Proximitum News Feed

Protecting data in the present environment

05 July 2010

Firms could be finding it difficult at the moment to meet cost constraints and ensure their data is protected at all times, it has been claimed.

InTechnology wrote on the ZDNet blog that external financial forces often determine the level of investment that businesses can make in data security, but the fact these issues often grow during periods of instability means that firms should be particularly focused at present on boosting their security provision.

"External forces add to the backup-related challenges that organisations face. Heightened awareness of business continuity and regulatory compliance has led to increased investment in data protection activities," the blogger posted.

Elsewhere, Neil Munroe, external affairs director for Equifax, recently said companies need to be aware that times of economic difficulty often see an increase in the level of fraud within firms and this is therefore something they should be looking out for now.

Emergence of cloud 'a trend to watch'

05 July 2010

Companies across the globe are being attracted to the benefits offered by cloud computing and this is a trend that will likely continue, one sector expert has claimed.

Business Review USA reported that Surya Kant, president of North America for Tata Consultancy Services, said cloud technology is having a resounding impact on outsourced services, as it reduces the need for firms to outsource completely but also offers significant operational advantages.

He commented: "Cloud computing remains a focus in the industry and we believe it will become an increasingly viable option for enterprise IT and specifically to IT service providers."

Elsewhere, Andrew Donoghue recently stated in an interview for SC Magazine that the cloud will become an ever-present part of data handling in corporate infrastructure in the future, as more firms have gained access to the technology in recent years.

Cost savings 'driver for cloud growth'

05 July 2010

The cost savings that companies can make through the uptake of cloud computing have been the major driver behind the growth in popularity of the technology, it has been stated.

Hugo Harber, director of convergence and network strategy at Star, said scalability and flexibility have also been key components, but the main attraction of cloud computing has been the way in which firms can economise scale to make savings.

"[Businesses are] buying into expertise in hardware and application maintenance and management. In addition to this you achieve scalability and flexibility which you cannot achieve with owned infrastructure," he said.

According to 360°IT, half of organisations have said that what excites them most about the cloud - aside from the acknowledged business benefits of cost saving and increased agility - is that resources can be reassigned to focus more on creativity and growth rather than fire drills.

Getting online 'is becoming easier'

05 July 2010

Businesses and individuals are finding it easier than ever to get online and access the internet, it has been claimed.

James Smythe, general manager of the UK Online Measurement Company (UKOM), said internet access is now widespread around the country and this has meant that business communications and online systems are becoming an integral part of many firms.

He commented: "Speed of connection must also be a factor - widespread access to decent broadband speeds means that the internet is getting better at making people's lives easier."

According to research carried out by UKOM, the size of the UK internet audience grew by five per cent from 36.9 million people in May 2009 to 38.8 million people in May 2010.

Indeed, of the 1.9 million new Britons using the internet, one million (53 per cent) were at least 50-years-old.

Can hosted services aid disaster recovery?

02 July 2010

A hosted exchange may be beneficial to businesses in the event of problems with their IT network, it has been suggested.

Published on MyBroadband, an article advises that companies must always have strategic backup plans in place to ensure they are fully prepared for any eventuality.

This could include strains on the power supply, especially if a large event is taking place nearby that may drain resources.

Gina Santos, distribution account manager for southern Africa at APC by Schneider Electric, explained disasters can have a "significant impact" on businesses, resulting in damaged hardware as well as lost data.

"This is especially true for individuals and small to medium businesses who may not have taken the time to prepare a disaster plan to combat this type of issue," she added.

Hosted services may be a way for enterprises to ensure information is not sacrificed.

Meanwhile, Edd Dawson, managing director of broadband.co.uk, recently claimed that faster broadband speeds could benefit business communication, although these services may be affected by competition within the industry.

SharePoint 2010 migration advice for firms

01 July 2010

Businesses have been given some 'need-to-know' advice on migrating to Microsoft SharePoint 2010.

ITNewsAfrica explains that content migration issues can cause difficulties in migrating to the new version of the collaboration platform.

However, an understanding of how best to manage the process can help to ensure that any disruption is minimal and that the migration goes smoothly.

Using migration tools free of service pack requirements is one suggestion, enabling data to be upgraded from SharePoint 2003 or 2007 directly into SharePoint 2010.

Granular migration - where priority folders or files can be moved over first - is a further recommendation to reduce risk by allowing the process to be carried out in small chunks.

Bob Bueltmann, vice-president of business development and co-founder of KnowledgeLake, recently spoke at the AIIM Roadshow 2010 of how SharePoint has become a "hot topic" for enterprise content management.

He suggested that, within the next three to five years, Microsoft's rapid rate of learning could see competitor products removed from the market completely.

Security 'a concern' for cloud uptake

01 July 2010

Businesses continue to see ensuring the security of cloud services as the major stumbling block to widespread uptake of the technology, it has been stated.

Doug Miles, UK managing director at AIIM Europe, speaking at the AIIM Roadshow 2010, said many firms are unsure of the guarantees that are given by cloud service providers, as the data is ultimately handled by a third party and in an open domain.

Indeed, the connection of cloud services to existing IT infrastructure could also prove to be a problem.

He commented: "Security is obviously an issue, interoperability is obviously an issue - how do you connect the cloud service to your in-house back-end services?"

According to a poll recently carried out at IT infrastructure event 360°IT, half of organisations said that what excites them most about the cloud - aside from the acknowledged business benefits of cost saving and increased agility - is that resources can be reassigned to focus more on creativity and growth rather than fire drills.

Cloud computing's impact on staff

30 June 2010

Many IT staff view cloud computing as a threat, but is it right for them to do so?

Not according to John Soat who claimed that the technology simply facilitates a better way to manage data, but will still need to be administered just like any other form of IT infrastructure, Information Week reports.

A survey published by InformationWeek Analytics showed that 40 per cent of managers are now using cloud services or plan to do so within the next two years.

However, two-thirds of respondents whose firms have already embraced cloud computing said they have seen no cut-back in staff levels since its uptake, therefore quelling any disquiet that cloud computing could lead to job losses.

Elsewhere, Frank Gens, senior vice-president and chief analyst at IDC, recently told Search CIO that there are myriad dangers that are to be avoided when embracing cloud computing services.

He noted that businesses should be aware of the technology's limitations and should not expect it to solve all the IT infrastructure problems of a firm overnight.

New broadband 'could benefit businesses'

30 June 2010

The introduction of broadband speeds of up to 400 Mb per second (Mbps) could dramatically boost the ability of companies to streamline business communications.

Edd Dawson, managing director of broadband.co.uk, said, however, that while Virgin is contemplating a major upgrade to its networks, there could be barriers to its uptake.

He commented: "I would be surprised if we saw 400 megabits as the standard anytime soon. I think it's more [Virgin] saying 'we have a great network, we can do what we want'."

Mr Dawson added that the introduction of these services will depend entirely upon the competition that is out there, as Virgin will not want to be too far ahead of the pack, as present equipment might not be able to support these speeds.

According to ZDNET UK, Virgin has revealed plans for 400 Mbps of broadband services. The company currently offers 50 Mbps across its cable footprint, covering 50 per cent of UK homes.

Online advertising 'offers return to firms'

30 June 2010

Businesses could see a considerable return on investment by investing in online advertising, it has been claimed.

Karin von Abrams, senior analyst at eMarketer, said industries such as technology, telecoms, entertainment and media were the first to see the appeal of online marketing, but other sectors could now equally benefit from this shifting trend.

She commented: "The UK is a mature market for online advertising and the internet is firmly established as an accountable channel that can deliver excellent return on investment."

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe, growth has slowed to 4.5 per as the internet's share of total advertising market spend in Europe nears 20 per cent.

It found that internet advertising spending continued to grow in almost all of the 23 markets measured and had a combined value of €14.7 billion (£12 billion). The US market totalled €16.3 billion for the same period.

Cloud services 'to dominate'

29 June 2010

Cloud services will dominate business IT infrastructure by 2013, it has been stated.

According to Andrew Donoghue in an interview for SC Magazine, the cloud will become an ever-present part of data handling in corporate infrastructure and this is now becoming the case for many larger firms, but the smaller ones will soon follow suit.

However, he warned that companies will need to look at more sophisticated security measures if they wish to ensure their data is safe at all times in the future.

"Businesses need to put measures in place to protect the data they hold and standard passwords just cannot protect against the sophisticated hackers around today," Neil Hollister, chief executive officer of CryptoCard, told the publication.

Meanwhile, the Internet and American Life Project by the Pew Research Center recently revealed that 72 per cent of respondents to a poll felt businesses will be much more reliant on smartphone and cloud applications to carry out their work by 2020.

Cloud pitfalls to be avoided

29 June 2010

Businesses have been advised on the myriad dangers that are to be avoided when embracing cloud computing services.

Frank Gens, senior vice-president and chief analyst at IDC, told Search CIO that failing to understand the true nature of the cloud can be one of the primary pitfalls that companies face.

Indeed, they should be aware of the technology's limitations and should not expect it to solve all the IT infrastructure problems of a firm overnight.

However, he added that cloud computing is akin to what the internet was 20 years ago, in that it is a "game changer".

Mr Gens commented: "Think of how many people use WebEx and make extensive use of cloud apps. The number one application in most enterprises is email, which is rapidly being outsourced to public clouds."

Elsewhere, Eric Berridge, co-founder of New York-based solutions provider Bluewolf, recently stated that there has been a boom in the uptake of Software-as-a-Service - SaaS - and cloud computing in the UK following the economic downturn.

Blogging a 'good way to boost business communications'

28 June 2010

Operating a blog and updating it regularly can be an excellent method for companies to boost brand awareness and interact with their consumers, it has been stated.

Nick Baggott, founder of Navigate Consulting, said blogging is about leadership and the sharing of opinions and can therefore be a good way to communicate a brand's ethos.

He commented: "Blogs are dynamic and can be quickly and easily updated without the need for great expertise and this is of particular benefit to small businesses."

Mr Baggott added that more personalised views can often lead to greater empathy for brands by consumers and this is where blogs can really come into their own.

According to a recent benchmark report from EPiServer, just 34 per cent of blogs are updated on a regular basis and only 19 per cent of brands advertise their blog across the rest of their website.

However, the report did show that 40 per cent of businesses now operate a blog in some shape or form.

Real-time progress software 'helps firms stay ahead'

28 June 2010

Businesses could benefit from the uptake of real-time progress software that can help firms react quickly in times of emergency.

Dr Giles Nelson, deputy chief technology officer of Progress Software, said disaster recovery - such as in response to the recent tube strike in London - can be put into action more effectively when using real-time systems, as it gives firms up-to-date information regarding their activities.

He commented: "This technology delivers real-time, comprehensive visibility into any combination of processes, billing transactions, events and system-level information."

Dr Nelson added that this enables organisations to determine what is working and what is not and to set the right course of action to stay on an even keel.

According to Transport for London, strike action was undertaking by RMT workers on London's tube network last week. However, the industrial action is not believed to have hampered business activity in the capital that much.

Data security 'should be stepped up for firms'

28 June 2010

Companies need to be aware that times of economic difficulty often see an increase in the level of fraud within firms and this is therefore something they should be looking out for.

Neil Munroe, external affairs director for Equifax, said internal data security and scrutiny of staff activities should be second nature by now, as employees can be under greater stress during times of financial hardship, meaning they could be more likely to break the law.

He commented: "You need to step up your level of monitoring in these times, because the economic climate tends to increase the likelihood of these sorts of things happening."

According to a report by CIFAS - the UK's Fraud Prevention Service - there was a 45 per cent increase in staff fraud in 2009, compared with the previous year.

In addition, 2009 also saw a rise in theft offences, such as fraudulent withdrawals from customer accounts and theft of cash.

Businesses 'benefit from blogging'

25 June 2010

UK firms could see real benefits by setting up their own blogs and updating them regularly, it has been claimed.

Nick Baggott, founder of Navigate Consulting, said the easy to manage nature of blogging is particularly suited to help small firms get ahead, but that is not to say that large businesses should not get active online as well.

He commented: "You need to update your blog regularly - because the more often you do it the more valuable it is - but you don't have to have a set schedule; just update it when you have something interesting to say."

According to a benchmark report from EPiServer entitled The Engaged Web, 40 per cent of sites examined had some form of blog - a statistic that highlights the growing prevalence of the activity.

However, the report also showed that just 34 per cent of these blogs were updated on a regular basis, something that should be addressed if firms want to make their online presence felt.

Landline duty scrappage 'is good news'

25 June 2010

Plans to end landline duty in the UK are good news for consumers, it has been stated.

Michael Phillips, product director of Broadbandchoices.co.uk, said both business and home phone users are presently charged for a service that many do not even need, want or asked for and therefore the abolition of this form of taxation is a step in the right direction.

He commented: "Why should they have to pay for the roll-out of broadband in the UK when they have just got a phone line because they want to make a call to friends but they don't want to be online?"

According to chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne, the proposed landline duty that is in place in the UK is an archaic form of taxation that is no longer relevant to modern society.

He argued that at the moment, the duty impacts on 30 million people who have a fixed telephone line.

Temptation 'can be a serious data security risk'

24 June 2010

Businesses should reinforce the fact that opening unsolicited emails can be a serious risk to data security, both for individuals and the firm, it has been stated.

Rik Ferguson, senior security advisor at Trend Micro, said more than 420,000 scam emails are sent every hour in the UK and therefore it is a continuing problem that people need to be aware of.

Indeed, the fact that all these emails are sent does mean that people can be curious about what may happen if they open them, but they should resist this urge.

He commented: "What a lot of people will do when they get an email is recognise it as not being legitimate in any sense - phishing, scam, malicious, whatever it might be - but are still very tempted to click on the URL."

According to figures compiled by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), 73 per cent of adults have received a scam email in the past year, while, in comparison, 21 per cent of adults have received scams via a letter and 12 per cent via text message.

Indeed, the OFT highlighted how scammers are targeting unsuspecting people using increasingly sophisticated and manipulative tactics to launch its 2010 Scams Awareness Month.

Search reports 'help companies'

23 June 2010

Businesses could make use of search reports to understand their marketplace better, it has been claimed.

Hannah Kimuyu, director of paid search at Greenlight, said firms should look to ensure they are focusing on the right areas to grow their business and this is where online search reports can play a part.

She commented: "Data's useful for knowing how the marketplace is operating - what are my competitors doing, what keywords are they bidding on at what time of the day?"

Ms Kimuyu added that search engine optimisation has never played a larger role in helping companies to get ahead.

According to Greenlight, despite a drop of 16 per cent on January levels, the number of trading-related searches made by UK consumers in April totalled 650,000.

Of the top ten trading search terms, nine were all stock trading-related, indicating that there is a massive online search market for such products.

Cloud services 'have boomed'

23 June 2010

There has been a boom in the uptake of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and cloud computing in the UK following the economic downturn, it has been stated.

Eric Berridge, co-founder of New York-based solutions provider Bluewolf, has claimed the cost savings associated with SaaS and the cloud have meant that financial difficulties have prompted many firms to invest in these technologies, meaning that while investment in tech tends to suffer during a downturn, the opposite has happened in this instance.

He commented: "You don't have to buy all of that infrastructure."

Elsewhere, the Internet and American Life Project by the Pew Research Center recently forecast that cloud computing will have permeated all levels of business by 2020.

The poll revealed that 72 per cent of respondents felt that by the end of the decade, businesses will be much more reliant on smartphone and cloud applications to carry out their work.