IT innovation, research and development

UK winners and losers in digital tech

The UK's retail and telecoms companies are among the best in the world at digital technology, but a survey of digital leaders shows there is still room for improvement for many UK firms Continue Reading

Banking sector leading CIAM innovation, say Big Four

Maturity in consumer identity and access management (CIAM) differs from sector to sector, with the banking sector taking the lead in terms of innovation, according to the Big Four accounting firms Continue Reading

NHS to use predictive tech to prevent illnesses

Health secretary Matt Hancock wants to use technology to predict disease and stop people falling ill, with AI and genomics having the ‘potential to change everything’ Continue Reading

Deutsche Bank to create cloud-based digital cheque processing system

German banking giant Deutsche Bank will replace manual and paper-intensive cheque processing methods with an automated system in the cloud Continue Reading

Gartner Symposium 2018: Why culture hacks spell digitisation success

Changing the way people do their day-to-day work is the hardest part of a CIO’s job. Gartner has a few tips on how to twist people’s arms Continue Reading

UKtech50 2018: Vote for the most influential person in UK IT

Tell us who you think should be chosen as the most influential person in the UK tech scene for 2018 by submitting your vote now Continue Reading

Future Decoded 2018: How Seadrill uses IoT 3km undersea

Sensors on deep sea rigs are part of Seadrill's digital transformation strategy, which combines advanced analytics, the internet of things and machine learning Continue Reading

Government is open for business, says SME Crown Representative

The government’s Crown Representative for SMEs, Emma Jones, sheds light on her three-pronged approach to increase spend with smaller businesses Continue Reading

The Asian tech century

At IDC's annual FutureScapes event this week, the APAC group vice-president of the technology analyst firm, Sandra Ng, took a shot at predicting the technology trends that will shape the things to ... Continue Reading

Key elements to success in consumer identity management

Success in consumer identity management is not just about getting the technology right, it is also about keeping in mind the consumer needs, preferences and concerns, says KuppingerCole Continue Reading

How Bahrain plans to become a regional fintech hub

Bahrain is a small island with big plans for its financial technology industry Continue Reading

IoT R&D projects missed out on £10m of government funding

A series of delays and disruption caused chiefly by changes in project ownership meant the government’s IoT UK Research and Innovation Programme failed to use a quarter of its allocated budget between 2015 and 2018 Continue Reading

Digital services tax weakens the case for tech startups to choose the UK

The UK government’s plan for a tax specifically targeting big digital firms risks undermining international efforts to reform corporate taxation for the digital age Continue Reading

UK Post Office looks to enable reusable digital ID

The UK Post Office is investigating the possibility of enabling UK citizens to re-use their passport data for other applications where digital identity is a key component Continue Reading

Inside Schneider Electric’s Batam smart factory

The French energy management and automation firm has nearly halved material wastage by applying smart manufacturing technologies at its Indonesia plant Continue Reading

Future Decoded 2018: Adopt AI or get left behind, Microsoft warns

Research shows business leaders see artificial intelligence and machine learning as key to enabling them to adapt to market disruption Continue Reading

Budget 2018: A mixed bag

Computer Weekly looks at some of the detail in the tech-laden 2018 Budget and can’t get away from the big elephant in the room: the impact of a potential No Deal Brexit Continue Reading

UK government taskforce commits to distributed ledger technologies

Report says distributed ledger technology “has the potential to deliver significant benefits in financial services and other sectors in the future” Continue Reading

Traditional financial services firms face extinction within 12 years

A large number of large banks could disappear within 12 years unless they change business models and economics Continue Reading

Inside PropertyGuru’s DevOps journey

The online property search firm is at ease with microservices, containers and serverless computing, even as it grapples with legacy applications that were developed earlier on in its history Continue Reading

Chancellor Philip Hammond’s 2018 Budget dishes out £1.6bn for ‘advanced’ tech and innovation

The 2018 Budget promises £1.6bn to fund “advanced technologies” such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, £200m for rural broadband and £150m for tech fellowships, along with plans to impose a digital services tax for web giants Continue Reading

Philips looks to artificial intelligence to train its workforce

Healthcare company is looking to AI, chatbots and learning playlists to help staff learn new skills more quickly as it adapts changing business priorities Continue Reading

Will the EU Copyright Directive ‘break the internet’?

A new European Union law proposed for copyrighted material has provoked strong reactions from all sides – but what does it mean? Continue Reading

Trusted nodes: The next generation in quantum key distribution

QKD is a form of protection against interception by quantum computers, but cost and technical limitations have made the technology impractical. Could trusted nodes make all the difference? Continue Reading

Consumer rights champion Which? begins digital journey

Consumer rights organisation has always had a subscription business, but is now transforming into a digital one through cloud computing Continue Reading

Vodafone claims UK 5G first

Mobile network operator Vodafone claims the activation of a trial site in Manchester marks the first time mobile data traffic has been streamed to and from the internet exclusively over 5G technology Continue Reading

UK unicorn creation goes unrivalled in Europe

The UK's regional cities are creating more billion-dollar tech startups than many European capitals, with the UK as a whole creating more unicorns since 2016 than France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands Continue Reading

HP ties up with Singapore university on Industry 4.0

The personal computing and printer giant has opened a research facility at Nanyang Technological University to advance digital manufacturing technologies Continue Reading

CIO interview: Julie Dodd, director of digital transformation and communication, Parkinson’s UK

In her combined role as director of digital transformation and communication, Julie Dodd oversees both IT and marketing at Parkinson’s UK, making it easier to ensure collaboration Continue Reading

CIOs and the cloud: The future of European enterprise software

European organisations are moving to the cloud rapidly, but trepidation remains in concerning certain aspects, such as security Continue Reading

Government pumps more funding into NHS ‘test beds’ programme

Seven new “test beds” will receive £7m to trial a range of technologies to improve patient care in the second wave of the NHS Test Beds Programme Continue Reading

Government to invest an extra £215m in UK innovation centres

The extra funding will be given to the Catapult network of innovation centres, focusing on digital, medicines discovery, future cities and transport systems Continue Reading

Cab firm to map 250,000 miles of London roads for CAVs

Cab operator Addison Lee has teamed up with CAV software specialist Oxbotica to start preparing the streets of London for self-driving cars Continue Reading

A new era of collaboration for the NHS

Great Ormond Street Hospital's new research and innovation unit, Drive, marks a significant shift towards greater collaboration between NHS organisations and third-party industry partners Continue Reading

Russians using less cash after accelerated use of electronic payments

Russians are increasingly using electronic payments rather than cash, a recent study by Sberbank has found Continue Reading

Postal delivery robots trialled in Norway

The Norwegian postal service is testing out the value and viability of robots delivering mail to homes and businesses Continue Reading

No new funding for Hancock’s NHS tech vision

Getting the technology plan right is more about standards than money, says health and social care secretary Matt Hancock, as he explains why NHS organisations won’t be given additional funding to deliver on his vision Continue Reading

How Heathrow transformed using analytics for the people

A Microsoft Azure platform and PowerBI have provided the people who work at Heathrow Airport with a way to use analytics directly to help them improve their performance Continue Reading

Hancock sets out NHS tech vision

Government will mandate national open standards for the NHS and tech suppliers, build a health and caretech ecosystem and give local NHS organisations more flexibility in how and what tech they buy Continue Reading

Nordic CTO interview: Anders Johanson, Husqvarna

Husqvarna is on a journey to transform itself into a product and services company by using the latest digital technology and Anders Johnson is a driving force behind it Continue Reading

There is more to fintech than meets the eye

Financial technology goes way beyond the flashy apps facing consumers and into the depths of the back office Continue Reading

Big expectations, huge presence: Gitex 2018 opens

Artificial intelligence, blockchain, 5G, robotics, and virtual and augmented reality are all in the spotlight at Gitex Technology Week 2018 in Dubai Continue Reading

Research and innovation unit for healthtech opens at Great Ormond Street Hospital

Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Drive research unit is dedicated to bringing the latest technological developments into healthcare Continue Reading

The troublesome saga of Gov.uk Verify

As the government plans to hand over its flagship identity assurance programme to the private sector, Computer Weekly looks at the history of the troubled project and how Gov.uk Verify ended up on the chopping board Continue Reading

Robots in the workplace supported by 81% of business chiefs

Robotic process automation continues to be taken up by more organisations – but despite proven benefits, those that already use it are struggling to scale it up Continue Reading

CW Middle East: Middle East warms to humanoid robots

Countries in the Middle East are warming to humanoid robotics, robotic process automation and artificial intelligence as these technologies become widely accepted globally. Also in this issue, read why Saudi Arabia has called on London’s fintechs to set up in the country with the promise of government support, and find out how the Gulf Warehousing Company has introduced cloud-based technology to replace paper processes used by its HR department. Continue Reading

Huawei Connect 2018: Huawei tackles barriers to effective AI

At its annual customer and technology event, Huawei chairman Eric Xu set out 10 key challenges facing AI, and revealed how the networking supplier’s strategy will help to address these Continue Reading

Blockchain adoption hotting up in Australia

The emerging technology is being tested in several industries in a country aspiring to be a global leader in blockchain development Continue Reading

NHS trust uses automation and virtual workers to speed up referrals

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation trust is using intelligent automation and virtual workers to monitor and process referrals from GPs in five of its specialist clinical units Continue Reading

Geospatial Commission pumps £5m into unlocking value of location data

Commission wants to unlock the value of location data held by its partners through the use of emerging technologies Continue Reading

EE switches on 5G test network at Canary Wharf

MNO explores high-capacity zone testing for its 5G network roll-out, with the first phase expected to target hotspots such as London’s Canary Wharf Continue Reading

Delivering Diversity in Technology: Jess Wade, Imperial College

A video of the presentation given by Jess Wade, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Physics, Imperial College London Continue Reading

Blind faith in AI risks flawed decisions

AI is the new snake oil. Mathematician and TV presenter, Hanna Fry believes humans should be cautious when using algorithms in critical decision making Continue Reading

Matt Hancock plans to sequence five million genomes in five years

The health secretary aims to expand the government-funded 100,000 Genomes Project and sequence five million genomes over the next five years and roll out genomic testing across the NHS Continue Reading

Filling the blockchain chasm

Blockchain as a term is becoming common language, but there is a long way to go before it will mean anything to the performance of most organisations Continue Reading

Government explores blockchain to make buying and selling property easier and cheaper

HM Land Registry moves into the next phase of a project that will use the latest technologies to speed up property transactions Continue Reading

The Most Influential Women in UK IT 2018

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we announce our annual list of the 50 Most Influential Women in UK IT, and talk to this year’s winner, Code First: Girls CEO Amali de Alwis, about the challenges of achieving diversity and inclusion in IT. Also, our latest buyer’s guide looks at the future of collaboration software and asks how to avoid information overload. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Launch of NHS app marks a new era

The NHS has begun piloting its coveted app, but how exactly will it work, and what does it mean for patients accessing the health service? Continue Reading

Police Scotland sets out 10-year digital plan

Scottish Police Authority has approved Police Scotland’s 10-year digital transformation plan, which aims to bring the country’s police forces into the 21st century and requires £244m in capital funding and £54m in reform funding Continue Reading

Two autonomous vehicle projects funded in government contest

The National Infrastructure Commission’s Roads for the Future contest has awarded a £50,000 prize fund to two projects exploring how to make the UK’s roads ready for connected and autonomous vehicles Continue Reading

UKtech50 2018 – help us find the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK IT is on – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year's list Continue Reading

Data analytics cuts queues and flight delays at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport

Aeroporti di Roma’s CIO, Emiliano Sorrenti, describes how the city’s main airport is using data analytics technology to reduce delays and queue times, securing it an industry award for customer service Continue Reading

No let-up in digital banking glitches as TSB and HSBC customers are hit on payday

Online and mobile app banking outages continue to increase in regularity as TSB and HSBC customers report problems Continue Reading

Brighton’s 5G experiment enters new test phase with focus on virtual reality

The latest phase of the Digital Catapult’s 5G mobile network testbed in Brighton has begun, with digital businesses from across Sussex taking part in trials of augmented, mixed and virtual reality technology Continue Reading

CIO interview: Fraser Ingram, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank

Fraser Ingram joined the Clydesdale and Yorkshire banking group as CIO just at the right time – as it was embarking on its digital journey Continue Reading

Prepare now for quantum computers, QKD and post-quantum encryption

The predicted processing power of quantum computers is likely to make existing encryption algorithms obsolete. Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a possible solution - we investigate whether QKD is viable Continue Reading

NHS Digital to publish new guidance on data standards

Data could be a huge advantage for the NHS, but data quality and accessibility is still a big challenge, says NHS Digital CEO Sarah Wilkinson as she promises clear guidance on standards and interoperability 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

Government launches £7.5m digital innovation fund for local councils

Councils with digital innovation ideas can apply for grants up to £100,000 from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 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

Pharmacy2U signs up to digital communications platform

Online pharmacy aims to make it easier for people to contact them, using an omnichannel system from RingCentral allowing arrange of services, including voice, chat, text and email Continue Reading

Rural areas will be among the first to get Vodafone 5G

Parts of Cornwall and Cumbria will be among the first locations to get access to Vodafone’s 5G mobile network when it launches in 2019 Continue Reading

Alibaba debuts its first service robot

Chinese tech firm is eyeing a slice of the global robotics market, starting with a service robot that delivers items to hotel guests Continue Reading

AI laggards will lose out as rivals make efficiency gains

McKinsey expects artificial intelligence to benefit the economy overall, and early adopters may be able to double their cashflow Continue Reading

Scottish government pumps £13.5m into The Data Lab

Funding will help data innovation centre to explore data opportunities for Scotland’s economy Continue Reading

Alibaba Cloud making deeper push into smart cities

At its annual conference in Hangzhou, Chinese cloud supplier Alibaba demonstrated the transformative impact of its technologies on society and called for more manufacturers to adopt smart manufacturing processes Continue Reading

Medical firm debuts internet-connected prosthetic limbs

Orthotic and prosthetic services business Hanger is trialling five connected prosthetic limbs with support from AT&T’s Foundry innovation lab 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

Santander plans UK tech hub in Milton Keynes

Santander is opening a UK tech hub in Milton Keynes that will have 5,000 staff Continue Reading

BMW innovation lab bears fruit with insurtech deal

BMW has struck a deal with one of the tech startups that participated in its innovation incubator Continue Reading

CW500 interview: Boris Spremo discusses blockchain

Boris Spremo, head of operations at Trustology speaks about what blockchain really means for IT leaders Continue Reading

CW500 interview: Mirka Skrzypczak discusses blockchain

Mirka Skrzypczak, head of working capital & trade products at Royal Bank of Scotland speaks about what blockchain really means for IT leaders Continue Reading

CW500 interview: Carlo Del Mistro discusses blockchain

Carlo Del Mistro, head of innovation at Premier Inn speaks about what blockchain really means for IT leaders Continue Reading

Sky mixes Adobe machine intelligence and intuition

With data collected from the Sky Q box, the broadcaster can figure out who’s watching what and why customers’ viewing habits change Continue Reading

EU needs clear 5G regulation to guarantee mobile success

The mobile ecosystem could be worth more than 4% of European GDP by 2022, if the right regulatory actions are taken by the European Union government Continue Reading

The importance of smartphone sustainability

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the considerable environmental footprint of the mobile phone industry and ask what can be done to further the circular economy. We find out how disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) is being used and when it’s an option for businesses. And we look at some of the UK’s emerging fintech success stories. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Nationwide Building Society adds over a billion pounds to IT spend

Nationwide is increasing the budget for its latest multi-year IT project 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

Cutting through the blockchain hype

Blockchain adoption is still in its infancy, with security challenges standing in the way of more widespread deployment, according to a blockchain expert Continue Reading

CIO interview: Amir Nooriala, chief operating officer, OakNorth

The challenger bank’s COO on wanting to be fully cloud hosted, going through a huge cloud migration and being able to rebuild its core banking platform in five hours Continue Reading

Capitalism too short-termist? The tech sector suggests otherwise

Many observers criticise businesses and stock markets for being too short-termist – but if that was the case, how did Amazon, Uber and their ilk ever come into existence? Continue Reading

Culture, not tools, is key to unlocking innovation

Australian organisations should focus on bringing in agile practices and foster a culture of trust and transparency to drive innovation and improve business agility Continue Reading

Autumn Budget 2018: Guarantees sought over future funding of national quantum computing programme

The chair of the Science and Tech Committee has written to the chancellor Philip Hammond to demand assurances that more funding for the UK's quantum computing efforts will be forthcoming in the Autumn 2018 budget Continue Reading

Tech Nation startup programme demonstrates richness of UK fintech

A Tech Nation programme to support the UK's financial technology startups demonstrates the increasingly diverse range of business-to-business products and services available through the country's fintech community 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

Can technology save our NHS?

By the technophiles, digital is seen as the holy grail that will save our NHS, but is technology the answer, and how long will it be before we have a digital NHS? Continue Reading

Irish tax office testing out artificial intelligence for customer services

The Irish tax office and IT supplier Accenture tries out artificial intelligence for its customer service Continue Reading

Government positive to Science and Technology Committee’s report on algorithms

The government has issued its overwhelmingly positive response to the Science and Technology Committee’s report on the use of algorithms in decision making, published earlier this year 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

RBS announces branch closures as part of cancelled project to create challenger bank

The Royal Bank of Scotland has announced more branch closures and job losses as digital transformation continues to transform the sector Continue Reading