The File

2003

Consolidation: the market steadies and the policy battles move to slower ground.

40 ARTICLES
2003

2003

10 DEC 2003Counting the casualties of 'outsourcing creep'Twenty-eight companies have outsourced more than 50,000 jobs serving UK customers to India over the past two years, with many more lining up to cut…BUSINESS
13 NOV 2003Making big brother pay: ID card opportunitiesThe UK ID card scheme will include basic personal information, a digital photo and a "biometric" which can include facial recognition, iris scans and…POLITICS
12 NOV 2003E-mail abuse increases at workE-mail and Internet misuse at work has become a big headache for British employers, and UK companies are increasingly disciplining staff for…IT
9 NOV 2003IT contractor demand rises at fastest rate since 1998This month's recruitment industry report from REC shows a leap in the rate of demand for IT contractors over October, with agencies crossing their…AGENCIES
6 NOV 2003IT managers 'are excluded in business'IT professionals are being denied senior level positions as their skills are seen as too niche by senior management to warrant boardroom status, new…BUSINESS
22 OCT 2003Open source of opportunityOpen source and its perceived threat to commercial off-the-shelf software is providing contractors who know where to look with a raft of…IT
7 OCT 2003Middle Eastern appeal for 'resting' contractorsPlying your trade all over the world is a key attraction of IT contracting and one pocket of the planet worth keeping an eye on is the Middle East.BUSINESS
16 SEP 2003IT demand strongest since 1998, says RECDemand for IT contractors was at its strongest since August 1998 last month, according to REC's most recent Report on Jobs.AGENCIES
11 SEP 2003Outsourcing crisis brewing, warns UK CEOOffshore development oversights made several years ago are now rising to the surface with potentially cataclysmic implications, one CEO warns.BUSINESS
3 SEP 2003Online giants go to war against ID thievesGlobal businesses struggling to find an answer to the growing problem of ID theft mounted a united offensive against online fraudsters this week.IT
31 AUG 2003Ireland's bid to rescue beaten ICT BritsIT entrepreneurs whose companies have been raised to the ground by IR35, investigated for being independent and roped up by red tape are being…BUSINESS
6 APR 2003Business execs call IT shotsBusiness chiefs are increasing their involvement in the IT decision-making process, confusing operations and crossing wires between departments…BUSINESS
18 MAR 2003Cambridge is UK's highest paying IT regionCambridge has overtaken London to become the highest paying region in the UK for IT professionals, according to some analysts.BUSINESS
14 MAR 2003IT students get corporate backingIn what may become a growing trend this year, students at the University of Sussex are to receive an annual salary for developing IT systems for…IT
13 MAR 2003World's largest IT gathering hopes to spark growthAbout six and a half thousand businesses from 69 countries gathered at the world's largest IT exhibition in Germany recently, hoping to reinvigorate…BUSINESS
12 MAR 2003Snooping plan updates are not enough, campaigners sayThe Government says snooping plans allowing public bodies unfettered access to citizens' confidential communications have been curbed under new…POLITICS
10 MAR 2003New speed record shows UK broadband upScientists at US and Dutch research laboratories have sent and received data equivalent to two DVD films to each other in under a minute, but…IT
8 MAR 2003Freelance IT demand holding steadyDemand for contract and permanent IT workers held steady in February, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's Report on Jobs says.BUSINESS
7 MAR 2003Ditched telco leaves freelancers empty-handedThe recent liquidation of British telecoms company, Concept Telecom, has left 29 IT freelancers out of contract and out of pocket, receivers have…BUSINESS
5 MAR 2003Another offshore outsourcing boom could harm IndiaIT outsourcing to India will grow by a quarter this year as Western companies seek to cut costs, but this could spell difficulties for the biggest…BUSINESS
4 MAR 2003Job market decline has ceased, says JobstatsJobstats, the IT market stats site, has reported the decline in the IT job market has reached a halt.BUSINESS
3 MAR 2003China could soon be second in world ITThe Chinese IT services market will grow 18 per cent this year on 2002, according to research group, Dataquest Gartner.BUSINESS
11 FEB 2003Senator overwhelmed by IT support for outsourcing banA New Jersey Senator backing a Bill to halt the export of US public sector jobs has received support from thousands of jobless IT professionals.POLITICS
11 FEB 2003e-commerce weathering downturnRecent payment card data shows European consumer confidence in the Internet has remained buoyant in the economic downturn.BUSINESS
6 FEB 2003Freelance IT climbs further ahead of other sectorsThis month's REC Report on Jobs shows the freelance IT sector has climbed to take second place out of eight sectors.BUSINESS
6 FEB 2003Doublespeak? Surveillance at twice WW2 levelsFigures released by privacy pressure group, Statewatch, claim Government surveillance of UK citizens' communications are double levels recorded…IT
29 JAN 2003What's happened to the freelancer premium?Why are freelancers being paid the same as employees when they offer complete working flexibility?BUSINESS
29 JAN 2003IT freelancing perils highlighted by womenThe regulatory difficulties associated with supplying IT services to clients as a freelancer were highlighted during a question and answer session at…IT
27 JAN 2003Europe must be friendlier to entrepreneursThe European Commission (EC) has told Member States they should do more to help entrepreneurs and reduce barriers to growth.BUSINESS
24 JAN 2003"Get your daggers out!" agencies toldAgencies were told to get their daggers out and take a slice out of rivals' businesses at a recent ATSCo members' meeting.AGENCIES
21 JAN 2003"The Koreans are coming!"South Korean IT industry representatives said they are set to attract hundreds of Western IT outsourcing contracts over 2003, at a recent conference…BUSINESS
20 JAN 2003Revenue denies selling taxpayers' infoThe Inland Revenue has denied reports its staff are abusing access to taxpayers' records.BUSINESS
14 JAN 2003The Low-down: Part 3 - Agencies' outlook for 2003In the final part of our series examining recruitment agencies' opinions of the current IT freelance market, UKTECH finds that war with Iraq, a…AGENCIES
13 JAN 2003Education gets IT boostThe Government is hoping to boost flagging figures of young people entering the IT sector by announcing a new package of ICT measures for schools and…IT
13 JAN 2003Revenue chief warns of "ruthless" crackdownInland Revenue Chairman, Nick Montagu, has announced a "ruthless" crackdown on 'artificial tax avoidance' schemes.BUSINESS
9 JAN 2003IT demand leapfrogs other sectorsDemand for freelance and permanent IT workers leapt ahead of rival industry sectors last month, according to the Recruitment and Employment…BUSINESS
9 JAN 2003The Agency Low-down: Part 2 - Rates and margins...In part two of our three-part series examining IT agencies' placement prospects in 2003, UKTECH investigates the state of rates and margins...AGENCIES
8 JAN 2003The Agency Low-down: Part 1 - Where the work is...UKTECH interviewed a number of UK-based IT agencies to find out where the work is, what the state of rates and margins are and when the recovery will…AGENCIES
3 JAN 20032002: Stories that shaped the yearA review of the main news from the freelancing sector in 2002, including IR35; Fast Track Visas; the market; and broadband...BUSINESS
2 JAN 2003UK surfers hogged web over ChristmasA new national obsession, the death of the board game or a poor Christmas television line-up?IT