Opinion

Opinion

• Virus attacks: who is to blame?

  August was possibly the busiest month in the history of computer viruses: 800 new viruses were detected. Although this is not an...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: See the bigger picture

  Don't let virus panic skew your security strategy, use the experience to ensure all your contingency plans are up to date, says...  Continue Reading

• The best places to work in IT

  In the spring of this year we asked IT managers to put their IT departments forward for Computer Weekly's Best Places to Work in...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Too hot to handle

  Instant messenging for businesses has been dismissed because of the threat to security. However, Simon Moores is keen to explore...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: IT governance - you can’t ignore it

  With Basel II coming into effect at the end of 2006, Paddy Keenan highlights the need for companies to prioritise their IT...  Continue Reading

• The state of things to come

  There are several reasons to be cheerful in this week's edition of Computer Weekly.  Continue Reading

• Can software manage employee internet use?

  The internet age has heralded unprecedented opportunities. But with great power comes great responsibility.  Continue Reading

• The curse of IT infrastructure

  In July, the US government's General Accounting Office published what could be considered a rare insight into IT spending.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Speech will drive call centres

  Despite the recent bad press, Chris Hart says that speech recognition software is the future of the call centre.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The attack of the worms

  As the number of network attacks grow, will we ever be able to combat the problem of viruses and worms without going offline,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Making sense out of outsourcing

  Simon Moores warns that the government should think carefully about the consequences of outsourcing abroad.  Continue Reading

• Demand for Cobol skills on the rise

  At a recent gathering of IT leaders, one IT director from a well-known insurance firm confessed he was facing a team skills...  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 a campaign for fair licensing agreements

  In response to Colin Beveridge, who called for a campaign to make software licensing agreements fair and easy to understand.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Make government websites more usable

  Simon Moores argues that the government should spend more time making its websites accessible and attractive.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Stop crying virus wolf

  The security industry has a duty to be more realistic, says security expert Jan Hruska.  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On making it safer to surf the internet

  Simon Moores bemoaned the government's reluctance to issue guidelines on using broadband internet connections  Continue Reading

• You cannot afford to ignore the IT unions

  After years of maintaining a low profile, unions are flexing their muscles among the IT workforce.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Psst! .net's far ahead of its rivals

  Analyst Gary Barnett gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.I know I'm about to offend some people in the next 90...  Continue Reading

• Mergers and the myth of synergy

  The words synergy and consolidation are always linked with mergers or acquisitions. Public announcements promise huge cost...  Continue Reading

• Discuss the data spine dangers

  There has been too little debate around the proposed creation of a national "data spine" for NHS patients' health records. The...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Have your say on offshore outsourcing of IT jobs

  In response to Cliff Saran who said IT managers had turned to offshore outsourcing and overseas workers because IT contractors have charged too much for their services in the past three years  Continue Reading

• Expansion ends: time for restructuring

  We are at the end of an era in which the objective for IT managers was to acquire as many IT resources as possible. From now on,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The next upgrade

  Why do we have to endure the daily grind to work when the technology is out there for us to work from somewhere other than from...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The virtual company

  With outsourcing becoming ever more popular, the virtual company is closer to reality. But Maldwyn Palmer warns that companies...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Don't look now

  Employers need be aware of all new privacy legislation so that they can put policy into practice, says Simon Moores  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The return of the ASP

  Changing customer demand is shaping the new application service provider, says Neil Lock.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The new pragmatism

  Post-millennium buyers have a better idea of what they want from technology, and suppliers are better placed to deliver targeted...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Myths and legends of the 20th century

  Microsoft's strategic relationship with thin-client specialist Citrix seems to have done more for sales of Windows, says Simon...  Continue Reading

• Spam: don't let your firm add to the problem

  Hold the Monty Python jokes. Spam is in the news again, and this time it's serious.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Between the devil and the deep blue sea

  Is the move to an open source community going to benefit computer software strategy, asks Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Sun is bashing the wrong enemy

  Sun Microsystems has spent the past half dozen years attacking Microsoft and launching court cases against it. But if Sun did go...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Does anyone own Linux?

  Will SCO have evidence to back its claim against IBM? asks Anthony Youngman.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: IT - thank you and goodbye

  Post Y2K, the IT industry offers few opportunities and it seems everyone is an expert in software. Is it time to say goodbye to...  Continue Reading

• Will users buy MS antivirus?

  Given Microsoft's shaky record on software security, the news that it is to acquire antivirus technology is a welcome...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Prove the medical gains

  Doctors must see benefits of electronic patient records, says Matthew Morgan.  Continue Reading

• Your shout: On outsourcing

  Brian Thomson wrote that exporting our software development overseas will only bolster the UK's competitors.  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

• Thought for the day: Memento Mori

  Isn't it time the IT industry set up an archive of past products, before they are lost forever? asks Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: All roads lead to Romania

  Microsoft's move into the antivirus market may not be all bad news for businesses, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Welcome social software

  Look beyond the hype to see the business benefits, says William Davies.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Vive la difference

  We should follow the the example of our European neighbours and embrace web services, says Simon Moores  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On Microsoft

  In response to Simon Moores, who predicted that Microsoft will dominate the IT industry for a long time to come.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: It’s John Wayne’s World

  Will the events of the past six months make the Hollywood style approach to IT a thing of the past? asks Simon Moores  Continue Reading

• SCO has only turned the tables on itself

  Should you be worried by the dire threats SCO has made against firms using Linux?  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Users run out of patience

  When will the IT industry come of age? asks Jonatham Mitchell  Continue Reading

• Is it time to move to 10 Gigabit Ethernet?

  Large 24x7 organisations will find benefits, but most should wait.  Continue Reading

• Catering for a flexible workforce

  Flexible working IT is key to the success of new regulations.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Pots and black kettles

  The government is as guilty as its technology partners for exaggerating its targets, says Simon Moores  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Expect meaningful SLAs

  Don't put up with poor service level agreements, says Neal Gandhi.  Continue Reading

• IT directors need to marshal innovation

  Keep the business informed of IT developments so you are not seen as a barrier to new plans  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Will the UK software industry outlive the hamster?

  The UK software industry is slowly disappearing and its only a matter of time until Microsoft moves in to fill in the void, says...  Continue Reading

• A skilled workforce is the best investment

  Businesses need to shift from training as a separate activity to ongoing on-the-job learning.  Continue Reading

• The real enemy is at home

  This week we reveal that supermarket chain Somerfield is joining the growing group of UK businesses that are moving IT functions...  Continue Reading

• CRM will be key to e-gov

  Government should use CRM to get to know electors.  Continue Reading

• What do you do with ex-IT directors?

  The turnover rate for IT directors has always been high, running at about 30% a year for many years.  Continue Reading

• Work council is addressing the wrong questions

  The new Information Work Productivity Council is setting out to answer the wrong questions.  Continue Reading

• Staff investment is key to business success

  The chief executive officer of Investors in People explains the importance of employee development.  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Have your say on women in IT and grid computing

  ComputerWeekly.com readers give their views on women in IT and grid computing  Continue Reading

• Guard against the risk to your reputation

  There can be no excuse for failing to take steps to protect corporate information and systems.  Continue Reading

• Treat ITsecurity as if the law required it

  Regulations will be used against you if you do not protect partner or customer information.  Continue Reading

• Make new employment laws work for you

  A raft of employment legislation means employers must do more than just follow the law.  Continue Reading

• Back to the future: capitalising on Cobol

  You don't have to rip out legacy code to run modern banking systems.  Continue Reading

• Discover the third outsourcing option

  Advanced IT monitoring and management are the future instead of outsourcing.  Continue Reading

• New job? Try the NHS IT tsar's tactics

  You take a new top IT job. But as you settle in you find a cacophony of unco-ordinated, unstandardised projects with no overall...  Continue Reading

• Should Revenue pay to woo bids?

  The Revenue's head of IT shows how to run multibillion-pound contracts Should Revenue pay to woo bids?  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Government isn't e-listening

  As the e-envoy finds his funding slashed, Simon Moores laments the government's intransigence on its e-agenda.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: We've got the e-biz, now where's the gee-whiz?

  The government has to grow up and learn that the e-fairy cannot solve all the problems of small business, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• How to avoid frustration and resentment with suppliers

  Contract or no contract, agreements with suppliers need transparency  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The real NHS IT challenge

  The head of NHS IT has a colossal technical task on his hands in delivering £2.3bn of new systems on time and on budget. But this...  Continue Reading

• Can NHS IT tsar deliver?

  When advertised, the position of NHS IT tsar recently filled by Richard Granger was described as the biggest IT challenge of the...  Continue Reading

• How does open source pay?

  As open source gains backers, its security is becoming more robust.  Continue Reading

• Good news in the gloom

  As the downturn continues, two developments announced this week brighten the outlook.  Continue Reading

• Can Intel change the wireless world?

  Buying plans should change as a new chip set takes mobile computing to the next level.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the Day: King Canute and the tide of spam

  It's great that Europe is trying to stop spam, but what can EC rules do about advertisers like Mr Wei Lin of China, asks Simon...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Multisourcing and the end of the IT mega-deal

  As the pendulum swings back to best-of-breed outsourcing, Julian Hewett believes it is the end of the mega-deal and the start of...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Keeping hold of your identity

  Amid concerns regarding both personal and national security, Simon Moores searches for the ultimate solution on how to prove our...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: What makes a good IT project manager?

  Failure has blighted many an IT project, and the cost can run to millions of pounds. So, asks Alan Bray, what can enterprises do...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Weighing up the risks

  Reducing the level of IT project failure is a lot easier than you think, says Sarah Saltzman. She believes it's time IT bosses...  Continue Reading

• Will Wi-Fi eclipse the promise of 3G?

  3G was so over-hyped, and expectations were built so high, it could only disappoint. Now the same thing is happening to Wi-Fi....  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Evolve your skills

  Experts claim it's hard to predict what is going to happen in the e-commerce sector because it hasn't experienced a "cycle" yet....  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Stop SAP withdrawing support

  As SAP prepares to withdraw support for some ERP software, users should fight back, writes Allan Watton.  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: Don't you know there's a war on?

  Amid the fears of terrorism and weapons of mass distruction, companies still need to address the risk to cybersecurity. But is it...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Wage IT war on Iraq? Forget it!

  E-war is a non-starter in the conflict with Iraq. Simon Moores has a better solution up his sleeve.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Will the NHS cure IT?

  With both the NHS and the IT industry struggling, Maldwyn Palmer wonders whether either will be that much healthier after the...  Continue Reading

• The importance of being open

  As the battle for Web services heats up, open standards will be key, says Peter Joseph, director of corporate strategy at Novell...  Continue Reading

• Microsoft: We're open for Web services

  With the IT industry converging around the Web services model, .Net slots into the new open standard nicely, says Microsoft .Net...  Continue Reading

• The great Web services debate

  Web services is being positioned by the IT industry as the next great wave of innovation - but to succeed everyone will need to...  Continue Reading

• Training: Readers have their say

  Training tends to be a thorny issue in most organisations. Employees expect their employers to provide some level of training as...  Continue Reading

• High price to pay for low-cost inkjets

  Forget the consumables: who is going to be able to read the printing in years to come?  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: .net or .not?

  Simon Moores ponders the confusing history of Microsoft's .net and concludes that these days it looks more like .not.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Thunderbirds are not e-Go

  Huge unresolved security and information management issues surround the webification of local government despite the gung-ho...  Continue Reading

• Your shout! What will it take to create Broadband Britain?

  CW360.com readers have their say on issues raised by our Thought for the Day columnists. Simon Moores touched a nerve with his...  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

• Thought for the day: Delusions of e-government

  There is a gaping chasm between e-government concept and delivery, says Simon Moores. And do most of those who use public...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Shooting down the web bombers

  Disproportionate damage is caused by relatively few cyber-attacks and vulnerabilities. Simon Moores urges strong defensive...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Why don't they love us

  IT professionals are too often their own worst enemies by ignoring users' anxieties and baffling them with tech talk. Web...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Making projects mean business

  IT chief Peter Evans looks at setting priorities for project management.How many projects go awry because of cost overruns,...  Continue Reading