http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/feeds/news.asp All newsen-us http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Students have high IT expectations_18727045.html Increasing numbers of young people have high expectations regarding IT provision at university, according to latest reports.

A recent survey by IT services group Logicalis found that 50 per cent of 13 to 17 year olds expect that they will have a laptop to use at university, reports computing.co.uk.

A further 17 per cent said they expected to have their own desktop PC, while 25 per cent said they thought they would have a laptop just for use on campus.

Over 1,000 teenagers were polled to find out whether they expected to buy their own PC when they start university or if they expected the university to provide one for them.

Almost a quarter of respondents said that they expected to buy their own, while 26 per cent said they thought the university would provide a computer.

Interestingly, just under 20 per cent said that they would prefer to use a desktop PC for messaging and virtual learning, with almost 40 per cent choosing a laptop.

Over 34 per cent of teenagers taking part in the survey said they thought the offer of a free laptop would be a good incentive for students to study at a particular institution.

However, it is thought that if this became a reality, it would cost the higher education sector over £150 million a year.

The research did find that young people are becoming more savvy when it comes to social networking, with 34 per cent claiming they were becoming concerned about online safety.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/IT outsourcing gathers pace_18727360.html IT outsourcing in the UK is increasing as a result of the credit crunch - good news for IT contractors and those in IT jobs.

A survey by IT support company Connect has revealed that there has been a 75 per cent increase in the number of enquiries for IT support since the credit crunch, reports onrec.co.uk.

Mark Macgregor, chief executive of Connect, told the website that the increase in enquiries is 'particularly marked' in mid-sized companies with between 50 and 500 employees.

He said he believes that the main cause of the surge in interest is the desire to reduce headcount and increase flexibility.

Mr MacGregor said that although outsourcing can save businesses money, he warned that companies should be careful.

He told the website that it is 'vital' that firms spend the time at the start of a contract to get the IT strategy and processes right.

'Outsourcing can be an attractive option but companies need to be careful. It is an old truism that you should not outsource a problem and expect it to be magically solved,' he concluded.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Opera launches new internet browser_18635719.html Ahead of the launch of Firefox 3, Opera has launched an update to its internet browsing client.

Entitled Opera 9.5, the new software is available to users of a number of different operating systems - such as Mac OS X and Linux - and has been designed to be compliant with open standards for the internet.

'Opera 9.5 represents the culmination of two years spent listening to our community and transforming our browser to add features and capabilities they have requested,' said Jon von Tetzchner, chief executive officer at Opera.

'Its faster, lighter and pushes us further out in front of other browsers, by blending the mobile and desktop worlds together in new and powerful ways.'

The new browser has implemented a number of new features across all platforms, including Opera Link, a service which allows synchronisation of data between the desktop and Operas mobile phone internet client.

Opera also features fraud protection facilities, with services provided by PhishTank, Netcraft and Haute Secure.

In other browser news, ZDNet has confirmed that, despite the need for a third release candidate, the forthcoming Firefox 3 will be released on Tuesday June 17th 2008.

http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Rash IT projects lose millions in revenue_18504227.html Poorly conceived IT projects for clients in the digital, media and telecommunications sectors cost companies millions of pounds each year as a result of rash decisions.

According to a study by PM3 Consulting, one in every three IT projects thought up by the trios sectors are flawed either because tech managers are badly briefed or because the project brief they receive is incoherent.

Contractor UK reports that the survey also showed that the industry has 'unrealistic expectation' of IT projects and professionals, designing initiatives which are either unworkable, over budget or not cost-effective.

The result of such decisions is that millions of pounds in productivity each day are lost as IT professionals sort out the plans made by workers in the digital and telecoms sectors.

Steve Pragnell, chief executive of PM3 Consulting, told the news provider: 'As a result, projects run over time, over budget, deliver poor-quality products and often fail to realise any tangible business benefits at all.

'Digital, media and telecoms companies need to be much more savvy and rigorous about their project management.'

The survey questioned 500 businesses throughout the UK.

Mr Pragnell added: 'It is shocking that millions of pounds are wasted due to lack of foresight and inefficiency. Industry needs to wake up to the value of hiring project management professionals. Ultimately it could be the difference between making or wasting millions.'

PM3 Consulting is an IT project management company based across the UK. http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Apple launches new software updates_18464200.html Computing and consumer electronics firm Apple has released updates for its Mac OS X operating system, it has emerged.

Launched for versions 10.4.x and 10.5.x, dubbed Tiger and Leopard respectively, the new updates contain a number of different enhancements, including those relating to stability and security.

Specifically for Tiger, the update from Apple closed a vulnerability in the Mail email application that could allow the remote execution of code, in addition to fixing a directory services-related security flaw.

'The Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.5.1 Leopard,' said Apple.

'For the protection of our customers, Apple does not disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until a full investigation has occurred and any necessary patches or releases are available.'

For users of Leopard however, a number of vulnerabilities have been plugged, including those relating to URL usage in Safari, in addition to problems in relation to Terminal, NetBios and NFS.

The operating system updates also upgraded Leopard to version 10.5.2.

Apples naming of its operating system after large felines, started with the release of version 10.0.x, dubbed Cheetah.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/More IT contractors going it alone_18725317.html More and more IT contractors and those in IT jobs are deciding to go it alone, according to latest research.

Figures show that the number of one-person traders has grown every year for almost ten years, reports the website Contractor UK.

Official statistics also show that since 1994, the number of new businesses has increased steadily to a record high last year.

Over the course of last year, the UKs business stock increased by 212,000 to 4.8 million.

The biggest rise in 2007 was among sole traders, with numbers up six per cent, taking the number of one-man bands to 3.5 million.

Although ministers have welcomed the rise in the number of companies, the Federation of Small Businesses said that it was worrying that more of them were not creating jobs.

It is thought that this is explained by the fact that newly self-employed people have difficulties getting to grips with new legal and financial responsibilities.

This comes after a survey by BT, which revealed that just under half of all firms said that the economic climate was not a barrier for them to set up a company.

http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/IT contractors strong in unstable job market_18725359.html Increasing numbers of people in permanent IT jobs are moving to other jobs, leaving the door open for IT contractors, according to latest research.

Figures show that in the first quarter of this year, almost 90 per cent of IT staff admitted they had actively searched for jobs, reports the website Contractor UK.

In the survey, more than a third said that they expected to make the jump to new employment within three to six months.

A further third of the 4,970 IT staff questioned said that they planned to leave their job by next year or 2010.

However, these jobs moves have had a positive impact on IT contractors, with contractors being hired more often due to their flexibility.

The study revealed that average contractor rates currently stand at £34 per hour, with an average annual salary for those in other IT jobs standing at £35,160.

At an average of 37.5 hours per week over 46 weeks a year for a contractor, this means that their pay equates to £77,383, almost double that of a permanent employees.

This follows news that more people in IT jobs are deciding to set up their own businesses as the current economic conditions worsen.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Govt to plough funds into IT education_18680222.html The government has pledged an extra £230 million in this years budget to improve IT education and encourage students to pursue IT jobs.

This comes after a recent survey by Man and Machine which showed that school IT budgets are not preparing students for modern employment, reports Computing.

Over 100 education experts were questioned at two major education shows. The respondents comprised of teachers, heads of year and IT managers.

Over 80 per cent of respondents claimed that their budget was not sufficient to prepare students to enter IT jobs.

'The money is certainly not being invested in preparing pupils for work in the IT sector,' Tim Seaman, managing director at Man and Machine, told Computing.

He went on to say that if the issue of IT education is not addressed then those in IT jobs may suffer when they begin working.

It is hoped that the government funds will be used to encourage more students to pursue higher education course in IT.

This follows news last month that the effects of outsourcing, offshoring and the credit crunch may lead to many IT jobs being cut due to lack of funds.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/UK computer law to be upgraded_18680228.html The government has announced plans to upgrade computer laws in the UK by the end of 2008.

The decision by the Home Office to update computer laws came after the European Commission criticised the UK for out-of-date legislation, reports the Inquirer.

It is thought that the upgrade of the law will mean that the Computer Misuse Act will be abandoned and laws on hacking and other computer crime will be rewritten.

'The government intends to bring all of the changes in together,' the Home Office said in a statement.

It is also expected that the UK will implement the European Framework on attacks against information systems.

Dr Yaman Akdeniz from the Leeds University Cyber Law Centre told the Inquirer that he thought the Computer Misuse Act should be completely abolished.

He went on to say that what was needed was a 'complete overhaul' of the act because it is 'hard to understand' and 'out of date'.

The Home Office has now set out a timetable for the implementation of the Framework and it is intended that it will completed by the end of this year.

This follows news this week that IT experts are working to control a flaw in the foundation of the web that could potentially allow hackers to control traffic on the Internet.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Firefox 3 ready to go_18633593.html Following the release of Firefox 3 Release Candidate 2 (RC2), Firefox 3 is almost ready for release, it has been claimed.

According to reports by ZDNet, while the Linux and Windows versions of the new browser are ready for release, the Mac OS X version of the client requires one last release candidate.

It would appear that the latest version of Mac OS X - version 10.5.3 - has introduced a problem with plug-ins.

'Firefox 3 [RC2] is available in more than 45 languages as a public preview release intended for developer testing and community feedback. It includes new features as well as dramatic improvements to performance, memory usage and speed,' said Mozilla.

In related news, there are attempts to get the Firefox 3 internet browser into the Guinness Book of Records during what has become known as Download Day.

Although the exact day has not yet been confirmed, it is hoped that the day will win the record for the most number of software downloads in any one day.

'Play nice. Help us set this record the right way. Please do not build download bots or any kind of dishonest mechanism. We rely on and trust our community to spread the word,' said spreadfirefox.com.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Malware hits one million mark_18547732.html New data released by security firm Symantec has revealed the extent of the malware circulating across the internet.

According to the findings of the organisations most recent Internet Security Threat Report, circulation levels for malware - made up of Trojan horses, viruses and worms, have now exceeded one million.

The term malware was created through a combination of the words malicious software and can refer to a number of different types of software that also includes rootkits and some adware.

'Attackers have adopted stealth tactics that prey on end-users on individual computers via the world wide web, rather than attempting high-volume broadcast attacks to penetrate networks,' said Symantec.

'This may be because enterprise network attacks are now more likely to be discovered and shut down.'

Symantec also noted that a majority of the malware identified was created over the course of last year.

In related news, security firm Kaspersky Labs has predicted a significant rise in malware levels over the course of this year.

The firm believes that there will be a ten-fold increase in new malware numbers, pushing levels up by more than 20 million by the end of the year, compared with malware levels in 2007.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Microsoft to support Blu-ray_18502538.html Microsoft has announced its intention to support the Blu-ray format and enable users of its Vista operating system to watch discs of this type.

At a recent conference, Mix 08, Microsofts chief operating officer Steve Ballmer said the company planned to improve the support it currently provides for this format, Trusted Reviews reports.

Although he did not mention any development for a Blu-ray add-on to the Xbox 360, he offered a general confirmation of future progress.

'Weve already been working on, for example, in Windows, device driver support for Blu-ray drives and the like,' Mr Ballmer explained.

'I think the world moves on. Toshiba has moved on. Weve moved on and well support Blu-ray in ways that make sense.'

The news follows last months announcement by Toshiba, in which it said it would no longer continue supporting Blu-ray rival format HD DVD.

President and chief operating officer of Toshiba Atsutoshi Nishida said the market may better develop if the 'format war' is discontinued. He added that the company will discontinue its development, manufacture and marketing of Blu-ray technology.

'While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high-definition content remains untapped.'

Other products already supporting Blu-ray include the PlayStation 3, which many believe was a catalyst for the formats popularity. Many Hollywood studios confirmed their support for Blu-ray by choosing it over HD DVD for the release of movies for home viewing.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Mozilla launches new Firefox update_18462367.html Mozilla has released a new update to its multi-platform Firefox internet browsing software, it has emerged.

According to reports, the latest release - version 2.0.0.12 - provides patches to a total of ten vulnerabilities, including one flaw relating to image handling on some web pages.

Three of the flaws were identified by Mozilla as critical.

'The award-winning web browser is now faster, more secure and fully customisable to your online life. With Firefox 2, weve added powerful new features that make your online experience even better,' said Mozilla.

'We strongly recommend that all Firefox users upgrade to this latest release. If you already have Firefox 2.x, you will receive an automated update notification within 24 to 48 hours.'

Specifically, among the rectified flaws fixed by this latest release include those relating to password corruption, crashes involving memory corruption and plain text file mishandling.

In related news, Mozilla has also updated its Mac-only internet browser, known as Camino.

Taking the browsers release up to version 1.5.5, includes a number of new updates, including version 1.8.1.12 of Mozillas rendering engine, dubbed Gecko.

A number of flaws which prompted the browser to crash have also been repaired.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Apple launches new computer hardware_18423438.html Apple has launched a new range of computer hardware for its server and desktop systems.

In addition to the introduction of a new Mac Pro desktop machine, Apple has launched a new Xserve server system, complete with power enhancements that double the capabilities of the previous model.

'With the latest Intel processors and no client access licences, Xserve offers unbeatable server performance and value for under $3,000 [£1,533],' said Philip Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide product marketing at Apple.

'Xserves power, storage and Leopard Server make it ideal for supporting Mac clients and mixed platform workgroups.'

However, Apples desktop offering features a total of two quad-core Xeon processors, running at clock speeds up to a maximum of 3.2 GHz.

In addition to offering capacity for up to 32 GB of RAM, the machine can feature harddrive space totalling four terabytes.

Apples range of computers also includes the Mac mini, MacBook Pro notebook computers and the companys range of iMacs, all of which run using Mac OS X.

OS X is a computer operating system based upon Unix and has been named after a number of big cats.

Previous versions of the operating system have been dubbed Jaguar, Tiger and Panther.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Banks to cut IT contractor pay_18678174.html A number of top banks are reacting to the UKs credit crunch by cutting IT contractors pay rates, latest reports have discovered.

Nomura International and Commerzbank AG are the latest financial service groups to cut pay for IT contractors, reports Contractor UK.

It is expected that IT contractors can expect a pay cut of up to ten per cent or may be told to seek employment elsewhere.

Financial services group Nomura reportedly told employees in an email that it was terminating IT contractor jobs due to 'challenging conditions'.

On the other hand, Simone Fuchs, spokesperson for Commerzbank, told Contractor UK that they were cutting IT contractor jobs as part of its general practice of identifying 'potential efficiency enhancements'.

However, it may not all be doom and gloom for those in IT jobs as Paul Elworthy, director of financial IT recruitment at Hudson, told the website.

He claimed that it is important for firms to hold on to IT contractors and therefore by paying them less but retaining them is a better strategy than getting in new contractors.

'We’re not really seeing a lot of contractors being culled,' Mr Elworthy concluded.

This comes after news this week that two house builders, Redrow and Bovis have cut their workforce by 40 per cent after feeling the effects of the credit crunch.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Social networks could bring women to IT jobs_18678164.html Social networking sites such as Bebo and Facebook are encouraging more women to consider an IT job, according to latest findings.

With more and more women using social networking tools, it is thought that many will be tempted into IT jobs, reports Computing.

However, one senior female IT leader believes that women will have to come to terms with the fact that they are bucking social norms by taking up IT jobs.

Jennifer Mowat, director of BT Tradespace, told the website that gender 'need not be a barrier to success'.

'Girls are coming across a lot of the tools people are now using, such as social networking, and the career prospects will become more attractive as they become socially acceptable,' she continued.

Ms Mowat explained that women must speak up in the male-dominated profession and ensure that they are not excluded or unnoticed.

This follows news earlier this week that nine out of ten women in IT jobs felt discriminated against.

However, Ms Mowat told Computing that she had not witnessed this sort of behaviour in the workplace and if she did 'they would be fired'.

A new social network was announced yesterday (July 9th) BlackWomenConnect (BWC) enables black women to connect with each other and interact online.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/New details for Apples forthcoming OS_18631479.html Information technology and consumer electronics firm Apple, has released a few details for the forthcoming version of its Mac OS X operating system.

Dubbed Snow Leopard, the new Mac OS X version is to offer users a number of new enhancements, but will be less concerned with features and more orientated towards stability and overall speed.

Indeed, the new OS will be optimised to provide support for multicore computer processors and the maximum memory limits will also be increased.

'We have delivered more than a thousand new features to OS X in just seven years and Snow Leopard lays the foundation for thousands more,' said Bertrand Serlet, senior vice president of software engineering at Apple, in a statement.

'In our continued effort to deliver the best user experience, we hit the pause button on new features to focus on perfecting the worlds most advanced operating system.'

The new operating system will also include a new developers tool called Grand Central and will also come equipped with a new version of QuickTime.

And it is believed that the new operating system will, for the time being, continue offering support for PowerPC-based Macs, according to a report by Register Hardware.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Google and Yahoo! confirm advertising experiment_18546056.html Google and Yahoo! have announced details of a new trial to share advertising space on the internet.

Taking place over a period of 14 days, the experiment will enable Google to make use of three per cent of Yahoo!s search results for the display of advertisements, although Yahoo! has confirmed that the arrangement does not mean that a future commercial relationship with Google would definitely occur.

Established in 1994, Yahoo! started life as the hobby of two students, Jerry Yang and David Filo.

Jim Friedland, an analyst at Cowen and Co, described the move by Yahoo! as 'clever'.

However, the move has been criticised by Microsoft, who believes any future arrangement to be contrary to the interests of consumers.

'Any definitive agreement between Yahoo and Google would consolidate over 90 per cent of the search advertising market in Googles hands. This would make the market far less competitive,' said Brad Smith, general counsel for Microsoft.

Yahoo! offers users a number of different services, including search, email and instant messaging.

In other news, the head of the Brazilian arm of Google has announced plans to implement measures to restrict certain content from social networking site Orkut.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Security firms confirm iPhone Trojan_18422152.html Two security firms have confirmed the existence of the iPhones first Trojan.

Initially identified by ModMyifone.com, both Symantec and F-Secure have confirmed the existence of the Trojan.

Specifically targeting the handsets /bin directory, the Trojans payload overwrites the OpenSSH protocol governing encryption and also deletes the contents of the directory.

The Trojan is also known to seriously damage the software known as Ericas Utilities.

It has been reported that the distributing website has now been closed.

'This is technically the first Trojan horse seen for the iPhone; however, it does appear to be more of a prank than an actual threat,' said Orla Cox, a member of the research team at Symantec.

'[However,] the impact of uninstalling the Trojan would appear to be an unintended side effect.'

Known as either iPhone firmware 1.1.3 prep or 113 prep, Symantec has issued the instruction that users can rid their handset of the malware simply by uninstalling the rogue application.

Any broken applications will then need to be reinstalled.

The iPhone operates with a version of Apples OS X operating system, a computing platform based upon Unix. The software can run on a number of different processors, including ARM, PowerPC architecture, and x86-based architecture.

While aspects of the operating system are closed source, OS X does contain elements of open source code.

http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/E-procurement system to save govt millions_18676164.html An e-procurement system is set to save the government over £270 million in the next three years, new research has suggested.

The electronic IT service which is being offered the Office of Government Commerce is also expected to save 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide, reports the Computing website.

OGCbuying.solutions is offering the service, which will enable public sector organisations to access purchasing tools to help them contact relevant suppliers.

'The success of the e-sourcing managed service demonstrates how effective framework agreements can be in giving public sector organisations access to products and services quickly and effectively,' Robert Knapman, head of ecommerce for OGC, told Computing.

Figures have revealed that the technology has so far managed over 300,000 documents that were previously paper-based.

It is believed that this has saved over 53 million sheets of paper – working out at over 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The report also shows that the IT system has saved the government over £1 million in postage costs.

This follows a recent report by supply management firm Bravo Solution, which revealed that almost 90 per cent of employees thought e-sourcing aided them in their work and reduced timescales, reports website Vnunet.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Silver lining for IT jobs in credit crunch_18676185.html Although many people are feeling the pinch with the current financial climate in the UK, there could be good news for those working in IT consulting or IT jobs.

A recent report by the National Outsourcing Association claims that many businesses are now outsourcing IT operations, which is good news for those working in the IT industry, reports Computing Weekly.

Outsourcing and offshoring is an option chosen by many businesses as it reduced the cost of IT development.

The report suggests that if businesses outsource their IT services it could mean that they can concentrate on key areas of their businesses, meaning secure IT jobs being created.

It is thought that the IT industry can support the move towards outsourcing by developing systems that are needed by outsourcing suppliers.

Computing Weekly reports that IT firms that have already adopted bespoke IT applications will be in a very positive position.

The report also suggests that the IT sector could benefit from government outsourcing, project-specific outsourcing and software development outsourcing.

It is believed that the main challenge for the IT jobs sector will be the need to rapidly respond and adapt to the changes in the marketplace.

This follows news today, July 9th, that the government has taken up an e-procurement scheme in order to save over £270 million in three years, as well as cutting the amount of paperwork.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Fall in applicants for IT courses_18630707.html Those available for IT contract work could find themselves in even greater demand in the coming years, as fewer and fewer graduates emerge ready for employment.

That is the opinion of Steve Furber CBE, Professor of Computer Engineering at the Manchester Universitys School of Computer Science. He told Crains Manchester Business that the number of applicants applying to the school is on the decline.

As the number of unfilled university places increases, so does that in enterprise, said Mr Furber. While the number of suitable graduates has fallen, demand for IT contractors has continued to grow.

The news provider also heard how UK businesses have been tempted to look abroad for their new recruits while the skills gap appears to continue. Roger Rawlinson, director of consultancy at software escrow firm NCC Group, said that workers in Europe and elsewhere have become more desirable in recent years.

Similar research by the National Computing Centre found that two in five IT managers are currently facing recruitment and retention issues.

Ian Jones, head of content at the centre, advised: 'With some skills moving into shortage, employers should be planning and budgeting for how best to acquire these skills now.'

The body maintains that in the next two years, Oracle, SAP, .NET, web development, network support, business analysis and project management will be in higher demand than ever.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Microsoft launches new updates_18544000.html Information technology firm Microsoft has launched a number of new software updates as part of its regular patch initiative.

With a number of vulnerabilities characterised as 'critical', Microsoft has issued patches for Internet Explorer, in addition to Windows and Microsoft Office.

'Many of the vulnerabilities addressed by the fixes could be exploited if a Windows user simply visits a malicious Web site, a favorite attack method among cyber criminals,' said Dave Marcus, a security research and communications manager with McAfee.

Within the patches designed for the Windows operating system, a number of flaws were made secure, including those relating to remote code execution and a flaw relating to DNS spoofing.

One vulnerability, identified as a privilege elevation bug, is known to affect a number of different versions of Windows, including Windows Server 2008, Windows 2000 and Windows Vista.

In related news on Microsoft, the company has announced the launch of end-to-end security, a new security-orientated campaign which uses Microsofts Trustworthy Computing programme as its foundations.

The Trustworthy Computing initiative was launched by Microsoft in 2001 and has contributed to the development of a number of products, including Windows Vista.

Microsoft was established in 1975 and has headquarters based in Redmond, Washington.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Apple launches new firmware updates_18544003.html Information technology firm Apple has released a number of firmware updates for products within its range of computers.

Affecting a number of different models, including the iMac, MacBook and MacBook Air, the firmware updates are not accompanied by notation providing details of any changes, although the company has confirmed that they are intended to improve stability and resolve a number of issues, reports PC Advisor UK.

'Interrupting a firmware update can render your computer unusable. If this happens, take your machine to an Apple store or authorised service provider or perform the recovery yourself using another Macintosh computer to download the Firmware Restoration CD disk image,' said Apple.

A firmware update has also been released for users of Apples aluminium keyboard - the company has confirmed that the update has been issued in order to resolve a problem relating to unexpected key repeats.

The keyboard firmware update requires users to be running at least Mac OS X 10.5.2.

In related news on Apple, there are reports from AppleInsider that the company is planning to introduce a new range of redesigned Macbook Pro and Macbook computers.

The firm is believed to be more in favour of environmentally-friendly materials, such as stainless steel and aluminium.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Microsoft reveals more surface computing details_18420577.html IT firm Microsoft has announced further details of its forthcoming Surface Computing Platform.

The company has confirmed plans to introduce support for Windows live into the Vista-based platform.

Surface Computing Platform is a system that runs on tables and can be controlled by direct human fingertip interaction - the platform is currently codenamed Milan.

The system is also thought to be responsive to other stimuli, such as objects and motion.

'Fundamentally, we are trying to change the way people interact with digital content. We are bringing technology into places,' said Mark Bolger, director of surface computing marketing at Microsoft.

Some details relating to the forthcoming platform had been offered by Microsoft during an address at the Consumer Electronics Association 2008 event, which took place between January 7th and January 10th.

'When you write your novel, you are still going to use your PC … but right now when you go shopping for a snowboard there is not technology there,' Mr Bolger added.

Milan is expected to be released this year and is likely to first be adopted by organisations such as hotels and retail outlets.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/10-year-old plans career in IT_18736439.html Ten-year-old budding web designer, Shayan Ahmed, is planning to have an IT job after passing his IT AS level.

Shayan, from Walsall in the West Midlands, gained a C in his examination and is already building his own website.

'I am really happy, really glad. For me thats the best result,' the IT whizz said after receiving his results on Thursday (August 14th).

Shyan spent every weekend at Ryde Teching Services in order to prepare for his AS level.

The ten-year-old was previously awarded a GCSE grade B in Information and Communication Technology when he was just seven years of age.

'I have always loved computers, I find them really interesting and stimulating,' the Hydesville Tower Primary School pupil said.

It is thought that Shayans love of computers came after his grandfather bought him an Apple Mac when he was two years old.

Shyan said he planned to celebrate his success with a party with his family and friends.

This comes after news that IT directors are employing more people to IT jobs despite the economic downturn.


http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/More students consider career in IT_18736442.html More candidates are considering a range of options in order for them to gain an IT job, according to latest research.

IT training provider Computeach has underplayed the role that academic achievement has in gaining a job in IT, reports itbcomputing.com.

Darren OConnell, a careers consultant, told the website that with examination results being issued it is a busy time in terms of offering advice on IT jobs.

He went on to say that the content of a degree course offered in the first year of study is often outdated and irrelevant by the time the course is completed.

'In our experience, employers are looking for IT specific qualifications relevant to todays market,' he said.

Mr OConnell commented that although a degree in Computer Science will show a commitment to the subject, it may not necessarily differentiate someone in the IT market.

'To succeed in private enterprise individuals are still likely to need an industry recognised qualification, even in addition to their academic achievements,' claimed the careers expert.

This follows news that ten-year-old Shayan Ahmed gained a grade C in his AS level IT examination last week.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/IT salaries defy economic downturn_18734083.html Despite the current economic climate, over half of IT bosses expect to see salaries for permanent IT staff increase over the next year.

A survey by Rethink has revealed that executives did not predict a fall in salaries for permanent staff and 55 per cent believe that pay will rise.

Managers also said that they think that 22 per cent of IT contractors will see their salaries rise, compared to five per cent who are predicting a fall.

This survey follows news that IT staff are turning down permanent jobs in favour of higher-paid work as an IT contractor.

Figures show that almost 60 per cent of respondents in the survey also said that they planned to increase IT projects over the next 12 months.

'IT directors are reasonably confident about the outlook over the next 12 months, despite lingering economic uncertainty,' said Michael Bennett, director at Rethink Recruitment.

Almost three quarters of respondents said they were concerned about attracting high calibre employees and over 80 per cent said they were worried about retaining workers.

This follows news that 90 per cent of IT workers believe that they could do a better job than their boss.


http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/New IT infrastructure for Co-op_18731882.html Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) has announced that it is to revamp its IT systems, which could lead to more IT jobs.

It is thought that the transformation will come as part of the companys group-wide business project and will last for three to four years, reports computing.co.uk.

Gerry Pennell, executive director for CFS business transformation and shared services division, said that the company currently has a very old set of banking technologies.

He went on to say that the systems are becoming very expensive to support and cost a lot of money when it comes to meeting regulatory requirements.

'We want to offer an integrated, complete full service and to do that we need a more modern core platform,' he explained to the website.

The current CFS banking system interfaces with internal and external software such as payment networks, general ledgers and client-facing websites.

It is also thought that the IT transformation will include systems that underpin the companys disaster recovery and data centre and will provide IT jobs for contractors.

A detailed set of requirements is expected to be issued to prospective suppliers, such as IBM and BT who are working on the proposals for the transformation.

http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/No point comparing IR35 contracts_18729524.html Many contractors are finding that experts who review their contracts are clashing over the implications under the new IR35 legislation.

However, Kate Cottrell, an IR35 advisor, told contractoruk.com that there is little point going from one expert to another for opinions.

She claims that if the reasons for one decision are not properly given and supported by case law then it is not worth paying again.

Ms Cottrell went on to explain that contractors must remember that IR35 is based around the individual and the client and it is essential that this is reflected in the contracts.

She advises that following a review, a contractor should be in a position to decide if it is possible to treat the income as outside of IR35.

They should also consider their approach to risk in order to decide whether to operate through a personal service company (PSC) or an umbrella.

She concludes that if a PSC is outside IR35 than they must undertake due diligence by maintaining appropriate records of the true terms and conditions of their client relationship.

IR35 affects all contractors who do not meet the Inland Revenues definition of self-employment. The rules prevent contractors from retaining profits to grow their company.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/IT jobs stand strong_18722964.html The number of IT jobs in investment management companies and hedge fund firms had doubled in the second quarter of 2008, according to latest reports.

A survey by IT website the IT Job Board revealed that IT jobs are standing strong in the economic conditions, reports computing.co.uk.

Figures show that the demand for testing roles increased by 8.3 per cent between the first and second quarters of the year.

Demand for IT support jobs, business analysts and network and programming roles also remained steady throughout the period.

The survey also showed that the number of project manager and IT manager roles fell five per cent over the two quarters, with the number of developer roles decreasing slightly.

'The good news is that we are seeing stability across IT positions as a whole, with no further significant drops since the beginning of the year,' Adam Stokes from the website told computing.co.uk.

'In fact an increase in networking positions is a positive sign that infrastructure projects are still going ahead,' he added.

He concluded that the profession was seeing a 'surge in demand' for financial IT workers due to the work being put in by companies to develop complex systems.

This follows recent news that IT skills provider Computeach is urging the government to provide more support for adult learners to retrain in IT jobs.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Retailers to increase IT investment_18722970.html It may be good news for IT contractors and those in IT jobs as retailers have announced that they are to increase investment in IT.

A study carried out by retail business process specialist Martec has revealed that 68 per cent of businesses in the retail sector now have a transactional website, reports computing.co.uk.

Key areas for development in IT include store systems, as well as financial backing for merchandising and buying systems.

Figures show that 12 per cent of respondents cited these as their top investment priority for 2008, compared to seven per cent in 2007.

A further area of focus for retailers is mobile technology, with half of those surveyed claiming that they use mobile applications for stock taking and price checking.

The report states that in order for retailers to keep costs down, systems will be increasingly purchased off the shelf instead of being developed in-house.

'Budgets are tightening and IT directors are being expected to do more for the same money,' the report claims.

'For vendors, theres also a massive opportunity in the months ahead to enable companies to fulfil on their ambitious multi-channel plans,' the report concludes.

This follows recent news that online retail remains at a record high despite the effects of the credit crunch.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Weak job market could affect IT contractors_18674047.html An increasingly weak job market could affect IT contractors, according to latest reports.

A survey carried out by the Recruitment and Employment Federation and KPMG has found that the demand for permanent staff in the UK fell last month for the first time in five years.

Figures revealed that the demand for temporary workers and contractors fell to its lowest rate since May 2003.

The survey claimed the reason for the fall in the number of temporary and contractor jobs was because of the sheer number of applicants chasing these positions.

Statistics from the report showed that the availability of candidates for temporary and contractor positions rose to their strongest since July 2003.

'Even the usually robust temporary jobs market is coming under pressure, adding to the likelihood of a stagnant jobs market and rising unemployment for the foreseeable future,' Alan Nolan, a director at KPMG said.

Mr Nolan went on to comment that he believed that the report proved that the UKs credit crunch had finally taken its toll on the jobs market.

This follows news this week that the credit crunch has meant that many graduate employees are not receiving the salaries they expected, with many turning to temporary employment.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/IT jobs under threat from unhappy workforce_18674124.html Over 20 per cent of those working in IT jobs would not want their children to enter the profession, according to latest research.

A recent study by management consultancy Hudson has revealed that one in five IT employees believe that there are better opportunities for their children.

Almost 40 per cent of respondents in the survey said that they felt there were better jobs, with a quarter claiming that the financial rewards were not enough in the IT industry.

Over 20 per cent of those who took part in the survey said they believed that their children would enjoy a better work-life balance if they entered a different profession.

Interestingly, the report found that women working in IT jobs were less likely to discourage their children from working in the industry.

Andy Rogerson, chief executive of Hudson, claimed that uncertain financial conditions in the UK could be the main reason behind the negative attitude of workers.

'These findings are very disturbing, especially with the current economic conditions,' he said.

He concluded that those in IT jobs should pay attention to the findings of the report and 'tackle the sources' of such gloom.

These results come research by the University of Salford last month revealed that nine out of ten women feel that the IT sector is biased towards men, with one in three being the victim of sexism.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Search engines receive warning over privacy_18542498.html An advisory body on data protection has recommended that the personal information held by search engines should be erased after less than a year.

The body of the European Commission, known as the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, has confirmed its belief that search companies do not provide sufficient levels of clarity in respect of the protection of data and that personal information should be deleted within a period of six months.

The current chairman of the body is Alex Turk, a teacher of law at Lille II University.

'Search engine providers must delete or irreversibly anonymise personal data once they no longer serve the specified and legitimate purpose they were collected for,' said the advisory body.

'It is not clear to what extent data are reprocessed for another purpose that is incompatible with the purpose for which they were originally collected.'

Under present procedures, the search results held by MSN are rendered anonymous after a period of 13 months, while Yahoo! and Google implement the same procedure after a period of 18 months.

And while Google confirmed its belief that its own policies on privacy are adequately balanced, Yahoo! has revealed it was in the process of examining the bodys recommendations.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/HSBC loses customer data_18542505.html Financial institution HSBC has admitted to losing a disk filled with customer data, it has emerged.

According to reports, the bank has confirmed that a disk had been lost in the post and that, not only was the data made up of the insurance details of 370,000 customers, the information had also not been encrypted.

However, the disk had been equipped with password protection.

'There is nothing else that could in any way compromise a customer and there is no reason to suppose that the disk has fallen into the wrong hands,' said HSBC, an organisation with a history going back to 1865 and based in London.

'Nonetheless, HSBC would like to apologise to its customers for any concern this may cause them. Each customer will be contacted shortly and a thorough investigation into this matter is under way.'

Lost over seven weeks ago, the bank has confirmed that the disk contained a number of items of information, including levels of cover, names and individual dates of birth.

Royal Mail has issued a statement confirming that HSBC had not been in contact in relation to the missing disk, according to a report by the Guardian.

HSBC operates in a number of different countries, including countries in Europe and the Middle East.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Malware on increase_18460454.html The prevalence of online malware has reached an all-time high, it has been claimed.

According to reports by the BBC, while the exact amount of malicious software that can be found online tends to vary between reports, a number of security firms have universally confirmed that it has reached a level previously unheard of.

Indeed, during 2007, close to 5.5 million different samples were detected by AV-Test.

Other estimates place the total as being a five-fold increase when compared with malware levels in 2006.

'It started about nine months ago, in early 2007, we saw massive surges of new variants. There are days when we see 1,000 or more new samples,' said Gerhard Eschelbeck, chief technology officer at Webroot, a firm specialising in anti-spyware.

'Its a low-effort high-frequency type threat. Theres no completely ground-breaking new stuff out there'

A separate security firm, Panda Software, has confirmed that daily malware sample levels currently exceed 3,000.

In 1990, the number of unique samples detected by AV-Test was less than 10,000.

Created from the term malicious software, malware can refer to a number of different types of computer program, including worms, Trojans, spyware and some types of adware.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Warning issued over new malware threat_18418601.html An expert has issued a warning over the presence of an up-and-coming worm.

Paul Henry, the vice president of technology evangelism at Secure Computing, has reported that the Nugache worm has been fused with the successful components of the virulent Storm worm in a way that makes it significantly more dangerous.

'Its following the Storm worm. Nugache now includes the ability to encrypt itself and every version that rolls out is generated a bit differently to obfuscate detection,' said Mr Henry.

The Storm worm is actually a Trojan virus that was first detected in January 2007. It is known by a number of different names, including Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Small.dam, Win32/Nuwar.N@MM!CME-711 and W32/Zhelatin.

Modifications to the worm, which also includes the introduction of a rootkit, are believed to have been carried out by individuals linked with the Russian Business Network (RBN).

Rootkits are deployed in an effort to obtain administrator - or root-level - control of a computer without authorisation. Rootkits can also employ tactics to evade detection.

Mr Henry confirmed that the Nugache worm first appeared approximately 24 months previously.

RBN is a St Petersburg-based internet service provider believed to be willing to host dubious or illegal websites, including those hosting malware and pornographic material depicting children, according to a report by the Washington Post.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Banks could provide IT job boost_18688932.html Banks that need to update and improve their IT systems could provide a jobs boost for IT contractors.

Computer systems at a number of top banks in the UK are set to overhaul their services in the face of market forces, reports Computing Weekly.

Justin Speake, chief executive of research company Bloor, told the magazine that banks have so far not had to invest heavily in IT 'because they have been making lots of money'.

However, Gartner has now claimed that more banks will be updating their systems over the next three years, meaning more IT contractor jobs in the pipeline.

Barclays currently has a two-year IT project, which is linked to legacy systems to frontline applications using Java technology.

The magazine claims that most banks are using middleware to enable them to reuse legacy systems for new products and services.

It is thought that the ultimate aim of most financial services provider is to have a single customer database so that information can be shared between employees.

Abbey has recently refreshed its system to a single view after it integrated its global banking platform of Santander.

This follows news today that customers are paying £152 a year in bank charges for using their current accounts, according to the Office of Fair Trading.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Employers must retain IT jobs_18688691.html Retaining those in IT jobs and IT consulting is one of the most important issues for technology leaders and employers, according to new research.

A survey by Gartners 2008 global chief information officer (CIO) revealed that IT talent acquisition is the third most important issue for employers, reports Computing.

The report claims that employers should keep hold of talented IT staff due to less students enrolling in IT-related courses.

There is also a worry that many experienced IT professionals are now reaching retirement age.

Computing recommends a number of ways in which employers can keep hold of those that they wish to keep in valuable IT jobs.

The first tip that they give is to ensure that IT talent management is handled at a sufficiently high level, with the human resources department involved in the process.

Secondly, the website suggests that employers use IT recruitment agencies more often in order to recruit high calibre employees.

Finally, businesses are told to provide interesting and stimulating IT work for their employees in order to retain them.

This follows news today (July 17th) that the majority of recent graduates have found employment or gone on to further study.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Skills academy could boost IT jobs_18686976.html
A new skills academy to be set up in the UK is expected to boost IT jobs and the IT and telecoms industry.

The National Skills Academy for the IT industry is to be set up by E-Skills UK and BT, reports Computing.

An announcement was made at an apprenticeships conference held on Monday July 14th by BT and the Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network.

The academy is designed to improve employers access to course and development plans for those in IT jobs or IT consulting.

It is also expected that the academy will increase the recognition of IT skills and boost IT jobs.

'There is great potential for the IT and telecoms sector to attract more apprentices,' David Lammy, MP at the event, told the website.

He went on to say that the work being done by the skills academy will be 'instrumental' in improving the number of people entering IT jobs.

'The academy offers a unique opportunity for employers to take collective responsibility for the skills and accreditation of the IT workforce,' Karen Price, chief executive of e-Skills UK concluded to the website.

Last month, the Learning and Skills Council invited a range of employers to work in conjunction with the government to overhaul skills training.

This follows news that many graduates believe that skills that they learned at university are not being put to good use in their jobs.

http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/New proposals to aid IT contractors welcomed_18682311.html The Professional Contractors Group (PCG) has said that it welcomes proposals to help IT contractors.

The group has responded to a recently published paper by the Law Commission which offers help to those who have fallen prey to 'incompetence and aggression' by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

John Brazier, managing director of PCG, said: 'PCG has been calling for a duty of care to be imposed on HMRC and this consultation could see that established'.

He went on to say that the PCG was 'hopeful' that the measures will mean that IT contractors will get compensation for any harm caused by the HMRC.

The new paper addresses the issues of how individuals can overcome issues when a public body has acted wrongfully.

Key changes outlined in the paper that could affect those in IT jobs include making monetary damages more readily available and changes to the tort of negligence.

'PCG will be pushing hard to ensure that this process ends with an effective mechanism for holding HMRC and other public bodies to account,' Mr Brazier concluded.

The PCG promotes and protects the interests of freelance consultants and contractors in the UK.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/IT consultants one step ahead in credit crunch_18682302.html Those in IT jobs are among the growing number of people in the UK who are taking on more work in order to beat the credit crunch, according to latest findings.

Research by city analysts Capital Economics has revealed that those in IT jobs are turning to IT consulting in order to earn some extra pennies.

Figures from the group show that 1.15 million people in the UK now have a second job, which is up five per cent since the start of the credit crisis.

'We saw a sharp rise in the number of people with second jobs in previous recessions and thats starting to happen again,' said Vicky Redwood, the UK economist for Capital Economics.

Luke Aviet, founder of website setyourrate.com, which allows people to sell their services, said that he gets all sorts of people visiting the site, including those in IT jobs.

'Typically, its people in IT, financial services or marketing people offering their services for an hourly rate as consultants, ' he said.

This follows news today that many companies are expected to become wary of hiring and promoting women after the extension of paid maternity leave.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Employers should embrace social networks_18680658.html Employers should make the most of social networking sites in order to expand their business, according to latest findings.

A study by Gartner of 2,000 social networkers found that 80 per cent of members were using sites purely for entertainment, reports Computing.

A research director at Gartner, Nickos Drakos, told Computing that social networking sites could provide businesses the chance to promote their services.

'Businesses have an open opportunity to promote themselves amongst their employees, and more importantly to customers,' he told the website.

He went on to say that if there was a Facebook group about a certain product or service then businesses could use this to their advantage.

The research revealed that although some companies are using social networking sites, many are still not realising the advantages of this resource.

'There is a degree of skepticism due to a lack of good examples of how it helps to boost profits and productivity,' Mr Drakos said.

The report also stated that the use of website in order to promote businesses and to keep up competitiveness between large enterprises is set to increase.

This follows news that more women may be tempted into IT jobs through their interest in social networks.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Increase in UK IT jobs_18680664.html Demand for IT jobs in the UK has risen by 20 per cent in the last two years, according to latest figures.

Research from IT recruitment group ReThink has revealed that IT support roles have risen to 30 per cent of total IT jobs, reports Computer Weekly.

It is believed that an increase in salaries in India have meant that the UK is now an attractive base for IT support centres for IT contractors.

'Offshoring has made organisations IT functions more efficient, which has freed budgets for investment elsewhere,' Jon Butterfield, managing director at ReThink, told Computer Weekly.

He went on to say that these new and ambitious projects require support teams, meaning that there are more IT jobs for IT contractors.

ReThink said that recent figures suggest that a shortage in the number of IT graduates means that IT support jobs are being left vacant for long periods of time,

However, this may be about to change as UK becomes a much more attractive option as an IT base.

'Organisations may not be repatriating jobs en masse, but when new jobs are created, the UK is becoming a viable location once again,' Mr Butterfield concluded.

This comes after news today (July 11th) that almost half of science and maths graduates are unhappy in their jobs as they rarely use their skills, according to the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/IT jobs must become more exciting_18720989.html IT jobs must become more exciting in order to attract young people into the industry, according to a recent survey by IT supplier Logicalis.

It is thought that almost half of all teenagers could be attracted by a job in IT if the sector changed its image, reports Computer Weekly.

The UK Realtime Generation Survey found that 12 per cent of teenagers had considered a career in IT.

However, 35 per cent of teenage respondents said that they would consider the career path if they found something in IT that interested them.

'This indicates that you can close the skills gap because these teenagers are very good at using IT,' Chris Gabriel, marketing and solutions director at Logicalis, told the magazine.

Results revealed that teenagers interest in IT jobs would increase if they could see how businesses are using particular services.

'If we could show how businesses use technologies such as mobile and social networking more teenagers could relate to it,' Mr Gabriel added.

Figures showed that 11 per cent of the surveyed group were planning to pursue a science-based course at university.

This was compared to 31 per cent who were planning to study a media course and 23 per cent who were intending to study a sports course at university.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/IT experts demanding about employers_18720986.html Those applying for IT jobs are becoming increasingly demanding about the type of employer they select, according to latest research.

IT employers are having to sell their companies to employees, as a firms culture is becoming increasingly important, reports the website computing.com.

A survey of 5,000 UK IT professionals by recruitment group Computer People found that employees are looking for a company that appreciates their skills.

Nick Dettmar from Computer People told the website that these result reveal the increasing importance of employers adapting to the requirements of staff.

'IT workers are now being seen as the people who can make innovative, progressive stuff happen, and they are more highly regarded for it,' he said.

Over 70 per cent of respondents said that the quality of their workplace was the most important factor to them.

A further 75 per cent said that they valued strong working relationships with colleagues as the most important factor in the IT workplace.

This follows recent news that 90 per cent of those in the IT profession think that they could do a better job that they boss.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/IT contracting has a role in UKs competitiveness_18672571.html IT contracting may serve a role in making UK companies more competitive, according to latest reports.

Research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has revealed that IT contracting can help firms better meet customer needs.

It is also thought that IT contracting can enable businesses to enter new geographical markets and build value in the products and services that they offer.

'I welcome the CBIs report into IT competitiveness. The development and take-up of IT is critical for business growth and efficiency,' said Baroness Shriti Vadera, undersecretary of state for business and competitiveness.

She went on to comment that companies need to ensure they have access to technology will improve productivity and have the skills to use it effectively.

The CBIs report highlights a variety of different ways for government to help firms to better exploit the benefits of IT and IT jobs.

Figures in the survey show that over 40 per cent of respondents said they would like help from the government in the area of IT to access overseas markets.

Statistics from the CBI also revealed that UK companied are increasingly hiring foreign staff into IT jobs, with almost 60 per cent now employing them.

This report from the CBI comes after the company revealed that six out of ten business leaders in London feared that the citys competitiveness was under threat.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Milestone passed by technology fund_18670898.html A technology fund aimed at helping disadvantaged young people start-up businesses around the country has passed a significant milestone.

The Princes Trust Business Programme was first set-up in 2002 and the technology group associated with it has now raised more than £5 million on it behalf.

A number of dignitaries, including the Prince of Wales, were at an event at Windsor Castle recently to mark the fund-raising achievement made by the Technology Leadership Group (TLG) so far.

Since it was initiated six years ago, the fund has been put to good use and has reportedly helped as many as 2,000 young people to start-up and develop a company.

The enterprises backed by the funding from the Princes Trust scheme have fared considerably better than a typical start-up in the UK and the young people involved have benefited from advice and mentoring by a number of IT industry experts.

'58 per cent of Princes Trust supported businesses are still trading into their third year, which compares favourably to the national average,' said Richard Holway, chairman and founding member of the TLG, is quoted as saying by ComputerWorld UK.

'This is despite the fact the young people we support have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law.'

Earlier this year, the CSC systems integration and outsourcing company with operations worldwide announced that it had joined the Princes Trusts TLG in the UK.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Facebook launches new chat facility_18540603.html Social networking site Facebook has added new functionality to its portfolio of services.

Formally launched this week, the social networking site is to offer a chat facility, whereby a newly-introduced bar allows users to chat directly with one another, rather than having to rely on other tools such as email or wall-to-wall posts.

There is no need for users to make any configuration changes or install new software and users will be informed which of their friends are currently online.

'Chat is by no means a new concept, as instant messaging systems have been around for over a decade', says Josh Wiseman, engineering lead at Facebook, a service with a history going back to 2004.

'But just as other features on Facebook have allowed friends to communicate more efficiently than before, we hope Facebook Chat will make it easier to connect instantly.'

Mr Wiseman made his comments on the companys blog.

In related news, last month Facebook announced details of privacy updates, launched in an effort to offer users of the site greater levels of control.

The update was also introduced to ensure that all instances of Facebooks interface for privacy features became standardised.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Microsoft hints at post-Vista future_18539705.html The head of information technology firm Microsoft has revealed some details about Windows 7, the future successor to Windows Vista.

Speaking during a question and answer session of the Inter-American Development Bank, Bill Gates has revealed that this latest version of the Windows operating system could become available 'sometime in the next year or so'.

However, after Mr Gates made his comments on the future release of the new operating system, a representative from Microsoft confirmed that the release date for Windows 7 was 2010.

'Thatll be sometime in the next year or so that well have a new version,' said Mr Gates.

'Im super-enthused about what it will do in lots of ways.'

Although the name Windows 7 is used, the current codename for the future release of a new version of Windows is Vienna, reports windows7.co.uk.

Originally announced in February 2000, the operating system was formerly codenamed Blackcomb, a name which the site has reported was once assigned to the operating system Windows NT 6.

The retail version of Windows Vista was released on January 30th 2007 and was released as a replacement to Windows XP, an operating system first released in 2001.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Microsoft prepares new patches for Office_18500227.html Information technology firm Microsoft is preparing to release a number of new patches for its office productivity suite, it has emerged.

As part of the companys monthly Patch Tuesday, it is known that a total of four vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office will receive patches on March 11th - each of which have been described by the company as critical.

Users of Microsoft Office on the Mac will also be able to download a new security update.

'This is an advance notification of four security bulletins that Microsoft is intending to release on March 11th, 2008,' said Microsoft.

'Microsoft Baseline Security Analyser can detect whether your computer system requires this update.'

Among the versions of Microsoft Office on the Windows platform confirmed by Microsoft to be covered by the updates are Office 2003, Office 2007 and Office 2002.

For the Mac, updates will be issued for both Office 2008 and Office 2004.

Microsoft Office was originally launched in 1989 for the Apple computing platform - although a version for Windows was released in 1990.

Over the years, the suite has received criticism, particularly in respect of exposure to macro viral exploits, as well as other security issues.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Apple releases QuickTime update_18459291.html Apple has released a patch for Windows and Mac OS X users of QuickTime, it has emerged.

Initially discovered in January by Luigi Auriemma, a security researcher, the vulnerability had rendered users vulnerable to a media file attack when viewing streamed content over the internet.

Specifically, the vulnerability acted against QuickTimes Remote Transfer Streaming Protocol.

'A heap buffer overflow exists in QuickTimes handling of HTTP responses when RTSP tunneling is enabled,' said Apple.

'By enticing a user to visit a maliciously crafted webpage, an attacker may cause an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. This update addresses the issue through improved bounds checking.'

For Mac OS X users, the update is compatible with versions 10.3.9, 10.4.9 or above, and version 10.5.x.

Apple has also released a patch for its iPhoto application, one of the programs launched under the companys iLife suite.

In related news on Apple, the man behind the creation of the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds, has criticised version 10.5.x of Mac OS X, referring to the operating system as 'utter crap'.

The comments were made by Mr Torvalds at a Linux conference in Melbourne, Australia.

'I dont think theyre equally flawed - I think Leopard is a much better system [than Vista],' Mr Torvalds added.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Firefox vulnerable to spoofing_18416617.html The Mozilla Firefox web browser is vulnerable to malicious acts of spoofing, it has been claimed.

According to blog reports by Aviv Raff, the current incarnation of Firefox - version 2.0.0.11 - is susceptible to a spoofing vulnerability which presents the possibility that users of the browser could find themselves directed to websites hosting malicious code.

The spoofing vulnerability is known to affect the browsers authentication dialogue box and there is a possibility that older versions of Firefox may also be at risk.

Mr Raff has identified two possible avenues of attack, with the first coming via a link-equipped website created by a hacker.

It has also been suggested that an image, containing a pointer to the hackers server, could also be used.

'Mozilla Firefox allows spoofing the information presented in the basic authentication dialogue box. This can allow an attacker to conduct phishing attacks, by tricking the user to believe that the authentication dialogue box is from a trusted website,' said Mr Raff.

'Until Mozilla fixes this vulnerability, I recommend not to provide username and password to websites which show this dialogue,' he added.

A number of revisions of the browser have been released since version 1.0 was launched in November 2004.

The current release, version 2.0.0.11, became available on November 30th 2007 and has been compiled for use on a number of different operating systems, including Mac OS X and Windows.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Teachers risk pupil data_18416623.html A number of primary school teachers across schools in England are placing sensitive pupil data at risk, it has been claimed.

Data released by computer firm RM shows that almost 50 per cent of schools, for primary-age children in England, employed teachers who back up unencrypted pupil data which is then removed from the school premises, reports the BBC.

The information is taken from the school on media formats such as memory sticks and CDs and is believed to include information such as dates of birth, addresses, names and contact details.

Records on behaviour and attendance are also being removed by teachers.

RMs findings are based upon the responses of 933 individual schools.

'Schools may be acting with the best intentions to preserve childrens records and ensure information is kept up to date, but they risk breaching data protection guidelines by taking such risks with pupil data,' said Paul Grubb, Head of RM schools management solutions.

'Unfortunately, the Data Protection Act isnt clear enough on this issue,' he added.

The organisation also uncovered that, of those schools surveyed, one per cent encrypted the sensitive data.

Under the terms of the Data Protection Act, organisations which make use of - and subsequently retain - personal information are required to ensure that sufficient security measures exist to ensure the protection of this data.

Moreover, although there are exceptions, this information should not be made available to third parties without the consent of the individual whom the data is about.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Firefox 3 released today_18643272.html The latest version of Mozillas Firefox web browser is being launched today (June 17th) as the company looks to enhance its position in the market.

Having first introduced its browser in 2004, Mozilla is now making its third version of the software available to download via the internet.

The product will aim to offer a more effective security alert system to users, as well as tools that allow browsers to look back at websites they did not bookmark but are keen to see again.

Mozilla is hoping that the third version of its online application will set a new precedent for the number of downloads in a single day, although no official record currently exists, the BBC reports.

Currently, the company is estimated by OneStat to hold a 13.76 per cent share of the web browser market, still a ling way behind the industry leading Internet Explorer (IE) from Microsoft.

'Firefox is making very steady encroachment in to the market,' said Adam Vahed, managing director of OneStat UK.

'Its a very serious contender to the world domination of IE.'

With office bases in Tokyo and Paris, Mozilla is headquartered in California and the firm insists that it is 'not a traditional software company'.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Security firm highlights ransomware workaround_18643271.html A security firm based in the US has discovered a way that virus victims can recover the files they have lost as a result of ransomwire attack on their computers.

Kaspersky Lab has discovered the workaround to the problem by using data recovery techniques to retrieve files that become encrypted once a ransomwire attack has occurred.

The security experts at the company have now offered to retrieve for free data lost as a result of what is categorised as a Gpcode virus, explains Mitchell Bingemann, writing for CRN.com recently.

Despite the success with the 660-bit version of the virus, Kaspersky and its fellow technology research companies have so far been unable to decode the 1024-bit equivalent.

In a number of instances, the unknown author of the viruses has been able to blackmail victims of the Gpcode and although the service Kaspersky offers is free, the company hopes that users will be generous enough to contribute to its research funds.

Kaspersky Lab states its aims as a company as being to offer individual consumers and businesses, technology solutions that enable them to protect their information for web-borne threats.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Hacker case heard by Lords_18641072.html A British hacker who is wanted for cyber crimes in the US is to have his case heard by the Law Lords, it has emerged.

Legal experts at the House of Lords are to assess claims that the American authorities have made various threats towards Gary McKinnon, a Glasgow-born computer systems analyst.

American prosecutors are keen to have Mr McKinnon in their custody after he allegedly hacked his way in to a series of top secret documents of the US Military and its Nasa space programme.

However, the Britons defence lawyers have insisted that to allow their client to be extradited across the Atlantic would represent a breach of his human rights, the BBC reports.

The defendant has never been tried for any crimes in the UK and while admitting that he hacked into the American systems, he insisted that they were poorly protected and that he was driven to enter them by curiosity and not malicious intent.

It is anticipated that if Mr McKinnon is taken to the US, he would face a prison term in excess of 40 years, while one New Jersey prosecutor has allegedly said that he 'would fry' if he is ever extradited.

US president George W Bush has been in London this week, where he met prime minister Gordon Brown for talks on a variety of issues, including the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/New advice on hoax emails_18641080.html New advice has been issued by a former police officer over the problem of hoax emails being received by women around the country.

Tony Neate, a former detective and now managing director of Get Safe Online, told the Guardian that women should be more concerned with real threats to their safety, rather than worrying about the false warnings they receive via email.

According to the newspaper, hundreds of British women are being sent messages from their friends that tell them of serial rapists and kidnappers in their local area.

One of the reasons why recipients of these emails are being taken in by them is that they claim to have come from local police forces and particular law enforcement figures who do actually exist.

But Mr Neate insists that while the hoax emails that are apparently being sent and subsequently forwarded by women can seem plausible, there is no chance that the police would send out a message of this kind.

He speculated that the motivation for people to start sending out these scaremongering messages is unclear but in all likelihood is a simply matter of belligerence.

Last week, a report from the Guardian suggested that women remain in a minority within the cyber world of blogging communities.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Computer hacker sent to jail_18638527.html A computer hacker responsible for the creation of a botnet has been awarded a custodial sentence, it has emerged.

According to reports, the individual has been sentenced to a term of 41 months by a court in the US, in addition to being ordered to pay a fine of £33,000.

Moreover, upon his release, the individual will also face supervision for a period of 36 months.

'These computer criminals have no qualms about infecting computers around the world and causing thousands of pounds of damages,' said Bob Burls, a representative from the Metropolitan Police Computer Crime Unit, in a statement.

'In their greed, they cause devastating damage to both private and company computers.'

The highjacked computers were used for the purposes of installing pop-up advertisements and were also used to implement attacks against other machines.

Initial investigations into the criminal activity began in December 2006.

The term botnet is used to refer to a group of zombie computers that are under the control of a third party.

Such zombie computers are created through being compromised in a number of ways, which may include viral activity, a Trojan horse or through the work of a hacker.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Microsoft confirms details ahead of patch Tuesday_18627678.html Software and computer engineering firm Microsoft has announced a number of fixes that will take place when it releases its June 10th patch, according to reports.

The company announced a total of seven upgrades that will be implemented through this new patch, three of which are considered to be critical.

It will plug holes in Internet Explorer, DirectX and Bluetooth, all of which are at present vulnerable to attack by hackers who could potential infect a system with malicious code enabling them to remotely operate a computer and even shut it down.

Both of the updates for Internet Explorer released in this patch address issues with version seven in Windows 2000, XP and Vista.

In addition to these fixes, Microsoft is also releasing three bulletins it has rated as important to fix problems in PGM, Active Directory and WINS.

The WINS fix in particular is important, as it will stop hackers gaining high-level privileges to a users PC and sub-systems.

In related news, Windows is currently running its Trustworthy Computing initiative that was started in early 2002.

As part of the organisations ongoing commitments to user safety, the company focuses on three main areas: trustworthy identity, access policy management and information protection.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Chip designer reports slower growth_18457327.html A UK-based chip manufacturer has reported slower than anticipated quarterly growth figures, it has emerged.

According to reports, the Cambridge-based firm Arm Holdings has confirmed that its prospects for 2008 remain somewhat cautious, with growth over the second consecutive quarter in 2007 being weaker than anticipated.

Arm Holdings was established in 1990 and its processors are used in the mobile phones of a number of manufacturers, including Samsung and Nokia.

'There is so much macro-economic uncertainty and very volatile times in the financial markets at just the time that people are setting their budgets,' said Warren East, chief executive of Arm Holdings, in a report by the Guardian.

And, while Mr East confirmed that that he is 'actually not very worried', Merrill Lynch has noted that 'we see long term value here but with significant earnings cuts likely in the short term we do not think investors need to buy the shares today'.

Over the final quarter of 2007, the firm reported revenue levels totalling £66 million, a lower than expected figure. However, when revenues were considered for the whole of the year, the company was able to report an increase of six per cent.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Google implements talks on Microsoft and Yahoo!_18602075.html Leading US company Google has called emergency talks following reports that a courtship between rival search engines Yahoo! And Microsoft may be back on.

Microsoft previously launched a hostile takeover bid for Yahoo! in January for $40 billion (£20.31 billion) and an increased bid of $47.5 billion two weeks ago, both of which were rejected by Yahoo!, which has a 27 per cent share of the US search market.

However, despite this rebuke, analysts have warned a partial takeover may yet be on the cards, with Soliel Securities analyst Laura Martin telling the San Francisco Gate: 'Buying some is better than nothing if Yahoos management wont sell.'

Questioned on the possibility of a deal between the two companies, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin told a conference in Hertfordshire that further discussions would be needed to establish their response, the Times reports.

Google currently has a 62 per cent share of the computerised search engine market in the US.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Social networking site set for makeover_18600263.html Social networking site Facebook is due to be given a major facelift, it has been claimed.

According to reports, the social networking site is to undergo a number of fundamental changes, in an effort to make the main page - among other things - cleaner and 'more relevant' in appearance.

Indeed, the main site is to be overhauled and split into five distinct tabbed pages, all of which can be opened via to the top of the front screen.

'Founded in February 2004, Facebook is a social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and coworkers,' said Facebook.

'The company develops technologies that facilitate the sharing of information through the social graph, the digital mapping of peoples real-world social connections.'

In addition to applications being moved onto a separate page, the BBC has speculated that the interactive wall element of the site will also be relocated into a distinct tab.

In other news on Facebook, the social networking site recently introduced a new feature entitled 'people you may know', which introduces individuals that the site believes a user may wish to become friends with - any mistakes can be removed from the list by the user.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Facebook user-base growing in Latin America_18597805.html User numbers for the social networking site Facebook are on the increase in Latin America, it has emerged.

In spite of slowing levels of growth in both the UK and the US, the social networking site is becoming increasingly popular in those Latin American countries where Spanish is the language of choice, reports VentureBeat.

Indeed, according to Facebook, the companys Latin American user base now stands at a level of six million - monthly - users, who login to the site on a regular basis, from a total of four million in March 2008.

Indeed, the social networking site is reportedly popular in Colombia, where it has a user base of two million.

'Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them,' said the social networking site, which was established in 2004 and has its headquarters based in Palo Alto, California.

'People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.'

The site is also popular in Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and Mexico.

In addition to being available in English and Spanish, Facebook has also been translated for speakers of German, Japanese and French.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Microsoft offers support extension to Windows XP SP2_18595316.html Information technology firm Microsoft has confirmed plans to extend support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).

According to reports, although support for Windows XP Service Pack 1 has already been withdrawn, SP2 will be offered free patches by Microsoft until 2014 at the earliest, reports Heise Online.

However, this support from Microsoft is only valid if the latest operating system service pack has been installed.

And although problems had been reported in relation to latest Windows XP package update, Service Pack 3 (SP3), the code is now available for users to download.

'In response to customer feedback, Microsoft is pleased to announce modifications to the service pack support policy,' said Microsoft.

'Support for service packs will now vary according to the product family, such as Windows, Office, Server, and so on, but will remain consistent within the product family.'

Under the terms of Microsofts original timeframe, support for SP2 would have continued only for a further period of 12-months after the release of SP3.

Originally released in October 2001, Windows XP replaced a number of older operating systems, including Windows 2000 and Windows Me but has since been superseded by Windows Vista.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/UK software piracy in decline_18593273.html The levels of pirated business software on the UKs computers has declined, it has emerged.

According to reports by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), their annual survey has revealed that business software piracy levels have fallen for the first time in three years.

Consequently, piracy rates in the UK have fallen by one per cent to 26 per cent.

'Its encouraging that were making progress in the battle against software piracy, however theres a huge amount yet to be done,' said Julie Strawson, chairwoman of the UK committee for the BSA, an organisation funded by a number of different companies, including Apple, IBM, Microsoft and SAP.

'The fact remains that an unacceptable level of UK organisations still flout software licensing regulations.'

Ms Strawsons comments were made in a report by the BBC.

Of the 108 different countries surveyed for the BSAs survey, a majority of those polled have reported a decline in the levels of software piracy.

And, according to the organisation, the UKs fall in piracy levels has been the result of targeted programmes, in addition to increases in efforts to provide education on the issue of piracy.

The study behind the survey was conducted by forecasting and market research firm IDC.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Microsoft releases service pack for Microsoft Office_18590841.html Information technology firm Microsoft has launched the first service pack (SP1) for the latest version of Microsoft Office for the Mac.

Microsoft Office 2008 SP1 has been released today (May 13th) and contains a number of performance enhancements, in addition to code for improvements in the softwares overall stability and security.

While the update can be installed via Microsofts Auto Update tool, a download from the companys website has also been made available.

'Whether your projects are around the house or in the classroom, the reinvented Office 2008 for Mac experience makes it easier than ever to create professional-looking work,' said Microsoft, an organisation with a history going back to 1975.

'Easy-to-use, powerful tools make it easy to create fantastic looking documents-from dynamic presentations to stunning reports and engaging communications.'

In addition to application-wide changes, SP1 has also been written to incorporate changes to individual components making up Microsoft Office 2008.

For example, within Word, among the improvements contained within the pack include a number of new business card templates, in addition to a number of fixes, including those relating to font format changes and the display of certain characters.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/OpenOffice goes native_18454807.html A forthcoming version of OpenOffice will be developed to run natively on Apples OS X platform, it has emerged.

According to reports by MacApper, although OpenOffice releases currently require the installation of X11, a version of the X windowing platform specifically written for Mac OS X, this will no longer be the case when version three of the suite is released later this year.

Presently, those wishing to use a native version of OpenOffice, without installing X11, must download a copy of the projects fork, dubbed NeoOffice.

The latest version of NeoOffice is now able to make use of Apples address book and spellchecking functionality.

'At the moment this means porting OpenOffice.org to run natively on Mac OS X. Once OpenOffice.org Aqua final is released, the team will focus on making OpenOffice.org adhere to the Apple HCI guidelines,' said OpenOffice.org.

'The Mac Port team will continue to produce regular releases of the X11 version of OpenOffice for the Mac.'

Developed in partnership with Sun Microsystems, OpenOffice is a multi-platform office suite that supports the OpenDocument file format by default.

However, OpenOffice does also offer support for proprietary Microsoft Office file formats, including support for Microsofts latest OpenXML format, bearing the extension .docx.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/BCS: Women need to be made aware of IT jobs_18569287.html The British Computer Society (BCS) has called for more education to be made available to women on the range of IT jobs available to them.

In 2004, the proportion of the societys membership made up by females was 14 per cent, suggesting that women were underrepresented in the industry. A report compiled by the body also revealed females occupied less than 30 per cent of IT jobs on research teams at universities in the UK.

Today, that gender gap still appears to be in place. Research published this month by Gartner revealed that 51 per cent of women are not attracted by the idea of having an IT job.

Jan Peters, manager of the BCS Womens Forum, believes the solution lies in making sure women are informed from a young age about the range of opportunities that IT can offer those looking for a career.

'We need to be encouraging girls to look at a broader selection of apprenticeships, so we are not just looking at people going into IT and computing through degree route, but through the whole spectrum,' she said.

'We need to get across to young girls that there are opportunities in IT. Its about appealing to women from a young age.'

Part of the problem, Ms Peters added, is that teachers and careers advisers are themselves not knowledgeable about the career paths in technology that are available.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/IT security at banks criticised by FSA_18567385.html The IT security of Britains banks and building societies has been criticised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which suggests that financial institutions appoint a senior manager in charge of data protection.

It commented that banks were underestimating the risks associated with lost data and needed to change their attitudes towards IT security in order to protect themselves and their customers.

The warning follows a number of high-profile data loss incidents, including the loss by HSBC of a disc containing details of almost 370,000 life insurance customers.

The FSA highlighted a number of areas where data security was lacking. It said some firms were failing to recognise that staff could pose as big a threat to security as outside hackers and others were not properly vetting third party suppliers and IT contractors.

It also stressed the need for better risk assessment training and more resources to oversee the security of customer information and proposed that banks appoint an IT professional with overall responsibility for data security.

Philip Robinson, director of the FSAs financial crime and intelligence division, said: 'Firms getting data security right is a key priority for the FSA and we expect the industry to raise its standards.'

Meanwhile the Times reports that company executives are increasingly being targeted by online fraudsters looking to install malicious software on to their computers via email in order to access sensitive company information.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Construction industry discusses role of IT contracts_18567388.html Experts in the construction industry have been discussing how to make the most of IT contracting at a summit organised by Oracle and Construction News (CN).

Attendees including Nigel Fraser, the head of manufacturing strategy at BAA and Martin Rogers, chief executive, Edmund Nuttall, said the construction industry had come a long way on its use of IT contracts, CN reports.

However they agreed the sector could do better and identified the need to encourage frontline staff to use new technologies to their best effect.

Richard Vining, director of defence and accommodation at Bovis Lend Lease, pointed out that many of the construction industrys clients require different solutions which can pose challenges in terms of making IT 'all things to all people'.

But the attendees concurred that the industry needs to work to overcome these issues and exploit the technology offered by IT professionals and contractors in order to carry itself forward.

Indeed, Martin Bailey, director of innovation at NG Bailey, said technology was a 'massive tool' that construction firms need to use to 'up the profile of our industry so that we attract a lot of young people into it'.

Meanwhile demand for industry-specific solutions in sectors such as banking, telecommunications and healthcare is likely to lead to growth in the jobs market for IT contractors with experience of Oracle products in 2008, Contract Eye reports.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Choose a simple web address, says start-up adviser_18567390.html When setting up their website new business start-ups and freelance firms should choose a simple domain name that endorses their companys name or signifies what the business offers.

This is the recommendation of the business advice firm Startup Co, which believes web addresses for less established companies should act as an advertising tool for the business and its products or services.

John De Groot, the Startup Cos managing director, said that if a website is promoting the business rather than selling products and services directly, then the domain name should be the same as the business name.

However he added: 'If it is to promote a product, then consider a domain name that is the same as the product name. If it is to promote a generic range of products then a name that describes that product range.'

He said IT professionals should try to keep their web addresses 'as short as possible' and avoid using names that are hyphenated.

The latest VeriSign Domain Name Industry Brief reveals that new domain name registrations reached 10.7 million worldwide during the first three months of last year, seven million of which were for new .com and .net domain names.

This represented a year on year increase of 25 per cent and according to VeriSign proves there is strong growth in the domain name industry.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/UK business benefits from better security_18565410.html Newly published results of a government-sponsored survey have revealed that the cost of UK security breaches have fell by more than one-third between 2006 and 2007.

Conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on behalf of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the research found total revenue lost through security breaches fell from £10 billion in 2006 to £6 billion in 2007, Computing.co.uk reports.

The 2008 Information Security Breaches Survey attributes the significant drop to improved security measures in UK businesses.

However, the types of crimes being committed remain serious, PwCs Andrew Beard told the publication, stating: 'The seriousness of incidents is as bad as they have ever been - the worst incidents last year were the most expensive we have ever seen.'

Those in senior level IT jobs, for example, may find themselves at an increased risk of a new type of phishing designed to target senior executives, which has been christened 'whaling' and can result in major losses, according to Mr Beard.

One area in which security showed a significant increase was wireless encryption for companies, with 94 per cent claiming to use the security measure in 2007, according to the research, up from just 48 per cent in 2006.

Despite many companies demonstrating improved security measures, however, 96 per cent of those surveyed had experienced a security incident in 2007.

Microsofts chief security advisor in the UK recently called on companies to work together to combat information theft.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Data centres need to be greener_18565412.html New research has shown that two-thirds of facilities personnel and those in IT jobs believe their office energy efficiency rating to be average or below.

The Cassatt 2008 Data Energy Efficiency Survey, which polled 215 people in IT professional or facilities personnel jobs during early 2008, also found that 48 per cent would only consider energy saving if they could see a payback within two years.

Another 25 per cent of those surveyed admitted that over 60 per cent of development and test equipment remain idle but on at off-peak times.

Chairman and chief executive officer of Cassatt Corp Bill Coleman comments: 'Very problematic for the industry, are the findings that show that many companies simply dont
measure their power consumption at all, or do so at a very superficial level.'

'While organisations are showing a willingness to try some new ideas, many are still ignoring simpler solutions that could help them with energy efficiency almost immediately.'

However, the survey did reveal some positive findings, with 62 per cent of respondents claiming to be currently engaged in the promotion of data centre energy-saving initiatives, while 59 per cent stated that they would happily turn off computers left idle.

Hitachi Data Systems recently opened a new data centre in Yokohama, Japan, with the claim that it represents the greenest data storage building ever.

The new centre has a Green Grid Power Usage Effectiveness rating of 1.6 and its eco-friendly IT equipment alone has been claimed to produce a power saving of 20 per cent over comparable centres.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Microsoft issues rallying call on IT security_18563313.html The value of IT contracting in the security sector has been brought into the spotlight at the Infosec Europe 2008 conference.

Microsoft spoke out on the issue of IT security at the summit this week, calling for businesses to take a more responsible role in ensuring standards of security are met in the technology sector.

While laws are in place to protect consumers and businesses from electronic crime, Ed Gibson, chief security advisor in the UK for the software giant, pointed out that its enforcers are limited by their own budgets and need help from the industry.

In a keynote speech, Mr Gibson said that police cannot be expected to pull resources from combatting social crime in order to tackle online issues. As such, companies should be willing to volunteer services - as a resident would to a neighbourhood watch scheme.

'We have a good set of laws in place and they have teeth. But the police have priorities and budgets set by the Home Office,' he is quoted as saying by Computing.

'We do not want to have our cars stolen or be mugged in the street, and the police focus on social crimes rather than spending huge resources on minor electronic fraud.'

Earlier this month, IT contractors and professionals in Redmond and Seattle gathered for Microsofts Most Valuable Professionals Global Summit.

http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Search engines urged to be more transparent with user data_18561351.html A leading online safety advisory body has urged search engine operators to clarify their data holding policies to users.

Get Safe Online - a joint project between the government and the Serious Organised Crime Agency - wants search engine operators to be accountable for the information that they hold and 'transparent' about the reasons for doing so.

Managing director of Get Safe Online Tony Neate comments: 'In relation to data security and the information thats all over the internet, it is always useful to know from these search engines exactly what they have got, what they are keeping and why.

'It is not always exactly transparent why they need it so I would like to see a bit more clarity in relation to the information that they hold and why.'

A recent report by the EU into the retention of web data concluded that search engines did not need to hold personal information for longer than six months and should increase the current level of user notification of personal details being held.

Mr Neate echoes the call for clarification of data being held by search engine operators, stating that if a company is providing a user with free email services, it must be upfront if information collection - such as looking at emails - is part of the deal.

Despite Google being the most-used search engine in the US, responsible for 67.3 per cent of searches, a June 2007 report by Privacy International concluded that it was the worst site for the 'aggressive use of invasive or potentially invasive technologies'.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Skills fears revealed by CBI_18559274.html Research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has revealed that more than half of UK employers believe their employees lack the skills required for basic IT jobs.

In the Edexcel survey, 53 per cent of employers agreed that they lack enough skilled staff to meet company requirements, while an even greater number - 56 per cent - questioned their employees ability to perform essential IT jobs, according to Computing.co.uk.

A further 69 per cent admitted to investing in additional training for staff in order to avoid measures that could include the outsourcing of IT jobs to an IT contractor.

The main reason cited for the provision of mandatory IT training in the survey was that current skills fall far below the rate of technological advancement among UK businesses, the website reports.

IT jobs were not the only area in which UK workers were shown to be lacking in the research, with 60 per cent of companies claiming to have trouble recruiting people with the appropriate levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematical skills.

As a result of the skills deficit, many companies report turning to overseas sources for recruitment, with 36 per cent of those surveyed actively courting interest from India, 35 per cent from the EU and 24 per cent from China.

This news follows a consultation held by the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills on April 14th aimed at building stronger links between university courses and businesses in the UK.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Female employees more tempted than men on security issues_18559275.html A new survey has revealed that a disturbingly high number of office workers are prepared to give away personal details for chocolate - with women the main offenders.

The Infosecurity Europe research asked a cross section of 576 office workers - which may have included those working in IT jobs - to fill out a surveying relay personal details such as passwords and home addresses in exchange for a chocolate bar.

45 per cent of women were reportedly happy to hand over their passwords, resoundingly beaten by their male counterparts, of which only ten per cent were willing to provide the information.

Event director for Infosecurity Europe Claire Sellick comments: 'This research shows that it is pretty simple for a perpetrator to gain access to information that is restricted.'

She added that fraudsters could use information such as a telephone number - handed over by 60 per cent of men and 62 per cent of women - to pose as an IT professional or bank worker and thus gain access to enough personal details to commit identity theft.

However, results did prove more positive than an equivalent study conducted in 2007, with only 21 per cent giving away their passwords for chocolate in total, compared to 64 per cent last year.

Recent research by Gartner showed that the number of men employed in IT jobs is significantly higher than the number of women - whether this has anything to do with an apparent lack of security-consciousness remains unknown.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Apple issues security patch_18556528.html Information technology and consumer electronics firm Apple has issued a new patch for its Safari web browser.

Fixing the flaw that was recently used to compromise a MacBook Air, the patch closes the hole in Safaris rendering engine - among other things - which is also used by a number of other pieces of software.

Safari makes use of the open source rendering engine for HTML known as WebKit; this latest update brings the browser up to version 3.1.1.

In total, Apple has patched four vulnerabilities, which are known to affect versions of the browser for Windows and Mac OS X, according to a report by vnunet.com

'Safari is the fastest and easiest-to-use web browser for Mac and PC. Safari 3 introduces new features to help you find your way and enjoy your time on the web,' said Apple.

'Instantly and graphically locate any text on the current web page with the new find command [and] easily find web pages you have visited with [a] full history search.'

In related news, it has been claimed by security firm Radware that Apples iPhone is itself vulnerable to a denial-of-service attack.

The vulnerability is believed to affect the handsets Safari web browser.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Regulator suggests new ways of delivering broadband_18555196.html The UKs communications regulator has suggested new ways of piping ultra-fast broadband connections across Britain.

Suggesting that the delivery of broadband could be achieved through the use of water and electricity pipes, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) has also initiated a period of consultation on the strategies for the regulation of the more advanced networks of the future.

The period of consultation runs until June 25th.

'Next generation broadband will come to change our perception of communication radically. So we must prepare now,' said Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom.

'We must be sure we are not missing a trick here. We know that lots of the costs are in the civil engineering and this is civil engineering of a very similar kind.'

Mr Richards made his comments in a speech for the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

However, in a report by the BBC Ian Fogg, an analyst with Jupiter Research, expressed disappointment in relation to the consultation period, noting that the use of such a tool for discussion was indicative of the extent to which the UK is trailing other countries in respect of broadband internet.

Ofcom was established as a product of the Office of Communications Act 2002, which among other things, sets out the terms of Ofcoms functioning and management.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Malware threat becoming more potent_18555199.html Malware attacks are becoming more of a threat, it has been claimed.

According to the findings of the Information Security Breaches Survey, although instances of malware infection in companies have decreased, such pieces of software are becoming more advanced.

'The battle is still on, its just changed from being obvious and high-profile to silent and obscure but is just as lethal,' said Dr Guy Bunker, chief scientist at Symantec.

Although the survey was led by PricewaterhouseCoopers, it was conducted by a consortium that included Symantec.

A comprehensive release of the surveys findings will be made next week at Infosecurity Europe in London, reports Computer Business Review (CBR).

Specifically, the survey found that, over the last two-year period, the number of malware infections in business environments has declined from 35 per cent to 14 per cent.

Such infections were made up of Trojans, spyware, worms and viruses, according to CBR.

A number of firms will be exhibiting at Infosecurity Europe, including Alcatel-Lucent and BT Global Services.

Microsoft has outlined a number of different strategies which may be useful in the fight against becoming infected by a type of malware, including making sure a computer is fully patched and through the use of a firewall.
http://www.consultant-tech.co.uk/Constech/feeds/articles/Microsoft announces details of new DRM_18553186.html Information technology firm Microsoft has announced details of new digital rights management (DRM) technology.

Under development for Silverlight - a cross-browser and platform plug-in - and dubbed Silverlight DRM, the new technology is being developed for the streaming of live video content using Silverlight and is expected to become available before the end of 2008.

The company announced the forthcoming introduction of DRM technology at the recent National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas.

'Microsoft Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform and cross-device plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web,' said Microsoft.

'By using Expression Studio and Visual Studio, designers and developers can collaborate more effectively using the skills they have today to light up the Web of tomorrow.'

Also at the show, Microsoft announced details of a number of new Silverlight content partners - compan