E-commerce technology

London Tech Week to go ahead through Zoom

London Tech week will go ahead next week, with the tech industry attending through Zoom Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Nordics: Startups face tough decisions as coronavirus hits

Tech startups based in the Nordic region face difficult decisions as the Covid-19 pandemic leads to falling sales and investment. Also read why Swedbank is rebuilding its anti-money laundering systems, and how Nordic fintechs are developing apps to prevent more adults getting into financial difficulty. Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Pandemic spurs QR code app upgrade at PayPal

PayPal introduces QR code payment functionality to its mobile app to support social distancing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Bahrain sees fintech take-up surge amid Covid-19 crisis

Covid-19 has spurred the use of financial technology in Bahrain, which could boost the industry in the country and wider Gulf region Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Digital bank’s valuation falls as it seeks funds to ride Covid-19 storm

Monzo is seeking new investment to help it through the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Nearly £2bn of UK fintech investment lost so far

Investment into UK fintechs falls dramatically during Covid-19 pandemic as venture capitalists hold back Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Asos launches See My Fit to replace model photoshoots

Online fashion brand’s augmented reality technology enables customers to see how an outfit might look on them Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Surveillance capitalism in the age of Covid-19

Could the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic further consolidate surveillance capitalist practices and enterprises? Author Shoshana Zuboff warns Computer Weekly it is possible Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Opportunity in times of crisis for Nordic tech startups

Nordic tech startups face some major challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, but this could be the making of some of them Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

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

By

• Alicia Buller

Finland’s postal service targets new revenue streams through digitisation

Posti plans to use the new SisuID digital authentication method to accelerate business growth and opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Cash use to go below 5% of total spending in Middle East

Banks expect a rapid reduction of the use of cash in the region Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic real estate sector becoming increasingly digital

The Nordic real estate and construction industry is modernising through digital technology, with an injection of urgency amid global pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

The People vs Amazon: ‘They will have to answer to all of us’, says fired employee Christian Smalls

Former Amazon employee Christian Smalls speaks to Computer Weekly about his termination and how the company is trying to silence dissent as it reports massive sales Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Retail must weigh up high street versus online investments after coronavirus lockdown

Larger retailers that have a significant online presence will need to decide whether to innovate on the web or on the high street Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amazon deletes employees’ calendar invites to Covid-19 event

Virtual panel organised by Amazon workers after the company fired multiple employees for protesting over work conditions Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Coronavirus: How Nominet fights back against malicious domains

Domain name registry has thwarted hundreds of attempts to register malicious .uk domain names during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government urged to delay digital services tax amid coronavirus outbreak

Delaying liabilities for a year could help technology companies already stretched thin by the outbreak of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, according to TechUK Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Coronavirus: Lloyds Bank to give thousands of tablet devices to over-70s

Banking group is giving away tablets and basic digital training to help vulnerable customers stay connected during the UK’s Covid-19 lockdown Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside Alibaba’s NLP labs

Alibaba is among a growing crop of technology companies that are rising to the challenge of solving the toughest problems in natural language processing Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Coronavirus: Amazon warehouse workers strike over concerns about workplace safety and protections

Online retail giant Amazon has been hit by a wave of strikes as workers protest against ‘unsafe working conditions’ and ‘corporate inaction’ during the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Coronavirus: McAfee unearths dark web blood bank

Cyber criminals are selling fake goods and running scams on online marketplaces during the Covid-19 pandemic. Don’t be taken in Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Microsoft Azure suffers datacentre capacity shortages in Europe

Microsoft is working to “expedite” additional datacentre capacity after reports of users struggling to access resources due to coronavirus demand surge. But how easy will that be amid a global pandemic? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Coronavirus: Nordic tech startups face job cuts amid falling sales and a lack of funding

Tech startups based in the Nordic region face difficult decisions as the Covid-19 pandemic leads to falling sales and investment Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: What does the ‘new normal’ mean for how we work?

Examining the long-term impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic on the world of work, security, privacy and networks Continue Reading

By

• Cate Pye, PA Consulting

JavaScript skimmers: An evolving and dangerous threat

Cyber attacks exploiting Magecart JavaScript skimmers are spiking during the coronavirus pandemic, and like biological viruses, they just keep evolving Continue Reading

By

• Fabian Libeau

Coronavirus: Magecart attacks on online retailers jump 20%

RiskIQ researchers have observed a sharp uptick in Magecart credit card attacks, driven by increased traffic to online retailers during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Use of fintech apps in Europe accelerates

Fintech apps are being increasingly used by consumers as restrictions on their movements are put in place Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Contactless limit rises as retailers make point-of-sale changes

The spending limit for contactless card payments is increasing to £45 today (1 April), which is just one of several ways that retail point-of-sale is evolving in response to the coronavirus Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Coronavirus: Viability of half of London’s tech startups threatened

Technology startups in London are fighting for their existence, with business plans for the next three months geared towards survival Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top 3 ways to increase engagement in e-commerce

Engagement is a key component of relationships between customers and businesses, and it is essential for fostering an exceptional customer experience. Continue Reading

By

• Demetra Edwards, TechTarget

Tupperware fixes hacked site, but questions remain over response

Kitchenware brand removes active digital credit card skimmer from its website and insists it takes security seriously despite ignoring repeated attempts to contact it Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic fintechs urge financial literacy to be taken seriously before it’s too late

Fintechs in the Nordic region hope to prevent more adults getting into financial difficulty through apps that educate people about managing their finances at an early age Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Kitchenware brand Tupperware is ignoring hacked website

Website has been hacked in a targeted cyber attack, and the dangerous vulnerability has not been addressed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Amazon and eBay failing to stop profiteers, says Which?

Despite promises by both Amazon Marketplace and eBay to crack down on coronavirus-profiteering, a Which? investigation has found plenty of sellers charging inflated prices for goods such as hand sanitiser Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Contactless spending limit increased to fight pandemic

Banking and financial services trade body UK Finance to increase spending limit for contactless payments to £45 from the start of April Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Grocers scrambling to update online and delivery propositions

The supermarkets have effectively become the fourth emergency service as the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis takes hold, aided by significant online and delivery changes Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Coronavirus: uncertainty for online retailers as some slump and others surge

Online retailers face uncertainty as the Covid-19 coronavirus forces change in consumer shopping habits Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Coronavirus prompts cross-industry collaboration from datacentre operators to keep UK online

TechUK positioning document reveals datacentre operators are putting their competitive differences aside to share best practice on how to keep staff safe and keep the UK online during the coronavirus outbreak Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Ocado pulls website amid coronavirus shopping frenzy

Ocado has closed its website and will not take any new orders for several days thanks to sheer volume of traffic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amazon to recruit 100,000 extra workers to cope with coronavirus-induced online shopping surge

Online retailer plans to focus its recruitment drive on providing jobs to hospitality and service industry workers who are out of work as coronavirus prompts city-wide shutdowns across the US Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Shirts and suits retailers using tech to stay smart

Enhanced personalisation, increased visualisation and much more customisation with a digital twist comprise the to-do lists of several UK formalwear retailers Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

CW Europe: Experts examine Dutch government’s IT problems

Technology experts discuss the challenges and potential solutions to the Netherlands government’s IT problems. Also read how Russia’s VTB and Rostelecom are creating a platform to utilise big data technology, and how Spain’s CaixaBank is using AI to help its staff training. Continue Reading

Dutch landscape attracts fintech exploration

In 2019, the Netherlands had more than 450 companies active in financial technology. The country’s “polder model”, in which new and traditional companies work closely together, offers many opportunities for fintechs Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Fake CDNs obscuring credit card fraudsters

Fake content delivery networks and ngrok servers are being pressed into service to obscure credit card skimming activities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Swedish consumer-protection legislation will hit fintechs

New financial regulation to protect consumers from agreeing to unnecessary credit will force financial technology companies to make changes to their products Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Brexit cited as reason for German digital bank’s UK exit

German challenger bank N26 leaves the UK, saying Brexit is the reason behind the decision due to the removal of passporting rights Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Mobile checkout expanded to 50 M&S stores

After a successful trial, retailer Marks & Spencer has expanded its mobile checkout-free offering to 50 stores around the UK Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

The big retail tech themes from Retail’s Big Show

The National Retail Federation’s Big Show signals the kick-off of the retail events calendar. We look over the themes promised for retail tech over the next year Continue Reading

By

• Glynn Davis

Swedish rail firm’s digital journey running on time

Swedish rail company tells Computer Weekly about its successful mission to improve customer experience Continue Reading

By

• Jane Hamrin

Interpol uncovers cyber crime operation in Indonesia

An Interpol-coordinated cyber operation leads to the arrest of three people in Indonesia who allegedly used a JavaScript-sniffer malware to steal payment card details of online shoppers Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

ICO code sets out digital privacy standards for children

The Information Commissioner’s Office has published its Age Appropriate Design Code, a set of 15 standards that online platforms must meet to protect the privacy of younger users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A quarter of users will fall for basic phishing attacks

Phishing emails that appear to be security alerts are the most effective method of compromise, says KnowBe4 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Gates Foundation mobile money projects in developing world to go live this year

Mobile money projects aim to give millions of the world’s poorest people access to financial services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Asos trials AR tool to give customers idea of fashion fit

Online fashion brand Asos has launched an augmented reality trial to help customers see how garments will fit their body type Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Automation could help resolve store shortfalls, says Capgemini

As consumers become more receptive to in-store technology, introducing automation to improve the retail experience could increase footfall, says Capgemini Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Swedish venture capitalist giants anticipate increased global interest in local startup scene

Local venture capitalists in Sweden do not fear the arrival of international players Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Can fintech succeed where schools and parents have failed?

Young people in Britain are unprepared to manage their finances when they leave home and, as a result, many run into serious problems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why the banking industry needs an IT makeover

UK banks face huge challenges keeping their service availability levels at 99.99% Continue Reading

By

• Sascha Giese

Future fashion: does that dress come in digital?

A visit to a technology-fuelled fashion pop-up paints a picture of a world where retailers and brands sell virtual clothes for usage solely in consumers’ digital lives. Continue Reading

Top 10 financial services IT stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 financial services and fintech stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How Halfords is using tech to rev up its customer service

Live chat, virtual contact centres and a new unifying web platform are set to enhance Halfords’ customer service proposition in the year ahead Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

How can we tell if regulating Google and Facebook is the right thing to do?

There are different economic approaches to dealing with monopolies and market dominance, but the nature of Google and Facebook defies easy answers Continue Reading

By

• Tim Worstall, Adam Smith Institute

Top 10 retail technology stories of 2019

Computer Weekly looks at what 2019 had in store for the retail industry – what technologies were retailers rushing to adopt and how is customer behaviour changing? Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Alarm bells ring, the IoT is listening

With Christmas bearing down on us, a series of vulnerability disclosures has drawn attention to the parlous state of IoT security, and serves as a timely warning to people planning to buy smart devices as gifts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Future fashion: does that dress come in digital?

A visit to a technology-fuelled fashion pop-up paints a picture of a world where retailers and brands sell virtual clothes for usage solely in consumers’ digital lives Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

CW Europe: Deutsche Bank creates innovation division

German banking giant Deutsche Bank is opening a division focused on innovation which will be led by former SAP executive Bernd Leukert. It will create agile teams with business and infrastructure divisions leading teams of technologists, using agile principles. Also read why China’s Huawei has offered governments an anti-industrial espionage commitment, and how software robots are helping social workers in Sweden. Continue Reading

Two Russians indicted over Dridex and Zeus malware

The US Department of Justice has indicted two Russian citizens over their alleged role in the distribution of the virulent Bugat, or Dridex, and Zeus banking trojans Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Walking on the water

There wasn’t much fanfare around Amazon Prime’s midweek maiden voyage into Premier League football coverage. We’d have missed the delectable choice of fixtures altogether had we not opened the app ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

Goldman Sachs reins in cloud-based retail challenger in UK

Bank does not want rapidly expanding Marcus to breach deposits threshold at which UK banks have to ring-fence their retail operations Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

City of London switches on to connected lighting

City of London teams with Itron, Wi-SUN Alliance for smart lighting project to brighten up urban experience of historic parts of the UK capital Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Some 29,000 UK web domains suspended for criminal activity

Domain suspensions for criminal activity over the past year has dropped for the first time since 2014 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Labour pledges review of NCSC in UK security overhaul

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre may get expanded powers under a Labour government Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Holy grail of digital banking is, at first glance, a new channel, not a new concept

Details of Google’s plans in the financial services sector have emerged with nothing groundbreaking so far, but the sector is guessing what comes next Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Macy’s Magecart breach presages Christmas fraud spike

US retailer Macy’s admits some customer data was accessed by unknown actors during a week-long Magecart attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Guarding the shop: Rewind backup protects e-commerce data

E-commerce sites need backup in the event of data loss situations, especially during the holidays. Rewind gives merchants the chance to go back to a safe point in time. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Crocetti, Executive Editor

Foreign e-commerce giants threaten Nordic high streets

Surveys show up to 40% of high-street stores in Sweden and Finland could face closure by 2030 as retailers seek to combat e-commerce threat Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Google to launch bank accounts in 2020

Google is launching bank accounts in the US in 2020 as tech giants continue to deepen their activities in the financial services sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 36

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team pick talk about General Election tech, HMRC's “war” on IT contractors, diversity in STEM and how organisations can fight back against fake online reviews Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

What’s new in UK retail’s online-to-offline movement?

US menswear retailer Untuckit used to be an online pureplay, but by the end of 2019 it will have 80-plus stores, including its two new UK shops, as the online-to-offline trend continues Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

GoCardless and TransferWise create global network for direct debits

Fintechs’ network will make it easier for small companies to expand their customer bases internationally Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Enema at the Gates

The Conservatives’ doctored version of Keir Starmer’s Good Morning Britain interview left out our favourite bit: an arms-folded Piers Morgan insisting he’s “absolutely fine” with 26 billionaires ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

Marks & Spencer profits drop as digital push ramps up

Clothing, home and luxury food retailer Marks & Spencer has been pushing to make its business more digital, but its half-year profits have seen a hit Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Goldman Sachs lends billions of dollars through Apple partnership

Apple Card issuing bank Goldman Sachs has already given billions of dollars in credit to iPhone users since Apple's credit card was launched Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Brits moving to digital banking channel faster than people in the US

Digital banking services rapidly gain popularity, but digital banks face major challenges to make deeper inroads into traditional banks’ customer bases Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IR35 reforms – the difficult decisions facing IT contractors

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the difficult choices facing UK IT contractors from the controversial IR35 tax reforms. Social engineering is a major source of cyber security attacks – we look at mitigation strategies. And the IT chief at Mercedes F1 explains what it takes to support a world championship team. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Verizon to give 5G, Fios customers a year’s worth of free Disney content

US comms giant will offer all new and existing 4G LTE and 5G unlimited wireless customers access to the forthcoming Disney+ direct-to-consumer service Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How retailers are using social to reach Gen Z and beyond

The younger generation of shoppers are all using social media, so how are retailers using influencers to reach these potential customers and their spending power? Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Chapman

Zopa continues in its mission to apply a Netflix user experience to banking

Zopa has made a credit scoring tool available as it continues to expand the portfolio of products it offers beyond loans. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digital and innovation apprentices to start NatWest programme

NatWest is kicking off a tech apprentice programme, with its digital innovation hub set to play a key role Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

French and German banks end talks on challenger bank sale

After months of negotiations, BPCE's proposed sale of Fidor Bank to OLB has fallen through Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Middle East: Saudi banks trial biometrics in ATMs

Biometric and blockchain technologies are being used in tandem to provide ID verification at Saudi Arabian cash machines. Also read about the first government organisation in Bahrain to migrate to Amazon Web Services, and an interview with Yasmeen Al Sharaf, head of fintech and innovation unit, Central Bank of Bahrain. Continue Reading

Southeast Asia’s internet economy hits $100bn milestone

The digital economy in Southeast Asia grew 39% this year but the growth momentum can only be sustained if talent gaps are filled Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Cyber war as big a threat as nuclear war, says ex-RSA head Coviello

Former RSA chairman Art Coviello has been speaking about the devastating potential of cyber weapons, and warned that humanity must learn from history in order to control them Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Disabled consumers left logged out of retail’s digital revolution

Retailers are being urged to make their digital assets more accessible to disabled consumers, not just for moral and social reasons, but because of the commercial opportunity Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe