Operating systems software
Competition among operating system (OS) suppliers is growing, with new OS products being developed for emerging platforms such as smartphones and netbooks. Microsoft Windows is still the most important product for businesses, but Linux, Mac OS and Unix offer important alternatives, along with device-specific OS such as Android and Chrome. We examine the operating system software choices facing IT managers.
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News
03 Sep 2025
IT departments face huge Windows 10 support bill
When Windows 10 reaches end-of-life on October 14th, organisations will need to purchase an Extended Support contract to receive Microsoft patches Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2025
Moscow exploiting seven-year-old Cisco flaw, says FBI
US authorities warn of an uptick in state-sponsored exploitation of a seven-year-old vulnerability in Cisco's operating system software Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2015
NCR promises 40% annual savings with thin-client cash machines
NCR has developed smart thin client cash machines to replacing ageing Windows XP-based ATMs Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2015
Ford drives connected car journey with Microsoft Azure
The Microsoft Azure cloud will be used to power Ford's new software delivery and vehicle monitoring service Continue Reading
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Photo Story
06 Feb 2015
Universal apps in the enterprise
Windows 10 offers a new application platform, called universal apps. Should businesses consider using universal apps for new applications Continue Reading
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Photo Story
21 Jan 2015
Windows 10: Microsoft gets serious on upgrades
Microsoft will offer users of Windows 7, 8, 8.1, Windows Phone a free upgrade to Windows 10. Plus there is a hologram version Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2015
Google under fire over Windows zero-day disclosure
Google has come under fire for publishing a proof-of-concept attack exploiting a flaw in Windows 8.1 before Microsoft had released a security update Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2014
Microsoft releases emergency security patch for Windows and Windows Server
Microsoft emergency patch fixes a Windows and Windows Server vulnerability hackers are exploiting to compromise networks Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2014
Qantas puts Oracle ERP in the cloud with Tata Consultancy Services
Airline Qantas signs IT outsourcing services firm TCS to upgrade its Oracle ERP platform and move it into the cloud Continue Reading
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E-Zine
10 Nov 2014
Migrating away from Windows Server 2003
In this week’s Computer Weekly, as Microsoft prepares to end support for the popular Windows Server 2013 operating system, we assess the risk for organisations that fail to migrate in time. We hear from IT leaders delivering benefits from enterprise social media use to improve staff collaboration. And we look at criticisms from Oracle users about the supplier’s software licensing practices. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2014
Airbus interview: research, innovation and the future of aviation
IT plays a substantial role in creating the aircraft of the future, with research and innovation at the core of the Airbus business strategy Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2014
Microsoft readies Windows 10 Technical Preview
Microsoft is today releasing a preview of Windows 10, the next version of the Windows desktop operating system Continue Reading
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News
25 Sep 2014
Bash bug could be bigger threat than Heartbleed
A bug in the Bash command prompt software used by many Unix computers could be a greater threat than Heartbleed. Continue Reading
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News
29 Aug 2014
Tesco to reduce IT spend in a bid to cut costs
Supermarket giant Tesco has announced that it will be cutting costs from its IT budget to save money Continue Reading
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News
29 Aug 2014
Ocado’s technology under fire, causing share price to fall
Ocado’s IT has come under fire in a financial analyst's report that claims the market has over-valued the retailer's automation technology Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2014
Load balancing supports Kent County Council's VDI project
Kent County Council picks Kemp Technologies load balancers to support a deployment of VMware Horizon View and Workspace across its estate Continue Reading
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Photo Story
04 Aug 2014
Apple OS X Yosemite – How open beta will improve enterprise outlook
Apple recently submitted its most recent operating system, OS X Yosemite, for open beta. This move could signal greater opportunities for Apple in the enterprise. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2014
Microsoft ditches Android after four-month fling
Microsoft pulls the plug on its short-lived Nokia X Android devices as it prepares to make 18,000 employees redundant Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2014
Queen Mary University to offer networking crash course for ICT students
Queen Mary University of London to pilot a four-day network training and certification course Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2014
Microsoft halts Windows 8.1 update for businesses due to bug
Microsoft has suspended the Windows 8.1 update for business users because of a bug. Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2014
Ministry of Justice to invest up to £375m in court and tribunal technology reform
The Ministry of Justice has announced a five-year programme to update and replace technology used in courts and tribunals across the UK Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2014
Airport IT Trends Survey
Airports are spending a larger slice of their revenues on technology as they look to improve the passenger experience, this major study from SITA reveals. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
17 Feb 2014
UK IT spending will outpace rest of Europe in 2014
Computer Weekly research reveals the IT spending priorities for UK and European organisations in 2014. Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2014
Met Police releases ‘Total Technology’ IT strategy
The Metropolitan Police Service has released a three to four-year plan on how to transform the use of technology in the organisation Continue Reading
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News
28 Jan 2014
BBC failed to get "sufficient grip” over failed DMI project, says NAO
The National Audit Office has slammed the BBC over its failed Digital Media Initiative (DMI), project saying the broadcaster was “too optimistic” and the BBC executive “did not have sufficient grip of the programme" Continue Reading
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E-Zine
06 Jan 2014
IT giants go north for cool datacentres
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at why IT giants like Microsoft and Google are building datacentres in the Nordic region, and what benefits a similar move could bring to corporate CIOs. Windows XP support ends in just three months’ time – our buyer’s guide examines what you need to do if you’re still using the operating system. And the CIO of Ikea talks about the challenges of international multichannel retail. Read the issue now Continue Reading
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Photo Story
23 Dec 2013
IT at the WWF Living Planet Centre
WWF’s Living Planet Centre is one of the greenest buildings in the UK and aims to demonstrate to the public using technology how it is possible for people to live in harmony with nature Continue Reading
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Opinion
19 Dec 2013
User acceptance testing needs real training, not just a short course
In spite of its importance, user acceptance testing (UAT) is often chaotic, problematic and ineffective Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2013
700,000 benefit claimants miss out on Universal Credit deadline
The secretary for work and pensions has admitted the Universal Credit benefit scheme will miss its 2017 deadline Continue Reading
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News
21 Oct 2013
Microsoft withdraws faulty Windows RT 8.1 update for Surface tablets
Microsoft has widthdrawn its Windows 8.1 update for Surface RT tablets after some users reported system crashes Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2013
Software acquisition is risk acquisition, says industry panel
New software often means new security vulnerabilities, panel tells the (ISC)2 Security Congress 2013 Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2013
CW Enterprise Software case studies
Brian McKenna presents 6 case studies on enterprise software drawn from the winners of Computer Weekly's European User Awards. Continue Reading
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News
23 Aug 2013
The end of the Ballmer era for Microsoft
Microsoft’s eccentric CEO will step down from his role with12 months, so what does that mean for the future of the firm? Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2013
Ubuntu crowd sources funding for PC smartphone hybrid
Ubuntu has invited early adopters to join crowd-funding ventures to launch Ubuntu Edge, a hybrid PC and mobile phone platform Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2013
Windows 8 Secrets
Download a step by step guide to installing Windows 8 from the book Windows 8 Secrets. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
13 Jun 2013
Software Gallery opens at the National Museum of Computing
The National Museum of Computing has opened a new exhibit charting the history of software Continue Reading
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Feature
13 May 2013
Workplace IT services in flux: wherever, whenever, whatever
Enterprise computing is in upheaval as the emphasis shifts towards automation and user-device provision. Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2013
Windows 8 passes 100 million in sales
Microsoft says Windows 8 OS has sold more than 100 million copies, roughly matching Windows 7 in the six months after launch Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2013
Microsoft reports strong quarterly results for all divisions
Microsoft reported profit of $6bn for the past quarter, up 17% from a year ago, despite a mixed response to Windows 8 and a decline in PC sales Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Apr 2013
Windows XP end of support: What to do next
CIOs may not wish to carry on running a 12-year-old desktop OS, but thousands of incompatible applications leave many with no choice Continue Reading
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Photo Story
04 Mar 2013
How to configure Mac OS X Server
How to secure Mac OS X Server using global password policies and data loss prevention Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2013
Are software audits good for your health?
The Business Software Alliance's claim that 90% of all audit letters sent in 2012 were the result of tips from whistle-blowers is a wake-up call to CIOs Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2013
Barclays' Linux programme not a snub to suppliers
Barclays says it is not snubbing any supplier by developing a private cloud infrastructure and using Linux to cut software development costs by 90%. Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2013
Ubuntu Linux adapted for Android smartphones
The open source Ubuntu operating system, a distribution of Linux, has been adapted to run on smartphones Continue Reading
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News
28 Dec 2012
Top 10 business software articles of 2012
The main thrust in enterprise software this year has been the introduction of a new Windows OS, programming model and user interface. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Dec 2012
How to secure Macs in the enterprise
Apple computers are becoming increasingly used in the enterprise - we look at how to securely introduce Macs in the corporate network Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2012
Optimising Linux on System z
Linux on System z has opened up new opportunities for the mainframe say analysts Clive Longbottom and Rob Bamforth. Continue Reading
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News
29 Aug 2012
VMware demos Horizon for workspace aggregation
VMware has fleshed out its desktop virtualisation strategy with products designed to make desktop computing more manageable Continue Reading
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Photo Story
20 Aug 2012
Open source review: Ubuntu OS 12.04 LTS
Adrian Bridgwater reviews Canonical's latest operating system for Linux and assesses its fitness for business users Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2012
Microsoft faces substantial EC fine over browser rules breach
Microsoft faces a large fine for failing to offer Windows users a choice of web browser despite apologising to the European Commission (EC) Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2012
The future of software development: Energized Work
Gus Power, CTO at Energized Work, gives his views on the future of software development, in this presentation for Computer Weekly's 500 Club. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2012
The future of software development: The FT's view.
Jagdeep Singh Bhambra, head of software development at the FT, gives his views on the future of software development, in this presentation for Computer Weekly's 500 Club for IT leaders. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jul 2012
Microsoft confirms Windows 8 OS release in October
Microsoft's latest operating system (OS), Windows 8, will be released to manufacturing in August, with full release due three months later Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2012
KPMG 2012 Global Technology Innovation Survey
China and the US are most likely to come up with disruptive technology breakthroughs over the next four years, but Europe lags behind Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2012
Microsoft ramps up Windows 8 security for IT consumerisation
Microsoft is building antivirus and secure, role-based authentication into Windows 8 to make the OS enterprise-ready Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2012
Asian scientists call for government action on supercomputers
Scientists in India, China, Japan, Korea and India have called on their governments to collaborate on supercomputer technology Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2012
Microsoft softens July licence blow
Microsoft has lowered the price hike planned for July, but businesses still face paying up to 25% more for their software. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2012
CW Buyer's Guide: IT Tools
This Computer Weekly buyer’s guide to IT tools shows how you can use software and systems to improve the running of your IT department. Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2012
London to test urban operating system
London is to test an operating system developed to support the smart cities of the future to keep buildings, traffic and services running smoothly. Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2012
Infosec 2012: Patching alone can deliver 80% protection
Keeping software up to date with security patches can deliver 80% protection from cyber threats, says security firm Secunia. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Apr 2012
Blade servers: How to decide on Unix or Linux
If you’re contemplating Unix or Linux for your blade server, or a migration from one to the other, in this guide you will find everything you need to make up your mind. Useful Unix and Linux command lines also included. Continue Reading
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News
21 Dec 2011
RIM rebuffs Amazon and Microsoft approaches
Amazon considered buying troubled smartphone maker, Research in Motion, according to a report on Reuters. Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2011
Technology industry figures pay tribute to Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs
Apple's co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs has died, aged 56. Jobs battled with pancreatic cancer, and had liver transplant surgery in 2009. He stepped down as Apple CEO in August 2011 after his second bout of medical leave since the start of the year. Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2011
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
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News
27 Sep 2011
Bristol Council's open source plan thwarted by security clearance problems
Bristol City Council's open source push has suffered another series of set-backs that point a finger of blame at CESG, the cyber security arm of GCHQ. Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2011
Government pulls plug on ailing £11bn NHS IT programme
The troubled £11bn NHS National Programme for IT is to be axed, the government is expected to announce later today. Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2011
HP webOS lay-offs could affect European employees
Hewlett-Packard could lay off European employees as part of the company's decision to discontinue its webOS hardware division, including the Touchpad tablet range. Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2011
RightMove renders property maps with Google
RightMove is the UK's biggest user of Google Maps and one of the largest users of the mapping software in the world. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
13 Sep 2011
Windows 8: A first look at new features for business users
A first look at Windows 8 from Microsoft's BUILD conference in Anaheim, shows what enterprise users can expect. Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2011
Windows 8: Microsoft hibernates the operating system for faster boot-up
This week developers get a chance to try out Windows 8, the latest version of Microsoft's desktop operating system. Windows 8 offers a new graphical user interface using tiles rather than the start menu, which is optimised for touch. Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2011
DigiNotar certificate authority breach: Why it matters
There has been much speculation around the identity and motive of the hacker who was able to breach DigiNotar and issue fraudulent digital certificates for hundreds of websites, but putting such speculation aside, what is the broader significance of the incident? Continue Reading
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News
16 Aug 2011
Microsoft to discontinue support for its e-book reader application
Microsoft is to halt support for its e-book reader application in a year's time, with no new content to be released after November this year. Continue Reading
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News
11 Aug 2011
US woman sues Google over Gmail scanning
A woman has filed a class action suit against Google for scanning all e-mail sent to Gmail account holders to use for targeted advertising campaigns. Continue Reading
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News
09 Aug 2011
Windows 7 deployments delayed by economic uncertainties, says Gartner
Economic uncertainty may cause a slowdown in Windows 7 operating system (OS) deployments in Western Europe, according to research firm Gartner. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
02 Aug 2011
Review of Visual Studio Lightswitch
A review of Visual Studio Lightswitch, Microsoft's simplified self-service development tool. Continue Reading
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News
02 Aug 2011
Tesco signs eight-year deal to use Microsoft products and services
Tesco has signed a software licensing and services deal with Microsoft aimed at helping improve the retail giant's global productivity and international growth. Continue Reading
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News
02 Aug 2011
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
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News
11 Jul 2011
Microsoft packs a lot into July’s four Patch Tuesday security updates
Microsoft is to release only four security updates in this month's Patch Tuesday security update, but these will cover 22 vulnerabilities in Windows and Office. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2011
Law firm uses RES Software to manage desktop transfer in office move
UK-based international law firm Stephenson Harwood used RES Software to retain and manage user desktop settings as well as upgrade desktop software during an office move. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Jul 2011
Case study: How a small business can benefit from SaaS
Professional beauty products distributor SweetSquared considers using Microsoft Office 365 alongside browser-based SaaS. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
01 Jul 2011
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
- Photo Story 01 Jul 2011
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News
29 Jun 2011
Update software to reduce risk of cyber attack, top suppliers tell business
Businesses are unnecessarily exposing themselves to cyber attack simply by failing to update to the latest versions of the software they are running, according to Microsoft and Adobe. Continue Reading
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News
22 Jun 2011
Mozilla releases final version of Firefox 5 for download
Mozilla has released a fifth version of its web browser, Firefox, available to download for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2011
Chinese software flaw makes infrastructure vulnerable, warns report
China's public infrastructure is vulnerable to cyber attack because of vulnerabilities in software used to run weapons systems, utilities and chemical plants, according to Reuters. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
13 Jun 2011
Review: Visual Studio ALM
The benefits of making software development more transparent Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2011
Google Chrome OS keeps focus on notebooks despite tablet explosion
Google will keep the focus of its Chrome operating system on notebooks rather than tablets for now, according to a senior executive at the search company. Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2011
Analysis: Will Android dominance increase IT security threats for business?
The Android Market is forecast to become the world's biggest mobile content platform by August 2011, according to research by mobile application research firm Distimo. Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2011
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
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News
28 Mar 2011
Spotify hit by malicious ads
Spotify, the popular streaming music service, has been displaying malicious advertisements to users of its Free version. Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2011
What is the cost of developing apps for mobile marketplaces?
Targeting consumers through smartphone apps is proving to be a good business bet. Jenny Williams reports on the costs of creating apps for different mobile marketplaces. Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2011
Tests show Android is 50% faster than Apple iOS for web browsing
The latest version of Google's Android operating system (OS) is 50% faster at loading web pages than Apple's iOS, according to research. Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2011
Adobe warns of zero-day vulnerability in Adobe Flash
Adobe has published a security advisory for a critical vulnerability in Adobe Flash that can be used to take control of an attacked machine. Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2011
Exclusive: Free software guru Richard Stallman on government IT and why he hates the cloud
The founding father of the free software movement tells Computer Weekly why government just doesn't "get it" Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2011
Facebook enlists Samaritans to counsel suicidal users
The Samaritans has teamed up with Facebook to enable users to report friends contemplating suicide. Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2011
Adobe extends Flash to Apple devices with free HTML5 conversion tool
Adobe has released for free download an experimental Flash-to-HTML5 converter to the development community through beta technology site, Adobe Labs. Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2011
France's G20 files target of cyber attack
France's files on the G20 meetings were the target of a cyber attack, the country's finance minister has confirmed. Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2011
Download 180-day free trial for Windows Embedded Compact 7 OS
The latest version of Microsoft's operating system (OS) for embedded devices, Windows Embedded Compact 7 is now available on a 180-day free trial. Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2011
Gmail bug hits 150,000 users
Around 150,000 Gmail account holders were hit by a system glitch at the weekend which reset their accounts, losing e-mails, attachments and Google Chat logs. Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2011
Social media policy: Seven questions to ask
Businesses must create a social media policy to guide employees using social networks and micro-blogging sites, according to Gartner. Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2011
Mobile workers practise lax security
More than half of Europeans practise unsafe networking when they work away from the office, according to research by German remote access experts NCP Engineering. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
10 Feb 2011
Review: Internet Explorer 9 - in pictures
Microsoft has released the latest version of its popular web browser Continue Reading