Industry news

European Agency ENISA argues more attention should be paid to security whilst using cloud services, paying particular attention to the details of availability and vulnerability management in contracts.

ENISA's goal is to improve the public sector's understanding of the security of cloud services and the potential indicators and methods that can be used during service delivery, the authors said.

Increasing important for IT staff therefore, is the procuring and managing of service contracts for cloud services. Marnix Dekker, who co-authored the report, stated that "Organisations have started switching from running systems internally to outsourcing and using cloud services. So the skills and focus of IT staff have to change."

This week, the Government caused a stir when it announced plans to introduce legislation to allow authorities to monitor the online activity of everyone in the UK.

It has been no surprise to see intensive lobbying from MPs, civil rights agencies and individuals whose rights would be affected by such ‘Big Brother’ proposals – but what do these developments tell us about the Government, its reactions to developments in technology, the way in which technology is used by society and the domestic legal system in general?

When the proposed legislation was first announced, nobody had seen the detailed rights which the government was seeking to introduce - which in itself, led to a negative reaction. It appeared from initial reports that law enforcement agencies would have the unfettered right to review content held by social media sites, but following clarification from government officials, it seems that this would include, or constitute, the tracking of relationships between individuals by monitoring the flow, timing and location from which messages are sent and received through social media channels. This means that given the geo-location capability of smart phones and tablets, it could be determined where you are, when you’re there, who you are talking to and potentially (as this aspect is still unclear) what you’re saying.

While the Government’s hastily presented clarifications are helpful in understanding the potential scope of the proposed rights, in practice, individuals and civil liberties groups, in particular, will remain concerned about the ability of law enforcement agencies to track this type of information which has the potential to be extremely intrusive and prejudicial to the rights of individuals. This is compounded by the lack of clarity as to whether or not the proposed rights would be subject to obtaining a warrant - this has important implications as the warrant requirement provides a further safeguard to the rights of individuals.

Again, this lack of clarity has further fuelled the growing and almost unanimous negative response to the Government’s proposals. Similarly, the timing of such proposals in wake of the public outcry from the UK’s phone-hacking scandal (where private communications between individuals were intercepted and utilised by third parties) is regrettable.

For all of these reasons, it’s essential that the Government provides detailed proposals on the rights which it is seeking to enshrine into English law, as this will have a knock-on effect in terms of evaluating the adequacy of existing legislation which provides similar powers – such as the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act – as well as those laws that are in place to protect individuals – for example, the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act.

Before any new legislation can be successfully implemented, relevant bodies, such as the Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO), would need to assess the potential impact of it on individuals and their statutory rights regarding the use of their personal data by third parties.

Similarly, those directly affected by the proposals will need to consider the implications of the proposals for their business and the commercial and technological challenges which they may present. Many of those businesses affected will be social media sites that do not charge for use of their services, but may be required to introduce new systems, processes and personnel in order to deal with these types of requests for information - adding further overheads to their business.

Despite the issues that the proposed legislation has raised, it does provide a good working example of how the checks and balances which are built into the Parliamentary system continue to work in the modern age. While the Government will be left frustrated at not being able to push through the proposals in the name of national security, it is right and proper that proposals which may have far-reaching implications for the rights of individuals, are clearly articulated and subject to scrutiny by all interested parties before they become law.

Generally, however, this debate highlights the way in which the Government and legislators are struggling to keep pace not only with digital developments, but also with the way in which people now use technology as part of their everyday lives and how laws should be developed to deal with such developments. What is clear from this episode is that attempts to rush through legislation in the name of national security will not go unnoticed or unopposed, particularly where the rights of individuals may be eroded as a result.

During the riots last year, much was made of the way in which social-media enabled the rioters to rapidly share information on both a local and national scale, and the Government’s proposals seem, in part, to be a reaction to this event.

Whilst not necessarily the most appropriate course of action, had the Government introduced the proposals in the immediate aftermath of the riots, they may have gained more immediate positive reactions from the public, or at least a slightly more sympathetic response. However, as we stand, it is likely that these proposals will take several years of drafting, reviews and consultation before they are enshrined into law – by which time, we will probably be looking at new uses of technology, in respect of which the current proposals may no longer be adequate.

Now more than ever, companies are calling on managed print services (MPS) to save money and spur growth. Often overlooked, print is an infrastructure just as important as facilities, telecommunications and IT networks, and CFOs and IT managers are starting to realize the bottom line benefit to getting their printing under control.

By deploying a strategy to better manage the volume of documents flowing through the organisation and minimise the costs associated with printing, sharing and updating them, companies can save up to 30 percent of operating costs.

In addition to cost reduction, MPS helps spur productivity, increase compliance and achieve environmental sustainability by:

• Controlling how and when documents are printed.

• Reducing print-related power usage.

• Reducing the consumption of paper and other related consumables.

• Consolidating document devices such as printers, copiers and fax machines – reducing the user-to-device ratio and increasing device reliability and efficiency.

• Freeing up employee time to spend less time on document-related tasks and more time focused on their real business.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when working toward achieving success.

Implement a Change Management Program

Ultimately, end users enjoy the time they get back in their day thanks to the improved print infrastructure – availability of devices, improved work process and increased productivity. But change of any kind is hard to swallow in an organisation, and end user acceptance of an MPS strategy is critical to the success of the project. End users need to understand and feel good about best practices.

Working with an MPS partner to take a strategic approach to change management will help support the staff during the transition and ultimately help the organization notice a real difference in costs. By investing in change management, companies can be sure to deliver a program with the right formula for existing employee work habits, daily volume and organizational readiness, to help customers empower their workforce to embrace productivity and operational changes.

A few change management tactics to consider include:

• Complete onsite training to help employees manage the new print environment.

• Provide tips on how to reduce the time and money spent on print-related activities.

• Create of a Web portal to provide ongoing support and online learning.

• Launch a communications campaign to help employees better understand the reason for MPS; communicate expectations and anticipated results to the ntire organization.

Leverage Proven Process Improvement Methodologies

To identify what an optimal environment looks like for a particular customer, Xerox uses Lean Six Sigma-based assessments to evaluate employees’ current daily work habits and locate inefficiencies. All cost factors are taken into consideration, including hardware, paper usage, power consumption, IT management needs and footprint of the ideal print solution. Then Xerox recommends a print strategy including workflow improvements made with end users in mind, to maximise benefits while continuing to meet employee needs.

Measure, Report, Adjust

Regular reporting on the new workflow is critically important to understand how end users are adapting to and using the new processes. Print governance software tools that monitor and report on end user behaviors can be implemented as part of an MPS program. The tools can be used to educate users about print alternatives that may be greener or a lower cost, and can help redirect print jobs based on policies or established quotas to ensure that spend is managed according to defined goals.

Final Advice

While the potential for 30 percent cost savings MPS delivers may appeal to a numbers-minded CFO audience, generally speaking, companies want more. A properly implemented MPS strategy integrates with the overall IT platform to help innovate and give employees new ways to work efficiently – to win new business, to get products to market, to get invoices processed, and to communicate more effectively with customers.

A well executed MPS program can slash costs up, increase productivity and improve environmental sustainability – but not all vendors have the ability to deliver on all three. Decision makers should evaluate the following when selecting a supplier:

1. Improved user experience: Do they monitor all devices, and proactively solve problems to avoid unnecessary downtime and keep employees productive?

2. Customer service focus: Will they help employees adapt to the new technology and work processes with change management programs?

3. Ongoing cost management and accountability: Is there a formal reporting process to show business objectives (cost, environmental sustainability, security, and risk compliance) are being met?

4. Multi-vendor approach: Do they support equipment from other vendors so clients don’t have to replace existing devices with the supplier’s brand?

5. Comprehensive offering: Is the offering limited to printers within corporate offices, or can it be extended to include in-house print center and virtual/home worker requirements?

6. Sales and distribution flexibility: Is there a single point of contact and a consistent approach to MPS for businesses that span different geographies?

7. Commitment to innovation: Will they collaborate to understand the business and provide innovative ways for employees to work more effectively – beyond simply managing print?

8. Track record: Can they provide quality references that demonstrate measurable and sustainable results?

The most advanced IT in primary healthcare is being used in England, according to research from Accenture.

However, the IT is not being adopted at the same speed in different areas of the healthcare system, undermining integrated care delivery.

Accenture interviewed 3,700 doctors and 160 health leaders for the survey, across eight countries. The study found England had the largest percentage (90%) of GPs entering patient information in to an IT system, of any of the countries surveyed. However, when asking hospital doctors, England recorded the lowest proportion, at 16%.

Jim Burke, who leads Accenture's healthcare business in the UK and Ireland said: "Although the use of healthcare IT functionality is widespread across England there is a notable disparity between care settings. Clearly more needs to be done in secondary care in order to develop greater connectivity across the English healthcare system."

The top technology priority for CIOs in 2012 is still analytics and business intelligence, according to analyst firm Gartner. Organisations spent over $12 billion in 2012 on analytics, business intelligence (BI) and performance management (PM) software.

Dan Sommer, principal analyst at Gartner said: “IT [departments] continue to spend and earmark money to BI, despite constrained budgetary environments. Gartner's 2012 CIO survey showed that analytics and BI is the number one technology priority for CIOs in 2012. BI projects remain relatively shielded, while a healthy portion of any discretionary money will be available for upcoming analytic initiatives.”

Sommer also said users outside of traditional IT, are using BI tools for line-of-business initiatives, and spending increasingly more: “Key drivers for this are self-service data discovery tools, the race among suppliers to provide business context through packaged analytics, and CFOs taking a renewed interest in BI and PM."

Capita are set to cut up to 400 jobs across the UK, the trade union Unite have reported.

According to Unite, Capita will also be offshoring a significant amount of staff to India as part of the proposal.

The staff affected are understood to work on the Prudential, Royal London and Phoenix accounts, while, while the trade union has said it may consider an industrial action ballot in response.

David Fleming, Unite National Officer said: "Members would be angry and concerned at the prospect of losing their jobs in the current economic climate. Capita is a highly profitable company and to treat loyal and highly skilled workers in this way is deplorable."

Capita have released a statement, stating: "In order to maintain its competitive position in the marketplace, optimise operational efficiency and maintain and improve service delivery to its clients, Capita's IT services business has concluded that a revised delivery model is necessary".

The government will be capping most IT projects at £100 million from now on. In a procurement policy notice (PPN) delivered to all departments and agencies, the government mandated that all future IT projects are capped at the figure.

The move comes as part of a new IT procurement strategy, as the government attempt to move away from awarding lengthy, expensive contracts large vendors and instead allow SMEs to deliver projects over a shorter period of time.

In 2011, it was announced that projects over £100 million would be analysed carefully by the Major Projects Authority, but the cap will now prevent any projects that large taking place without a thorough review.

Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, realised a statement, stating: “The Government ICT Strategy, published at the end of March 2011 outlined a new approach to ICT procurement that improves contract delivery timelines and reduces the risk of project failure, enables greater use of SMEs, a much shorter timescale and lower costs to all parties. We will end the practice of attempting to cover every requirement in great detail and cover every legal eventuality in every project and contract, thereby increasing the procurement cost and timescales to all parties to an unacceptable level.”

Business Analytics firm, Omnext, has turned to Andy Rogers, the National Outsourcing Association Board Member, to develop position in UK market.

The Dutch software company has entered into the UK market with a plan of rapid expansion and Andy Rogers has been charged with driving the UK expansion over the next few years.

The firm’s speciality is future-facing cloud-based analytics, with its Software-Analysis-as-a Service products doubling revenues year-on-year.

Andy Rogers is well positioned to head up Omnext’s UK operation with 27 years of senior management experience at National Grid across 12 business critical services.

Jaco de Vries, CEO of Omnext said: “Our product adoption is continuing to grow strongly by offering the flexibility of a cloud based service to more and more internationally operating companies. We are proving that we can provide companies, wherever they are in the outsourcing chain, the capability to manage the life cycle costs of applications in an environment where agility, modernisation and consolidation are the order of the day. Against this background having Andy on the team with his practical and professional experience can only serve to enhance our UK operations”.

Logica and Atos have been picked to provide new HR software in order to streamline resources for the French Ministry of Defence over a 7 year contract.

The deal will see the Department of Defence merge five systems currently in place and accessed by over 300,000 users into one complete system. The design and implementation will be complete at the end of 2014 and will be rolled out to the civil service within the next three years.

General Jacques Roudière, Ministry of Defence Human Resources director, said: "It will be the cornerstone of our HR management by providing value-add at all levels in our HR chain, including officers in contact with the administration and those responsible for local management at headquarters”.

A London law firm warns that fines of up to £100 million could be imposed under new EU Date Protection rules.

Vinod Bange, partner at law firm Taylor Wessing has warned that companies using cloud software face heavy penalties based on annual global turnover, if they breach laws including international data transfer regulation.

Bange said: “Regulatory sanctions have gone way off the scale in terms of what we are used to right now”.