Opinion

Opinion

Data centre hardware

• Storage: How ‘tail latency’ impacts customer-facing applications

  Henry He of Virtual Instruments looks at tail latency, the small percentage of storage I/O that could be causing big and costly problems for business applications  Continue Reading

• As data volumes grow, backup needs analytics, says StorageCraft CEO

  Backup appliance maker’s CEO says backup needs analytics so customers can prioritise restore of critical data in a world where volumes increase by 50% a year  Continue Reading

• Brexit offers chance for UK to become a ‘data haven’

  Could the UK become a a safe place for both cloud and big data after it leaves the EU?  Continue Reading

• Life on the edge: The benefits of using micro datacentres

  Enterprises are demanding faster access to applications and ever more processing power. Could edge datacentres fill the gap?  Continue Reading

• Why the IT dinosaurs should be planning for extinction

  The planned merger of two dinosaurs of the hardware world, Dell and EMC, offers a useful insight into how to manage corporate extinction  Continue Reading

• Sale, spin-off or stay put? What should EMC do next?

  With reports suggesting some major changes may be afoot at EMC, Clive Longbottom looks at the reasons why  Continue Reading

• Does IBM have what it needs to succeed in the cloud era?

  With its history in hardware, has IBM done enough from a tech development and acquisition perspective to achieve long-term success in the cloud?  Continue Reading

• The business benefits of the third platform

  Ron Tolido explains the benefits of the Open Group Open Platform 3.0  Continue Reading

• How much mainstream IT capacity does mobility consume?

  The challenge for IT departments will be to quantify the impact of a growing number of mobile devices on their infrastructure  Continue Reading

• Intel x86 and IBM Power CPUs: Which, when, why?

  There are only three processors left in the market for mission-critical applications. Which should you chose ?  Continue Reading

• IT needs soldiers

  The government has recognised that its returning troops can bring value to Britain. Unfortunately it has backed the wrong profession.  Continue Reading

• Forrester: Networking predictions for 2013

  Senior Forrester analyst Andre Kindness reveals his predictions for the networking industry in 2013  Continue Reading

• Rumours of the PC's death are greatly exaggerated

  If recent headlines are anything to go by, the days of the humble PC are numbered, regardless of whether it's a desktop or a notebook. We at believe that's far from the case, and expect the PC to be an essential element of the corporate and personal...  Continue Reading

• Back to the future with government ID plans

  The government's new identity scheme promises to put citizens at the centre of online public services, says Centre for Technology Policy Research director Jerry Fishenden.  Continue Reading

• What are the opportunities mCommerce offers?

  Throughout 2010, a flurry of announcements from players in the mobile value chain placed the spotlight squarely on the potential of the mCommerce market and highlighted it as a valuable revenue driver in a tough and competitive economic environment,...  Continue Reading

• PCI DSS v2.0: How does it affect your web application security testing?

  The latest version of PCI DSS came into effect on 1 January 2011. If you are a merchant of any size accepting credit cards, you must comply with PCI DSS v2.0 Standards from 2012, writes Fabio Cerullo, CISSP.  Continue Reading

• No excuses for Lockheed Martin cyber attack

  US defence contractor Lockheed Martin is reportedly blaming an apparently successful hack of its IT systems on an earlier breach of RSA Security's system, but this is nothing but smoke and mirrors, writes Steve Watts, co-founder of SecurEnvoy.  Continue Reading

• Opinion: Personal device momentum will challenge traditional mobile sourcing strategies

  Enterprises are embracing mobility at an unprecedented pace, and this trend will continue to gain momentum over the next five years, writes Brownlee Thomas, principal analyst at Forrester Research.  Continue Reading

• Rationalising software licencing in the virtual age

  During any consolidation project, software licensing arrangements must be given careful thought. Andrew Buss of Freeform Dynamics discusses the legal and commercial considerations.  Continue Reading

• What is the point of BDUK?

  Guy Jarvis, director at NextGenUs UK, on Broadband Delivery UK's bidding guide for local authorities and others interested in taking part in the government's £530m rural broadband programme.  Continue Reading

• Security zone: Extending compliance to the cloud

  Most security and compliance mandates were simply not designed with cloud environments in mind – an unfortunate state of affairs as a huge amount of our data is about to go "cloudwards".  Continue Reading

• How tablets are transforming how SAP runs SAP

  Unwiring the enterprise can pay huge dividends for workers and the corporate bottom line, writes Oliver Bussmann, global CIO at SAP. I've seen firsthand proof of that. Since joining SAP as global CIO in late 2009, I have made mobile adoption one of ...  Continue Reading

• Security zone: Mobile malware is already costing you money

  Mobile malware has already been predicted, and it is fair to say that it is now here. There are already numerous exploits and scams in the wild that have been used to exploit users and mobile devices alike.  Continue Reading

• Prepare for the mobile wallet

  Entrepreneurs like tipping-points. Their sources are many and varied; a spur from technology perhaps, the first time you say 'no' to business you don't need...  Continue Reading

• IT governance and mobile technology

  The mobile world is undergoing explosive growth. Luckily, enterprises are beginning to realise the potential gains and losses this technology offers, enabling them to act appropriately.  Continue Reading

• Security Zone: DLP – Did we miss the point?

  Data Loss Prevention, DLP for short, is a phrase that should strike fear into everyone who does not take it seriously. And with good reason. Many companies have found themselves embroiled in legal battles, facing court cases, and even complete ...  Continue Reading

• CES 2011: Security and mobile working

  Corporate computer security has recently been forced to expand beyond the usual remit of protecting company-owned devices by also protecting consumer endpoints...

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• Don’t let techno-babble cloud your judgement

  Robert Morgan believes businesses must fully understand what cloud computing actually is and what it means to them as 2011 inevitable brings with it a new wave of cloud hype in the outsourcing sector.  Continue Reading

• Opinion: Plugging the gaps in the government's broadband strategy

  The government has outlined its vision for Britain's superfast broadband service. Chris Conder, who has first-hand experience of community networks, has...  Continue Reading

• Will a UK technology hub really rival Silicon Valley?

  Earlier this month, prime minister David Cameron set out the government's ambitious plans to create a technology hub to rival Silicon Valley in London's...  Continue Reading

• Clearer visibility of product roadmaps improves IT planning

  Today's organisations are operating at a time when IT budgets are tight and careful planning is essential. At the same time there is an ever-increasing demand on IT to support the business. While many IT departments would like to be more strategic ...  Continue Reading

• LTE: Will high speed mobile internet mean higher speed business?

  The next generation of mobile broadband offers us unrestricted internet, optimised infrastructure, ubiquitous access and increased opportunity.  Continue Reading

• The hidden costs of a private cloud

  The phrases "private cloud" and "public cloud" have become commonplace, but when you think about the benefits of a real cloud computing environment, the hype around a private cloud doesn't measure up  Continue Reading

• Lonely software licences ripe for datacentre cost savings

  Companies today are doing everything they can to cut costs. From layoffs to forced furloughs and salary reductions, large and small firms alike are scrambling...

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• The role of computer literacy in skills pinch

  For the past 20 years or more, the UK has had skills shortages. In every sector there are complaints about everything from basic literacy and numeracy, to specific sector skills.  Continue Reading

• Your shout: encryption, Northern Rock's website, C# skills shortage

  Readers share their views on encryption, Northern Rock's website, C# skills shortage  Continue Reading

• Cauldron of opportunity

  Technology innovation at the London Stock Exchange distils and magnifies the business-meets-IT issues and opportunities that exercise all IT professionals.  Continue Reading

• Big Blue faces legal battle as server takes a tumble

  IBM is being sued for the cost of a £700,000 server that was written off after being dropped by a forklift truck. US contractor TR Systems is suing IBM, claiming that poor packaging caused the severe damage to the server, which occurred in transit ...  Continue Reading

• Reveal the elephant: seven wonders of IT

  Do not let project failures obscure IT's successes  Continue Reading

• DPM's diary: 24 July 2007

  Weekly round-up of events at Bogcaster Council...  Continue Reading

• No, minister

  We are a self-effacing crew at Computer Weekly. It is, therefore, with some colour flushing our cheeks that we rise to stammer out a rebuttal of a remark made by the minister of state for public health, Caroline Flint, about one of our number.  Continue Reading

• Computer Weekly's campaign for NHS openness awarded

  Computer Weekly has won the publishing world's "Oscar" for campaigning journalism in recognition of our fight for an independent and published review of the NHS's £12.4bn National Programme for IT.  Continue Reading

• Videoconferencing is a technology to watch

  Business communications can benefit from video  Continue Reading

• Careers: Get on to the corporate radar with Dracula management

  Gain visibility and get back on the corporate radar  Continue Reading

• Bosses learning to let staff work to a different tune

  Who hasn't sneakily browsed the web for personal reasons while at work?  Continue Reading

• Government admits mistakes on IT-based programmes

  At last a government agency has had the confidence to admit some of its mistakes on IT-based programmes, publish the wider lessons, and show how it is learning from them.  Continue Reading

• Living in the vanilla world

  Who do you believe? IT controversialist Nicholas Carr has been back in town dampening down enthusiasm about innovative IT creating unique competitive advantage.  Continue Reading

• Don’t let them kick you out after 40

  Unemployment need not be the fate of IT’s elders  Continue Reading

• In the beginning was the mainframe

  The powerful geological processes that uplifted the Earth's mountains and formed the landscape are replicated in the evolution of computing platforms  Continue Reading

• Comment: Where do you want to go?

  Could it be that positioning IT management at board level has become a shibboleth for those working in the higher echelons of the industry?  Continue Reading

• A new ITIL for the integration age

  The revised IT Infrastructure Library will offer the enterprise an up-to-the-minute framework for maximising business value of IT-based services  Continue Reading

• Microsoft plan for mini-tablet PCs unfolds

  Microsoft is backing a new ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) format, code-named Origami.  Continue Reading

• Service can offer route to respect

  It is understandably galling for many IT directors that their departments are often seen as simply providing a service and as a cost centre rather than a profit generator.  Continue Reading

• Revenue must finally face facts

  David Varney has cut an impressive figure since his appointment last year as chairman of HM Revenue and Customs. He gives the impression of leading a new board that wants to sweep away the dusty and unco-ordinated business practices, ancient IT ...  Continue Reading

• Dose of realism for NHS ITplan

  It is more than three years since ministers launched the national programme for IT in the NHS (NPfIT) with the publication of a strategy document "21st Century IT".  Continue Reading

• Pay attention, Sir Humphrey

  What does it take for central government to learn the lessons from IT failure? If the report by MPs published last week is correct, the Office of Government Commerce has been unable to get the right messages across.  Continue Reading

• After 30 years of success in the City, service providers take Ethernet into a wider future

  Banking and insurance drive demand for greater bandwidth and scalability  Continue Reading

• Honesty is key to better tax system

  The drive for honesty, accountability and openness in government and business has been central to several successful Computer Weekly campaigns. It is also a vital force behind our new campaign for a more transparent, low-cost and responsive tax ...  Continue Reading

• Taking the lead in global digital excellence

  Labour aims to end digital divide and improve public service delivery  Continue Reading

• The race for power

  Forty years ago Gordon Moore predicted with uncanny accuracy how the computer industry would evolve, revolutionising businesses...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Don't rely on suppliers to protect against disaster

  The recent test performed in The City of London to assess the vulnerability of communications links has highlighted the importance of ensuring network resilience and availability in the event of a disaster (Computer Weekly, 30 November).  Continue Reading

• World Wide Web Consortium's future will be driving semantic web, XML and mobile

  After 10 years as the spiritual guardian of the web, what is W3C's next role?  Continue Reading

• First-class idea for productivity

  Website makes a case for mobile working but has surprises  Continue Reading

• Selling IT made easy: Give instant quotes to customers and sell all products online

  A sure sign of the upturn in the IT business is the increase in the amount of people trying to sell me things.  Continue Reading

• A mobile culture

  Heads of IT must promote cultural changes in the business at the same time as using IT to mobilise the workforce.  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On spending more on printing than security

  In response to an IDC report that revealed that companies spend more on printers that security (computerweekly.com, 30 April)  Continue Reading

• A new era for user influence

  Having invested considerable time and money installing IT systems, not to mention their criticality to the business, it is...  Continue Reading

• Technical innovation breeds enthusiasm

  Staff at BAA's Terminal 5 project make large projects happen fast.  Continue Reading

• Emigrating to Australia with an IT visa

  Emigrating to Australia to further your career in IT is a huge decision. As an Englishman with seven years’ IT experience, it...  Continue Reading

• Can Hewlett-Packard topple IBM to claim the title of the world's biggest computer company?

  In the battle of the giants Hewlett-Packard appears to have the upper hand. By selling devices from digital cameras to high-end...  Continue Reading

• Now make the law work for you

  Eighteen months ago, Computer Weekly launched its Lock Down the Law campaign to persuade the government to review the UK's...  Continue Reading

• Don't look forward to the next big thing

  Many of those in the IT industry who have been buffeted, bounced and bumped along the bottom of the worst growth downturn we have...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: On fighting cybercrime

  Simon Moores suggested the Home Office's plans to appoint IT professionals as special constables to fight crime on the internet...  Continue Reading

• NHS needs transparency

  The Department of Health’s rewriting of the past threatens future NHS IT investment.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:What price broadband?

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.  Continue Reading

• Learn to live with Microsoft

  Don't moan about licensing, concentrate instead on IT performance  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Look out, Outlook!

  Simon Moores applauds a new attempt to break the Microsoft stranglehold, but he is not holding his breath.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The hanging gadgets of Babylon

  Microsoft's Spot technology threatens to spread Bill Gates' influence to your wristwatch. Isn't this where Sir Clive Sinclair has...  Continue Reading

• High-tech crime charter is a major step forward

  The High-Tech Crime Unit's new charter takes us a big step forward in the fight against cybercrime. In the charter, the...  Continue Reading

• Behind Closed Doors: Let's organise and take power

  Tired of being seen as a bit-player in the business? Colin Beveridge says careful rebranding could take IT departments a lot...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Let's get back to e-basics

  The government's dream of a greater e-Britain needs a lot more attention to fundamentals to become a truly valuable reality,...  Continue Reading

• Can the Tablet PC make a sick IT industry better?

  The IT slowdown may have left the computing industry looking a little bit sick of late, but there's no guarantee that taking the...  Continue Reading

• Bacs must get users involved

  The UK payment industry is an essential part of our national infrastructure. In theory, banks and payment organisations should...  Continue Reading

• Tech talk: Convergence of the bits and the atoms

  The next 10 years will see IT's data world and the physical world moving closer together.  Continue Reading

• Nats: accept the facts, take action

  It is vital that Nats executives recognise there are problems with Swanwick's air traffic systems  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Are blades really cutting edge?

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.This industry has a talent for taking...  Continue Reading

• Tech talk: Wintel's cornucopia of choices

  Corporate IT people who think that all Wintel systems are the same are living in the past.  Continue Reading

• Weakest links are your staff

  Kevin Mitnick, who was jailed after he stole the source code for Sun's Solaris operating system and hacked Tsutomu Shimomura's...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Don't mention the penguin

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Linux and Unisys don't sit easily...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Vote for Web democracy

  Research wizard Peet Morris looks at how you can influence the quality of the information you find on the Net.From very early on,...  Continue Reading

• UK taxpayers deserve better

  This has been an inauspicious week for online public services delivery in the UK. Last week, the Liberal Democrats said the...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Put a check in the post

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.I had to visit my nearest Post Office...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Mobile phones - good servants, bad masters

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Even the most advanced technology...  Continue Reading

• Opinion:Brand new opportunities for business

  To maximise your brand value you must shift your focus from being supplier-driven to being market-driven. Customers remember and...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:NASA needs you

  Incisive columnist and IT expert Colin Beveridge looks at a hot issue of the day.My wife is adamant that certain clothes,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Hard times for enterprise ambitions

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Well, the marriage of...  Continue Reading

• None of us are fooled by PFI

  The Government says private finance initiatives transfer risk, but they ultimately carry a high price  Continue Reading

• Cracks are showing in land registry system

  The National Land Information Service (NLIS) has been a trailblazing e-government project.  Continue Reading

• A lack of accountability

  After three months, the High Court battle between National Air Traffic Services (Nats) and its supplier EDS over the computer...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the Day:Those hidden extras?

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day. When I read the recent...  Continue Reading