Business applications
At the heart of enterprise software strategy are the key business applications upon which every organisation relies. From enterprise resource planning (ERP) to customer relationship management (CRM), financial and accounts software to business intelligence (BI), such applications demand high investments and can deliver high returns. We analyse the latest product developments and the news from major suppliers such as Oracle, Microsoft and SAP.
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News
29 Apr 2025
Edinburgh University evaluation of NHS AI Lab finds early promise
A report into the NHS AI Lab from the University of Edinburgh identifies early signs of return on investment amid barriers to scaling and implementation Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2025
VeeamON shows Veeam on Linux, RAG from backup, and cloud features
Veeam showed a new Linux appliance, features in Veeam Backup & Replication that will see it run corporate backups as RAG data, and new cloud features that include Entra ID backup Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2022
BreastScreen Victoria to use third-party support for Oracle database
Australia’s BreastScreen Victoria has inked a support contract with Rimini Street to free up IT capacity and funds for strategic initiatives Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2022
India warms to telehealth amid pandemic
Covid-19 has accelerated adoption of telehealth services in India as more healthcare providers look to offer medical treatment and assistance without risking infections Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2022
The British people are waking up to the scandal that happened under their noses
Victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal have been suffering in silence for many years, but the current public inquiry is giving them a voice, and people are listening Continue Reading
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News
17 Feb 2022
How one Singapore company is keeping drivers safe
TNT Surveillance’s technology is being deployed by bus and port operators to reduce driver fatigue and prevent accidents using cameras and radar sensors Continue Reading
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News
16 Feb 2022
MPs demand urgent compensation for Post Office scandal victim group
MPs have called for the government to urgently provide fair compensation to a group of victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal who have so far been left out of compensation schemes Continue Reading
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14 Feb 2022
Space junk revealed by University of Texas graph database
Aerospace engineers, led by space environmentalist Moriba Jah, at The University of Texas at Austin have built a graph database, AstriaGraph, to track space junk that is a threat to life on Earth Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2022
India to invest $1bn in quantum computing
India plans to invest $1bn over the next five years to advance its capabilities in quantum technology, but it will need to have a tailored approach and to address the skills gap to succeed Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2022
Rackspace buys Singapore firm to bolster analytics capability in APAC
Rackspace Technology’s acquisition of Just Analytics will bring delivery capabilities to Southeast Asia and pave the way for its expansion into Vietnam Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2022
Government earmarks £23m for 2,000 AI scholarships in England
The DCMS has confirmed £23m government funding for 2,000 scholarships in England for AI and data science Masters degree conversion courses Continue Reading
- 09 Feb 2022
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News
09 Feb 2022
Minister defends digital economy legislation before Lords
A digital minister has said that the UK’s forthcoming digital markets legislation is ‘superior’ to similar efforts in the EU, but could not commit to a specific time frame for when it will be introduced to Parliament Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2022
Post Office scandal victims to tell their stories in public
Victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal are due to tell their devastating stories to the statutory inquiry Continue Reading
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Podcast
09 Feb 2022
Log4Shell, Ukraine and umbrella firm cyber attacks – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast
Alex Scroxton joins the team to discuss the Log4j vulnerability and Russian pressure on Ukraine. Also discussed are cyber attacks on umbrella companies, neuro-diversity and junk in space Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2022
Right to disconnect and less monitoring key to better remote work
The World Health Organisation and International Labour Organisation warn against invasive workplace surveillance and promote right to disconnect in joint briefing on how to promote healthy and safe remote working Continue Reading
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E-Zine
07 Feb 2022
Exploring the metaverse
In this week’s Computer Weekly, the metaverse is set to become a highly competitive commercial playground –profitable markets but also high-profile failures will follow. IT contractors have been hit by cyber attacks on the firms that pay their wages – we examine the impact. And we ask if it’s time to plan for quantum computing. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2022
EC proposes new directive to improve gig economy work conditions
Gig economy workers in Europe could be entitled to more rights and better workplace protections under a directive proposed by the European Commission Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2022
Cack-handed government compensation scheme prolongs suffering of Horizon scandal victims
Victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal are being denied the millions of pounds they are owed as the government delays compensation resolution Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Feb 2022
Finland brings cryostats and other cool things to quantum computing
Not only is Finland the clear leader in refrigeration technology for quantum computers, but it also leads in fundamental research into the underlying quantum information theory Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2022
Dutch software engineers join campaign for research funding
Software researchers from all over Europe are sounding the alarm: to maintain a strong international competitive position, more financial resources must be committed to software research Continue Reading
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Blog Post
01 Feb 2022
Companies need to embrace voice to promote empathy and intentionality at work
This is a guest blogpost by Oliver Palihes, CEO at Aircall. It seems that, in recent years, messaging and video have become the de facto modes of communication for businesses looking to optimise ... Continue Reading
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01 Feb 2022
Data integration dogged by complexity and vital to business
Integrating data is one of the thorniest challenges in business intelligence and analytics – achieving it is technically and organisationally complex, while it is gaining in importance all the time Continue Reading
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E-Zine
01 Feb 2022
How Ocado pushes technological boundaries
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to Ocado’s CTO about how the e-commerce company pushes technological boundaries. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at the importance and technical challenges of data integration. There’s a growing dispute over the use of end-to-end encryption – we look at the differing perspectives. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Jan 2022
Data integration dogged by complexity and vital to business
Integrating data is one of the thorniest challenges in business intelligence and analytics – achieving it is technically and organisationally complex, while it is gaining in importance all the time Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2022
SAP full-year 2021: Revenue nudges up 1%, cloud growth up 17%
SAP has announced a 2% rise in full-year 2021 revenue, to just under €28bn, while S/4 Hana customer base increased by 18% to 18,800 Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2022
CORT deploys IoT to monitor indoor air quality
New Zealand community housing provider is rolling out sensors and analytics software to track the air quality of its premises Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2022
Space junk revealed by University of Texas graph database
Aerospace engineers, led by space environmentalist Moriba Jah, at The University of Texas at Austin have built a graph database, AstriaGraph, to track space junk that is a threat to life on Earth Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2022
Demands on Fujitsu to contribute to £1bn Horizon scandal compensation costs
Fujitsu cannot hide away as taxpayers pick up the bill for the Post Office scandal triggered by its IT system, say peers Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2022
TigerGraph roars into APAC
The graph database technology supplier is approaching the region with a solution-based strategy and partnering with universities to grow local capabilities Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2022
Subpostmaster campaign group to meet government over unfair compensation settlement
A group of subpostmasters excluded from fair compensation in the Horizon scandal is to meet government department to discuss their demands Continue Reading
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E-Zine
25 Jan 2022
Why watching your remote workers doesn’t work
In this week’s Computer Weekly, the surge in home working led many firms to mandate use of surveillance software – we look at why it hasn’t worked. It’s an important year for public sector IT – we examine the trends for 2022. And with robotic process automation (RPA) booming, a Swedish bank explains the benefits. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2022
Heathrow Airport takes to the cloud with Oracle Fusion Applications
Airport has implemented a full spread of Oracle Cloud Applications, including ERP and HCM, as it looks to recover from the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2022
Government ‘has nothing against’ paying 555 subpostmasters fair compensation
Government officials are open to finding a way to properly compensate victims of the Horizon scandal without setting a dangerous legal precedent Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2022
UK SMEs to receive tech skills and software boost
A new government scheme aimed at helping businesses improve their productivity and sales online has opened for applications Continue Reading
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E-Zine
18 Jan 2022
The race to quantum computing
In this week’s Computer Weekly, researchers are racing to create the first commercially useful quantum computer – we look at one of the European candidates. Cyber security is one of the greatest risks facing the global economy, warns the World Economic Forum. And we examine the role of employee experience in hybrid working. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2022
Government widens subpostmaster miscarriage of justice compensation
Government changes its position in billion-pound Horizon scandal compensation Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2022
Test police algorithms in court rather than legislate, Lords told
Police algorithms and their impacts should be tested and challenged in court, rather than controlled by new laws, says policing minister Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2022
‘Russian-backed’ hackers defaced Ukrainian websites as cover for dangerous malware attack
Kiev claims that a hacking group in Belarus – a close ally of Russia – was responsible for hacking Ukrainian government websites amid threats of military action Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2022
Twinings selects Rise with SAP to simplify its business brew
Tea company Twinings Ovaltine has chosen SAP’s Rise subscription service to simplify its relationship with the supplier and focus on future growth Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2022
Post Office received £1bn taxpayer subsidy last year as part of IT scandal compensation
The Post Office has received over £1bn in taxpayer subsidies for its Horizon scandal compensation scheme Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2022
M1 rolls out voice bot for customer hotlines
The Singapore telco has rolled out a voice bot for a number of customer hotlines to improve customer experience and the productivity of call agents Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2022
Councillors refuse public release of IT audit of Hackney Psya ransomware attack
Hackney councillors claim an IT audit report is exempt for disclosure as it relates to action taken in relation to the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2022
Government backs Turing Institute in bid to set global AI technical standards
The DCMS has announced an AI Standards Hub, comprising The Alan Turing Institute, the National Physical Laboratory and the British Standards Institution to set a global bar for AI technical standards Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Jan 2022
Dispelling the top five myths of modern infrastructure
Modern infrastructure is agile, flexible and scalable. It is at the forefront of every CIO’s digital strategy – and it's everywhere. But with the multitude of choices comes complexity Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2022
Post Office can’t access records of all money paid to it by victims of the Horizon scandal
A parliamentary select committee was told that the Post Office is unable to access information to accurately calculate compensation for some Horizon scandal victims Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2022
Companies propose scanning content pre-encryption to fight CSAM
Firms working on the UK government’s Safety Tech Challenge have suggested that scanning content before encryption will help prevent the spread of child sexual abuse material – but privacy concerns remain Continue Reading
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E-Zine
11 Jan 2022
How Pepsi is taking digital to the max
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to PepsiCo’s digital director about delivering innovation in customer experience. Our first buyer’s guide of 2022 examines hybrid cloud storage. And we find out how Arkwright and Granville from the BBC sitcom Open All Hours are inspiring retailers 40 years on. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jan 2022
How to make AI greener and more efficient
Artificial intelligence promises both to combat the ill effects of climate change and to make the emergency worse with excessive energy use. How can AI be made greener? Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jan 2022
How to create a sustainable continuous learning culture
How can organisations create a continuous learning culture that will militate against the so-called great resignation? We explore, using Vodafone and Deutsche Bank as cases in point Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jan 2022
University of Edinburgh extends IoT data science to south-east Scottish pupils
The University of Edinburgh is part of a 15-year mission to educate the data scientists of tomorrow among school pupils in its south-east Scotland sphere Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2022
MPs call for fair compensation for excluded victims of Post Office scandal
Almost 100 MPs have backed a call for the government to reverse its decision to exclude 555 subpostmasters from fair compensation for their suffering and losses as a result of the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Jan 2022
Fuzzy logic: The challenge of building data science teams
In the face of a dearth of data science talent, and a crippling lack of diversity in the pool as it is, what are companies doing to build, manage and keep data science teams together? We find out Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Jan 2022
SMEs step up e-commerce ventures under shadow of Covid
A raft of smaller retailers have stepped up their e-commerce businesses during the pandemic, ranging from books to candles, rugs to togs Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2022
Thailand builds new supercomputer to boost research
The National Science and Technology Development Agency’s new supercomputer will boost research in pharmaceuticals, renewable energy and weather forecasting, among other areas Continue Reading
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Blog Post
05 Jan 2022
How organisations can turn the tide on doomed digital transformation
This is a guest blogpost by Mat Rule, CEO & Founder of Toca Current approaches to digital transformation are falling short. In fact, only 16% of executives say their company’s digital ... Continue Reading
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News
05 Jan 2022
Melbourne’s InnerVision ups ante in smart parking
InnerVision Engineering’s smart parking solution uses machine vision and other technologies to deliver a frictionless parking experience for drivers in Australia Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2021
Top 10 startup stories of 2021
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 startup stories of 2021 Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2021
Top 10 Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcasts of 2021
The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast team began the year discussing the online fallout from the storming of the White House and finished it discussing IT and climate change, touching on bees and datacentres along the way Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2021
Top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2021
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2021 Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2021
Top 10 Post Office Horizon stories of 2021
The past 12 months have seen some of the biggest landmarks in the unravelling of the Post Office Horizon scandal. Computer Weekly takes a look at a selection of key articles in 2021 Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2021
Top 10 information management stories of 2021
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 information management stories of 2021 Continue Reading
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News
29 Dec 2021
Top 10 business applications stories of 2021
2021 saw enterprise software suppliers and users envisaging a nimbler future, beyond the Covid pandemic, with more loosely coupled ERP systems, more flexible business processes, and a renewed digital-first focus on customers Continue Reading
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News
22 Dec 2021
Marks & Spencer upskills internal talent with data science education
Retailer is building up a data science capability that includes a Master’s degree-level apprenticeship as well as making data literacy a common currency up and down the organisation Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Dec 2021
A trial relying on computer evidence should start with a trial of the computer evidence
Learning from the Post Office Horizon scandal - the most widespread miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history Continue Reading
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News
21 Dec 2021
Oracle buys Cerner for nearly $30bn in major push into healthcare
Oracle has bought healthcare IT provider Cerner for $28.3bn, in a major push into healthcare. It is its largest acquisition since NetSuite for $9.3bn in 2016 Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2021
Defra and MoJ hit with £120m IR35 tax bill despite using HMRC guidance
Government departments landed with tax bills totalling just over £120m over contractor IR35 status errors, despite receiving HMRC guidance and training Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2021
CDEI research pinpoints barriers to trustworthy AI exploitation
Survey of UK business by the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has disclosed the patchiness of artificial intelligence and data-driven technology adoption across different economic sectors Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Dec 2021
How enterprise 5G is playing out in Australia
5G adoption is taking place in the industrial arena and other sectors, but telcos will need to transform themselves and overcome cost challenges to drive wider adoption Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2021
Pressure on government to pay fair compensation to subpostmasters left out of current schemes
MPs demand that the subpostmasters who defeated the Post Office in court should be properly compensated for their losses and suffering Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2021
Gig economy algorithmic management tools ‘unfair and opaque’
Report published by Worker Info Exchange warns of algorithmically enabled rights abuses in the gig economy, noting the insufficient transparency of employers and the lacklustre nature of legal redress Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2021
Asda follows EG Group sibling in selection of Rise with SAP
Retailer is looking to improve the agility of its operations in the cloud with a move to Rise with SAP on Microsoft Azure, and to streamline its procurement with SAP Ariba Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2021
Digital Ethics Summit: Innovation needs regulation to be ethical
Experts attending the 2021 Digital Ethics Summit spoke out against the idea that regulation will stifle technological innovation, arguing that setting clear rules will produce more ethical innovation Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2021
Joint committee publishes report on improving Online Safety Bill
MPs and peers release report on Online Safety Bill following five-month inquiry into the draft legislation and make a number of recommendations on how it can be improved to deal with harmful content and abuse on the internet Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2021
Government must go further after agreeing to pay compensation for wrongly convicted subpostmasters
The government has agreed to pay compensation to former subpostmasters wrongly convicted in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, but continues to refuse to pay a significant group of victims Continue Reading
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News
13 Dec 2021
Scottish government announces support for right to disconnect
The Scottish government is the first in the UK to publicly support a right to disconnect, which would give people the ability not engage in digitally enabled work-related activities outside of their contracted hours Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2021
SMEs dominate list of 200 fastest growing tech companies
List of 200 fastest growing companies in the public sector is made up primarily of small and medium-sized enterprises, which collectively earned £936m from government contracts in the past fiscal year Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Dec 2021
Retailers as tech firms: Next, The Very Group and others see power in the platform
Gap and Reiss are set to utilise Next’s end-to-end e-commerce service, Total Platform, in 2022, as more retailers carve out a future as part tech company Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Dec 2021
CW Europe: Norway embraces internet of things
Norway is becoming a centre of IoT innovation as tech developers tackle some of the country’s unique challenges, in areas such as fish farming, power distribution and monitoring of boats. Also in this issue, find out why Utrecht University media scientist José van Dijck has won an award, and read about Estonia’s country-as-a-service scheme. Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2021
Pure adds flagship FlashArray//XL with doubled throughput
High-end enterprise-targeted FlashArray//XL leverages latest Intel Ice Lake CPU, PCIe 4.0 and distributes SLC flash across drive modules to double throughput over existing arrays Continue Reading
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Opinion
07 Dec 2021
Ready for Oracle E-Business Release 12.2 by new year 2022?
Date for the end of Premier Support for Release 12.1 of Oracle E-Business Suite is 31 December 2021 Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2021
IT Priorities 2022: ERP gets back on the horse
Automation and going cloud-first have gained significant interest for enterprise software and data management investment in the UK, according to the annual TechTarget/Computer Weekly IT Priorities 2022 survey Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2021
Australia’s NSW to build A$40m digital twin
The spatial digital twin brings together government data sources to provide insights for urban planners and residents to support decision-making and see into the future Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2021
NUHS to tap edge supercomputing to crunch AI workloads
Singapore’s National University Health System will tap edge supercomputing resources to train AI models in a range of healthcare-related AI applications by mid-2022 Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2021
Pandora Papers: How journalists mined terabytes of offshore data to expose the world’s elites
Six hundred journalists spent over a year mining 2.94 terabytes of data that revealed offshore companies and the politicians, world leaders and celebrities who secretly owned them Continue Reading
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Podcast
02 Dec 2021
COP26 reflections, tech sector reacts to Sunak on skills – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast
Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna reflect on datacentres and climate change, the tech sector’s reaction to government IT skills investment, and the Post Office scandal story Continue Reading
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Blog Post
01 Dec 2021
LEO: Office automation is still going strong
Seventy years ago Lyons & Co ran the world’s first business computer program, marking the start of business automation. This is a theme of computing that is still very relevant today. The first ... Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2021
Unesco member states adopt AI ethics recommendation
The non-binding recommendation seeks to define a common set of values and principles to guide the development of ethical AI globally Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2021
IT Priorities 2022: IT a focus for business recovery
The pandemic has accelerated IT initiatives – we look at what impact this will have on the CIO agenda for 2022 Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2021
MI6 will ‘open up’ to tech firms to innovate faster than adversaries, says chief Richard Moore
MI6 will use investment fund to back tech companies to develop long-term technologies that will help it to keep pace with China and Russia Continue Reading
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E-Zine
30 Nov 2021
Digital beats – how Warner Music turned to the cloud
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the CIO of Warner Music about how cloud computing helps it meet the needs of music lovers. AstraZeneca discusses how its enterprise social media system helped through the pandemic. And we assess the tech sector’s response to the government’s plans to tackle digital skills shortages. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2021
How Maxim’s Group is using Oracle Cloud
The Hong Kong-based F&B operator is using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to run its VMware workloads and datawarehouse to improve resilience and productivity Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2021
UKISUG 2021: S/4 Hana skills deficit and legacy custom code hamper migration
On the opening day of its 2021 conference, the UK and Ireland SAP User Group unveils member research showing concerns that an S/4 Hana skills deficit and a surfeit of legacy customisation is retarding migration to the Hana-based ERP Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2021
UK ‘impact startups’ raise £2bn in 2021
Impact startups in the UK have raised record levels of investment this year, with most of the capital raised going to climate tech firms Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2021
NetSuite CEO Goldberg: Growth companies nimble for post-Covid normality
Evan Goldberg, executive vice president of Oracle NetSuite, reflects on the post-Covid-19 pandemic economy through the prism of the Oracle-owned SaaS company Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2021
Post Office inquiry clears up opaque stance on subpostmaster compensation
The chair of the Post Office scandal public inquiry has confirmed the compensation of a group of subpostmasters will be revisited Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2021
Post Office supported 1999 law change that eased prosecutions using computer evidence
The Post Office made clear its support for a change in UK law regarding computer evidence that was making prosecution 'onerous' - a change which later helped to wrongfully convict subpostmasters Continue Reading
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Opinion
25 Nov 2021
Harness data to make better business conversations
Productive business conversations require a data culture underpinned by data literacy and balanced by humanistic values Continue Reading
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News
24 Nov 2021
One in three Norwegian unicorns created in 2021 alone
Norway’s tech sector has undergone rapid growth in the past year, consolidating the Nordic country’s position as an emerging European tech hub Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2021
Subpostmasters asked to withdraw support for Post Office scandal inquiry
Subpostmaster campaign group founder calls for members to withdraw support for public inquiry into Horizon IT scandal over lack of adequate compensation Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2021
UK government announces safety tech challenge fund winners
The Safety Tech Challenge Fund winners will now develop technologies to limit the spread of child abuse material in encrypted environments, which the government has claimed will not be repurposed for other uses Continue Reading
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Blog Post
18 Nov 2021
Forced on-line by the NHS: to be confused, exploited, ignored, mistreated and/or patronised
All this informed my MSc IT Security final dissertation entitled ‘Inclusion, Confusion and Exclusion – is technology making the Vulnerable more Vulnerable?’ I looked at Social, Financial and ... Continue Reading
