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Fujitsu should be 14-20 JANUARY 2020 next to face scrutiny over Post Office Horizon system flaws

Cisco unveils plans for internet of the future

How McLaren finds Building Formula One racing margins with data from IoT sensors the internet of

Editor’s comment the future Cisco unveils platform on which it Buyer’s guide to edge computing believes the next generation of the internet will be based and which will support the

How service models next decade of online innovation drive data collaboration in aerospace

Diversity spurs creativity in software development

Downtime HIROSHI WATANABE/GETTY HIROSHI computerweekly.com computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 1 NEWS IN BRIEF

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News Cyber gangsters demand Met Police to upgrade its payment from Travelex command and control system Fujitsu should be Foreign exchange company Travelex The Metropolitan Police Service next to face scrutiny over Post Office is facing demands for payment to has awarded a 10-year contract Horizon system flaws decrypt critical computer files after to technology supplier Leidos UK it was hit by one of the most sophis- to upgrade its command and con- Cisco unveils plans for ticated ransomware attacks, known trol system, the main objectives internet of the future as Sodinokibi, which disabled its being an increase in efficiency and IT systems on New Year’s Eve. The improved information sharing. The How McLaren finds Formula One racing company, which has operations in command and control system covers margins with data 70 countries, has faced days of dis- officer deployment. The future setup from IoT sensors ruption after criminal hackers pen- will be more flexible and capture etrated its computer networks. emergency contacts from the public. Editor’s comment Highways England Government confirms IR35 Iran likely to hit back with cyber Buyer’s guide to uses robot to speed edge computing private sector reforms attacks, security experts warn The planned extension of the IR35 Cyber security teams – particularly up roadworks How service models tax avoidance reforms to the pri- those with responsibility for govern- Highways England claims to have saved drive data collaboration in aerospace vate sector will be subject to a ment agencies and critical national “hundreds of hours of working time” review that is set to conclude in infrastructure – should be on high and increased worker safety by using a

Diversity spurs mid-February 2020, the government alert because of the increased possi- robot to support the job of painting new creativity in software has confirmed. The review will focus bility of retaliatory cyber attacks by or resurfaced roads. The WJ Robotic development on what needs to be done to ensure Iranian advanced persistent threat PreMarker, equipped with precise posi-

Downtime the reforms are rolled out to the actors following the assassination of tioning technology, marks out where private sector in a “smooth and suc- Qassim Soleimani in Iraq. Soleimani, white lines need to be painted. In four cessful” way, ahead of them com- commander of Iran’s Quds Force, hours, the robot pre-marked eight miles ing into force on 6 April 2020, the was accused of masterminding ter- of the M6 in Staffordshire. government said in a statement. rorist attacks on US interests.

❯Catch up with the latest IT news online computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 2 NEWS IN BRIEF

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News Sadiq Khan calls for evolution Bus open data portal to of London Datastore in 2020s go live in January 2020 Deliveroo exceeds Fujitsu should be Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has Bus operators across England will next to face scrutiny Edinburgh tech hub over Post Office called for a new vision around the start publishing information on Horizon system flaws use of data in the next decade as a services through the Bus Open Data recruitment target crucial tool to solving the capital’s Service as of January 2020. The Deliveroo has increased the number Cisco unveils plans for issues as the London Datastore project will kick off with route and of technology recruiters it wants at its internet of the future marks its 10th anniversary. timetable information. Edinburgh-based tech hub and brought forward its recruitment timeline. The How McLaren finds Formula One racing Half of UK citizens want How the rise of cloud has food delivery company will create 70 margins with data tighter data regulations hit enterprise spending tech roles this year, including engineers from IoT sensors Over half of UK citizens think the Investments in datacentre hard- and data scientists. gathering and use of personal data by ware and software have largely Editor’s comment the public and private sectors should “stagnated” over the course of be the subject of stricter government 2010-2019, while the amount spent Buyer’s guide to edge computing regulation, while public sector lead- on cloud services has grown from ers feel all at sea when it comes to “virtually nothing” to $97bn, accord- How service models satisfying citizen expectations. ing to Synergy Research Group. drive data collaboration in aerospace

AI skills and explainable data Poor UK internet cited as BNORAGITT/ADOBE

Diversity spurs models are top concerns for 2020 hampering SME productivity creativity in software Lack of skills in artificial intelligence The average worker at a small or development (AI) is holding business leaders back medium-sized enterprise (SME) in ❯ GDPR service aims to ease compliance challenges. ❯ KCOM makes £100m full-fibre investment. Downtime from deploying the technology, a the UK could be wasting 72 minutes report has found. The study showed a day because of connectivity and ❯ Extreme Networks simplifies retail cloud networks. 37% of the executives surveyed are technology issues, according to a ❯ IBM grows Q network collaborators. concerned that limited AI expertise is study by internet service provider hindering AI adoption. Zen Internet. n

❯Catch up with the latest IT news online computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 3 ANALYSIS

Home News Fujitsu should be next to face scrutiny Fujitsu should be next to face scrutiny over Post Office over Post Office Horizon system flaws Horizon system flaws

Cisco unveils plans for While the Post Office has suffered financial and reputational damage after losing court battle with subpostmasters, internet of the future the supplier of the IT system at the centre of the dispute has major PR challenges ahead. Karl Flinders reports

How McLaren finds Formula One racing margins with data hile the Post Office and its mistreatment of sub- system used in branches was robust and not to blame for account- from IoT sensors postmasters – wrongly punished for theft and false ing inaccuracies. Horizon was introduced in 1999/2000, and is accounting – is headline news after the group litiga- used by about 12,000 Post Office branches. Editor’s comment W tion over the Horizon IT system drew to a close, the IT services Following an out-of-court settlement between the two par- company behind the system faces further questions. ties, the judgment for the second trial, which examined whether Buyer’s guide to edge computing The Post Office was in the dock in the multimillion-pound group Horizon could have been to blame for the accounting shortfalls, litigation, but it was not the only organisation in the spotlight, with was handed down by Fraser, who ruled unequivocally that the How service models Fujitsu also emerging from the case tarnished. system was not robust. drive data collaboration in aerospace Fujitsu’s customers and partners, as well as industry analysts, The Post Office was rightlychastised by Fraser for treating will need reassurances about the company’s staff and methods, subpostmasters in a way not unlike Victorian factory workers,

Diversity spurs after High Court judge Peter Fraser tore into some of the evi- and refusing to accept that Horizon could be at fault, to such creativity in software dence given by the supplier’s staff in the latest court case and an extent that the judge said it “amounts to the 21st century development previous trial. Fraser said some staff giving evidence were pro- equivalent of maintaining that the Earth is flat”.

Downtime tecting Fujitsu rather than giving accurate information, and he questioned whether Fujitsu had been accurate in reporting to its Concerns over accuracy customer, the Post Office. Fujitsu did not escape criticism. Before handing down his judg- The second trial in the group litigation, Bates and Others vs Post ment, Fraser raised concerns over the accuracy of evidence given Office, examined the Post Office’s claim that Fujitsu’s Horizon in court by Fujitsu in previous trials of accused subpostmasters.

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News He said: “Based on the knowledge that I have gained both from conducting the trial and writing the Horizon issues judgment, I A High Court judge questioned the accuracy Fujitsu should be have very grave concerns regarding the veracity of evidence of evidence given by Fujitsu employees next to face scrutiny in the Post Office Horizon case over Post Office given by Fujitsu employees to other courts in previous proceed- Horizon system flaws ings about the known existence of bugs, errors and defects in the Horizon system. These previous proceedings include the High Cisco unveils plans for Court in at least one civil case brought by the Post Office against a internet of the future subpostmaster and the Crown Court in a greater number of crimi- nal cases, also brought by the Post Office against subpostmasters How McLaren finds Formula One racing and subpostmistresses.” margins with data Fraser sent papers from the case to the director of public pros- from IoT sensors ecutions, Max Hill, to consider whether the matter should be the subject of any prosecution. This could lead to criminal prosecu- Editor’s comment tions for crimes such as perjury. The Criminal Courts Review Commission is also reviewing appli- Buyer’s guide to edge computing cations for a retrial of 34 subpostmasters who were convicted in previous trials. How service models Following the latest judgment, Fujitsu said in a statement: “On drive data collaboration in aerospace 16 December, Mr Justice Fraser published his judgment on the second trial of the Post Office group litigation. While Fujitsu was

Diversity spurs not a party to the litigation, we take this judgment very seriously creativity in software and will now review the findings in detail.” development The IT supplier will have to analyse why its staff provided inac-

Downtime curate information to the court, and revisit its communication with the Post Office. Fraser said in his judgment: “As will be seen from my analysis of the Fujitsu evidence of fact, I have certain views about the lack of

accuracy on the part of Fujitsu witnesses in their evidence. If that DVOEVNORE/ADOBE

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News lack of accuracy has also been included in reporting to the Post Fraser said: “Even making allowance for the natural reaction of Office by Fujitsu, then that goes some way to explaining the Post an employee to wish to protect his employer’s interests, which Fujitsu should be Office’s lack of grasp of so much material that is consistent with many people may have subconsciously, I find that Mr Parker’s evi- next to face scrutiny over Post Office the claimants’ case.” dence to the court was inaccurate to a significant degree.” Horizon system flaws During the trial, Fujitsu staff who gave evidence in the Post Fraser also said Dunks had sought to mislead him by stating Office’s defence included Stephen Parker, head of Fujitsu Post that there was no Fujitsu “party line” when it came to the con- Cisco unveils plans for Office application support; Andy Dunks, Fujitsu IT security ana- internet of the future lyst; and Torstein Olav Godeseth, Fujitsu’s chief architect working with Post Office Horizon. ven making allowance for the How McLaren finds “E Formula One racing Another senior Fujitsu executive, Gareth Jenkins, was not in margins with data court, but a significant amount of evidence provided by witnesses natural reaction of an employee from IoT sensors came from him. to wish to protect his employer’s Editor’s comment ‘Left rather exposed’ interests, I find that Mr Parker’s The judge said that at one point, Parker was “left rather exposed Buyer’s guide to edge computing in terms of the accuracy of this evidence when it was shown evidence to the court was that the points he had been addressing in this part of the cross- How service models examination – some of which he would not accept – were taken inaccurate to a significant degree” drive data collaboration from a Fujitsu internal document, which he had himself drafted”. in aerospace Peter Fraser, High Court judge Fraser added: “This refusal by Mr Parker to accept his own pre-

Diversity spurs viously drafted points in what I consider to be an important con- creativity in software temporaneous document also paints him in a very poor light as a tents of drafting witness statements about audit records for legal development credible witness.” proceedings. “There plainly is,” said the judge. “It was used in the

Downtime One senior corporate lawyer, specialising in IT outsourcing, Fujitsu statements in 2010 and it was used by him in his state- questioned why Fujitsu staff might provide misleading evi- ment for the Horizon issues trial.” dence, saying: “For a staff member at an IT supplier to mislead He added: “I found Mr Dunks very unsatisfactory as a witness. a court could be that it was protecting the customer, but more He was both plainly aware of the Fujitsu party line, or corporate likely itself.” position, regarding the words asserting accuracy of audit data,

❯Bankruptcy, prosecution and disrupted livelihoods – postmasters tell their story. computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 6 ANALYSIS

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News and he was very anxious to keep to it, while initially denying that affected the test regime,” he said. “Meanwhile, the development there was one.” team had to balance time spent on fixes with time spent on devel- Fujitsu should be This raises questions and could even see the Post Office, as the oping new features for legacy Horizon and time spent developing next to face scrutiny over Post Office customer, seek answers from Fujitsu. Peer James Arbuthnot, a a new system, which I believe later became Horizon Online. Horizon system flaws staunch critic of the Post Office over the Horizon scandal, said: “It “In my first statement, I refer to the pressure that the SSC may well be that the Post Office may feel let down by Fujitsu, but team and Fujitsu were under generally due to an awareness of Cisco unveils plans for it is certain that the subpostmasters will. Might they have a cause the financial penalties imposed by the service level agreements internet of the future of action against Fujitsu for a breach of Fujitsu’s duty of care?” Fujitsu has long been a major IT supplier to the UK government, How McLaren finds he test team felt they Formula One racing including in its previous incarnation as ICL. The company provided “T margins with data IT systems to collect taxes and pay benefits for many years, and from IoT sensors were under enormous pressure today it still works with a number of government departments. Back in 2012, Fujitsu was one of two IT companies labelled as Editor’s comment to complete the testing high-risk by the UK government to alert all departments if a sup- plier has performed poorly. within certain timescales, Buyer’s guide to edge computing which negatively affected Budget pressures How service models Other questions about Fujitsu’s service levels could be put for- the test regime drive data collaboration ” in aerospace ward by customers. Evidence in court from Richard Roll, a for- mer Fujitsu employee turned whistleblower appearing as a wit- Richard Roll, former Fujitsu employee turned whistleblower Diversity spurs ness for claimant subpostmasters, revealed that teams at the creativity in software company were under pressure to keep costs down. development Roll worked in the software service centre (SCC) serving the between the Post Office and Fujitsu. I believe that although indi-

Downtime Post Office for Fujitsu. He said during his time at Fujitsu, there vidual penalties were quite modest, when applied across multiple were budget pressures and redundancies that affected system counters/post offices, the cumulative figures involved were very development and testing. high, potentially amounting to tens of millions or more.” “The test team felt they were under enormous pressure to In his witness statement, Fujitsu’s Parker said the potential complete the testing within certain timescales, which negatively financial penalties were not a factor for the SSC. But Roll said: “We

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Fujitsu should be next to face scrutiny over Post Office Horizon system flaws

Cisco unveils plans for internet of the future

How McLaren finds Formula One racing margins with data from IoT sensors The Post Office was forced to apologise to the Editor’s comment subpostmasters and pay £58m in damages Buyer’s guide to edge computing COURT/GETTY CARL

How service models drive data collaboration in aerospace were aware of them and often commented on them, for example, Computer Weekly first reported the problems with Horizon in ‘That’s saved Fujitsu another £25m’.” 2009, when it made public the stories of a group of subpostmas-

Diversity spurs The Post Office settled the group litigation out of court with ters. Soon after this, as more subpostmasters came forward, Alan creativity in software about 550 subpostmasters who had suffered financial losses and Bates formed the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance and began development even loss of liberty after being blamed for accounting shortfalls campaigning. Bates first contacted Computer Weekly in 2004

Downtime caused by the Horizon retail and accounting system, from Fujitsu, and had first alerted the Post Office to the problems in 2000. that they use to run their branches. The Post Office was forced After years of campaigning, Bates and others forced a group liti- to apologise to the subpostmasters and pay £58m in damages, gation against the Post Office and, after the second trial of four among other concessions. The Post Office’s costs for fighting the that were planned, claimed victory when the Post Office settled case have amounted to tens of millions of pounds. with claimants. n

❯Post Office settles legal dispute with subpostmasters – to pay £57.75m in damages. computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 8 ANALYSIS

Home News Cisco unveils plans for future internet Fujitsu should be next to face scrutiny over Post Office Online tech giant introduces platform for the internet of the future after investing in silicon, optics and software, Horizon system flaws bringing the ability to support massively scaled enterprise networks and 5G networks. Joe O’Halloran reports

Cisco unveils plans for internet of the future fter five years of planning andresearch and development investment to the tune of $5bn, Cisco has unveiled the How McLaren finds Formula One racing platform on which it believes the next generation of the Chuck Robbins, Cisco: margins with data A “We are dedicated internet will be based and which will support the next decade of from IoT sensors online innovation. to transforming the The platform is based on three pillars: silicon, optics and soft- industry to build a new Editor’s comment internet for the 5G era” ware. With the new platform, the company has set its sights not only on the wired world of massively scaled enterprise net- Buyer’s guide to edge computing works, but also on supporting the roll-out of 5G and advanced rich media applications. How service models Cisco believes that over the next decade, digital experiences drive data collaboration in aerospace will be created with advanced technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, 16K streaming, artificial intelligence (AI), 5G,

Diversity spurs 10G, quantum computing, adaptive and predictive cyber security, creativity in software intelligent internet of things (IoT) and others not yet invented. development It warns that these future generations of applications will drive

Downtime complexity beyond the capabilities that current internet infra- structure can viably support. Kicking off the unveiling at a packed reception in San Francisco in December 2019, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said the company’s innovation required focused investment, the right team and a

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News culture that values imagination. “We are dedicated to transform- 8000 Series, the first routers built with Silicon One and IOS XR7 ing the industry to build a new internet for the 5G era,” he said. operating system, which the company said would reduce signifi- Fujitsu should be “Our latest solutions in silicon, optics and software represent the cantly the cost of building and operating web services. next to face scrutiny over Post Office continued innovation we’re driving that helps our customers stay Cisco Silicon One will be the foundation of Cisco’s routing port- Horizon system flaws ahead of the curve and create new, ground-breaking experiences folio, with expected near-term performance availability of up to for their customers and users for decades to come.” 25Tbps (terabits per second). This is said to be the industry’s first Cisco unveils plans for networking chip designed to be universally adaptable across ser- internet of the future Growing internet capacity vice provider and web-scale markets. Robbins revealed that the new infrastructure was the biggest Designed for both fixed and modular platforms, the first Cisco How McLaren finds Formula One racing thing the company had ever done, and the reason for it was to Silicon One Q100 model surpasses the 10Tbps routing milestone margins with data solve “an incredible capacity issue” regarding the internet today from IoT sensors and in the future. “Bandwidth usage and traffic generated in 2022 will be equal Silicon One will be the Editor’s comment to the aggregate traffic generated to date. That is what we are resolving,” he said. “We need more capacity and more speed, and foundation of Cisco’s routing Buyer’s guide to edge computing we have to lower the cost.” portfolio, with expected 5G was also a key issue. “The technology brought forward How service models today will allow 5G to realise the potential talked about over the near-term performance drive data collaboration in aerospace past years,” said Robbins. “Mobile devices will soon have gigabit speed, putting huge pressure on the backbone. Today, we will see availability of up to 25Tbps

Diversity spurs what the cornerstones of the 5G networks of the future will be. creativity in software [This] announcement is critical to enable the reality of the hype for network bandwidth, while offering programmability, buffering, development [surrounding] 5G.” power efficiency, scale and feature flexibility.

Downtime Given that traditionally multiple types of silicon with different Supported by silicon capabilities are used across a network and even within a single The tangible first fruits of this strategy are Silicon One – a first- device, the platform’s unified and programmable silicon are said ever single, unified silicon architecture that can serve anywhere to allow for operators to greatly reduce costs of operations and in the network and be used in any form factor – and the Cisco reduce time-to-value for new services.

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News With reference to the latter point, Cisco produced research

showing that each capital expenditure (capex) dollar in 2022 CISCO Fujitsu should be will have to do 11 times the work that it did in 2012. It also cal- next to face scrutiny over Post Office culated that there is $5 in operational expenditure (opex) today Horizon system flaws for every $1 of capex. The new systems would be designed to reduce these numbers. Cisco unveils plans for The Cisco 8000 Series is the first platform built with Cisco internet of the future Silicon One Q100, and is engineered to help service providers and web-scale companies reduce the costs of building and oper- How McLaren finds Formula One racing ating mass-scale networks for the 5G, AI and IoT era. Optimised margins with data for 400Gbps and beyond, its processing starts at 10.8Tbps in a from IoT sensors single rack unit. It is also powered by the cloud-enhanced Cisco IOS XR7 net- Editor’s comment working operating system software to simplify operations and reduce operational costs. Cisco is confident that service providers Buyer’s guide to edge computing will gain more bandwidth scale and programmability to deliver terabits per second performance in even the most power- and How service models space-constrained network locations. drive data collaboration in aerospace Incorporating optics

Diversity spurs Explaining its work in optics, Cisco said that as port rates creativity in software increase from 100G to 400G and beyond, optics would become development an increasingly larger portion of the cost to build and operate

Downtime internet infrastructure. For that reason, it said it was investing to assure customers that as router and switch port rates continue to increase, optics would The Cisco 8000 Series is the first platform be designed to meet reliability and quality standards. In addi- built with Cisco Silicon One Q100 tion, as silicon and silicon photonics advance, functions that were

computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 11 ANALYSIS

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News traditionally delivered in separate chassis-based systems will cost structures. In the past, we would have to make trade-offs, but soon be available in pluggable form factors. not now with the new architecture. We are really excited about Fujitsu should be All of this, said Cisco, would offer network operators potential changing the economics of processes in the customer space. We next to face scrutiny over Post Office benefits in terms of operational simplicity. The silicon photonics see applications in VR [virtual reality], 5G and IoT, and there will Horizon system flaws technologies would aim to effect architectural transitions in data- be a whole host of things that are now possible.” centre networks and service provider networks, driving down cost, Regarding what success would look like, Limkakeng conceded Cisco unveils plans for reducing power and space, and simplifying network operations. that it would be difficult and depended on the customer. “A great internet of the future

Partners and customers How McLaren finds Formula One racing In terms of the partners and customers Cisco worked with on its “We are really excited about margins with data new technology, the launch event saw endorsement from AT&T, from IoT sensors Century Link, Comcast, Facebook, Microsoft and The Walt changing the economics of Disney Studios. Editor’s comment processes in the customer space. Cisco also announced that Middle East and Northern Africa region services provider STC would be the first customer to deploy Buyer’s guide to We see applications in VR, 5G edge computing the new technology. There were also ongoing trials at Comcast and NTT Com. and IoT, and a whole host of How service models Cisco senior vice-president​ Ish Limkakeng told Computer drive data collaboration things will now be possible” in aerospace Weekly it would deliver the innovations for such companies in the way in which they wanted to consume them, respecting existing Ish Limkakeng, Cisco

Diversity spurs business practices. This means Cisco will need to have a deep creativity in software understanding of key use cases so that it can change the econom- measurement is that customers are delivering experiences that development ics behind how the internet will be built to support the demands we can’t articulate today,” he said.

Downtime of future digital applications, and enable customers to oper- Limkakeng added that investment in optics was vital and there ate their businesses with simpler, more cost-effective networks, would be some significant challenges in that area in the near added Limkakeng. future. “What we are doing is very disruptive as it fundamentally “We need to have the vision and patience to go solve the prob- changes how we look at infrastructures. As you look at cost struc- lems,” he said. “One fundamental is to address the need to reduce tures, optics becomes more important,” he said. n

❯Microsoft and Cisco unveil alliance for better interoperability between their cloud UC products.

computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 12 INTERVIEW

Home News How McLaren finds Formula One racing Fujitsu should be next to face scrutiny over Post Office margins with data from IoT sensors Horizon system flaws

Cisco unveils plans for Jonathan Neale, chief operation officer at the McLaren racing team, talks toMarc Ambasna-Jones internet of the future about finding marginal advantages for the team’s cars by applying sensor data analytics

How McLaren finds Formula One racing margins with data lthough Spanish Formula One racing driver Carlos Sainz Jr from IoT sensors didn’t deliver the somewhat elusive drivers’ world cham- Jonathan Neale. McLaren: pionship to McLaren in 2019, there is cautious optimism Editor’s comment A “We get 10GB of data per in the McLaren camp for what the future holds. car, per race weekend” The last time its F1 team won the title was back in 2008 with Buyer’s guide to edge computing current World Champion Lewis Hamilton, but this year saw a marked improvement. In a sport where the top five cars operate How service models at around a 1.5% product performance differentiation, the mar- drive data collaboration in aerospace gins between winning and losing are slim. So it is no great surprise that technology is front and central to finding that edge.

Diversity spurs “Three years ago in Barcelona, Fernando Alonso crashed in test- creativity in software ing,” says Jonathan Neale, McLaren’s COO, speaking at the IoT development World Congress at Fira Barcelona in October. “Using the technol-

Downtime ogy and telemetry, we managed to reverse-engineer the incident through simulation and solve the issue.” For Neale, this is an example of how far the team has come and the role that sensors and simulation modelling can have in identifying and reducing technical error. Neale is an impressive MCLAREN.COM

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News advocate of new technologies and change. He comes across as “IoT for us is not a phrase we really use internally,” says Neale, a realistic, pragmatic thinker, something that came to the fore in adding that McLaren has been working towards an IoT-type sys- Fujitsu should be 2015 when he was grilled by the BBC following a disastrous race tem for some time. This system includes the electronic control next to face scrutiny over Post Office in Canada. unit (ECU), a “brain” that sits inside each car. Developed out of Horizon system flaws Neale is under no illusion about the ongoing challenges the necessity by its technology arm, McLaren Applied Technologies McLaren team faces to compete. Each team is essentially in three – a business that posted a £30m turnover for the first six months Cisco unveils plans for races – the one to get the best driving skills in the car, another one of last year – its primary purpose was to make F1 car design and internet of the future to get the best designers, and a third is in reinventing and building development more efficient. the car on a bi-weekly cycle to meet stringent (and often chang- How McLaren finds Formula One racing ing) regulations set down by official racing body, the FIA. margins with data To understand component performance and alert to possible “We now do everything from IoT sensors failure, each car is riddled with sensors – more than 300, accord- ing to Neale. Given the complexity of F1 cars – McLaren’s website virtually first, and then Editor’s comment says the car “has over 25,000 separate bits which are at risk of create a digital master” failing during a Grand Prix” – these sensors are key to ensuring Buyer’s guide to edge computing optimum performance and identifying problems as they occur. Jonathan Neale, McLaren “We get 10GB of data per car, per race weekend,” says Neale. How service models This is fed back in real time to analysts at the company’s Woking In 2001, when Neale first joined McLaren from BAE Systems, the drive data collaboration in aerospace HQ to validate – an essential process in decision-making, from design and build process was very wasteful, essentially because initial car design and set-up, to testing and tactics. the driver would tend to reject about 80% of everything that the

Diversity spurs engineers built into the car. Today, data-driven simulations enable creativity in software Blizzard of change drivers to test the car virtually before it is put together for testing. development Probably the most stressful period of the weekend is the Friday, “We now do everything virtually first,” says Neale, “and then

Downtime which Neale calls the “blizzard of change”, the day when the create a digital master.” For F1, this is now the norm, but in other team has to virtually design and build the car, test in simulation, areas of the business, it is new territory. source the 6,000 or so parts that go through the supply chain One of McLaren’s other businesses is high-end sports cars. every week, and then actually build the cars. The process would Applying the same F1 process makes sense, but Neale says you be impossible without sensors and the internet of things (IoT). can’t always do this, at least rigidly, when other factors, such

computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 14 Each McLaren car is fitted with more than 300 sensors, which are key to INTERVIEW ensuring optimum performance and identifying problems as they occur Home

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Fujitsu should be next to face scrutiny over Post Office Horizon system flaws

Cisco unveils plans for internet of the future

How McLaren finds Formula One racing margins with data from IoT sensors

MCLAREN.COM Editor’s comment

Buyer’s guide to edge computing as consumers, have to be considered. “The aim is not always McLaren is well placed to take advantage given its leading-edge to strive for technical excellence – we have to aim for technical developments in F1, he wants to avoid complacency. How service models engagement,” he says, after revealing that using the F1 model of Certainly, McLaren’s Applied Technologies arm is growing, drive data collaboration in aerospace data modelling and simulations left the car open to minor criti- using its knowledge of sensors, data collection and analytics to cism from motor journalists. drive innovation in other industries. As well as being the sole sup-

Diversity spurs “We had built a car that was so optimal, we had to make it worse plier of batteries for Formula E, a class of motorsport that uses creativity in software to make it a better experience for drivers,” he says. only electric cars, the business is also the main supplier of tem- development It was an interesting lesson to learn. The sports car business perature and pressure sensors in F1. It also supplies its ECU to

Downtime is currently the company’s biggest earner, but Neale knows that other F1 and Indy Car teams. could change – its high-end sports car division saw 45% sales “We are moving from engineering services,” says Neale, a nod growth in 2018 over 2017, boosted by a buoyant Chinese market. towards more digital innovation and development. “As well as But Neale is a realist and recognises that the industry is moving connected technologies in other sports such as football and rugby, quickly towards increased automation and connectivity. Although we are working in healthcare and the public transport sector.”

❯How data drives wins at Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 15 INTERVIEW

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News The company’s work in connected cars is a natural progression. “We have experience in using sensors on drivers, so we can Neale talks about McLaren using its experience with its command use the same process to detect stress, for example,” says Neale, Fujitsu should be and control unit and sensor integration to provide edge compute although McLaren’s involvement goes much deeper. F1 driver next to face scrutiny over Post Office for fast decision-making in connected cars. monitoring is crucial and technical, so the business is applying Horizon system flaws “We need 5G now,” says Neale, claiming that this is the miss- its learnings and processes based around four key pillars – move- ing connectivity piece that will enable increased capability at the ment, nutrition, psychology and recovery – to patients. Cisco unveils plans for edge. He sees this as an essential development leap, the sort It is working with pharmaceutical company GSK to personalise internet of the future of advance that will create an acceleration in innovation and care and medicine and has been instrumental in providing sen- increased efficiency in operations. sors and data analytics for a recent obesity and diabetes trial with How McLaren finds Formula One racing StowHealth and University Campus Suffolk. margins with data from IoT sensors “We have experience in using Enabling predictions This is a great example of how F1 innovation is already filtering Editor’s comment sensors on drivers, so we can use into other use cases and providing intelligence that was not pre- viously possible. Across industries, the technology is enabling Buyer’s guide to that process to detect stress” edge computing predictions, a situation that Neale says has led to change in how Jonathan Neale, McLaren the business is thinking. How service models “It is on-condition maintenance and no longer on-schedule drive data collaboration in aerospace Much as McLaren sees its vehicle dynamics simulator enabling maintenance,” he says, referring to the idea that the organisa- car makers and suppliers to develop vehicles more quickly and at tion can now focus on outcomes rather than the nuts and bolts

Diversity spurs reduced cost compared with traditional R&D methods, it sees its of making things happen. It’s an example of how worlds are col- creativity in software knowledge of edge compute and sensor control as fundamental liding. Modelling and mapping unstructured and structured data development to solving many pressing issues in healthcare and transport. and using machine learning to do the heavy lifting on the data are

Downtime It is working in connected rail, again using its F1 sensor, data pro- becoming common denominators across industries. cessing and predictive analysis experiences to improve train utili- McLaren is not the only team in this race, but it’s difficult to bet sation, reliability and efficiency. It is also applying similar thinking against its F1-driven R&D infrastructure. Successful businesses in the hard-pressed healthcare industry, which is hungry for tech- have been built on less, but you get a sense that McLaren is deter- nology solutions to increase services while reducing costs. mined to use tech to win both on and off the track. n

computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 16 Computer Weekly, 25 Christopher Street, London EC2A 2BS EDITOR’S COMMENT HOME General enquiries 020 7186 1400 Home Editor in chief: Bryan Glick 020 7186 1424 | [email protected] News Managing editor (technology): Cliff Saran 020 7186 1421 | [email protected] Government agenda: Here we go again FujitsuInvestigations should editor:be Bill Goodwin 020next 7186 to 1418 face | [email protected] over Post Office HorizonEMEA content system editor: flaws Karl Flinders here’s a new UK government, with a big majority, and it wants radical change. The prime minister says the government has “a 020 7186 1423 | [email protected] mission to modernise”. “The old arguments about government are outdated,” he says, adding: “We are modernising our schools, CiscoSenior unveils editor, UK: plans Caroline for Donnelly our hospitals, our economy. We are modernising our democratic framework.” There will be “a new drive to remove unnecessary 020internet 7186 1411 of the| [email protected] future T regulation”, he says. Within Whitehall, there will be “a new focus on delivery… bringing more people in from outside and bringing able, Security editor: Alex Scroxton 020 7186 1413 | [email protected] younger people up the ladder more quickly”. Also, “we will deliver public services to meet the needs of citizens… and develop an IT How McLaren finds FormulaNetworking One editor: racing Joe O’Halloran strategy for government that will establish cross-government co-ordination”. It’s what we all expect from the Conservative government 020margins 7186 1425 with | [email protected] data in 2020. Except all this came from Tony Blair’s Modernising government strategy in March 1999. Let’s bring things more up to date. from IoT sensors Management editor: Lis Evenstad “Revolution, not evolution” is the buzzword. Departments must look for cuts. 020 7186 1425 | [email protected] Government must “put the needs of citizens ahead of departments”. Recommendations Editor’s comment Storage editor: Antony Adshead go to Number 10 with “radical implications”. There will be a new central team in “abso- Is there really much we 07779 038528 | [email protected] lute control” of user experience across digital channels, with a new culture to “chal- Buyer’s guide to Business applications editor: Brian McKenna edge computing haven’t heard before? 020 7186 1414 | [email protected] lenge any policy and practice that undermines good service design”. The call goes out to recruit talented individuals to change the way government works. But that was Business editor: Clare McDonald 020How 7186 service 1426 | [email protected] models 2010, from Martha Lane Fox’s report for Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, which heralded the digital transformation drive. drive data collaboration in Reporter:aerospace Sebastian Klovig Skelton So, we are told there are “profound problems at the core of how the British state makes decisions”. Number 10 is looking for “great 020 7186 1432 | [email protected] software developers”. Government wants to “hire some very clever young people”. Also, “with huge changes in the digital world, there

DiversityProduction spurs editor: Claire Cormack is a chance and a need to do things very differently”. You may recognise these words from Dominic Cummings’ infamous “weirdos and 020creativity 7186 1461 in | [email protected] misfits”blog post. Is there really much we haven’t heard before? There are a lot of technologies we should make better use of. The gov- development Senior sub-editor: Bob Wells ernment is sclerotic and we need to make it easier to do things. Bring in talented young people to change the way the public sector works. 020 7186 1462 | [email protected] Downtime There is much to be cynical about in Cummings’ post, but no more than we were – and are – cynical about Blair’s ambitions, or Maude’s. Senior sub-editor: Jaime Lee Daniels 020 7186 1417 | [email protected] So, we start another 10-year cycle. Some of it sounds good and will work. Some of it sounds a bit bonkers, but is probably needed. And some of it won’t happen. But there’s not much that’s really new. It’s going to be quite a ride – yet again – for those of us watching it. n Senior sub-editor: Ryan Priest 020 7186 1420 | [email protected]

Vice-president of sales, EMEA: Jat Hayer Bryan Glick, editor in chief 07557 433681 | [email protected]

❯Read the latest Computer Weekly blogs. computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 17 BUYER’S GUIDE TO EDGE COMPUTING | PART 2 OF 3

dge computing has grown in recent years to become one Computing at the edge of the most important current trends in IT. It is increas- ingly viewed as a part of digital transformation, and Edge computing is currently one of the most important trends linked with other trends such as the internet of things in IT. Some claim it could replace cloud, but it is more likely E(IoT), analytics and cloud computing. But, as with those trends, to complement cloud by supporting workloads that are there is no precise definition – and often much hype – about what edge computing is. latency sensitive, require a lot of compute power, A simple definition of edge computing is that it involves some or involve such large data volumes that processing and decision-making taking place at the edge of the sending everything back to the cloud is network, rather than everything being centralised in the datacen- impractical. Dan Robinson reports tre or the cloud. This goes against the widely held notion that all IT functions will eventually be cloud-hosted, and some have even suggested that edge computing will replace the cloud. Instead, both cloud and edge computing will co-exist, since they address different requirements. According to analyst firm IDC, the two approaches are complementary and “interact in a smart and intelligent way”. In a report called The technology impacts of edge computing in Europe, the firm forecast that in 2020, more than 50% of cloud deployments by European organisations will include edge computing and that 20% of endpoint devices and systems will execute artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. One of the factors driving edge computing is the IoT, which is bringing a whole host of new connected devices to networks. These devices need to be managed, but more importantly many of them are designed to generate streams of data to be analysed for operational reasons or for insights that could lead to more effi- cient ways of working.

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News Some use cases of edge computing include industrial automa- cloud may not be a viable option, according to Seagate’s execu- tion, autonomous vehicles, smart homes, automated systems tive vice-president and head of operations, Jeff Nygaard. Fujitsu should be aboard oil and gas rigs, and 5G network infrastructure. “It’s not free to move data through a pipe from endpoint to next to face scrutiny over Post Office The latter is a good example, not only because 5G is expected edge to cloud; it costs money to send data through that pipe- Horizon system flaws to play a key role in many IoT deployments thanks to its ability line. The idea that you should really only be moving data if you to support a much greater number of connected devices per cell need to move the data – based on how you’ve architected, and Cisco unveils plans for base station, but because the sheer processing power required how you get value out of the data – is something you should internet of the future for operating 5G networks means be thinking about,” said Nygaard, that cell base stations are becoming speaking in a panel discussion on How McLaren finds Formula One racing more like miniature datacentres. “It’s not free to move edge computing. margins with data For reasons such as these, it from IoT sensors Data at the edge data through a pipe from makes sense in many situations to While centralising all processing analyse data as it is generated at the Editor’s comment in the cloud might seem the more endpoint to edge to cloud; it edge, and this has led to a require- efficient thing to do, that idea runs ment for more powerful hardware Buyer’s guide to costs money to send data edge computing into problems when it comes to capable of running analytics on all latency – the delay in transmitting through that pipeline” that data. This means edge systems How service models data across the network and in get- have expanded from relatively sim- drive data collaboration Jeff Nygaard, Seagate in aerospace ting a response back. ple edge gateway devices managing This means data often needs to be a bunch of sensors, to include full-

Diversity spurs processed and acted on at the point where it is being generated. blown servers and even micro-datacentres. creativity in software In a smart factory, for example, sensors monitoring machinery This fits with analyst firm Ovum’s view, outlined in its report development might detect a serious fault condition that requires an instant Defining the market for edge and edge cloud. Ovum sees a “near

Downtime remedial response. edge” based on traditional servers, storage or hyper-converged The volumes of data generated by some applications are also infrastructure (HCI) devices, with an “outer edge” made up growing rapidly. For example, some test autonomous vehicles of gateway devices, the latter either fully managed or immu- have been found to generate as much as 8-10TB (terabytes) table so that they are simply replaced if and when upgrades of data per day. In many cases, transmitting everything to the are required.

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News Micro-datacentres are enclosures containing one or more But it is also important to recognise that whether data is pro- datacentre racks, which can be filled up with servers, storage cessed at the edge or in the cloud will depend on the applica- Fujitsu should be and networking kit, plus power and cooling systems. In other tion, and the two are not mutually exclusive. Edge computing next to face scrutiny over Post Office words, they can house the kind of IT equipment that would allows for data to be filtered and processed before being sent Horizon system flaws normally be found in a rack in a normal datacentre, but can be to the cloud, for example, while the cloud may also serve as a installed in a factory or on an oil rig, or anywhere where a decent central site for collating data for further analysis from multiple Cisco unveils plans for amount of compute power is required. edge sites. internet of the future These are available from suppliers such as Schneider Electric and Rittal, but also from major IT suppliers such as HPE and Dell AI at the edge How McLaren finds Formula One racing EMC, which are naturally keen to sell such enclosures ready con- In addition to analytics, edge systems are increasingly going margins with data figured with their own servers, storage and networking. to be called on to carry out demanding tasks such as visual from IoT sensors

Editor’s comment

Buyer’s guide to edge computing

How service models drive data collaboration in aerospace

Diversity spurs creativity in software development SDECORET/ADOBE

Downtime Micro-datacentres house the kind of equipment that would normally be found in a rack in a normal datacentre, but can be installed anywhere that significant compute power is required

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News recognition, inspecting items on a factory production line for The EGX platform is described by Nvidia as bringing the power defects, for example. These tasks often rely on AI techniques of accelerated AI computing to the edge with an easy-to-deploy Fujitsu should be such as machine learning or deep learning models to deliver cloud-native software stack. EGX partners include HPE, Dell EMC, next to face scrutiny over Post Office results speedily, and this means hardware accelerators such as Fujitsu, Cisco and Supermicro. Horizon system flaws graphics processing units (GPUs) or field programmable gate New applications and services are also driving the development arrays (FPGAs) may be required. of edge computing. Demand for high-bandwidth streamed video, Cisco unveils plans for In fact, GPU maker Nvidia unveiled an edge platform last year for example, is leading service providers to cache content locally internet of the future that combines its GPU products with a software stack incorporat- at datacentres located closer to customers. ing Kubernetes, a container runtime and containerised AI frame- Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced in December 2019 How McLaren finds Formula One racing works, designed to run on standard server hardware. that it is planning to build a series of hyper-local datacentre hubs margins with data from IoT sensors

Editor’s comment Demand for high-bandwidth streamed video is leading

Buyer’s guide to service providers to edge computing cache content locally at datacentres located How service models closer to customers drive data collaboration in aerospace

Diversity spurs creativity in software development

Downtime ADIMAS/ADOBE

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News close to major cities for exactly this reason. These hubs, dubbed potential for a cyber attack. It also means access control and pro- “Local Zones” by AWS, are intended to attract businesses with tection of data at rest and in transit become even more important. Fujitsu should be latency-sensitive workloads and will be housed in small-scale Management issues may include the need to deliver secure next to face scrutiny over Post Office datacentres rather than the company’s large regional facilities. application updates to the edge hardware, plus the ability to Horizon system flaws remotely diagnose and fix any Challenges and rewards issues that may develop. Cisco unveils plans for Of course, there are potential issues There are potential issues According to Ovum, operational internet of the future with edge computing. Having management is more likely to be an numerous sites collecting and ana- with edge computing. Having extension of the existing operational How McLaren finds Formula One racing lysing data means more sites that numerous sites collecting and management market, rather than margins with data need to be configured and moni- specific products for edge comput- from IoT sensors tored, all of which adds complexity. analysing data means more ing. Likewise, it expects orchestra- And the distributed nature of edge tion at the edge to effectively form Editor’s comment computing means that technicians sites need to be configured and part of an expansion of the multi- are not always likely to be available cloud management market, which, Buyer’s guide to monitored, which adds complexity. edge computing onsite if and when a failure occurs. according to Ovum’s forecasts will Edge computing also has implica- And as more computing takes be worth $11bn by 2022. How service models tions for networks. As more com- Key takeaways on edge comput- drive data collaboration in aerospace puting happens at the edge, network place at the edge, network ing are that it is not going to replace bandwidth will have to adapt to this cloud, but in some instances can bandwidth will have to adapt Diversity spurs shift in emphasis. According to IDC, be thought of as bringing cloud creativity in software edge computing directly increases computing closer to where data development the importance of networks, especially delocalised networks. is being generated. It is intended to support new and emerg-

Downtime Edge computing will also require innovation in how networks are ing workloads that may be latency sensitive, require a lot of analysed, managed and orchestrated. compute power, or involve such large data volumes that send- Security is an obvious issue for all IT infrastructure, but with ing everything back to the cloud is impractical. All of this brings edge systems potentially running unattended in remote sites, new challenges, but also potential rewards for organisations physical security of the hardware is as much a concern as the that can get it right. n

computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 22 DATA COLLABORATION

t’s 100 years since British aviators John Alcock and Arthur How service models drive data Brown made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in a Vick- ers Vimy World War I aircraft. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines, the flight, collaboration in aerospace Ifrom St John’s Newfoundland to Clifden, County Galway in Ireland, took around 15 hours. For Rolls-Royce, it’s one of many Rolls-Royce has added collaborative data sharing to its fundamental impressive milestones in its history, and one that marked the business model shift to servitisation. Marc Ambasna-Jones reports beginnings of its aerospace original equipment manufacturer (OEM) business. Today, that OEM business is global, and working with some of the world’s largest airline brands. As with any industry that involves a complex supply chain and stringent regulation, manag- ing relationships and ensuring good governance is tricky.

Growing pressure The pressure on the industry is also growing, especially given the volumes of passengers – the International Air Transport Association (IATA) revealed passenger numbers could double to 8.2 billion in 2037 – and that means increased demands for reliability and efficiency. For Nick Ward, head of OEM digital solutions at Rolls-Royce, this has accelerated a vision. While the organisation reworked its business model in the early 2000s to be services-led, focused on outcomes rather than the selling of just engines (called Total Care), its pursuit of increased precision and reliability has led it towards industry collaboration. So, what does this mean? Essentially, it comes down to data sharing. If Rolls-Royce is going to improve on its engine AFENDIKOFF/ADOBE HOME

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News reliability and performance, it needs to be part of a larger col- It’s an interesting model made possible by considerable experi- laborative network that is willing to share data for mutual ben- ence in servitisation, which, says Ward, incentivises Rolls-Royce Fujitsu should be efit. Aerospace is an asset-intensive industry, so the complexity in exactly the same way an airline is incentivised – to “keep the next to face scrutiny over Post Office of engines understandably means that to get full visibility and aircraft flying”. This has led the company to develop what it terms Horizon system flaws feedback on engine performance, Rolls-Royce needs access to “the intelligent engine” – so what is it? as much data as possible. “It’s the next step,” says Ward. “The way we describe the intel- Cisco unveils plans for “Airlines provide us with data and they retain ownership,” says ligent engine is not so much that you have an engine flying around internet of the future Ward. “We have to find ways of collaborating with an airline to with a fantastic computer brain attached to it; it’s more that you make data exchange safe. Airlines take a physical engine and its ser- How McLaren finds Formula One racing don’t want to just give away data vices to make it available, and then margins with data without understanding how you are you add the digital element, the from IoT sensors e have to find ways of going to use it. They don’t want it “W ability to make it smart.” sold back to them. So, we find ways This means the ability to moni- Editor’s comment collaborating with an airline of collaborating.” tor, map and virtualise the engine to make data exchange safe through digital twins that let the Buyer’s guide to ” edge computing xchanging information company model and forecast costs, E Nick Ward, Rolls-Royce Ward, speaking to Computer provide predictive maintenance and How service models Weekly at IFS World 2019 in minimise risk for the business. drive data collaboration in aerospace Boston’s Hynes Convention Centre, says a partnership with When Rolls-Royce changed its business model in the early IFS to create “a seamless exchange of information” was key to 2000s, it transferred risk from its customers, the airlines, onto

Diversity spurs showing airlines it is doing something valuable with the data. itself, so using technology to help minimise this risk is a priority. creativity in software “We add value to it by creating digital twins, delivering more “You can measure different things, like engine technical dis- development available engines with less disruption, enabling fewer mainte- patch reliability, although the problem with that metric is that

Downtime nance interventions and so on,” he says. it’s so high already because engines are incredibly reliable “We then share our data on the airline’s fleet back to the airline, things, around 99%,” says Ward. creating a two-way exchange of information. Rolls-Royce pays for “It’s very hard to move the needle any more on that, but what the infrastructure of that sharing, through IFS and others, and offers you can measure is the amount of maintenance cost it takes to it for free to airlines, which of course they find very palatable.” deliver that level of availability.”

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News Ward adds that other things, such as disruption, can also be measured. “We have a system we call Project Zero,” he says. “This Fujitsu should be is a device at the heart of our servitisation journey. Disruption is next to face scrutiny over Post Office something that affects us, our bottom line and the airline’s bot- Horizon system flaws tom line, so from very early on, we keep a disruption index. “Any event that causes a delay, anything that is disruptive, we Cisco unveils plans for can score it and quantify how disruptive the event was and its internet of the future monetary impact,” says Ward. “Project Zero is a scheme to reduce impact and costs to zero. Things such as engine health monitor- How McLaren finds Formula One racing ing and so on. All of these services target all of those disruption margins with data drivers and we measure it very accurately.” from IoT sensors The forecasting is carried out on three main levels. Firstly, Rolls-Royce is looking at the life of the engine in real time. Then at Editor’s comment a fleet level, it is looking at everything that may affect a global fleet, in terms of maintenance, and then at a network level, it is fore- Buyer’s guide to edge computing casting capacity demand for its global maintenance operations. Having this level of insight into the business is enabling How service models Rolls-Royce to treat each engine as a unique individual. It is also drive data collaboration in aerospace enabling it to optimise its maintenance to the extent that it signifi- cantly reduces disruption and cost.

Diversity spurs creativity in software The blue data thread development According to Diogenis Papiomytis, global director at Frost &

Downtime Sullivan (who has authored a recent report, Navigating through operational turbulence), network disruption ($33bn), unplanned maintenance ($20bn) and fuel overspend ($11bn) were the major contributors to inefficiencies in 2018 that cost the indus- try $74bn globally. MARCBDESIGNER/ADOBE

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News The key, he suggests, to reducing inefficiencies is data, how- improvements, in Rolls-Royce internally and therefore in the ever he also suggests that there is a significant data gap between services we provide.” Fujitsu should be what is being generated by airlines and what is actually recorded It’s indicative of the business. As Mark Homer, senior next to face scrutiny over Post Office and analysed. vice-president of corporate development and head of global cus- Horizon system flaws Just 1.5% of the 1,325PB (petabytes) of data the industry gen- tomer transformation for ServiceMax, says: “I think it’s fair to say erated in 2018 was recorded. Rolls-Royce opened the door for the widespread servitisation of Cisco unveils plans for This is the scenario Ward is hoping to challenge with a pro- the airline industry, fundamentally changing the way airlines and internet of the future ject called Blue Data Thread, where the company’s 200-plus manufacturers operate with each other. airline customers share their data “It’s key to competitive advantage, How McLaren finds Formula One racing with Rolls-Royce to improve ser- especially in markets where product margins with data vices and engine reliability, and differentiation is blurring and cus- from IoT sensors ervitisation is a perfect fit Rolls-Royce will share its data “S tomer expectations for product and back, so the airlines can optimise service performance are expanding.” Editor’s comment for Rolls-Royce because it’s their fleet. all about the availability edefining manufacturing Buyer’s guide to R edge computing Automating data flow There’s a lot that can be learned Using IFS’s Maintenix platform, and the uptime of the asset” from the company’s approach to How service models Rolls-Royce is looking to automate Mark Homer, ServiceMax data. Homer agrees that serviti- drive data collaboration in aerospace data flow, to improve the accu- sation is at the heart of what it is racy, reliability and volume of data doing and, in many ways, the busi-

Diversity spurs from airline customers so it can maximise its own servitisa- ness is already redefining manufacturing. creativity in software tion plans. This in turn should improve efficiencies and signifi- “Servitisation is a perfect fit for Rolls-Royce because it’s all development cantly reduce disruption. about the availability and the uptime of the asset,” says Homer.

Downtime “This is a cashless transaction, not a revenue opportunity for “It’s about the through-life cost of the asset, not actually the cost Rolls-Royce,” says Ward, driving home the point that it is the col- of the equipment itself. laboration itself that holds the true value for the business. “It’s one of the great business examples of creative thinking “The data still belongs to the airline,” he says. “There’s a because it means Rolls-Royce has taken on the liability of the risk lot of sensitivity and you have to be clear this data is to drive in exchange for greater profit.”n

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t is not news that IT has a diversity problem. Just over half of Diversity spurs the 6.5 million Britons working in professional occupations are women, but among the 998,000 working in IT and tel- ecommunications, the ratio falls to just one in six, according creativity in Ito 2018 data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). And just one in eight of the UK’s 338,000 programmers and software development professionals are women. software There appears to be less of a problem with ethnic diversity. Recently published ONS data covering the 1.84 million profession- development als who work in science, engineering and technology found that 85.1% are white, compared with 87.6% across the UK’s workforce. Some minority ethnic groups are strongly represented, with 6.7% from an Indian background compared with 2.7% across the work- force, although those from black ethnic groups have just 1.5% of jobs in the sector, compared with 3.1% of the overall workforce.

Range of disciplines But there are other kinds of diversity that affect how people approach software development. “We focus a lot on gender, race Diversity of all kinds – and things like that,” says Rakhi Rajani, an associate partner at gender and ethnicity, but UK-based analytics consultancy QuantumBlack, but skills from also intellectual diversity outside technology also matter. “If we don’t bring that range of and neuro-diversity – can disciplines to the table from the get-go, we often end up looking boost creativity in software at and developing the wrong solutions,” she adds. As well as computer science, Rajani has a background in psy- development, writes SA Mathieson chology and design, which helps in understanding the ways in which people use software. This particularly applies in unusual work environments, such as healthcare, she says.

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News “Spending time in a hospital setting or a home to manipulate three to five elements in our short- setting means you can understand the context in ❯The UK IT sector is a difficult term memory justifies “progressive disclosure” Fujitsu should be which they make decisions, which is really impor- place to find a job unless you processes, with multiple screens that cover a few next to face scrutiny are a white, able-bodied male over Post Office tant for giving them the right tools,” adds Rajani. aged under 50, according elements while summarising what we have already Horizon system flaws Developing software that supports people’s work to BCS research. decided, rather than asking for lots of information can benefit from anthropological skills, she says. in one go. Differences in how younger and older Cisco unveils plans for “Ultimately, you’re looking for people who are people think, with the latter preferring patterns internet of the future inquisitive, who can listen and who can observe they have used before, can also be useful, she says. without necessarily intervening.” Aramu generally ignores people’s backgrounds when hiring. How McLaren finds Formula One racing But this doesn’t mean everyone in a software development team “What I look at in recruiting is the way people approach problems margins with data needs to be a people-watcher, and Rajani says she aims to build and what makes them happy,” she says, wanting people who like from IoT sensors teams with a diversity of disciplines. “It can sometimes be diffi- to create products that make users happy. “To do that, they have cult to bring all those folks together,” she says, because members to have an intense curiosity for human behaviour,” she says. Such Editor’s comment have to learn about the approaches that others are using. empathy has to coexist with a logical mind, however. Rajani says focusing on the problem to be solved is vital, adding: Aramu’s team of seven includes people with backgrounds in Buyer’s guide to edge computing “That’s the thing for me that diffuses the disciplinary tensions.” nursing, border control work and interior design, with the last Daniela Aramu uses her psychology degree in her work as head able to see how one thing can flow into the next, like moving from How service models of user experience for UK-based employee engagement soft- one room to another. She agrees that a diverse team can mean drive data collaboration in aerospace ware company Thomsons Online members have to put more time into Benefits, having held similar roles at explaining their concepts, but that Hibu and Vodafone. “User experi- has its own benefits. “People learn Diversity spurs “You re looking for people who creativity in software ence is all about people’s behaviour ’ and grow more,” she says. development and perception,” she says. “It was are inquisitive, who can listen Some external interests may Downtime just a perfect fit.” have particular value, and Katrina Aramu says psychological research and who can observe without Novakovic, a business architect shows that we associate proxim- necessarily intervening at US-based open source special- ity with similarity, which is useful ” ist Red Hat, noticed that many of when designing layouts. Our ability Rakhi Rajani, QuantumBlack her company’s programmers were

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News involved in music. “Musicians are generally logical and they fol- low reasoning – a skill that coders have to have,” she says. Fujitsu should be There are similar requirements in pattern recognition, planning next to face scrutiny over Post Office ahead and methods of creation, she adds. “When you’re writing Horizon system flaws algorithms or coding, you can do this in different ways to fit your individual style, which is like music.” Cisco unveils plans for The same can apply to artists more generally, with photogra- internet of the future phers using a blend of creativity and technology. One Red Hat interaction designer also works as a painter and gallery owner. How McLaren finds Formula One racing Novakovic sees particularly good fits withagile software develop- margins with data ment, which requires innovation and flexibility, and open source, from IoT sensors which requires collaboration. “It’s easier to teach someone how to code than how to be creative,” she says. Editor’s comment

nternational blend Buyer’s guide to I edge computing In multinational organisations, the international blend of people builds in some diversity, but getting the most out of everyone How service models can require work. Paolo Guglielmini, chief executive of US-based drive data collaboration in aerospace simulation specialist MSC Software, used to work at particle acceleration laboratory CERN, which has 23 member states and

Diversity spurs users from 110 countries. “Decision-making becomes interest- creativity in software ing,” says Guglielmini, given different national styles of doing development business, although working with an international group helps to

Downtime improve decision-making skills, he adds. MSC Software draws on this in the way it uses its software Coders exhibit similar development bases in China, India, Europe and the US, he says. skills to musicians, says Red “A lot of products I see being successful in one geography and not Hat’s Katrina Novakovic

another have been conceived by one group.” IRINA SERGEYEVA/ADOBE

computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 29 WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

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News To encourage joint working, MSC Software has some employees community edition. This resulted in a Muslim woman working for working hours that fit with those in other time zones and sends a bank in Mauritius trying the software and solving a problem, Fujitsu should be managers to work for periods in other development bases. “It’s a which led to her presenting the work to managers and developing next to face scrutiny over Post Office way of building virtual teams that is very hard to do otherwise,” her career, while UiPath gained the bank as a paying customer. Horizon system flaws says Guglielmini. Kerrigan says recent increases in bandwidth in several African South Africa has moved from apartheid to “rainbow nation” inte- countries are giving people access to new opportunities and edu- Cisco unveils plans for gration in less than three decades, and Lenore Kerrigan, the coun- cation online, which can help them and companies alike. internet of the future try’s sales manager for US-based Disability, like sex and race, is a automation software specialist protected characteristic under UK How McLaren finds ou ve got to have rocks in Formula One racing UiPath, says this has resulted in a “Y ’ law on which it is illegal for employ- margins with data lot of workplace diversity. “You’ve ers to discriminate. But people with from IoT sensors your head the size of Gibraltar got people with different mindsets, specific conditions can also help to different backgrounds and different improve software in ways that help Editor’s comment not to understand how a terms of reference,” she says. many others. “By considering the This helps in anticipating how dif- diverse population is going to needs of people living with various Buyer’s guide to edge computing ferent groups of people are likely help you solve diverse problems disabilities through user stories at to use products, but also means ” the start of each project, the end How service models employers have to work harder to Joe Drumgoole, MongoDB product is more likely to be acces- drive data collaboration in aerospace gather everyone’s contributions, sible to as many people as possible,” given differing cultural norms, says Kerrigan. says Suzie Miller, a solutions architect for Amazon Web Services

Diversity spurs Sales techniques and technology provide an answer, she says. (AWS) and chair of the company’s People with Disabilities group. creativity in software “Part of selling is understanding how the other person wants to For example, subtitles and audio descriptions were initially development communicate. It’s the same in your own team.” developed for people with hearing impairments, but now also

Downtime Kerrigan uses a wide range of communications channels, enable people to watch videos on smartphones. including face-to-face meetings, phone, messaging, Slack’s col- Miller says adding assistive technologies to existing products laboration platform and email, to talk to colleagues depending on can be expensive, so it makes sense to use “inclusive design” what they are comfortable with. She says the firm has connected in the initial development process. Amazon took this approach with a broad range of people in southern Africa by offering a free with text-to-speech service Polly and speech recognition product

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Fujitsu should be next to face scrutiny over Post Office Horizon system flaws

Cisco unveils plans for internet of the future

How McLaren finds Formula One racing margins with data from IoT sensors

Transcribe, she says. “Those products were designed to benefit accessible for those more challenged invariably yields benefits for Editor’s comment everybody by considering accessibility from the outset.” the population at large.” But although software developers with experience of disability On improving diversity more generally, Drumgoole says stand- Buyer’s guide to edge computing may be well placed to offer advice and guidance, Miller says they ardised interviews used by companies and recruitment agencies should not be defined by this. “You will struggle to retain employ- make recruitment fairer. “You don’t allow individual interviewers How service models ees if your one staff member with low vision becomes a de facto to go into their own unconscious biases,” he says, given people’s drive data collaboration in aerospace tester for screen reader functionality,” she says. “That isn’t why tendency to recruit others like themselves. you recruited them in the first place and it reduces their expertise Some employers say it is too difficult to find a wide range of can-

Diversity spurs to a narrow niche.” didates, to which Drumgoole says the answer is to work harder, creativity in software Joe Drumgoole, director of developer relations at US-based with MongoDB benefiting from having set up a large work experi- development database provider MongoDB, has dyscalculia, which means he ence programme that has attracted a diverse range of people.

Downtime cannot do mental arithmetic. He keeps a calculator handy, but is Drumgoole has no doubts that a broad range of experiences also particularly aware of how easy or hard it is to use software. and perspectives is valuable in software development. “You’ve “How do I reduce the cognitive burden on users of our software got to have rocks in your head the size of Gibraltar not to under- so it makes life easier?” he says. “It has definitely informed how I stand how a diverse population is going to help you solve diverse think about software development. Whatever you do to make life problems,” he says. n

computerweekly.com 14-20 January 2020 31 DOWNTIME

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Fujitsu should be next to face scrutiny over Post Office Horizon system flaws

Cisco unveils plans for internet of the future

How McLaren finds Formula One racing margins with data from IoT sensors

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Buyer’s guide to edge computing

How service models Reinventing the ball by human beings, but when you look at them now, you just wonder drive data collaboration in aerospace Samsung may have rattled through a number of new technologies why these supposedly super-intelligent aliens weren’t able to in its CES 2020 keynote, but Ballie quite simply stole the show. make them follow people around and tell them when to go for a

Diversity spurs The very next day, Downtime interviewed several etymologists run. Ballie can. creativity in software to try to get to the bottom of the rolling robot’s unusual name, and Say aliens really did make those stone balls. We’ll let them have development many speculated it could have derived from the fact that it’s a ball. it. But haven’t they been resting on their laurels ever since? Maybe

Downtime Our fascination with balls can be traced as far back as Costa they were smarter than us once, but we’ve come a long way in the Rica’s Diquís times (700-1530 AD), when over 300 stone balls past few years. Any alien at CES would have seen that. were sculpted and dotted around the houses of their chiefs. At this point, what is it that extraterrestrials are meant to be Brain-damaging History channel alien conspiracy show Ancient able to do that we can’t? It’s always said that they’re watching us, Aliens has deemed these spheres too perfect to have been created but we can only see one species sticking cameras on its balls. n

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