Recent Blog Posts
-
Open Source Insider
Open source democracy in Cameron's 'aspiration nation'
British prime minister described himself recently as leader of the 'aspiration nation' in line with his wider calls for entrepreneurship and startup business generation. You can watch a video of his speech here on the Guardian's website Cameron said that last year in 2011, the rate of new business creation...
-
Downtime
Ladies, have a floral kiss from Fujitsu
Fujitsu have launched a personal laptop specifically designed for womankind.Because of course every woman NEEDS a laptop sporting soft pastel colours, a pearl for an on/off button, diamantés as well as horoscope applications.Well, the ladies in the Computer Weekly office don't actually know how t...
-
The Full Spectrum
Apple, do what the judge tells you and learn how to spell
Image via CrunchBaseThe on-going rumble of litigation between Apple and Samsung may have made for some good headlines, but I for one am getting bored. The iPad maker has claimed on several occasions and across several jurisdictions that Samsung Galaxy Tabs have infringed in its copyright and essentially co...
-
Inside Outsourcing
Did General Motors just fall out of love with outsourcing?
I recently blogged about GM's decision to insource IT. I asked whether people think it is a one off or a move that might be copied by other large firms. I am working on an analysis of the move so want peoples' views.Sean Finnan, who used to be the UK head at EDS and later had a pan European role at IBM Glo...
-
Downtime
The truth about Steve Ballmer
It's been a big week for Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, what with the launch of Windows 8 and all that. It's certainly been a better week than he's had lately, what with Forbes magazine calling him the most disastrous CEO in the US, and Vanity Fair saying he has been responsible for Microsoft's "lost decade"...
-
Inside Outsourcing
Has Barnet council lost its way on outsourcing and could its leader be axed over issue?
I wrote earlier this week about a call from councillors in Barnet for a confidence vote on the council leadership. This has arisen over a controversial outsourcing project known as Barnet One.I spoke today with councillor Alison Moore. She is the leader of the Labour opposition and has submitted a motion o...
-
Public Sector IT
UK open standards and the proprietary ecosystem
The coalition government was elected on the promise that it would resolve the notorious problems that had turned public sector IT into a disaster story.It expressed some firm ideas. Then it had second thoughts. Now two and a half years on, its flagship policy has stalled.What happens next will depend on th...
-
Inspect-a-Gadget
Microsoft Surface tablet launch in New York
Microsoft has launched its new operating system, Windows 8, in New York, and also its own tablet offering in the form of the Surface tablet. The Surface tablet is available running full Windows 8 or on Windows RT which runs software certified by Microsoft and placed in the Windows Store.But will the l...
-
Open Source Insider
Linux Foundation: Windows 8 is stuck in a "liminal space"
What does the open source world think of Windows 8? Now there's a loaded question surely? If Microsoft has reinvented and reengineered itself to be able to position its OS to serve not just the desktop WIMP space, but also now the touch-enabled search-centric mobile-first always-on cloud-driven market -- t...
-
Inside Outsourcing
What makes a good CIO?
I recently met Matt Barney from Infosys. He is the person in charge of developing leaders within Infosys.I blogged about how he turns his executives into the rock stars of the IT services world. Matt is a psychologist so a lot of the stuff he talked about was new to me. But I did ask him to write an articl...
-
Public Sector IT
Cornwall caught in bed with BT as councillors raise red card
Councillors might have put Cornwall's privatisation on probation. But the council had already begun acting as a joint venture partner with BT.They voted unanimously Tuesday to suspend a proposal to put up to £800m of public services into a company in which BT would own a majority stake.BT planned to transf...
-
When IT Meets Politics
Government official gives practical security advice - shock horror
When I heard that Andy Smith's eminently sensible comments at the Parliament and the Internet conference yesterday had gone viral I feared he had suffered a Ratner moment. I have just taken a look at the comments responding to the BBC news cover of the story and how they hjave been rate...
-
Inside Outsourcing
Barnet council leader could be next to go in local government outsourcing row
It seems that confidence votes over local government leadership are becoming the order of the day. And more to the point it is the outsourcing of council services that is driving this mini-trend.Today I saw this story in Barnet's local press. Another bit on controversy in the outsourcing sector.It seems th...
-
Downtime
Witty Wi-fi gets neighbours talking
A recent BBC feature on passive-aggressive wi-fi network names prompted many of its readers to share stories behind their imaginative and witty network names.One reader said his wi-fi network name has been set to "One Direction Are Rubbish" to annoy his daughter who loves the boy band while another called ...
-
Downtime
Idiots should not be trusted with phones
English: Cow in Malham, Yorkshire. Photo credit: WikipediaEver thought about baking your mobile phone into a cake? No? How about using the torch on your iPhone to examine a cow's backside? Still no? Okay, we deem to sensible enough to own a mobile phone. MobileInsurance.co.uk has released a list of the wei...
-
Computer Weekly Editor's Blog
Windows 8 - the eminently sensible product launch of the week
Despite all the hype about iPad minis, there's no doubt the most significant product launch of the week for IT managers is the release of Windows 8. Unlike Apple's "top secret but with lots of leaks" approach to new products, we know pretty much everything there is to know about Windows 8 already. We know ...
-
Inside Outsourcing
Over 100 reasons why local government shouldn't outsource
I came across this article when I was writing about Cornwall council's controversial outsourcing debate.It comes from Unison at Barnet council and lists over 100 examples of reasons why Barnet should not outsource services to the private sector. The reasons could be applied to any council and many of the e...
-
CWDN
Windows 8 developers must not be WIMPs
So Windows 8 has someone tentatively arrived with many challenges for both IT managers and... also, challenges for software application developers ahead. One certainty that we can draw from Redmond's willingness to move to the new computing paradigms of touch, mobile-first and geo-location aware search-cen...
-
ITWorks
Graduate recruitment: Joining the IT Crowd
This is a guest blog from Nikki Bryant, a recent female graduate who has entered the world of IT working within Cognizant's Insurance Practice. As a recent graduate from Leeds University, I felt fairly daunted by the thought of applying for jobs in the current market. Given the level of competition ...
-
Inside Outsourcing
Are you against preferential tax benefits for offshore IT workers in the UK?
I have been emailed an e-petition that someone has created. These are the online petitions that get discussed by the government if they get a certain abound of signatures. I think it is 5000.The e-petition I have been sent is all about Intra Company Transfers (ICTs). More specifically how workers brought t...
-
Inspect-a-Gadget
iPad 3 disappears off Apple's website to be replaced by the iPad 4
So the Apple gestation period seems to be just over six months, they're popping them out quicker than us humans can produce babies.As well as the iPad mini, Apple also launched the "new-new iPad" at its event in California last night (from now on I'm referring to it as the iPad 4). Interestingly it seems t...
-
Inside Outsourcing
General Motors insourcing: One off or trend?
One of the big stories recently concerning outsourcing IT is one about doing the opposite. GM is in the process of insourcing its currently heavily outsourced IT.The plot gets even thicker when you look at GM's outsourcing CV. It is the company that basically created EDS. GM originally bought EDS as its in...
-
Open Source Insider
A "90% saving" for public sector IT with OpenITGov
The public IT sector is shuffling closer to open source. Entando, Jaspersoft, Infobright, Green Vulcano and Red Hat have announced a joint product offering for public sector organisations called OpenITGov. OpenITGov is intended to provide public sector organisations with a 'one-stop-shop' for all the open ...
-
ITWorks
Careers Clinic: Dealing with "bizarre" questions at interviews
This is a guest blog post from Jeremy I'Anson, professional career coach and the author of You're Hired! Total Job Search 2013 'What colour is Wednesday?' 'How many bicycles were sold in the UK last year?' 'How do you weigh an elephant without a weighing machine?' Yes, they're g...
-
Inspect-a-Gadget
Apple launches the iPad "fun-size" (mini)
Last night at an event in California, Apple revealed a 7.9in tablet, the iPad mini, which fits in the hand.The newest device to join the Apple ranks is 7.1mm thick, weighs just over 300g, (around half the weight of a standard 9.7in iPad), yet it only two inches smaller.No retina screen to be seen here...
-
Inside Outsourcing
CSC losing cash through award winning contract with Royal Mail
Interesting story on Computer Weekly this week about CSC and its 10 year loss making outsourcing contract with Royal Mail.It seems the contract which won the National Outsourcing Association's (NOA) innovation award and been shortlisted for the NOA's IT Outsourcing Project of the Year yet is not maki...
-
Inside Outsourcing
Cornwall council votes to freeze outsourcing deal
As I wrote yesterday Cornwall council has put its planned outsource on hold pending further investigation. Recent weeks has seen drama at Cornwall council with the council leader being voted out as a result of his controversial stance on the plan to outsource council services.I have written a lot about thi...
-
Inspect-a-Gadget
Windows 8: Redefining the future of computing?
Computer Weekly talked to Anand Krishnan from Microsoft's UK developer and platforms group in the run up to the launch of Windows 8 and we published a video on why to develop for Windows 8 earlier in the week.Before we wrapped things up we took five minutes to ask Krishnan a few questions about the hardwar...
-
Downtime
Youngsters! People might watch your personal porn!
The Internet Watch Foundation has really been scraping the barrel for press coverage this week so who are we at Downtime to ignore their plea? The online safety specialists have warned the youth of today that posting pornographic images online could lead to the pictures being stolen and posted on porn webs...
-
WITsend
IT's not just for boys!
Female undergraduates, thinking of a career in IT, will gather for a day of skills and discussions with females that work within the technology sector at the IT's not just for boys! event. As part of TARGETjobs Events' STEMinism awareness campaign, 120 females have been chosen to attend the one day ...
