Software licensing
Software licensing can be a contentious and complex area for IT managers, but is essential to getting value from your software investments. While new models such as software as a service (SaaS), open source and freeware offer new ways to source software, auditing and compliance for your existing software estate remain an important part of IT governance. We analyse the latest trends in this important field.
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News
10 Oct 2024
Post Office dragging its feet getting rid of tainted staff, despite government ‘green light’
Former minister gave Post Office ‘green light’ to take robust action against existing staff with links to Post Office scandal wrongdoing Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2024
Post Office IT transformation project was ‘set up to fail’, chairman tells inquiry
Post Office interim chairman tells Horizon public inquiry that the Post Office needs to reset New Branch IT project Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2024
Post Office IT transformation project was ‘set up to fail’, chairman tells inquiry
Post Office interim chairman tells Horizon public inquiry that the Post Office needs to reset New Branch IT project Continue Reading
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E-Zine
08 Oct 2024
Digital government on a budget
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine how Labour’s version of austerity will affect the government’s desire for digital transformation. We find out how the use of AI in the workplace is negatively affecting low-income workers. And an SAP customer explains how it plans to keep running after the end of support for ECC. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2024
Post Office boss Nick Read ‘inadequate, greedy and self-interested’, whistleblowers tell inquiry
Outgoing Post Office boss Nick Read faces public inquiry for three days this week, with no shortage of questions to answer Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2024
Post Office recruiting tech-savvy board member amid unravelling IT disaster
Public inquiry told that the Post Office is currently recruiting a tech-savvy non-executive director Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2024
Late evidence in Post Office Capture investigation could not be reviewed
Evidence failed to reach investigators in time for report into controversial pre-Horizon Post Office software Continue Reading
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News
03 Oct 2024
Post Office and Fujitsu: from blood brothers to bad blood
Former Post Office chief transformation officer’s evidence to the public inquiry reveals organisation’s strained relationship with main IT supplier Fujitsu Continue Reading
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News
02 Oct 2024
Post Office spending £80,000+ a week on engineers who can’t work, as IT project burns cash
Revelation is latest evidence of the Post Office’s struggles to replace Fujitsu’s controversial Horizon software used in branches Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2024
Investigation finds 'reasonable likelihood' Post Office Capture software caused accounting losses
An independent forensic analysis finds the predecessor to Horizon IT system was also likely to have caused shortfalls for which subpostmasters were blamed, years before the Post Office scandal Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2024
More parallels between Post Office Capture and Horizon scandal revealed
Post Office dramatically increased the number of investigations into subpostmasters after Capture Software was introduced Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2024
Subpostmasters living years with disputed but unresolved debts to the Post Office, inquiry told
Continued errors with the Horizon system mean subpostmasters have unresolved account shortfalls hanging over them for years Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2024
Post Office IT department’s focus on chasing a discount meant botched procurement
Post Office IT team and executives slammed for rushing into tech hardware purchase while eyeing a discount Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2024
How VMware is supporting AI workloads
VMware claims its Private AI Foundation with Nvidia platform that speeds up AI deployment in private cloud environments is gaining significant traction in the Asia-Pacific region Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2024
Fujitsu faces financial challenges, with doubts over its commitment to righting Post Office wrongs
Fujitsu worker tells Computer Weekly that firm only cares about shareholders and not subpostmaster suffering Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2024
Metro Bank outsources IT to Infosys to cut costs and digitally transform
Indian IT services giant taken on to support Metro Bank’s digital transformation in multi-year deal Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2024
Zendesk debuts outcome-based pricing for AI agents
Zendesk customers only pay for successful AI query resolutions, easing the transition to AI-powered customer support and improving scalability during peak periods Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2024
Interview: Keeping SAP ECC running without support
We speak to the CIO of Spanish gas distribution firm Madrileña Red de Gas about keeping SAP running after official support ends Continue Reading
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Definition
12 Sep 2024
What is a software license?
A software license is a document that provides legally binding guidelines for the use and distribution of software. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2024
Post Office scandal victims given route to appeal unfair financial settlements
Subpostmasters who feel they received inadequate financial redress in the Horizon Shortfalls Scheme can appeal the settlements through a new independent process Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2024
Lloyds Bank uses artificial intelligence to check trade finance documents
Bank is automating checks of digital and paper-based documentation in trade financing with the help of artificial intelligence Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2024
Post Office and Fujitsu malevolence and incompetence means huge final taxpayers’ bill
The human tragedy caused by the Post Office scandal cannot be measured, but the total financial cost will be well beyond the £1bn set aside by the government Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2024
Swedish law firms debate AI’s future impact on profession
Swedish law firms examine the use of artificial intelligence in their businesses as the sector sees a surge in take-up Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2024
Nationwide development platform uses Red Hat technology
Building society is speeding up its software releases through Red Hat cloud application development platform Continue Reading
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E-Zine
03 Sep 2024
The politics of techno-refusal
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we learn about the politics of techno-refusal and the lessons to be learned from a group of IT workers who spent the early 1980s sabotaging tech infrastructure. Following the controversy around Broadcom’s purchase of VMware, we examine some alternative virtualisation solutions. And our latest buyer’s guide looks at the state of software-defined wide-area networking. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2024
Navigating the shifting sands of open source
As open source matures, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation is grappling with issues ranging from licence rug-pulling and the rise of artificial intelligence to the changing dynamics of open source contributions Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2024
Government backs Danish version of ChatGPT
Danish language version of ChatGPT to be developed in a project led by the country’s Chamber of Commerce Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2024
How open source is shaping AI developments
The Linux Foundation outlines efforts to bolster enterprise AI adoption through a framework for managing and deploying AI applications, standardised tooling and open data alternatives Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2024
Post Office Horizon crash disconnected branches from datacentre
The Post Office has apologised to subpostmasters affected by a major IT outage, which stopped them from doing business Continue Reading
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News
20 Aug 2024
Post Office systems crash hits 'collapsing' Horizon system
Thousands of subpostmasters were unable to log into the controversial Horizon IT system at the start of business Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Aug 2024
Keeping control of SaaS costs
The ease with which someone with a corporate credit card can buy a SaaS product can lead to runaway costs and data leakage risks Continue Reading
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E-Zine
13 Aug 2024
Designed to deceive – reviewing the Post Office scandal inquiry
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we review the marathon latest phase of the Post Office scandal inquiry, as ministers, civil servants, executives and lawyers were shamed. We look at IOWN – a candidate for the next generation of networking technology. And we examine best practice in software asset management. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Aug 2024
Forrester: Rethink your software asset management practices
Software as a service needs to be managed as part of software asset management. Forrester analysts offer some practical advice on how to succeed Continue Reading
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E-Zine
06 Aug 2024
Migrating to S/4Hana – how the Co-op made its move
In this week’s Computer Weekly, as SAP users prepare for the deadline to move off the ECC platform, we find out how the Co-op is migrating to S/4Hana. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at how to manage SaaS and on-premise software licensing. And we talk to former NCSC CEO Ciaran Martin about the true risks from nation-state cyber attacks. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2024
What are the options when migrating from VMware?
Broadcom’s changes to VMware licensing means some people are facing big price increases – we look at how these can be avoided Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Aug 2024
How to optimise SAM budget in today’s heterogeneous environments
Hidden software costs and ecosystem complexity make managing a mixed software estate harder than ever. Here’s how to optimise your spending Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2024
How to stop AI costs from soaring
Generative AI promises to improve business efficiency, but Gartner has found many projects are failing to get beyond pilot roll-outs Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2024
Government commits at least £540m to financial redress for wrongfully convicted Post Office staff
Hundreds of eligible former subpostmasters and branch staff are yet to come forward to have convictions overturned, but government hopes new scheme will encourage them to do so Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2024
Nearly a third of GenAI projects to be dropped after PoC
At least 30% of generative AI projects will be abandoned by 2025 as organisations struggle to realise the value of the technology, says Gartner Continue Reading
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News
26 Jul 2024
Vince Cable says the Post Office ‘lied’ to the government over Horizon issues
In the latest Post Office scandal public inquiry hearings, Vince Cable and Greg Clark reflected on their time as the minister heading the department responsible for the Post Office Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2024
Post Office ‘acted the victim’ and civil servants ‘abandoned their principles’, says former minister
Former government minister tells inquiry the Post Office always played the victim of subpostmasters that it considered either ‘incompetent’ or ‘criminal’ Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2024
Former minister felt she was fighting department over Post Office controversy
Former government minister was fighting with Shareholder Executive officials as she probed for information following allegations brought to her by MPs Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2024
Ed Davey and Jo Swinson ‘handled’ by civil servants in Post Office cover-up, says Sir Alan Bates
Evidence in public inquiry revealed how ministers in charge of Post Office were left in the dark at a time when campaigners, MPs and journalists were looking for answers Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Jul 2024
Riding the cloud database wave
There is set to be a surge in demand for cloud databases, driven by new use cases and greater decentralised IT spending Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2024
Government trusted ‘abuser’ over the abused on Post Office scandal
The government referred allegations about subpostmasters’ mistreatment by the Post Office to the alleged abuser itself Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2024
Schools hit with cost hike as free Microsoft licences end
The A1 Plus academic licence, which gave teachers and pupils access to the Microsoft productivity suite, stops in August Continue Reading
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Opinion
01 Jul 2024
How Broadcom cemented its European cloud sovereignty credentials
The owner of VMware targets flexible deployment options for European public cloud sovereignty Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2024
VMware/Broadcom: Prepare for legacy support
VMware is not going away anytime soon. While some IT leaders may be feeling the pain of Broadcom’s changes, they still need to seek a long-term plan Continue Reading
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E-Zine
11 Jun 2024
Drilling into data to help the UK’s energy transition
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how data is accelerating the UK’s energy transition to net zero. With Windows 10 support ending next year, we examine the issues around preparing to upgrade to Windows 11. And we explore the key considerations when deploying artificial intelligence infrastructure to harness its full potential. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2024
Post Office Capture software training deficit echoes systemic Horizon problems
Post Office branch managers have told Computer Weekly they had no training on how to use Capture software, which pre-dated Horizon Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2024
Mystery Post Office software developer revealed in 1995 Horizon project document
Capture software was used by about 2,000 subpostmasters in the 1990s, with allegations that errors in the software caused account shortfalls Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Jun 2024
Building a more secure, and sustainable, open source ecosystem
In April 2024, the discovery of an intentionally-placed backdoor in the open source XZ Utils data compression caused concern. Sentry's Chad Whitacre says a more thoughtful approach is needed to balance the individual freedom and creativity of open source, with more rigorous security practice. Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2024
Broadcom/VMware: Joining the dots to migrate off VMware
It may take several years to move off VMware. In the meantime, Nutanix and Rimini Street have ramped up efforts to target unhappy customers Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2024
Nutanix ramps up VMware opportunity
During its annual Next conference in Barcelona, Nutanix has expanded its hardware partner programme to grab new business from Broadcom Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2024
Post Office clique deepened Horizon scandal
A general counsel annoyed by independent investigators and comms director that bragged about his contacts were part of a Post Office clique with former CEO Paula Vennells Continue Reading
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E-Zine
21 May 2024
Can AI supercharge human creativity?
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to Getty Images about the challenges of balancing human creativity with the risks and opportunities of generative AI. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the latest best practice in desktop IT management in a world of flexible working. And we review the benefits of open source software in the enterprise. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2024
Post Office directors went crawling back to Fujitsu when IBM project got complex, inquiry told
More details emerge about how close IBM came to replacing Fujitsu and its controversial Horizon system at the Post Office Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2024
The fall from grace of ex-priest and Post Office boss Paula Vennells
As Paula Vennells faces statutory public inquiry into Horizon scandal, Computer Weekly compiles some of its must-read articles about the controversial former Post Office boss Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2024
Expert investigating Capture system refuses to meet ‘untrustworthy’ Post Office
A former Post Office executive has refused to meet his past employer to discuss the controversial Capture system Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Apr 2024
Tips for migrating to OpenJDK
Interest in OpenJDK, and in commercial support for it, has intensified as Oracle Java SE becomes increasingly expensive Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2024
Unisys reveals no link to development of controversial Post Office software
IT supplier finds no evidence that it was involved in the development of controversial Post Office software Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2024
IT expert who helped expose Post Office scandal offers to investigate second controversial system
IT expert Jason Coyne, who played a critical part in exposing the Post Office Horizon scandal, said he would examine the Capture System Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2024
VMware: Broadcom faces EU complaint over unfair licensing
CEO Hock Tan responds to complaints, opening up partner programme to smaller resellers and standardising on core licensing Continue Reading
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E-Zine
16 Apr 2024
VMware users hit by licence hikes after Broadcom takeover
In this week’s Computer Weekly, VMware users are facing licence fee increases after the acquisition by Broadcom, with education bodies worst hit – we talk to unhappy customers. We visit Helsinki and find out why the Finnish capital is leading on smart city developments. And we examine how to reduce environmental impact through software development. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
10 Apr 2024
VMware changes are hurting users in education
VMware has been officially part of Broadcom since November 2023. On March 14 2024, a hundred days on from the acquisition, CEO Hock Tan wrote a blog post stating: “We overhauled our software ... Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2024
Education sector facing huge VMware cost increases after Broadcom ends discounts
UK non-profit London Grid for Learning and Belgian university KU Leuven are just two of the academic organisations facing huge licensing increases after Broadcom scraps VMware academic discount scheme Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2024
Remote access is the Post Office’s known unknown
Calls for criminal investigation after covert recordings are latest evidence to reveal extent of Post Office knowledge of remote access to subpostmaster accounts Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2024
Post Office Capture users’ campaign for justice gathers pace
The government is taking Post Office Capture allegations seriously as former subpostmasters seek answers Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2024
MPs will attempt to amend law on overturning Post Office scandal convictions
Business and trade select committee chair says the job is not done with legislation to overturn wrongful subpostmaster convictions and provide financial redress Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2024
Children of Post Office victims to hold Fujitsu boss to his word
The children of victims of the Post Office scandal have formed a group that will hold Fujitsu’s European boss to his promise of support Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2024
Unprecedented bill to exonerate hundreds of wrongly convicted Post Office workers arrives
Unprecedented legislation that will see hundreds of former subpostmaster convictions for fraud and theft overturned begins its journey through Parliament Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2024
MPs call for Post Office exclusion from compensation schemes, as trust hits rock bottom
Former subpostmasters and MPs do not trust the Post Office to do the right thing for victims of the Horizon IT scandal Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2024
‘Brutal’ decisions required to sort out Post Office mess, says select committee chair
Liam Byrne, chair of the business and trade select committee, tells Computer Weekly about the group’s focus on getting Horizon scandal victims what they are owed Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2024
Post Office prosecutions during Horizon go-live phase are ‘frightening’
The Post Office used subpostmasters as guinea pigs to test its software and take the rap for its errors Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2024
Perverting course of justice and contempt of Parliament: a week in post-drama Post Office scandal
As another week in the post-drama Post Office scandal passes, Computer Weekly looks at some of the key moments Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Feb 2024
Broadcom’s VMware acquisition explained: The impact on your IT strategy
In this guide, we look at Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware and how it influences your IT desktop, server, cloud and supplier management strategies Continue Reading
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E-Zine
27 Feb 2024
Microsoft’s ‘unfair’ cloud licensing under scrutiny
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine claims that Microsoft’s licensing policies are damaging competition in the cloud. Our latest buyer’s guide asks if hybrid cloud is now CIOs’ end goal, and not just an interim step on the journey. And we look at how the focus on customer experience is impacting the unified communications market. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2024
Unisys investigating potential involvement in controversial Post Office system
IT supplier wants to get to the bottom of its role in the distribution of the Post Office’s controversial Capture software, linked to potential wrongful convictions Continue Reading
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News
16 Feb 2024
Post Office IT insider and the software decision that lit the Horizon scandal
As the Post Office replaces its controversial Horizon software, a former Post Office IT executive describes disastrous mistakes of the past Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2024
Post Office CEO refused to meet government minister without her lawyer after 2015 Horizon report
Post Office statements on the Horizon system, whether to journalists or the government, were routinely carefully crafted by lawyers Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2024
More than 1,000 subpostmasters could have used second faulty Post Office system
More than 1,000 subpostmasters could have used a previous faulty computer system in their branches as more people come forward with information following Post Office scandal TV drama Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
Post Office scandal: Phase four’s rogues’ gallery
Phase four of the public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal revealed ‘a parade of liars, bullies, amnesiacs and arrogant individuals’ that made up the teams investigating and prosecuting subpostmasters Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2024
Defra legacy IT: 180 applications refreshed, over 1,500 remain
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has a 10-year plan to update technology. So far, 180 have been replaced or updated Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2024
User groups give SAP’s 50% Rise incentive the thumbs up
SAP has changed tack, after the furore over its intention to make certain features available only to Rise customers on SAP Cloud Continue Reading
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Opinion
30 Jan 2024
The shifting winds of SAP's cloud strategy
In 2023, SAP's strategic pivot towards cloud-centric innovation produced a wave of discontent among its vast on-premises customer base Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2024
Russian IT sector still under serious pressure
Russian IT sector faces challenges on multiple fronts as Western sanctions widen Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2024
GenAI tools ‘could not exist’ if firms are made to pay copyright
AI firm Anthropic hits out at copyright lawsuit filed by music publishers, claiming the content ingested into its models falls under ‘fair use’ and that any licensing regime would be too complex and costly Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
Fujitsu boss describes Post Office behaviour as 'shameful and appalling'
The UK head of Fujitsu said he does not know why the Post Office did not reveal information about Horizon software errors to defendants during prosecutions Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2024
Anger sparked by TV drama forces Fujitsu to put public sector contract bidding on hold
It is not just the UK government that has been forced to act quickly amid public anger, as a wounded Fujitsu stalls government contract bidding Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Jan 2024
AI will create a thousand Post Office scandals
Critical computing expert Dan McQuillan weighs in on the proliferation of artificial intelligence throughout the public sector and the potential this opens up for a slew of new IT scandals Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2024
Legal cases question IP in large language model training
Should the providers of commercial large language models licence content from content creators? The New York Times and Getty Images think so Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2024
Post Office scandal inquiry hits mainstream after dramatic start to year
Long-running statutory public inquiry restarts with hugely increased interest following ITV’s dramatisation of the two decades-long scandal Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2024
‘Hero’ subpostmaster accuses government of diversion tactics through ‘weaselly’ statistics
Campaigning subpostmaster calls out government’s use of ‘weaselly’ statistics to hide its slow progress Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2023
Broadcom drops VMware perpetual licences and support
Customers are being offered a big discount to migrate onto a VMware subscription service Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2023
SAP strategy: Why customers need an innovation plan
Rise appears to be the place where SAP has promised customers the latest innovations, raising the question of what happens to everyone else Continue Reading
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News
17 Nov 2023
Does third-party support make sense?
We speak to a Rimini Street customer about their experience of managing an Oracle ERP Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2023
Shawbrook Bank slashes mortgage processing time through low code
Specialist business lending and savings bank is using Pegasystems’ low-code platform to rewrite and automate the customer journey Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2023
Conflict of interest concerns raised over CMA's use of AWS UK public sector discount scheme
Less than a month after the CMA confirmed it would be investigating the competitive impact of AWS preferential pricing deals on the UK cloud market, data reveals the CMA is benefiting from cut-price Amazon cloud services Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2023
Post Office disclosure failures delay Horizon scandal inquiry again
Many of the 300,000 emails unearthed could be relevant to evidence from future and past witnesses in the Post Office scandal inquiry Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2023
NatWest taps IBM skills for generative AI
NatWest and IBM are developing generative AI capabilities to expand the capabilities of the bank’s virtual customer assistant Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2023
How much is enough to support those who maintain open source?
Without the ongoing work of developers, open source projects would become stale and riddled with unfixed bugs and security issues. We look at the issues of funding and fairness Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2023
ICO issues guidance on workplace surveillance
Guidance on employee monitoring covers how employers can conduct their digital surveillance lawfully, transparently and fairly, and warns against businesses intruding on their workers’ private lives Continue Reading