Opinion

Opinion

• 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

• The figures don't compute

  Just how are the statistics for losses to software piracy calculated?  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Learn to manage change - before it manages you

  Change in a project is good, so long as you keep control of it, advises IT consultant Sarah Saltzman. I was recently asked to...  Continue Reading

• Freedom beckons for mobile users

  Microsoft's redefinition of the phone as a computer could transform the comms business  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The good, the bad and the ugly

  Simon Moores asks why the quality of Government Web sites fails to match up to the standards of their commercial counterparts.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Open Windows mean closed doors

  The long-awaited verdict in the final stage of Microsoft's antitrust hearing was announced last Friday. Simon Moores examines the...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The yellow box road to enterprise security

  Is it possible to run an enterprise system which allows multiple devices to communicate and maintain a secure information...  Continue Reading

• Behind Closed Doors:Public sector enemy number one

  Colin Beveridge examines the reasons behind high profile public sector IT project failures and looks at what must be done to get...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Take a hard look at software testing

  Dr David Crocker believes software companies should do more to ensure their products are fault-free.Software is the only...  Continue Reading

• No winner yet in Java vs .net battle

  The turbulence of the market in past 12 months has been mirrored in the standards war.  Continue Reading

• Coping with the generation game to cut the credibility gap

  Puffer has replaced corduroy, but can the IT director pull the department together?  Continue Reading

• Dream IT departments do exist

  As part of a programme to get to know our readers better, Computer Weekly staff spent time recently shadowing IT chiefs in their...  Continue Reading

• Bacs must get users involved

  The UK payment industry is an essential part of our national infrastructure. In theory, banks and payment organisations should...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Bar stool politics

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Much of the real government business...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:What makes someone a world authority?

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.I recently found myself at a loss during an...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Clear and present danger

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Last week proved more interesting than...  Continue Reading

• Firms' customer service shortcomings exposed

  Consumers e-mailing queries to some large companies via their Web sites could probably get a more rapid response by driving to...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Learn from public IT disasters

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day."You're not making many friends," I...  Continue Reading

• Feeling the pull of 'push' technology

  The concept of information "push" technology originated as a way to automate the searching and retrieval of information from the...  Continue Reading

• Web services put spotlight on IT

  Your IT department is about to become the public face of your business - are you ready?  Continue Reading

• Why is the health service paying EDS £91m to develop a 'Hotmail' system?

  The NHS is paying a vast sum for a system that could have been bought "off-the-shelf"  Continue Reading

• Something worse than spam

  Next-generation junk e-mail represents a grave attack on a victim's personal reputation  Continue Reading

• Beware smart worms

  Viruses and worms are becoming more common and more intelligent. Most companies already have anti-virus software, but this needs...  Continue Reading

• Web futures at your service

  Introducing Web services will be worth the effort, once early hurdles have been crossed.  Continue Reading

• CIOs must keep the faith

  Research released this week reveals that significantly more chief executives than chief information officers consider IT to be a...  Continue Reading

• Icann's failings

  "The Internet is a global resource of incalculable value, and nothing is of greater importance to its future than the way in...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Absence of trust

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.In a speech I recently gave at the...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Can government carry the card?

  Data expert Peter Dorrington gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.The UK Government is currently requesting views...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Recession bytes

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Why anyone would let themselves be...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: A sticky solution

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.A while back one of my clients decided to equip...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:TGI Friday - unless you're in IT

  Incisive columnist and IT expert Colin Beveridge looks at a hot issue of the day.For many of us Friday lunchtime used to be the...  Continue Reading

• Don't shoot the messenger

  Threatening people who report online security problems with court action will harm our industry.  Continue Reading

• Why core systems need to be integrated

  Despite the historic problems with the implementation of early enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, major retailers are...  Continue Reading

• Users want suppliers who listen and don't just sell their solution

  Do you find suppliers are increasingly wasting your time? Are your relationships with your suppliers not what they used to be?  Continue Reading

• Web hosting industry must be flexible

  The future growth of the online marketplace is being jeopardised by elementary errors.  Continue Reading

• Suppliers need personal touch to ensure outsourcing success

  Colocation is not just about space in a datacentre. It is a service that needs a human face.  Continue Reading

• Getting wired: Is there anything new in Sun Microsystems' N1?

  Sun tends to get things right when backing new technology trends, but its latest strategy is basically a re-invention of the grid...  Continue Reading

• Broadband UK: we need a vision

  Until the politicians wake up to the importance of universal access to broadband, we are destined to keep muddling on  Continue Reading

• To be 'open' is to share knowledge

  Open source software does not necessarily imply free software, available to all and sundry. It can, indeed, be free but need not...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the dayPrevention is the only cure for e-mail viruses

  IT security expert Etienne Greeff measures the effectiveness of antivirus protection.Since the outbreak of the Melissa virus just...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Penguin on a PlayStation

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.I was speaking to one of the...  Continue Reading

• Tech talk: Convergence of the bits and the atoms

  The next 10 years will see IT's data world and the physical world moving closer together.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Hacked to death?

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.The end of the world is near. Well...  Continue Reading