IT technical skills

UK’s Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa system ‘does not work well’, says MAC

During a review of whether the government should introduce a points-based system for migration, the Migration Advisory Committee claims the current Tier 1 system for exceptional talent is not fit for purpose Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

NCSC launches study on cyber security diversity

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre wants to improve the diversity of the cyber security sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK cyber security sector worth more than £8bn

The UK’s cyber security industry employs 43,000 full-time workers, and contributed nearly £4bn to the UK economy in 2019, according to DCMS Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Techxit Britain

BT’s press office has reported some “worrying” findings as part of its Skills for Tomorrow programme, designed to “close the digital skills knowledge gap that exists between parents and children”. ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

CTO interview: Juan Villamil discusses changing IT culture

Juan Villamil has worked at the Department for Work and Pensions for nearly five years. As he heads off to take up a new challenge at Imperial College, we speak to him about change and transformation Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Digital economy pushing up IT salaries in ANZ

About eight in 10 IT professionals in Australia and New Zealand earned more over the past year while 23% were rewarded with a bonus, survey finds Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Bug bounties are changing the image of hackers

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Paul Holland, Information Security Forum

SANS Institute calls on Manchester security pros

Manchester will play host to a week-long cyber security training event during February Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Gender funding gap reveals complacency in the Nordics

Tech investors are biased towards men when it comes to investing – even if they are not aware of it Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Milan hosts Cisco’s first European security innovation unit

Cisco has cut the ribbon on its first Cyber Security Co-Innovation Centre in Europe, at Milan’s Leonardo da Vinci Science and Technology Museum Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Brexit an opportunity for global collaboration on edtech, says universities minister

Universities minister Chris Skidmore tells 2020 BETT education show that forming global partnerships in the edtech space will spur innovation Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

End-user security ignorance laid bare in new report

Proofpoint’s 2020 State of the Phish report highlights an urgent need for better user training and reporting Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK and EU AI communities will only be globally significant if they work as one

The European Union and the UK will be left behind in artificial intelligence research and development if they take separate paths after Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Nicky Morgan says new government will be pro-tech

DCMS minister outlines five key ways the government aims to support technology going forward, including being “unashamedly” pro-tech Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Two-fifths of Middle East IT staff would change job for more money

IT professionals in the Middle East are mostly motivated by money when it comes to finding a new job, according to a Computer Weekly survey Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Over a quarter of Middle East businesses have no women in their IT department

Businesses in the Middle East are failing to balance their IT workforces between men and women, and a quarter have no women in IT roles Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IR35 private sector reforms: IBM joins list of enterprises applying blanket ban to PSCs

Tech giant IBM has notified its personal service company IT contractors that they must switch to PAYE terms or use umbrella companies from the end of March, as the private sector races to achieve IR35 compliance Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Norway’s government to upgrade digital in school curriculum

Primary and secondary schools in Norway will introduce more digital learning, following the latest government reforms Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

NCSC makes final call for entries to CyberFirst Girls contest

Entry to the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst Girls 2020 competition is about to close Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amazon seeks 600 skilled workers for Manchester office

Online cloud and retail giant opens new office in Manchester and aims to increase tech skills in the region Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

TTC benchmark shifts focus from women to diversity in tech sector

Latest instalment of Tech Talent Charter benchmarking report signals move away from solely gender and towards diversity in tech more widely Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

CW APAC: Trend Watch – digital disruption

Adoption of new technologies is growing rapidly and transforming the business landscape. In this handbook, focused on digital disruption in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at how business and IT leaders can implement a coherent and cohesive approach to digital transformation. Continue Reading

Just 1% of female jobseekers aspire to work in startups

Despite technology industry hype about diversity and inclusion, startups are still failing to attract female employees Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Loan charge under review: IT contractors slam government's planned policy revamp

The IT contractor community shares its verdict on the UK government's plans to revamp its controversial loan charge policy, which has left thousands of people facing life-changing tax bills and financial ruin Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Case study: How Trainline keeps customers satisfied

The Trainline is encouraging customers to discover cheaper rail fares for the same journey with its AI-enabled SplitSave option Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Building the internet of the future

In this week’s Computer Weekly, Cisco unveils the $5bn platform that it believes will be the future of the internet – we look through the details. The McLaren Formula One team discusses how IoT and data analytics have been key to its revival on the track. And we examine the importance of diversity in software development. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

The UK civil service is broken and needs reform to deliver true digital government

Boris Johnson’s special adviser, Dominic Cummings, has attracted criticism for his plans to overhaul Whitehall culture, but one former government digital chief argues that he is absolutely right Continue Reading

By

• Paul Shetler

Security Think Tank: Hooded hackers? More like ruthless competitors

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Jirasek, Foresight Cyber

AI skills and explainable data models are top concerns for 2020

New research from IBM finds that 2020 is the year when executives want to deploy real-world artificial intelligence applications Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Deliveroo exceeds tech recruitment target in Edinburgh

Food delivery firm has increased the number of technology staff it wants in its Edinburgh hub Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

2019: a whirlwind year for AI in APAC

Asia-Pacific is proving to be a magnet for entrepreneurial activity from AI firms, though the escalating US-China trade tensions have put one firm in a tough situation Continue Reading

By

• Avanti Kumar

Virtuous circles: Skilling up for an ethical web

Tim Berners Lee’s Contract for the Web aims to drive the internet in a more ethical, open and human-centred direction. What does this mean for the future of IT skills and governance? Continue Reading

By

• Jim Mortleman

Women in tech show strong presence in 2020 New Year’s Honours list

The New Year’s Honours list showcases many women from the IT world for service to the technology industry, equality and STEM education Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Can the UK government’s efforts solve the cyber skills gap?

There has been an active effort by the UK government to tackle the lack of skills in the cyber security space – but is it enough? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

Top 10 enterprise IT in the Middle East stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 enterprise IT in the Middle East stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top 10 software development stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 software development stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

JavaScript, Linux and R among most learned tech skills in 2019

Pluralsight reveals the most learned and most in-demand skills on its platform across different technology disciplines over the past year Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Top 10 women in tech and diversity in tech stories of 2019

As the year draws to a close, Computer Weekly looks over the top 10 diversity in tech and women in tech stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Looming skills crisis, IR35 and Brexit set to ramp up S/4 Hana rates

SAP is only committed to support its ECC system until 2025, so customers have just five years to migrate – but a lack of skills is hampering progress Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Top 10 IT careers and skills stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 IT careers and skills stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Waltham Forest Tech Camp gives local residents tech experience

Tech Camp employer-led programmes are aiming to give local residents of London boroughs skills and connections with employers to tackle the growing skills gap Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Women in tech still feel there’s a ‘glass ceiling’ in the sector

The number of women in the tech sector who think there is a “glass ceiling” has risen over the past year, according to research Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Industry, academia and government are joining forces to drive AI education

Building a diverse, advanced skills base in the UK will support the thriving technology sector and encourage the adoption of artificial intelligence across the broader economy Continue Reading

By

• Ray Eitel-Porter , Accenture Digital

Reskilling the UK in the face of AI growth

The government has introduced the National Retraining Scheme alongside funding to tackle the UK’s growing tech skills gap, but will it be enough in the wake of artificial intelligence adoption? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

Splunk.conf 2019: How men can be allies and why D&I has to be in your DNA

Suzanne McGovern, chief diversity officer at Splunk, told Computer Weekly how having allies can take the burden off of the minority when calling out problematic behaviour, and why D&I has to be built into an organisation from the top Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Cyber security takes its place alongside UK’s armed services

Head of armed services says cyber security will take its place alongside the army, navy and air force as a key pillar of the UK’s defence strategy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

RMIT to tackle cyber security challenges

Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology has teamed up with Amazon Web Services to launch a Cloud Innovation Centre to solve cyber security challenges Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Percentage of women in tech remains low at 16%, with little growth in 10 years

The WISE campaign is calling on the STEM sector to increase the number of women in core roles to 30%, after finding the ratio of men to women in IT has been static for a decade Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Black Hat Europe: Red teams and blue teams must evolve in the 2020s

The red team versus blue team dichotomy is somewhat arbitrary and risks pigeonholing skilled security professionals into certain roles, says Facebook’s Amanda Rousseau Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

General Election 2019: Which manifesto is best for the UK’s tech sector?

Computer Weekly breaks down each political party’s technology policies ahead of the upcoming General Election to see how they compare Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Liberal Democrats: We want to lead the world in ethical, inclusive technology

Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP and party spokesperson for digital, culture, media and sport, writes about the party's technology policies ahead of the upcoming General Election Continue Reading

By

• Layla Moran, Liberal Democrats

UK government urged to ramp up digital skills

Programme for International Student Assessment results show UK is lagging behind Asian powerhouses, according to Open Knowledge Foundation Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

The 50 most influential people in UK IT 2019

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we reveal our 10th annual list of the 50 most influential people in UK technology, and profile this year’s UKtech50 winner, Demis Hassabis, CEO and founder of AI pioneer DeepMind. Also, we examine how continuous software development can improve application security. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Changes in the CI/CD pipeline

Continuous integration/continuous delivery is responsible for pushing out a set of “isolated changes” to an existing application. We look at how big these changes can be Continue Reading

By

• Adrian Bridgwater
• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Hack Friday: This Christmas, fight back against cyber criminals

It’s nearly Christmas, and cyber attacks and fraud attempts in the retail sector are ramping up. Is it time to panic? And is there anything we can do beyond hammering home the message around basic cyber security hygiene? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UKtech50 2019 winner: Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO, DeepMind

Computer Weekly profiles the achievements and journey of the founder of one of the world’s pioneering artificial intelligence companies, after his recognition as the most influential person in UK technology for 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Most data scientists plan exit in 2020, Women in Data conference hears

Survey shows lack of management support is behind a majority of data scientists planning to change jobs next year Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Australia’s Fenner Dunlop ditches tape backups for cloud

Australian manufacturer of conveyor belts Fenner Dunlop has freed up its IT staff to focus on future projects by moving tape backups to the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

More women expected to join tech sector in 2020

Research by travel booking platform Trainline has found more than half of people in tech think there will a rise in the number of female tech workers over the next year Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Stemettes and Monster: Why focusing on STEM confidence is vital for girls

Job site Monster and social enterprise Stemettes have partnered for a fourth year to run workshops aimed at preparing girls for the world of work and encouraging them into the STEM sector Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Security skills gap will take a decade to fill

The British education systems cannot move fast enough to address the security skills crisis, and in the absence of government action increased reliance on automation may be the least worst solution Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW500 Interview: Paddy Francis, CTO, Airbus CyberSecurity

In this CW500 video, Paddy Francis, CTO, Airbus CyberSecurity shares his advice and experiences of keeping tabs on security when trying to introduce emerging digital technologies into large organisations. Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

CIO interview: Paul Stein, CTO, Rolls-Royce

The aerospace engine manufacturer is at the leading edge of technology developments such as electric power, and already makes extensive use of advanced IT systems such as AI Continue Reading

By

• Sooraj Shah

Life under the loan charge: An IT contractor’s story

Thousands of IT contractors are being pursued by HMRC for “life-changing” tax bills for work they did up to 20 years ago, as part of a disguised remuneration clampdown known as the loan charge policy. One of those affected anonymously shares his take on what it’s like to live with a six-figure tax demand hanging over you Continue Reading

By

• An anonymous IT contractor

Finland’s ministry of transport floats tech-enabled four-day week

Government department says four-day working week is made possible by technologies such as artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Holy grail of digital banking is, at first glance, a new channel, not a new concept

Details of Google’s plans in the financial services sector have emerged with nothing groundbreaking so far, but the sector is guessing what comes next Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

A third of LGBTQIA+ people in tech believe there is a wage gap

Research has found wage gaps across the technology sector, with LGBT+ people, BAME individuals and women being paid less than their white, straight, male counterparts Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 37

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team talks about the Labour Party’s “free fibre broadband for all” pre-election pledge, HMRC’s controversial loan charge policy, big data and catches up on what went on at the most recent CW500 Club event Continue Reading

By

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

Loan charge under review: The 20-year retroactive tax policy pushing IT contractors to the brink

Thousands of IT contractors are at risk of financial ruin as HMRC pursues them for tax it claims they owe on work they did up to two decades ago and were reimbursed for via loan remuneration schemes. Computer Weekly investigates Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

WISE calls out tech industry for slow approach to equality

At the 2019 WISE awards, chair of the campaign Trudy Norris-Grey called upon the audience to help find ways to speed up the move to equality in the tech sector Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Zopa opens testing for its banking products to customers

Zopa's move into the banking sector is gathering pace as customers test out its savings product Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Abu Dhabi AI university is key to UAE’s future as the oil dries up

Abu Dhabi’s fledgling artificial intelligence university is part of a highly ambitious 30-year plan to transform the UAE’s economy and culture Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Global security workforce must more than double to meet demand

There are about 2.8 million cyber security professionals working today, and the world needs four million more Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Professional cyber criminals command $75k per annum

An ill-advised career in cyber crime is potentially almost as well-paying as a job as a threat researcher in the industry, according to Tenable researchers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Initiative offers £1.5m for 15 projects to reduce digital exclusion across UK

Initiative spearheaded by Good Things Foundation and JP Morgan awards funding to 15 projects with the aim of closing the digital divide Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Thousands apply to Abu Dhabi AI University in first week

Artificial intelligence university in Abu Dhabi gets more than 3,000 applications in the week following its application process being opened Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IR35 reforms: Concerns raised over private sector’s lack of preparedness for April 2020 start date

As the countdown towards the IR35 reforms coming into force in the private sector continues, research by recruitment firm Hays draws concerns over an apparent lack of awareness and preparation amongst enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

What will succeed the National Cyber Security Strategy?

As the National Cyber Security Strategy nears the end of its working life, the government is considering what comes next, and is asking probing questions of its successes and failures Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Businesses at risk as mainframe skills die out

Most businesses that are heavily reliant on mainframes fear a shrinking skills pool Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

IR35 reforms – the difficult decisions facing IT contractors

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the difficult choices facing UK IT contractors from the controversial IR35 tax reforms. Social engineering is a major source of cyber security attacks – we look at mitigation strategies. And the IT chief at Mercedes F1 explains what it takes to support a world championship team. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

College plans tech school at Bletchley Park

Planning application aims to turn a selection of the listed buildings that housed Britain’s codebreakers in the Second World War into a facility for up to 1,000 students Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Splunk.conf 2019: Mentorship, advocacy and confidence for women in tech

At Splunk.conf 2019 in Vegas, senior women in technology from firms such as Splunk, Boeing, and Sandia National Laboratories gave advice for navigating a male-dominated industry Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Take responsibility for cyber security basics, urges NCSC CEO

At the launch of its third annual review, NCSC head Ciaran Martin appealed for individuals and businesses to address the fundamentals of cyber security hygiene to help lighten the load Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Over-30s tend to do better at cyber security than younger colleagues

Attitudes to workplace cyber security differ by age group, but not in the way one might imagine, according to a new study by NTT Security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Do non-compete clauses risk stifling cloud innovation?

Non-compete clauses in tech employment contracts are commonplace – and understandably so – but could they be limiting innovation in the public cloud? Continue Reading

By

• Sooraj Shah

Abu Dhabi AI university open for applications

New university in UAE aims to enable students, businesses and governments to increase the use of artificial intelligence technology Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digital and innovation apprentices to start NatWest programme

NatWest is kicking off a tech apprentice programme, with its digital innovation hub set to play a key role Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Future.now launch: Biggest barrier for digital skills is motivation

Digital sector must overcome its “image problem” to attract more people to learn new skills, says Lord Mayor at launch of digital skills project Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

The Security Interviews: Applying AI to Lego, and security

Ann Johnson, Microsoft corporate vice-president of cyber security, is on a mission to prove that artificial intelligence holds great promise for the security sector, and she has the analogies to back it up Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Data management strategies are evolving – so must enterprises

A growing number of data-driven initiatives, alongside heightened demand for security in governance, data management and compliance, has led to the rise of a more holistic approach – integrated risk management Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Dutch AI Coalition wants to put the Netherlands on artificial intelligence map

To ensure the Netherlands keeps pace in the artificial intelligence race, an AI coalition has been formed to help organisations in the sector to collaborate Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Hype vs reality: Is the tech industry on the cusp of another ‘AI winter’?

Artificial intelligence is a hot topic for enterprise users, but will the technology fail to live up to the hype this time around, ponder panellists at the NetEvents Global IT Summit in San Jose Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Deutsche Bank to set up innovation division to drive digital transformation

More details about Deutsche Bank’s new technology division in internal company email Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UKtech50 2019 – help us find the most influential people in UK technology

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK technology reaches its 10th anniversary – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year’s list Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Turbocharging Full Fibre/5G Broadband

The INCA Conference provides an opportunity to "help" DCMS put flesh on the announcement of £5 billion for broadband at the Conservative Party Conference Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

What is UK plc doing to address the tech skills gap in the face of Brexit?

The growing technology skills gap in the UK is widely known, with firms complaining of a lack of skilled workers – but what are they doing fill their empty roles? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

IR35 reforms: Lloyds Bank contractors to get deadline on future employment status

Lloyds Banking Group is the latest large firm set to end engagement of IT contractors through personal service companies due to impending IR35 tax reforms Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Future Decoded: AI-powered data revolutionises software development

Microsoft believes artificial intelligence will drive an entirely new way to develop software that can take advantage of massive data growth Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Future Decoded: How AI plus automation adds up to transformative change

Robotic process automation combined with artificial intelligence is a recipe for digital transformation, and new research suggests businesses that use AI are gaining a competitive advantage Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

The most influential women in UK technology 2019

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we announce our annual list of the 50 most influential women in UK technology. Meet the winner, Debbie Forster, CEO of Tech Talent Charter, and find out who are this year’s five rising stars. Also, our latest buyer’s guide looks at the latest developments in robotic process automation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading