IT consultancy
IT consultants range from major firms to one-man bands with great experience of managing IT - and both ends of that spectrum have a role to play in supporting IT leaders. We look at the latest trends and issues around IT consultancy, including how to make the most of freelance and contractor staff and IT advisory services.
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News
28 Apr 2025
HMRC predicts IR35-related £20m annual tax loss due to business size classification changes
HMRC predicts that changes made by the government to the classification criteria used to decide if businesses should be considered small or medium-sized entities will cost the Treasury £20m each year in IR35 non-compliance Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2025
Interview: Sarah Hawkins, CEO, National Family Mediation
The CEO of the not-for-profit talks to Computer Weekly about how the organisation has finally automated referrals, after years of being told it was impossible, and launching its own mediation app Continue Reading
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News
07 Jul 2021
NCS outlines regional expansion plans
IT service provider NCS is going after the high-growth markets of Australia and the Greater China region with core technology and industry-specific offerings as it pits itself against global rivals Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2021
Accenture acquisition will expand services that help customers be more like Tesla
Accenture’s latest acquisition will boost the part of the organisation that helps manufacturers and engineering firms be more like Tesla Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2021
UK IT outsourcing set to continue after service levels improve during pandemic
UK organisations will increase IT outsourcing following the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2021
Scottish government awards digital identity platform contract to Scott Logic
Supplier is working on a two-year project to create a digital identity service through a suite of common platforms that will be adopted across Scottish government Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2021
IR35 tribunal sees Nationwide IT contractor lose second appeal against £70,000 HMRC tax bill
Tribunal dismisses second appeal by IT project manager Robert Lee that his contracts with Nationwide would fall out of scope of the IR35 legislation Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2021
Virgin Atlantic expands 17-year relationship with TCS as it begins Covid-19 crisis recovery
Virgin Atlantic has expanded its IT services agreement with Tata Consultancy Services, with 70 of its IT staff transferring to the supplier Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2021
Indian IT giants cut carbon emissions by 85% as pandemic stops travel
Spurred by pandemic-related challenges, India’s IT industry has slashed travel costs and carbon emissions through the use of the latest technology Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2021
IR35 reforms: Qdos research suggests room for improvement
The IR35 reforms came into force in April 2021, but research from contracting authority Qdos suggests some end-client organisation's compliance strategies require urgent improvement Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2021
IR35 reforms: Blanket-banning firms risk losing contractors and suffering reputational damage
Research by contrator-focused accountancy firm inniAccounts shines a light on how contractors are responding to their clients’ handling of the IR35 reforms Continue Reading
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Feature
24 May 2021
How Bureau Veritas migrated 85% of its applications to the AWS cloud
In six years, France-based services giant BV has migrated 115 applications to the AWS cloud, mostly using in-house expertise. We talk to the company’s IT director Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2021
Sophos: How timely intervention stopped a ProxyLogon attack
A recent incident at an undisclosed customer sheds new light on how malicious actors exploit unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2021
Half of organisations breached via a third party in 12 months
New report highlights the risks of outsourcing key business processes without paying due care and attention to your service provider’s security Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Apr 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: What firms need to do now the start date has passed
While the start date for the onset of the IR35 private sector reforms may have passed, firms in-scope of the revamped tax avoidance legislation may find themselves still with plenty of compliance work still to do Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Apr 2021
The Secret IR Insider’s Diary – from Sunburst to DarkSide
From dealing with SolarWinds fallout to ransomware attacks, it’s been a busy few weeks for the Secret IR Insider, but they've picked up some new tricks along the way Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
Europe provides growth for TCS despite year floored by pandemic
Tata Consultancy Services grows its continental European business despite economic slowdown brought by Covid-19 restrictions Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2021
Global demand for IT and business services highest ever for first quarter
Global demand for IT and business services began the year strongly, with a record first quarter Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2021
Loan Charge Group MPs demand IR35 shake-up to stop contractors becoming ‘zero-rights employees’
Inquiry by Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group calls on government to tweak IR35 legislation during passage of next Finance Bill Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2021
IR35 reforms: Loan charge and employers’ NI issues prompt calls for legislative revamp
As the government prepares to extend the IR35 reforms to the private sector, contracting stakeholders say it is high time the ‘flawed’ legislation was scrapped entirely Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2021
IR35 reforms: HMRC denies ‘squandering’ datasets that could rid umbrella sector of rogue players
Concerns grow about the number of IT contractors at risk of joining non-compliant umbrella firms ahead of the IR35 reforms taking hold in the private sector Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2021
IR35 reforms: Slow government progress on umbrella regulation exposes IT contractors to tax risks
With thousands of IT contractors set to start working through unregulated umbrella companies for the first time when the IR35 reforms take hold in the private sector, concerns are growing about the danger this could pose to their income and tax affairs in years to come Continue Reading
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E-Zine
30 Mar 2021
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
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Feature
23 Mar 2021
Anti-money laundering technology must operate in a collaborative ecosystem
With new technologies making it easier for banks to spot money laundering activity, we look at why the problem persists at scale, finding that ecosystems and collaborative processes need to be built Continue Reading
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Opinion
15 Mar 2021
Reimagining outsourcing after Covid-19
Covid-19 has changed how businesses interact with their suppliers. Here are five steps companies can take to manage their outsourcing ecosystem in the post-pandemic world Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2021
Met Police chooses Capgemini as strategic IT infrastructure services provider
Capgemini has a history of providing the force with day-to-day technology services, and will now deliver its infrastructure services under the Pegasus programme Continue Reading
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News
09 Mar 2021
Significant jump in number of hackers reporting vulnerabilities to companies
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of hackers reporting security vulnerabilities and bugs to enterprises has increased by nearly two-thirds Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2021
Wipro makes its biggest acquisition ever with $1.45bn takeover
Indian IT services supplier Wipro makes biggest acquisition in its history as it bolsters consultancy offering Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: HMRC under fire over ‘omission’ of employers’ NI from webinar guidance
HM Revenue & Customs confirms it has corrected a calculation error in a recent educational IR35 webinar that saw it fail to factor in employers’ NI in examples of how payments should be made between end-clients, agencies and PSCs post-April 2021 Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2021
Reading Borough Council to overhaul IT infrastructure
Council and its children’s services partner award contracts worth £13.2m for shared IT infrastructure Continue Reading
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E-Zine
25 Feb 2021
CW Nordics: Nordic startups aim to take the lead in pet tech advances
Nordic technology startups are looking to take pet tech mainstream following the acceleration of the industry during the coronavirus pandemic. Also in this issue, read how businesses can learn lessons from Nordic technology startups to prepare employees to return to the office after Covid-19 restrictions lift. Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: What IT contractors need to know
Computer Weekly asks contracting experts to answer questions about PSC bans, compliant umbrella companies and challenging status determinations, with the latest IR35 reforms coming into place Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2021
Businesses forced to ask IT service providers for help during pandemic
IT service providers have been approached by long-time enterprise customers asking for price cuts due to the impact of the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
17 Feb 2021
Finnish IT sector demand increases after months of decline
IT sector in Finland sees small signs of recovery as demand increases after months of Covid-19-related decline Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2021
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
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News
05 Feb 2021
Government R&D funding fails to maximise ‘catapult’ potential
Barriers in the UK’s research and development funding system mean technology and innovation centres, also known as catapults, are prevented from maximising their potential economic impact Continue Reading
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News
28 Jan 2021
TCS rings in the new year on a roll
India’s Tata Consultancy Services recorded one of its strongest third-quarter earnings and grew its brand value amid a global pandemic Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2021
Saudi IT spending to hit $11bn in 2021
Saudi Arabian organisations will spend about $11bn on IT this year, with emerging technologies high on shopping lists Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2021
HMRC criticised over continued ‘shortcomings’ in loan charge policy response
House of Lords committee tells HMRC it still has work to do to improve its response to past criticisms of its handling of the government’s controversial loan charge policy Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: IT contractors warned to be wary of non-compliant umbrella companies
The proliferation of websites offering comparison site-like services for umbrella companies has prompted tax experts to warn IT contractors of the financial risk posed by firms offering ‘too good to be true’ take-home pay rates Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2021
European IT outsourcing spend up in 2020 after cloud boost
IT outsourcing sector growth is an indication that businesses are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic disruption it has brought Continue Reading
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News
23 Dec 2020
Wipro acquires IT units at German wholesalers
German wholesaler Metro has sold IT units to Indian IT services company Wipro, as part of a long-term agreement Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2020
UK police unlawfully processing over a million people’s data on Microsoft 365
The roll-out of Microsoft 365 to dozens of UK police forces may be unlawful, because many have failed to conduct data protection checks before deployment and hold no information on their contracts Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2020
Air purifier manufacturer creates IoT service in the cloud
Sweden’s Blueair introduces new functionality for customers through a cloud-based internet of things platform Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2020
After critical year, Vodafone trains security sights on CNI market
Vodafone’s security head Steve Knibbs explains how he plans to bring the lessons of a transformative few years in cyber security to bear on new markets Continue Reading
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Opinion
27 Nov 2020
How to modernise identity governance and administration
Modernising identity governance and administration (IGA) capabilities is essential for organisations to manage identities effectively to ensure they remain competitive, compliant and secure Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2020
Financial Stability Board says it’s time to talk about IT outsourcing risks
International organisation that monitors the finance sector asks for the industry to discuss the risks that IT outsourcing brings to the sector Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2020
TCS acquires Prudential Financial tech operation unit for free
Hot on the heels of its €1 acquisition of Deutsche Bank’s Postbank Systems IT unit, TCS has taken on 1,500 people from the insurance giant’s Ireland-based IT unit Continue Reading
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News
10 Nov 2020
Deutsche Bank to sell retail banking IT unit to TCS for €1
Deutsche Bank has agreed to sell its retail banking IT operation to one of its main IT suppliers for a token €1 Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2020
Contractors claim IR35 reforms pose ‘bigger threat’ to their livelihoods than Covid-19 or Brexit
Latest poll by contractor tax consultancy Qdos suggests freelancers are less concerned about the threat the coronavirus and Brexit pose to their businesses than the havoc the IR35 private sector reforms might cause Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2020
Rackspace expands Singapore office, eyes ASEAN market
Managed cloud services supplier expands regional office to develop deeper relationships with local customers as demand for its services grows Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2020
Services Australia taps AI in document processing
Services Australia and Capgemini have developed an AI engine to classify and extract information from claim documents in a pilot project Continue Reading
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News
13 Oct 2020
Can chameleon Big Blue change its colours?
IBM is renowned for reinventing itself. It now plans to spin out its Global Technology Services business, a division that was once its crown jewels Continue Reading
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News
09 Oct 2020
TCS results signal enterprise readiness to spend on IT after Covid-19 pause
TCS’s financial results signal that enterprises are ready to invest in IT to help them recover from the coronavirus-related business slowdown Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2020
Accenture acquires NZ firm to bolster SAP practice
Accenture’s acquisition of Zag comes amid growing demand for expertise in S/4 Hana migrations in Australia and New Zealand Continue Reading
- 07 Oct 2020
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News
25 Sep 2020
Tips on breaking free from long-term IT contracts
Far-reaching, multi-year contracts are less popular these days, but IT departments often find the renewal date is still years away Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2020
Loan charge under review: Government’s tax policy set to be challenged under EU law
A fresh attempt to judicially review the government’s controversial disguised remuneration policy is being launched, and its backers have already secured 85% of the £180,000 needed to test whether the loan charge breaches EU law Continue Reading
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News
11 Sep 2020
Government 'making progress' on Smart Freight System prep ahead of Brexit transition deadline
The government appears to be heeding warnings about the readiness of the Smart Freight border IT system, as the January 2021 Brexit transition deadline looms large Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2020
Edinburgh council to create smart city operations centre
Edinburgh council extends an outsourcing agreement with CGI as it steps up its smart city programme Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2020
Here East CEO advises startups to generate own revenue streams
In a time of deep uncertainty, startups with their own streams of revenue independent of investors and large corporates will have more options and be in a much stronger negotiating position Continue Reading
- 26 Aug 2020
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News
25 Aug 2020
Council to connect hundreds of its sites through wide area network
Local authorities invest in networking and contact centre technology through IT outsourcing contracts Continue Reading
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News
17 Aug 2020
The Security Interviews: How Crest is remaking the future of consultancy
Crest president Ian Glover taught himself cyber security while working on government computing systems in the 1970s and 1980s. Now he is on a decade-spanning mission to change security consultancy models Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2020
Coronavirus: IT contractors cite lack of government support during Covid-19 as source of stress
ContractorCalculator research highlights the mental health toll the pandemic is taking on IT contractors Continue Reading
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News
04 Aug 2020
Nordic enterprises look for SAP price reductions as they navigate Covid-19
Businesses in the Nordics are using SAP Cloud Platform to address Covid-19 challenges and are also seeking price reductions Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
Accenture selected for key role in Bank of England core settlement system replacement
Accenture will be technology delivery partner in project to replace the core system used to settle payments between banks Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2020
Loan charge: HMRC's plans to clampdown on loan-scheme promoters slammed by IT contractors
HMRC is seeking feedback on its plans to tackle tax-avoidance scheme promoters, in the wake of criticism over its past enforcement of the loan-charge policy Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2020
Inside Intel’s transition into an enterprise tech company
Computing giant Intel is pushing deeper into the enterprise with investments in data-centric and emerging technologies along with partnerships with local firms to develop new solutions Continue Reading
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Opinion
21 Jul 2020
Challenging times and transformational opportunities for the outsourcing industry
Every area of the technology sector has been affected by the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, but the outsourcing industry could be well-placed to take advantage of the opportunities it presents Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2020
IBM's Q2 tapered by pandemic business recovery
Country-specific coronavirus responses directly correlate to IBM customer IT investments, with some contemplating dialling back cloud subscriptions Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
Loan charge: Government dashes hopes of revised down settlements for contractors
HMRC and HM Treasury confirm there are no plans to alter the loan charge settlement terms, despite calls from cross-party MPs to consider doing so Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
What do Accenture’s UK job cuts mean to the IT services industry?
Accenture's decision to reduce its UK workforce by 8% will not be the last in an IT services sector hit hard by the Covid-19 disruption. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2020
Huge declines in traditional outsourcing as Covid-19 puts a stop on deals
Traditional IT outsourcing deals value plummets in the last quarter as contracts dry up amid Covid-19 disruption Continue Reading
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Podcast
07 Jul 2020
Women in tech, loan charge woes and automation – The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload Podcast
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Clare McDonald, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna discuss the publication of the long list for the 2020 Most Influential Women in UK Technology, the latest developments in the IR35 private sector reforms, and the impact of AI-driven automation on journalists and other knowledge workers Continue Reading
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News
07 Jul 2020
MSP Xchanging attacked in ransomware incident
Specialist managed services provider is restoring customer access to systems after an unspecified ransomware incident Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2020
Accenture to cut 900 UK staff
Accenture is cutting 900 jobs in the UK, as business levels drop amid the global Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2020
Go lean and embrace partnerships to plot a path for recovery
Starting with the lean principle of a minimum viable product, CIOs should aim to partner with outsourcers and IT suppliers to deliver business value Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Jun 2020
The Covid-19 crisis: Reinventing digital transformation
Digital transformation projects are returning as organisations realise that improvements in productivity and customer engagement are now even more important – providing that the work can be done remotely and there’s still cash to pay for it Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2020
CISOs buying into unified security proposition
The time is right for all-in-one security solutions, according to a report Continue Reading
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News
03 Jun 2020
Security procurement framework goes live for NHS and public sector
Cyber Security Services Framework, developed by NHS Shared Business Services, has formally launched Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2020
Coronavirus: Government under renewed pressure to ramp up support for limited company directors
Chancellor of the Exchequer's announced extensions of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme prompt renewed calls for more tailored financial support for limited companies Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2020
Inside India: The world’s IT powerhouse
The Covid-19 pandemic is turning out to be a big fork in the road for many companies. But what about the industry that keeps the lights on for them? Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
COO interview: Suresh Viswanathan, TSB
TSB’s chief operating officer is overseeing the bank’s operations as it strives to build the right kind of IT reputation Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Facebook announces oversight board members
New board will rule on freedom of expression issues and make policy recommendations to social media giant. Continue Reading
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05 May 2020
Covid-19 will leave its legacy on global IT services
IT services buying and selling will go through a transformation during the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2020
Coronavirus: Do Indian companies still have an edge in Nordic outsourcing?
Covid-19 lockdowns and social distancing have affected Nordic outsourcing strategies. Do Indian firms still have the upper hand? Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Government under pressure to give limited company IT workers more financial support
IT contractors who provide services through their own limited companies and pay themselves in dividends are largely uncatered for by the goverment's various coronavirus-focused business support packages, and are facing financial difficulties Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2020
How likely are IT service providers to offer discounts in an unprecedented global recession?
As the global economy slows, businesses are trying to cut costs, with IT services one of the first stops – but what are the chances of a happy outcome? Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Treasury ignores sub-committee’s plea to delay April 2021 start date
Despite the Finance Bill Sub-Committee claiming it would argue for the IR35 reforms to be delayed even if there were no pandemic, HM Treasury remains committed to revised April 2021 roll-out date Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Pandemic will see consolidation of offshore captive centres
Offshore captive IT operations owned by western businesses will be sold off to raise cash and boost efficiency amid Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2020
Covid-19 will leave its legacy on global IT services
IT services buying and selling will go through a transformation during the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Indian IT sector takes hit
India’s IT market will see slower growth this year though opportunities abound in artificial intelligence and cyber security Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2020
Loan charge contractors face double whammy of life-changing repayment demands as past loans recalled
IT contractors already under pressure from HMRC to pay life-changing tax bills relating to their past involvement in loan remuneration schemes now face calls to repay the original loans, too. Computer Weekly investigates Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: BPO and IT services delivered from India face big challenges
UK businesses receiving business process outsourcing and IT services from India will face disruption, but IT services from large IT suppliers less so Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: What does the ‘new normal’ mean for how we work?
Examining the long-term impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic on the world of work, security, privacy and networks Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2020
Loan charge MPs secure ‘unanimous’ support for motion to curb policy’s retrospective powers
A motion raised by the Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), aimed at removing all retrospective elements of the controversial tax policy, has secured the “unanimous” support of the House of Commons Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2020
IR35 reforms: Chancellor slammed for dig at self-employed tax habits during coronavirus briefing
Rishi Sunak under fire for making a veiled reference to self-employed people needing to pay their “fair share of tax” during the government’s daily coronavirus update Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2020
Lorca calls on security scaleups to tackle coronavirus challenge
Lorca innovation programme has launched an open call for its next cohort of cyber security scaleups, with a timely focus on coronavirus challenges Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: IT contractors ‘left stranded’ by exclusion from support for self-employed
IT contractors who provide services through their own limited companies will not be able to access government scheme to support self-employed through coronavirus outbreak Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Coronavirus prompts calls for fairer deal for self-employed IT workers
ContractorCalculator CEO Dave Chaplin says the deferral of the IR35 reforms should be upgraded to a cancellation, as the response of employers to coronavirus highlights glaring inequalities between treatment of inside IR35 contractors and employees Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2020
Loan charge under review: Cross-party group of MPs slams government inquiry into tax policy
The government’s independent inquiry into the loan charge disguised remuneration policy has been criticised in a report by a cross-party group of MPs for being ‘fundamentally flawed’ Continue Reading
