Opinion

Opinion

IT outsourcing

• Five tips to bridge application management service gaps

  The watermelon effect is defined in the ITIL 4 Foundation guide as a breakage between the SLA client wants and what the service provider delivers  Continue Reading

• Supply chain cyber security is only as strong as the weakest link

  A spate of high-profile cyber attacks has highlighted the criticality of supply chain security and put new pressures on security leaders. How can we ensure that cyber security remains robust down the full length of supply chains?  Continue Reading

• Choose the right ITSM tool for digital era success

  IT service management (ITSM) tools are essential for many organisations to help optimise the design, delivery, support, use and governance of IT, but not all ITSM solutions are created equal, therefore selecting the right one is crucial  Continue Reading

• IR35 private sector reforms: What firms need to do now the start date has passed

  While the start date for the onset of the IR35 private sector reforms may have passed, firms in-scope of the revamped tax avoidance legislation may find themselves still with plenty of compliance work still to do  Continue Reading

• The Secret IR Insider’s Diary – from Sunburst to DarkSide

  From dealing with SolarWinds fallout to ransomware attacks, it’s been a busy few weeks for the Secret IR Insider, but they've picked up some new tricks along the way  Continue Reading

• Reimagining outsourcing after Covid-19

  Covid-19 has changed how businesses interact with their suppliers. Here are five steps companies can take to manage their outsourcing ecosystem in the post-pandemic world  Continue Reading

• How to modernise identity governance and administration

  Modernising identity governance and administration (IGA) capabilities is essential for organisations to manage identities effectively to ensure they remain competitive, compliant and secure  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Edge security in the world of Covid-19

  That datacentre security is a complex subject is not in doubt and, given the trend to move beyond centralised datacentre to distributed environments, this is not going to change. How can security professionals ensure such setups are just as secure ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Edge datacentre security depends on specific needs

  That datacentre security is a complex subject is not in doubt and, given the trend to move beyond centralised datacentres to distributed environments, this is not going to change. How can security professionals ensure such setups are just as secure ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: No secret sauce for edge security, just good practice

  That datacentre security is a complex subject is not in doubt, and given the trend to move beyond centralised datacentres to distributed environments, this is not going to change. How can security professionals ensure such setups are just as secure ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Beware security blind spots at the edge

  That datacentre security is a complex subject is not in doubt and, given the trend to move beyond centralised datacentres to distributed environments, this is not going to change. How can security professionals ensure such setups are just as secure ...  Continue Reading

• Sharing responsibility: Why we need to work together to keep the cloud secure

  The education sector has been fundamentally altered by months of lockdown, with cloud services topping must-have lists for academic staff, but now it’s time to consider security  Continue Reading

• Challenging times and transformational opportunities for the outsourcing industry

  Every area of the technology sector has been affected by the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, but the outsourcing industry could be well-placed to take advantage of the opportunities it presents  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: What does the ‘new normal’ mean for how we work?

  Examining the long-term impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic on the world of work, security, privacy and networks  Continue Reading

• Learning from the Travelex cyber attack: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail

  The key lesson to take from the Travelex breach is that an effective response to a breach is a critical business function and no longer the sole province of the IT department  Continue Reading

• The UK civil service is broken and needs reform to deliver true digital government

  Boris Johnson’s special adviser, Dominic Cummings, has attracted criticism for his plans to overhaul Whitehall culture, but one former government digital chief argues that he is absolutely right  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Is data more or less secure in the cloud?

  Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Stopping data leaks in the cloud

  Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security ...  Continue Reading

• Life under the loan charge: An IT contractor’s story

  Thousands of IT contractors are being pursued by HMRC for “life-changing” tax bills for work they did up to 20 years ago, as part of a disguised remuneration clampdown known as the loan charge policy. One of those affected anonymously shares his ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Base cloud security posture on your data footprint

  Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Cloud security is a shared responsibility

  Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security ...  Continue Reading

• Security in the supply chain – a post-GDPR approach

  A year and a half after the introduction of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, Fieldfisher's James Walsh reviews the fundamentals of supply chain security  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Adapt security posture to your cloud model

  Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: The cloud needs security by design

  Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Secure the cloud when negotiating contracts

  Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security ...  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: In the cloud, the buck stops with you

  Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security ...  Continue Reading

• Collaboration between local public services and industry is key to innovation

  The launch of the new London Office for Technology and Innovation is an opportunity to examine how industry and government can work together better to improve local innovation  Continue Reading

• What Belarus offers the tech sector

  Belarus might not be as well known for its IT as some of its neighbours, but it is pushing its head above the parapet  Continue Reading

• Mitigating third-party cyber risks in a new regulatory environment

  GDPR and the NIS Directive increase the focus on managing cyber security throughout the supply chain. Organisations need to check their suppliers are compliant  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Supplement security with an MSSP to raise the bar

  What is the most practical and cost-effective way for organisations to identify and remediate high-risk software vulnerabilities?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Outsource security operations, not control

  What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Outsource responsibility, not accountability

  What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Almost all security can be outsourced, but not the risk

  What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Top things to consider in security outsourcing

  What critical security controls can be outsourced, and how do organisations – SMEs in particular – maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: A risk-based approach to security outsourcing

  What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Not all security service providers are created equal

  What critical security controls can be outsourced, and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately?  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing is not dead or dying – it just needs to be done properly

  The collapse of Carillion and the profit warning at Capita have created a false sense of fear about the stability of the outsourcing sector  Continue Reading

• How creative and innovative can technology made in China be?

  China's IT industry is becoming more Silicon Valley-like and, as a result, more attractive to the CIOs of western enterprises  Continue Reading

• Managed crowdsourcing model: Another ‘made in China’ idea

  Chinese suppliers are using managed crowdsourcing to help them provide high-volume services to their customers  Continue Reading

• In an age of uncertainty, now is the time to rethink your outsourcing strategy

  Brexit and Trump are not only creating challenges but also opportunities in the outsourcing sector, and outsourcing deals will need to be flexible to exploit them  Continue Reading

• What the IR35 reforms, coupled with a hard Brexit, could mean for the UK tech sector

  Colin Morley, professional services director at recruitment firm Harvey Nash, spells out the possible consequences of the forthcoming IR35 tax reforms and the prospect of a “hard Brexit”  Continue Reading

• Acquiring public sector software systems – an alternative role for GDS?

  Controlling and measuring software systems in government is notoriously difficult, so could a healthcare model offer a better alternative?  Continue Reading

• The benefits of digital business process management with blockchain technology

  Distributed and decentralised ledger technologies, smart contracts and the internet of things have the potential to disrupt and revolutionise business process management and optimisation  Continue Reading

• Digital government isn’t about user needs – it’s more fundamental than that

  The government digital movement needs to come out of startup phase and deliver on the real opportunities for public engagement  Continue Reading

• A new nearshoring game is emerging

  Countries selling themselves as nearshore business services locations need to change their sales pitches to avoid becoming like all the other countries doing the same  Continue Reading

• Brexit – does it matter for IT?

  Brexit will have both short-term and long-term implications for businesses and their relationships with IT suppliers  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

• Security Think Tank: Get business value from security testing services by insourcing

  How can an organisation ensure it gets value from penetration and security testing services?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Penetration testing still relevant, but approach needs to change

  How can an organisation ensure it gets value from penetration and security testing services?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Clarity of scope is key to getting value from pen testing

  How can an organisation ensure they get value from penetration and security testing services?  Continue Reading

• Supercharging cyber security protection: Questions to ask when hiring a managed services provider

  With information security concerns and challenges at an all-time high, and a global shortage of security professionals to address them, some enterprises are turning to managed security services for help. To ease the selection process, Dragana Vranic...  Continue Reading

• Reinventing outsourcing through agile principles

  Organisations are starting to use agile principles to reinvent the outsourcing selection process, with some excellent results  Continue Reading

• Using technology to re-invent business process services

  BPO providers are making increasing use of the latest technologies to offer more than just outsourced processes  Continue Reading

• The UK needs pace and scale to be a global leader

  The World Economic Forum's Global Information Technology Report 2015 saw the UK ranked eighth, up one place from 2014  Continue Reading

• IT projects are harder than climbing Everest

  Do Everest conquerors have a special something that IT managers do not possess when it comes to successful projects?  Continue Reading

• Let’s get digital on the electoral curriculum for all our politicians

  More politicians need to understand how changing the business model of government through digital methods can help UK plc's bottom line  Continue Reading

• Revolutionising digital public service delivery

  Public sectors across the world are attempting a transition away from closed, top-down, bureaucratic, and paper-based transactional models  Continue Reading

• Government must be a platform entrepreneur to deliver 'digital 2.0'

  The government needs to start with a clear policy and architecture for digital 2.0  Continue Reading

• Where is the long-term political vision for digital public services?

  As digital starts to appear in manifesto discussions, this is our chance to demand a higher quality of vision from our political leaders  Continue Reading

• Is the government right to focus on buying IT from SMEs?

  Should the government be putting all its energy into encouraging departments to buy from SMEs? Alice Watson from Porge isn’t so sure  Continue Reading

• Why 2014 is a good year for IT consultants

  In a survey of consulting buyers, almost all said they are planning technology improvements this year, and most are bringing in consultants to help  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing: The soft underbelly of cyber risks

  Controls imposed on suppliers that are not the same as those imposed internally is a soft underbelly that can expose a business to cyber risk  Continue Reading

• How to appoint a new outsourcing supplier

  Outsourcing can come with its own security risks if not managed appropriately, making due diligence and clear contractual arrangements key  Continue Reading

• Avoiding the mistakes of NPfIT in new NHS IT contracts

  What are the contracting experiences of NHS Trusts who have started their own IT procurement, and how can mistakes of the past be avoided?  Continue Reading

• Managing costs on your journey to cloud

  Procuring cloud services can be relatively easy, but integrating them into existing IT environments can be complicated  Continue Reading

• The Great Deverticalisation – part 5: Mind the GaaP

  Politicians and government have the opportunity, through the power of open platforms, to take the lead in creating modern public services  Continue Reading

• The Great Deverticalisation - part 4: The role of the private sector

  Why do we persist in running vertically integrated organisations when standardising many of these processes would free us up to do things so much better, and more cheaply?  Continue Reading

• Stop service providers becoming data security Achilles heel

  Minimising cyber security risks through third-party suppliers is a challenge facing many organisations.  Continue Reading

• The Great Deverticalisation - part 3: New skills and structures in the public sector

  Why do we persist in running vertically integrated organisations when standardising many of these processes would free us up to do things so much better, and more cheaply?  Continue Reading

• The great deverticalisation – part 1: the street

  Why do we persist in running vertically integrated organisations when standardising many of these processes would free us up to do things so much better, and more cheaply?  Continue Reading

• Tips for carve-outs: How to improve your IT competitiveness

  How can businesses make their IT more efficient and still cut their technology costs? Amit Laud offers some essential tips  Continue Reading

• Forrester: The impact of cloud on outsourcing contracts

  Although still in its early stages, the transition of outsourcing engagements toward cloud-based models has begun  Continue Reading

• The DNA of the CIO

  CIOs need to stop ignoring the inevitable and start changing before they are forced to  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing reference data management

  Andy Efstathiou assesses the case for outsourcing reference data management  Continue Reading

• Where does the ICO's new cloud guidance take you?

  It is not possible to follow the ICO's advice on cloud computing and still have a “cloud” solution  Continue Reading

• Negotiating BPO contract termination in local government

  Advice on negotiating contract termination clauses in business process outsourcing arrangements  Continue Reading

• Business consulting – the next battleground in IT services

  Buying habits are shifting, with profound implications for the IT services and management consulting industries  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Proof of intelligence-led security is in the metrics

  What should organisations do to fully exploit intelligence-led security?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Security intelligence needs a plan

  What should organisations be doing to benefit from the move towards intelligence-led security?  Continue Reading

• Cloud choices: How to select the right hosted services

  Adopting cloud computing can save money, but it is important to choose the right cloud solution for your business needs  Continue Reading

• The problem of legacy humans in technology projects

  Humans have an annoying habit of resisting change and refusing to conform to the often rigid requirements of a database ontology or software application.  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Outsource only run-of-the-mill security functions

  What should and what should not be outsourced in IT security?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Effective management essential for IT security outsourcing

  What should and what should not be outsourced in IT security?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Three considerations to outsourcing IT security

  What should and what should not be outsourced in IT security?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: IT security outsourcing should be informed and risk-managed

  Security experts advice on what should and should not be outsourced in IT security  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Effective quality control key to security outsourcing

  What should and what should not be outsourced in IT security?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Business cannot outsource accountability

  What should and what should not be outsourced in IT security?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: No one-size-fits-all approach to security outsourcing

  What should and what should not be outsourced in IT security?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Start with capability gap when outsourcing security

  What should and what should not be outsourced in IT security?  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Outsourcing of IT security is not for everyone

  What should and what should not be outsourced in IT security?  Continue Reading

• Why the public sector is turning to multi-sourcing

  Sarah Burnett explains why the public sector is moving from single sourcing to multi-sourcing, in an age of austerity.  Continue Reading

• Forrester: Innovation In Outsourcing Relationships

  Clients play the most important role in innovation In outsourcing relationships, says Wolfgang Benkel, Principal Analyst, Forrester Research.  Continue Reading

• Emerging markets: The future home of IT spend?

  Cognizant group CEO of technology and operations, R. Chandrasekaran, talks about IT spending in emerging markets  Continue Reading

• It is time for new IT suppliers for government

  The report from the Public Administration Select Committee into government IT pulls no punches, with its theme of an oligopoly of giant system integrators, says government SME advisor Mark Taylor.  Continue Reading

• Service management: we are all judged on service delivery

  All IT departments are judged on the basis of service delivery, whether they work that way explicitly or not. Although thinking of IT as a service is unpopular with IT professionals, embracing the concept of services proactively when it comes to IT ...  Continue Reading

• Cutting costs with variable SLAs

  CIO Connect CEO Nick Kirkland looks at how service level agreements (SLAs) are often overlooked as vehicles for reducing costs.  Continue Reading

• An evolutionary approach to cloud computing

  In the midst of the hype surrounding cloud computing it is sometimes difficult to remember that it is not the panacea, or silver bullet, for all IT service delivery issues. While it will be the right answer in certain, perhaps many, scenarios it ...  Continue Reading

• Top skills for IT managers - Part 3: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

  In this six-part series, Joseph R. Czarnecki, project management specialist and senior consultant at ESI International, identifies six top business skills at which every IT project managers needs to excel.  Continue Reading

• How evolved is IT in your company?

  There are a number of cartoons...  Continue Reading