The most recent Comment from Incisive Media

Accounting: Off balance – the future of off-balance sheet transactions

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:33:00 GMT

Peter Williams, Financial Director, Friday 3 July 2009 at 11:33:00

Few would argue that off-balance sheet finance needs fresh oversight. Perhaps the banks' views are out of kilter.

For a few years it seemed possible that off-balance sheet accounting had finally been vanquished. That view now seems naive....

Focus resources on what really matters

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:15:00 GMT

Martin Butler, Computing, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 00:15:00

IT has become too caught up in the drive for efficiency, at the expense of business success

A firm’s success is generally not because of its efficiency. This may sound like blasphemy, but it is true. What makes a firm successful is customer preference for its products...

Digital Britain? In your dreams

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:15:00 GMT

Dave Bailey, Computing, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 00:15:00

Gordon Brown wants the UK to become digital capital of the world, but his government seems to be trying its best to make sure it can never be

Ever wondered why you dream? There’s no shortage of theories out there, from Sigmund Freud’s view that dreams are disguised fulfilments of repressed wishes, to one that views dreams as...

View from the board: just say no... but nicely

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:25:00 GMT

Mark Freebairn, Accountancy Age, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 18:25:00

‘I don’t like finance - they just say no all the time.’

'Finance come in and act like the Monday morning quarterback. It’s easy to say what went wrong after the event it’s getting help beforehand that we need’....

Worrying noises in the engine of the economy

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:24:00 GMT

Accountancy Age, Accountancy Age, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 18:24:00

The number is almost too big to fully comprehend

Almost two million companies in the UK have poor credit ratings labelled high risk or above normal risk, their low scores come about largely because they do not makemanagement...

This week's blogs: too cool for school

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:23:00 GMT

Our bloggers, Accountancy Age, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 18:23:00

The end of exam season and the plight of LDV are the talk of the blogosphere this week

I hope my colleagues don’t mind if I keep humming ‘School’s Out For Summer’ by Alice Cooper. Yes, at long last, I’ve passed my final case study....

On the money with Gavin Hinks

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:21:00 GMT

Gavin Hinks, Accountancy Age, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 18:21:00

A few months ago I wrote in this column about the toll the credit crunch was taking on accountants – or mainly finance directors at the time

They were carrying the can for the damaging effects of the crunch and having to resign in droves. We have a new phase on our hands at the moments –...

Tax increase: shot in the foot

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:19:00 GMT

Anthony Harrington, Accountancy Age, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 18:19:00

Tax increases on the pensions of the rich will backfire

When Alistair Darling announced in the Budget that he would be depriving those earning £150,000 or more of certain tax advantages associated with pension contributions he said, by way of...

VIP Computers takes on Sanyo TVs, cameras and projectors

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:38:00 GMT

Fleur Doidge, CRN, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 16:38:00

Wide range of peripherals made available to Cheshire region

Components and peripherals distributor VIP Computer Centre has signed up Sanyo for its LCD TVs, digital cameras and projectors. Phil Brown, Sanyo product manager at VIP, said projectors were a...

Analysing energy efficiency of green products and services

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:51:00 GMT

Melvyn Wray, CRN, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 15:51:00

Melvyn Wray discusses how to separate environmental facts from greenwash

Products may often be installed with a working life expectancy of three to five years, so many network administrators must guess which functions will serve them best in the long...

Rally the troops for war on cyber crime

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:45:00 GMT

Computing, Computing, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 06:45:00

The government's new cyber security strategy faces plenty of challenges

“Divide and conquer” is a battle plan that probably goes back further than the Romans, and it is one on which e-criminals and cyber saboteurs have been all too happy...

The digital divide must be tackled early in life

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:30:00 GMT

Valerie Thompson, Computing, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 01:30:00

The digital divide must be tackled early in lifeIt is essential that all schoolchildren have the opportunity to learn IT skills, says Valerie Thompson

When the e-Learning Foundation started in 2001, its mission to ensure every schoolchild in this country has their own computer and broadband access at home, regardless of the income of...

Hot Seat: Roger Bearpark

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:15:00 GMT

Computing, Computing, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 01:15:00

Roger Bearpark is assistant head of ICT for the London Borough of Hillingdon, where he oversees innovation and green IT

What was your first job and how did you get into IT? After leaving school, I saw an advert for a trainee hardware engineer that included a company car, which...

Channel can deliver with mobile messaging technologies

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:53:00 GMT

Simon Paton, CRN, Wednesday 1 July 2009 at 14:53:00

VARs should consider the opportunities around remote working via mobile devices such as phones or laptops, says Simon Paton

Any time, anywhere technology has obvious benefits, enabling home and remote working and making staff constantly available. But its use needs to be controlled....

When Intel wakes up, Snapdragon will have a two-year lead

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:34:00 GMT

Guy Kewney, Personal Computer World, Wednesday 1 July 2009 at 11:34:00

The netbook world is going to get a surprise. Qualcomm’s speedy system-on-a-chip looks like it will blow away its Intel rivals

Intel, my sources tell me, may be frightened of Arm PCs running Linux. I saw several of these at the Mobile World Congress, and they were impressive....

SaaS meets demand in businesses of all sizes

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:40:00 GMT

Stephen Read, CRN, Monday 29 June 2009 at 15:40:00

Stephen Read argues for software-as-a-service's ability to deliver excellent channel opportunities

Much has been said about the potential of software-as-a-service (SaaS). And amid all the hype there are some compelling reasons why the channel should be taking a look....

Being a woman in IT - a blessing or a curse?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:05:00 GMT

Maggie Berry, V3.co.uk, Monday 29 June 2009 at 11:05:00

Women in IT face a variety of challenges, but the rewards can be great, says Maggie Berry

There are always stories and reports telling us that there are not enough women working in technology. The UK's technology trade association, Intellect, reports that, although women comprise almost half...

The financial fightback

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:47:00 GMT

Sara Yirrell , CRN, Monday 29 June 2009 at 10:47:00

Don’t get too excited, but two separate pieces of research last week both pointed to signs that the channel and wider economy is holding its own.

Analyst house Plimsoll examined 1,000 top UK resellers and concluded that two out of five (38 per cent) VARs are in a ‘strong’ position financially after counterattacking the recession....

Escaping the clean tech lock down

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:15:00 GMT

James Murray, BusinessGreen, Thursday 25 June 2009 at 00:15:00

BT's Dinah McLeod argues that using green stimulus packages as a cover for protectionist measures threatens to give the entire clean tech industry a bad name

In the build up to the G20 conference at the start of April, fear was spreading that, as the economic downturn hit home, countries would retreat into protectionism and inward...

Moving forward: note to self - use notes

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:34:00 GMT

Jack Downton, Accountancy Age, Thursday 25 June 2009 at 18:34:00

Tony Blair uses them, as does Madonna from time to time

Stephen Fry doesn’t seem to be a fan, but President Obama can’t be without them. So what are they? Private jets? Bodyguards? No, speaking notes, of course! Many in the...

This week's blogs: the price of loyalty

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:33:00 GMT

Our bloggers, Accountancy Age, Thursday 25 June 2009 at 16:33:00

Our bloggers discuss the abuse of the loyalty card system and contradictions in the standards debate

I’ve finally paid off a really weird overdraft... This could be the ultimate ‘green shoots’ story. As we all try to get out of debt, I can now tell you...

The standard setters need to listen to SMEs

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:26:00 GMT

Accountancy Age, Accountancy Age, Thursday 25 June 2009 at 16:26:00

In the current climate there is a fine line between survival and failure for SMEs. The strain is enormous

Regulators should therefore beware of any extra burden placed upon them. One body grappling with the issue is the International Accounting Standards Board, which is about to launch a set...

Corporate governance: a cutting-edge code

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:22:00 GMT

Anthony Carey, Accountancy Age, Thursday 25 June 2009 at 16:22:00

It is vital to keep governance at the leading edge

Amidst the many calls for tougher regulation, some recalibration of the balance between regulation and corporate governance is inevitable, especially in the banking sector....

On the money with Gavin Hinks

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:08:00 GMT

Gavin Hinks, Accountancy Age, Thursday 25 June 2009 at 16:08:00

Recessions throw up unanticipated consequences

Not so long ago it emerged that many insolvency partners were not actually capitalising on the boom in business recovery because they were locked into pre-boom profit deals....

The most recent Comment from Incisive Media

Accounting: Off balance – the future of off-balance sheet transactions

Focus resources on what really matters

Digital Britain? In your dreams

View from the board: just say no... but nicely

Worrying noises in the engine of the economy

This week's blogs: too cool for school

On the money with Gavin Hinks

Tax increase: shot in the foot

VIP Computers takes on Sanyo TVs, cameras and projectors

Analysing energy efficiency of green products and services

Rally the troops for war on cyber crime

The digital divide must be tackled early in life

Hot Seat: Roger Bearpark

Channel can deliver with mobile messaging technologies

When Intel wakes up, Snapdragon will have a two-year lead

Top tips on print sales and solutions

SaaS meets demand in businesses of all sizes

Being a woman in IT - a blessing or a curse?

The financial fightback

Escaping the clean tech lock down

Moving forward: note to self - use notes

This week's blogs: the price of loyalty

The standard setters need to listen to SMEs

Corporate governance: a cutting-edge code

On the money with Gavin Hinks