Data centre
Deciding where and how to build and operate a datacentre is one of the most important decisions your organisation will make. This section covers how to build a solid datacentre infrastructure, including selecting the right location to build your new facility, best practices for designing a new datacentre, and cooling and air flow techniques. Learn about green IT, data management systems, servers and operating systems.
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News
30 Apr 2025
Government bags 200 bids from local authorities wanting AI growth zones in their areas
The government has received 200 expressions of interest in response to its AI growth zones application push, and is now seeking to progress some bids Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Apr 2025
19 Linux performance monitoring utilities
Monitoring Linux server performance is vital for optimal operation. System admins should consider these 19 performance monitoring utilities to ensure maximum server performance. Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2025
How AI workloads are reshaping datacentre design
At Gitex Asia 2025, industry leaders discuss how the computational demands of advanced AI models are forcing a rethink of datacentre power, cooling and networking infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2025
VMware patches put spotlight on support
Recent security updates in VMware products have highlighted the challenge IT decision-makers face as they navigate Broadcom licensing changes Continue Reading
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Opinion
24 Apr 2025
Challenges persist as UK’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill moves forward
Elements of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill are welcome but questions remain about how best to act in the face of persistent challenges like geopolitical chaos, threats to critical infrastructure, and technological advances Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Apr 2025
Hitachi Vantara: VSP One leads revamped storage portfolio
Storage supplier profile: Block, file and object as part of full-stack IT offer for hybrid cloud and containerised applications comes via VSP One arrays and EverFlex as-a-service options Continue Reading
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Podcast
23 Apr 2025
Podcast: Quantum lacks profitability but it will come, says CEO
Computer Weekly talks to Quantum CEO Jamie Lerner about the company’s expertise in massive volumes of data and a roadmap that includes Myriad, a new file system for forever flash in the AI era Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2025
Fujitsu targets private AI with Japanese LLM on Nutanix
Fujitsu’s Takane large language model, optimised for Japanese language and business use, is aimed at supporting private AI deployments Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Apr 2025
VMware licensing changes and the road ahead
VMware's new subscription fees: will enterprises pay up, walk away or explore a smarter third option? Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2025
CW Innovation Awards: M1 aims to become digital-native telco
The digital-first telco is running all its back-end systems on the cloud, enabling it to speed up decision-making and enhance customer service Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Apr 2025
What is a virtual machine (VM) and how does it work?
A virtual machine (VM) is a virtual emulation of a physical computer. Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Apr 2025
AI's power play: the high-stakes race for energy capacity
Growing ties between tech and energy industries are bringing new challenges and legal considerations Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2025
Interview: Markus Schümmelfeder, CIO, Boehringer Ingelheim
The pharmaceutical giant has built a digital and data platform based on cloud and standardisation, from which it is exploring technology opportunities in AI and quantum computing Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2025
AI chip restrictions limit Nvidia H20 China exports
The US government’s export controls have come into effect, limiting Nvidia’s ability to sell its H20 chip in China Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Apr 2025
Huawei rises in the storage ranks despite sanctions and tariffs
Supplier profile: Huawei has leapfrogged HPE in revenue and market share and broadened its storage offer towards AI, the cloud and as-a-service despite sanctions and tariffs Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2025
Roadmap for commercial adoption of quantum computing gains clarity
There has been plenty going on in the world of quantum computing, suggesting that commercial systems are on the horizon Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2025
Alibaba Cloud bolsters AI offerings
The Chinese hyperscaler has launched new models, tools and infrastructure upgrades for international customers following plans to advance its cloud computing and AI infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2025
Expect a tariff on semiconductors within two months, says US commerce secretary
The Trump administration has separated out semiconductors in a bid to bring back manufacturing to the US Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2025
Government injects extra funding to drive quantum growth
The UK government has ploughed an extra £121m into quantum to drive development of the technology Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2025
SUSE CEO champions open source choice
Dirk-Peter van Leeuwen warns against suppliers diluting open source to lock in customers, and touted SUSE’s commitment to providing choice and support across multiple Linux and Kubernetes distributions Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Apr 2025
Introducing the EuroStack initiative: Could this turn the tide on hyperscale cloud in Europe?
A collaborative initiative in Europe has kicked off to take back some power from an increasingly asymmetric global tech market. Should the UK do similarly? Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Apr 2025
The role of small language models in enterprise AI
Small language models do not require vast amounts of expensive computational resources and can be trained on business data Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2025
AI surveillance towers place migrants in ‘even greater jeopardy’
The use of autonomous surveillance towers throughout the English coast forces migrants into increasingly dangerous routes and contributes to their criminalisation Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2025
IT strategy implications of US tariffs
When is the best time to buy IT equipment? With tariffs in place that are set to increase, tech CEOs have signalled price rises ahead Continue Reading
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Definition
10 Apr 2025
What is a business continuity policy?
A business continuity policy is the set of standards and guidelines an organization enforces to ensure resilience and proper risk management. Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2025
Mattel taps into Google Cloud to accelerate product innovation in response to customer feedback
Barbie doll manufacturer Mattel reveals how leaning on Google Cloud has enabled it to respond to customer feedback quicker and speed up its product development processes Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2025
NetSuite bets big on built-in AI
At its customer event in Sydney, Oracle NetSuite unveiled a suite of AI-powered features integrated directly into its platform at no extra cost in a bid to make AI more accessible to customers Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2025
EU sets out plans to ‘at least’ triple its AI datacentre capacity over the next seven years
The European Union wants to reduce its dependence on non-EU datacentres in support of its plan to become an artificial intelligence superpower Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2025
IBM boosts AI mainframe capabilities with Z17
IBM continues to try to break out of the mindset that mainframes are just for transaction processing. The latest server offers greater AI capabilities Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 Apr 2025
It’s time to stop the victim-blaming and insist on safer software
Businesses spend too much time and money protecting themselves against flaws and vulnerabilities in modern software products, when they ought to raise their expectations and insist on better solutions from providers Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2025
Global law firm Freshfields embarks on AI-led digital transformation with Google Cloud
Freshfields has enlisted the help of Google Cloud and its artificial intelligence portfolio to help streamline its processes, as its global chief innovation officer sets about empowering staff to confidently use AI in their everyday work Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2025
What is the impact of US tariffs on datacentre equipment costs?
Moore’s Law predicts that every 18 months, IT buyers can get more for the same outlay. But US tariffs may mean they end up paying a higher price Continue Reading
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E-Zine
08 Apr 2025
Innovating for the arts at Royal Ballet and Opera
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how virtual reality and other tech innovations are helping Royal Ballet and Opera to stage world-class performances. After a spate of banking IT outages, we examine why further bank crashes are inevitable. And our new buyer’s guide looks at how to get started with small language models for AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2025
UK government to address balancing energy sustainability with AI growth demands
The government is to host its inaugural AI Energy Council meetup, as it seeks a route to ensuring its goal of making the UK an artificial intelligence superpower does not come at the expense of the nation’s energy security Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2025
KubeCon London: Prepare for a shake-up
Developer overload, inadequate fault tolerance and regional fractionalisation are among the issues the Linux Foundation needs to address Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Apr 2025
Why SLMs could be a big deal for businesses looking for an edge
Sky-high infrastructure demands, rising operational expenses and data privacy concerns have left CIOs questioning whether bigger is always better when it comes to AI languages Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2025
Microsoft at 50: Enterprise IT for the masses
On 4 April 1975, Paul Allen and Bill Gates formed Microsoft, a company that defined the PC era and opened up computing for all Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 Apr 2025
Taking a ‘good enough’ approach with cloud security isn't enough
In the wake of the January 2025 'Codefinger' attacks against AWS S3 users, Thales Rob Elliss argues that many organisations are dropping the ball when it comes to their understanding of cloud security best practice Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 Apr 2025
Unlocking business benefits with sustainable IT infrastructure
To fully unlock the value of sustainable IT, infrastructure and operations leaders must go beyond meeting expectations and prove the business value of their sustainability efforts Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Apr 2025
What is a northbound interface/southbound interface?
A northbound interface (NBI) is an application programming interface (API) or protocol that allows a lower-level network component to communicate with a higher-level or more central component; conversely, a southbound interface (SBI) allows a higher-level component to send commands to lower-level network components. Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2025
Nvidia tackles graphics processing unit hogging
People may try to lock up GPU resources even if they don’t need them all day – but not anymore, thanks to Nvidia KAI Scheduler Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Apr 2025
Dell VxRail vs. Nutanix NX: HCI heavyweights square off
Compare Dell VxRail and Nutanix NX, leading hyperconverged infrastructure platforms, to understand their strengths and ideal applications to best fit your organization's needs. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
01 Apr 2025
Inside Amazon’s robot-powered warehouse
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we go behind the scenes at Amazon’s robot-powered Swindon warehouse to see how AI and humans are working together. We examine the state of open source licensing and find out how it’s affecting datacentre operators. And we visit a 130-year-old wine and drinks company to find out how technology has brought operations into the modern age. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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01 Apr 2025
All change: Weighing up the options for enterprises as open source licences evolve
Software suppliers have been rowing back on open-source licensing. Will enterprises with datacentres have to change their software approach? Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2025
Top 1,000 IT service providers in scope of UK cyber bill
The government’s proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is set to include regulatory provisions covering both datacentre operators and larger IT service providers Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2025
Microsoft restates commitment to OpenAI amid analyst note about datacentre expansion rollbacks
Microsoft pushes back on analyst claims its changing relationship with OpenAI is forcing it to scale back its datacentre expansion plans in the US and Europe Continue Reading
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Podcast
31 Mar 2025
Podcast: HDD safe from flash for a decade or more
We talk to Toshiba’s Rainer Kaese, who argues flash cannot replace spinning disk because it’s too costly to consider for anything but limited, performance-hungry applications Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Mar 2025
Meeting the UK’s compute capacity needs: Alternatives to hyperscale datacentre builds
Since coming to power, the Labour government has set out plans to accelerate new datacentre builds. We look at how this is evolving Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2025
Microsoft’s ‘fraying relationship’ with OpenAI blamed for datacentre expansion plan rollback
US analyst TD Cowen publishes research note pointing to further rollbacks on Microsoft’s datacentre expansion plans Continue Reading
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Opinion
27 Mar 2025
Can regulatory oversight alone unlock cloud competition?
CCS Insight’s Bola Rotibi looks at the Competition and Markets Authority’s plans to regulate the public cloud Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2025
Research team demonstrates certified quantum randomness
A 56-qubit trapped ion quantum computer from Quantinuum has demonstrated quantum supremacy as a random number generator Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2025
Selangor teams up with Google Cloud on AI
The Teraju AI Selangor initiative will provide state agencies with access to Google Cloud’s AI tools and training to build AI applications in areas such as education and healthcare Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2025
Chancellor Rachel Reeves to use AI to catch wealthy tax dodgers
HMRC’s use of artificial intelligence is one of many initiatives outlined in Chancellor’s Spring Statement Continue Reading
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Definition
26 Mar 2025
What is a virtual hard disk (VHD)?
A virtual hard disk (VHD) is a disk image file format for storing the entire contents of a computer's hard drive. Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2025
Oracle bets big on AI, drives Australian business transformation
At the Oracle CloudWorld Tour in Sydney, Oracle executives talked up the company’s strategy to integrate AI across its entire technology stack, empowering Australian businesses to move beyond experimentation and into practical AI-driven solutions Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2025
Public Accounts Committee calls out legacy IT
Unsupported and out-of-date software and hardware are hindering the government’s artificial intelligence plans for the public sector Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2025
Interview: The role of IT innovation at Royal Ballet and Opera
We speak to the Royal Ballet and Opera’s head of IT delivery, Keith Nolan, about how IT lowers costs and helps power stage innovations for world-class performances Continue Reading
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E-Zine
25 Mar 2025
NHS England scrapped – and what that means for health service digitisation
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the impact of scrapping NHS England on the health service’s long road to digital modernisation. We look at real-life examples of how digital twins are helping to improve manufacturing and urban infrastructure. And we analyse the options for datacentre expansion, from cloud to colocation and on-premise. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2025
Storage players ride the Nvidia bus at GTC 2025
As artificial intelligence’s big beast holds its annual shindig, storage firms line up to launch everything from new array products to validations, certifications and vague ideas around data ecosystems Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Mar 2025
Cloud, colocation or on-premise? Consider all options
When it comes to datacentres, every option should be considered Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2025
How Jetstar is tapping data analytics
Low-cost carrier Jetstar is using the Snowflake data platform to optimise the number of meals to carry onboard and to generate flight schedules, among other data analytics initiatives to improve its operations Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Mar 2025
Podcast: How customers use multi-cloud and mitigate key challenges
We talk to Vawlt CEO Ricardo Mendes about the key challenges of multi-cloud operations, and how customers can mitigate the security, billing and complexity challenges they face Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Mar 2025
IT in opera and ballet: A Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast
We speak to Keith Nolan, head of technology delivery, Royal Ballet and Opera about using IT to save money Continue Reading
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News
20 Mar 2025
Hyperscale datacentre capacities continue to rise off back of AI boom
Market data from Synergy Research Group confirms that artificial intelligence is fuelling growth of datacentres in both number and capacity terms Continue Reading
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News
20 Mar 2025
The datacentre energy deficit: How worried should operators be about power outages?
The UK government’s plans to lower the barriers to new datacentre developments has left industry watchers querying how all these server farms will be powered. But are they worrying about nothing? Continue Reading
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News
20 Mar 2025
NAS storage: TrueNAS aims to make it big in Europe
Aimed at the SME market, but with NAS systems that go to tens of petabytes, iXsystems brings dual controllers, NVMe and hybrid flash, AI-capable storage, and container support Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2025
How Telefónica avoided VMware price hike
While some some organisations look for alternatives to VMware, Telefónica Germany has taken a different approach based on third-party support Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Mar 2025
HPE storage battles hard and smart in challenging market
Storage profile: We look at HPE, which has slipped in the storage supplier rankings, but brings a full range of AI-era storage over a mature cloud and consumption model offer Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2025
Digital Realty enters Indonesia through joint venture
New joint venture, Digital Realty Bersama, will develop and operate datacentres across Indonesia to meet the increasing demand for digital infrastructure in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2025
Largest ever cyber deal reflects Google’s CNAPP ambitions
In a signal of its future ambitions, Google lays down $32bn to acquire cloud-native application protection platform Wiz, reflecting the increasing need to secure multicloud environments Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2025
AI pushes data storage need but UK firms struggle to manage it
The rise of AI means potentially almost any corporate data could be useful, but has led to ballooning data volumes and organisations spending more on storage and energy Continue Reading
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E-Zine
18 Mar 2025
UK under-prepared for catastrophic cyber attack
In this week’s Computer Weekly, MPs have been told the UK is under-prepared to cope with a catastrophic cyber attack – we find out where the problems lie. Our new buyer’s guide assesses the challenges of datacentre capacity planning. And one of the UK’s most successful businessmen, Sir Martin Sorrell, gives his view on the risks and opportunities of AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Mar 2025
Space and power constrain datacentre planning
The government needs to tackle the resource issues that act as roadblocks to building out UK datacentre capacity Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2025
How Oracle is using AI to combat financial crime
The tech giant is leveraging artificial intelligence to surface fraudulent financial transactions and improve the efficiency of financial crime investigations, offering relief to banks battling high costs and alert fatigue Continue Reading
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16 Mar 2025
Space and power constrain datacentre planning
The government needs to tackle the resource issues that act as roadblocks to building out UK datacentre capacity. Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2025
AI Action Summit review: Differing views cast doubt on AI’s ability to benefit whole of society
Governments, companies and civil society groups gathered at the third global AI summit to discuss how the technology can work for the benefit of everyone in society, but experts say competing imperatives mean there is no guarantee these visions will win out Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Mar 2025
Where next for cloud market regulation in Europe?
Competition in the cloud market is a hot topic, but are things heading in the right direction? Continue Reading
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Blog Post
14 Mar 2025
The pros and cons of enterprise refurbished tech use
Refurbished tech won’t solve the e-waste epidemic, only better business planning and hardware management will, according to Leo Poggiali, Founder and CEO of IT leasing firm Ooodles, in this guest ... Continue Reading
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Definition
12 Mar 2025
What is a disaster recovery plan (DRP)?
A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a documented, structured approach that describes how an organization can quickly resume operations after an unplanned incident. Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Mar 2025
IT Sustainability Think Tank: Environmental trends to redefine IT strategies in 2025
Sustainability has shifted from a buzzword to a business imperative. It is no longer just a tick-box exercise – it is now a central pillar shaping the future of enterprise strategy, according to Gartner. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2025
Report hails benefits of ‘socially integrating’ datacentres into local communities
Research report, featuring input from datacentre market stakeholders and sociological experts, makes case for socially integrating server farms into society Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Mar 2025
6 sustainable resources to power data centers
Data centers are using clean energy to sustainably run parts of the facility. Six sustainable energy options to consider are solar, wind, nuclear, tidal, hydrogen and geothermal. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2025
Pure aims at AI beyond the enterprise with FlashBlade//Exa
FlashBlade//Exa targets use cases between the enterprise and hyperscalers with a disaggregated architecture and its DFM flash modules to be available separately for the first time Continue Reading
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E-Zine
11 Mar 2025
Digitally mapping the world
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how digital twins are mapping our planet to guide strategic decisions such as environmental policies. Liverpool City Council explains how a digital overhaul will transform customer experience. And we find out what it takes to become a cyber security entrepreneur. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Opinion
10 Mar 2025
2024: the year misconfigurations exposed digital vulnerabilities
Small configuration errors cascaded into major outages during 2024. Mike Hicks, from Cisco ThousandEyes, propounds techniques to defend digital resilience against tales of the unexpected Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Mar 2025
The way ahead: Getting IT sustainability initiatives back on track to net zero
The past 12 months have seen a host of enterprises quietly scale back on their net-zero commitments, but are they overlooking the business benefits of embracing greener operations? Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2025
Latest Alibaba AI model demos AI improvements
The latest model from Chinese public cloud provider Alibaba shows how reinforced learning is driving AI efficiency Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2025
Interview: Madoc Batters, head of cloud and IT security, Warner Leisure Hotels
The hotel chain has embarked on a major cloud migration programme to improve innovation and enhance the security of its network and applications Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Mar 2025
8 IaC configuration file editors for admins to consider
Configuration files are essential for app and OS functionality but managing them at scale can be challenging. Here are eight editors for admins to consider for their IaC setup. Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2025
European cloud providers unite over data sovereignty-focused API
Three of the continent’s cloud providers have joined forces to create an API that will make it easier for users to move apps, data and workloads from one European provider’s platform to another Continue Reading
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Definition
06 Mar 2025
What is a green data center?
A green data center is a repository for the storage, processing, management and dissemination of data in which the physical space and the mechanical and electrical subsystems are designed to maximize energy efficiency and minimize the environmental impact. Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2025
Going beyond search: Elastic’s observability and security play
Elastic’s chief product officer Ken Exner talks up the company’s expansion into observability and security and how it balances innovation with community contributions and monetisation Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Mar 2025
Dell still tops the pile as it deepens enterprise storage offer
The US giant is top dog in revenue and market share as its storage array range – still largely EMC-derived – deepens its cloud, containers and as-a-service options Continue Reading
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Definition
04 Mar 2025
What is root cause analysis?
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method for understanding the underlying cause of an observed or experienced incident. Continue Reading
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Definition
04 Mar 2025
What is data center infrastructure management (DCIM)?
Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) is the convergence of IT infrastructure, operations and building facilities functions within an organization. Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2025
Nutanix event shows massive interest in VMware migration
A recent event held by VMware rival Nutanix attracted many people new to the hyperconverged infrastructure provider Continue Reading
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E-Zine
04 Mar 2025
Cutting the costs of AI
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we analyse how the emergence of the DeepSeek AI model shows how the cost of deploying artificial intelligence is coming down. Samsung put a UK tech startup at the heart of its latest flagship smartphone launch – we talk to its founder. And we look at a transport industry project looking to optimise road haulage to reduce carbon emissions. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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04 Mar 2025
DeepSeek-R1: Budgeting challenges for on-premise deployments
The availability of the DeepSeek-R1 large language model shows it’s possible to deploy artificial intelligence on modest hardware. But that’s only half the story Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Mar 2025
Tidal energy for data centers: A sustainable power option
Tidal energy offers a sustainable and dependable power source for data centers. It reduces carbon emissions and operational costs but raises environmental and logistical concerns. Continue Reading
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News
03 Mar 2025
CMA urged to expedite proposed ‘targeted interventions’ against AWS and Microsoft
AWS has doubled-down on its claim that subjecting it to targeted curbs to bolster competition in the UK cloud market is an unwarranted step, while its rivals call on the CMA to speed up the process Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2025
AWS boosts telco cloud offerings with new Outposts
Amazon Web Services debuts new Outposts racks and servers that extend its infrastructure to the edge to support network intensive workloads and cloud radio access applications Continue Reading
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Definition
28 Feb 2025
What is a watering hole attack?
A watering hole attack is a security exploit in which the attacker seeks to compromise a specific group of end users by infecting websites that members of the group are known to visit. Continue Reading