Healthcare and NHS IT
IT is becoming increasingly critical for healthcare delivery. Vital initiatives such as electronic medical records, patient administration systems and telehealth are receiving growing investment in the NHS and elsewhere. Key technologies such as mobile, tablets and cloud are also essential for improving the healthcare industry with digital healthcare technology. Read the latest news about NHS IT and find resources on the broader world of healthcare IT with the news, case studies and advice in this topic section.
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News
28 Aug 2025
UK cyber security centre helps expose China-based cyber campaign
GCHQ cyber security centre and its international partners release details of malicious cyber activity linked to Chinese businesses Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2025
Incident response planning cuts the risk of claiming on cyber security insurance
Proper attention to incident response planning is emerging as a core cyber control when it comes to reducing the risk of having to claim on cyber security insurance, according to a report Continue Reading
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News
22 Nov 2017
IR35 reforms: Consultation on private sector roll-out confirmed in Autumn Budget 2017
The government has confirmed it is preparing to consult on whether or not to roll out the controversial IR35 tax avoidance reforms to the private sector Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2017
IR35 reforms: Economic concerns raised over prospect of private sector roll-out
With the government’s stance on rolling out the IR35 reforms to the private sector appearing to soften, IPSE and others air concerns over the threat this move could pose to the post-Brexit economy Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2017
Dubai Health Authority completes final phase of Salama electronic medical records system roll-out
Dubai Health Authority completes medical records digitisation scheme, 21 months after the project was first unveiled Continue Reading
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News
14 Nov 2017
Emergency Services Network delay to cost hundreds of millions
The Emergency Services Network roll-out has hit further delays and is likely to become very costly indeed, the Public Accounts Committee has heard Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2017
Bangalore offers the best ecosystem for digital transformation, says Economist report
Bangalore ranked as the number one location for businesses looking to access the right ecosystem to support digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
08 Nov 2017
GDPR fines may affect almost 80% of US firms, poll shows
Most US companies risk fines for non-compliance with new European data protection laws that apply to all organisations processing any personal data of EU citizens Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2017
Middle East blockchain forum moves to accelerate adoption of the distributed ledger technology
Blockchain technology is becoming more widely used by financial services companies in the Middle East, and is finding its way into other sectors in the region Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2017
NHS England on the hunt for new CCIO
NHS England is looking for a chief clinical information officer to replace Keith McNeil, who resigned from his role earlier this year Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2017
NAO calls on NHS to ‘get its act together’ after WannaCry attack
The NHS could have prevented the WannaCry cyber attack had it followed basic IT security best practice, according to National Audit Office boss Continue Reading
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E-Zine
24 Oct 2017
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
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News
23 Oct 2017
Royal London Hospital uses virtual reality to operate on patient
Remotely located surgeons use Microsoft Hololens headsets to “virtually appear” in operating theatre to help with cancer surgery Continue Reading
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News
18 Oct 2017
Focus needs to shift to breach impact, says McAfee researcher
Breach investigations commonly focus on the attackers and their motives, but a security researcher believes there needs to be more emphasis on business impact Continue Reading
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News
18 Oct 2017
Cloud service spending almost matches traditional IT outsourcing
Traditional outsourcing spending has plummeted in the latest three-month period, but spending on cloud-based IT services is going some way to filling the void Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2017
RSA’s Middle East cyber security conference gains its own identity
RSA Abu Dhabi conference focuses on region’s cyber security needs as digital technology deployments expand Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2017
CW500: How the NHS WannaCry cyber attack unfolded
NHS Digital’s head of security talks about the security landscape in the NHS and why it led to extra challenges when the WannaCry cyber attack hit the NHS in May 2017 Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2017
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
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E-Zine
12 Oct 2017
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
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News
11 Oct 2017
Dutch government agreement increasingly focuses on IT security
The coalition government in the Netherlands has agreed its plan for the next four years, with IT security prominent Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2017
Some IT contractors earning more than £700 a day
Research shows 40% of contractors reach the average annual IT salary within three months Continue Reading
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News
03 Oct 2017
CIOs moving to revenue-generating roles
Gartner survey shows changing role for CIOs to cover revenue generation and deriving value from data, and spending less time on traditional IT delivery Continue Reading
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E-Zine
03 Oct 2017
Digitally preserving history
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how cloud technologies are helping Gibraltar to digitally preserve historic documents and safeguard its cultural heritage. We examine progress on the roll-out of the new NHS national network. And our latest buyer’s guide looks at the benefits and challenges of cloud-based ERP software. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Sep 2017
Where the device hits the network – a mobile device management update
As business becomes increasingly mobile, we look at the latest trends in mobile device management to give businesses the edge Continue Reading
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News
25 Sep 2017
Amazon launches Middle East region
Amazon opens its latest delivery hub in Bahrain to serve customers in the Middle East Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2017
Cyber crime a significant risk to individuals and organisations
Cyber crime is still a significant risk to individuals and organisations, a report claims, with the top threats including business email compromise, ransomware, and banking and mobile malware Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2017
Public sector cloud use still too focused on ‘low-hanging fruit’ IT projects, finds research
Public sector cloud adoption continues to rise, but wide-scale digital transformation success remains elusive, claims Cloud Industry Forum research Continue Reading
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News
14 Sep 2017
HMRC confirms Microsoft corporate vice-president Jacky Wright as new CDIO
HMRC has tasked Microsoft corporate vice-president Jacky Wright with helping the department achieve its goal of becoming one of the world's most digitally advanced tax authorities Continue Reading
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News
14 Sep 2017
BT offers enterprise customers flexible bandwidth for peak usage
New element of BT IP Connect Global WAN service will enable businesses to dial their network capacity up and down at will Continue Reading
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News
14 Sep 2017
Technology vital to healthcare in Asia-Pacific
The opportunities for technology to improve healthcare services were explored at HIMSS AsiaPac17 in Singapore, but experts warned that challenges must be addressed before innovation can truly transform the sector Continue Reading
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News
06 Sep 2017
European Union states question copyright law proposal
European states are questioning legality of a new copyright law proposed by the EU Continue Reading
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News
06 Sep 2017
IoT networks a massive sales opportunity for operators, claims GSMA
Commercial initiatives around low power wide area network infrastructure will present mobile operators with a potential $1.8tn revenue opportunity over the next decade Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2017
People with non-IT backgrounds could help fill cyber security skills gap
Organisations should look to fill cyber security roles with people who are curious and have work experience rather than focusing solely on graduates Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2017
HMRC denies IR35 reforms to blame for public sector IT project delays and cancellations
New research from ContractorCalculator suggests contractors have left the public sector in droves since the IR35 reforms came into force, but HMRC has a different take on the situation Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2017
Women still under-represented in Nordic IT despite region’s efforts
Although countries in the Nordic region are often hailed as pioneers of digital and equal worker rights, there is still gender inequality in the IT sector. Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2017
Government launches FTTP pilot for businesses, schools and hospitals
The government has released £10m to six FTTP trial projects around the UK, testing ultrafast broadband technology in businesses, schools and hospitals Continue Reading
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News
31 Aug 2017
How an idea built on web freebies and low-cost tools evolved into a virtual NHS clinic
We speak to an NHS trust about how readily available web software helped clinicians get a pioneering project off the ground Continue Reading
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News
23 Aug 2017
UAE telco Du pushes SaaS adoption in Middle East
The Middle East looks set to see strong growth in software as a service and IT departments need to take a different approach Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2017
Blockchain skills in high demand and jobs being swept up quickly
Job vacancies for people with blockchain skills are being filled in just seven days, on average, once they are advertised online Continue Reading
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News
17 Aug 2017
World's largest’ data center planned in Norway
Norway will soon have the biggest datacenter in the world which will harness the countries rich natural resources Continue Reading
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News
16 Aug 2017
Huddle in trouble: Did the journey from startup to scaleup cause the UK cloud firm to lose its way?
What does the future hold for cloud collaboration firm Huddle, once a darling of the UK tech startup scene but now seemingly in need of a financial bailout? Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2017
Leaked SMB exploits make malware powerful, warns Cylance
Four key exploits at the heart of hacking tools leaked by the Shadow Brokers have given malware authors a lot of power, say security researchers Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2017
IT pros urged to support ‘WannaCry hero’ Marcus Hutchins
Computer experts fear chilling effect on security research over US arrest of Marcus Hutchins who halted the spread of the WannaCry ransomware Continue Reading
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News
09 Aug 2017
Over 40% of IT professionals want another general election this year
A large proportion of IT workers in the UK want another general election this year in the hope it will stave off a hard brexit Continue Reading
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News
09 Aug 2017
Nordic countries top digital nations ranking, but risk stalling
Nordic countries are leaders when it comes to digitisation – but they must continue to innovate to retain their position Continue Reading
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E-Zine
08 Aug 2017
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
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News
04 Aug 2017
ICO highlights challenge Slack-like tools pose to public sector FOI request compliance
The Information Commissioner’s Office outlines how the growing use of cloud-based communication channels could complicate how public sector organisations respond to Freedom of Information requests Continue Reading
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News
03 Aug 2017
Keeping Australia’s aeromedical service connected to the cloud
The Queensland section of the Royal Flying Doctor Service has improved its access to cloud apps without spending more on bandwidth Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2017
Imperial College, University of Edinburgh and Harvard to run NHS Digital Academy
Consortium comprising Imperial College, Harvard University and the University of Edinburgh has been chosen to run three-year, £6m virtual academy aimed at upskilling CIOs and CCIOs Continue Reading
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News
26 Jul 2017
Radiation detection devices open to cyber attack, researcher finds
A security researcher has discovered numerous security flaws in multiple devices that are used to detect radiation in critical facilities Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2017
IR35 reforms: IT contractor fleshes out details of potential HMRC legal challenge
Following the early-stage success of efforts to crowd-fund a legal challenge against the IR35 reforms, one of the IT contractors behind the campaign outlines details of what could happen next Continue Reading
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E-Zine
18 Jul 2017
Airbus helps secure critical infrastructure
In this week's ezine, Computer Weekly explores how to secure industrial control systems, which have often lagged behind the leading edge of IT security and pose serious risks to critical national infrastructure. Airbus believes that despite the vulnerabilities of individual components, industrial control systems as a whole are quite resilient. We also speak to the head of technology at Centrica about how the utility company is becoming a specialist provider of data lake integration tools, and we explore the 802.11ac Wave 2 standard. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jul 2017
NHS urged to spend extra cyber defence funds wisely
The NHS has been urged to invest wisely in cyber defences after the government announced plans to increase data security funding by millions of pounds in response to the Caldicott review Continue Reading
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E-Zine
13 Jul 2017
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
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News
07 Jul 2017
Second phase of Dubai Health Authority’s electronic records implementation to start in August 2017
Unified electronic medical record (EMR) system to be rolled to more medical facilities across Dubai Continue Reading
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News
04 Jul 2017
Royal Free and Google DeepMind data sharing not compliant with DPA, ICO rules
Information Commissioner’s Office finds that the controversial NHS data-sharing deal with Google DeepMind did not fully comply with the Data Protection Act Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2017
The human apprentices behind robotic automation
IT apprentices are helping large businesses transform their back-office processes through software robots Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2017
Finnish mobile operators opt-out from free EU roaming
Finnish mobile operators have been exempted from new European Union data roaming rules for now Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Jun 2017
Virtual reality as a healthcare tool
Virtual reality is being used as a treatment tool across healthcare, tackling issues such as mental health, phobias and chronic pain management Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2017
IR35 reforms: HMRC denies claims that online tax status assessment tool returns unreliable results
HM Revenue & Customs hits back at research that suggests its IR35 online assessment tool is hindering public sector organisations in determining the tax status of off-payroll staff Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2017
Australia’s Icon Group taps IBM Watson to boost cancer care
Watson for Oncology will provide oncologists with medical information and treatment options to support clinical decision making Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2017
IR35 reforms: NHS revises stance on contractor tax status assessments
National Health Service’s U-turn over IR35 assessments could prompt other public sector bodies to follow suit, say experts Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2017
Shadow Brokers prepares zero-day subscription service
Businesses may face an onslaught of zero-day attacks soon as the group that leaked the NSA exploits used in the WannaCry ransomware attacks prepares to release more stolen code Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2017
Audit Scotland shares lessons learned from failed IT projects
In a ‘lessons learned’ report, Scottish auditor sets out five principles that should be considered when managing government IT programmes Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2017
EternalRocks worm combines seven leaked NSA attack tools
Hard on the heels of the WannaCry ransomware attacks, a researcher has found a worm that combines four NSA exploits and associated attack tools, including EternalBlue used by WannaCry Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2017
Windows 7 accounts for most WannaCry infections
Statistics show that computers running Windows 7 accounted for the biggest proportion of machines infected with the WannaCry ransomware, while NHS suppliers are blamed for hampering patching by NHS trusts Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2017
Conservative Party manifesto promises to ‘face up to fast-changing technology’
Tories aim to create a digital charter, continuing a “digital by default” government and a dynamic digital economy Continue Reading
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Blog Post
15 May 2017
UK government, NHS and Windows XP support - what really happened
In all the debate about the NHS ransomware attack, much has been made of a government decision in 2015 to end a contract with Microsoft to provide support for the ageing Windows XP operating system ... Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2017
NHS hospitals hit in global ransomware attack
Hospitals across England are reporting problems with IT systems that are affecting healthcare treatment, caused by what could be a global ransomware campaign enabled by a leaked NSA exploit Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2017
Nordic region competes for datacentre dominance
The Nordic region is an attractive region for datacentres as demand for cloud services in the area grows Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2017
Highly skilled professionals at risk of being replaced by computers
Highly skilled jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence by 2022, says Gartner Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2017
Large UK businesses increasingly want CEOs to have IT background
More large businesses in the UK want a CEO that has a good understanding of IT Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2017
Testing is key to IoT security, says researcher
Building an effective testing process across all elements associated with a product is key to securing the internet of things, according to a researcher in the field Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2017
NHS Digital picks up pace on paperless healthcare
NHS Digital’s director of digital transformation, Beverley Bryant, says the organisation needs to demonstrate pace and agility and highlights plans for improving interoperability, standards and collaboration with suppliers Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2017
Mayor of London seeks chief digital officer
Capital’s first-ever chief digital officer will oversee the digital transformation of public services across London Continue Reading
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News
02 May 2017
IT outsourcing going strong in the Nordics
IT outsourcing is popular among companies in the Nordic region, but the market is changing Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2017
Cancer researcher gets Nodeum LTFS tape NAS
Belgium-based OncoDNA replaces IBM tape library with flash-powered Nodeum LTFS to provide file access to backup and archive tapes at approaching nearline timescales Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2017
Kone brings elevator maintenance online with IBM Watson and Salesforce
Lift manufacturer is using sensors and artificial intelligence to support its maintenance staff Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2017
‘Can do’ attitude of DevOps teams is driving cloud-first strategies
The cloud-first strategies of businesses across sectors are maturing, with DevOps teams playing a leading role Continue Reading
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E-Zine
11 Apr 2017
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
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News
07 Apr 2017
Home Office U-turn over IR35 contractor classifications prompts IT project delay fears
IT project delays predicted at Home Office, following reports of last-minute departmental U-turn over contractors' IR35 status classifications Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2017
IR35 reforms: Stakeholders warn of risk to public sector IT projects as contractors walk
With the IR35 reforms coming into force today, 6 April, contracting stakeholders warn of the widespread threat the changes pose to the delivery of public sector IT projects Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2017
Telenor launches IoT pilot in Norway
Telenor is opening up its IoT infrastructure in Norway to encourage students and entrepreneurs to develop IoT products and services Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2017
Interview: F-Secure’s Mikko Hyppönen on the Nordics, Russia and the internet of insecure things
Computer Weekly sat down with Finnish cyber security expert Mikko Hyppönen to talk about security in the Nordics, Russia and the trouble with connected devices Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2017
NHS Digital plans September go-live for citizen identity service
Health and social care patients will have a single online identity verification log-in to use across health and care by autumn 2017 Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Apr 2017
How to implement a low-power WAN to support the IoT
We explore the options and the implementation process for an LPWAN to support internet of things projects in the enterprise Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2017
IR35 reforms: HMRC 'delays' blamed for last-minute public sector compliance panic
Public sector stakeholders claim the late release of HMRC's online tax status assessment tool and its supporting IR35 legislation is causing contractors to leave projects in their droves Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Mar 2017
Blockchain starts to prove its value outside of finance
Technology behind bitcoin is being adopted in supply chains, power networks and even to support independent musicians Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2017
HMRC contractors leave over inside IR35 ruling
HMRC has begun classifying its public sector contractors as "inside IR35", prompting fears of a digital "brain drain" at the organisation Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2017
Are ethical questions holding back AI in France?
France has been slow to create a strategy around the use of artificial intelligence, partly due to questions around ethics Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2017
Threats grow in Saudi Arabia’s cyber sector
Saudi Arabia's wealth makes it an attractive target for cyber criminals, but what have been the recent trends in cyber crime? Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2017
NHS launches projects to increase digital health tech skills
NHS England aims to create digital academy to up-skill CIOs and CCIOs, while NHS Digital has launched a three-year public digital participation programme Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2017
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
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News
06 Mar 2017
3D printing gets serious in the Netherlands
3D projects abound in the Netherlands, with the technology being applied to canal bridges, bicycles, ship components and buildings Continue Reading
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News
03 Mar 2017
Cyber attack on Barts NHS trust exploited zero-day vulnerability
A cyber attack that forced parts of Barts NHS trust offline in January 2017 has been blamed on previously unknown malware that was able to bypass the antivirus systems, highlighting a common weakness in cyber defences Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2017
NHS ‘mislays’ 500,000 confidential patient documents
Health service accused of a ‘cover-up’ after it came to light that more than half a million documents holding patient data were never delivered to their intended recipients Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2017
NHS needs single point of access for data
A report has found that clinicians struggle with access to basic data and recommends a single online point of access for healthcare datasets Continue Reading
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E-Zine
23 Feb 2017
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
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News
17 Feb 2017
HPE services and CSC to become DXC Technology
The merger between HP's services division and CSC will launch in April 2017 and is expected to save the companies billions Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2017
Public sector IT suppliers blast CCS over rising G-Cloud commission charges
CCS confirms commission charges on G-Cloud sales are to rise from 0.5 to 0.75% when the next iteration of the framework drops in May 2017, but suppliers fear it could harm their ability to innovate Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Feb 2017
Cloud contracts are still a minefield
Cloud computing is maturing in the enterprise space, but the contracts that underpin cloud services have not evolved at the same pace Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2017
Lack of data sharing is barrier to health and social care integration
NHS and social care organisations are still unsure of when to share information because of a “confusing” regulatory framework, and the National Audit Office is unimpressed with the progress on health and social care integration Continue Reading