IT innovation, research and development

Home Office dishes out more than £100m for police tech projects

The Home Office has awarded £42.7m of funding to a range of digital policing projects, as well as approved £70m for four ongoing national programmes across England and Wales Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Northern Ireland to deploy patient portal

Health and Social Care Northern Ireland will begin piloting a patient portal later this month to support people with dementia Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Intelligent automation spending to hit $232bn by 2025

Technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and machine learning could help traditional enterprises gain ground on digital-first giants Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CIO interview: David Ivell, chief technology officer, Good Energy

Renewable energy supplier aims to pioneer change in the sector through innovation, having refocused the organisation with technology as a “driving force” Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government to fund six connected vehicle simulation projects

The government has announced the winners of an R&D contest for connected vehicle simulation and modelling capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK relegated to fourth place in UN e–government survey

The UK has dropped from first to fourth in the United Nations’ ranking on e-governments across the world, falling behind Denmark, Australia and South Korea Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cities key to making data a new form of infrastructure, says Nesta

City governments need to take charge of data use and leverage responsible innovation, as data should not be seen as a saleable commodity, but a common good, according to the innovation foundation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

An IT operating model for the digital age

Enterprises need to form cross-functional teams and give them the mandate to work together towards a single goal Continue Reading

By

• Tim Sheedy, Ecosystm

O2 canvasses support from UK Plc to build case for 5G

O2 CEO Mark Evans is writing to every FTSE 100 boss in the UK seeking to build consensus around 5G use cases, and drum up support for investment Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Stagecoach trials full-size driverless bus

Bus operator Stagecoach is testing out a full-size autonomous bus in its own depots, with future potential for use on passenger routes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nordnet drops AI assistant while SEB deepens collaboration

One Nordic bank decides to stop using cognitive agent Amelia to focus on other AI technologies, but another widens the use of the software Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

CIO interview: Miranda Sharp, director of innovation, Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey’s innovation director talks about how the mapping agency is embracing new technologies, working on infrastructure for connected cars, and creating a geospatial framework in Manchester Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Commerzbank creates Hadoop-based platform for business-critical insights

German bank creates an entire new department to build and support a platform to provide business-critical insights Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government spend with SMEs down in 2016/17

Government figures show direct and indirect spend on small to medium-sized enterprises by government departments in the 2016/17 financial year have fallen Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Why #techmatters – the challenge for everyone in the UK tech community

The UK technology sector faces unprecedented challenges – and opportunities – but we must never lose sight of the fact that it exists to make people’s lives better Continue Reading

By

• Jacqueline de Rojas, TechUK

Cisco and UCL to open AI research unit in $100m digital economy boost

Cisco has extended its ongoing Country Digital Acceleration programme in the UK with a further $100m investment, part of which will go towards a new AI research centre Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

PAC doubts justice system transformation programme will be a success

Public Accounts Committee says it’s difficult to see how the government’s “extremely challenging" £1.2bn project to overhaul courts through use of technology “will ever work" Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CIO interview: Jon Marchant, CIO, PayPoint

PayPoint CIO describes the company’s shift to retail services and how it went from knowing very little about electronic point of sale system software to creating its own Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW500: Getting the most out of the internet of things

The IoT brings huge opportunities, but how can organisations take full advantage, and where lies the best potential? The latest CW500 Club looked at how to create the right environment for success Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Australia needs to plug innovation gap

Being at the crossroads of technological change, Australia should decide if it wants to be a producer of cutting-edge applications or be contented with just being a user of technology. Continue Reading

CW ANZ: Fix the weak links

Recent reports have suggested that cyber threats are increasingly aimed at critical information infrastructure such as power grids, water treatment plants and transportation networks. While the scale of the problem that Australian industry faces is hard to quantify, no one disputes the threat is real. In this edition of CW ANZ, we look at how Australia is securing its industrial control systems and how it is bridging the security gap between IT and OT teams. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Nordic CTO interview: Martin Whitlock, Telenor Connexion

Norwegian telco is growing its global reach through its internet of things business unit Continue Reading

By

• Jane Hamrin

Expect jobs equilibrium if government sticks with AI plan

If the government keeps to its artificial intelligence sector deal, the number of new jobs created through the use of AI and automation will balance the job losses Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Rio Tinto transports iron ore with autonomous train

The 280km journey in Western Australia was made under Rio Tinto’s autonomous train programme aimed at improving the productivity and safety of workers Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Executive interview: Bill Ruh, CDO of GE

With a new CEO in the driving seat, we speak to GE’s head of digital, Bill Ruh, about how the company has refined its digital strategy Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Three-quarters of consumers have interacted with artificial intelligence

Capgemini survey finds 55% of people prefer a mix of AI and humans when they interact with organisations Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Middle East: Can Saudi Arabia build the Silicon Valley of the Middle East?

