IT for consulting and business services
Companies in the consulting and business services industries often have specialist needs that require effective use of IT. Law firms, consultancies, accountants, recruitment firms and other advisory services use innovative technology to deliver business benefits, and you can read our news and analysis of the key trends and what they mean to you
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News
20 Jun 2025
Cyber Essentials certifications rising slowly but steadily
The number of businesses attaining the NCSC Cyber Essentials certification continues to increase, but much more can be done to raise awareness of the scheme. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2025
Dutch cloud pioneers face the hard limits of digital sovereignty
The Netherlands’ ambitious talk of digital independence meets the unforgiving economics of global cloud dominance Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2021
IR35: MPs denied vote to amend Finance Bill to ‘curb or kill’ umbrella companies
MPs were denied the opportunity to vote in favour of amending the incoming Finance Bill to ‘curb or kill’ umbrella companies, prompting industry watchers to double down on calls for regulation 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
19 May 2021
India’s HCL to hire 1,000 tech professionals in the UK
Indian IT suppliers set to create thousands of IT jobs in the UK, which supports their intention to have more staff based closer to customers Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 May 2021
Why new EU rules around artificial intelligence are vital to the development of the sector
Shawn Tan, CEO of global AI ecosystem builder Skymind, explains why the European Union’s new rules on artificial intelligence are a good thing Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 May 2021
The shape of fraud and cyber crime: 10 things we learned from 2020
While a pandemic-driven increase in cyber crime and an exacerbation of existing fraud trends were, to a large extent, to be expected, the LexisNexis Risk solutions UK cybercrime report 2020 still contained a few surprises Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2021
Netherlands to build new national supercomputer
The Netherlands has laid out plans for its next national supercomputer, to be known as Snellius 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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News
22 Apr 2021
GCHQ: Cyber investment a guarantor of UK’s global status
GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming sets out a vision for the UK’s cyber security future Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2021
Finnish government strengthens country’s IT network security
Finland’s government has created a new national organisation to help public and private bodies improve network security 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
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
07 Apr 2021
Irish employees’ ‘right to disconnect’ enshrined in code of practice
A code of practice giving employees the ‘right to disconnect’ from work and not engage in electronic communications outside of their normal hours has come into effect in Ireland 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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News
23 Mar 2021
IR35 reforms: Confusion over who pays employers’ NI leaves IT contractors out of pocket
Litigators are circling as thousands of contractors realise that the 2017 roll-out of IR35 reforms to the public sector may have resulted in unlawful tax deductions – and the private sector could be next Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: IPSE warns of UK contracting talent exodus unless start date delayed
Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed research into what contractors plan to do once the IR35 reforms come into play highlights growing risk of talent shortages Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2021
Nordic innovators change emphasis on gender equality in society
Female technology innovators in the Nordics take a different approach to trying to improve opportunities for women Continue Reading
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News
03 Mar 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: Hays calls on Treasury to delay April 2021 start date by a year
UK and Ireland managing director of recruitment giant Hays writes to HM Treasury to demand a delay and review of the government’s plans to roll out the IR35 reforms to the private sector from April 2021 Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2021
UKtech50 2021: The most influential people in UK technology
Computer Weekly has announced the 11th annual UKtech50 – our definitive list of the movers and shakers in the UK tech sector Continue Reading
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News
17 Feb 2021
Law firm and cyber criminals clash over source of stolen data
Cyber attack victim Jones Day says its data was stolen in a supply chain attack, but the gang holding it to ransom disagrees Continue Reading
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News
16 Feb 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: HMRC reminds firms to use ‘reasonable care’ when applying new tax rules
As the countdown to the IR35 reforms being rolled out to the private sector continues apace, HM Revenue and Customs issues compliance guidance for firms in-scope of the new rules Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2021
Digital investments will add £232bn to UK economy by 2040
The UK economy could grow by £232bn over the next two decades if investments in digital technologies continue Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: Deloitte confirms post-April 2021 ban on PSCs
Consultancy giant confirms that contractors will only be able to engage with it via a third-party umbrella or employment agency after April 2021, as part of its IR35 compliance strategy Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2021
Google grows cloud sales as parent’s profits top $40bn
Alphabet announces massive overall profits and increased Google cloud sales Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2021
Serco confirms Babuk ransomware attack
Outsourcing firm was hit by the ransomware last week but insists most of its operations are running as normal Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2021
Architect slashes 20% off storage costs with Nasuni NAS gateway
LA-based Jerde Partnership replaced on-premise storage and backup with Nasuni hybrid cloud NAS gateways to provide seamless access across timezones to project files 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
12 Jan 2021
Bahrain hopes 5G roll-out will attract more tech firms to its shores
Bahrain has completed its 5G roll-out, which will support its IT infrastructure in creating the right environment for technology firms Continue Reading
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News
05 Jan 2021
Huawei battles for market access in Nordics
Chinese networking equipment supplier Huawei fights to retain access to potential 5G contracts across the Nordic region Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2020
Pandemic heroes dominate New Year Honours List 2021
The New Year Honours List 2021 is remarkable for its recognition of those who have excelled during the Covid-19 public health emergency, including digital and data professionals Continue Reading
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News
21 Dec 2020
Top 10 enterprise IT in the Nordics stories of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Nordic enterprise IT stories of 2020 Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2020
Prepare for bringing people back to the office with the Nordic tech startup blueprint
Business can learn lessons from Nordic tech startups to prepare employees to return to the office after Covid restrictions Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
Data safes will give users control over their data
Belgian computer scientist tells Computer Weekly how people can regain control of their online personal information Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
Robots taking jobs, but creating careers
Robotic process automation developers tell Computer Weekly about the job they never expected to be doing Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2020
Securing UK’s critical national infrastructure is a 2021 priority
Government outlines the UK’s strategic cyber security policies for the coming 12 months, with critical national infrastructure a clear priority Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2020
IT Priorities 2020: European IT budget share reflects home-working challenges brought by Covid
European organisations are being forced to redivert more limited budgets during the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2020
Mastercard: Looks like a tech firm, acts like a tech firm, is a tech firm
Financial services giant finds itself in a prominent position as the volume of digital transactions increases 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
02 Nov 2020
Finnish government rolls out digital projects to support SMEs
Finland is set to create network of technology hubs that will support SMEs in the country, as well as create links across the EU Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2020
Dutch government ‘unambitious’ in digital
The Netherlands has been working at home as much as possible since the outbreak of Covid-19, but its dependence on technology and connectivity does not seem to be reflected by the government’s approach to digitisation Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2020
Cooperation between Norway’s security agencies planned following cyber attack on parliament
Government seeks to develop enhanced national IT infrastructure with an embedded early warning system and defence shield to protect the IT systems of public and private organisations Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2020
Nordic countries in denial over IT industry equality
Arriving in Denmark to find she was the only woman on a computer science master’s course was a shock to Plamena Cherneva Continue Reading
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Podcast
20 Oct 2020
Podcast: Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Covid-19 and storage
We look at how organisations can use Cybersecurity Awareness Month as an opportunity to revisit their handling of data and compliance, especially with changes brought by Covid-19 and home working Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2020
Norway leaves door open to Huawei
Government gives telecoms companies responsibility to choose their equipment suppliers, which could include Huawei Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Sep 2020
Top five ways backup can protect against ransomware
Ransomware threatens to put your data beyond reach, so the best way to prepare is to have good-quality data you can restore from backup. We look at the key things to consider Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2020
Over half of firms intend to continue US data transfers despite Schrems II
Survey shows many organisations do not intend to significantly change their data-sharing practices, at least until there is more guidance from regulators or governments Continue Reading
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Opinion
23 Sep 2020
Top 10 skills to include in your IT CV
Find out what skills and keywords you should include on your CV to stand out as an IT professional in a competitive market Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2020
CIO interview: Julie Berry of Saffery Champness advances business advisory role for IT
Julie Berry, IT director at accountancy firm Saffery Champness, describes how her team has enhanced its advisory role to the business, in part through the implementation of a cloud-based document management system 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
09 Sep 2020
Abu Dhabi government launches peer-to-peer coding campus
Abu Dhabi government launches a specialist programming school that uses peer-to-peer teaching methods and gamification Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Virtual London Tech Week is a sign of the future
London Tech week's virtual event is another sign of how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation 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
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News
19 Aug 2020
Loan charge MPs urge chancellor to get HMRC to soften contractor settlements
Co-chairs of Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group write to Rishi Sunak to seek a fairer deal for contractors caught by HMRC’s disguised remuneration policy Continue Reading
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News
17 Aug 2020
Coronavirus: Government faces renewed calls for extended support for self-employed
The second phase of the government’s income support scheme for the self-employed goes live today, prompting renewed calls for the eligibility criteria to be broadened so that more people can benefit Continue Reading
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Opinion
13 Aug 2020
A CIO’s journey through the Covid-19 crisis
FDM’s IT chief takes us through the challenges of responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and the future opportunities that the changes introduced now present Continue Reading
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News
11 Aug 2020
Looming threat of Covid-19 and IR35 reform conspire to keep contractor confidence dampened
Quarterly data on how confident freelancers feel about their job and earning prospects highlights the negative impact Covid-19 and the government's looming tax reforms are having on the sector Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Egypt’s datacentre plans take key step forward
Government lays the foundations for a datacentre industry with its new data protection law Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2020
New opportunities for Nordic startups post-Covid-19 as virtual offices become the norm
As companies adjust to digital office life in the pandemic era, a host of Nordic startups are already helping them convert these short-term fixes into long-term strategy 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
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
16 Jul 2020
Room for improvement in Dutch digital skills
The Netherlands has good telecommunications and IT networks that can be used safely and reliably, but there is room for improvement in digital skills among the Dutch 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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Feature
07 Jul 2020
Auditing for algorithmic discrimination
Despite the abundance of decision-making algorithms with social impacts, many companies are not conducting specific audits for bias and discrimination that can help mitigate their potentially negative consequences 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
11 Jun 2020
Tech firms respond to Nordic government calls
Nordic firms are working with tech suppliers to help them get back up and running after Covid-19 Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2020
CogX 2020: Rethinking technological innovation
Innovation processes and relationships must be fundamentally restructured to bring in more stakeholders, and spread the benefits of technological change as far as possible Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2020
London Tech Week to go ahead through Zoom
London Tech week will go ahead next week, with the tech industry attending through Zoom Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2020
Dutch organisations invest heavily in compliance – but in vain
Despite the fact that companies in the Netherlands have invested heavily to comply with GDPR legislation introduced two years ago, 90% of them are still discovering fundamental weaknesses in their IT environment Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2020
Employees must be consulted on technologies monitoring the return to work
Experts say the workforce must be ‘in the room’ and given a meaningful say about technologies introduced to monitor their return to work following the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2020
How Saudi Arabia is using cloud to navigate the Covid-19 downturn
Organisations in Saudi Arabia are using cloud computing services to help them navigate challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic 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
21 May 2020
Coronavirus: Dutch work on XR technology shows promise in pandemic scenario
Netherlands leads the way in the development of extended reality technology, which could prove its value in a crisis such as Covid-19 Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Serco exposes contact tracers’ data in email error
Error saw almost 300 coronavirus contact tracers’ email addresses made visible to other recipients of the message Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2020
Sodinokibi cyber criminals plot to ‘auction’ Madonna data
The cyber criminal gang behind a recent attack on a New York law firm is planning to auction off its client data, one person at a time Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2020
Law firm hackers threaten to release dirt on Trump
A new ransom demand of $42m has been made against New York law firm Grubman, Shire, Meiselas and Sacks, and it may be the largest ever, say security experts Continue Reading
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E-Zine
14 May 2020
CW APAC: Trend Watch – business response to coronavirus
With countries the world over reeling from the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, which has meant sweeping changes both economically and socially, Computer Weekly looks at how firms in the Asia-Pacific region have adapted to what has so quickly become the new normal. Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2020
No going back to packed workplaces after Covid-19
A recent project by IT service providers outlines how, in a post-coronavirus world, businesses like Barclays Bank will reduce their reliance on skyscrapers packed with people 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
20 Apr 2020
Dutch organisations address business email compromise fraud
Public-private partnership in the Netherlands works to break the chains used by fraudsters to carry out BEC attacks Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: India eases lockdown restrictions for IT service providers
Indian government allows IT services firms to bring half their staff back to delivery centres Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Blanket bans on limited company contractors hold firm despite deferral
While many firms have seized on the government’s decision to delay the roll-out of the IR35 reforms to rethink their approach, others are sticking by their decision to ban limited company IT contractors from their workforce 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
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Feature
19 Mar 2020
How Oxeva delivered budget analytics with Pure Storage flash NAS
Web hosting provider Oxeva thought the consultants were mistaken and that what suited the web giants for analytics/big data wasn’t necessarily what was needed for enterprise customers Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Coronavirus prompts Treasury to delay start date to April 2021
HM Treasury confirms roll-out of IR35 reforms to the private sector will be halted for a year to ease the pressure on businesses in the face of the coronavirus outbreak Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2020
Fintech workers called to share their experiences of microaggression
Fintech workers were asked to share upsetting workplace incidents as part of an anonymous study Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2020
International Women’s Day provides platform for Nordic women in tech
International annual event reminds tech industry that work needs to be done to reduce inequality, but organisations must work towards this on a daily basis Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 Mar 2020
EC publishes approach to human and ethical implications of AI, but what will UK do?
The European Commission has published a guide to the EU’s approach to the human and ethical effects that artificial intelligence might bring Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2020
HMRC CEO denies it is ‘deliberately misleading’ public over loan scheme promoter arrests
HMRC CEO Jim Harra has “strongly rejected” claims made on social media by the Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group of cross-party MPs that it is “deliberately misleading” the public about its recent loan scheme-related enforcement activities Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Treasury review concludes no delay needed to April 2020 start date
Contracting groups describe HM Treasury’s highly anticipated review into the implementation of the IR35 reforms as “recklessly inadequate” as it concludes roll-out should proceed as planned Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2020
Thousands of UK entrepreneurs register businesses in Estonia since Brexit referendum
UK entrepreneurs are registering businesses in Estonia to make sure they can continue to trade freely in the EU Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: First year of enforcement won't be ‘heavy-handed’, claims chancellor
New chancellor Rishi Sunak has moved to assure business leaders that HMRC will not be heavy-handed in enforcing the new IR35 rules Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2020
Two-thirds of workers at risk of robot-driven redundancy are unaware of the threat to jobs
People who do jobs that are most likely to be automated through technology are unaware and unprepared of the impending threat to their livelihoods, with Nesta calling on the government to do more to up-skill those at risk Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: HMRC confirms last-minute tweak to incoming off-payroll rules
The government is rolling out a tweak to the IR35 private sector reforms that it claims will give businesses more time to prepare, but stakeholders are unconvinced Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2020
Estonian CIO gives UK IT professionals hope as Brexit removes rights
Tech chief says Estonia’s door is open to UK IT professionals if they want to continue enjoying an EU lifestyle Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Blanket bans ‘devalue’ IT contractor contributions to digital projects
James Poyser, CEO of contractor-focused online accountancy firm InniAccounts, claims large firms that are failing to assess contractors fairly will lose out in productivity, reputation and talent retention Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
Loan charge under review: IT contractors slam government's planned policy revamp
The IT contractor community shares its verdict on the UK government's plans to revamp its controversial loan charge policy, which has left thousands of people facing life-changing tax bills and financial ruin Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Dec 2019
Top 10 storage deployment stories of 2019
Here are ComputerWeekly’s top 10 storage deployment stories for 2019, which see quite a move away from traditional SAN and NAS to hyper-converged, software-defined storage and object storage Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
How Saudi Arabia plans to become the Silicon Valley of the Middle East
With its young and educated population, Saudi Arabia has the potential to become a hub for tech innovation Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2019
How can CIOs in Europe turn innovation into a competitive advantage?
CIOs across Europe are under pressure to innovate to help businesses grow and must think differently as a result Continue Reading