The rise of LMS technology

Is your IT department involved in the design or procurement of a Learning Management System (LMS)? A recent survey has shown that more companies are looking at developing in-house talent and so looking at systems that bring together a number of skills training and development packages for employees. An article in Computer Weekly discusses the issues and offers advice for IT departments involved in providing such systems. LMS systems can offer anything from ‘simple course booking systems’ to a range of e-learning courses. One of the reasons that such in-house courses are becoming more significant is the need in many industrial and commercial sectors to demonstrate to regulators that ‘staff are trained in the relevant legislation’. New sector specific suppliers of LMS systems are ‘emerging’ according to the article with indications that for IT departments it is ‘a buyer’s market’. For more information read the article at http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240169345/Businesses-invest-in-learning-management-systems-to-reskill-staff

Women in technology

Shadow business minister Chi Onwurah has recently put forward new ideas to increase the number of women working in engineering and technology. Amongst other suggestions, discussed in an article by Louise Peacock in The Daily Telegraph, she suggested that the awarding of government contracts should be dependent on the companies involved having a minimum number of female staff. Her other suggestions include more prizes and awards schemes for female scientists and technologists. Ms Onwurah was an electrical engineer for 23 years before joining parliament in 2010 and says that she has ‘definitely’ experienced sexism. Currently 94% of engineers are men, according to recent research. An additional report by the Institute of Engineering and Technology calls for women to be encouraged into the profession at an earlier age. It also calls for more flexible working arrangements to be available. For more on these proposals to encourage women into technology read more at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-politics/9618140/Call-for-minimum-number-of-female-staff-in-tech-firms.html

Increased powers sought against data security breaches

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is looking to increase its authority to impose greater punishments against companies  who have had major data security breaches. Recent official figures show a marked increase in cyber security incidents in both the public and private sector.  In addition, according to the article on computing.co.uk, Europe is also looking to ‘introduce tough new data protection regulations as early as 2014.’ The article has views from Deputy Information Commissioner, David Smith, who even argues for custodial sentences although the government has not wanted to take this step so far. Currently the maximum fine that can be issued for a data security breach is £500,000. The maximum issued so far was for £375,000 to Brighton and Sussex General Hospital when hard disks with patient data were found on eBay. For more on the debate on how cyber security breaches should be handled read the full article at http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/analysis/2214058/analysis-data-watchdog-needs-more-bite#ixzz29Rv1qpPi

Consultation opens on .uk domain names

Does British business need new shorter domain names – particularly the option of www.company.uk? These have been proposed by Nominet, the non-profit organisation that oversees all .uk net addresses. According to today’s article on the BBC technology page, the shorter domain names would have added security features. Eleanor Bradley, director of operations at Nominet explains that the new domain names would be “DNSSEC-signed [Domain Name System Security Extensions] …a security protocol that adds a digital signature to a domain to minimise the risk of domain-hijacking.” A three-month consultation period is now underway until 7^th January to listen to business concerns. Some companies envisage additional expense as they may have to buy the additional domain names simply to protect their brands. To obtain the new names, businesses would have to prove they have a significant UK presence and pay additional fees. For more information on the new domain name proposals read the full BBC article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19767014

Microsoft finds malware on ‘new’ products

PCs and laptops may already be infected with malware before you even get them home. That’s according to a recent announcement by Microsoft and discussed in a recent article in The Independent. As part of their investigations, Microsoft researchers bought products from various ‘PC malls’ in different Chinese cities and found that 20 per cent of them were infected with malware. Although it is not thought the products bought from ‘unsecure supply chains’ will affect Western supplies of physical products, the malware could still cause problems if the software is downloaded. Researchers found counterfeit copies of Microsoft Windows and malware that could allow cybercriminals to remotely control cameras, record keystrokes and gather personal data. The main malware involved is known as Nitol Botnet which the company has been investigating by many different means. Find out more about the technical reach of the malware by reading the full article at http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/microsoft-admits-millions-of-computers-could-be-infected-with-malware-before-theyre-even-out-of-the-box-8139437.html

Quantum chip from University of Bristol

An international research team based at the University of Bristol are to reveal details this week of their latest development – a new quantum chip. Quantum technology manipulates photons of light within circuits rather than traditional chips using electrical current. This step means the possibility of ultra-fast computing and much smaller devices although quantum chips could still be produced in exiting silicon manufacturing facilities. In the short term, its first applications may be in situations where online security is important. Jeremy O’Brien, physics professor at Bristol, quoted in the full article in the Financial Times, estimated that “quantum processors could be integrated with conventional microelectronic circuits within three to five years.” The Bristol based team included engineers and scientists from Toshiba, Nokia and Oclaro from the U.K. The team’s work is to be revealed at the British Science Festival in Aberdeen this week. For more details on this step change in chip design  read the full article here  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1410dc2c-f383-11e1-b3a2-00144feabdc0.html#axzz25ORTj4UI

The BBC, the Olympics and the digital future

What were the key issues facing the chief technology officer for the BBC during the huge digital output delivered during the Olympics? John Linwood who holds that particular role, speaking in an interview in Computer Weekly magazine, does admit to ‘a moment at the end of the closing ceremony where we breathed a sigh of relief’. At one point 12 million video requests were made on one day making it ‘the largest online mobile streaming ever’. Planning infrastructure was vital with equipment rental and use of third party networks meaning that the huge capacity could be there for the event without excess investment. Linwood goes on the discuss the future direction for digital operations at the BBC including using cloud-based services and virtualisation. For more on what it took to successfully deliver the BBC Olympic output and future plans, read the whole article at http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240161490/John-Linwood-BBC-CTO-on-the-Olympics-output-and-digitisation

IT Skills survey 2012 – what do you need to progress?

IT professionals – what do you know and what do you need to know? To find out what skills are considered important by programmers, developers or IT managers, Computing.co.uk questioned 400 readers in a recent survey. Answers to questions such as “Which programming skills do you have?” and “Which programming skill do you see as the most important over the next two years?” are compared to find future trends. Today’s top three programming skills were given as SQL, HTML and Unix/Linux in comparison to the three languages seen as key for the future: Android, Java and .net. Readers were also asked about their skills in database management and analytics with just above and below 50% of respondents saying they possessed skills in the field of SQL Server, Business Intelligence and Oracle. For a detailed insight into how industry professionals see the future and more importantly why, read the full, detailed article at http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/feature/2192979/computing-it-skills-survey-2012/page/1

GCHQ and government call for more cybercrime training

The government wants to see more universities offer post-graduate training in world-class cybersecurity as part of its National Cyber Security Programme. As part of the initiative, several government bodies, including GCHQ in Cheltenham, have grouped together to encourage universities to apply for funding. As discussed in this month’s Computer Weekly magazine, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) hope eventually to establish two dedicated centres for Doctoral Training. In April this year some universities already achieved “Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research” status in the initial stages of the programme. "If the UK is to…maintain its reputation for world-class capability in cybersecurity, it is vital that we look to discover, develop and nurture the UK’s next generation of doctoral-level cybersecurity experts," said David Willetts, minister for universities and skills. For more on the future of cybersecurity training read the full article at http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240159950/Universities-invited-to-train-cyber-spooks

Is it really good to share?

It used to be the case that sensitive company information could not be distributed or released without permission and a rubber stamp from senior management. In the digital age, sensitive data, intellectual property and brand information are distributed more widely via social media, Skype, online profiles and C.Vs. The ‘sharing’ is often done by an unaware younger workforce. An article from SC Magazine looks at the headache that this can cause information security professionals and the companies they are trying to protect. “We're living in a world where our entire emerging workforce has grown up online and has been engineered to over-share. Big data miners have taken notice,” says one interviewee. Such information can be used to plan targeted attacks on security systems or be used to competitive advantage. Information security training is one suggestion as well as clear guidelines in employment contracts. Find out more about the problems with sharing by reading the full article at http://www.scmagazineuk.com/the-problem-of-employees-sharing-too-much-information/article/248318/  

Decision making and IT management

Understanding the decision points in the corporate world and knowing who makes those decisions can help to plan your career in IT management. In an article on the computing.co.uk website, the second of a two part series on ‘The business of IT decision-making’ looks at where the spending and decision power comes from – based on a survey of 755 UK IT decision makers. The research covers who allocates budgets, who deals with actual procurement and who initiates IT strategy. The study shows great variation depending on the size of project and the size of the company. The article suggests that those in computing management need to expand their skills into budgeting, strategy and wider areas. ‘IT decision-makers spend increasing amounts of time learning and keeping up to date with technology advancements. Those who wish for greater strategic involvement might need to expand their studies to include business issues as well.’ Read more at http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/analysis/2182823/computing-research-business-decision#ixzz1yp3VZLJw

The challenge of being CIO for the entire UK government

The role of chief information officer can be wide ranging covering many areas and departments in a large company. Andy Nelson has just taken over as the CIO for the whole of the UK government as well as maintaining his previous role of CIO for the Ministry of Justice. In an interview with Computer Weekly magazine, he talks about the challenges of both roles and luckily how there is a lot of overlap between them. The government’s key priorities are implementing ‘core infrastructure strands… the cloud, Public Services Network (PSN), data centre consolidation and end user device piece.’ Nelson believes these are the areas that will reduce costs. The detailed interview also covers leadership strategy, IT procurement and legislative issues. For more about how the man at the top sees the future of IT in a whole range of government departments, read the whole article at http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240149128/CIO-interview-Andy-Nelson-government-IT-head

The story of ARM – past and future

The designs behind microprocessors in millions of gadgets worldwide come from ARM Holdings – one of the U.K.’s most successful companies. Despite this, in a BBC interview, company president, Tudor Brown, says that the company has no plans to actually make the devices but rely on a system of royalty fees and licenses.  "It's often discussed, but dismissed…fairly quickly…I've always said it's not the technology that's driving this company forward, it's the business model that's put ARM where it is today.” There were initial product design failures in the early nineties on a joint project to develop the world’s first PDA (personal digital assistant). However this led to engineers developing skills in low-power usage design – one of the company’s key design principles. After huge sales linked to the mobile industry, ARM now has its new ‘Flycatcher’ microprocessor design, used to connect a new range of appliances to the internet. Read the full interview here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18054164

Is the public sector embracing the cloud?

The opportunities from the government’s CloudStore, announced in March 2011, are not being taken up by public sector staff, as discussed in a recent report from VMWare. The BBC Technology website reports that due to a ‘lack of enthusiasm’, the targets of ‘50% of new government IT spending to move to cloud computing services by 2015’ may not be met. The aim of CloudStore is to ‘make it cheaper and easier for public sector organisations to choose and buy "off the shelf" IT services”. Some departments are already locked into long contracts; others involved in the survey were concerned about security. The article does show a positive user of CloudStore. Liverpool Womens’ and Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trusts have saved costs of 10% by replacing four data centres with cloud services. For more on the public sector and the cloud read the article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18103750

Internet access for airline customers

Being able to go online while on your flight can be done on some airlines but it may be slow and not always available. Many American passengers can pay for an in-flight Wi-Fi service but it is generally only available overland. Providing the same service over the ocean is the aim of a number of projects discussed in an article on the BBC Technology website. Involvement with satellite technology is generally seen as the way forward with three new satellites from Inmarsat being planned from next year. Their Global Xpress project will provide coverage in a frequency band called Ka. Leo Mondale of Inmarsat explains, “These higher frequencies will enable real broadband communications to and from an airplane, higher speeds and cheaper prices that we think will fit with the expectations of the market." Honeywell is involved in developing the onboard hardware. For more on airline Wi-Fi read the article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18021468

Can nature provide solutions for the next leap in IT?

With the push for smaller and smaller electronic components, researchers are turning to microbes as inspiration for the future generation of computers. An article on the BBC technology page discusses the work of a team from the University of Leeds and Tokyo’s University of Agricultural and Technology. Their work involved microbes that ingest iron creating tiny magnets similar to those used in hard drives. In their natural environment the microorganisms have been found to follow the Earth’s magnetic field lines. Elsewhere researchers have created ‘nano-scale tubes made from the membrane of cells’ which in effect make ‘tiny electrical wires from living organisms.’ Dr Staniland from the University of Leeds explained “We are quickly reaching the limits of traditional electronic manufacturing…as computer components get smaller... Nature has provided us with the perfect tool to [deal with] this problem” For more on the future of nano-computing and electronics read the full article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17981157

Bristol networking event – ‘Smart Buildings’

If you’re based in Bristol or Bath and work in information technology, a local networking science and technology group is inviting you to come along and think ‘smart’ – in particular smart building technology. BEN is the membership organisation of Science City Bristol. Their networking event on May 3rd looks at the latest in ‘smart buildings’ and related industries. For those who can’t attend, the feature on the Science Bristol website looks at recent developments including design competitions and the link to the south west with Bristol’s Smart City programme and the area’s strong micro-electronics sector. A smart building is defined as “one in which the building fabric, space, services and information systems…respond…to the initial and changing demands of…occupier, and the environment". IT areas identified for development and funding include intelligent objects within smart building management systems. For more on the event and the industry read the full article at http://news.sciencecitybristol.com/smart-buildings-the-future-is-here/

Coding for all?

Is coding becoming a required skill outside of the IT professional sector? Would it help if more colleagues were able to understand the basics when discussing a project or is it best left to the professionals? Writing on his BBC technology blog, Rory Cellan-Jones, describes who he met and what he learnt on a day’s coding course – ‘Decoded’. The other participants were advertising executives with no previous knowledge of HTML, CSS and Javascript. They wanted to understand digital consumers better and at least try and be able to ‘talk the language’ in the future, even if they will never have to use it directly in their own roles. Rory himself, after struggling to make a basic application with the help of the group, describes how it has given him ‘new insights into the development of our digital world.’ Who in your company would benefit from such a course? Read the full article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17726085

The new ‘weightless’ and wireless technology

We have already seen the benefits of mobile broadband for mass communication but how does this apply to machines? On the BBC technology page, Professor William Webb, chief technology officer at Neul and an IEEE fellow, argues that there is a need for a different type of wireless connectivity required to link machines. Professor Webb explains that the criteria would be very different to that of mass media communication “It would deliberately use much lower data rates than mobile broadband in order to allow greater range, simpler and cheaper chip sets and longer battery life…optimised for large numbers of short messages sent intermittently rather than rapid connection and multi-media download.” Institutions and companies working together have recently identified spectrum that would work with these characteristics and developing ‘weightless’ technology and weightless chips for this new area of information technology. For more on this new ‘weightless’ world read the full article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17666447

Midlands continues to attract digital jobs

The reputation of Birmingham and the Midlands area continues to grow as an area for games developers and other digital skills. The video game developer Codemasters is hiring around 100 new employees at both the company’s HQ in Leamington Spa and in Birmingham where the company has its development studio. In the report on the Techwatch website, Simon Miles from the company is quoted in a BBC interview as saying "The skilled talent pool in Birmingham, along with the support available for developers in the area, and across the Midlands generally has created a dynamic and creative local business community.” The company is looking for their new recruits from both the Midlands and outside the area. The company started in 1986 and its most famous game currently is the Dirt series based on rally driving. For more details on these new game development opportunities read the full article on the Techwatch website http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2012/04/06/codemasters-hiring-100-staff-in-west-midlands/