Videogame industry 'tipped for 2010 growth'

The videogame industry is likely to expand in the next 12 months, an expert has claimed, which could be good news for those considering looking for games developer jobs.

Jamie Sefton, sector manager of Game Republic, said that innovations such as hands-free gaming will increase the number of people purchasing new consoles and titles.

'It removes another barrier of gaming and allows the industry to expand its audience massively,' he explained.

The expert added that hands-free gaming removes barriers between the player and the on-screen characters and the potential to converge games with other media is sparking excitement from people such as film director Stephen Spielberg and groups like the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Mr Sefton also noted that videogames are becoming increasingly mainstream, with players eagerly awaiting the release of highly-anticipated titles.

Recently, Sion Simon, minister for creative industries, announced that £2.5 million will be invested into Scotland's videogame sector, which may create new IT jobs in the country.

Govt 'needs to support next-gen broadband'

The government needs to do more to support those in IT jobs and back the roll-out of super-fast broadband across the UK, according to an expert.

Earlier this month, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ranked the UK in 21st place when looking at broadband speeds in 30 countries, placing it below European nations such as Portugal, Spain and Greece.

Commenting on the report, Edd Dawson, editor of broadband.co.uk, suggested that the lack of fast internet access in the UK is caused by insufficient support from the government.

'There is no joined-up thinking in this country when it comes to it, compared to others. It's not taken seriously by government,' he claimed.

Mr Dawson also said that none of the major political parties have included a commitment to rolling out super-fast broadband across the country, although he hopes this will improve next year.

The OECD report also said that Britain is 13th out of 30 countries in terms of broadband penetration levels.

Banking trojans 'to grow in 2010'

Trojans designed to steal banking information will become more sophisticated in 2010, it has been predicted

A report by McAfee Labs said that the malware has shown new tactics in the past 12 months and claimed this trend is likely to continue in the coming year, which could create challenges for those in IT security consultant jobs.

'New techniques include a trojan's ability to silently interrupt a legitimate transaction to make an unauthorised withdrawal and simultaneously check the user's transaction limits to stay below them and avoid alerting the bank,' the group explained.

The organisation also suggested that email attachments containing trojans - a common method of spreading the malware - will be used on an even greater scale in 2010 and increasingly be targeted at businesses.

Furthermore, the report predicted that international law enforcement agencies will have growing success in their fight against cybercrime.

Amanda Grady, principal analyst in the anti-spam division of Symantec, recently warned that hackers are using social-networking platforms to spread e-threats.

Hackers 'likely to use social networking sites'

IT security consultants are likely to face an increasing number of e-threats originating from social networking platforms, experts have predicted.

McAfee Labs' 2010 Threat Predictions report said that hackers will increase their efforts to launch malware attacks through social networking websites and third-party applications over the next year.

The organisation suggested that cybercriminals are hoping to spread malware such as trojans and botnets by exploiting the tendency of users to trust links which have come from their online friends.

In addition, the group claimed that the abbreviated URLs which are commonly used by platforms such as Twitter make it easier for malicious websites to be disguised.

Jeff Green, senior vice president of McAfee Labs, said: 'We're now facing emerging threats from the explosive growth of social networking sites, the exploitation of popular applications and more advanced techniques used by cybercriminals.'

Recently, the malware and spam survey by BitDefender claimed that hackers are basing malware on international news events to increase the number of computers infected.

Cloud computing 'to grow next year'

Businesses are likely to shift data from physical servers to cloud computing during 2010, which may create IT jobs.

Recently, technology publication CNET predicted that firms of all sizes will begin to use cloud computing in the next 12 months as the innovation becomes more mainstream.

Rob Lovell, chief executive at ThinkGrid, agreed with the forecast and claimed that companies are beginning to realise the benefits that the technology can provide them with.

The expert suggested that cloud computing could be especially attractive to smaller organisations as it allows them to avoid investing large sums of money in storage infrastructure development, maintenance and updating.

'SMBs will not only start to trust vendors more as they become more established, but will also be keen to benefit from the monthly payments for IT that the cloud enables,' he added.

A recent report by Analysys Mason suggested that cloud computing is proving popular during the recession due to its cost effectiveness.

Conficker 'one of 2009's biggest security events'

The Conficker worm was one of the biggest threats which faced IT security consultants over the past year, it has been claimed.

Reviewing the 2009's main security events, IT Pro pointed out that the worm, which is also known as Kido or Downadup, managed to infect around nine million computers in the first month of year.

'It managed to take down PCs at hospitals, the House of Commons and even the Ministry of Defence and everyone got really nervous when a counter in the worm suggested something big was to happen on April 1st,' the source explained.

Although those in IT jobs managed to implement sufficient measures to reduce the threat created by Conficker over the summer, it re-emerged in September when it took down the network of Oxford Brooks University.

The website also noted that Microsoft offered a $250,000 (£157,000) reward for information leading to the identification of the malware's creators.

Earlier this month, Kaspersky Lab claimed that hackers will increasingly use filesharing networks to spread malware and spam in 2010.

CIPD revises unemployment forecast

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has revised down its forecast for peak UK unemployment, which could prove to be good news for those thinking of changing IT jobs.

According to the organisation's 2010 forecast, British unemployment will peak at 2.8 million in the summer of 2010, a decline on the 3.2 million it predicted halfway through 2009.

Dr John Philpott, chief economic adviser to the CIPD, said that the forecast is based on the economy recovering in line with current market expectations but said that firms face a tough time in the coming years.

'The benign employment relations of the long noughties boom may have just about survived the worst ravages of the noughties recession but they face a severe test in the coming decade,' the expert continued.

He explained that the private sector will have to keep a tight hold on its wage costs, while public sector organisations will have to cope with decreasing budgets.

Recently, the Scottish Executive revealed that the nation's unemployment rate dropped to 6.9 per cent in the third quarter of the year, a decline of around 2,000 people.

Firms 'realising benefits of SOA and BPM'

More companies are making use of business process management (BPA) and service-oriented architecture (SOA), which could create IT job opportunities.

Joe McKendrick, an information technology specialist, said that the two strategies have traditionally been deployed separately but an increasing number of firms are realising the benefits of implementing them together.

'From an SOA perspective, there's recognition that its very purpose is to better facilitate business processes. From a BPM perspective, there's recognition that processes need to be supported in a service-oriented way,' he explained.

Mr McKendrick added that 2009 has seen companies cut back on their SOA investment because of the recession, but said many are starting to realise that using the approach can result in greater efficiency and streamlining.

Recent research from O2 found 65 per cent of small companies believe that investment in technology has boosted their performance during the recession, while two-thirds plan to maintain their IT expenditure at its current level in the next year.

More firms to invest in cloud computing models

There will be a rise in the number of companies investing in cloud computing solutions, an expert has claimed, which could lead to a rise to the number of IT jobs being made available.

Adam Bosnian, vice president of products, strategy and sales at Cyber-Ark, claims that this will be true of big and small organisations.

The main attraction for these companies is the economies of scale that this model can provide as it increases the efficiency of the use of resources invested in these facilities, he asserts.

While server-based systems tend to use only a fraction of their capacity for the cost of powering and cooling the machines, cloud resources are used more completely, he claims.

Mr Bosnian states: 'Only a small minority of server/disk resources [have] no data stored on them.'

Recent research by Logicalis found that cloud computing's popularity has been due to the flexibility it provides users with.

West Midlands creative firms 'look to graduate talent'

Firms in the West Midlands creative sector should be embracing the talents of graduates to boost their performance, it has been suggested.

Regional development agency Advantage West Midlands said many creative firms in the area are experiencing rising sales and are creating employment opportunities, despite the ongoing recession.

Pat Jackson, director of skills at the organisation, pointed out that the region has a growing number of people qualified for IT jobs such as computer software design and called on companies to recognise this.

'We should be embracing graduate talent across all sectors of the economy, to help drive up business performance and productivity in the West Midlands,' he commented.

Michelle Sommerville, managing director of local firm Marshmallow Creative, explained that her company has recently taken on a graduate and claimed it has led to 'great results'.

Recently, Birmingham-based creative agency Fluid was chosen to design the new UK website of music publishing firm Chrysalis.

Small firms 'plan 2010 IT investment'

Small businesses are committed to investing in IT despite the ongoing economic downturn, according to a new study.

Research carried out by O2 found 65 per cent of small companies believe that investment in technology has boosted their performance, with increases in communication and greater worker flexibility cited as the two biggest benefits.

The poll discovered that two-thirds of firms plan to maintain their IT expenditure at its current level in next year's budget, while 16 per cent will increase it.

Simon Devonshire, head of small business marketing at O2, said: 'Small businesses have been quick to recognise and capitalise on the benefits of technology in 2009.'

He added that while some IT investment plans have been postponed this year because of the recession, the top firms realise that technology will be necessary for post-recession success.

A recent poll by industry analyst Gartner showed 62 per cent of chief executives think that IT-enabled changes will be a critical part of their company's post-recession strategy, while just 13 per cent disagreed.

Mobile computing 'proved popular in 2009'

Devices which facilitate mobile computing are among the technologies which have become popular in the past year, according to an expert.

PC Advisor associate editor Rosemary Hattersley pointed out that mobile computing has become increasingly important over the last 12 months, leading to greater use of netbooks and smartphones.

She claimed that more workers are opting to use mini notebooks because they are competitively priced and an easy way to operate while on the move.

In addition, Ms Hattersley said: 'Smartphones such as the iPhone or the Google Nexus are where the biggest growth market is happening, certainly. Whether they will supersede the desktop PC, though, is quite unlikely.'

The expert also predicted that the Google Android mobile phone operating system could be one of the most popular technologies of 2010 and claimed that people are waiting to see if Apple can develop a tablet PC which is as good as its iPhone.

Recently, a survey by Airwide Solutions found that GPS-enabled navigation devices are regarded as the top innovation of the decade, followed by mobile broadband and the iPhone.

BT superfast broadband 'completed by Olympics'

BT will complete the roll-out of its superfast broadband network in time for the 2012 London Olympic Games, the firm's head has said.

The company's £1.5 billion fibre-optic network will cover 40 per cent of the UK population and was originally supposed to be finished by March 2013.

Ian Livingston, chief executive of BT, revealed that good progress is being made on the project and said the group now expects to complete it one year ahead of schedule

He commented: '2012 will be an important year for the UK given the Olympics and so I'm keen we provide ten million homes with access to fibre by the time the Games begin.'

Mr Livingston also said the UK government needs to increase its support for the roll-out of superfast broadband, noting that politicians have failed to decide how much of a priority the innovation is.

Earlier this week, BT revealed that it has delivered broadband to more than five million customers, becoming the first UK internet service provider to do so.

UK 'to adopt more virtual services'

The UK wil

l look to deliver more services in a virtual online environment in the coming years as the government looks to cut costs, it has been claimed.

In his pre-Budget report last week, chancellor Alistair Darling said that the government would save £360 million next year by running virtual court cases in which trials will be conducted entirely online.

Research carried out by remote working solutions provider PeoplePerHour.com showed that broadband technology has increased the effectiveness of virtual working practices and that these are expected to increase significantly over the next decade.

Founder of the group Xenios Thrasyvoulou commented: 'There's a huge economic incentive to 'go virtual' - both for the public and private sectors. It seems inevitable therefore that increasing numbers of services will be delivered online.'

Last week, Edd Dawson, editor of broadband.co.uk, commented that greater government incentives to roll out superfast broadband at a national level are needed to maximise the potential of the system.

iPhone app helps people into work

A new iPho

ne application is helping people find work in the downturn, it has been revealed.

According to Jennifer Colosimo, chief learning officer at leadership consultancy FranklinCovey, making use of new technology can help candidates to stay one step ahead in their job search.

She added that candidates who are able to get and keep jobs are those who can grow and develop.

'This includes using the latest technology tools and applications that allow them access to career-building information and resources,' added Ms Colosimo.

FranklinCovey co-founder Stephen Covey commented that the Great Career iPhone application is designed to help people discover their unique strengths and use these to find the jobs best suited to them.

Earlier this week, Vodafone revealed that the company will start selling the iPhone in the UK from January 14th.

The group has been preparing its network for over a year to handle the introduction of the device.

New year 'creates opportunities for IT jobs'

The next year could present opportunities for recovery in the IT and telecommunications industries, it has been suggested.

Industry analyst IDC said that the rise of ultra-fast broadband, businesses moving to online services and increasing use of mobile devices will lead to improvements in the sectors, which could be good news for those seeking IT jobs.

The organisation pointed out that the past year has seen firms place an emphasis on survival through the recession and controlling their costs, but 2010 will give them the chance to cautiously increase their investment in IT.

Ullrich Loeffler, an IT expert with the group, commented: 'Online services known as cloud, the new capability offered by mobile broadband and advanced customer-care solutions will fuel new activity and present a number of transformational tipping points.'

Recent research by IT industry analyst Gartner revealed that 62 per cent of chief executives think IT-enabled changes will be a critical part of their firm's post-recession strategy.

In addition, 43 per cent of companies plan to increase their investment in IT over the coming months.

Codemasters expands customer support division

Warwickshire-based videogames developer Codemasters has expanded its customer support division and created IT jobs.

The firm has created more than 30 positions at its Southam headquarters, with the move designed to ensure that computer gamers are receiving the best quality service.

Among the jobs created are game masters and senior game masters, with experienced personnel hired from across Europe.

David Solari, vice president and general manager of Codemasters Online, said he is 'very pleased' to announce the expansion of the firm's customer services team.

'Bringing the online game support in-house has been something we have been working on for some time and we are all very excited at this landmark event,' he added.

Last year, Codemasters reached an agreement to take over Birmingham-based games development house Swordfish Studios.

Games developed at the studio when it was owned by Activision Vivendi include 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand and Brian Lara International Cricket 2005.

Windows 7 'must be kept up-to-date to protect companies'

Companies must ensure they keep Windows 7's security provision up-to-date in order to ensure they are safe from the threat presented by viruses, an expert has suggested.

Tom Royal, deputy editor at Computeractive, claimed that this is an essential step as a lot of people will be looking for any potential weaknesses with the platform to exploit.

He said that any flaws which are located will very quickly form the basis of attacks, emphasising the importance of companies updating the software regularly.

'Security flaws in other programs on a computer - Office programs, for example - can also be exploited, so it's best to keep all software as up to date as possible,' he added.

Mr Royal said there are a number of tools on the market that can be used to minimise the threat this presents companies.

Microsoft recently reported that the publicised 'black screen of death' behaviours which have emerged with the operating system are related to malware from families such as Daonol.

Blippy 'unlikely to be significant for the social media industry'

Those in IT jobs will probably not need to take new social networking website Blippy into account, an expert has predicted.

Tim Houghton, director of New Media Intelligence, claims that this site will need to prove it can build up user acceptance before it will attract enough of a following to be relevant.

He says that the company behind the site, which enables consumers to share details of recent credit card buys, is trying to monetise on this concept before it has built up enough followers to allow this to work.

'It sounds a bit like a tail wagging on a dog,' he states.

Mr Houghton asserts that, despite this, there will be a growth in the number of new social media sites emerging that those looking at IT jobs will need to keep an eye on.

In other news, recent figures published by the National Literacy Trust found that social networking tools could help children to develop confidence and a more positive attitude towards writing.

Scottish unemployment falls

New figures show that there has been a fall in Scottish unemployment figures, which may be good news for those considering IT jobs in the country.

The Scottish Executive revealed that the nation's unemployment rate dropped to 6.9 per cent in the third quarter of the year, a decline of around 2,000 people.

In contrast, overall UK unemployment grew by 21,000 people and accounted for 7.9 per cent of the working-age population over the same period.

Scotland's employment rate grew by 0.5 percentage points to 74.2 per cent, representing an additional 15,000 people finding new jobs.

Enterprise minister Jim Mather said: 'The first fall in unemployment in Scotland since July 2008 is significant good news, and a further welcome indication of fragile recovery.'

He also claimed that Scotland's employment rates and economic activity has been better than the rest of the UK for the past 30 months.

Yesterday (December 16th), figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that overall UK employment stands at 72.5 per cent, or 28.93 million people.

Filesharing networks 'will be used to spread malware'

Kaspersky Lab has predicted which e-threats IT security consultants will have to be aware of in 2010.

In its cybercrime predictions for the coming year, the organisation said that hackers are likely to spread malware and spam through filesharing networks and reduce their focus on traditional means such as websites and applications.

Alex Gostev, director of Kaspersky Lab's global research and analysis team, added: 'Malware will become much more sophisticated in 2010 and many antivirus programs will be slow to treat infected computers due to advanced file infection methods and rootkit technologies.'

In addition, the group predicted that IT security consultants will face more problems from botnets, as cybercriminals attempt to make a profit by using them to send spam, distribute malware and perform denial-of-service attacks.

However, the researcher also claimed that fake antivirus programmes will become less common in 2010, as IT security firms make more of an effort to defeat the applications.

IT industry analyst IDC recently predicted that more organisations will invest in virtual security appliances in the next year.

Business performance 'boosted by IT'

There are many ways IT can drive a company's performance in the post-recession business climate, which could bolster IT jobs.

Jim Elkin, a consultant at Analysys Mason, said that generating new sales leads, data storage and communications are obvious areas where firms can benefit from embracing IT.

He also claimed that companies should begin to consider which IT jobs need to be performed in the coming year.

'IT departments should assess their current storage, archiving and retrieval systems in preparation for any sudden uplifts in storage,' the expert recommended.

Mr Elkin suggested that companies should examine how to make their IT infrastructure more environmentally-friendly, as the focus after the recession will be on how to make business green.

He also advised firms to find ways to extend the life of their existing desktop applications and infrastructures, because this will allow them to save money to reinvest in essential areas such as IT networks and core storage provision.

Recent research from industry analyst Gartner found that 62 per cent of chief executives believe that IT will be an important element of their post-recession strategy.

PC market grows for the first time this year

Worldwide PC shipments have grown for the first time in three consecutive quarters, rising by 2.3 per cent.

Consumer portables such as laptops and netbooks have been a major part of this growth, increasing 33.5 per cent during the last 12 months, IDC has found.

Jay Chou, research analyst at the company's worldwide quarterly PC tracker, claims that the industry is aggressively working to capitalise on holiday demand.

He asserts: 'The technology changes and efforts to stand out in an increasingly commoditised market will lead to further product and customer segmentation and add to the advantage of market leaders in covering the breadth of [technologies].'

New technologies such as touch-screens and ultra-thin designs are being positioned and leveraged as part of efforts to take advantage of the market recovery.

In related news, IT Jobs Watch recently reported that earnings for IT architect jobs have risen by 42.3 per cent to £92,500.

IT 'vital element of post-recession plans'

The majority of bosses recognise that IT will be an important part of their success in the eventual economic upswing.

Research conducted by industry analyst Gartner found that 62 per cent of chief executives believe that IT-enabled changes will be a critical part of their organisation's post-recession strategy, while just 13 per cent did not.

The poll also showed that 43 per cent of businesses intend to increase their investment in IT over the coming months and 45 per cent will maintain it at its current level, with only 13 per cent planning to decrease budgets.

In addition, the survey revealed that business leaders are already focusing their companies' plans on revenue growth rather than controlling their costs.

Mark Raskino, research vice president and Gartner fellow, commented: 'These preliminary results will help [chief information officers] and their teams with the planning and budgeting work they are doing in the next few months.'

Recent research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and KPMG found that most senior executives view London as a good place to do business, which could create new IT jobs in the capital.

Cloud computing 'sees increasing demand'

The demand for IT workers able to work on cloud computing projects continues to grow, one specialist has pointed out.

Writing on InfoWorld's cloud computing blog, IT expert David Linthicum pointed out that there is usually eight to 12 months of 'hype' around a new concept, such as service-oriented architecture, before demand for jobs starts to increase.

'This is often due to companies not understanding the value of the new technology, as well as to the lag in allocating budget and creating job reqs,' he explained.

However, Mr Linthicum said that cloud computing seems to be a 'different beast', as there are already significant levels of job growth while the technology is still in its early stages.

The expert also claimed that there are ample opportunities for IT professionals with the necessary skills, as there is currently a shortage of people with the architecture, implementation, development, testing and security knowledge for cloud computing projects.

According to IT Jobs Watch, there has been a 29.41 per cent change in the salary of the average worker on a cloud computing project in the past 12 months.

Earnings rise for IT architect jobs

New figures show that workers in both permanent and contract IT architect jobs can expect to earn more.

According to IT Jobs Watch, there has been a 42.3 per cent increase in the average salary earned by permanent functional architects, taking it to £92,500.

The next biggest rise was experienced by messaging architects, who saw average salaries jump 40 per cent to £70,000, and those working in .NET solutions, whose earnings increased by 37.56 per cent to £65,000.

In addition, senior Java technical architects can expect to earn 36.9 per cent more than last year, with salaries for senior database architect jobs increasing by 36.36 per cent.

For contract IT jobs, the ranking showed that TIBCO architects' average daily rates have risen the most - by 61.53 per cent to hit £525.

SQL server architects now attract a rate of £560 a day, a 44.51 per cent increase, while daily rates for functional architects have jumped by 36.58 per cent on average to £700.

French event 'may not have helped West Midlands'

The West Midlands' regional development agency does not know if a £300,000 project attracted any inward investment to the area, it has been reported.

According to the Birmingham Post, Advantage West Midlands (AWM) spent the money promoting the region at the MIPIM property event in Cannes last year.

However, officials admitted to the West Midlands Regional Committee at they cannot guarantee that the project resulted in bringing any foreign investors to the West Midlands.

AWM chief executive Mick Laverty said: 'It's very difficult to track exactly what’s happened as a result of thousands and thousands of conversations.'

However, he also told the committee that part of the organisation's role is to showcase the strengths of the West Midlands at events across the globe, the newspaper reported.

Sir Roy McNulty, AWM chairman, added the West Midlands is home to 'enormously capable universities' but needs to raise its innovation levels from being the lowest of the UK.

Earlier this week, the regional development agency unveiled the new £8 million Early Advantage fund to invest in local small firms, which could boost the number of jobs in the region.

Creative to design new Chrysalis site

A creative agency Fluid has been chosen to design and deliver the new UK website of music publishing firm Chrysalis.

The Birmingham-based agency will give the Chrysalis website a complete overhaul to improve functionality, boost connectivity to social media platforms and provide slicker graphics.

James Glover, creative director at Fluid, pointed out that the company has been working with the music industry for more than 14 years.

'Chrysalis are a forward-thinking fiercely independent company and we’re genuinely excited to be involved with this project,' he added.

Designer Jonny Costello also told the Birmingham Post that the company was attracted to the website design job because it aims to create a portal which is 'modern, clean and information-led'.

He also revealed that it will be based on the blog design concept and allow users to quickly find information on musicians, albums and tours.

Earlier this year, Creative was appointed by advertising giant Team Saatchi to wok on the visuals for the British Paralympics team's promotional campaign, which sees athletes represented as superheroes.

Gordon Brown vows to support Birmingham Cadbury jobs

Prime minister Gordon Brown has vowed to protect UK jobs in the event of a foreign takeover of confectionary manufacturer Cadbury.

Speaking to Radio WM's Lunch With Ed Doolan programme, Mr Brown pledged to oppose any bidders which intend to asset strip the firm and take jobs out of Birmingham.

'Cadbury is a great brand name, it has great products, it has a great workforce, and we want to keep the workforce in business,' he explained.

The prime minister also referenced an early pledge of support from Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, saying that he agreed that buyers should not be able to asset strip Cadbury and can expect a great deal of opposition if they attempt to do so.

Mr Brown added that Cadbury employs a 'great workforce' and said he aims to do everything he can to keep it in the UK.

An event today organised by the Unite union saw Cadbury workers from the UK and Dublin protest to stop the hostile takeover of the firm by Kraft.

Hardcopy peripheral market 'to grow by 2.8% next year'

The hardcopy peripheral market is set to grow in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as the recovery begins to take effect in 2010, an organisation has predicted.

An IDC report suggests that total shipment value will increase by 2.8 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) until 2013, with MFP products and monochrome laser printers experiencing significantly higher CAGRs.

Leigh Worthing, a senior analyst at the company, claims that it is crucial to balance economic optimism with caution as recovery in the EMEA region could still be fragile.

Phil Sergeant, research manager for print markets in Western Europe at the analyst, claims that purchasing behaviours will have been transformed by the downturn.

'[Changes] may include where and how end users decide to purchase [hardcopy peripheral] products and services,' he explains.

Gartner recently predicted that the semiconductor capital equipment market will grow during the next 12 months by 45.3 per cent.

Better security 'necessary for companies'

Companies are not introducing adequate security measures and risk breaches due to this, an expert has claimed, highlighting the need for new IT security jobs.

Calum Macleod, regional director of Tufin Technologies, claims that there is often no adequate control over companies' security credentials.

As security keys are often emailed across offices, this increases the risk that an attacker can get access to other elements of the business if this communication is intercepted, he says.

He warns that many companies are unaware how many security certificates they have and whether these are up-to-date, making it difficult for risks to be managed.

Mr Macleod says: 'In many cases, organisations handle their keys with as much care as a parent who gives every child a door key and never checks to see if they haven't given it to their best friend!'

Imperva recently claimed that key security trends for the next decade will include a growing industrialisation of hacking.

Superfast broadband 'can boost UK businesses'

The roll out of universal superfast broadband will have a major effect on businesses throughout the country, an expert has predicted.

Edd Dawson, editor of broadband.co.uk, claims that a joined-up strategy is necessary in order for people to 'reap the rewards' of this system.

He says that there is a strong level of demand from both businesses and individuals in rural areas for superfast broadband and indicates that the lack of infrastructure is the key barrier to universal deployment.

Mr Dawson states: 'For every pound you invest in your broadband infrastructure, you reduce the need to spend in other areas. It's a way of giving an alternative investment in your country's infrastructure.'

The key element he says is missing is a government push to roll out these solutions at a national level and to elevate the discussion from short-term commercial benefits.

In terms of broadband speed, figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development place the UK 21st out of 30.

Semiconductor capital equipment market growing

The global semiconductor capital equipment market is growing at an increasingly speedy rate, a study has revealed.

Research by Gartner has found that spending on these components is due to increase by 45.3 per cent during the next 12 months.

Dean Freeman, research vice president at the analyst, claims that the sector is currently experiencing a surge in sales.

He says: 'Growth will be driven by technology upgrades for the first half of the year. The quarterly growth may see a slight lull … before capacity additions … ramp up the equipment industry into 2011.'

Spending on worldwide packaging and assembly equipment is due to fall by 40.5 per cent this year but increase by 12.3 percentage points more than this in the following 12 months.

Earlier this month, the organisation reported that the worldwide external controller-based disk storage market has contracted by 7.3 per cent in July, August and September.

IT jobs could see boost as security threats due to increase

Scammers and internet criminals are likely to step up their efforts in the new year, which could lead companies to employ more IT security experts.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at software vendor Sophos, predicts that there will be a rise in the number of victims of botnets.

While he says that Windows PC users have been the main targets of these individuals to date, he states that more efforts are being made to hijack computers running on Linux, as well as iPhones.

Mr Cluley asserts that companies looking to protect themselves from online threats should invest in security software, with up-to-date anti-virus software and security patches.

He warns that computers are increasingly becoming the battleground between different groups of hijackers looking to take over compromised computers.

Cisco recently released research showing that scammers are increasingly using fake anti-virus websites in order to install malware on business computers by tricking users who believe they are downloading legitimate security software.

Open-source software 'becoming more popular'

There has been a rise in the number of companies relying on open-source software, especially in areas where a high level of technical knowledge is assumed.

Shane Wright, IT director at eDigitalResearch, claims that the server market is an example of where the open-source model is rivalling other forms of software.

He says that many see this as more secure for companies, as they can ensure that an application is complete, correct and has no back doors or vulnerabilities.

'To have confidence in both open-source and closed-source tools one should look to those in widespread use across the world with a good track record, security-wise,' he asserts.

Mr Wright says that one of the main drivers for open-source software's popularity has been cost, although there are a number of factors such as compatibility which also have an important influence on these decisions.

According to open source development site Sourceforge, there have been 230,000 projects registered on the site.

RDA framework 'could create new IT jobs'

A new framework designed to help regional development agencies (RDAs) to stimulate growth around the UK could lead to the creation of more IT jobs.

The Partnerships for Growth scheme will extend the work of these organisations to pursuing national goals for skills, innovation, enterprise and investment.

As part of this remit, RDAs try to increase employment throughout the regions and to coordinate support that is hoped will enable future growth to be unlocked.

Mick Laverty, chief executive at Advantage West Midlands, claims that the new framework gives these groups a key part to play in encouraging sustainable growth.

He says: 'We are business-led and business-liked organisations which have a good track record of translating national policy into on-the-ground delivery in the regions.'

The government recently announced that it will be investing £2.5 million in the Scottish videogame industry.

Minister for creative industries Sion Simon recently claimed that support from the government will enable the sector to fly the flag for UK innovation.

Gartner: Business intelligence software 'increasingly open source'

A leading analyst has highlighted the growth in open-source business intelligence applications.

Gartner's report suggests that these have been deployed as a mainstream option in many companies, irrespective of their budgets.

Andreas Bitterer, research vice president at the organisation, claims that there has been an interesting pattern of adoption in the last few years.

He says that take-up was very low prior to 2004 and was rarely considered as a viable option, but that this has changed.

'This submarket has developed nicely, having developed consistent growth rates over the last few years,' he states.

Mr Bitterer highlights the fact that this trend has been noticed by a number of commercial vendors, who have tried to come up with countermeasures to address the advantages of these competitors.

In other news, IDC figures show the world storage software market has grown by 1.2 per cent during the last three months, although it is down 7.9 per cent year-on-year.

London firms' optimism 'could create new IT jobs'

New research shows that businesses in the capital are at their most optimistic for a year and a half.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and KPMG have found that 86 per cent of senior executives see London as a good place to do business.

Fewer firms have reported that their value is falling, while 47 per cent of companies say they are optimistic about their future prospects.

Richard Reid, London chairman of KPMG, says that it is encouraging to see this trend but highlights the importance of keeping the UK's recent financial difficulties in mind.

He says: 'The capital is facing challenges on many fronts - not just from the tough economic conditions but from new emerging financial centres and there is real concern of a regulatory backlash.'

Earlier this month, million+ chief executive Pam Tamlow claimed that more university places being made available would help people find IT jobs more easily.

Firms 'must protect themselves from social media risks'

Companies that use social media must ensure that they are sufficiently protected against the risks presented by unscrupulous users, an expert has warned.

Amanda Grady, principle analyst at Symantec's anti-spam division, has warned that many web users receive emails pretending to be from a trusted source that are used to steal security details, highlighting the importance of having an adequate IT security division.

She says that the crucial thing is for companies to tell staff about the risks of responding to an email.

Hovering over a link can reveal the destination, which could be a good way of determining whether a communication is genuine.

Ms Grady says: 'It's always good to verify the website independently, so instead of clicking on the link in your email go to your browser and instead type in the link to the website you want to visit.'

Cisco recently reported that scammers are increasingly tricking users to download software by setting up fake anti-virus websites.

IT jobs: Online retail 'growing in popularity'

Online retail is becoming increasingly popular and the way that this process is changing is extremely important for companies, an expert suggests, which could lead firms to hire more IT staff.

Chris Russell, director of eDigitalResearch, claims that the growth in smart phone popularity is proving pivotal and could signal a shift in consumer behaviour.

He says that there is also room for companies to develop apps that enable users to price check and access reviews on various products in the real world and to allow them to scan barcodes.

'In a perverse way, this may bring business back to the high street, as consumers will not necessarily have to research online before they go out,' he asserts.

Mr Russell says that the most popular technologies are the ones that empower users to get the most from their shopping.

Recent research from the Interactive Media in Retail Group suggests that the number of sales over the internet this December will be up 14 per cent year-on-year.

IT jobs: Digital services crucial to the banking sector

Companies in the banking sector are increasingly rolling out IT projects and digital services as a way of responding to consumer demand, a new report suggests.

Research by IDC Financial Insight claims that low-value, transaction-based services will be standardised and commoditised, with digital services' analytic and reporting capabilities being used to achieve these goals.

Among the benefits for the companies rolling out these projects, there will be a high return-on-investment, as it will improve efficiency, save costs and strengthen security.

Jeanna Capachin, research vice president at the organisation, highlights the importance of digital services in areas where investment and staff are rare.

She says: 'Businesses have increased the number of banking relationships and have moved deposits away from those institutions that were perceived as weak … investing in digital services is one way to increase satisfaction and retention.'

Earlier this month, Business Link advisor James Cope claimed that customer relationship management software's popularity is growing, which could create new opportunities for IT staff.

Govt 'to invest £2.5m in Scottish videogame industry'

The government has announced that it will be investing £2.5 million into Scotland's videogame industry, which could create new IT jobs in the country.

It will be provided by the Strategic Investment Fund and will go towards efforts to protect the UK's role in this growing sector.

The money aims to create 30 new companies and stimulate the creation of at least 400 new jobs throughout the UK.

In addition, it is hoped that the investment will develop the skills of an additional 300 workers.

Sion Simon, minister for creative industries, claims that the money will help to support the steps that will enable the UK to take full advantage of the industry's future.

He says: 'With continued support from government, we help secure the future of the video games industry so it can continue to fly the flag for UK's world-leading skills in design, technology and innovation.'

Dame Wendy Hall, professor of computer science at the University of Southampton, recently claimed that the government's Digital Britain report is not ambitious enough.

World storage software market grows 1.2%

The world storage software market has grown 1.2 per cent in the last three months, although it is still 7.9 per cent smaller than during the same quarter in 2008.

New figures published by IDC suggest that the market was barely able to maintain a positive sequential growth rate during July, August and September and that only a few vendors experienced a sales expansion.

Michael Margossian, research analyst for storage software at the firm, claims that two out of three top sellers in the data protection and recovery market experienced positive growth, which could interest those in IT jobs in these sectors.

He states: 'Symantec is still the market leader, with 31.1 per cent market share, and IBM and EMC having 14.1 per cent and 12.8 per cent market share respectively.'

Earlier this month, IDC reported that there are signs of a turnaround in the enterprise storage systems market, which could interest those looking at IT jobs.

External controller-based disk storage market contracts 7.3%

The worldwide external controller-based disk storage market contracted by 7.3 per cent in the three months leading up to September when compared to the same period in 2008, new figures reveal.

Research published by Gartner has placed the value of the sector at $3.9 billion (£2.36 billion).

Donna Taylor, principal research analyst for the company's global Storage Quarterly Statistics programme, claims that this suggests that the downturn is 'loosening its grip' on the disk array storage market.

She highlights the rate of decline in the first half of the year and says that the rate of contraction has been slowing.

'This is good news for storage vendors because it's the first sign of a light at the end of the tunnel,' Ms Taylor states.

Last month, the organisation claimed that the worldwide server market was beginning to exhibit signs of stability, despite falls in the number of shipments being made.

Gartner research vice president Jeffrey Hewitt emphasised the importance of putting these declines into perspective.

CRM popularity 'could lead to new IT jobs'

Customer relationship management (CRM) software is a crucial application and one businesses should invest in, an expert has advised, which could see new jobs open up in this sector.

James Cope, an advisor at Business Link, has emphasised its benefits, suggesting that applications of this type can tailor messages to the client and maximise the chances of a response.

He says that the software allows sales staff to write from templates but to target this message to the details about a customer that the company holds on its systems.

Mr Cope states that IT staff can be used by firms to customise open source CRM applications to their firm.

'There's a size for every company and it can do all sort of things. I would say it would be vital to have one,' he adds.

Recent research by the Chartered Institute of Marketing has found that one in five marketers believes CRM software provides the highest return on investment.

IT jobs: Digital Britain report 'not ambitious enough'

The goals set out by the Digital Britain report are not ambitious enough for the UK, an expert has claimed, which could interest those looking for IT jobs.

Dame Wendy Hall, professor of computer science at the University of Southampton, said that a universal minimum rate of two megabits per second throughout the country is not fast enough.

She stated that this level of bandwidth is not sufficient to access high-definition television and that the UK needs a far faster series of connections, which could impact on those in IT jobs.

'The fact that we're bankrupt and can't afford to put optical fibre anywhere doesn't mean we shouldn't be doing it,' she asserted.

Dame Wendy calls for the government to rollout optical fibre throughout the UK, which could create new opportunities for those working in IT jobs to reach users.

Her comments were made at the Digital Media - Addressing the Innovations and Challenges and Digital Britain - London Technology Network conference.

IT staff 'most likely to work over Xmas'

IT workers are the most likely to find themselves in work over the Christmas period, new research shows.

A study by MyVoucherCodes.co.uk found 53 per cent of those in the industry expect to be either in the office or available on the big day, People Management reports.

IT staff ranked higher than emergency services personnel, journalists and petrol station attendants for their likelihood of being at work on Christmas Day.

Mark Pearson, founder of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, highlights the crucial role that these employees play in keeping businesses online.

'The majority of companies couldn't operate without the maintenance provided by in-house and agency IT workers,' he says.

Mr Pearson adds that many firms need to keep these workers on call throughout the festive season to ensure their systems are kept operational.

Earlier this week, Impellam chief executive Julia Robertson claimed that staff who are feeling underappreciated in their current roles are more likely to turn to IT recruitment companies.

More university places 'would make it easier to find IT jobs'

The number of university placements should be increased, as this will mean more people will be able to find work, an expert has advised.

Pam Tatlow, chief executive of university thinktank million+, claims that unemployment will continue to rise unless the government takes action such as increasing the number of available places.

She says that people were turned away due to a lack of funding earlier this year but that the demand is there.

'This would be a proper investment to make and would certainly ease rising levels of unemployment, including for younger people,' she asserts.

Ms Tatlow claims that this could be one of the best investments that that country can make.

Recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that the unemployment rate for 18-to-24 year olds rose to 18 per cent in the third quarter of the year, up 0.7 percentage points on the preceding three months.

Training 'could improve chances of obtaining new IT jobs'

Skills development is crucial for those looking for IT jobs, as it can help them become more employable, an expert asserts.

Will Cookson, head of skills at Working Links, claims that acquisition of skills is crucial when it comes to topping up existing abilities in preparation for a change of employer.

He states: '[It] is important, not only for personal development, but will also help the UK recover from the recession in a better position.'

Mr Cookson adds that the level of education that prospective employees have to meet in order to be considered for a job is increasing, which could highlight the advantages of taking additional post-employment training.

He says: 'The personal acquisition of skills is a fundamental enabler for individuals to gain, sustain and progress in employment.'

Recent research by the Office for National Statistics reveals that the number of jobs available in the labour market is now decreasing at its slowest rate.

Training 'could improve chances of obtaining new IT jobs'

Skills development is crucial for those looking for IT jobs, as it can help them become more employable, an expert asserts.

Will Cookson, head of skills at Working Links, claims that acquisition of skills is crucial when it comes to topping up existing abilities in preparation for a change of employer.

He states: '[It] is important, not only for personal development, but will also help the UK recover from the recession in a better position.'

Mr Cookson adds that the level of education that prospective employees have to meet in order to be considered for a job is increasing, which could highlight the advantages of taking additional post-employment training.

He says: 'The personal acquisition of skills is a fundamental enabler for individuals to gain, sustain and progress in employment.'

Recent research by the Office for National Statistics reveals that the number of jobs available in the labour market is now decreasing at its slowest rate.