Computerworld UK "Tech_sceptic"

Bigger, broader deals likely to follow Orange and T-Mobile

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:01:00 GMT

Big as it is, the news that Orange and T-Mobile plan to merge UK operations is likely to be looked back on as merely a catalyst for much more significant combinations in the mobile telco space.

Justin Langer, the Ashes and the end of email for safe communications

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:24:00 GMT

Having spent chunks of the past few days watching England's cricketers get back to normal by taking a good, old-fashioned thrashing, it's hard to feel too much sympathy for Justin Langer, the former Australian bat whose emailed dossier detailing the frailties of our players ('WARNING: ATTACHMENT IS TOO LARGE' surely popped up) was somehow outed to the media.

How to avoid causing death by PowerPoint

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:30:00 GMT

In the 20 years I've been doing this job, I've probably interviewed, on average, four people a day, so that's maybe 20,000 people in total. I've attended maybe 1500 to 2000 press conferences and been on maybe 100 to 150 trips. Amid all the fun (the SAN-NAS wars, the LAN Manager versus NetWare duel and what have you) there have also been inevitable longueurs. Most of them have involved PowerPoint.

Two ways for CIOs to save millions

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:02:00 GMT

I had an interesting meeting this morning with Harry McDermott, the chief exec of a company called Hudson & Yorke, which provides consulting on negotiating LAN, WAN, voice, mobilty, conferencing and other networking and comms packages.

Going Google Apps might need some extra focus

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:22:00 GMT

It's good to see that Google is beginning to push the marketing boat out for its Apps suite, the nearest thing to a serious challenge Microsoft's mainstay business has had since Bill Gates saw the Mac GUI and thought 'I wonder...'.

Australian cricketer shows Twitter is a loaded gun that goes with you everywhere

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:17:00 GMT

When Australian opening batsman Phillip Hughes Tweeted his omission from the team to play England in the Third Test last week, all hell broke loose -- at least in this small, watery nation that is enthralled by the Ashes cricket contest against its old adversary.

With Office 2010 detailed, Google Docs can step up

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:57:00 GMT

When Microsoft announced plans for Office 2010 that included free, web-native versions of its powerhouse applications earlier this week, I'm sure a lot of people will have seen this as the beginning of the end for Google Docs.

Microsoft lays out Ts and Cs for Windows Azure cloud vision

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:56:00 GMT

Microsoft has released more details of plans for Windows Azure, its operating environment for cloud-based provisioning of applications and computing resources.

Google, GMail and the meaning of 'beta'

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:59:00 GMT

Google's decision to take its Mail and other key applications out of beta, raises a nagging question: when is a beta not a beta? When it's really an alpha, perhaps, or else a finished product. Confused? You will be: welcome to the wacky world of software development.

The mainframe skills conundrum

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:41:00 GMT

A new survey from CA (the former Computer Associates) with Vanson Bourne -- The Mainframe: Surviving and Thriving in a Turbulent World -- suggests 83 per cent of UK IT chiefs expect to have problems with mainframe skills while 43 per cent are spending on training to address the issue.

When is a CIO not a CIO?

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:47:00 GMT

To paraphrase a popular saying, opinions about what CIOs should be doing are like earholes - everyone has a couple. Or something like that. What I'm driving at is that the subject of the CIO role is like bullfighting. Not many people know much about it, but everyone has a strong opinion on it.You see how hard it is? Pinning down the exact characteristics of the genus 'CIO' is difficult.

Intel ruling unlikely to change nature of dominant incumbents

Wed, 13 May 2009 13:08:00 GMT

For the last 20 years, there have been whispers about Intel, with off-the-record comments about bullying behaviour, funding for partners and general strong-arm tactics. Now the EU has acted in decisive manner, hitting the chip giant with a £948m fine.

Poll: Cloud computing not seen as IT answer to downturn

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:25:00 GMT

New research suggests that, contrary to the view held by some pundits, the economic malaise will not prompt IT buyers to flee to their nearest computing cloud.

Microsoft makes its big online business move

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:36:00 GMT

Microsoft is taking the battle to Google Apps with its Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), a £10 per-user per-month set of web-based communications and collaboration tools. The step should stir up yet more interest in the growing software-as-a-service sector and gives Microsoft shops an alternative way to access familiar programs without stepping away from the software giant.

Watmore gets sweet FA recognition

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:21:00 GMT

I’ve often heard CIOs say they receive FA recognition for the work they do but now I know it’s true. The appointment of ex-government CIO and Andersen/Accenture veteran Ian Watmore as chief executive of the Football Association is interesting indeed.

Microsoft opens doors to stores

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:14:00 GMT

Microsoft’s decision to move into the retail space is the culmination of a relentless brand-building marathon that has seen the company become the Coca-Cola of technology.

Boris Johnson, Gary McKinnon and justice

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:37:00 GMT

So Mayor of London Boris Johnson thinks that the US desire to extradite Gary McKinnon is “neocon lunacy”.

The 2009 predictions list of lists

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:34:00 GMT

One of the first signs that we are in the bleak midwinter is that journalists and PRs about to hibernate in the nearest pub for a couple of weeks publish a list highlighting stuff that happened in the year nearly over or stuff that will happen in the year about to start. Actually, make that might happen.

Has the corporate blogging revolution been cancelled?

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:46:00 GMT

Forrester Research analyst Jeremiah Owyang has devised a "health check" to establish whether your corporate blog has the right stuff – the only problem being that you don’t have a corporate blog. Probably. No, almost certainly.

Superb new musical charts struggle to deploy ERP

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:40:00 GMT

A good musical should be many things. It should at minimum have memorable tunes like Oklahoma (but not Starlight Express or Cats]).

The mystery of tech rage

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:36:00 GMT

David Pogue has an interesting piece in The New York Times about readers’ reactions to his negative review of RIM’s BlackBerry Storm. Pogue gave the smartphone a drubbing and copped the righteous flak of CrackBerry addicts everywhere as a result.

The mouse turns 40

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:41:00 GMT

Next Tuesday, the computer mouse turns 40 and, like many of us who reach that totemic and solemn age, the unappreciated little fellow next to your keyboard will doubtless take the opportunity to reflect on some ups and downs, roads not taken, bridges burned and opportunities scorned. But he’ll also doubtless also raise a glass and say ‘Well, at least I’m still around’.

Recession is chance for CIOs to prove their management skills

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:27:00 GMT

Research carried out by Macehiter Ward-Dutton (MWD) and CIO.co.uk published today reveals that CIOs are not expecting their budgets to be drastically cut by the current economic downturn, which, thankfully, we are now allowed to call a recession.

Americans still own software, UK are also-rans

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:22:00 GMT

It is a myth that the UK cannot create successful software firms – it just needs fields with an absence of competition, that’s all.

Apple iPhone ad shows dirty truth about mobile broadband - it doesn't exist

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:39:00 GMT

The news that Apple has been forced to pull an advertisement claiming that the 3G iPhone is “really fast” pointsto something the mobile carriers really don’t want you to know – cellular networks are really “really slow”.