Data to clog Internet by 2010
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Analyst firm Nemertes Research Group predicts a substantial slowing of the Internet by 2010, as it become unable to cope with the scale of data being exchanged.
A year long study by the company into data flows and [...]
November 2, 2007
IOD find most small businesses not online
by Jan HarrisNew research from the Institute of Directors shows that up to two thirds of businesses in the UK, with less than 10 employees, are still not connected to the Internet.
The IOD warns that this could put them at risk of losing business or failing to keep up with their peers in continental Europe.
In [...]
October 15, 2007
Envirowise advises companies to re-use, not recyle
by Jan HarrisSimon Dury, business partnerships director of the Envirowise Project, has advised firms to choose IT equipment that can be re-used, with easily replaceable parts, rather than recycled.
Envirowise is a UK government project which provides free advice to businesses on environomental issues.
Speaking at a Green Computing in Practice roundtable, Dury said that IT equipment could [...]
October 12, 2007
Belfast Telegraph to go offline though inept IT
by Brian TurnerThe Belfast Telegraph website is in danger of going offline in a matter of days – because they failed to renew their domain name in July.
After noticing this, Britecorp contacted their IT dept offering to help use their specialise domain capture service and grab the domain and return it – all free of charge.
Instead, the [...]
October 11, 2007
SMEs unsure of data protection responsibilities
by Jan HarrisNew research commissioned by Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), finds that small and medium-sized enterprises are less aware of the principles of the Data Protection Act than larger organisations.
Less than a quarter of the SMEs surveyed were aware that they are required to keep customer information accurate and up to date under the Act, and [...]
October 3, 2007
Technology companies call for data breach law
by Jan HarrisAccording to a survey by Intellect, the trade association for the UK technology industry, over 50 per cent of the UK’s technology companies would support legislation requiring companies to notify customers of data breaches.
The preliminary results of the survey also show that 50 per cent of respondents believe the legislations should cover both public [...]
October 2, 2007
Microsoft launches startup accelerator programme
by Jan HarrisMicrosoft has launched its Startup Accelerator Programme in the UK. The programme has been running in the US since August.
The programme aims to help fledgling UK companies with high potential, by providing technical support and guidance on Microsoft technologies.
Platforms in the programme include Microsoft’s Silverlight, Microsoft’s multimedia browser plug-in, and Microsoft’s Live [...]
September 27, 2007
Government should help SMEs go green
by Jan HarrisAccording to research by ISP, Eclipse Internet, 82 per cent of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK would like more guidelines from the government on how to reduce their carbon footprints.
Eclipse Internet surveyed 250 SMEs across the UK and found that 85 per cent of them rated going green as a top [...]
September 26, 2007
AOL founder launches Internet credit card
by Jan HarrisSteve Case, the co-founder of AOL, has joined with other industry leaders to launch an innovative online credit card company.
The company, Revolution Money, is a subsidiary of Case’s investment company, Revolution LLC.
Revolution Money has launched two products, Revolution MoneyExchange which is a money transfer service for online transactions, similar to PayPal; and RevolutionCard, [...]
September 20, 2007
Brandsauce revolutionises brand images
by Jan HarrisOn-line 3D modelling firm, Brandsauce, has developed an innovative technique which creates high-quality brand images at a significantly lower cost than traditional product photography.
The online technique also gives a faster turnaround time than traditional methods, and allows the client much more control over the production process.
Brandsauce’s web-based technology converts packaging artwork into a [...]
September 19, 2007
The Importance of Planning
by Brian TurnerI’m someone who often moves on an ad hoc basis as to whether as project is a good idea or not.
Some ideas seemed like good ideas at the time, but I’m beginning to really appreciate the idea of having a plan of sorts to determine what my actual end goals are, and how I may [...]
September 10, 2007
71% of UK companies discourage flexible working
by Jan HarrisIn a YouGov survey of UK workers for Orange Business Services, 71 percent of respondents said that their companies either do not offer flexible working practices, or discourage flexible working even if it is available.
Over a third of the respondents (39 percent) said that their companies do not allow flexible working, while 32 percent [...]
September 7, 2007
Wi-fi is key technology for PC buyers
by Jan HarrisA new survey by Ipsos MORI identifies Wi-Fi as the most important technology to consumers when they are purchasing new PCs.
Wireless connectivity was found to be more important than enhanced processing power, portable connectivity and the internet.
Half of all respondents from the UK believed that wireless technology was more likely to increase [...]
September 6, 2007
London hotspot for card fraud
by Jan HarrisCard not present (CNP) fraud has soared by 22% in the UK over the last year according to retail watchdog Early Warning.
According to Early Warning’s research, the problem is worst in London, with postcode area SE18 having the highest level of CNP fraud, which is committed over the Internet, on the phone and by [...]
August 23, 2007
Competition Commission lifts business bank rate limits
by Jan HarrisThe Competition Commission has announced plans to lift the price controls it imposed on business bank rates in 2003.
The controls were put in place to make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to move accounts and to make prices more transparent.
Under the rules, the UK’s four largest banks, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds [...]
UK SMB’s benefit from technology investment
by Jan HarrisAccording to new research carried out by Accelerator in association with Cisco, the vast majority (over 90%) of Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) in the UK, gain significant benefits from their investment in technology.
The ‘Accelerator Business Confidence Survey’ found that 45% of the SMBs surveyed had gained clear, tangible business benefits from their IT [...]
Report highlights failings in SMB’s IT security
by Jan HarrisAccording to new research commissioned by Websense Inc, employees of small and medium sized businesses (SMB’s) regularly visit high-risk sites in work time, but IT Managers are failing to implement adequate IT security measures.
The research, which was carried out by Dynamic Markets, surveyed 750 IT managers and employees in SMBs across five European countries. [...]
August 22, 2007
What makes an Entrepreneur?
by Brian TurnerEntrepreneur is one of those funny words that can be difficult to define.
When I was younger, I imagined an entrepreneur to be some kind of swashbuckler of the business world.
And in a way, it’s right – unhindered by conventional restraints and bureaucracy, they become a kind of pioneer in their own right.
That doesn’t mean to [...]
August 16, 2007
A Level results farce continues
by Brian TurnerA-Levels results showed no sign of abating the trend of continued increases in pass grades, with the national pass rate up 0.3% to 96.9%, and results with an A up 1.2″ to 25.3%.
It demonstrates a continuing trend of dumbing down of the British education system, with politicians and exam boards spinning the results as down [...]
August 10, 2007
Lords report calls for data security law
by Jan HarrisThe House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has issued a new report calling for a major review of internet security.
The Personal Internet Security report recommends the urgent introduction of a data security breach law and a central web-based e-crime reporting system on which it would be mandatory for companies and public sector organisations [...]