IT news in your industry sector

How Blackwell's is responding to the coronavirus pandemic

Traditional bookshop chain Blackwell’s talked about adaptations to its business model, trends and IT operation during the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Singapore to test 5G in Industry 4.0 trial

Trial, spearheaded by IMDA, IBM, Samsung and M1, will test the use of 5G, along with AI and IoT technologies, in manufacturing Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Coronavirus: NCSC issues urgent alert for healthcare sector

UK National Cyber Security Centre and US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency say they are seeing large-scale campaigns targeting healthcare bodies and medical research organisations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: TSB develops smart agent to help staff during pandemic

TSB took just five days to design and implement a smart digital agent to answer customer questions during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Pizza Hut optimises pizza delivery platform during lockdown with data analytics

Pizza Hut Digital Ventures has been improving the company’s e-commerce performance before and during the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

AWS vice-president quits over firing of Covid-19 whistleblowers

Amazon’s dismissal of workers striking over unsafe working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic has caused AWS vice-president Tim Bray to quit in protest Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

EC calls on the UK to ensure UK-Ireland border customs IT systems are ready

The European Commission has warned that the UK must be ready for IT systems implementation at the Northern Ireland/Ireland border to handle goods Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Storage 101: Crash-consistent vs application-consistent snapshots

We look at crash-consistent and application-consistent snapshots and backup, how they are defined, the pros and cons of each and the benefits and limits of Windows VSS Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

The role of AI in the war against pandemics

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how AI and data science are supporting the global push to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. We reveal, and talk to, the man behind the world’s first computer virus pandemic, the Love Bug. And we examine how the IT services market will change as a result of the current crisis. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Don’t get too excited about ‘immunity passports’ just yet

As the UK government starts trials of its contact-tracing app in the Isle of Wight, attention will soon shift towards another potential app-enabled solution to help ease lockdown requirements and ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Assange extradition hearing to take place in September following coronavirus lockdown

An extradition hearing against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been delayed by four months, after defence and prosecution lawyers said the Covid-19 lockdown would make it impractical to hold a fair hearing in May Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

StorageOS v2 puts ‘mini brains’ in Kubernetes storage volumes

StorageOS persistent software-defined storage for Kubernetes distributes control plane decisions to volumes in a cluster and takes away the impact on centralised scheduler Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Coronavirus: UK finance regulator gives more time for payment security compliance

Financial Conduct Authority has extended the deadline for payment processors to meet payment security standard Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NatWest Bank shutters its app based bank after five months

NatWest is closing its consumer-facing, app-based bank and increasing its focus on mobile business bank Mettle Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Using computer simulation to minimise cross-infection

The architects behind China’s largest makeshift hospital turned to computer simulation to model the airflow regulated by ventilation systems in a bid to minimise cross-infection Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Changing realities of digital transformation in the public sector

Digitisation of citizen service delivery and government operations has accelerated during the coronavirus outbreak, despite legacy constraints Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

The People vs Amazon: ‘They will have to answer to all of us’, says fired employee Christian Smalls

Former Amazon employee Christian Smalls speaks to Computer Weekly about his termination and how the company is trying to silence dissent as it reports massive sales Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

University of Oxford embarks on cloud-fuelled AI research push with AWS

University collaborates with Amazon Web Services to accelerate the pace of technology innovation in a range of artificial intelligence-related fields with the help of cloud Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Treasury gives Gov.uk Verify 18-month reprieve due to coronavirus

The government's troubled digital identity system was due to end funding in April 2020 but surge in use due to Universal Credit applications has brought a temporary reprieve Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

No going back to packed workplaces after Covid-19

A recent project by IT service providers outlines how, in a post-coronavirus world, businesses like Barclays Bank will reduce their reliance on skyscrapers packed with people Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why you should think before you Zoom

Feel free to use Zoom during the coronavirus lockdown, but think before you discuss anything confidential Continue Reading

By

• Dai Davis, Percy Crow Davis & Co

Subpostmasters receive their ‘inadequate’ damages over Horizon IT scandal

Subpostmasters who had their lives ruined by the Post Office’s faulty IT system have received their damages after a High Court victory Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon commits to reinvesting $4bn of projected second-quarter profit into coronavirus response

Online retail giant Amazon sees revenue surge, but profits drop during first quarter of 2020 following surge in reinvestment to ready its business for Covid-19-induced uptick in consumer demand for online orders Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

HMCTS deploys video platform for remote hearings during Covid-19

Magistrates’ and crown courts will use platform to conduct remote criminal hearings during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Coronavirus: UKCloud and VMware join forces to meet public sector demand for remote desktops

Public sector-focused IaaS provider UKCloud forges closer ties with VMware to meet the public sector demand for “government-grade” remote desktop technology Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

UK government secures Microsoft Azure discounts for public sector

Procurement chiefs at the Crown Commercial Service have secured an addendum to a long-standing Microsoft preferential pricing deal that now includes Azure public cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Mobile banking customers at risk from new EventBot trojan

Customers of Barclays, HSBC, Santander and many other banks should be alert to a dangerous new trojan Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GPs embrace virtual consultations to navigate Covid-19 outbreak

The majority of GPs across England are now operating with video meetings and more virtual services are being developed Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Coronavirus: Government under pressure to give limited company IT workers more financial support

IT contractors who provide services through their own limited companies and pay themselves in dividends are largely uncatered for by the goverment's various coronavirus-focused business support packages, and are facing financial difficulties Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Privacy International puts Palantir in the dock for NHS data analysis work

Civil liberties campaigner questions role of US data analytics specialist in health service’s data work in battle against Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Coronavirus: GCHQ gets access to NHS data to beef up security

Health secretary gave GCHQ emergency powers to obtain information relating to the security of its networks and IT systems at the beginning of April, it has emerged Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Cash use plummets during UK lockdown

Consumers are switching to digital payment methods amid the current global pandemic crisis Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Retail must weigh up high street versus online investments after coronavirus lockdown

Larger retailers that have a significant online presence will need to decide whether to innovate on the web or on the high street Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Coronavirus: Call for extension to European payment security standard deadline

Payment processors across Europe want more time to meet the SCA payment security standard Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHSX on track for May launch of Covid-19 contact-tracing app but challenges remain

Leading UK scientific experts assure MPs that much-anticipated application will be ready for launch in May but concede that challenges exist on achieving meaningful uptake Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Snapshots 101: Array vs backup software

We run the rule over snapshots in storage arrays and backup software and find a range of capabilities that go from mere support to fully snapshot-centric approaches Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Worcestershire County Council turns to low code in coronavirus response effort

The county council of Worcestershire is using the OutSystems low-code platform to develop five apps to support internal staff and external volunteers during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 55

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna talk about real-time video call transcription, as offered by OtterAI, the loan charge double whammy afflicting some contractors, Green Flag’s digital transformation, online food delivery developments under lockdown, and using AI to save coral reefs Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Met Police assessing evidence of potential perjury in Post Office IT trials

Force examines information about evidence given in court by Fujitsu staff on the Horizon IT system before deciding whether to investigate further Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Covid-19 will decimate fintechs, but those that survive will prosper

The coronavirus will wipe out some fintechs, but those that get through it will share in the next growth phase of the industry's development Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Scottish Tech Army seeks out IT experts to combat Covid-19

Tech workers who find themselves out of work are being asked to volunteer their time to help build digital technology to support coronavirus efforts Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

When IT met Covid: The World Changed

This the first plague where predictions of its likely local impact reached rulers/politicians/journalists before their subjects/voters/readers starting falling ill and/or dying in large numbers ... ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Julian Assange extradition hearing postponed amid coronavirus lockdown

Julian Assange’s lawyers say they have been unable to communicate or share legal documents with the WikiLeaks founder to enable them to prepare a defence in time for a planned extradition hearing in May Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

UK tech companies launch online safety body

Online Safety Tech Industry Association unites 14 technology companies to drive conversation and policy around online safeguarding Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Public sector IT: The road to digital

Progress to digital transformation is patchy in the public sector, but some CIOs are embracing the strategy Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

GP Connect to enable patient information sharing in Covid-19 outbreak

Past and present medical details will be shared across primary care during the emergency period Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

IR35 off-payroll rules have ‘never worked satisfactorily’, rules Finance Bill Sub-Committee

An inquiry into the government’s plans to extend the IR35 reforms to the private sector concludes that the roll-out should be delayed because the entire off-payroll legislation is flawed and in need of a revamp Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Coronavirus: UK schools will get tech support from Google and Microsoft

Government hires tech giants to provide remote working resources to children while schools are closed Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Dutch Covid-19 tracking app stirs national debate

Privacy concerns raised over mobile app to help track and control the spread of coronavirus in the Netherlands Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuos

How likely are IT service providers to offer discounts in an unprecedented global recession?

As the global economy slows, businesses are trying to cut costs, with IT services one of the first stops – but what are the chances of a happy outcome? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government urges parents to keep children safe during lockdown

The UK government has published more guidance for parents in an attempt to limit children's exposure to cyber bullying and disinformation during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Ransomware-stricken Travelex up for sale

Travelex’s parent Finablr is washing its hands of the ransomware-stricken forex provider as it struggles with the twin shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic and a developing fraud scandal Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Technology has brought us together, but can it lead us out of lockdown?

The government needs to tell us more about the NHSX contact tracing app - choices made now around privacy and transparency will affect all our lives as we aim to ease lockdown, says the shadow digital minister Continue Reading

By

• Chi Onwurah, Labour

What comes after flash? Weebit Nano hopes its ReRAM will

Weebit Nano’s ReRAM stores bits by building resistive filaments and promises a 1,000x speed boost over flash in chips that can store data for years and is well-suited to edge uses Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT

The hybrid sessions

There’s been some excitement around the inaugural virtual House of Commons sessions, which essentially comprise some MPs social distancing in the chamber while others can be viewed on several ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

Nasdaq gives customers real-time data through cloud platform

US stock exchange uses public cloud and APIs to provide investment companies with real-time data on trading activity Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Storage 101: Snapshots vs backup

We go over the basics of snapshots. They are a quick and accessible way of protecting data, but they are not a substitute for backup. So how do you combine the two? Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Coronavirus: Banking and mobile sectors collaborate to stop text scams

Initiative aims to protect 50 genuine brands and government organisations from being impersonated by cyber criminals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Swedish college implements digital plans early

Work done by a Swedish medical school over the past few years to prepare digital education options is paying off as lockdown forces it to close physical classrooms Continue Reading

By

• Jane Hamrin

IR35 private sector reforms: Treasury ignores sub-committee’s plea to delay April 2021 start date

Despite the Finance Bill Sub-Committee claiming it would argue for the IR35 reforms to be delayed even if there were no pandemic, HM Treasury remains committed to revised April 2021 roll-out date Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Traditional banks need to do more than gloss over back-end systems with fintech paint

Banks need to work with fintechs if they are to prosper in the new world, but first they must update their back-end systems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon’s Whole Foods uses heat mapping to track unionisation efforts

Whole Foods is using mapping technology to predict where strikes or union activity will happen, but organisers can use similar tools for the inverse of bolstering their actions too Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Border Force awards £3.1m contract to Capita

The contract with the Home Office's law enforcement agency will see the implementation of 4G and satellite infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Klein takes sole command of SAP as Q1 results show Covid impact

As Christian Klein becomes sole chief executive officer, SAP announces total revenue of €6.521bn for the first quarter, up 7% on Q1 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Government launches online financial support platform for business

Businesses will be able to use the government’s online support finder tool to discover what sort of financial support is available to them during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CIO interview: Theo Blackwell, CDO for London

Digital and data are transforming the way London runs – from transport to public services. The first ever chief digital officer for London explains how his team are going about it Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Coronavirus: Pandemic will see consolidation of offshore captive centres

Offshore captive IT operations owned by western businesses will be sold off to raise cash and boost efficiency amid Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Dutch organisations address business email compromise fraud

Public-private partnership in the Netherlands works to break the chains used by fraudsters to carry out BEC attacks Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

CIO interview: Jason Oliver, IT director, University of Sussex

Imagine taking a year to formulate a digital transformation plan – then having to implement much of it in two weeks when the coronavirus hit. For the Sussex University IT chief, there’s even more to do now Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

CaixaBank uses hybrid of conventional and quantum computers to classify risk

Spain's CaixaBank is using quantum computers as part of a project to assess risk using machine learning algorithms Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Machine learning to help hospitals predict Covid-19 demand

The system developed by NHS Digital and the University of Cambridge will support hospitals in England in handling upcoming demand for intensive care beds and ventilators Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Government investigates perceptions about data sharing of health and social care

A project has been launched to find out about citizen understanding around data uses, and how perception may have been affected after the Covid-19 outbreak Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

High-performance object storage: What’s driving it?

Object storage is getting its performance on to meet the needs of content delivery, analytics and IoT use cases while enabled by rapid flash storage media and other tech advances Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

St Albans council integrates systems in effort to streamline processes

The council of St Albans has implemented a unified digital platform to streamline how citizens interact with its services, as well as its own decision-making processes Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Coronavirus: Nordic digital educators collaborate with authorities amid pandemic

Nordic education technology startups are supporting education establishments in offering continued education during the Covid-19 crisis Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

DWP turns to Government Gateway to support Universal Credit claims

Existing users of HMRC’s digital identity system can use their credentials to apply for benefits, in a move designed to ease bottlenecks caused by Gov.uk Verify performance problems Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Coronavirus: India eases lockdown restrictions for IT service providers

Indian government allows IT services firms to bring half their staff back to delivery centres Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NHS Wales to get free security services during coronavirus pandemic

NHS Wales Informatics Services enlists Thales to help it face down security threats and let its teams focus on the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Cyber attacks on banks seen spiking, says Carbon Black

VMware’s Carbon Black observes a spike in cyber attacks on financial services organisations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Centrica deploys Citrix Cloud services on Azure to manage demand

Utility firm Centrica turns to Citrix on the Azure cloud to deal with its seasonal peak in call centre usage, which affects its virtual desktop environment Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

House of Commons reports progress on virtual Parliament

Plans to take certain proceedings online are on track but ‘bumps along the way’ are expected, according to the Speaker of the House of Commons Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Coronavirus: Lloyds Bank to give thousands of tablet devices to over-70s

Banking group is giving away tablets and basic digital training to help vulnerable customers stay connected during the UK’s Covid-19 lockdown Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Nordic authorities use tech in fight against Covid-19

Nordic government organisations are working with private technology firms in the region to support their efforts to contain the coronavirus Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Tech firms, academia and charities unite to deliver 4G tablets to Covid-19 patients

The Life Lines project aims to keep critically ill patients connected when they are being cared for inside intensive care units across the UK Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Apple and Netflix most imitated brands in phishing attacks

A new report highlights the brands which are being most frequently spoofed by cyber criminals in phishing attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: Ruthlessly prioritise applications during Covid-19

We talk to Alex McMullan, CTO international at Pure Storage, about scaling up storage and compute for remote working and why that means prioritising applications Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

UK altnets increase full-fibre coverage by 50%

Independent network providers notch up notable year in 2019 as fibre access for all becomes political hot potato Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

SAP preliminary Q1 2020 results: Covid-19 takes a bite as in-person events cancelled

The coronavirus public health crisis has hit SAP’s first quarter, according to its preliminary financial results statement Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Coronavirus puts brakes on 5G core deployments

Research firm identifies short- and long-term impacts that global pandemic will have on 5G core and edge networks Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

NHSX partners with Facebook and Accenture for video call device trial during Covid-19 crisis

Social media firm will distribute the equipment in hospitals, care homes and other healthcare settings Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

‘It's going to be a really different NHS’ – how NHS Digital is tackling the coronavirus crisis

The Covid-19 outbreak has led to huge amounts of work for NHS Digital, shifting its priorities and creating unprecedented demand for products and data, but it has also had a positive impact, says CEO Sarah Wilkinson Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Coronavirus: Zoom restricted or banned at multiple organisations

Use of videoconferencing tool has been banned at Google and in parts of the German and US governments Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Bolt plans to be more uber than Uber

Overcoming competitors with brand names that have become part of the modern vernacular is a challenge Estonia-based Bolt has set itself as it takes on Uber Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Coronavirus: Amazon warehouse workers strike over concerns about workplace safety and protections

Online retail giant Amazon has been hit by a wave of strikes as workers protest against ‘unsafe working conditions’ and ‘corporate inaction’ during the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Multicloud storage 101: Pros, cons, pitfalls and strategies

Not putting all your eggs in one basket can be helpful to an enterprise’s resilience strategy. We look at multicloud storage and the benefits and pitfalls it brings Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Games developers join fight against coronavirus

Sector firms will deliver health messaging to UK citizens though popular games under a partnership with the government Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

German diabetes institute uses graph database to connect coronavirus research

DZD, the German Federal Diabetes Research Centre, is using a Neo4j graph database to link up Covid-19 scientific research and scientists Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Mobile operator community and academics use smartphone power to fight Covid-19

Vodafone Foundation and scientists at Imperial College London are using a smartphone app to aid coronavirus research Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: McAfee unearths dark web blood bank

Cyber criminals are selling fake goods and running scams on online marketplaces during the Covid-19 pandemic. Don’t be taken in Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What next for subpostmasters’ miscarriage of justice appeals?

Computer Weekly looks at the next stages in the process to clear the names of subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted for the crimes of theft and false accounting Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA