IT for financial services

TSB customers can use their faces to authenticate payments

Bank’s latest addition to its mobile apps is a facial recognition option for Apple iPhone X users Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Benelux: Young wayward hackers could help fill Dutch IT skills gap

In this issue, read how an initiative in Rotterdam is helping young people get into the IT sector by targeting those overlooked by traditional methods. Also find out how Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is utilising open source software to create and use a multi-cloud platform with an open API, and how the Netherlands’ Rabobank has moved from tape libraries and robotic arms to a platform-based storage and retrieval system. Continue Reading

Bangalore offers the best ecosystem for digital transformation, says Economist report

Bangalore ranked as the number one location for businesses looking to access the right ecosystem to support digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Bank of Scotland testing out artificial intelligence on customer iPhone app

Bank of Scotland pilots artificial intelligence within its iPhone banking app. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Go beyond GDPR for a competitive edge

By exceeding the bare minimum requirements set by privacy regulations, businesses can win customers by offering greater assurances, says a business adviser Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Monique Shivanandan leaves Aviva

CIO has left the insurance company after more than three years in the role Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Middle East blockchain forum moves to accelerate adoption of the distributed ledger technology

Blockchain technology is becoming more widely used by financial services companies in the Middle East, and is finding its way into other sectors in the region Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

Image recognition system clears cheques in one day

All cheques paid in the UK will be cleared on the next working day once an image-based clearing system is fully rolled out Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordea lays off 6,000, citing digital transformation as the driver

Nordea is cutting staff as a result of its ongoing digital transformation, which means it needs less people Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Nordic finance watchdogs losing patience over anti-money laundering systems at banks

The financial services watchdogs have informed banks that they have to do more to improve anti-money laundering systems Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Focus needs to shift to breach impact, says McAfee researcher

Breach investigations commonly focus on the attackers and their motives, but a security researcher believes there needs to be more emphasis on business impact Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cloud service spending almost matches traditional IT outsourcing

Traditional outsourcing spending has plummeted in the latest three-month period, but spending on cloud-based IT services is going some way to filling the void Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

RSA’s Middle East cyber security conference gains its own identity

RSA Abu Dhabi conference focuses on region’s cyber security needs as digital technology deployments expand Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK bank Standard Chartered opens IT service centre in Bangalore

Bank is expanding its operation in India, which provides business services to its operations globally Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Dutch government agreement increasingly focuses on IT security

The coalition government in the Netherlands has agreed its plan for the next four years, with IT security prominent Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Some IT contractors earning more than £700 a day

Research shows 40% of contractors reach the average annual IT salary within three months Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CIOs moving to revenue-generating roles

Gartner survey shows changing role for CIOs to cover revenue generation and deriving value from data, and spending less time on traditional IT delivery Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digitally preserving history

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how cloud technologies are helping Gibraltar to digitally preserve historic documents and safeguard its cultural heritage. We examine progress on the roll-out of the new NHS national network. And our latest buyer’s guide looks at the benefits and challenges of cloud-based ERP software. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Where the device hits the network – a mobile device management update

As business becomes increasingly mobile, we look at the latest trends in mobile device management to give businesses the edge Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

RHB Bank rolls out chatbot for loan applications

The Malaysian lender hopes to improve the loan application experience and grow its personal loan business by 60% through a new chatbot Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Amazon launches Middle East region

Amazon opens its latest delivery hub in Bahrain to serve customers in the Middle East Continue Reading

By

• Triska Hamid

Why businesses should tackle the digital workplace

IT chiefs should make implementing the digital workplace core to their company’s digitisation strategy, says analyst Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Blockchain tests delivering results and IBM seen as leader

Businesses that have invested in trials of blockchain technology will repeat their investments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Can DevOps deliver on its productivity promises?

DevOps and agile working are often cited as key elements of successful digital transformation – in this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the challenges to delivering on that promise. Many retailers are investing in emerging technologies to gain an edge – but are they getting too far ahead of the curve? And we hear how a new spirit of collaboration could help UK broadband roll-out. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Banks across Europe cut thousands of staff and branches as IT replaces them

Banks across Europe cut jobs and close thousands of branches as IT shakes the industry Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

BT offers enterprise customers flexible bandwidth for peak usage

New element of BT IP Connect Global WAN service will enable businesses to dial their network capacity up and down at will Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Millions of customer records compromised in Equifax breach

Major security breach unfolded over a two-month period, and is thought to have affected 143 million customers in the US, as well as an undisclosed number of Britons and Canadians Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Thousands of Deutsche Bank employees will be replaced by robots

The CEO of Deutsche Bank said a "big number of staff will eventually be replaced by robots” as it looks towards artificial intelligence technology Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

European Union states question copyright law proposal

European states are questioning legality of a new copyright law proposed by the EU Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer Baker

People with non-IT backgrounds could help fill cyber security skills gap

Organisations should look to fill cyber security roles with people who are curious and have work experience rather than focusing solely on graduates Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Women still under-represented in Nordic IT despite region’s efforts

Although countries in the Nordic region are often hailed as pioneers of digital and equal worker rights, there is still gender inequality in the IT sector. Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Government launches FTTP pilot for businesses, schools and hospitals

The government has released £10m to six FTTP trial projects around the UK, testing ultrafast broadband technology in businesses, schools and hospitals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

App-based challenger bank Starling enters next stage of its journey

Thousands of people are downloading Starling’s app every week as the bank builds its customer base Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Researcher finds over 711 million compromised email accounts

A security researcher has discovered a spambot using more than 711 million compromised email accounts to spread data-stealing malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Challenger bank Fidor reaches 200,000 customers

Fintech trailblazer Fidor now has more than 200,000 people using its banking services, but its CEO believes the fintech environment is getting tougher Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Danske Bank taps into the cognitive capabilities of IBM Watson

Danish bank is using IBM Watson as part of a major IT outsourcing deal Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

CW Nordics: Banks and startups increase collaboration

First they were deemed a threat, now they are potential partners. According to a new report by Nordic accelerator Fintech Mundi, banks are increasingly turning to financial technology (fintech) startups in their hunt for new ideas and market opportunities. Also in this issue, read now Baker Brun, a bakery company in Norway, is modernising its business processes through the latest technologies, and hear how Stockholm’s CIO is relishing the challenge of trying to make the Swedish capital the smartest city in the world. Continue Reading

UAE telco Du pushes SaaS adoption in Middle East

The Middle East looks set to see strong growth in software as a service and IT departments need to take a different approach Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

Barclays installs devices to monitor office use

Barclays bank has installed sensors connected to a cloud-based analytics platform to monitor and analyse office use Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How banking technology has changed since the crash

In this week’s Computer Weekly, 10 years after the financial crash, we examine how banking technology has changed as a result of the economic crisis. We look at how GDPR, the EU’s new data protection laws, will affect your data storage strategies. And we ask if the cryptocurrency boom will remain a niche pursuit or whether the underlying technologies can bring benefits for enterprise IT. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Blockchain skills in high demand and jobs being swept up quickly

Job vacancies for people with blockchain skills are being filled in just seven days, on average, once they are advertised online Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HSBC streamlines mortgages with Capita software

Bank is using software to improve its mortgage application processes and subsequently increase business through brokers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

World's largest’ data center planned in Norway

Norway will soon have the biggest datacenter in the world which will harness the countries rich natural resources Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Barclays ring-fencing project means downtime for customers

Many Barclays services will be unavailable this weekend as part of the bank's project to separate retail and investment operations Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

A decade of IT change since banking meltdown

With 10 years passing since Northern Rock had to be bailed out by the government, we look at how banking IT has changed since the financial crisis Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

BBVA tops Forrester mobile bank app chart

Spanish bank BBVA has the best mobile banking app in the world, according to Forrester Research Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HSBC uses IBM to automate the processing of 100 million document pages

In another instance of banks adopting automation to lower costs and drive productivity, HSBC uses IBM analytics technology to cut down on its paper trail Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

China tests hack-proof quantum satellite communications

China has tested a prototype communication system that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to make it impossible for hackers to access Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Over 40% of IT professionals want another general election this year

A large proportion of IT workers in the UK want another general election this year in the hope it will stave off a hard brexit Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic countries top digital nations ranking, but risk stalling

Nordic countries are leaders when it comes to digitisation – but they must continue to innovate to retain their position Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

WannaCry hero due in court on malware charges

The Briton who played a key role in halting the global WannaCry ransomware attacks is due in court in the US to face charges in connection with the Kronos banking Trojan Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransom DDoS attacks on the rise

The use of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to extort money from organisations is on the rise, warns security firm Kaspersky Lab Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The fields of Athenry – how Apple’s datacentre plans are causing turmoil in a small Irish town

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look into Apple’s controversial plans to build a huge datacentre in a small town in the west of Ireland, and hear the local arguments it has caused. We find out how the Met Office is managing the vast quantities of data it uses for weather forecasting. And we examine Google plans to bring artificial intelligence tools to the job recruitment market. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

AA Ireland turns to predictive analytics in fraud crackdown

Roadside assistance company invests in analytics software to fight fraud and introduce dynamic pricing after its split with the AA Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Nordea deploys AI to speed up customer service

Nordea is reaping the rewards of its fintech investments through its latest project to use artificial intelligence to support customers Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

TSB to introduce iris scan authentication in September 2017

TSB customers will soon be able to access their mobile bank accounts through iris scanning, which is regarded as the most secure biometric authentication available Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The challenge of our era - digital transformation at Allianz

The insurance firm wants to become "digital by default" and its CIO explains the vital role DevOps and cloud play in its change programme Continue Reading

By

• Jacob Abboud, Allianz Insurance

London Stock Exchange uses IBM blockchain technology

The London Stock Exchange is testing out IBM's blockchain technology in a platform to help SME operations become more transparent Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IBM claims breakthrough in mainframe encryption

IBM says its new mainframe ushers in a new era of data protection in response to a call to action from chief information security officers and security experts worldwide Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Encryption keys too predictable, warn security researchers

Encryption keys are not as random as most people think, which means encrypting data is often not as secure as it could be, according to security researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HPE and CSC merger wins confidence of Zurich

Zurich Insurance has demonstrated confidence in CSC's merger with HPE through a contract extension Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Visa encourages US businesses to go cashless with £500,000 in hard cash

Card giant offers small US businesses financial support to upgrade their payments technology if they agree to abandon cash Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Middle East: How women can fill the tech skills gap

The growth of the IT sector continues to drive both innovation and employment in the Gulf, but women – as with all industries in the region – are under-represented in technology by significant margins, and could help to fill the tech skills gap. Also in this issue, read about growing threats in Saudi Arabia’s cyber sector, and how Dubai is becoming a world leader in smart city developments. Continue Reading

UK ranked as top 10 digital economy

The UK has been ranked among the top 10 nations in terms of digital capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Legal & General picks HomeServe’s IoT LeakBot to protect homeowners

Insurance firm partners with HomeServe to deploy its internet of things LeakBot technology and lower customer premiums Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cryptocurrencies: a niche pursuit?

Cryptocurrencies are on the rise, but why have digital currencies yet to reach the mainstream market? Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Experian admits mobile and online issues after system upgrade

Some customers of credit referencing company are having problems accessing a service they pay for following an IT upgrade and large customer migration to a new system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

App-based banking continues its ascent in the UK

The number of people banking from their mobile phones is increasing as more services are made available through the channel Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Interview: Louise McCarthy and Valeria Della Rosa, EBRD

Two women are at the helm of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development’s technology change programme – the bank’s first-ever digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Swedish fintech Klarna gains full banking licence

Swedish online payments provider Klarna becomes one of “the largest banks in Europe” after being granted an EU-wide banking licence by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Voice biometrics still relatively unheard

Authentication system could help reduce UK fraud by making it hard for fraudsters to glean information from contact centres Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The human apprentices behind robotic automation

IT apprentices are helping large businesses transform their back-office processes through software robots Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Finnish mobile operators opt-out from free EU roaming

Finnish mobile operators have been exempted from new European Union data roaming rules for now Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Microchips implanted in hands could be in use for payments in 20 years

UK consumers are becoming more accepting that biometric authentication will become the norm for payments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HR technology essential to cutting-edge customer service, say big businesses

If you can’t get your internal HR systems right, the business will suffer – Jaguar Land Rover, Lufthansa and Russia’s Sberbank explain why Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Tips for buying hyper-converged systems

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the growing market for hyper-converged infrastructure - combining processing, storage and networking into an integrated design - and assess the options available to IT leaders. We ask mature users of the cloud what’s next for their migration to off-premise systems. And we analyse how retail supply chains are developing to keep up with online and mobile shopping trends. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Challenger bank technology arm hires former ABN Amro IT executive as CIO

Bank and banking technology supplier Fidor hires an experienced banking CIO to support its international expansion Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Lloyds bank staff will move to IBM in outsourcing deal

About 1,500 IT staff at Lloyds Banking Group will join IBM as part of an IT infrastructure outsourcing agreement Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HSBC launches global social network for businesses

HSBC Bank is helping its business customers connect with potential partners through a digital hub Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IR35 reforms: HMRC denies claims that online tax status assessment tool returns unreliable results

HM Revenue & Customs hits back at research that suggests its IR35 online assessment tool is hindering public sector organisations in determining the tax status of off-payroll staff Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Taiwan’s OwlTing taps blockchain to improve food safety

The e-commerce company is using blockchain technology to provide consumers with greater transparency on food sources and production processes Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CW Nordics: The trouble with connected things

In this issue, Finnish cyber security expert Mikko Hyppönen talks about security in the Nordics, Russia and the trouble with connected devices. Also read how Icelandic airline Wow Air averted disaster through the use of application performance monitoring software when it embarked on a major expansion. And find out how, since December 2015, anyone playing popular sandbox game Minecraft has been able to build their worlds on the actual map of Sweden. Continue Reading

Dubai financial services regulator launches temporary licence aimed at fintechs

Dubai is making it easier for financial technology companies to test out their ideas through a temporary licence Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

SAP aligns with Saudi Arabia’s IT transformation agenda

Global software giant SAP sees an opportunity for its wide portfolio in Saudi Arabia as the Middle Eastern country transforms Continue Reading

By

• Edward Banda

HSBC voice authentication tricked by twins

Twin brothers managed to trick HSBC’s voice recognition security system into giving account access to the wrong person Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Customer experience transformation at Macquarie bank brings legacy system retirement as a bonus

Australia’s Macquarie bank builds a data layer on top of legacy IT systems to transform customer experience Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordic region competes for datacentre dominance

The Nordic region is an attractive region for datacentres as demand for cloud services in the area grows Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Blockchain economy on the horizon

Blockchain technologies will enable many new and disruptive business models than the internet itself, an expert predicts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Highly skilled professionals at risk of being replaced by computers

Highly skilled jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence by 2022, says Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Large UK businesses increasingly want CEOs to have IT background

More large businesses in the UK want a CEO that has a good understanding of IT Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Barclays launches £10m UK digital safety campaign

Barclays is to lead a £10m campaign against digital fraud as research reveals London, Bristol and Birmingham are scam hotspots, with young adults most at risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mayor of London seeks chief digital officer

Capital’s first-ever chief digital officer will oversee the digital transformation of public services across London Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UBS applies data protection for compliance and competitive advantage

Swiss bank UBS aims to get greater value out of investments in sensitive data protection systems by using its security capabilities as a differentiator Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT outsourcing going strong in the Nordics

IT outsourcing is popular among companies in the Nordic region, but the market is changing Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

UBS reduces legacy dependence with Microsoft Azure

Swiss bank begins its strategy of moving core systems into the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordea strikes partnership with Swedish mobile payment startup

Nordic bank links up with payments startup in its latest fintech project Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

UK trade department in New York to promote fintech firms

Group of financial technology firms taken to New York to show off their knowledge of regulatory compliance software Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Blockchain expands reach beyond finance

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how blockchain, the distributed ledger technology behind bitcoin, is extending its reach beyond financial services into new industries such as healthcare, energy and education. We hear from software developers about the pros and cons of componentizing application software. And we examine what a recent court case shows about Oracle’s controversial software licensing policies. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Mastercard integrates biometric technology into cards

MasterCard tests out biometric technology embedded into payment cards, with further trials in Europe planned Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Banks suffer average of 85 attempted serious cyber attacks a year, and one-third are successful

Banks face daily cyber attacks, many of which succeed in stealing data, research finds Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA