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
10 May 2021
Server-side licensing leads to hike in public cloud prices
Changes made over the last year or so to protect open source revenue streams is starting to impact public cloud managed service costs Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2021
Why ITAM can aid IT-fuelled business recovery
As a sense of normality returns, we look at why IT asset management is the stealth tool for clearing a path towards greater digitisation Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2021
Grafana Labs switches open source licensing to stem strip-mining tactics
Public cloud providers have been accused of strip-mining open source products, offering them as managed services, cutting a valuable revenue Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2021
UK fintech investment hits new heights as government announces increased support
The UK fintech sector saw high levels of investment in the first quarter of this year, with increased support from the government Continue Reading
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E-Zine
13 Apr 2021
The evolution of RPA
In this week’s Computer Weekly, our latest buyer’s guide looks at the future of robotic process automation (RPA). Google’s legal victory against Oracle over the use of Java APIs has huge significance for software developers. And we find out how expectations of IT have grown as firms prepare for the post-Covid workplace. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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12 Apr 2021
US court issues Google API with Java ruling
US Supreme Court rules that specifying an API function call to enable third-party developers to access functionality should not be copyrighted Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2021
Microsoft accused of stifling secondhand software market
In 2012, UsedSoft won a case for second user software, which has enabled the market to grow across Europe. But it is now under threat Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2021
US court issues Google API with Java ruling
US Supreme Court rules that specifying an API function call to enable third-party developers to access functionality should not be copyrighted Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2021
Clarification needed on IT ‘super-deduction’ allowance
Chancellor announces that companies investing in qualifying new plant and machinery assets will be able to claim a ‘super-deduction’ allowance Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Feb 2021
How colocation fits alongside a cloud-native architecture
IT departments are on a cloud-native roadmap to become more agile, but they are constrained by the risks involved in migrating core systems and data Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Feb 2021
Why Brexit will make software licence transfers and database copyright harder for UK firms
Brexit will make it more difficult for UK companies to sell unused software licences and to enforce their database rights in Europe. Firms will face a legislative disadvantage over AI-generated databases Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Feb 2021
Audi fine-tunes its digital performance to boost online car sales
In this week’s Computer Weekly, the digital chief at Audi UK discusses how the carmaker is tackling the slump in new car sales. One of the largest global malware botnets has been taken down, but how much of a blow will it be for cyber criminals? And we hear how one county council made huge savings on its SAP installation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2021
CIO interview: Deryck Mitchelson, director of digital, NHS Scotland
We speak to NHS Scotland’s head of digital about the IT to help ease the pressure on the health service, which has intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2021
How Nottinghamshire County Council saved loads of money on SAP
The council was paying £100,000 a year just to keep ECC patches up to date and needed to find savings to support frontline services Continue Reading
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Opinion
07 Jan 2021
The five tenets of quality ITAM
At the end of last year we looked at some of ITAM’s failings. This time we explore how to improve ITAM Continue Reading
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Opinion
21 Dec 2020
HANA or ‘na’?
With alternatives abundant, many organisations are holding off on enterprise software upgrades Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Dec 2020
What is wrong with ITAM?
IT asset management should be an important pillar in an organisation's digital transformation journey, but it doesn't seem to be working Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2020
Lancashire police integrate body-worn video into digital policing app
Body-worn video integration will transform Lancashire police’s time-consuming and manual procedures into an efficient digital workflow, but claims that BMV will increase transparency and accountability are not backed by the evidence Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2020
Robots taking jobs, but creating careers
Robotic process automation developers tell Computer Weekly about the job they never expected to be doing Continue Reading
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News
24 Nov 2020
Three options for next year’s IT strategy
CIOs are under pressure to reduce costs, but they also need to modernise applications and help their businesses return to profitability Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2020
Cut jobs or cut software spending?
With little or no growth in IT budgets, IT chiefs will be tasked with cutting costs in 2021. Improving IT asset management can help to avoid job cuts Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Oct 2020
Forrester: Why tagging should be used to manage hybrid assets
With complex hybrid environments, there is a need to apply IT asset management best practices across cloud and on-premise systems Continue Reading
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E-Zine
20 Oct 2020
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
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News
06 Oct 2020
Coronavirus raises the software audit stakes
IT asset managers say they are receiving more requests from software publishers to check for licence discrepancies Continue Reading
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Blog Post
01 Oct 2020
Considerations for 2021 IT budget
With the start of the fourth quarter IT leaders are likely to be scratching their heads, to figure out where best to spend whatever IT budget has been allocated for next year. No one could have ... Continue Reading
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News
29 Sep 2020
Over two million Brits using open banking
Data shows more than two million people in the UK are now taking control of their financial data through open banking Continue Reading
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News
25 Sep 2020
Tips on breaking free from long-term IT contracts
Far-reaching, multi-year contracts are less popular these days, but IT departments often find the renewal date is still years away Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2020
Green Cargo extends Rimini contract to keep legacy SAP backend running
Mainframe and SAP to provide systems of record, with real-time data for new digitisation initiatives, built on multi-cloud, RPA and low-code platforms Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2020
Hyundai-Kia expands Rimini Oracle contract to regional offices
Car manufacturer expands its existing third-party support contract. Savings will help fund autonomous and electric car development Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
HotelBeds uses API management platform to reduce cost
HotelBeds has switched from its legacy suppler to a licensed service in an effort to reduce API management costs after traffic doubles Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Inside Juniper’s radical IT transformation
Western Australia’s aged care provider Juniper embarked on an aggressive strategy to completely transform its IT operations in just two years Continue Reading
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News
04 Aug 2020
Nordic enterprises look for SAP price reductions as they navigate Covid-19
Businesses in the Nordics are using SAP Cloud Platform to address Covid-19 challenges and are also seeking price reductions Continue Reading
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News
03 Aug 2020
Private equity leads Nordic IT sector consolidation
Private equity firms and industrial giants are triggering mergers and acquisitions in the Nordic tech sector as investment slows amid the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2020
HSBC chooses AWS for public cloud business operations
HSBC will use a cloud platform from Amazon Web Services across its business operations to accelerate its public cloud use Continue Reading
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News
10 Jul 2020
Executive interview: Toyota’s Melody Ayeli on the significant role of ITAM
Melody Ayeli recently took on the post of chair of the newly formed ITAM Forum. She believes ITAM is crucial for successful IT operations Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2020
Google commits to protecting open source projects
Initiative to trademark projects aims to stop public cloud providers from offering their own managed service version of open source code Continue Reading
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News
30 Jun 2020
Economic slowdown will force CIOs to redress SaaS pricing
Business will need to work more efficiently and spend less, which means CIOs will need to forge new value-based partnerships with IT suppliers Continue Reading
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News
23 Jun 2020
ITAM Forum aims to raise the bar on tech management
Knowing what is deployed is the first step in any transformation exercise, and a strong IT asset management practice lowers risk Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Dutch Covid-19 tracking app stirs national debate
Privacy concerns raised over mobile app to help track and control the spread of coronavirus in the Netherlands Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2020
The growing stature of open source in APAC
From being users of open source software to contributing their own codes to the community, enterprises in Asia-Pacific are becoming active participants in the open source ecosystem Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Apr 2020
How APAC firms are coping with the Covid-19 outbreak
The air of change looms large in companies operating in the Asia-Pacific region, with some doing better than others in keeping the lights on amid the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading
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E-Zine
07 Apr 2020
Adapting IT to the new normal
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to four top IT leaders to find out how they are supporting their organisations through the coronavirus crisis. We look at the security best practices recommended by experts to ensure safe remote working for staff. And the CISO of Equifax explains why the firm is moving to public cloud. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2020
Singapore government to open source contact-tracing protocol
Singapore’s Government Technology Agency is contributing the source codes of the BlueTrace protocol that powers its contact-tracing app Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2020
Swedish municipalities test AI to drive efficiencies and cost savings
Research in Sweden measures the benefits of using artificial intelligence in local government operations Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Mar 2020
The future of open source licences is changing
The Open Source Insider blog on Computer Weekly recently asked industry experts for their views on the future of open source licensing Continue Reading
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News
23 Feb 2020
Australian government inks sourcing deal with Rimini Street
The whole-of-government agreement will provide Australian government agencies with easier and cheaper access to third-party software support Continue Reading
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News
19 Feb 2020
Questions raised over Office 365 shared content policy
Buried 300 words into Microsoft’s standard service level agreement is a clause that affects intellectual property and privacy Continue Reading
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10 Feb 2020
Oracle customers complain of cloud coercion
In December, Oracle won its day in court – but a poll reveals a sales tactic based on audit threats combined with heavy cloud discounts. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
06 Feb 2020
The cloud deal question that follows on from an Oracle audit
On 17 December 2019, the US District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose Division, dismissed the 2018 class action case brought by the City of Sunrise Firefighters’ Pension Fund ... Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2020
Oracle customers complain of cloud coercion
In December, Oracle won its day in court – but a poll reveals a sales tactic based on audit threats combined with heavy cloud discounts Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2020
Lloyds Banking Group to create digital workplace with Microsoft
Bank is transforming how its staff work as part of a multibillion-pound digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
Government distances itself from Post Office decisions in Horizon IT litigation
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy says it did not make decisions in the Post Office’s recent court battle Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
Royal Bank of Canada gives Mencap a ‘leg-up’ in automating processes
UK charity gets help from Canadian bank in a collaboration aimed at creating a robotic workforce Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2020
With friends like AWS, who needs an open source business?
AWS executive’s remarks over the company’s exploitation of open source has put a question mark over the viability of open source businesses Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
European Court of Justice rules that under-licensing is IP theft
Ruling from the European Court of Justice says that French mobile operator, Free Mobile, infringed the copyright of software company IT development Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2019
AWS hits back at open source theft allegations
New York Times accuses the public cloud provider of taking open source products and integrating them into its own managed services Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Nov 2019
Digital advancement means we're measuring the economy wrong
When accountants work out how much UK business is investing in the future, it's stuck in a world of depreciated assets – ignoring the huge changes brought about by cloud and software as a service Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2019
Businesses move key applications off public cloud to save costs
A new study has shown that while many enterprises are able to keep public cloud costs under control, spending can quickly escalate Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Nov 2019
How Sporting Group tackles the Rugby World Cup
Sporting Group has readied its system monitoring to ensure the technology is able to cope with the huge demand for bets during the Rugby World Cup final Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2019
Public cloud computing is early on its journey to core of the bank
Banks are no longer reluctant to use the cloud as the technology pierces the outer layer of the banking sector and begins its journey to the core Continue Reading
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News
02 Oct 2019
John Lewis Partnership sells its automation to business
The John Lewis Partnership will expand its use of automation technology as its early projects bear fruit Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2019
Why CIOs should take extra precautions when buying IT support
With the continued squeeze on IT budgets, CIOs are always seeking ways to reduce their outgoings. Maintenance is one area where substantial savings can be made, but opting for third-party support requires careful assessment Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2019
Inside NatWest Ventures
NatWest Ventures is helping NatWest bank to remain relevant to its SME businesses customer community through digital innovation Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2019
Why it makes sense to use a third party to keep the IT lights on
Keeping operational systems running is a full-time job, but as systems get older, they end up being out of support Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2019
Nationwide Building Society harnesses low-code platform
Software development platform makes it quicker to build apps Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2019
Dutch virtual reality can help reduce teacher shortage worldwide
Dutch lecturer uses virtual reality to improve teaching and developments are being watched by the Teachers Task Force of Unesco Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2019
APAC enterprises warm to S/4 Hana
SAP customers in Asia-Pacific are assessing migration options in the run-up to 2025, when the German software giant will stop supporting older ERP applications Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2019
How IT departments can upskill in the new economy
There is a skills crisis. Traditionally, IT has outsourced to fill the skills gap, but in the gig economy, there are new approaches to sourcing technical skills Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2019
European fintech investment continues to grow as global investment falls
European countries are continuing to see significant growth in financial technology investment as total global investment decreases Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2019
Dutch province pioneers no-code platform
Software development platform removes the need for expert programmers when adding functionality to applications Continue Reading
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News
09 Aug 2019
Huawei mobile IoT OS ready to plug Android gap
Huawei is positioning its microkernel-based, distributed HarmonyOS mobile operating system as a true competitor to both Android and iOS Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2019
Six Nordic banks form alliance to offer KYC as a service
Nordic Know Your Customer joint venture will create a common Nordic platform based on advanced data management technologies Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2019
Deutsche Bank’s public contraction is a major landmark for fintech
German bank is cutting costs overall but is investing more in the latest digital technology as fintechs chip away at banking business Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2019
UN resolution ignores special rapporteur’s call for halt to spyware sales
UN’s Human Rights Council adopts resolution to explore the impact of new and emerging digital technologies on human rights, but the text ignores a damning report by the council’s own expert on freedom of expression Continue Reading
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09 Jul 2019
Confusing cocktail of document licensing in SAP’s Hana strategy
SAP wants its customers to migrate from ECC to Hana and its cloud offering and is also putting forward a new, “ambiguous” document licensing scheme Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Jul 2019
Steering a voyage to the cloud at Maersk
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how the world’s largest shipping company, Maersk, is steering a course to public cloud. We analyse SAP’s latest attempts to ease customers’ software licensing concerns. And we hear how one London borough, Hackney, is taking a lead in transforming digital government across the capital. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2019
Confusing cocktail of document licensing in SAP’s Hana strategy
SAP wants its customers to migrate from ECC to Hana and its cloud offering and is also putting forward a new, “ambiguous” document licensing scheme Continue Reading
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Opinion
13 Jun 2019
SAP Document Licensing for Indirect Access: The risks that still won't go away
SAP introduced a new licensing scheme last year to reflect indirect access to its system from third-party systems based on document licensing Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2019
SAP extends Hana’s reach beyond enterprise applications
The benefits of Hana Cloud Services are clear to Asia-Pacific customers, although actual adoption will boil down to cost Continue Reading
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Podcast
07 May 2019
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 14
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload, editor-in-chief Bryan Glick joins Brian McKenna and Caroline Donnelly to discuss the technology used in BBC drama Line of Duty, the latest twists and turns in the Huawei saga, and open source cloud trends Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2019
Stockholm prospers as tech hub as perceptions of entrepreneurs changes
Stockholm has thrived as a tech startup hub after out-of-date attitudes to entrepreneurs changed Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2019
Google slams public cloud rivals over 'mistreatment' of open source community
Google Cloud has committed to forging closer ties with the open source community, while hitting out at its competitors for not doing enough to support it Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2019
Why you need to link licensing tools to HR
IT can be pretty good at setting up a PC for a new joiner, but what happens when someone leaves? How do you delete their cloud access? Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2019
Welsh government buys Microsoft Office 365 for teachers and pupils
The Welsh government will provide Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus across 1,521 maintained schools in Wales Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2019
Consumers still important as Dutch satnav pioneer maps B2B future
TomTom is focusing on the business-to-business sector, but its consumer base is an important part of its strategy Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2019
Middle East countries accelerate quantum computing research
Gulf countries must invest in quantum computing research to ensure they continue to to remain digital pioneers Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2019
The web turns 30: from proposal to pervasion
The web is celebrating its 30th anniversary, but can it remain true to its founder’s vision? Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Mar 2019
Choosing the right kind of hybrid cloud management
We look at the various factors businesses should consider when looking to solve their cloud management problems Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Feb 2019
Counting the costs of IaaS and SaaS
Cost management is a priority for organisations seeking to use infrastructure and software as a service Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2019
Redis Labs swaps out open source to protect against public clouds
While Redis remain open source, higher value modules are now covered by a commercial agreement which limits commercialisation of Redis-based products Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Feb 2019
Steering a safe course through hybrid cloud
We look at why hybrid cloud can create a tricky infrastructure to manage Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2019
Coders and developers: The new heroes of the network?
Cisco is moving towards a software-based future. We chatted to Susie Wee, founder and leader of Cisco developer and innovation programme, DevNet, to find out how she is helping to enable this change Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2019
Australian government turns to Rimini Street for software support
A slew of Australian government agencies have switched out SAP and Oracle maintenance contracts for third-party support services Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2019
Google petitions Supreme Court to reconsider Android Java ruling
Google’s legal chief claims Oracle’s copyright ruling on Java software interfaces will damage software development Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2019
AWS pushes MongoDB compatible alternative as licences change
They probably didn't see that coming... MongoDB's switch to server-side licensing may have backfired, as AWS launches an API-compatible version Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2019
Microsoft takes community approach to artificial intelligence in Sweden
Microsoft is making increasing use of artificial intelligence in Sweden as it shares experiences with the development community Continue Reading
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News
01 Jan 2019
SAP user group’s Cooper: Indirect licensing progress welcome but slow
SAP UK&I User Group chair Paul Cooper on the state of play between SAP and users: sanguine about end of ECC6; S/4 adoption growth steady, indirect licensing still an issue; and C/4 remains unknown Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2018
Microsoft raises cloud prices for Australian enterprise customers
Despite the price hike, Microsoft claims its Azure service remains competitively priced, with opportunities for additional savings Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2018
Asean firms dive into microservices for competitive edge
While microservices has become a buzzword linked with digital transformation, it is no magic bullet for development woes Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2018
How to manage software auditor independence
A recent report has shown that the Big Four audit firms often work for the major software providers to conduct software licence audits Continue Reading