Information management

MI5 unlawfully collected and held millions of people’s data

Secretive court finds MI5 knowingly acted unlawfully in use of bulk surveillance warrants, and the Home Office continued granting warrants despite information the agency was operating outside the law Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

University of Stirling taps into Alation data catalogue technology

The University of Stirling is the first non-US university to participate in a data management education programme provided pro bono by data catalogue supplier Alation Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

MPs warned of AI arms race to the bottom

Expert tells Parliamentary committee that tech companies developing artificial intelligence are cutting corners and placing safety on the backburner, opening up ‘enormous risks’ for the future of AI Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Mark Logan on his vision for a Scottish technology ecosystem

The Scottish Government’s entrepreneur advisor speaks to Computer Weekly about the philosophy behind an ambitious technology ecosystem strategy Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

What are the key issues in knowledge management?

Knowledge management systems help employees find important information. However, implementation can pose challenges with user adoption and content maintenance. Continue Reading

By

• Reda Chouffani, Biz Technology Solutions

SAP 2022: 11% revenue growth, 2.5% staff targeted by restructure

SAP has announced full-year 2022 revenue of nearly €31bn, up 11% year on year. In 2023, it will explore a sell-off of Qualtrics stake and do a restructure, with an impact on 2.5% of staff Continue Reading

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• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Data lake vs. data warehouse: Key differences explained

Data lakes and data warehouses are both commonly used in enterprises. Here are the main differences between them to help you decide which is best for your data needs. Continue Reading

By

• Bridget Botelho, Editorial Director, News

Japan researchers develop new data encryption method

Researchers from Tokyo University of Science have combined the best of homomorphic encryption and secret sharing in a new method to handle encrypted data Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Executive interview: Andrew Roughan, CEO, Plexal

Plexal CEO Andrew Roughan talks about how tech startups collaborate with the government to transform public services, the barriers to entry, and how the process can be improved Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Royal Society calls on public sector to pilot privacy tech

The Royal Society says public sector bodies should lead the way in piloting privacy-enhancing technologies to unlock the value of data without compromising privacy and data rights, but lack of standards and incentives mean adoption is slow Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

WhatsApp’s £4.8m fine raises questions for organisations using behavioural advertising

The Irish Data Protection Commissioner has fined WhatsApp, owned by Meta, in a case that will raise questions for organisations that rely on contracts rather than consent to comply with GDPR when offering behavioural advertising Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

exponential function

An exponential function is a mathematical function used to calculate the exponential growth or decay of a given set of data. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

What are the types of knowledge management systems?

In order to understand the different types of knowledge management systems, organizations should know about the different types of knowledge and the history of this market. Continue Reading

By

• Geoffrey Bock, Bock & Company

Newham Council rejects use of live facial-recognition tech by police

Live facial-recognition technology should not be used by police in Newham until biometric and anti-discrimination safeguards are in place, according to a motion passed unanimously by the council, but the Met Police and the Home Office have indicated they will not suspend its use Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Oracle and CBI: companies cautious, selective in 2023 IT, business investment

Oracle and the CBI are seeing much the same picture of cautious technology investment of UK businesses in 2023, in the context of long Covid and the energy price inflation crisis Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

How India is driving the use of open government data

India’s Open Government Data platform has paved the way for new applications and services, but concerns around data quality and privacy remain Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

Qlik-Talend proposed acquisition indicates marriage broker role for private equity?

The acquisition of France-based data integration supplier Talend by Sweden-founded data visualisation firm Qlik has to be interesting at an intra-European market level. Non-US IT suppliers are thin ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Ellison-founded sailing league SailGP plumps for Oracle NetSuite to expand

SailGP, a sailing racing league co-founded by Oracle chairman and CTO Larry Ellison, has picked Oracle NetSuite to expand its business Continue Reading

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• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Companies put commercial gain ahead of sustainability, says Software AG research

The vast majority of a surveyed tranche of UK and other western companies are prioritising commercial goals over sustainability, according to research from Software AG Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

How Indian banks can drive automation in corporate banking

Banks should prioritise their processes for automation based on the level of human intervention, understand their processes thoroughly and put employees at the centre of their automation efforts Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Top 10 PIM software products in 2023

PIM systems can come as standalone products, but many fit within larger digital experience platforms. Top PIM products include Acquia PIM, Precisely EnterWorks and Sales Layer. Continue Reading

By

• George Lawton

NHS data platform costing £480m to supersede Covid-19 data store underway

NHS England has invited suppliers to tender for a data platform that will supersede the Covid-19 data store controversial for the involvement of data analytics firm Palantir Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

What will be trending in technology in 2023?

This year will be a bit year for IT spending despite the prospects of recession, inflation and rising costs. But companies will focus more on technology that delivers measurable pay-offs Continue Reading

By

• Bev White, Nash Squared

Belfast Harbour sails out with Oracle cloud applications

Belfast Harbour spies a more efficient and flexible future on the horizon as it sets sail with Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP Continue Reading

By

• Ollie Withers

structured data

Structured data is data that has been organized into a formatted repository, typically a database. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor

St Helens Council plumps for Unit4 ERP to forward automation plans

St Helens Borough Council has replaced an in-house system with Unit4 and Proactis enterprise applications technologies to advance its digital transformation plans Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Diversity and inclusion figures high in New Year Honours List 2023

The New Year Honours List 2023 hailed those in the technology community who promote diversity and inclusion Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

How ITV built a data team from scratch

Clemence Burnichon, director of data innovation at ITV, describes how the broadcaster has built a data management and analytics team Continue Reading

By

• Clemence J Burnichon, ITV

Top 10 business applications stories of 2022

As the Covid crisis gave way to the energy crisis and economic turmoil, enterprise software suppliers have urged customers to step up modernisation and evince more empathy for employees Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Top 10 information management stories of 2022

Data for good is a theme of the information management stories of 2022 selected here. From tracking space junk, through medical kits for Ukraine, to professionalising data science to benefit society Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Top 10 Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcasts of 2022

The team began with a sombre episode about Ukraine and went on to tackle the more familiar topics of diversity, datacentre sustainability and data. New for 22: Cliff Saran’s interviews with IT thought leaders Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

CDO interview: Barry Panayi, chief data and insight officer, John Lewis Partnership

Data science and analytics is an increasingly important function across the John Lewis Partnership, covering its retail, grocery and financial services brands Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

NHS-funded AI diagnosis tool benefits stroke patients

NHS England hails Brainomix stroke diagnosis tool for a tripling of the number of patients recovering to perform daily activities from 16% to 48% Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

The importance of improving data quality at source

Data replication crises have struck government and scientific data quality efforts. A lack of scrutiny over data being used at source has led to oversights from national statistics to financial auditing Continue Reading

By

• SA Mathieson

Top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2022

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2022 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Top 10 technology startup stories of 2022

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 technology startup stories of 2022 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Comparing DBMS vs. RDBMS: Key differences

A relational database management system is the most popular type of DBMS for business uses. Find out how RDBMS software differs from other DBMS technologies. Continue Reading

By

• Craig Stedman, Industry Editor

Complaints that NCA failed in duty of candour over EncroChat warrants ‘incredible’, court hears

NCA lawyers argue that a decision by an NCA intelligence officer to disclose notes of a key meeting after two-and-a-half years boosts her credibility as a witness Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Top 10 India IT stories of 2022

We recap the top 10 stories in India, including the digitisation work undertaken by global firms in the country and the progress made by local enterprises in harnessing technology Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

NCA ‘wrong-footed’ defence lawyers after agreeing to take expert evidence on EncroChat ‘as read’

The National Crime Agency argued at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal that expert evidence it agreed to ‘take as read’ is limited, flawed and often based on an incorrect interpretation of the law Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Mitiga researchers disclose AWS Elastic IP hijacking vulnerability

Cloud incident response supplier Mitiga has said a new AWS feature has led to a vulnerability that could allow hackers to access and steal Elastic IP addresses and gain control over AWS accounts Continue Reading

By

• Ollie Withers and Brian McKenna

data source name (DSN)

A data source name (DSN) is a data structure containing information about a specific database to which an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) driver needs to connect. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Zola

data observability

Data observability is a process and set of practices that aim to help data teams understand the overall health of the data in their organization's IT systems. Continue Reading

By

• Mary K. Pratt

Digital Economy Council: UK tech sector number one in Europe

Despite the tumultuous economic landscape, the UK has maintained its spot as having the number one tech sector in Europe, with its impressive investment figures Continue Reading

By

• Ollie Withers

Government shuts ‘Help to Grow’ doorway for SMEs

The government’s Help to Grow: Digital scheme, which aimed to help small businesses access productivity-enhancing software, has been closed, to the disappointment of TechUK Continue Reading

By

• Ollie Withers

Report highlights growth of process intelligence use

A new report examines the growth of process intelligence use by enterprise leaders. Learn practical and actionable tips for a successful implementation. Continue Reading

By

• Amaresh Tripathy

Digital Ethics Summit: Who benefits from new technology?

Experts at the 2022 Digital Ethics Summit say expedited development cycles and obviously over-hyped PR material, in tandem with the public’s near-total exclusion from conversations around technology, is creating distrust towards the tech sector Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

8 data integration challenges and how to overcome them

These eight challenges complicate efforts to integrate data for operational and analytics uses. Here's why, plus advice on how to deal with them. Continue Reading

By

• Donald Farmer, TreeHive Strategy

Private health provider data could be shared with NHS England

Plans are advancing to create a single source of healthcare data in England combining both private providers and the NHS to avoid a repeat of the Ian Paterson scandal Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft and London Stock Exchange agree £2.3bn 10-year cloud deal

The London Stock Exchange is building on its acquisition of financial data provider Refinitiv through a deal with Microsoft Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Data leaders bewail employee data illiteracy

Report from data consultancy Carruthers and Jackson finds a significant majority of data function leaders consider their organisations’ employees lack adequate data literacy Continue Reading

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• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

AI experts question tech industry’s ethical commitments

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the proliferation of ethical frameworks has done little to change how artificial intelligence is developed – we look at the challenges. We examine the future of the UK semiconductor sector as the government launches a review. And we hear how NatWest has put data at the heart of customer strategy. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Top IT predictions in APAC in 2023

Robotics, cross-cloud data mobility and cyber insurance are some of the key trends that will shape Asia-Pacific’s technology landscape in 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

3 benefits of product information management systems

PIM systems help retailers manage product information across channels. Key PIM system benefits include improved employee experience and reduced data entry errors. Continue Reading

By

• Reda Chouffani, Biz Technology Solutions

Cloud-based fingerprint system for UK police nears completion

Police Digital Service announces that a new cloud-based fingerprint system developed under its Transforming Forensics programme is nearly complete, but data protection concerns around the use of US-based cloud providers remain Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Can real-time data visualisation deliver trust and opportunity?

More than ever, decision-makers are relying on data to plot a path through the economic turmoil. We explore where real-time data fits Continue Reading

By

• Marc Ambasna-Jones

7 best practices for knowledge management strategies

Organizations can't roll out a knowledge management strategy in one day. Yet, with these best practices, those businesses can create and maintain successful knowledge strategies. Continue Reading

By

• George Lawton

The differences between a data warehouse vs. data mart

Data marts and data warehouses both play key roles in the BI and analytics process. Here's how they differ and how they can be used to help drive business decisions. Continue Reading

By

• Chris Foot

Online Safety Bill returns to Parliament

MPs and online safety experts have expressed concern about encryption-breaking measures contained in the Online Safety Bill as it returns to Parliament for the first time since its passage was paused in July Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How Databricks is easing lakehouse adoption

Databricks is making it easier for organisations to adopt a data lakehouse architecture through support for industry-specific file formats, data sharing and streaming processing, among other areas Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

normal distribution

A normal distribution is a type of continuous probability distribution in which most data points cluster toward the middle of the range, while the rest taper off symmetrically toward either extreme. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

vector

A vector is a quantity or phenomenon that has two independent properties: magnitude and direction. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

EU fails to protect human rights in surveillance tech transfers

Transfers of surveillance technology from the European Union to African governments are carried out without due regard for the human rights impacts, the European Ombudsman has found after a year-long investigation into the European Commission’s management of an aid fund Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Embedded analytics can be illuminating

In the first part of our buyer’s guide to data visualisation, we look at how analytics suppliers are increasingly offering embedded analytics – based inside applications, often real-time, and driven by APIs – as a way to get to the next level of business intelligence. Continue Reading

Is Twitter still safe, and should you stop using the platform?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with a litany of security and compliance issues caused by Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, we ask if it’s still safe for enterprises. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the technologies and best practices behind data visualisation. And we look at the emerging devices for accessing the metaverse. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

search engine marketing (SEM)

Search engine marketing (SEM) is a method of promotion and advertising to help companies' content rank higher among search engine traffic. Continue Reading

By

• Nick Barney, Technology Writer
• Lauren Horwitz, Cisco

What is a data warehouse analyst?

Data warehouse analysts help organizations manage the repositories of analytics data and use them effectively. Here's a look at the role and its responsibilities. Continue Reading

By

• George Lawton

Evaluating data warehouse deployment options and use cases

There's still a place for data warehouses in data architectures. But first, ask whether your organization needs one and what type of technology platform is the best fit. Continue Reading

By

• Craig S. Mullins, Mullins Consulting

How Bosch is driving Industry 4.0 in India

Bosch India is leveraging advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to detect manufacturing defects and plans to tap quantum computing for material simulation Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

How to choose the right PIM system for your business

PIM systems ensure sales channels display accurate product information. To find the right system, e-commerce leaders must first identify business goals and required features. Continue Reading

By

• Jordan Jones

Post Office boosted its ‘coffers’ as Horizon system threw up unexplained shortfalls, inquiry told

The Post Office was ‘keen’ to make subpostmasters cover unexplained accounting shortfall as its business struggled, public inquiry hears Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

PIM vs. DAM: What's the difference?

PIM and DAM systems help retailers manage information, but they focus on different information types. PIM systems aggregate product details, whereas DAM systems store multimedia. Continue Reading

By

• Tim Murphy

search engine results page (SERP)

A search engine results page (SERP) is the list of results that a search engine returns in response to a specific word or keyword phrase query. Continue Reading

By

• Nick Barney, Technology Writer

Microsoft 365 banned in German schools over privacy concerns

German schools cannot legally use Microsoft Office 365 over lack of clarity about how data is collected, shared and used, as well as the potential for unlawful transfer of European citizens’ personal data to the US Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Parity AI talks about auditing recruitment algorithms for bias

Algorithmic auditing firm Parity speaks to Computer Weekly about the process of auditing artificial intelligence for bias, following its partnership with AI-powered recruitment platform Beamery Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

AWS doubles down on data management

Cloud giant Amazon Web Services declares a bold vision to eliminate the need to extract, transform and load data alongside other efforts to address business problems in domains like cyber security and logistics Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

‘Legal but harmful’ clause dropped from Online Safety Bill

Online Safety Bill’s ‘legal but harmful’ provision will be dropped by the UK government in favour of public risk assessments, tools to help users control the content they consume, and new criminal offences around self-harm Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How to stop data retention from killing the planet

In this week’s Computer Weekly, there’s a hidden environmental cost to the vast volumes of data being generated – we examine what can be done to address it. We talk to the CISO of consumer reviews site Trustpilot, about building trust in IT security. And we look at what IT leaders can do if they inherit a toxic team environment. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CIO interview: David Charnley, head of transformation and strategy, NatWest Group

Data is at the heart of the banking giant’s push to improve customer experience – and to enhance its environmental credentials Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Protecting children as they spend years in virtual worlds

To protect children online, we must now focus on pre-emptive and robust regulation around immersive technologies Continue Reading

By

• Patrick Cronin

5 steps to an improved data quality assurance plan

Follow these steps to develop a data quality assurance plan and management strategy that can help identify data errors before they cause big business problems. Continue Reading

By

• David Loshin, Knowledge Integrity Inc.

UKISUG 2022: S/4 skills deficit worsens but SAP Rise use increases

On the opening day of its 2022 conference, the UK and Ireland SAP User Group unveils member research showing concerns that an S/4 Hana skills deficit appears worse than it was 12 months ago Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Getting data analytics right

Organisations will need to marry the art and science of data analytics to drive innovation in their analytics initiatives, according to Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Managing the maritime ecosystem with graph technology

This is a guest blogpost by Ali I. Riaz, CEO of OrbitMI Maritime is one of the most important parts of our global supply chain. Ship owners, ship operators and the entire maritime ecosystem must ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Meta faces UK lawsuit over surveillance business model

The High Court case against Meta could set a precedent for millions of UK users to object to their personal data being collected and processed for advertising purposes Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Indefinite storage: What it is and why you might need it

Indefinite storage addresses the issue that archived data may need to be kept well beyond the lifespan of the technology it was written for Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

pagination

Pagination is the process of separating print or digital content into discrete pages. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna
• Ivy Wigmore

Why graph technology is for all our digital futures

This is a guest blogpost by Neo4j’s Jim Webber, who says graphs are a way of managing complexity that is all around us, so why not work with it directly? As DB Engines has been tracking, graph ... Continue Reading

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• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Oracle’s Steve Miranda on the value of turning inside out

In a Q&A with Computer Weekly at Oracle Open World, applications head Steve Miranda discussed the supplier’s opening out and its intensification of an industry cloud approach, signally with healthcare Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Does application modernisation mean what you think it means?

Most people in IT probably think they know what application modernisation is. For many it involves application refactoring - rebuilding the app using technologies such as containers and ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

AI accountability held back by ‘audit-washing’ practices

Algorithmic auditing will be useless in holding artificial intelligence accountable until there are common standards, approaches and goals that scrutinise systems at each stage of development and deployment, says think-tank Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

What are the top benefits of knowledge management?

A proper knowledge management strategy can help organizations boost document security, increase employee efficiency and decrease frustration in searches for digital assets. Continue Reading

By

• Reda Chouffani, Biz Technology Solutions

Three things to avoid doing with AI in a recession, and what to do instead

This is a guest post by Shaun McGirr, EMEA RVP of AI Strategy, Dataiku Some companies see AI as a tool to help them do what they already do at lower cost or faster, while others see AI as something ... Continue Reading

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• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Cyber criminals target World Cup Qatar 2022

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the FIFA World Cup opens in Qatar, we examine the cyber security threats from criminals targeting the event. We report from the Gartner Symposium on the latest predictions for enterprise software development. And we talk to the CIO of Kyiv City Council about managing IT in the shadow of war. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Why robots will make work more human

Smart technology should be about making people’s lives easier, freeing them up for judgement-based tasks and giving them the data and information they need for smart decision-making Continue Reading

By

• George Lynch and Jason Pyle

How Singapore’s OCBC is harnessing open source

OCBC using the OpenShift container platform to modernise its applications, reduce its reliance on proprietary software and deliver new business capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CW APAC: Trend Watch: Artificial intelligence in APAC

Artificial intelligence is becoming more commonplace across business. In this handbook, focused on the adoption of the technology in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at what still stands in its way, Dell’s deep learning model, how AI can realise its potential in healthcare, and the pros and cons of using AI and ML applications in the cloud. Continue Reading

AI adopted without due consideration for workers, MPs told

MPs have been warned that the rapid roll-out of artificial intelligence in workplaces has changed UK enterprises’ management practices so much that current employment law is no longer fit for purpose Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NHS trust that deleted up to 90,000 emails cleared of deliberately concealing evidence

A tribunal found in a high-profile case brought by whistleblower Chris Day that an NHS trust had not deliberately concealed evidence when a director deleted up to 90,000 emails before he was due to testify Continue Reading

By

• Tommy Greene

Informatica CEO: ‘We’re the Switzerland of data’

Informatica CEO Amit Walia talks up the company’s role as the ‘Switzerland of data’, helping organisations to manage data across different platforms as it transitions into a cloud-first supplier of data management tools Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget