Software licensing
Software licensing can be a contentious and complex area for IT managers, but is essential to getting value from your software investments. While new models such as software as a service (SaaS), open source and freeware offer new ways to source software, auditing and compliance for your existing software estate remain an important part of IT governance. We analyse the latest trends in this important field.
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News
20 Nov 2024
Post Office to harness technology to automate scandal financial redress payments
Technology that could speed up financial redress for subpostmasters is being worked on in-house by the Post Office Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2024
Post Office project taking control of Horizon data from Fujitsu as part of messy split
The Post Office will no longer rely on Fujitsu for Horizon data past and present once cloud migration project is complete, in a major uncoupling of the 30-year relationship Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2024
MPs call for Post Office exclusion from compensation schemes, as trust hits rock bottom
Former subpostmasters and MPs do not trust the Post Office to do the right thing for victims of the Horizon IT scandal Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2024
‘Brutal’ decisions required to sort out Post Office mess, says select committee chair
Liam Byrne, chair of the business and trade select committee, tells Computer Weekly about the group’s focus on getting Horizon scandal victims what they are owed Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2024
Post Office prosecutions during Horizon go-live phase are ‘frightening’
The Post Office used subpostmasters as guinea pigs to test its software and take the rap for its errors Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2024
Perverting course of justice and contempt of Parliament: a week in post-drama Post Office scandal
As another week in the post-drama Post Office scandal passes, Computer Weekly looks at some of the key moments Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Feb 2024
Broadcom’s VMware acquisition explained: The impact on your IT strategy
In this guide, we look at Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware and how it influences your IT desktop, server, cloud and supplier management strategies Continue Reading
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E-Zine
27 Feb 2024
Microsoft’s ‘unfair’ cloud licensing under scrutiny
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine claims that Microsoft’s licensing policies are damaging competition in the cloud. Our latest buyer’s guide asks if hybrid cloud is now CIOs’ end goal, and not just an interim step on the journey. And we look at how the focus on customer experience is impacting the unified communications market. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2024
Unisys investigating potential involvement in controversial Post Office system
IT supplier wants to get to the bottom of its role in the distribution of the Post Office’s controversial Capture software, linked to potential wrongful convictions Continue Reading
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News
16 Feb 2024
Post Office IT insider and the software decision that lit the Horizon scandal
As the Post Office replaces its controversial Horizon software, a former Post Office IT executive describes disastrous mistakes of the past Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2024
Post Office CEO refused to meet government minister without her lawyer after 2015 Horizon report
Post Office statements on the Horizon system, whether to journalists or the government, were routinely carefully crafted by lawyers Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2024
More than 1,000 subpostmasters could have used second faulty Post Office system
More than 1,000 subpostmasters could have used a previous faulty computer system in their branches as more people come forward with information following Post Office scandal TV drama Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
Post Office scandal: Phase four’s rogues’ gallery
Phase four of the public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal revealed ‘a parade of liars, bullies, amnesiacs and arrogant individuals’ that made up the teams investigating and prosecuting subpostmasters Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2024
Defra legacy IT: 180 applications refreshed, over 1,500 remain
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has a 10-year plan to update technology. So far, 180 have been replaced or updated Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2024
User groups give SAP’s 50% Rise incentive the thumbs up
SAP has changed tack, after the furore over its intention to make certain features available only to Rise customers on SAP Cloud Continue Reading
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Opinion
30 Jan 2024
The shifting winds of SAP's cloud strategy
In 2023, SAP's strategic pivot towards cloud-centric innovation produced a wave of discontent among its vast on-premises customer base Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2024
Russian IT sector still under serious pressure
Russian IT sector faces challenges on multiple fronts as Western sanctions widen Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2024
GenAI tools ‘could not exist’ if firms are made to pay copyright
AI firm Anthropic hits out at copyright lawsuit filed by music publishers, claiming the content ingested into its models falls under ‘fair use’ and that any licensing regime would be too complex and costly Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
Fujitsu boss describes Post Office behaviour as 'shameful and appalling'
The UK head of Fujitsu said he does not know why the Post Office did not reveal information about Horizon software errors to defendants during prosecutions Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2024
Anger sparked by TV drama forces Fujitsu to put public sector contract bidding on hold
It is not just the UK government that has been forced to act quickly amid public anger, as a wounded Fujitsu stalls government contract bidding Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Jan 2024
AI will create a thousand Post Office scandals
Critical computing expert Dan McQuillan weighs in on the proliferation of artificial intelligence throughout the public sector and the potential this opens up for a slew of new IT scandals Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2024
Legal cases question IP in large language model training
Should the providers of commercial large language models licence content from content creators? The New York Times and Getty Images think so Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2024
Post Office scandal inquiry hits mainstream after dramatic start to year
Long-running statutory public inquiry restarts with hugely increased interest following ITV’s dramatisation of the two decades-long scandal Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2024
‘Hero’ subpostmaster accuses government of diversion tactics through ‘weaselly’ statistics
Campaigning subpostmaster calls out government’s use of ‘weaselly’ statistics to hide its slow progress Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2023
Broadcom drops VMware perpetual licences and support
Customers are being offered a big discount to migrate onto a VMware subscription service Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2023
SAP strategy: Why customers need an innovation plan
Rise appears to be the place where SAP has promised customers the latest innovations, raising the question of what happens to everyone else Continue Reading
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News
17 Nov 2023
Does third-party support make sense?
We speak to a Rimini Street customer about their experience of managing an Oracle ERP Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2023
Shawbrook Bank slashes mortgage processing time through low code
Specialist business lending and savings bank is using Pegasystems’ low-code platform to rewrite and automate the customer journey Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2023
Conflict of interest concerns raised over CMA's use of AWS UK public sector discount scheme
Less than a month after the CMA confirmed it would be investigating the competitive impact of AWS preferential pricing deals on the UK cloud market, data reveals the CMA is benefiting from cut-price Amazon cloud services Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2023
Post Office disclosure failures delay Horizon scandal inquiry again
Many of the 300,000 emails unearthed could be relevant to evidence from future and past witnesses in the Post Office scandal inquiry Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2023
NatWest taps IBM skills for generative AI
NatWest and IBM are developing generative AI capabilities to expand the capabilities of the bank’s virtual customer assistant Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2023
How much is enough to support those who maintain open source?
Without the ongoing work of developers, open source projects would become stale and riddled with unfixed bugs and security issues. We look at the issues of funding and fairness Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2023
ICO issues guidance on workplace surveillance
Guidance on employee monitoring covers how employers can conduct their digital surveillance lawfully, transparently and fairly, and warns against businesses intruding on their workers’ private lives Continue Reading
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Opinion
25 Sep 2023
Insights from launching a developer-led bank
A software developer's approach to building a bank in the digital age. Continue Reading
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News
23 Aug 2023
Six subpostmaster appeals to be heard in Scottish court
Scottish court will hear appeals against the convictions of six former subpostmasters based on evidence from a Post Office computer system Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2023
Red Hat CEO on AI moves and source code kerfuffle
Matt Hicks talks up Red Hat’s efforts to support generative AI adoption through OpenShift AI and weighs in on the issues surrounding the company’s decision to limit access to RHEL source code Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2023
TSB and Fintech Scotland lab open for applications
High street bank opens applications to its latest fintech programme in partnership with Fintech Scotland Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2023
SAP’s Klein sees $1tn market for AI business software
Enterprise software company embeds AI across product portfolio to improve efficiency in business processes Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2023
Brits are using healthcare apps without proper checks
As mobile health app acceptance increases, people are taking risks by using them without any advice from their medical professionals, finds survey Continue Reading
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News
27 Jun 2023
Oracle shifts database support goalpost
Oracle has updated its maintenance and support across its relational database family – we explore the implications Continue Reading
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Blog Post
23 Jun 2023
Doing much more, with even less to spend
The nature of IT means that there are numerous ways to achieve more-or-less the same result.Some options are technically superior; others may be lower cost or simpler to manage. With so much choice ... Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2023
Software spending grows fastest as finance firms spend $652bn on tech in 2023
Banks and investment firms are increasing their spending on IT despite gloomy economic outlook, but priorities have changed Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2023
Enterprise software price hikes risk derailing digital transformation
Buying software and cloud services for strategic initiatives is all very well as long as the price is stable. But costs are escalating, which is impacting value Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2023
Belgian bank leaps forward in digital transformation through core banking outsourcing deal
Online bank moves to a software-as-a-service core banking platform to ‘leapfrog’ in-house development Continue Reading
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Blog Post
18 May 2023
Legacy IT: A technical debt field of dreams
In Field of Dreams, while walking in his cornfield, Kevin Costner’s character hears a whisper: “If you build it, he will come,” which, without giving the plot away, inspires him to build a baseball ... Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2023
Defra's tech review reveals legacy IT issues across government
The Public Accoubts Committee recently found that Defra has been unable to measure inefficiencies due to running legacy IT Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2023
Defra’s legacy IT unsupported and ill-equipped for digital services
A Public Accounts Committee report has found many applications are based on legacy IT and paper-basd systems, holding back digitisation Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2023
Bing AI push rings in price change
Microsoft’s large investment in OpenAI has seen an expansion of AI in Bing. This appears to be reflected in new Bing API licensing Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2023
Lloyds Bank joins industry IT standards group
UK banking giant Lloyds Banking Group has joined an industry group which promotes global IT standards Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2023
Banks don’t want to develop fintech in-house
Banks are increasingly partnering with fintechs to gain access to their platforms, with few interested in developing such capabilities in-house Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2023
Controversial Fujitsu contract with Post Office extended after technical challenges moving to cloud
The Post Office has extended a contract with Fujitsu after being unable to resolve technical issues related to migrating its IT to the cloud Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2023
How millions of consumers and businesses are using open banking
SMEs and consumers are increasingly turning to open banking services to help them manage their businesses and lives Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2023
UK government study reveals 50,000 people employed in AI sector
Government publishes baseline analysis of UK artificial intelligence sector as it pins hopes on future growth Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2023
SolarWinds doubles down on APAC business
SolarWinds teams up with key systems integrators in the APAC region to develop joint offerings as it bolsters its capabilities in observability and autonomous operations Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2023
Fintech industry calls for regulatory change to help struggling consumers
Fintech trade body calls for regulatory changes to allow fintechs to broaden services for people struggling in the cost-of-living crisis Continue Reading
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News
03 Mar 2023
Shawbrook Bank uses Pegasystems for low-code business process rewrite
SME lending and savings bank Shawbrook Bank is using a low-code platform from Pegasystems to rewrite outdated business processes Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2023
Government announces national fintech hub
The UK Treasury has announced a centre for fintech innovation, two years after a major report recommended one Continue Reading
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News
23 Feb 2023
Oracle goes on hunt for Java non-compliance
Non-Oracle organisations warned to check if they comply with Java SE licensing after Oracle introduces radical changes Continue Reading
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News
23 Feb 2023
Santander SME platform harnesses Salesforce
Bank platform that helps UK small and medium-sized enterprises expand export opportunities is built on cloud technology from Salesforce Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2023
Seven million people in UK used open banking services in 2022
More than seven million people used services that harnessed open banking last year, with 1.2 million of these first-time users Continue Reading
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Podcast
16 Feb 2023
Enterprise open source: A Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast
We speak to Spotify’s open source tech lead, Per Ploug, on supplier relationship management in open source Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2023
Executive interview: Putting a value on open source
Spotify’s open source tech lead discusses why open source is failing those whose free time is dedicated to maintaining code Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2023
Former Fujitsu staff under police investigation to face Post Office IT scandal inquiry
Two former Fujitsu IT professionals being investigated for potential perjury will face Post Office Horizon public inquiry in May Continue Reading
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E-Zine
16 Jan 2023
CW EMEA: Protecting the privacy of schoolchildren
In this month’s CW EMEA, we look at how schools in Germany have stopped using Microsoft Office 365 over lack of clarity over how data is collected, shared and used. We also delve into how former UK spy boss Richard Dearlove leaked names of MI6 secret agent recruiters in China to back an aggressive right-wing US campaign against tech company Huawei. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2022
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
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News
30 Nov 2022
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
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Opinion
17 Nov 2022
Gartner: Three key tasks needed to decommission applications
A guide to slimming down a full portfolio of applications that are expensive to maintain and difficult to adapt to business needs Continue Reading
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News
03 Nov 2022
Russia risks shortage of PCs and software
Russian consumers and businesses could face a shortage of IT equipment including PCs and software Continue Reading
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E-Zine
27 Sep 2022
Making digital a key ingredient at Mondelez
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to snack giant Mondelez, the owner of Cadbury, about how AI and data are transforming its business. SAP is increasing support costs for the first time in years – we assess the impact on customers. And a Ukrainian tech CEO tells us how his company kept going despite the Russian invasion. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
14 Sep 2022
US to see huge increase in embedded finance transactions
Retailers and other non-financial businesses are increasingly offering their customers financial services, such as credit and payment options Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2022
Blancco works with charity to provide IT for African schools
Blancco is providing data sanitisation and erasure software to The Turing Trust so that old IT equipment can be securely reused by school children in Sub-Saharan Africa, instead of adding to world’s growing e-waste problem Continue Reading
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News
03 Aug 2022
Finnish AI Region drives digital growth in small businesses
Helsinki-based SMEs are being offered support and resources to help them get the best out of artificial intelligence technology to improve their operations and create services to sell Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Jul 2022
Learn the basics of SaaS licensing and pricing models
SaaS licensing can be tricky to navigate, and a wrong choice could cost you. To get it right, examine the different types of licenses and the main pricing models. Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2022
Legacy UK customs system stops accepting registration requests
HMRC closes new applications to legacy customs system as its shutdown nears Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2022
Fintech firm chooses Salesforce software to support growth
Revolut is to use Saleasforce software to support sales and marketing as part of its expansion plans Continue Reading
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Opinion
10 Jun 2022
Government wrong to pass the buck on computer evidence reform
IT expert James Christie tells Computer Weekly why he is disappointed that the government has no plans to change the rules on the use of computer evidence in court Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Jun 2022
Swedish entrepreneurs capture the world’s attention with eye-tracking technology
A growing number of killer apps are driving the uptake of eye-tracking systems – and Sweden is positioned to play a leading role Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2022
Prison and Probation Service’s tagging ambition ‘outstripped its ability to deliver’
HM Prison and Probation Service’s programme to transform the tagging of offenders has failed to deliver after software platform was scrapped Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2022
Heineken puts employees in charge of their own careers with new HR system
According to Sanne Noordam, head of SAP SuccessFactors in the Netherlands, companies need to look and listen more closely to the needs of employees in order to attract and retain them Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2022
How Rimini Street is growing its footprint in ASEAN
Rimini Street is expanding its reach in ASEAN as more companies, such as Malaysian carmaker Proton, look for cheaper software maintenance options Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2022
Most big businesses are taking up banking as a service
API-based banking services allow corporate customers to offer financial services without the need for heavy tech development or regulatory approval Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2022
How Carrefour is lowering its Oracle footprint
Migrating core business applications requires a multi-pronged approach, so what remains on-prem, and where does SaaS fit? Continue Reading
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News
02 Feb 2022
Nationwide Building Society streamlines digital onboarding through API
Building society is improving its digital onboarding process through application programming interface-based technology from a US startup Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Feb 2022
Finland brings cryostats and other cool things to quantum computing
Not only is Finland the clear leader in refrigeration technology for quantum computers, but it also leads in fundamental research into the underlying quantum information theory Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2022
Dutch software engineers join campaign for research funding
Software researchers from all over Europe are sounding the alarm: to maintain a strong international competitive position, more financial resources must be committed to software research Continue Reading
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Definition
25 Jan 2022
software audit
A software audit is an internal or external review of a software program to check its quality, progress or adherence to plans, standards and regulations. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2022
Twelve million jobs to be lost to automation in Europe by 2040
Millions of current jobs in Europe will be carried out by robots as software robots automate processes Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2022
Ikano Bank’s team of robots exceeds 2021 targets
How the Swedish bank’s robotic automation project reached its time-saving target with time to spare, automating 168 processes, creating an in-house RPA team and embedding automation in every department’s thinking Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Dec 2021
A trial relying on computer evidence should start with a trial of the computer evidence
Learning from the Post Office Horizon scandal - the most widespread miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2021
European finance firms increase open banking spend
Financial services firms are increasing investment in open banking capabilities, with improvements to payment initiation and onboarding capabilities expected Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2021
Can UAE become a world leader in AI?
The UAE has launched multiple programmes as it bids to be a world-leading location for artificial intelligence innovation Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2021
Stockholm and Copenhagen: Different IT innovation journeys, similar success
Swedish and Danish capitals have build compelling tech startup success stories, and now rub shoulders with the likes of San Francisco Continue Reading
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Blog Post
08 Oct 2021
Is it a Suite, Package, Bundle or Platform?
People have been selling collections of products and tools for centuries, and with the advent of commercial IT and off-the-shelf software, IT suppliers were quick to follow. There are various ways ... Continue Reading
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News
15 Sep 2021
Nordic central banks drive fintech and digital currency
Banks are working together through a cross-border financial technology development hub Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2021
Estonian government opens its digital heart to tech testers
Tech startups are being invited to build and test their products and services on the Estonian government’s IT estate for free, in return for use of the software developed Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2021
Thames Valley Police drops ERP system after spending £14m
Thames Valley Police exits tri-force programme to develop new enterprise resource planning software for the police Continue Reading
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News
13 Aug 2021
GoStudent: Europe’s newest edtech unicorn
Europe’s biggest ed-tech unicorn reaches unicorn status and tests sector traditions Continue Reading
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News
11 Aug 2021
Global fintech investments reach new heights
The global financial technology industry is emerging from the pandemic-triggered slowdown with record levels of investment to fuel further growth Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2021
TfL under fire for relying on Uber facial-verification data in licensing decisions
TfL is facing numerous legal appeals from Uber drivers as a result of its decisions to revoke their private licences on the basis of mistaken information from Uber’s systems Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2021
Fintech sector continues to attract investment as Revolut hits $33bn valuation
Revolut has become the most valuable financial technology firm in the UK after its latest round of investment, with plans for a ‘superapp’ Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2021
Klarna’s alumni thrive with new ventures after witnessing path to success
Former Klarna employees are using their experiences with the fintech giant to create the next wave of Swedish tech startups Continue Reading
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Definition
10 Jun 2021
reverse-engineering
Reverse-engineering is the act of dismantling an object to see how it works. Continue Reading