Unified communications
Unified communications (UC) is an umbrella term for the integration of multiple enterprise communication tools -- such as voice calling, video conferencing, instant messaging (IM), presence and content sharing -- into a single, streamlined interface, with the goal of improving user experience (UX) and productivity.. See complete definition.
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E-Zine
11 Nov 2021
CW Benelux: Dutch IT company rips up the HR rule book for better work-life balance
One Dutch tech firm has used learnings from the pandemic to rip up its HR rule book and implement an official work-from-home policy. In fact, Infolearn has gone further than hybrid working, with a personal mobility budget for staff and a four-day working week, all with retention of full-time salary. Also in this issue, read how Dutch education administrators appear to be underestimating the threat of cyber crime. Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2020
IT Priorities 2020: Benelux organisations and budgets focused on digital transformation
IT leaders in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg expect bigger budgets this year, with spending on digital transformation projects and related technologies being prioritised Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2020
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
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News
08 Oct 2020
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
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News
07 Oct 2020
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
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News
06 Oct 2020
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
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Opinion
01 Oct 2020
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
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News
25 Sep 2020
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
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News
25 Sep 2020
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
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News
25 Sep 2020
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
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News
24 Sep 2020
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
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News
22 Sep 2020
UDG Healthcare deploys AT&T, Cisco SD-WAN to gain intelligent edge
Global healthcare group deploys software-defined wide area network to create additional operational efficiencies Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2020
NBN Co pumps in A$700m to shore up business connectivity
Australia’s national wholesale broadband provider is creating up to 240 business fibre zones across the country to provide businesses with access to its enterprise ethernet service Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2020
Video to power the future of work culture
Research from leading video cloud providers show that more than two-thirds of workers want remote work options for the future Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2020
Remote workers lack appropriate tools to adapt to the new normal
Research finds that companies must proactively address the workflow and productivity challenges remote workers continue to face in order to drive greater productivity Continue Reading
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News
16 Sep 2020
SSE Enterprise Telecoms further extends 100Gbps capable network across the UK
New connections built to provide 100Gbps optical and Ethernet services will enable SSE Enterprise Telecoms to reach more than 90 datacentres across the UK Continue Reading
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News
15 Sep 2020
Staff recognise productivity value of tech investments
Two surveys, one conducted before the UK coronavirus lockdown, one after, show a shift in attitudes among employees towards modern IT Continue Reading
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News
11 Sep 2020
Zoom adds two-factor authentication for all users
Latest enhancements to Zoom security make it easier for organisations to protect users and prevent breaches and unauthorised meeting access Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Sep 2020
Webex vs. Zoom vs. Teams: Consider future needs, innovation
As organizations evaluate unified communications products from Cisco, Zoom and Microsoft, they should consider how the vendors are investing in their respective products. Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Two-fifths of UK small businesses claim productivity increases since lockdown
As UK government mulls programme to encourage big return to the office, survey finds that commuting time has been swapped for work time as homeworkers notch up almost a month in overtime Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2020
Enterprise WLAN market takes a tumble
Quarantines and lockdowns due to pandemic are presenting a headwind for the enterprise WLAN market, with falls in first quarter persisting over the next three months of the year Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2020
Mobile workers to form 60% of total US workforce by 2024
IDC offers more evidence of how Covid-19 has changed the face of work in the US, with CIO investment in mobile-based management and security systems to take precedence in 2020 and beyond Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2020
Zoom continues boom in second quarter
Lockdown breakout video conferencing provider continues hot streak through second quarter of 2020, racking up record revenues of over half a billion dollars Continue Reading
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News
19 Aug 2020
Zoom dials into Southeast Asia with Singapore datacentre
Zoom’s new Singapore datacentre is expected to shore up the performance of its conferencing tool and phone service in the city-state Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2020
Gigaclear to take on 120 engineers for rural broadband expansion
New full-time field engineers will join rural broadband provider’s in-house team by the end of March 2021 to increase company’s build capacity Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2020
Bayer taps Verizon for global network infrastructure
Pharmaceutical giant chooses Verizon to provide software-defined infrastructure to support its future cloud-based business needs Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2020
Poor connectivity sees home workers lose over half an hour of work a day
Business leaders reveal pressure of new normal with research revealing four-fifths of home workers experiencing unreliable internet connection while working from home, and nearly half having slow and/or unreliable internet connection Continue Reading
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News
07 Aug 2020
‘Inadequate’ broadband impacts bottom line for London’s SMEs
Research reveals as many as 85% of small businesses in UK capital do not know how fast their broadband speed needs to be for their business to thrive, and only two-fifths were able to transition to a fully online business model after Covid-19 hit Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Centrica calls on Vodafone 5G tech to assist delivery of gas storage facility
Gas supplier aims to address 1970s problems at Easington storage terminal with 21st century private 5G mobile network solution Continue Reading
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News
03 Aug 2020
Edge server shipments set to double by 2024
As business gets close to the edge, analyst predicts a ‘supercharged’ edge server market over the next five years driven by an associated boom in cloud services Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jul 2020
Tips for successful virtual sales and consulting meetings
Channel partners should learn to make the most of virtual sales and consulting meetings. Scott Ford of Pronesis Technology Group offers advice on tactics that work. Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
UK rural full-fibre broadband network expanded further
Over three million more homes and businesses in rural areas of the UK given the opportunity to get ultra-reliable, gigabit-ready, full-fibre broadband by mid-2020s Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2020
Enterprises experience ‘productivity tax’ as remote work environments set for long term
Remote work productivity tracker shows employee productivity has dipped in certain regions and use cases since the advent of Covid-19, perhaps permanently Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2020
O2 gains KPMG mandate to meet new demand for remote working
O2 will provide connectivity tools to help support professional services provider’s operational activity Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2020
Ofcom to free up additional spectrum for wireless services
Regulator takes steps to boost home network users who are now in their home offices and will be there for a considerable period of time Continue Reading
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News
27 Jul 2020
Hybrid working becomes the new collaboration imperative
New report reveals that ‘astutely’ navigating work practices, spaces and culture will help respond to crisis, redefine the purpose and reinvent the future of work Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2020
UK government ignored civil service warning of no benefit in acquisition of OneWeb
Civil service revealed to have taken the rare step of alerting government that $500m investment in troubled satellite company would bring no discernible benefit Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2020
Slack takes legal route against ‘weak, copycat’ Teams
Microsoft could be set for another joust with the EU, as its rival, Slack, files an anti-competitive complaint Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2020
Manchester City Council deploys 8x8 to maintain remote services
One of the UK’s largest local government authorities implements cloud-based communications system to keep critical services running while keeping agents safe during UK lockdown Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2020
US remote workers take significant productivity hit through IT disruption
Analysis of remote employee experience and digital workplace post-Covid finds enterprise remote workers have encountered long wait times to address IT and other technical issues Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2020
Global business leaders comfortable if not fully prepared for large-scale shift to remote work
Riverbed survey shows new technology investments are expected to enhance corporate performance and wellness as employees increasingly work from anywhere and employers adopt hybrid working models Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2020
Three areas of remote working to consider
A number of tech firms have used the shift to working from home, to develop new product offerings. We look at the IT impact Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2020
‘Future-ready’ attributes key to business resiliency beyond Covid-19, says Vodafone
Social responsibility, sustainability and purpose remain essential as consumers demand clearer commitments, with broadening employer diversity and increasing workplace flexibility key to address growing skill gaps Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2020
Unified communications experiencing fastest growth ever in the midst of Covid-19
Customer interest in UCaaS spikes 86% during the Covid-19 pandemic as firms across all industries modernise communications systems for the new normal Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2020
Verizon tailors BlueJeans conferencing functionality, inks IBM 5G IoT deal
Newly acquired video-conferencing suite gets feature enhancements as Verizon inks IBM partnership to focus on enabling industrial productivity in 5G-enabled IoT technologies Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
More than 90% of UK’s fixed lines meet the challenges of working from home
Study from network benchmarking firm Umlaut reveals that despite fears over whether UK networks could cope with mass remote working, only very few fixed-connection users faced limitations Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2020
Zoom zero-day a reminder to stop using Windows 7
Researchers have disclosed a newly discovered zero-day vulnerability to videoconferencing service Zoom, which only affects users of Windows 7 systems Continue Reading
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News
10 Jul 2020
Aryaka, 8x8 enhance enterprise communications across managed SD-WAN
Cloud-first WAN company and integrated cloud communications platform forge partnership to accelerate digital transformation for organisations across global workplaces Continue Reading
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News
10 Jul 2020
Automotive-telecoms consortium claims successful completion of intelligent transportation project
Test results show new automotive technology is a reliable and high-performing solution, say partners Continue Reading
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News
09 Jul 2020
Orange, Nokia claim first successful trial of next-gen optical technology
Next-generation optoelectronics technology designed to allow tripling of total transported capacity on long-haul links Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2020
SD-WAN goes mainstream in remote work surge but network visibility, security are concerns
Survey reveals effect of Covid-19 in what is said to be an age of dynamic disruption, with full sight of traffic activity across much more distributed infrastructure a key priority Continue Reading
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News
06 Jul 2020
Radius aims to get ahead of the curve with new telecoms division
Converged technology, mobile and fixed line telecoms provider’s new division aims to help companies get the ‘smartest approach’ to their operations Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Jul 2020
Getting infrastructures in shape for the big return to work
As firms get used to a partial return to the workplace, what will this mean for those that have been charged with keeping business networks up and running during lockdown? Continue Reading
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News
06 Jul 2020
UK government defies critics and leads acquisition of sat tech firm OneWeb
Government plans to deliver UK’s first sovereign space capability through constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, but $500m investment is criticised Continue Reading
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Blog Post
03 Jul 2020
Remote working works - and can herald a post-pandemic social revolution
Amid all the uncertainty and fear of the coronavirus pandemic, within the tech world surely one longstanding myth has been dismissed forever – the idea that remote working and employee productivity ... Continue Reading
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News
03 Jul 2020
Virgin Media, Cisco unveil first-ever commercial deployment of OpenRoaming at Canary Wharf
Wireless communications based on new connectivity aims to ‘dramatically’ improve efficiencies for more than 20,000 businesses, entrepreneurs, independent retailers, bars, cafes and workspaces in London’s Docklands Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2020
Remote workforce demands ‘hybrid working’, not the end of the office in the ‘better normal’
As lockdowns end, research shows businesses will gradually have to start shifting their focus from purely surviving, yet employees think their desire for hybrid working is out of step with that of their employer Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2020
New normal of remote working sees more than half of innovation budgets cut
Nearly one-fifth of tech executives have seen significant reductions in their innovation budgets because of the Covid-19 pandemic, says report Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2020
Zoom making progress on cyber security and privacy, says CEO
Three months after being hit by a spate of security incidents, Zoom’s CEO, Eric Yuan, has been discussing progress towards a more secure product Continue Reading
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News
30 Jun 2020
Remote working set to remain but so do management challenges
Businesses are preparing for staff to repopulate workplaces, while preparing for an inevitable increase in more flexible working Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2020
95% of North American CIOs report remote work issues during lockdown
Employee password lockouts and inability to access on-premise applications were among the top challenges faced by CIOs in keeping remote workers up and running during lockdown Continue Reading
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News
25 Jun 2020
UK, US workers report ‘overwhelmingly’ positive experiences of remote working
Study finds that despite challenges, mass remote working due to Covid-19 has been a net benefit on both sides of the Atlantic, suggesting companies should maintain some degree of flexible working Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2020
Two-thirds of UK adults to work remotely more often after Covid-19
Research commissioned by Ciena reveals how coronavirus pandemic will likely change UK internet usage, as increased use of online home working applications is complemented by commensurate rise in online education Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2020
Microsoft Teams usage growth surpasses Zoom
Aternity’s latest Productivity Tracker sees Microsoft fight back against conferencing tool that has enjoyed stellar growth since the Covid-19 lockdowns began Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2020
Lockdown drives UK internet and videoconferencing surge
UK adults now spend more than a quarter of their waking day online with services such as Zoom seeing unprecedented growth, according to Ofcom’s latest study of the nation’s online lives Continue Reading
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News
23 Jun 2020
Home workers report concerns regarding network capacity shortages
With networks becoming an increasingly critical part of business operations, network intelligence platform provider finds 65% of networking professionals felt extremely or somewhat concerned about their organisation’s network capacity during pandemic heights Continue Reading
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News
23 Jun 2020
Collaboration platform technology to shape the future of construction industry post-Covid-19
Survey from construction management software provider reveals Covid-19 has caused a mind-shift, with the industry realising the benefits of integrated platform technology to improve transparency among teams working remotely Continue Reading
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News
22 Jun 2020
TalkTalk targets teleworkers with business-grade broadband
UK mobile network operator aims to take advantage of mass increase in home working, which will likely persist into next year and beyond, by offering medium and enterprise-sized businesses packages for reliable connectivity Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2020
Home workers increase digital activity but raise broadband performance issues
Research finds lockdown prompts more engagement with the latest technology and gadgets for the home, but a quarter are concerned about a reduction in broadband performance Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2020
Cisco patches dangerous Webex vulnerability
CVE-2020-3347 bug enables cyber criminals to steal meeting records from within Cisco’s Webex service Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2020
Environmental concerns set to put brake on future business trips
Research finds nearly half of UK workers are concerned about the negative environmental impact of business travel, with almost two-fifths actively wanting to reduce the number of times they travel for work Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2020
Zoom U-turns on end-to-end encryption
Embattled video-conferencing provider Zoom backtracks on previous refusals to provide end-to-end encryption to free users Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2020
Younger employees find remote working more difficult
Research reveals a disparity between millennials and older generations when it comes to their acclimatisation to remote working, prompting call for firms to provide targeted tools and training for employees during this difficult period Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2020
Firms prepare for new world of hybrid remote and in-office workforce
The return to the office after mass teleworking looks like a long road indeed, with survey predicting it will take over a year for noticeable majority of workers to return, leading to new hybrid model for the workforce Continue Reading
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News
16 Jun 2020
Activists call on Zoom to implement encryption for all
A coalition of tech organisations and nonprofits have urged Zoom CEO Eric Yuan to make end-to-end encryption available to all users Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2020
University Hospitals Birmingham calls on BT for remote diagnostic station
UK’s largest health trust sets up clinicians to work with multidisciplinary teams for remote clinical support in real time over a converged 4G/5G and Wi-Fi network Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2020
Virtual GP practice accidentally exposes patient video calls
A small number of users of Babylon’s GP at Hand service were briefly able to view other patients’ video GP consultations thanks to a bug in a new software feature Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2020
Businesses learn to cope with new normal as only 25% of UK workers crave return to office
Research from enterprise identity firm finds that even with no playbook, UK workers are coping well with mandated home working and have maintained productivity Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2020
Huawei launches charm offensive to fight ‘high-risk’ label
Global communications technology provider begins fightback against perceived high-risk status and stresses its fundamental role in UK telecoms as it finds itself under further attack from UK and US politicians Continue Reading
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09 Jun 2020
The software innovation impact of coronavirus
Software developers can work remotely, but if workers are expected to work remotely in the long term, can organisations maintain a software innovation cycle? Continue Reading
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E-Zine
09 Jun 2020
How retailers are staying connected during their coronavirus shutdown
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how the hard-hit retail sector has turned to technology to stay connected with staff during the coronavirus lockdown. Our latest buyer’s guide examines best practice in data quality and how to avoid “garbage in garbage out” syndrome. And we look at how remote working affects software development teams. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2020
Third of UK internet users report worse service since lockdown
Even though operators assured at beginning of lockdowns that their infrastructures could cope with the extra strain on home networks, UK internet users say the quality of their online experiences has demonstrably worsened Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2020
UK employees complain of lacking tools to work at home effectively
Even though employees expect to continue working remotely for the foreseeable future, a significant proportion of teleworkers lack access to the required technological equipment Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2020
Covid-19 drives Zoom boom in first quarter of 2020
Now ubiquitous conference software firm Zoom cashes in as coronavirus spurs higher demand for distributed, face-to-face interactions and collaboration Continue Reading
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News
03 Jun 2020
How Teams and Office 365 connect NHS staff during the lockdown
NHS’s AGEM Commissioning Support Unit has migrated from on-premise SharePoint to Office 365 and is now using Teams Continue Reading
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News
03 Jun 2020
Worldwide user spending on cloud-based web conferencing technology will grow by nearly 25% in 2020
Global workplace restrictions will drive expansion of cloud conferencing user base throughout 2020, but growth will taper off next year Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2020
Vodafone gives six months’ free business broadband to UK SMEs
UK telco introduces scheme to help UK small businesses attempting to cope with new phase in Covid-19 lockdown Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2020
Enterprises planning future with 5G and Wi-Fi 6
Deloitte study shows advanced wireless technologies increasingly seen as a ‘force multiplier’ for emerging technologies including AI, IoT, cloud and edge computing Continue Reading
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News
29 May 2020
The software innovation impact of coronavirus
Software developers can work remotely, but if workers are expected to work remotely in the long term, can organisations maintain a software innovation cycle? Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2020
Coronavirus: CIOs should consider a new desktop IT strategy
Although the Covid-19 lockdown is easing, office life will not return to normal any time soon, and few will be buying new PCs Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2020
Three-quarters of people expect to work remotely more often after the lockdown
Current changes in working patterns through the Covid-19 outbreak set to see marked shift in the future, and have major impact on digital infrastructures Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2020
Small firms seize digital lifeline to get back to business
Research shows Covid-19 crisis has kick-started a small business digital revolution to power recovery, with over a quarter of firms responding to running their businesses remotely with videoconferencing Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2020
UK workers struggle to unplug from ‘new normal’ at home
As the country enters month three of enforced working from home, research reveals that as personal devices and app overload blurs home-work life, concerns arise over productivity and the mental state of the workforce Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Microsoft Build 2020: Nadella praises developers for their work during pandemic
IT has played a key role in supporting people and businesses during the coronavirus lockdown Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Nearly two-thirds of US small businesses to continue with remote working post-pandemic
Survey reveals small businesses are having a big rethink on remote working as a fundamental business practice when the coronavirus pandemic has passed Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Coronavirus: How CIOs can prepare for business recovery
Economic recovery will require business to work differently. CIOs may be asked to automate more and support high levels of remote working Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2020
Ericsson extends 5G reach with China Telecom, China Unicom
Leading Chinese operators tap Swedish comms tech giant for 5G core portfolio systems, including cloud packet, NFVI, dynamic orchestration and spectrum sharing Continue Reading
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18 May 2020
Unified communications: The key to prospering in the new working reality of Covid-19
Covid-19 lockdowns are causing a collective rethink in the way companies operate, with unified communications transformed from a nice-to-have to a business essential as remote working becomes the new normal. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2020
Worldwide comms services industry projected to take limited hit from Covid-19
Coronavirus pandemic has changed some trends in the global telecom services market, but operators have adapted quickly and temporarily pushed aside some earlier priorities, says IDC Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
Telcos’ enterprise ambitions at risk from private network operators, private spectrum
Research finds a rising number of spectrum initiatives underpinning strong momentum for private cellular networks within enterprises Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
Comms tech firms eye partnership opportunities with provider community
In latest example of growing trend, Virgin Media Business signs strategic partnership with integrated cloud communications platform to extend voice and unified communications portfolio Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2020
Ericsson bullish on 5G despite Covid-19
Comms tech company’s chief highlights the importance of connectivity during times of crisis and unprecedented surge in network traffic Continue Reading