IT innovation, research and development

Digital Ethics Summit 2020: governance key to inclusive post-Covid economic recovery

Pluralism key to developing and deploying technologies for an inclusive post-Covid economic recovery, according to a panel at Digital Ethics Summit 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

A tech reboot of retail

With 2020 having been the toughest year on record for bricks and mortar retailers, we look at some tech innovations that may be heading for the high street Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Singapore trials beacons to bolster police operations

Police beacons equipped with video cameras, sirens, floodlights and speakers are being deployed at two parks to improve public safety in a year-long trial Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Challenger banks hindered by lack of customer confidence

Despite an acceleration in the use of digital banking services, challenger banks face the obstacle of winning customer trust Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top IT predictions in APAC in 2021

The Asia-Pacific region will continue to be a cradle for technology innovation in the new year, whether it is 5G services, artificial intelligence, cloud computing or cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CIO interview: David Plumb, chief innovation officer, University of Warwick

The innovation leader is developing ecosystems of partners from industry, public sector and academia to not only help Warwick students, but also to support them as entrepreneurs and benefit the regional economy Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

UK Space Agency awards £7m for space innovation projects

A range of ‘high risk, high reward’ projects have been awarded a total of £7m from the Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme, aiming to make the UK a world leader in space technology Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Singapore government to boost blockchain adoption

Singapore government unveils S$12m programme to promote development and adoption of blockchain applications beyond financial services Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

China lags US in computer vision

China trails the US in the field of computer vision despite making inroads in computing and research, new report finds Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How AI can remove bias from decision-making

Much is said about the risks of embedding human bias into artificial intelligence and algorithms, but one economist's theories suggest that AI could actually deliver the opposite Continue Reading

By

• Tim Worstall, Adam Smith Institute

SMEs poised to reap tech and agility advantage in wake of Covid-19

The UK’s small and medium-sized businesses have, in some respects, reacted more nimbly to Covid-19 than larger organisations. As a result, they have put themselves in a better position to take advantage of growth opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Bev White, Nash Squared

Atos develops Q-Score benchmark for quantum computing

HPC will outpace quantum computer performance for a few years, but Atos believes businesses need a quantum computing strategy Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

What next for the now-profitable app-based Starling Bank?

Starling bank is the first of the new breed of UK digital banks to make a profit, so where next? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Avast and Borsetta to support Intel’s AI security project

Security firm Avast and AI security specialist Borsetta have signed up to support an Intel-led artificial intelligence security research project Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bank of England enlists development partner to unlock cloud

Bank has agreed a two-year deal with a cloud development platform provider as it seeks to take its cloud journey to the next level Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ICT disaster threatens Dutch environment law

The Dutch government’s revamp of its construction planning law faces major IT challenges and scepticism Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Tech and data key to achieving low-carbon economy, says Royal Society

Report says net-zero transition should be data-led, and calls for coordination between government, regulators, industry and third sector Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Greater Manchester launches digital inclusion taskforce

The group including industry, community and government representatives will aim to fix the digital divide in the region Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Wayra partners with UK government for Latin American scaleup project

Two scaleups from three Latin American countries – Argentina, Chile and Uruguay – will be selected by a project that will help the growing firms expand overseas into the UK market Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

What it takes for APAC firms to ride out the pandemic

Whether businesses will recover from the Covid-19 pandemic will depend on how they leverage technology to innovate, create new business models and build digital trust Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

IT Priorities: APAC enterprises readying recovery budget

Enterprises in Asia-Pacific are investing in cloud and other key technologies to not only survive but thrive in the post-pandemic world Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Lords propose making tech giants pay for using news

Digital platforms such as Google and Facebook profit from running adverts alongside publishers’ content, but no financial compensation is given for carrying that content, says Lords committee Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Government pumps £20m into AI research projects

Alan Turing Institute’s artificial intelligence (AI) research fellows will receive funding for 15 projects including using AI to detect cancer and improve the performance of virtual personal assistants Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW Nordics: Bank branch closures continue as digital banking grows

Sweden’s Handelsbanken is cutting its branch network by nearly half, which means more money will be invested in IT. But it’s not just Sweden and the Nordics – banks across the world are watching the fintech industry demonstrate to consumers what banking can be like if the right technology is in place. Also in this issue, read about the Norwegian government’s decision not to implement an outright ban on the use of 5G equipment supplied by China's Huawei. Continue Reading

Australia’s science agency unveils mapping tech for SMEs

The digital specialist arm of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has developed a mapping system to help robots navigate dangerous and complex terrain Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Government’s infrastructure strategy says technology is key

The strategy aims to put innovation and technology at ‘the heart’ of its approach to transforming the country, as government launches new national infrastructure bank Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Rishi Sunak’s Spending Review pledges £100bn to transform the country’s infrastructure

Chancellor’s spending promise includes more than £260m for programmes such as 5G testbeds, local full-fibre networks and the Shared Rural Network Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Securing UK’s critical national infrastructure is a 2021 priority

Government outlines the UK’s strategic cyber security policies for the coming 12 months, with critical national infrastructure a clear priority Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Covid-19 has accelerated tech innovation in the NHS

Of all the terrible things that Covid is, what it has done is accelerate the digital journey. In this issue of Computer Weekly, we look at the track and trace app, which was redeveloped and enhanced at breakneck speed, and explore how the pandemic has accelerated the roll-out of new technology such as artificial intelligence and video conferencing tools at NHS trusts. We also present some research into how Covid has affected IT spending. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Inside Huawei’s APAC cloud strategy

The Chinese technology giant is counting on its strengths in hardware infrastructure and focus on research and development to make a mark in Asia Pacific’s public cloud market Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Local authorities lagging behind in digitisation of citizen records

Nearly a third of councils can't tell how much citizen information they store is in digital format, study shows Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

University of Melbourne to advance digital health

Australia’s University of Melbourne has established a research outfit to build and clinically validate healthcare technology solutions Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Lush’s 25-year journey to digital excellence

Retailers are increasingly focused on using technology to better serve customers, but for high street cosmetic brand Lush, tech has always been part of the picture Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Security sector broadly backs Boris Johnson’s Cyber Force

Security community says the presence of a robust cyber defence force alongside a robust physical one will be vital to the UK’s national security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why databases are key to Alibaba’s Singles’ Day sales

With each order split into multiple database transactions, ensuring the scalability and elasticity of database systems was key to the success of Alibaba’s Singles’ Day sales Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Mastercard is taking digital payments into a new era

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to Mastercard about how the credit card giant is using new technologies to take digital payments into a new era. After months of unprecedented uncertainty, we ask CIOs how they are planning for the next 12 months. And we examine how the growth in remote working will affect IT salaries. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Martha Lane Fox: My life in tech

The internet entrepreneur discusses the role of tech in society, confidence in coding and encouraging young people to embrace technology Continue Reading

By

• Martha Lane Fox

Dutch IT award recognises importance of research in the wild

Promoter of human-centric scientific research techniques claims the prestigious 2020 Netherlands Prize for ICT Research Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

UK government makes inroads in maritime autonomy

The Maritime Future Technologies team has been formed to facilitate trials of innovative approaches and support regulatory updates Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Public sector IT leaders struggle with data infrastructure legacy

The impact caused by the pandemic means government tech executives in Europe are looking for ways to quickly modernise their estates, research says Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UKtech50 2021: Help us find the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK IT is on – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year’s list Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Financial Stability Board says it’s time to talk about IT outsourcing risks

International organisation that monitors the finance sector asks for the industry to discuss the risks that IT outsourcing brings to the sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

DCMS opens talks with private sector on future of digital identity market

Department has met with suppliers to discuss plans for a trust framework to show ‘what good looks like’ as it ploughs ahead with digital identity plans Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW Benelux: Dutch Alzheimer’s app helps dementia patients

An app aimed at helping dementia patients and their families has been developed by the Alzheimer Society in the Netherlands. Also in this issue, read about a Belgian startup's app based on blockchain technology to help container handling at ports, and why Rabobank ditched its legacy backup. Continue Reading

What businesses can learn from GovTech’s digital strategy

Modernising its infrastructure and putting digital at its core has given Singapore’s Government Technology Agency the agility it needs to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Better data sharing needed to help children during pandemic

Closing gaps in data infrastructure will help the education sector respond better to children’s needs during the Covid-19 pandemic, says Open Data Institute Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Lockdown 2: Balancing job retention with automation

As the UK enters its second coronavirus lockdown, experts have questioned the funds that governments across Europe have put aside to support businesses Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Finger pointed at Fujitsu as Post Office Horizon system crashes nationally

Post Office branches offline during busy business hours after suffering an IT error that the Post Office said related to IT from supplier Fujitsu Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HMRC shuns Gov.uk Notify and seeks supplier to unify notifications

Tax collection agency HMRC will spend up to £9.75m to streamline notifications through text, voice and email Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Microsoft to support next generation of security startups

Tech giant lends its support to the NCSC Cyber Accelerator scheme, which is seeking its seventh cohort of startups Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Royal Navy tests new tech in Cyprus

Navy has been trialling drones, autonomous systems and new communication systems under plans to evolve the Royal Marines into a ‘hi-tech raiding and strike force’ Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Asda recruits new IT chief to handle transition

Former Morrisons CTO Anna Barsby will lead retailer’s tech agenda as part of its acquisition by the Issa brothers Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government releases funding for green technology businesses

New funding will support UK entrepreneurs and startups in scaling up their eco-friendly innovations Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Mixed blessings for robots in retail

Ocado has acquired two US firms to boost its robotics expertise, while Walmart has reverted to using staff for shelf inventory checks Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

HPE to build new Pawsey supercomputers

Hewlett-Packard Enterprise has snagged a A$48m deal to deliver a supercomputer for Australia’s Pawsey Supercomputing Centre Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Government seeks Council of Science and Technology co-chair

Co-chair will be part of the council that advises the prime minister on science and technology policy issues, including sustainable development, innovation and the UK’s research and science capability Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Accidental heroes: How one scaleup pivoted to cyber

Simeon Quarrie designed his business using virtual reality and interactivity as a tool to tell stories that effect cultural change in enterprise environments – then a cyber criminal emptied his bank account Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government invests £200,000 to boost Scottish geospatial sector

The new Scottish Geospatial Network Integrator will work on developing opportunities in the geospatial services industry Continue Reading

UK Hydrographic Office launches innovation programme

The programme aims to help startups and innovators use marine geospatial data to develop products and systems to “support safe, secure and thriving oceans” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Royal Navy and US Navy evolve joint AI and ML work

The teams are working on improving interoperability and interchangeability of technology between the US and UK Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Why Malaysia’s AmBank is embracing open source and DevOps

AmBank Group is tapping open source, DevOps and data science to improve customer service and develop bespoke services for a broader market Continue Reading

By

• Edwin Yapp

How to write an executive CV for IT leadership jobs

Knowing how to write an IT executive CV requires a deep knowledge and skillset that not everyone has. Find out how to set yourself apart from the competition Continue Reading

By

• Mike Podesto

Privacy and online safety are focus of new UKRI research funding

Online safety research centre of excellence will look into technology to boost privacy and tackle disinformation, fake news, conspiracies and other online harms Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Avalon Airport deploys touchless kiosks, CT screening

Australia’s Avalon Airport has rolled out touchless check-in and bag drop systems that passengers can control using speech, head gestures and eye gaze Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Pet project: How Pets at Home cares for customers with data analytics

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the chief data officer of Pets at Home, about using data analytics to care for customers. British Airways had its GDPR fine reduced to just £20m – we ask what this means for data protection regulation. And we look at GPT3, the language prediction tool that could revolutionise AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Policy Exchange calls on government to publish digital ID strategy

The lack of reliable digital ID services in the UK is limiting the country’s digital infrastructure potential, according to a report on digital identity, which also recommends the government to clarify the future of Gov.uk Verify Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Nesta launches report on collective intelligence

Report sets out how to combine machine and human intelligence to drive innovation that could solve social challenges Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Nordic CIO Interview: Teemu Salmi, Stora Enso

Working with startup communities helps to drive digital transformation at one of the world’s largest forest industry companies, Stora Enso Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

ANZ Bank moves digital banking services to container platform

Australia’s largest bank now runs 30% of its internet banking services on Red Hat OpenShift in a move that has energised developers and paved the way for more automation Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Pace of digital transformation accelerates

As businesses strive to return to profitability, business leaders are relying on tech innovation to drive economic recovery Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

BA breach penalty sets new GDPR precedents

The 90% reduction in the fine levied on BA over a 2018 data breach has legal experts talking about the ramifications for the future of data protection Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MoD launches science and technology strategy

Strategy sets out how the department will find and fund technological breakthroughs, focus on data and deliver next-generation military hardware Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Study finds AI can teach humans new tricks

Artificial intelligence tends to rely on supervised learning, but making the most of AI requires people to take on board what these systems learn autonomously Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK Space Agency funds three Covid-19 tech projects

Projects include drones to carry coronavirus tests and samples, a mobile app using satellite technology to provide access to community transport, and e-learning courses in Earth observation data analysis Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK announces proposals to protect cash amid evolution of digital payments

Government wants to ensure access to physical currency by consumers at retailers of all sizes Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK government aims to prioritise future innovations

Government research has been published to enable evidence-based recommendations on emerging technology with greatest impact Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Services Australia taps AI in document processing

Services Australia and Capgemini have developed an AI engine to classify and extract information from claim documents in a pilot project Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

UK regulators lack the skills and expertise to cope with increasing use of algorithms

MPs told that multiple regulators will be needed to govern the ever-growing use of algorithmic systems in all areas of the economy and public sector Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Public data should not be held by US tech giants

One-off evidence sessions to follow up on the recommendations of the House of Lords AI Committee revisit the data and ethics debate Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK economy could see blockchain boost worth £57bn by 2030

Blockchain could provide major economic benefits by being used to track and trace products and services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Inside VMware’s Kubernetes playbook

Kubernetes co-creator Joe Beda talks up the evolution of the container orchestration platform and efforts by VMware to help enterprises get the most out of the technology Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CW Middle East: Egypt’s datacentre plans take a step forward

While it builds an IT services industry, Egypt is also investing in infrastructure and now plans to develop a datacentre industry. Read in this issue how, as part of this plan, Egypt’s parliament has passed a data protection law. Also read how the Europe, Middle East and Africa region has seen traditional IT outsourcing deals reduce in value by 21%, while the business process outsourcing market fell by 9%. Continue Reading

Accenture acquires NZ firm to bolster SAP practice

Accenture’s acquisition of Zag comes amid growing demand for expertise in S/4 Hana migrations in Australia and New Zealand Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Scotland seeks views on digital government

Scottish government consults on how to build a digital Scotland, ahead of plans to deliver a new digital strategy for the country Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

GPT3 could revolutionise how business can use AI

OpenAI’s language prediction model that produced an essay could be used to deploy cloud resources and improve the quality of chatbots, among other business use cases Continue Reading

By

• Anthony Caruana

Cambridge to host UK’s most powerful supercomputer

The Cambridge-1 supercomputer, based on technology from Nvidia, will be used for AI-powered drug discovery and analysis of NHS datasets Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Regulator wants fintechs to address pandemic financial challenges

UK financial services regulator is supporting fintechs in addressing some of the challenges consumers and small businesses face amid the current pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHS trusts across Greater Manchester embark on diagnostic imaging project

Eight NHS trusts will all get a region-wide, cloud-based picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and a new supplier-neutral archive from Sectra, allowing them to share images across the region Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Singapore firm rolls out robotic barista

Crown Group’s robotic coffee kiosk, powered by a slew of artificial intelligence capabilities, serves up coffee beverages round the clock without the need for human baristas Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How CH Robinson is embracing IoT to transform supply chains in the pandemic

Logistics giant has partnered with Microsoft to sophisticate its approach to digitisation and better serve its clients with more visibility and crucial insights for decision-making Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

How a Singapore startup is disrupting logistics management

Portcast’s cloud-based logistics management platform uses machine learning and big data to improve supply chain visibility for logistics companies, shipping lines and manufacturers Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Ethernet became the world’s networking standard

Ethernet pioneer Bob Metcalfe outlines the technology’s early history, including the rivalry with IBM and what he did to convince people of the value of networks Continue Reading

By

• Anthony Caruana

Trust in government technology is key to adoption

Panellists at GovTech Summit 2020 speak about the need to build trust in government digital services, as the pandemic has created room for increased use of technology in the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Wipro and AWS open Sydney innovation centre

The Wipro-AWS Launch Pad will offer in-house technical expertise for Australian businesses as well as a physical studio to spearhead cloud adoption Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Quantum is years away, but business case can be made today

Business leaders are being urged to start thinking about how their organisations could solve complex problems with quantum technology Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

AI set to lead business decision-making

Research suggests more and more business decisions will be automated by artificial intelligence, making employees and executives less relevant Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Coronavirus has changed perception of healthtech, say ministers

German health minister Jens Spahn and UK health secretary Matt Hancock say Covid-19 has accelerated healthcare technology adoption across Europe and changed attitudes towards tech in the healthcare system Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government launches new genomics strategy

Genome UK strategy sets out plans to harness technological and science advances to create the “world’s most advanced genomic healthcare system” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Nordic CIO interview: Per Boström, Skanska

The construction industry may be a slow starter when it comes to adopting digital technology, but it is reaping the benefits quickly, with Sweden’s Skanska focused on playing catch up, according to CIO Per Boström Continue Reading

By

• Jane Hamrin

Government on the hunt for telexistence tech

Defence and Security Accelerator wants several technology innovations that can help people operate in dangerous environments without being physically present – with £500,000 funding available Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad