Opinion

Opinion

• IT can help people to participate

  E-participation is about using technology to rekindle disaffected citizens' interest in the political process.  Continue Reading

• The real cost of telecoms bills

  The growing diversity of telecoms operators and products being used by companies will make it increasingly difficult to allocate...  Continue Reading

• Open source hits release 1.0

  The release of Mozilla 1.0 brings a complete open client and server solution a step closer  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The ageist agenda behind recession

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.My friend, a long-standing director of...  Continue Reading

• The case for contractors

  Our editorial of 15 August set the cat among the pigeons when it suggested that IT contractors struggling in the current economic...  Continue Reading

• Mega deals struggle with change

  The deal being forged by ABN Amro and EDS will fuel the ongoing debate over the wisdom of so-called "mega" IToutsourcing deals -...  Continue Reading

• Connected: Time to turn on to wireless?

  In the second of his fortnightly series on communications, Antony Savvas examines the security issues raised by wireless...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The art of the contract

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.Listening to Radio 4 the other day, I heard an...  Continue Reading

• UK taxpayers deserve better

  This has been an inauspicious week for online public services delivery in the UK. Last week, the Liberal Democrats said the...  Continue Reading

• End this CSA debacle

  Last week we learnt that a £200m IT system being developed by services giant EDS for the Child Support Agency (CSA) is £50m over...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Linux - It's time to lose the beard!

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Linux again. And, once more, its time...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Indian summer of outsourcing

  Legal expert Peter Hall asks if the benefits outweigh the risks of offshore deals.There has been a lot of publicity lately about...  Continue Reading

• Behind Closed Doors:IT projects don't always mean business

  These days everyone seems to want to present their projects as business initiatives. But when a project is pure IT with no ROI in...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:When too much information hampers the police

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.These days the police are surrounded...  Continue Reading

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

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.Many suppliers and users boast about their...  Continue Reading

• Few tears shed for contractors

  Struggling IT contractors will find little sympathy among IT bosses who remember their Y2K antics.  Continue Reading

• Free MS upgrades are meaningless to most users

  It was a momentous week: there was darkness at noon, the undead walked the streets, and Microsoft Licensing v6 came into effect.  Continue Reading

• Getting Wired:Real opens up online media battle

  Can RealNetworks beat Microsoft by making key parts of its media players open source?  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Is anybody working?

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.I counted six men standing by the...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:More aggregation, less aggravation

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.We are, it appears, leading an...  Continue Reading

• Connected: The high price of GPRS

  In the first of a fortnightly series, Antony Savvas uncovers the technology and management issues behind the big telecoms and...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Have flat management structures gone flat?

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.There is an "older" person that I see regularly...  Continue Reading

• Half-time in our toughest year

  The August holiday season is upon us. But it will take more than a pitcher of sangria and a week on the beach to erase memories...  Continue Reading

• Send in the tigers to fix public sector IT projects

  It seems the chancellor has woken up to the argument that while an aggressively "wired" public sector seems like a jolly good...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Lack of broadband is leaving us gridlocked

  Research wizard Peet Morris gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.One day, impractical, computationally intensive...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Put a check in the post

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.I had to visit my nearest Post Office...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:No holiday for the business

  Incisive columnist and IT expert Colin Beveridge looks at a hot issue of the day."Captain's Log, star date 45-06 point 8: Mr...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Brits get uptight in laid-back Europe

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.The large white sign ahead said...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Open day at the Office

  Research wizard Peet Morris gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.You know, I used to be well against the open...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Business travel's going nowhere

  Online conference expert Mireia Fontbernat puts the case for staying home.Business travel is archaic, expensive and ineffective....  Continue Reading

• Security for free: Don't trust everything in e-mail

  E-mail security has several threads, as there is a wide range of vulnerabilities. We have all heard about the Love Bug, BadTrans,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:In light of the bottom line

  Chief information officer Catherine Doran tackles a hot issue of the day.The history of technology adoption is well known:...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Tend it like Beckham

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.Judging by the e-mails we get it seems that the...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Pass the e-mail parcel

  Incisive columnist and IT expert Colin Beveridge looks at a hot issue of the day.How many times a day do you play pass the parcel...  Continue Reading

• MoD remains unaccountable

  Whitehall has set a dangerous precedent by allowing the MoD to stand by its Chinook verdict  Continue Reading

• Opinion:Cash transfusion is not the right remedy for NHS IT

  The Government's plans for NHS ITmay be well-meaning, but the basis for change is not supported by the available evidence, even...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Protect and survive Web services

  Iain Franklin gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Believe it or not, we have been talking about Web services...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:A little e-government is a dangerous thing

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Simon Moores gives his personal take on a hot issue of the day.It seems that the Chancellor has also...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Computer science and the Class of 2002

  Research wizard Peet Morris gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Yippee! I've got my Software Engineering Master...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The same but different

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.When you're searching data you usually look for...  Continue Reading

• Inland Revenue is over a barrel

  Since late February the Inland Revenue has been seeking a strategic partner to deliver technology services when its ongoing...  Continue Reading

• Telcos: All things to all men?

  Telcos must choose: will they deliver content, networks or services?  Continue Reading

• Behind Closed Doors:Valuable data or just plain sludge?

  We IT professionals need to start asking the right questions about data. Just what is worth capturing and how do we keep our...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The speed of state spending

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Simon Moores gives his personal take on a hot issue of the day.By the time you read this column, I'll...  Continue Reading

• Opinion: Winning the Linux gamble

  I'm an equal opportunity employer. Really I am. I'm prepared to consider Linux as a serious operating alternative to anything...  Continue Reading

• The confusion over Web services

  Web services are at risk of being overlooked because of misdirected marketing efforts.  Continue Reading

• New online services standards will alleviate businesses' security fears

  The Web services framework, by its nature, increases the ability of software to be exposed to the Web. As confidential...  Continue Reading

• Your office could be anywhere

  Increased mobility and demands for greater security will be network managers' major headaches in future  Continue Reading

• Palladium: prison or protector?

  Like it or not, there is little chance you will escape Microsoft's latest security initiative.  Continue Reading

• XML: the next generation

  Some of the W3C's work on XML will have a direct impact on the way we use the Web.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Don't trash Microsoft Office just yet

  Research wizard Peet Morris gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.One issue that is being missed in the hullabaloo...  Continue Reading

• Sans are not just for the big players

  The amount of data generated by businesses will increase massively in the next three years. New storage area network offerings...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Bring back people

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Are we deceiving ourselves over...  Continue Reading

• Extend Whitehall blunder controls

  Recommendations to prevent another ILA debacle should be extended across the entire public sector.  Continue Reading

• Getting Wired: The ever-expanding empire of XML

  The W3C making XML its central focus reflects broader trends in corporate computing  Continue Reading

• Security for free: Don't let staff download files

  Turn off some browser settings and change the supplier's defaults  Continue Reading

• Inside track: Gear up for best business practice

  The argument for outsourcing appears to have evaporated, so focus instead on best sourcing.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:It's good to talk . . . if you can

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.It's a secret, you know, the new BT...  Continue Reading

• Child's play?

  Caroline Bassett looks at how Sonia Livingstone's book Young People and New Media opens up the subject of how children interact...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the Day:Time for a standardised Web

  Research wizard Peet Morris gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:The take-away economy

  Hard-hitting IT columnist Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Don't even mention WorldCom - the...  Continue Reading

• Comment: A blast from the past

  To my surprise, I found an old industry stalwart is not only still alive but forging ahead with new and relevant products.  Continue Reading

• Challenges for today's CIO: Outsourcing

  If you see outsourcing as the key to cutting your costs, you are likely to be disappointed sooner rather than later. That's not...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Not enough grey on top?

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.Look at my picture and you will see that I'm...  Continue Reading

• Westminster must follow Islamabad

  With Pakistan's cut-price development move, it is time Whitehall took a more progressive approach  Continue Reading

• Will you sink or swim in a sea of e-mail?

  Archiving and storing e-mails uses up valuable resources, and with e-mail use set to spiral businesses need to plan and implement...  Continue Reading

• Help to bridge the digital divide

  With the UK set to have 12 million over-65s by 2021, government e-envoy Andrew Pinder believes we must work together to ensure...  Continue Reading

• Is your company ready to upgrade its ERP?

  Should you splash out £10m on Web-based alternatives for your enterprise resource planning system or settle for a £5m upgrade?  Continue Reading

• Intrusion detection systems are overhyped and underdelivered

  Hardly a day goes by when IT security - or more to the point, an IT security scare of some description - doesn't make the...  Continue Reading

• Technology for travelling light

  Like most business travellers, I have two little baggies. One holds much the same as it did two decades ago: toothbrush, razor,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Government's woolly Web policy

  Incisive columnist and IT expert Colin Beveridge looks at a hot issue of the day.I take my hat off to Paul Wey and I hope that he...  Continue Reading

• Microsoft and Liberty Alliance are hijacked on the road to Damascus

  The time has come for the industry to take security and availability seriously. So says Microsoft "visionary" Bill Gates.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Mobile phones - good servants, bad masters

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Even the most advanced technology...  Continue Reading

• Behind Closed Doors: What the Dickens does your budget look like?

  Are you an Oliver Twist or a Fagin? Neither approach is effective for getting your company to stump up the cash, and worse, it...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Beware Trojan Horses, stick with plastic giraffes

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Trend Micro is giving away...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Spanners in the procurement works

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.I've been speaking at a few conferences about...  Continue Reading

• Users quail in the face of Microsoft

  With no one prepared to stand up to new software charges, it is time to meekly learn our lessons  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Silverstream lining for Novell?

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.It was more of a whisper than a...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Fear or freedom?

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issues of the day."Why," asked Jeremy Paxman,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:RIP our freedoms

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.Two years ago I gave a speech at...  Continue Reading

• Don't bury your head in the sand

  The bankruptcy of Europe's largest data network provider offers a wake up call to all IT managers  Continue Reading

• Don't be afraid of IT - just do it

  Accountants and financial directors are often still wary of IT, however they are the ones who should be deciding how it should be...  Continue Reading

• Keep cool over interactivity

  Web site forums, baskets and SMS messages must be grounded in economic viability  Continue Reading

• IBM tries on a utility hat

  Suppliers have been moving to sell IT as a utility like the water, electricity or telephone services. IBM has built up its hosted...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Technology needs ethics

  Incisive columnist and IT expert Colin Beveridge looks at a hot issue of the day.I don't like the way that my television set has...  Continue Reading

• Don't just sit there

  Do something that will benefit both your team and the company  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Dead CEOs Society

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.I was just talking to a friend of...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Dragging our heels on spam

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.As expected, the European...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Ten golden rules for outsourcing

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.As chairman of the National Outsourcing...  Continue Reading

• Next move: How do I get back into IT?

  I am 48 and have not worked in IT since I was made redundant in 1992.  Continue Reading

• Foreign language skills open IT career options

  The British are bottom of the European league table when it comes to speaking a foreign language, and with the Government...  Continue Reading

• Overseas postings look good on CV

  The days of the gin-and-tonic-quaffing ex-pat stationed indefinitely on some far-flung shore may be numbered, as companies...  Continue Reading

• Opinion:Brand new opportunities for business

  To maximise your brand value you must shift your focus from being supplier-driven to being market-driven. Customers remember and...  Continue Reading

• Blair must act to stop an injustice

  Should the MoD reject the Lords' findings on the Chinook crash, its conflict of interest will be clear.  Continue Reading

• What is the W3C doing now?

  Last week I suggested the W3C may be losing its way, but it is still doing some good work  Continue Reading

• No tears shed for this downturn

  Consolidation is on everyone's minds - whether they are banks, car manufacturers or, indeed, management consultants.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day:Taxing issues for e-government

  Hard-hitting IT commentator Dr Simon Moores gives his personal take on the hot issue of the day.I've been sitting here for ages...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the Day:Happy with your lot?

  Outsourcing and communications expert Martyn Hart looks at a hot issue of the day.Remember Leon? He was the IT director I wrote...  Continue Reading

• Behind Closed Doors:Land of hope and IT glory?

  Jubilee or no jubilee, UK computing cannot afford to look backwards. In terms of innovation and competition, we lost our place at...  Continue Reading

• Barclays pay cuts - cute or callous?

  What are we to make of the news that Barclays Bank is slashing contractors' rates by 20% in an effort to cut costs across its IT...  Continue Reading