IT for retail and logistics

IT leaders at a crossroads as they grapple with digital technology

CIOs have the opportunity to influence their company strategy as digital technology reshapes business. A survey of CIOs across 70 countries charts a path for IT leaders through emerging technologies Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Heineken and Oracle create chatbot helper for polo events

Beer brand Heineken has enlisted the help of Oracle to create a chatbot to assist people attending the annual Heineken Urban Polo events ahead of expansion in 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Debenhams rolls out Doddle click-and-collect service in all its stores

Debenhams and parcel collection and return firm Doddle are working together to roll out Doddle’s click-and-collect services to all of the retailer’s stores Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

No Deal Brexit papers warn of stark future for UK tech

The government has published the first of its No Deal Brexit contingency planning notices, containing sobering messages for the UK technology industry Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Language barrier won’t hold back chatbots in the Netherlands

The use of chatbots by Dutch organisations is on the up, with KLM's chatbot a pioneering example Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Superdrug denies data breach

Superdrug has warned online customers it believes may have had personal details exposed, but claims its systems were not compromised, in what could be the first GDPR-related extortion attempt Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The risk of upgrading to S/4 Hana

S/4 Hana has been touted as the evolution of SAP's long-standing ERP suite, but with just six years to upgrade, how can businesses avoid an expensive SAP flop? Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Retail and finance top cyber targets

Retail and finance remain the top cyber attack targets, but the second quarter also saw a spike in attacks against the manufacturing industry and an increase in remote desktop attacks, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Celia Pronto, chief customer and digital officer, Casual Dining Group

Casual Dining Group’s chief customer and digital officer, Celia Pronto, is overhauling technology, consolidating IT and improving collaboration across its 300 restaurants Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Job losses caused by artificial intelligence will dwarf those of Victorian revolution

The disruption to the jobs market caused by artificial intelligence will be far greater than that caused by industrialisation in Victorian times Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Lidl dumps €500m SAP project

Discount supermarket chain Lidl has spent millions on a SAP Hana system, and found it will need to spend even more to make it work Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Apple faces strong competition from Amazon

As Apple is set to become the first trillion dollar company, a strong rival is only just behind – and it's not Google or Samsung. Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Alibaba eyes retail sector with new cloud offerings

Chinese cloud supplier says retailers will be able to use its machine learning platform to understand consumer preferences, among a slew of services it is making available globally for the first time Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Businesses urged to patch Microsoft flaw allowing MFA bypass

Security researchers are urging enterprises to update their software after the discovery of a vulnerability that could undermine the security provided by multifactor authentication Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sustainability and the smartphone: How to give your old device a second life

Find out what happens to your smartphone after you’re finished with it and why you should commit to the circular economy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What are some best practices for crafting a supply chain technology strategy?

Supply chain managers have a tough job and face many challenges. Technology can help but must also be approached with return on investment top of mind. Here are three tips that can help. Continue Reading

By

• Scott Koegler

Consumers accept fraud danger as online shopping increases, research finds

The majority of UK consumers see the threat of online fraud as “inevitable” as e-commerce popularity rises Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Phishing remains top fraud enabler, RSA reports

Phishing is the most popular way of enabling fraud for cyber criminals, who are also increasingly using rogue mobile apps, mobile browsers and social media, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Banks lead in digital era fraud detection

All e-commerce businesses should follow the banks’ lead in how to detect fraud in the digital era, says RSA fraud and risk expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HP Inc to kit out new Spurs stadium

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is building a technically advanced stadium to take fan experience to new heights. It will include zBook workstations, as used on the International Space Station Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Smart cities a tempting target for cyber attackers

Smart cities are an attractive target for cyber attackers because of the growing number of connected systems embedded throughout their infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

M&S partners with Doddle for easier click-and-collect returns

Retailer is using Powered by Doddle on its in-store devices to allow returns of online items, as well as the use of click-and-collect services Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Starbucks to advise on development of bitcoin trading platform

Coffee giant Starbucks has joined a group of firms advising Intercontinental Exchange on the development of a digital assets platform Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Lack of Dmarc email validation puts brands and customers at risk 

There is a worldwide lack of Dmarc email validation to defend against fraud and phishing attacks, putting organisations and customers at risk, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sweaty Betty revamps website to cater for digital customers

Activewear brand has partnered with e-commerce firm Tryzens to launch a responsive site that is better suited to its increasingly digital customers Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Half of UK consumers to exercise GDPR rights within a year

More than half of UK consumers will exercise their General Data Protection Regulation rights within a year and almost two-thirds will retract or review data use because of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Alex von Schirmeister, CDTIO, RS Components

The electronics distributor’s chief digital, technology and innovation officer (CDTIO) on putting in place a new IT infrastructure, creating a digital business and accepting risk Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

GDPR harmonised with local laws in Nordic EU states

Sweden provides an interesting challenge for the European Union’s data protection regulation due to its laws around freedom of press and free speech Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Intelligent automation spending to hit $232bn by 2025

Technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and machine learning could help traditional enterprises gain ground on digital-first giants Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK business overestimating level of consumer trust, study shows

UK consumer trust is low, with the majority of UK businesses admitting to selling customer data, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why Pinterest pinpointed features for the visually impaired

Ideas curation site has developed features for people with visual impairment. Its lead designer explains what has been changed and why it matters Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Dixons Carphone ups data breach figure to 10 million

Dixons Carphone now believes the number of personal data records affected in 2017’s data breach is nearly 10 times greater than initially thought Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

M&S aims to give 1,000 employees data skills

Luxury supermarket Marks and Spencer has partnered with Decoded to create a programme aimed at teaching its employees data skills Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Hackers targeting software supply chains, US report warns

A US government report on cyber espionage by China, Russia and Iran says software supply chains are increasingly under attack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Brace for PowerGhost cryptominer, warns Kaspersky Lab

Corporate networks are the target of a new illicit cryptocurrency mining malware that is difficult to detect and eradicate, security researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Software development remains insecure

The prevalence of common and well-known web-based vulnerabilities underlines the need for better education around secure software development Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Application attacks demand new security approach

Applying security software updates is an ineffective way to deal with application layer cyber attacks and businesses should change their approach, security experts advise Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Marks and Spencer to invest in startups as part of retail partnership with Founders Factory

Marks and Spencer is continuing its efforts to digitally transform its business by starting an investment partnership for startups Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Cloud sales stoke Microsoft’s strong growth

Microsoft says cloud-based Office products made a huge contribution to sales growth Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber criminals use fake domains to scam businesses

UK police are warning businesses that cyber criminals are using fake domains to scam businesses out of hundreds of thousands of pounds Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Just Eat on the lookout for 150 tech professionals

Online food marketplace Just Eat has announced it is on the lookout for talent to fill 150 technology roles, 80 of which have been recently created Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Walmart and Microsoft partner to boost digital in retail

US retail giant Walmart has signed a five-year partnership with Microsoft, with the aim of speeding up its digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Retail cyber security spending ineffective as breaches rise

Cyber attacks on the retail sector are increasing, and although most retailers plan to increase cyber security spending, planned investments are unlikely to be effective, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Jon Marchant, CIO, PayPoint

PayPoint CIO describes the company’s shift to retail services and how it went from knowing very little about electronic point of sale system software to creating its own Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Half of young girls don’t think tech careers are exciting

Young women are put off of technology careers because they don’t perceive them to be exciting, according to research Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Three-quarters of consumers have interacted with artificial intelligence

Capgemini survey finds 55% of people prefer a mix of AI and humans when they interact with organisations Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

White-hat hackers find record number of vulnerabilities

White-hat hackers are finding more vulnerabilities than ever before, with crowdsourced security testing continuing to gain popularity, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK firms too confident about cyber security

Three-quarters of UK companies say their cyber protection is above average, and nearly half think they are a “top performer” despite the growth in data breaches Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mind your drone business

Amazon is just the tip of the iceberg – companies are pouring hundreds of millions into the development of commercial drones Continue Reading

By

• Joe Austin , Livingstone

Cyber crime: why business should report it as soon as possible

Cyber crime is affecting a growing number of businesses, yet few are reporting it. Computer Weekly lifts the veil on cyber crime reporting, looking at the who, what, when, where, how and why Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Tackling the digital identity problem

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as UK government attempts to create a digital identity standard flounder, we examine progress on establishing the online ID system the digital economy needs. Barclays Bank talks about its move to DevOps and public cloud with Amazon Web Services. And we find out how using AI and chatbots could help improve IT service management. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Holiday Extras uses machine learning and artificial intelligence for personalisation

Travel firm Holiday Extras has introduced machine learning and artificial intelligence into its smartphone app to give users a more personalised experience Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

How changes in retail law could affect customer experience

New payments regulations could increase the amount of times customers will need to use two-factor authentication to make a purchase, potentially putting a strain on customer experience, according to MasterCard Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Beware blockchain security blindspots, warns RSA

Companies need to ensure that rushed blockchain and other new technology projects are not introducing security vulnerabilities by gaining granular visibility of network activity, according to RSA Security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DevOps done right: Securing grassroots support for a top-down DevOps enterprise push

As more and more enterprises rush to join the DevOps movement, practitioners share details of how they secured grassroots support for their senior leadership team's top-down agile adoption mandates Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Industry bets on fixed wireless access for first 5G deployments

Separate tests in Romania and the UK have been demonstrating the potential of fixed wireless access as a component of 5G Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore company turns to blockchain to improve food security

SMC Nutrition is using a blockchain distributed ledger developed by a Singapore-based company to gain visibility across its supply chain and ensure food security Continue Reading

By

• Kimberly Chua

GDPR exposes breach reporting flaws

In the month since the GDPR compliance deadline, it has become clear that many organisations are not well prepared for personal data breach notifications, says PwC’s data protection lead Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

PizzaExpress launches augmented reality football game

Italian restaurant chain PizzaExpress has launched an augmented reality football game for customers to play during meals Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Government must challenge popular smart city misconceptions

A report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smart Cities says many people feel alienated by the concept, and calls on the government to challenge some popular misconceptions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminals 'infect and collect' in cryptojacking surge

Illicit cryptocurrency mining offers cyber criminals lower risk, higher efficacy and greater ease of making money, adding passive exploitation to ransomware extortion, data breach theft and fraud, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Technology key to keeping staff happy

Giving employees access to the latest technologies will improve their satisfaction and increase productivity, survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How do e-commerce returns affect reverse logistics management?

Customers expect to return purchases, which means you need to be proactive in your approach to reverse logistics. Here are some things to think about. Continue Reading

By

• Scott Koegler

Need for speed: designing a modern campus LAN

Just like datacentres before them, campus LANs are increasingly being defined by virtualisation and software-based controls. Next to this shift, the hardware also continues to improve as network owners look to keep pace with user demand Continue Reading

By

• Christian Annesley

Nine out of 10 enterprises will use robotic process automation by 2020

Robotic process automation take-up expected to reach 92% of European enterprises within two years, finds ISG survey Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

More APAC consumer goods firms expected to adopt blockchain

The adoption of blockchain technology is likely to increase in the consumer goods industry as more businesses use the technology to address fraud and improve supply chain management Continue Reading

By

• Kimberly Chua

IPsoft’s digital worker is part of a shift in human productivity

IPsoft used its annual user summit to allow customers to update themselves on the career of its cognitive digital agent Amelia Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How Ocado built an online grocery delivery platform business

Ocado has used open source tools and a cloud-native approach to develop its fully automated warehouse management platform Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NCSC urges action after Dixons Carphone breach

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is urging UK business to improve data protection capabilities after Dixons Carphone revealed that millions of payment card and personal data records may have been compromised in a cyber breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dixons Carphone admits 'falling short' on data protection

Dixons Carphone has warned that millions of credit card and personal data records may have been compromised in a cyber breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Richard Gifford, CIO, Wincanton

The CIO of logistics firm Wincanton, Richard Gifford, is in the process of improving its digital propositions and developing a digital supply chain, while dealing with legacy systems Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Mayor Khan bids to make London the world’s smartest city

At London Tech Week, mayor Sadiq Khan launched a city-wide initiative to harness the capital’s technology talent to address London’s most pressing problems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Focus on data protection, but do not rely on DLP alone

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest – and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Cyber security focus too much on tech, says Domino’s CISO

Many organisations are still focusing only on technology and compliance, which means their cyber defences are not as solid as they think, according to Domino’s Pizza chief information security officer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT spending reaches 10-year high as CIOs struggle with digital technology strategy

IT leaders have seen their budgets and headcounts rise for the first time in 10 years, but face challenges implementing their digital strategies Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Newcastle Council to show off smartest street in Britain

The Great Exhibition of the North will see Mosley Street in Newcastle upon Tyne transformed into Britain’s smartest street as part of a demonstration of IoT technology Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Understand data for risk-based protection

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it is shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Big data skills shortages – and how to work around them

Businesses are finding it hard to recruit enough people with big data and analytics skills, but for CIOs there are alternative strategies to consider Continue Reading

By

• Shamus Rae, KPMG

Subpostmasters told to expect decision on alleged unfair prosecutions in August

The Criminal Courts Review Commission is expected to announce the findings of an investigation into alleged unfair subpostmaster prosecutions in August Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Revamped BHS website to close two years after department store collapse

The BHS website, which was developed after the department store’s closure in 2016, will be closed at the end of June Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Retail sector flagged as slow to adopt cloud technologies in Bitglass research

The fourth annual Bitglass cloud adoption survey reveals enterprise appetite for off-premise technologies is continuing to rise, but some industries are moving more slowly than others Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Nestle nips unwanted mobile app sprawl in the bud

Nestle has consolidated its consumer-facing mobile app portfolio to add features to the most successful apps Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tier 2 visas – a challenge for the tech sector

With staff shortages already being reported in the technology sector and Brexit potentially adding to the problem, tech departments need to get their Tier 2 visa applications right Continue Reading

By

• Kerry Garcia and Jackie Penlington

Firms step up spending on digital tech, but struggle with strategy

Businesses and the public sector are stepping up their spending on digital technology, but many business leaders are struggling to keep pace with what it means for their business Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Drone industry set to contribute £42bn to UK economy by 2030

PwC research has predicted drones could add £42bn to the economy and create 68,000 jobs by 2030 Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Tech's role in tackling humanitarian crises

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we learn about how mobile connectivity is a lifeline for Syrian refugees in Turkey, thanks to the mobile network operators in that country. Our latest buyer’s guide examines how modern network security enables digital transformation at a range of companies. And we find out about the technology strategy of logistics firm Hermes from its CIO, and about British Airways’ use of Salesforce to globalise its B2B sales. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

GDPR puts people first, says ICO

The day of 25 May 2018 marks the biggest change to UK data protection law in a generation, with benefits for businesses and consumers, according to the UK privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Commitment is the watchword on GDPR D-Day

New rules for protecting European citizens’ personal data are now enforceable by law, and organisations are being advised to focus broadly on commitment rather than narrowly on compliance Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security experts weigh in on GDPR checklists

Security experts give their views on what final checks businesses should be doing on the eve of the General Data Protection Regulation compliance deadline, while a survey reveals almost half of Brits have not heard of it Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New UK Data Protection Act not welcomed by all

Legislation makes the UK one of the first countries to implement the GDPR in local law, but some have criticised it as a “lost opportunity” Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK calls for new data-sharing model with EU

The UK has proposed a new data-sharing model to ensure ongoing data protection collaboration and free flow of data between the EU and the UK post-Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mobile fraud up 680% since 2015, RSA reports

Fake profiles and throw-away devices are transforming social media into a cyber criminal marketplace, a fraud report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Marks and Spencer speeds up digital transformation plans as profits plunge

Retailer announces plans to accelerate its business transformation and close 100 stores by 2022 after continued shifts in consumer behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Amazon, Toys R Us and a tale of two technology approaches

Many factors contributed to the collapse of Toys R Us, but did a partnership with Amazon at the turn of the millennium play a part in its eventual demise? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Tesco announces closure of non-food website Tesco Direct

Supermarket giant Tesco has announced it will be closing its Tesco Direct website, which focuses on the sale of non-food-related products Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Taking the quantum leap: What is quantum technology for business?

Quantum computers are many years away, but the first applications of quantum technology will arrive in only one or two years – so businesses need to be ready Continue Reading

By

• Paul Martin , PA Consulting

Social one of the 'most powerful' tools at brand’s disposal, says retail experts

Using social media to connect with customers is one of the most “powerful” tools retailers have at their disposal, said a panel of experts at the Salesforce World Tour Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Google sued for £3.2bn for tracking UK iPhone browsing

A lawsuit by a group called Google You Owe Us is seeking compensation from Google for tracking millions of UK iPhone users’ browsing data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Augmented reality can improve efficiency for retailers

Augmented reality has been positioned as a way to extend digital experiences onto the retail shop floor – but it has far more uses behind the scenes Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Most UK marketers GDPR ready, but not all firms have a plan

Most UK marketers believe they are ready for GDPR, but a worrying number believe their employers may not be, as businesses are urged to embrace the positives a week before the compliance deadline Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst