IT for retail and logistics

Government covers its ears as complaint by victims of Post Office abuse heads to ombudsman

Government denies responsibility for the abuse inflicted on subpostmasters by the Post Office over faulty IT system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How retailers are using technology to survive

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with high street retailers struggling to survive, we look at how technology can keep stores relevant. Everyone is focusing on flash storage, but hard disk drives are still an essential part of the IT toolkit. And we examine the latest developments in the ongoing Post Office Horizon IT scandal. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Subpostmasters want £300m from a government that allowed Post Office ‘reign of terror’

The government allowed the Post Office to “run amok” and destroy lives, says complaint to Parliamentary Ombudsman Continue Reading

How retailers are using tech to cope with changing footfall

Customer behaviour was shifting long before the coronavirus pandemic accelerated the online shopping boom, so what technology are retailers using to keep stores relevant? Continue Reading

How retailers are using tech to cope with changing footfall

Customer behaviour was shifting long before the coronavirus pandemic accelerated the online shopping boom, so what technology are retailers using to keep stores relevant? Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

This Christmas, Covid-19 heightens retail security risks for everyone

Do you think it’s only retailers and consumers who need to consider cyber security when shopping online during the holidays? You’re dead wrong. This year, the Covid-19 pandemic and the shift to remote working has thrown a spanner in the works Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government must hold technology companies to account on e-waste

MPs urge UK government and global technology companies to deal with ‘tsunami of electronic waste’, which is throwing away valuable resources vital for building a sustainable future Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

By

• Kim Loohuis

Robots taking jobs, but creating careers

Robotic process automation developers tell Computer Weekly about the job they never expected to be doing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic CIO interview: Maria Lundberg, ICA Gruppen

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How retailers are using digital to engage with Covid Christmas shoppers

Christmas is likely to be different this year because of the pandemic, and there is likely to be an altered shopping experience. So how are retailers using digital to cope with this shift in festive shopping? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Post Office accused of lying and being in contempt of Parliament in IT scandal

Campaigning politician demands access to documents that could prove that the Post Office lied Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nominet introduces new resources for cyber scam victims

Domain name registrar is working with law enforcement to provide new information, guidance and resources for potential victims of online scams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amazon Swedish language site will expand reach of local retailers

Amazon launches Swedish language website and promises to make more products available in the Nordic region Continue Reading

By

• Jane Hamrin

NCSC issues retail security alert ahead of Black Friday sales

National Cyber Security Centre issues refreshed guidance as cyber criminals turn their eyes to the holiday shopping season Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Subpostmasters want £300m from a government that allowed Post Office ‘reign of terror’

The government allowed the Post Office to “run amok” and destroy lives, says complaint to Parliamentary Ombudsman Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Lush’s 25-year journey to digital excellence

Retailers are increasingly focused on using technology to better serve customers, but for high street cosmetic brand Lush, tech has always been part of the picture Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Fujitsu staff under investigation for potential perjury in Post Office IT trial named

Court documents reveal the names of the Fujitsu employees under investigation for potentially providing misleading information in criminal trials Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Botched software update to blame for Post Office Horizon crash

Post Office says planned firmware update caused the problem that left branches unable to do business for 90 minutes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How Mastercard is taking digital payments into a new era

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to Mastercard about how the credit card giant is using new technologies to take digital payments into a new era. After months of unprecedented uncertainty, we ask CIOs how they are planning for the next 12 months. And we examine how the growth in remote working will affect IT salaries. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Post Office explanation of IT system outage so vague it is ‘pointless’

Post Office criticised over vagueness of its explanation of the cause of a UK-wide IT failure that saw subpostmasters unable to do business Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Covid-19: How retailers are using technology to respond to changing shopping habits

As the coronavirus outbreak accelerates the shift in consumer behaviour, how are retailers using technology to keep customers engaged? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Police open criminal investigation into potential perjury by Fujitsu staff in Post Office IT trials

Current and former Fujitsu staff could face prosecution for giving false evidence in the trials of subpostmasters accused of theft and false accounting Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The new way of planning in retail

GUEST BLOG: In this contributed post, Laurent Homeyer, retail and hospitality industry advisor in EMEA & APJ, Workday, explains how retailers can properly plan their strategies during the ... Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Benelux ports use blockchain in major efficiency drive

 Continue Reading

Norway has lowest physical cash use in the world, says report

Norway claims to use less cash as a proportion of total spending than any other country across the globe, according to a study by its central bank Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon charged with breaching EU antitrust rules

Tech giant accused of using data it collects on smaller retailers to benefit its own e-commerce business Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Lack of openness on Horizon errors remains as Fujitsu refuses to explain latest outage

Subpostmasters are being kept in the dark about errors in the branch computer system they use, despite the Post Office and Fujitsu being slammed in court over their lack of openness Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Finger pointed at Fujitsu as Post Office Horizon system crashes nationally

Post Office branches offline during busy business hours after suffering an IT error that the Post Office said related to IT from supplier Fujitsu Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Mixed blessings for robots in retail

Ocado has acquired two US firms to boost its robotics expertise, while Walmart has reverted to using staff for shelf inventory checks Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Subpostmasters’ complaint about government begins its journey to Parliamentary Ombudsman

Government faces scrutiny of its handling of the Post Office IT scandal that destroyed subpostmasters’ lives and livelihoods Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The UK government’s ‘flawed and misleading’ Covid-19 data

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the coronavirus data relied upon by the UK government is ‘flawed and misleading’ say experts – we examine the implications. Ikea talks about how it turned to the cloud to deal with the impact of the pandemic. And we look at the digital transformation underway at credit card giant Capital One. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

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

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Amazon posts 'better than expected' Q3 results as Covid-19 pandemic continues to drive sales up

Online retail giant Amazon has enjoyed a bumper third quarter, as demand for its goods and services continues to soar as the pandemic forces people to stay home Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Ikea on how Google Cloud has helped it cope with Covid-induced shifts in customer demand

Ikea Retail CDO Barbara Martin Coppola tells us how cloud technologies have helped the company adapt to the rapid changes in consumer behaviour brought about by the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

ICO slams Experian over ‘invisible’ data processing

Data processing practices used by Experian broke data protection law, says Information Commissioner’s Office Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Calls for clarity over Amazon insider breach

Security experts call for more clarity from Amazon over an apparent leak of customer data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Pet project: How Pets at Home cares for customers with data analytics

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the chief data officer of Pets at Home, about using data analytics to care for customers. British Airways had its GDPR fine reduced to just £20m – we ask what this means for data protection regulation. And we look at GPT3, the language prediction tool that could revolutionise AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

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

By

• Kim Loohuis

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

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

NHS trust takes another look at its appointment of IT scandal CEO

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has asked for external review of its process when appointing controversial executive Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Customer loyalty accounts in danger from cyber criminals

Billions of credential stuffing attacks are harvesting valuable customer data for the dark web economy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Retailers get access to new security toolkit

The British Retail Consortium has worked with the NCSC to develop a new cyber security toolkit pitched at retailers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Labour shares concerns over ‘whitewash’ Horizon IT inquiry

Labour MPs write to postal affairs minister expressing fears that the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal does not guarantee cooperation from the Post Office, Fujitsu and government Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office races to solve IT error under gaze of public and banks

The Post Office is focusing urgently on fixing an IT error suffered by a subpostmaster amid the ongoing IT scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Unions urge government to improve conditions for Amazon workers

Unions have urged the UK government to leverage its position as a client of Amazon to improve conditions for workers Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Fintech ‘unicorn’ Klarna probed over data misuse

Online bank blames misuse of user data on human error as Information Commissioner’s Office weighs in Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government minister’s plea for subpostmasters to take part in review of IT scandal rejected

Government minister met with former subpostmaster online in an attempt to get victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal involved in government review Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Robots delivering the goods for retailers

Amazon is investing in autonomous robot delivery in the UK, adding to pioneering work undertaken by Co-op and Starship Technologies Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

UK economy could see blockchain boost worth £57bn by 2030

Blockchain could provide major economic benefits by being used to track and trace products and services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government gives update on post-Brexit customs systems

Cabinet Office’s Border and Protocol Delivery Group provides further clarity on the readiness of the UK’s post-Brexit border IT systems Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Morrisons and Pret join UK retail’s growing subscription economy

Morrisons and Pret A Manger join growing UK retail movement towards subscription models – a space frequented by technology-led players such as Gousto Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Magecart strikes website of school payments service Wisepay

Magecart credit card skimmer harvested financial data of users of Wisepay’s platform over a two-day period Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Care Quality Commission enquiries into IT scandal CEO continue

NHS regulator continues enquiries about the appointment of former Post Office CEO at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as more damning details emerge Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tesco hires 16,000 staff to cope with Covid-19 shopping habits

After an increase in online sales as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, supermarket Tesco made 16,000 temporary staff permanent to cope with the shift in customer behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Consumers find new payment methods during pandemic

Non-cash payments have grown at their fastest rate for a decade and due to Covid-19 restrictions, more people are discovering different ways to pay Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK accounts for 45% of Europe’s card fraud as criminals target online transactions

Payment card fraudsters steal €1.5bn, with card-not-present attacks accounting for three-quarters of this sum Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Three steps to harden supply chains

The coronavirus has shone a spotlight on the fragility of modern supply chains and the risk of having a single point of failure Continue Reading

By

• Nelson Petracek

Government deaf to loud calls for statutory public inquiry into Post Office scandal

MPs are demanding the government holds a full statutory public inquiry into the Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The Most Influential Women in UK Technology 2020

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we announce our annual list of the Most Influential Women in UK Technology, and talk to this year’s winner, Stemettes CEO and diversity campaigner, Anne-Marie Imafidon. Meet our five Rising Stars and the latest entrants to our women in tech Hall of Fame. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How the supply chain is handling Covid-19

Cost-cutting habits have left supply chains chasing their tails in the wake of the pandemic. We take a look at how they’re coping Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Benelux ports use blockchain in major efficiency drive

Belgian startup T-Mining develops application based on blockchain technology to make container handling safer and more efficient Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Future UK-EU data sharing put at risk by Brexit legislation

When the Brexit transition period ends, UK ministers will have the power to forge new data-sharing arrangements that risk undermining the viability of future data transfers with the European Union Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Justice for subpostmasters as wrongful criminal convictions are set to be quashed

The Post Office has chosen not to contest 44 out of 47 appeals, meaning most are likely to have their names cleared, but others still face a Court of Appeal battle for justice Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How a Singapore startup is disrupting logistics management

Portcast’s cloud-based logistics management platform uses machine learning and big data to improve supply chain visibility for logistics companies, shipping lines and manufacturers Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Norway leaves door open to Huawei

Government gives telecoms companies responsibility to choose their equipment suppliers, which could include Huawei Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Subpostmasters still in the dark about live Horizon errors

Subpostmasters still not being told about all the known errors in the controversial Post Office branch accounting and retail system that they use Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Case Study: Douglas and Gordon uses video to make house searching safer

Estate agent Douglas and Gordon has made videos of prospective properties to make it safer and easier for house hunters to find their new home during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

The new age of supply chains post-Covid

Supply chain managers have been predicting the future for years. Now manufacturers are relying on insights to inform their decision-making Continue Reading

By

• John Kelleher

Coronavirus shows inadequacy of rear-view mirror planning

Looking at historical data has hampered businesses’ attempts to move forward effectively during the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How FedEx sustains tech innovation

At the start of the Tibco Live virtual conference, FedEx CIO Rob Carter was asked how he helps the business drive innovation Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

By

• Mike Podesto

The inside story of Taiwan’s AI whizz

Not content with his stellar achievements in artificial intelligence, Chih-Han Yu wanted to create an impact with his work and formed one of Taiwan’s most important unicorns Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Royal Mint coin production freeze points to digital future for small payments

Royal Mint freezes production of certain coins as demand dries up amid changing consumer habits Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Ocado sees increased weekly orders following lockdown

Weekly orders for online grocer Ocado increased in the third quarter of 2020 as customers settle into online shopping behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Retailers urged to get to grips with Magento as attacks spike

A huge spike in online retailers being hacked with Magecart credit card skimmers is being blamed on unsupported versions of Adobe Magento Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic CIO interview: Maria Lundberg, ICA Gruppen

The CIO of Swedish retail giant ICA Gruppen, Maria Lundberg, who is overseeing the digitisation of four retail sectors, tells Computer Weekly about the challenges of providing shared IT services for localised needs Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office Horizon IT scandal victims face further battles as government digs heels in

The government repeats that it won’t pay victims’ legal costs and confirms review into the scandal will not have the power to call witnesses Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Covid-19 has strained London tech firms but they have central role in recovery

London tech startups are feeling the effects of the economic slowdown brought on by Covid-19, but there is a huge opportunity for those with the right focus Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon to recruit 7,000 permanent workers in UK during 2020 hiring spree

The online retail giant’s UK workforce looks set to expand to 40,000 employees by the end of 2020, as its network of fulfilment centres continues to grow Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

M&S and Ocado enter first week of online delivery partnership

Customers can now order M&S food through online supermarket Ocado’s website as part of an ongoing partnership between the two retailers Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

One actor behind Magecart skimmer kit

RiskIQ has identified that variations in software tools used for Magecart ecommerce site attacks are based on kits from the same group Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Asos launches TikTok brand campaign

Fashion brand Asos has launched a campaign on TikTok to bring awareness of its products to a wider audience Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

CW Nordics: Bergen’s tech hub seeks global success

Norway’s second-largest city, Bergen, is building a tech ecosystem that is beginning its development with a focus on the city’s industrial heritage. Also in this issue, read why now might be the time for businesses to consider how they will invest in outsourcing IT once the Covid-19 pandemic wanes. And read how Norway’s government has had to backtrack on a law that removed tax relief on energy consumption at datacentres that process cryptocurrency mining. Continue Reading

Asda trials platform for customer parcel updates

Retailers Asda is trialling delivery management from tech platform Sorted to provide customers who have ordered clothing online with a better customer experience Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Aggrieved Amazon employees organise protests at homes of Jeff Bezos

A newly formed workers’ collective will protest outside the homes of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos seeking to secure a number of concessions for essential workers Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Co-operative cuts branch network and jobs

Co-operative bank will rely more heavily on its digital channels as 18 more branches are shuttered Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Lidl Finland speeds up with new local server racks

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Gig economy, summer special look-back – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this summer special episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna look back to pre-lockdown episodes, and reflect on the podcasting experience since. First, they discuss the gig economy through the prism of new bite-sized BBC comedy Mandy Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Pandemic behaviour shift will continue for many consumers, research finds

A large number of customers say the way they have been forced to shop during the pandemic will have a lasting impact on their shopping behaviours Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Retailer Monsoon allegedly exposing data via Pulse Connect server

A researcher has found a critically insecure Pulse Connect Secure VPN version belonging to UK retailer Monsoon Accessorize, but claims the firm is ignoring his disclosures Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: DFS’s Russell Harte on the Google ecosystem

The furniture retailer has standardised on G Suite and has bought into the Google Cloud Platform and Chrome OS devices Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government pumps £650m into Northern Ireland border

Funding for the Northern Ireland border includes £200m for a Trader Support Service and £155m to develop technology to support traders during post-Brexit transition period Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad