News for Media, telecommunications & technology
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Outsourcing Yearbook eBook launched
sourcingfocus.com is proud to announce the launch of The Outsourcing Yearbook 2012.
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Training for Mobile Developers sees Demand Hike
81% of IT professionals plan to bolster their skills in mobile computing – an area widely seen to be a growth area.
About one-fifth of the IT professional polled by CWJobs.co.uk said they are plan to completely re-skill and become mobile computing experts.
Businesses and public sector agencies see mobile apps as a way to serve their customers more effectively and also now allow workers to use internal business applications on their phones.
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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Security Fears are the Main Reason That Fewer Than 15% Buy Via Mobile
A new report ‘Shopping in a Multichannel World’ by Shoppercentric, an independent agency specialising in shopper research, has revealed that only 13% of consumers used their mobile to buy something in the last month, with over 70% of those polled having doubts about security.
Reasons cited not to buy via mobile include 51% not feeling able to experience products effectively, 46% complaining of poor network coverage, and 71% didn’t think mobile was currently secure enough.
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Business and Professional Services Sector Performing Better Than Expected, says CBI.
Despite the tough marketplace of the past quarter, numbers employed in Business & Professional Services grew (+10%) for a fourth quarter running, defying expectations of a decline (-11%). Firms expect headcount to continuing rising at a similar pace in the coming three months (a balance of +8%).
And the slowdown is not as rapid as previously predicted. Over the past three months business volumes declined at a slower pace (-11%) than had been expected (-20%). The decline in business values was more marked (-31%).
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Monday, February 27, 2012
CIO s Role to be Short Lived, say CFOs
43% of senior finance professionals in the UK believe that the CIO role will merge with the CFO role, says a study by IT services provider Getronics.
17% of the finance professionals thought that the CIO role would disappear altogether, in the wake of the trend that 77% of CFOs have claimed greater responsibility for IT decisions in the last 12-24 months.
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Salesforce Scores Biggest Ever Deal
Salesforce.com has won its biggest deal ever – a contract worth at least $100 million with an as yet unnamed insurance provider.
CEO Mark Benioff has revealed. "I'm thrilled to announce that since the closing of the fourth quarter [on 31st January], we've already topped ourselves by signing our first ever nine-figure transaction in the opening days of Q1."
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Thursday, February 23, 2012
Department of Health to Focus Info Strategy on Mobile Apps
Mobile apps are to be the heartbeat of the NHS Information Strategy, says Giles Wilmore, senior responsible owner for the strategy.
“This is not something that could have been generated by the centre. We don’t want to run a big national procurement, but create something which harnesses the local dynamism and innovation,” he said.
"Innovation and technology can revolutionise the health service, and we are looking at how the NHS can use these apps for the benefit of patients, including how GPs could offer them for free."
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Atos Gives Barcelona Citizen Friendly Solution
Atos has introduced the MyCity, which will allow the people of Barcelona to interact with their city via their mobile phones. The app is developed by Atos and hosted on its servers.
Services are set to include: FixThis for reporting geo-located photo incidences with smartphones, Next2Me to look up nearby services, City Transport and iBiking, City Agenda for leisure and culture events based in geo-location search, City Traffic, M-Parking, and City Beaches.
Barcelona City Council CIO Manel Sanromà said he has received positive feedback from citizens that “clearly demonstrates that we have filled a need, a need of more connectivity and facilitate access to municipal services for the citizen at any time and from anywhere," Sanromà said.
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Monday, February 20, 2012
HH Global expands IT team
HH Global has made two senior level appointments to its IT division.
Alastair Sames, previously CIO at Adare, takes up the role of Head of IT Solutions at HH Global, whilst Nick Doyle, previously at Communisis plc and Verifone, joins as Head of IT Service Delivery.
Robert MacMillan, CEO, HH Global comments: “IT is the lynchpin of most organisations today, both internally and in the service they provide to clients. For HH Global, dealing with client projects which are time critical and across the world, it is imperative that we have a robust and sound IT network and structure. Alastair and Nick will add real value, not only in ensuring our IT systems are resilient, but also providing an innovative approach to IT which makes HH Global’s offer stand out from the crowd.”
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Hyperpublic Acquired by Groupon
Groupon has bought Hyperpublic, an SME that develops location-based technology that can be integrated into other apps.
Hyperpublic seems a good fit for Groupon: one of its products, is API (application programming interface) called "Geo Deals & Events," which displays local deals and events depending on where a person is, such as concerts. Another of its products, Places+, allows users to search for local businesses, restaurants and points of interest.
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