Home News 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 Home 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 Home 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. COMPUTERWEEKLY.COM 14-20 JANUARY 2020 4 ANALYSIS Home 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.