IT for retail and logistics

Post Office fixes technical problem causing accounting errors in Horizon

Problem revealed during High Court trial left subpostmaster with £18,000 surplus after IT system failed to register full amount of cash scanned in Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Eventful second Post Office Horizon trial ends

The latest High Court trial in the long-running dispute between the Post Office and subpostmasters has concluded, with part three set for March 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The Trending Store, a data-led retail popup

A new popup store has opened in Westfield London to use data collected from social media to sell only products that are trending in real time. By partnering with tech firm Nextatlas, the store will ... Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Autonomous delivery van drives at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Kar-go aims to revolutionise online deliveries by cutting the cost of the final mile Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security and privacy key to smart buildings and cities

Security and privacy capabilities are essential for stakeholders if they are to realise the benefits of smart buildings and cities, says expert whitepaper Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nordic payments tie-up as Nets and Swish collaborate

Payments provider and app developer work together to test out mobile phone-based in-store payments system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Implementing IoT – overcoming barriers to commercial adoption

Tim Wright from the Institute of Telecoms Professionals reports from a recent seminar exploring questions around the barriers to commercial, at-scale adoption of the internet of things, and how to overcome them Continue Reading

By

• Tim Wright, Institute of Telecommunications Professionals

FireEye ties Microsoft Outlook exploit to Iranian hackers

US Cyber Command has issued a warning that a patched Microsoft Outlook vulnerability is being exploited by unnamed threat actors, and recommended immediate patching Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sodin ransomware exploiting Windows zero-day, Kaspersky warns

Security researchers are warning that a recently discovered type of ransomware is now exploiting a zero-day Windows vulnerability, and does not require user interaction to trigger an infection Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CPS faces legal ruling over refusal to disclose emails with US on WikiLeaks and Assange extradition

A court will decide whether the Crown Prosecution Service can refuse to neither confirm nor deny the existence of correspondence with US on investigations into Julian Assange and WikiLeaks Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

UK consumers still concerned about personal data security

Most UK consumers are still concerned about the security of their personal data, indicating that organisations need to do more to gain consumer trust, such as implementing biometric controls Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Post Office back-office error leaves subpostmaster with thousands of pounds extra

The Post Office has admitted that some subpostmasters are at risk of accounts not balancing due to an error it does not understand Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

French baby store modernises backup as Veeam handles 150TB a night

France-based maternity, baby and children’s store Orchestra needed to share IT resources between 700 points of sale across multiple time zones, and backup for 100 applications Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT

How to get the basics of mobile device management right the first time

When adopting mobile device management, there are often fears around implementation and whether or not the strategy is even required Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

TIN coalition calls for industry action against cyber fraud

An industry group aimed at improving cyber security by tackling enduring challenges has called for collaboration in the fight against cyber fraud Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Exploring UCaaS: The main benefits for enterprises

Getting unified communications-as-a-service right can mean more agility, higher productivity, and cost control Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Almost half of shoppers still prefer brands with stores

Despite an increasing amount of people shopping online, factors such as product pricing and whether a brand has a physical store still come into play Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Apple design chief Jony Ive confirms company departure after nearly 30 years

After nearly 30 years of shaping the aesthetic of Apple products, the firm's chief design officer, Jony Ive, is leaving the company Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

How privacy could breathe new life into personalisation

As much of the advertising technology used by marketers to deliver personalised content online is deemed unlawful, there are signs regulation could actually be a win-win for both consumers and business – as long as the industry embraces change Continue Reading

By

• Jim Mortleman

Singapore aims to be global node for 5G innovation

The government will spend S$40m to develop 5G technology use cases in key sectors such as maritime and manufacturing with an eye on exporting Singapore's expertise to global markets Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Fido Alliance announces new standards

Fido Alliance announces new identity verification and IoT initiatives to expand the reach and impact of Fido authentication, which seeks to eliminate the world’s dependence on password-based security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Wider threat campaign behind Wipro breach

A sophisticated, far-ranging threat campaign was behind the breach at Indian IT services firm Wipro in April, which was not an isolated incident, RiskIQ report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Half of Dutch IT decision-makers can’t explain blockchain technology

IT decision-makers in the Netherlands know that blockchain has significant benefits, but half don’t understand how to apply it Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 21

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna, Clare McDonald and Caroline Donnelly are joined by Computer Weekly’s acting management editor, Angelica Mari, to talk about some of the past week’s biggest news stories Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Small business not necessarily weakest security link

Small businesses may not be the weakest link in the supply chain after all, with a lack of skills and best practices being bigger factors, a study by (ISC)² reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Disaster planning: How to expect the unexpected

Focusing too much on specific disasters rather than considering an organisation’s data protection, network security and process requirements, can lead to unpredicted vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Asos trials AR catwalk technology

Online retailer Asos has partnered with HoloMe to trial an augmented reality catwalk for users of its fashion app Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Looming private sector IR35 reforms prompts calls for gig economy-focused tax system overhaul

The growth of the gig-based economy has exposed weaknesses in the UK tax system – exacerbated by the IR35 reforms – that mean an overhaul is needed, panel claims Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Luxembourg tech startups get premium connections

Luxembourg is at the centre of a continent with ambitious plans to develop a thriving tech industry, but what makes it different? Continue Reading

By

• Richard Edwards, Freeform Dynamics

Openreach trials will speed up broadband upgrade

Tests to focus on process of migrating households and businesses to fibre to the premise and voice over IP Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office asks Court of Appeal for permission to appeal judgment in first Horizon trial

The Post Office has applied to the Court of Appeal to appeal judgment in Horizon trial Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HMRC urged to delay April 2020 extension of IR35 rules to private sector by 'at least' 12 months

An analysis of the responses HMRC has reportedly received to its consultation on extending the IR35 tax avoidance reforms to the private sector suggests the tax agency is coming under pressure to put its plans on hold for at least 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Building a cyber-physical immune system

Shantanu Rane, researcher in cyber-physical systems security at the Palo Alto Research Center, explains how our own immune systems can inspire the design of modern cyber-physical systems Continue Reading

By

• Shantanu Rane, PARC

From oil crash to tech startup boom in Norway

For countries highly dependent on oil, the global price crash had huge potential ramifications – one of which, in Norway, was the development of a thriving technology sector Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Why the rise of IT managed by the business is driving creative thinking

Organisations that encourage business units to implement and run their own IT systems have an edge over competitors that rely entirely on the IT department, research from Harvey Nash and KPMG reveals Continue Reading

By

• Steve Bates, KPMG

Scale targets edge workloads with HE500 hyper-converged nodes

Scale Computing adds hyper-converged infrastructure nodes to provide edge compute and storage that is fully compatible with its datacentre-scale HCI appliances Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Whittard spills the tea about its use of technology

CFO and IT manager of British hot beverages brand Whittard explains the firm’s recent investment in technology ahead of the business’s expansion into China Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Convenience, digitisation and the impact on the physical store

Digital technologies and the need for convenience have changed the way consumers shop, but what will this mean for the purpose and size of physical stores? Continue Reading

By

• Glynn Davis

Co-op pushes to make customer care teams more co-operative

The Co-op operates in market segments ranging from funeral care to food, and its customer service strategy was disparate until it adopted Salesforce Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Half of CFOs frustrated by complex accounting systems

Chief financial officers need to upgrade to easier-to-use accounting systems, but are strapped for time and lack the resources to make the right choices, according to survey Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Yoox Net-A-Porter launches female-focused fashion app competition

Online fashion retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter is asking young women to submit ideas for an app which helps drive sustainability in the fashion industry Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

How retail store technology is filling the ‘imagination gap’

Retailers are using in-store technology to reduce the time between shoppers’ consideration phase and purchase, but how is it engaging them and triggering conversions? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Cutting employees some Slack: The rise of messaging apps in retail

Slack’s 2019 stock market debut raises the profile of enterprise collaboration software, but what options do retailers have in this space and how are they using the technology? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Most of today’s enterprise blockchain platforms will need replacing in two years

Most blockchain platforms currently being used in enterprises will have to be replaced in the next couple of years, says Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Gant uses Cegid to streamline functions across all markets

As retailer Gant begins to mirror its core operations across all of the countries it operates in, global IT manager Ricky Dematagollage explains what part Cegid will play in the process Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

A lack of skills and ownership are top challenges to OT security

A lack of skills, visibility and clarity on which business function is responsible for securing operational technology are the biggest challenges to managing the risk, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

2.3 billion business and consumer data files exposed online

In the year since the GDPR compliance deadline, the number of data files exposed online without adequate protection is up more than 50% due to misconfigured security controls, report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 17

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald reunite to discuss the discontent at Amazon’s recent shareholder meeting, what went on at the Salesforce World Tour event in London and SurveyMonkey's European datacentre plans Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

GDPR: Are we there yet?

A full year since the General Data Protection Regulation was implemented, there has not been the severe punitive action expected by many and personal data breaches continue to happen, leaving many wondering if any progress has been made Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Effect of GDPR yet to be felt, says law firm Hogan Lovells

Despite the fact that the GDPR has been in full effect for a year, the true effect of the regulation is yet to be felt and organisations should ensure they keep their eye on the ball, says leading privacy law firm Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

No real change a year into GDPR, says privacy expert

A year after the GDPR compliance deadline, many organisations still have a lot of work to do to make real changes and shift focus away from fines to business value and gain, says PwC’s GDPR and data protection lead Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Post Office told to pay over £5m of its opponent’s costs for first Horizon trial

The judge in the Post Office Horizon trial has ordered the organisation to pay the legal costs of its courtroom adversaries, and refused to give permission to appeal a major judgment Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Paul Smith looks to tailor its back-end systems with Cegid software

British tailor Paul Smith has been working with Cegid since 2015, but it is now considering upgrading to the provider's latest software to reduce costs and increase efficiency Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Amazon rejects calls for ban on sales of facial recognition tech to government agencies

Annual meeting defeats resolutions for Amazon to halt sales of its Rekognition software to government agencies, and to do more to tackle climate change Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

V.Pharma swaps Data Domain for Quantum and cuts backup costs

Belgian pharmacy’s Data Domains had reached end-of-life and it wanted to remain in-budget. Quantum DXi worked out a lot cheaper and easy to manage, with good support Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT

TalkTalk admits new failings in 2015 data breach notification

TalkTalk’s failure to notify all those affected by its 2015 data breach highlights the importance of data visibility so that breach notifications are fast and accurate – a key requirement of the GDPR Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Retailers need to rethink KPIs in the face of digital shopping

Customer experience is becoming of increasing importance in an omni-channel world, but technology adoption has stores cornered, forcing them to rethink what value stores bring to an organisation and the customer journey Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UC Expo 2019: Experts talk up future tech in unified communications

Automation and AI are increasingly prevalent in unified comms, but do enterprises really need it? Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

L’Oréal and Alibaba create AI-based app to offer self-care support for acne sufferers

Artificial intelligence-based app will help acne sufferers access dermatology treatment with greater ease Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Middle East Interview: Dubai-based Fetchr

Delivery app Fetchr is spreading across the Middle East with its mobile-to-mobile delivery service. We talk to its founder Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 16

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna are joined by prolific Downtime author Ryan Priest to discuss retail sustainability, internet influencers and the tech battle between China and the US Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Post Office applies to appeal damning judgment in first Horizon trial

The Post Office has applied for permission to appeal judgments from the first trial in its IT-related legal battle with subpostmasters Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

École Hôtelière de Lausanne puts Amelia the robot at its core

When Switzerland-based hospitality school EHL began to automate processes, it was met with staff inertia, but that all changed after its benefits became clear Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Self-sovereign ID key to data privacy

Coupling self-sovereign identity with insights from research on consumer identity management may be the key to personalising products and services without putting people at risk, says industry analyst Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fujitsu sets out to restore trust in technology

Trust in technology, how to recapture it, and how to ensure AI doesn’t overstep its bounds were the big messages on the opening day of Fujitsu Forum in Tokyo Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Stella McCartney and Google Cloud start machine learning and fashion-focused sustainability push

Stella McCartney and Google Cloud are embarking on a joint pilot project that will draw on the tech giant's machine learning and cloud-based data processing portfolio to help clean up the fashion industry's supply chains Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Microsoft working to support decentralised identity

Microsoft is among the big tech players aiming to help enable personalisation of products and services without putting privacy at risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Implement multifactor authentication, urges expert panel

Multifactor authentication should be a top priority for organisations to defend users from cyber attacks, coupled with zero-trust architecture and artificial intelligence-based technologies, says expert panel Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 15

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload, business editor Clare McDonald takes over presenting duties, and leads Brian McKenna and Caroline Donnelly through a wide-ranging discussion that covers cloud skills, Lady Gaga's take on SAP, government IT procurement and the importance of engaging in-store retail experiences Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

Court of Appeal judge rejects Post Office request in Horizon IT case

The Court of Appeal has refused the Post Office’s application to appeal a major decision in the Horizon IT trial Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

O2 boosts indoor network capacity to prep for 5G

O2 has been working with the Wireless Infrastructure Group to enhance mobile connectivity indoors and in public spaces Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch businesses not yet implementing NIS Directive

Little urgency to comply with the Network and Information Systems Security Act, which seeks to protect the Netherlands’ vital infrastructure and digital services from cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Physical stores – the place to meet your tribe

In a digital world, stores still have a place as community hubs, representatives from Lego, Vans and M&Ms told Retail Expo Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Cyber criminals targeting C-suite, DBIR shows

Executives and cloud-based services are gaining popularity as targets for cyber criminals, according to the latest data breach investigations report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Early adopters expect to pay 32% premium for 5G

Potential early adopters of 5G say they expect, on average, to pay more for their devices and services, but they expect measurable improvements on 4G from the get-go Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

From friction-filled to till-free: The path to a checkoutless Sainsbury’s store

Daniel Hills, group digital product manager for Sainsbury’s, tells Retail Expo the journey his team had to take to eventually launch a till-free store trial featuring its new shopping app Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

How Microsoft is prepping manufacturers for Industry 4.0

Building on its manufacturing and technology knowhow, Microsoft has teamed up with industrial firms to support the growing demand for smart manufacturing capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Privacy and data protection an opportunity, says entrepreneur

Organisations should see data protection and privacy compliance as an opportunity to build trust with customers, according to startup One.Thing.Less Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ofcom must rethink rural broadband USO, says Lords report

There are still serious concerns about whether or not the 10Mbps broadband USO is fit for purpose, and Ofcom needs to take account of them, according to The House of Lords Select Committee for the Rural Economy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amazon cautions against reading too much into slowdown in AWS revenue growth rate

Amazon's CFO claims slowdown in revenue growth and capital expenditure should not be interpreted as signs of distress for any of its business units, as firm shifts growth strategy to prioritise operational efficiency Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Digital shopping endangers retail employment

A shift towards online shopping and digital retail technologies has led to a decrease in investment in retail employment Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Mobile phones and health: is 5G being rolled out too fast?

European countries are rolling out 5G mobile communications at breakneck speed as they seek to gain a competitive edge over the US and Asia. But some scientists have raised questions about the effects of 5G mobile phone radiation on public health and are calling for a precautionary approach Continue Reading

By

• Crina Boros
• Investigate Europe
• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Online fashion brand Boohoo sees year-on-year revenue growth

Online fashion retailer Boohoo.com has seen a spike in revenue over the past year across all of its operating brands, and has announced the completion of several digital projects Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Eagle Eye enlists Rackspace to lead 'all-in' Google Cloud Platform migration

Digital marketing platform provider Eagle Eye is leaning on Rackspace to support its move to the Google Cloud Platform Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

APAC set for blockchain boom

Led by China, spending on blockchain technology in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan will surpass $2bn by 2022 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Government says no conflict of interest in trial despite Post Office chairman’s dual role

BEIS refutes MP’s suggestion of Post Office chairman’s conflict of interest in group litigation case involving Horizon IT system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Middle East CIOs optimistic as budgets increase and digital transformations expand

Cyber security and risk management will see the biggest increase in spending, but digital transformation of businesses is a major driver of investment, survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Morrisons to launch fresh appeal against breach liability ruling

Supermarket chain Morrisons is to launch a second appeal against a High Court ruling that found it liable for a data leak by a former employee Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Surviving the existential cyber punch

How should businesses plan to survive a potential cyber attack extinction event? Continue Reading

By

• Gregory Touhill, ISACA

MP questions government over Post Office Horizon case

Labour MP asks the government about the costs associated with the Post Office Horizon legal battle Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Retail technology, sports sponsorship and a global marketing opportunity

Sports sponsorship remains a focus area for B2B software companies and retail technology businesses looking to impress the C-suite Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Lush gives up on social media

Since the birth of social media platforms, brands have been carefully adapting their marketing strategies to reach the cool kids on whatever their chosen channel of choice. From MySpace, to ... Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Google Cloud CEO outlines plans to take firm even deeper into the enterprise

CEO Thomas Kurian used inaugural Google Cloud Next keynote to detail how infrastructure investments, supplier partnerships and simplified processes will be key to its plans to conquer even more of the enterprise market Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Digital doppelgangers for sale to defeat anti-fraud tech

Security researchers have uncovered an online market selling digital identities to help cyber criminals to defeat anti-fraud technologies, as financial cyber crime becomes a bigger threat than ever before Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Social inclusion unit aims to expand diversity in IT conversation

New unit at startup hub wants to explore how technology can be applied to address the barriers many people face in participating in society Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office to appeal judgment from first Horizon trial

The Post Office will appeal against some of the judgments from the first trial concerning the Horizon computer system used by subpostmasters Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fresh approach needed to reap cloud security benefits

Transitioning to cloud-based services offers businesses an opportunity to improve security capabilities, but only if they adopt a proactive cloud-native approach, says Palo Alto Networks cloud security expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Marie Claire develops platform to encourage in-magazine shopping

An in-house team at Marie Claire has developed a platform to encourage readers to shop while browsing the site Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Most business decision-makers and knowledge workers happy to work alongside robots

Fears that automation will remove jobs for knowledge workers are reducing as opportunities emerge to upskill and eradicate mundane work Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Del Monte Foods enlists Accenture to help guide move to AWS cloud

US-based food producer has moved hundreds of servers and business applications to the AWS public cloud as part of a push to modernise its IT estate and boost its overall business agility Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK