Opinion

Opinion

• Buy servers only if you really need them

  Get out of the habit of buying a server for each new application and consolidate  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: E-government - read the small print first

  Whitehall needs to meet e-government projects and deliver on their promises of cost savings and efficiency, says Simon Moores  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: It's time to open the door

  Whitehall must end secrecy on government projects, says Richard Bacon  Continue Reading

• Currency, competition, IT focus shift impact

  The weakening US dollar, strengthening competition in global outsourcing and a major shift of IT focus from operations cost...  Continue Reading

• Salute the bold IT adventurers

  The IT industry has something of a split personality.  Continue Reading

• Strategy Clinic: How can I curb board's blue-sky fantasies?

  Board members keep coming to me with ideas for systems and technologies they have seen in the media. I feel they think I am being...  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On how no employee can be indispensable

  With regard to the Strategy Clinic "No one has the skills to be my replacement" (Computer Weekly, 29 June), where an IT manager was having trouble finding a competent replacement for when he retired  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Howard's way

  Less talk and more doing is needed to establish a worldwide secure internet effort, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Gordon's magic IT wand

  Gordon Brown's ambition to save the government billions of pounds "through new technology" is more like fiction than fact, says...  Continue Reading

• Grid is more than just a buzzword

  In less than 18 months grid computing has achieved major success and demonstrated its ability within e-science, across...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The battle of open source and security

  Microsoft's fight between security and open source continues, but will it win the vital battle of winning public support, asks...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: If at first you don't succeed, pretend you did

  Microsoft's decision to declare competitive advantage in its Trustworthy Computing initiative requires an ability to believe that...  Continue Reading

• Raising the esteem of IT

  Communicate to win the respect of the business, says Margaret Smith  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The IT fixture list

  Get ahead in business and create a fixture list to improve the quality of IT management reporting, says Colin Beveridge.  Continue Reading

• Secrecy culture must be stopped

  Machiavelli once wrote that misjudgements and wrong turns are like tuberculosis: hard to detect and easy to cure in the...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Look at the bigger picture

  Mundane problems can stifle creative IT development, says Richard Harrison  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Linux access rights expose CIOs

  Sarbanes-Oxley affects open source back-end systems, says Neil Chaney  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Crackdown on copyright

  EU directive creates legal dilemma for IT directors, says Frank Coggrave  Continue Reading

• Integrate data for business gain

  Staff spend too long tracking relevant data, says Chris Harding  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On whether spammers own the internet

  In response to Simon Moores' Thought for the Day (computerweekly.com), who suggested that the internet is becoming overrun by spam and is inherently insecure  Continue Reading

• The government listens at last

  Nobody in their right mind would think a Hansard report on the day's proceedings in Parliament was an exciting, page-turning...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: IT training military style

  Fieldcraft is about achieving objectives by combining separately learned skills. Great results can be achieved if these...  Continue Reading

• Application and network performance can be improved by analysing monitored data

  Declutter your network now to gain future business advantage, says Ivor Kendall  Continue Reading

• Rationalisation today brings value tomorrow

  The corporate it forum  Continue Reading

• Upgrades are biggest IT challenge

  IT Directors' Forum  Continue Reading

• Why do you want to do this IT project?

  It is important to establish the business benefits that will result from an IT implementation.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Police must get facts right

  Soham inquiry highlights data-sharing problems, says Adrian McKeon  Continue Reading

• Revenue cannot afford a failure

  This week will see the largest ever transfer of IT staff, systems and intellectual property in the public sector.  Continue Reading

• Users want Windows they can see through

  It should be possible to write a new operating system for £165m - or at least to debug one. However, that is how much Microsoft...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Daylight robbery

  The internet is already dominated by spammers and organised crime - how long before it becomes unviable for business use, asks...  Continue Reading

• PeopleSoft's and SAP's plans for the enterprise

  What to expect from two ERP leaders  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On finding the impetus to start training

  In response to Antony Savvas' article (Computer Weekly, 15 June) where he reported on a survey which found that the number of job adverts asking for Linux has risen by 50%  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day : Is that a USB in your pocket?

  A single USB stick can hold a wealth of data, but have companies realised the security risk these pose, asks Colin Beveridge.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Welcome to the world of the Matrix

  The internet has helped advance science and technology but its darker side is rapidly becoming insecure and highly intrusive,...  Continue Reading

• Building the basis for partnership success

  The user organisation and the supplier must share information so that both parties to an outsourcing contract become one team...  Continue Reading

• How to organise your application portfolio

  How can IT managers tell the difference between projects and enhancements? And how can IT departments decide which upgrades will...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Seize the chance to lead

  IT directors are uniquely placed to benefit business, says Michael Gough.  Continue Reading

• Your Shout! On new rules to force disclosure of IT failures

  In response to news that governance regulations could force companies to reveal the details of failed IT projects (computerweekly.com, 28 May)  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Protecting man's best friend

  The latest virus attacks mobile phones. Isn't it time we think of phone security to avoid potential threats in the future, asks...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Bust or boom

  IT lessons can be learned from the housing market boom, says Colin Beveridge  Continue Reading

• Public bodies must act now on FOI rules

  IT directors in the public sector need to tackle the huge legacy of paper and electronic records in their organisations now if...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The long SP2 wait

  Simon Moores is beginning to get nervous about the imminent arrival of Microsoft's Windows XP SP2 and its compatibility problems.  Continue Reading

• It is time for software suppliers to take charge of patch management

  Users should not have to bear the security burden  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The perils of outsourcing

  Government must guarantee public services' security, says Kerry Davies  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Focus on the business

  Service level agreements must not be technology-led if you are to get the best from them, says Philip Yarnall  Continue Reading

• Staff motivation that really pays

  Does your IT team feel underpaid? It looks as if they might have every reason to feel that way, at least in comparison with...  Continue Reading

• Challenging projects keep IT staff motivated at Hampshire Council

  Salaries are not the only way to retain key people.  Continue Reading

• First-class idea for productivity

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

• Thought for the day: The fast pace of mobile

  Is the pace of emerging mobile technology going too fast, even for its hardened users? asks Simon Moores  Continue Reading

• Your shout: How to turn round a demotivated IT team

  More responses to Robin Laidlaw, who advocated sacking the worst-performing 25% of your staff to revitalise the IT department (Computer Weekly, 11 May)  Continue Reading

• The price of a true partnership

  As IT chiefs and their departments come to be seen as an integral part of the business, rather than simply an internal supplier...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Google bowls itself a googly

  Every business wants to look good on Google but sometimes Google can be a little too helpful, says Simon Moores.  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

• Develop presentation skills if you want to climb higher

  We all need to put more effort in to developing our communication skills in order to progress in our careers. And nowhere is this...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Manual backup a runaway success

  Colin Beveridge praises Nats for getting their manual system running when they faced a system failure, and urges other businesses...  Continue Reading

• Operate across departmental silos

  It is vital that ministers and department heads show strong leadership, maintain continuity and ensure everyone is on-board and...  Continue Reading

• Put focus on business change, not IT systems

  The Institute of Directors regards the government's performance on its e-government initiatives to be like the curate's egg -...  Continue Reading

• E-government forgets local needs

  Although there have been successes in central e-government services, such as NHS Direct and online tax returns, the government...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Linux - a weapon of mass destruction?

  If Linux is feared as a tool for terrorism, then why are the majority of servers run on open source?, asks Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Web services: The universal glue

  Truly effective interoperability is the big promise held out by web services, but that will only be delivered through a holistic...  Continue Reading

• The right man for a tough job

  The appointment of Ian Watmore as head of e-government is one of the best decisions this administration has made. He has a...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: The demise of the extranet?

  In response to Alec Milton, who wrote that extranets could be obsolete within five years (Computer Weekly, 11 May)  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Inland Revenue has no outsourcing excuses

  With regards to John Yard of the Inland Revenue, who said that the government cannot be expected to get outsourcing project requirements right at the outset (Computer Weekly, 11 May), this is definitely a case of wanting to have your cake and eat it.  Continue Reading

• Change in the air as jobs recover

  There are plenty of reasons to be cheerful if you are looking for a new job. And if you are an IT director whose staff are not...  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

• Thought for the day: Web of controversy

  Is society's ghoulish curiosity creating a market for explicit entertainment on the internet, asks Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Wider vision for career success

  Could you possibly work any harder? It seems leading IT professionals are anxious to do so. Chief information officers and IT...  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

• Your shout: How flexible working can bring women to IT

  In response to a review of how flexible working has been accepted and promoted in IT over the past year to attract women to the industry (Computer Weekly, 4 May)  Continue Reading

• A public service

  Councils must ensure that in the rush to comply with e-government standards they do not lose sight of the needs of the users they...  Continue Reading

• Who to watch in Indian outsourcing

  Trying to list the major players in the Indian outsourcing market is rather like trying to nail water to a wall. New players...  Continue Reading

• Automate to eliminate drudgery

  Invest in data entry software and free up employees' time  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The attack of the phishers

  Phishing has begun to grow at a epidemic rate, but beware of spyware - it's as bad, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Governance is IT's game

  The next boardroom mandate will be IT security, says John Colley.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Seen it all before?

  As the latest virus hits our desktops, Simon Moores is having a sense of déjà vu.  Continue Reading

• Spam hits the big time

  Spam has become a high-priority item on the agendas of chief information security officers and even CIOs. Consider Gartner’s...  Continue Reading

• Enterprises report IT process investments are paying off

  Increased IT operational process maturity and wider use of automation are dramatically improving the quality of service within...  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing is a business skill

  As outsourcing continues to grow, the debate has moved on from whether it is a good thing or not to how to make it work more...  Continue Reading

• Businesses see uses for Wi-Fi connectivity

  The return on investment case for wireless technology  Continue Reading

• Don't fall prey to the classic training mistakes

  Despite the slump in the IT jobs market during the past few years, there are still about one million IT positions vacant in...  Continue Reading

• Make 'flexible' part of the IT vocabulary to reap the benefits of greater productivity

  One year on, how have the UK's work/life balance laws affected IT?  Continue Reading

• Give your board the facts

  Performance management systems can get IT noticed, says Michael Coveney.  Continue Reading

• CEO’s resignation will have only short-term impact on Computer Associates

  The departure of Computer Associates International (CA) head Sanjay Kumar will cause some organizational uncertainty. But it...  Continue Reading

• Securing a partnership

  Set security policies that cover business partners  Continue Reading

• Get in front of the bandwagon

  Corporate governance hit the headlines again last week as Shell admitted it had issued misleading information to the markets.  Continue Reading

• What will the network look like by 2008?

  Faster technologies may be just around the corner, but the extra bandwidth will soon be used up unless corporate policies are...  Continue Reading

• Place a value on your organisation's people

  IT directors must plan with HR how they will measure staff value  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Spam - return to sender

  Sender authentication could help solve the spam problem, says Mark Sunner  Continue Reading

• Management update: Caller ID would enable a reliable, trustable internet

  To reach business-strength reliability and ensure e-commerce growth, the Internet infrastructure must mature. Caller ID...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Combining risk and security in one post

  In response to Robin Laidlaw's opinion (Computer Weekly, 6 April), where he said the balance of security and risk management needs to be carefully managed  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

• Thought for the day: Cyberterrorism or cyberhype?

  Is the fear of cyberterrorism from the Middle East causing us to neglect the security of our own systems, asks Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: No such thing as a free lunch

  We all try and get something for nothing, but businesses need to know the cost of technology, says Colin Beveridge.  Continue Reading

• Enthuse about IT's potential to stop women leaving the industry

  There has been a great deal of talk recently about women in IT; last month Computer Weekly reported that the number of women in...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Deploying CRM systems in councils

  Although it is true that there are widely divergent views about how the requirements of data protection and freedom of information can be delivered consistently, we see evidence of this being actively considered by councils and of a willingness to ...  Continue Reading

• Peace breaks out in the datacentre

  The settlement of the long-standing dispute between Sun and Microsoft over Java licensing is welcome news. Software, hardware and...  Continue Reading

• Look forward to web services collaboration

  Whitehall departments have been urged to tighten their approach to internal security to ensure civil servants are only accessing...  Continue Reading

• Keep IT staff motivated when outsourcing

  Sainsbury's CIO says retaining staff with commercial experience and a keen sense of how to manage outsourcing contracts helps to...  Continue Reading

• Use CRM to understand priority customer concerns and improve client satisfaction

  Companies are setting unrealistic goals for customer relationship management, but IT directors could take some simple steps to...  Continue Reading