IT for retail and logistics

Bulk data collection unnecessary for surveillance, says cyber expert

Opting for bulk data collection and other intrusive surveillance overlooks other means available that do not involve collateral damage to businesses and innocent people, says cyber expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Wal-Mart to make huge data and analytics investment in India

Retail giant Wal-Mart is investing heavily in its IT development centre in Bangalore, turning the city into its most important centre outside the US Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Social media exert influence on millennials' shopping habits

Consumers aged 18 to 34 are more likely to buy items based on what they see on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Continue Reading

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• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Lacking the digital skills to shop online costs consumers £744 a year

If consumers are not shopping online for the best deals, they could be missing out on hundreds of pounds of potential savings Continue Reading

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• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

NRF 2016: Shopping centres will become “platforms for experiences”, says Westfield co-CEO

As digital causes a shift towards “showrooming”, Westfield co-CEO claims shopping centres will become more experience-focused Continue Reading

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• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Crunch time for Australian CIOs as analytics platforms drive strategy in 2016

CIOs in Australia and elsewhere will be expected to deploy technologies that promise to help them get more from the information they own Continue Reading

By

• David Braue

PwC acquires Polish cloud consultancy for European operation

PwC is buying Poland-based IT services firm Outbox to build its cloud skills and resources across Europe Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fears of software skills shortage in Germany and the Netherlands

Organisations in Germany and the Netherlands are struggling to fill positions for software developers as they digitise Continue Reading

By

• Rian van Heur

Top 10 internet of things stories of 2015

2015 was the year the internet of things began to move from theory to widespread practice, and the fledgling industry shook off the millstone of connected kitchen appliances Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Royal Mail acquires cloud platform

Royal Mail acquires cloud-based delivery company as automation and better use of data become essential in a rapidly changing sector Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Poundland launches e-commerce Christmas push with Rackspace managed support

Budget retailer has turned to Rackspace to ensure its first foray into online retail can withstand the seasonal rush Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

UK firms act quickly to fix payment card data encryption

Security firm found that 16 global companies had failed to effectively encrypt traffic to the payment portion of their websites and apps Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Russian big data in early stages

The use of big data technologies in Russia is still embryonic and the economic slowdown is stalling developments Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Kozlov

DHL opens Singapore centre for logistics technology innovation

DHL has opened a centre in Singapore to research technologies that can be used in the logistics industry Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber attacks an increasing concern for Asean countries

Organisations in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are increasingly the targets for cyber criminals, according to a report focused on the region Continue Reading

By

• Zafar Anjum

India’s HCL opens Estonian operation to support Nordic customers

HCL Technologies opens an Estonian delivery centre which will support customers across Europe, including those in the Nordic region Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UKtech50 2015 - The most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly's annual search for the 50 most influential people in the UK tech scene is complete - meet the winners Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

UKtech50 2015 - The most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly has announced the sixth annual UKtech50 – our definitive list of the movers and shakers in the UK IT sector Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

CIO interview: Jesper Riis, DSV

IT plays a business-critical role at Danish logistics and transportation company DSV. CIO Jesper Riis tells Computer Weekly about his current challenges Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Data breach hits Hilton Worldwide hotel chain

Hilton Worldwide says malware found its way onto point of sale (PoS) systems and enabled attackers to steal payment card information Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Five key strategies for IoT success

Companies need to be agile because in some IoT systems, it will be a question of the winner taking it all, according to Kent Eriksson, IoT business consultant at PTC Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Group litigation against Post Office being prepared in Horizon dispute

Subpostmasters who believe they have been wrongly punished for misaccounting or theft due to flawed computer system prepare group legal action against Post Office Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office IT support email reveals known Horizon flaw

An email from Post Office IT support reveals a problem with the Horizon system and supporting processes that could lead to accounting errors Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Germany is finalising legislation to shore up CNI cyber security

Germany is working to ensure digital sovereignty through IT security legislation and negotiations on IT security regulations and transatlantic trade at a European Union level Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Communication Workers Union warns subpostmasters of flaw in Post Office Horizon accounting system

The union that represents Post Office subpostmasters has warned of a problem with the Horizon accounting system at the centre of a long-running dispute Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

M&S data breach forces retailer to temporarily suspend service

A glitch that allowed online customers to see each others' details forced retailer Mark & Spencer to take its website offline while it resolved the issue Continue Reading

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• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Retailers will never have pure play, says Watchfinder founder

Founder of luxury second-hand watch reseller Watchfinder explains that retailers will never have an entirely online or offline business Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Transforming Singapore Post through modern technology

When Singapore Post realised it had to change its business model to survive, it appointed its first CIO to front the technology transformation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Yakult uses data analytics to boost growth in the Netherlands by 20%

Probiotics maker Yakult is using analytics and data visualisation tools to boost its sales in the Netherlands Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Expo Milano 2015 – Powered by Accenture

This year, Accenture supported the universal exhibition in Milan showcasing technology with the theme ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’ Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

German rail and transport group turns to virtual reality in war for talent

Deutsche Bahn claims to be the first company in Germany to use virtual reality as a recruitment tool Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CIO interview: Frans Westerlund, Fiskars

Fiskars CIO Frans Westerlund tells Computer Weekly about the challenges faced by IT when a business instigates a major strategic transformation Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

James Arbuthnot takes Post Office IT fight to House of Lords

James Arbuthnot takes his seat in the House of Lords and continues campaign for subpostmasters who claim to have been wronged by faulty Horizon IT system Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Infosec pros should start preparing for the future, say experts

Information security professionals need to grow their skills, engage with the business, increase security awareness, set business goals and tailor their messages, says a panel of experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How CIOs can raise their 'IT clock speed' as pressure to innovate grows

CIOs are facing pressure from the board to roll out IT projects increasingly quickly. How can they do that without running unacceptable risks? This article, based on cutting-edge research among leading businesses, offers some answers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Amazon sues sellers using paid-for product reviews

Amazon’s brand is being damaged by "false, misleading and inauthentic" reviews – paid for by sellers – to lure buyers, the organisation says in a lawsuit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security innovation is crucial, says security evangelist

Visibility and automation are key areas of cyber security innovation, but firms should concentrate first on the basics and not overlook the human element of security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Travelex rewrites its digital strategy

Travelex’s digital transformation is based on short-term wins, long-term goals and disruption, according to its chief digital officer, Sean Cornwell Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Samsung Pay isolated from LoopPay attack

Hackers who compromised LoopPay’s computer systems had no access to Samsung Pay’s user data or other core information, says Samsung Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Tesco decides to keep Dunnhumby after strategic review of business

Supermarket giant Tesco has scrapped plans to sell analytics arm Dunnhumby after restructuring and analysing its assets Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Internet of things is next step along Infiniti Red Bull’s F1 journey

Formula 1 team Infiniti Red Bull Racing is beginning to explore the potential of the IoT as it makes ongoing improvements to its networking infrastructure with support from AT&T Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researchers find credential-stealing webmail server APT attack

Security researchers have discovered a new and unique advanced persistent threat (APT) technique that involves a malicious module loaded onto a webmail server Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What to consider when IT outsourcing contracts come up for renewal

Outsourcing contracts worth billions of pounds come up for renewal over the next few years – but unprecedented industry change complicates the CIO's decision Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

David Jones online customers hit by data breach

Hackers have accessed the personal details of an unknown number of David Jones online customers, but the retailer says payment details and passwords are not affected Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Two thirds of UK businesses never meet important customers

British businesses don't always meet their best customers or the people they do most business with, because of trends in modern technology Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Almost 30% of retailers use facial recognition technology to track consumers in store

Retailers are using more technology in store to track customer behaviour, with the younger generation finding it useful for their shopping experience Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Why insurer Axa is entering the retail e-commerce market

Digitisation in insurance is usually associated with digital policy documents – but Axa is using technology to take a lateral approach to the indemnity business Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Most DDoS attacks hiding something more sinister, Neustar warns

Smaller DDoS attacks can be more dangerous than a powerful attack that knocks a company offline but does not install malware or steal data, warns Neustar Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DD4BC cyber extortion gang adds social media to arsenal

Cyber extortion gang DD4BC is using social media campaigns to garner more attention for its ability to create service disruptions by publicly embarrassing large organisations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Case study: French delivery company Chronopost looks to NoSQL for big data challenge

French delivery company Chronopost is using open-source NoSQL systems to improve services and customer retention Continue Reading

By

• Anne Morris

Why Pegasystems' CEO, Alan Trefler, has learned to think smaller

Pegasystems has made its name supplying CRM, analytics and case management software to the world's largest companies. Now CEO Alan Trefler plans to use cloud computing to broaden Pega's appeal Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

DDoS attack on NCA highlights need to be prepared, says Barracuda Networks

A Lizard Squad DDoS attack the NCA says is a fact of life highlights the need for organisations to be prepared, according to Barracuda Networks Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police arrest six UK teenagers for using DDoS cyber attack tool

Police arrest six UK teenagers on suspicion of using a DDoS attack tool targeting a national newspaper, a school and online gaming companies and retailers Continue Reading

Many firms not getting to grips with third-party data security risk

Supply chain data security risk is pervasive, but being unable to deal with it is down to basic failings, says a cyber risk expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Elisabeth Stjernstoft, Apoteket

When the Swedish government introduced competition to the pharmaceuticals sector in 2009, the former monopoly faced a major IT transformation Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Computer Weekly – 25 August 2015: Coping with a crisis

In this week’s Computer Weekly, IT leaders discuss their experiences of dealing with disaster and the importance of planning to ensure business continuity. Jaeger’s CIO talks about bring the iconic fashion brand into the digital age. And we look at the issues around writing supplier contracts for agile software development. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Why the time is ripe for security behaviour analytics

Recent months have seen an uptick in announcements by security suppliers around behavioural analytics, but what is driving this trend? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Contactless card fraud highlights need for 2FA

A Which? report on contactless card fraud highlights the need for multi-factor authentication for payments, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Software project will save Ford tens of millions a year in car repair bills

Car maker Ford is rolling out sophisticated warranty software to 12,000 dealers worldwide in a project that is expected to bring rapid financial returns Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CIO interview: Mattias Forsberg, Systembolaget

Systembolaget CIO Mattias Forsberg says IT and business need to have a relationship of co-operation and expects every successful IT project to include some pain Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

CIO interview: Lars Ruben Hansen, Rema 1000 Denmark and Reitan Distribution

The CIO of supermarket chain Rema 1000 Denmark and wholesale company Reitan Distribution wants his staff to love coming to work Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

MtGox chief Mark Karpeles arrested for fraud

Former chief Mark Karpeles is under arrest on suspicion of $1m fraud and involvement in the disappearance of 650,000 bitcoins Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dashlane bullish about the future despite LastPass hack

Password management firm Dashlane is confident its business model will evolve and continue to be relevant even if passwords eventually disappear Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nordic retailers get physical to combat international digital giants

Nordic retails must evolve if they are to prosper in a sector where competition from international online giants is fierce Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Wi-Fi enhances guest experience and profitability for Belgian theme park

Bobbejaanland, one of the largest theme parks in Belgium, is using a Fortinet Wi-Fi network to offer visitors access on the go, and improve its management capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Xavier Mertens

TNT continues outsourcing push

TNT continues to outsource as it strives to free up resources to focus on its core competency, signing a five-year BPO deal with Accenture Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Using data analytics to deliver more personalised customer service

Personalisation has been the goal for many retailers, but can the emergence of big data analytics be the solution they are looking for? Continue Reading

By

• Lisa Kelly

Case study: Model railway company Hornby overhauls payments with Braintree

Hornby’s head of digital strategy explains how the firm chose Braintree as its online payments platform following its website migration last year Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Waitrose uses ServiceNow for business continuity planning

Luxury retail brand Waitrose deploys ServiceNow to cope with business continuity across its supply chain Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Legacy systems holding back 90% of businesses

Most businesses are being held back from making digital advances by their reliance on legacy applications Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CIO interview: Alan Jensen, Dansk Supermarked

Danske Supermarked is moving to an omni-channel model, and the CIO must ensure IT and business departments are on the journey together Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Government preparing to let private sector companies use its Verify identity scheme

The Cabinet Office is talking to banks, insurers and retailers to establish Gov.uk Verify identity assurance as a national scheme Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ballard

Boots cuts 700 jobs in bid to restructure and improve tech

Cosmetics firm Boots has announced it will be cutting 700 non-store roles in an attempt to invest in technology and simplify back-office operations Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Case study: What the enterprise can learn from Etsy's DevOps strategy

Jon Cowie, operations engineer at online marketplace Etsy, advises enterprises on how to develop a DevOps-friendly business culture Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

John Lewis incubator sees first round of second-year pitches

More than 20 startups have presented their pitches to John Lewis executives in the first round of this year’s Jlab accelerator Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Sourcing must adapt to digital business goals, says Gartner

Businesses need to change their sourcing strategies if they are to keep pace with the digital revolution, says analyst organisation Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top six enterprise IT priorities in the Nordics

The future of enterprise IT looks bright in the Nordic region, with growing focus on datacentre investments, national cloud and automatisation Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Researchers raise privacy concerns about Bluetooth Low Energy devices

Researchers have raised privacy concerns about a growing number of devices using Bluetooth Low Energy technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Retailers still not delivering omni-channel experience, says Accenture

Research by Accenture finds customers think retailers could provide a more unified approach across all platforms Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

CIO interview: Darrell Stein, vice-president of information systems at Reckitt Benckiser

Seven months after taking charge of IT at Reckitt Benckiser, Darrell Stein is pushing ahead with a strategy to increase digital revenues Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Home Retail Group grows profits 15% with mobile and online channels

Mobile and online initiatives at Home Retail Group – parent company of Argos and Homebase – drove a 15% growth in its yearly operating profit Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

IoT benefits and privacy not mutually exclusive, says industry expert

It is possible to mitigate the privacy and security risks of the internet of things (IoT) without losing its benefits, according to an industry expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Criminal Courts Review Commission set to review subpostmasters' claims of wrongful prosecution

The Criminal Courts Review Commission (CCRC) reviews subpostmasters' claims of wrongful prosecution by the Post Office due to IT problems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The future of Moore's Law at 50

In this week's Computer Weekly, Moore's Law – the seminal forecast by Intel founder Gordon Moore that oversees technology development – is 50 years old. We look at its modern relevance and future implications. IT chiefs discuss whether Windows is still core to their strategy. And we look back at five years of government IT. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Post Office failed to investigate account shortfalls before legal action, report claims

Post Office too quick to take legal action against subpostmasters, finds independent report Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Pure e-commerce approach does not work for every retailer

Retailers can no longer be successful with an e-commerce approach alone, according to NYU professor of marketing Scott Galloway Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Retailers should think of consumers as “omni-customers”, says OVS Spa

Retailers should refocus their strategy to treat consumers as “omni-customers”, according to the director of e-commerce for Italian brand OVS Spa Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Taking stock of e-commerce systems

In this week's Computer Weekly, the first of our three-part buyer's guide to next generation e-commerce looks at managing inventory in multi-channel retailers. We highlight the six technology companies that are threats to the dominance of high-street banks. And we examine the top five issues in virtual machine backup. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

DDoS losses potentially £100k an hour, survey shows

DDoS attacks could expose 40% of businesses to losses of £100,000 or more an hour at peak times, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Holland & Barrett outsources data handling to ITC Infotech

IT services firm ITC Infotech manages customer data for health food business to help it glean business value from the information Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Target agrees to $10m breach compensation

US retailer Target has agreed to a $10m compensation package for victims of its 2013 data breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sharing Economy UK launched to champion digital businesses

New trade body brings together digital businesses that encourage consumer and business asset-sharing, such as Airbnb and ZipCar Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber crime: What every business needs to know

Computer Weekly gets the low-down on cyber crime from law enforcement officers and investigators Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK consumers lack confidence in data protection, study finds

UK consumers do not believe businesses or governments do enough to protect their data, according to to Symantec’s State of Privacy report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Paul Coby, IT director, John Lewis Partnership

Technology is an essential ingredient to the success of John Lewis, and the retailer is ploughing £100m into IT initiatives in 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

The more IT changes, the more technology issues remain the same

In the early 2000s Nigel Beighton was CTO at Lastminute.com. Yet, 15 years on, he says the technology issues he faced then have changed little Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

IoT could be key to farming, says Beecham Research

The internet of things could be key to the farming industry meeting the challenge of increasing food production by 70% by 2050, says report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Tesco Bank suffers computer problems

Tesco Bank customers are the latest to suffer as a result of IT problems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office CIO would talk to any subpostmaster about IT problems, promises CEO

The CEO of the Post Office defended the organisation’s support for users of its accounting system in a select committee inquiry into alleged problems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Harrods invests in digital to entice customers

Harrods is investing in digital screen and publishing technologies to engage with its customers Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist