The UK economy loses an estimated 6 billion to e-prime
Delegates from across Wales will meet for the annual e-crime Wales Summit to uncover the full extent of the threat of e-crime that faces Welsh businesses.
According to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), e-crime cost the UK economy an estimated 6 billion each year, with 4.9 per cent of UK businesses based in Wales.
In response to these findings e-Crime Wales has appointed a national e-crime sergeant and intends to appoint a further police professional in each of the four Welsh police force areas by September 2008.
Detective Chief Superintendent Chris Corcoran, Chair of the e-Crime Wales Steering Group, said that action is what's needed to combat e-crime.
"Businesses in Wales face global e-crime challenges, as e-crime threats become more aggressive, intelligent and complex. The best response is to equip Wales's business community with the understanding and support they need to remain safe.
"We are taking action, and continue to demonstrate leadership in how to combat e-Crime with a strategy that remains unique from both UK and international perspectives."
Hull University rolls out BridgeHead's software
As part of its data management strategy, the University of Hull is coping with its rapid data growth by introducing data archiving.
BridgeHead Software has been enlisted to assist the university to manage its stored data.
It's hoped that this move will help reduce the institution's carbon footprint as it will cut backup windows and reduce the environmental impact of its storage infrastructure.
Working with systems integrator NexStor, Hull University will roll out BridgeHead's BH FileStore software to automatically archive data from its network appliance fibre channel storage system onto secondary media, including SATA disk.
Desktop and Data Services Manager for the University's Computing Services department Dr David Jarvis said that data archiving was helping the university plan for the future. "We've seen a big increase in storage demand and want to plan for the future so that we're managing costs as well as cutting the energy and resources we're devoting to storage and backup as part of our commitment to the environment. "Many of our users were storing large amounts of important information on their own hard drives and other devices. Moving this to central storage - coupled with a general increase in demand - meant we had to plan ahead before our data management got out of control."
Customer services at Dyfed Powys Police gets overhaul
ICCM will supply Dyfed Powys Police with its e-Service Desk with the aim of establishing a service management solution within the constabulary's IT department.
It's hoped the deal will help improve the force's helpdesk services and deliver a broad range of customer care to its users.
The e-Service Desk will also enable Dyfed Powys Police to align with the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework, which is the UK government's best practice approach to IT service management.
Chris Dumpleton, IS&T Service Desk Supervisor for Dyfed Powys Police, said the move towards e-Service Desk was a logical one given the ITIL's guidelines.
"Our existing customer service and helpdesk system was unsuited to the new ITIL approach that the IT department is undertaking. The department's objective of achieving ITIL alignment presented the perfect opportunity to enhance the service desk.
"e-Service Desk ticks all the boxes and more, in terms of the superior functionality it offers. In fact, it appeared to be one of the most technically advanced products available on the market and was competitively priced."
£2.8 billion funding package for Manchester's transport system
Greater Manchester is to go ahead with its proposals for a local congestion charging scheme.
Transport secretary Ruth Kelly announced that the area will benefit from a 2.8 billion funding package that will deliver public transport improvements and tackle congestion.
The proposed congestion charge is designed around a "twin cordon" system which will operate at peak times only. Vehicles will be charged according to their crossing of cordons. The scheme will use tag and beacon technology supported by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR).
The package includes plans for up to 22 miles of extension to the Metrolink tram, transformed bus services across Manchester and 120 extra yellow school buses.
Kelly insisted that congestion plans were essential to Manchester's economy.
"This is about creating a world class transport system for a world class city."
"Manchester's economic renaissance is a major British success story. It is one of the fastest growing economies in the UK, but congestion has become an increasing brake on its future prosperity, with the potential to cost the city as many as one in seven of future jobs."
The £2.8bn package consists of 1.5bn from the Department for Transport, 1.2bn from local contributions, 0.1bn local third party contribution.
