Opinion

Opinion

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  There have been many campaigns lately in support of technology and e-commerce, all of them arguing that the law is out of date....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

• Thought for the day:Linux experiences a culture clash

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.With a strong feeling of déjà vu, I...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Heavy Internet traffic needn't be taxing

  Chris Hemingway suggests how the Inland Revenue could have made life far easier for itself.Well, it hardly came as a shock. After...  Continue Reading

• Nats: accept the facts, take action

  It is vital that Nats executives recognise there are problems with Swanwick's air traffic systems  Continue Reading

• Hoist by our own ROI petard

  ITmanagers who use suppliers' calculations of return on investment to justify the investment in IT in their organisations now, in...  Continue Reading

• Scanning tool gets to meat of the matter

  When Derek Wyatt, Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, called last month for ISPs to be made responsible for any unsolicited...  Continue Reading

• Opinion: Reclaim your rightful role as enabler in the business

  As IT leaders, it is entirely our choice as to whether we lead our departments in cost-saving or in real, measurable profit...  Continue Reading

• Tech talk: Long odds on the Tablet PC

  History suggests that Microsoft's Tablet PC will struggle to make its mark in businesses.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the Day:Don't let copyright stymie IT innovation

  Research wizard Peet Morris gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.As far as I can tell, a .doc file is,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Responsibility, reliability and respect

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.You may remember that last month...  Continue Reading

• Behind Closed Doors:Judgment day

  Allowing emotions to cloud our judgment when choosing a supplier can prove costly, something we can ill afford in these uncertain...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Use TV licence fee for better broadband

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Media guru Jonathan Miller's...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Expensive medicine?

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.This week, I'm feeling a little...  Continue Reading

• Nats PPP: Labour's poll tax on wings?

  Labour's 1997 manifesto promised better standards and safety for the UK's airspace. But at the start of a new millennium, has its...  Continue Reading

• Security needs more leadership

  Security eats up 10% of IT budgets, so why are incidents costing about $108,000 a time?  Continue Reading

• Intelligent about culture

  Culture wields a strong influence over us all. At the national level, it defines, among other things, how we are brought up and...  Continue Reading

• Continuity: more than tick-boxes

  There is a high level of anxiety among general business managers about ensuring continuity in the event of an IT failure, from...  Continue Reading

• Spam, spam, spam, spam

  Junk e-mail is now a fact of online life, and forthcoming EU legislation will never stop it.  Continue Reading

• Teradata bolsters data warehouse

  Business intelligence software vendor Teradata is upgrading its data warehouse product so companies can use it as an...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Three cheers for the home office

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Ever had one of those days? I'm sure...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Are blades really cutting edge?

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.This industry has a talent for taking...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The price of telecoms continuity

  Telecoms law expert Clive Douglas wonders how safe our networks are in the event of a supplier going under.Businesses concerned...  Continue Reading

• Tech talk: Wintel's cornucopia of choices

  Corporate IT people who think that all Wintel systems are the same are living in the past.  Continue Reading

• Weakest links are your staff

  Kevin Mitnick, who was jailed after he stole the source code for Sun's Solaris operating system and hacked Tsutomu Shimomura's...  Continue Reading

• Big five suppliers map out service-based future for IT

  Disparities in the wealth and power of nations have been thrown into the spotlight at the Johannesburg Earth Summit. A few rich...  Continue Reading

• Inland Revenue washes its hands

  Draconian measures over NI data cleansing are an arrogant shirking of responsibility by the Revenue  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Do you trust your employer?

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Employers and vendors of surveillance...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The OS security dilemma

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Security - or, should I say,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:IT sorcerers have lost their magic

  Incisive columnist and IT expert Colin Beveridge looks at a hot issue of the day.Once upon a time, in a land far away, a wicked...  Continue Reading

• Getting Wired: Business will be caught in the battle for Net freedom

  Users will suffer as corporate bullying over online practices increases.  Continue Reading

• Telcos seek network revamp to make data pay

  Fierce competition and flagging demand for plain old voice services is making the question of how to make money out of data the...  Continue Reading

• Study IT history for good health

  To deliver significant changes to the health service there must be a fundamental rethink in organisation, process and people...  Continue Reading

• Net is the key to linking systems

  Getting disparate systems to communicate used to require specialist knowledge, but the arrival of Internet technologies has...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Spam rationing - it's about time

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Microsoft's announcement that it will...  Continue Reading

• Making the most of security

  There is still a lot of confusion about security policies. All businesses are advised to have them, but few seem to know why. And...  Continue Reading

• Unrealistic expectations

  Suppliers and customers should do more thorough homework before contracts are signed.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The power of collective bargaining

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.If you asked the 70-odd members of the National...  Continue Reading

• Challenges for today's CIO: Global IT strategy

  Having no co-ordinated approach to IT across your company is a great way to waste money without really trying, says John Handby....  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Sex-obsessed? Surely not...

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.You won't believe this, but mention...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Cat fights?

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.S-CAT and G-CAT catalogues (generically X-CAT)...  Continue Reading

• Connected:Using the Internet to build your network

  In the third of his fortnightly series on communications, Antony Savvas considers how companies should evaluate IPVPN security...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Trust me, I'm an e-government expert

  Incisive columnist and IT expert Colin Beveridge looks at a hot issue of the day.It's very nice to be popular, especially if you...  Continue Reading

• Taking lessons from disaster

  Terrorist attacks and supplier meltdown give impetus to revisiting business continuity plans.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the DayIf it ain't broke, don't fix it!

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Chairing a Microsoft Forums seminar on...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Who's reading your e-mail?

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.As I'm quite unused to sensible...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The real world of Web services

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Web services are, as we know, a...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The best things in life are free

  Research wizard Peet Morris gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.The Web never ceases to astound me with the...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Add synergy to your security

  Security expert Dr Peter Tippett corrects some common misconceptions about how to make systems safe.Many IT managers still...  Continue Reading

• No time for complacency

  The IT skills shortage has abated, but it will soon return if IT bosses fail to stay alert and invest  Continue Reading

• The do's and don'ts of back-up

  However good your security, your data is never 100% safe. One of the most important protections is data back-up but unless it is...  Continue Reading

• Sun must cure its corporate schizophrenia

  Before the dotcom boom, Sun was the "sports car" supplier of the IT world - selling to tech-savvy IT directors looking for a...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Parliament's porno puzzler

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Concerns about the growing plague of...  Continue Reading

• Web services get real

  Web services are a set of common IT standards wrapped around a business application that allow it to interact with any other...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Don't mention the penguin

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Linux and Unisys don't sit easily...  Continue Reading

• Thought of the day: Is Palladium worth the wait?

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.I've been trying to get to grips with...  Continue Reading