Networking and communication

Pet project: How Pets at Home cares for customers with data analytics

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the chief data officer of Pets at Home, about using data analytics to care for customers. British Airways had its GDPR fine reduced to just £20m – we ask what this means for data protection regulation. And we look at GPT3, the language prediction tool that could revolutionise AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

BT brings out RCS business messaging to UK customers

Telco announces that platform based on next generation of rich mobile messaging is now through early-stage pilots and is available for businesses to enhance customer experience Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Nokia chalks up new Finnish 5G win

Global comms tech provider selected by Finnish joint venture to supply 5G radio network equipment including deployment and managed services Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Chatbots will not replace call centre agents

Chatbots have not lived up to their promises and are better poised to support call centre agents in the blended realm of customer service and employee collaboration, says a regional Avaya executive Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Scotland gets gigabit broadband funding boost

Agreement will help rural areas get gigabit-capable broadband connections, with first tranche of £6m to connect hundreds of public sector buildings across Angus, Dundee, and Perth & Kinross Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Taylor Construction successfully trials 5G for high-tech applications

5G use cases established for Australian-based construction company claiming 20x the performance of 4G with 5G, making next-gen in-field applications possible Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Project Endeavour gets in gear to begin first public autonomous vehicle trials

Government-backed autonomous vehicle consortium adds new partners and begins field trials in three major UK cities Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Orange Belgium reveals first 5G innovations in Port of Antwerp

Augmented field operators and connected tugboats are potential use cases as applications based on next-generation network aim to go full steam ahead at Belgian port Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Saudi Arabian authorities work with Chinese IT giants on digital goals

Saudi Arabia has signed two agreements with Chinese IT suppliers as it strives to deliver its ambitious programme to diversify its economy Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Maturing O-RAN set to have 75% market share by 2030

Analyst confident of prospects for comms technology enabling multi-supplier interoperability for innovations and reducing time to market for deploying new network functionality Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Protecting remote workers an opportunity to do security better

Securing the fully remote workforce has been a challenge for IT teams, but it presents an opportunity to commit to a higher standard of cyber security, according to a Cisco report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

O2 makes further expansion to UK 5G network

Almost exactly a year after it switched on 5G in the UK, O2 takes next-gen network locations into treble figures and eyes up business use cases Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Iron Mountain scales global connectivity collaboration with Telia Carrier

Enhanced global network in APAC, EMEA and North America aims to deliver increased high-performance network diversity for datacentre customers Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Composable, an IoT infrastructure paradigm with potential

Composable infrastructure can stand up and down virtual servers depending on the varying needs of workloads. Learn why composability is a good for IoT. Continue Reading

By

• Alan R. Earls

5G drives Ericsson in third quarter

Increased demand for next-generation architectures in key territories boost third quarter for Swedish comms tech giant, as it inks national infrastructure network deal to deliver 5G speed and network capacity in domestic arena and Estonia Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Qualcomm teams with Verizon and Ericsson to set 5G speed benchmark, boosts 5G offering

Comms carrier and tech companies continue to drive advancements in 5G technology using aggregation technology on mmWave spectrum while new portfolio of 5G RAN platforms aims to enable a new generation of cellular networks Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Financial services staff want work-from-home policies to continue after Covid

About half of workers in the finance sector want their employers to retain remote working policies brought in during the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Why securing the DNS layer is crucial to fight cyber crime

Domain name system security is often overlooked by organisations, but focusing on this layer could actually improve the effectiveness of cyber security strategies. We explore the latest DNS trends and best practice Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Microsoft takes Azure above the clouds

It recently tested a datacentre at the bottom of the sea – now Microsoft is heading into space to offer satellite connectivity Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Verizon goes global with private 5G network

US comms giant spreads wings to offer private 5G capabilities to enterprises in Europe and Asia-Pacific deal Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

AT&T taps Nokia to drive CBRS-enabled Industry 4.0 private networks

US comms giant aims to accelerate its ambitions to support advanced communications in manufacturing and industry Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Why is IBM splitting in two and what does it mean for CIOs?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, IBM is splitting in two, hiving off its services business to focus on hybrid cloud – we examine what it means for CIOs. Our new buyer’s guide looks at how intelligent workload management can cut cloud complexity. And we analyse how getting backup right can help tackle ransomware threats. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Almost two-thirds of cell sites set to deploy open RAN by 2026

With diversity in communications technology supply set to accelerate, open RAN will come to the fore and research suggests that enterprise small cells will be a key factor in its deployment Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Global operator revenue to be buoyed by 5G over next five years

Research firm presents more evidence dispelling fears of pandemic preventing roll-out of next-generation networks Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

EU contact-tracing app interoperability gateway goes live

European Union goes live with project developed to ensure that member states’ apps will work seamlessly across borders, so users will only need to install one app for use across EU Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Compare low-power Wi-Fi protocols and their roles in IoT

Wi-Fi means more than faster speeds. Low-power Wi-Fi will help companies improve the efficiency of their IoT deployments, thanks to longer signal range and power consumption features. Continue Reading

By

• David Jacobs, The Jacobs Group

Four Decades Of Ethernet!!!!

It may be an anniversary that passed people by in the current bizarre climes, but "good old" Ethernet recently celebrated its 40th birthday. I don't think any vendors released a special 40Gbps ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

UK government hits superfast target but many still experience poor broadband

National Audit Office report says government’s target to roll out faster gigabit coverage nationwide by 2025 will be difficult to achieve for the hardest-to-reach premises Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Small businesses’ remote working frustrations threaten exodus of best talent

While large firms mull massive investment to return to offices, over a quarter of European small business workers would switch jobs to somewhere better equipped for remote working Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

KDDI, Orange start engine on connected automotive IoT services

Toyota and Mazda to use connected car capabilities for improved customer experience in connected car platform covering 63 European territories Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Jersey launches contact-tracing app

Irish software developer NearForm adds Channel Island to its list of customers for mobile proximity app technology Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Employees demand greater ownership and choice in the ‘new normal’ of work

Cisco survey shows flexible future for work, with three-quarters of UK office workers wanting to choose whether to work from home or office, and manage their hours Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Employees demand office redesign for new hybrid work environment

Global study by visualisation and collaboration technology provider says employees worldwide are desperate to get back to the office and want their employers to invest in a tech-driven environment Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

US Elections: Malicious internet domains spike as campaigns heat up

Internet domains related to the US presidential election are 56% more likely to be malicious than regular ones Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cheaper and more available smartphones set to drive 5G adoption surge

Arrival of 5G-enabled iPhones, particularly in Europe and North America, along with momentum in China, to push worldwide 5G connections to 3.6 billion by 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK firms find obstacles to unlocking full potential of Edge

Survey finds almost of half of UK IT leaders in the UK are already actively using Edge technologies to deliver new outcomes and business value, but 87% of ITDMs are missing key skills to unlock the value of data Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Nokia claims big win in small cells for Chunghwa Telecom 5G net

Leading Taiwanese mobile operator becomes first in its country to deploy 5G non-standalone network powered by Nokia radio technology Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

DBS to deploy IBM z15 mainframes

Singapore’s DBS Bank has signed a seven-year deal with IBM to run and modernise mission-critical applications on z15 mainframes Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

What are some VPN alternatives for remote access?

VPN security has its imperfections, especially when tracking user data and online activity. Some VPN alternatives may provide different security elements for users. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

O-RAN ready to rocket to be worth $47bn by 2026

Industry analyst predicts rapid expansion for open radio access network over the next six years Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

5G set to add $8tn to global GDP by 2030

Research from leading global telecommunications technology provider finds that despite the economic challenges of Covid-19, a global boom in 5G investment will see 71% of companies invest in it over the next five years Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

BT expands digital workplace portfolio with Zoom

New carrier agreement with conferencing provider Zoom designed to allow BT to offer a managed service with integrated networking to ensure optimal user experiences Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How to build a resilient network design

Everything fails eventually, even in networking. Enterprises can prepare for network failure by building resilience and redundancy into their network infrastructure design. Continue Reading

By

• John Cavanaugh, BlueAlly

Nokia, Ericsson score 5G tech wins with Orange, Proximus

Centre of politics becomes centre of 5G activity as incumbent telcos tap Nordic comms giants to build out next-generation infrastructures Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Dryad Networks gains funding for large-scale wildfire detection IoT network

Forest management startup gains seed fund to develop internet of things technology for what it says is the dawn of the digital forest Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

CMA asks for right to probe O2/Virgin merger

Competition and Markets Authority requests right to probe potentially game-changing joint venture that could transform UK’s wired and wireless communications provision Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Cisco, Qwilt and Digital Alpha launch open caching CDN for service providers

Consortium of tech providers introduce new model for media delivery using open caching architecture, claiming ‘unprecedented’ levels of quality with open, global APIs Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Quarter of remote workers fail to engage with tech teams

Research reveals a burgeoning IT-employee divide among the growing ranks of remote workers, but the root causes have yet to be examined fully Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

The UK switches on to mobile contact tracing

Long overdue and attracting descriptions ranging from ‘essential’ to ‘cherry on the cake’, the UK’s contact-tracing app is now widely available – but where will further developments lead? Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

5G to fore as Vodafone, Immense join Midlands Future Mobility

UK telco and simulation platform provider join project to accelerate the development of cutting-edge transport technologies Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Singtel rolls out 5G trial network for enterprises

Singtel is providing enterprises with early access to its 5G standalone network at its testing facility to test and develop new 5G applications Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

5G regulation failures are a threat to UK’s national security

Defence Committee report on the security of 5G brands existing regulations outdated and unsatisfactory Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Edge computing challenges and ways to address them

Edge computing can reduce processing times and improve application performance, but the architecture has its issues. Here are eight challenges edge computing creates for the network. Continue Reading

By

• John Fruehe

More than four-fifths of global workforce rule out return to office full-time

With workforces demanding increased – if not permanent – home networking, research reveals CIOs’ top priorities in planning for new everywhere enterprise, specifically securing mobile devices, apps and users Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

5G technology could increase global economy by $1.5tn by 2030

Research commissioned by Huawei suggests next-generation networks can stimulate growth and drive productivity as the global economy recovers from Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

EE leads latest Opensignal UK mobile performance report

UK’s largest operator tops UK mobile quality survey measuring performance across four key use cases Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Firms expect nearly half of employees to be working from home by 2025

Global firms are increasingly putting their money where their mouths are when it comes to supporting remote working, as research shows firm evidence of a continued new normal Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Interdealer broker bets on BT for infrastructure

Market infrastructure provider Interdealer inks deal with BT, enabling enhanced customer experience, deeper insights and new compliance tools Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

O2 takes 5G to Germany’s biggest cities

Telefónica Germany says it is beginning a new era in mobile telephony in the country, allowing users to have ‘completely new dimensions of digitisation’ with next-generation networks Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Colt gallops to bring high-capacity bandwidth to UK’s major cities

Provider deploys network-to-network interfaces acquired via Livequote pricing portal to support UK broadband network to satisfy the increasing demand for high-bandwidth connectivity services Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

5PRING launches Green Innovation Challenge

5G testbed welcomes applicants from startups based in the West Midlands and beyond to cut carbon emissions Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

NE US regional contact-tracing app network adds New York, New Jersey states

Neighbouring regions become the third and fourth NE US states to tap leading Irish software developer for contact tracing app development work Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Nokia clocks up 100 5G deals and 160 commercial 5G engagements

Finnish comms tech giant says 5G deals and engagements validate its progress in strengthening mobile radio product portfolio as the transition to 5G continues Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Internet of things vital for post-Covid business success, says report

UK telco Vodafone launches report focused on the impact IoT is having on businesses at a time when their digital capabilities are being put to the test by the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

NCSC sees no ‘significant improvement’ in Huawei’s overall security practices

Annual report investigating perceived risks of Huawei’s involvement in parts of UK critical national infrastructure finds vulnerabilities and slow progress in remediation, but concludes that all perceived risks are manageable Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How AXA Investment Managers supports user experience through the ‘confinement’

The head of AXA IM’s proximity services discusses the importance of creating a digital experience during the lockdown in France Continue Reading

By

• Christophe Verducci

Darwin SatCom gets into gear with first UK commercial 5G, satellite autonomous vehicles test lab

Businesses can use lab to explore and trial next-gen connectivity for autonomous vehicles based on 5G and satellite communications, with O2-customised vehicles available to test proofs of concept Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How Ethernet became the world’s networking standard

Ethernet pioneer Bob Metcalfe outlines the technology’s early history, including the rivalry with IBM and what he did to convince people of the value of networks Continue Reading

By

• Anthony Caruana

Enea claims 15% increase in RAN capacity through machine learning

Covid-19 pandemic renewing operator focuses on extracting maximum capacity from 4G networks and machine learning, seen as providing a significant boost to capacity and cost-effectiveness Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Wipro and AWS open Sydney innovation centre

The Wipro-AWS Launch Pad will offer in-house technical expertise for Australian businesses as well as a physical studio to spearhead cloud adoption Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Ericsson deploys 3DExperience to boost product design as Elisa inks 5G core tech deal

Leading Swedish comms tech provider Ericsson begins deployment of 3D design engineering software platform for specific functional areas, taking a stepwise approach to its product lifecycle management transformation, just as Finnish telecoms operator Elisa signs up for 5G core solutions Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Norway leaves door open to Huawei

Government gives telecoms companies responsibility to choose their equipment suppliers, which could include Huawei Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Wi-Fi Vantage certification adds support for managed wireless advancements

Latest development from wireless collaboration forum see Wi-Fi 6 and WPA3 optimise and secure the Wi-Fi experience in managed networks Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Skoda Auto transforms network infrastructure to accelerate business growth

Car manufacturer upgrades network with campus networking systems as part of its 2025 digital transformation strategy Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

VMware wants to decouple the telco technology stack

VMware is trying to break the stranglehold of integrated technology stacks on telcos, but network equipment suppliers are not ceding ground Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Microsoft aims to sharpen edge, 5G deployment with Azure for Operators

IT and cloud giant announces partnership programme with telecommunications industry to more effectively enable the roll-out of next-generation networks Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Nokia nabs greater part of BT 5G infrastructure

As UK incumbent telco continues removing Huawei technology from its network, Finnish comms tech giant scores big Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Remote working world reveals cloud/SaaS security concerns

Research reveals pivotal moment when the cloud is playing a more important role than ever to support mass remote working, with CISO concerns over cloud security remaining stubbornly high Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Singapore to build 5G talent pipeline

Singapore’s telcos will start hiring and training about 1,000 telecoms professionals by year-end to support the deployment of 5G networks Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Network monitoring market converges with security analytics

As cyber attacks increase and enterprise networks require threat detection and protection, network monitoring and security analytics are converging for more comprehensive visibility. Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer English, Executive Editor

BT: UK government’s national fibre target could be missed by eight years

Government is in danger of not realising its full-fibre coverage broadband ambitions, says telco, which had identified seven key policy, legislative and fiscal enablers to get the plan back on track Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

NHS Covid-19 app exceeds 10 million downloads, but has teething troubles

Momentum of first-day download blitz continues over first weekend for long-awaited contact-tracing app as users make 1.5 million venue check-ins Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

SSE Enterprise Telecoms makes further investment in UK business connectivity, 5G

UK telco unbundles further 259 BT exchanges by the end of 2021 to significantly grow network, bringing total unbundled exchanges to 550 Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Government remains in orbit to develop UK sat nav

Despite experts’ doubts, government confirms it will continue to look at a wider range of options for a sovereign satellite navigation and timing capability Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

The new normal for collaboration in the new football season

After the Covid-19 lockdown cost the 2019/20 football season three months' absence, football is now a whole new ball game. Manchester City’s investment in network technology is one of its major signings Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Business leaders must use lessons of the present to get future-ready

Research reveals the impact of Covid-19 on the digital workplace, and how technology will enable new ways of working Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Digital safeguarding of physical workspaces can help employees return to 'normal'

Employees across all sectors are putting their trust in data – not just devices – upon their imminent return to physical workspaces Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

UK government sets up task force to address comms tech ‘market failure’

Digital secretary announces line-up of task force to advise on plans to open up and grow UK telecoms market following the decision to ban Huawei Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

West Midlands 5G, Transport for West Midlands unveil ‘revolutionary’ transport projects

After funding award to develop new products and services, comms and travel consortiums will launch 5G-enabled road and rail transport trials across the West Midlands Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

NHS contact-tracing app for England and Wales launches nationwide

Arriving over four months later than originally proposed, the much-delayed and much-criticised UK Covid-19 contact-tracing app is now available to download Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

State of Pennsylvania launches contact-tracing app

Leading Irish developer of contact-tracing technology, NearForm, bags second US state in a week with its Google and Apple API-based platform Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How FedEx sustains tech innovation

At the start of the Tibco Live virtual conference, FedEx CIO Rob Carter was asked how he helps the business drive innovation Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Klaxoon claims new visual standard for collaboration with Board

Teamwork and smart work technology provider takes advantage of lockdown to develop next-generation visual workspace with built-in videoconferencing Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Somerset schools set to benefit from free full-fibre broadband

As it continues its mission to develop its gigabit network, West Country full-fibre infrastructure provider gets local educational establishments enrolled on broadband fast lane Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Bush chucker challenge

A crack squad of Openreach engineers dispatched to investigate a Welsh village’s long-running broadband mystery has managed to pinpoint the unwitting culprits. “One morning during lockdown, we ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

Banks stall return-to-work plans as UK government changes advice

Banks pause plans to bring staff back to the office as the government backtracks on its policy Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Virgin hits 2.2Gbps broadband speeds in innovation trial

UK cable network reveals proof-of-concept trial to showcase multi-gigabit broadband speeds delivered without the need for additional infrastructure or civil engineering works Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

8x8 accelerates remote contact centre deployment for Sefton Council

Governing body for Merseyside council increases multi-channel communication to speed up first-call resolution and create a richer citizen experience with remote workers Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Bechtel joins CityFibre gigabit broadband roll-out scheme

Engineering, construction and project management firm supports step-change in mobilisation of build projects worth £1.5bn Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Gigamon partners with Nokia to accelerate 5G adoption

Purpose-built joint 5G solution launched to offer ‘breakthrough’ real-time analytics to enhance customer experience and maximise investment impact Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly