IT for retail and logistics

Singapore’s maritime sector facing talent shortages in big data

The skills gap in Singapore is putting big data analytics out of reach for port and logistics companies Continue Reading

Case study: Tamer Group boosts bandwidth and network connectivity

Saudi Arabian firm chooses point-to-point wireless to ensure it provides the connectivity required for a fast-growing business Continue Reading

Retail industry steps up the fight against rising cyber threats

UK retail body BRC publishes the first of its kind step-by-step guide on how to manage cyber security threats Continue Reading

3D printing gets serious in the Netherlands

3D projects abound in the Netherlands, with the technology being applied to canal bridges, bicycles, ship components and buildings Continue Reading

Alibaba runs academy to find future e-commerce leaders

Online marketplace firm Alibaba launches a global academy designed to find and train young people to join the e-commerce landscape Continue Reading

Hundreds more sub-postmasters apply to join group action against Post Office

Initial hearing regarding sub-postmasters who say they were wrongly punished for false accounting reveals admission by Post Office legal team Continue Reading

CW Nordics: Top IT priorities for Nordic CIOs in 2017

In this first issue of CW Nordics in 2017 we take a look what CIOs in the region are expecting in the year ahead. We asked a select group of CIOs and analysts in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden what IT projects are at the top their priority lists. Also read about the Nordic region as a hotspot for IT startups, with Sweden punching above its weight in financial technology. And find out how board executives at healthcare company Elekta are analysing workforce data to make better strategic decisions. Continue Reading

How to develop mobile apps for business

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our latest buyer’s guide examines the emerging innovations and best practice in mobile app development. We find out how Microsoft and Amazon are opening up their artificial intelligence tools to developers to expand take-up of the technology. And GE’s CIO talks about the digital transformation of one of the world’s industrial giants. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

HPE services and CSC to become DXC Technology

The merger between HP's services division and CSC will launch in April 2017 and is expected to save the companies billions Continue Reading

RSAC17: Infosec pros must help create business-driven security, says RSA CTO

The inability to draw connections between security details and business metrics is one of the biggest challenges facing most companies, according to RSA CTO Zulfikar Ramzan Continue Reading

Cloud contracts are still a minefield

Cloud computing is maturing in the enterprise space, but the contracts that underpin cloud services have not evolved at the same pace Continue Reading

The technology transforming the retail industry

The retail space is evolving rapidly as brick-and-mortar stores try and compete with pureplays such as Amazon. Omni-channel retailing has increased the pressure on retailers to deliver a fast, reliable service whilst also ensuring their brand offers a personalised customer experience. This picture gallery looks at some of the technology innovations that are driving and transforming the retail industry such as in-store technology, robotics and artificial intelligence. Continue Reading

Autodata turns to big data to predict vehicle failures

Vehicle data company sees 30% jump in revenue after moving to open source software and opening its data to garages, insurers and parts companies Continue Reading

NHS websites defaced by Tunisian Islamist hacktivists

Another series of pro-Islamic State hacktivist attacks on NHS websites has underlined the need to harden websites and keep software up to date as attackers exploit a vulnerability in WordPress Continue Reading

Middle East and North Africa public cloud spend to hit $2bn by 2020

Middle East-based organisations are turning to public cloud services, with software as a service driving a major year-on-year spending increase Continue Reading

Just Eat uses startup accelerator to stay ahead in foodtech

Online food ordering service’s head of corporate ventures explains how helping startups through its accelerator programme helps it to keep in the centre of the food technology ecosystem Continue Reading

McDonald’s in Saudi Arabia to support growth with SAP

Fast food chain is using SAP software to help it better understand its customers and operations Continue Reading

CIO interview: Adam Gerrard, Yodel

Parcel delivery firm has seen significant business improvements from a digital transformation programme and replacement of legacy IT systems Continue Reading

CIO interview: Alex Alexander, Yoox Net-a-Porter Group

It is not always the catwalk where the biggest trends in fashion take place. Tech is driving fashion today, says CIO Alex Alexander Continue Reading

Finnish city takes €10bn leap into digitisation

Tampere is encouraging its people, businesses and government organisations to come together to make digital transformation work for everyone Continue Reading

How AI is disrupting the role of call centres and call centre staff

Artificial intelligence could eliminate many white-collar jobs in coming decades. Its effects are already being felt in the call centre industry, but there is still no substitute for the human touch Continue Reading

Retail tech training – an opportunity to drive employee retention?

A job in retail is often the first employment many people will have, so could technology training increase the retention of store staff? Continue Reading

Only 49% of marketers are pushed to reinvent customer service due to technology

Technology is causing disruption in most markets, but only 49% of marketers believe they are pressured to develop their customer service as a result of disruptive technology Continue Reading

Artificial intelligence will increase productivity by sharpening human mind

The combination of AI and humans will triple productivity if businesses get the balance right for different roles Continue Reading

Post Office facing group litigation over Horizon computer system after watershed decision

The group action against the Post Office that alleges sub-postmasters have been wrongly punished for accounting errors gets a green light from the High Court of Justice Continue Reading

Mixed feelings on Australian enterprise app market

The enterprise mobile app development market is attracting big money despite a lack of corporate appetite Continue Reading

Lululemon turns to digital transformation to support consumer community

Athletic apparel retailer’s executive vice-president of digital explains how the brand has used digital transformation to support its core value of a community ecosystem Continue Reading

Aldo uses Salesforce to drive ‘customer delight’

Luxury retailer is using Salesforce to drive engagement, a seamless experience and customer loyalty Continue Reading

3D printing proves a disruptive force in Asean manufacturing

3D printing adoption is set to accelerate in Southeast Asia after a delayed start Continue Reading

The evolution of smart Dubai

Aisha Bin Bishr, director general at Smart Dubai Office, discusses how Dubai is evolving as a smart city with the support of local telecoms provider Du. Continue Reading

Davos: Technology poses new risks to jobs, economies and society

Politicians and business leaders will discuss the risks posed by technology to jobs, political stability and cyber security at the World Economic Forum in Davos Continue Reading

Tech focus helps Singapore go second in globalisation index

Singapore is the second most globalised economy in the world and its IT infrastructure is critical to this achievement Continue Reading

Half of the younger generation still prefer a traditional checkout

The use of technology in retailers is increasing, but despite growing omni-channel adoption, many young people still prefer a traditional checkout Continue Reading

HMV changes its IT tune to cut maintenance spend on legacy on-premise systems

The high street music retailer has embarked on a sizeable digital transformation project to cut costs and boost the agility of its business operations Continue Reading

Dubai-based Aramex optimises branch office connectivity

How global logistics firm streamlined its branch office operations in the Middle East Continue Reading

Customer-first approach will make 2017 a challenge for Dutch CIOs

CIOs in the Netherlands could see their strategies lead to thousands of jobs being cut as businesses automate Continue Reading

Almost 90% of customers say social media availability affects brand loyalty

Customers expect to be able to contact brands via social media, with nine out of 10 claiming availability of a brand through their preferred social channel has an impact on their retailer loyalty Continue Reading

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2016

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber crime stories of 2016: Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2017: Nordic organisations to spend more on cloud services

The adoption of cloud computing in its many guises will be a top priority in the Nordic region in 2017 Continue Reading

The United Arab Emirates enterprise IT trends for 2017

The UAE is already a leader in areas such as smart city developments, and 2017 looks set to see organisations in the country increase its adoption of other transformational IT Continue Reading

Internet of things gains momentum in Southeast Asia

IoT has been much hyped in Southeast Asia, and organisations in the region are testing the technology's potential Continue Reading

UK falls below global cyber security confidence

Global confidence in ability to accurately assess cyber risk has fallen in the past year, but the UK has fallen below the global average Continue Reading

Top 10 ANZ enterprise IT stories of 2016

Here is a rundown of Computer Weekly’s most popular ANZ enterprise IT articles for 2016 Continue Reading

Academics link payment card vulnerability to Tesco Bank cyber heist

UK academics uncover a vulnerability in online payment systems, which they say could have been used in the Tesco Bank cyber heist Continue Reading

EC proposes simpler VAT rules to help e-commerce businesses

European Commission sets out proposals for simplified tax rules to “unlock e-commerce and make it easier for online businesses” Continue Reading

Group litigation against Post Office in Horizon system dispute prepares for next stage

Postmasters’ legal case against the Post Office claims that computer system is to blame for losses, not false accounting or theft Continue Reading

Machine learning keeps customers happy at Ocado

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how data scientists at online grocer Ocado are using machine learning technology to deliver better customer service and improve warehouse efficiency. Manufacturing giant GE is making a play to become a top 10 software supplier – we look at the plans. And we examine the future of server operating systems as workloads move increasingly to the cloud. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How InterContinental Hotels connects with real-time marketing

InterContinental Hotel Group’s European marketing manager, Charlie Aspey, tells Computer Weekly how the firm has deployed dynamic email marketing across all its hotel brands Continue Reading

Consumer identity key to digital transformation

Customer identity and access management has benefits for consumers and service providers alike, but is key to digital transformation, says KuppingerCole Continue Reading

Foot Locker to roll out ‘best fit’ recruitment software after productivity hike

Sports retailer to adopt online software to identify best job candidates after its use led to double-digit rise in team performance in US stores Continue Reading

Telenor IoT strategy required core software change

Norwegian telco is expanding its internet of things business, which packages all the components its customers require to offer IoT-based services Continue Reading

UK almost bottom of OECD pile for ICT investment

The UK ranks low in terms of how much it invests in the ICT infrastructure as a proportion of GDP Continue Reading

24 cyber criminals arrested in Europol operation

Romanian police arrest 24 members of a card skimming and cloning operation and identify 47 other suspects Continue Reading

Australia’s IFC Logistics virtualises storage to prevent further outages

Australian logistics firm moved to virtualised storage through a managed service after a serious outage Continue Reading

Australia and New Zealand IT pros on bigger salaries than UK equivalents

Aussie IT pros are better rewarded than their counterparts in the UK, according to surveys Continue Reading

John Lewis chooses three retail tech startups to receive 2016 JLab funding

Department store retailer John Lewis selects three retail tech startups to receive their share of the £200,000 JLab funding pot Continue Reading

How collaboration will feature in the future of digital supermarkets

Morrisons’ new deal with Ocado has helped the supermarket chain expand its online capabilities, but will we see more collaboration between retailers and digital service providers in the future? Continue Reading

Retail websites riddled with security holes, researchers warn

Retailers urged to improve the security of their online stores amid a series of discoveries of cyber criminal campaigns to exploit vulnerabilities in retail websites Continue Reading

More virtualisation to come in mature Australian market

Australia has been hailed as a rapidly growing market for mobile virtualisation Continue Reading

Dunkin’ data – how one firm is going donuts for data analytics

The director of consumer technology and mobile for Dunkin’ Donuts explains how the retailer uses Splunk to manage customer satisfaction through data Continue Reading

Demand rises for low-cost flash storage across Australia

Flash storage gains popularity in Australia, as smaller organisations are attracted by lower prices and higher capacity Continue Reading

DDoS attacks consistent, relentless and costly, report shows

The latest global DDoS report from Neustar underlines the importance of investing in appropriate defences as the high volume of attacks looks set to increase Continue Reading

Digital Catapult sets up London-wide IoT network

The Digital Catapult is launching a London-wide internet of things network to support digital startups and SMEs as they develop applications and use-cases Continue Reading

CIO interview: Neil Pearce, Travis Perkins

Retailer Travis Perkins’ largest IT transformation programme to date is a challenge CIO Neil Pearce is more than happy to take on Continue Reading

A new nearshoring game is emerging

Countries selling themselves as nearshore business services locations need to change their sales pitches to avoid becoming like all the other countries doing the same Continue Reading

Mobile device use feeds card fraud in Asean region

Card fraud is rising in Asean countries, with the high use of mobile devices a contributing factor. Continue Reading

Westpac bank launches Databank data protection service

Australia's Westpac bank is offering organisations that share customer data a service that it says securely locks down personal information Continue Reading

Law firms planning litigation market for GDPR

Businesses should be preparing for the storm of litigation that is likely to be unleashed when the GDPR goes into force, warns Stewart Room of PwC Legal Continue Reading

PwC Australia uses gamification to teach cyber security lessons

With the number of cyber incidents identified by Australian organisations more than doubling in the past year, PwC is using an online game to give enterprises first-hand experience of what it means to face a cyber attack Continue Reading

Giving fashion a digital makeover

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how one of the UK’s biggest mail order retailers – N Brown, owner of JD Williams and Simply Be – is moving to digital. We examine the growing importance of network function virtualisation and what it means for CIOs. And a year after Microsoft turned Lync into Skype for Business, we assess how the unified communications product is faring. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Consumer identity management is the core of real CRM

IAM + CRM is much more than simply IAM for external users, says Ivan Niccolai Continue Reading

Six essential processes for keeping data secure

Data security is increasingly vital for organisations as the countdown begins for compliance with new rules imposed by the EU’s general data protection regulation Continue Reading

Mobile payments get Isaca’s security approval

Mobile contactless payments enable three key security controls that make them more secure than physical and e-commerce payments, according to a report by Isaca Continue Reading

Case study: Rémy Cointreau boosts security and productivity

Drinks firm Rémy Cointreau uses Centrify’s identity and mobile management to simplify security, improve business agility and reduce IT costs Continue Reading

Building big ideas in banking

In this issue, we visit JP Morgan’s European software development centre in Glasgow to see how the investment bank is working with local universities and collaborating in the open source community. Software chief Stephen Flaherty talks about how JP Morgan uses open source software and has now begun contributing to open source projects. The bank uses NoSQL and OpenStack technologies and is pushing the limits of Hadoop to power risk applications, enabling it to achieve near real-time risk analysis of a trade. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

IBM sets up security centre in Canberra

IBM leads the charge as large private businesses invest heavily in security resources across Australia in an attempt to close the security gap Continue Reading

IBM’s Watson gets to work

In this issue we explore the many ways IBM’s Watson has evolved from the machine that bettered humans in US game show Jeopardy! to providing deep analytical insights to solve real-world crises. We also look at how Barclays bank is using DevOps to remain competitive and reveal new research that illustrates why cloud computing is at the heart of business innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Visa’s Dubai innovation centre to focus on digital payments

Visa has opened a technology innovation centre in Dubai to focus on cashless payments Continue Reading

Outdated IT limits retail gains from customer data

Legacy IT systems are making it more difficult for retailers to collect and use customer data to improve services Continue Reading

[email protected]: A history of IT outsourcing

Computer Weekly looks at where and when IT outsourcing was invented and considers the changes the sector has gone through since Continue Reading

Virtual reality finds fans at Reading University

Professors at Reading University see virtual reality as an increasingly important research and teaching tool in science and arts subjects Continue Reading

Five retail-based startups head for 2016 Jlab incubator

Five of the 23 startups that pitched for a place on John Lewis’s 2016 startup programme will be spending the summer in the retailer’s Jlab accelerator Continue Reading

Most cyber security strategies ignore the way attackers really work

Cyber attackers use more legitimate software than malware, which means most organisations are incapable of detecting much of the malicious activity in their networks, a report reveals Continue Reading

Cyber security industry mostly welcomes report on TalkTalk breach

Most of the recommendations of a government committee inquiry into the TalkTalk breach have been welcomed, but pundits have expressed reservations about some, particularly proposed new fines Continue Reading

Lower average cost of Australian data breaches is not a sign of comfort

The average cost of a data breach to Australian organisations dropped in 2015, according to research Continue Reading

Hays Recruitment service desk project is all gain and no pain

The firm was attracted by the many benefits of a cloud-based service desk, but chief among them was the low risk involved in implementation Continue Reading

Bluetooth 5 standard brings range, speed and capacity boost for IoT

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has announced the forthcoming Bluetooth 5 standard, promising significant improvements to support an accessible and interoperable internet of things Continue Reading

Salesforce gears up for e-commerce with Demandware deal

CRM and cloud platform software company Salesforce is set to acquire Demandware -- taking its cloud-commerce software offering with it Continue Reading

Tesco Bank partners with MasterCard to develop digital payments

Tesco’s retail bank has partnered with payment provider MasterCard to give customers more innovative digital payment methods Continue Reading

Citrix expands in Middle East with first Saudi Arabia office

Citrix is increasing its presence in the Middle East, opening its first office in Saudi Arabia with plans to expand into Qatar and Egypt Continue Reading

Unlicensed software rife among Asean computer users, says BSA

The Asean region has the highest levels of unlicensed software use, according to the 2016 Global Software Survey from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) Continue Reading

Millions of sensitive IT services exposed to the internet, study finds

Encryption should become the default as study reveals millions of sensitive services are exposed to the internet, says Rapid7 Continue Reading

‘Considerable risk’ if Post Office replaced Horizon system, says chairman

Post Office chairman Tim Parker says there would be ‘considerable risk’ associated with changing its Horizon computer system Continue Reading

Nordic CIO interview: Petteri Naulapää, Stockmann

CIO of Finnish-listed international retailer tells Computer Weekly about the department store’s journey towards omnichannel Continue Reading

SuiteWorld 2016: The way retailers use ERP is shifting, taking on an external focus

NetSuite manager for commerce products looks at how consumers are forcing the retail world towards an experience-led business models Continue Reading

10 key facts businesses need to note about the GDPR

With less than two years before the new EU data protection rules come into force, there are key areas businesses need to focus on to ensure they will be compliant Continue Reading

Sainsbury’s launches software development apprenticeship in bid to up tech skills

Retailer Sainsbury’s is targeting those with and without previous technical skills to become software development apprentices Continue Reading

Future Retail Contest: Using tech to tackle retail’s biggest problems

IC Tomorrow’s Future Retail Contest aims to help the retail industry tackle some of its business issues by leveraging retail-focused startups Continue Reading

Ebay sellers demand better broadband and mobile

A study of SME sellers conducted by eBay in the UK finds that many feel held back by poor broadband and mobile coverage Continue Reading

Post Office apologises as system goes down

The Post Office computer system failed on 9 May 2016, leaving sub-postmasters unable to open branches Continue Reading