2020 | Archive | ComputerWeekly.com

April 29, 2020 29Apr2020 News

Nordic CIO interview: Stefan Olowsson, Swedish Social Insurance Agency

Stefan Olowsson, CIO at Sweden’s Försäkringskassan, helps to ensure social security payments run smoothly, which is a balancing act of innovation, data security and reliable delivery Continue Reading

April 29, 2020 29Apr2020 News

Nokia closes capacity and customer experience tech deal with Bharti Airtel

Third-largest telco in the world’s second-largest telecoms market takes up Nokia Single Radio Access Network to enhance capacity and improve 5G readiness Continue Reading

April 29, 2020 29Apr2020 News

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

April 29, 2020 29Apr2020 News

Google chief suggests post-coronavirus cloud boost

Google’s GCP platform has seen increased demand during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, and the company’s CEO believes economic recovery may lead to fewer on-premise datacentres Continue Reading

April 29, 2020 29Apr2020 News

Australian researchers tap cloud to save the Tasmanian devil

Researchers at the University of Sydney are using Amazon Web Services to speed up genomics research in one of Australia’s wildlife conservation programmes Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

NHSX on track for May launch of Covid-19 contact-tracing app but challenges remain

Leading UK scientific experts assure MPs that much-anticipated application will be ready for launch in May but concede that challenges exist on achieving meaningful uptake Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 In Depth

Snapshots 101: Array vs backup software

We run the rule over snapshots in storage arrays and backup software and find a range of capabilities that go from mere support to fully snapshot-centric approaches Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

AWS expands beyond edge connectivity in Italy with datacentre region opening

Amazon Web Services says opening a datacentre region in Covid-19-hit Italy indicates its commitment to delivering cloud services to communities that need them most Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

Worcestershire County Council turns to low code in coronavirus response effort

The county council of Worcestershire is using the OutSystems low-code platform to develop five apps to support internal staff and external volunteers during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

Ericsson scores further 5G RAN win with True Corporation Thailand

Thai comms operator engages the Swedish technology provider to enable smooth, fast and cost-effective 5G network evolution in three regions Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

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

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 Podcast

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 55

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna talk about real-time video call transcription, as offered by OtterAI, the loan charge double whammy afflicting some ... Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

Almost half of security pros being redeployed during pandemic

Close to half of cyber security professionals say they have been taken off some or all of their security duties to focus attention elsewhere during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

IBM celebrates quantum cloud fourth anniversary with coding challenge

IBM has set four tasks for programmers to try out on its cloud-based quantum computer, in a bid to widen quantum coding skills Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

Met Police assessing evidence of potential perjury in Post Office IT trials

Force examines information about evidence given in court by Fujitsu staff on the Horizon IT system before deciding whether to investigate further Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

Black Rose Lucy ransomware now posing as FBI porn warning

A new strain of Russian-developed ransomware impersonates US federal law enforcement to force payment, says Check Point Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 Blog Post

Hey teacher, leave those kids to (low) code

As the BBC’s Kate Russell said this week on the broadcaster’s flagship techzine programme ‘Click’, “I wouldn’t be doing my job as a tech evangelist if I didn’t point out that lockdown is a perfect ... Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

Confidence of UK startups rocked by coronavirus

Firms worry how to keep sales up and secure investment during pandemic Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

Adtran initiates software-defined access network project, advances the smart home experience

Partnerships with Orange and Plume will evaluate and test SDN-based programming for next-gen fibre access networks, and boost customer experience management of Wi-Fi-enabled services Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

Covid-19 will decimate fintechs, but those that survive will prosper

The coronavirus will wipe out some fintechs, but those that get through it will share in the next growth phase of the industry's development Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 E-Zine

Is digital transformation in the public sector making progress?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we assess the progress of digital transformation across the public sector. IT contractors face a double whammy from backdated tax payments and loans being recalled – we explore the growing scandal. And we assess the ... Continue Reading

April 28, 2020 28Apr2020 News

APAC edge computing market set to grow

China and Japan will account for the lion’s share of Asia-Pacific’s edge computing market as more organisations in the region look to streamline processes and improve productivity Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 News

Scottish Tech Army seeks out IT experts to combat Covid-19

Tech workers who find themselves out of work are being asked to volunteer their time to help build digital technology to support coronavirus efforts Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 Blog Post

Coronavirus: Tech lessons learned

Since the lockdown began on March 24, UK tech workers have shown that they can adapt and develop new processes very quickly to enable many people to remain productive during the Coronavirus ... Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 Blog Post

When IT met Covid: The World Changed

This the first plague where predictions of its likely local impact reached rulers/politicians/journalists before their subjects/voters/readers starting falling ill and/or dying in large numbers ... ... Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 News

Julian Assange extradition hearing postponed amid coronavirus lockdown

Julian Assange’s lawyers say they have been unable to communicate or share legal documents with the WikiLeaks founder to enable them to prepare a defence in time for a planned extradition hearing in May Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 News

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

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 News

Potential near £70bn boost to British economy from gigabit broadband

Research shows that delivering ‘Gigabit Britain’ could provide over £50bn gross value added to the economy in five years, growing to £68.8bn in 2030, but suppliers warn that more must be done to turn broadband ambition into reality Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 Blog Post

COVID-19 solutions: Ring Video Doorbell 2

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic is throwing up discussion surrounding the ways and means that the technology industry will respond to the global contagion. There is talk of tracing apps, there ... Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 News

Funding released to support winners of coronavirus technology challenge

To help support the most vulnerable during the pandemic, NHSX and its partners are testing a range of digital solutions submitted as part of fast-track technology competition Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 News

UK tech companies launch online safety body

Online Safety Tech Industry Association unites 14 technology companies to drive conversation and policy around online safeguarding Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 In Depth

Public sector IT: The road to digital

Progress to digital transformation is patchy in the public sector, but some CIOs are embracing the strategy Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 News

GP Connect to enable patient information sharing in Covid-19 outbreak

Past and present medical details will be shared across primary care during the emergency period Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 News

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

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 News

IR35 off-payroll rules have ‘never worked satisfactorily’, rules Finance Bill Sub-Committee

An inquiry into the government’s plans to extend the IR35 reforms to the private sector concludes that the roll-out should be delayed because the entire off-payroll legislation is flawed and in need of a revamp Continue Reading

April 27, 2020 27Apr2020 News

Australia’s CovidSafe app debuts, source codes to follow

Australia’s contact tracing app has been downloaded more than 1.1 million times, even as privacy concerns linger on Continue Reading

April 26, 2020 26Apr2020 Blog Post

A nite to remember

You sometimes hear people say we might all be part of an elaborate simulation, a highly sophisticated video game created somewhere else in the universe for a bit of entertainment. If that’s the ... Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

Wireless stakeholders cheer ‘historic’ FCC Wi-Fi 6GHz spectrum allocation decision

US broadcast and telecoms regulator confirms proposal lauded as a milestone moment that will no less than supercharge connectivity Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

Coronavirus: UK schools will get tech support from Google and Microsoft

Government hires tech giants to provide remote working resources to children while schools are closed Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

Coronavirus: Dutch Covid-19 tracking app stirs national debate

Privacy concerns raised over mobile app to help track and control the spread of coronavirus in the Netherlands Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

NHSX reveals full details of UK Covid-19 contact-tracing strategy

National Health Service’s digital innovation unit aims to allay fears over privacy and confidentiality in forthcoming contract-tracing app Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

Coronavirus: Remote working and mental health

As many of us are now working from home due to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, while also trying to juggle other responsibilities alongside increased anxiety, how can we make sure that we’re looking after our mental health? Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

The Security Interviews: Can AV go from dodgy scareware to cyber hero?

Alun Baker, CEO of Clario, is on a mission to rehabilitate the image of consumer security products and take the fear out of selling antivirus. We find out how things are changing Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

How likely are IT service providers to offer discounts in an unprecedented global recession?

As the global economy slows, businesses are trying to cut costs, with IT services one of the first stops – but what are the chances of a happy outcome? Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

Government urges parents to keep children safe during lockdown

The UK government has published more guidance for parents in an attempt to limit children's exposure to cyber bullying and disinformation during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

European fibre roll-outs speed up

European fibre-to-the-home and fibre-to-the-building coverage maintains a positive growth trend, with subscribers increasing by 15% since September 2018 Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

Dark data is contributing to carbon emissions

Almost six million tonnes of carbon dioxide will be pumped into the atmosphere this year as a result of dark data, Veritas research finds Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 News

Intel clean rooms work through lockdown

Intel has reported an increase in PC and datacentre processor sales, reflecting the shift to online and home schooling and working Continue Reading

April 24, 2020 24Apr2020 Blog Post

CW APAC: Ask the Expert

At Computer Weekly, we strive to provide the latest news and independent advice to help IT decision makers navigate the changing IT industry landscape. While we hope our readers like you have found ... Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

Ransomware-stricken Travelex up for sale

Travelex’s parent Finablr is washing its hands of the ransomware-stricken forex provider as it struggles with the twin shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic and a developing fraud scandal Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 Opinion

Technology has brought us together, but can it lead us out of lockdown?

The government needs to tell us more about the NHSX contact tracing app - choices made now around privacy and transparency will affect all our lives as we aim to ease lockdown, says the shadow digital minister Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

Coronavirus: RAF flies in for UK contact tracing app test

NHS announces test at air base of app designed to alert users of the close proximity of those carrying or having symptoms of Covid-19 Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

What comes after flash? Weebit Nano hopes its ReRAM will

Weebit Nano’s ReRAM stores bits by building resistive filaments and promises a 1,000x speed boost over flash in chips that can store data for years and is well-suited to edge uses Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

Public authorities set to receive expanded surveillance powers

UK government wants to extend the number of public authorities able to obtain communications data using mass surveillance Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

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

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 Blog Post

Otter.ai makes a splash on secure & live interactive transcripts

Nobody knows why voice-to-text transcription app company Otter is called Otter with its free Otter.ai app. Semi-aquatic carnivores related to weasels, badgers, minks, polecats and wolervines, the ... Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 E-Handbook

Human-like AI quest drives general AI development efforts

While AI technologies can do things humans can't, they're currently limited to specific and straightforward tasks -- a state known as narrow AI. A big goal -- or holy grail -- for developers is to create human-like AI tools that think the way people... Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 Blog Post

The hybrid sessions

There’s been some excitement around the inaugural virtual House of Commons sessions, which essentially comprise some MPs social distancing in the chamber while others can be viewed on several ... Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

Nasdaq gives customers real-time data through cloud platform

US stock exchange uses public cloud and APIs to provide investment companies with real-time data on trading activity Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

iOS zero-day leaves iPhone users dangerously exposed

Researchers identify dangerous vulnerabilities in Apple’s iOS operating system that allow remote code execution on target devices Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

ABB Power plugs into Ericsson 5G tech to increase factory productivity

Ericsson gears up for the post-coronavirus world with confidence in 5G and reveals project for its 5G-ready Industry Connect with global leader in power technology Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

Mainframe skills surge as lockdown drives transaction growth

Mainframe skills and Cobol programming are now in demand as enterprises scale up to tackle increased online activity due to the coronavirus Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

Datacentre M&A closed deal values exceed last year’s total just three months into 2020

Latest market tracker data shows rebound in datacentre M&A deal values as enterprises look to outsource more of their IT and move to the cloud Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

Zoom to roll out fresh cyber security updates

New features include support for advanced AES 256-bit encryption Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 E-Handbook

Nordics' IT leaders facing the coronavirus crisis

In this e-guide we look at some of the innovations, in the region, that are addressing Covid-19 challenges. But we also feature news that many tech startups in the region might soon face problems innovating at all as investment funds dry up. Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 In Depth

A carrot-and-stick approach to fixing cyber security complacency

With a majority of IT decision-makers holding the opinion that their employers are complacent when it comes to data protection, we look at what needs to be fixed, and how to fix it Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

Coronavirus: Remote workers air long-term productivity concerns over home-working tech

Research from managed service provider Atlas Cloud highlights concerns from remote workers that their work-from-home tech kit might not be up to the job in the long term Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 In Depth

Storage 101: Snapshots vs backup

We go over the basics of snapshots. They are a quick and accessible way of protecting data, but they are not a substitute for backup. So how do you combine the two? Continue Reading

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

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

April 23, 2020 23Apr2020 News

Keeping coral reefs healthy with AI

Underwater video cameras equipped with artificial intelligence smarts have been deployed in the waters off Pangatalan island in the Philippines to track the barometers of coral reef health Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

NCSC overwhelmed by response to coronavirus campaign

The UK’s NCSC has taken down more than 80 malicious web campaigns and received 5,000 reports of suspicious emails within 24 hours of launching reporting service Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

Cisco, Google Cloud plan application-centric multicloud networking fabric

Tech giants unite to address current systems’ perceived lack of capability to signal service level requests dynamically and offer full WAN application integration with cloud workloads Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

Application performance for remote workers becomes primary network issue for businesses

When it comes to WAN, cost diminishes in importance, while dealing with complexity increases, as more firms spread reach to more locations Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 In Depth

Customer experience software can help companies weather the Covid-19 storm

Advanced customer experience software can help companies weather the current Covid-19 storm, as well as build resilience. Marks & Spencer is one firm exploring the technology Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

Coronavirus: Banking and mobile sectors collaborate to stop text scams

Initiative aims to protect 50 genuine brands and government organisations from being impersonated by cyber criminals Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

Google creates datacentre task scheduler to limit non-urgent work to peak renewable energy periods

Google lifts lid on how it is using forecast data to ensure non-urgent compute workloads within its datacentres are carried out at peak supply times for renewable energy Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

Coronavirus: Swedish college implements digital plans early

Work done by a Swedish medical school over the past few years to prepare digital education options is paying off as lockdown forces it to close physical classrooms Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

More than 80% of UK startups ineligible for public-private coronavirus loans

With the majority of startups left out in the cold, the UK government must now focus on the delivery speed of what is available, according to ecosystem leaders Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

IR35 private sector reforms: Treasury ignores sub-committee’s plea to delay April 2021 start date

Despite the Finance Bill Sub-Committee claiming it would argue for the IR35 reforms to be delayed even if there were no pandemic, HM Treasury remains committed to revised April 2021 roll-out date Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

Traditional banks need to do more than gloss over back-end systems with fintech paint

Banks need to work with fintechs if they are to prosper in the new world, but first they must update their back-end systems Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 Podcast

Podcast: Remote compliance assessments and how they are done

Remote working adds to IT compliance risks, but doesn’t remove the need to assess compliance. How are remote compliance assessments carried out and how can you prepare for them? Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

Coronavirus: Cyber criminals may be changing tactics

Cyber criminals “may soon shift to heavier exploitation of footholds established through phishing and other scams”, warns Cyber Threat Coalition Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

Amazon’s Whole Foods uses heat mapping to track unionisation efforts

Whole Foods is using mapping technology to predict where strikes or union activity will happen, but organisers can use similar tools for the inverse of bolstering their actions too Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

Coronavirus: German networks take the extra strain from social distancing

Network performance and customer experience monitoring firm finds German networks coping with masses of online home users despite some degradations since the start of social distancing and stay-at-home policies Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 Blog Post

InfluxData: Dear developers, get your ‘pants’ on & take a shower

As we know, we’re all in this (COVID-19 Coronavirus lockdown) together… and so, logically, many tech outfits are finding it hard to come forward with their new platform roadmap developments in ... Continue Reading

April 22, 2020 22Apr2020 News

How DBS is reaping the dividends of digital transformation

At DBS Bank, the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak has demonstrated the value of technology and the investments it made over the past decade to modernise its technology stack Continue Reading

April 21, 2020 21Apr2020 E-Handbook

Shore up your cybersecurity resilience: A guide for ANZ businesses

With more people staying at home, the source of income is drying up for criminals, leading many of them to turn to cybercrime to capitalise on the fear and uncertainty surrounding the outbreak. That will heighten the urgency for Australia and New ... Continue Reading

April 21, 2020 21Apr2020 News

2020 Stories