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IT SECURITY

Our experts answer the seven big questions that SMEs are asking about the rising threats to IT security

Ocean of opportunity

How engineering start-up Viper Subsea is enjoying phenomenal growth thanks to relentless R&D – and a foothold in booming Brazil

OPINION: ONE NATION? HOW ABOUT TECH NATION?

Combining grassroots innovation with the ambitious plans of multinationals can make the UK a leading player on the global digital stage

DIRECTOR OF THE MONTH

Omnifone's Jeff Hughes on running a fast-growing tech firm

OPINION: WE NEED A CHIEF TECH OFFICER IN WHITEHALL

Lack of engineering experience at the heart of government hampers UK business, argues Andy Hopper

DIRECTOR OF THE MONTH

LivingSocial's Peter Briffett on the rise of the daily deals industry

FACEBOOK

Ten steps to make it pay for your business.

3D PRINTING

What it is, how it works and why it can revolutionise manufacturing

SLICKER, SMARTER, SMOOTHER

We identify the latest business travel trends that make your trip more productive and enjoyable

BYOD

The bring-your-own device phenomenon is here to stay —we tell you how to manage it, how to reap the benefits and highlight the problems to watch out for

SOMEBODY'S WATCHING YOU

Fascial scanners, talking vending machines and virtual stores — retailers are launching a High Street revolution

Reaching cloud nine

It's no secret that switching your IT to the cloud can save you money. But a crowded marketplace and industry jargon are making it ever more difficult for businesses to choose the right provider, say our experts

UK SPACE ECONOMY HAS LIFT-OFF

With innovative technology and specialist knowhow, Britain can be the new star of a booming sector – but it needs the right government support

CONNECTING THE COUNTRYSIDE

Rural enterprises are fighting back against the squeeze on consumer spending and the slow pace of broadband progress

SOCIAL MEDIA AND WINNING NEW BUSINESS

The dos and don'ts of converting status updates into successful sales

TECH RESOLUTIONS FOR 2012

From cloud computing to social networking, why this year promises opportunities to maximise the advantage of developing technology

CYBER CRIME

Sophisticated e-criminals are out to steal everything from sensitive corporate data to credit card details

THE IN CROWD

Crowdsourcing is transforming business but it's still not yet mainstream. We talk to three experts about the benefits of collaborative working and how it could give your company the competitive edge

Gain the upper hand from good design

Creativity is already being used to boost parts of the economy but we can and should do more, says the Design Council's Sir Martin Temple

Take a tablet

Archos squares up to Apple with its new generation of tablet PCs

Five of the best tablet PCs

The iPad and its imitators can be superb business computers. But which models matter most in 2011 and beyond?

How to join the app revolution

For as little as £12,000 small companies can create a no-frills app to communicate with customers and boost brand loyalty. As the smartphone market grows rapidly, how do you win a slice of the action?

George Coelho

George Coelho built his reputation turning Silicon Valley start-ups into valuable businesses. Now he's promising that cleantech will change the world. Here he enthuses about green energy, great mentors and guiding young entrepreneurs

Big ideas

10 original thinkers, 10 big ideas to shape the UK's recovery

Let's work together

Hubs, clusters and hotspots offer the prospect of a jobs bonanza but their success may depend on less competition and more collaboration. It's an idea government, academia and many businesses are keen to promote

Technology special report

Technology is reshaping the business landscape. Here are 10 trends directors need to know about in 2011 — from cloud computing to serious social networking...

Turn up the power

Will Findlater picks the best business gadgets of 2011

Debate

Do smartphones reduce productivity?

Either a borrower or a lender be

The trend for sharing and borrowing belongings could pose a threat to established notions of ownership and obsolescence

Winning on the Web

Ten tips for a successful digital business

Design thinking

If you want to turn a competitor's advantage into a weakness, start by widening your sources of inspiration, says IDEO's Tom Hulme

Good behaviour

Behavioural targeting gauges Web browsing habits to predict the products people might want to buy. But is the technique putting privacy on trial?

A revolution in Web delivery

Tom Allason's Shutl promises to shake up the world of e-commerce

is the ipad safe for work?

Why the latest, trendiest mobile devices could present a security risk in the office

Reputations at risk

Are the likes of Twitter and Facebook too negative for corporate consumption?

The A-Z of technology that will change our lives

From medicine to transport, UK firms are creating transformative technologies that will define the future

Gold rush

With sales of apps topping three billion, the smartphone boom offers developers a wealth of opportunities. And UK companies are digging deep to cash in

Heavy metal

From hauling mining gear at high altitude in Chile to floating a wingless Concorde down the Thames, ALE is an innovative company really going places. It's a proud British success story that could inspire a new generation of engineers

debate

Should businesses trust the cloud?

What the experts said: Apple iPad

How Steve Jobs's tablet computer divided opinion among critics

Accelerate to accumulate

Are accelerator programmes, like The Difference Engine, good value for entrepreneurs?

cool connections

From iMacs to eBooks... 20 must-have gadgets for the busy director this Christmas

Lightbulb moment

A patent battle has created a legal loophole that could threaten UK technology start-ups

Under a cloud

Technologies such as cloud computing threaten to sound the death knell for the IT department. But there's still a role for in-house experts as outsourcing comes of age

Above and beyond

Can the UK afford its own space industry?

Bing or Google?

The battle of the search engines is hotting up with Microsoft's newcomer giving the market leader food for thought

The future of the web

Why the internet's development will mimic that of the human brain

The six-thousand battery supercar

Tesla's electric Roadster will soon be available from a showroom near you

"You look after your staff, you look after the planet as well"

Private sector IT bosses are leading the way in carbon reduction

Playing the name game

The Web's ruling body says it won't allow new top-level-domains until trademark risks are minimised

Young pioneers

Flair flourishes among our budding entrepreneurs, but are we doing enough to nurture their talent and keep Britain competitive?

The big picture

Robots taking over? Science fiction, perhaps... yet deep inside Silicon Valley Singularity University will explore how rapidly advancing technologies can revolutionise business and fight global scourges such as hunger and poverty

Bright sparks

From the jet engine to a chocolate-powered racing car, the UK has always been a hotbed of innovation. But how do you turn an ingenious idea into a lasting commercial success?

Hello digital boardroom

Stuffy board meetings are becoming a thing of the past as new technologies improve efficiency and cut carbon footprints

A sound vision

More than 30 years ago, Meridian saw the future of home entertainment was digital. What keeps this British high-tech success story centre stage?

British physicist's search for Google-sized knowledge

Some have billed it as the next Google, but Wolfram Alpha is much more than that

Cambridge don attacks innovation policy

Professor Andy Hopper says the government's innovation strategy is poorly conceived

Firms must unite to neutralise net threat

Digital Britain is under threat from cyber criminals

small world, big ideas

Large organisations may have the money and manpower to develop new products and systems, but the reality is that small firms have long been acknowledged as the innovators

liquid asset

Richard Palmer explains how he turned his innovative orange gunge into a solid business prospect

Collaborate to accumulate

IBM wants to persuade the corporate world that social networking can create real business value. It's a big ask

Faster than a speeding bullet

Richard Noble hopes his latest record attempt will inspire a new generation of engineers

"Industry must be prepared to share success"

Academics call for more funding and closer ties with business

Ahead in the cloud

Cloud computing promises to do everything from cutting IT costs to creating new businesses. Entrepreneurs are beginning to reap the rewards

Smart world

Wealthy Middle Eastern backers are behind SmartCity Malta—a high-tech hub for digital and media companies. But is big money enough to create a successful cluster and which sectors are best placed to take advantage of a growing business trend?

Working from home

Games to business software helps directors say goodbye to the office environment

Move over Mario

Sony is pinning high hopes on a small British developer to rekindle its fortunes in console gaming

Switch on, tune in, win out

E-commerce is one of the few bright spots in the British economy, with figures reaching record highs last year. But many small businesses still lack an effective online presence. How can they get a slice of the action?

Slicing the pie

Technology incubators got a bad press when the dotcom bubble burst. Today, they're back, promising new, improved formulas for start-up success—all for a price, of course. Will entrepreneurs take the bait?

on the road

Joe Svetlik tries out some top gear, to get you from A to B without a detour through C

Small is beautiful

Neat, portable and more versatile than a PDA. Joe Svetlik tries out the latest ultra-mobile computers

The Apple 3G iPhone

An apple for the chief executive?

Under the microscope

The UK's lead in funding new companies in the sector has been squandered, says Trevor Clawson

Venturing an opinion on the future

Steve Ranger, editor of business and technology website silicon.com, looks at where VCs will be spending their money in 2008

Digital dirtbusting

The internet is a powerful medium. One negative comment on a blog and your brand could be ruined in minutes. But there is help at hand. Claire Coleman talks to some of the PR companies offering online reputation management

Lessons from the boom

When the late 1990s dotcom boom went bust, so did several of the entrepreneurs at its epicentre. Where are they now and what lessons can they impart to fellow entrepreneurs?

The value of techs' education

A new report, IT Risk—Closing the Gap, argues that the boffins in the IT department aren't usually very good at explaining to the board where IT risks may lie

The home advantage

Remote working and teleconferencing can save costs and improve productivity. Andy McCue talks to the technology directors of four companies that are reaping the rewards. Plus, the top machines for mobile directors

A place in the sun

Sometimes you have to follow the action—and for a lot of tech start-ups, that means a move to California's Silicon Valley. But what can you get there that you can't get in the UK?

Sir George Cox on design

There may be some honourable exceptions, but if you're looking for the golden age of British design and innovation you can skip the last 60 years, says Design Council chairman Sir George Cox

Michael Kenward on innovation

How has the relationship between business and science has changed over the last sixty years and what are the opportunities for the future?

Community clusters boost innovation

Among the 12 finalists of the government's Enterprising Britain Awards— announced in September—are examples of how community efforts can revive local economies—and spirits

Slash your IT costs

Ten ways to stop your IT expenditure running over budget

UK innovation

The launch of the Boots Centre for Innovation aims to help entrepreneurs and small businesses

Peter Reid

The chief executive of London Technology Network speaks to Amy Duff

Entrepreneurship encouraged through collaboration

An organisation that unites industry with universities is successfully promoting innovation across London and the south east

Women inventors showcase good business

The UK had a strong showing at the inaugural European Union Women Inventors and Innovators awards, but it was a Finnish concrete engineer who won top honours at the mid-June ceremony in Berlin

Last.Fm becomes web 2.0 pioneer

The sale of the UK-based social music platform has got industry experts talking about a second dot.com boom

Once more unto the breach

Small companies don't need a consultancy to do a DIY risk-assessment. It's all about asking the right questions, says security expert Ian Mann

Say scram to the scam

We look at some of the most common technology scams and how to avoid them

Strategic business blogging

How to make blogging work for your business

Postcards from the edge

Big brands and budding entrepreneurs alike are investing in Second Life, the online phonomenon with its own GDP. Kevin Braddock reports

Protect yourself from an inside job

When it comes to data security too much management attention is focused on external threats when one of the biggest dangers are your own staff

Big brother doesn't always know best

Businesses thinking of introducing email monitoring should tread carefully

Green screen technology

Videoconferencing allows companies to reduce their carbon emissions, says David Woodward

The world at their fingertips

A generation weaned on technology will soon be entering the job market. Business leaders must prepare for a new style of empowered employee