on a Russian underground cyber crime forum if it fails to pay a $6m ransom

• January 09, 2020 09 Jan'20

  Swedish venture capitalist giants anticipate increased global interest in local startup scene

  Local venture capitalists in Sweden do not fear the arrival of international players

• January 07, 2020 07 Jan'20

  Swede’s war on cancer moves to a digital battlefield

  One man’s blog in Sweden turned into a healthcare app to support cancer sufferers and is now expanding globally