Business intelligence and analytics

Dream machines: how IT is changing the world of neuroscience

We talk to computer scientist and entrepreneur Jamil El Imad about the cutting-edge intersection of neuroscience and IT Continue Reading

Cisco collaborates with startup for AI health and safety trial

Cisco is to work with artificial intelligence startup Cortexica in an Innovate UK-funded project to improve physical safety in the workplace Continue Reading

Call for statutory regulation of police number plate cameras amid concerns over accuracy

The UK’s automatic number plate recognition database – one the largest non-military data-gathering systems – records up to 1.2 million false readings of number plates every day. It should be subject to statutory regulation, says an independent watchdog Continue Reading

Telecoms industry at major tipping point

Communications service providers should gear up for a software-driven operations model and embrace microservices and DevOps to thrive in the digital economy Continue Reading

CW Middle East: Technology transforms healthcare delivery in Gulf region

The Gulf’s healthcare sector has witnessed exponential growth in the past two decades, driven by a rapidly growing population and a rise in lifestyle-related diseases. Read how technology is helping the region’s healthcare sector cope with demand. Also in this issue, find out how an initiative at Avaya hopes to use blockchain networks to help make the citizens of Dubai happy, and how the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s smart transformation is progressing. Continue Reading

Top IT priorities for Nordic CIOs in 2018

Nordic CIOs tell Computer Weekly about their intentions for the year ahead Continue Reading

Smart speakers open new windows into customer behaviour for CRM

Voice recognition has become a new frontier for customer relationship management. What does the new voice channel mean for understanding consumers and how will voice data integrate with existing customer intelligence? Continue Reading

Yoox Net-A-Porter Group appoints first chief data and analytics officer

Online fashion retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter Group has confirmed the appointment of its chief data and analytics officer, a new role for the firm Continue Reading

Australia’s Kogan.com breaks IT silos

E-commerce company used to run separate systems across different business functions, but has implemented an SAP system to streamline operations Continue Reading

How machine learning is applied in industrial IoT

GE Digital calls for the need to build industrial machine learning systems that are cognizant of the effects of a good and bad answer Continue Reading

CW Europe: Eurosport pumps up digital technology for cycling fans

Read how Eurosport is using a novel combination of technology and information to develop immersive viewing experiences for sports fans across a range of platforms. Also find out how Russian state bank Vneshekonombank expects to become a vehicle for a blockchain revolution in the country’s public sector, and what the European Parliament's approval of a new electronic system to store biometric information might mean for UK citizens after Brexit. Continue Reading

HP is running its global print supplies production from Singapore

The personal computing and printer giant has opened a facility in Singapore to oversee over 50 print supplies manufacturing lines and test the use of robots, data analytics and 3D printing to improve production efficiency Continue Reading

Chief data officer role is key to business success, says Gartner

There’s a new chief in business, set to take on stewardship of the company’s data assets, research shows Continue Reading

The death of the mainframe is greatly exaggerated, says CA

With mainframe software tools forming a key part of its overall growth strategy, CA Technologies remains proud of its mainframe heritage Continue Reading

IoT and artificial intelligence dominate APAC tech landscape in 2017

Businesses across the APAC region have started to dip their toes into AI and the internet of things to improve operations and stay competitive Continue Reading

CW Nordics: IT companies focus on job satisfaction

The Nordics IT industry’s increasing focus on job satisfaction is paying off. Computer Weekly’s global salary survey shows Nordic IT professionals are happy with their pay and training opportunities and few are actively seeking a new job. Also in this issue, read how there is still gender inequality in the IT sector despite Nordic countries being hailed as pioneers of digital and equal worker rights. And Anna Eriksson, CIO of the Swedish National Land Survey, talks about the organisation’s approach to digital transformation. Continue Reading

What can intent-based networking do for you?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, intent-based networking promises to optimise networks through automation and analytics, but can it deliver? At its annual Symposium event, Gartner said the CIO role continues to evolve and IT leaders need to champion digital change – we examine the issues. And we find out how security analytics can help deal with cyber threats. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How data analytics helped Lewis Hamilton win the Formula One drivers' championship

Formula One constructors' champion Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport worked with supplier Tibco to enhance its use of data Continue Reading

CW Benelux: Young wayward hackers could help fill Dutch IT skills gap

In this issue, read how an initiative in Rotterdam is helping young people get into the IT sector by targeting those overlooked by traditional methods. Also find out how Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is utilising open source software to create and use a multi-cloud platform with an open API, and how the Netherlands’ Rabobank has moved from tape libraries and robotic arms to a platform-based storage and retrieval system. Continue Reading

IT rules the waves in the Volvo Ocean Race

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we go behind the scenes at the Volvo Ocean Race to see the technology connecting fans and organisers to the seven yachts on a 45,000-mile round-the-world voyage. A newly discovered security vulnerability puts every Wi-Fi network at risk of attack – we examine the problem and the solutions. And we find out how the Mercedes F1 team used big data analytics to win this year’s F1 constructors’ championship. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Shell makes $200m saving with virtual learning environment

Royal Dutch Shell has saved hundreds of millions by replacing field trips with interactive training that allows employees to interact with geological formations from their computer screen Continue Reading

TomTom navigates move onto global HR platform

TomTom went live with HR platform in all 37 countries, serving 5,000 staff, in March 2017 Continue Reading

Oversight of intelligence agencies’ data sharing has ‘failed’, court hears

UK’s intelligence services lack adequate oversight and written guidelines when sharing databases of sensitive information, Privacy International argues in secret court Continue Reading

Where will artificial intelligence take us?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, artificial intelligence (AI) enthusiasts and sceptics debate the opportunities and risks of the much-hyped technology – we listen in to the House of Lords investigation. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the benefits and challenges of cloud-native applications. And we look at the best practice in defending email systems from cyber attacks. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

SAP Q3 2017 results show steady growth in cloud revenue to €937m

SAP’s third quarter 2017 results show steady growth in cloud revenue, S/4 Hana adoption, and some uptake for its “digital transformation” spearhead SAP Leonardo Continue Reading

CW ANZ: Rise to the big data challenge

Like their counterparts in other parts of the world, Australian businesses are facing a data explosion as they roll out more digital services for customers. Take IAG for instance. A year ago, the insurance giant had a data store of just over 80TB, but today it manages a collection of 2TB, which is growing by 14TB a month. In this month’s issue of CW ANZ, we look at how Aussie organisations are fine-tuning their storage strategy to keep up with the demands of big data without compromising performance and service levels. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

UK intelligence agencies ‘unlawfully’ sharing sensitive personal data, court hears

A secret court will decide whether Intelligence agencies are “unlawfully” sharing huge datasets containing sensitive information about the population with industry, government departments and overseas intelligence services. Continue Reading

How technology is transforming healthcare delivery in Gulf region

IT will transform the healthcare sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries over the coming years Continue Reading

CW Middle East: Internet of things can help Gulf countries to diversify

The Middle East’s push towards economic diversification is driving innovation in internet of things (IoT) applications for emerging services sectors, such as transport and logistics, telecommunications, financial services and tourism. Also read how the Dubai Health Authority is rolling out Salama, a unified electronic medical record (EMR) system, and a survey shows organisations in the Middle East are not offering IT staff enough training and don’t employ enough women in IT. Continue Reading

Teva Pharmaceuticals turns to cloud HR as it weathers difficult trading conditions

One of Israel’s largest manufacturing companies has invested more than $10m in cloud HR. The technology is helping Teva Pharmaceuticals turn its fortunes around. Continue Reading

Building on legacy IT

In this week’s Computer Weekly, experts at VMworld 2017 discussed how to adapt legacy IT to make the most of modern technology – we listened in. Artificial intelligence is touted as an aid to decision-making, but its limitations mean AI needs to be handled with care – we look at the lessons learned. And we find out how Wales has become a hotspot for cyber security innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CIO interview: Russell Harte, group technology director, DFS

The furniture store’s group head of IT speaks to Computer Weekly about how customer experience can be used internally Continue Reading

Oracle 2017-18 Q1 results: Cloud revenue jumps by 51%

Oracle’s first quarter 2017-18 results show jump in cloud revenue of 51%, boosted by NetSuite acquisition. Executives continue to be bullish on cloud growth, and the AI makeover of core database is flagged Continue Reading

British Army enhances data-driven decision making to staunch churn

The British Army is continuing to use SAS analytics software to improve its data management, with a particular focus on reducing high-value personnel churn Continue Reading

Formula 1: Mercedes team turns to big data in quest for victory in Grand Prix

Data analytics could help Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team gain an edge on rival Ferrari during the 2017 and 2018 Grand Prix season. Its head of IT, Matt Harris, reveals the team’s plans Continue Reading

App-based challenger bank Starling enters next stage of its journey

Thousands of people are downloading Starling’s app every week as the bank builds its customer base Continue Reading

CW Nordics: Banks and startups increase collaboration

First they were deemed a threat, now they are potential partners. According to a new report by Nordic accelerator Fintech Mundi, banks are increasingly turning to financial technology (fintech) startups in their hunt for new ideas and market opportunities. Also in this issue, read now Baker Brun, a bakery company in Norway, is modernising its business processes through the latest technologies, and hear how Stockholm’s CIO is relishing the challenge of trying to make the Swedish capital the smartest city in the world. Continue Reading

Barclays installs devices to monitor office use

Barclays bank has installed sensors connected to a cloud-based analytics platform to monitor and analyse office use Continue Reading

How banking technology has changed since the crash

In this week’s Computer Weekly, 10 years after the financial crash, we examine how banking technology has changed as a result of the economic crisis. We look at how GDPR, the EU’s new data protection laws, will affect your data storage strategies. And we ask if the cryptocurrency boom will remain a niche pursuit or whether the underlying technologies can bring benefits for enterprise IT. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Tech takes the lead in the Tour de France

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how the Tour de France – the world’s greatest bike race - is transforming its relationship with fans thanks to internet of things, data analytics and machine learning technology. We analyse industry reaction to the UK government’s new data protection laws. And our new buyer’s guide looks at Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 software suite. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CIO interview: Daniel Gebler, chief technology officer, Picnic

The Netherlands has the highest supermarket density in the world, yet a technology company has been able to gain market share from the established order Continue Reading

CW Benelux: IoT Tech Day showcases innovation

Read about this year’s IoT Tech Day in Utrecht, Netherlands, which featured hobby projects such as light-sensing curtains that automatically open and close, but also showed that the IoT is growing up to encompass more serious applications. Also read about the lessons to be learned from the ‘Petya’ ransomware attack that has hit 60 countries, and find out how Dutch railway stations are monitoring the movement of travellers to reduce people jams. Continue Reading

Formula 1 goes digital

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how Formula 1 chief Ross Brawn hopes to make the sport more digital to enhance the fan experience of Grand Prix racing. We learn how virtual reality is being used to deliver healthcare services. And we examine the ethical concerns around artificial intelligence technology. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Fruit firm W B Chambers uses IFS suite to grow business

W B Chambers, a Kentish fruit farm, has chosen IFS to support its business growth and to guard against the labour pool uncertainties of Brexit Continue Reading

The fields of Athenry – how Apple’s datacentre plans are causing turmoil in a small Irish town

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look into Apple’s controversial plans to build a huge datacentre in a small town in the west of Ireland, and hear the local arguments it has caused. We find out how the Met Office is managing the vast quantities of data it uses for weather forecasting. And we examine Google plans to bring artificial intelligence tools to the job recruitment market. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

AA Ireland turns to predictive analytics in fraud crackdown

Roadside assistance company invests in analytics software to fight fraud and introduce dynamic pricing after its split with the AA Continue Reading

Data management: What does the future hold?

We explore how firms are replacing transactional database management systems with new database architectures Continue Reading

Wimbledon 2017: The tech behind the tennis

Each year IBM and Wimbledon work together to deliver an excellent sporting experience to both fans and players through the use of technology Continue Reading

CW Middle East: How women can fill the tech skills gap

The growth of the IT sector continues to drive both innovation and employment in the Gulf, but women – as with all industries in the region – are under-represented in technology by significant margins, and could help to fill the tech skills gap. Also in this issue, read about growing threats in Saudi Arabia’s cyber sector, and how Dubai is becoming a world leader in smart city developments. Continue Reading

The data analytics behind the Wimbledon tennis championships

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how the All England Lawn Tennis Club is working with IBM to use data analytics to engage with fans of the Wimbledon championships. We examine whether IT automation will kill tech jobs or solve the growing skills gap. And we look at the issues around data portability between public cloud providers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Experian admits mobile and online issues after system upgrade

Some customers of credit referencing company are having problems accessing a service they pay for following an IT upgrade and large customer migration to a new system Continue Reading

App-based banking continues its ascent in the UK

The number of people banking from their mobile phones is increasing as more services are made available through the channel Continue Reading

Côte banishes planning ‘pain and anguish’ from menu with Anaplan

Restaurant chain has replaced spreadsheets with Anaplan financial planning software as it seeks more strategic control over growth Continue Reading

MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor speaks about ‘expanding universe’ of BI

Co-founder and CEO of MicroStrategy takes the long view on business intelligence and sees its universe expanding with mobile technologies Continue Reading

NTT Docomo turns to SAP Hana to boost customer experience

Japanese telco NTT Docomo rolls out in-memory database in eight months to analyse data from retail outlets and customer call centres in a bid to improve service levels Continue Reading

The Macedonian surveillance scandal that brought down a government

Macedonia has been accused of using surveillance technology for covert spying - the subsequent political protests were instrumental in the ruling party losing power after 10 years Continue Reading

Greggs bakes in business change programme with SAP

UK baker and food-to-go retailer says it has significantly advanced its business change programme with a full panoply of SAP software Continue Reading

SAP users look to software suppliers to help with fast-approaching GDPR

An SAP UK and Ireland user group survey has found user organisations crying out for help as GDPR approaches, with cloud delivery a special concern Continue Reading

HR technology essential to cutting-edge customer service, say big businesses

If you can’t get your internal HR systems right, the business will suffer – Jaguar Land Rover, Lufthansa and Russia’s Sberbank explain why Continue Reading

Patent group prepares for tough data protection laws by moving HR to the cloud

CPA Global to replace ERP-based HR system as it gears up to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

Smart farming, IoT only way to feed growing population, says Beecham report

A report from IoT sector analyst Beecham says the agricultural industry will need to embrace smart farming methodologies to support the growing human population Continue Reading

Dubai Airports automates resource planning

Airports in Dubai are using automation software to co-ordinate resources such as check-in gates and aircraft stands Continue Reading

Ethical fears hinder growth of artificial intelligence in France

In this issue, read how France’s relatively slow adoption of artificial intelligence is partly the result of public confusion, and partly due to the way the French have approached the ethical debate around AI. Also, read now organisations in Europe are failing to address the most important risks because they do not have a structured approach to complying with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. And find out why, after 17 years, Dutch university TU Delft is saying goodbye to its legacy learning management system. Continue Reading

ICC brings drones, smart bats and virtual reality to international cricket

International Cricket Council teams up with Intel to transform the cricketing experience for fans and players with drones, smart connected bats and virtual reality Continue Reading

Quantum computing drives the future for Volkswagen

In this week’s Computer Weekly, Volkswagen’s global CIO explains how the car giant is using quantum computing to drive the future of transport. We examine how to make data analytics programmes work and deliver business value. And SAP’s CEO reacts to controversy around the software supplier’s indirect licensing policies that led to recent high-profile court cases. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CW Nordics: The trouble with connected things

In this issue, Finnish cyber security expert Mikko Hyppönen talks about security in the Nordics, Russia and the trouble with connected devices. Also read how Icelandic airline Wow Air averted disaster through the use of application performance monitoring software when it embarked on a major expansion. And find out how, since December 2015, anyone playing popular sandbox game Minecraft has been able to build their worlds on the actual map of Sweden. Continue Reading

Interview: Nick Bleech, head of information security, Travis Perkins

Last year, Travis Perkins implemented Splunk to help it to respond more quickly to security threats. Now, the business is looking into machine learning and a single customer view Continue Reading

Economic and political uncertainty drives organisations to rethink IT strategies

CIO job satisfaction reaches a three-year high as organisations hire more IT staff and invest in innovative digital technology Continue Reading

Dutch railway uses IoT to reduce people jams

Railway stations in The Netherlands are monitoring the movement of travellers to manage traffic flow and reduce people jams Continue Reading

CW ANZ: Machine thinking

In this month’s CW ANZ, we look at how artificial intelligence and machine learning is improving the way businesses fend off cyber attacks and better predict how customers react to marketing efforts. The growing interest in AI in ANZ has also turned Australia into a hotbed for data analytics, where consumers are making use of apps to find the cheapest fuel pumps. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Customer experience transformation at Macquarie bank brings legacy system retirement as a bonus

Australia’s Macquarie bank builds a data layer on top of legacy IT systems to transform customer experience Continue Reading

Aruba Atmosphere: Machine learning to transform networking

At Aruba Atmosphere EMEA in France, delegates learned how the network will incorporate machine learning features in the near future Continue Reading

Understanding analytics and storage performance

Analytics workloads place specific demands on storage. We take a look at the workload profiles of analytics use cases and the storage platforms available to support them Continue Reading

Singapore to form data science consortium

Led by the National Research Foundation, the academic and research group will spearhead adoption of data analytics among Singaporean companies Continue Reading

Infor to buy cloud BI company Birst

Infor is buying cloud analytics firm Birst in a move to bolster its cloud-first ERP orientation Continue Reading

Motorola brings big data digital evidence service to UK police forces

Motorola is launching a digital evidence management service to UK police forces, backed off into AWS cloud infrastructure Continue Reading

CW Middle East: UAE faces IT recruitment challenge

In this issue, read how organisations in the UAE face a challenge to attract and retain top-quality CIOs and other key IT staff as the region seeks to tackle a technology skills gap. Also, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has revealed that plans to unveil passenger-flying cars are in the final stages, with the initiative expected to launch in July 2017. Meanwhile, the UAE is mirroring global trends by eagerly adopting virtual reality technology. Continue Reading

Chatbots, Fitbits and AI: IT suppliers identify the top trends in HR technology

Businesses are using Fitbits, artificial intelligence and chatbots to improve working life as competition increases to recruit talented ‘millennials’ Continue Reading

Virtual reality in healthcare

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how virtual reality technology is starting to be used to improve health and patient care. We examine the new UK tax laws that are causing IT contractors to quit government digital projects. And we analyse the software licensing issues arising from SAP’s recent court case over indirect access to its applications. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Australia’s Commonwealth Bank unveils data analytics platform

Free platform made available to bank’s customers at a time when only 34% of the country’s SMEs are making data-driven decisions Continue Reading

Analytics, internet of things to drive data volumes to 163ZB by 2025

IDC study predicts consumers as creators of data will decline as the enterprise, analytics and “life critical” scenarios push total volumes to a tenfold increase by 2025 Continue Reading

Making the UK fit for 5G

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the government’s new 5G strategy and assess whether it’s enough to stimulate development of next generation mobile networks. We meet some of the Silicon Valley startups hoping to revolutionise big data analytics. And we examine how to prevent the move to DevOps from harming work-life balance for IT professionals. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

HPE, Tata Communications to build world’s largest IoT network

The Lora-based network will benefit around 400 million people in India who can expect improvements in water quality and public safety Continue Reading

Serco uses HR technology to cut recruitment bill

International outsourced services supplier Serco is investing in HR recruitment technology to help it hire 15,000 to 20,000 people a year Continue Reading

Derbyshire NHS Trust takes simple BI approach to secure patient safety

Derbyshire NHS Foundation Trust opts for a simple, clinician and business-led approach to business intelligence to secure patient safety, using MicroStrategy Continue Reading

CIO interview: Simon McCalla, Nominet

Nominet, the registry for more than 10 million of the UK’s internet domains, is expanding into the internet of things and internet security services Continue Reading

Silicon Valley startups aim to make big data capture and prep slicker

A group of California-based startup and early-stage data analytics and management companies are bidding to make big data, including sensor data, more tractable for analysis Continue Reading

Singapore’s maritime sector facing talent shortages in big data

The skills gap in Singapore is putting big data analytics out of reach for port and logistics companies Continue Reading

CW Europe: Technology poses new risks to jobs, economies and society

Rapid advances in technology could have destabilising effects on employment and economic growth, and could exacerbate social unrest, the World Economic Forum (WEF) warned. Society’s failure to keep pace with technology change was a key risk under discussion at Davos in January. Continue Reading

Centrica eliminates more than 20 IT systems after replacing SAP with cloud HR technology

Energy and services company claims major savings in IT costs after moving its HR services to the cloud Continue Reading

Navigating software licences

In this week’s Computer Weekly, after SAP won a court case against a major customer, Diageo, over £58m in charges for indirect use of its software, we look at what this means for users. We talk to the IT consultancy that recruits only autistic IT professionals. And we look at the CIO’s big challenges for the year and find out what CEOs expect of their IT leaders. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CW Nordics: Top IT priorities for Nordic CIOs in 2017

In this first issue of CW Nordics in 2017 we take a look what CIOs in the region are expecting in the year ahead. We asked a select group of CIOs and analysts in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden what IT projects are at the top their priority lists. Also read about the Nordic region as a hotspot for IT startups, with Sweden punching above its weight in financial technology. And find out how board executives at healthcare company Elekta are analysing workforce data to make better strategic decisions. Continue Reading

Sweden uses Minecraft for urban planning

Swedish National Land survey has put its maps on Minecraft to promote its work Continue Reading

UAE bank builds predictive marketing models

Rakbank is using SAS analytics software to better understand its customers following a successful implementation of the supplier’s anti-money laundering software Continue Reading

Autodata turns to big data to predict vehicle failures

Vehicle data company sees 30% jump in revenue after moving to open source software and opening its data to garages, insurers and parts companies Continue Reading

SAP connects S/4 Hana in the cloud with ‘intelligent’ ERP

SAP has announced an intensification of S/4 Hana cloud delivery, together with an infusion of its enterprise resource planning with artificial intelligence Continue Reading

CW Benelux: Is there a Dutch digital delusion?

On government and business levels, the Netherlands aspires to be a digital leader in Europe, but it may be losing ground because of a lack of research and development investment. Also in this issue, IT decision makers based in the Benelux region are less confident than their European neighbours that IT budgets will increase in 2017, and Dutch bank ING, which used digital technology to reinvent itself after the financial crash, is about to reinvent itself again. Continue Reading

How a Dublin court case could derail EU-US data privacy agreements

The Irish Commercial Court will consider whether privacy protection offered by standard contractual clauses for data transfers to the US from Europe is legally valid Continue Reading

How AI is disrupting the role of call centres and call centre staff

Artificial intelligence could eliminate many white-collar jobs in coming decades. Its effects are already being felt in the call centre industry, but there is still no substitute for the human touch Continue Reading

SAP aims to clarify S/4 Hana, cloud apps roadmaps for customers

The SAP board has launched an initiative to publish and clarify roadmaps, especially in respect of S/4 Hana and its cloud applications, and one product of this is a new technology choice tool Continue Reading