IT news in your industry sector

Middle East and North Africa public cloud spend to hit $2bn by 2020

Middle East-based organisations are turning to public cloud services, with software as a service driving a major year-on-year spending increase Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Just Eat uses startup accelerator to stay ahead in foodtech

Online food ordering service’s head of corporate ventures explains how helping startups through its accelerator programme helps it to keep in the centre of the food technology ecosystem Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

McDonald’s in Saudi Arabia to support growth with SAP

Fast food chain is using SAP software to help it better understand its customers and operations Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Google to appeal against order to hand over foreign emails

UK firms urged to consider the risks of non-UK cloud service providers and to encrypt data in the light of another US warrant to access emails held by a US cloud services firm on non-US servers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government digital transformation strategy finally set to be published this week

The much-delayed plan – now expected to be known as the government transformation strategy – is due to be announced by Cabinet Office minister Ben Gummer Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Openreach launches enhanced duct and pole mapping service

BT’s infrastructure arm, Openreach, has made digital maps showing its duct and pole network infrastructure available to allow other comms services providers to plan new fibre broadband networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: Adam Gerrard, Yodel

Parcel delivery firm has seen significant business improvements from a digital transformation programme and replacement of legacy IT systems Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

London Fire Brigade system crashes cause delays reacting to emergencies

Control room system crashes have been causing delays in London Fire Brigade response times Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CIO interview: Alex Alexander, Yoox Net-a-Porter Group

It is not always the catwalk where the biggest trends in fashion take place. Tech is driving fashion today, says CIO Alex Alexander Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

TalkTalk CEO Harding steps aside for public service role

TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding has stepped down, leaving the ISP in rude health Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Finnish city takes €10bn leap into digitisation

Tampere is encouraging its people, businesses and government organisations to come together to make digital transformation work for everyone Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Data breach costs exceed 20% of revenue

The cost of data breaches topped 20% of revenue in the past year as cyber attacks became more sophisticated and defenders struggled to keep pace, the latest Cisco security report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How AI is disrupting the role of call centres and call centre staff

Artificial intelligence could eliminate many white-collar jobs in coming decades. Its effects are already being felt in the call centre industry, but there is still no substitute for the human touch Continue Reading

By

• Lara Ponomareff, CEB

Retail tech training – an opportunity to drive employee retention?

A job in retail is often the first employment many people will have, so could technology training increase the retention of store staff? Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Visionary technology transforming healthcare

In this week’s Computer Weekly, find out how a visionary approach to technology is transforming healthcare at London’s world-leading Moorfields Eye Hospital. The UK tech sector has set out its priorities for the forthcoming Brexit negotiations – we take a look at the key issues. And our new buyer’s guide examines the latest trends in datacentre management. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Only 49% of marketers are pushed to reinvent customer service due to technology

Technology is causing disruption in most markets, but only 49% of marketers believe they are pressured to develop their customer service as a result of disruptive technology Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Artificial intelligence will increase productivity by sharpening human mind

The combination of AI and humans will triple productivity if businesses get the balance right for different roles Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office facing group litigation over Horizon computer system after watershed decision

The group action against the Post Office that alleges sub-postmasters have been wrongly punished for accounting errors gets a green light from the High Court of Justice Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

#techmums uses corporate partnerships to reach a million mums by 2020

Not-for-profit #techmums hopes to give technology skills to one million mothers by 2020 through partnerships with corporate firms Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Mixed feelings on Australian enterprise app market

The enterprise mobile app development market is attracting big money despite a lack of corporate appetite Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Facebook ups security with Fido U2F two-factor authentication

Social media giant is enabling users to increase the security of their logins with Fido U2F USB security keys Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security spending leaving data vulnerable, study finds

Cyber breaches are increasing despite increased security spending, a study shows, highlighting that security investment decisions are not aligned with actual cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft’s cloud privacy battle may go to US Supreme Court

The US Department of Justice is considering going to the Supreme Court after an appeals court refused to revisit its July 2016 landmark ruling blocking government access to Microsoft servers in Ireland Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Challenges of complying with the Investigatory Powers Act

Despite opposition by civil liberties groups and technology companies, the UK government has passed the controversial Investigatory Powers Act, adding a host of security and contingency requirements that UK businesses need to consider Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

GDS signals intent to move public sector off PSN

Government Digital Service’s Technology Leaders Network determines that the internet is an adequate solution to support the vast majority of public sector work Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore and Indonesia stand out for IT spend in Apac banking sector

Singapore is the top spender on IT for banking of all developed economies in the Apac region, while Indonesia has the fastest growth rate in IT spending Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Lululemon turns to digital transformation to support consumer community

Athletic apparel retailer’s executive vice-president of digital explains how the brand has used digital transformation to support its core value of a community ecosystem Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Lloyds Bank hit by massive DDoS attack

It has emerged that UK banks have been targeted by a DDoS campaign that affected services intermittently only at the Lloyds Banking Group Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BT draws fire over broadband price hike

Consumer broadband groups have hit out after BT put up its broadband prices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lords ‘deeply concerned’ about Digital Economy Bill data-sharing clauses

Digital Economy Bill comes under fire again for its data-sharing principles, this time from the House of Lords Delegated Powers Committee Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

West Middlesex University Hospital pilots wireless vital signs tech

West Middlesex University Hospital trials technology that allows the checking of vital signs through wearable patches on patients Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Viasat builds IoT network for connected vehicle insurance

Satellite connectivity services supplier’s worldwide internet of things network will support customers operating connected vehicles Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HPE buys hyper-converged pioneer Simplivity for $650m

Hardware giant pays out for hyper-converged market number two, and says it will keep existing Simplivity products, moving them all to its ProLiant servers by the end of 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

CW ASEAN: Singapore hosts world’s first robo-taxis

In this month’s CW ASEAN we take a look at a project to introduce self-driving taxis in Singapore. The autonomous vehicle pilot comes as no surprise as the city state is not shy to try out the latest and greatest digital technology to make life for its people and businesses easier and more productive. Also read how Singapore central bank is testing blockchain for bank-to-bank payments in partnership with a banking consortium, how Google’s cloud platform is heating up the cloud market in Asia, and how one IT director has transformed the way Pizza Hut interacts with customers in Hong Kong. Continue Reading

GDS declares public cloud secure enough for "vast majority" of public sector

Government Digital Service moves to allay public sector concerns about using off-premise services in a bid to speed up cloud adoption beyond Whitehall Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Better use of data can improve government delivery of services, says John Manzoni

Civil service chief John Manzoni highlights the potential and need for the government’s use of data to improve public services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Facebook chief reveals real cost of Oculus in court testimony

Testifying in an IP-theft case against Facebook-owned Oculus, Mark Zuckerberg reveals the acquisition cost $3bn, not $2bn as originally announced Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Blockchain can cut investment bank infrastructure costs by 30%

Investment banks can make huge cuts to their IT infrastructure costs through blockchain, according to analysis Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HSBC appoints technology advisers to keep pace with IT changes

Bank hopes to gain knowledge about technologies such as artificial intelligence and biometric security through its new technology advisory board Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How information security professionals can help business understand cyber risk

Information security is continually moving up business and board agendas, but information security professionals find it challenging to help business leaders to understand fully the cyber risks across increasingly digital businesses. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

RAC digitises driver assistance

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we speak to the RAC about its modernisation initiative, where it is using Microsoft Azure to digitise older cars and gather real-time data to alert members of faults before they result in roadside breakdowns. We also look at how a lack of diversity in organisations is costing the UK economy money, and how attacks against IoT devices are highlighting the vulnerabilities of specific devices but failing to provide a complete picture of the security challenges. Continue Reading

Aldo uses Salesforce to drive ‘customer delight’

Luxury retailer is using Salesforce to drive engagement, a seamless experience and customer loyalty Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

3D printing proves a disruptive force in Asean manufacturing

3D printing adoption is set to accelerate in Southeast Asia after a delayed start Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Australian government technology suffers failure after failure

Former government IT leader says Australia’s IT is so bad that if the government were a private sector organisation, it would fail Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Network overhaul speeds up business for motor racing venue

Rockingham Motor Speedway in Northamptonshire beefs up network infrastructure to support expansive business plans Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The evolution of smart Dubai

Aisha Bin Bishr, director general at Smart Dubai Office, discusses how Dubai is evolving as a smart city with the support of local telecoms provider Du. Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

Davos: Technology poses new risks to jobs, economies and society

Politicians and business leaders will discuss the risks posed by technology to jobs, political stability and cyber security at the World Economic Forum in Davos Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Lloyds Bank digital banking problems an industry warning

Lloyds Bank’s digital banking problems still unresolved after a second day Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Flawed GoDaddy security certificates show need for control

Vulnerabilities in digital security certificates highlight the need for organisations to be able to exercise more control over those certificates Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Middle East: UAE takes lead in autonomous car trials

Self-driving cars are one of the most exciting developments in technology. Companies like Google and Tesla are pioneering the technology. But it might be countries in the Middle East, with the poorest road safety records in the world that could benefit most. Despite significant regional spending on safety campaigns, the UAE still clocks up 12.7 road deaths per 100,000 people, with 30.4 in Oman, 24.8 in Saudi Arabia, 16.5 in Kuwait, 14 in Egypt and 13.2 in Qatar. In September Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) trialled a public driverless vehicle in the city’s Downtown area, running along a 700-metre trial route. Continue Reading

Tech focus helps Singapore go second in globalisation index

Singapore is the second most globalised economy in the world and its IT infrastructure is critical to this achievement Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Brexit should not hinder 5G development, says report

A report commissioned by the government claims the UK’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union should have minimal impact on the country’s ability to lead on the development of 5G networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Top three DNS-related security risks

What are the main security risks associated with the domain name system and how are these best mitigated? Continue Reading

By

• Richard Hollis

Cyber security scare stories could sharpen focus at banks

There are continual cyber attacks on banks, and although most are repelled, there is significant room for improvement Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Former Surrey NHS IT chief and supplier both jailed for corruption

Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s former informatics director goes to jail for accepting £80,000 worth of bribes from a supplier in return for an IT contract Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Waymo self-driving minivans to begin public road tests soon

Google spin off Waymo announces trials of new self-driving vehicles, with all technologies involved developed in-house to cut costs and improve performance Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UKCloud cuts cloud storage pricing for public sector customers and sticks boot into US rivals

Public sector-focused cloud provider claims latest round of price cuts means its services are cheaper to use than some of its US counterparts Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Half of the younger generation still prefer a traditional checkout

The use of technology in retailers is increasing, but despite growing omni-channel adoption, many young people still prefer a traditional checkout Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

HMV changes its IT tune to cut maintenance spend on legacy on-premise systems

The high street music retailer has embarked on a sizeable digital transformation project to cut costs and boost the agility of its business operations Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

UK youngsters unwittingly exposing private data

The UK children's commissioner has called for better support for child privacy after study shows most are unknowingly agreeing to share private data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Robots replace staff at Japanese insurance firm

Japanese insurance company Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance replaces 34 members of its claims assessment team with IBM Watson Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Dubai-based Aramex optimises branch office connectivity

How global logistics firm streamlined its branch office operations in the Middle East Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

Customer-first approach will make 2017 a challenge for Dutch CIOs

CIOs in the Netherlands could see their strategies lead to thousands of jobs being cut as businesses automate Continue Reading

By

• Rian van Heur

Flight booking systems easy to hack, researchers warn

Malicious actors could infiltrate systems to alter passenger information and even cancel bookings, Chaos Communications Congress told Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top 10 financial services stories of 2016

Here are 10 of the most popular fintech articles on Computer Weekly in 2016 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top 10 NHS IT stories of 2016

This year, NHS England pulled the plug on Care.data and Wachter’s review found that paperless NHS is likely to miss its 2020 target. We take a look back at Computer Weekly's most read NHS IT stories from 2016 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CIO interview: MoD’s DII replacement will feed government as a platform

Mike Stone, who will soon be leaving his position of CIO at the Ministry of Defence (MoD), explains how the MoD’s DII replacement will feed into government as a platform Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Top 10 networking stories of 2016

A look back at Computer Weekly’s most-read networking stories of 2016 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Almost 90% of customers say social media availability affects brand loyalty

Customers expect to be able to contact brands via social media, with nine out of 10 claiming availability of a brand through their preferred social channel has an impact on their retailer loyalty Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

European court delivers blow to Snoopers’ Charter

Parts of the controversial Investigatory Powers Act relating to the bulk collection of communications data have been ruled unlawful by the European Court of Justice Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 IT security stories of 2016

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 IT security stories of 2016: Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2016

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber crime stories of 2016: Continue Reading

HMRC slammed over tax probe into Newcastle datacentre campus investors

HM Revenue and Customs said it is committed to clamping down on abuses of the UK tax system, following criticism of its decision to recoup tax relief payments to datacentre investors Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Typo allowed Russian hackers to access US Democratic Party emails

Typographical mistake in an email warning of a phishing attack on the US Democrats led to thousands of private emails being accessed and published by Russian-backed hackers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

European law enforcement seeking smart ways to fight cyber crime

Cyber criminals are always likely to be better resourced than law enforcement. Now, national and regional police forces in Europe are switching tactics to even the odds. Under-resourced law enforcement needs a smarter approach as cyber crime becomes increasingly prevalent and sophisticated, backed by the money and expertise of organised crime groups set up and run as well-resourced and efficient professional business organisations. Cyber crime operations typically have teams dedicated to looking at open source intelligence, targets’ physical environments, weaknesses in supply chains, and potential collaborators inside target organisations to enable sophisticated, blended attacks that involve a combination of actions against a range of vulnerabilities, making them difficult to detect and defend against. Continue Reading

Swedish Cider company upgrades to cloud ERP to keep up with growth

Apple-based product manufacturer moves to an industry-specific ERP system in the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Metro Bank moves IT infrastructure to cloud

Metro Bank moves its IT infrastructure to a private Rackspace cloud platform, which will allow it to keep up with the latest technologies and reduce costs Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

GP tests out connected stethoscope, cleared for NHS use

A digitally connected stethoscope from a Silicon Valley startup is now available in the UK and promises to change patient-doctor interaction Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government Transformation Strategy to 'fundamentally' change the way departments operate

A background document seen by Computer Weekly outlines details of the forthcoming Government Transformation Strategy Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IT Priorities 2017: Nordic organisations to spend more on cloud services

The adoption of cloud computing in its many guises will be a top priority in the Nordic region in 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

PowerShell security threats greater than ever, researchers warn

Administrators should upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft PowerShell and enable extended logging and monitoring capabilities in the light of a surge in related security threats, warn researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

More than 2,000 TalkTalk routers hijacked by Mirai botnet variant

Security researchers are urging ISPs to issue emergency patches for Marai botnet infections after 2,374 TalkTalk routers were linked in a regional botnet Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The United Arab Emirates enterprise IT trends for 2017

The UAE is already a leader in areas such as smart city developments, and 2017 looks set to see organisations in the country increase its adoption of other transformational IT Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

UKtech50 interview: ARM Holdings CEO Simon Segars

The UKtech50 most influential person in UK IT 2016, ARM Holdings CEO Simon Segars, shares his thoughts on the consequences of Brexit, access to skills and the importance of security in a world full of connected devices Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Security Think Tank: Communication is key to cyber security in digital era

How can information security professionals help organisations to understand the cyber risks across increasingly digital businesses? Continue Reading

By

• Ramses Gallego

40 firms to trial IBM Watson cognitive computing for cyber security

Forty companies sign up to apply IBM’s Watson cognitive computing systems to cyber security, but threat intelligence experts caution against total reliance on such systems Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Internet of things gains momentum in Southeast Asia

IoT has been much hyped in Southeast Asia, and organisations in the region are testing the technology's potential Continue Reading

By

• John Tan

Ofcom reveals duct and pole sharing proposals for fibre broadband

Regulator has made a number of suggestions to make it easier for broadband providers to get access to BT Openreach’s ducts and poles Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK falls below global cyber security confidence

Global confidence in ability to accurately assess cyber risk has fallen in the past year, but the UK has fallen below the global average Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

London Stock Exchange opens tech services centre in Sri Lanka

The London Stock Exchange increases its technology support services operation in Sri Lanka Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top 10 ANZ enterprise IT stories of 2016

Here is a rundown of Computer Weekly’s most popular ANZ enterprise IT articles for 2016 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Academics link payment card vulnerability to Tesco Bank cyber heist

UK academics uncover a vulnerability in online payment systems, which they say could have been used in the Tesco Bank cyber heist Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

EC proposes simpler VAT rules to help e-commerce businesses

European Commission sets out proposals for simplified tax rules to “unlock e-commerce and make it easier for online businesses” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW ASEAN: Building a digital future

In this month's CW ASEAN, read how Singapore is investing in technologies and skills to become a leader in the digital age. We analyze how the government has reorganized two departments to help digital technology prosper and hear from those in the finance and education sectors backing the move, as well as the man heading the newly formed department. We also look at how desktop virtualization will continue to grow in the Asean region, and focus on one example in Thailand, where the country’s health ministry is embracing virtualization in a push towards e-health. This issue also covers how organisations in Malaysia and Singapore are facing tough competition to attract the right skills to drive their IT strategies. Continue Reading

US and UK government expand surveillance powers

The US has introduced wide new hacking powers for federal agents a day after the UK's Investigatory Powers Act firmed up bulk surveillance powers for intelligence and polices services Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mozilla and Tor issue patches for Firefox flaw exposing Tor users

Users of Tor anonymous browsing urged to update to the latest versions of relevant software to block an exploit that collects IP and MAC addresses to identify users Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

AWS CEO hails "changing of the guard" in enterprise IT on the back of cloud growth

AWS CEO Andy Jassy hits out at “old guard” enterprise IT suppliers, while talking up his company’s ability to out-sell and out-innovate them Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Mastercard uses artificial intelligence for transaction approval

Mastercard is using artificial intelligence to reduce the number of transactions that are wrongly declined, while maintaining security Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

BP to go all-in on public cloud to cut datacentre upkeep costs

Oil giant BP uses first day of AWS Re:Invent to outline how it is cushioning itself against falling oil prices by using cloud to cut costs Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

BT and Openreach to split: but what will change as a result?

The telecoms industry has welcomed Ofcom’s decision to legally split BT and Openreach, but what, if anything, will actually change? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor