IT innovation, research and development

NHS Digital seeks suppliers for Covid-19 testing service

The NHS Digital tender aims to find a partner to handle the development, delivery and running of the coronavirus testing service Continue Reading

UK quantum technology projects get a £70m boost

Government is funding 38 projects, one-third of which are focused on quantum computing Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Why UK needs independent oversight body for contact-tracing app

The public needs and deserves clarity, and not just assurances, over the UK’s Covid-19 contact-tracing app Continue Reading

By

• Dan Cooper  

UK to boost data science efforts in citizen services

Government Digital Service launches Data Labs to enhance services with tools such as artificial intelligence and natural language processing Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Subpostmasters will not cooperate with government review into IT scandal

A group of subpostmasters who suffered at the hands of the Post Office’s error-prone IT system refuse to participate in a government review into the scandal, describing it as a sham Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus outbreak will speed up enterprise automation

Forrester calls for enterprises to automate with empathy as they deploy an increasing range of intelligent technologies to reduce their dependence on human labour Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Tech firms respond to Nordic government calls

Nordic firms are working with tech suppliers to help them get back up and running after Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Amazon bans police use of its facial-recognition technology for a year

Tech giant claims it has been an advocate for stronger government regulation on the ethical use of facial recognition Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Government lays out future trade plan for UK tech

Measures aim to create jobs and increase technology exports, as well as encouraging international investments into the UK Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

CW Europe: 5G rush in Russia

Russian mobile operators are pooling their resources to help them overcome the technical challenges of creating 5G networks. Also read why Swedbank is rebuilding its anti-money laundering systems, and how a public-private partnership in the Netherlands is combating business email compromise fraud. Continue Reading

Government to fund nine advanced security projects

Nine academic projects have been selected to receive a share of a £10m funding pot as they develop advanced cyber security solutions using prototype chipsets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK tech professionals feel impact of lockdown easing

Mental health concerns increase, with a possible negative effect on the quality of work, as companies get ready to return to the office, study shows Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

CogX 2020: Rethinking technological innovation

Innovation processes and relationships must be fundamentally restructured to bring in more stakeholders, and spread the benefits of technological change as far as possible Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

CaixaBank introduces facial recognition ATMs

Spanish bank broadens its use of facial recognition technology on cash machines Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

6G, European internet, censorship: EU Parliament sets out vision for digital services

Research outlines trends for the coming decade and an action plan with some controversial recommendations to inform the decisions of policymakers around the upcoming Digital Services Act Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

AS Roma to develop video tracking with Acronis AI expertise

Italian football club will get variable-price ticketing using artificial intelligence expertise to develop systems. It has also deployed Acronis cloud backup Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Bankers say artificial intelligence will separate winners and losers

The application of artificial intelligence at banks will be the difference between the ones that succeed and the ones that fail in the coming years Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government publishes artificial intelligence procurement guidance

A document has been published outlining the challenges for public sector buyers as well as best practices on procuring AI technology Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Australia’s AGL to move most systems to Azure cloud

Energy supplier is moving more than 200 applications and most systems to Azure in a three-year deal with Microsoft Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Malaysia’s Gain Secure stood tall amid Covid-19

Walter Wong, executive director of Gain Secure and former Microsoft employee, talks up how his business is coping during Malaysia’s lockdown Continue Reading

By

• Avanti Kumar

Nordic CIO interview: Janne Puustinen, Valmet

Janne Puustinen built Finnish industrial technology company Valmet’s entire IT organisation from scratch after a demerger Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Ministry of Defence forms new cyber security regiment

The 13th Signal Regiment brings together personnel from across the armed forces to provide specialist security services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why GovTech is building its own robotics stack

Singapore’s Government Technology Agency has developed a robotics technology stack that will power robots using capabilities from commercial suppliers and the open source community Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Lidl Finland speeds up with new local server racks

Lidl brings server racks to its Finnish stores in a bid to improve connectivity and introduce new services to its customers Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Government departments could cut payment costs through API deal

The UK government adds fintech to its approved procurement list which promises to cut the costs of receiving payments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Covid-19 pandemic accelerates work on NHS App

The coronavirus health crisis has sped up work to integrate online consultations in the NHS App, exceeding roll-out targets and driving uptake Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How to succeed at site reliability engineering

Adoption of site reliability engineering is growing in Asia-Pacific, but organisations need to have the right organisational structure and culture to succeed Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Former Sage boss becomes chairman of Tech Nation

After five years as chair of Tech Nation, Eileen Burbidge has stepped down. Replacing her is Stephen Kelly, who says he wants to support the next generation of tech scaleups Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK-Ireland frictionless border tech far from ready, EU Select Committee finds

The government has promised a frictionless UK-Ireland border, but currently technology only has the capacity to mitigate rather than eliminate friction, and the government’s technical advisory group on the border seems to be on hiatus Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Councils don't have a consistent view of cyber security, says report

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government releases findings around security perceptions of local authorities Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Inside India: The world’s IT powerhouse

The Covid-19 pandemic is turning out to be a big fork in the road for many companies. But what about the industry that keeps the lights on for them? Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

Government launches IoT security funding round

A £400,000 funding pot is on offer for innovators to design schemes that boost internet-of-things security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK to join Covid-19 High-Performance Computing consortium

UK becomes first country outside the US to join group enabling researchers and scientists to access top supercomputers to help their work on the coronavirus Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Departments launch 69 services on Gov.uk during coronavirus pandemic

During the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, government departments have launched 69 online customer facing services on Gov.uk, with another 46 on track to be delivered Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Public Health England to keep contact-tracing data for 20 years

PHE will retain the data it collects via the NHS Test and Trace programme for 20 years Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government seeks innovations to tackle space debris

Organisations developing solutions in space surveillance and tracking will be able to bid for a share of a £1m funding pot Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

How AI can improve food safety

Fujitsu has developed a computer vision model that recognises hand washing gestures to ease the enforcement of stricter food handling rules in Japan Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Hospital uses robots to manage air supply to patients

Northampton General Hospital deploys automation to ensure oxygen is always available as demand increases amid Covid-19 crisis Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

London Data Commission: Sharing data to help support London’s response to Covid-19

London First’s director of connectivity and competitiveness, David Lutton, talks about establishing the London Data Commission, and its contribution to coping with the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• David Lutton

PropertyGuru touts 3D virtual viewings with StoryTeller

Southeast Asian property portal PropertyGuru rolls out new capability in its FastKey platform that lets developers showcase properties to prospective buyers through 3D visualisation Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Fears contact-tracing app will open the floodgates for cyber criminals

Study of UK consumers reveals worries over an uptick in cyber crime and a lack of trust in government Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Thailand gears up for 5G

Thai government forms 26-member committee to develop a roadmap for 5G adoption and address roadblocks related to the recall of unused spectrum from state agencies Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

It’s good to chat, but who to? The role of chatbots in digital transformation

AI-powered chatbots and smart agents are being used to improve customer experience, but they can have an important role to play in internal digital transformation projects too Continue Reading

By

• Rob Bamforth, Timefort

Identification and access management: some possible futures

Learn about how we might be using our heartbeats, brainwaves and eye movements to unlock our mobiles in the future Continue Reading

By

• Francois Lasnier

Hancock to Harman: No contact-tracing privacy law

Health secretary claims existing data protection law is good enough to guarantee the security of contact-tracing data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber security magnate Kaspersky launches travel accelerator

With travel and tourism devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic, cyber security entrepreneur Eugene Kaspersky is funneling resources into an accelerator to help the beleaguered industry Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Coronavirus: Dutch work on XR technology shows promise in pandemic scenario

Netherlands leads the way in the development of extended reality technology, which could prove its value in a crisis such as Covid-19 Continue Reading

How machine learning can bridge the communication gap

Amazon Web Services has developed a machine learning model to translate sign languages into text in a showcase of assistive technology Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Government eyes virtual reality projects with new funding

Investment increases in competition aimed at fast-tracking development of innovations arising from the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Coronavirus: NHSX enlists military innovation hub for Covid-19 app project

Organisations will work together to gather and share coronavirus symptom data from third-party tracker apps Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Build 2020: How Microsoft aims to build trust in artificial intelligence

Microsoft has outlined its toolset for making AI models explainable with the InterpretML and AboutML tools Continue Reading

By

• Nick NcQuire

Pandemic may spur innovation in the print channel

Almost two thirds of respondents to the latest Quocirca COVID-19 business impact study indicate that the pandemic could create new opportunities for product and service innovation. Channel partners ... Continue Reading

By

• Louella Fernandes, Quocirca

GDPR wholly inappropriate to govern contact-tracing data

Human Rights Committee Chair Harriet Harman says current data protection law is not up to the job of governing the data collected by the Covid-19 contact-tracing app Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS trusts sign up to automation app store

Healthcare trusts extend relationships with automation supplier through access to a cloud-based marketplace of pre-baked automation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Innovate UK seeks ways to transform aviation with technology

Projects to develop new forms of air transportation can get a share of up to £30m in funding from Innovate UK Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Ocado makes the friendly workplace robot a reality

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how Ocado is making robot-human collaboration a reality with its Armar-6 smart robot. Unified communications has become a must-have lockdown capability – we assess the key technologies. And as contact-tracing apps emerge to help deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, we examine the data privacy challenges. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Cobots: From Robbie to Armar-6

In science fiction, robots work alongside people. Ocado Technology recently unveiled Armar-6, a robot that takes this concept a step closer to reality. Continue Reading

Flagship digital investment at Abu Dhabi’s Adnoc pays off

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company sees flagship digital project in high demand after proving its value in responding to the Covid-19 crisis Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Interview: Bev White, chief executive, Harvey Nash

The Harvey Nash executive talks about recruitment during the coronavirus crisis, a new wave of interest in outsourcing, and leadership skills and challenges Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government pushes towards digital to reignite housing market

Minister calls for more virtual viewings and greater use of online tools for planning as the UK prepares to get its housing and construction sector up and running again Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

CW APAC: Trend Watch – business response to coronavirus

With countries the world over reeling from the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, which has meant sweeping changes both economically and socially, Computer Weekly looks at how firms in the Asia-Pacific region have adapted to what has so quickly become the new normal. Continue Reading

Venafi buys cloud protection service Jetstack

Jetstack specialises in open source machine identity protection software for Kubernetes and cloud native ecosystems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Deutsche Bank’s planned tech spend unaffected by global crisis

Deutsche bank is driving on with its ambitious IT investment plans, with the Covid-19 pandemic, if anything, adding fuel to it Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

SK Telecom brings quantum security to the masses

The South Korean telco is readying the world’s first 5G smartphone equipped with a quantum random number generator chipset Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Surveillance capitalism in the age of Covid-19

Could the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic further consolidate surveillance capitalist practices and enterprises? Author Shoshana Zuboff warns Computer Weekly it is possible Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Report reveals inadequate cyber security at Schiphol Airport

A report has revealed problems with critical security systems in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

COO interview: Suresh Viswanathan, TSB

TSB’s chief operating officer is overseeing the bank’s operations as it strives to build the right kind of IT reputation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Google-powered algorithm set to modernise insurance brokering

Algorithm, developed in conjunction with UCL, drives a Lloyd’s of London syndicate electronically Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

British public largely distrustful of technology companies, says report

High levels of distrust in the motivations of technology companies and a lack of meaningful influence over their behaviour has left the British public feeling digitally disempowered, says Doteveryone report Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Draft Covid-19 contact tracing legislation proposes formal oversight

Human Rights Committee chair Harriet Harman has outlined a proposed bill to guarantee the security and privacy of data generated by the UK’s Covid-19 contact tracing app Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Nationwide’s human expertise used to quickly build smart agent amid pandemic

Nationwide Building Society is the latest financial services company to quickly automate customer services related to Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cobots: From Robbie to Armar-6

In science fiction, robots work alongside people. Ocado Technology recently unveiled Armar-6, a robot that takes this concept a step closer to reality Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Australia’s Kmart gears up for mainframe migration

Retailer is lifting and shifting some old Cobol code to AWS while rebuilding others into microservices in its mainframe migration move Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Government launches online portal to arrange coronavirus testing kits for care homes

UK care homes are now able to digitally arrange deliveries of Covid-19 test kits through the launch of an online portal Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Scottish government launches tech sector review

Review, to be led by former Skyscanner COO Mark Logan, will look at how tech sector can help Scotland’s economy recover from Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Coronavirus: SMEs in the UAE forced to digitally transform

The UAE, like the rest of the world, continues to be heavily impacted by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, and technology is helping to lead the fight Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

What are the security priorities for the post-coronavirus world?

The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing massive change across the business world and things may never go back to normal. What does security look like in this new world, and what will buyers be prioritising? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

App launched to support social care workers through coronavirus

The Care Workforce tool will be rolled out to 1.5 million professionals as a hub for practical guidance and support Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Finland’s postal service targets new revenue streams through digitisation

Posti plans to use the new SisuID digital authentication method to accelerate business growth and opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

CW Benelux: IT budgets up in the air as Covid-19 disrupts business

Computer Weekly's annual IT priorities survey, which was carried out before the arrival of Covid-19 disrupted business plans, found that more than half of the IT leaders in the Benelux region expected budgets to be higher this year than last, and digital transformation would be the main recipient of budget increases. Also find out in this issue why fintechs are attracted to the Netherlands, and how Estonia emerged from Soviet rule to become a digital nation. Continue Reading

Armar-6 shows how helper robots can work in Ocado warehouses

Collaborative robot is the result of the five-year SecondHands project with academia to develop a robot that can support human workers Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Re-purposing data and questionable effectiveness could undermine trust in NHS contact-tracing app

Experts call for greater clarity over how contact-tracing data will be used, while discussing the limitations of the coronavirus app Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How Blackwell's is responding to the coronavirus pandemic

Traditional bookshop chain Blackwell’s talked about adaptations to its business model, trends and IT operation during the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Singapore to test 5G in Industry 4.0 trial

Trial, spearheaded by IMDA, IBM, Samsung and M1, will test the use of 5G, along with AI and IoT technologies, in manufacturing Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Nordic real estate sector becoming increasingly digital

The Nordic real estate and construction industry is modernising through digital technology, with an injection of urgency amid global pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

NatWest Bank shutters its app based bank after five months

NatWest is closing its consumer-facing, app-based bank and increasing its focus on mobile business bank Mettle Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Using computer simulation to minimise cross-infection

The architects behind China’s largest makeshift hospital turned to computer simulation to model the airflow regulated by ventilation systems in a bid to minimise cross-infection Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Microsoft results points to new uses for Teams after coronavirus

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, says he looks forward to new working practices emerging post-Covid-19, with collaboration seamlessly fitting in with tools for remote working Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

GPs embrace virtual consultations to navigate Covid-19 outbreak

The majority of GPs across England are now operating with video meetings and more virtual services are being developed Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Coronavirus: Cash use plummets during UK lockdown

Consumers are switching to digital payment methods amid the current global pandemic crisis Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic CIO interview: Stefan Olowsson, Swedish Social Insurance Agency

Stefan Olowsson, CIO at Sweden’s Försäkringskassan, helps to ensure social security payments run smoothly, which is a balancing act of innovation, data security and reliable delivery Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Australian researchers tap cloud to save the Tasmanian devil

Researchers at the University of Sydney are using Amazon Web Services to speed up genomics research in one of Australia’s wildlife conservation programmes Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Funding released to support winners of coronavirus technology challenge

To help support the most vulnerable during the pandemic, NHSX and its partners are testing a range of digital solutions submitted as part of fast-track technology competition Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK tech companies launch online safety body

Online Safety Tech Industry Association unites 14 technology companies to drive conversation and policy around online safeguarding Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GP Connect to enable patient information sharing in Covid-19 outbreak

Past and present medical details will be shared across primary care during the emergency period Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government urges parents to keep children safe during lockdown

The UK government has published more guidance for parents in an attempt to limit children's exposure to cyber bullying and disinformation during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

European fibre roll-outs speed up

European fibre-to-the-home and fibre-to-the-building coverage maintains a positive growth trend, with subscribers increasing by 15% since September 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Nasdaq gives customers real-time data through cloud platform

US stock exchange uses public cloud and APIs to provide investment companies with real-time data on trading activity Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Remote workers air long-term productivity concerns over home-working tech

Research from managed service provider Atlas Cloud highlights concerns from remote workers that their work-from-home tech kit might not be up to the job in the long term Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Keeping coral reefs healthy with AI

Underwater video cameras equipped with artificial intelligence smarts have been deployed in the waters off Pangatalan island in the Philippines to track the barometers of coral reef health Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget