Data quality management and governance

Gartner Data & Analytics Summit: Unleash innovation on emergence from pandemic

Analysts at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit in London urged D&A leaders to unleash innovation as their organisations emerge from the shadow of the pandemic Continue Reading

Everyone’s talking about data

Data, as the saying goes, is the new oil. If a business loses its applications, it may cause some serious headaches in the IT department, but ultimately, it should be able to recover. Lose the ... Continue Reading

8 proactive steps to improve data quality

Here are eight steps to take to improve your organization's data quality in a proactive way, before data errors and other issues cause business problems. Continue Reading

Totting up a decade of ones and zeros at the ODI

As the Open Data Institute turns 10, managing director Louise Burke reflects on its first decade and what comes next Continue Reading

ODI data literacy report laments technical skills inflation in government data strategy

An Open Data Institute report on data literacy and UK government data strategy sees a lack of clarity in definition, fragmentation of responsibility, and a disconnect between government and citizens Continue Reading

How remote work affects information governance

As many teams still work remotely, organizations may struggle to manage content. Information governance teams should revisit their policies to ensure proper access and security. Continue Reading

Disney combines digital, data and creativity to win advertising opportunities

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the executive vice-president for client and brand solutions at Disney Advertising Sales about how it is using data to subserve story-telling excellence. We delve into how rising energy costs negatively impacted the UK arm of Sungard Availability Services. And we look at the role of infrastructure as code in edge datacentres. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

MPs and editors sound alarm over threat to Freedom of Information

Government secrecy and trend for departments to block Freedom of Information requests pose a long-term risk to accountability Continue Reading

How data sharing and collaboration can solve great challenges

Daniel Hirst and Arjan Dhaliwal from Ordnance Survey argue for the value of data sharing, collaboration and data skills enhancement to address social, ecological economic problems Continue Reading

Police use of AI needs overhaul to prevent abuse

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a House of Lords inquiry calls for a rethink on how police forces use AI technologies – we examine the issues. Our new buyer’s guide looks into edge datacentres. And the EU and US agree a new data protection deal to replace Privacy Shield, but will it stand up to scrutiny? Read the issue now. Continue Reading

TechUK calls on government to seize post-Brexit data opportunities

Ahead of the government’s reply to its late 2021 consultation about proposed post-Brexit reforms to the data protection regime, TechUK has published a paper declaring six data governance principles Continue Reading

ODI sets up institution to promote public data sharing

The Open Data Institute has set up an institution to support the Open Referral UK data standard geared to promote more sharing of public sector data Continue Reading

Data may save lives but does sharing it inevitably vitiate privacy?

The balance between sharing data for the common good and protecting data to safeguard individual liberty is nowhere more fraught, as a question, than in the field of health data. Under the banner ... Continue Reading

UKISUG: Big majority of SAP users beset by data problems in migrating to S/4 Hana

In a survey prior to its Analytics Symposium, the UK & Ireland SAP User Group finds 61% of SAP customers say data management issues are slowing down process automation and impeding moves to S/4 Hana Continue Reading

Competition watchdog contacts Barclays and Lloyds banks over API failures

Barclays and Lloyds banks have failed to meet some of the open banking rules, says competition watchdog Continue Reading

UCL report projects 5,500 ‘open data’ jobs in Newham by 2035

Report from University College London’s Institute for Global Prosperity says London borough is ‘uniquely placed to seize the data opportunity’ Continue Reading

How data analytics drives wind turbine power generation

Data analytics and related software lies behind the burgeoning wind turbine industry, with predictive maintenance to the fore. We find out how Continue Reading

Police EncroChat cryptophone hacking implant did not work properly and frequently failed

Surveillance operation against EncroChat encrypted phone network had repeated technical failures Continue Reading

CW Innovation Awards: Weikfield bags analytics rewards

The success of Weikfield Food’s analytics initiative is underpinned by small successive deployments to overcome resistance from users and ensure requirements are met Continue Reading

Why some data-driven decisions are not to be trusted

Companies often express the desire to be data-driven – but what if the data isn’t right? Data democratisation could be part of the solution Continue Reading

Using technology to protect human rights

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we investigate how technology is being used to tackle human rights abuses worldwide. We offer a step-by-step guide to disaster recovery in the cloud era. And we examine the vital, and successful, role of digital and data in the UK Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Ban predictive policing systems in EU AI Act, says civil society

A coalition of civil society groups has called on European lawmakers to use the upcoming Artificial Intelligence Act as an opportunity to ban predictive policing systems Continue Reading

University of Amsterdam teams up with MIT to use analytics for a better world

Dutch and US universities join forces with tech company to help non-government organisations and the United Nations to harness data analytics to achieve sustainable development goals Continue Reading

Christal Bemont, Talend CEO: Show up as yourself

Christal Bemont, CEO of data management firm Talend, reflects on coming through difficult times in solidarity with co-workers, and how data quality assumes a heightened significance in the digital era Continue Reading

European Commission opens path to a Data Act to stoke digital economy

The European Commission has published a proposal for a Data Act that it hopes will stoke a digital economy, in part by unlocking IoT and other ‘industrial data’ Continue Reading

Attempted burglary exposes risk of NatWest customer data in former worker’s home

Former Royal Bank of Scotland employee offers bank a compromise in her dispute over the return of confidential customer information Continue Reading

On a mission to track space junk

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the space experts tracking orbital debris using graph database technology. We meet the startups taking very different approaches in trying to develop commercial quantum computers. And we ask why it’s so difficult to build a data science team and how to overcome the challenges. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Data strategy highlights geospatial data challenges

A new assessment discusses the importance of data sharing, a lack of standards and the skills gap Continue Reading

Log4Shell, Ukraine and umbrella firm cyber attacks – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

Alex Scroxton joins the team to discuss the Log4j vulnerability and Russian pressure on Ukraine. Also discussed are cyber attacks on umbrella companies, neuro-diversity and junk in space Continue Reading

Data fabric vs. data mesh: who wins?

This is a guest blogpost by John Wills, Field CTO, Alation Arsenal vs Spurs. Federer vs Nadal. Senna vs Prost. Frost vs Nixon. There have been a lot of great rivalries over the years, and now, ... Continue Reading

Porn sites will be legally required to verify users’ ages

Porn sites could be legally obliged to verify that their users are 18 or over under proposed online safety rules, in UK government’s second attempt to prevent children from accessing pornography online Continue Reading

Exploring the metaverse

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the metaverse is set to become a highly competitive commercial playground –profitable markets but also high-profile failures will follow. IT contractors have been hit by cyber attacks on the firms that pay their wages – we examine the impact. And we ask if it’s time to plan for quantum computing. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Space junk revealed by University of Texas graph database

Aerospace engineers, led by space environmentalist Moriba Jah, at The University of Texas at Austin have built a graph database, AstriaGraph, to track space junk that is a threat to life on Earth Continue Reading

Government backs Turing Institute in bid to set global AI technical standards

The DCMS has announced an AI Standards Hub, comprising The Alan Turing Institute, the National Physical Laboratory and the British Standards Institution to set a global bar for AI technical standards Continue Reading

How far has Saudi Arabia come with open data?

While clearly on the right path, Saudi Arabia still has a lot to do before it reaps the full benefits of open data Continue Reading

Finnish government launches digital economy transformation projects

The Finnish government launches two transformation projects as part of the country’s mission to pioneer a digital economy Continue Reading

CDEI research pinpoints barriers to trustworthy AI exploitation

Survey of UK business by the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has disclosed the patchiness of artificial intelligence and data-driven technology adoption across different economic sectors Continue Reading

The rules for a safer internet

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the government publishes the Online Safety Bill, we look at what the laws mean for internet services. A ransomware victim shares the insider story of the trauma of losing their corporate IT systems. And we ask, what happens when quantum computers get too powerful to verify their output? Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How to scale up your AI initiatives

Executive sponsorship, a strong data foundation and having ‘analytics artists’ are among ways to scale up AI initiatives beyond the pilot stage Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2022: ERP gets back on the horse

Automation and going cloud-first have gained significant interest for enterprise software and data management investment in the UK, according to the annual TechTarget/Computer Weekly IT Priorities 2022 survey Continue Reading

Pandora Papers: How journalists mined terabytes of offshore data to expose the world’s elites

Six hundred journalists spent over a year mining 2.94 terabytes of data that revealed offshore companies and the politicians, world leaders and celebrities who secretly owned them Continue Reading

Who are the current generation of Chief Data Officers?

This is a guest blogpost by Peter Jackson, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Exasol. The growing mainstream appreciation for quality data and its resulting insights has made the Chief Data ... Continue Reading

Societe Generale accelerates data and artificial intelligence strategy

French investment banking giant increases its focus on data and artificial intelligence as digital transformation matures Continue Reading

Inside Informatica’s cloud journey

Informatica’s chief product officer talks up the company’s journey back to the public market and where Asia-Pacific fits in its growth strategy Continue Reading

Data literacy: more than training

This is a guest blogpost by Adrian Seow, head of product marketing, Yellowfin In the era of self-service analytics, data literacy is an increasing priority, but helping people understand their data ... Continue Reading

Building better data foundations to make the most of AI

The UK government's national artificial intelligence strategy relies on businesses putting in place the foundations for better use of data – EY research highlights the challenges ahead Continue Reading

The future of data analytics

The rise of no-code and event-driven architectures are among the developments that will shape the future of data analytics, according to Tibco’s regional chief technology officer Continue Reading

Making machine learning operational

As artificial intelligence matures, IT departments will need to take control of change management and governance of data models Continue Reading

Uber faces legal action over ‘racist’ facial verification system

Two UK-based unions are taking Uber to court, claiming their members have been unfairly dismissed as a result of misidentification by the company’s facial verification system Continue Reading

Top women in UK tech, AI on puffin island – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this episode, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss CW’s annual programme to choose the most influential women in UK tech, as well as Newham Sparks, and puffin-counting AI Continue Reading

APAC organisations must do more to harness analytics potential

Organisations in the Asia-Pacific region still lack the necessary workforce and process capabilities that are required to realise the full benefits of data analytics initiatives, a study finds Continue Reading

Are proposed data protection changes a threat to UK citizens’ privacy?

Though changes are as-yet undefined pending an upcoming consultation, concerns are already being expressed over the government’s plan to liberalise data protection laws in the service of innovation and growth Continue Reading

Government unveils post-Brexit data flow proposals

The government will pursue data partnerships with countries including Australia, South Korea and the US as part of a post-Brexit data regime that may also see substantial changes to the UK’s data protection law Continue Reading

CW APAC: Trend Watch on datacentre operations

In this handbook, focused on datacentre operations in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at the most innovative methods being adopted to improve datacentre efficiency. Continue Reading

How to get API deployments right

Application programming interfaces are not the panacea for digital transformation and could even lead to escalating costs for problems that are better addressed through integration Continue Reading

Why we need a new ethical standard for the development and use of robots

This is a guest blogpost by Oded Karev, General Manager of NICE Advanced Process Automation In the myth of Daedalus and Icarus, looking to escape from Crete, the latter finds himself with wings, ... Continue Reading

Almost half unaware of GP data-sharing plans

Around half of adults in England – approximately 20 million people – remain unaware of the scope of the NHS GPDPR programme, prompting calls for a public education campaign Continue Reading

BCS, Royal Statistical Society, Alan Turing Institute combine to cement data science professionalism

BCS, the Royal Statistical Society and the Alan Turing Institute are combining to form an alliance to promote professional and ethical standards in data science Continue Reading

Met Police should release information on British WikiLeaks journalists passed to US, tribunal told

The Metropolitan Police should release correspondence with the US Department of Justice about three UK based WikiLeaks journalists, despite national security claims, a tribunal heard Continue Reading

How CIOs can help their organisations accelerate digital transformation

Companies need to win the trust of their customers to gather the data they need to transform their businesses Continue Reading

Inside Macquarie Bank’s data transformation journey

Australia’s Macquarie Bank has moved all its data and analytics to the cloud and is applying machine learning to detect fraud and improve customer experience Continue Reading

Databricks taps groundswell in lakehouse adoption

Databricks has been expanding its footprint across the Asia-Pacific region amid growing interest among traditional enterprises and digital native companies in the data lakehouse architecture Continue Reading

Discovering great ideas – innovation at the Discovery Channel

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the owner of the Discovery Channel about how collaboration software enabled a culture of innovation. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at developments in cloud printing technology. And we hear from the technology chief at Rightmove about the online property site’s digital transformation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How healthcare organisations are tapping data analytics

Healthcare providers are harnessing data analytics to improve clinical and operational outcomes even as they continue to face challenges in data aggregation and data protection Continue Reading

Europe’s proposed AI regulation falls short on protecting rights

The European Commission’s proposal for artificial intelligence regulation focuses on creating a risk-based, market-led approach replete with self-assessments, transparency procedures and technical standards, but critics warn it falls short of being able to protect people’s fundamental rights and mitigating the technology’s worst abuses Continue Reading

Great Eastern doubles down on data analytics

Singapore insurer Great Eastern has started a centre of excellence to drive adoption of data analytics and hone its capabilities in data governance and data engineering Continue Reading

Databricks unveils data sharing protocol as part of data lakehouse

Databricks announces launch of open source project called Delta Sharing at Data + AI Summit, with backing of data providers and business intelligence tool suppliers Continue Reading

Where is the strategy in the National Data Strategy?

Who is the presiding genius behind the National Data Strategy? Who is its architect? What are its goals? And what will it have achieved in five years’ time? That the government has responded to the ... Continue Reading

Government response to National Data Strategy consultation depicts data as ‘asset, not threat’

Government responds to consultation with a promise of delivery, putting an emphasis on data as an asset, not a threat, and finding respondents keen on levelling up Continue Reading

Data is not neutral

This is a guest blogpost by Triveni Gandhi, Senior Data Scientist, Dataiku We like to think of data and numbers as indisputable, but the reality is that every piece of information is a product of ... Continue Reading

Interview: ONS data science chief Tom Smith on government data capability

The managing director of the Office of National Statistics’ Data Science Campus, Tom Smith, describes the organisation’s data capability building activities for and across government Continue Reading

Government digital chiefs outline plans for CDDO and GDS

Paul Willmott, Joanna Davinson and Tom Read talk about establishing a digital, data and technology sub-board, plans to hire a chief technology officer and a chief data officer, and a five-year plan for the Government Digital Service Continue Reading

Throwback Thursday – Data governance in software testing

Data and information governance is extremely important today, perhaps even more so than it was in 2008, when Freeform Dynamics ran a study looking at what was being done to enhance capability in ... Continue Reading

Informatica streamlines APAC operations amid growing cloud business

Informatica has consolidated its operations in four key Asia-Pacific markets in a move that will enable it to better meet the demand for cloud-based data management software Continue Reading

How the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium sequenced Sars-Cov-2

Consortium of universities and other institutions has harnessed datasets, analytics and cloud computing to sequence Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in a blisteringly short time Continue Reading

CDO summer school plots step change for data leaders

The summer school for chief data officers, run by Caroline Carruthers and Peter Jackson, promises data leaders a curriculum to match the elevated salience of the CDO role Continue Reading

The ticking timebomb of IR35

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we reveal that IT contractors are seeking a multimillion-pound payout after confusion over the forthcoming IR35 tax reforms. Many firms are building data lakes to improve their analytics – we examine the storage implications. And we talk to the CIO at the London School of Economics. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

The National Data Strategy needs doers

This is a guest blogpost by Dan Klein, Director, Solution Centre, Zühlke Engineering Albert Einstein told us “you can’t use an old map to explore a new world”. Common sense further dictates that ... Continue Reading

Alan Turing honoured with visage on £50 note

Alan Turing’s service to his country has been recognised steadily in recent years: the 2013 posthumous royal pardon for the 1952 conviction for homosexuality that destroyed his life; the ... Continue Reading

Generation Z majority left cold by data literacy

Data literacy is a term with little currency among 16 to 21-year-olds, according to research commissioned by analytics database company Exasol, but more than half of those surveyed think data skills should be more prominent in education Continue Reading

Covid-19 and the art and science of data visualisation

The pandemic has seen political leaders and civil servants using data visualisation like never before – but there is more to the art than meets the eye Continue Reading

Parliamentary PACA Committee slams Gove over Covid-19 data failures

Parliamentary Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee publishes report critical of government accountability regarding data behind the decisions taken during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

Why the London Data Charter could be a foundation stone in the city’s recovery

London First’s director of connectivity and competitiveness, David Lutton, explains why data is at the core of the capital’s recovery plan Continue Reading

Government’s refusal of freedom of information request about Post Office scandal ‘deeply concerning’

MP condemns department’s ‘bizarre’ rejection of freedom of information request linked to Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading

Covid-19 and the art and science of data visualisation

The pandemic has seen political leaders and civil servants using data visualisation like never before – but there is more to the art than meets the eye Continue Reading

Should we test data like we test software?

This is a guest blogpost by Maarten Masschelein, CEO & Founder, Soda In the not too distant past the idea of software quality was often more discussed than adhered to.  In fact, Reed Hastings ... Continue Reading

Palantir once more in sights of civil libertarians over NHS Covid data store

The award of a new government contract to data analytics supplier Palantir on the back of its participation in the NHS Covid-19 data store has provoked Open Democracy into legal action, backed up by an exposure of lobbying activity that pre-dates the pandemic Continue Reading

Gaurav Dhillon: Silicon Valley is poised to grow up to seize a more spiritual future

Gaurav Dhillon, co-founder of Informatica and founder CEO at SnapLogic, comes from a generation of Silicon Valley Indian immigrants who followed a scholarship route and have helped to shape the area’s tech companies. Here he reflects on his career and the region’s future Continue Reading

City of Helsinki adopts MyData principles to improve digital services

Principles on the use of personal data for the benefit of society will guide Finnish capital’s ambitious digital plans Continue Reading

NHS trust expedites data management with Qlik in pandemic

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust turned its use of BI apps from Qlik to rapid effect during the Covid-19 public health emergency Continue Reading

UK border surveillance regime highly privatised, says Privacy International

Research from Privacy International raises concerns about the deep involvement of technology companies in the development and deployment of various technologies throughout the UK’s border regime, along with the lack of scrutiny they receive Continue Reading

How Yarra Valley Water is tapping APIs

The largest water retailer in Melbourne has rolled out application programming interfaces to improve operations and customer service Continue Reading

Bank of Singapore taps analytics to improve operations

Private banking arm of Singapore’s OCBC Group will use analytics to improve compliance, customer service and the performance of its sales teams Continue Reading

Indian firms see growing value of data

Half of Indian IT leaders see a permanent increase in value of data as their organisations come under threat from mounting cyber attacks amid the pandemic Continue Reading

UK fraud agency deploys ArcGIS dashboard for data sharing

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau says it has achieved improved transparency with the public, as well as saving 3,500 staff hours and £100,000 Continue Reading

APAC buyer’s guide to data management

In this buyer’s guide, we look at the challenges surrounding why enterprises are struggling to deal with data, the use of cloud data management platforms, artificial intelligence, and recommend some best practices Continue Reading

Coalition proposes secure standard model for Covid-19 passports

Vaccination Credential Initiative is working to ensure that people vaccinated against Covid-19 can access their records in a secure, verifiable and privacy-preserving way Continue Reading

Banks and telcos lead big data analytics spending in APAC

Banks and telcos contributed nearly one-third of spending on big data analytics in the region, while the government and healthcare sectors will register the highest growth rates, new research finds Continue Reading

Business performance management 14 years on: still chasing the real-time dream

As our contribution to the bit of fun that is Throwback Thursday, we're taking a regular stroll in the Freeform Dynamics archives.  “Continuous innovation and real-time steering are needed in the ... Continue Reading

Top 10 Downtime Upload podcasts of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Downtime Upload podcasts of 2020 Continue Reading