2011

10 tips to get your CRM training right

Two months ago, MyCustomer.com took a look at the most common calamities to befall organisations in their attempts to train their staff on CRM systems. With the help of a team of experts, we identified six pitfalls that can prohibit successful CRM training. And make no mistake, CRM training is absolutely critical.

With research from the National Computing Centre (NCC) reporting that as many as one in three companies think their CRM rollouts have delivered only limited benefits, organisations need to get their training right if they are to avoid underperformance from their CRM systems. For this reason, we’ve called our expert team back for advice that forms to a companion piece to our original article, and delivers top tips to ensure your CRM training is a roaring success.
(07 November 2011)

www.MyCustomer.com

Cloud, and social commerce podcast

Is cloud computing going to transform the way businesses run IT? We hear from a UK company that runs almost all its IT in the cloud, and speak to the author of a National Computing Centre/PA Consulting report on how businesses can best make use of the technology. Plus, Gartner's Steve Prentice on the fusion of e-commerce and social networking: social commerce.
(27 September 2011)

Financial Times Podcasts

Business tablet use to soar as remote access becomes the norm

The ability for staff to work remotely on tablets and smartphones is a top priority for businesses in the private and public sectors, according to research from the National Computing Centre (NCC).

The organisation's Benchmark of IT Spending and Strategy 2011 survey found that 72 per cent of companies expect to see an increase in the use of tablets in the next two years, while 70 per cent also expect to see smartphone use grow.
(23 September 2011)

V3.co.uk

IT spend continues to fall in UK as companies prepare for possibility of double-dip recession

IT spend in UK private and public sector organisations has fallen since last year, with average expenditure dropping 0.6% per user to £3,275, 2.48% of total spend, research has shown.

But while private sector companies expect IT spend to remain the same or increase marginally, 91% of central government and 81% of local government respondents expect significant decreases in their budgets, according to the survey from corporate membership body The National Computing Centre (NCC).
(14 September 2011)

Computer Weekly

A third of businesses report limited benefits of CRM

One in three companies admit their CRM rollouts have been only partially successful and have delivered only limited benefits, new research from the National Computing Centre commissioned by the Evaluation Centre has revealed. Alarmingly, almost one in ten organisations described their CRM implementations as unsuccessful with no major benefits delivered.

Meanwhile, only 5% of respondents think their CRM systems have successfully delivered all the expected benefits, and 30% feel that while some business benefits have been achieved, they have fallen short in a number of areas.
(07 September 2011)

MyCustomer.com

CRM failing business due to lack of focus

Customer relationship management (CRM) is failing to deliver business value, according to a study from the National Computer Centre (NCC). The study showed nearly a third of organisations (32%) view their CRM systems as being only partially successful and delivering only limited benefits, while 8% see them as unsuccessful with no major benefits.

According to the study, commissioned by the Evaluation Centre, 30% of organisations said that while some business benefits have been achieved, they have fallen short in a number of areas. The NCC said there is a lack of direction, even though the majority of respondents (72%) consider having an effective customer management strategy much more important than they did three years ago.
(06 September 2011)

ComputerWeekly

Data ownership becomes fuzzy in the cloud
Stand up for your rights

If Facebook has taught us nothing else, it is that people can be cavalier about protecting their data. The social networking giant has forced consumers to think differently about their data: have I just handed over the rights to the photos of my kids? Am I going to appear on my friends' pages endorsing fashion leggings thanks to a throwaway remark about “legging it” to catch a bus?

In the same way, cloud computing forces companies to re-evaluate what data ownership means. After all, when it comes to migrating critical company data to the cloud, no one in their right mind would sign a contract that gave away ownership of that data, would they?

In March 2011, the UK’s National Computing Centre published research highlighting data control issues as a serious obstacle to cloud adoption in the UK.
(13 July 2011)

The Register

First wave of SMEs recognised for security achievements

SMEs are willing and able to embed good practice in their organisations as long as they have access to guidance that is appropriate to their size, complexity and the resources they have available, security experts say. Research published in 2010 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) tended to confirm what many regard as conventional wisdom – that while large organisations are well served by standards such as the ISO series, SMEs struggle to find security standards that are geared to their needs.

“Very little guidance has been developed specifically for SMEs, despite the fact that they represent a major part of the UK information economy. The result is that there remains a low awareness of security requirements amongst SMEs, even in sectors that handle sensitive, personal information, such as the legal profession,” ICO concluded. Those trying to remedy this include the National Computing Centre, with the launch this year of its IASME scheme. Among the first wave of companies to sign up was Hylton Motor Group, one of the largest independently owned car companies in the Midlands. IT manager Ravin Gautam offered his thoughts about the motivations for doing so, and Hylton’s experience of the IASME process.
(01 July 2011)

Security Vibes

Business Intelligence isn't working

Would you increase your investment in enterprise software if the technology was falling short of your objectives? Sounds crazy doesn’t it - but that’s the case with business intelligence (BI) and data warehousing software, according to the National Computing Centre’s latest survey of IT decision-makers.
(15 June 2011)

Accountancy Age

Data warehouse and business intelligence projects fail to meet companies' requirements

Over half of businesses gave their business intelligence and data warehouse projects a rating of "average" when asked how well they met business objectives.

In the latest study from the National Computing Centre based on a survey of 100 organisations, the majority of respondents (53%) see the overall performance as no more than average. Only 6% feel all their objectives have been met "very well" and 13% "well". At the other end of the scale, 16% see the results as "poor" and 6% as "very poor".
(26 May 2011)

Computer Weekly

Small firms ‘likely to see greater advantages from cloud computing’

Cloud computing is likely to provide more advantages to smaller business broadband users than larger companies, it has been suggested. Michael Dean, head of marketing at the IT industry body the National Computing Centre, said that businesses have generally come around to realising the benefits that cloud computing brings. However, he believes that small businesses are likely to be able to make the transition more easily than their larger counterparts.
(12 April 2011)

XLN Business Community

Businesses adopting cloud computing for increased flexibility?

Flexibility is the main driver for businesses looking to make the switch to cloud computing. Michael Dean, head of marketing at the National Computing Centre, recently suggested some corporations are still unsure about making the transition.
(12 April 2011)

Experian QAS

SMBs well suited to step into cloud computing

While proponents of cloud computing - an alternative IT solution delivering storage, services and even software applications via internet connection - can benefit businesses of all sizes, it's small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that can see the quickest return on investment, according to experts. Larger businesses looking to head to the cloud often have been tasked with preparing sprawling and sometimes outdated IT systems for migration to the cloud while, according to the National Computing Centre, smaller businesses can more quickly divert their resources to the cloud.
(11 April 2011)

Rackspace Hosting News & Media Centre

UK businesses 'still pondering' cloud computing

Over half (57 per cent) of businesses in the UK are still undecided if cloud computing is suitable for their operations and if they do make the move, they are unsure how to implement the cloud. This is according to research by 2e2, leading Michael Dean, head of marketing at the National Computing Centre, to reassure firms not to be afraid of the cloud, but to still remain careful.
(8 April 2011)

Women in Technology

Note on RSA breach - some obvious dos and don'ts

So, what steps should RSA customers take? Perhaps the first should be to avoid doing anything stupid, suggests Danny Dresner, information assurance expert at the National Computing Centre. “There's a superb paper by Marcus Ranum – The Six Dumbest Ideas in Computer Security. One is that action is better than inaction. It's important to avoid jumping in and doing something just because there might be a problem,” he says. Any action an organisation takes should follow from an overall assessment of the risks it faces, and the security policies it already has in place, he says. Any ad-hoc or 'DIY' responses are strictly off-limits.
(24 March 2011)

Security Vibes

ISSA targets SMEs that think “security does not apply to me”

Like guidance being developed by the National Computing Centre, ISSA 5173 is designed to work for companies that struggle to see how full-blown standards like ISO 27001 could apply to them, but ISSA and NCC aren't in competition, Wright said. “NCC, we're a partner of theirs. But it's a very different approach that we take.
(16 March 2011)

Security Vibes

Analysis: Life after WikiLeaks

The WikiLeaks publication of confidential US dimplomatic cables is still causing ructions, but is it more embarrassing than dangerous? Derek Parkinson looks at the security lessons for the rest of us.

There is plenty of policy guidance available, says Danny Dresner, head of information assurance at the National Computing Centre. “ISO 27001 and BS 7799 are the obvious places to start. They are standards that address risk management and help an organisation to decide whether it's worth mitigating the risks it faces. They help you to build business impact tables that are relevant to the disclosure and the distribution of information – ie who gets to know,” Dresner says.
(24 February 2011)

SC Magazine UK

NCC wins support for new SME guidance

The National Computing Centre (NCC) has won the backing of the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) for new security guidance tailored for SMEs, which will be launched 11 April at the University of Worcester.

IASME (Information Assurance for SMEs) draws on the same principles as internationally recognised standards such as ISO 27001, but packages them for smaller companies with slimmer resources at their disposal. The guidance was developed by NCC and partners including the University of Worcester.
(09 February 2011)

SecurityVibes.com

Many businesses 'remain wary of cloud investments'

Michael Dean, head of marketing at the National Computer Centre, recently claimed that business leaders are taking their time before fully committing to cloud computing investments. 

He said that many decision makers recognise the benefits of internet-delivered IT solutions, but prefer to trial the technology before embarking on wholesale change of their technology infrastructure.
(21 January 2011)

Ashdown Group

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