Opinion

Opinion

• Can in-memory computing answer the big questions about Big Data?

  Like it or not, the amount of information an organisation will deal with only ever increases, writes Alan Bowling, chairman of the UK & Ireland SAP User Group. This has led to the concept of "Big Data", whereby organisations will increasingly rely ...  Continue Reading

• Opinion: Personal device momentum will challenge traditional mobile sourcing strategies

  Enterprises are embracing mobility at an unprecedented pace, and this trend will continue to gain momentum over the next five years, writes Brownlee Thomas, principal analyst at Forrester Research.  Continue Reading

• Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden backs online micro-finance initiative

  Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden came face to face with entrepreneurs she described as "inspirational" during a recent trip to Cambodia with leading aid and development agency CARE International UK.  Continue Reading

• Seven steps to successful negotiation for IT buyers

  Nigel Owen of training consultancy Huthwaite International provides some key tips for benefiting both seller and buyer when negotiating a sale or purchase.  Continue Reading

• Rationalising software licencing in the virtual age

  During any consolidation project, software licensing arrangements must be given careful thought. Andrew Buss of Freeform Dynamics discusses the legal and commercial considerations.  Continue Reading

• Security Zone: Best of breed versus single vendor solutions creates challenge and opportunity

  The concept of an eclectic mix of security appliances, OS and hardware that seeks to maximise security architectures through diversity may be outdated thinking.  Continue Reading

• Top skills for IT managers - Part 2: Advanced Communication and Interpersonal Skills

  Joseph R. Czarnecki, project management specialist and senior consultant at ESI International, identifies six top business skills at which every IT project managers needs to excel.  Continue Reading

• How evolved is IT in your company?

  There are a number of cartoons...  Continue Reading

• CIOs are from Mars, CMOs are from Venus? Not any more

  To many people, marketing and IT, and CMOs and CIOs could not be more extreme in their differences, writes Forrester's Simon Yates.  Continue Reading

• What is the point of BDUK?

  Guy Jarvis, director at NextGenUs UK, on Broadband Delivery UK's bidding guide for local authorities and others interested in taking part in the government's £530m rural broadband programme.  Continue Reading

• Unglamorus batch processing is 'the new sexy' for financial services IT

  Sebastien Quoirin, general manager at ORSYP, on why unglamorous batch processing is "the new sexy" for financial services IT  Continue Reading

• Gartner: Combine strategy and leadership to maximise the contribution of IT

  Strategy and leadership are the two most important disciplines for CIOs to exercise to drive sustained success, writes Dave Aron, vice-president and Gartner Fellow.  Continue Reading

• Security zone: Extending compliance to the cloud

  Most security and compliance mandates were simply not designed with cloud environments in mind – an unfortunate state of affairs as a huge amount of our data is about to go "cloudwards".  Continue Reading

• Funding for IT businesses - where and how to get it

  Grant Thornton's Wendy Hart shares her insight on sources of funding for high-tech businesses in the current market and what technology companies should do to get it.  Continue Reading

• IT teams signing up to CARE IT Adventure Challenge

  Teams from across the IT industry are signing up to challenge themselves and challenge poverty in the CARE IT Adventure Challenge supported by Computer Weekly.  Continue Reading

• Spectrum auction ignores delivery, quality, timescale issues

  David Harrington of the Communications Management Association (CMA) gives his views on the Ofcom 4G auction  Continue Reading

• Forrester's four steps for CISOs marketing security

  While many security groups focus their communication activities on end-user security awareness, they have stopped short of planning for the fundamental activity of presenting their products, services and capabilities to their key stakeholders  Continue Reading

• Delivering IT for economic recovery

  In many organisations public, private or third sector, it is no longer "business as usual". The almost unprecedented scale of public sector budget...  Continue Reading

• Top skills for IT managers - Part 1: Establishing a business mindset

  In this six-part series, Joseph R. Czarnecki, project management specialist and senior consultant at ESI International, identifies six top business skills at which every IT project manager needs to excel.  Continue Reading

• How technology can make or break a carve-out

  Technology has long been a critical element of M&A transactions. Handled correctly, it can be a key driver of value, enabling business processes to operate more efficiently, but done incorrectly, it can have devastating consequences  Continue Reading

• How tablets are transforming how SAP runs SAP

  Unwiring the enterprise can pay huge dividends for workers and the corporate bottom line, writes Oliver Bussmann, global CIO at SAP. I've seen firsthand proof of that. Since joining SAP as global CIO in late 2009, I have made mobile adoption one of ...  Continue Reading

• Interview: Askar Sheibani, CEO of Comtek - People need to change their ways on e-waste

  Askar Sheibani, CEO of IT repairs firm Comtek, talks to Computer Weekly about fighting e-waste, the benefits of reuse to the UK economy, and how big manufacturers are fuelling an unsustainable future  Continue Reading

• Getting to grips with software licencing

  Building a solid platform for licence management  Continue Reading

• 10 steps to get Internet Explorer 9 going

  As more and more companies migrate to Windows 7, the uptake of Internet Explorer 8 and now Internet Explorer 9 is booming - and it needs just as much careful attention. In fact, if you don't have plans in place for IE8 or IE9, it will hold up your ...  Continue Reading

• High touch is just as important as high tech

  The promise of any form of communication technology, whether paper, the printing press or a PC, has always been to help people connect more effectively. On this measure, the explosion of IT in the last two decades has been disappointing. We all know...  Continue Reading

• Guide for employers on the abolition of the default retirement age (part 1)

  The question of how to deal with older members of staff, particularly those who have worked for a business for a long time, can be a difficult one for managers  Continue Reading

• Guide for employers on the abolition of the default retirement age (part 2)

  The most obvious difficulty for employers will be that there is no longer a ready-made timetable for retirement  Continue Reading

• Check your software licence agreement for these common flaws

  During 2010, Forrester clients bombarded us with an increased volume of questions and complaints about software contract issues  Continue Reading

• Security zone: Mobile malware is already costing you money

  Mobile malware has already been predicted, and it is fair to say that it is now here. There are already numerous exploits and scams in the wild that have been used to exploit users and mobile devices alike.  Continue Reading

• Prepare for the mobile wallet

  Entrepreneurs like tipping-points. Their sources are many and varied; a spur from technology perhaps, the first time you say 'no' to business you don't need...  Continue Reading

• New assurance standard required for cloud confidence

  One of the perceived inhibitors in the uptake of cloud computing, particularly...  Continue Reading

• Lessons from the NAO's report on government IT

  The UK's public-spending review body, the National Audit office (NAO) last week published "Information and Communications Technology in Government Landscape Review"  Continue Reading

• Are you a natural risk taker? Take our free personality test to find out

  Managing IT risk in today's cyber economy is a high priority. New standards and regulations focus on operational risk management – weighing risk against reward and building in systems and procedures to try to reduce or eliminate risk.  Continue Reading

• Rising values must drive change on software patentability issue

  Recent speculation that Facebook and Google may be considering a takeover of Twitter for an estimated $8-10 billion has shocked the business world.  Continue Reading

• Software engineering, but not as we know it

  With the further developments of the Chartered Information Technology Professional status, or CITP, BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, encourages us to reconsider our understanding of our profession, writes Jon G Hall.  Continue Reading

• ECJ trade mark ruling lets eBay off the hook

  The European Court of Justice has moved a step closer to judgement in a case referred from the English High Court, which it is hoped will provide guidance...  Continue Reading

• Increase in IT jobs continues into 2011

  There has been a noticeable increase in IT recruitment levels over the past 18 months, writes Jason Addicott, associate director of IT recruitment at Robert...  Continue Reading

• Security sceptics should 'just say yes'

  Companies need to realise that important business opportunities can only be achieved by taking a positive approach to IT security, writes Etienne Greeff  Continue Reading

• The business impact of TMMi

  In today's demanding business environment organisations face increasing compliance and regulatory risks. The consequences of getting it wrong can be serious,...  Continue Reading

• Opinion: Key role for IT in M&A success

  The much anticipated economic recovery has set tongues wagging about the prospects of new life returning to the mergers and acquisitions industry.  Continue Reading

• Is it time for IT professionals to return to the City?

  Now the City is back on track and confidence has picked up, many employers are being allocated budget to recruit externally to re-build their IT functions.  Continue Reading

• IT governance and mobile technology

  The mobile world is undergoing explosive growth. Luckily, enterprises are beginning to realise the potential gains and losses this technology offers, enabling them to act appropriately.  Continue Reading

• Review: WikiLeaks - Inside Julian Assange's war on secrecy

  The one enduring thing Wikileaks has taught us is that the internet works, if you know what you are doing.  Continue Reading

• How can we find the new recruits that IT needs?

  Last month's "Technology Insights 2011" report from e-Skill UK warned that the IT sector requires 110,000 new entrants a year from education, unemployment and job switchers to fulfil its potential.  Continue Reading

• Global sourcing trends in 2011

  Every January, we survey our outsourcing experts in Asia, Europe and the USA about the state of the market and the likely trends over the next 12 months. The results always show interesting similarities – and differences – in attitudes around the ...  Continue Reading

• Software as a service can breed dependency so choose suppliers with care

  SaaS is not utility computing: it matters who delivers it and how  Continue Reading

• Justifying your cloud investment: high-performance computing

  High-performance computing (HPC) is no longer exclusive to large companies and governments with substantial scientific budgets  Continue Reading

• Security Zone: DLP – Did we miss the point?

  Data Loss Prevention, DLP for short, is a phrase that should strike fear into everyone who does not take it seriously. And with good reason. Many companies have found themselves embroiled in legal battles, facing court cases, and even complete ...  Continue Reading

• IT skills require industry engagement

  Recent figures from Reed's annual job index suggest that the UK need for IT professionals is now 23% higher than a year ago. This could be viewed as a positive sign of a recovering industry pulling itself out of economic recession. However, the news...  Continue Reading

• Cloud predictions for 2011: Gains from early experiences come alive

  The second half of 2010 has laid a foundation in the infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) market that looks likely to make 2011 a landmark year.  Continue Reading

• Think Tank: What are the security implications of putting a smart meter in every UK home?

  The government is planning to put a smart meter in every home in the UK by 2017 as a step towards a smart grid, but what are the security implications?  Continue Reading

• Security Zone: The ISO/IEC 38500 IT Governance Standard

  IT governance means different things to different folks, yet it is generally understood to require alignment with best practice standards and methodologies. However, it can be really hard to see the wood for the trees due to the multiple frameworks,...  Continue Reading

• CES 2011: Security and mobile working

  Corporate computer security has recently been forced to expand beyond the usual remit of protecting company-owned devices by also protecting consumer endpoints...

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• IT leads the charge on project management

  IT has led the charge on project management . No other industry has had as much impact on the field of project management as IT has.  Continue Reading

• Innovation out of recession: what’s ahead in 2011

  The technology sector has played a leading role in recovery from the downturn and IT departments will have to get to grips with being the brokers of IT services, writes Mark Settle, CIO of BMC Software.  Continue Reading

• The seven most common project management mistakes CIOs make

  CIOs spend much of their time identifying the right strategies for IT implementations, which invariably morph into projects and programmes, writes Raed Haddad.  Continue Reading

• Don’t let techno-babble cloud your judgement

  Robert Morgan believes businesses must fully understand what cloud computing actually is and what it means to them as 2011 inevitable brings with it a new wave of cloud hype in the outsourcing sector.  Continue Reading

• Why FTTC isn’t enough and how the UK might do more

  The UK government recently announced its strategy to deliver improved rural broadband services - one of the longstanding and well-documented problems facing the UK. The ambition to construct the best broadband network in Europe by 2015 is admirable,...  Continue Reading

• Fibre rates – time to repeal the modern equivalent of the window tax

  Why would anyone tax windows? Well it seemed like a good idea to some in late 17th century England and in 18th century Scotland and France  Continue Reading

• Saving money through software asset management

  In the midst of global financial uncertainty, it is becoming increasingly important for organisations to effectively manage and account for their software to help to optimise IT expenditure. A common misconception is that managing software assets is...  Continue Reading

• Government broadband strategy will fail unless fibre rates are challenged

  The government strategy for broadband fails to address the taxation of fibre-optic infrastructure and puts at risk the creation of a regulatory and policy environment which would allow the market to deliver.  Continue Reading

• Security Zone: More effort needed to manage third party connections

  We are increasingly aware that every day new hazards appear on the internet as the software and systems we use continue to develop vulnerabilities at alarming rates. At the same time, businesses crave the new functionality and features found in the ...  Continue Reading

• The legal considerations of cloud computing

  It's a misconception to think that all law firms are stuck in the technological dark ages.  Continue Reading

• CW Security Think Tank: How to prevent security breaches from personal devices in the workplace

  What are the most effective security practices for allowing employees to use their own computing devices while ensuring corporate data is secure? John...  Continue Reading

• Youngsters driving the cloud to tipping point, says Rangaswami

  Cloud has reached tipping point in enterprise and the younger generation of employees are driving it. JP Rangaswami, chief scientist at Salesforce.com, talks...  Continue Reading

• Opinion: Plugging the gaps in the government's broadband strategy

  The government has outlined its vision for Britain's superfast broadband service. Chris Conder, who has first-hand experience of community networks, has...  Continue Reading

• Stopping the cloud taking your IT career away

  Most industry observers recognise that cloud computing represents a radical and irreversible transformation in the way business uses technology.  Continue Reading

• Why data analytics must change

  Wanted: people with the ability to see the relationships in big data, says Stephen Brobst, CTO of Teradata  Continue Reading

• Women could fast track the alternative IT needs

  I often sing the praises of the multi-disciplinary education that I received at the University of Sussex in the early 1990s. I 'majored' in Social...  Continue Reading

• Refining the language of risk

  When it comes to risk analysis, one of the most important tools an IT executive can deploy is compelling language.  Continue Reading

• Security Zone: Cloud computing puts the spotlight on security architecture

  Security is still regularly cited as a blocker to the adoption of cloud services, or other shared services, or anything being delivered "as a service". Assurance...  Continue Reading

• Which IT suppliers will win in next 18 months?

  While virtually all private sector companies publicly acclaim news of a shrinking public sector, the reality is often quite different. For example, pharmaceutical...  Continue Reading

• Ten trends you cannot ignore

  Vice-president of Nucleus Research, Rebecca Wetteman, counts down 10 issues which should be top of the IT agenda.  Continue Reading

• Freedom of action: preventing paralysis from risk

  In today's competitive markets, businesses must work increasingly hard to ensure they eliminate incidents of risk that impact company reputation and market...  Continue Reading

• Career structures for IT professionals: HR toys or levers for change?

  As we come out of the recession, many companies are now busily engaged in revising their IT career structures. Some are driven by mergers: they need a single...  Continue Reading

• The new EU cookie rule – so, we need to get consent then?

  In October 2009 the European Commission adopted the Citizens Rights Directive, part of the reform package for the regulation of the electronic communications...  Continue Reading

• Will a UK technology hub really rival Silicon Valley?

  Earlier this month, prime minister David Cameron set out the government's ambitious plans to create a technology hub to rival Silicon Valley in London's...  Continue Reading

• How to collaborate: Six lessons from BT Expedite

  1. Have the commercial discussion early and agree the ground rules before you begin. Is the customer jointly funding a specific project or taking a stake in the supplier's product or even a wider business venture? Does the customer get an ...  Continue Reading

• Beyond PCI DSS: Protecting more than just card data

  The latest version of the PCI Data Security Standard, formally released last month (Version 2.0, 28 October 2010), gives merchants, service providers, auditors and banks an opportunity to briefly review how far (or not) the card payment industry has...  Continue Reading

• Clearer visibility of product roadmaps improves IT planning

  Today's organisations are operating at a time when IT budgets are tight and careful planning is essential. At the same time there is an ever-increasing demand on IT to support the business. While many IT departments would like to be more strategic ...  Continue Reading

• LTE: Will high speed mobile internet mean higher speed business?

  The next generation of mobile broadband offers us unrestricted internet, optimised infrastructure, ubiquitous access and increased opportunity.  Continue Reading

• Hacking work: the businessman's Trojan

  People are increasingly bypassing corporate-supplied tools so they can do their job the way it really needs to be done.

  The way we organise work matters....

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• Forrester: Harnessing mobile UC to transform the business

  The appeal of unified communications (UC) has been the convergence of all business communication applications across the range of enterprise interfaces, including the PC, telephone, web, and mobile  Continue Reading

• Security Zone: Mobile device management - chore or chance?

  There is an opportunity for organisations to realise cost savings by allowing staff to leverage their privately owned device to access their business correspondence  Continue Reading

• DNSSEC update

  On 1 July this year, a signed (DNSSEC-enabled) root zone was published by the 13 root name servers. DNSSEC prevents hackers from redirecting traffic from...

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• Spending Review: Prepare for the insider threat as staff are squeezed

  The growing uncertainty across the public sector workforce attracts a number of risks and opportunities around staff behaviour. Public sector leaders need...

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• Apps will make the smart grid worthwhile

  The timetable for the UK's energy grid will be driven by a combination of political, regulatory, technical, economic and market factors, but it will be the...

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• Exploiting knowledge for project value

  Free copy of project management research for Computer Weekly readers  Continue Reading

• Time for the UK to act on cybercrime

  Until now, the coalition government, and the Labour government before it, has merely paid lip-service to the threat posed by serious cybercrime.  Continue Reading

• Vote in the Computer Weekly IT Blog Awards 2010

  Vote in the Computer Weekly IT Blog Awards 2010 - voting will end on the 19 November.  Continue Reading

• The only way is tough – the future of data protection law

  Not many IT professionals will have failed to notice that data protection law is toughening up. And most of the momentum is attributable to HM Revenue & Customs…  Continue Reading

• Tightening the reins – getting a grip on mobile device management

  Today's workforce is becoming increasingly mobile, which can result in a number of new security concerns for ICT directors, ranging from mobile malware to the loss of confidential business information…  Continue Reading

• Mac vs PC: Which should I buy?

  Which is better – Macs or PCs? Computer Weekly content editor Faisal Alani gives his opinion on their respective advantages and disadvantages  Continue Reading

• Why banks are wary of public clouds

  Banks have traditionally kept close control of their IT, supporting large in-house teams and, until recently, building their own datacentres.  Continue Reading

• How to avoid getting caught out by Oracle Unlimited Licence Agreements

  Oracle is one of the most popular databases for business-critical applications among large enterprises, and this popularity is growing.  Continue Reading

• Security Zone: Faking IT support

  There is plenty of fakery of all sorts in the IT business, and the security sector has seen more than its fair share  Continue Reading

• Make mobility standard business practice

  A recent Forrester survey shows CIOs are making mobile expansion a priority. In fact, while mobile is front and centre for 62% of CIOs and IT leaders across the globe, 16% see it as a critical priority, and a striking 46% see it as a high ...  Continue Reading

• The hidden costs of a private cloud

  The phrases "private cloud" and "public cloud" have become commonplace, but when you think about the benefits of a real cloud computing environment, the hype around a private cloud doesn't measure up  Continue Reading

• How the changing nature of IT sourcing will redefine CIO roles

  Commoditisation is sweeping the IT world as core business systems, once the sole domain of in-house IT, are outsourced, shared, or floated out into the cloud…  Continue Reading

• What you need to know about the Equality Act 2010

  October sees the main provisions of the Equality Act 2010 coming into force, in a move to update the anti-discrimination laws protecting individuals with disabilities and their rights to access online material. The changes will place further ...  Continue Reading