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 Jul 2025
Irish bank rolls out AI tools to 10,000 staff
Following exploration of artificial intelligence’s potential in conjunction with staff, AIB is rolling the tools out across the company Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2025
Post Office inquiry chair 'cannot rule out' scandal caused 13 suicides
Post Office scandal public inquiry publishes its first report after three years of gathering and analysing evidence, examining the human impact on victims and the compensation process Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2025
Report on integrity of current Post Office Horizon system due in autumn
Investigation into the integrity and discrepancy identification capabilities of Post Office core system being carried out by independent specialists Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2025
Execs shy away from open models and open source AI
The Capgemini Research Institute has found that business executives prefer the support and security associated with commercial products Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2025
Artificial intelligence could fuel growth in global tennis
IBM launches artificial intelligence-driven tools to grow the sport’s reach, but AI’s role also reaches the on-court business Continue Reading
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News
16 Jun 2025
CNCF eyes open source Cuda alternative as AI’s influence grows
Open source leaders highlight breakthroughs in projects like OpenTelemetry and discuss the open source community’s role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence workloads and fostering global collaboration amid geopolitical tensions Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2025
Fusion and AI: How private sector tech is powering progress at ITER
When commercial AI meets the world’s most ambitious science experiment, nuclear fusion, surprising things start to happen Continue Reading
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News
12 Jun 2025
Sweden gets help pulling its sovereign AI socks up
Urgent government calls for more high-powered sovereign computers to fulfil Swedish goal of building a more powerful AI industry answered by foreign financiers, US tech and Europe’s AI emergency fund Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2025
West Brom Building Society project to meet customers’ digital demands
Calls from customers for a choice of digital channels drove West Brom Building Society’s digital transformation project Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2025
UK finance regulator tie-up with Nvidia allows firms to experiment with AI
FCA wants to support organisations in testing their ideas for the use of artificial intelligence Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2025
HMRC paid Fujitsu £310m last year, but Post Office supplier’s UK business faces gradual decline
While victims are made to fight for every penny they are owed, the IT supplier at the centre of the Post Office scandal is handed hundreds of millions of pounds by UK government Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2025
Compensation to Post Office scandal victims reaches £1bn milestone
The government has now paid out more than £1bn to victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2025
Artificial intelligence to initiate and manage litigations after ‘landmark’ approval
The Garfield Project created an artificial intelligence-based litigation service for small claims, but how far can the technology reach in the legal sector Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2025
Open source adoption faces reality checks
Industry leaders lauded the power of open source to drive innovation but warned that its adoption requires significant effort, due diligence and a clear understanding of inherent complexities and licensing challenges Continue Reading
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Opinion
30 May 2025
What VMware’s licensing crackdown reveals about control and risk
An assessments of the risks VMware customers on perpetual licences now need to consider Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2025
VMware and Oracle licensing: Time to consider alternatives
With so much Java code running enterprise IT, we consider the benefits of adapting existing systems to make them more cloud-native Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2025
Norway’s autonomous bus moves into the fast lane
In a small but ambitious project in Stavanger, Norway, autonomous buses are proving they might one day solve a critical problem: the chronic shortage of bus drivers Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2025
Hacking contest exposes VMware security
In what has been described as a historical first, hackers in Berlin have been able to demo successful attacks on the ESXi hypervisor Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2025
Post Office performs costly 30-year U-turn on Horizon
Post Office Horizon replacement magnifies missed opportunity as move from the controversial Horizon system to an off-the-shelf alternative is going back to a plan it rejected in the 1990s Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2025
Broadcom letters demonstrate push to VMware subscriptions
The owner of VMware is reminding customers on perpetual licences that they will longer be able to buy support for their VMware products Continue Reading
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News
08 May 2025
Nutanix opens up to all external storage
CEO Rajiv Ramaswami says Nutanix will open its platform to all external storage, allowing it to profit from customers wanting to move away from VMware, as well as the hyper-converged curious Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2025
Options for Google as DoJ seeks divestiture
The US Department of Justice is calling for Google to divest its adtech business. Google says it’s impossible. But is there an alternative? Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2025
FCA wants ‘safe place’ for finance firms to test artificial intelligence
Financial services regulator proposes artificial intelligence testing environment as part of its AI Lab Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2025
Fujitsu UK staff will get bonus despite Post Office scandal fallout
Employees will receive bonuses as Fujitsu UK reaches sales target - suggesting that its pause on bidding for public sector business has had limited impact Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2025
VMware patches put spotlight on support
Recent security updates in VMware products have highlighted the challenge IT decision-makers face as they navigate Broadcom licensing changes Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Apr 2025
VMware licensing changes and the road ahead
VMware's new subscription fees: will enterprises pay up, walk away or explore a smarter third option? Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Apr 2025
Microsoft remains committed to AI in France
During its recent AI tour event in Paris, Microsoft reiterated its commitment to investing more than ever in France Continue Reading
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E-Zine
15 Apr 2025
How will Trump’s tariffs hit tech?
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the potential impact of additional US tariffs on the global tech supply chain – and what it means for IT budgets. We look at the key considerations for IT leaders looking to move off VMware as a result of its licensing changes. And we speak to the man in charge of reviewing the controversial loan charge tax policy that affects thousands of IT contractors. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2025
SUSE CEO champions open source choice
Dirk-Peter van Leeuwen warns against suppliers diluting open source to lock in customers, and touts SUSE’s commitment to providing choice and support across multiple Linux and Kubernetes distributions Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2025
More than 100 Horizon victims are challenging Post Office offers on complex claims
Calls for advanced dispute resolution meetings by victims of the Post Office Horizon system have been ignored by the Department of Business and Trade Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2025
Lloyds Bank moves AI work onto Google Cloud platform
Banking group is cutting its emissions and accelerating the development of AI platforms by moving work onto Google Cloud Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2025
Post Office can’t find evidence for over 1,000 Horizon scandal redress claimants
The Post Office has no evidence of errors for more than 1,000 subpostmasters applying for compensation through the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Continue Reading
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E-Zine
01 Apr 2025
Inside Amazon’s robot-powered warehouse
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we go behind the scenes at Amazon’s robot-powered Swindon warehouse to see how AI and humans are working together. We examine the state of open source licensing and find out how it’s affecting datacentre operators. And we visit a 130-year-old wine and drinks company to find out how technology has brought operations into the modern age. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Opinion
27 Mar 2025
Can regulatory oversight alone unlock cloud competition?
CCS Insight’s chief of enterprise research looks at the Competition and Markets Authority’s plans to regulate public cloud Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2025
Experts question court’s rejection of former Post Office manager’s Horizon appeal
Experts on the use of computer evidence question why Court of Appeal rejected former Post Office branch manager’s appeal against conviction Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2025
MPs demand government reconsider response to Post Office compensation report
Select committee calls on government to ‘reflect and revise’ response to Post Office scandal compensation scheme Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Mar 2025
CIO interview: Sean Green, Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck University interim CIO got a taste for the ‘exciting’ and ‘challenging’ role of a tech leader in higher education while in his previous role at the University of East Anglia Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2025
How Telefónica avoided VMware price hike
While some some organisations look for alternatives to VMware, Telefónica Germany has taken a different approach based on third-party support Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Mar 2025
HPE storage battles hard and smart in challenging market
Storage profile: We look at HPE, which has slipped in the storage supplier rankings, but brings a full range of AI-era storage over a mature cloud and consumption model offer Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2025
AI Action Summit review: Differing views cast doubt on AI’s ability to benefit whole of society
Governments, companies and civil society groups gathered at the third global AI summit to discuss how the technology can work for the benefit of everyone in society, but experts say competing imperatives mean there is no guarantee these visions will win out Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2025
Minister asks for evidence of Post Office ECCO+ system problems
Subpostmaster federation is calling on former Post Office crown branch staff to come forward if they experienced problems with ECCO+ Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2025
Going beyond search: Elastic’s observability and security play
Elastic’s chief product officer Ken Exner talks up the company’s expansion into observability and security and how it balances innovation with community contributions and monetisation Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2025
Nutanix event shows massive interest in VMware migration
A recent event held by VMware rival Nutanix attracted many people new to the hyperconverged infrastructure provider Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2025
Post Office makes first official apology to Capture users
The Post Office has written to former Capture user Ken Tooby to apologise for its failings which devastated his family’s lives Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2025
'Positive steps' in redress for Post Office Capture victims
Lawyers say progress has been made in efforts to provide financial redress and justice for former users of the Post Office's flawed Capture system Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2025
Peer demands Fujitsu cough up £300m interim payment towards Post Office scandal bill
Kevan Jones tells fellow peers in the House of Lords that Fujitsu should also be barred from bidding for public sector contracts Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Feb 2025
AI models explained: The benefits of open source AI models
In this guide, we explore how to get started with open source AI models and go over how they support your enterprise IT strategy Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2025
CCRC reviewing 17 Post Office convictions with potential Capture software involvement
Statutory body began looking at convictions of subpostmasters who used the Capture system following the wider understanding of the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Feb 2025
DACH’s venture capital prominence: an outlier, or the start of a golden age?
The DACH region is attracting venture capital investment with startups in Austria and Switzerland benefiting, but will it be sustained? Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2025
As Java turns 30, developers switch to OpenJDK
James Gosling invented Java in 1995. It has been kept up to date and now supports artificial intelligence, but Oracle Java is no longer the preferred choice Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2025
MPs to scrutinise use of artificial intelligence in the finance sector
MPs launch inquiry into the use of artificial intelligence technologies in the financial services sector Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2025
Covid effect opens door to music learning through Icelandic innovation
Icelandic tech startup Moombix describes itself as an ‘Uber for music lessons’. Its founder tells Computer Weekly why Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Jan 2025
EU law could usher in transformative change to digital ecosystems
The EU’s Digital Fairness Act aims to end exploitative practices online and enhance consumer protection, but civil society groups say it must address the power and information asymmetries between users and tech firms Continue Reading
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News
28 Jan 2025
Concerns over Fujitsu billing application used at SSE Airtricity in Republic of Ireland
Under-scrutiny IT services firm has escalated fears over problems with one of its applications, used at a Republic of Ireland energy firm, to its headquarters in Japan Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2025
Review of legal rule on computer evidence long overdue, say Post Office scandal victims
Computer Weekly talks to people who suffered miscarriages of justice at the hands of flawed computer evidence, as well as to experts in law and IT, as the government commits to review the legal presumption that computers work all the time Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2025
Apple and Google app stores come under CMA scrutiny
The Competition and Markets Authority in the UK is looking at whether the Play Store and App Store support innovation and are pro-competition Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2025
Weak supplier management hinders digital government
Procurement, legacy systems, data fragmentation and the changing IT market are among the issues highlighted in a review of digital services Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jan 2025
A guide to DORA compliance
We look at the new EU regulation for cyber resiliency, the role of IT asset management in auditing and third-party risks Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Jan 2025
Post Office’s military culture and the “infallible computers illusion” destroyed lives
Rupert Lloyd Thomas joined the Post Office in 1974, where he spent the best part of 30 years. He reveals the inner working of the organisation which contributed to the widest miscarriage of justice in history. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2025
UK’s female fintech leaders hit harder by investment collapse
UK fintechs led by women suffered disproportionately as a result of the fall in investment in the sector Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2025
Subpostmasters won’t get financial redress until mid-2027 at current rate of progress
Campaigning former subpostmaster warns that some members of the group that took the Post Office to court might not receive financial redress until mid-2027 Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2025
Post Office scandal-stained Fujitsu orders staff to cut costs amid widening UK losses
Japanese supplier reports a loss of £170m in the UK in its latest financial statement and orders UK staff to cut costs Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2025
Former subpostmasters invited to take part in Post Office Capture compensation scheme development
Government will look at a selection of cases where subpostmasters experienced unexplained losses while using the Post Office’s pre-Horizon accounting system Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Jan 2025
Nordic innovators drive the evolution of engagement
Nothing is off limits for digitisation in the Nordic region, with startups applying their skills to even the most unexpected lifestyle and business challenges Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2025
How Toyota is transforming its digital employee experience
The traditional way of handling IT issues through helpdesk tickets generally delivers an unsatisfactory user experience – something Toyota is looking to rectify in its business this year Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2025
Post Office staff list 14 scandal-stained individuals who should have honours stripped
Staff of the Post Office and Royal Mail from the past and present have written to the Forfeiture Committee requesting honours to be stripped from 14 people with links to the Horizon scandal Continue Reading
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News
02 Jan 2025
Sir Alan Bates has ‘serious concerns’ over Post Office scandal compensation budget
Campaigning former subpostmaster welcomed ‘positive’ select committee report but voiced concern over inclusion of legal costs in compensation pot Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2024
Post Office scandal campaigners awarded OBEs in New Year Honours List
Former subpostmasters and campaigners Jo Hamilton, Lee Castleton, Seema Misra and Christopher Head honoured for their part in 20-year fight against the Post Office – along with former Computer Weekly reporter Rebecca Thomson Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2024
Top 10 financial services stories of 2024
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 financial services stories of 2024 Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2024
Post Office creates CTO role to support ‘extensive and complex’ plans
Post Office bolsters its IT leadership team as it grapples with massive tech transformation with the nation looking on Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2024
Post Office IT department fired and rehired ‘friends’ at ‘exorbitant’ rates, says former HR chief
The Post Office got rid of permanent roles, including IT, and rehired the holders on over double the pay Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Dec 2024
Driving government efficiency through better software and IT managment
How improving IT asset management in the public sector can help the UK government achieve efficiency goals without impacting services Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2024
Government promises redress and justice to Post Office Capture system users
The government has officially recognised that users of the Post Office’s Capture software experienced shortfalls caused by the system’s errors Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2024
Top 10 business applications stories of 2024
Business applications are now AI-enabled, but it is not easy to deploy these products successfully to improve business metrics Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2024
Post Office ‘weaponised’ IT system in most ‘extensive and prolonged’ miscarriage
In closing, public inquiry counsel made clear that it’s not a computer system being investigated, but rather human beings Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2024
Post Office scandal in 2024 – part 2: Capture, the prequel
Users of the Post Office’s Capture system had similar experiences to those who struggled with the Horizon system, which came later, but their stories are only just coming out now Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2024
Police not ruling any person or crime out of Post Office scandal investigation
Metropolitan Police provides update on Operation Olympos, its national investigation into potential criminality in the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2024
Post Office scandal in 2024 – part 1: A year in the mainstream
Read this year’s 10 most read Computer Weekly articles about the Post Office Horizon IT scandal Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2024
Controversial Horizon system to remain in Post Office branches as part of tech ‘fusion’, says source
A source says the Post Office is set to buy the Horizon system from Fujitsu and combine it with both in-house developed and commercially available software Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2024
Post Office senior leadership warned of IT project data safeguarding risk
Post Office board members and senior executives have been made aware of the risk to data related to its ill-fated Horizon system replacement project Continue Reading
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Podcast
05 Dec 2024
Justifying ECC upgrade: A Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast
We speak to the chair of the UK and Ireland SAP User Group about SAP ECC and the need to upgrade at your own pace Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2024
Post Office Fujitsu contract extended by a year as decision time looms
The Post Office has let contractors and third parties go as it completes its analysis of the future Horizon replacement options Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Dec 2024
Oracle Java licensing explained: Addressing complexity, cost and audits
Now that Oracle Java SE is sold as a subscription, organisations using the Oracle JDK have a minefield of licences to navigate Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2024
Post Office Capture users invited to pivotal meeting with government
About 80 former Capture users have now come forward for legal support in making claims against the Post Office Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2024
Post Office scandal redress echoes Windrush compensation problems
Campaigning former subpostmaster Sir Alan Bates met with Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) over financial redress scheme Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2024
Post Office scandal: How much deeper and wider can it get?
It took decades to expose the Post Office Horizon scandal but that effort has laid the groundwork for others to seek justice and financial redress Continue Reading
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News
22 Nov 2024
Convictions of Post Office Capture system users to be reviewed by statutory body
Statutory body to look at the convictions of subpostmasters who used a pre-Horizon branch accounting system Continue Reading
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News
22 Nov 2024
Government looking into third faulty Post Office IT system
The Department for Business and Trade will look into claims that a third Post Office branch system caused unexplained shortfalls that branch workers and subpostmasters were blamed for Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2024
Post Office to harness technology to automate scandal financial redress payments
Technology that could speed up financial redress for subpostmasters is being worked on in-house by the Post Office Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2024
Post Office project taking control of Horizon data from Fujitsu as part of messy split
The Post Office will no longer rely on Fujitsu for Horizon data past and present once cloud migration project is complete, in a major uncoupling of the 30-year relationship Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2024
Post Office is paying lawyers too much, admits minister
When pushed, a government minister admits the Post Office is paying lawyers too much money in relation to the Post Office scandal Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2024
Subpostmasters hit by Post Office scandal plan to meet over 'nuclear option'
Members of campaign group Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance will discuss taking legal action in their pursuit of full, fair and final financial redress Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2024
Post Office scandal: Inquiry’s final phase exposes dysfunction past and present
Conclusion of the seventh and final phase of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry hearings is another landmark in a scandal that has unfolded over a quarter of a century Continue Reading
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News
18 Nov 2024
Post Office IT boss calls for subpostmasters to judge him on his actions
Recently installed Post Office chief transformation officer tasked with replacing controversial IT system tells Computer Weekly the organisation’s leadership understands the challenges ahead Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2024
IT leaders raise concerns over IT security overspend
How many IT security products does it take to secure a business? Too many, according to some IT decision-makers Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2024
Post Office to decide on Horizon before April, Fujitsu board considers final contract extension
Chief transformation officer tells Computer Weekly about ongoing work on replacing controversial Post Office Horizon system and extending contract with Fujitsu Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2024
Post Office requested four-year Horizon extension, as Fujitsu boss arrived at public inquiry
Fujitsu boss says the Horizon system has reached the end of its life and a long contract extension might not be possible Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2024
Post Office scandal not caused by software errors, says combative Fujitsu boss
During a sometimes heated appearance at the public inquiry, Fujitsu’s European boss Paul Patterson said the inquiry has shed light on who is to blame for the scandal Continue Reading
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News
08 Nov 2024
Government announces Green Paper on future of scandal-ridden Post Office
Consultation process will enable a wide range of people to air their views on the future of the scandal-hit Post Office Continue Reading
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News
08 Nov 2024
Gartner Symposium: How Specsavers saved on Oracle costs
The high street opticians chain has swapped Oracle support for Spinnaker third-party support to help drive its business transformation Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Nov 2024
Storage explained: Consumption models of storage procurement
We look at consumption models of storage purchasing and how cloud operating models have made them mainstream and supplanted the traditional three-year lift-and-shift datacentre refresh Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2024
Post Office wrongly used public funds to pay for legal battle
Senior civil servant’s appearance at public inquiry reveals Post Office broke spending rules when it diverted money to legal battle Continue Reading