IT suppliers

Manchester’s evolution from rag trade to digital hub

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we visit Manchester to examine the city’s expanding digital and e-commerce industry and find out the key to tech sector growth in the former home of the UK rag trade. We look at the challenges of IT security in the quantum computing age. And we talk to Bloomberg’s CTO about tech innovation, machine learning and blockchain. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Slow action on broadband and 5G risks UK’s economic future, CBI warns

A report from the CBI has called for the government to fast-track legislation to guarantee access to ultrafast network services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Vodafone’s 4G network goes underground

Operator will roll out small 4G and 5G-ready antenna to boost network coverage over short distances in areas of dense usage, using manhole covers, among other things Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

O2 expected to pursue Ericsson for compensation over 24-hour stoppage

Mobile network operator could seek up to £100m in damages from its supplier, which failed to update expired software certificates, causing a day-long outage Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Finnish government announces research and development ecosystem

Finland has launched an innovation ecosystem that will support IoT and AI developers amongst others Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Douglas Engelbart, the forgotten hero of modern computing

Half a century ago, Douglas Engelbart demonstrated an experimental computer that laid the foundations for modern computing. His vision to use computing power to solve complex problems in all areas of human activity has become reality, but not in the way that he imagined Continue Reading

By

• Jake Charles Rees

BT and KCOM named broadband USO suppliers

Ofcom has named BT, and in East Yorkshire, KCOM, as the designated providers for the incoming broadband universal service obligation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Software failure paralyses O2’s 4G network

O2 is racing to fix a major outage on its 4G network that has left millions of mobile subscribers without access to data services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Adobe releases Flash patch for zero-day exploit

Emergency security update released for zero-day vulnerability that is being exploited in the wild via a Microsoft Office document, according to researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Brexit implications for data protection

Leaving the European Union will have serious implications for data protection in the UK unless adequate steps are taken, so businesses are advised to have contingency plans in place Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

BT moves to strip Huawei kit from EE’s network

Telco will remove Huawei’s networking equipment from the core of EE’s 4G mobile network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Symantec unveils AI-based protection for critical infrastructure

Cyber security firm has unveiled what it claims to be the industry’s first neural network to protect critical infrastructure from USB-borne malware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australia races towards commercial quantum computing

Universities make headway in the challenge of commercialising quantum computing Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Nominet brings security expertise and tech to market

The .uk domain registry is to bring its DNS expertise and technology developed for the NCSC to market to address cyber security ‘blindspot’ Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS email outage caused by ‘internal software issues’

NHSmail system shutdown, which saw staff locked out of their accounts, blamed on “software issues” in supplier Accenture’s internal infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

As commercial 5G nears, small cells generate interest

Interest in small cells as an element of commercial 5G mobile networks is growing, particularly in countries with supportive regulatory environments. Meanwhile, a UK trial of wholesale small cell infrastructure has kicked off in London Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Barclays staff to transfer to HCL as IT deal is expanded

Bank announces closure of operation in Lithuania, with employees transferring to IT services company HCL Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tackling legacy systems by making IT evergreen

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we assess strategies for continuous IT improvement to help evergreen IT replace the difficulties caused by legacy tech. Our new buyer’s guide examines next-generation networking technologies such as SD-WAN. And we hear about digital transformation in the charity sector in an interview with the IT leader at Parkinson’s UK. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Lloyds to use core banking technology from Google-inspired UK fintech

Banking group explores cloud-based core banking technology as part of a major transformation programme Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government mobilises to persuade tech sector to endorse May-EU deal

Jeremy Wright, the secretary of state at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, says the prime minister’s deal with the European Union will be good for UK tech, ensuring free flow of data Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Agile becomes mainstream

There are clear parallels between the conditions that led the IT industry to adopt agile approaches and the challenges facing business today Continue Reading

By

• Simon Masters

UK cyber security strategy making ‘good progress’

The National Cyber Security Strategy is making good progress, but there is much left to be done, according to a Cabinet Office official Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Scottish Government and Nesta launch health data challenge

Partnership between the Scottish Government and Nesta will see funding available for innovative projects driving the use of technology to give citizens access to data and help them live healthier lives Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

More effective digital transformation through the power of your own people

The old model of escalating decisions up and down the management chain does not work any more. Business leaders need to delegate responsibility for projects to business and technology specialists and eliminate the fear of failure Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ironside, KPMG

Challenger bank signs up Google-inspired platform

Cloud-based platform offers functionality around smart contracts and a workflow engine for bank processes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK competition watchdog concerned with PayPal’s fintech acquisition

Competition and Markets Authority fears $2.2bn deal could reduce competition for payment services in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon sets about speeding up space data processing in the cloud with AWS Ground Station

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is aiming to take the cost and complexity out of processing space data to make it more readily accessible by colocating managed ground station antennas with its cloud datacentres Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Nordic IT network attracting big brands as well as startups

Tech Nordic Advocates is now seen as the go-to place for access to the Nordic tech startup sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Poor Wi-Fi connectivity damaging to home life, say UK consumers

A study for BT has revealed a substantial proportion of UK families feel they are being let down by poor in-home Wi-Fi networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Openreach extends Gfast roll-out to a million more homes

Copper-based ultrafast broadband roll-out continues at pace Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Take the pain out of software patching

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at one of the oldest pain points for IT departments – software patching – and ask how to make it less complex across the enterprise. We examine the rise of Kubernetes, the open source container orchestration system that’s gathering popularity for cloud-native applications. And we look at the issues around storage strategy to support a multicloud environment. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

HPE makes bigger push in hybrid IT

Enterprise technology supplier HPE has doled out a slew of enhancements to its composable IT portfolio to help enterprises run IT more like cloud service providers Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Hamburg has ambitions to be a virtual reality hub

The German city of Hamburg is setting itself up as a potential hub for virtual reality startups Continue Reading

By

• Alex Cruickshank

Lords call for HMRC to delay Making Tax Digital for VAT

The government must begin to listen to small businesses and should delay the roll-out of its Making Tax Digital for VAT programme by at least a year, says the Lords Economic Affairs Committee Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW Nordics: Swedish IT sector advises on election security

The security measures assembled and implemented around the 2018 election in Sweden were devised in consultation with leading actors within the country’s private IT sector. Also read about how Denmark’s ambition to become a leading ocation for hyperscale datacentres is gaining momentum, and why Estonia wants to recruit IT professionals from the UK. Continue Reading

TechUK calls on Matt Hancock to fast-track NHS digitisation

The tech industry body’s ‘Manifesto for Matt’ calls on the health secretary to focus on empowering citizens, enabling a world-class workforce and making the UK the number one place for health tech innovation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IBM pushes boundaries of AI, but insists companies take an ethical approach

Researchers at IBM are pushing the boundaries of what artificial intelligence and machine learning can do, but remain wary of the ethical implications that accompany the proliferation of this technology Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Interview: Comms sector ripe for disruption as climate change takes hold

Humanity has just 12 years left to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5⁰C and prevent climate meltdown. Paul Dickinson from the Carbon Disclosure Project discusses how CIOs can help take steps to avert disaster by changing their attitude to business communications Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NetApp and Pure show strong results on flash storage and cloud

NetApp records healthy year-on-year revenue increase with flash showing out well, while Pure Storage sees incredible earnings for its flash products over 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Tech sector split over Brexit deal

The draft EU Withdrawal Agreement has caused rifts in the tech sector, with some calling for a People’s Vote with the option to remain in the EU, and others wanting MPs to back the agreement, saying it’s better than a no-deal scenario Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

EE and Virgin Media fined for breaking consumer protection rules

Ofcom has imposed fines totalling £13.3m on EE and Virgin Media, saying both providers levied excessive charges on customers who ended their contracts early Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Members of Parliament should back EU Withdrawal Agreement, says industry

Industry experts say the government’s EU Withdrawal Agreement is far from perfect and still requires more clarity, but call on MPs to back it, as it’s better than a No-Deal Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Zero-trust security not an off-the-shelf product

The zero-trust security model is a business enabler that needs to be supported by a strategy and security architecture, analyst warns cyber security leaders Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Broadband voucher scheme to end early thanks to high demand

The government has urged small business owners to consider signing up for its ultrafast broadband connection voucher scheme before the available funding runs out Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

5G will unleash digital transformation for UK enterprises

Mobile operator EE is working hand-in-hand with its largest enterprise customers to realise the potential of its future 5G mobile network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Will the $34bn IBM-Red Hat mega-merger succeed?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, after IBM pays $34bn to buy open source specialist Red Hat in an attempt to boost its cloud capabilities, we analyse whether the deal can be a success. We examine the challenges that the emerging field of quantum computing presents for current encryption techniques. And our latest buyer’s guide looks at storage for the internet of things. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Home Office to use smartphone ID for EU Exit scheme

The Home Office will use smartphone digital identity verification to support applications for the government’s EU Exit Settlement Scheme   Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Where in Britain works best for IT?

Where is the best place to be an IT professional in the UK? Computer Weekly looks at which location comes out on top for tech companies, and it’s not Silicon Roundabout Continue Reading

By

• SA Mathieson

Post-quantum cryptography a major challenge, says expert

The crypto wars are just beginning and open systems are key to improved security in future, says cryptography expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Researcher urges IoT security legislation

Suppliers of internet connected devices are largely failing to improve the security of their products, exposing users to privacy risks, so there is no choice but to legislate in this area, says a researcher Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR a challenge to AI black boxes

Most artificial intelligence “black boxes” do not comply with EU data protection laws and will have to be re-engineered, warns security researcher and consultant Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fortunes of storage vary in big five led by Dell EMC and NetApp

The big five take 50% of the enterprise storage market, with Dell EMC and HPE dominating. But some struggle with successive quarters of shrinkage while others see storage shine Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Openreach increasing use of drones to help build fibre networks

Openreach plans to make greater use of drones to help it bring broadband to remote rural properties it could not previously touch Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

5G mobile masts bring installation challenges, EE finds

EE has switched on a fixed wireless access network in central London to test elements of its future 5G mobile service, but faced some challenges setting it up Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fintechs advised on how to work with big banks

Advice backed by the government for fintechs on how to engage with traditional finance firms is published Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Decentralised ID key to identity security

Enterprises need to step up protections around identity-related compromises and look to decentralised identity in the longer term to improve security, says computer scientist Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Top considerations to reduce application layer attacks

What should organisations be doing to address application layer attacks and reduce the likelihood of a breach through this type of attack? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

BEIS to fund five healthcare AI innovation centres

Five healthcare innovation centres will receive a total of £50m in funding to use artificial intelligence to improve diagnosis and treatment of diseases Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Investment fund buys into broadband supplier Hyperoptic

Mubadala Investment Company, the VC arm of the government of Abu Dhabi, is to acquire a minority stake in full-fibre broadband supplier Hyperoptic as the firm brings forward its roll-out Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber security high on European Commission agenda

The European Commission is recognising the growing importance of cyber security to the digital economy and is increasing funding to support research, resilience and cooperation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Automation and CSR are driving reskilling process for UK plc, says Cisco

UK business leaders are planning to make dramatic changes to their organisations between now and 2020, according to a new report from Cisco Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NatWest pilots digital bank for SMEs

App-based banking platform offers small enterprises other business tools on top of a current account Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

VMware readies green blockchain

VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger says the power used for blockchain computation will cause an environmental crisis Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

GSMA urges fresh action on 5G mobile spectrum

Mobile industry body says time is running out to ready enough radio frequency spectrum in the appropriate bands to account for the demands of 5G mobile networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Openreach launches Fibre First programme in Belfast and Nottingham

Openreach has named Belfast and Nottingham as the latest cities to benefit from a full-fibre broadband roll-out Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TalkTalk makes ‘fair broadband’ promises

TalkTalk has launched its own Fairer Broadband Charter as research reveals widespread dissatisfaction with some common industry practices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Deutsche Bank to create cloud-based digital cheque processing system

German banking giant Deutsche Bank will replace manual and paper-intensive cheque processing methods with an automated system in the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Emea Content Editor, Computer Weekly

UKtech50 2018: Vote for the most influential person in UK IT

Tell us who you think should be chosen as the most influential person in the UK tech scene for 2018 by submitting your vote now Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Ofcom has another go at liberalising duct and pole access

Telecoms regulator is making a new attempt to establish better access to BT’s duct and pole infrastructure for communication services providers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BT makes progress with Global Services restructuring

Telco sets out plan to get its troubled Global Services business unit fighting fit Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The IBM and Red Hat mega-merger: Who stands to benefit most?

IBM is in the midst of a multi-year repositioning as it looks to offset the downturn in enterprise demand for its traditional, on-premise offerings by courting enterprise cloud buyers, prompting it to place its biggest bet yet on open source Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Three introduces 4G+ at 2,700 sites

Mobile operator Three hopes to boost average mobile data speeds by up to 33% through carrier aggregation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Bahrain plans to become a regional fintech hub

Bahrain is a small island with big plans for its financial technology industry Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

Hyperoptic full-fibre network hits public housing milestone

More than 150,000 publicly owned homes have now been connected to Hyperoptic’s ultrafast fibre broadband network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ofcom releases BT from 2005 Openreach undertakings

Following the legal split of the two organisations, telecoms regulator Ofcom has formally ‘released’ BT from the 2005 undertakings set up to manage the Openreach infrastructure business Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK Post Office looks to enable reusable digital ID

The UK Post Office is investigating the possibility of enabling UK citizens to re-use their passport data for other applications where digital identity is a key component Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Budget 2018: A mixed bag

Computer Weekly looks at some of the detail in the tech-laden 2018 Budget and can’t get away from the big elephant in the room: the impact of a potential No Deal Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Budget 2018: No great leap forward for broadband, but no need to panic

The chancellor set aside £1.6bn for digital technology in the Budget, but broadband services did not draw much attention. Is this a surprise, or a reflection of growing commercial investment in full-fibre, and what should the role of government be? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government taskforce commits to distributed ledger technologies

Report says distributed ledger technology “has the potential to deliver significant benefits in financial services and other sectors in the future” Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Hammond’s digital services tax is a big risk, say experts

The tech industry is not impressed with the chancellor’s plan to tax web giants, saying it can stifle innovation, while tax lawyers warn that it is a very risky move that could lead to US retaliation Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Government consults on full-fibre for tenants, new-build homes

Proposed legislation would compel landlords and property developers to offer full-fibre broadband to tenants and customers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Finnish city Espoo trials artificial intelligence for community support

The authorities for Finnish city Espoo are testing out AI technology to help them target services at the residents who need them most Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

O2 extends rural 4G network to 339 communities

O2 has extended its rural network roll-out, targeting over 300 small communities all over the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NGA secures £22m for Bristol-Newport fibre link

Ultrafast wholesale network builder Nextgenaccess has been awarded funding from the National Digital Infrastructure Fund to improve connectivity in South Wales Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Openreach slashes cost of full-fibre to new-build homes

Property developers will receive a 75% discount on the cost of full-fibre installation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Trusted nodes: The next generation in quantum key distribution

QKD is a form of protection against interception by quantum computers, but cost and technical limitations have made the technology impractical. Could trusted nodes make all the difference? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Consumer rights champion Which? begins digital journey

Consumer rights organisation has always had a subscription business, but is now transforming into a digital one through cloud computing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Vodafone claims UK 5G first

Mobile network operator Vodafone claims the activation of a trial site in Manchester marks the first time mobile data traffic has been streamed to and from the internet exclusively over 5G technology Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GandCrab decryption tool released by No More Ransom

Another decryption tool has been made available free of charge in the battle against ransomware to help victims avoid paying to release their data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BT picks fintech leader to succeed Gavin Patterson

BT has named Philip Jansen, current co-chief executive of global payments services group Worldpay, as the successor to outgoing chief executive Gavin Patterson Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Firms will use AI to automate HR processes within two years

Companies are gearing up to automate HR processes with artificial intelligence and machine learning, while at the same time battling with outdated IT systems Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Nordic banks target SME customers with fintech services

Traditional Nordic banks are slimming down workforces as they turn increasingly to technology-based service delivery, and some are linking up with small fintech companies to deliver online products. Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Becrypt security platform helps ease cloud adoption

Becrypt’s secure operating system is driving a new service aimed at helping organisations reduce cost and increase agility in using cloud-based services and online applications Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CityFibre backers pump £2.5bn into full-fibre broadband

Network expansion will add 27 towns and cities to CityFibre’s current roll-out to 10 locations in support of a consumer full-fibre service delivered by Vodafone Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK unicorn creation goes unrivalled in Europe

The UK's regional cities are creating more billion-dollar tech startups than many European capitals, with the UK as a whole creating more unicorns since 2016 than France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Interview: Steve Grobman, McAfee CTO shares his views on some burning security questions

Cyber security technology innovator and veteran Steve Grobman shares his views on adversarial artificial intelligence, post-quantum cryptography and security for next-gen tech Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Where next for digital identity?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the UK government hands its digital identity service, Gov.uk Verify, to the private sector, we examine the history and prospects for the troubled system. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at cloud-native architecture. And we compare the flash storage capabilities of the leading cloud providers, AWS, Azure and Google. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Government to invest an extra £215m in UK innovation centres

The extra funding will be given to the Catapult network of innovation centres, focusing on digital, medicines discovery, future cities and transport systems Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Centralised identity risky and not web 3.0 friendly, says entrepreneur

User controlled identity is less risky than centralised identity and essential for the next evolution of the web, according to an entrepreneur and evangelist of self-sovereign identity and blockchain technologies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Competition, not consumer demand, is driving full-fibre roll-out

Market competition among telecoms operators, not consumer demand, appears to be driving the trend towards ultrafast full-fibre broadband roll-out in Europe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor