Information technology (IT) in Benelux
Read the latest tech news and trends in Benelux. Find articles and resources on IT security, data storage, backup and recovery, networking, data centre, cloud computing, mobile technology, virtualisation, big data, virtual machines and more.
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News
07 Jun 2024
European data chief prepares bid to get UK to join EU digital single market
Data initiative Gaia-X is trying to plug the UK into a planned digital European single market, as the EU seeks to extend the reach of vast and controversial data laws over global supply chains Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
Santander bank added 4,500 tech staff last year
Santander added thousands of IT staff to its global operation last year, as part of its digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2024
Dutch chip strategy balances talent and infrastructure in €2.5bn investment
Project Beethoven aims to create complete semiconductor ecosystem through coordinated education and infrastructure investment Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2024
Dutch politicians raise concerns over Big Tech reliance
Dutch political parties have warned about the Netherlands’ growing reliance on US tech giants Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2024
Russian threat actors poised to cripple power grid, UK warns
UK government escalates cyber rhetoric in a speech at a Nato event, saying Russian advanced persistent threats stand ready to conduct cyber attacks that could ‘turn off the lights for millions’ Continue Reading
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News
22 Nov 2024
EU promotes plan to usurp US Big Tech with digital market
European Union is at an important point in its plan to build a single market and strengthen its cloud computing sector Continue Reading
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News
29 Oct 2024
Tata Consultancy Services to deliver Irish pension scheme
Indian IT services giant adds to its growing customer base in the pensions sector with Irish contract win Continue Reading
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News
25 Oct 2024
Dutch critical infrastructure at risk despite high leadership confidence
Stark paradox in Dutch cyber security landscape has business leaders expressing high confidence in their IT infrastructure as cyber attacks rise Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2024
Afas leads the way with four-day work week in the Netherlands
Dutch labour unions want a shorter working week and software company Afas is leading the way, introducing a four-day work week from 1 January 2025 Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2024
UN body urges ‘globally inclusive and distributed’ AI governance
A United Nations body set up to investigate the international governance of AI says the nature of how the technology currently operates requires a global approach to regulation that prioritises equity and inclusion Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2024
Belgium: Researchers at Imec tackle bioconvergence
Several initiatives are underway at Imec to apply semiconductor and related technology to a range of challenges in healthcare Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Aug 2024
How UK firms can get ready for the implementation of NIS2
Many British companies will need to adhere to NIS2’s cyber security risk management and reporting requirements if they want to continue operating in the EU market and avoid huge fines Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2024
WhatsApp and Signal messages at risk of surveillance following EncroChat ruling, court hears
Defence lawyers seek leave to appeal a decision by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal that the National Crime Agency lawfully obtained warrants to intercept messages sent over an encrypted phone network Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2024
Dutch research firm TNO pictures the SOC of the future
In only a few years, security operations centres will have a different design and layout, and far fewer will remain Continue Reading
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News
09 Jul 2024
Tony’s Chocolonely gains Salesforce comfort with Own SaaS backup
Tony’s Chocolonely sometimes lost Salesforce.com data and often hit storage limits, but cloud-to-cloud SaaS backup from Own allows it to easily recover customer data and archive old data Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2024
Benelux specialised venture capital fund finds global deep tech investments
A venture capital fund in Belgium partners with tech research organisation in its search for investments Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2024
Q&A: Adalbjorn Thorolfsson on IT project management in Iceland
With a small, but very sophisticated population, Iceland has unique ways of keeping up with the rest of the world in the IT sector. Adalbjorn Thorolfsson, president of the Icelandic Project Management Association, describes some lessons for the rest of the world Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2024
Cobol knowledge crisis threatens Dutch financial systems
Expertise in complex Cobol systems, critical to major financial institutions, is dwindling in The Netherlands, resulting in retired professionals returning work Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2024
Rapid AI development poses supervisory challenges in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the financial regulator and the monetary authority are grappling with the pace of artificial intelligence development and its implications for the financial industry Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2024
European data chief prepares bid to get UK to join EU digital single market
Data initiative Gaia-X is trying to plug the UK into a planned digital European single market, as the EU seeks to extend the reach of vast and controversial data laws over global supply chains Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2024
Dutch employers should discuss using algorithms in managing staff
Dutch organisations must engage in open discussions with employees about the use of algorithms and data in managing staff Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Apr 2024
Austrian AI: from academia to commercial success and beyond
Austria has established itself as a European frontrunner when it comes to artificial intelligence exploration and, importantly, deployment Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2024
Interview: IoT enables Dutch-French company to provide bicycle and scooter rental
Dott’s connected system and mobile app allow users to hire vehicles and ensure safe and compliant rides in 40 cities across Europe and Israel Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2024
International police operation infiltrates LabHost phishing website used by thousands of criminals
The Metropolitan Police working with international police forces have shut down LabHost, a phishing-as-a-service website that has claimed 70,000 victims in the UK Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2024
Europol offers law enforcement agencies data on Europe’s most threatening crime networks
Europol has collected and analysed data from over 40 countries to identify 800 most threatening criminal networks operating in Europe in what it describes as a unique dataset for law enforcemnt Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2024
Changes needed for SOCs and CSIRTs, claims Dutch research institute
Cyber security specialists need a game-changer to keep up with their adversaries, who increasingly use automation and AI for their attacks Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2024
Dutch organisations vulnerable to deepfake fraud
With the information many employees share on social media, Dutch companies are especially vulnerable to a new form of fraud Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2024
Dutch organisations start building a federated European cloud
The ‘European cloud services in an open federated ecosystem’ (ECOFED) project is co-funded by the Dutch government and will run from 2024 to 2027 Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Feb 2024
Netherlands formulates vision to address risks of GenAI
There are numerous risks and challenges associated with generative AI – which is why the Dutch government has formulated a vision document for its responsible and safe use in the Netherlands Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2024
Europe carves out niche in quantum computing
As the US, China and Europe accelerate investment in quantum computing, Europe is beginning to develop its own unique position in the fledgling global ecosystem Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2024
Dutch companies not ready for AI
Many Dutch organisations are not ready to start working with AI, according to the Cisco AI Readiness Index Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2024
Chat control: Tech companies warn ministers over EU encryption plans
Tech companies have written to EU ministers to urge them to back the European Parliament, rather than the European Commission, over proposed regulations to police child abuse Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
Santander bank added 4,500 tech staff last year
Santander added thousands of IT staff to its global operation last year, as part of its digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2024
Dutch working to promote cooperation in Europe to keep internet safe
A Dutch cooperative approach offers national and international cooperation opportunities for ISPs to guard against DDoS attacks, lawful interception and detect abuse in networks Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2023
Top 10 Benelux stories of 2023
The Benelux region is researching some of the latest digital technologies of the future with efforts to ensure the region keeps pace in quantum computing and artificial intelligence Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2023
Fancy Bear targets Nato entities via critical Outlook flaw
A vulnerability patched in March has likely been exploited by the Russian state actor Fancy Bear, for over two years, according to the latest intelligence Continue Reading
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E-Zine
07 Dec 2023
CW EMEA: Prepare for cyber war
When the war between Hamas and Israel began in October, cyber security professionals and major government and private organisations braced for an inevitable accompanying online war. In this issue of CW EMEA, we outline cyber war, patterns of threat activity, and find out what security teams can do to protect their organisations. We also look at Finland’s advances in quantum computing, how Belgian researchers have developed technology to help datacentres process data faster, and the secrets of KPN’s successful business transformation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2023
Atos selected for UEFA Euro 2024 IT contract
IT services company Atos will deliver on-site and remote IT services for next year’s international football event in Germany Continue Reading
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Opinion
24 Nov 2023
DORA raises the stakes for cloud use in financial services
The EU's DORA regulations will raise the stakes for cloud in financial services but resilience is more than just a tech issue, says NetApp's Steve Rackham Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Nov 2023
Luxembourg-based cloud provider aims to transform the AI landscape in Europe
Gcore runs cloud services worldwide, which gives it a front-row seat for observing global computing trends, and now the company expects to lead one of the major trends in Europe Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Nov 2023
Heineken lets the data flow
In this month’s CW EMEA ezine, we find out about Heineken’s mission to make the most out of the data it holds through an enterprise-wide data ecosystem. We also look at how the UK has turned its back on the German government-funded Gaia-X data platform, why cyber experts are urging the EU to rethink vulnerability disclosure plans, and how the IT industry is responding to the software developer skills shortfall. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2023
Netherlands starts building its own AI language model
Dutch government allocates €13.5m to develop an open artificial intelligence language model according to national values and guidelines. Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2023
EU digital ID reforms should be ‘actively resisted’, say experts
Over 300 cyber security experts have called for the EU to rethink its proposals for eIDAS digital identity reforms, saying some of the provisions risk damaging user privacy and security Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2023
Collaboration paramount in KPN’s successful business transformation
KPN tells Oracle CloudWorld 2023 how it transformed when its legacy systems became obstacles to supporting its customers on their digital journeys Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2023
Belgian researchers raise speed limit in European datacentres
Researchers have developed a prototype of an optical receiver that will help datacentres process data at a much higher rate Continue Reading
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E-Zine
13 Oct 2023
CW EMEA: Prepare for AI explosion
In this month’s CW EMEA, we look at generative artificial intelligence, which Accenture claims is the next big thing in enterprise IT. The IT services giant says GenAI will transform 40% of all working hours – and it is putting its money where its mouth is with plans to invest $3bn in AI and create 40,000 AI-focused roles. Part of the huge investment has already been assigned to the creation of an AI and generative AI lab in Brussels focused on the public sector in Europe. We also look at a Deutsche Telekom-led consortium’s demo of multi-supplier non-real-time RAN optimisation, how last month’s Ryder Cup tested out technology to improve how fans digitally consume the event, and find out how Zurich Insurance has cut the time it takes to complete development of ServiceNow applications. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2023
UK emphasises EU split by kicking digital trade scheme into long grass
Former Gaia-X CEO talks exclusively to Computer Weekly about UK inertia on cross-border data tech Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2023
Banks less focused on metaverse technology than last year
Senior banking executives have reduced their focus on investigating metaverse technology in the past 12 months Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2023
European enterprises to spend more on generative IT to close gap on US
European organisations are upping their spending on generative AI innovation, but face challenges recruiting the right people to support this Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2023
European fintech investment plummets, but more sustainable future lies ahead
Investment in European fintechs has seen a dramatic drop, but a more sustainable sector will result from investment discipline Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Sep 2023
Interview: Ashish Gupta, head of EMEA, HCLTech
It’s not just enterprises that changed their operating models during and after Covid, but also the suppliers that took them on the journey, HCLTech Europe’s head explains Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2023
Ryder Cup testbed to feature tech firsts in Rome
This year’s Ryder Cup will test out technology to improve how fans digitally consume the event while reducing the workload on IT teams Continue Reading
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News
16 Aug 2023
Accenture’s Brussels AI lab to focus on European public sector and health
Accenture will use its Brussels AI lab to test AI and generative AI's application in the European public sector Continue Reading
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Opinion
26 Jul 2023
NATO countries must coordinate their cyber forces to combat the Russian threat
The top item on the agenda at the Vilnius NATO Summit this month was the revamping the alliance’s defences. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Jul 2023
Handbook helps Dutch organisations migrate to quantum-safe communication
Organisations must start implementing new cryptography standards – as migration is a lengthy process Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2023
Traditional IT outsourcing rockets as Europe’s businesses cut costs
Overall spending on IT services is up in European countries despite continued reduction in investments in cloud-based contracts Continue Reading
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E-Zine
13 Jul 2023
CW EMEA: Can we trust AI?
Artificial intelligence and the opportunities and dangers it introduces into society has been a hotly debated subject in tech circles for many years, but today with the increased use of platforms such as ChatGPT, these debates include a wider section of the public. The fact that schoolchildren are even asking ChatGPT for help with their homework brings home the importance of these debates and the responses to them by national policy-makers. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jul 2023
Forensic Institute provides Hansken viewing method for Dutch lawyers
Dutch lawyers can now view crypto communication in criminal cases from their own workplace via digital search engine Hansken. Previously, this had to be done at an external location Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2023
EU formally grants data adequacy to US
The European Commission has formally granted the US data adequacy, allowing companies and organisations to freely transfer personal data across the Atlantic via the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. But privacy activist Max Schrems has already committed to legally challenging the decision Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2023
Germany: European Court of Justice hears arguments on lawfulness of EncroChat cryptophone evidence
The European Court of Justice will decide whether the collection and sharing of data intercepted by law enforcement from EncroChat crypto phone network is compatible with European law Continue Reading
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News
04 Jul 2023
EU judgment sinks Meta’s argument for targeted ads
The EU Court of Justice has issued a significant judgment against Meta, ruling that national anti-trust bodies can investigate GDPR breaches, disrupting the platform’s entire basis for carrying out targeted advertising Continue Reading
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News
27 Jun 2023
Three years on, EncroChat cryptophone hack nets 6,500 arrests and seizures of €900m
French and Dutch prosecutors say three years after they infiltrated the EncroChat cryptophone network in a novel hacking operation, Europe’s courts are opening the way for more collaboration and data sharing between law enforcement agencies Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2023
Software spending grows fastest as finance firms spend $652bn on tech in 2023
Banks and investment firms are increasing their spending on IT despite gloomy economic outlook, but priorities have changed Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Jun 2023
Interview: Michael Kagan, chief technology officer, Nvidia
The chip maker's CTO explains how the compute demands of AI are pushing semiconductor technology beyond the principles of Moore's Law Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2023
Belgian researchers build energy-efficient AI frameworks
Researchers in Belgium are working on a new generation of platforms to support artificial intelligence applications in an energy-efficient manner Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2023
Dutch government puts up €123m to address shortage of ICT workers
Financial injection aimed at improving cooperation between vocational education and business in the Netherlands, and making the tech professions more attractive Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Jun 2023
Helping small deep tech companies become giants in Belgium
Imec researchers are helping deep tech startups in Belgium become global giants Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2023
Netherlands enables contactless payments on entire public transport network
All modes of public transport now accept payments using contactless technology after the completion of major project in the Netherlands Continue Reading
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E-Zine
08 Jun 2023
CW EMEA: IT budgets buck economic trends
Despite the gloomy economic outlook across the world, IT leaders in the EMEA region appear confident that they will have more to spend on IT this year, with 44 expecting IT budgets to increase, according to TechTarget/Computer Weekly’s IT Priorities survey for 2023. Also in this issue, we look at how health authorities in the United Arab Emirates are increasing their emphasis on new, smart technologies to modernise healthcare services, we find out how global tech pioneers Finland and Estonia are increasingly sharing their expertise, and we look at what the Dutch government is doing to address unconscious stereotypes and bias that are still preventing girls in the Netherlands to study engineering or IT. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2023
Researchers in Belgium move towards industrial production of qubits
Using existing equipment and know-how, researchers at the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (Imec) in Belgium are finding ways of mass-producing qubits Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2023
Netherlands makes case for harmonisation of cloud security standards
Harmonisation of cyber security standards is necessary to reduce the regulatory burden on Dutch SMEs – and regulators need to cooperate better Continue Reading
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News
30 May 2023
Europe’s central bank reveals drop in Euro Zone card fraud
Euro Zone card fraud drops with card-not-present scams down following the introduction of Strong Customer Authentication rules Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2023
CTO interview: Europe benefits from energy gains in AMD chips
AMD’s chief technology officer explains how the latest chip technology can help European organisations solve the energy puzzle facing IT departments Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2023
Investigatory Powers Tribunal finds NCA EncroChat hacking warrants were lawful
Investigatory Powers Tribunal refers questions over whether messages obtained from the EncroChat encrypted phone network are legally admissible back to the criminal court Continue Reading
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E-Zine
11 May 2023
CW EMEA: The future of work
In this month’s CW EMEA, we look at the future of work in Europe after the pandemic forced a change in entrenched human behaviour. For years, people talked about flexible working being the way forward, but scepticism within the management of large companies held it back. This all changed when Covid-19 began to spread out of control and governments and businesses quickly told people to work from home where possible. We also look at the increasing problem of IT failures in Dutch hospitals and how they are affecting patient care, highlighting the need to improve IT security in hospitals. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2023
Biases keep Dutch girls out of STEM and IT
Unconscious stereotypes and bias still ensure few girls in the Netherlands choose to study engineering or IT. Government, education and businesses need to make significant steps to turn this around Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
IT Priorities 2023: Budget optimism among EMEA IT leaders
IT leaders across the EMEA region are optimistic that their budgets will increase over the coming year Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
Global finance firms take part in NATO cyber attack simulation
Global financial services organisations take part in NATO annual event which simulates cyber attacks on critical infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2023
Reduced spending on cloud services weighs European IT services market down
Reduced spending on cloud services in the EMEA region meant a year-on-year drop in total IT and BPO services spend Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Apr 2023
Belgian experts take on data challenges
Having been involved in storage and data management for more than two decades, Belgian experts are positioned to help tackle the challenges brought on by a growing volume of unstructured data Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Apr 2023
Inspired by the human brain, Belgian researchers develop a new generation of sensors
Belgian researchers have found ways of mimicking the human brain to improve sensors and the way they pass data to central computers Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2023
Cops bust Genesis cyber crime marketplace
Multinational Operation Cookie Monster takes down Genesis Market, a crucial source of compromised data used by criminals for fraud and other cyber attacks Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Mar 2023
Dutch discovery brings energy-efficient computers a step closer
An international group of researchers at the University of Twente have developed a molecular switch that can increase the energy-efficiency of electronics Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2023
UK signs digital trade deal with Ukraine
The UK and Ukraine have agreed a trade deal that will reduce the cost of IT imports from the war-torn country Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2023
IT gives Ukrainian economy resilience in the face of adversity
Computer Weekly speaks to IT companies from Kharkiv a year after the Ukrainian city became headline news across the world as Russian troops invaded Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Mar 2023
As Covid fades away, what’s the future of remote work in Europe?
Many IT leaders are still supporting some form of work from home, and a trend is beginning to take shape in Europe Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Mar 2023
CW EMEA: How Sweden is accelerating digitisation
Large conglomerates with diverse business portfolios face challenges when digitally transforming because one size cer-tainly doesn’t fit all. In this month’s CW EMEA, we find out how Richard Ventre, group CIO at Dutch company SHV Holdings, goes about ensuring his IT department pro-vides the foundations for a wide variety of businesses to thrive digitally. We also find out how to make the most of a composable enterprise architecture and how green storage can deliver savings if done right. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Mar 2023
AI in the Netherlands: Talent, data and responsibility
Applied researchers in the Netherlands are working to bring AI to a higher level Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2023
Dutch hospitals underestimate impact of cyber attack
IT failures in acute care organisations in the Netherlands have increased considerably since 2010, affecting patient care and stressing the need to improve IT security in hospitals Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Mar 2023
What can security teams learn from a year of cyber warfare?
With the passing of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we reflect on the ongoing cyber war, and ask what security leaders can learn from the past 12 months Continue Reading
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News
22 Feb 2023
Dutch cyber security professionals experience stress akin to soldiers in war zone, claims expert
Cyber attacks are taking a heavy toll on Dutch IT professionals, with over a third reporting that their mental health suffers as a result Continue Reading
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News
17 Feb 2023
CIO interview: Hans van der Waal, director of global IT, Travelex
Travelex has weathered a storm that saw it sink into administration, before emerging to solidify its digital foundations for the future Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2023
Benelux CIO interview: Marijn Grevink, leader of digital transformation, Mars
In an interview with Computer Weekly, the digital head at Mars, Marijn Grevink, takes the wrapper off digital transformation at the company in the Netherlands Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2023
Cops make arrests and seize drugs after hacking Exclu encrypted messaging app
Police in the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland raided 80 addresses after covertly intercepting messages from the Exclu encrypted messaging app Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2023
Estonian anti-money laundering platform used to fight APP fraud
A real-time data-sharing platform originally built to identify money laundering is also being applied to the fight against authorised push payment fraud Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2023
Hive ransomware gang taken down after FBI hacks back
The FBI hacked into Hive’s servers, stole its decryption keys and then took down its servers in a major action that has successfully disrupted a prolific and dangerous ransomware operation Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2023
Benelux CIO interview: Richard Ventre, SHV Holdings
In his role at Netherlands-based SHV Holdings, Richard Ventre is tackling the challenge of enabling a diverse set of digital transformations across a range of industries Continue Reading
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E-Zine
16 Jan 2023
CW EMEA: Protecting the privacy of schoolchildren
In this month’s CW EMEA, we look at how schools in Germany have stopped using Microsoft Office 365 over lack of clarity over how data is collected, shared and used. We also delve into how former UK spy boss Richard Dearlove leaked names of MI6 secret agent recruiters in China to back an aggressive right-wing US campaign against tech company Huawei. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Jan 2023
Europe’s cyber security strategy must be clear about open source
Europe’s cyber security policy on open source is lagging behind the US, and despite growing government awareness of the issues, that poses a problem Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Dec 2022
Developed for Big Science in Europe, highly accurate time protocols ensure fair trading in finance
Protocols developed for use at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research are now being used for many other applications, including financial services Continue Reading
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News
28 Dec 2022
Complaints that NCA failed in duty of candour over EncroChat warrants ‘incredible’, court hears
NCA lawyers argue that a decision by an NCA intelligence officer to disclose notes of a key meeting after two-and-a-half years boosts her credibility as a witness Continue Reading
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News
23 Dec 2022
Top 10 Benelux IT stories of 2022
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Benelux articles of 2022 Continue Reading