Networking and communication

UK comms experts continue to question contact-tracing app

Academics and comms industry experts challenge UK government scientists on their defence of NHS contact-tracing app, in particular the issue of centralised data gathering Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Telcos lose out in early enterprise 5G business

Research reveals that industries and enterprises are ready to reap the benefits of 5G, but warns that service providers need to learn how to satisfy this demand Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

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

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

How sharp is your hyper-converged edge computing acumen?

It isn't uncommon for hyper-convergence and the edge to intersect nowadays. How much do you know about why hyper-converged deployment at the network periphery is growing? Continue Reading

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• James Alan Miller, Senior Executive Editor

T-Mobile US claims ‘significant’ 5G standalone architecture firsts

US operator partners with comms technology leaders to achieve world’s first milestones for standalone architecture 5G Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Contact tracing: The privacy vs protection debate

The Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated extreme measures not seen in peacetime for over 100 years. Contact-tracing apps are being developed as a tool for managing the pandemic, but are they a step too far? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Homeworking - the new norm - is there any other option...

In the last blog, I touched on the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the obvious fallout here is the massive increase in home/remote working, something I’ve been practicing since 1989 – ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

SD-WAN; One Way To Partly Consolidate The Complex Puzzle That Is Contemporary IT

I was recently sent an article by my PR mate Hannah from one of their clients, Versa – a company I’ve met up with and they talk a lot of common sense, far more than their er, so-called president… ... Continue Reading

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• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

UK contact-tracing app developers hit back at effectiveness and privacy doubts

Pre-eminent scientists continue to defend NHS contact-tracing app from criticism of its effectiveness and the use of centralised data gathering Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Building security and privacy into contact-tracing apps

Governance and data decentralisation are among measures that organisations can take to allay security and privacy concerns over contact-tracing apps, according to RSA Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom form joint venture to combat coronavirus

Telecoms giants extend working relationship to expand global 5G ecosystem by accelerating 5G deployment in Europe and exchange their respective technological expertise once the situation with Covid-19 improves Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

No silver bullets and ‘bumps in the road’ likely but UK contact-tracing app development gathers pace

UK scientific experts address doubts on contact-tracing app’s effectiveness, particular regarding data privacy, but admit that its nature may have to evolve as the roll-out scales up Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

The true cost of network downtime for your business

Network brownouts could be the biggest under-the-radar threat to your network. Calculate the potential costs of downtime to save your organization's productivity and money. Continue Reading

By

• Michaela Goss, Senior Site Editor

UK transport research body calls for safer in-vehicle technologies

Voice-controlled systems are the future of autonomous, according to TRL, whose recommendations follow a report into Apple CarPlay and Android Auto demanding improved standards in voice-activated infotainment systems Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Research institutes warn of necessity for UK contact-tracing app to link to testing

BCS and Cass Business School call for proposed UK contact-tracing app not to be launched without alignment to testing and warns that without this link, NHS will not be able to “big data” its way out of “no data” situation Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

5G on the ropes as Covid-19 set to land $51bn blow on global mobile services industry

Research predicts mobile revenue will drop 4.1% worldwide because of pandemic, with European operators taking a particular heavy hit Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Why you should think before you Zoom

Feel free to use Zoom during the coronavirus lockdown, but think before you discuss anything confidential Continue Reading

By

• Dai Davis, Percy Crow Davis & Co

Global contact-tracing apps take divergent routes to beat Covid-19

Telecoms will play a key role in controlling the coronavirus through contact-tracing apps that can mitigate its spread. But that will only be the case if population masses actually use the apps – and that’s not guaranteed for a variety of reasons Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Pre-owned device values stay strong amidst coronavirus pandemic

More than half a billion dollars returned to US consumers in Q1 2020 as used and new mobile device markets stabilise after Covid-19 disruption Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Unified communications: The key to prospering in the new working reality of Covid-19

Covid-19 lockdowns are causing a collective rethink in the way companies operate, with unified communications transformed from a nice-to-have to a business essential as remote working becomes the new normal Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Benefits of branching out into SD-WAN

 Continue Reading

Stark digital divide in US internet speed amid Covid-19 crisis

Over a fifth of connections in lower income brackets in the US do not have ‘acceptable’ internet performance for work and school during the coronavirus lockdown, but ISPs’ expansion of available bandwidth for these communities noticeably improves online speed Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Moogsoft widens AIOps to build the ‘virtual NOC’

Artificial Intelligence IT Operations (AIOps) company Moogsoft has come forward with version 8.0 of its Moogsoft Enterprise product. This is software designed to serve IT Ops and DevOps teams as ... Continue Reading

By

• Adrian Bridgwater

Coronavirus: Young employees struggle with remote working

Communications tools identified as key pain point and hindering productivity for young UK workers Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Infovista claims SD-WAN implementation game changer with transparent hybrid technology

Application-aware SD-WAN technology provider introduces additional capabilities to ‘dramatically’ simplify migration and hasten transition to software-defined networking Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

IMDA to issue 5G spectrum to Singtel and StarHub-M1 venture

Singapore’s telco regulator will award 5G spectrum to major operators whose proposals have exceeded its requirements in some cases Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

IT Priorities 2020: SD-WAN soars as collaboration and communications no longer on back burner

At the start of the year, networking professionals looked likely to invest in monitoring, converged architectures and WAN technologies, while unified communications was in decline and collaboration of minimal interest Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Nokia closes capacity and customer experience tech deal with Bharti Airtel

Third-largest telco in the world’s second-largest telecoms market takes up Nokia Single Radio Access Network to enhance capacity and improve 5G readiness Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Zoom chooses Oracle IaaS as core cloud infrastructure provider

Zoom has chosen Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to deliver its online video meetings service as usage has spiked due to the Covid-19 coronavirus public health crisis Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Ericsson scores further 5G RAN win with True Corporation Thailand

Thai comms operator engages the Swedish technology provider to enable smooth, fast and cost-effective 5G network evolution in three regions Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Under the spotlight, video apps rush to strengthen security

Most popular videoconferencing applications now meet Mozilla’s minimum security standards, with fierce competition and public pressure driving rapid improvement Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Adtran initiates software-defined access network project, advances the smart home experience

Partnerships with Orange and Plume will evaluate and test SDN-based programming for next-gen fibre access networks, and boost customer experience management of Wi-Fi-enabled services Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

APAC edge computing market set to grow

China and Japan will account for the lion’s share of Asia-Pacific’s edge computing market as more organisations in the region look to streamline processes and improve productivity Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

ISPs rely on capacity for COVID-19 internet traffic spikes

As COVID-19 causes surges in internet traffic, internet and network providers have responded by increasing capacity and installing more fiber. So far, it's worked. Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer English, Editorial Director

Microsoft patches .gif file vulnerability in Teams

Vulnerability could have enabled cyber criminals to use a malicious .gif file to scrape user data and take over Teams accounts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Potential near £70bn boost to British economy from gigabit broadband

Research shows that delivering ‘Gigabit Britain’ could provide over £50bn gross value added to the economy in five years, growing to £68.8bn in 2030, but suppliers warn that more must be done to turn broadband ambition into reality Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How Vonage is riding the e-commerce wave in Asia

The surge in online sales across Asia has boosted demand for cloud-based communications services as more e-commerce players look to integrate text messaging, voice and video into customer engagement platforms Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Australia’s CovidSafe app debuts, source codes to follow

Australia’s contact tracing app has been downloaded more than 1.1 million times, even as privacy concerns linger on Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

Wireless stakeholders cheer ‘historic’ FCC Wi-Fi 6GHz spectrum allocation decision

US broadcast and telecoms regulator confirms proposal lauded as a milestone moment that will no less than supercharge connectivity Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

NHSX reveals full details of UK Covid-19 contact-tracing strategy

National Health Service’s digital innovation unit aims to allay fears over privacy and confidentiality in forthcoming contract-tracing app Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

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

Coronavirus: RAF flies in for UK contact tracing app test

NHS announces test at air base of app designed to alert users of the close proximity of those carrying or having symptoms of Covid-19 Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Public authorities set to receive expanded surveillance powers

UK government wants to extend the number of public authorities able to obtain communications data using mass surveillance Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

5,400% growth forecast for enterprises using WhatsApp Business APIs

Unprecedented and extraordinary growth forecast for business version of WhatsApp, with growth from just 992 to 55,000 users expected over the next five years Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

ABB Power plugs into Ericsson 5G tech to increase factory productivity

Ericsson gears up for the post-coronavirus world with confidence in 5G and reveals project for its 5G-ready Industry Connect with global leader in power technology Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Zoom to roll out fresh cyber security updates

New features include support for advanced AES 256-bit encryption Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Surge in Wi-Fi upload traffic shows need for advanced Wi-Fi adoption

Prolonged home working will see home networks, based on older Wi-Fi technologies rather than the likes of Wi-Fi 6, put under intolerable strain, warns analyst Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Cisco, Google Cloud plan application-centric multicloud networking fabric

Tech giants unite to address current systems’ perceived lack of capability to signal service level requests dynamically and offer full WAN application integration with cloud workloads Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Application performance for remote workers becomes primary network issue for businesses

When it comes to WAN, cost diminishes in importance, while dealing with complexity increases, as more firms spread reach to more locations Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: German networks take the extra strain from social distancing

Network performance and customer experience monitoring firm finds German networks coping with masses of online home users despite some degradations since the start of social distancing and stay-at-home policies Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How DBS is reaping the dividends of digital transformation

At DBS Bank, the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak has demonstrated the value of technology and the investments it made over the past decade to modernise its technology stack Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Covid-19 outbreak sees first-quarter revenues flatten for Huawei

Chinese networking mega-firm endures tough first quarter, but pledges that it will ride out the coronavirus storm Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Collaboration and communications get richer as Covid-19 ushers in new working reality

Covid-19 lockdowns bring about collective rethink in the way we work, with remote video becoming normalised and a potential change in the way effectiveness is measured Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

NCSC launches coronavirus cyber security campaign

The National Cyber Security Centre has launched a reporting service for scam emails as part of a campaign to help people protect themselves from cyber criminals exploiting the pandemic Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How ISPs and operators ensure network quality in a pandemic

COVID-19 has caused a spike in remote workers, increased internet usage and traffic surges. Here's how ISPs and telecom operators plan for continuity and quality during the pandemic. Continue Reading

By

• Tom Nolle, Andover Intel

INCA: UK gigabit broadband progress more important than ever

Trade body for independent network providers calls for progress toward the delivery of ultrafast broadband to all parts of the UK to continue despite the current Covid-19 lockdown conditions Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Zoom and WebEx users targeted by credential stealing attempts

Videoconferencing apps such as Zoom and Cisco’s WebEx are being targeted by cyber criminals trying to steal users’ personal data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 54

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna talk about the likely legacy of lockdown for working lives, the mental health impact of the public health crisis, and how data scientists are looking to help by identifying signals of economic recovery. Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor
• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Ada Lovelace Institute questions effectiveness of UK contact-tracing strategy

Independent study institute for user-focused data and AI solutions argues that NHS Covid-19 tracking plans will not be effective unless action is taken to address technical limitations Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

CIO interview: Jason Oliver, IT director, University of Sussex

Imagine taking a year to formulate a digital transformation plan – then having to implement much of it in two weeks when the coronavirus hit. For the Sussex University IT chief, there’s even more to do now Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Ofcom publishes technical data debunking 5G links to Covid-19

Ofcom makes latest response to the unfounded and dangerous fake news suggesting links between 5G networks and coronavirus Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Will 5G turn Langkawi into world’s first smart island?

Malaysia telco TM is set to transform Malaysia’s Langkawi archipelago with a 5G testbed that will pave the way for 5G services across the country Continue Reading

CW ANZ: Trend Watch on communications infrastructure

In this handbook, Computer Weekly looks at how Australia’s bushfires impacted its telecoms networks and the increase in SD-WAN adoption in Asia-Pacific Continue Reading

Cloud and 5G to drive SD-WAN adoption in APAC, says Silver Peak

Cloud migration and 5G services will boost the uptake of SD-WAN in a region where some markets are still in the early adopter phase Continue Reading

Australian wildfires take toll on telco networks

Major telco networks in Australia were disrupted by power cuts resulting from devastating bushfires, raising questions about the resilience of the country’s communications infrastructure Continue Reading

Fifth of UK small businesses concerned about prolonged remote working

Small firms find the potential prospect of indefinite working from home a major challenge to future business Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: Big hit to European 5G as smartphone industry set for sharpest falls in 20 years

Screeching halt to telecoms money truck predicted for 2020 as Covid-19 outbreak impacts phone production and 5G roll-out Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Verizon Business zooms in to acquire conferencing company BlueJeans

With conferencing and collaboration rocketing due to the Covid-19 outbreak and no real end in sight to the increased usage, Verizon swoops in to acquire conference applications provider BlueJeans Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

What if we find we rather like this working from home thing?

Sometimes it takes a major economic shock to change the accepted wisdom of economics and work – our working life after the coronavirus crisis might be very different Continue Reading

By

• Tim Worstall, Adam Smith Institute

EU warns no compromise on privacy as NHS clashes with tech firms on contact tracing

EU and UK regulators express data privacy concerns days after Silicon Valley giants announce collaboration on contact-tracing apps to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: Telcos in developed markets to lose more than $40bn

Big increases in unemployment will see a 3.4% decline in telecoms revenue this year, with the negative impact to persist for the next 12 months, says analyst Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Nuage Networks declares SD-WAN first for desktop, mobile and IoT devices

Nokia subsidiary integrates Asavie SD Edge to allow enterprise IT managers to extend security policies beyond branch to mobile users and connected devices Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus shines spotlight on mobile connectivity

Mobile operators in Asia-Pacific are playing their part in the fight against Covid-19, even as some of them are facing roadblocks in rolling out 5G networks Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Orange expands mesh Wi-Fi into Belgium, reinforces marine service capabilities

SoftAtHome’s mesh Wi-Fi now available for Orange Belgium customers while Orange ship begins undersea cabling survey work off coast of Sicily Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

BT inks Ericsson 5G supply deal but delays schedule to replace Huawei kit

UK telco engages Swedish tech firm to deploy cloud-native dual-mode 5G core, but rows back on deadline to remove all Huawei technology from mobile core by end of year Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: Standard Chartered bans employees from Zoom

Standard Chartered is the first bank to have instructed its staff to refrain from using Zoom Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Managed services rev up revenues for SD-WAN in fourth quarter of 2019

Analyst Omdia highlights the steady transition in 2019 from hardware-based to software-defined networking and predicts good times despite Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: Researcher finds security vulnerability in Slack

Some common assumptions about the security of cloud-based messaging platform Slack may not be entirely accurate, says an Alien Labs researcher Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Samsung claims 4.3Gbps 5G speed breakthrough

Korean tech giant’s latest lab demonstration uses MU-MIMO technology to showcase 5G’s potentially vast capacity, new radio, NR, 28GHz access unit Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: Apple and Google unite for contact tracing technology

Silicon Valley giants announce collaboration to prevent the spread of Coronavirus Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: More than two-fifths of employees likely to continue remote working after pandemic

Research firm Gartner offers guide to managing remote workers during Covid-19 pandemic as new normal for work emerges Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Three changes to office work post-coronavirus

While it’s early days, experts believe the coronavirus pandemic could change working practices. We investigate Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

WHO wades into UK fake 5G Covid-19 links row as regulator probes leading broadcaster

World Health Organization publishes myth-buster guide to Covid-19 as Ofcom investigates remarks made on leading ITV programme casting doubt on media proof of fake news Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: European network traffic curves flatten but security issues increase

Nokia research finds networks are taking the strain despite a huge increase in upstream traffic during the day from videoconferencing and downstream during weekends from video-on-demand Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Australian firms soldier on amid Covid-19 outbreak

From the largest financial institutions to small companies, Aussie firms have been dialling up their use of technology tools to keep their businesses humming during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

Apple and Netflix most imitated brands in phishing attacks

A new report highlights the brands which are being most frequently spoofed by cyber criminals in phishing attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Zoom user credentials for sale on dark web

IntSight researchers say they have found a database containing thousands of Zoom usernames and passwords being sold on the dark web Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK altnets increase full-fibre coverage by 50%

Independent network providers notch up notable year in 2019 as fibre access for all becomes political hot potato Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus puts brakes on 5G core deployments

Research firm identifies short- and long-term impacts that global pandemic will have on 5G core and edge networks Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Evolution of cellular 5G backhaul architecture faces challenges

Backhaul has become trendy again and for good reason. 5G backhaul architecture means network architects will have to reconsider how their networks can handle 1 Gbps speeds. Continue Reading

By

• Lee Badman

How Singapore’s Niometrics is changing network analytics

By extracting granular data and emphasising privacy protection, Niometrics’ network analytics technology is being put through its paces in a variety of use cases Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Warning over surge in Zoom security incidents

Check Point researchers have observed a surge in suspicious Zoom domains as cyber criminals target popular remote working and collaboration tools Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Wi-Fi experts can help during times of crisis management

When faced with disaster response, wireless network professionals can volunteer their Wi-Fi skills and advise friends and family about home network security. Continue Reading

By

• Lee Badman

I’m a celebrity...Let me monger fear!

We’ve all been in Amanda Holden’s shoes. One minute, someone’s sending you a petition explicitly linking 5G to Covid-19; the next, you’re accidentally sharing it with 1.9 million Twitter followers. ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

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

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Lee Doyle, Doyle Research

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

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

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

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

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

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly