IT for government and public sector
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News
03 Jan 2024
Artificial intelligence to the front in Sweden’s National Technology Strategy
Sweden focuses in on artificial intelligence in its latest far-reaching national IT strategy Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Oct 2023
Finland shows off its new 20-qubit quantum computer
Anybody who scoffs at Finland’s lofty ambitions in the field of quantum computing should remember that not only is the country home to one of Europe's most successful companies (Nokia), but it also houses Europe’s most powerful supercomputer (LUMI). Continue Reading
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Blog Post
10 Dec 2018
Airwave goodbye, hello ESN
The government recently announced plans that – despite facing delays and setbacks – a new Emergency Services Network (ESN) will be phased in from the beginning of 2019. It will replace the legacy ... Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2018
Councils awarded funding for digital innovation projects
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government digital innovation fund awarded to a range of projects, including chatbots, artificial intelligence and town planning transformation Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2018
UK businesses feel let down by government on cyber security
Government needs to provide more support around cyber security issues in 2019, according to the majority of UK IT leaders polled Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2018
Finnish government announces research and development ecosystem
Finland has launched an innovation ecosystem that will support IoT and AI developers amongst others Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2018
Court orders Post Office to explain inability to access encrypted file
Post Office unable to open encrypted recording of an interview that forms part of its evidence in High Court case Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2018
Complex Post Office Horizon case set to continue into 2020
Court case where subpostmasters are suing the Post Office set to span at least four trials and extend into 2020 Continue Reading
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Opinion
06 Dec 2018
Douglas Engelbart, the forgotten hero of modern computing
Half a century ago, Douglas Engelbart demonstrated an experimental computer that laid the foundations for modern computing. His vision to use computing power to solve complex problems in all areas of human activity has become reality, but not in the way that he imagined Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2018
UK genome sequencing project reaches 100,000 genomes goal
Health secretary hails scheme’s progress as “a major milestone in the route to the healthcare of the future” Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2018
Software failure paralyses O2’s 4G network
O2 is racing to fix a major outage on its 4G network that has left millions of mobile subscribers without access to data services Continue Reading
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Opinion
05 Dec 2018
Drawing the line for cyber warfare
With alleged Russian meddling in elections and the state-backed attack on Iran’s nuclear programme, it is becoming difficult to define the boundaries of cyber warfare Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Dec 2018
Brexit implications for data protection
Leaving the European Union will have serious implications for data protection in the UK unless adequate steps are taken, so businesses are advised to have contingency plans in place Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2018
BT moves to strip Huawei kit from EE’s network
Telco will remove Huawei’s networking equipment from the core of EE’s 4G mobile network Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2018
Symantec unveils AI-based protection for critical infrastructure
Cyber security firm has unveiled what it claims to be the industry’s first neural network to protect critical infrastructure from USB-borne malware attacks Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2018
Australia races towards commercial quantum computing
Universities make headway in the challenge of commercialising quantum computing Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2018
Nominet brings security expertise and tech to market
The .uk domain registry is to bring its DNS expertise and technology developed for the NCSC to market to address cyber security ‘blindspot’ Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2018
Phishing at centre of cyber attack on Ukraine infrastructure
Phishing is one of the key tools used by cyber attackers against critical national infrastructure (CNI), as highlighted by attacks on telecommunications in Ukraine Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2018
‘Open-minded’ DVSA cuts cost of MOT testing
Government agency harnesses customised open source platform to ensure data security while cutting costs and plans to extend its MOT testing capability to do the same for drivers’ theory tests Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2018
NHS email outage caused by ‘internal software issues’
NHSmail system shutdown, which saw staff locked out of their accounts, blamed on “software issues” in supplier Accenture’s internal infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2018
GovTech Catalyst Fund awards contracts to five SMEs to tackle rural isolation and loneliness
Five small tech companies have been awarded contracts through the GovTech Catalyst Fund to come up with innovative solutions to rural isolation and loneliness Continue Reading
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04 Dec 2018
Why is hiring a government chief security officer such a tricky business?
Security bosses and CIOs weigh in on why they think the government is struggling to recruit a chief security officer. Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2018
Digital identity market welcomes plan to hand Gov.uk Verify to private sector
Players in the UK digital identity community welcome the clarity over the future of Verify, but question marks remain over prospects for government ID system Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2018
UK government commits to opening up data in bid to push adoption of AI
Opening up data is vital to government plans to push adoption of artificial intelligence across all sectors of the UK economy Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2018
Police investigations into cyber crime up 14% in a year
Officers forced to follow up over 2,500 complaints of Instagram, Facebook, email and website hacking, and Bitcoin ransom, despite a rise in violent crime, report reveals Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 Dec 2018
Brexit and digital identity – avoiding future restrictions on digital trade
The UK has been a major contributor to European efforts to establish cross-border digital identities. Governments need to ensure that Brexit does not introduce unwanted restrictions that harm digital trade Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2018
Government mobilises to persuade tech sector to endorse May-EU deal
Jeremy Wright, the secretary of state at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, says the prime minister’s deal with the European Union will be good for UK tech, ensuring free flow of data Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2018
CCRC may hold off subpostmaster decision until after Post Office Horizon trial
The Criminal Courts Review Commission is deciding whether to delay its decision on subpostmasters’ claims of wrongful prosecution until after a related court case Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2018
WannaCry borderline national cyber emergency
The May 2017 WannaCry attack, which disrupted services at one-third of NHS trusts and more than 600 primary care organisations is the closest the UK has come to a national cyber emergency, says the NCSC Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2018
CIO interview: Theo Blackwell, London chief digital officer, Mayor of London’s Office
After more than a year in post, London’s chief digital officer reflects on changes, collaboration between boroughs and developing a smart city Continue Reading
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Opinion
29 Nov 2018
Agile becomes mainstream
There are clear parallels between the conditions that led the IT industry to adopt agile approaches and the challenges facing business today Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2018
UK cyber security strategy making ‘good progress’
The National Cyber Security Strategy is making good progress, but there is much left to be done, according to a Cabinet Office official Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2018
Danish government launches wide-ranging digital services project
Denmark's government has launched an ambitious project to digitise and automate public services Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2018
120,000 police officers to receive cyber security training
Cisco is partnering with UK police forces to offer cyber security training through the Cisco Networking Academy Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2018
Health and care must prepare for a digital world, says Scotland’s digital director
Challenges include dealing with ethical questions, data and collaboration needs in a digital environment, says Scottish government’s Colin Cook Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2018
Scottish Government and Nesta launch health data challenge
Partnership between the Scottish Government and Nesta will see funding available for innovative projects driving the use of technology to give citizens access to data and help them live healthier lives Continue Reading
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News
28 Nov 2018
Cyber resilience lacking due to apathy of UK leaders
An unwillingness to accept that cyber is a real threat to critical national infrastructure by UK political and business leaders has resulted in a lack of resilience, says security industry veteran Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Nov 2018
More effective digital transformation through the power of your own people
The old model of escalating decisions up and down the management chain does not work any more. Business leaders need to delegate responsibility for projects to business and technology specialists and eliminate the fear of failure Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Nov 2018
Tips for minimising the impact of the Microsoft Office price rise
Microsoft has “adjusted” prices with Office 2019, making it more expensive to buy on-premise versions of its products Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2018
Government yet to recruit chief data officer
Two years after the government began the process to hire a chief data officer, the post continues to sit empty Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2018
GDS has lost momentum, MPs told
There are still significant culture issues in government and the Government Digital Service has stopped supporting departments to do the right thing, Science and Technology Committee hears Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2018
Treasury Committee launches inquiry into bank IT failures
With IT outages in the financial sector a regular occurrence, the Treasury Committee is investigating the causes and consequences of these failures, and what industry and regulators are doing to promote resilience Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2018
High Court trial over Horizon computer system completes witness cross-examinations
The High Court trial in which subpostmasters are suing the Post Office has reached an important stage Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2018
Barnet Council looks to bring parts of Capita contract back in house
Barnet Council is planning to bring parts of its Capita outsourcing deal back in house, and expects the supplier to pay the council £4.12m due to delivery issues with some areas of the contract Continue Reading
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News
23 Nov 2018
UK fails to make top eGovernment rankings
UK fails to make it into the top rankings in the European Commission’s eGovernment Benchmark report, which shows that across Europe, two-thirds of public sector services are now available online Continue Reading
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News
23 Nov 2018
Lords call for HMRC to delay Making Tax Digital for VAT
The government must begin to listen to small businesses and should delay the roll-out of its Making Tax Digital for VAT programme by at least a year, says the Lords Economic Affairs Committee Continue Reading
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E-Zine
22 Nov 2018
CW Nordics: Swedish IT sector advises on election security
The security measures assembled and implemented around the 2018 election in Sweden were devised in consultation with leading actors within the country’s private IT sector. Also read about how Denmark’s ambition to become a leading ocation for hyperscale datacentres is gaining momentum, and why Estonia wants to recruit IT professionals from the UK. Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2018
Finland invests in IT to upgrade electricity network
National electricity transmission grid operator Fingrid’s Datahub system will play key role in retail market’s transition to a centralised information exchange Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2018
TechUK calls on Matt Hancock to fast-track NHS digitisation
The tech industry body’s ‘Manifesto for Matt’ calls on the health secretary to focus on empowering citizens, enabling a world-class workforce and making the UK the number one place for health tech innovation Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2018
Post Office held back information about Horizon IT system errors
Post Office director admits to Horizon errors and not sharing details with subpostmaster network Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2018
Citizens don’t want the NHS to prioritise digital health, report finds
The UK public want the NHS to focus spending on cancer care, staff and mental health, and rank digital access to services lowest on their list of priorities Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2018
Lincolnshire Police signs 10-year cloud control room tech refresh deal with Motorola Solutions
Lincolnshire Police is embracing cloud technologies within its control room environment as it strives to improve the efficiency of its operations Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2018
Police challenged over refusal to disclose files on WikiLeaks staff
Lawyers will challenge the Metropolitan Police Service today to confirm or deny whether it holds correspondence with US law enforcement about three WikiLeaks staff – including two UK citizens – in a freedom of information tribunal Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2018
Sixth form college rebuilds after fire with Scale hyper-converged
Xaverian College suffered a server room fire but took the opportunity to build a hyper-converged infrastructure with Scale Computing that did away with costly VMware licence fees Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2018
Jeremy Wright announces Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation board
Secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Wright, announces make up of Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation board at ODI Summit Continue Reading
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Opinion
19 Nov 2018
Putting the UK at the forefront of ethics and innovation in AI and data
The announcement of high-profile members of the UK's Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation is another step for the government's commitment to be a global leader in AI, says secretary of state Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2018
Government lacks cyber resilience leadership, according to MPs
The government lacks political leadership and urgency in dealing with cyber threats, according to Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, calling for a minister in charge of delivering cyber resilience Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2018
Tech sector split over Brexit deal
The draft EU Withdrawal Agreement has caused rifts in the tech sector, with some calling for a People’s Vote with the option to remain in the EU, and others wanting MPs to back the agreement, saying it’s better than a no-deal scenario Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Nov 2018
Securing the SD-WAN: The next network challenge
Every time an enterprise weighs up whether or not to try SD-WAN, security is an essential part of the picture Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2018
Post Office executives cross-examined in Horizon IT system trial
A High Court trial, where subpostmasters are suing the Post Office for damages caused by an allegedly faulty IT system, ended its second week. Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2018
UN extreme poverty monitor is critical of Universal Credit ‘digital by default’ service
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights raises significant concerns with Universal Credit, including poor digital literacy among claimants, automation errors and lack of transparency Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2018
Why is hiring a government chief security officer such a tricky business?
Security bosses and CIOs weigh in on why they think the government is struggling to recruit a chief security officer Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2018
Members of Parliament should back EU Withdrawal Agreement, says industry
Industry experts say the government’s EU Withdrawal Agreement is far from perfect and still requires more clarity, but call on MPs to back it, as it’s better than a No-Deal Brexit Continue Reading
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News
14 Nov 2018
Defra still to test six ‘critical’ IT systems before Brexit
MPs have raised concerns around Defra’s Brexit readiness as it hasn’t yet begun testing six critical IT systems needed to replace EU systems, but the department remains confident Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2018
Sweden’s central bank to test digital currency
Riksbank e-krona initiative follows government plan for a cashless society by 2030 Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2018
Panasas refreshes with ActiveStor Ultra in push to the enterprise
Scale-out NAS maker Panasas wants to make its ActiveStor storage more attractive to enterprises by touting its ease of use and putting storage nodes on commodity hardware Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2018
5G will unleash digital transformation for UK enterprises
Mobile operator EE is working hand-in-hand with its largest enterprise customers to realise the potential of its future 5G mobile network Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2018
Post Office trial throws up known problem with Horizon system
High Court case in which subpostmasters are suing the Post Office has revealed a known problem with the computer system at the core of the dispute Continue Reading
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E-Zine
13 Nov 2018
Will the $34bn IBM-Red Hat mega-merger succeed?
In this week’s Computer Weekly, after IBM pays $34bn to buy open source specialist Red Hat in an attempt to boost its cloud capabilities, we analyse whether the deal can be a success. We examine the challenges that the emerging field of quantum computing presents for current encryption techniques. And our latest buyer’s guide looks at storage for the internet of things. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2018
Home Office to use smartphone ID for EU Exit scheme
The Home Office will use smartphone digital identity verification to support applications for the government’s EU Exit Settlement Scheme Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2018
HMRC resolves technical issue with tax-free childcare portal
The department’s tax-free childcare website has again suffered technical issues, affecting 22,000 payments, but the problems were resolved last week, according to HMRC Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2018
Norway’s IT industry must tackle security vulnerabilities
Report reveals growing threat posed by “hostile foreign actors” against Norway’s IT systems and critical national infrastructure Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Nov 2018
GCHQ offers help to embryonic Irish cyber security organisation
Ciaran Martin head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, builds bridges with the Republic of Ireland's intelligence community during an official visit to Dublin Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2018
Post-quantum cryptography a major challenge, says expert
The crypto wars are just beginning and open systems are key to improved security in future, says cryptography expert Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2018
High court Post Office trial puts subpostmasters’ contract under microscope
Case against Post Office in relation to allegedly faulty computer system begins in High Court Continue Reading
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Blog Post
09 Nov 2018
The public sector culture issue
Despite senior government and public sector officials often banging on about the importance of transparency and openness, in reality, it’s almost a cultural taboo for civil servants or anyone else ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
09 Nov 2018
Once more on Dominic Raab at Tech Nation
Dominic Raab, the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, has been in hot water for his late-dawning admission of the importance of the Dover-Calais route to the UK’s trade in goods. Raab was ... Continue Reading
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News
08 Nov 2018
Welsh NHS IT programme is ‘outdated’ and could put patients at risk, report finds
Welsh Public Accounts Committee is concerned the country’s outdated NHS IT systems are putting patients at risk, and found the culture at NHS Wales Informatics Service is the ‘antithesis of open’ Continue Reading
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News
08 Nov 2018
Dominic Raab: UK AI sector will get boost from EU exit ‘done right’
Brexit secretary tells Tech Nation audience that leaving the EU could create opportunities for the UK technology sector Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2018
Fintechs advised on how to work with big banks
Advice backed by the government for fintechs on how to engage with traditional finance firms is published Continue Reading
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Opinion
07 Nov 2018
Emerging govtech – a new opportunity for innovation in public service delivery?
The government has started to engage with the IT sector over how best to introduce emerging technologies in public service delivery – an initiative that, if successful, should be welcomed Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2018
BEIS to fund five healthcare AI innovation centres
Five healthcare innovation centres will receive a total of £50m in funding to use artificial intelligence to improve diagnosis and treatment of diseases Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2018
Cyber security high on European Commission agenda
The European Commission is recognising the growing importance of cyber security to the digital economy and is increasing funding to support research, resilience and cooperation Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2018
Information commissioner calls for stricter regulation on political use of data
Information commissioner Elizabeth Denham’s investigation into the use of data in elections and campaigns, finds "a disturbing disregard for voters’ personal privacy" Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2018
Smart Dubai platform is the backbone of the city's transformation
Aisha bin Bishr, director general at Smart Dubai Office, talks about the Smart Data platform and soon-to-be-unveiled UAE Pass, a digital ID and signature which is being touted as one of the foundations a city needs to transform Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2018
Automation and CSR are driving reskilling process for UK plc, says Cisco
UK business leaders are planning to make dramatic changes to their organisations between now and 2020, according to a new report from Cisco Continue Reading
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06 Nov 2018
Why subpostmasters and Post Office are battling it out in High Court
After over a decade of controversy, next week marks the beginning of a court battle between subpostmasters and the Post Office over allegations of faults in an accounting system leading to unfair prosecutions. Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2018
Openreach launches Fibre First programme in Belfast and Nottingham
Openreach has named Belfast and Nottingham as the latest cities to benefit from a full-fibre broadband roll-out Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2018
PAC has ‘serious concerns’ over UK border and new customs IT system
Public Accounts Committee remains concerned about the Customs Declaration Service and the country’s borders post Brexit Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2018
NHS to use predictive tech to prevent illnesses
Health secretary Matt Hancock wants to use technology to predict disease and stop people falling ill, with AI and genomics having the ‘potential to change everything’ Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2018
UKtech50 2018: Vote for the most influential person in UK IT
Tell us who you think should be chosen as the most influential person in the UK tech scene for 2018 by submitting your vote now Continue Reading
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Blog Post
02 Nov 2018
Chancellor's Budget boost for tech is tempered by Brexit realities
Gone, or so it seems, are the days when Computer Weekly laments after every Budget statement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer that tech has been overlooked. There is little doubt that ... Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2018
Government is open for business, says SME Crown Representative
The government’s Crown Representative for SMEs, Emma Jones, sheds light on her three-pronged approach to increase spend with smaller businesses Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2018
Government fails in first attempt to hire chief security officer
The government’s initial recruitment campaign for the UK’s "biggest and most important security job” has been unsuccessful, Cabinet Office admits Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2018
Departing DWP IT boss Mayank Prakash to take on digitisation role at Centrica
DWP’s outgoing chief digital and information officer will begin new role in charge of digitalisation of Centrica’s consumer business in the New Year Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2018
IoT R&D projects missed out on £10m of government funding
A series of delays and disruption caused chiefly by changes in project ownership meant the government’s IoT UK Research and Innovation Programme failed to use a quarter of its allocated budget between 2015 and 2018 Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2018
Hyperoptic full-fibre network hits public housing milestone
More than 150,000 publicly owned homes have now been connected to Hyperoptic’s ultrafast fibre broadband network Continue Reading
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Opinion
31 Oct 2018
Digital services tax weakens the case for tech startups to choose the UK
The UK government’s plan for a tax specifically targeting big digital firms risks undermining international efforts to reform corporate taxation for the digital age Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2018
UK Post Office looks to enable reusable digital ID
The UK Post Office is investigating the possibility of enabling UK citizens to re-use their passport data for other applications where digital identity is a key component Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2018
Budget 2018: A mixed bag
Computer Weekly looks at some of the detail in the tech-laden 2018 Budget and can’t get away from the big elephant in the room: the impact of a potential No Deal Brexit Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2018
Budget 2018: No great leap forward for broadband, but no need to panic
The chancellor set aside £1.6bn for digital technology in the Budget, but broadband services did not draw much attention. Is this a surprise, or a reflection of growing commercial investment in full-fibre, and what should the role of government be? Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2018
IR35 reforms: Private sector extension confirmed for April 2020 in Autumn Budget
As the government confirms the IR35 reforms will be extended to large and medium-sized businesses in the private sector from April 2020, campaigners claim the move risks destabilising the UK's flexible workforce Continue Reading