IT for retail and logistics

EU sees eIDAS regulation come into full force

A regulation aimed at cutting red tape to enable a digital single market in Europe will soon be in full force, but it could present some challenges to the UK after Brexit Continue Reading

Finland’s e-retail sector driven by international growth

Finland has a fast-growing e-retail industry as a positive consequence of the huge job cuts at Nokia Continue Reading

Everywoman in Retail Awards – an industry disrupted

Much like every other industry, retail is becoming consumed by technology adoption to the point where the two are no long separate sectors. “Every company is a technology company” is a phrase heard ... Continue Reading

Explosion in fake data-stealing shopping sites

Cyber attackers are ramping up efforts to steal personal data by setting up look-alike domains that pose a phishing risk to online shoppers, researchers warn Continue Reading

Best supply chain firms are masters of data and automation

Europe’s best supply chains are making the most out of e-commerce, customer insights and robotic process automation, according to Gartner Continue Reading

Indian IT giant TCS sees IBM and Accenture as nearest rivals

Rapidly-growing Tata Consultancy Services has its eyes on the US IT giants, with customer service key if it is to overtake them Continue Reading

Intelligent automation and the WAN: Is SD-WAN moving mainstream?

Take-up of software-defined networking in corporates is slower than expected. Where have we reached on the journey to software-controlled networks – and SD-WAN in particular – becoming the norm? Continue Reading

About the blog

This blog from Computer Weekly’s business editor, Clare McDonald, discusses the technology innovations that are evolving the retail sector, including the technology retailers are adopting, the ... Continue Reading

PCI DSS compliance falls despite security benefit

Despite the benefits of the payment card industry security standard, there is a concerning downward trend in compliance, a report reveals Continue Reading

Mapping the future at Ordnance Survey

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how the UK mapping agency, Ordnance Survey, is innovating to put geospatial data at the heart of smart cities. We look at how to manage subscription and licensing costs when moving to the cloud. And we examine how proposals to change the UK visa system could help to tackle IT skills shortages. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

InfoWatch opens training centre to help address Middle East skills shortage

Security supplier offers Middle East customers cyber security and digital training facility as organisations in the region struggle to equip staff with latest skills Continue Reading

Businesses that take humans with them on robotics journeys gain the most

Businesses that put human development at the centre of their automation strategies will profit the most Continue Reading

Doorstep challenge: How retailers are innovating on delivery and fulfilment

Every retailer selling online in 2018 needs great shipping options for customers who have got used to an expanding list of choices. How are some retailers developing the proposition, and where does technology fit into the equation? Continue Reading

How is Google taking on Microsoft Office in retail?

Carrefour represents a big-name contract win for Google’s G Suite, but will Microsoft Office still be dominant across retail? Continue Reading

Asda outsources app development to support digital future

Supermarket chain Asda is outsourcing its application development to HCL to access and build skills and experience in agile development methods Continue Reading

What are the current SD-WAN options for enterprises?

Software-defined wide area networking is well on its way to being a multi-billion dollar market. We assess the current state of the market and look at some of the options for enterprise CIOs and network managers Continue Reading

Waitrose to launch same-day delivery trial

High-end supermarket Waitrose is partnering with retail delivery startup On the Dot to trial same-day delivery for its food and wine goods Continue Reading

Employers turn to wearable technology to help staff manage work-life balance

Companies are realising that there are sound business reasons for ensuring their employees get enough sleep and exercise, so they are turning to wearable technology to help their staff stay healthy, despite the pressures of work Continue Reading

Invest to be customer obsessed

We share insights from Forrester’s ‘Digital Store Playbook’ on how to transform retail operations to enhance the digital customer experience Continue Reading

John Lewis blames profit drops on high IT costs

Department store John Lewis has pinned the blame on high IT costs and the rising price of store real-estate for a drop in profit Continue Reading

Fashion retailer Desigual boosts sales opportunities with data-sharing technology

Spanish fashion group Desigual reports 2% fewer lost sales after investing in technology to share stock, sales and pricing data between stores, websites and franchise partners Continue Reading

Retailers buy into AI – the rise of artificial intelligence in retail

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to leading high street and online retailers to find out how they are using artificial intelligence to get more benefits from their customer data. New research suggests outsourcing is bad for software development – we assess the issues. And we look at how to ensure data protection when using containers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

The use cases, challenges and benefits behind retail AI

Retailers have been collecting customer data for years, and with AI technology now available to help them use it effectively, they’re jumping at the chance – but what challenges lie ahead? Continue Reading

Why AI should assist humans, not replace them

At the 2018 Disruption Summit in London, BT’s lead of customer insight and futures said artificially intelligent systems should be there to assist humans, not get rid of them Continue Reading

Argos launches voice shopping capability on Google Home Assistant

Retailer Argos has developed a voice shopping service so customers can reserve items for pickup using the Google Home Assistant app Continue Reading

How Rituals is using Salesforce Commerce cloud to replicate physical experience online

Cosmetics firm Rituals is using Salesforce Commerce Cloud to translate its website into 25 languages, helping the brand reach customers its physical stores can’t Continue Reading

Nordic states collaborate in Arctic IT projects

Nordic countries are working together to introduce advanced communications networks in the most isolated Northerly regions Continue Reading

How Ocado has disrupted its own model

At the Disruption Summit in London, Ocado’s head of technology explained how the firm built a technology-based model for efficient grocery delivery and how it has been disrupting that ever since Continue Reading

Amazon becomes second publicly traded company to hit $1tn market cap

Retail giant Amazon follows Apple's lead to become second company in history to achieve a $1tn market cap, with analysts predicting that its market value could double by 2020 Continue Reading

Element AI teams up with AI Singapore

The Canadian upstart is co-developing AI applications for local industries as part of its efforts to build new research capabilities via local talent pools Continue Reading

From Aberdeen to Brighton: Investing in the UK’s digital future

More investment in the UK’s broadband infrastructure is critical to ensure the UK’s future success in technology in a post-Brexit world Continue Reading

Machine identity management crisis looming

Managing machine identities is looming as the next big security challenge, a study reveals, with few organisations capable of protecting them as they increasingly form the basis of online communications Continue Reading

IT leaders at a crossroads as they grapple with digital technology

CIOs have the opportunity to influence their company strategy as digital technology reshapes business. A survey of CIOs across 70 countries charts a path for IT leaders through emerging technologies Continue Reading

Heineken and Oracle create chatbot helper for polo events

Beer brand Heineken has enlisted the help of Oracle to create a chatbot to assist people attending the annual Heineken Urban Polo events ahead of expansion in 2019 Continue Reading

Debenhams rolls out Doddle click-and-collect service in all its stores

Debenhams and parcel collection and return firm Doddle are working together to roll out Doddle’s click-and-collect services to all of the retailer’s stores Continue Reading

No Deal Brexit papers warn of stark future for UK tech

The government has published the first of its No Deal Brexit contingency planning notices, containing sobering messages for the UK technology industry Continue Reading

Language barrier won’t hold back chatbots in the Netherlands

The use of chatbots by Dutch organisations is on the up, with KLM's chatbot a pioneering example Continue Reading

Superdrug denies data breach

Superdrug has warned online customers it believes may have had personal details exposed, but claims its systems were not compromised, in what could be the first GDPR-related extortion attempt Continue Reading

The risk of upgrading to S/4 Hana

S/4 Hana has been touted as the evolution of SAP's long-standing ERP suite, but with just six years to upgrade, how can businesses avoid an expensive SAP flop? Continue Reading

Retail and finance top cyber targets

Retail and finance remain the top cyber attack targets, but the second quarter also saw a spike in attacks against the manufacturing industry and an increase in remote desktop attacks, a report reveals Continue Reading

CIO interview: Celia Pronto, chief customer and digital officer, Casual Dining Group

Casual Dining Group’s chief customer and digital officer, Celia Pronto, is overhauling technology, consolidating IT and improving collaboration across its 300 restaurants Continue Reading

Job losses caused by artificial intelligence will dwarf those of Victorian revolution

The disruption to the jobs market caused by artificial intelligence will be far greater than that caused by industrialisation in Victorian times Continue Reading

Lidl dumps €500m SAP project

Discount supermarket chain Lidl has spent millions on a SAP Hana system, and found it will need to spend even more to make it work Continue Reading

Apple faces strong competition from Amazon

As Apple is set to become the first trillion dollar company, a strong rival is only just behind – and it's not Google or Samsung. Continue Reading

Alibaba eyes retail sector with new cloud offerings

Chinese cloud supplier says retailers will be able to use its machine learning platform to understand consumer preferences, among a slew of services it is making available globally for the first time Continue Reading

Businesses urged to patch Microsoft flaw allowing MFA bypass

Security researchers are urging enterprises to update their software after the discovery of a vulnerability that could undermine the security provided by multifactor authentication Continue Reading

Sustainability and the smartphone: How to give your old device a second life

Find out what happens to your smartphone after you’re finished with it and why you should commit to the circular economy Continue Reading

Consumers accept fraud danger as online shopping increases, research finds

The majority of UK consumers see the threat of online fraud as “inevitable” as e-commerce popularity rises Continue Reading

Phishing remains top fraud enabler, RSA reports

Phishing is the most popular way of enabling fraud for cyber criminals, who are also increasingly using rogue mobile apps, mobile browsers and social media, a report reveals Continue Reading

Banks lead in digital era fraud detection

All e-commerce businesses should follow the banks’ lead in how to detect fraud in the digital era, says RSA fraud and risk expert Continue Reading

HP Inc to kit out new Spurs stadium

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is building a technically advanced stadium to take fan experience to new heights. It will include zBook workstations, as used on the International Space Station Continue Reading

Smart cities a tempting target for cyber attackers

Smart cities are an attractive target for cyber attackers because of the growing number of connected systems embedded throughout their infrastructure Continue Reading

M&S partners with Doddle for easier click-and-collect returns

Retailer is using Powered by Doddle on its in-store devices to allow returns of online items, as well as the use of click-and-collect services Continue Reading

Starbucks to advise on development of bitcoin trading platform

Coffee giant Starbucks has joined a group of firms advising Intercontinental Exchange on the development of a digital assets platform Continue Reading

Lack of Dmarc email validation puts brands and customers at risk 

There is a worldwide lack of Dmarc email validation to defend against fraud and phishing attacks, putting organisations and customers at risk, a study shows Continue Reading

Sweaty Betty revamps website to cater for digital customers

Activewear brand has partnered with e-commerce firm Tryzens to launch a responsive site that is better suited to its increasingly digital customers Continue Reading

Half of UK consumers to exercise GDPR rights within a year

More than half of UK consumers will exercise their General Data Protection Regulation rights within a year and almost two-thirds will retract or review data use because of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, a study shows Continue Reading

CIO interview: Alex von Schirmeister, CDTIO, RS Components

The electronics distributor’s chief digital, technology and innovation officer (CDTIO) on putting in place a new IT infrastructure, creating a digital business and accepting risk Continue Reading

GDPR harmonised with local laws in Nordic EU states

Sweden provides an interesting challenge for the European Union’s data protection regulation due to its laws around freedom of press and free speech Continue Reading

Intelligent automation spending to hit $232bn by 2025

Technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and machine learning could help traditional enterprises gain ground on digital-first giants Continue Reading

UK business overestimating level of consumer trust, study shows

UK consumer trust is low, with the majority of UK businesses admitting to selling customer data, a report reveals Continue Reading

Why Pinterest pinpointed features for the visually impaired

Ideas curation site has developed features for people with visual impairment. Its lead designer explains what has been changed and why it matters Continue Reading

Dixons Carphone ups data breach figure to 10 million

Dixons Carphone now believes the number of personal data records affected in 2017’s data breach is nearly 10 times greater than initially thought Continue Reading

M&S aims to give 1,000 employees data skills

Luxury supermarket Marks and Spencer has partnered with Decoded to create a programme aimed at teaching its employees data skills Continue Reading

Hackers targeting software supply chains, US report warns

A US government report on cyber espionage by China, Russia and Iran says software supply chains are increasingly under attack Continue Reading

Brace for PowerGhost cryptominer, warns Kaspersky Lab

Corporate networks are the target of a new illicit cryptocurrency mining malware that is difficult to detect and eradicate, security researchers warn Continue Reading

Software development remains insecure

The prevalence of common and well-known web-based vulnerabilities underlines the need for better education around secure software development Continue Reading

Application attacks demand new security approach

Applying security software updates is an ineffective way to deal with application layer cyber attacks and businesses should change their approach, security experts advise Continue Reading

Marks and Spencer to invest in startups as part of retail partnership with Founders Factory

Marks and Spencer is continuing its efforts to digitally transform its business by starting an investment partnership for startups Continue Reading

Cloud sales stoke Microsoft’s strong growth

Microsoft says cloud-based Office products made a huge contribution to sales growth Continue Reading

Cyber criminals use fake domains to scam businesses

UK police are warning businesses that cyber criminals are using fake domains to scam businesses out of hundreds of thousands of pounds Continue Reading

Just Eat on the lookout for 150 tech professionals

Online food marketplace Just Eat has announced it is on the lookout for talent to fill 150 technology roles, 80 of which have been recently created Continue Reading

Walmart and Microsoft partner to boost digital in retail

US retail giant Walmart has signed a five-year partnership with Microsoft, with the aim of speeding up its digital transformation Continue Reading

Retail cyber security spending ineffective as breaches rise

Cyber attacks on the retail sector are increasing, and although most retailers plan to increase cyber security spending, planned investments are unlikely to be effective, a report reveals Continue Reading

CIO interview: Jon Marchant, CIO, PayPoint

PayPoint CIO describes the company’s shift to retail services and how it went from knowing very little about electronic point of sale system software to creating its own Continue Reading

Half of young girls don’t think tech careers are exciting

Young women are put off of technology careers because they don’t perceive them to be exciting, according to research Continue Reading

Three-quarters of consumers have interacted with artificial intelligence

Capgemini survey finds 55% of people prefer a mix of AI and humans when they interact with organisations Continue Reading

White-hat hackers find record number of vulnerabilities

White-hat hackers are finding more vulnerabilities than ever before, with crowdsourced security testing continuing to gain popularity, a report reveals Continue Reading

UK firms too confident about cyber security

Three-quarters of UK companies say their cyber protection is above average, and nearly half think they are a “top performer” despite the growth in data breaches Continue Reading

Mind your drone business

Amazon is just the tip of the iceberg – companies are pouring hundreds of millions into the development of commercial drones Continue Reading

Cyber crime: why business should report it as soon as possible

Cyber crime is affecting a growing number of businesses, yet few are reporting it. Computer Weekly lifts the veil on cyber crime reporting, looking at the who, what, when, where, how and why Continue Reading

Tackling the digital identity problem

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as UK government attempts to create a digital identity standard flounder, we examine progress on establishing the online ID system the digital economy needs. Barclays Bank talks about its move to DevOps and public cloud with Amazon Web Services. And we find out how using AI and chatbots could help improve IT service management. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Holiday Extras uses machine learning and artificial intelligence for personalisation

Travel firm Holiday Extras has introduced machine learning and artificial intelligence into its smartphone app to give users a more personalised experience Continue Reading

How changes in retail law could affect customer experience

New payments regulations could increase the amount of times customers will need to use two-factor authentication to make a purchase, potentially putting a strain on customer experience, according to MasterCard Continue Reading

Beware blockchain security blindspots, warns RSA

Companies need to ensure that rushed blockchain and other new technology projects are not introducing security vulnerabilities by gaining granular visibility of network activity, according to RSA Security Continue Reading

DevOps done right: Securing grassroots support for a top-down DevOps enterprise push

As more and more enterprises rush to join the DevOps movement, practitioners share details of how they secured grassroots support for their senior leadership team's top-down agile adoption mandates Continue Reading

Industry bets on fixed wireless access for first 5G deployments

Separate tests in Romania and the UK have been demonstrating the potential of fixed wireless access as a component of 5G Continue Reading

Singapore company turns to blockchain to improve food security

SMC Nutrition is using a blockchain distributed ledger developed by a Singapore-based company to gain visibility across its supply chain and ensure food security Continue Reading

GDPR exposes breach reporting flaws

In the month since the GDPR compliance deadline, it has become clear that many organisations are not well prepared for personal data breach notifications, says PwC’s data protection lead Continue Reading

PizzaExpress launches augmented reality football game

Italian restaurant chain PizzaExpress has launched an augmented reality football game for customers to play during meals Continue Reading

Government must challenge popular smart city misconceptions

A report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smart Cities says many people feel alienated by the concept, and calls on the government to challenge some popular misconceptions Continue Reading

Cyber criminals 'infect and collect' in cryptojacking surge

Illicit cryptocurrency mining offers cyber criminals lower risk, higher efficacy and greater ease of making money, adding passive exploitation to ransomware extortion, data breach theft and fraud, a report reveals Continue Reading

Technology key to keeping staff happy

Giving employees access to the latest technologies will improve their satisfaction and increase productivity, survey shows Continue Reading

Need for speed: designing a modern campus LAN

Just like datacentres before them, campus LANs are increasingly being defined by virtualisation and software-based controls. Next to this shift, the hardware also continues to improve as network owners look to keep pace with user demand Continue Reading

Nine out of 10 enterprises will use robotic process automation by 2020

Robotic process automation take-up expected to reach 92% of European enterprises within two years, finds ISG survey Continue Reading

More APAC consumer goods firms expected to adopt blockchain

The adoption of blockchain technology is likely to increase in the consumer goods industry as more businesses use the technology to address fraud and improve supply chain management Continue Reading

IPsoft’s digital worker is part of a shift in human productivity

IPsoft used its annual user summit to allow customers to update themselves on the career of its cognitive digital agent Amelia Continue Reading

How Ocado built an online grocery delivery platform business

Ocado has used open source tools and a cloud-native approach to develop its fully automated warehouse management platform Continue Reading

NCSC urges action after Dixons Carphone breach

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is urging UK business to improve data protection capabilities after Dixons Carphone revealed that millions of payment card and personal data records may have been compromised in a cyber breach Continue Reading

Dixons Carphone admits 'falling short' on data protection

Dixons Carphone has warned that millions of credit card and personal data records may have been compromised in a cyber breach Continue Reading