Data quality management and governance

How sustainability software bears broad benefits beyond cost savings

The imperative for organisations to do a better sustainability job is clear. There is business software that can help, with data at its core, and smart companies are acting now Continue Reading

By

• Madeline Bennett, Mowser Media

Scottish police tech piloted despite major data protection issues

Scottish policing bodies are pressing ahead with a data sharing pilot despite data protection issues around the use of US cloud providers, placing sensitive personal data of tens of thousands of people at risk Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How organisations can weaponise data privacy

Organisations should turn data privacy into a competitive advantage and look beyond regulatory compliance to build a privacy programme that aligns with business targets, says Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Is TikTok really a security threat to your business?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with the UK government becoming the latest administration to ban TikTok, we ask whether the controversial social media app is really a security threat to enterprises. Technology guru Bruce Schneier tells us about the need to take back control of AI and the personal data it relies on. And we look at how firms are trying – and failing – to make AI work for online content moderation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

The business case for customer success investment is built on 360° data

This is a guest blogpost by Jean de Villiers, Chief Customer Officer, and Michelle MacCarthy, Global Head of Customer Success, Unit4 Customer Success (CS) is a programmatic approach to delighting ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Be an AI hero, but just for a day

Like all new shiny new things, generative AI offers mere mortals a brief chance to impress friends, colleagues, line managers and customers, with Da Vinci levels of creativity and intelligence. ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

transcription error

A transcription error is a type of data entry error commonly made by human operators or by optical character recognition (OCR) programs. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

Scotland launches data strategy for health and social care

The five-year strategy aims to make it easier for people to access their own health and social care data, improve data flows between organisations, and transform the way data is used to enhance services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Teradata reports strong cloud earnings

Teradata’s cloud-first strategy is starting to pay off, with the company reporting its strongest cloud earnings to date in the fourth quarter last year Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Institute for Government cautions government to draw right lessons from pandemic

The Institute for Government has published a policy document warning government not to draw wrong lessons from data sharing during pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

UK finance firms short of data skills

Financial services companies in the UK lack the data skills they will need to succeed in an increasingly digital world Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How Syniti is honing its chops in data management

A move to shed its back office image and a laser focus on data migration has been fuelling Syniti’s growth in data management Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CIO interview: Hans van der Waal, director of global IT, Travelex

Travelex has weathered a storm that saw it sink into administration, before emerging to solidify its digital foundations for the future Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The rise and risks of sovereign data strategies

Data and analytics leaders need to understand what is currently happening in the world of cloud to mitigate risk and exploit data-driven opportunities Continue Reading

CW APAC: Expert advice on data analytics

Organisations are constantly searching for the most fruitful ways to process their data. In this handbook, focused on data analytics in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at how to marry the art and science of analytics, environmental considerations, the risks of sovereign data strategies and what one telco has done to address scalability challenges. Continue Reading

Tech sector lay-offs in the round – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

The team talks about tech sector job losses in the round, with possible bright spots for corporate IT and contractors, and data and hybrid working strategies at the Very Group Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

CDO interview: Very’s Steve Pimblett on finding UB40

The chief data officer of online retailer Very, Steve Pimblett, explains the place of data cataloguing in its data strategy, both for governance and innovation Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

MI5 unlawfully collected and held millions of people’s data

Secretive court finds MI5 knowingly acted unlawfully in use of bulk surveillance warrants, and the Home Office continued granting warrants despite information the agency was operating outside the law Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How India is driving the use of open government data

India’s Open Government Data platform has paved the way for new applications and services, but concerns around data quality and privacy remain Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

NHS data platform costing £480m to supersede Covid-19 data store underway

NHS England has invited suppliers to tender for a data platform that will supersede the Covid-19 data store controversial for the involvement of data analytics firm Palantir Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Top 10 information management stories of 2022

Data for good is a theme of the information management stories of 2022 selected here. From tracking space junk, through medical kits for Ukraine, to professionalising data science to benefit society Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Top 10 Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcasts of 2022

The team began with a sombre episode about Ukraine and went on to tackle the more familiar topics of diversity, datacentre sustainability and data. New for 22: Cliff Saran’s interviews with IT thought leaders Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

CDO interview: Barry Panayi, chief data and insight officer, John Lewis Partnership

Data science and analytics is an increasingly important function across the John Lewis Partnership, covering its retail, grocery and financial services brands Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

The importance of improving data quality at source

Data replication crises have struck government and scientific data quality efforts. A lack of scrutiny over data being used at source has led to oversights from national statistics to financial auditing Continue Reading

By

• SA Mathieson

data observability

Data observability is a process and set of practices that aim to help data teams understand the overall health of the data in their organization's IT systems. Continue Reading

By

• Mary K. Pratt

Microsoft and London Stock Exchange agree £2.3bn 10-year cloud deal

The London Stock Exchange is building on its acquisition of financial data provider Refinitiv through a deal with Microsoft Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Data leaders bewail employee data illiteracy

Report from data consultancy Carruthers and Jackson finds a significant majority of data function leaders consider their organisations’ employees lack adequate data literacy Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

How Databricks is easing lakehouse adoption

Databricks is making it easier for organisations to adopt a data lakehouse architecture through support for industry-specific file formats, data sharing and streaming processing, among other areas Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Parity AI talks about auditing recruitment algorithms for bias

Algorithmic auditing firm Parity speaks to Computer Weekly about the process of auditing artificial intelligence for bias, following its partnership with AI-powered recruitment platform Beamery Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

AWS doubles down on data management

Cloud giant Amazon Web Services declares a bold vision to eliminate the need to extract, transform and load data alongside other efforts to address business problems in domains like cyber security and logistics Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How to stop data retention from killing the planet

In this week’s Computer Weekly, there’s a hidden environmental cost to the vast volumes of data being generated – we examine what can be done to address it. We talk to the CISO of consumer reviews site Trustpilot, about building trust in IT security. And we look at what IT leaders can do if they inherit a toxic team environment. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

5 steps to an improved data quality assurance plan

Follow these steps to develop a data quality assurance plan and management strategy that can help identify data errors before they cause big business problems. Continue Reading

By

• David Loshin, Knowledge Integrity Inc.

Cyber criminals target World Cup Qatar 2022

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the FIFA World Cup opens in Qatar, we examine the cyber security threats from criminals targeting the event. We report from the Gartner Symposium on the latest predictions for enterprise software development. And we talk to the CIO of Kyiv City Council about managing IT in the shadow of war. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Informatica CEO: ‘We’re the Switzerland of data’

Informatica CEO Amit Walia talks up the company’s role as the ‘Switzerland of data’, helping organisations to manage data across different platforms as it transitions into a cloud-first supplier of data management tools Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How to protect against ransomware attacks

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how to prepare for and protect against ransomware, and what to do if you’re hit by an attack. We gauge industry reaction to Ofcom’s plan to investigate the big three cloud providers. And we find out how travel giant TUI is implementing self-service analytics. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Met Police removes nearly two-thirds of people from gangs matrix

Legal action by human rights group Liberty forces Met Police to overhaul its gangs violence matrix database Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Sadiq Khan launches Data for London Advisory Board

Board will look at how to join up and share data between public and private London organisations in an effort to build a stronger data economy and improve public services Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How organisations can right-size their data footprint

More data is not always better, says Gartner, which is calling for organisations to focus on metadata and synthetic data to reduce their data liability and address privacy challenges Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How government can capitalise on a revolution in data sharing

Alison Pritchard, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics, says the new government Integrated Data Service enables tackling questions that we don’t yet know we need to answer Continue Reading

By

• Alison Pritchard

How Globe is driving data analytics with Snowflake

The largest telco in the Philippines has moved its on-premise data warehouse to Snowflake to address scalability challenges and improve customer experience Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Data-driven decision making will fail – and here is why

Marc Warner, CEO at Faculty, contends that corporate organisations need to go through a cycle similar to the development of scientific thought – from divination, via data deluge to theoretical understanding Continue Reading

By

• Marc Warner

Data Summit majors on ethics in data use, demonstrates diversity

The Data Lab’s Data Summit majored on the ethical use of data, and featured Scottish government minister Tom Arthur, science broadcaster Hannah Fry, and Nasa chief science data officer Kevin Murphy Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Aiven expands in APAC, builds new capabilities

Managed service provider of open source databases and data platforms Aiven grew its business in Asia-Pacific by over 100% over the past year, and is now building new capabilities in data warehouses and other areas Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Prostate Cancer UK built its own message bus

The cancer charity received funding ring-fenced for modernising its data management – the funds were spent on a solutions architect and an ETL process Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Does data need to come from a single source of truth?

This is a guest blogpost by Steve Neat, General Manager, EMEA, at Alation For a long time, the overall objective of any data transformation has been to get all of an organisation’s data into one ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Scotland’s Data Lab CEO Brian Hills on its ambition to change lives

Brian Hills, chief executive of The Data Lab in Scotland, on why he thinks the organisation’s mission is less about data and more about changing lives by giving people career opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

The rise and risks of sovereign data strategies

Data and analytics leaders need to understand what is happening now to mitigate risk and exploit data-driven opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Andrew White

Top 50 women in UK tech, IR35 Truss fiasco – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

The team reflects on the announcement of the Most Influential Women in UK Technology 2022, the IR35 reforms being scrapped, then not, and Dreamforce & Oracle Cloud World in the US Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor
• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Digital Transformation Week Amsterdam: The growing divide between the haves and have-nots

The most successful companies carefully manage how data is taken in and processed – and they use tools to ensure they squeeze the most they can out of every bit of information Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

High data quality key to reducing supply chain disruption

What could be the role of data quality enhancement in reducing the supply chain disruption that has beset the UK economy because of Brexit, Covid, and war in Europe? Continue Reading

By

• David Cotriss

Make data usability a priority on data quality for big data

To help make big data analytics applications more effective, IT teams must augment conventional data quality processes with measures aimed at improving data usability for analysts. Continue Reading

By

• David Loshin, Knowledge Integrity Inc.

Tories to replace GDPR

IT industry reacts to the government’s plan to replace the pan-European data protection regulation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How to design a data architecture for business success

To gain business value from data, enterprises need to get their data architecture right – and the right business leadership and culture is critical to that Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Interview: Rachel Hilliam, chair, Alliance for Data Science Professionals

Rachel Hilliam talks about the origins, mission and future plans for the Alliance for Data Science Professionals Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Data-driven government needs practical steps

We should build data platforms for government with the same techniques used in creating anything digital, argues Jim Stamp, head of data at Made Tech Continue Reading

By

• Jim Stamp

Growing importance of the data strategist in South Holland

Much has been written about the work of data scientists, but the lesser-known role of data strategist is just as essential – as is being demonstrated in the Netherlands Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Data sharing: How can we make sure the UK is a world leader?

The UK government risks missing out on the benefits and opportunities laid out in its National Data Strategy – and could lose international competitiveness as a result Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Inside Singapore’s national digital identity journey

Singapore’s national digital identity system has evolved from providing single sign-on to e-government services to pandemic-related and digital document capabilities in recent years Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

4 reasons HR must clean its people analytics data

Ensuring the accuracy of HR's people analytics data is crucial, so HR and other company leaders can make the right decisions. Learn why HR must clean its people analytics data. Continue Reading

By

• Luke Marson

How clean data helps Southern Water identify vulnerable customers

Escalating prices means households around the country are having to tighten spending, with many struggling to pay their bills. Water4All, a consortium led by Southern Water, is using data to identify low-income and vulnerable households so they can be better supported Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Department of Health investigates bias in medical devices and algorithms

The government has launched a review to look at the problem of discrimination in medical devices and decision-making software Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Eurotunnel’s digital journey for the realities of post-Covid travel

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the travel industry was devastated by the pandemic, but we find out how Eurotunnel is turning to digital to better engage customers in the post-Covid world. We examine the impact of the economic slowdown on the tech giants. And we explain all you need to know about data gravity. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

fuzzy search

A fuzzy search is a technique that uses search algorithms to find strings that match patterns approximately. Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

data catalog

A data catalog is a software application that creates an inventory of an organization's data assets to help data professionals and business users find relevant data for analytics uses. Continue Reading

By

• Craig Stedman, Industry Editor

NAO guide for senior government leaders flags barriers to better data use

A National Audit Office guide for government chiefs on improving data use points to difficulties in achieving data sharing benefits and laments variability in cross-government data quality Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

data governance policy

A data governance policy is a documented set of guidelines for ensuring that an organization's data and information assets are managed consistently and used properly. Continue Reading

By

• Mary K. Pratt
• Ben Cole, Executive Editor

What is data lineage? Techniques, best practices and tools

Organizations can bolster data governance efforts by tracking the lineage of data in their systems. Get advice on how to do so and how data lineage tools can help. Continue Reading

By

• Craig Stedman, Industry Editor
• David Loshin, Knowledge Integrity Inc.

CDO interview: Brandon Hootman, director of digital data, Caterpillar

Manufacturing giant is modernising its data management and turning to digital to steal a march on its competitors Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

SSEN partners with Icebreaker One to break energy data silos

Better access to, and sharing of, energy data will help direct the installation of new electric vehicle charging points, as well as help network operators to better understand the electricity grid’s capacity for the introduction of more renewables Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Data and tech platforms helping finance regulator spot problems earlier

The UK financial services regulator is increasingly using data platforms to proactively regulate the finance sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Inside Sompo Asia’s agile approach to data analytics

Regional insurer takes agile approach to democratise access to data analytics by creating virtual databases and visualising the insights through Tableau Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

First cohort of data science professionals certified by AfDSP

The Alliance for Data Science Professionals has certified its first cohort, with the imprimatur of the UK’s national statistician, Ian Diamond Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Embedded analytics emerges to offer new level of business intelligence

Analytics suppliers are increasingly offering embedded analytics – based inside applications, often real-time, and driven by APIs – as a way to get to the next level of business intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Accountability in algorithmic injustice

Computer Weekly looks at the growing number of injustices involving algorithms and automated decision-making, and what can be done to hold governments and companies accountable for the failures of computer systems they deploy Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Kersley

IBM still breaking new ground at Wimbledon

IBM Watson is playing an increasingly important role in growing the fanbase and relevance of the Wimbledon tennis tournament Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Netherlands’ AMdEX seeks to democratise the internet

Last year, five Dutch organisations launched an initiative to set up the Amsterdam Data Exchange to simplify data sharing and help democratise the internet Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Tech sector efforts to root out forced labour are failing

Digitally mapping supply chains to identify forced labour and slavery is no longer a technology problem for the IT sector, but a lack of government enforcement and corporate inaction are major barriers to effective change Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

African health charity integrates digital tools with Cognizant

IT services supplier is working with African health charity to integrate digital tools through a five-month project Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Executive interview: Chris Conradi, chief digital officer, FSN Capital

Chris Conradi is taking his learnings at Google into the private equity industry at Norway’s FSN Capital Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government data talk to the fore at London Tech Week

Data figured prominently in the unfolding of the government’s digital strategy at the start of London Tech Week, with privacy-enhancing technologies and anonymous health data sharing notable Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Data leaders need to overcome their fears and unlock their creativity

Author and data management consultant Caroline Carruthers argues that data leaders need to tap into their creativity to make their analytical work pay off Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Carruthers

How to build a data catalog: 10 key steps

A data catalog helps business and analytics users explore data assets, find relevant data and understand what it means. Here are 10 important steps for building one. Continue Reading

By

• Anne Marie Smith, Ph.D., Alabama Yankee Systems, LLC

Top benefits of data governance for businesses

Effective data governance provides a variety of benefits to organizations, including improvements in operational efficiency, data quality and business decision-making. Continue Reading

By

• Andy Hayler, Information Difference

Set innovation free and make great ideas a reality

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at Gartner’s call to innovate – and innovation across retail, the circular economy and the automotive sector. We talk to Verastar’s CTO about customer engagement in its small business services. And we examine how poor data quality is frustrating corporate desires to be data driven. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Innovate to battle economic crisis, post-pandemic

In his 18 May speech to the CBI this week, Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, urged British businesses to “invest more, train more and innovate more” in return for tax cuts in the autumn ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

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

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

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

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

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

By

• Chris Foot

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

By

• Louise Burke

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

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

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

By

• Laurence Hart, CGI Federal

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

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

By

• Daniel Hirst and Arjan Dhaliwal

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

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

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

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

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

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

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

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA