Personal Tech: What Geeks are talking about from Computer Weekly

Singapore retailer shifts IT infrastructure to the cloud
Challenger is moving its IT infrastructure to the cloud to enable it to respond better to business growth

PCIe SSD: Cache vs storage tier
Adding PCIe flash is a popular way of speeding up application response times, with more rapid I/O guaranteed, but should PCIe SSD be added as cache or as a tier of storage?

CW@50: How networking became the core of IT
Compared with the network, Computer Weekly is but a sprightly youngster. We take a look back not at just 50, but 200 years of British innovation in communications technology

Israel’s cyber security frontier
The Israeli city of Beer Sheva is quickly becoming a global centre of cyber security technology

DDoS attacks openly on offer for $5 an hour, researchers discover
DDoS attacks have become a commodity, and are available openly on professional services online marketplaces for as little as $5 an hour, say security researchers

CIO interview: Antti Ylä-Jarkko, city of Vantaa, Finland
The CIO of Finnish city Vantaa tells Computer Weekly why the Nordic public sector can lead the way in the use of digital

CIO Interview: Esa Viitamäki, Posti Group
IT demands and a changing market prompted Finland’s state-owned postal provider to transform itself

Why Apple is wooing open source developers with Swift
Apple is among the most closed of tech companies, yet it is serenading open source with its Swift programming language

HumanOps calls for improved working conditions for infrastructure operations staff
The pressure of delivering 24/7 support to IT infrastructure is taking its toll on the people tasked with caring for it, warns HumanOps advocates

Datacentre sector’s energy consumption habits “overlooked” by campaigners
CTO of automation management firm ponders why the energy consumption habits of datacentres are not given the same level of scrutiny as other industries

Copenhagen creates marketplace for trading data
Organisations in Copenhagen can buy and sell previously unavailable data on a data marketplace set up by the city government

No trade-off between security and privacy, says Claude Moraes MEP
Any legislation on encryption should be preceded by an in depth and careful reflection process, says EU Civil Liberties Committee chair Claude Moraes

Allo, allo: Google I/O unveils Microsoft-like feature set
Google appears to be following Microsoft with new features to Android, including add-ons that look similar to rivals Skype, OneNote, HoloLens

Google seeks to limit French right to be forgotten ruling
Google is to appeal to the top French court to quash a fine and ruling by French privacy watchdog CNIL that requires Google to apply the right to be forgotten to all its websites

Ed Vaizey speaks on why Europe is important to UK tech
Culture and digital economy minister Ed Vaizey says Europe offers a pool of skills and a digital market for UK technology

Lessons from LinkedIn data breach revelations
There are several important lessons to be learned from revelations about LinkedIn’s 2012 data breach, say security experts

Lawmaker Vaizey hails UK role in resolving datacentre sovereignty issues
Digital economy minister talks up government’s work in supporting the growth of the UK’s technology sector

Apple hit with first double-digit drop in iPhone sales
Smartphone market saturation in developed countries blamed for fall in demand for Apple devices

Digital inclusion charity demands government enforcement of web accessibility laws
AbilityNet claims government is “falling down on the job” by failing to act against firms that do not make their websites and services accessible to disabled users

Virgin Media uses Salesforce to build omni-channel sales
Virgin Media is using Salesforce to offer a single customer view irrespective of the channel the customer uses to talk to the company

Theme park company rides with Simplivity hyper-converged
International theme park operator Merlin Entertainments dumps servers and storage and replaces them with Simplivity hyper-converged infrastructure at 124 sites worldwide

SuiteWorld 2016: Focusing on customer experience dragged us away from the call centre, says Aspect
Aspect Software adopts NetSuite OneWorld to cope with consumer-led business transformation

ING Turkey uses digital technology to improve services and grow customer base
Turkish bank uses business process management technology to offer financial services through 1,500 grocery stores, technology outlets and post offices

Enterprise storage meets HPC with DDN SFA14KXi all flash array
High performance computing specialist aims at analytics- and transaction-heavy workloads in the enterprise with its upgraded Intel Broadwell-powered SFA array, the 14KXi

HPE adds support for Microsoft, VMware and Docker to Cloud28+ marketplace
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) softens its stance on OpenStack compatibility by introducing support for Azure, VMware and Docker too

What we can learn from Facebook’s software developers
Open source is not just about free code. It also offers a way to collaborate and share best practices

SuiteWorld 2016: The way retailers use ERP is shifting, taking on an external focus
NetSuite manager for commerce products looks at how consumers are forcing the retail world towards an experience-led business models

Nike and BMW pilot HP Inc’s first 3D printer
HP Inc rolls out its first 3D printer, with hopes that it will revolutionise manufacturing

Cyber espionage campaign targets Ukraine separatists
Security researchers discover a surveillance operation against separatists in Eastern Ukraine using spear phishing attacks to spread previously unknown malware

The network is the application: Why APIs are agents of change
Sun Microsystems once described the network as the computer. Today, applications are beginning to offer the real network value

Cloud security concerns rise as investment grows, report shows
Cloud security concerns are evolving with the increasing adoption of cloud computing, but continue to top the list of barriers to adoption, a study reveals

Government claims Electronic Communications Code reforms will boost UK network coverage
Government plans to cut costs associated with letting mobile operators build infrastructure on private land could lead to lower mobile costs for consumers, it is claimed

Report urges government tax breaks for cyber security investment
A report on improving cyber security in the financial industry makes several recommendations – including targeted tax breaks to stimulate investment

Interest in converged platforms grows in Southeast Asia
The adoption of converged and hyper-converged infrastructures in Southeast Asia is in its early stages, but growth is expected

Sapphire 16: SAP’s McDermott stresses customer empathy as Microsoft pact declared
Microsoft’s Nadella says companies have ‘an existential need to bring our best together’

Most organisations unprepared for cyber attacks, says report
Only 23% of organisations are capable of responding effectively to critical security incidents, according to NTT Com Security’s latest threat report

Five suppliers get 51% of all UK government IT spending, says PAC
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report questions government progress on growing the volume of public-sector business it gives to SMEs

SuiteWorld 2016: Media is moving from traditional to mobile, says Snapchat chief strategy officer
Snapchat’s model addresses the shift away from traditional media consumption, says Snapchat’s chief strategy officer

Theft of customer data is top Asean retailer worry
Southeast Asian retailers say securing customer payments is a major challenge as new payment technology is forced on them by market and consumer pressure

Police set for better engagement with UK tech firms
The policing lead for digital investigation and intelligence says new structures will improve engagement and collaboration between the UK tech industry and police forces

Employers offering apprenticeships should spread the word
The Skills Funding Agency says firms training apprentices should share the experience with other businesses