Networking and communication

Amazon launches Kindle Fire tablet but experts doubt its use as a business device

Amazon has confirmed its much-anticipated entry into the tablet market with the US launch of its Kindle Fire device - but analysts doubt it will appeal to corporate IT buyers. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Microsoft starts roll-out of Mango update for Windows Phone 7

Microsoft has started rolling out the next major version of its Windows Phone 7 operating system, codenamed Mango. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

BASF extends BT network contract

Chemical group BASF has signed a €200m deal with BT for networking 900 BASF sites in more than 80 countries. The contract includes the provision of IP telephony and local network services (managed LAN services) at 300 sites in North and South America as well as in Asia. Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How to justify the business case for virtual desktop infrastructure licensing

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) technology can cut energy bills, increase business agility and improve mobile working flexibility. But licensing cost and complexity can wipe off the financial savings of VDI deployment. Jenny Williams explores the labyrinth of VDI licensing. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Job Bag makes the move to VoIP

Sydney software developer Job Bag has upgraded to a shiny new VoIP PABX and is loving the results Continue Reading

By

• Adam Turner

Cisco halves sales forecast as CEO John Chambers eyes Huawei market share

Following Cisco Systems' warning it is to halve its sales forecast as it struggles with reduced demand and increased competition, CEO John Chambers said he intends to battle with Chinese network provider Huawei. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Openreach expands fibre to 114 more exchanges

BT Openreach has unveiled 114 exchanges that will be upgraded to deliver fibre broadband as part of its plan to deliver fibre to two-thirds of the UK by the end of 2015. Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

University challenge: using IT to improve services and reduce costs

Universities face a balancing act as they become increasingly expected to improve the experiences of more demanding students while making budgets go further, and IT is a critical tool in finding this balance. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How networks are adapting to virtualisation

This Network Evolution E-Zine examines new tools for managing networks that support virtualisation and automating change and configuration management, network core services, and daily administrative tasks. Uncover how network managers and engineers are responding to the changes wrought by virtualisation, the tools they are using and how well these tools meet their needs. Continue Reading

Ofcom gives green light to use TV spectrum for rural broadband

Telecommunications regulator Ofcom has given the go-ahead for internet providers to use unused TV spectrum to deliver broadband to rural areas. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Nokia launches three smartphones running Symbian Belle operating system

Nokia has unveiled three smartphone devices running its new operating system, Symbian Belle. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Durham University upgrades communications infrastructure and adopts IP telephony

Durham University is to upgrade its communications infrastructure after signing a deal with Siemens Enterprise Communications (SEC) which will see the university adopt IP telephony. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Unified network management: Wired and wireless together for good?

With an integrated network management vision, two organizations improved security and reliability, and have made steps towards a fully integrated network. But will we get there? Continue Reading

By

• Lynn Haber, Contributor

Cisco hardening guides for IOS, IOS-XR and NX-OS devices

Patching routing and switching infrastructure in any organisation is often delayed, sometimes due to the potential impact on production systems and sometimes because the IT resources are simply too busy fighting fires. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Gillies, editor

Information Commissioner calls for more privacy improvements at Google

The Information Commissioner's Office says an audit at Google's London office shows the company has taken reasonable steps to improve its privacy policies, but could do more. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Blackberry to co-operate with police after youths used BBM to organise riots

Research in Motion has said that it will co-operate with the police after it was revealed that London rioters used Blackberry Messenger rather than Twitter to organise looting sprees across the capital, with violence later spreading to Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham and Bristol. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Who needs MPLS? A dark fibre network saves York Council

The City of York Council set out to rethink its Internet and voice network services and ended up building a dark fibre network that will support city-wide free wireless. Continue Reading

By

• Tracey Caldwell, Contributor

Sunderland City Council signs multimillion-pound 10-year network deal with BT

BT will deliver a corporate network connecting 188 sites. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

eBay boosts virtual servers with 100 terabytes of flash memory

Online auction site eBay has deployed more than 100 terabytes of flash memory to power its VMware virtual server infrastructure. The S-class flash storage from solid state disk provider Nimbus is believed to be among the world's largest consolidated deployments of network-attached flash storage for virtualisation. Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Amazon closes Android appstore submissions in Germany after Apple lawsuit

Amazon has closed submissions for its Android app store in Germany following a lawsuit from Apple. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

CIO interview: Michael Foster, European vice-president of IT, FedEx Express

What role should IT play in business? This is the question Michael Foster, vice-president of IT at Fedex Europe, tackles at the global courier. Cliff Saran reports. Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran

Apple and Samsung overtake Nokia as worldwide smartphone shipments grow 76%

Nokia's woes continue as Apple and Samsung overtake the Finnish giant to become the largest global smartphone manufacturers, according to analyst figures. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

BSkyB wins 174,000 new broadband subscribers

BSkyB has reported a surge in its broadband business in yearly results, taking its subscriber base to 711,000. Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

KLM deploys RightNow natural language search for mobile website

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has rolled out software-as-a-service provider RightNow's CX Intent Guide on its mobile website. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Virgin Media sees small drop in business sales, and loses 18,000 broadband users

Cable telecoms supplier Virgin Media has reported a small drop in business revenue for its second quarter, while the firm also revealed it has lost 18,000 broadband users... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

UK fails to make world’s top 10 high-speed broadband countries - but Ireland scrapes in

The UK has failed to make it into the top 10 countries with the highest average broadband speed, but neighbouring Ireland scrapes in... Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Virgin Media trials 1.5Gbps broadband at London's Silicon Roundabout

Virgin Media has rolled out broadband speeds of up to 1.5Gbps as part of a trial for businesses in the "Silicon Roundabout" area of London... Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Vodafone increases UK enterprise sales, driven by greater data traffic

Vodafone's latest results reflect increased use of smartphones and data consumption within the workplace. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Carphone Warehouse uses business process management to increase customer satisfaction

Retailer Carphone Warehouse is claiming a 25% jump in its customer satisfaction ratings after investing in BPM software to help staff deal with sales, queries and complaints. Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Cloud network design: Your apps are ready, but is your infrastructure?

Cloud network design means creating a flat infrastructure for horizontal virtual machine traffic flow along with distributed applications for bandwidth optimisation. Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Contributor

Ofcom UK broadband speed map shows wide areas of internet underinvestment

An interactive map of broadband speeds has revealed large sections of the UK need investment in internet connectivity. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

The IT that serves Wimbledon 2011

IBM provides an integrated end-to-end scoring system that delivers live tennis results to the BBC TV graphics, on-court scoreboards, match information displays, official web site and Wimbledon's own iPhone app. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Betfair sees 120% increase in mobile customers

The online gambling firm increased sales via mobile applications by 88% as customer mobile use grows. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Overcoming mobile cloud computing challenges with distributed apps

Mobile cloud computing solutions are challenged by network latency and delay, but distributing mobile cloud applications so they're closer to users may be an answer to the problem. Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Contributor

Ofcom grants mobile phone operators right to trade radio spectrum to expand capacity

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has given mobile phone operators rights to trade radio spectrum holdings to help increase mobile network capacity for consumers. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Government to create market for personal identity data

The government is preparing to create a marketplace for citizens' personal data to be used for accessing online public services, according to documents that were issued to industry in preparation for the coalition's next-generation identity scheme. Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ballard

Pizza Express rolls out Wi-Fi for smartphone connectivity

Pizza Express has rolled out Wi-Fi across its 384 stores to meet growing customer demand for mobile internet connectivity. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Former T-Mobile employees ordered to pay nearly £80,000 for data theft

The Chester Crown Court has ordered two former employees of UK mobile operator T-Mobile to pay a total of £73,700 after stealing and selling customer data from the company in 2008. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Visa predicts 20 million contactless payment cards in UK by 2012

Visa Europe expects the number of contactless cards being used in the UK to reach 20 million by the end of 2011. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

TfL makes real-time information available for ‘Boris Bikes’ apps

Transport for London (TfL) has made real-time information available on its "Boris Bikes" scheme for developers seeking to create mobile apps. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Skype suffers second outage as users locked out

Some Skype users have been unable to sign into accounts after the service suffered a second outage in as many weeks. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Using network management and monitoring systems across IT and buildings

Bolton College linked its buildings facilities to the campus network and is using a network monitoring and management system that sees both buildings and IT resources. Continue Reading

By

• Tracey Caldwell, Contributor

UK government announces next wave of rural broadband deployment

Consumers and businesses in Wiltshire, Norfolk, Devon and Somerset are to benefit from the next phase of the UK government's drive to roll out superfast broadband connections to rural areas. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Skype users locked out as internet telephony service works on fix

Skype was forced to issue a workaround for users unable to sign into their accounts while the internet telephony service worked on a permanent fix. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

For cloud automation, think flat networks and Ethernet fabric

For cloud automation, vendors are preaching flat cloud networks based on Ethernet fabrics and open network software that enable engineers to build in cloud management tools. Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Contributor

BT and Everything Everywhere trial 800MHz 4G LTE broadband in Newquay

BT and mobile operator Everything Everywhere are seeking 200 volunteers in South Newquay, Cornwall to trial a joint high-speed 4G broadband initiative. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Buyer's Guide: HP's Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) put to the test

In the world of datacentres and large-scale enterprise networks there has always been some form of perceived trade-off between performance and resilience. Building in resilience is absolutely essential of course, but it has historically affected service and application ability when brought to play. Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Analysis: What does Microsoft's Skype acquisition mean for businesses?

Microsoft's planned acquisition of internet telephony services firm Skype for $8.5bn has caused quite a stir in the consumer world, but what will it mean for business? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government urges councils to accelerate superfast broadband roll-out

The government is calling on local authorities to accelerate broadband roll-out to help it deliver superfast broadband services to 90% of homes and business by 2015. Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

SME technology trends in 2011: Analysys Mason talks cloud and mobility

European SME technology trends in 2011 will see the rise of cloud-based services and mobility applications, predicts Steve Hilton, principal analyst for Analysys Mason. Continue Reading

By

• Rachel Shuster, TechTarget

Your enterprise wireless LAN questions answered

Got wireless LAN questions? Our expert has solutions to 802.11n migration, wireless LAN troubleshooting and mesh network design. Continue Reading

By

• Rivka Gewirtz Little

Cloud computing: How to avoid a network bottleneck

Cloud computing can put a huge load on a business's network. Organisations need to ensure network access from the user's browser on the local area network (LAN), to a cloud-based datacentre across on the public internet are fit for purpose. Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Wired and wireless: Can you achieve an integrated network?

This European edition of Network Evolution E-Zine discusses the myths surrounding integrated wired and wireless LANs, security considerations, and wireless and mobile technology trends the UK should be on the lookout for. Continue Reading

Wireless LAN authorisation guide: Controlling users and their devices

As wireless LANs become core access technology, it is crucial to implement WLAN access control that manages both corporate and personal devices, as well as Wi-Fi embedded clients. Continue Reading

By

• Rivka Gewirtz Little

Hybrid cloud model saves university money on a data centre upgrade

Loughborough University implemented a hybrid cloud model and saved money on upgrading its data centre infrastructure, networks and collaborative applications. Continue Reading

By

• Tracey Caldwell, Contributor

Computer Weekly marks the end of an era as a new one begins

The first issue of Computer Weekly magazine in 1966 marked the start of an era in the UK IT industry - the first ever weekly technology publication. This is the story of how it all began. Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Building an Olympics network

Preparation is clearly the key to Olympic success, as players on 27 July 2012 will see years of finely honed practice condensed into one gruelling fortnight Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Manageability issues impede adoption of virtualisation

Virtual infrastructure management challenges are hindering the adoption of virtualisation within businesses, according to research. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Copper-based 10 Gigabit Ethernet is arriving, but not on 10GBase-T

Forget the predictions that copper-based 10 Gigabit Ethernet would run on 10Gbase-T. Copper-based Ethernet is here, but SFP Direct Attach maybe the cabling of choice. Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

How pay-as-you-behave technology could transform car insurance

New IT systems can help calculate unique insurance premiums based on driver behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

Community networks to be part of Devon and Somerset broadband projects

Devon and Somerset county council has issued requests for tenders worth... Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

Samsung and Visa team up for mobile NFC payments

Samsung and Visa have formed a partnership to provide mobile payments in time for the 2012 London Olympic games. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Secure your SCADA architecture by separating networks

Many critical national infrastructure systems include supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) functionality. These systems can be viewed as the set of software, computers and networks that provide remote co-ordination of controls systems for tangible infrastructures such as power generation systems, chemical plants, manufacturing equipment and transportation systems Continue Reading

By

• Edward Amoroso

All for one fibre, one fibre for all, says ECTA

Countries should separate the provision of new fibre networks from their operation, executives from telcos struggling to enter new national markets told the European Commission and major banks on Tuesday. Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

UK wireless technology trends: Enterprise tablets take hold

What's next in wireless technology trends? IMS Research analysts predict enterprise tablet adoption, as well as growth in Near Field Communication, Wi-Fi Direct and M2M communication for businesses. Continue Reading

By

• Tracey Caldwell, Contributor

High performance networking: How NYSE Euronext trimmed latency

In financial trading even a microsecond of latency can lose a deal, so NYSE Euronext worked with Force10 Networks to build high-performance networking with collapsed tiers and super-speed Ethernet to avoid any loss. Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Contributor

Rural broadband fund triggers technology tussle

News that the government may be giving serious thought to a "last mile first" approach when it comes to spending public money on broadband projects emerged this week to a cautious response from industry. Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

Secure remote access enables virtual desktops, mobility

St. Richard’s Catholic College in East Sussex implemented secure remote access to allow mobile access to network resources while rolling out virtual desktop learning tools. Continue Reading

By

• Tracey Caldwell

Google adds real-time traffic data to Android map app

Google has updated its algorithms to support real-time data for its map application for smartphones running on the Android operating system (OS). Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Intel launches second generation Core vPro processor

Intel says new chip will increase the speed of business applications by 60% Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

3UK offers unlimited data service to pay-as-you-go customers

Mobile phone service 3UK is to launch a £15 per month 'all-you-can-eat' data service for pay as you go customers. Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

Azure propels Southampton's Windows Phone 7 balloon above the clouds

Microsoft Azure is helping Southampton University to reach above the clouds in a first-of-its-kind experiment to probe the stratosphere using an unmanned vehicle. Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Networking tutorials

SearchNetworking.co.UK's tutorials provide in-depth resources on networking, mobile, and telecommunications technology and strategy in the UK. Core coverage areas include network design and administration, data centre networking, mobile enterprise planning, WAN design and implementation and UK telecommunications networks and services. Continue Reading

UPDATE: Stolen network equipment causes Vodafone UK network outage

The theft of specialist equipment has prevented thousands of users from accessing the Vodafone network. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Huawei asks US to investigate it for threats to national interest

Huawei, the Chinese telecoms equipment maker, has called for the US government to make a formal investigation of the company to lay to rest allegations that it represents a threat to US national interests. Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

Intel rolls out high speed cable 'Thunderbolt'

Intel has rolled out a high-speed PC connection technology named Thunderbolt, in collaboration with Apple. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Middle East governments stepping up internet control, study shows

The internet has proved to be a powerful tool for rallying social and political change, but Middle East governments have also recognised their capability to disrupt communications Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK cloud computing trends: Are IT shops buying in?

UK cloud computing trends show that IT shops are buying into the technology to complement in-house applications and that security is not the most pressing challenge. Continue Reading

By

• Crystal Bedell

RSA 2011: Top attacks business will face in 2011

Social networking will be the attacker platform of choice in 2011, says Ed Skoudis, founder and senior security consultant with InGuardians. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Enterprise mobile computing spurs change in UK networking trends

A driving demand for enterprise mobile computing devices and applications is driving a shift toward unified wired and wireless networking in the UK networking industry, according to HP Networking UK chief Barry Bonnett. Continue Reading

By

• Crystal Bedell

Real-time analytics bring voice calls back in vogue

By combining the personal touch of voice calls with the real-time analytics of Web applications, a telecoms startup hopes to make chatting on the phone more common, and more profitable. Continue Reading

By

• Nick Booth

Vodafone protests Egyptian government propaganda on network

Vodafone has described the Egyptian authorities' use of its network to send pro-government texts as unacceptable. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

University unified communications includes presence…and video…and IM

As University of Birmingham rolls out its first unified communications solution, it is addressing a whole host of issues from load balancing to cultural change among staff. Continue Reading

By

• Tracey Caldwell

Every IPv4 address is now allocated and could run out within weeks

It's official: the IPv4-based internet is full, or at least it will be within a few weeks Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Broadband boosts BT profits to £531m

An early return to positive cash flow at Global Services helped BT to produce earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation 7% higher on sales that fell 3% Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

O2 to apply for e-money licence to support NFC payments

O2 will apply for an e-money licence this year, signalling its commitment to support contactless payments in the UK in the near future. Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Interactive crime map site experiencing problems as millions log on

An interactive crime map has been launched to allow people to monitor criminal activity in their area. Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

What storage and network convergence really means

This edition of Storage Europe will investigate how users are addressing storage and network convergence in the field, and what their outlook is for the future. Continue Reading

Vodafone restores services to Egypt after mobile shutdown

Mobile operator, Vodafone, has restored mobile phone services in Egypt after a 24-hour shutdown. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Intel introduces OpenFCoE, offers cheap fibre channel over Ethernet on-ramp

Intel has introduced a new, cheap, way to connect servers to Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) networks, and taken a dig at other FCoE rivals along the way. But the release may not save users the real cost of a new FCoE network. Continue Reading

By

• Simon Sharwood with Allison Ehrhart

Tesco rolls out in-store mobile phone network

Supermarket Tesco is rolling out a converged fixed and mobile voice network across its stores based on GSM technology. Cliff Saran finds out how the rollout is progressing. Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Sky buys The Cloud

BSkyB has confirmed plans to acquire UK Wi-Fi network provider The Cloud. The deal allows the broadcaster access to 5,000 public wireless hotspots Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Zuckerberg's Facebook page hacked

The personal page of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was hacked and an unauthorised update was placed on it Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Virgin supplies London schools with 10Mbps fibre optic broadband

Virgin Media's business division is to supply a managed fibre optic network to London's Grid for Learning that will replace a broadband network supplied by Symmetrix, a Capita company. Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

Bluwan's FTTA promises cheap high-speed comms

Start-up French wireless comms company Bluwan has previewed microwave technology that promises to slash the cost of providing high-speed broadband to rural areas to between 2% and 5% of traditional microwave and fibre networks. Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

McDonald's to roll out contactless payments in 1,200 UK stores

Fast-food restaurant chain, McDonald's, will roll out contactless payments in all of its 1,200 UK stores by the end of October Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Williams, University of Gloucestershire

Rackspace launches system administrator app

Rackspace has launched an app that allows a CIO or system administrator to dial up or take down servers and storage moment by moment. Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

Iran gets access to Google Earth, Picasa and Chrome

Google has announced that Iranians are to be able to download Google Earth, Picasa and Chrome, available for the first time following the easing of US export controls. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Babcock outsources next-gen network to C&W Worldwide

UK-based global engineering firm Babcock has hired Cable&Wireless Worldwide as its sole telecoms supplier for the next three years to consolidate Babcock's legacy network estate and connect its 250 UK and international sites Continue Reading

By

• Ian Grant

Vodafone Australia sacks employees over data leak

Vodafone Australia has sacked several people after four million customer records were exposed in a privacy leak Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget