IT news in your industry sector

More former subpostmasters have criminal convictions quashed

Two former subpostmasters pushed to the brink of suicide after being convicted for financial crimes finally have their names cleared Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Dutch police used deep learning model to predict threats to life

Dutch police developed a deep learning model in their EncroChat investigation to predict which messages contain serious threats to life Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor
• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Cabinet Office launches climate challenges for startups

The Cabinet Office has partnered with government technology accelerator Public to run a programme for startups developing innovative digital and data technologies that can help with some of the most pressing climate issues Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The shape of fraud and cyber crime: 10 things we learned from 2020

While a pandemic-driven increase in cyber crime and an exacerbation of existing fraud trends were, to a large extent, to be expected, the LexisNexis Risk solutions UK cybercrime report 2020 still contained a few surprises Continue Reading

By

• Neira Jones

Financial and technical obstacles hit Danish datacentre heat recycling plan

A datacentre project in Denmark is grappling with the challenges of reusing waste heat in local central heating systems Continue Reading

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• Mark Ballard

NHSX data strategy due in ‘a few weeks’

NHSX director of policy and strategy Simon Madden says the long-awaited strategy is expected to “trigger huge debates” on issues such as access, choice and transparency, and will be published in draft form shortly to allow for consultation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Portworx gets container-native array management for Pure hardware

Container storage player Portworx builds in container-native functionality to allow discovery, provisioning and management from inside Kubernetes cluster, but only on Pure arrays so far Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Too many disconnected systems in government, says minister

Cabinet Office minister Julia Lopez wants to address issues with legacy systems, improve digital skills across government and improve department collaboration, including in procurement Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Biden beefs up public-private security cooperation

Joe Biden has signed a new Executive Order to harden US cyber security and government networks, with an emphasis on information sharing Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Benelux: Netherlands university launches centre of expertise in applied AI

Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences has launched a centre of expertise in applied artificial intelligence, and students from all faculties of the university will learn how to apply AI in their field of study. Also in this issue, read why a training ‘roadmap’ is needed to get Netherlands police officers up to speed with tackling cyber crime. Continue Reading

Refuge launches tech safety site for domestic abuse victims

Created with the help of survivors, Refuge’s resource site offers guidance on protecting yourself from tech-enabled domestic abuse Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS Digital replaces system for collection of GP data

New system designed ‘with interests of patients at its heart’ will provide near-real-time primary care data to support improvements in healthcare and help research Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Digital knowledge must be integral part of Dutch police training

 Continue Reading

UK government publishes Online Safety Bill draft

Bill builds on previous commitments by the government, which has added new measures to uphold democracy and freedom of speech while making tech giants more accountable Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Fujitsu bags £3bn in public sector contracts while software errors wreck the lives of subpostmasters

The supplier at the centre of the Post Office Horizon scandal has so far escaped the ramifications of its role in the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Engineering firm Briggs of Burton maps global expansion with SAP’s Rise service

Briggs of Burton, an engineering firm that makes hygienic equipment for drinks, food and pharmaceutical companies, has chosen SAP’s Rise service to guide its global expansion, initially in China Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

UK to fund national cyber teams in Global South

Government will commit millions of pounds to supporting vulnerable countries in establishing cyber capacity Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Why helpful bots could hurt vaccine roll-outs

Earlier this year, spikes in traffic to websites containing information about Covid-19 vaccines were attributed by Imperva to automated bots scraping data. Why is that a problem? Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Running a bees and spirits business on low-code

We look at how a small honey and gin producer has adapted and grown its business without requiring external software development expertise Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Queen’s Speech approaches key themes for UK tech

From online safety to skills for the future, the speech contained several points that are relevant to the industry for the year Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Why the Post Office Horizon scandal kept me awake at night

Reverend Richard Coles tells Computer Weekly why there needs to be a statutory public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal Continue Reading

By

• Rev Richard Coles

How OAG has adapted data services for return to airline travel

Covid-19 led to radical changes across the travel sector. Despite lower passenger flows, global travel data provider OAG reworked its data offerings to prepare for a return to normal Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

SolarWinds CEO calls for collective action against state attacks

SolarWinds CEO tells NCSC’s CyberUK conference he is exploring the possibility of collaborating with other companies on collective cyber action against attacks backed by nation states Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Business Finland rolls out 5G industrial initiative

Finland is incentivising technology businesses to invest in 5G research and development to create export opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Computational storage: What is it? Why now, what for, who from?

Computational storage is an emerging architecture category, in which compute is put near storage to address I/O bottlenecks resulting from large volumes of data Continue Reading

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• Stephen Pritchard

AWS, Microsoft and Google secure spots on £750m UK government Cloud Compute framework

Tech giants Amazon, Microsoft, Google, IBM and Oracle are among the suppliers to secure a place on the four-year CCS Cloud Compute framework Continue Reading

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• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Swedish court finds ambiguities in hacked EncroChat cryptophone evidence

Defence lawyer claims evidence obtained by hacking the EncroChat encrypted phone network has ‘no legal’ value following Swedish appeal court ruling Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sara Nkwe Assarsson

Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack has grave consequences

The ramifications of a major ransomware attack against a US fuel pipeline operator could spread far and wide Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chip supply shortages are hitting hard

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a shortage of semiconductors is affecting industries beyond just IT – we examine the implications. We talk to the CIO of pharmacy chain Boots about how tech helped in being an essential retailer during lockdown. And we look at the prospects for young people entering the IT sector post-pandemic. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Miscarriages of justice are the potent tip of Post Office scandal

The miscarriages of justice involving subpostmasters are the most disturbing element of the Post Office Horizon scandal – but it goes much deeper Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Telemedicine to save healthcare industry tens of billions globally by 2025

Research predicts good times ahead for key network-based industry, especially as teleconsultations improve patient care, but warns that deregulation of telemedicine is needed to maximise growth Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

NCSC Active Cyber Defence blocks surge of pandemic scams

The NCSC responded to a surge in online scams last year as it moved to protect both the general public and critical national services during the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC publishes smart city security guidelines

Guidance for local authorities, IT and cyber professionals aims to ensure the security of connected, smart city projects Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post Office contacts over 500 subpostmasters potentially wrongly prosecuted for financial crimes

The Post Office has contacted hundreds of people it might have wrongly prosecuted for financial crimes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Monmouthshire County Council digitises HR with Zellis cloud

Monmouthshire County Council is using a cloud HR system from Zellis as part of its digital transformation programme, aimed at being lean and agile Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Securing the UK's emerging smart cities

UK councils have a huge opportunity to improve services through the use of smart city technologies - but they must avoid the cyber security risks, says the government's digital minister Continue Reading

By

• Matt Warman, Digital minister

Nordic real estate industry moves digital

The Nordic real estate is investing in technologies like IoT to prepare the sector for the changing demands from customers post-Covid Continue Reading

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• Gerard O'Dwyer

Minister promises ‘fair and speedy’ compensation for 555 subpostmasters who defeated Post Office

Government says it wants to ensure a fair pay-out for the 555 subpostmasters who defeated the Post Office in a legal battle but were then excluded from the resulting compensation scheme Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government urged to add scam protections to Online Safety Bill

Group of organisations calls for the government to use the Online Safety Bill to protect people from cyber scams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech startups turn to digital PR platform for media exposure

Digital PR platform Newspage helps early-stage tech startups with limited resources increase their visibility to journalists and news organisations Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Scammers accidentally reveal fake Amazon review data

More than 13 million records relating to an organised fake review scam have been found on an unsecured ElasticSearch database, implicating hundreds of thousands of people in unethical behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google to introduce mandatory MFA for users

In future, holders of Google accounts will have no option but to use multifactor authentication if they want to use the firm’s services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Premier League promotes football analytics with Oracle Cloud

From season 2021-22, the Premier League will provide in-match statistics and analysis for fans, made possible by Oracle Cloud Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Netherlands to build new national supercomputer

The Netherlands has laid out plans for its next national supercomputer, to be known as Snellius Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

HSBC blocks £249m in UK fraud with voice biometrics

HSBC voice recognition technology has reduced telephone banking fraud as demand for the channel increases Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Wipro’s AI platform to improve vaccine safety

Wipro is partnering a stem cell technology firm on the use of its Holmes artificial intelligence platform to help researchers ascertain the safety and potency of vaccines Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

The non-fungible kind

Not long ago, somewhere in Mebane, North Carolina, Zoë Roth – better known as the Disaster Girl meme – picked up her phone and consulted Kyle Craven – better known as the Bad Luck Brian meme – ... Continue Reading

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• Ryan Priest

Interview: ONS data science chief Tom Smith on government data capability

The managing director of the Office of National Statistics’ Data Science Campus, Tom Smith, describes the organisation’s data capability building activities for and across government Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Opening the On-line World to Competition: The Penrose Report

But implementation will not be easy. This is particularly so with regard to introducing more competition to the digital industries where John calls for the new digital market unit’s up-front powers ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Cambridge scale-up company Eagle Genomics expands in India

UK data analytics life sciences-focused scale-up company Eagle Genomics announces Indian expansion to coincide with government declaration of UK-India trade partnership Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Post Office dishonesty in Horizon scandal is reason enough for statutory public inquiry

Subpostmasters, MPs and the public call for a full statutory judge-led public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal, following another damning court judgment Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Deploying productivity monitoring software ethically

While software that tracks the activities of staff can be helpful to companies with a remote workforce, managers must consider employees’ concerns and privacy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Nebulon helps DCI offer high-performance edge hyper-converged

Cambridge-based cloud and colo provider DCI will offer DataQube servers with Nebulon, which marries a cloud control plane with local PCIe-connected flash storage Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Government digital chiefs outline plans for CDDO and GDS

Paul Willmott, Joanna Davinson and Tom Read talk about establishing a digital, data and technology sub-board, plans to hire a chief technology officer and a chief data officer, and a five-year plan for the Government Digital Service Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Infosys to create 1,000 tech jobs in UK

Infosys joins TCS in announcing the creation of UK IT jobs as India and the UK negotiate a future trading relationship Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The practical steps needed to accelerate a UK digital identity ecosystem

The draft digital identity framework published by the UK government highlights the importance of learning from the private sector and existing standards to accelerate deployment and citizen adoption Continue Reading

By

• Martin Wilson, Digital Identity Net

Shadow ministers call for public consultation on health data review

Two Labour shadow ministers want a public consultation following the findings of Ben Goldacre’s review on the use of health data for research and analysis Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Tech firms unite to advance diversity and inclusion in the sector

The plan will focus on areas such as leadership representation and inclusive product development Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Post Office CEO either knew what was going on in Horizon scandal, or was ‘asleep at the wheel’

Post Office IT scandal CEO has no excuse for her inaction in preventing the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history, says Criminal Cases Review Commission chairperson Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How KFC put digital on the menu

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how fast-food chain KFC turned to digital to survive the pandemic. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at technologies to improve office productivity for home workers. And we assess the growing problem of electronic waste and how to tackle it. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

EncroChat: Top lawyer warned CPS of risk that phone hacking warrants could be unlawful

Lord David Anderson QC warned prosecutors that there were formidable arguments against the lawfulness of a police operation to infiltrate the encrypted phone network, EncroChat Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

MPs accuse government of unduly interfering in information commissioner appointment

Cross-party group of MPs says government is influencing the appointment of a new information commissioner by explicitly seeking a candidate who will support its policy agenda, rather than regulate independently Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Simon Bolton named as NHS Digital interim CEO

Following the announcement of Sarah Wilkinson’s departure as CEO of NHS Digital, the organisation has appointed NHS Test and Trace CIO Simon Bolton as interim CEO Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Public sector organisations ‘in the dark’ about where their data is, suggests UKCloud survey

Response to a poll of public sector IT and business leaders suggests few have any idea if their data is stored in the cloud or on-premise, claims UKCloud Continue Reading

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• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

G7 countries to cooperate on digital regulation

Digital and technology ministers outline their agenda for how technology can be used to facilitate the post-Covid recovery, signalling closer collaboration in key areas of the digital economy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Impact of low chip supply spreads

Covid-19, shifts in consumer purchasing, sanctions and a drought in Taiwan have come together as a perfect storm to squeeze the supply of semiconductors Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK demand for digital automation skills soars

The need for automation proficiency has more than doubled in the past two years, according to research Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

GCHQ: Dyslexic thinkers key to solving UK cyber security challenges

Neurodiverse staff are bringing a unique contribution to keeping the country safe, according to the intelligence and cyber agency Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Microsoft outlines five-year plan for accessibility tech

Department for Work and Pensions staff to be trained on accessibility technologies to help people with disabilities return to work Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Covid-19 security challenges leave bank customers at risk

Challenges arising from the pandemic have left gaping holes in banking security, putting consumers at risk of fraud Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Office 365 compromise likely led to Merseyrail ransomware attack

Compromise of Merseyrail employee data seems to have begun after a key email account was hacked Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IR35 private sector reforms: What firms need to do now the start date has passed

While the start date for the onset of the IR35 private sector reforms may have passed, firms in-scope of the revamped tax avoidance legislation may find themselves still with plenty of compliance work still to do Continue Reading

By

• Matt Fryer, Brookson Legal

NHS App to serve as vaccine passport for foreign holidays

Existing NHS App will have vaccine passport functionality added to it, transport secretary confirms Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: Chris Porter, VP talent acquisition and matching, BP

With the help of digital technologies and recruitment of data-savvy talent, BP is aiming to become a net-zero business by 2050 Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Government extends Gov.uk Verify for a further two years

The government’s Gov.uk Verify identity platform will continue to run until April 2023 while a new identity service is developed Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Backup failure: Four key areas where backups go wrong

We look at the key ways that backups can fail – via software issues, hardware problems, trouble in the infrastructure and good old human error – and suggest ways to mitigate them Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

UK supermarkets to trial age estimation tech for alcohol purchases

Biometric age estimation technology developed by Yoti to be tested in UK supermarkets for alcohol purchases as part of government-led digital identities initiative Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Scality launches Artesca container-native object storage

Object storage specialist gets on a burgeoning container object storage market with Artesca, which runs from Kubernetes to provide persistent storage for containerised applications Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Leaky Azure storage account puts software developer IP at risk

Source code for multiple products was left exposed in an unsecured Microsoft Azure cloud storage account, say researchers, but attributing responsibility for the error has proved difficult Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why we need to reset the debate on end-to-end encryption to protect children

Private messaging is the front line of abuse, yet E2EE in its current form risks engineering away the ability of firms to detect and disrupt it where it is most prevalent Continue Reading

By

• Andy Burrows, NSPCC

Uber drivers’ resistance and the gig economy – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna are joined by Sebastian Klovig Skelton to discuss the legal campaign by Uber drivers for the right to be recognised as workers Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Falkirk Council deploys end-to-end digital telecare

Council has become the first in Scotland to go live with a complete digital telecare service for its local residents Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office scandal victims have criminal convictions overturned in Court of Appeal

Subpostmasters have their criminal convictions overturned after a judge rules that the Post Office prosecuted them without investigating computer errors Continue Reading

Justice at last in Post Office IT scandal

In this week’s Computer Weekly, 12 years after we broke the story, victims of the Post Office IT scandal finally have their criminal convictions overturned. We take a virtual tour of a Microsoft datacentre and meet a server called ‘Mega-Godzilla Beast’. And we find out how technology is transforming Nationwide Building Society. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Another 38 subpostmasters submit appeals against convictions

The biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history is set to get bigger as more subpostmasters take their cases to the Court of Appeal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

French legal challenge over EncroChat cryptophone hack could hit UK prosecutions

Lawyers are challenging the legality of a French police operation to harvest tens of thousands of messages from the EncroChat encrypted phone network in a move that could overturn criminal prosecutions in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Digital tech potential in health and social care not yet realised, says King’s Fund

Report by health policy think-tank says that although there is evidence that digital technology can support staff and patients, there are large gaps in the evidence base Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Post Office scandal CEO steps down from roles after massive miscarriage of justice is laid bare

Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells has left roles in the church, Morrisons and Dunelm after postmasters’ convictions were overturned in the Court of Appeal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HMRC downplays significance of CEO email ‘questioning’ legal basis of loan charge policy

A document dump of emails shared between HMRC officials has prompted loan charge campaigners to further question the legal footing of the government’s controversial disguised remuneration policy Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

‘Spy cops’ victims share ongoing data protection concerns

Under Cover Policing Inquiry will consider whether the extensive amount of personal data collected about left-wing activists by the Special Demonstration Squad was justified, as witnesses question whether information about them is still being collected Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Post Office scandal victims have criminal convictions overturned in Court of Appeal

Subpostmasters have their criminal convictions overturned after a judge rules that the Post Office prosecuted them without investigating computer errors Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

London mayoral candidates debate tech

The four mayoral candidates have set out their plans for the tech sector, including creating skills academies, harnessing kinetic energy, creating a London passport and setting up new tech hubs, but Tech London Advocates founder Russ Shaw says they all missed the mark Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

GCHQ: Cyber investment a guarantor of UK’s global status

GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming sets out a vision for the UK’s cyber security future Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Five reasons to look at hyper-converged infrastructure

HCI promises easy setup, purchasing flexibility, low procurement and operation costs, reliability and all in one box – but there are challenges too Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Department for Education publishes digital strategy

The department's digital and technology function wants to become a leader in the field, invest in its own platforms and manage its legacy technologies Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

The tedium is the message

The president of football’s crumbling European Super League project has cited teenagers’ enjoyment of video games as a reason to constantly pit the continent’s elite teams against each other like ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

Security Think Tank: Security culture must underpin vaccine passports

What are the security challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

NCSC offers teachers free cyber security training

The NCSC’s latest security training offer builds on a package of measures designed to protect schools from cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government should do more to protect well-being in the digital world, says report

A select committee report argues that new health and employment rights are needed to tackle the negative effects of increasing digitisation Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

UK government renews cloud discount pricing MoU with Microsoft

Three-year deal ensures eligible public sector organisations can continue to access discounted pricing on a range of the tech giant's cloud software and infrastructure offerings Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK