Opinion

Opinion

• 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

• Thought for the day: Deliver solutions for today

  Businesses need immediate solutions to software problems, and if Microsoft does not deliver it will face a loss of public...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: The legality of bounced virus warnings

  In response to Terry Davies' comments (Letters, 30 March) that returned virus alert e-mails are breaching the Data Protection Act  Continue Reading

• Fire proves that you need to plan

  Last week we revealed that many organisations were revisiting their business continuity plans in the wake of the Madrid bombings....  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The ABC of the SMT

  IT directors must get over their insecurities to ensure that the senior management team reaches its potential, says Colin...  Continue Reading

• Outsource to cut print costs by up to 30%

  Copying and printing can cost up to 3% of a company's revenue - equivalent to the average IT budget - so don't overlook services...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The war of the words

  Jettison the jargon to sell web services to the board, says Julian Kaine.  Continue Reading

• Revisit disaster recovery plans

  In early March IT directors and chief executives met to discuss ways to protect the UK's critical national infrastructure from a...  Continue Reading

• Selectively protect ‘data at rest’ with encryption

  Encrypting “data at rest” is necessary for mobile devices, but encryption should be selectively deployed in database management...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Baffled by security recommendations

  I would like to say how much I agree with your article "Secure your technology, secure your business" on Computer-Weekly.com. However, some of your recommendations for achieving this seemed a little baffling.  Continue Reading

• Is your network the weakest link?

  Network security plans should be checked by IT directors  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: E-gov is not the only job

  IT must not neglect the basics when working on e-government projects, says Nigel Blair.  Continue Reading

• Management update: Best practices in business continuity and disaster recovery

  In this tough economic environment, it is tempting to cut resources in business continuity management (BCM). Many enterprises...  Continue Reading

• IT strategy should take the long-term view

  Many IT directors feel they are outside the loop on devising a business strategy, but they can focus on four areas to show the...  Continue Reading

• Take control of supplier cold calls

  How to avoid wasting time with sales calls you don't want.  Continue Reading

• Get a strategy for compliance to avoid having a jigsaw approach

  Knee-jerk reactions to new rules will cause problems later.  Continue Reading

• Time for truth about NHS plan

  Christopher Bland, chairman of BT, said at an NHS conference held in private that his company is somewhat frightened by the...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: The value of on-the-job experience

  University is not the only place to study, and taking an IT degree is not the only way to gain IT skills.  Continue Reading

• Are web services the answer to integrating mobile devices into corporate systems?

  Web services could provide a cost-effective way of distributing corporate data.  Continue Reading

• Improve FSP business decisions by boosting data quality

  Because data quality directly affects business strategies, the need for clean data transcends the IS department. Financial...  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On the untrained use of touch-pads by children

  In response to the letter about money being spent on IT in schools without the provision of proper back-up (Computer Weekly, 9 March)  Continue Reading

• Involve end-users in strategic planning

  Involve end-users in strategic planning; Patch management: when less is more; J2EE and .net are development tools; Battling the...  Continue Reading

• Critical time for local e-services

  With the deadlines for local authorities to put their services online by 2005 drawing closer, it is time to review progress and...  Continue Reading

• Lotus Workplace shows the value of rich clients

  A year ago Lotus finally came off the fence and articulated a clear vision for the future of the company, its existing software...  Continue Reading

• Software to help you network

  Social network software is a hot topic in the US, and has featured heavily in the past two O'Reilly Emerging Technology...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Let others learn from your mistakes

  Passing on experience and knowledge will help the next generation of IT directors, says Colin Beveridge.  Continue Reading

• Migration analysis

  Large companies have already accepted the why of Linux, it is up to the IT industry to paint the picture of how, where and when.  Continue Reading

• Management update: How to tackle five major threats to your ERP system

  Securing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems against common failings like poor access control, fraudulent transactions and...  Continue Reading

• Can user power sway suppliers?

  Does user power work? Can it truly influence how the billions of pounds IT companies invest in product development will be spent?  Continue Reading

• Know what the company wants to achieve before automating business processes

  End the lack of clarity about what should be automated  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On the government's e-crime strategy

  In response to Bill Goodwin's article on the national e-crime plan  Continue Reading

• Give the board a consolidation strategy to progress the business

  Take tactical steps to consolidate infrastructure and applications.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Talk the board's language

  Focus on the cost saving and speed to market for new products and services to get the board listening when implementing...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The real-time fantasy

  Without greater software IQ, analysts' rhetoric about real-time business intelligence is far in advance of software's ability to...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Actions speak louder than keystrokes

  Business, government and the police must all work together in the fight against e-crime, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Strategies to combat rapidly spread cyberattacks

  Combine vulnerability management with scan-and-block, quarantine and containment technologies to protect against rapidly spread...  Continue Reading

• A larger European Union means greater IT demand and supply

  When 10 countries join the EU in May 2004, it will create one big market for goods and services, and affect demand and supply in...  Continue Reading

• CIO update: When to use database encryption

  Although database encryption is an effective security tool, it can create more problems than it solves if it’s used incorrectly....  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On the necessity of a data back-up plan

  In response to Bill Goodwin's article, which revealed that out of a survey of 1,000 businesses by the Department of Trade & Industry, less than 20% back up their data.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Breaking the boundaries

  Ten more countries will be joining the UK in the European Union soon, but what will this mean for the IT job market, asks Colin...  Continue Reading

• Recovery offers new challenges

  Figures released by the CBI and the Office of National Statistics last week revealed that the manufacturing sector is in...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: 'Your call is important to us...'

  Simon Moores believes the bigger the executives salary the more unhelpful the call centre.  Continue Reading

• Understand business objectives to harmonise IT across departments

  Five basic steps to please both the board and the users.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Get the best from your contract

  Companies with Software Assurance should calculate the return on investment, says Julie Giera  Continue Reading

• Know your data's worth

  Data must be managed like any other asset, says Robin Bloor.  Continue Reading

• Developers gather to plot next generation PCs

  I often wonder whether PCs running Windows 95, 98 or NT4 in 48Mbytes have some sort of voodoo power, because nothing else could...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Give IT back to business

  Tougher regulations are driving uptake of business process management strategy, says Rod Perry  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Catching the computer virus

  Businesses, like people, are developing an immunity to the viruses going around, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Worthy, but why join Java Tools Community?

  The new Java Tools Community (JTC) is a forum for suppliers and users to share ideas on how to implement the standards that come...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Prepare for service future

  Services platform suppliers are delivering the components for enterprise architecture, and IT chiefs need to plan accordingly,...  Continue Reading

• Web apps need standards

  Integration and open standards empower web services, says Mike Lucas.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Online, but out of touch

  Learn from the Criminal Records Bureau debacle. Give users and the public what they want or they will switch off, says Colin...  Continue Reading

• Implementing successful shared services in government

  Government agencies face strong pressures to implement shared services, but success requires the commitment and ability to...  Continue Reading

• Focus on today, leave 3G for now

  As telecoms suppliers prepare for next week's 3GSM conference, they must be chilled by a CMA survey that shows 61% of companies...  Continue Reading

• Analyse the business risk of software defects

  I would be surprised if anyone has been spared the annoyance of having an IT application crash while they were using it, but have...  Continue Reading

• Plan site visits to select offshore providers

  IT directors considering outsourcing abroad should look beyond the sales team's pitch and visit the supplier's site to discover...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Collaborate on ID cards

  Government must maintain links with other industries and suppliers to ensure that its ID cards are successful, says John Higgins.  Continue Reading

• Best places to work provide lessons for all IT directors

  This week marks the climax of Computer Weekly’s search to find the best places to work in IT 2003. The aim of the awards, to...  Continue Reading

• The country's best IT departments make a major contribution to British industry

  Patricia Hewitt explains the importance of the Best Places to Work in IT awards.  Continue Reading

• Build your business case for upgrades by adding functionality

  Projects to upgrade enterprise software platforms can be challenging to sell to senior management, primarily because it is...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Move with the times

  In a digital age, the rules that govern law enforcement must move with the times, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Make a business case for flexible working

  IT managers could benefit from introducing flexible working practices, but they must plan how to implement the changes and...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Companies are at risk from staff ignorance

  In response to Bill Goodwin's article on the need for companies to improve the security awareness of their staff and reports of the MyDoom virus  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Things just got tougher

  With the IT industry making to a steady recovery, businesses need to win staff loyalty by motivating and rewarding, says Dominic...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Don't rely on super-users

  Specialist software consultants should be used for project and testing purposes, says Omar Sharif.  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

• Thought for the day: Judgment of doom

  Millions of PC users are still suffering from Blaster, so imagine the devastation MyDoom will cause, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Plan now to avoid being caught out by a jobs upturn

  The longest journey starts with a single step, according to the proverb, and given the malaise that has affected the IT sector...  Continue Reading

• Management update: How to make the networking organisation more effective

  Network traffic is growing at a robust rate of 30% a year. However, network managers have kept telecom budgets fairly stable...  Continue Reading

• Keep financial goals flexible and forecast an accurate budget with real-time software

  The annual budget has had its day: keep up with events with a rolling budget.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Open source means fear of the unknown

  The government has to gain confidence in open source if it is to avoid a Microsoft monopoly in the public sector, argues Simon...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Don't let IT carry the can

  IT is not solely responsible for regulatory compliance, says Liz Maloney.  Continue Reading

• Revealed: twin dilemma facing strategy leaders

  Two studies this week neatly illustrate a dilemma that faces all IT directors as they attempt to execute their strategy. How can...  Continue Reading

• Seven problems that blight all IT leaders

  To change the culture of the IT department, you must first identify the problem areas.  Continue Reading

• IT chiefs need to assess costs before taking a utility computing strategy to the board

  Suppliers are struggling to demonstrate the benefits of utility computing, whereby firms are charged only for the IT resources...  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On falling into the outsourcing trap

  In response to Danny Bradbury's article on the hidden costs of outsourcing  Continue Reading

• Users need to come first

  A move to user-centric IT development will help technology meet the needs of the users, says Mike Tilley.  Continue Reading

• Stifling NHS innovation

  The introduction of the national programme for IT may stifle NHS innovation if small suppliers do not make their voices heard,...  Continue Reading

• Suppliers need to settle code dispute without involving users

  In seeking to extend its battle over alleged copyright infringement to small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK, there is...  Continue Reading

• Your shout! The only way to make offshoring pay

  In response to Danny Bradbury's article on the hidden costs of outsourcing  Continue Reading

• Use PKI to beat phishers

  Digital certificates could ward against internet scams.  Continue Reading

• Don't be blinded by offshore savings claims

  The business case for moving some IT operations offshore is, on paper, compelling for organisations of a certain size.  Continue Reading

• Co-op wins £11m appeal against ICL ruling

  Ruling in the Co-op's appeal against ICL at the Technology and Construction Court has implications for the effectiveness of the...  Continue Reading

• IT chiefs urged to check sales processes as OFT turns spotlight on distance selling

  James Mullock explains the legal requirements affecting online and telephone sales.  Continue Reading

• With UK deal, Nortel becomes a second supplier to Vodafone

  Vodafone appointed Nortel as a supplier of radio access equipment for its third generation (3G) mobile phone network in the...  Continue Reading

• Adopt e-mail active archiving now

  Enterprises need a new solution to manage increasing volumes of e-mail and instant messaging. Adopting e-mail active archiving...  Continue Reading

• Invest in knowledge support in 2004

  Despite a chaotic workplace environment, 2004 will be a year to invest in portals, content management, e-learning, Web...  Continue Reading

• Don’t just detect intrusions, prevent them

  Re-evaluate your intrusion detection spending plans, and begin investing in technologies that block malicious code and...  Continue Reading

• How to get and sustain the best outsourcing deal

  These best practices will help IT procurement and sourcing directors develop flexible, sound outsourcing arrangements. They...  Continue Reading

• Linux marches toward mainstream adoption

  Linux has been enjoying continued expansion and acceptance. However, it won’t achieve mainstream adoption until it resolves...  Continue Reading

• The growing need for identity and access management

  Identity and access management solutions are gaining momentum in a wide range of industries, but there is still a great deal of...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Learn from the tax credits debacle

  It seems the Inland Revenue cannot get forensic-level IT expert examination of projects from the National Audit Office or the...  Continue Reading

• IT recruitment forecasts and trends reported by analyst firm Ovum Holway

  Expect careers improvement by the end of 2004  Continue Reading

• Brave EDS move could backfire

  Most governments would look to go into the Christmas holidays with a whimper rather than a bang. This administration is doing...  Continue Reading

• Measuring IT's effectiveness to the business

  Firms can control and monitor their people and applications together.  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

• Thought for the day: Watching you, watching me

  Colin Beveridge wonders if the government has a hidden agenda behind David Blunkett's ID card scheme.  Continue Reading