Opinion

Opinion

• Ensure that benefits and savings outweigh investment and upheaval of convergence

  The virtues of network convergence are widely extolled, says Steve Kennedy, but does it make business sense, or is it just the...  Continue Reading

• Is variable reponse the key to secure systems?

  Variable detection and prevention is only way to let users in and keep intruders out, says Phil Cracknell  Continue Reading

• Ending the age of the password

  IT directors face the constant challenge of giving the business enough flexibility to access IT however, wherever and whenever...  Continue Reading

• Your shout! on how ageism affects younger staff as well

  Have your say at computerweekly.com  Continue Reading

• Regulators to lessen pain of exporting data

  Data protection law is a continuing headache for international businesses. The 1997 EU Data Protection Directive even applies to...  Continue Reading

• Evolving technology barbarians will need new tools to prove their value to the board

  There is an adage that as a young company matures, its leadership evolves from being barbarians to bureaucrats, and a similar...  Continue Reading

• What GPs want from IT

  Honest consultation about the practical changes needed is key to NHS e-booking success, says Paul Cundy  Continue Reading

• Size, unlike intelligence, is not everything

  Users often think enterprise application software needs multimillion-pound budgets and months to roll out, but the hottest...  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On why it will take more than a law to beat ageism

  In response to the news that an EU law could put an end to milkround campus recruitment (Computer Weekly, 1 February)  Continue Reading

• Clean data is good business

  Managed data can offer benefits beyond compliance  Continue Reading

• Need for better communication is vital as doctors voice deep concerns about NPfIT

  Doctors' comments reveal fears of wastage and a failure to appreciate their needs  Continue Reading

• Get the doctors on board - or fail

  One simple maxim should be pinned on the wall of the project management office of any major IT development: No matter how elegant...  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On why Linux code does not have to be rewritten

  In response to the news that the Linux community could be forced to rewrite code after IBM hands over its operating systems to SCO (Computer Weekly, 1 February)  Continue Reading

• Capacity for change

  Over the years storage has very much been the poor relation, something purchased as a server add-on. However, now it is important...  Continue Reading

• Firms can be brought to book for illegal images on their systems

  Companies are liable for all illegal images stored by staff, says Dave McLoughlin  Continue Reading

• RFID should not be a closed shop

  Electronic tagging using RFID - radio frequency identification - will create a sea-change in the way items are tracked as they...  Continue Reading

• Proactivity breeds predictability and the chance for better business opportunities

  Firms should blend service- and event-driven architectures, says Chris Phillips  Continue Reading

• Crime is no private affair

  The police must not leave firms to fend for themselves, says Richard Starnes  Continue Reading

• Virtual office block tests show scalability of wireless local area network technology

  Simulation tests feasibility of replacing wired networks with wireless Lans  Continue Reading

• Rise of the digital mafia

  Collaboration key to beating professional e-criminals, says Pete Simpson  Continue Reading

• Politics and IT: a difficult mix

  The dangers of mixing politics and IT projects are clearly illustrated by the reaction of ministers and senior civil servants to...  Continue Reading

• Put safeguards in place now to avoid problems with future converged networks

  Any weaknesses in an IP data network today will become more of a threat, says Chris Risley  Continue Reading

• FOI: a licence to snoop?

  IT firms must beware of rivals seeking to exploit law, says Renzo Marchini  Continue Reading

• Fresh approach promises much

  There is a danger that with the appointment of Ian Watmore as government chief information officer he will have a grand title and...  Continue Reading

• A year of change on the desktop

  This should be an interesting year in the PC market, because many of the people who are least able to cope with change will...  Continue Reading

• Prepare to free your information

  The past few years have seen a raft of corporate governance regulations aimed at making company dealings more transparent. And...  Continue Reading

• Define IT risks to the company to comply with new business continuity legislation

  The board will be legally required to protect the business from known risks, says Marcus Hill  Continue Reading

• IT challenges for 2005

  Wise CIOs are preparing for economic uncertainty, says Ben Booth  Continue Reading

• Common sense standard boosts effeciency

  The IT Infrastructure Library methodology can help IT departments calculate how effective their service is compared with...  Continue Reading

• Time to mobilise your business

  Mobile phones have gone forth and multiplied to the point that in some places they have become a nuisance which requires a...  Continue Reading

• IBM sale may bring us next generation of PCs

  It is the end of an era. I obtained my first IBM PC in 1982, before it officially was on sale in the UK.  Continue Reading

• Neglect of e-mail etiquette can ruin business relationships

  The volume of e-mail is growing exponentially and it is predicted that by next year 36 billion e-mail messages will be sent...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Keep intrusion detection systems simple

  The right strategy will address potential drawbacks such as false positives, says Richard Starnes  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The fight against fraud

  2005 is set to be a critical year for criminal activity, says Peter Dorrington  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Human factor is key to wireless security

  As increasing numbers of firms allow at least some of their staff to use wireless devices, it is important to educate the...  Continue Reading

• Your shout: Don't rely on suppliers to protect against disaster

  The recent test performed in The City of London to assess the vulnerability of communications links has highlighted the importance of ensuring network resilience and availability in the event of a disaster (Computer Weekly, 30 November).  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Who goes there?

  Obscured by clouds of regulation and compliance lies the real issue, says Simon Moores: organisations need to control access to...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the Day Asking for trouble

  Thousands of ordinary users will plug into Broadband Britain this Christmas, says Simon Moores, and they haven't a hope of...  Continue Reading

• Don't let the supplier agenda dictate the future of business process management

  Products must reflect real issues, not suppliers' business goals  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The value of outsourcing

  Alter value measurements as the contract progresses, says John Creber  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On the problem of youth discrimination

  In response to Nick Huber's article, entitled Beware youngsters' ageism claims (Computer Weekly, 26 October)  Continue Reading

• Sharing your IT skills is a real gift

  This is the season of giving and receiving, but for many of us this can be more to do with eau de toilette and socks than...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Virus writers enjoy public holiday releases

  Christmas comes but once a year but that will not stop the hackers, so users must ensure that all their anti-virus defences are...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Trust in IT

  The government's track record for successful IT systems may leave users weary of future projects, says Simon Moores  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Big brother is watching

  Is the introduction of the raft of well-intentioned technological measures aimed at protecting national security going to...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Make sure of the way out

  Outsource in haste, repent at leisure in a messy divorce, says Clive Seddon  Continue Reading

• Hot skills: Visual Basic eases programmers' path for creating Windows apps

  What is it?  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day Virus protection is easier than you think

  Simple rules can deal with most threats without the need for AV products, says Nick Scales  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Web of deceit

  The truth is out there, but disentangling it from the scams is more than Simon Moores can do.  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On leadership in project management

  In response to Tim Westbrock's article on the need to appoint an enterprise architecture champion (Computer Weekly, 9 November)  Continue Reading

• IT needs a new breed of leader

  It is self-evident that IT directors need strong business skills if they hope to join their business colleagues on the board.  Continue Reading

• Sun's Linux strategy: too little and too late?

  Sun seeks to see off competition from Red Hat by releasing free Solaris 10  Continue Reading

• Technology maintains business momentum

  In an extract from his book, consultant Terry White looks at the role of IT managers in supporting changes in business needs.  Continue Reading

• Plan for data protection rules when moving IT work offshore

  Outsourcing deals could fall foul of EU data privacy directive.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: We know where you live

  Resist the web browser witch hunt - online crime doesn't represent anything like the same kind of threat as global terrorism,...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Monitor Java apps to minimise downtime

  Rules for best practice and management when deploying Java applications are still essential to prevent downtime, says Roger...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The IT contracts hammer

  Beware consequences of tough public sector contracts, says Roger Bickerstaff  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On methods to deter e-mail spammers

  In response to the letters on methods of reducing spam e-mails (Computer Weekly, 9 November)  Continue Reading

• Transparency is not a dirty word

  The machinery of UK government, after decades of major IT disasters, is slowly being upgraded to give Parliament timely, factual...  Continue Reading

• Multi-layered security is vital to stop new wave of day zero attacks and mobile threat

  Traditional reactionary anti-virus measures are no longer adequate for business.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: No more ideas – just patents

  The legal complexity surrounding patent and copyright, might eventually harm the IT industry's ability to innovate, says Simon...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Monster mayhem

  The biggest IT project of all time could be heading for a tremendous flop, says Simon Moores  Continue Reading

• Spending rise has a downside

  The Computer Weekly/Kew Associates quarterly spending survey should put a smile on everyone's face. IT spending by corporate...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Staff are key to excellence

  Retention and development must be a top priority, says Ben Booth  Continue Reading

• Update skills to cut staff turnover

  Continual professional development can help to improve an organisation’s reputation and save costs through staff retention.  Continue Reading

• Use regulations to get boardroom backing for IT security policies

  Buy-in from top is essential to build security culture, says Jon Fell  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day Create a security culture

  Staff education is vital to effective information security, writes Richard Starnes.  Continue Reading

• Shooting phish

  Identity theft as a result of phishing expeditions is a growing source of fraud. It may need an initiative by government and...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Thieves' charters

  Sometimes the internet goes out of its way to let other people get their hands on your intellectual property, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Losing it in the detail

  Managers responsible for network security are being hampered by too many products and too many services, writes Andrew Kellett  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day The bogeyman cometh

  Don't let reasonable security concerns turn into panic-filled hysteria, says Simon Moores.  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Law that's patently unfair

  Copyright protects but patents stifle IT innovation, says Sean Hanly  Continue Reading

• Spread the word

  Technical advances are making computing more secure, but user education must be a priority in the battle against viruses and...  Continue Reading

• Fine tune the recruitment process and reap the rewards

  Users must demand more from agencies to ensure that recommended candidates are suitable, says Jerry Cave  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On finding a way to report phishing scams

  In response to Malcolm Frary, who wanted to know how to report banking phishing scams (Letters, 26 October)  Continue Reading

• SIP standard could get businesses talking

  SIP can help businesses integrate voice and data communications.  Continue Reading

• Time to demand accountability

  Last week public spending watchdog the National Audit Office published yet another report that showed that IT-related projects...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Double indemnity

  Can "free" anti-virus software do a better job of working with the Windows operating system than commercial products, asks Simon...  Continue Reading

• Will desktop searching reveal all your hidden PC secrets?

  Desktop search is not new: it is already built into the Start menu of Microsoft Windows XP.  Continue Reading

• Compliance and value delivery dominate IT directors' forward planning for 2005

  Here are the five biggest challenges facing IT directors over the next 18 months  Continue Reading

• Demand more from agencies: fine tune the recruitment process and reap the rewards

  Users must be proactive in ensuring that recommended candidates are suitable  Continue Reading

• Your shout! On how to successfully develop applications

  In response to Bola Rotibi's opinion article on the secrets of successful application development (Computer Weekly, 19 October)  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: A descent into hell

  The dreams and visions that made IT and the internet a force for freedom have been transformed into a nightmare of political...  Continue Reading

• Secure state of mind

  Not surprisingly, security is one of the biggest issues facing businesses today. The threat posed by viruses, hackers and...  Continue Reading

• World Wide Web Consortium's future will be driving semantic web, XML and mobile

  After 10 years as the spiritual guardian of the web, what is W3C's next role?  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Call in the cyber police

  The number of victims to online theft is on the increase, so why is the government and its law enforcement agencies not doing...  Continue Reading

• Techniques for terminating spam before it reaches the inbox still have some way to go

  E-mail software can only do so much to spot spam and eliminate it. Try people power  Continue Reading

• Ignorance of IT breeds turkeys

  MP Edward Leigh says the Ministry of Defence might just as well have bought eight turkeys as eight Chinook Mk3s. We would go...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Outsource your changes

  Fast-changing firms benefit from third-party services, says John Creber  Continue Reading

• Performance targets can root out slackers and ensure efficiency

  Review reporting systems to track project progress  Continue Reading

• Technology catches up with the VoIP hype

  There has been renewed interest in voice over IP telephone systems as falling prices and increasing functionality make it a...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: It's good to talk

  The chief executive of BT, Ben Verwaayen, is warning the UK to pull its finger out or else face the great Indian takeaway, writes...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Whose data is it anyway?

  Patient records plan presents a host of legal posers, says Ian McGibbon  Continue Reading

• Bring discipline to software development

  Poor management processes cause high project failure rate  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: Yell for mobile innovation

  As innovation in the mobile phone space starts to take off, will this in turn subject users to the security threats that many are...  Continue Reading

• Platitudes don't make for good IT

  Rarely has so little been said in so many words. The government has reacted with 17 pages of platitudes to the cogent and...  Continue Reading

• How to avoid the pitfalls in the small print

  Ensure you are not trapped by contracts' limited liability clauses.  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing bandwagon slows as users see value of retaining control of applications

  Organisations that want control of their software are keeping it in-house  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: The three "Rs"

  Good money is being wasted on trying to teach leadership, when a good leader knows that responsibility, respect and reward are...  Continue Reading

• Thought for the day: You've been Googled

  Do you really want Google to get to know you better? Simon Moores certainly doesn't  Continue Reading