IT consultancy
IT consultants range from major firms to one-man bands with great experience of managing IT - and both ends of that spectrum have a role to play in supporting IT leaders. We look at the latest trends and issues around IT consultancy, including how to make the most of freelance and contractor staff and IT advisory services.
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Feature
15 Nov 2024
The Loan Charge scandal explained: Everything you need to know
Tens of thousands of IT contractors have been saddled with life-changing tax bills as a result of a controversial, retroactive government policy – and the fall-out from its introduction has been likened to the Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading
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News
14 Nov 2024
Virtual wards to digital feedback: the Nordic approach to post-pandemic healthcare
Post-pandemic healthcare is benefitting from Nordic tech foresight, with the country bringing digital change to the world’s health sector to allow for more remote care Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2022
IR35 reforms to be scrapped in public and private sectors from April 2023, government confirms
The government has confirmed that the 2017 and 2021 roll-out of the IR35 reforms to the public and private sectors, respectively, will be repealed in April 2023 Continue Reading
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News
16 Sep 2022
Barnet Council awards Capita contract extension
Barnet Council has awarded Capita a contract extension as part of its transition away from a large contract with the supplier Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2022
Contractors lack confidence in prime minister to follow through with promised IR35 review
Contractor poll suggests lack of faith among freelancers about new prime minister Liz Truss honouring her pledge to review the IR35 rules Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2022
Interview: Keeping an IT business going during the Russian invasion
After heading home and discovering that his country had been invaded, Konstantin Klyagin was forced to make life-changing family and business decisions Continue Reading
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News
06 Sep 2022
Saudi Arabian organisations choose to outsource to improve cyber security posture
Overwhelmed by rising threats and a growing number of government mandates, many organisations in Saudi Arabia are looking for outside help to take care of cyber security Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2022
Police interview Horizon scandal victim in investigation into potential perjury by Fujitsu staff
The Met Police have interviewed a former subpostmaster as part of an investigation into potential perjury by former Fujitsu staff Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2022
FCSA appoints independent panel to bolster dispute resolution protocols for umbrella firms
In a statement to Computer Weekly, the Freelancer and Contractor Services Association says the panel will provide umbrella companies with a route to appeal against the decisions made by its CEO Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2022
Artificial intelligence to reduce waiting list for neurology appointments
The Walton Centre is working with Tata Consultancy Services to apply digital technology to its operation, starting with a time-saving AI chatbot Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2022
Home Office selects CGI as strategic delivery partner
IT services supplier will act as strategic delivery partner for the Home Office’s plans to modernise and join up UK law enforcement’s digital capabilities Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2022
Umbrella IT contractors could get back-dated holiday pay windfall following Supreme Court ruling
Umbrella industry stakeholders weigh-up the financial implications of a Supreme Court ruling, which could pave the way for IT contractors to submit back-dated claims for holiday pay Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2022
Russia could become the world’s largest market for illegal IT
Russia could become the biggest market for illegal IT equipment as companies try to get round sanctions imposed on the country Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2022
Barnet Council to bring work outsourced to Capita back in-house by 2026
London borough is bringing swathes of outsourced services back in-house next year, with more to follow by 2026 Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2022
How NEC is transforming its business
While NEC is known for its public safety systems, the company has been expanding into new areas including e-government, financial services and customer experience in Asia-Pacific Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2022
European IT services see bumper quarter, but signs of slowing emerge
Spending on IT and BPO services in Europe saw significant growth in the past quarter, but there are signs of a slowdown Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2022
Putting automation into motion will put the wheels on UK economic growth
Automation technologies and artificial intelligence will change the workplace for the better, giving people time to focus on high-value creative work Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2022
Dutch multinational hires HCL for digital transformation
Netherlands-based DSM is moving to a single-supplier IT services model for its digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
14 Jul 2022
Global IT services market shows signs of slowing
Spending on IT and business process services could be set to reduce over the coming months as the latest ISG figures show early signs of decline Continue Reading
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News
06 Jul 2022
Manchester United signs DXC for digital transformation
Football club is working with IT services firm DXC to support its digital transformation on multiple fronts Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2022
African health charity integrates digital tools with Cognizant
IT services supplier is working with African health charity to integrate digital tools through a five-month project Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2022
Digital Poverty Alliance unveils evidence review
Evidence review into the state of digital poverty in the UK sets out policy principles and recommendations, which will be used as the basis for a national action plan to eliminate the issue Continue Reading
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Opinion
24 Jun 2022
Assessment and knowledge: Your key tools to secure suppliers
There is no silver bullet that will resolve all the issues arising from today’s interconnected businesses and complex supply chains, but there are some key tools at your disposal Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Jun 2022
Security Think Tank: Balanced approach can detangle supply chain complexity
Achieving an appropriate balance between people, processes and technology can help to detangle the complexities of the supply chain and create better security practices Continue Reading
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Definition
13 Jun 2022
Zulu (Zulu time)
Zulu (Zulu time) is used in the military and navigation for timekeeping purposes to avert confusion when coordinating with countries using other time standards. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2022
Russia looks towards import substitution in its IT sector
The exodus of Western IT companies from Russia and sanctions imposed on the country amid its military invasion of Ukraine are leading to shortages of IT and professionals in the sector Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2022
IR35 reforms: PAC report blames HMRC for ‘widespread non-compliance’ in public sector
The Public Accounts Committee has shared the findings of its report into the after-effects of the IR35 reforms coming into force in the public sector back in April 2017 Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2022
Microsoft urged to do more to address European cloud antitrust complaints
In the wake of Microsoft setting out its first steps towards addressing the antitrust complaints directed at it by some European cloud providers, one complainant said the firm needs to go further by making more of its off-premise portfolio open source Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2022
Third of organisations to outsource more IT amid talent shortage
Cutting costs is not the main reason for outsourcing IT in the UK, according to a major study Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2022
Controversial Post Office IT system to be replaced by 2025
Work is ongoing by the Post Office to replace the controversial Horizon retail and accounting system used in nearly 12,000 branches Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2022
Malaysian government inks agreement with Google Cloud
The cloud framework agreement with Google will make it easier for Malaysia’s public sector agencies to access Google Cloud services through a single government contract Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2022
India’s IT services market grew at record pace in 2021
Growing investments in cloud, artificial intelligence and cyber security have been a boon to India’s IT and business services market Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2022
How Rimini Street is growing its footprint in ASEAN
Rimini Street is expanding its reach in ASEAN as more companies, such as Malaysian carmaker Proton, look for cheaper software maintenance options Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2022
Police question former Fujitsu worker again in Post Office scandal perjury investigation
Police have interviewed a former Fujitsu employee for the third time in the investigation into potential perjury during trials of wrongfully convicted subpostmasters Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2022
BCS passes defiant Ukrainian tech industry message to its members
BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, has passed on a message from Ukrainian IT suppliers that the country is open for, and in need of, business Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2022
Majority of workers using umbrella companies see no benefits
Research from trade body for independent professionals finds that most self-employed workers operating through an umbrella company think there are no advantages to the arrangement Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2022
Financial Ombudsman Service chooses TCS as digital transformation partner
Tata Consultancy Services will build and implement key systems as part the Financial Ombudsman Service’s digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2022
IT contractors warned as HMRC draws on ‘IR35-adjacent’ legislation in tax avoidance clampdown
IT contractors are being urged to take action now, as details emerge about how HM Revenue & Customs is drawing on some IR35-adjacent legislation to send out five-figure tax bills to individuals who engage with contractor-focused accountants Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2022
European IT and BPO outsourcing off to strong start
European IT and business process outsourcing services continue to increase rapidly, with cloud-based services now more than half of the total Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2022
IR35 reforms: Private sector warned HMRC's 12-month 'light-touch' enforcement period is ending
HMRC confirmed, in the lead up to the IR35 reforms coming into force in the private sector in April 2021, that it would be taking a ‘light-touch’ approach to enforcing the rules for 12 months. And that grace period ends today Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2022
Ad agency slashes NetApp costs with Datadobi data migration
US-based branding agency needed to migrate 20TB of large files to new NetApp hardware, but unwilling to stomach the vendor’s migration costs it chose Datadobi instead Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2022
Hiring and retention challenges in cyber security persist
Latest ISACA report shows that enterprises are struggling to find and retain cyber security talent Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2022
Umbrella company Workwell refutes contractor’s ‘withheld holiday pay’ claim
A dispute between a contractor and their former umbrella company shines a light once more on the knotty issue of holiday pay Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2022
FCSA takes steps to help umbrella company members protect themselves better from cyber attacks
After a spate of suspected ransomware attacks on its members, the Freelance and Contractor Services Association is partnering with a cyber security firm that can coach its umbrella firms on how to protect themselves better Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2022
IR35 private sector reforms one year on: Assessing the impact on the UK’s tech talent pool
With the first anniversary of the IR35 reforms taking effect in the private sector fast approaching, IT contractors set out how the changes have affected their ability to find work in the UK Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2022
Challenges for IT providers as Ukraine crisis worsens
Many IT providers have ceased sales to Russia, but cloud services can operate and be delivered anywhere, helping – indirectly – to fund the invasion Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2022
Zopa Bank to sponsor 50 Ukrainian tech professionals with visa offer
IT companies are reaching out to IT professionals in the Ukraine with offers of support for those looking to work in the UK Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2022
Forrester: Boom in IT spending to drive economic recovery
Global IT spending is increasing as countries start to recover from the economic downturn caused by Covid-19 lockdown restrictions Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Feb 2022
A plan for technical and security training
An array of options is available to help IT leaders refresh security skills or update tech skills. We look at how to decide what is best Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2022
Parasol data breach: Contractors rage as fallout from umbrella cyber attack continues
Contractors working for the Parasol umbrella company are querying why it has taken so long for news of the firm's data breach, which is linked to a cyber attack on its systems five weeks ago, to come to light Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2022
Umbrella IT contractors urged to seize on court ruling to reclaim withheld holiday pay
The outcome of a court ruling concerning a holiday pay dispute between Pimlico Plumbers and one of its former employees could have costly implications for the umbrella company sector, it is claimed Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2022
UAE chooses Accenture to develop national payments platform
Consortium led by Accenture to build new payments infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2022
Sweden’s Husqvarna expands IT outsourcing deal with HCL
Swedish power tool maker expands its contract with Indian IT service provider as it continues on its digital journey Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2022
Umbrella company cyber attacks prompt fresh calls for sector regulation to protect contractors
With the umbrella company industry increasingly finding itself under attack from cyber criminals, contracting market stakeholders embark on a fresh round of calls for the industry to be regulated Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2022
Updated cyber security regulations proposed for managed services sector
The Network and Information Systems regulations are to be updated to include MSPs and outsourcers, following a spate of supply chain attacks Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2022
Parasol systems outage leaves umbrella contractors facing late payments
Multi-day outage leaves umbrella company contractors working for payroll processing firm Parasol facing late salary payments, with the firm remaining tight-lipped over the cause of its technical difficulties Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2022
Inside Kyndryl’s Southeast Asia playbook
Kyndryl will focus on building local partnerships and tapping opportunities in managed cloud services, among other areas, to stake a claim on the region’s managed services space Continue Reading
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News
21 Dec 2021
IT services spending recovery to get renewals boost in 2022
IT services and BPO deals worth $18.5bn globally up for renewal next year, adding fuel to already-expected high growth Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2021
SMEs dominate list of 200 fastest growing tech companies
List of 200 fastest growing companies in the public sector is made up primarily of small and medium-sized enterprises, which collectively earned £936m from government contracts in the past fiscal year Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2021
Channelling Nordic startup innovation towards global survival
Nordic startup innovation offers global organisations the green light towards sustainability Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2021
UK privacy chief denies conflict of interest in new role
UK information commissioner will join a private law firm that represents technology companies she used to regulate, raising questions about conflicts of interest and drawing ‘revolving door’ criticisms Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2021
Financial Ombudsman Service takes step towards digital transformation with Workday
Ombudsman uses human resource and financial management software in the cloud Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2021
Accenture to create 3,000 UK tech jobs
Accenture’s recruitment plan in the UK is a response to businesses to the release of pent-up demand for digital transformations Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2021
DWP extends Capita contract for Scottish jobs programme
Scotland’s JETS job-matching scheme, which uses digital tools to support people looking for work, extends contract with Capita Continue Reading
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News
24 Nov 2021
Kazakhstan’s IT industry growing rapidly thanks to heavy government support
Kazakhstan’s IT sector is being prepared for international expansion through government investment Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2021
UK government proposes new rules for digital supply chain security
Proposals could see IT service providers legally required to adhere to the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework, among other things Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Nov 2021
Social value not yet fully embedded in procurement practices
Social value procurement rules are designed to diversify the public sector’s supplier base while providing society with wider collective benefits, but are yet to be fully introduced Continue Reading
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News
27 Oct 2021
Russian IT market growing steadily after pandemic
Russia’s enterprise IT sector is recovering steadily after a slowdown caused by Covid-19 Continue Reading
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News
21 Oct 2021
Airport operator MAG boosts threat visibility with hybrid SOC
With budget concerns weighing heavy during the pandemic, Manchester Airports Group ditched an impending capex-heavy cyber investment in favour of a hybrid managed/in-house approach. Learn more about its experience Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2021
HCL Benelux telco partnership targets SME and government
Indian IT service provider signs partnership that will see it modernise the core technology of Proximus to offer its services through Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2021
IR35: Giant Group cyber attack prompts renewed calls for statutory regulation of umbrella companies
As details about the fallout from the cyber attack on the Giant Group umbrella company emerge, stakeholders say the incident should prompt the government to expedite regulating contractor payroll processing firms Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2021
Giant Umbrella contractors suffer salary payment delays following suspected ‘data breach’
Following the discovery of “suspicious network activity” in its systems, payroll processing firm Giant Umbrella has taken itself offline, leaving contractors to fume over missing salary payments Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2021
Tech Nation announces 15 startups for 10th Future Fifty cohort
Fifteen high-growth startups set to join Tech Nation’s 10th annual Future Fifty programme to help them scale further Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2021
Tech sector spends nearly €100m a year lobbying the EU
Study on technology firms’ lobbying efforts in the European Union shows the sector spends more than any other in trying to influence policies and legislation Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2021
Thames Valley Police drops ERP system after spending £14m
Thames Valley Police exits tri-force programme to develop new enterprise resource planning software for the police Continue Reading
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News
12 Aug 2021
ICO consults on new international data transfer agreement
Information Commissioner’s Office to consult on its draft international data transfer agreement and guidance, which will replace standard contractual clauses to protect personal data during overseas transfers Continue Reading
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News
03 Aug 2021
UK MoD turns to hackers to help secure digital assets
Hackers given direct access to internal Ministry of Defence systems to identify and report security vulnerabilities Continue Reading
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News
02 Aug 2021
IR35 reforms: TUC demand for government ban on umbrella companies raises eyebrows
The Trades Union Congress has raised eyebrows within the contracting community by calling for a ban on umbrella companies to help stamp out malpractice Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2021
DWP hit with £87.9m tax bill by HMRC over 'historic' IR35 status contractor assessment errors
The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) annual accounts highlight the challenges the public sector body has faced with implementing the IR35 reforms since they came into force in the public sector in April 2017 Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2021
HMRC CEO claims email querying legal basis for loan charge ‘overplayed’ at committee hearing
HMRC CEO Jim Harra continues to downplay significance of email questioning legal basis of the loan charge during a grilling by the Economic Affairs Committee Continue Reading
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News
14 Jul 2021
More than half of European IT outsourcing spending will soon be on cloud services
Cloud services will soon be the largest part of the IT services market in Europe, as enterprises invest in them as part of their Covid-19 recovery strategies Continue Reading
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Opinion
09 Jul 2021
Choose the right ITSM tool for digital era success
IT service management (ITSM) tools are essential for many organisations to help optimise the design, delivery, support, use and governance of IT, but not all ITSM solutions are created equal, therefore selecting the right one is crucial Continue Reading
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E-Zine
08 Jul 2021
CW Middle East: Pandemic speeds up edtech revolution in Gulf
One of the lessons the Covid-19 pandemic has taught governments across the world is that education providers can still teach when their premises are inaccessible. Read how organisations in the Gulf region’s education sector have been quick to adopt the latest education technology, known as edtech, to help in this endeavour. Also read in this issue how Indian IT services company TCS is bringing together universities, businesses, tech startups and government to work on sustainability challenges. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jul 2021
NCS outlines regional expansion plans
IT service provider NCS is going after the high-growth markets of Australia and the Greater China region with core technology and industry-specific offerings as it pits itself against global rivals Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2021
Accenture acquisition will expand services that help customers be more like Tesla
Accenture’s latest acquisition will boost the part of the organisation that helps manufacturers and engineering firms be more like Tesla Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2021
UK IT outsourcing set to continue after service levels improve during pandemic
UK organisations will increase IT outsourcing following the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2021
Scottish government awards digital identity platform contract to Scott Logic
Supplier is working on a two-year project to create a digital identity service through a suite of common platforms that will be adopted across Scottish government Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2021
IR35 tribunal sees Nationwide IT contractor lose second appeal against £70,000 HMRC tax bill
Tribunal dismisses second appeal by IT project manager Robert Lee that his contracts with Nationwide would fall out of scope of the IR35 legislation Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2021
Virgin Atlantic expands 17-year relationship with TCS as it begins Covid-19 crisis recovery
Virgin Atlantic has expanded its IT services agreement with Tata Consultancy Services, with 70 of its IT staff transferring to the supplier Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2021
Indian IT giants cut carbon emissions by 85% as pandemic stops travel
Spurred by pandemic-related challenges, India’s IT industry has slashed travel costs and carbon emissions through the use of the latest technology Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2021
IR35 reforms: Qdos research suggests room for improvement
The IR35 reforms came into force in April 2021, but research from contracting authority Qdos suggests some end-client organisation's compliance strategies require urgent improvement Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2021
IR35 reforms: Blanket-banning firms risk losing contractors and suffering reputational damage
Research by contrator-focused accountancy firm inniAccounts shines a light on how contractors are responding to their clients’ handling of the IR35 reforms Continue Reading
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Feature
24 May 2021
How Bureau Veritas migrated 85% of its applications to the AWS cloud
In six years, France-based services giant BV has migrated 115 applications to the AWS cloud, mostly using in-house expertise. We talk to the company’s IT director Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2021
Sophos: How timely intervention stopped a ProxyLogon attack
A recent incident at an undisclosed customer sheds new light on how malicious actors exploit unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2021
Half of organisations breached via a third party in 12 months
New report highlights the risks of outsourcing key business processes without paying due care and attention to your service provider’s security Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Apr 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: What firms need to do now the start date has passed
While the start date for the onset of the IR35 private sector reforms may have passed, firms in-scope of the revamped tax avoidance legislation may find themselves still with plenty of compliance work still to do Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Apr 2021
The Secret IR Insider’s Diary – from Sunburst to DarkSide
From dealing with SolarWinds fallout to ransomware attacks, it’s been a busy few weeks for the Secret IR Insider, but they've picked up some new tricks along the way Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
Europe provides growth for TCS despite year floored by pandemic
Tata Consultancy Services grows its continental European business despite economic slowdown brought by Covid-19 restrictions Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2021
Global demand for IT and business services highest ever for first quarter
Global demand for IT and business services began the year strongly, with a record first quarter Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2021
Loan Charge Group MPs demand IR35 shake-up to stop contractors becoming ‘zero-rights employees’
Inquiry by Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group calls on government to tweak IR35 legislation during passage of next Finance Bill Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2021
IR35 reforms: Loan charge and employers’ NI issues prompt calls for legislative revamp
As the government prepares to extend the IR35 reforms to the private sector, contracting stakeholders say it is high time the ‘flawed’ legislation was scrapped entirely Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2021
IR35 reforms: HMRC denies ‘squandering’ datasets that could rid umbrella sector of rogue players
Concerns grow about the number of IT contractors at risk of joining non-compliant umbrella firms ahead of the IR35 reforms taking hold in the private sector Continue Reading