IT efficiency and sustainability

UK police plan national roll-out of facial-recognition phone app

UK police chiefs plan to expand use of facial-recognition technology through a nationwide roll-out of mobile-based tools and increases in retrospective facial-recognition, but oversight problems persist Continue Reading

Three-quarters of finance executives expect generative AI to replace them

Survey reveals an expectation that GenAI will take over many of the finance executive roles currently held by people Continue Reading

Globe Telecom implements SaaS model to cut network power use

Comms tech provider’s artificial intelligence and machine learning-based energy efficiency offering deployed to reduce energy consumption across infrastructure while maintaining network performance Continue Reading

IT not ready for AI, Pure Storage survey finds

Storage, compute and networking hardware won’t cope without upgrades, and that often means total IT infrastructure overhaul Continue Reading

Digital Edge secures green loan for South Korea datacentre

The Singapore-based datacentre provider has secured its first green loan for its latest colocation facility in Incheon Continue Reading

Outgoing police tech watchdog warns of declining oversight

The outgoing biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner for England and Wales discusses police deployment of powerful new surveillance technologies, and the declining state of oversight in this area Continue Reading

Interview: Dan Huddart, CTO, Homeprotect

After building up experience in the insurance sector, Homeprotect’s chief technology officer sought the freedom to innovate being offered at the rapidly scaling company Continue Reading

Microsoft ignites chip journey with AI accelerators

The company used its annual Ignite conference to showcase the work it is doing to optimise AI and make more energy-efficient hardware Continue Reading

DPU 101: What are DPUs, what do they do, and who supplies them?

We look at data processing units, the latest in a line of hardware offload devices that emerged in the era of composable infrastructure. They come as hardware and even in the cloud Continue Reading

Ex-Coca-Cola VPs debut ChatGPT-like AI tool to help enterprises solve their sustainability woes

The Ubuntoo AI tool is already in use within several Fortune 500 companies to help these firms hone their sustainability strategies Continue Reading

UK government does not see need for specific AI legislation

The UK government does not currently see the need for new artificial intelligence legislation, as many regulators are already dealing effectively with AI-related harms Continue Reading

How Village Roadshow modernised ITSM with cloud

Australian theme park and cinema operator reduced ITSM costs by 60% to improve problem resolution and other outcomes from use of Freshworks' cloud-based ITSM service Continue Reading

Heineken lets the data flow

In this month’s CW EMEA ezine, we find out about Heineken’s mission to make the most out of the data it holds through an enterprise-wide data ecosystem. We also look at how the UK has turned its back on the German government-funded Gaia-X data platform, why cyber experts are urging the EU to rethink vulnerability disclosure plans, and how the IT industry is responding to the software developer skills shortfall. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

AI Safety Summit review

Computer Weekly takes stock of the UK government’s AI Safety Summit and the differing perspectives around its success Continue Reading

UK government AI Summit already branded ‘missed opportunity’

The dominance of big tech firms, a focus on speculative risks over real-world harms, and the exclusion of affected workers, mean the AI Safety Summit is a wasted opportunity, say civil society groups Continue Reading

‘Egregious’ to link passport data with facial recognition systems

The Scottish biometrics watchdog has spoken out against the UK policing minister’s plans to integrate passport data with police facial recognition systems Continue Reading

Sunak sets scene for upcoming AI Safety Summit

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has outlined how the UK will approach making AI safe, but experts say there is still too big a focus on catastrophic but speculative risks over real harms the technology is already causing Continue Reading

Jaguar TCS Formula E racing team making breakthroughs that will fine-tune electric road vehicles

The Jaguar TCS Formula E racing team is using software and digital simulations to continually improve its electric racing cars, leading to better performing electric vehicles on our roads Continue Reading

Generative AI's sustainability problems explained

Generative AI tools and LLMs such as ChatGPT have exploded onto the tech scene. Here's a look at what that costs the environment and how to decrease the negative impact. Continue Reading

How generative AI and cloud complement each other

McKinsey partner explains the symbiotic relationship between generative AI and cloud, enabling organisations to speed up cloud migration and harness the benefits of AI Continue Reading

Teeing up tech at the Ryder Cup

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we go behind the scenes at golf’s Ryder Cup to see the tech firsts introduced to improve the fan experience. UK tech leaders explain why they feel ‘betrayed’ by the government’s net-zero policy changes. And we examine the governance challenges behind immerse technologies such as VR and the metaverse. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

HPE hones GreenLake strategy with AI moves, hybrid cloud management

HPE has evolved its GreenLake strategy over the past five years, expanding beyond its as-a-service offerings to include a capital purchase model and a strong focus on hybrid cloud management and AI Continue Reading

UK tech sector ‘let down’ and ‘betrayed’ over Rishi Sunak’s net-zero policy tweaks

Now the dust has settled on the news Rishi Sunak is tweaking several of the policies underpinning the government’s net-zero goal, the UK tech industry has hit back at the news Continue Reading

US lawmakers write to AI firms about ‘gruelling’ work conditions

Lawmakers have written to nine tech companies – including Amazon, Google and Microsoft – about the working conditions of those they employ to train and maintain their artificial intelligence systems, giving them until 11 October 2023 to respond Continue Reading

UK government quietly disbands data ethics advisory board

The government has disbanded its Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s advisory board in favour of pulling the relevant artificial intelligence (AI) and data knowledge from a pool of external experts Continue Reading

Rishi Sunak under fire from UK tech stakeholders over revision of net-zero policies

The prime minister has seen his decision to tweak and revise several policies that underpin the UK's net-zero goals criticised for potentially stunting the growth of the clean tech sector Continue Reading

Toyota car plant outage shows database capacity planning is vital

How could database deletes and re-organisation take out car production for 36 hours at 14 plants? We drill down into the details of database capacity planning Continue Reading

Is the metaverse bad for the environment? Exploring a VR world

While the metaverse has negative impacts on the environment, some believe it can also aid in sustainability efforts. Take a look at these complex issues. Continue Reading

Are NFTs bad for the environment? Carbon, energy and more

Like blockchain, NFTs have a negative reputation when it comes to the environment. Learn why and whether that negative impact has changed in the last few years. Continue Reading

CIO interview: Petra Tesch, Vizrt

Straight-talking when it comes to getting her messages across to the wider company, Vizrt CIO Petra Tesch revels in transformation and communication Continue Reading

IT spending in Australia to grow 7.8% in 2024

The growth will be led by investments in cyber security, cloud, analytics and application modernisation as Australian CIOs look to improve cost and operational efficiencies Continue Reading

Kent Digital tackles digital divide with refurbished laptops

The council has begun working with Circular Computing to support people who do not have access to laptop devices Continue Reading

Government AI taskforce appoints new advisory board members

An initial progress report published by the Taskforce provides detail on new appointments to its external advisory board as well as rebrand to focus on “frontier” artificial intelligence Continue Reading

Singapore taps Lidar and laser scanning in remote building inspections

With the 3D data generated reality capture technologies, detailed inspections can be conducted remotely, eliminating the need for inspectors from technical authorities to be present onsite Continue Reading

Government pumps £18.5m into autonomous vehicles

Government’s funding is part of a £50m pot going to 30 different ‘cutting-edge’ manufacturing projects, with the aim of boosting green technology innovation Continue Reading

London Stock Exchange plans blockchain-based market

The London Stock Exchange plans to have a blockchain-based trading venue available in the next 12 months Continue Reading

Police Scotland five-year digital strategy approved

Police Scotland’s new strategy outlines how the force will approach and invest in its digital transformation over the next five years, but notes its ability to achieve its ambitions is subject to the availability of funding Continue Reading

What to know about ESG data across ERP, enterprise systems

No single enterprise systems holds the key to ESG reporting. Instead, data is spread across ERP and other software systems. Here's what IT and sustainability leaders should know. Continue Reading

Ribbon sees optical solutions win and drives continued progress in sustainability

Communications software, IP and optical networking provider highlights social and environmental impact, governance and ethical conduct, and sees expanded capacity with joint packet and optical solution Continue Reading

Inside Micron Singapore’s sustainability journey

The chipmaker has been doubling down on sustainability efforts in Singapore by tapping solar power, recycling water and waste, as well as treating greenhouse gases, in a bid to achieve net zero by 2050 Continue Reading

Met Police data platform £64m over budget

A freedom of information request has revealed that the Met’s Connect integrated record management system is running tens of millions over budget, and has already generated more than 25,000 support requests so far Continue Reading

HPE advances ambitious sustainability goals

From an accelerated net-zero goal to an enhanced portfolio of sustainable IT offerings, HPE shares updates from the company's latest Living Progress report. Continue Reading

BSI launches sustainability-focused startup accelerator

Startups selected to participate in the BSI and Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership’s joint sustainability startup accelerator are working in a diverse range of areas and using a variety of technologies to positively affect society Continue Reading

Sustainability partnership: How CSOs and CIOs can team up

Learn how sustainability leaders and IT leaders can partner for ESG success by collaborating on tech selection, prioritizing the right data and allowing for tension. Continue Reading

MoD embarks on cloud-based push to digitise data protection request service

After previously finding itself on the receiving end of a reprimand from the UK data protection watchdog for taking too long to respond to subject access requests, the Ministry of Defence sets out how its turned the situation around with the help of cloud-based system eCase Continue Reading

Podcast: HDDs have a long life ahead in certain workloads

Spinning disk hard drives are far from dead, and with data volumes set to explode, there are use cases that suit them well. That’s the view of Rainer Kaese of Toshiba in this podcast Continue Reading

Hybrid quantum workflow offers potential for hydrogen fuel cell efficiency

BMW, Airbus and Quantinuum have collaborated on a project to simulate a reaction that could pave the way to more efficient hydrogen fuel cells Continue Reading

4 sustainability ideas for hybrid offices

Sustainability ideas for hybrid offices include examining heating and cooling practices and encouraging carpooling. Learn more ideas HR leaders can implement. Continue Reading

5 ways tech leaders can power environmental sustainability

As organizations prioritize environmental sustainability, technology leaders have the opportunity to help support success. Here are five steps that help. Continue Reading

IT Sustainability Think Tank: Preparing the enterprise for tightening green regulations

There is an ever-growing list of rules and regulations for enterprises to get their heads around when it comes to sustainability, but what can they do to keep on top of things? Continue Reading

Chief data officer interview: Neema Raphael, Goldman Sachs

After two decades at Goldman Sachs, Neema Raphael tells Computer Weekly about his tech journey at one of the world’s biggest banks Continue Reading

IT Sustainability Think Tank: Recruitment and the regulatory landscape

There is an ever-growing list of rules and regulations for enterprises to get their heads around when it comes to sustainability, but what can they do to keep on top of things? Continue Reading

Experts talk impact, challenges of AI and emerging tech

Companies must consider many risks as AI and other emerging technologies evolve at a rapid pace. In this interview excerpt, experts discuss the societal and environmental effects. Continue Reading

10 tips for a successful sustainability journey

Sustainability isn't a one-and-done endeavor but rather a journey your organization will need to prioritize going forward. Here's how to create success. Continue Reading

IT Sustainability Think Tank: What enterprises need to know about regulation

There is an ever-growing list of rules and regulations for enterprises to get their heads around when it comes to sustainability, but what can they do to keep on top of things? Continue Reading

7 green office ideas businesses can explore

Customers, employees and other stakeholders are demanding that businesses become more sustainable. Here are some ideas companies may be overlooking. Continue Reading

Electronic Trade Documents Act receives royal assent

Digital trade documents are to be accorded the same status in law as paper ones under a law implemented to help reduce paper waste and speed up the UK’s foreign trade Continue Reading

Online Safety Bill screening measures amount to ‘prior restraint’

The Open Rights Group is calling on Parliament to reform the Online Safety Bill, on the basis that its content-screening measures would amount to “prior restraint” on freedom of expression Continue Reading

‘Significant gaps’ in UK AI regulation, says Ada Lovelace Institute

UK government’s plans to diffuse regulatory responsibility for AI among existing regulators will mean the tech is “only partially regulated”, while its data reforms will undercut already-limited existing protections, says Ada Lovelace Institute Continue Reading

Police Scotland use cloud for biometric data despite clear risks

Police Scotland confirms it has stored significant volumes of biometric data on a cloud-based digital evidence sharing system despite major ongoing data protection concerns, bringing into question the effectiveness of the current regulatory approach and the overall legality of using hyperscale public cloud technologies in a policing context Continue Reading

Civil society groups call on EU to put human rights at centre of AI Act

Dozens of civil society groups are calling on EU institutions to prioritise people and human rights in AI legislation as secretive negotiations begin Continue Reading

BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Three and Virgin Media commit to curbing telco supply chain GHG emissions

Twelve telcos and network infrastructure providers have vowed to join forces to help cut the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from their supply chains Continue Reading

Nutanix eyes PaaS services with Project Beacon

Nutanix is extending its reach higher up the software stack with Project Beacon, a multi-year effort to deliver PaaS services across distributed environments Continue Reading

Digital public services ‘riddled’ with problems, says TUC

The UK’s increasingly digitised public services are plagued by design, governance and workplace issues that are undermining the government’s stated goal of improving efficiency, but can be alleviated by giving public sector workers a greater say in how new technologies are being developed, deployed and controlled Continue Reading

IT Sustainability Think Tank: Keeping one step ahead of regulation

There is an ever-growing list of rules and regulations for enterprises to get their heads around when it comes to sustainability, but what can they do to keep on top of things? Continue Reading

IT Sustainability Think Tank: Keeping on top of the regulatory landscape

There is an ever-growing list of rules and regulations for enterprises to get their heads around when it comes to sustainability, but what can they do to keep on top of things? Continue Reading

Biometrics watchdog calls for public space surveillance review

The biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner is calling for a review of public space surveillance to gain a clearer picture about the proliferation of Chinese surveillance technology across the public sector, but warns against applying double standards on companies just because they are from China Continue Reading

Schneider Electric makes bid to acquire Atos Group's EcoAct sustainability consultancy business

Energy management giant Schneider Electric has entered into exclusive negotiations with Atos Group about acquiring the sustainability consultancy business it obtained in 2020 Continue Reading

IT Sustainability Think Tank: Getting a handle on greenhouse gas emissions regulations

There is an ever-growing list of rules and regulations for enterprises to get their heads around when it comes to sustainability, but what can they do to keep on top of things? Continue Reading

IT Sustainability Think Tank: Green IT regulations and the datacentre

There is an ever-growing list of rules and regulations for enterprises to get their heads around when it comes to sustainability, but what can they do to keep on top of things? Continue Reading

Driving synergies in digital healthcare

As group CIO of API Holdings, Chandresh Dedhia has been driving synergies across a spectrum of digital healthcare businesses to create operational efficiency and other business outcomes Continue Reading

IT Sustainability Think Tank: Making sense of the changing green IT regulatory landscape

There is an ever-growing list of rules and regulations for enterprises to get their heads around when it comes to sustainability, but what can they do to keep on top of things? Continue Reading

The Finnish Food Authority uses AI to accelerate research

Researchers have reduced the time taken to get critical insights into potential public health crises and address issues in real-time, through artificial intelligence Continue Reading

Zoom brings together in-office, remote employees with Intelligent Director

Collaboration provider expands portfolio and capability with launch of Intelligent Director, which uses AI and multiple cameras to provide optimal images and angles of participants in conference room Continue Reading

IT Sustainability Think Tank: Carbon accounting and the changing regulatory landscape

There is an ever-growing list of rules and regulations for enterprises to get their heads around when it comes to sustainability, but what can they do to keep on top of things? Continue Reading

How Ikea is driving digital customer experience

Ikea franchisee in four Southeast Asian markets and Mexico taps chatbots, conversational commerce and remote planning, among other capabilities, to drive digital customer experience Continue Reading

Webex widens US government portfolio with contact centre, calling

Webex Contact Center Enterprise for Government expanded to include Webex Calling, providing a single offer for calling, messaging and meetings that complies with key US government standard Continue Reading

Health and care staff have three months to move to latest NHS patient record service

NHS England has told health and care workers they have until the end of September to switch to the latest patient record system Continue Reading

Lloyds Bank to open tech centre in India

UK bank taps into Hyderabad tech ecosystem by opening a tech centre focused on improving digital experiences for customers Continue Reading

How Vedanta is harnessing tech in aluminium production

India’s largest aluminium producer Vedanta Aluminium is using industrial internet of things devices to improve emissions control and robotic process automation to improve efficiency, among other digitisation efforts Continue Reading

Data sovereignty and security driving hybrid IT adoption in Australia

Over half of Australian organisations plan to repatriate some applications from public cloud to on-premise datacentres due to data sovereignty concerns, Nutanix study finds Continue Reading

Pure Storage: HDDs dead by 2028 and our flash will replace it

Pure Storage says spinning disk is doomed, and only it can provide a replacement. We look at the rationale behind its bold message, and the possible impacts of such a scenario Continue Reading

Green tech startups urged to join Climate Tech Supercluster to boost their growth

The Climate Tech Supercluster has been launched to aid the growth and development of the green tech startup scene in university towns across the UK and Europe Continue Reading

NBN Co sets out to achieve net-zero by 2050

Australia’s national broadband network operator plans to tap renewable energy and roll out energy-efficient fibre as part of its longer-term target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 Continue Reading

CW APAC: Trend Watch – Artificial intelligence

Businesses the world over are exploring ways to use artificial intelligence in their operations. In this handbook, focused on the application of AI in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at the issue of ethics in AI, what lab-grown neurons could mean for the technology, how an Indian agritech is helping firms maximise crop yields, and how to find winning AI use cases. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CDEI publishes portfolio of AI assurance techniques

The UK’s Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has published a variety of case studies to show how different assurance techniques can build and maintain trust in artificial intelligence systems Continue Reading

Regulatory ‘lacuna’ around facial recognition threatens rights

The UK is heading for a “legal quagmire” around live facial recognition if the government and regulators do not take action to rein in use of the technology before it becomes ubiquitous Continue Reading

Cloud computing's real-world environmental impact

As more companies amp up their reliance on cloud computing, they may overlook environmental impacts. Here's why that's a bad idea. Continue Reading

Sustainability highlights from Dell Technologies World 2023

At Dell Technologies World 2023, company reps discussed sustainability and showed some areas where the company has advanced. But making progress is no straightforward journey. Continue Reading

How India’s DICV is tapping smart manufacturing

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles has deployed augmented and virtual reality, advanced sensors, data analytics and other technologies to improve manufacturing processes and customer fleet management Continue Reading

CO2 vs. CO2e: What is the difference and why does it matter?

Understanding the differences between CO2 and CO2e can help businesses more accurately understand the emissions they generate. Continue Reading

Australia’s Disability Trust picks Boomi integration platform

The non-profit organisation is using Boomi’s integration platform to integrate a mix of legacy and new systems to deliver real-time data updates and improve payroll processing, among other goals Continue Reading

BASF ramps up petaflops with new Quriosity HPE-build hardware

The AMD-powered 3 petaflops supercomputer will offer BASF the ability to run more complex simulations of chemical processes Continue Reading

Australian government IT spending to grow 8.4% in 2023

The Australian government will increasingly look to digital investments, particularly automation, to drive efficiency opportunities and improve service delivery, according to Gartner Continue Reading

Dell outlines growth strategy in APAC

Dell Technologies is building on its momentum with Apex while eyeing growth areas such as edge computing and AI in a bid to expand its business in the region Continue Reading

Aston Martin gets F1 pole position with NetApp storage

AMF1 race team tracks hundreds of car sensor metrics for raceday and post-event analysis that has seen it surge forward in recent Formula One rankings with NetApp NVMe storage Continue Reading

NAO calls for clarity on government’s net-zero innovation spending plans

The National Audit Office is calling on the government department responsible for overseeing the UK’s net-zero policy to clarify how the money set aside to support the endeavour will be spent Continue Reading

Inside MLC Life Insurance’s cloud journey

The Australian insurer spent a fair amount of time addressing people-related challenges in its move to cloud, which has improved its security posture and reduced infrastructure spending, among other outcomes Continue Reading

Plexal launches Cyber Runway 3.0 accelerator programme

The latest iteration of Plexal’s government-backed cyber security startup accelerator will run four work streams to boost startups at various stages of maturity and growth Continue Reading

Microsoft and Google go into battle for enterprise AI

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as developments in generative AI accelerate, Microsoft and Google have each unveiled their plans around enterprise applications. Nobody doubts the importance of digital transformation – but experts say it won’t work without cultural change as well. And we examine the emerging practice of FinOps as part of cloud automation projects. Read the issue now. Continue Reading