ZDNet UK Management Toolkit

The time is right to create a global IT profession

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Clarke) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:12:02 +0000

Steps undertaken in the UK to improve professionalism in IT will have worldwide ramifications, says David Clarke

The realities of IT management: ZDNet special report

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Staff) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:06:02 +0000

ZDNet UK looks at some of the technologies and organisational challenges that hold the greatest potential for improved efficiency and cost reduction

Oracle gets more time to respond to EU

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Sam Diaz ) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:37:01 +0000

European regulators have extended the deadline for their review of Oracle's acquisition of Sun, giving the business software maker more time to make its case

Dell sees earnings drop 54 percent

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Erica Ogg) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:29:02 +0000

Declining shipments had a negative effect on the company's third-quarter earnings, while the company also reported that revenue was down 15 percent compared with last year

Ten failures that went down in IT history

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Jack Wallen) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:42:02 +0000

Good ideas gone wrong or misguided from the outset? All that matters is that they ended in disaster, says Jack Wallen

Union asks Mandelson to stop Ericsson closure

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:04:01 +0000

Unite calls on the government to intervene in Ericsson's closure of a Coventry R&D plant and probe foreign tax credits

HP contractors at DWP vote on strike action

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Kable) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:51:01 +0000

HP contractors have become increasingly angry at the government department after the announcement of further job cuts and pay freezes

Microsoft, former employee settle litigation

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Elinor Mills) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:08:02 +0000

Claims of patent infringement and trade-secret theft have been dropped in a settlement between Microsoft and former worker

Intel and AMD settle, agree cross-licensing deal

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:48:02 +0000

Intel will pay AMD $1.25bn and the two companies will share patent rights for the next five years, while AMD has cancelled all antitrust litigation against Intel

Fujitsu strike called off

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:21:01 +0000

The three-day strike by members of the Unite union has been cancelled, following 'constructive talks' with Fujitsu's management

Adobe to shed 9pc of workforce

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Steven Musil) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:48:02 +0000

The elimination of 680 full-time jobs comes as the software maker tries to align costs in the face of lagging sales

EC voices formal objections to Oracle-Sun deal

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:58:02 +0000

European regulators have formally objected to Oracle's planned acquisition of Sun, while Oracle intends to fight its corner

Intuit shuts Quicken Online, turns focus to Mint.com

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Andrew Nusca) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:28:02 +0000

The maker of Quicken, QuickBooks and TurboTax will shut down its free Quicken Online personal finance site in six to nine months and concentrate on newly bought Mint.com

Cisco results show economy is in recovery

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Marguerite Reardon) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:35:02 +0000

Chief executive John Chambers says the company's quarterly earnings, which show strong sequential growth, indicate that an economic recovery is fully underway

Intel accused of bribery in antitrust lawsuit

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Stephen Shankland) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:16:02 +0000

New York's attorney general has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit that accuses Intel of paying computer makers rebates to illegally maintain its monopoly power

Microsoft announces 800 more layoffs

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Ina Fried) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:02:01 +0000

The latest workers to have their jobs eliminated are being notified on Wednesday, in what Microsoft said completes personnel reductions announced earlier this year

Connect comms union to merge with Prospect

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:10:02 +0000

Members of UK communications professionals' union Connect, who work for companies such as BT and O2, will form an autonomous group within Prospect

US jury finds SMIC stole trade secrets

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:57:33 +0000

A California jury ruled on Wednesday that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) stole and used trade secrets from rival company Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC),...

Dell finalises offer for takeover of Perot Systems

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:56:02 +0000

Dell announced on Tuesday that it has completed its $3.9bn (£2.3bn) offer to buy technology and business solutions provider Perot Systems. Dell has accepted Perot's stock at $30 a share, and will...

Novell makes cuts to workforce

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:16:24 +0000

US based software provider Novell laid off three percent of its workforce last week, according to CNET News. Ian Bruce, Novell's public relations director, confirmed that 100 to 130 jobs were cut...

Microsoft's Mundie: IT needed to solve global woes

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Martin LaMonica) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:27:02 +0000

Microsoft chief research officer Craig Mundie argues that computer science is on the brink of breakthroughs that can crack daunting energy and environmental problems

Oracle not yielding to EU with Sun buy, says report

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Stephen Shankland) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:24:01 +0000

Oracle is reportedly offering no concessions to European regulators concerned about its acquisition of Sun

London Borough of Southwark sues IBM

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Kable) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:54:01 +0000

The local authority has issued a writ against IBM over the performance of a master data management system it claims is not fit for purpose

Public Accounts Committee attacks C-Nomis project

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Kable) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:49:02 +0000

The committee has criticised the implementation of the National Offender Management Information System, describing the project as a 'shambles'

CIOs say open source no good for cost cutting

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:51:48 +0000

According to silicon.com's latest CIO jury, businesses have not turned to open source as a means of making their IT budgets go further. With its lack of expensive licensing, open source is...

Recession is over - it's Champagne time for the IT industry...

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:46:47 +0100

After just receiving my second invite to a Champagne-fueled IT launch for next week - is it safe to assume the recession is over? Microsoft is promising champagne at lunchtime to mark the...

Businesses told to build 'tech watch lists'

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:23:40 +0100

Research firm Forrester has recommended that companies create their own "technology watch lists" so they know when cutting-edge technology is available for widespread adoption. According to...

What Microsoft needs to do about the Sidekick fiasco

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:23:10 +0100

It's nearly Wednesday, and the question of what happened to the Sidekick service remains unanswered. At one level, it's obvious. T-Mobile US's Sidekick service, run by Danger and thus Danger's...

BBC appoints new CIO in tech shake-up

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:32:51 +0100

The BBC has appointed Tiffany Hall as a new chief information officer in a shakeup of its broadcast and technology area within the Future Media and Technology division. Hall, who joined the BBC as...

Fujitsu to terminate up to 1,200 jobs

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:33:10 +0100

Technology company Fujitsu is to make up to 1,200 UK employees redundant by the end of the year. The firm said in a statement on Wednesday that it was making the UK job cuts due to "lower than...

Project Kangaroo hops into Arqiva's arms

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:15:08 +0100

Broadcast infrastructure company Arqiva announced on Tuesday that it has completed its purchase of technology developed by Project Kangaroo. Project Kangaroo, an on-demand television platform,...

Patients should see records online, NHS experts say

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:28:35 +0100

The NHS and healthcare would be transformed by putting patients' medical records on the web for them to see, senior NHS insiders have suggested. At a roundtable discussion last week, a panel of...

Cisco replaces Nortel in key 2012 Olympics role

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:48:15 +0100

Nortel has been dropped as the official communications supplier for the 2012 London Olympics, and has been replaced by Cisco. In a statement on Friday, the London 2012 Organising Committee...

Head in the Data Cloud Pt.III

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:42:23 +0100

In past blogs, I looked at working in the Cloud, and then syncing data in the Cloud. Today, it is how to sync your email across different computers. By far the easiest method that I've come...

Reports: Alan Sugar to get gov't enterprise post

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:16:30 +0100

Sir Alan Sugar is to be given a role in government as 'enterprise czar', according to reports. Details are sketchy at present, but the role appears to be a new one. The Amstrad tycoon will also...

Google: EU data rules could hinder flu tracking

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:17:34 +0100

EU plans to make Google cut the length of time it holds onto user data will hinder the company's pandemic-forecasting capabilities, Larry Page has claimed. The BBC reports Page as criticising...

Ballmer's email to staff on latest layoffs

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:53:15 +0100

After Microsoft announced it would lay off another 3,000 people as part of expected job cuts, CEO Steve Ballmer sent an email to the rank and file. Here is that email, courtesy of Ina Fried at...

HP will appeal Cornell University decision

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:04:59 +0100

HP on Friday said it had filed an appeal in a patent dispute with Cornell University and the Cornell Research Foundation. Last month, the US District Court cut the amount that a jury had earlier...

The 3 I's

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:47:00 +0100

Last Saturday I went along to KLUG, my local Linux Users Group, to say hello and to talk about setting a FOSS-based digital arts project, which would double up as a focal point for local FOSS...

The British Library needs you

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:02:36 +0000

From Monday to Wednesday this week, the British Library in St Pancras is host to a conference on the Digital Lives Research Project. The project has been, and continues, under the auspices of...

Dell gives UK companies chance to win £25,000

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:30:32 +0000

Dell has announced the prize that will be open for UK companies to battle for in the Small Business Excellence Award 2009. The winning UK entrant is in line for a £25,000 and a chance to meet...

Dell sponsors small business again

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:55:13 +0000

Dell has called for entries to this year's Dell Small Business Excellence Awards, an international competition to find technology innovations which is now in its sixth year. The competition is...

NEC announced 20,000 job cuts

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:24:28 +0000

NEC announced on Friday that it will cut 20,000 jobs amongst the largest lost by companies blaming the economic slowdown and poor exchange rates for job losses. Half of the jobs losses will be...

Failed on Earth? Try orbit

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:56:49 +0000

Some good space-based militaria has arrived on that reliable source of interesting intel, Wikileaks. An unclassified document (PDF) from the US Space and Missile Systems Center ponders long and...

EU help possible for Dell Ireland workers

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:06:34 +0000

Dells workers unemployment in Ireland could get help from the European Union. On Thursday Dell announced that 1,900 people would lose their jobs at the companys plant in Limerick. The...

Steve Jobs's letter about his health

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:54:30 +0000

The following is a letter posted Monday by Apple CEO Steve Jobs to tell the company's customers about his health problems and the situation with his employment at the Mac maker. After Apple...

Speculation hangs over Dell Ireland

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:55:11 +0000

Michael Dell had a meeting with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms. Mary Coughlan to talk about the future of the Dell facility in Limerick which currently employs...

Orange details Ubuntu-based appliance for small business

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:07:16 +0000

Orange has announced at its Orange Partner Camp in Cape Canaveral on Tuesday further details of its OpenAppliance platform for delivering IP-based services to SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) and...

EDS gives HP services and cloud solution

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:26:16 +0000

When HP bought EDS for $13.9bn in may most people understood that HP needed to buy a services company. IBM was then the biggest computer company in the world and had been greatly helped by IBM...

UK software leadership under threat

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:54:09 +0000

The UK's position at the top of the European software industry is under threat according to a report commissioned by Microsoft in partnership with Intellect and the British Computer Society. The...

Could you be the next Q?

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:17:49 +0000

Now, listen here 007, seems even though those Hollywood chappies have decided that Q Branch isn't quite in keeping with the new take-no-prisoners image of the SS, the MOD is still keen that we play...

More Azure details come out, many more questions remain.

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:05:47 +0000

Microsoft has revealed more details of its Azure cloud service, including availability and how although not how much it will charge. In an FAQ document on its website, the company says that...

Tigers to spring on 'anti-competitive' Microsoft?

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:43:07 +0100

Organisations in Taiwan and China seem to be tensing their muscles to spring onto Microsoft and go for the software giant's throat -- metaphorically of course. The China Post reported on...

Microsoft's new licensing may not fly

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:23:51 +0100

Microsoft's new Select Plus licensing scheme is an intriguing modification to an increasingly problematic arrangement: the exchange of large amounts of enterprise money for the right to use...

The OSC's open letter to Becta

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:10:20 +0100

Here's the full text of a very angry letter, sent today to the educational advisory body Becta by Mark Taylor, president of the Open Source Consortium and chief executive of the enterprise support...

IT Departments Are More Than A Fixer

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:26:13 +0100

Its probably fair to say that the majority of end users still perceive IT as a support function. The general perception by those in cubicles is that the IT departments main function is to...

Tomorrow is National Working from Home Day

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:31:43 +0100

As a journalist, my heart drops when I start receiving press releases about any sort of "Day". This is because the majority of "Days" are Public Relations (PR) exercises dreamed up by clever PR...

Big Blue BlackBerry Pie

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:48:41 +0100

I went off social networking some time back now; I put it down to already being listed on lots of websites and wanting to preserve an extra degree of anonymity. Not that there's much chance of that...

Remote working revisited

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:46:46 +0100

Communication is what's heard, not what's said. Dan Buzzo, April 2008 With these words of wisdom ringing in my ears, I was speaking to a friend in Bristol who works remotely. She offered...

The top 3 tricks up a CIOs sleeve

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:06:12 +0100

When your companys CIO strolls into the board room, does he or she quake at the thought of taunting rebukes from the suits who just wont understand the plight of the IT department? Or will our...

Any answers?

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:40:34 +0000

It's frustrating to be stumped by a problem that you suspect has been solved already, but you can't find the answer. So if you've got a moment, and if you're feeling generous, take a look at these...

Benefits of breaking free from a desk

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:50:48 +0000

My children have never known life where I kept a nine to five office job. I have always been at home to send them off to school and welcome them home. Taken them to swimming lessons in the...

NHS loses thousands of smartcards

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:36:08 +0000

Not a week seems to go by at the moment without data loss reports - normally involving public sector bodies. The BBC reports that NHS staff have lost at least 4,147 of the cards, which give...

Motorola's Zander steps down

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:31:40 +0000

Brown in, Zander out. Erstwhile Motorola president and COO Greg Brown is now CEO after Ed Zander announced his departure. Zander will remain chairman until a shareholder's meeting in May. ...

Spiralling security solutions

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 14:55:06 +0100

It seems to me like theres more and more regulatory pressure burgeoning everyday at the moment and its a pressure cooker that is making companies increasingly vulnerable to the consequences of...

Human technology

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:28:05 +0100

I read an excerpt from a white paper recently that focused on intelligent organisational charting for human resources departments. Its not a subject that close to my heart to be honest, but with...

Vodafone boss pockets £7.3m

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:21:53 +0100

A year ago, Vodafone supremo Arun Sarin almost got booted out by livid shareholders. How times change! According to the Times, since then he's gratefully accepted a cool £7.3m from the company, the...

Work phones for personal use?

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:46:09 +0100

Research done by Aurora Kendrick James has shown that workers in the UK spend £400m a year on personal calls from their company mobiles. As AKJ is a "telecom expense management specialist", it does...

Let's leave things till the last minute

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 10:59:53 +0100

Can you count the number of times that you have been implored to think about an IT issue early in the project lifecycle? I certainly can't. IT professionals are being constantly urged to think...

NPfIT doublespeak of the day

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:56:28 +0000

A couple of days ago the Guardian ran a story alleging that the NHS was seeking "alternative software suppliers" for the National Programme for IT (NPfIT), following a less than sterling...

Official: Slouching is good for you!

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:00:50 +0000

The ideal sitting angle to avoid back pain is not 90 degrees after all but more like 135 according to researchers . A study at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen using magnetic resonance imaging showed...