Opinion

Opinion

• 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

• Whitehall must weigh IT danger

  Home secretary David Blunkett last week committed the government to phasing in biometric identity cards over the next five years...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Are your Windows secure?

  Companies should worry less about migrating to new operating system and concentrate more on its security, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Step forward and de-geek

  By giving up some of your time and volunteering, your IT skills can offer gains all round, says Simon Davey.  Continue Reading

• Your Shout! On whether IT is aware of business issues

  In response to John Harvey Jones, who urged IT management to be aware of wider business issues  Continue Reading

• Wild West tactic hides the truth

  Microsoft's offer of a £300,000 bounty for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the computer hackers responsible...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Penny for the guy?

  Why should we get a our fingers burned by persisting with do-it-yourself software, when there are specialists who can offer a...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Marx was right about one thing

  Has e-government made things less efficient rather than more streamlined, asks Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Users have set security agenda

  When the IT directors of Royal Mail, BP, ICI and other FTSE 100 companies join together to call for a new universal framework for...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Sack me or back me

  IT departments should face regular votes of confidence from the rest of the business, says Colin Beveridge.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Beware utility promises

  Utility computing is on its way, but not until 2006, says Rakesh Kumar.  Continue Reading

• Public sector deals will benefit from small firms' input

  Office of Government Commerce urges SMEs to use the internet to win government contracts  Continue Reading

• Audit will prove Microsoft best for council

  Take note of total cost of ownership when comparing proprietary with open source software  Continue Reading

• UK businesses prove work/life balance policies can improve a firm's bottom line

  DTI minister Patricia Hewitt explains the benefits of flexible working practices  Continue Reading

• Open-source trial benefits all

  Emotions run high in the debate over whether to use open source or propriety software in the enterprise. Different users have...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Linux patch rate can be as prolific as Microsoft

  In response to Simon Moores, who welcomed Microsoft's decision to send out software patch updates on a monthly basis  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Goodbye 'Patch Wednesday'

  Microsoft's latest intiative to replace weekly patching with monthly patching may be more benefical to users in the battle to...  Continue Reading

• Why are you outsourcing?

  Outsourcing has moved a long way from its old one-size-fits-all origins. While the market leaders, such as IBM Global Services...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Planning a SAP project

  With a raft of new products and licensing options from SAP, how do users begin to choose the best options for their business,...  Continue Reading

• Firms must take some blame for hackers

  As Computer Weekly went to press, the attention of the IT world was focused on Aaron Caffrey, who is standing trial at Southwark...  Continue Reading

• An alternative to Microsoft?

  In a bid to promote wider competition in public sector IT, the Office of Government Commerce is sponsoring the trial of open...  Continue Reading

• Strategy clinic: is there a better alternative to tape back-up?

  While the amount of data in our organisation has spiralled and the technologies for managing data have moved on, we still back up...  Continue Reading

• Groundswell: what is the price of true partnership?

  Speakers at a supplier-centric seminar I attended last month accused the IT industry of failing to justify its products and...  Continue Reading

• How to police staff e-mail legally

  IT chiefs need to keep firms on the right side of e-mail monitoring laws  Continue Reading

• SCO is right to go after Linux users

  SCO has a duty to assert its claims over disputed open source code  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The Terminator leads the way

  Arnold Schwarzenegger's ascent to governor of California may help kick-start the IT industry, says Colin Beveridge.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Internet's backbone starts to crumble

  Satellite links in the internet backbone could hold back attempts to improve performance, believes Andrew Davies.  Continue Reading

• Guilty until proved innocent

  IT professionals responsible for overseeing the use of the internet and e-mail within their organisations will come to work today...  Continue Reading

• IT leaders must change the attitude of their own end-users

  Aligning IT with the business is a mantra of many IT directors and chief information officers. But consider this: how many chief...  Continue Reading

• Be legal with spare Wi-Fi capacity

  Wi-Fi 802.11g devices offer a potential 54mbps wireless network connection to anyone within 100 metres of an access point via a...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Break down the 'us and them' barriers

  Businesses should not abandon the idea of aligning business strategy with IT. The key to a successful alignment programme is to...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Crisis - what crisis?

  Stranded in Margate with a dead laptop, Simon Moores bemoans the instability of Windows XP  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Don't lose your best asset

  Establishing a knowledge management programme can lessen the blow of staff churn, says Dorothy Leonard. Never has this been more...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: E-mail is here to stay

  A sensible e-mail strategy in the workplace can still bring huge benefits for business, says Roger Ellis.  Continue Reading

• Is self-regulation enough for IT?

  At a meeting with Computer Weekly last week, Scott Charney, Microsoft's chief security strategist, challenged government to take...  Continue Reading

• What to do if you're worried about SCO action

  What can you do to protect yourself in case SCO is successful in its quest? Maybe the best strategy is to do nothing.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Don't get duped by the spoofers

  Spoof e-mails are on the increase and users should be made aware of how they can avoid being duped, says Pete Simpson.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Share the love, not the viruses

  Secure your broadband internet connection, or your machine could have consequences on other internet users, warns Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Mobile access: can you justify the expense?

  Study gains in staff productivity and returns before buying mobile equipment  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The jury's out on open source

  The battle between open source and Windows still appears to be a hot topic for debate, but businesses can't afford to be naive,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Find the breaking points

  Lack of capacity planning causes online projects to fail, says Mike Lucas.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Wi-Fi is no longer sci-fi

  Falling wireless networking costs can bring broadband home, says Andrew James.  Continue Reading

• Bank pays the price of silence

  IT staff at Bank of Ireland need no longer feel disgruntled.  Continue Reading

• NEXT MOVE

  Why can't I find work after five months?  Continue Reading

• CIOs could improve outcomes - with help

  Chief information officers have largely had to manage enterprise operations without specialist analysis tools to support vital...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Placing trust in trustworthy computing

  After a summer of worms and viruses, our confidence in Windows seems to have dwindled as we question whether trustworthy...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Who can stop spam?

  If we can be in control of junk mail that comes through our letter box, can't we keep control of the spam that is overloading our...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: A fair-minded industry?

  Despite its reputation of being ageist and sexist, a recent salary survey shows that critics of the IT industry might be wrong,...  Continue Reading

• Why you must report e-crime

  This week's Security Special Report highlights the impossibility of getting a reliable picture of the true extent of e-crime and...  Continue Reading

• Status quo technology upgrades are dead

  Maintenance is one of the highest margin areas for suppliers, so they try to play the support card to move customers to their...  Continue Reading

• Groundswell: Have we been let off lightly by virus attacks?

  As we pick up the pieces after yet another virus blitz this August it is worth reflecting that so far, things have not been that...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Throw out the junk with the trash

  Keeping control of spam may be a daily grind for some, but a spam filter may help by declaring all your mail as junk, says Simon...  Continue Reading

• 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