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“Since the National Computing Centre was founded,
 it has served as a valuable guide to its members and
the IT community across the UK. A champion for
technology adoption and organisational change, the
NCC helps its members use and manage IT effectively.”
                                                        Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft

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New Strategic Briefings

New 'kid' on the block

This year, Microsoft will make a significant impact on the BI market. Its new offering, scheduled for release during 2010, will provide a wider array of functionality aimed at the company’s entire existing and prospective customer base. John Donoghue of Steria reports, in our Data Warehousing Centre.
more >>

Strength through unity

A much greater regulatory burden is being placed on organisations, yet budgets are continuing to be squeezed while the cost of compliance is rising. Robin Hollington of commissum shows how companies can get more for less by creating one ‘single source of truth’. See our Security Centre.
more >>

IBP: the growth drive

The evolution of sales and operations planning (S&OP) has continued since it was first developed in the early 80s, through integrated business management (IBM) in the 90s, to now the more complete integrated business planning (IBP) in 2010. Dave Manning of Oliver Wight reports, in our Supply Chain Centre.
more >>

News from Computer Weekly

DNA database records help solve less than 1% of crimes

Less than 1% of crimes are solved using the DNA records stored on the government's DNA database, a parliamentary... 
Published 09/03/2010 more >>

European SMEs neglect back-up and recovery, survey reveals

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of small to mid-sized businesses in Europe take a day or more to recover from system downtime, research has revealed. The... 
Published 09/03/2010 more >>

Office 2010 ready for business on 12 May

Office 2010, the latest version of Microsoft's office productivity suite, will ship to business users on 12 May. 
Published 09/03/2010 more >>

Split views on funding UK innovation

The UK government should support research into plastic semiconductors, regenerative medicine based on stem cells and low-carbon energy production as a way... 
Published 09/03/2010 more >>

Election 2010: Tories told what policy on IT should be

IT industry tells the Conservative Party what it would like the next government to do. 
Published 09/03/2010 more >>

Energizer battery charger contains Trojan virus, warns Cert

Software used in a battery charger contains a Trojan that gives hackers total access to PCs, the US Computer... 
Published 09/03/2010 more >>

Datacentre staff costs increase by 10%

Datacentre staff costs are expected to rise by 10% in large businesses, according to a study from analyst IDC. The IDC survey of 300 large European... 
Published 09/03/2010 more >>

US cybersecurity efforts hindered by poorly defined roles says GAO

US cybersecurity defences are being hampered by a lack of clear definitions of the roles of the government agencies involved, according to the Government... 
Published 09/03/2010 more >>

Gmail user sues Google over Buzz violating data privacy

A Gmail user is suing Google for allegedly violating data privacy laws when it launched its Buzz social networking service in February. Former US Navy... 
Published 09/03/2010 more >>

Global IT spend rises, but don't get excited

Global spending on IT will return to growth this year with small increases being implemented by some businesses, but major transformational projects will have to wait as there is no sign of a rebound to pre-recession levels. 
Published 09/03/2010 more >>
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What you are saying about us...

“The National Computing Centre has played a major part in promoting the effective use of IT in Britain by providing the training and encouraging the sharing of knowledge and best practice between the public and private sectors.”
Rt. Hon. Tony Blair

“My team of internal consultants have drawn upon the resources of the Evaluation Centre over the last few years. I would recommend Evaluation Centre to any project manager and operations manager involved in IT acquisition.”
Rod Davies, Chief Executive's Department, Croydon Council

“The RFI service the Evaluation Centre provided saved us time in searching for vendors. The vendors they identified gave clear and detailed information to enable us to establish our shortlist quicker than expected. We were able to have people in for demonstrations within a shorter timeframe than originally planned. So we have found this worthwhile and a good process.”
Interim HR Manager, global engineering and construction group

“The site was very useful and enabled us to speed up the initial selection process and establish a shortlist of suitable suppliers extremely quickly and efficiently. It was also easier for the Project Board to accept the initial shortlist as it had been extracted from the Evaluation Centre site.”
Alan Brooking, Operations Manager, SW Golf Ltd

“I found the site a great resource to research HR & payroll systems – I was able to contact suppliers, then establish a shortlist before making a final choice.”
Group HR Manager, global manpower solutions provider

“I find the newswires I receive from the Evaluation Centre a good source of valuable information.”
Peter Sweeney, Abbey International

“No project should be undertaken without the use of this Evaluation Centre advice. I would recommend using it without any reservation. I found it to be objective, independent and very informative. It’s a fabulous tool to have while you are going through this mission-critical project.”
Tembane Msipa, Systems Accountant, Blaby District Council

“I found the Evaluation Centre’s free RFI service very useful and I appreciate the assistance that the Evaluation Centre gave me. It was great to have an independent filter which saved us time and provided us with the information we needed to go through our processes. I would definitely use this service again.”
IT Manager, UK engineering company

“The RFI service provided by the Evaluation Centre enabled us to quickly and efficiently identify HR and payroll suppliers who could match our needs. The service helped fast-track our selection process and I will use it again.”
Matthew Davies, Head of IT & Commercial Supply Chain, Kinnerton Confectionery

“The RFI (Request for Information) service provided by the Evaluation Centre enabled me to quickly and efficiently identify suppliers who could match my needs. The approach was undertaken anonymously which prevented unsolicited calls and gave me the results within three weeks. This service is very impressive.”
Project Manager, major private bank

“I found the service very useful – it identified a number of potential vendors that had not come up in my own research.”
Project Manager, major private bank

“We used the Evaluation Centre to help identify an independent consulting partner who could provide an RFI for the outsourcing of SAP applications. The Evaluation Centre responded with a list of 23 prospective partners and contact details, and a partner was selected and engaged. I am happy to recommend the Evaluation Centre's services.”
IT Director, manufacturing sector

“I think it’s a fantastic site, I genuinely do. The articles and information on the site are great. I will be using it a lot more in the future.”
Business Analyst, major UK insurance firm

“The depth and quality of the information available on the Evaluation Centre website was invaluable to us when looking to source a mid-range ERP system for one of our UK divisions.”
Tim Langlois, Business Integration Manager, Cadbury Schweppes

“The Evaluation Centre acted as an independent voice which helped to clarify our thoughts on HR & payroll.”
IT Consultant, local authority

“It was extremely useful and it’s the best source of information that I have found.”
HR Advisor, Parliamentary Government Office

“I would certainly recommend the Evaluation Centre for users who want to make sure they are identifying not just the well-known organisations but spreading the net wider and finding potentially more appropriate companies.”
Tony O'Dell, Senior Contract Manager, Department of Education and Skills

“I found the Evaluation Centre very helpful to obtain a background on our selected vendors who we asked to tender for our contract.”
HR and e-HR Manager, Coventry City Council

“I think the Evaluation Centre is excellent. I used it as a first point of call for my selection process for a new ERP solution. I have now established four vendors which would have taken me longer to select without the help of the Evaluation Centre.”
Engineer, manufacturing company

“The usability of the site is good, the content is fantastic and it’s great because you can find it all under one roof.”
Business Analyst, George Wimpey UK

“Very useful and very informative. I really like the site and would definitely use it again. Reports are easy to read and are informative.”
Research Analyst, private sector firm

“Ease of use and accessibility to key strategic decision-making data.”
ISS Director, further education

“Very efficient and easy to use, well structured for end users.”
Company Accountant, utilities firm

“I was very impressed with the information available. The content was relevant and up-to-date. The site was also very well laid-out and easy to navigate so I shall certainly return again in the future.”
Rob Halleron, Enterprise Architect

“It is a very good resource, I am very impressed with the site. It is an invaluable tool for me as an ICT advisor, as I need to keep up-to-date as much as possible. I have no time to research every single supplier, so this does the work for me. I work across a wide range of areas, and was specifically looking this time in F&A. It is a fantastic site!”
Business Link Devon & Cornwall

“I think the site is excellent. I had no idea where to begin to look for the systems I was looking for. It enabled me to look at market leaders all in one place, saving me a lot of time in searching.”
Janet Kay, Business Analyst, major UK drinks producer

“I found the site useful and easy to navigate, it has a very clean front page.”
Richard Bevan, Operations Planning Manager, Christian Salvesen plc

“A smashing site that I have passed on to colleagues, it’s clean and I like the formatting. I found the site gives sound advice on their weekly topic and the list of IT suppliers is long. I particularly like the strategy and power of the site. If you are relatively new to the IT industry you can click onto ‘Strategy’ where it will tell you exactly what you need to do to find the right application for your organisation.”
Dave Perkins, IS&T Backbone Supply Chain Project Manager, The Boots Company

“The information and contacts provided through the Evaluation Centre proved useful in our search for new accounting software, by helping to identify the range of products available in the marketplace.”
Group Financial Controller, leading UK construction consultancy

“When we were looking for best of breed vendors to match our HR system requirements, we used the Evaluation Centre for background on companies, which enabled us to put together a shortlist of six, then to finally select the best fit for our needs.”
Stewart Ross, Scotmid Coop

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