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
04 Oct 2024
Meta fuels AI innovation in APAC with accelerator programme
Meta launches AI accelerator and incubator programmes to support startups and enterprises in building AI applications using its Llama model Continue Reading
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News
02 Oct 2024
India’s fintechs find fortune in underserved segments
Indian fintech companies are leveraging artificial intelligence and blockchain to address underserved customer segments, unearth hidden revenue opportunities and create innovative products Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2012
Amey uses SAP HR system to manage 11,000 people
Developed by SAP specialist Epi-use, SAP HR is being used to power a human resources shared service at construction firm Amey Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2012
Global software piracy increasing rapidly, study shows
Global software piracy is increasing rapidly in the absence of any effective deterrence, a survey has revealed. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2012
How to improve your communication with your boss
Learn how to communicate more effectively with your boss in this guide from Dr Brian Sutton and Dr Robina Chatham. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2012
Smart Cities: The anywhere working city
This report from Microsoft presents a vision for the development of smart cities which bring together technology, architecture and people. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2012
CW Buyer's Guide: IT Tools
This Computer Weekly buyer’s guide to IT tools shows how you can use software and systems to improve the running of your IT department. Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2012
Microsoft Convergence 2012
Nucleus Research assesses Microsoft’s plans to extend and develop the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform. Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2012
Cloud: Scaling to succeed in new business models
High-tech companies face challenges keeping pace with new cloud-based business models, this study from Accenture reveals. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2012
Amazon results demonstrate commitment to cloud
Amazon's AWS cloud business made $500m in sales in the first quarter of 2012, comprising 3.79% of Amazon's Q1 business Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2012
SAP reports double-digit growth
SAP has continued where it left off last year with an 11% increase in sales in the first three months of 2012. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Apr 2012
Making money from data: Financial business intelligence at work
Finance professionals are heavy users of BI and predictive analytics software. Find out how a variety of European finance functionaries are analysing trends, cutting costs and finding new business. Continue Reading
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Opinion
19 Apr 2012
Open standards are about the business model, not the technology
Software companies, abuzz with lobbyists and patent lawyers over government open standards, are similar to the record industry 10 years ago. Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2012
Supercomputers will reach 'exascale' speeds within decade
Supercomputers will be powerful enough to simulate the human brain within seven years, says founder of Top500 list. Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2012
Government unaware how much it pays for e-mail services
Government departments do not know how much they are spending on e-mail services, according to research by Computer Weekly. Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2012
Microsoft improves virtual desktops but drops inventory software
Microsoft is expanding its desktop virtualisation product family with software that retains user preferences as they switch between devices Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2012
Atos completes first live software rehearsal for London 2012 Olympics
Atos has completed the first live rehearsal of IT, communications, media, sports and security systems for the London 2012 Olympics Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2012
Danone uses SAP to reduce carbon footprint
Heath food maker Danone has used SAP to reduce its carbon footprint by 22%. Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2012
Retail and insurance lead two-speed IT spending
More IT-based businesses are starting with greater investment in IT after the slowdown, but with lopsided demand as businesses increase spending at different rates Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2012
BSA fines Coverteam UK £6,000 for unlicensed Microsoft and Adobe software
The BSA has fined power conversion company Converteam UK £6,000 for using unlicensed copies of Microsoft and Adobe software Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2012
Information management: lessons from the public sector
Freeform Dynamics identifies the lessons organisations can learn from the public sector's approach to information management Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2012
Case Study: US Xpress deploys hybrid big data with Informatica
US Xpress is using a suite of data tools and integration products from Informatica to boost its fleet management Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2012
Gartner: Rethink organisation structure to boost business
Businesses must radically rethink how they organise staff and collaborate if they want to make big improvements, according to analyst Gartner Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2012
Enterprise software procurement done right can save companies millions
Software procurement is frequently poorly conducted, argues consultant Andy Hayler. Intelligent software evaluation processes and savvy contract management can pay huge dividends, he says. Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2012
Government’s shared services strategy failing, says NAO
The government’s £1.4bn shared services centres have failed to achieve value for money, according to a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2012
SAP boosts ByDesign ecosystem to support small business customisation
SAP is rolling out a partner programme for its ByDesign cloud-based product, to simplify implementation in SMEs Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2012
CW500: Getting to grips with big data
Experts from Standard Life, Deloitte and Intelligent Business Strategies share some useful tips for CIOs on understanding big data Continue Reading
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Opinion
02 Mar 2012
Opinion: Is big data just big hype?
If the deluge of headlines and vendor marketing materials is anything to go by, big data is the next big thing. So how much is there really to all this big data talk? Continue Reading
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News
23 Feb 2012
Predictive analytics used to cut costs in oil sector
Predictive analytics is being used in the oil and gas industry to better manage asset maintenance on capital equipment. And a more enterprisewide adoption of the technology is predicted. Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2012
CIO priorities 2012: Ali Jaffri, ICT manager, Gallions Housing
Ali Jaffri, ICT manager at Gallions Housing, talks about the challenges of 2012. Continue Reading
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News
19 Feb 2012
Government launches CloudStore and names G-Cloud suppliers
The government has launched its CloudStore, a catalogue of 1,700 cloud-based, pre-approved IT services now available for the public sector to buy. Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Feb 2012
The problem with Open Data
Although clearly a good thing in theory, Open Data risks increasing the digital divide and social inequality unless approached right. Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2012
IT professionals prioritise Windows 7 upgrade, but cloud takes a back seat
Windows 7 upgrade will drive virtualisation but businesses are slow to take up cloud computing Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2012
Government takes on proprietary software lobby in open standards battle
The government wants to push through open standards against vested interests keen to maintain the dominance of proprietary systems. Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2012
The Future of Innovation Management: The Next 10 Years
Download this report from Arthur D Little to learn 5 key innovation concepts for CIOs and CTOs. Continue Reading
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News
02 Feb 2012
Buyer's Guide: CRM
This nine-page Buyer's Guide to customer relationship management (CRM) is essential reading for CIOs and senior IT professionals. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Feb 2012
When X.509 security certificates fail, servers break
Why are X.509 certificates causing computers to stop dead? Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2012
Oracle and SAP worst for government ERP cost differences
Oracle and SAP have been singled out as having the most inconsistent prices for ERP systems across government departments. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2012
UK IT budgets under pressure in 2012
UK IT budgets will remain flat in 2012, a worldwide survey of more than 2,500 IT professionals has revealed. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2012
European cross-border e-commerce
Growing use of digital channels as part of shopping experience is driving retailers’ focus toward efficient online, cross-border operations in Europe. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2012
Accenture Technology Vision
Download this report from Accenture to discover the 6 IT technology trends that will impact CIOs in 2012. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2012
Oracle integrates data management with Sun servers
Oracle is tackling the challenge of data management by providing pre-integrated systems based on Sun hardware. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2012
IT in the UK SMB sector
This report from Knowledge Peers and Pierre Audoin Consultants, reveals how leaders of small and medium-sized businesses are using IT strategically. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2012
The global state of the PMO: The IT perspective
This benchmarking study from ESI International identifies three key trends impacting the project management function in the IT industry. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2012
TOGAF® and SABSA® Integration
This paper by the Open Group, outlines an approach to enhance TOGAF enterprise architecture methodology using the SABSA security architecture approach Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2012
Shell moves SAP maintenance to Accenture
Oil giant Shell has transferred the management of its HR and payroll applications to Accenture as part of a multi-year SAP managed service. Continue Reading
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News
21 Dec 2011
RIM rebuffs Amazon and Microsoft approaches
Amazon considered buying troubled smartphone maker, Research in Motion, according to a report on Reuters. Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2011
How HP played a key role in RAF air crew support in Libya
The Ministry of Defence has praised HP over its Advanced Mission Planning Aid system, most recently used to support air crew in Libya. Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2011
IPV6 Transition – Why the rush ?
This report from Ovum warns that enterprises need to plan to move to the IPv6 internet addressing system even if they have IPv4 addresses available. Continue Reading
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News
13 Dec 2011
Do CIOs have more clarity about cloud computing?
This research shows that while there is still a lack of clarity and a reluctance to fully commit to the cloud, CIOs accept it offers benefits. Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2011
Businesses take risks with faulty software
Unearthing software faults once software goes live is storing up problems for businesses. Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2011
CIO IT Budget Benchmark 2011–2012
The IT Budget Benchmarking Survey assesses IT spending, staffing, and outsourcing levels from more than 175 organisations. Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2011
Do CIOs have more clarity about cloud computing?
This research shows that while there is still a lack of clarity and a reluctance to fully commit to the cloud, CIOs accept it offers benefits. Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2011
Adobe to release out-of-cycle patch for latest vulnerability
Adobe has issued a security advisory about a newly discovered and still unpatched vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat which is being used in "limited, targeted attacks in the wild". Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Dec 2011
Do CIOs have more clarity about cloud computing?
This research shows that while there is still a lack of clarity and a reluctance to fully commit to the cloud, CIOs accept it offers benefits. Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2011
SAP buys SaaS firm SuccessFactors in $3.4bn deal
Enterprise software company SAP announces a $3.4bn deal to acquire software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider SuccessFactors. Continue Reading
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Report
02 Dec 2011
Capturing the ICT dividend
This report from Oxford Economics and AT&T shows ICT investment and productivity growth are closely linked – and European countries are lagging behind other parts of the world in both areas. Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2011
IPV6 Transition – Why the rush ?
This report from Ovum warns that enterprises need to plan to move to the IPv6 internet addressing system even if they have IPv4 addresses available. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Nov 2011
Case study: Nokia rethinks HR with web portal
Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia has reduced its HR costs by between 20% to 30% after rolling out a web-based HR portal for its 60,000 employees. Continue Reading
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News
23 Nov 2011
The reality behind the hype: Government cloud computing
This article from Gartner offers advice to public sector organisations thinking of deploying cloud computing and assess the progress made by governments in their use of the cloud. Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Nov 2011
Bridging the information gap
The pace at which modern business tends to move has resulted in a situation where centralised decision-making struggles to keep up. Continue Reading
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News
18 Nov 2011
Special report on EMC
This 8-page special report from Computer Weekly, packed with graphs and diagrams, is essential reading for anyone considering EMC as a supplier. Continue Reading
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News
17 Nov 2011
Tesco trials in-store and online augmented reality technology
Tesco is trialling augmented reality (AR) technology in-store and online to change how customers interact with products. Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2011
TfL seeks BI worth £750,000
Transport for London (TfL) is setting up a framework agreement for a business intelligence tool worth up to £750,000 million to help reduce its number of head office locations. Continue Reading
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News
14 Nov 2011
CIO Interview: IT should drive company innovation, says SAP's Oliver Bussmann
Driving innovation has become one of the key roles of the chief information officer, says Oliver Bussmann, CIO at business software maker SAP. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Nov 2011
CIO interview: Tony Prestedge, COO, Nationwide
Tony Prestedge took over as COO at Nationwide in 2010, mid-way through a five-year transformation project. He tells Karl Flinders how the company is transforming its business through a £1bn investment in technology, how the IT department changed from a development shop into an integrator Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Nov 2011
CIO interview: Martin Davies, head of technology at Bet365
The success story of £5.4bn-per-year online gambling company Bet365 is nothing to do with luck and everything to do with technology. Continue Reading
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News
03 Nov 2011
SAP on track to achieve 2011 greenhouse gas emissions target
Enterprise software maker SAP decreased greenhouse gas emissions by 2% per employee in the quarter ended 30 September, compared with the same period in 2010, according to the company's quarterly sustainability report. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Nov 2011
RightNow: Oracle and next-generation CRM
In his opening keynote presentation at the RightNow Summit 2011 in Newport, Greg Gianforte, RightNow founder and chief executive officer, presented his view of device-aware CRM. Continue Reading
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News
27 Oct 2011
Analysis: What is the secret sauce in SAP's success?
The last major upgrade to SAP's core enterprise resource planning (ERP) product was released in 2005, so how is the company achieving record growth? Warwick Ashford reports Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2011
How Unilever took control of its software
Unilever has automated the processes it uses to manage its software globally through a service which has saved millions of pounds, reduced the complexity of its software portfolio and improved security. Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2011
Google previews new Dart web programming language
Google has introduced a new programming language, Dart , for building web applications. Continue Reading
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Video
10 Oct 2011
CW500: Andy Beale, technology director, Guardian News & Media
In this CW500 Club video, Andy Beale talks to Computer Weekly editor in chief Bryan Glick to share his practical advice on how to move to the cloud. Continue Reading
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Video
10 Oct 2011
CW500: Peter Ransom, chief information officer, Oxfam
In this CW500 Club video, Peter Ransom talks to Computer Weekly editor in chief Bryan Glick to share his practical advice on how to move to the cloud. Continue Reading
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Video
10 Oct 2011
CW500: Martin Taylor, head of infrastructure and service delivery, Mitchells & Butlers
In this CW500 Club video, Martin Taylor talks to Computer Weekly editor in chief Bryan Glick to share his practical advice on how to move to the cloud. Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2011
Bristol Council gets open source go-ahead after CESG discussions
Bristol City Council has been cleared to build an IT infrastructure using open source software after a visit from CESG, the cyber security arm of the UK intelligence services. Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2011
85 sub-postmasters seek legal support in claims against Post Office computer system
Over 80 sub-postmasters are interested in taking legal action against the Post Office in relation to an allegedly faulty computer system. Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2011
UBS systems detected $2bn rogue trader fraud, admits CEO Sergio Ermotti
UBS interim CEO Sergio Ermotti has admitted systems in the banks IT infrastructure detected the unauthorised trading of the rogue trader who cost UBS over $2bn, but nothing was done about the warning signals. Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2011
Technology industry figures pay tribute to Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs
Apple's co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs has died, aged 56. Jobs battled with pancreatic cancer, and had liver transplant surgery in 2009. He stepped down as Apple CEO in August 2011 after his second bout of medical leave since the start of the year. Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2011
HP completes £7.1bn Autonomy acquisition
Hewlett-Packard (HP) has completed its acquisition of software company Autonomy for £7.1bn. HP said the acquisition positioned it as a leader in the large and growing enterprise information management space. Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2011
Universal Credit deadline forced DWP to use “unproven” agile development
Tight deadlines left the Department for Work and Pensions with little choice but to use "unproven" agile methods to develop its £2bn Universal Credit (UC) system, said the Cabinet Office Major Projects Authority (MPA) in a confidential report obtained by Computer Weekly. Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2011
Microsoft starts roll-out of Mango update for Windows Phone 7
Microsoft has started rolling out the next major version of its Windows Phone 7 operating system, codenamed Mango. Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2011
Cognizant acquires Zaffera
Outsourcing company Cognizant has acquired Zaffera, an SAP retail consulting and software development firm, for an undisclosed sum. Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2011
Bristol Council's open source plan thwarted by security clearance problems
Bristol City Council's open source push has suffered another series of set-backs that point a finger of blame at CESG, the cyber security arm of GCHQ. Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2011
Boots launches mobile site to expand multichannel offering
Retailer Boots has launched a mobile version of its website to expand its multichannel portfolio. Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2011
Researchers claim to have broken SSL/TLS encryption
Two security researchers claim to have found a way of breaking the SSL/TLS encryption that is widely used to guarantee the reliability and privacy of data exchanged between web browsers and servers. Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2011
Government pulls plug on ailing £11bn NHS IT programme
The troubled £11bn NHS National Programme for IT is to be axed, the government is expected to announce later today. Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2011
Adobe releases Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 for video and enterprise apps
Adobe's Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 software support HD video quality across devices, such as Apple's iPhone and iPad. Other features include captive runtime for independent application updates, video content protection and 64-bit support on Linux, Mac OS and Window. Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2011
HP webOS lay-offs could affect European employees
Hewlett-Packard could lay off European employees as part of the company's decision to discontinue its webOS hardware division, including the Touchpad tablet range. Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2011
RightMove renders property maps with Google
RightMove is the UK's biggest user of Google Maps and one of the largest users of the mapping software in the world. Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2011
New Look increases sales by 45% after mobile site launch
Fashion retailer New Look has increased sales by 45% three months after the launch of its mobile commerce site. Continue Reading
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News
14 Sep 2011
IT development underpinning Universal Credits comes under fire from MPs and experts
The delivery of Universal Credits is coming under fire as observers are casting an increasingly critical eye on the IT systems underpinning the politically sensitive project. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
13 Sep 2011
Windows 8: A first look at new features for business users
A first look at Windows 8 from Microsoft's BUILD conference in Anaheim, shows what enterprise users can expect. Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2011
Sabre develops apps marketplace for travel industry
Sabre, the global distribution system for reserving hotels, airlines, cruise ships, rail tickets and car hire, has taken the concept of the app store and applied in to its own travel market. Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2011
Windows 8: Microsoft hibernates the operating system for faster boot-up
This week developers get a chance to try out Windows 8, the latest version of Microsoft's desktop operating system. Windows 8 offers a new graphical user interface using tiles rather than the start menu, which is optimised for touch. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2011
Morrisons checks out a milestone in £310m IT transformation
Supermarket chain Morrisons has completed a major electronic point-of-sale (EPOS) roll-out as part of its ongoing £310m IT transformation programme. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2011
Cambridge exam board outsources applications support to Cognizant
Cambridge University's examination group has outsourced applications management and support to Cognizant that will see the company replace 20-year-old bespoke applications with off-the-shelf alternatives. Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2011
University challenge: using IT to improve services and reduce costs
Universities face a balancing act as they become increasingly expected to improve the experiences of more demanding students while making budgets go further, and IT is a critical tool in finding this balance. Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2011
DigiNotar certificate authority breach: Why it matters
There has been much speculation around the identity and motive of the hacker who was able to breach DigiNotar and issue fraudulent digital certificates for hundreds of websites, but putting such speculation aside, what is the broader significance of the incident? Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2011
CIO interview: Mike Bracken, UK government director of digital
Whitehall is not exactly known for being at the bleeding edge of technological innovation. But as the newly appointed government director of digital, Mike Bracken is set to change that perception. In an exclusive interview, he discusses the challenges ahead. Continue Reading
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News
06 Sep 2011
CRM failing business due to lack of focus
Customer relationship management (CRM) is failing to deliver business value, according to a study from the National Computer Centre (NCC). Continue Reading