Networking and communication

Omdia: New norm for working set to have ‘dramatic’ implications for collaboration industry

Analyst recalibrates expectations for collaboration and conferencing tools, forecasting transformational upsurge in use that could change the world of work, with home broadband being a business lifeblood Continue Reading

Overview of network management tasks and best practices

Network management encompasses a range of tasks and processes. Explore 10 crucial tasks and accompanying best practices to ensure a resilient and functional network. Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Zoom restricted or banned at multiple organisations

Use of videoconferencing tool has been banned at Google and in parts of the German and US governments Continue Reading

Software-based routing on its way to become the new normal

SD-WAN took the networking world by storm, and software-based routing aims to do the same in the router market. Here's what to expect from the move to software. Continue Reading

Cato Networks seals significant investment to take SASE forward

More validation for secure access service edge solutions as SD-WAN provider scoops cash injection Continue Reading

Vodafone taps VMware to complete European roll-out of network virtual infrastructure

Operator taps virtual infrastructure firm to add last piece of pan-European digital infrastructure architecture and gain agility and flexibility Continue Reading

Mobile operator community and academics use smartphone power to fight Covid-19

Vodafone Foundation and scientists at Imperial College London are using a smartphone app to aid coronavirus research Continue Reading

Australian open source project to expand global reach

Data61’s open source seL4 microkernel project will be supported by a new foundation created under the auspices of the Linux Foundation Continue Reading

Samsung, AWS claim world’s first mission-critical comms video call

MCPTX solution powered by leading cloud platform said to enable first responders to accurately assess vital moments using voice, data and video calls Continue Reading

Cellwize aims for 5G network efficiency high note with Chime

Cloud-based open RAN automation platform claimed to bring required flexibility and speed to accelerate 5G networks development Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Home business opportunity knocks for consumer IoT suppliers

Internet-of-things manufacturers see a huge new market opening up from the millions of new enterprise customers working from home Continue Reading

SNMP vs. CMIP: What's the difference?

While SNMP and CMIP originally competed as network management protocols in the 1980s, SNMP has emerged as the more relevant protocol, largely due to its simplicity. Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Criminals using Zoom installer to spread cryptominer

Videoconferencing application targeted to deliver cryptomining malware to unsuspecting victims Continue Reading

Covid-19 to hamper short-term growth but mobility-as-a-service to rebound in 2021

Despite expected restricted growth this year of platforms that integrate different transport services – including buses, taxis, rail and metro – into a single app, a dramatic return for MaaS is expected in the six years to 2027 Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Soaring collaboration app uptake sees home workers clock on for longer hours

Number of people online during working day more than doubles since end of January and growth in demand for business apps reaches record levels, fuelled by conferencing applications Continue Reading

BCS calls for IT recognition in coronavirus response

Campaign launched by BCS aims to recognise the importance of IT staff in keeping UK workers connected during the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

How free Wi-Fi hotspots help in emergency response situations

Emergency and disaster response require teamwork among businesses, governments and community groups. In these times, free Wi-Fi hotspots help people feel connected. Continue Reading

Liverpool top of the league for mobile business usage in UK

Merseyside rated as the sweetest of sweet spots for business wireless connectivity Continue Reading

Celebrate IT Heroes

While questions are being asked of the government over its coronavirus exit strategy, one thing is clear: large parts of the UK workforce are able to work remotely, thanks to the efforts of IT ... Continue Reading

UK government, mobile trade association, operators slam attacks on UK 5G masts

Criminal damage to phone masts and abuse of telecoms engineers condemned as the product of “crackpot” online conspiracy theories Continue Reading

Wireless industry hails FCC spectrum announcement as game changer for Wi-Fi 6

Proposed opening of the 6GHz band to Wi-Fi 6 technology in US set to provide more capacity than all other current Wi-Fi bands put together Continue Reading

Google data shows high interest in security and remote working

An analysis of the most Googled technology terms during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the scale of the cyber security challenge presented by the crisis Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Video calling, collaboration applications usage rise steeply in UK homes

A survey from EY finds Covid-19 outbreak is already causing a shift in UK households’ digital activity, with many people trying online services for the first time, and video calling at the forefront of applications Continue Reading

Coronavirus: What does the ‘new normal’ mean for how we work?

Examining the long-term impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic on the world of work, security, privacy and networks Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Vodafone confident of staying on the line

The coronavirus outbreak has caused the UK’s pattern of working behaviours to change completely – and network operators are confident they can cope Continue Reading

Transatel takes global connected vehicle platform on the road

NTT subsidiary offers eSIM-capable, cellular technology for global IoT connectivity with Internet of Vehicles system designed to solve vehicle manufacturers’ greatest challenges Continue Reading

How ‘servitisation’ is shaping the semiconductor industry

This is a guest post by Kelvin Lim, chief operating officer of Innovative Global Solutions & Services 2020 was supposed to be the year for rapid transformation in the global semiconductor ... Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Is Zoom safe and should security teams ban it?

Zoom’s rapid rise to prominence has highlighted a score of security problems with the service. Should CISOs try to steer their organisations away from it, or ban it outright? Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Standardisation delays threaten long-term enterprise 5G

Covid-19 outbreak could see delays in essential technology roll-out, leading to the 5G industry missing out on up to 10% of total revenues, says research firm Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Ofcom relaxes ISPs’ broadband obligations

UK comms regulator loosens operating guidelines on broadband operators to prevent driving additional traffic to call centres and not punish inability to meet repair targets Continue Reading

Australian broadband providers team up to meet network demand

NBN Co and five retail service providers have formed a working group to manage congestion and take steps to address the surge in demand for broadband connectivity amid the Covid-19 outbreak Continue Reading

Security, network services top enterprise challenges for deploying UCaaS, CCaaS

Research finds ongoing challenges in deploying unified-communications-as-a-service and contact-centre-as-a-service firms also preferring bundled network solutions from a single provider Continue Reading

HPE unveils open source software to reduce 5G complexity

Open distributed infrastructure management software launched to resolve complexity that telcos face in rolling out 5G networks across thousands of sites equipped with multiple suppliers’ IT infrastructures Continue Reading

CDN and cloud suppliers join routing security initiative

Akamai and Amazon Web Services are among a group of cloud and content delivery network providers to participate in a global initiative to address the security threats to internet routing systems Continue Reading

Nokia launches AI-based operations to help telcos enter the 5G era

Cognitive operations designed to help comms service providers transform their network, service and business operations through extreme automation enabled by artificial intelligence and machine learning Continue Reading

How IT leaders and their teams are supporting employees through the coronavirus crisis

We talk to four top IT chiefs across the UK to find out how their teams are supporting their organisations and staff to keep working through the Covid-19 outbreak Continue Reading

Huawei extols 2019 as ‘extraordinary’ year

Despite political challenges across the world restricting use of its technology, Chinese comms tech giant posts strong yearly increase in sales and profit Continue Reading

Too late to protect online privacy, say Brits

Most UK consumers are concerned about data privacy, but think it’s too late to do much about it, according to a report Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Teleworking drives new application usage growth for Comcast

Largest network operator in US issues assurance that huge shift in usage patterns and extra demands on home networks are well within infrastructure’s capability Continue Reading

O2 to launch UK’s first 5G accelerators in three West Midlands cities

Consortium led by Telefónica UK Deloitte, Wayra and Digital Catapult to build 5G accelerators in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Coventry Continue Reading

Can the internet take the strain?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as millions of people work from home, we examine the measures in place to make sure the internet stays up and running. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at the best practice in application modernisation. And we find out how IT leaders are tackling the skills shortage to recruit the best tech talent. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Internet capable of taking the strain but service prioritisation key

With networks offering assurances they can cope with the millions of added users working from home, experts suggest that strict management of applications and services will be pivotal. Continue Reading

SK Telecom celebrates 5G first birthday with almost half of local market

Since launching the world’s first 5G service on 3 April 2019, the Korean operator continues to maintain its leadership in the local mobile market Continue Reading

Fujitsu unveils Japan’s first commercial private 5G network

Successful verification under provisional licence opens path to commercial launch for private 5G network for Japanese tech giant Continue Reading

Coronavirus: internet providers enhance support for customers, end data caps

Supporting the UK’s government efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and support home working, UK network operators agree a wide range of supportive measures Continue Reading

CityFibre completes FibreNation acquisition

Official go-ahead for buyout which takes former altnet into mainstream status as the UK’s third largest national digital infrastructure and fibre operator Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Smartphone production to plummet 20%, over $25bn lost in roaming revenue

Two studies reveal the huge hit on the mobile device and service industry that is likely to be caused by the Covid-19 outbreak Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Zoom accelerates away as office workers make video calls

The Covid-19 pandemic has required people to change their working habits, and many are routinely using conferencing tools Continue Reading

Microsoft targets 5G arena with Affirmed Networks acquisition

IT giant turns sights on telecoms opportunities, bringing expertise of virtualised, cloud-native network software provider into Azure fold Continue Reading

Nokia claims 5G capacity benchmark, enters first phase of 5G project at Port of Zeebrugge

Flurry of 5G-related activity continues with raft of 5G patents and 5G-ready private wireless connectivity for partner ecosystem to accelerate IoT-based innovation Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Mobile comms finds its voice as usage patterns evolve

UK operators declare readiness of mobile networks as they enter uncharted water with millions of users displaced from offices during the working day Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Openreach to restrict engineers’ home visits

BT’s national broadband provision division announces that it is to cut down on home visits throughout the UK and focus only on national infrastructure, essential public services and vulnerable customers Continue Reading

802.3cg standard extends single-pair Ethernet range and speed

IEEE 802.3cg is a single-pair Ethernet standard that aims to support speeds up to 10 Mbps, extend Ethernet range up to 1,000 meters and offer multidrop capabilities. Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Virgin finds new data trends as it creates 500 contact centre jobs

Cable network provider issues assurance on the resilience of its infrastructure, which is under unprecedented strain from domestic users, and beefs up service staffing Continue Reading

Ericsson wins exclusive 5G contract with Cosmote Greece

Swedish comms firm tapped for 5G radio access network to strengthen Greek provider’s existing networks and boost network quality, capacity, speed and operational efficiency Continue Reading

Coronavirus: UK comms regulator launches national campaign to assist home workers

Ofcom, with the backing of government, broadband and mobile industries, launches guide for teleworkers to get the most from connections Continue Reading

Coronavirus takes toll on IT spending in Asia

The economic fallout from the Covid-19 outbreak is expected to slash the growth rate of the region’s IT industry to just 1.2% this year Continue Reading

Viavi upgrades platform tools to manage remote network performance

Redesigned Observer platform achieves 60Gbps packet capture rate and has beefed up security to deal with increased challenges Continue Reading

Amdocs launches HoMeOS and becomes Veego strategic partner and investor

Leading provider of communications and media software launches home broadband management and makes strategic investment in Israeli AI startup Continue Reading

Russia presses ahead with developing 5G, but allocation of frequencies needs to be resolved first

Russian mobile operators are pooling their resources to help them overcome the technical challenges of creating 5G networks Continue Reading

ETSI unveils augmented reality framework

Industry specification group on augmented reality develops new specification to enable multi-supplier ecosystem for industry and consumers Continue Reading

Legacy AV defenceless against onslaught of evasive malware

More than two-thirds of malware detected by WatchGuard in the last three months of 2019 was able to evade signature-based antivirus products, rendering them effectively useless in most instances Continue Reading

Coronavirus: SK Telecom gives free assistance to police agency with location data analysis

Korean telco’s big data analysis will be deployed to mitigate Covid-19 spread in the Gyeongbuk region Continue Reading

Nokia, LG Uplus build fully automated 5G IP transport network in Korea

Finnish comms firm wins another Asian contract with Korean operator to improve speed of 5G service deployment Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Global VPN deployments rocket since 11 March

Business virtual private network uptake has taken off over the past 10 days as global workforces become vastly more distributed Continue Reading

Making home working work – a guide for IT leaders

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with staff working from home during the coronavirus crisis, we look at three key technology areas to consider. We find out about a novel approach to teaching security awareness to users. And we examine the role of IT in corporate environmental, social and governance programmes. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Singapore government to open source contact-tracing protocol

Singapore’s Government Technology Agency is contributing the source codes of the BlueTrace protocol that powers its contact-tracing app Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Internet capable of taking the strain but service prioritisation key

With networks offering assurances they can cope with the millions of added users working from home, experts suggest that strict management of applications and services will be pivotal Continue Reading

Benefits of branching out into SD-WAN

There is much more to SD-WAN than just cheaper branch office connectivity, so IT buyers have a lot to consider Continue Reading

Chunghwa Telecom selects Nokia, Ericsson for rapid 5G build-out

Taiwanese operator taps Nordic comms giants for essential equipment in improving efficiency and user experience Continue Reading

Singapore’s JTC taps GIS platform in Punggol Digital District

The planners behind Singapore’s Punggol Digital District are using a geographic information system to make better planning decisions and improve day-to-day operations Continue Reading

Coronavirus: UK mobile operators discuss sharing crowd movement data with government

Reports emerge of unprecedented cooperation between UK telcos and government to provide people-modelling data to prevent spread of coronavirus Continue Reading

Cyber gangsters hit UK medical firm poised for work on coronavirus with Maze ransomware attack

The Maze ransomware group has published personal and medical details of thousands of former patients of a London-based medical research company after a failed attempt to disable the firm's computer systems Continue Reading

UK Coronavirus Bill relaxes restrictions on mass surveillance powers

Emergency legislation would massively expand state surveillance and police detainment powers Continue Reading

Coronavirus: BT reassures UK of network’s resilience

Just a week after issuing assurances that its network was capable of dealing with the added load from vastly increased numbers of people working from home, BT issues further details on infrastructure resiliency Continue Reading

Unpatched Zyxel storage devices co-opted into IoT botnet

Owners of Zyxel network-attached storage devices are in danger of being hijacked by Mukashi, a descendant of the infamous Mirai botnet, if they don’t patch a critical vulnerability Continue Reading

Essential Guide: Technology readiness for the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis

The global Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic requires an important response from enterprise IT departments - in this guide, we examine the key considerations for IT leaders Continue Reading

EU telecoms operators granted permission for ‘fair’ management of online traffic

EC and BEREC allow telcos unprecedented network traffic control to mitigate the effects of network congestion due to the massive increase in home working caused by the coronavirus Continue Reading

Netflix downscales content resolution to ease strain on EU networks

European Commission asks premier subscription video-on-demand service provider Netflix to lower quality of films to take strain from loaded EU networks Continue Reading

WBA assumes control of OpenRoaming standard

Association set up to enable collaboration between service providers, technology companies and organisations in wireless industry to manage Cisco-produced technology for seamless Wi-Fi onboarding Continue Reading

Gigabit broadband for new homes is essential to UK’s telecoms ambitions

Digital minister outlines plans to develop UK’s telecoms infrastructure to make it fit for the future Continue Reading

Coronavirus: How to implement safe and secure remote working

Find out what CIOs and CISOs need to know to enable their end-users to work remotely and stay secure during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis, and learn how users can help themselves Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Can the networks take the strain?

It was predicted that the mass roll-out of computer networks would mean at some point that there was no difference between work and home as a working location. These assumptions are about to be tested to the full Continue Reading

How is SD-WAN as a service different from managed SD-WAN?

SD-WAN technology is available in a variety of business models, including SD-WAN as a service and managed SD-WAN. But how do the different consumption models compare? Continue Reading

Covid-19: Three steps to remote working effectiveness

Staff are going to have to work from home, if they can, for the foreseeable future. We look at steps to ensure they remain fit and productive Continue Reading

What do the 6 GHz band and Wi-Fi 6E mean for wireless networking?

The FCC is expected to approve the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi, which should improve speed and capacity for wireless networks. But make sure your devices can use the 6 GHz band. Continue Reading

Nokia spreads Wing IoT with 5G and edge capabilities

Finnish communications tech provider Nokia enhances its Worldwide IoT Network Grid managed service to support operators in offering 5G internet of things services with minimal capital investment Continue Reading

Prudential turns to AI to secure computer networks against cyber attacks

Prudential, the UK’s largest listed insurer, is turning to artificial intelligence to protect its computer networks in the US, Asia and Africa from malware hackers and internal threats Continue Reading

Employment and investment in UK tech sector booms

UK digital tech sector continues rapid growth in 2019, attracting record investment for another year Continue Reading

4G arrives for eastern half of Jubilee Line

Full 4G mobile connectivity arrives on half of one of London’s busiest Underground transport links, paving the way for extended communications throughout the network Continue Reading

Covid-19: NCSC issues secure remote working guidance

With hundreds of thousands likely to be working remotely for some time, the UK’s NCSC has issued best practice guidance to enable security teams to support them Continue Reading

New-build homes in UK to come gigabit-speed ready

UK government carries on with ambitious plans to roll out full-fibre across nation by 2025 Continue Reading

Travelex under threat as insolvency risk, hacking costs and coronavirus take their toll

Foreign exchange group’s future remains uncertain as its parent company, Finablr, prepares for potential insolvency Continue Reading

UK mobile networks hit by outage

It didn’t take long for the UK’s mobile networks to feel the strain from additional home workers, after UK government advised people to work from home Continue Reading

AI, analytics, automation fuel the future of network management

Advances in automation, AI and analytics should help IT administrators overcome new challenges in virtualized network environments, but some obstacles will surface. Continue Reading

Carphone Warehouse to close 531 standalone stores in UK

Troubled UK computer and comms retailer takes what it calls essential next step in turnaround of UK mobile business Continue Reading

Operators plan to cope with increased overheads

There are conflicting views from Spain and the UK over how ready home networks are to cope with extra overheads, as populations are told to work from home Continue Reading

Operator-sponsored RCS set to win US consumer hearts and brand budgets

Study reveals consumer appetite for advanced messaging functionality, but operators must place privacy, security and person-to-person functionality at the core of new messaging services Continue Reading

Telenor opens Norway’s first 5G service

Commercial 5G network opens in nine different cities and villages across Norway, making Telenor the first mobile operator in the country to offer 5G to customers Continue Reading

How NHS Digital is helping support the coronavirus crisis

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to NHS Digital about how technology is supporting the health service’s response to the coronavirus crisis. We examine the challenges of running a successful security operations centre. And we look at the emerging datacentre architecture based on composable infrastructure. Read the issue now. Continue Reading