Unified communications
Unified communications (UC) is an umbrella term for the integration of multiple enterprise communication tools -- such as voice calling, video conferencing, instant messaging (IM), presence, content sharing, etc. See complete definition.
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News
27 Mar 2024
RingCentral goes global with AI-powered contact centre solution
Provider of artificial intelligence-driven cloud solutions expands global footprint and drives adoption momentum of contact centre products with CRM integrations that enable integrated, immersive agent experience Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2024
Avaya announces Zoom strategic partnership for collaboration
Avaya selects Zoom’s recently launched AI-powered Workplace platform to integrate with its Communication and Collaboration Suite to help enterprises ‘reimagine’ teamwork Continue Reading
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News
09 Jul 2020
Orange, Nokia claim first successful trial of next-gen optical technology
Next-generation optoelectronics technology designed to allow tripling of total transported capacity on long-haul links Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2020
SD-WAN goes mainstream in remote work surge but network visibility, security are concerns
Survey reveals effect of Covid-19 in what is said to be an age of dynamic disruption, with full sight of traffic activity across much more distributed infrastructure a key priority Continue Reading
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News
06 Jul 2020
Radius aims to get ahead of the curve with new telecoms division
Converged technology, mobile and fixed line telecoms provider’s new division aims to help companies get the ‘smartest approach’ to their operations Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Jul 2020
Getting infrastructures in shape for the big return to work
As firms get used to a partial return to the workplace, what will this mean for those that have been charged with keeping business networks up and running during lockdown? Continue Reading
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News
06 Jul 2020
UK government defies critics and leads acquisition of sat tech firm OneWeb
Government plans to deliver UK’s first sovereign space capability through constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, but $500m investment is criticised Continue Reading
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Blog Post
03 Jul 2020
Remote working works - and can herald a post-pandemic social revolution
Amid all the uncertainty and fear of the coronavirus pandemic, within the tech world surely one longstanding myth has been dismissed forever – the idea that remote working and employee productivity ... Continue Reading
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News
03 Jul 2020
Virgin Media, Cisco unveil first-ever commercial deployment of OpenRoaming at Canary Wharf
Wireless communications based on new connectivity aims to ‘dramatically’ improve efficiencies for more than 20,000 businesses, entrepreneurs, independent retailers, bars, cafes and workspaces in London’s Docklands Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2020
Remote workforce demands ‘hybrid working’, not the end of the office in the ‘better normal’
As lockdowns end, research shows businesses will gradually have to start shifting their focus from purely surviving, yet employees think their desire for hybrid working is out of step with that of their employer Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2020
New normal of remote working sees more than half of innovation budgets cut
Nearly one-fifth of tech executives have seen significant reductions in their innovation budgets because of the Covid-19 pandemic, says report Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2020
Zoom making progress on cyber security and privacy, says CEO
Three months after being hit by a spate of security incidents, Zoom’s CEO, Eric Yuan, has been discussing progress towards a more secure product Continue Reading
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News
30 Jun 2020
Remote working set to remain but so do management challenges
Businesses are preparing for staff to repopulate workplaces, while preparing for an inevitable increase in more flexible working Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2020
95% of North American CIOs report remote work issues during lockdown
Employee password lockouts and inability to access on-premise applications were among the top challenges faced by CIOs in keeping remote workers up and running during lockdown Continue Reading
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News
25 Jun 2020
UK, US workers report ‘overwhelmingly’ positive experiences of remote working
Study finds that despite challenges, mass remote working due to Covid-19 has been a net benefit on both sides of the Atlantic, suggesting companies should maintain some degree of flexible working Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2020
Two-thirds of UK adults to work remotely more often after Covid-19
Research commissioned by Ciena reveals how coronavirus pandemic will likely change UK internet usage, as increased use of online home working applications is complemented by commensurate rise in online education Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2020
Microsoft Teams usage growth surpasses Zoom
Aternity’s latest Productivity Tracker sees Microsoft fight back against conferencing tool that has enjoyed stellar growth since the Covid-19 lockdowns began Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2020
Lockdown drives UK internet and videoconferencing surge
UK adults now spend more than a quarter of their waking day online with services such as Zoom seeing unprecedented growth, according to Ofcom’s latest study of the nation’s online lives Continue Reading
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News
23 Jun 2020
Home workers report concerns regarding network capacity shortages
With networks becoming an increasingly critical part of business operations, network intelligence platform provider finds 65% of networking professionals felt extremely or somewhat concerned about their organisation’s network capacity during pandemic heights Continue Reading
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News
23 Jun 2020
Collaboration platform technology to shape the future of construction industry post-Covid-19
Survey from construction management software provider reveals Covid-19 has caused a mind-shift, with the industry realising the benefits of integrated platform technology to improve transparency among teams working remotely Continue Reading
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News
22 Jun 2020
TalkTalk targets teleworkers with business-grade broadband
UK mobile network operator aims to take advantage of mass increase in home working, which will likely persist into next year and beyond, by offering medium and enterprise-sized businesses packages for reliable connectivity Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2020
Home workers increase digital activity but raise broadband performance issues
Research finds lockdown prompts more engagement with the latest technology and gadgets for the home, but a quarter are concerned about a reduction in broadband performance Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2020
Cisco patches dangerous Webex vulnerability
CVE-2020-3347 bug enables cyber criminals to steal meeting records from within Cisco’s Webex service Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2020
Environmental concerns set to put brake on future business trips
Research finds nearly half of UK workers are concerned about the negative environmental impact of business travel, with almost two-fifths actively wanting to reduce the number of times they travel for work Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2020
Zoom U-turns on end-to-end encryption
Embattled video-conferencing provider Zoom backtracks on previous refusals to provide end-to-end encryption to free users Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2020
Younger employees find remote working more difficult
Research reveals a disparity between millennials and older generations when it comes to their acclimatisation to remote working, prompting call for firms to provide targeted tools and training for employees during this difficult period Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2020
Firms prepare for new world of hybrid remote and in-office workforce
The return to the office after mass teleworking looks like a long road indeed, with survey predicting it will take over a year for noticeable majority of workers to return, leading to new hybrid model for the workforce Continue Reading
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News
16 Jun 2020
Activists call on Zoom to implement encryption for all
A coalition of tech organisations and nonprofits have urged Zoom CEO Eric Yuan to make end-to-end encryption available to all users Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2020
University Hospitals Birmingham calls on BT for remote diagnostic station
UK’s largest health trust sets up clinicians to work with multidisciplinary teams for remote clinical support in real time over a converged 4G/5G and Wi-Fi network Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2020
Virtual GP practice accidentally exposes patient video calls
A small number of users of Babylon’s GP at Hand service were briefly able to view other patients’ video GP consultations thanks to a bug in a new software feature Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2020
Businesses learn to cope with new normal as only 25% of UK workers crave return to office
Research from enterprise identity firm finds that even with no playbook, UK workers are coping well with mandated home working and have maintained productivity Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2020
Huawei launches charm offensive to fight ‘high-risk’ label
Global communications technology provider begins fightback against perceived high-risk status and stresses its fundamental role in UK telecoms as it finds itself under further attack from UK and US politicians Continue Reading
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09 Jun 2020
The software innovation impact of coronavirus
Software developers can work remotely, but if workers are expected to work remotely in the long term, can organisations maintain a software innovation cycle? Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Jun 2020
How retailers are staying connected during their coronavirus shutdown
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how the hard-hit retail sector has turned to technology to stay connected with staff during the coronavirus lockdown. Our latest buyer’s guide examines best practice in data quality and how to avoid “garbage in garbage out” syndrome. And we look at how remote working affects software development teams. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2020
Third of UK internet users report worse service since lockdown
Even though operators assured at beginning of lockdowns that their infrastructures could cope with the extra strain on home networks, UK internet users say the quality of their online experiences has demonstrably worsened Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2020
UK employees complain of lacking tools to work at home effectively
Even though employees expect to continue working remotely for the foreseeable future, a significant proportion of teleworkers lack access to the required technological equipment Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2020
Covid-19 drives Zoom boom in first quarter of 2020
Now ubiquitous conference software firm Zoom cashes in as coronavirus spurs higher demand for distributed, face-to-face interactions and collaboration Continue Reading
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News
03 Jun 2020
How Teams and Office 365 connect NHS staff during the lockdown
NHS’s AGEM Commissioning Support Unit has migrated from on-premise SharePoint to Office 365 and is now using Teams Continue Reading
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News
03 Jun 2020
Worldwide user spending on cloud-based web conferencing technology will grow by nearly 25% in 2020
Global workplace restrictions will drive expansion of cloud conferencing user base throughout 2020, but growth will taper off next year Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2020
Vodafone gives six months’ free business broadband to UK SMEs
UK telco introduces scheme to help UK small businesses attempting to cope with new phase in Covid-19 lockdown Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2020
Enterprises planning future with 5G and Wi-Fi 6
Deloitte study shows advanced wireless technologies increasingly seen as a ‘force multiplier’ for emerging technologies including AI, IoT, cloud and edge computing Continue Reading
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News
29 May 2020
The software innovation impact of coronavirus
Software developers can work remotely, but if workers are expected to work remotely in the long term, can organisations maintain a software innovation cycle? Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2020
Coronavirus: CIOs should consider a new desktop IT strategy
Although the Covid-19 lockdown is easing, office life will not return to normal any time soon, and few will be buying new PCs Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2020
Three-quarters of people expect to work remotely more often after the lockdown
Current changes in working patterns through the Covid-19 outbreak set to see marked shift in the future, and have major impact on digital infrastructures Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2020
Small firms seize digital lifeline to get back to business
Research shows Covid-19 crisis has kick-started a small business digital revolution to power recovery, with over a quarter of firms responding to running their businesses remotely with videoconferencing Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2020
UK workers struggle to unplug from ‘new normal’ at home
As the country enters month three of enforced working from home, research reveals that as personal devices and app overload blurs home-work life, concerns arise over productivity and the mental state of the workforce Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Microsoft Build 2020: Nadella praises developers for their work during pandemic
IT has played a key role in supporting people and businesses during the coronavirus lockdown Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Nearly two-thirds of US small businesses to continue with remote working post-pandemic
Survey reveals small businesses are having a big rethink on remote working as a fundamental business practice when the coronavirus pandemic has passed Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Coronavirus: How CIOs can prepare for business recovery
Economic recovery will require business to work differently. CIOs may be asked to automate more and support high levels of remote working Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2020
Ericsson extends 5G reach with China Telecom, China Unicom
Leading Chinese operators tap Swedish comms tech giant for 5G core portfolio systems, including cloud packet, NFVI, dynamic orchestration and spectrum sharing Continue Reading
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18 May 2020
Unified communications: The key to prospering in the new working reality of Covid-19
Covid-19 lockdowns are causing a collective rethink in the way companies operate, with unified communications transformed from a nice-to-have to a business essential as remote working becomes the new normal. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2020
Worldwide comms services industry projected to take limited hit from Covid-19
Coronavirus pandemic has changed some trends in the global telecom services market, but operators have adapted quickly and temporarily pushed aside some earlier priorities, says IDC Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
Telcos’ enterprise ambitions at risk from private network operators, private spectrum
Research finds a rising number of spectrum initiatives underpinning strong momentum for private cellular networks within enterprises Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
Comms tech firms eye partnership opportunities with provider community
In latest example of growing trend, Virgin Media Business signs strategic partnership with integrated cloud communications platform to extend voice and unified communications portfolio Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2020
Ericsson bullish on 5G despite Covid-19
Comms tech company’s chief highlights the importance of connectivity during times of crisis and unprecedented surge in network traffic Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2020
Coronavirus: SMEs in the UAE forced to digitally transform
The UAE, like the rest of the world, continues to be heavily impacted by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, and technology is helping to lead the fight Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Zoom buys secure messaging service Keybase
Unified comms platform Zoom says the acquisition of Keybase will finally let it bring end-to-end encryption to the table Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Next round of Zoom updates targets consumer security
Casual consumer users of Zoom will get additional protections in an update to be released over the long weekend Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Brits expected to call time on office life after lockdown
O2 Business study reveals currently displaced workers see a permanent change to their company’s approach to flexible working Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Industry 4.0 transformation reaches communications inflection point
Survey finds huge potential for investment in advance 4G and 5G technology among industrial organisations Continue Reading
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Opinion
01 May 2020
Why you should think before you Zoom
Feel free to use Zoom during the coronavirus lockdown, but think before you discuss anything confidential Continue Reading
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Feature
01 May 2020
Unified communications: The key to prospering in the new working reality of Covid-19
Covid-19 lockdowns are causing a collective rethink in the way companies operate, with unified communications transformed from a nice-to-have to a business essential as remote working becomes the new normal Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Young employees struggle with remote working
Communications tools identified as key pain point and hindering productivity for young UK workers Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2020
Zoom chooses Oracle IaaS as core cloud infrastructure provider
Zoom has chosen Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to deliver its online video meetings service as usage has spiked due to the Covid-19 coronavirus public health crisis Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2020
Under the spotlight, video apps rush to strengthen security
Most popular videoconferencing applications now meet Mozilla’s minimum security standards, with fierce competition and public pressure driving rapid improvement Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2020
Microsoft patches .gif file vulnerability in Teams
Vulnerability could have enabled cyber criminals to use a malicious .gif file to scrape user data and take over Teams accounts Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2020
How Vonage is riding the e-commerce wave in Asia
The surge in online sales across Asia has boosted demand for cloud-based communications services as more e-commerce players look to integrate text messaging, voice and video into customer engagement platforms Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2020
5,400% growth forecast for enterprises using WhatsApp Business APIs
Unprecedented and extraordinary growth forecast for business version of WhatsApp, with growth from just 992 to 55,000 users expected over the next five years Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2020
Zoom to roll out fresh cyber security updates
New features include support for advanced AES 256-bit encryption Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Surge in Wi-Fi upload traffic shows need for advanced Wi-Fi adoption
Prolonged home working will see home networks, based on older Wi-Fi technologies rather than the likes of Wi-Fi 6, put under intolerable strain, warns analyst Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2020
Collaboration and communications get richer as Covid-19 ushers in new working reality
Covid-19 lockdowns bring about collective rethink in the way we work, with remote video becoming normalised and a potential change in the way effectiveness is measured Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
NCSC launches coronavirus cyber security campaign
The National Cyber Security Centre has launched a reporting service for scam emails as part of a campaign to help people protect themselves from cyber criminals exploiting the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
INCA: UK gigabit broadband progress more important than ever
Trade body for independent network providers calls for progress toward the delivery of ultrafast broadband to all parts of the UK to continue despite the current Covid-19 lockdown conditions Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
Zoom and WebEx users targeted by credential stealing attempts
Videoconferencing apps such as Zoom and Cisco’s WebEx are being targeted by cyber criminals trying to steal users’ personal data Continue Reading
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Podcast
20 Apr 2020
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 54
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna talk about the likely legacy of lockdown for working lives, the mental health impact of the public health crisis, and how data scientists are looking to help by identifying signals of economic recovery. Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
CIO interview: Jason Oliver, IT director, University of Sussex
Imagine taking a year to formulate a digital transformation plan – then having to implement much of it in two weeks when the coronavirus hit. For the Sussex University IT chief, there’s even more to do now Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2020
Fifth of UK small businesses concerned about prolonged remote working
Small firms find the potential prospect of indefinite working from home a major challenge to future business Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2020
Verizon Business zooms in to acquire conferencing company BlueJeans
With conferencing and collaboration rocketing due to the Covid-19 outbreak and no real end in sight to the increased usage, Verizon swoops in to acquire conference applications provider BlueJeans Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Apr 2020
What if we find we rather like this working from home thing?
Sometimes it takes a major economic shock to change the accepted wisdom of economics and work – our working life after the coronavirus crisis might be very different Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2020
Nuage Networks declares SD-WAN first for desktop, mobile and IoT devices
Nokia subsidiary integrates Asavie SD Edge to allow enterprise IT managers to extend security policies beyond branch to mobile users and connected devices Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Standard Chartered bans employees from Zoom
Standard Chartered is the first bank to have instructed its staff to refrain from using Zoom Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
Managed services rev up revenues for SD-WAN in fourth quarter of 2019
Analyst Omdia highlights the steady transition in 2019 from hardware-based to software-defined networking and predicts good times despite Covid-19 Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Researcher finds security vulnerability in Slack
Some common assumptions about the security of cloud-based messaging platform Slack may not be entirely accurate, says an Alien Labs researcher Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2020
Apple and Netflix most imitated brands in phishing attacks
A new report highlights the brands which are being most frequently spoofed by cyber criminals in phishing attacks Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Zoom user credentials for sale on dark web
IntSight researchers say they have found a database containing thousands of Zoom usernames and passwords being sold on the dark web Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Warning over surge in Zoom security incidents
Check Point researchers have observed a surge in suspicious Zoom domains as cyber criminals target popular remote working and collaboration tools Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Zoom restricted or banned at multiple organisations
Use of videoconferencing tool has been banned at Google and in parts of the German and US governments Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2020
Samsung, AWS claim world’s first mission-critical comms video call
MCPTX solution powered by leading cloud platform said to enable first responders to accurately assess vital moments using voice, data and video calls Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Criminals using Zoom installer to spread cryptominer
Videoconferencing application targeted to deliver cryptomining malware to unsuspecting victims Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2020
Covid-19 to hamper short-term growth but mobility-as-a-service to rebound in 2021
Despite expected restricted growth this year of platforms that integrate different transport services – including buses, taxis, rail and metro – into a single app, a dramatic return for MaaS is expected in the six years to 2027 Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2020
BCS calls for IT recognition in coronavirus response
Campaign launched by BCS aims to recognise the importance of IT staff in keeping UK workers connected during the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2020
Liverpool top of the league for mobile business usage in UK
Merseyside rated as the sweetest of sweet spots for business wireless connectivity Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2020
Wireless industry hails FCC spectrum announcement as game changer for Wi-Fi 6
Proposed opening of the 6GHz band to Wi-Fi 6 technology in US set to provide more capacity than all other current Wi-Fi bands put together Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2020
Google data shows high interest in security and remote working
An analysis of the most Googled technology terms during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the scale of the cyber security challenge presented by the crisis Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Is Zoom safe and should security teams ban it?
Zoom’s rapid rise to prominence has highlighted a score of security problems with the service. Should CISOs try to steer their organisations away from it, or ban it outright? Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2020
Security, network services top enterprise challenges for deploying UCaaS, CCaaS
Research finds ongoing challenges in deploying unified-communications-as-a-service and contact-centre-as-a-service firms also preferring bundled network solutions from a single provider Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2020
How IT leaders and their teams are supporting employees through the coronavirus crisis
We talk to four top IT chiefs across the UK to find out how their teams are supporting their organisations and staff to keep working through the Covid-19 outbreak Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Zoom accelerates away as office workers make video calls
The Covid-19 pandemic has required people to change their working habits, and many are routinely using conferencing tools Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2020
Coronavirus takes toll on IT spending in Asia
The economic fallout from the Covid-19 outbreak is expected to slash the growth rate of the region’s IT industry to just 1.2% this year Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: How to implement safe and secure remote working
Find out what CIOs and CISOs need to know to enable their end-users to work remotely and stay secure during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis, and learn how users can help themselves Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2020
Covid-19: Three steps to remote working effectiveness
Staff are going to have to work from home, if they can, for the foreseeable future. We look at steps to ensure they remain fit and productive Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2020
Covid-19: Three technology areas that CIOs must address
CIOs will need to consider the IT measures that will be needed to support their organisations as the government ramps up its response to the coronavirus Continue Reading