UK public services will be delivered via a government cloud and app store, with an emphasis on green IT and open source - according to a leaked five-year plan
News Regulation
New Competition Commissioner Won’t Change Oracle Sun Case
The EC is due to make a decision on whether to sanction Oracle's $7.4 billion acquisition of Sun on 27 Jan 2010, so Oracle can continue to do business in Europe.
EC Reshuffle Sees Kroes And Reding Assigned New Duties
Two of the EC's most effective commissioners have been moved to other duties following a reshuffle
EU Says Supercomputing Key To Predicting Future Recessions
Traditional economics failed to predict the credit crunch - but supercomputers might stand a better chance, according to the EU
Databases Ignored In Disaster Recovery Plans
A third of companies have admitted that their disaster recovery plans do not protect their entire database
Consumer Champion Calls For Better Online Public Services
Better online public services could promote digital inclusion - but let's stop short of a "public sector switchover" says Ofcom consumer chair
McKinnon Is Suicide Risk Following Appeal Rejection
Notorious hacker Gary McKinnon has been labeled a suicide risk after Home Secretary Alan Johnson said he could not prevent extradition to the US
UK Citizens Aren’t Savvy Online, Says BCS
Only twenty percent of Britons are aware of how to protect their data online, according to the Savvy Citizens site, launched by BCS
Web Apps And ‘Windows As A Runtime’ Open New OS Doors
Two trends are working to expand the viability not only of Linux but of Mac OS X, Solaris and other platforms: a shift to web-based applications and "WaaR," or Windows as a Runtime.
Broadband Tax Will Be Higher – If It Happens
The £6 broadband levy designed to pay for faster broadband in the UK will be boosted by VAT and multiple lines - but could be scrapped
Virgin Media Trials File-Sharing Monitoring Tool
One of the UK's leading ISPs has broken ranks with its fellow service providers and is trialing a tool that can monitor illegal file-sharing over the internet
IT Managers Called To Duty With New Online Game
It's never going to be as big as Call of Duty, but IT managers can show their skills and save the day in an online role-playing game
Two Thirds Of Enterprises Not Ready For Carbon Accounting
With the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) looming, organisations need to get with the programme, or they will be hit with stiff penalties
UK Rural Broadband Faces Political Limbo
Radically different policies from Labour and Conservatives could stall investment this side of a general election, the Broadband Stakeholders Group has warned
Irish MEPs Accuse EC Of Paying Dell To Close Limerick Facility
The European Commission claims Dell has moved its manufacturing from Limerick to China, while Dell maintains the jobs went to Poland
European Software Lacks Innovation – Especially SAP
SAP is top of the European software league but has been slated for not innovating - and the rest of the sector has been told off by Viviane Reding
Two In Five Office Workers Steal Sensitive Data
The recession has caused an increase in the amount of data theft from within companies, with 41 percent of workers admitting to stealing sensitive data
EU Telecoms Package Finally Approved
The EU telecoms package has finally been approved, following repeated delays due to the net cut-off row. Now governments need to focus on setting up a Europe-wide telecoms regulator in 2010
IT Managers Will Go From Firing To Retaining Staff In 2010
If and when the job market opens up in 2010, you can be assured that senior technology management will be concerned about keeping talented employees
Government To Launch Green CIO Guide Following COP15
The UK government is preparing to launch a handbook for CIOs as part of a bid to refresh its ICT strategy following the COP15 summit in Copenhagen
EDS Purchase Helps HP Report Solid Quarter
Services delivered a solid quarter for HP, generating $8.9 billion (£5.38bn) in revenue
Microsoft And News Corp Reportedley Allying Against Google
Microsoft and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp are rumoured to be in talks over an agreement that would see News Corp's websites delisted from Google search in exchange for payment by Microsoft.
Open Source Poses “Huge Risk” To Organisations
European CIO of GE has said that open source is only useful for internal "playground" uses, despite other parts of GE having deployed Linux for healthcare platforms
ISPs Hit Back At Digital Economy Bill
The ISPA has mounted an attack against Lord Mandelson's strategy to deal with illegal file-sharers, laid out in the government's Digital Economy Bill
IBM And CA Ease Mainframe Management Burden
IBM has announced more software to help businesses manage their mainframe environments. And CA has also decided to join the party with its own offerings
Spiceworks Plug-in To Rein In Power Hungry PCs
Spiceworks has teamed up with Intel to offer a green plug-in that will allow companies to regulate the power consumption of their computers
AOL To Cut 2,500 Jobs
AOL management is asking for voluntary redundancies in order to reduce its operating costs by $200 million, but involuntary layoffs will follow if AOL does not hit its target
Green Data Centres Wait For Regulations
Users are keen to know about sustainable data centres, but it looks like it might take regulations to push them to adopt a more environmental approach
Ordnance Survey Maps To Be Made Available Online
The government has announced that Ordnance Survey data will be made available for free online in 2010.
If Windows 7 Were My Idea …
Microsoft's “Windows 7 was my idea” ad campaign promises to give users everything they have ever wanted from an OS, but what would you add to make Windows truly your idea?