In April this year, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman visited Silicon Valley in the US to meet tech giants such as Apple and Amazon in its efforts to fast-forward the kingdom’s technology capabilities. Read about its lofty ambitions. Also in this issue, read how demand for skilled IT professionals is increasing rapidly in the Middle East, which is facing a talent crunch. Meanwhile, Gulf Cooperation Council smart city initiatives are gathering momentum. Continue Reading

An exciting time to be in cyber security innovation

Cyber security innovation has received a £1.35m shot in the arm from the UK government with the opening of a new innovation centre in London. Computer Weekly looks at why now is a good time to be working and innovating in this industry Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Siemens and Alibaba Cloud eye Chinese IoT market

The two bigwigs will develop industrial internet of things offerings for China’s manufacturing industries that are being digitised through various state-led initiatives Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Mind your drone business

Amazon is just the tip of the iceberg – companies are pouring hundreds of millions into the development of commercial drones Continue Reading

By

• Joe Austin , Livingstone

Digital identity: Is the puzzle about to be solved?

Solving the digital identity problem is key to the future of the digital economy as a whole – but how close are we? Computer Weekly looks at what is happening with Gov.uk Verify, private sector involvement, and lessons the UK could learn from other countries. Continue Reading

Singapore to build speech recognition system to speed up emergency response

Emergency responders in the city-state could be able to react more quickly in future with the help of the world’s first mixed-lingual speech recognition engine, to be developed at a new artificial intelligence speech lab Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

ICO Grants Programme launches second round of funding

The ICO is inviting a second round of applications for funding to promote and support independent, innovative research and solutions focused on privacy and data protection Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Construction sector gets £420m investment for tech and innovation

Government has partnered with industry to deliver a Construction Sector Deal, which includes a joint £420m investment for “bytes and mortar smart construction” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Local Digital Declaration sets out how to transform local public services

The declaration, which sets out five “principles of internet-age local public services”, is backed by £7.5m in government funding to help councils transform services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Industry bets on fixed wireless access for first 5G deployments

Separate tests in Romania and the UK have been demonstrating the potential of fixed wireless access as a component of 5G Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Food Standards Agency pilots blockchain in slaughterhouse

Distributed ledger technology trialled in cattle slaughterhouse to improve transparency across the food supply chain Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Case study: Logistics firm GWC moves from paper to digital HR in three months

Qatar-based logistics firm Gulf Warehousing Company introduced smart appraisals for employees, cut the time it takes to recruit, and gave staff and managers access to accurate HR data by replacing paper systems with human resources software Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Oracle decides on Brussels for European fintech innovation centre

Software giant Oracle chooses Brussels as the centre of its European financial technology innovation programme Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Bolloré Group partners with Alibaba for cloud and co-development

French transportation conglomerate will use Alibaba cloud, and Alibaba will look at using Bolloré's battery technology in its datacentres Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Manufacturers, technology and the fourth industrial revolution

A look at some of the innovations and technology investment focus areas for today’s manufacturing industry Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

TfL partners with Siemens to revamp traffic network for connected cars

A traffic control system being developed by Siemens and TfL will propel traffic management into the era of the internet of things Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

First Lorca cohort to focus on security orchestration

The first companies to benefit from the new London cyber innovation centre will focus on cyber security orchestration and automation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Two further regions join care record exemplar programme

Yorkshire and Humber and Thames Valley have been chosen by NHS England to join the three other care record exemplars, each receiving up to £7.5m to speed up delivery of integrated health and care Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

University of Melbourne claims quantum computing breakthrough

Australian scientists have simulated the power of quantum computing on classical computers to solve a mathematical problem, paving the way for future breakthroughs in the nascent field Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Nationwide Building Society to fund tech startups to the tune of £50m

With an available fund of £50m, Nationwide Building Society is the latest traditional financial services provider to support tech startups Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Lorca will help drive UK cyber exports, says ex-GCHQ boss

New London cyber security innovation centre will help to boost exports of UK cyber security expertise, says former GCHQ director Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

AI and other tech key to post-Brexit success, says Matt Hancock

Digital secretary Matt Hancock highlights the importance of emerging technologies to the future of the UK at the opening of London’s cyber security innovation centre Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDS is trying to democratise digital, says Cunnington

GDS boss Kevin Cunnington offers departments help with Brexit and says GDS is working to solve the “hardest problems”, as well as mapping innovation across government Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Who is right on blockchain Gartner or Deloitte, or even both?

It is hard to tell the real status of blockchain take up because there is so much background noise Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

London cyber innovation centre opens

The government-funded London cyber innovation centre is set to open today and welcome the first cyber security businesses as a study reveals that a quarter of UK firms lack the right security technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Projects receive funding to help digitise manufacturing

Following recommendations from the Industrial Digitisation review, the EPSRC is funding AI and process automation projects Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK Space Agency offers £4m fund for using space tech in the NHS

The UK Space Agency is giving £4m to innovators working to adapt space technology to improve medical treatment and care in the NHS Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK cyber skills in demand, says Dorset firm C3IA Solutions

UK cyber security skills are in demand and there is a bright future in exporting them, according to Dorset-based firm C3IA Solutions Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

A dozen councils get tech innovation funding

The councils will use the funding, awarded by NHS Digital and the Local Government Association, to pilot how technology can improve social care services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CDO interview: Andrei Belevtsev, Gazprom Neft

Russian oil giant will harness the latest technologies right across its business, says chief digital officer Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Kozlov

HR projects are leading company moves to digital tech, say business leaders

Business leaders say their human resource IT programmes are leading the way to the wider deployment of digital and cloud technology across their organisations Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CIO interview: Taavi Kotka, former CIO, Estonian government

Estonia’s former CIO talks to Computer Weekly about how to make services work for people, why the skills gap shouldn’t be an excuse not to digitise, and the importance of going to the gym Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CIO interview: Michael Cole, European Tour and Ryder Cup

Michael Cole, chief technology officer at the European Tour and Ryder Cup, discusses how he is helping the sport of golf broaden its appeal through his “connected course” digital transformation vision Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Theresa May gives NHS £20bn birthday gift and says tech is key

The prime minister promises to increase NHS funding by an extra £20bn a year by 2023, and highlights importance of tech in improving care and enabling earlier diagnosis Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Bank uses AI to select job candidates

Singapore’s DBS Bank is using artificial intelligence to automate parts of its recruitment process Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IPsoft’s digital worker is part of a shift in human productivity

IPsoft used its annual user summit to allow customers to update themselves on the career of its cognitive digital agent Amelia Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

DeepMind Health must be transparent to gain public trust, review finds

Independent review of DeepMind Health says the company should provide more clarity on data and business plans, while legal audit finds its controversial data-sharing deal with Royal Free is lawful Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

AI is key to keeping IBM compliant with GDPR

Artificial intelligence is vital for keeping IBM compliant with the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation, which, in turn, provides opportunities for business, says the company’s data protection officer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Europe: Lufthansa’s HR IT project takes off

Lufthansa says it is confident of landing a company-wide HR IT project after having to go back to the drawing board. Also in this issue, read about the ComputerWeekly/TechTarget IT Priorities survey’s findings that many European technology leaders are expecting to increase IT spending through 2018, and how a major report has reassured Swedish society that artificial intelligence will be a positive force for change despite fears of job losses. Continue Reading

CogX AI show opens with debate on Europe’s lack of dominance

European researchers have made significant breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, but the dominant players all seem to be based in Silicon Valley Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Prime minister announces new visa for startups

The government promises new “startup” visa for entrepreneurs, a £2.5bn British Patient Capital fund to support UK companies going global, and plans for two international tech hubs Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Australian university reaches for the stars after HPC boost

The University of Sydney has upgraded its supercomputing infrastructure to answer big questions on cosmology and keep pace with growing research needs Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CIO interview: Richard Gifford, CIO, Wincanton

The CIO of logistics firm Wincanton, Richard Gifford, is in the process of improving its digital propositions and developing a digital supply chain, while dealing with legacy systems Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Mayor Khan bids to make London the world’s smartest city

At London Tech Week, mayor Sadiq Khan launched a city-wide initiative to harness the capital’s technology talent to address London’s most pressing problems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT teams should rework supplier contracts to free up budgets

There is no money for IT to help the business to innovate digitally, so CIOs should look at how their IT teams can maximise value from existing contracts, survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Wales to launch £100m transformation fund for health and social care

Welsh government promises to increase investment in digital technologies and infrastructure, improve digital leadership and establish a national data resource to share information Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

BT announces “unhackable” quantum-secured network

In the face of the threat that quantum computers could crack many of the encryption methods used to protect highly sensitive data, BT has developed a “quantum-secured” network Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How National Geographic uses tech to captivate its audience

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how the world-famous National Geographic magazine is adapting to the digital age and using technology to better engage its audience. We ask what Microsoft’s $7.6bn acquisition of GitHub means for the open source community. And our latest buyer’s guide looks at the trends in developer tools. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CIO interview, Marcus East, chief technology officer, National Geographic

National Geographic’s chief technology officer talks about the three pillars of its technology change programme and being “radical and innovative”. Continue Reading

Is 5G more than just another generation of mobile?

Although several mobile network operators have announced launch dates for 5G services, many people remain unsure about the aspirations for 5G, what it means for users, its monetisation and its timescales Continue Reading

By

• Tim Wright, Institute of Telecommunications Professionals

Thriving fintech, AI sectors give boost to UK tech funding

British technology businesses have received £5bn worth of venture capital funding since June 2016 – more than France, Germany and Sweden put together – with fintech and AI startups standing out Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT spending reaches 10-year high as CIOs struggle with digital technology strategy

IT leaders have seen their budgets and headcounts rise for the first time in 10 years, but face challenges implementing their digital strategies Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Newcastle Council to show off smartest street in Britain

The Great Exhibition of the North will see Mosley Street in Newcastle upon Tyne transformed into Britain’s smartest street as part of a demonstration of IoT technology Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

5G transformative for UK plc, but potential impacts still vague

5G mobile technology looks set to transform the UK economy for the better, but the immaturity of the technology and lack of standards makes its true impact harder to judge, according to a report by Deloitte Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

We need to design for security and privacy, says Martha Lane Fox

The digital future is bright, but only if society works through a gear change in its relationship with technology, and demands products and services that are secure and private by design, says internet service pioneer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK tech firms increase exports by more than 20%

The country’s tech sector continues to blossom and has significantly increased the export of both services and goods in recent years Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Canada’s tech sector is targeting Europe – does it have what it takes to compete?

Following its free-trade agreement with the EU – and the contrast with its noisy neighbour – Canada is promoting its tech sector to European IT buyers. We take a look at what CIOs can expect Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Big data skills shortages – and how to work around them

Businesses are finding it hard to recruit enough people with big data and analytics skills, but for CIOs there are alternative strategies to consider Continue Reading

By

• Shamus Rae, KPMG

Boris Johnson wants tech to fight illegal wildlife trade

The foreign secretary wants the country’s “finest technological brains” to help combat poaching and save endangered species Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

BBC to show World Cup in virtual reality

Broadcaster will trial virtual reality and ultra HD live streams of the FIFA World Cup through BBC iPlayer and a dedicated VR app Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

HP Inc results boosted by PC sales as it waits for 3D manufacturing to take off

3D manufacturing is HP Inc’s next big growth area, but that is 10 years away. In the meantime, it needs to rely on PC and printer sales Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Firms step up spending on digital tech, but struggle with strategy

Businesses and the public sector are stepping up their spending on digital technology, but many business leaders are struggling to keep pace with what it means for their business Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Dedicated HPC infrastructure still rules, says Huawei

A Huawei executive makes the case for dedicated high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure, despite the growth of public cloud services that have democratised access to HPC and AI capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

MPs launch inquiry into automation and its impact on jobs

House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee will look at the impact of automation on workers, businesses and the UK economy as a whole Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NHS England chooses care record exemplars

Greater Manchester, Wessex and One London are the three areas chosen to become Local Health and Care Record Exemplars, and will receive national funding over two years Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How artificial intelligence is fuelling engine maintenance innovation at Rolls-Royce

The engine maker has established an innovation centre to enable the company to deliver analytics and artificial intelligence-powered services to airlines using Rolls-Royce engines Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

CW Nordics: Finland delays e-voting plan

Security concerns have re-emerged to further frustrate the Finnish government’s plans to launch a national e-voting system. Also read about a study by the Stockholm School of Economics that looks at the likely impact of AI, machine learning and robotics on people’s lives. And find out why Norway has accelerated plans to scale up its national cyber security infrastructure. Continue Reading

Unified comms bugbears may be easily solved with AI

The concept of unified communications is now so wide-ranging that it is ripe for disruption – or improvement – by artificial intelligence, argues analyst Zeus Kerravala Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amazon, Toys R Us and a tale of two technology approaches

Many factors contributed to the collapse of Toys R Us, but did a partnership with Amazon at the turn of the millennium play a part in its eventual demise? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Blockchain tourism being replaced by its application to business challenges

Deloitte reveals the next 12 months could see businesses move from exploring blockchain to applying it to business challenges Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Qualcomm and Facebook working on FWA broadband

Qualcomm is to integrate a number of its chipsets with Facebook’s Terragraph technology to build fixed wireless access broadband solutions for urban areas Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Taking the quantum leap: What is quantum technology for business?

Quantum computers are many years away, but the first applications of quantum technology will arrive in only one or two years – so businesses need to be ready Continue Reading

By

• Paul Martin , PA Consulting

Digital identity: Is the puzzle about to be solved?

Solving the digital identity problem is key to the future of the digital economy as a whole – but how close are we? Computer Weekly looks at what is happening with Gov.uk Verify, private sector involvement, and lessons the UK could learn from other countries Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IT executives think businesses are slow at adopting digital transformation

Digital transformation may be impeded by the slow speed at which businesses are ready to adopt new, digitally empowered ways of working Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor