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
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
29 Jan 2020
Oracle customers complain of cloud coercion
In December, Oracle won its day in court – but a poll reveals a sales tactic based on audit threats combined with heavy cloud discounts Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2020
Lloyds Banking Group to create digital workplace with Microsoft
Bank is transforming how its staff work as part of a multibillion-pound digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
Government distances itself from Post Office decisions in Horizon IT litigation
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy says it did not make decisions in the Post Office’s recent court battle Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
Royal Bank of Canada gives Mencap a ‘leg-up’ in automating processes
UK charity gets help from Canadian bank in a collaboration aimed at creating a robotic workforce Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2020
With friends like AWS, who needs an open source business?
AWS executive’s remarks over the company’s exploitation of open source has put a question mark over the viability of open source businesses Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
European Court of Justice rules that under-licensing is IP theft
Ruling from the European Court of Justice says that French mobile operator, Free Mobile, infringed the copyright of software company IT development Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2019
AWS hits back at open source theft allegations
New York Times accuses the public cloud provider of taking open source products and integrating them into its own managed services Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Nov 2019
Digital advancement means we're measuring the economy wrong
When accountants work out how much UK business is investing in the future, it's stuck in a world of depreciated assets – ignoring the huge changes brought about by cloud and software as a service Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2019
Businesses move key applications off public cloud to save costs
A new study has shown that while many enterprises are able to keep public cloud costs under control, spending can quickly escalate Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Nov 2019
How Sporting Group tackles the Rugby World Cup
Sporting Group has readied its system monitoring to ensure the technology is able to cope with the huge demand for bets during the Rugby World Cup final Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2019
Public cloud computing is early on its journey to core of the bank
Banks are no longer reluctant to use the cloud as the technology pierces the outer layer of the banking sector and begins its journey to the core Continue Reading
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News
02 Oct 2019
John Lewis Partnership sells its automation to business
The John Lewis Partnership will expand its use of automation technology as its early projects bear fruit Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2019
Why CIOs should take extra precautions when buying IT support
With the continued squeeze on IT budgets, CIOs are always seeking ways to reduce their outgoings. Maintenance is one area where substantial savings can be made, but opting for third-party support requires careful assessment Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2019
Inside NatWest Ventures
NatWest Ventures is helping NatWest bank to remain relevant to its SME businesses customer community through digital innovation Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2019
Why it makes sense to use a third party to keep the IT lights on
Keeping operational systems running is a full-time job, but as systems get older, they end up being out of support Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2019
Nationwide Building Society harnesses low-code platform
Software development platform makes it quicker to build apps Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2019
Dutch virtual reality can help reduce teacher shortage worldwide
Dutch lecturer uses virtual reality to improve teaching and developments are being watched by the Teachers Task Force of Unesco Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2019
APAC enterprises warm to S/4 Hana
SAP customers in Asia-Pacific are assessing migration options in the run-up to 2025, when the German software giant will stop supporting older ERP applications Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2019
How IT departments can upskill in the new economy
There is a skills crisis. Traditionally, IT has outsourced to fill the skills gap, but in the gig economy, there are new approaches to sourcing technical skills Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2019
European fintech investment continues to grow as global investment falls
European countries are continuing to see significant growth in financial technology investment as total global investment decreases Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2019
Dutch province pioneers no-code platform
Software development platform removes the need for expert programmers when adding functionality to applications Continue Reading
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News
09 Aug 2019
Huawei mobile IoT OS ready to plug Android gap
Huawei is positioning its microkernel-based, distributed HarmonyOS mobile operating system as a true competitor to both Android and iOS Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2019
Six Nordic banks form alliance to offer KYC as a service
Nordic Know Your Customer joint venture will create a common Nordic platform based on advanced data management technologies Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2019
Deutsche Bank’s public contraction is a major landmark for fintech
German bank is cutting costs overall but is investing more in the latest digital technology as fintechs chip away at banking business Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2019
UN resolution ignores special rapporteur’s call for halt to spyware sales
UN’s Human Rights Council adopts resolution to explore the impact of new and emerging digital technologies on human rights, but the text ignores a damning report by the council’s own expert on freedom of expression Continue Reading
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09 Jul 2019
Confusing cocktail of document licensing in SAP’s Hana strategy
SAP wants its customers to migrate from ECC to Hana and its cloud offering and is also putting forward a new, “ambiguous” document licensing scheme Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Jul 2019
Steering a voyage to the cloud at Maersk
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how the world’s largest shipping company, Maersk, is steering a course to public cloud. We analyse SAP’s latest attempts to ease customers’ software licensing concerns. And we hear how one London borough, Hackney, is taking a lead in transforming digital government across the capital. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2019
Confusing cocktail of document licensing in SAP’s Hana strategy
SAP wants its customers to migrate from ECC to Hana and its cloud offering and is also putting forward a new, “ambiguous” document licensing scheme Continue Reading
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Opinion
13 Jun 2019
SAP Document Licensing for Indirect Access: The risks that still won't go away
SAP introduced a new licensing scheme last year to reflect indirect access to its system from third-party systems based on document licensing Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2019
SAP extends Hana’s reach beyond enterprise applications
The benefits of Hana Cloud Services are clear to Asia-Pacific customers, although actual adoption will boil down to cost Continue Reading
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Podcast
07 May 2019
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 14
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload, editor-in-chief Bryan Glick joins Brian McKenna and Caroline Donnelly to discuss the technology used in BBC drama Line of Duty, the latest twists and turns in the Huawei saga, and open source cloud trends Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2019
Stockholm prospers as tech hub as perceptions of entrepreneurs changes
Stockholm has thrived as a tech startup hub after out-of-date attitudes to entrepreneurs changed Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2019
Google slams public cloud rivals over 'mistreatment' of open source community
Google Cloud has committed to forging closer ties with the open source community, while hitting out at its competitors for not doing enough to support it Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2019
Why you need to link licensing tools to HR
IT can be pretty good at setting up a PC for a new joiner, but what happens when someone leaves? How do you delete their cloud access? Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2019
Welsh government buys Microsoft Office 365 for teachers and pupils
The Welsh government will provide Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus across 1,521 maintained schools in Wales Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2019
Consumers still important as Dutch satnav pioneer maps B2B future
TomTom is focusing on the business-to-business sector, but its consumer base is an important part of its strategy Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2019
Middle East countries accelerate quantum computing research
Gulf countries must invest in quantum computing research to ensure they continue to to remain digital pioneers Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2019
The web turns 30: from proposal to pervasion
The web is celebrating its 30th anniversary, but can it remain true to its founder’s vision? Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Mar 2019
Choosing the right kind of hybrid cloud management
We look at the various factors businesses should consider when looking to solve their cloud management problems Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Feb 2019
Counting the costs of IaaS and SaaS
Cost management is a priority for organisations seeking to use infrastructure and software as a service Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2019
Redis Labs swaps out open source to protect against public clouds
While Redis remain open source, higher value modules are now covered by a commercial agreement which limits commercialisation of Redis-based products Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Feb 2019
Steering a safe course through hybrid cloud
We look at why hybrid cloud can create a tricky infrastructure to manage Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2019
Coders and developers: The new heroes of the network?
Cisco is moving towards a software-based future. We chatted to Susie Wee, founder and leader of Cisco developer and innovation programme, DevNet, to find out how she is helping to enable this change Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2019
Australian government turns to Rimini Street for software support
A slew of Australian government agencies have switched out SAP and Oracle maintenance contracts for third-party support services Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2019
Google petitions Supreme Court to reconsider Android Java ruling
Google’s legal chief claims Oracle’s copyright ruling on Java software interfaces will damage software development Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2019
AWS pushes MongoDB compatible alternative as licences change
They probably didn't see that coming... MongoDB's switch to server-side licensing may have backfired, as AWS launches an API-compatible version Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2019
Microsoft takes community approach to artificial intelligence in Sweden
Microsoft is making increasing use of artificial intelligence in Sweden as it shares experiences with the development community Continue Reading
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News
01 Jan 2019
SAP user group’s Cooper: Indirect licensing progress welcome but slow
SAP UK&I User Group chair Paul Cooper on the state of play between SAP and users: sanguine about end of ECC6; S/4 adoption growth steady, indirect licensing still an issue; and C/4 remains unknown Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2018
Microsoft raises cloud prices for Australian enterprise customers
Despite the price hike, Microsoft claims its Azure service remains competitively priced, with opportunities for additional savings Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2018
Asean firms dive into microservices for competitive edge
While microservices has become a buzzword linked with digital transformation, it is no magic bullet for development woes Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2018
How to manage software auditor independence
A recent report has shown that the Big Four audit firms often work for the major software providers to conduct software licence audits Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Nov 2018
Tips for minimising the impact of the Microsoft Office price rise
Microsoft has “adjusted” prices with Office 2019, making it more expensive to buy on-premise versions of its products Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2018
Questions raised over Big Four auditors' licence independence
The very firms responsible for statutory audits are also being hired by software providers to conduct software licence audits, leading to questions raised in the industry about conflicts of interest Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2018
Microsoft forces price hike on budget-constrained councils
The October 2018 price hike for Microsoft Office 2019 will badly affect local governments, leading Socitm to urge Microsoft to reconsider Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2018
Office 365 users locked out by authentication failure
Multifactor authentication aims to protect users’ security, but many woke up this morning to find they could no longer access Microsoft 365 Continue Reading
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Opinion
30 Oct 2018
Are SAP’s indirect use charges legal?
The German legal system is examining whether SAP can legitimately charge for indirect access to its software from a third-party application Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2018
There is more to fintech than meets the eye
Financial technology goes way beyond the flashy apps facing consumers and into the depths of the back office Continue Reading
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News
15 Oct 2018
Should you pay or should you go for free open source software?
Open source software is free, but many businesses are happy to pay for support. This model tends not to scale well, however, making wider deployment expensive. We weigh up the options Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2018
Dropping commercial open source lowers PaaS costs at Fidelity
Investment company Fidelity has created an on-premise PaaS for its in-house developer teams using the open source Cloud Foundry platform Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2018
Keeping Commvault on its toes in ASEAN
Backup and data protection software supplier is going after mid-sized companies and renewing its focus on partners to make deeper inroads in Southeast Asia Continue Reading
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24 Sep 2018
Tips on reducing unnecessary cloud service costs
As IT departments prepare their 2019 budgets, we assess how to avoid paying too much for cloud services. Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2018
Fair trade software on the agenda but Dutch businesses not ready to buy it
There is already free trade chocolate and coffee on supermarket shelves, but two Dutch tech entrepreneurs are trying to add free trade software to the mix Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2018
Foreshadow mitigation obscures licensing impact
Performance of virtual machines could be severely affected by the workaround for Intel’s latest processor flaw. To compensate, more processors will be needed Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2018
Growing reliance on cloud will need tighter IT management
By 2022, over $1.3tn will be spent on cloud computing and related services globally, and IT leaders will need to figure out how to manage it all Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2018
Tech Nation startup programme demonstrates richness of UK fintech
A Tech Nation programme to support the UK's financial technology startups demonstrates the increasingly diverse range of business-to-business products and services available through the country's fintech community Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2018
Software maintenance contracts lack scrutiny
Paying a fifth of the original software contract value every year for support, big fixes and updates does not seem like good value for money Continue Reading
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News
06 Sep 2018
Arriva ITSM implementation delivers beyond expectations
Transport company replaces several tools with a single cloud-based ITSM platform Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2018
The fintech startups to watch in the UK
Tech Nation’s choice of fintech companies to back reflects the changes expected to hit financial services IT Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2018
How Imperial Brands is taking control of its software licences
Central control gives the tobacco company the data required to manage software licences and ensure it pays only for the assets it needs Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Aug 2018
Tips on reducing unnecessary cloud service costs
As IT departments prepare their 2019 budgets, we assess how to avoid paying too much for cloud services Continue Reading
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E-Zine
14 Aug 2018
Cyber attackers target infrastructure
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out about the growing sophistication of cyber attackers who specialise in industrial control systems. They are fast, efficient and able to move between IT and OT environments. We also discover how few businesses in general are reporting cyber crime, as they should. The issue also tracks Google’s playing court to the C-suite, with respect to cloud computing. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2018
Utilita Energy supplier uses cloud to rapidly scale IT service desk
Energy provider Utilita Energy puts its IT service management in the cloud to support its rapid growth Continue Reading
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Opinion
24 Jul 2018
Intellectual property in an AI world
The controversial European Copyright Directive has gone back to the drawing board, but it raises important questions about the use of artificial intelligence in protecting individual rights Continue Reading
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24 Jul 2018
Oracle’s deal with Chile should go global
UK Oracle users may eventually see the ripple effect of a court ruling in a country almost 7,500 miles away. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
24 Jul 2018
Building intelligent aircraft engines with AI and analytics
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to UK manufacturer Rolls-Royce about using artificial intelligence, sensor technology and data analytics to build intelligent aircraft engines. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the next generation of desktop IT. And we ask whether a court ruling in Chile could lead to a worldwide change in Oracle’s software licensing practices. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2018
Brussels aims to become an insurtech hub
Belgian capital is calling on startups as it eyes up the huge opportunities in the insurance technology sector Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2018
Cloud sales stoke Microsoft’s strong growth
Microsoft says cloud-based Office products made a huge contribution to sales growth Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2018
Oracle’s deal with Chile should go global
UK Oracle users may eventually see the ripple effect of a court ruling in a country almost 7,500 miles away Continue Reading
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News
06 Jul 2018
Investment flows into Nordic startups from all directions
The Nordic tech startup scene is attracting funding from a variety of sources, with private equity firms, banks and traditional IT companies all keen to put money in Continue Reading
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Opinion
20 Jun 2018
Why software giants are failing
Oracle’s latest financial results illustrate that the core businesses of many of the software behemoths of the past are under strain Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2018
Tips on reducing IT expenditure
There is constant pressure for IT to reduce cost and do more with less. Computer Weekly explores how this is being achieved in practice Continue Reading
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News
12 Jun 2018
IT teams should rework supplier contracts to free up budgets
There is no money for IT to help the business to innovate digitally, so CIOs should look at how their IT teams can maximise value from existing contracts, survey shows Continue Reading
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E-Zine
12 Jun 2018
How National Geographic uses tech to captivate its audience
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how the world-famous National Geographic magazine is adapting to the digital age and using technology to better engage its audience. We ask what Microsoft’s $7.6bn acquisition of GitHub means for the open source community. And our latest buyer’s guide looks at the trends in developer tools. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2018
APAC remains a hotbed for software piracy
The Asia-Pacific region is still seeing the highest use of unlicensed software installations globally, making enterprises more susceptible to cyber attacks from malware Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2018
Medical firm puts vTax and SAN to sleep to save £30,000 with Scale
Penlon replaces HPE servers and storage and VMware virtualisation to escape the high costs of licensing, and deploys Scale Computing hyper-converged appliances at two UK datacentres Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2018
European CIOs establish committee to drive IT value in business
Technology Business Council creates a European arm to help CIOs get the best value and efficiency from their IT assets Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2018
IT professionals distrust their main suppliers, survey shows
IT providers are restricting the ability of businesses to innovate, with many IT pros feeling that suppliers deliver poor value, especially on upgrades, a Cogeco Peer 1 survey reveals Continue Reading
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E-Zine
08 May 2018
Crypto gold rush days are numbered
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how cryptocurrency miners are using colocation providers to help scale up their operations, drive profits and boost resiliency – for however long the boom may last. We also look at the changes SAP has made to its licensing model to clarify the issue of indirect access and consider what the cloud domination of Amazon, Google and Microsoft means for smaller cloud suppliers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2018
ServiceNow buys into SaaS licensing to drive digitisation
The cloud-based service management company has extended its reach in IT asset management to help businesses optimise cloud subscriptions Continue Reading
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24 Apr 2018
SAP bids to modernise indirect licensing arrangements with new pricing model
SAP has announced a new pricing model for indirect licensing scenarios that has been welcomed by user groups, who are still pressing for reassurance that they won’t pay more. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
24 Apr 2018
London plans to be a smarter city
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we meet the first ever chief digital officer for London, Theo Blackwell, and find out about his plans for making the capital a smarter city. SAP has overhauled its controversial indirect licensing policy – we look at the implications for users. What are the jobs of the future in retail as the sector is transformed by technology? We ask the experts. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Apr 2018
How SAP’s digital access licence influences your ERP strategy
Following the high-profile legal cases against brewers Diageo and Anheuser-Busch InBev, SAP has brought some clarity over indirect access to its core ERP system Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2018
SAP bids to modernise indirect licensing with new pricing model
SAP has announced a new pricing model for indirect licensing scenarios that has been welcomed by user groups, who are still pressing for reassurance that they won’t pay more Continue Reading
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E-Zine
10 Apr 2018
Technology is a lifesaver for NHS Blood and Transplant
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the CDO of the NHS’s blood and transplant agency about how digital transformation is proving to be a real lifesaver. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the state of public cloud. And we find out how Ireland is expecting a Brexit dividend to boost its tech sector when the UK leaves the EU. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Opinion
26 Mar 2018
SAP licensing – reassuringly expensive?
SAP’s recent settlement with AB InBev has again put audits and licensing under the spotlight. We look at how to get the best value and avoid fines Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2018
AB InBev settles out of court in $600m SAP licensing dispute
SEC filing reveals that brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev has come to an agreement with SAP over the ERP provider's under-licensing claim Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2018
Big 10 open source companies give users a licence reprieve
With the roll-out of GNU GPL 3.0 open source licensing, the industry is expecting discrepancies, and hopes an open discussion will help to debug it Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Mar 2018
How to make the most of your SAP licences
There is no point in paying for something you never use – or worse, using the wrong licence. Doing the bare minimum for SAP licence management is not enough Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2018
How to improve SAP ROI with smart licensing
A recent study suggested most SAP projects have a 50% chance of failure. The risk of having incorrect SAP licensing could be far higher Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2018
Hershey’s outsources SAP roll-out to Accenture
US chocolate maker has signed up Accenture to support its SAP Hana S/4 implementation Continue Reading