Opinion

Opinion

• Thought for the day:Freedom of information works both ways

  Research wizard Peet Morris gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.So, the Government's plans to pass effective...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Why do we fail to learn from history?

  IT governance expert Paul Williams looks at a hot issue of the day.When it comes to information technology-related business...  Continue Reading

• Your shout! E-snooping won't stop criminals

  Among the subjects on CW360.com readers' minds recently were government attempts to increase Internet and e-mail snooping, the...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Learning the dotcom lessons

  Richard Althorp looks at the growing resurgence of the dotcom industry and how old mistakes can be avoided second time around....  Continue Reading

• Your Shout! Is GPRS worth the money?

  The Connected column by Antony Savvas on the costs of using GPRS services attracted a lot of reader interest, with attention...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Will you put your trust in Microsoft?

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Microsoft makes mistakes. It's a...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Strengthen your supply chain

  Incisive columnist and IT expert Colin Beveridge looks at a hot issue of the day.The solution to a management problem often lies...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:When is a tax not a tax?

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Yesterday I discussed how the UK...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Strong passwords - a false sense of security?

  The best passwords are the simplest, saving time and money to spend more effectively on other risk-control measures, says...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Instant messaging equals instant chaos

  Instant messaging is a convenient way to talk to colleagues, but Colin Beveridge warns its universal introduction could erode...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Mind your Bacs!

  The Bankers Automated Clearing System is critical to the UK's well being because we all depend on it, argues Colin Beveridge. So...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Support the e-police

  Businesses are storing up trouble by failing to notify the police of e-crime, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Look out! The Penguin's got a gun

  Are Microsoft's attempts to understand the Linux phenomenon too little too late? asks Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Grid is good

  Do you need a lot of computer power for a spot of number-crunching? Google, among others, may have just what you're looking for,...  Continue Reading

• Thank heavens for good virus writers

  I can't be the only one who finds that packaged software products rarely do what they say on the box.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: A month to forget

  Broadband seems the only bright light leading us on, as Simon Moores makes it through the rain (and snow) of January.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: People are the best software

  If you want your IT department to excel, put your faith in your people, not the latest piece of technology, says Maldwyn Palmer.  Continue Reading

• Learn to live with Microsoft

  Don't moan about licensing, concentrate instead on IT performance  Continue Reading

• Cisco router monopoly cloud has silver lining

  As revitalised router suppliers begin to emerge, Cisco will find its monopoly is eroded.  Continue Reading

• Patch priorities

  Those IT departments who worked throughout last weekend to revive crashed systems will know what havoc the Slammer worm created....  Continue Reading

• Too much trust in the supplier

  Advocates of PFI - the private financing of public investment - say that putting the onus on companies to raise funds and deliver...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Slammer - a prophet of doom?

  Is SQL Slammer an isolated event, or a step towards the collapse of the internet? asks antivirus expert Eugene Kaspersky.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Don't get shot in the Wild West Web

  Online bulletin boards on corporate websites can seriously damage corporate health, warns Colin Beveridge.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Who gives a damn about security?

  With thousands of businesses hit by the Slammer worm, Simon Moores finds himself in despair over the complacency that bedevils...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Look out, Outlook!

  Simon Moores applauds a new attempt to break the Microsoft stranglehold, but he is not holding his breath.  Continue Reading

• Heed ID card reviews

  Home secretary David Blunkett last week underlined his support for the introduction of the electronic identity card. If this...  Continue Reading

• Let logic prevail from Gateways

  The computing industry was built on the bits, bytes and gateways of Boolean logic. Binary input passes through a gate and...  Continue Reading

• GPRS gets the thumbs-down

  I took the opportunity during the Christmas sales to update my mobile phone. Generally I steer away from cutting-edge technology....  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Sailing through the economic straits

  As enterprise budgets shrink, Simon Moores looks at the shift in IT spending from businesses to the public sector.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Welcome to my wireless world

  So many everyday devices are now cordless that Peet Morris is amazed that for the most part computing is still literally stuck in...  Continue Reading

• Platforms are for life, not six years

  Just as a puppy is for life, not just for Christmas, so proprietary software should be, if not for life, then at least for a more...  Continue Reading

• IT grows up and slows down

  I first saw the Rolling Stones on their UK tour in 1963 just before I joined a new UK IT services company called Hoskyns (now Cap...  Continue Reading

• Reduce your software costs

  A good asset management team could save your business more than 30%.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Dark matter on the web

  Recent revelations about the extent of paedophile material on the internet raise serious issues about corporate web and e-mail...  Continue Reading

• Sack data abusers

  In blowing the whistle on computer misuse by Inland Revenue staff, Revenews, the department's in-house organ, has taken a brave...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The hanging gadgets of Babylon

  Microsoft's Spot technology threatens to spread Bill Gates' influence to your wristwatch. Isn't this where Sir Clive Sinclair has...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the Day:Linux's war of the flea

  Linux is winning the propaganda victories in its guerilla war against Microsoft, says Simon Moores  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Outsourced to oblivion?

  The short-term attractions of outsourcing "knowledge" jobs overseas will create serious long-term problems for the UK, argues...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Walking the chalk

  The practice of warchalking has highlighted a number of bandwidth and security issues, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The coffee wars of Sun and Microsoft

  The decision to force Microsoft to carry the latest version of Java in Windows and Internet Explorer has left a bitter taste,...  Continue Reading

• Connected: Do you get the mobile picture?

  There has been a rush of smartphones offering a wealth of gadgetry. So what are the benefits for business?  Continue Reading

• Thought for the New Year:Money, Microsoft and making it through the gloom

  Simon Moores posits dramatic new moves from Microsoft as the IT industry copes with another hard year.  Continue Reading

• Proud of a year's work well done?

  IT historians are unlikely to view 2002 as a vintage year for the industry. Telcos have tumbled into the abyss, major outsourcing...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:So here it is, Merry Christmas . . .

  Don't let the gloom cramp your style this Christmas. Office parties are good for your spirits and your business, says Colin...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Faking it on the Web

  Readily available e-mail accounts mean you can be anyone you like on the Internet. It's time to impose some reality, argues Colin...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Identity is the key to the future

  If the government is to make its e-strategy work, it will have to introduce a workable digital ID system, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:BT fails to make the connection

  BT is missing out on lucrative broadband customers by not teaming up with third-party cable suppliers, Colin Beveridge believes.  Continue Reading

• High-tech crime charter is a major step forward

  The High-Tech Crime Unit's new charter takes us a big step forward in the fight against cybercrime. In the charter, the...  Continue Reading

• Lessons for the Lord Chancellor

  When a bad poet composes a verse in a Word document, the result may be perfectly laid out in a lavish font, its title grandly...  Continue Reading

• Next move: Consult the experts on your career

  The question:Independent career guidance  Continue Reading

• Do reality checks on change

  Technology implementations can be introduced to improve the infrastructure or to bring about change, says Chris Wakerley,...  Continue Reading

• Make IT certifications global

  IT recruitment has fallen through the floor. Reports abound about the severity of the situation. One shows a drop from 57,000...  Continue Reading

• Dressed up for Christmas

  Amazon is setting a brisk new pace for e-tailers by introducing a host of extra features  Continue Reading

• Hot skills: Putting style into XML presentations

  XSL offers a model for writing XML stylesheets, writes Nick Langley  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:UK business is sorry, not safe

  Companies are still apathetic about e-crime but the government also has a case to answer, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Sony plays Office politics

  Sony is starting to install Sun's StarOffice on its computers. Is this the beginning of the end for Microsoft's stranglehold?...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Is innovation old hat?

  Has the downturn fatally affected the IT industry's ability to innovate? Have we seen the last disruptive technology? asks Simon...  Continue Reading

• Behind Closed Doors: Let's organise and take power

  Tired of being seen as a bit-player in the business? Colin Beveridge says careful rebranding could take IT departments a lot...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Hazards of the broadband highway

  Simon Moores loves fast cars and motorbikes, but when it comes to broadband he's still got the brakes on. Here's why.  Continue Reading

• Beware (Big Five) consultants bearing gifts

  There are no two ways about it, the Big Five are in trouble. Where once upon a time business was generated between the accounting...  Continue Reading

• OFT should help firms

  The Data Protection Act is already causing enough headaches for UK businesses. So it is unforgivable that red tape at the Office...  Continue Reading

• Security cannot be neglected

  Investigators are still trying to piece together exactly how hackers managed to break into systems belonging to three leading...  Continue Reading

• A question of integrity

  The software industry needs to regain customers' faith by ensuring their products work  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:IT out of Africa

  Simon Moores sees IT talent going to waste in Africa, and looks at the impact of Indian outsourcing on UK job opportunities.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Open source versus Microsoft

  Simon Moores takes a fresh look at the ideological battle raging between the well entrenched armies of the open-source community...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Merger or murder?

  After the upheaval of a merger, it's easy for quality to get slaughtered. Linda Newsom-Ray offers some pointers for effective...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The serious business of hi-tech crime

  Too many companies are letting hi-tech criminals get away with it, says Simon Moores after meeting the head of Britain's war on...  Continue Reading

• Apps are key to network productivity

  Analysing the performance of applications in relation to the network is now a vital task.  Continue Reading

• A better desktop outlook

  GNU/Linux needs an alternative to Outlook if it is to be a serious desktop contender.  Continue Reading

• Business needs IT at its heart

  Imagine a world where most major businesses experienced failed construction projects every year - where our cities were cluttered...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Would you like bugs with that?

  Software developer and researcher Peet Morris is surprised at our attitude towards software - not only do we expect bugs, we're...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The secret life of IT

  Following a report in the Sunday Times on British secrets on the Web, Simon Moores wonders just how many "secret" IT projects are...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The world in the palm of your hands

  As wireless collides with the Internet, Simon Moores predicts that computing will get a lot more personal.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The IT dangers of coffee

  That innocent-looking latte could do more than just give you a heart attack. Paul Williams looks at corporate security risks as...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Timesheets are a waste of time

  Monitoring time spent on projects doesn't help productivity, says Colin Beveridge. So let's tear up our timesheets and just get...  Continue Reading

• Ask not what the community can do for you

  If you offer your IT expertise to the IT4Communities initiative, everyone will benefit.  Continue Reading

• Make disaster recovery routine

  It is easy to get carried away by the hype surrounding disaster recovery but less hysteria and more sensible precautions, such as...  Continue Reading

• Networking aids promotion

  Networking, not competence, is the proven key to career success  Continue Reading

• Do you know your staff?

  Your employees might be part-time hackers so don't take them at face value - check references properly.  Continue Reading

• Security: one chief too many?

  Another three-letter job acronym is about to be absorbed into the UK's corporate jargon dictionary. The chief security officer...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Let's get back to e-basics

  The government's dream of a greater e-Britain needs a lot more attention to fundamentals to become a truly valuable reality,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The great software rip-off

  No wonder UK companies use pirate software if they feel they're paying over the odds, says Simon Moores. If the price comes down,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The 24/7 nightmare

  Simon Moores looks into the ever-growing Internet culture and asks whether the communications revolution has improved the quality...  Continue Reading

• The lean Blue Gene machine

  The world's most powerful computer is to run on the Internet's own operating system.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Choosing a consultancy - as easy as ABC?

  Martyn Hart asks what separates the big consultancies from the boutiques and whether size really does matter.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Sense and security

  Simon Moores believes breaches in IT security have far more to do with sloppy management of people, processes and policy than...  Continue Reading

• Groundswell:The dog that did not bark

  When Microsoft's chief executive, Steve Ballmer, was interviewed before several thousand IT users by leading analysts at the...  Continue Reading

• How to cure the schools exam fiasco

  The recent A-level examination fiasco raises important questions for all of us to consider. One view is that traditional paper...  Continue Reading

• Keep telecoms options open

  The failure of KPNQwest and WorldCom have demonstrated that no telecoms provider - big or small - is safe. So don't let your...  Continue Reading

• Time for positive action

  Don't let the chief executive get the idea that IT is not important  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Taxpayers' cash for government's Field of Dreams

  The government is piling money into putting national and local services on the Web, but doesn't seem to have thought about the...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Terror on the Web

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.I'm sitting here trying to write a...  Continue Reading

• Can the Tablet PC make a sick IT industry better?

  The IT slowdown may have left the computing industry looking a little bit sick of late, but there's no guarantee that taking the...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Technology - the heart of the black economy

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.One of our readers, Equation managing...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: One key to rule them all

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Speaking at last week's Net Project's...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Will 3G ever arrive?

  We have to offer dramatic, fresh applications for 3G, otherwise the technology will become an expensive failure, says Warren...  Continue Reading

• Remove RIPA ambiguities

  The confusion and consternation surrounding the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) shows no sign of abating. Now,...  Continue Reading

• Secure networks begin at staff induction day

  Company inductions are usually a whistle-stop affair. The new joiner will normally meet and greet everyone, bar the cleaner, and...  Continue Reading

• Quality systems give big returns

  Testing software and systems for quality will play a large part in the future IT landscape  Continue Reading

• The law still works for technology

  There have been many campaigns lately in support of technology and e-commerce, all of them arguing that the law is out of date....  Continue Reading