IT for government and public sector

UKtech50: Meet Mike Lynch, the most influential person in UK IT

Mike Lynch, voted as the most influential person in UK IT, doesn’t like to think about challenges, but about opportunities. Continue Reading

Government extends G-Cloud deadline

The government has extended its G-Cloud deadline following the application of more than 500 businesses to its framework. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

One in four IT security staff abuse admin rights, survey shows

At least one in four IT security staff use their privileged login rights to look at confidential information, a survey has revealed. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

SAP buys SaaS firm SuccessFactors in $3.4bn deal

Enterprise software company SAP announces a $3.4bn deal to acquire software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider SuccessFactors. Continue Reading

Essex County Council invests £15m in IT to cut costs

Essex County Council is pumping £15m into an IT infrastructure upgrade expected to create efficiency savings of £7m per year, says CIO David Wilde. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

United Nations Development Programme investigates hacking claims

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is investigating claims from hacker group Team Poison that it extracted over 100 e-mail addresses and login details belonging to UN staff. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Framework accelerates safety-critical defence systems development

Manufacturers and academics are collaborating in a 3.5 million project to create a software modelling framework that will speed up the development and certification of safety-critical systems used in aerospace and defence. Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Government mutual will be a beacon for IT procurement

The pension administration mutual being set up by the government will be the first of a wave of new business models that could shake-up central government outsourcing contracts. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government opens its procurement heart to IT suppliers

The government has promised more openness with suppliers and published its first forward-looking pipeline of business, with £25.9bn of IT projects. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Olympic volunteers to use virtual communication

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (Locog) is to deploy virtual meeting rooms to enable its 6,000 staff and volunteers to communicate during the Olympics. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

MIT scientists take a step closer to artificial intelligence

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed an analogue silicon chip with 400 transistors that emulates the activity of a brain synapse in the first step to building truly intelligent systems. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to embed innovation in the corporate culture

This paper from Kurt Salmon identifies the common inhibitors to innovation and how to overcome them, and sets out some important principles that can help. Continue Reading

— Computerweekly.com

Forensics key to effective info security, says E&Y

Intelligence-led security strategies are the most effective in eliminating vulnerabilities and preventing IP theft through enabling informed change, says consultancy firm Ernst & Young. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT security not always part of cloud decision, says IDC

Cloud adoption is outstripping security concerns, says Eric Domage, programme manager for IDC in Europe. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TfL seeks BI worth £750,000

Transport for London (TfL) is setting up a framework agreement for a business intelligence tool worth up to £750,000 million to help reduce its number of head office locations. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

CIO Interview: IT should drive company innovation, says SAP's Oliver Bussmann

Driving innovation has become one of the key roles of the chief information officer, says Oliver Bussmann, CIO at business software maker SAP. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New deputy CIO must possess change management skills, says Bill McCluggage

The new government deputy CIO will need a fresh set of skills to manage public sector ICT transformation, Bill McCluggage the current deputy CIO told Computer Weekly. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Computer Weekly Technology Industry Survey

This in-depth research from Computer Weekly and Mortimer Spinks, provides a must-read analysis and insight into UK IT salaries. Continue Reading

— Computerweekly.com

The market landscape for print security

This report is gives an overview of the security risks of the print environment , the market landscape, best practices for a print security strategy. Continue Reading

— CW Bitpipe

Welcome to the new-look ComputerWeekly.com

Computer Weekly has launched its brand new website - the most important online development in the brand’s 45-year history. Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

London cybersecurity conference: a missed opportunity?

World leaders gathered in London. Our prime minister and foreign secretary hosted all the luminaries and dignitaries. Was it worth it? Continue Reading

— Computerweekly.com

Analysis: Intelligence key to security business case

Information security is becoming an increasingly important part of any business as the value of information assets continually grow, as do the threats from cyber crime and espionage. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US and EU hold first joint cybersecurity exercise

The US and EU are holding their first joint cybersecurity exercise in Brussels on 3 November 2011, involving more than 20 EU member states and supported by the EU's cybersecurity agency Enisa and the US Department of Homeland Security. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MoD calls on academics, industry and inventors to pitch cyber security ideas

The Ministry of Defence is calling for innovative solutions from academia and industry to protect and secure UK interests in cyberspace. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government trials voice recognition for Universal Credit benefit claims

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is testing a voice recognition system to authenticate claimants of its flagship Universal Credits system, as part of the department's work on identity assurance (IDA). Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Hague calls for collaboration to realise full potential of cyberspace

It is increasingly clear that countries with weak cyber defences and capabilities will find themselves at a serious strategic disadvantage given the rise of state-sponsored cyber attacks, according to foreign secretary William Hague. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Migration committee calls for opinions on minimum salary for IT staff on ICT visas

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is calling for opinions on whether the minimum pay of £40,000 is set at the right level for overseas employees brought to the UK on Intra Company Transfer visas (ICT) Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government earmarks £10m for Identity Assurance

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has earmarked £10m for implementation of the government's Identity Assurance (IDA) programme, with the cash coming from its £650m cyber defence fund - with the potential for more near £1bn of savings if the project is a success. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Japan may be facing sustained cyber attack

Japan's mapping agency is the latest in a series of government agencies to be targeted by hackers, raising fears that the breaches are part of a series of sustained attacks. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UKtech50: We launch the search for the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly has launched the second annual UKtech50, the definitive list of the real movers and shakers in UK IT - the leaders driving the creation of a high-tech economy. Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Open University expands computer-aided teaching portal for educators worlwide

The Open University has completed the second stage of a £2.5m Department of Education funded initiative to deliver computer-aided teaching to the classroom. Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

One in five IT staff expected to quit current employer within 12 months

One in five IT staff are likely to leave their current employer next year in search of more interesting projects and career opportunities, while 80% feel they need a job change to progress their career, according to exclusive research. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Microsoft claims most Android smartphone manufacturers now pay patent fees

Microsoft has claimed most Android smartphone manufacturers now pay the software giant patent fees. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

White House proposes cyber network security legislation

The White House has proposed cyber security legislation to protect the US government and private computer systems from millions of daily cyber attacks. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Universal Credit possible if politicians don't interfere, says IT chief

DWP can manage the massive reorganisation of computer systems demanded by Universal Credit as long as politicians don't move the goalposts and over-complicate matters for departmental techies, said ... Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ballard

6 data warehouse design mistakes to avoid

Although difficult, flawless data warehouse design is a must for a successful BI system. Avoid these six mistakes to make your data warehouse perfect. Continue Reading

By

• Amit Agarwal

Government to end ICT "oligopoly"

The government has promised to bring down the ICT oligopoly as part of a strategy that may have seismic consequences for the public and private sectors. Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ballard

Government puts open source at the heart of its new IT strategy

The government has launched its much-anticipated new IT strategy, highlighting open source and a promise that the coalition will do things better. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Government Digital Service launched to oversee Whitehall websites

Whitehall has set up a new organisation to oversee moves to improve the digital delivery of public services. Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Government losing billions by not moving to the cloud

The public sector could be making unnecessary redundancies due to a reluctance to innovate in IT and shift to the cloud, says former CIO John Suffolk Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Middle East governments stepping up internet control, study shows

The internet has proved to be a powerful tool for rallying social and political change, but Middle East governments have also recognised their capability to disrupt communications Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Intellect presses government to promote IT in UK economic growth

The government has agreed to promote the role of technology in leading the UK's economic growth, following a meeting with IT industry body Intellect. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Smart meter and smart grids: security risk or opportunity?

A smart meter in every home in the UK by 2017 is the government plan as a first step towards a smart grid, but how can we ensure the benefits will outweigh the security risks? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US government issues Twitter subpoena over Wikileaks founder Julian Assange

Twitter has been issued with a subpoena by the US government to release the personal details of people connected to Wikileaks, including founder Julian Assange. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Government unveils £200m tech centre network details

The government has published plans to spend £200m on a network of high-tech manufacturing centres Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

IT openness is coming - Cabinet Office

Government CIO John Suffolk and his colleagues are preparing plans for the publication of IT-related documents that have always been secret and difficult to obtain even under the Freedom of ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

iSoft issues market update, and its share price rises

iSoft, an important supplier to the NHS IT scheme, issued a market update today, which appears to have been well received by the market as the company's share price rose by about 16% to 28.5 cents. ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Life made a misery after IBM took over congestion charge

"Since IBM took over the 'auto-pay' system my life has been a misery" - Bryan Thompson, Operations Director at car rental company Miles & Miles.There are plans to extend the problematic ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Will Coalition scrap opt-out model for summary care records?

Pulse magazine says the BMA is confident it can convince the new government to order a new opt-in model for summary care records. Opt-in is likely to mean that patients would give their consent to ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Early-day motion calls for immediate halt to summary care records uploads

A new Liberal Democrat MP has put down an early-day motion that "calls on the Government to halt all SCR [summary care records] updates, effective immediately, pending its promised comprehensive ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

£6bn of savings - some of the impact on IT

The Treasury outlines in a statement today (24 May 2010) how the government will save £6bn in 2010/11. There's no detail, only headline figures. This is what the statement says: "Government ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Would Tories create raft of new IT-related projects?

Board directors of major Government IT suppliers have good reason to vote Tory Plans for major outsourcing deals already underway in private? Sir Peter Gershon, adviser to the Conservative Party, ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

More cracks in the NPfIT - or an unlocking of Trust restraints?

Smarthealthcare.com reports that the Department of Health is allowing some trusts in the north of England to use an alternative to the Lorenzo software they were going to install from their NPfIT ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Tory manifesto: what about the promise to publish Gateway reviews?

On the "Make IT Better" website, which is run by the Conservative Party, is a promise to publish gateway reviews "when they are produced, and allow the public to scrutinise the value and progress ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Is the NPfIT in London now officially in tatters?

Ruth Carnall, the Chief Executive of NHS London, has told all London NHS Chief Executives that a cut of more than £100m in funding for BT's NPfIT contract means that "it will no longer be possible ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

New NHS BT deal in London needs close scrutiny

John Cruickshank, a specialist with a long track record working in health IT, writes for 2020health, which describes itself as a centre-right web-based think-tank for health and ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Congrats to Bristol City Council

Bristol City Council is making available Google Analytics statistics on the use of its website. This is the sort of openness which makes Bristol a local authority exemplar: On the Google Analytics ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

MP questions NHS CIO on BT, CSC, Lorenzo and Cerner

MP Richard Bacon, a member of the Public Accounts Committee, who has followed the NPfIT more closely than any other MP, yesterday sent a list of questions to Christine Connelly, the Department of ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Will health IT programme in US follow the NPfIT?

Health Care Renewal predicts that the National Program for Healthcare IT in the US is likely, in 2015, to resemble the National Programme for IT in the NHS in 2010. Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

CfH responds to "NPfIT close to imploding" claim

The Department of Health has responded to as long article in The Guardian saying that the NPfIT is close to imploding. A spokesperson said:"We are continuing to work with the NHS at local level to ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Summary Care Records: the truth or nothing like it?

Richard Veryard has written a response to our report on inaccuracies and ommisions in the Summary Care Records database. He writes:"What's wrong with the single version of truth." Researchers at ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Do new rules on use of Police National Database go far enough?

The National Policing Improvement Agency today publishes a code which governs the use of a new intelligence system that, in effect, implements some of the main recommendations of the Bichard ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Catering staff given access to electronic health records

The Irish Independent says that catering staff were able to access confidential patient information held on a £54m health service record system which is being rolled out across Ireland.The ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Too many destructive vested interests in Govt IT?

In response to the article on this blog by Rob Bowley, on whether Agile can help solve Government IT problems, Matt writes:"Not if what I've seen of 'agile' approaches in government IT is anything ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Conservatives move towards a Freedom of Data Act?

Today the Conservatives are launching their 'Tech Manifesto'. It contains a bold new commitment: a 'Right to Government Data', says Stephen Shakespeare who is chairman of the Network for the ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Could Agile help solve the government's IT problems?

Computer Weekly published today a call by the British Medical Association to halt what it calls a rushed roll-out of an imperfect Care Records Service. Responding to the article, Rob Bowley has ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

BMA and CfH argue it out over NPfIT Summary Care Records

Would Summary Care Records have saved the life of Penny Campbell?[Comments 5 and 6 after this article correct some of the impressions I have given. The SCR is equipped to take GP notes] It's rare ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Government IT should be "part of the election debate"

David Chassels is a former Director of 3i Corporate Finance in Scotland, and a former partner at BDO. He's now CEO of software house Procession, based at Chesham, Buckinghamshire. He writes to me ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Put a financial value on protecting data says ICO

The Information Commissioner's Office is asking businesses and organisations to put a financial value on protecting personal information.Yesterday the ICO, at the Data Protection Officer Conference ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Priorities for Government CIOs in 2010 and beyond - Gartner

Andrea Di Maio, vice president at Gartner, says that by 2012 "one in five government processes will rely on "crowdsourced" data". He says CIOs will need to handle a shift from providing ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

What the next Government should do about the NPfIT

Tom Brooks, who spoke about NHS IT on last night's BBC R4 File on 4 broadcast, has let me have his suggestions on what the next government should do about the NPfIT. Brooks, a much-respected figure ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Flawed Chinook Fadec updated only after fatal Mull crash

Faulty safety-critical "Fadec" software that was installed on the Chinook Mk2 helicopter had secret modifications after the notorious fatal crash on the Mull of Kintyre, Computer Weekly has ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Tories repeat commitment to review Chinook crash findings

The House of Commons held a short debate yesterday on the notorious, fatal crash of Chinook ZD576 on the Mull of Kintyre in June 1994. During the debate, the Shadow Defence Minister, Gerald ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Chinook Mk2: we publish new evidence of computer problems

The lead news item on BBC radio and TV news for much of yesterday referred to computer-related evidence about the Chinook Mk2, of the type that crashed on the Mull of Kintyre in June 1994. The ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

NHS IT scheme to be scaled back

The Chancellor Alistair Darling and the Treasury are to scale back spending on the NHS's National Programme for IT. Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

iSoft and Lorenzo - the good news keeps on coming?

Below are excerpts from the iSoft's annual report, which is published today [1 September 2009] in Australia. IBA Health in Australia acquired iSoft and has now adopted its name. The annual report ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Whitehall dismisses Tory review report of NHS IT

The Tories are due today to publish the results of a review of the NPfIT, led by Dr Glyn Hayes, former chairman of the British Computer Society's Health Informatics Forum. Dr Hayes, chairman of the ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Cerner's latest results: UK and US highlights

In a Cerner conference call after an announcement of the company's s second-quarter results, there was much discussion about "meaningful use" - a phrase which can unlock money from Congress for ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

NPfIT critics and the Damian McBride smear culture

The culture of smear goes much deeper than the Damian McBride affair. Critics of the National Programme for IT [NPfIT] in the NHS have been the subject of smears in debates in the House of Commons ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Chinook ZD576 - a rare, perhaps unique, photo

This photo of Chinook ZD576 is the copyright of Robin Crorie who has given kind permission for it to be used by Computer Weekly in connection with the Campaign for Justice to clear the names of the ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Some of the good and bad at HC2008 - a summing up

Comment: My highly subjective overview of some of the good and bad at HC2008, the annual Healthcare Computing conference in Harrogate.. The bad: Some of the speeches were, as in previous years, ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Police to be allowed searches of national database of NHS patient records

News analysis It went largely unnoticed but the minister for the NHS’s National Programme for IT, Ben Bradshaw, has confirmed that data on a central database of millions of confidential health ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

ID Cards and the NPfIT – nobody is “responsible”

Cabinet ministers come and go, as do prime ministers, and heads of departments. So who will actually be responsible for ID cards or the NHS's National Programme for IT? Nobody. Thank you to Brian ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Fujitsu may quit NHS National Programme for IT

The board of an NHS trust has learned of a "significant" risk of ­Fujitsu ending its £900m contract to supply and implement hospital systems across southern England as part of the National Programme for IT. Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Computer Weekly interviews heads of £5bn Defence Information Infrastructure project

In this blog entry the two leaders of the £5bn Defence Information Infrastructure contract [DII], who represent the Ministry of Defence and the Atlas consortium of suppliers, led by services ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Richard Granger's departure may jeopardise NHS IT programme

Richard Granger's departure from Connecting for Health may jeopardise the stability and success of the politically driven NHS National Programme for IT. Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Letter from 79 doctors, nurses and secretaries over go-live of NHS IT system

This is a letter signed by 79 doctors, nurses and secretaries at Milton Keynes General Hospital regarding the implementation of a Care Records Service under the NHS's National Programme for IT ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Cybersecurity czar signals government cooperation at RSA Conference

Cybersecurity chief, Greg Garcia told RSA Conference attendees that government, enterprises and academia need to work together to fight growing Internet threats. Continue Reading

By

• Marcia Savage, Features Editor, Information Security Magazine

Terrorists may target financial sites

The U.S. government is warning of an al-Qaida call for a cyberattack against online stock trading and banking Web sites Continue Reading

By

• SearchSecurity.com Staff

Questions that need to be answered on NHS IT plan

Four years ago the government announced to a grateful NHS a national IT programme that would become the world's largest civil computer scheme. Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Should the government define spyware?

Who's best qualified to define what is and isn't spyware -- your congressman or your online user community? Security experts say no entity can do it alone. Continue Reading

By

• Bill Brenner

There's no government like no government

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By

• Niall McKay, Contributing Writer

NHS IT plan risky but will not fail, says OGC

The £2.3bn national programme to modernise health service IT systems is "risky and ambitious" but it has sufficient safeguards in... Continue Reading

By

• Nick Huber

Court blocks former ICL solicitor's Pathway claim

Fujitsu has won a court ruling to stop a former solicitor for the company pursuing allegations about the government's disastrous... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Collins

Government's Gateway guidelines delay NHS IT contract

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By

• Chris Mugan