Opinion

Opinion

IT services and outsourcing

• Government-led innovation can help cyber startups find a market

  There are many reasons why early-stage cyber startups often struggle to get off the ground, but government-backed programmes can help them find a path  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

• How Covid-19 accelerated cloud investment in the financial world

  Cloud computing is no longer a thing of the future for banks that want to remain competitive  Continue Reading

• Why new EU rules around artificial intelligence are vital to the development of the sector

  Shawn Tan, CEO of global AI ecosystem builder Skymind, explains why the European Union’s new rules on artificial intelligence are a good thing  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

• Tech sector is key to the success of Global Britain

  The maturity of its technology sector puts the UK in a good position to reimagine its role on the international stage post-Covid  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

• Data-driven innovation needs trustworthy governance

  The pandemic has given us a glimpse of what data-driven technology can do for society – and we cannot go back to the status quo  Continue Reading

• Budget 2021: Putting tech at the core of the plan for growth

  This week’s UK government Budget represents a great opportunity to place tech and digital as the cornerstone of UK economic growth after Brexit  Continue Reading

• NHS Digital completes NHSmail migration to the cloud

  NHS Digital’s Chris Parsons shares how the organisation managed to migrate more than 2.1 million NHSmail accounts to the cloud during a global pandemic  Continue Reading

• The UK tech sector has been a force for good during the Covid-19 pandemic

  The UK's digital minister hails the tech companies that have helped people cope with many of the challenges of living through lockdown and the coronavirus pandemic  Continue Reading

• The tech sector cannot build back better from the kitchen table

  While technology has supported the lockdown economy by allowing millions to work from home, the in-person collaboration and shared experience on which the tech sector thrives will need to return soon  Continue Reading

• Defining a cloud journey to deliver business outcomes

  Here are six steps to ensuring a journey to cloud is focused on delivering business outcomes  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

• From compliance to open banking to embedded finance – all thanks to APIs

  The road to embedded finance, banking and insurance with APIs is full of promise – and banks should take it for a journey to a better world of finance  Continue Reading

• Digital leaders and the widening divide

  This year’s Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey shows a widening of the digital business divide, with companies that have already adopted digital technologies more likely to accelerate those investments than those still in the planning stage  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

• How the chancellor’s Plan for Jobs could benefit the UK tech sector

  Technology has a strong role to play in the UK’s recovery, with Rishi Sunak’s Plan for Jobs offering opportunities for the sector  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

• Security Think Tank: ‘Shift left’ to secure containers

  Adopting containers promises great organisational efficiency advantages, but the fast-evolving technology can be problematic for security teams. What do CISOs need to know to safeguard containers?  Continue Reading

• Let’s not get ahead of ourselves – the UK tech startup scene still needs support post-Covid

  Government and investors have shown their support for tech startups during the coronavirus pandemic, but there are still challenges ahead and it's not a time for complacency  Continue Reading

• Gartner: Build a plan to bring remote workers back to the office

  Gartner senior research directors Kevin Ji and John McArthur look at how enterprises can plan and strategise for the reopening of workplaces  Continue Reading

• The Covid-19 crisis: Reinventing digital transformation

  Digital transformation projects are returning as organisations realise that improvements in productivity and customer engagement are now even more important – providing that the work can be done remotely and there’s still cash to pay for it  Continue Reading

• The new future of work

  We may come to stop talking about ‘remote’ working altogether after the coronavirus pandemic. It could become just ‘working’ – part of the normal mix of how things are done  Continue Reading

• Is the Covid-19 crisis halting our progress on diversity in tech?

  The government's initiatives to support tech firms during the pandemic are very welcome, but they risk entrenching old behaviours that restrict the move towards greater diversity in the sector  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

• Is the EU better equipped than the US to supervise the use of facial recognition?

  Clearview AI can be an indispensable tool to reinforce national security, but there are many risks associated with the use of facial recognition technology that the EU might be better equipped to deal with than the US  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

• Can Europe legally share data with the US? A court far away is about to decide

  The European Court of Justice will deliver an opinion on whether Europe can legally continue to send private data about European citizens to the US  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

• Liberal Democrats: We want to lead the world in ethical, inclusive technology

  Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP and party spokesperson for digital, culture, media and sport, writes about the party's technology policies ahead of the upcoming General Election  Continue Reading

• General Election 2019: Digital must be at the core of the next government’s strategy

  TechUK lays out the technology priorities it wants to see from the next UK government to boost the digital economy  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

• Exploring the UK’s tech opportunity in China

  China is investing in technology at a scale unseen in the West – but it's open to British tech collaboration and as the UK seeks a new role in the world, the opportunities are enormous  Continue Reading

• Businesses need to keep investing in tech and hope to avoid a no-deal Brexit

  A no-deal Brexit could have serious consequences for the UK tech sector and skills base, making it more difficult to recruit technology specialists and hire freelancers  Continue Reading

• What tomorrow’s startups can learn from young people’s attitudes to tech

  Nominet CEO Russell Haworth runs through young people's attitude towards tech and how start-ups can learn from them  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

• Does the UK government want to support tech SMEs in 'Global Britain' or not?

  The reluctance of the government to commit to continued support for UK tech SMEs overseas is baffling  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

• Getting it right this time: Why the strategy is not about delivery for NHSX

  Government needs to move on from the mantras and beliefs that exist around digital and technology – the new NHSX organisation could set an example by transforming healthcare  Continue Reading

• Making the move to cloud work for you

  Getting the best out of a move to the cloud means getting the size right, turning off what you don’t need, smart purchasing and continuously decluttering your new environment  Continue Reading

• An IR35 survival guide for employers and contractors

  Forthcoming changes to IR35 regulations will affect most private sector companies using IT contractors – so what do you need to do to prepare?  Continue Reading

• Putting the UK at the forefront of ethics and innovation in AI and data

  The announcement of high-profile members of the UK's Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation is another step for the government's commitment to be a global leader in AI, says secretary of state  Continue Reading

• Emerging govtech – a new opportunity for innovation in public service delivery?

  The government has started to engage with the IT sector over how best to introduce emerging technologies in public service delivery – an initiative that, if successful, should be welcomed  Continue Reading

• UK winners and losers in digital tech

  The UK's retail and telecoms companies are among the best in the world at digital technology, but a survey of digital leaders shows there is still room for improvement for many UK firms  Continue Reading

• Digital services tax weakens the case for tech startups to choose the UK

  The UK government’s plan for a tax specifically targeting big digital firms risks undermining international efforts to reform corporate taxation for the digital age  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

• Your IT provider is being acquired – what does this mean for you and your business?

  Merger and acquisition activity is widespread in the IT sector, but what does it mean for you when one of your key tech suppliers is bought up by another firm?  Continue Reading

• Capitalism too short-termist? The tech sector suggests otherwise

  Many observers criticise businesses and stock markets for being too short-termist – but if that was the case, how did Amazon, Uber and their ilk ever come into existence?  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

• From Aberdeen to Brighton: Investing in the UK’s digital future

  More investment in the UK’s broadband infrastructure is critical to ensure the UK’s future success in technology in a post-Brexit world  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

• Big data skills shortages – and how to work around them

  Businesses are finding it hard to recruit enough people with big data and analytics skills, but for CIOs there are alternative strategies to consider  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

• Can Huawei untangle the AI mess?

  Huawei is building a digital platform with “device-cloud synergy” to support artificial intelligence applications, but enterprises should be wary of being locked into a single AI stack  Continue Reading

• We must avoid the Brexit risks to London's tech community

  London's chief digital officer warns of the risks to jobs, innovation and investment if the UK pursues a hard Brexit when leaving the EU  Continue Reading

• How to futureproof your career as a CIO

  Many CIOs have yet to earn the right to be on the board. How can IT leaders upgrade their business acumen, to benefit their own careers and the health of their employer?  Continue Reading

• How to attract investors for your enterprise software startup

  Are you looking to find an investor for your enterprise software company? This expert advice explains what investors will be looking to find in an innovative software business seeking backing  Continue Reading

• Bringing more of the top global tech talent to the UK

  The government wants to ensure the most highly talented technology and digital experts from overseas can work in the UK, writes home secretary Amber Rudd  Continue Reading

• Is the tide going out for transatlantic data flows?

  Businesses face new uncertainty over their ability to share data with the US, as Europe’s highest court reassesses the legality of the EU’s model data-sharing contracts  Continue Reading

• Don’t complain about tech giants paying out to shareholders – it’s how innovation begins

  Critics of publicly quoted technology giants say they should invest profits before paying out to shareholders – but that would stifle innovation elsewhere  Continue Reading

• How to make the right technology choice

  Organisations need digital technology, but how do you decide which is the best technology for you? The answer is not to make one big decision, but many small ones. Thinking about technology, behaviour and data will help you find the right answers  Continue Reading

• More hospitals in APAC adopting IT to bolster patient care

  Healthcare providers in the APAC region are looking to the cloud and big data analytics to enhance services and lower cost  Continue Reading

• The children of the digital revolution

  Digital professionals are emerging as the source of expertise within the agile enterprise. They understand how to use digital technologies, starting small then building big  Continue Reading

• Legal hurdles cloud Max Schrems complaint over US spying

  The Irish High Court in Dublin has embarked on a long hearing into the legality of standard contractual clauses. It is a sideshow from the real issue – the legality of US surveillance in the UK and Ireland  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

• Emerging technologies: How can you cut through the noise?

  Technology leaders need to focus the raw potential of emerging technology into a set of priorities with measurable, tangible business impacts  Continue Reading

• Moving forward and looking back

  This is the fourth and last in a series of articles charting the progress of participants from HutZero, a new cyber security entrepreneur acceleration programme run by Cyber London (CyLon) and the Centre for Security Information Technologies (CSIT) ...  Continue Reading

• Navigating those early stages: research in its many forms

  This is the third in a series of articles charting the progress of participants from HutZero, a new cyber security entrepreneur acceleration programme run by Cyber London (CyLon) and the Centre for Security Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen’s...  Continue Reading

• Multi-cloud management: Making it work for the enterprise

  As the hype surrounding multi-cloud infrastructure continues to grow, what do enterprises need to do to make the model work for them?  Continue Reading

• How AI is disrupting the role of call centres and call centre staff

  Artificial intelligence could eliminate many white-collar jobs in coming decades. Its effects are already being felt in the call centre industry, but there is still no substitute for the human touch  Continue Reading

• Inside the UK’s first cyber security entrepreneur boot camp

  This is the first in a series of articles charting the progress of participants from HutZero, a new cyber security entrepreneur acceleration programme run by Cyber London (CyLon) and the Centre for Security Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen’s...  Continue Reading

• The digital opportunity for CIOs

  CIOs have a unique opportunity to lead the digital strategy in their organisations, but they have to move quickly to make sure they have the right skills and infrastructure in place  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

• Fight against Investigatory Powers Bill may not be over

  Labour's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott says that wider society must now debate the controversial Investigatory Powers Bill, despite Parliamentary approval  Continue Reading

• Scotland, the perfect home for digital nomads?

  Scotland needs public and private sector support for entrepreneurs, and ubiquitous superfast broadband if its digital economy is to thrive, says MSP Jamie Greene  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