In Depth

In Depth

• The People vs Amazon: ‘They will have to answer to all of us’, says fired employee Christian Smalls

  Former Amazon employee Christian Smalls speaks to Computer Weekly about his termination and how the company is trying to silence dissent as it reports massive sales  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: How to cope with the digital skills divide

  Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, employers need tech and digital talent more than ever. But how can organisations recruit and train the skills they need during a lockdown?  Continue Reading

• Unified communications: The key to prospering in the new working reality of Covid-19

  Covid-19 lockdowns are causing a collective rethink in the way companies operate, with unified communications transformed from a nice-to-have to a business essential as remote working becomes the new normal  Continue Reading

• Designing software to include older people in the digital world

  The Covid-19 coronavirus crisis has accentuated the importance of including older people in the digital world. How can software firms design products to include generations that came to maturity before the internet?  Continue Reading

• Snapshots 101: Array vs backup software

  We run the rule over snapshots in storage arrays and backup software and find a range of capabilities that go from mere support to fully snapshot-centric approaches  Continue Reading

• Public sector IT: The road to digital

  Progress to digital transformation is patchy in the public sector, but some CIOs are embracing the strategy  Continue Reading

• A carrot-and-stick approach to fixing cyber security complacency

  With a majority of IT decision-makers holding the opinion that their employers are complacent when it comes to data protection, we look at what needs to be fixed, and how to fix it  Continue Reading

• Storage 101: Snapshots vs backup

  We go over the basics of snapshots. They are a quick and accessible way of protecting data, but they are not a substitute for backup. So how do you combine the two?  Continue Reading

• Customer experience software can help companies weather the Covid-19 storm

  Advanced customer experience software can help companies weather the current Covid-19 storm, as well as build resilience. Marks & Spencer is one firm exploring the technology  Continue Reading

• How to overcome application modernisation barriers

  Most businesses are not lucky enough to be able to build a new cloud native architecture. We look at how to take legacy applications forward  Continue Reading

• High-performance object storage: What’s driving it?

  Object storage is getting its performance on to meet the needs of content delivery, analytics and IoT use cases while enabled by rapid flash storage media and other tech advances  Continue Reading

• Australian firms soldier on amid Covid-19 outbreak

  From the largest financial institutions to small companies, Aussie firms have been dialling up their use of technology tools to keep their businesses humming during the coronavirus pandemic  Continue Reading

• Multicloud storage 101: Pros, cons, pitfalls and strategies

  Not putting all your eggs in one basket can be helpful to an enterprise’s resilience strategy. We look at multicloud storage and the benefits and pitfalls it brings  Continue Reading

• How APAC firms are coping with the Covid-19 outbreak

  The air of change looms large in companies operating in the Asia-Pacific region, with some doing better than others in keeping the lights on amid the coronavirus pandemic  Continue Reading

• Applications: Combining the old with the new

  We look at how organisations can integrate legacy applications with newer digital platforms  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: The role of AI in the ‘war’ against epidemics and pandemics

  What role can artificial intelligence play in battling against epidemics and pandemics, such as the current Covid-19 coronavirus one? Data science is stepping up to back up medical science and to prepare humanity better for future pandemics  Continue Reading

• NAS backup: Which suppliers have gone post-NDMP?

  NAS backup with NDMP has many drawbacks so some vendors have moved to a data management approach that tracks changes and allows for incremental forever protection  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: Contactless limit rises as retailers make point-of-sale changes

  The spending limit for contactless card payments is increasing to £45 today (1 April), which is just one of several ways that retail point-of-sale is evolving in response to the coronavirus  Continue Reading

• Malaysia’s business continuity planning readiness a mixed bag

  Larger Malaysian enterprises have BCP in place, but SMEs lag behind and will find it harder to weather the Covid-19 storm  Continue Reading

• Top five compliance concerns for UK business in 2020

  We look at the top five legal and regulatory compliance concerns for UK businesses in 2020. It’s a list that includes GDPR, the DPA, PECR, PCI-DSS and the CCPA  Continue Reading

• Why security validation matters

  FireEye’s top executives in Asia-Pacific discuss the benefits of security validation and offer their take on the region’s cyber threat landscape  Continue Reading

• What are the drivers for application modernisation?

  Application modernisation is not something that just happens, nor is it just driven by digitisation and cloud-first strategies  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: How app developers large and small are working to help fight Covid-19

  Computer Weekly looks at how a range of actors are using technology to help mitigate the various impacts caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak  Continue Reading

• Governing by data: Limits and opportunities

  Governing by the use of data analytics may be fashionable, but what are its limits as well as its opportunities? Lessons from Estonia, Essex, and healthcare  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: Grocers scrambling to update online and delivery propositions

  The supermarkets have effectively become the fourth emergency service as the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis takes hold, aided by significant online and delivery changes  Continue Reading

• Edge computing environments: what you need to know

  An edge case in business sits at the limits of what's viable, and edge computing requirements suggest a similar struggle  Continue Reading

• What’s the problem with NAS backup?

  NAS backup has always been problematic, but what exactly are the issues with NDMP, and what are backup suppliers doing to make a decades-old storage staple easier to protect?  Continue Reading

• The AWS bucket list: Keep your cloud secure

  Misconfigured cloud installations risk billions of records being exposed, damaging organisations’ finances and reputations. Paying attention to securing AWS storage buckets is a simple matter  Continue Reading

• Benefits of branching out into SD-WAN

  There is much more to SD-WAN than just cheaper branch office connectivity, so IT buyers have a lot to consider  Continue Reading

• Computational storage: What is it and what are its key use cases?

  Computational storage brings the CPU to the storage and so boosts system performance by tackling processing tasks, such as near the edge or in AI/machine learning workloads  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: How to implement safe and secure remote working

  Find out what CIOs and CISOs need to know to enable their end-users to work remotely and stay secure during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis, and learn how users can help themselves  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: Can the networks take the strain?

  It was predicted that the mass roll-out of computer networks would mean at some point that there was no difference between work and home as a working location. These assumptions are about to be tested to the full  Continue Reading

• How Oxeva delivered budget analytics with Pure Storage flash NAS

  Web hosting provider Oxeva thought the consultants were mistaken and that what suited the web giants for analytics/big data wasn’t necessarily what was needed for enterprise customers  Continue Reading

• Shirts and suits retailers using tech to stay smart

  Enhanced personalisation, increased visualisation and much more customisation with a digital twist comprise the to-do lists of several UK formalwear retailers  Continue Reading

• Container storage 101: What is CSI and how does it work?

  We look at the container storage interface, which provides an interface to persistent storage in the products of storage array makers, and how it relates to Kubernetes  Continue Reading

• Networking gains ‘cool’ status

  There is renewed interest in networking, driven by enterprises looking at how public cloud services can co-exist with on-premise IT  Continue Reading

• Malaysia’s digital transformation efforts progress

  Malaysian enterprises are taking steps to modernise their infrastructure, but many are still grappling with the lack of niche IT skills in key emerging technologies such as the internet of things  Continue Reading

• Lean, mean and green: The datacentres of the future

  Working out how to develop more efficient datacentres in an increasingly resource-hungry world is not easy, but it is possible  Continue Reading

• Molotov.tv streams 24/7 with Dell EMC and Scality object storage

  France-based Molotov.tv has offered streaming TV services on digital platforms since 2016, based on Dell EMC servers with GPU acceleration and Scality Ring object storage  Continue Reading

• Upcoming conflict minerals regulation does not cover major technology companies

  A forthcoming regulation designed to stem the flow of conflict minerals is unlikely to change the behaviour of technology companies because loopholes in the new rules mean they are not covered  Continue Reading

• How will the 2020 Budget affect the UK tech sector?

  Co-founder of crowdfunding app WhatWeWant looks at what the UK's tech sector can expect from the 2020 budget  Continue Reading

• Three network technologies driven by cloud-native computing

  Networking technologies are being driven heavily by digitisation and cloud computing. Gartner picks three networking trends to watch  Continue Reading

• Cache vs tier: What’s the difference between cache and storage?

  We look at the key distinctions between cache and tiers of storage, and where the line has become blurred with fast flash, 3D Xpoint and storage class memory technologies  Continue Reading

• Flash storage tiers: Performance, cost and use cases

  We look at performance, cost and potential use cases for the key flash storage types available, such as Nand flash, 3D Xpoint and Intel Optane, plus SAS, SATA and NVMe connectivity  Continue Reading

• The future of open source licences is changing

  The Open Source Insider blog on Computer Weekly recently asked industry experts for their views on the future of open source licensing  Continue Reading

• Rook 101: Building software-defined containerised storage in Kubernetes

  Rook – think castles, not birds – uses the principles of containerisation and the methods used in Kubernetes to build storage that’s abstracted from the hardware it lives on  Continue Reading

• Datacentres operators must move away from diesel backup generators to give back to grid

  While the diesel backup generators used by datacentre operators have a limited environmental impact, using them for extended periods of time to power sites to feed energy back into the grid is not a sustainable solution to growing electricity demand  Continue Reading

• How to find the right zero trust strategy

  Large tech companies and the US Federal Government have adopted zero trust as their next-generation security model  Continue Reading

• Trusty methods to keep out intruders

  Today’s hyper-connected world means trust can no longer be taken for granted to keep networks secure – enter the zero-trust model  Continue Reading

• Kubernetes storage 101: Container storage basics

  We look at the basics of creating storage and specifying it for applications in container storage using Kubernetes Persistent Volumes and Persistent Volume Claims  Continue Reading

• How HR robotics can be good for people

  The automation of human resources processes, some of which uses robotic process automation, can benefit humans, as a clutch of Nordic and UK organisations show  Continue Reading

• How to build the perfect tech team despite talent shortages

  The technology skills gap is growing worldwide, despite digital skills being as important as ever. So how can IT leaders develop the perfect tech team in the current talent environment?  Continue Reading

• Is this Netflix-style thriller the future of security training?

  Cyber awareness specialists at KnowBe4 reckon that bringing Netflix-style production values to corporate videos heralds a new approach to security training  Continue Reading

• From Pixar to GovTech: The inside story of Singapore’s AI whizz

  After nearly a decade at Pixar, GovTech’s Chong Jiayi is leading a team of experts to solve hard problems in robotics and artificial intelligence  Continue Reading

• Zero trust: Taking back control of IT security

  Trust on the network is a crucial factor in security risk, and zero trust changes the traditional model of ‘trust but verify’  Continue Reading

• How IT can back up ESG efforts to do environmental and social good

  Organisations’ environmental, social and governance programmes depend on IT leaders for technological backup  Continue Reading

• How AI and data analytics are driving composable infrastructure adoption in datacentres

  As enterprises continue to grapple with how to make sense of their big data stores, organisations are having to rethink how they kit out their datacentres, with composable infrastructure leading the way  Continue Reading

• Inside the SOC: the nerve centre of security operations

  Security operations centres are the bedrock of any cyber defence strategy, but operating one is increasingly challenging, with mounting workloads and a shortage of skilled personnel  Continue Reading

• Alibaba versus Amazon, Microsoft and Google: Does the Chinese cloud challenger have what it takes?

  Chinese public cloud challenger Alibaba is undoubtedly making waves in the west, but does it have what it takes to seriously trouble the likes of Amazon Web Services and Microsoft in the infrastructure-as-a-service market?  Continue Reading

• The big retail tech themes from Retail’s Big Show

  The National Retail Federation’s Big Show signals the kick-off of the retail events calendar. We look over the themes promised for retail tech over the next year  Continue Reading

• Choosing the right disaster recovery for your business

  We look at the various options available when implementing disaster recovery, and how much they’re worth  Continue Reading

• Caribbean island hospital rebuilds after hurricane with DataCore

  Hurricane Irma tore the roof off a server room and flooded IT hardware, but that was an opportunity to rebuild redundant IT using DataCore’s SANsymphony software-defined storage  Continue Reading

• Alan Bates: The ‘details man’ the Post Office paid the price for ignoring

  In 2003, subpostmaster Alan Bates had his contract terminated when he refused to comply with Post Office policy. A decade and a half later, against the odds, he took the Post Office to the High Court and won a multimillion-pound legal case  Continue Reading

• Top four compliance considerations for SMEs

  We look at the key data compliance regulations that affect smaller companies – such as GDPR, the Data Protection Act, PCI-DSS and PECR – and some key industry-specific frameworks  Continue Reading

• Six disaster recovery pitfalls and how to avoid them

  We look at some key pitfalls in disaster recovery, such as failing to plan, not testing the plan, not protecting backups, poor communication and neglecting the human element  Continue Reading

• Startup uses machine learning to support GDPR’s right to be forgotten

  Non-intrusive algorithms enable users to track which companies hold their data, so they can take it back  Continue Reading

• Spread of Kubernetes spurs backup and disaster recovery products

  Growth of containerised applications brings with it the need to back up and provide disaster recovery. But what do you need to protect, and who provides the products?  Continue Reading

• Driving adoption: Are high costs putting public cloud out of reach to non-profits?

  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s insights into the sky-high cloud bills faced by some non-profit organisations prompts questions about whether the public cloud giants should do more to make their services more accessible to the third sector  Continue Reading

• Mixing it up: Cloud and datacentre in the new world of IT

  Cloud computing has long been tipped as the technology that will displace enterprise datacentres in CIOs’ affections, but that is not quite how the story is playing out  Continue Reading

• Industrial edge requires a focus on machines

  After the office edge and the mobile edge comes the industrial edge. We look at a shift in computing paradigms  Continue Reading

• Do you use cloud storage for these use cases yet?

  We look at the use cases most suited to a quick transition to the cloud: backup, archiving, disaster recovery, file storage and cloud bursting – cloud storage’s low-hanging fruit  Continue Reading

• Big storage meets cloud in the datacentre 'as-a-service' revolution

  Cloud is mainstream but the datacentre’s here to stay. This has resulted in a trend towards as-a-service in the datacentre where big storage array makers and the cloud giants meet  Continue Reading

• DRaaS decisions: Key choices in disaster recovery as a service

  We examine the key decisions when considering DRaaS. Whether to go full self-service, assisted or managed will depend on what you need to protect and your in-house resources  Continue Reading

• Grilling the answers: How businesses need to show how AI decides

  As artificial intelligence becomes more widespread, so the need to render it explainable increases. How can companies navigate the technical and ethical challenges?  Continue Reading

• Whisper it… but could a cyber attack be good for your career?

  All too often it’s the CISO who carries the can for an enterprise security failure, but this might not be a bad thing. There’s lots of evidence to suggest that falling victim to a cyber attack may actually enhance your CV  Continue Reading

• Five ways that backup has changed since the days of tape

  Back in the day, all this was tape, but times have changed, with cloud-to-cloud backup, cloud storage, virtual and physical backup appliances and myriad endpoint hardware  Continue Reading

• Life on the edge: A new world for data

  Edge computing is regarded as the next frontier for data, with rapid growth expected in the market. We assess the prospects  Continue Reading

• The new reality of 5G

  5G’s development has been driven by a variety of use cases leading to a multi-service capability – a network of networks. But what is the reality of this, and how is it expected to change as we move forward?  Continue Reading

• Ericsson reveals plans for 5G, IoT – and self-driving buses

  World’s third biggest maker of telecommunication equipment reveals its plans for new technologies including 5G, the internet of things and automation  Continue Reading

• Processors re-imagined: Will cloud and AI lead mean all change in the datacentre?

  We look at the changes cloud-native platforms and artificial intelligence could bring about in the datacentre.  Continue Reading

• Virtuous circles: Skilling up for an ethical web

  Tim Berners Lee’s Contract for the Web aims to drive the internet in a more ethical, open and human-centred direction. What does this mean for the future of IT skills and governance?  Continue Reading

• How to optimise remote workforces while tackling loneliness

  Remote working is very common in tech companies and IT departments. How can it be managed to optimise productivity and keep employees socially connected to their companies?  Continue Reading

• Can the UK government’s efforts solve the cyber skills gap?

  There has been an active effort by the UK government to tackle the lack of skills in the cyber security space – but is it enough?  Continue Reading

• Overcoming the infrastructure and connectivity challenges of cloud gaming

  The cloud gaming market has a number of infrastructure challenges to overcome to reach its potential, and the supplier community is intent on helping it address them  Continue Reading

• In it to win it: Should AWS consider building out its SaaS play?

  Amazon Web Services is the undisputed leader of the public cloud market, but could its relatively small software-as-a-service portfolio be its undoing in years to come?  Continue Reading

• Fly by data: How service models drive data collaboration in aerospace

  Rolls-Royce has added collaborative data sharing to its fundamental business model shift to servitisation  Continue Reading

• McLaren COO Jonathan Neale on finding racing margins in IoT sensor data

  Jonathan Neale, chief operating officer for the McLaren racing team, speaks about finding marginal advantages through sensor data analytics  Continue Reading

• How Halfords is using tech to rev up its customer service

  Live chat, virtual contact centres and a new unifying web platform are set to enhance Halfords’ customer service proposition in the year ahead  Continue Reading

• Top 10 storage deployment stories of 2019

  Here are ComputerWeekly’s top 10 storage deployment stories for 2019, which see quite a move away from traditional SAN and NAS to hyper-converged, software-defined storage and object storage  Continue Reading

• From consumer to prosumer: Reducing the datacentre industry’s reliance on the national grid

  With the government ramping up plans to go net zero on carbon emissions by 2050, where does the datacentre industry stand – and how can it become more sustainable over the coming years?  Continue Reading

• Human factors are critical to securing digital transformation

  Sourcing the latest cyber security technology to support digital transformation projects is all well and good, but it’s meaningless if you fail to address your organisational culture and the people within it  Continue Reading

• Amazon, AWS and antitrust: How tough could US lawmakers be on the tech titan?

  How Amazon conducts its business is coming under close scrutiny from US lawmakers, both from an online retail and cloud perspective, and this is why  Continue Reading

• What are the key issues facing healthcare CIOs?

  Six healthcare IT leaders give their views on the major challenges for digital transformation across the NHS  Continue Reading

• Accountability is the key to ethical artificial intelligence, experts say

  The inherent opacity of artificial neural networks means human accountability is needed to keep these systems in check, rather than increased transparency of its inner workings  Continue Reading

• How diversity spurs creativity in software development

  Diversity of all kinds – gender and ethnicity, but also intellectual diversity and neuro-diversity – can boost creativity in software development  Continue Reading

• Deliver quality software at speed with CI/CD

  Continuous integration and delivery promises a remarkable acceleration in software development, but some basics need to be in place to ensure success  Continue Reading

• Future fashion: does that dress come in digital?

  A visit to a technology-fuelled fashion pop-up paints a picture of a world where retailers and brands sell virtual clothes for usage solely in consumers’ digital lives  Continue Reading

• How software can support public involvement with democracy

  Iceland, Scotland and Sweden have experimented with using online software to involve citizens more deeply in democratic processes. The key seems to be encouraging enlightened debate  Continue Reading

• Reskilling the UK in the face of AI growth

  The government has introduced the National Retraining Scheme alongside funding to tackle the UK’s growing tech skills gap, but will it be enough in the wake of artificial intelligence adoption?  Continue Reading

• Building enterprise-grade AI: Sberbank and AI Telekom

  Machine learning and artificial intelligence are growing beyond adolescence to prove business value. Practical applications at Sberbank and AI Telekom suggest getting machine learning data in one place, where data scientists can experiment  Continue Reading