HTTP/2 200 date: Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:01:44 GMT content-type: application/xml;charset=UTF-8 cf-ray: 9b1e17c868d6c179-BLR cf-cache-status: MISS cache-control: max-age=0 , s-maxage=300 content-language: en last-modified: Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:01:44 GMT server: cloudflare vary: Accept-Encoding via: 1.1 google p3p: CP="CAO DSP COR NID CURa ADMa TAIa IVAo IVDo CONo TELo OTPo OUR IND PHY ONL UNI NAV DEM" x-frame-options: SAMEORIGIN content-encoding: gzip Copyright TechTarget - All rights reserved ComputerWeekly’s best articles of the day https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Techtarget Feed Generator en Mon, 22 Dec 2025 03:01:44 GMT https://www.computerweekly.com editor@computerweekly.com <p>The government procurement chiefs at the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) are gearing up for the 2026 launch of the 15^th iteration of the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/The-UK-governments-G-Cloud-procurement-framework-Everything-you-need-to-know">government’s G-Cloud procurement framework</a>, having treated the purchasing agreement to the biggest revamp in its history.</p> <p>The framework’s value and length are both markedly larger and longer, respectively, compared with previous iterations of the framework, with CCS introducing changes to seemingly make G-Cloud better suited for larger cloud deals.</p> <p>For example, the estimated framework value for G-Cloud 15 is tipped to be £14bn, with the agreement set to run for four years to September 2030.</p> <p>In contrast, the previous iteration was valued at £4.8bn and will have run for two years by the time it ends.</p> <p>Another sizeable change is the introduction of eight-year contracts for cloud hosting deployments under G-Cloud 15, when the maximum contract length permitted under G-Cloud 14 was half that length at four years. For the non-cloud hosting lots, contracts called off under G-Cloud 15 can be a maximum of six years.</p> <p>Based on all of the above, it’s fair to say G-Cloud 15 marks a radical departure for the framework, with all the changes that CCS has planned for it.</p> <p>Here, we take a deep dive into CCS’s proposed framework tweaks, and find out why it’s feared some of these changes risk making the framework less accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How different is G-Cloud 15 to what’s gone before?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How different is G-Cloud 15 to what’s gone before?</h2> <p>Compared with the first-ever iteration of G-Cloud, which made its debut in spring 2012, G-Cloud 15 is a world apart.</p> <p>When it made its debut, the framework was pitched as a means of opening up government IT deals to SMEs and supporting the growth of the UK’s own homegrown market of cloud providers.</p> <p>This was at a time when the awarding of lengthy and expensive contracts to big tech firms and systems integrators (SIs) was the norm, and G-Cloud was intended to help break the hold these firms had on public sector IT procurement.</p> <p>To this end, G-Cloud contracts were initially capped at 12 months in length, to give buyers the freedom to switch out their cloud providers regularly for cost or performance reasons.</p> <p>The framework was also regularly updated (with new iterations launching every six months) to ensure the public sector was getting access to the latest and greatest tools and technologies the burgeoning cloud market had to offer.</p> <p>“The G-Cloud tenets were around innovation and getting SMEs into public sector IT, and introducing a fresh approach, niche tools and cost-effective solutions, and actually freeing up departmental procurement professionals [because it was easier to use],” Bill McCluggage, a former director of IT strategy and policy in the Cabinet Office and deputy government CIO from 2009 to 2012, told Computer Weekly.</p> <p>“And the customers loved it because it meant they didn’t have to go through a big, costly, long-winded, complex procurement process that – by the time you got through the other end of it – your requirements have literally changed.”</p> <p>And while the framework initially helped to give homegrown cloud firms and SME tech providers a leg-up into government IT deals, the picture has steadily changed over the past decade or so. Specifically, since the hyperscalers <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252443458/Assessing-the-hyperscale-squeeze-on-G-Clouds-SMEs">began opening UK datacentres in late 2016</a>.</p> <p>Evidence of this can be seen from glancing at the government’s Digital Marketplace sales figures. These confirm the tech suppliers making the most amount of sales from the framework these days are big tech firms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM, Microsoft, and consultancies and SIs such as Deloitte, Capgemini and Accenture.</p> <p>“[The framework has] slowly but surely been grasped by the procurement professionals in CCS and tailored into a traditional, risk-averse framework that now starts to look as if it’s favouring the big hyperscalers and the SIs again,” said McCluggage.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What’s the timeline for G-Cloud 15 to start?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What’s the timeline for G-Cloud 15 to start?</h2> <p>The invitation to tender (ITT) part of the procurement process for G-Cloud 15 began on 23 October 2025, and would-be suppliers have until Friday 30 January 2026 to apply for a place on the framework, which is expected to go-live in September 2026.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How does G-Cloud 15 differ to G-Cloud 14?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How does G-Cloud 15 differ to G-Cloud 14?</h2> <p>There are quite a few differences between the two purchasing agreements, with the number and structuring of the framework lots for G-Cloud 15 looking significantly different. This is mainly because G-Cloud 15 is covering the work of the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366561973/Microsoft-leaves-SME-resellers-in-the-dark-over-Cloud-Compute-2-framework-snub">Cloud Compute framework, as well</a>.</p> <p>For example, Cloud Hosting is now spread across two lots (dubbed Lot 1a and Lot 1b) rather than one.</p> <p>Lot 1a is for suppliers specialising in the provision of “core” infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) subscription services, while Lot 1b covers the same types of services when used to host information that is classified as being above the “official”&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66b0d3c9ab418ab0555932d9/2024-08-05_-_2024_GSCP_UPDATE_.docx__1_.pdf">government data security classification</a>&nbsp;level.</p> <p>The framework’s Cloud Software Lot has also been similarly split into Lot 2a, covering the provision of infrastructure software-as-a service (ISaaS), and Lot 2b, which covers software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings.</p> <p>Lot 3, covering Cloud Support services, remains intact, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366574775/CCS-holding-firm-on-G-Cloud-14-insurance-requirements-for-prospective-Lot-4-suppliers">but Lot 4, which was run as a standalone framework to G-Cloud 14 for public sector IT buyers that wanted to run their own competitive processes</a> for more complex cloud support contracts, is being discontinued. &nbsp;</p> <p>As previously stated, G-Cloud 15 is set to run for four years, while G-Cloud 14 was initially a two-year framework (that got extended by an additional six months).</p> <p>Meanwhile, the maximum amount of time that contracts can run for has doubled (in the case of the cloud hosting lots) to eight years in G-Cloud 15. This works out at five years for the initial term of the contract, with buyers offered up to three optional extensions of 12 months.</p> <p>For the other G-Cloud 15 lots, the maximum amount of time that contracts can run for is six years, consisting of an initial period of four years, with buyers offered up to two optional extensions of 12 months.</p> <p>For context, all G-Cloud 14 contracts, regardless of the Lot they were called off from, could run for an initial 36-month period, with the option given to extend them by a further 12 months if needed.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What other changes has CCS introduced?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What other changes has CCS introduced?</h2> <p>As well as a rework of the G-Cloud 15 Lot structures, CCS is considering introducing enhanced applicant vetting procedures for Lot 1a and Lot 1b participants, specifically.</p> <p>As previously detailed by Computer Weekly, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634470/CCS-under-fire-over-anti-SME-supplier-requirements-for-G-Cloud-15">CCS is reportedly considering making potential suppliers</a>:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>Undergo more rigorous financial vetting than required under the previous iteration of the framework.</li> <li>Possess an expanded number of mandatory ISO accreditations than before, or provide proof that work to acquire them is underway by the time the application deadline for G-Cloud 15 closes in January 2026.</li> <li>Where Lot 1b applicants are concerned, they must possess insurance cover in excess of £75m to secure deals through G-Cloud 15.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How will the financial vetting procedures for G-Cloud 15 differ to what’s gone before?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How will the financial vetting procedures for G-Cloud 15 differ to what’s gone before?</h2> <p>Participants in G-Cloud 15’s cloud hosting lots will need to participate in a more in-depth Gold Standard Financial Viability Readiness Assessment (FVRA).</p> <p>This process typically involves suppliers having to participate in a detailed assessment of their financial affairs, involving the supply of extensive information about their businesses, which will be subject to tight scrutiny by CCS.</p> <p>Under the previous iteration of the framework, all suppliers – regardless of lot – were subject to less onerous checks that would only involve them having to participate in a full FVRA if they did not meet an initial credit score screening test. This system remains in place for Lot 2a, Lot 2b and Lot 3 providers under G-Cloud 15.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What kind of accreditations are participating suppliers expected to have?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What kind of accreditations are participating suppliers expected to have?</h2> <p>The CCS has confirmed it is now mandatory for suppliers wishing to participate in its Cloud Hosting Lots to possess the ISO 9001, ISO 20000-1, ISO 27001 and ISO 27018 certifications.</p> <p>CCS initially stated in its tender documents that suppliers would need to be in possession of these mandatory accreditations by the time the application deadline for G-Cloud 15 closes in January 2026.</p> <p>However, it appears, in response to supplier pushback, CCS’s stance on this matter has now softened.</p> <p>“Following a review of requirements and the current capability and capacity issues that exist within the market, CCS has decided to amend its position concerning ISO accreditation,” CCS has confirmed.</p> <p>“The ISO standards listed are still mandatory … to operate in Lots 1a and 1b. However, the requirements on bidders will now be that if they do not currently hold the required ISO certification, they must evidence to CCS, before the application deadline of 30 January 2026, that they have begun the process of certification … This should take the form of an authorised third-party confirmation from an ISO accreditation body.”</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="G-Cloud suppliers have previously been exempt from needing the Cyber Essentials accreditation. Is that the case this time around?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>G-Cloud suppliers have previously been exempt from needing the Cyber Essentials accreditation. Is that the case this time around?</h2> <p>No – under the terms of G-Cloud 15, all participating suppliers will now need to hold a Cyber Essentials accreditation.</p> <p>CCS previously stated this would just be mandatory for G-Cloud 15’s Cloud Hosting participants, but – in an email to suppliers dated 5 December 2025 – it confirmed this condition now applies to all suppliers.</p> <p>“Suppliers awarded a place on the framework on either Lots 2a, 2b or 3 will be required to obtain a valid Cyber Essentials certificate for themselves and ensure any of their subcontractors who process personal or official data have a Cyber Essentials certificate,” the email, seen by Computer Weekly stated.</p> <p>“Evidence of your certification is required within 12 months of the award date of the G-Cloud 15 framework. Certificates will be monitored by CCS, and any suppliers who fail to provide a valid certificate within 12 months of the award date will be suspended from the framework. Suspended suppliers can be reinstated as soon as they provide a valid Cyber Essentials certificate to CCS.</p> <p>“Bidders who already have a Cyber Essentials certificate should provide it with their tender,” it added.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="And what’s with the changes to the insurance requirements?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>And what’s with the changes to the insurance requirements?</h2> <p>Details of G-Cloud 15’s reworked insurance requirements are laid out in a “Joint Schedule 3” document CCS has previously shared with potential suppliers.</p> <p>It stipulates that suppliers wanting to secure contracts under framework Lot 1a, Lot 2a, Lot 2b and Lot 3 “shall hold” separate private indemnity, public liability insurance and employers’ liability insurance with cover that totals at least £7m.</p> <p>As such, suppliers must have separate professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance of at least £1m each, as well as at least £5m in employers’ liability insurance. Incidentally, these levels of insurance are the same as those required of suppliers on G-Cloud 14.</p> <p>However, suppliers vying for contracts awarded under Lot 1b, which covers IaaS and PaaS services used to host data that is above the “official” security grading, must have in place separate private indemnity, public liability and employers’ liability insurance that totals at least £75m, the document states.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="These changes appear to raise the barriers to entry to G-Cloud quite significantly. What has been the response to them?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>These changes appear to raise the barriers to entry to G-Cloud quite significantly. What has been the response to them?</h2> <p>As previously reported by Computer Weekly, concerns have been raised by various sources in the G-Cloud supplier community that <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634470/CCS-under-fire-over-anti-SME-supplier-requirements-for-G-Cloud-15">G-Cloud 15 looks set to finally put paid to the notion that the framework is SME-friendly</a>, based on the changes CCS is planning to introduce.</p> <p>Speaking to Computer Weekly, Nicky Stewart, a senior advisor to pro-cloud market competition advocacy group The Open Cloud Coalition, echoed these concerns.</p> <p>“G-Cloud began as a revolutionary initiative designed to shatter the IT ‘oligopoly’ [of big tech firms and SIs], enabling the government to ‘<a href="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/8LDdCjRvnlf311JB3cWfRCmhsvh?domain=gds.blog.gov.uk/">pay less, get more, and get it sooner</a>’ by allowing SMEs and new market entrants access to the market to compete with the oligopoly,” she said.</p> <p>“G-Cloud, in its initial iterations, genuinely enabled this aspiration. SMEs and new market entrants grew, hired, created wealth and helped to underpin the government’s digital transformation. But along the way, G-Cloud lost its way.”</p> <p>An “absence of competition” within G-Cloud paved the way for a new “duopoly” of suppliers emerging – namely AWS and Microsoft – that, in time, SMEs would find difficult to beat on price and – ultimately – would lose out on business to.</p> <p>And G-Cloud 15 seems to be continuing a marked shift that started with G-Cloud 14, in terms of the framework becoming harder for SMEs to get a foothold in.</p> <p>“G-Cloud 14 saw a shift, not towards competition and diversity, but towards alignment with the CCS Public Sector Contract,” she said. “This meant financial tests from the outset and, initially at least, much tougher insurance requirements. Previously, buyers would perform their own due diligence and determine their insurance requirements.</p> <p>“G-Cloud 15 takes this shift to a new level … the insurance, financial and accreditation requirements are all significant barriers to entry. These, coupled with a potential eight-year term for cloud hosting call-off contracts, risk undermining G-Cloud’s initial principles of diversity and competition, and could nullify any meaningful impact that G15 could have had in terms of diversifying and strengthening the government’s unhealthily concentrated cloud market.”&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why has CCS decided to make such big changes to how G-Cloud this time around?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why has CCS decided to make such big changes to how G-Cloud this time around?</h2> <p>The reasoning for pushing through many of the proposed changes to the framework can be traced back in part to the fact that when G-Cloud 15 launches, it will not only be replacing G-Cloud 14, but also the need for CCS to roll out a third iteration of its hyperscale-focused Cloud Compute framework.</p> <p>The latter was created as a purchasing agreement for large-scale, high-value public sector cloud contracts, and so it is thought that CCS is putting suppliers through heightened financial vetting and requiring more accreditations to make sure they have what it takes to deliver on these types of deals.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What difference will adding the Cloud Compute framework to the G-Cloud purchasing agreement make?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What difference will adding the Cloud Compute framework to the G-Cloud purchasing agreement make?</h2> <p>The government’s Cloud Compute framework was originally created and introduced so that large, hyperscale deals of that ilk would no longer be funnelled through the more SME-friendly G-Cloud setup. However, that purchasing agreement – over two iterations – has struggled to find its footing with public sector IT buyers.</p> <p>CCS has confirmed there will be no third iteration of the Cloud Compute, as the principles of that framework are set to be incorporated into G-Cloud 15.</p> <p>This is thought to be why G-Cloud 15’s value has ballooned between iterations, and why G-Cloud 16 is not expected to make an appearance until 2030 at the earliest.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why exactly is CCS merging the Cloud Compute framework with G-Cloud?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why exactly is CCS merging the Cloud Compute framework with G-Cloud?</h2> <p>The official line on this is that merging the two frameworks will allow Cloud Compute to “leverage” G-Cloud’s popularity, with the latter purchasing agreement described by CCS in the G-Cloud 15 tender document as the “largest framework of its kind in the public sector”.</p> <p>Reading between the lines, this could be interpreted as an admission from CCS that the Cloud Compute framework never quite delivered on what it was intended to, and under-performed.</p> <p>The first iteration, which went live in 2021, reportedly generated very few sales, with a 2023 investigation by <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366547018/CCS-urged-to-do-more-to-make-Cloud-Compute-2-framework-more-accessible-to-SMEs">Computer Weekly uncovering just one contract</a> – totalling £750,000 – <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252500567/AWS-Microsoft-and-Google-secure-spots-on-750m-UK-government-Cloud-Compute-framework">called off under the £750m Cloud Compute 1 framework</a>.</p> <p>The framework’s second iteration, Cloud Compute 2, has fared a little better since it went live in November 2023, having undergone a revamp by CCS to make it more accessible to SME suppliers. &nbsp;</p> <p>According to contract data supplied to Computer Weekly by public sector-focused analyst Tussell, there have been at least five deals totalling £10.8m called off under Cloud Compute 2 since it went live – the largest of these being a £5m contract awarded by the Department for Work and Pensions to Oracle in May 2024.</p> <p>For a framework valued at £1.35bn, though, it’s not a great sales track record, particularly as it’s a purchasing agreement intended for large-value cloud deals to be pushed through it.</p> <p>To put that figure into context, during the 2023–24 financial year, the amount of cloud spend – <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634470/CCS-under-fire-over-anti-SME-supplier-requirements-for-G-Cloud-15">as confirmed by CCS</a> – transacted through the G-Cloud framework totalled £3.1bn.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">G-Cloud article timeline</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366547018/CCS-urged-to-do-more-to-make-Cloud-Compute-2-framework-more-accessible-to-SMEs">CCS urged to do more to make Cloud Compute 2 framework more accessible to SMEs</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634470/CCS-under-fire-over-anti-SME-supplier-requirements-for-G-Cloud-15">18 November 2025 – CCS under fire over ‘anti-SME’ supplier requirements for G-Cloud 15</a>.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> The 15th iteration of the UK government’s flagship cloud computing procurement framework is due to go live in 2026, and looks set to be very different compared with previous versions of the purchasing agreement https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/cloud-services-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/UK-governments-G-Cloud-15-framework-Everything-you-need-to-know Fri, 19 Dec 2025 05:45:00 GMT <p>As the calendar turns the final pages on 2025, the information technology sector stands at a critical juncture regarding its environmental commitments. This year was not marked by technological breakthroughs solving decarbonisation, but by the decisive maturation of sustainability from a strategic differentiator into an operational and regulatory imperative.</p> <p>This transition involved a painful reckoning with data complexity, supply chain reality, and the sheer energy appetite of modern computing, driven primarily by the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI).</p> <p>We entered 2025 with goals framed by aspiration; we exit under the binding mandate of actuality. The central shift is profound: IT sustainability is no longer a parallel environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiative.</p> <p>It has become deeply intertwined with core business continuity, geopolitical supply chain risk, and mandatory financial disclosure. While this shift signals progress, momentum is driven more by necessity and the threat of liability than by shared ethical commitment.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The conversation evolves from aspirational to accountable"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The conversation evolves from aspirational to accountable</h2> <p>The most profound shift over the past year has been the forced elevation of the sustainability dialogue directly onto the executive committee’s core risk portfolio. This movement is not voluntary; it is driven by impending regulation and the sobering realisation that environmental failure now carries direct, auditable financial penalties and board-level liability.</p> <p>Only a year ago, discussions circled around unquantifiable reputational benefits. Today, the lexicon is dominated by acronyms signalling mandatory compliance: <a href="https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu/sustainability-due-diligence-responsible-business/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence_en">CSDDD</a>, <a href="https://finance.ec.europa.eu/capital-markets-union-and-financial-markets/company-reporting-and-auditing/company-reporting/corporate-sustainability-reporting_en">CSRD</a>, and the tightening of the <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/developing-the-net-zero-standard">SBTi Net-Zero Standard V2</a>. These frameworks compel executives to move past narratives and confront the granular, auditable data attached to every asset, vendor, and cloud usage.</p> <p>For the CIO, this manifests in two critical areas. First, energy efficiency is decisively reframed as a cost of doing business, crucial for operational expenditure control amid volatile global energy markets. Second, the sudden energy demand of generative AI has triggered a rapid, internal debate on responsible compute architecture.</p> <p>Leaders are increasingly compelled to justify AI investment not solely on traditional ROI, but via a nascent “return on compute” model that necessarily integrates and accounts for carbon expenditure. This makes the environmental cost of IT an integrated input in the total cost of ownership calculation, rather than a polite footnote.</p> <p>Despite this high-level engagement, progress remains complicated. The IT function often lacks the authority to enforce change across complex internal silos, and the necessary budget and risk tolerance for truly transformative shifts remain stubbornly limited.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Genuine progress where the green shoots are taking hold"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Genuine progress where the green shoots are taking hold</h2> <p>Despite systemic inertia, 2025 delivered solid, tangible progress in certain operational domains, offering a partial blueprint for future net-zero efforts. Our confidence is bolstered by three examples, though it is crucial to understand that wide-scale adoption across the average enterprise remains nascent and often confined to pilot programs:</p> <p><b>1. Decoupling cloud growth from carbon:</b> Hyperscale cloud providers have largely won the battle for renewable energy procurement. The next frontier — optimising physical operations — has seen enterprise engagement. We saw accelerated adoption of advanced liquid cooling technologies (still primarily concentrated in hyperscale environments, but critical for future AI scaling). Enterprises optimising workloads for low-carbon regions and utilising serverless architectures successfully decoupled rapid cloud expansion from a proportional rise in emissions. This success belongs predominantly to the hyperscalers, and enterprise optimisation remains an ongoing campaign.</p> <p><b>2. Maturing the circular IT model (As-a-Service):</b> The year 2025 saw the Managed Device-as-a-Service (MDaaS) model transition into a critical environmental enabler. By outsourcing the entire device lifecycle, enterprises commit practically to refurbishment and robust reverse logistics. Successful enterprises leverage these contracts to guarantee asset re-entry into the value chain via certified refurbishment, drastically reducing e-waste. The caveats are two-fold: MDaaS adoption is far from universal, and the verification of these circular chains still lacks necessary, robust third-party scrutiny.</p> <p><b>3. The nascent rise of green software engineering:</b> The formal emergence of green software engineering (GSE) is perhaps the most encouraging development. For too long, the environmental focus was only on hardware. This year, organisations began measuring code energy consumption — optimising algorithms and refactoring applications to reduce reliance on resource-intensive computing.</p> <p>An important development this year was the publication of the <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/web-sustainability-guidelines/"><b>W3C Web Sustainability Guidelines (WSG)</b></a> Draft Note. Developed through a global, collaborative effort — in which I was pleased to participate — the guidelines offer a structured and internationally relevant set of best practices for reducing the environmental footprint of web products and services. While the scope focuses specifically on the web rather than the full breadth of enterprise IT, the Draft Note nonetheless represents a significant step forward for the industry.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The persistent gaps undermining net-zero momentum"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The persistent gaps undermining net-zero momentum</h2> <p>For all the genuine acceleration, 2025 was equally defined by two persistent, critical gaps that threaten to derail net-zero pathways and demand urgent attention.</p> <p><b>1. The Scope 3 emissions chasm:</b> The most pervasive and frustrating gap remains the measurement and meaningful reduction of Scope 3 emissions, particularly from purchased goods and downstream asset end-of-life.</p> <p>Despite regulatory urgency, the vast majority of enterprises still rely on highly aggregated, industry-average supplier data (spend-based or activity-based), which is neither auditable nor sufficient for mandatory disclosure. The necessary mechanism — detailed, granular product carbon footprints (PCF) provided by every vendor — is simply not available at scale or with sufficient fidelity.</p> <p>The problem persists because it requires collaboration across complex, often proprietary global supply chains. Suppliers are reticent to disclose granular data, citing competitive concerns, while buyers lack the leverage to mandate it. The result is a ‘Scope 3 plateau’: targets are set, but underlying emissions remain stubbornly high, creating a significant credibility risk. We are still largely measuring a reflection, not the reality.</p> <p><b>2. The generative AI energy debt:</b> While AI is a powerful tool for sustainability optimisation, the immediate, unmanaged energy demand of Large Language Models (LLMs) represents a profound and growing gap. The speed of AI adoption, combined with the inherently expensive High-Performance Computing (HPC) required, creates an “energy debt” that offsets hard-won gains elsewhere.</p> <p>The challenge is governance. Enterprises are deploying AI solutions without robust, mandatory policies on model selection, inference efficiency, or resource decommissioning. Crucially, most organisations remain focused on achieving initial ROI metrics, relegating energy efficiency to an optional performance tweak. Failure to enforce a framework for ‘responsible compute’ risks the transformative power of AI being negated by its own expanding environmental impact. This is the single greatest risk to the IT sector’s net-zero journey.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Strategic priorities for 2026 and beyond"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Strategic priorities for 2026 and beyond</h2> <p>As the IT Sustainability Think Tank looks towards 2026, the focus must shift from identifying the problem to systematically<i> closing</i> the remaining gaps with institutional discipline. We must treat these priorities as non-negotiable elements of future business resilience:</p> <ol type="1" start="1" class="default-list"> <li><b>Mandate data granularity for Scope 3:</b> Leverage procurement influence to force supplier compliance on verifiable Product Carbon Footprints (PCF). The mandate must be non-negotiable, enforced with clear vendor scorecards and contractual requirements.</li> <li><b>Institutionalise green software engineering:</b> Invest heavily in training and tooling to embed energy efficiency into the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Software architecture must be treated with the same environmental scrutiny as data centre cooling, making efficiency an audited requirement.</li> <li><b>Govern the AI energy cost:</b> Implement a Responsible AI framework that includes mandatory energy consumption metrics and resource allocation policies for all Generative AI deployments.</li> </ol> <p>The year 2025 was when IT sustainability moved into the board’s audit file. Next year must be the year we finally gather the granular data, enforce the necessary discipline, and manage the rapidly growing energy appetite of our own invention. The time for aspirational statements is definitively over; the urgent task now is to move these nascent efforts into full, verifiable accountability.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more from the IT Sustainability Think Tank</h3> <ul style="list-style-type: square;" class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Environmental-trends-to-redefine-IT-strategies-in-2025">Sustainability has shifted from a buzzword to a business imperative</a>. It is no longer just a tick-box exercise – it is now a central pillar shaping the future of enterprise strategy, according to Gartner.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-The-10-energy-risks-enterprises-must-prepare-for-now">As the global transition towards developing low-carbon economies continues apace</a>, Gartner shares its take on the actions enterprises must take now to navigate an increasingly volatile energy landscape.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-How-IT-directors-can-spot-false-green-claims-from-Big-Tech-suppliers">In an era where nearly every tech supplier touts green credentials</a>, IT directors face the challenging task of separating genuine sustainability commitments from marketing spin. But how?</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> A year is a long time in tech, and the same is true of IT sustainability. So here are some reflections on how the green IT conversation changed during 2025 https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/IT-sustainability-think-tank-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-How-IT-sustainability-entered-the-mandate-era-during-2025 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:15:00 GMT <p>As 2025 draws to a close, sustainability has shifted from the periphery of corporate strategy to the centre of operational design.</p> <p>For technology leaders, this year has been defined less by what to promise and more by how to deliver. The conversation has matured, but unevenly.</p> <p>Some organisations are now treating sustainability as an organisational capability, whilst others are still trying to reconcile their ambitions with fragmented systems and incomplete data. The task for 2026 will be to embed sustainability into the digital and operational fabric of business – to move decisively from strategy to systems.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The year the conversation grew up"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The year the conversation grew up</h2> <p>If 2024 was the year when businesses spoke about sustainability with renewed urgency, 2025 has been the year that they started to speak about it differently. The language has become more grounded, less rhetorical.</p> <p>Senior IT and business leaders are talking in terms of data quality, interoperability, and assurance. They are less interested in sweeping pledges and more concerned with the actual mechanics of delivery.</p> <p>That change in tone reflects a broader reality. The easing of some regulatory pressures, such as the reduction in scope of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the US administration’s rollback of its own net zero legislation, did not dampen demand for credible sustainability action; it simply changed where the pressure came from.</p> <p>It’s now lenders, investors, and customers who are enforcing higher standards through contracts and capital access rather than regulators alone. Organisations are expected to produce ‘investor-grade’ sustainability data that can withstand the same scrutiny as financial reporting.</p> <p>This shift has made sustainability inseparable from competitiveness. CIOs and technology directors increasingly find themselves responsible for providing the infrastructure that allows their organisations to measure, manage, and verify their environmental impact. The conversation is no longer simply about corporate social responsibility. It is about systems resilience, supply-chain viability, and digital readiness for a low-carbon economy.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="From dashboards to decisions"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>From dashboards to decisions</h2> <p>Nowhere has the shift been more visible than in the way in which technology itself is being deployed. Over the past year, enterprises have begun to connect sustainability data with operational systems in a far more integrated way.</p> <p>What started out as a compliance function is evolving into a source of intelligence that can shape day-to-day decision-making – a trend TechMarketView has seen developing since it began tracking the market, with the <a href="https://www.techmarketview.com/research/archive/2023/09/06/techmarketview-sustainability-technology-activity-index-v2">Q4 2022 Sustainability Technology Activity Index</a>.</p> <p>Fast-forward to 2025, <a href="https://www.techmarketview.com/research/archive/2025/07/31/sustainability-technology-activity-index-2025-uk-market-shaping-trends">and the Index research</a> found that analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and geospatial technologies are increasingly being combined into single platforms capable of providing “climate intelligence” – unified views of how assets, operations, and supply chains interact with environmental factors.</p> <p>These developments reflect a new mindset: sustainability information is most valuable not when it’s simply reported, but when it’s acted upon.</p> <p>In practice, that has meant AI being used to optimise production schedules and energy use; data integration platforms connecting emissions data directly with procurement and logistics; and the rise of digital twins for infrastructure and manufacturing facilities that allow organisations to simulate and adjust environmental impacts before they occur.</p> <p>It’s not just heavy industry either - local authorities have also started to play a significant role in piloting these technologies – particularly in areas such as water management, transport, and waste.</p> <p>However, the demand for AI services (which rely on large-scale datacentre infrastructure for both model training and operations) in sustainability use cases highlights the “<a href="https://www.techmarketview.com/research/archive/2924/11/08/managing-the-sustainable-ai-paradox">sustainable AI paradox</a>” – the fact that the very systems being deployed to solve climate challenges are themselves energy and water-intensive – and so it’s imperative that any sustainability solution deploying the tech demonstrates clear net environmental benefits.</p> <p>And this can be challenging when supposedly green IT harbours dirty secrets, with emissions and resource data either provided at too higher level to be usefu. Or not provided at all.</p> <p>These examples show how sustainability has begun to infiltrate the everyday operations of organisations rather than remaining a discrete reporting exercise. The result is a more credible, data-driven approach to sustainability management (notwithstanding those concerns about the environmental impact of AI-powered data services themselves) and a growing recognition that IT strategy is becoming intertwined with climate strategy.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Signs of progress"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Signs of progress</h2> <p>For all the uncertainty of global politics, 2025 did deliver some tangible progress. The quality of sustainability data has improved markedly, with more organisations pursuing assurance-ready systems and recognising the need for traceability from source to statement.</p> <p>Many are now treating sustainability data with the same governance as financial data, building internal controls and seeking independent validation.</p> <p>Procurement also took a step forward, with a notable increase in ‘lifecycle thinking’ as organisations start to consider the embodied carbon of hardware, the emissions from cloud workloads, and the impacts of disposal or repurposing when making their buying decisions.</p> <p>Public Sector buyers, in particular, will soon find themselves needing to incorporate such metrics into tender requirements, as digital waste tracking regulation comes into effect in April 2026, with the government’s <a href="https://www.techmarketview.com/research/archive/2025/11/13/carbon-budget-and-growth-delivery-plan-setting-the-policy-context-for-sits">Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan</a> both building on existing waste sector transformation initiatives, and promising a Circular Economy Strategy for England “in the coming months”.</p> <p>Perhaps most encouragingly, the year saw smaller enterprises start to catch up, with simplified sustainability platforms giving SMEs a practical route into reporting and participation in data exchanges that were once the preserve of large corporates. This widening of the ecosystem is vital, because sustainability is not achieved in isolation - it’s a network effect (and everybody ends up as somebody else’s Scope 3).</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Persistent gaps and hard lessons"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Persistent gaps and hard lessons</h2> <p>Despite progress, there remains a gap between ambition and execution, with the challenge no longer being one of awareness; rather it’s a question of integration. Many organisations still treat sustainability as a project rather than a process, resulting in a patchwork of disconnected data sources and initiatives that struggle to scale.</p> <p>When systems do not talk to each other, sustainability performance cannot easily be measured - let alone improved.</p> <p>Skills shortages compound the problem. The intersection between technology, business, and sustainability expertise remains thinly populated, with organisations competing for a limited pool of talent able to translate environmental objectives into digital architectures (and vice versa).</p> <p>Data from the Index has shown that where in-house capability is lacking, reliance on external consultancy persists; useful in the short term, but insufficient for long-term maturity.</p> <p>Economic conditions have added another layer of difficulty too. For many CIOs, sustainability initiatives had to compete with immediate cost pressures, and those that succeeded were often framed as efficiency plays: projects that reduced waste or energy consumption whilst also saving money.</p> <p>The lesson here is that sustainability is most resilient when it aligns with business value (and benefits are articulated in CFO-friendly terms).</p> <p>Lastly, regulatory fragmentation remains and poses a particular problem to multinational organisations.</p> <p>Divergent reporting regimes – the EU’s CSRD, the UK’s International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)-aligned standards, and the evolving Sustainability Disclosure Requirements – mean that technology systems must accommodate multiple frameworks simultaneously. Enterprises that invested early in modular, configurable software architectures are now better equipped to handle this complexity; those that didn’t will find 2026 to be a challenging year.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Building the systems of sustainability"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Building the systems of sustainability</h2> <p>The direction of travel for sustainability as a discipline is that it’s becoming systemic, with sustainability management increasingly resembling Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in terms of integrated platforms tracking environmental performance across the business in real time to feed directly into operational decision-making.</p> <p>To reach that stage, however, organisations will need to strengthen three foundations:</p> <p>• <b>Interoperability</b>: Environmental data must be able to move freely between systems, suppliers, and regulators. Over the next year, expect to see increased focus on shared data standards and APIs that support automated reporting and assurance. Those who build interoperability now will save themselves costly retrofits later.</p> <p>•<b> Outcomes over compliance</b>: The most advanced organisations are already shifting away from treating sustainability as a disclosure requirement and towards continuous performance improvement. Real-time monitoring, automated verification, and the integration of sustainability metrics into business KPIs will become the markers of maturity. Assurance, once an end-of-year process, will move towards continuous validation as data systems mature.</p> <p>• <b>Skills:</b> Technology can provide the platforms, but people must interpret, prioritise, and act on the data they provide. Organisations that succeed will invest in cross-functional literacy, developing teams that understand both environmental data and digital infrastructure.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Looking ahead to the ‘operational decade’"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Looking ahead to the ‘operational decade’</h2> <p>What 2025 has revealed most clearly is that we are now entering the ‘operational decade’ of sustainability. The easy wins have been claimed; the next gains will come from integration, automation, and behavioural change (and technology is crucial to all three).</p> <p>The year’s most important realisation may be that sustainability and digital transformation are now inseparable, with the same systems that deliver efficiency, transparency, and resilience also being those that enable progress towards net zero.</p> <p>In this respect, the sustainability agenda should no longer be considered as a separate workstream; instead, it can be the test of whether holistic transformation strategies are truly fit for a wider perspective of purpose.</p> <p>As we move into 2026, enterprises will be judged less on the promises they make and more on the systems they build and (ultimately) on the difference they deliver.</p> <p>The organisations that thrive will be those that embed sustainability into their operations so thoroughly that it becomes invisible… not a statement of intent, but a normal condition of doing business.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more from the IT Sustainability Think Tank</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Environmental-trends-to-redefine-IT-strategies-in-2025">Sustainability has shifted from a buzzword to a business imperative</a>. It is no longer just a tick-box exercise – it is now a central pillar shaping the future of enterprise strategy, according to Gartner.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-The-10-energy-risks-enterprises-must-prepare-for-now">As the global transition towards developing low-carbon economies continues apace</a>, Gartner shares its take on the actions enterprises must take now to navigate an increasingly volatile energy landscape.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-How-IT-directors-can-spot-false-green-claims-from-Big-Tech-suppliers">In an era where nearly every tech supplier touts green credentials</a>, IT directors face the challenging task of separating genuine sustainability commitments from marketing spin. But how?</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> A year is a long time in tech, and the same is true of IT sustainability. So here are some reflections on how the green IT conversation changed during 2025 https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/IT-sustainability-think-tank-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-What-enterprises-must-do-to-make-sustainability-work-in-2026 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 05:13:00 GMT <p>The conversation around datacentre growth and national initiatives to develop and deploy artificial intelligence (AI) models and applications has dominated the datacentre narrative in 2025.</p> <p>It has concentrated on the physical size of the facilities, their substantial energy and water demand, and the inadequacy of the available energy infrastructure to support the proposed buildout. <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366628335/Datacentre-operators-faltering-on-collecting-sustainability-data-Uptime-Institute-data-shows">Sustainability seems to be an afterthought, if it is mentioned at all</a>.</p> <p>In fact, the expansion of digital infrastructure offers an opportunity to positively transform its energy and environmental footprint and significantly increase the deployment of carbon-free generation capacity across the global electricity grid.</p> <p>Datacentre demands for more electricity generation capacity offers an opportunity to increase the deployment of carbon-free energy (CFE) generation assets and reduce the metric tons of CO2 per MWh of generation over time.</p> <p>In the first phase of the buildout, from 2025 to 2030, wind, solar, and battery systems will be the majority of the new CFE generation. The impact of their intermittent production profiles can be mitigated by permitting their standby generation systems to support the electricity grid during periods of low output, avoiding the need to finance and build natural gas peaker plants. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The second phase of the buildout will likely begin around 2030, as cost-effective nuclear, advanced geothermal, and other CFE generation assets become technically and economically viable.</p> <p>These assets will take on a greater share of the generation load and begin augmenting and displacing natural gas generation assets. Many large operators are investing in and supporting demonstration projects and early deployment of these systems to validate the technical and economic viability of these developing technologies.</p> <p>New facilities can take advantage of modular, high-efficiency cooling systems that maximise free cooling, minimise or eliminate water use in external heat-rejection systems, and deploy direct liquid and immersion cooling technologies to cool CPUs, GPUs, accelerators, or entire IT systems.</p> <p>These technologies can reduce facility <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Datacentre-PUE-Whos-keeping-score">power usage effectiveness (PUE) to less than 1.3 and water usage effectiveness (WUE)</a> to less than 0.4 liters per kWh. These PUE and WUE values are emerging as the maximum acceptable performance values for new facilities. These new, more efficient systems enable 80% or more of the energy consumed in the datacentre to power the IT infrastructure.</p> <p>The embedded carbon content in equipment and materials will be a harder nut to crack, though this effort has become the centerpiece of many operators' sustainability plans.</p> <p>The production of key materials such as steel, concrete, optical fibers, and copper depends on fossil-fuel-driven, high-temperature manufacturing processes. Work is underway, supported by several large datacentre operators and others, to identify and develop alternative, low-carbon manufacturing processes, and limited volumes of material are available at premium prices. However, these efforts are unlikely to yield high-volume production processes for key materials before 2035. Even then, there will likely be significant variations in availability between regions. &nbsp;</p> <p>The industry has embraced the challenge of decarbonising the energy and material supply chains, but there is a dawning realisation that this effort will be a journey of several decades. However, the pieces are in place to drive continuous incremental improvements in water and energy use efficiency, reduce Scope 2 emissions associated with energy use, gradually reduce the carbon content of key materials, and increase the use of recycled materials and overall material-use efficiency for new datacentre facilities.</p> <p>From a pragmatic standpoint, operators are understanding that true decarbonisation of operating facilities will not be achieved in the originally projected 2025-to-2035-time frame (aided by offsets). Instead, 80% decarbonisation by 2035 may be feasible in some geographies and at some facilities, but 95% to full decarbonisation will likely take until 2050 or beyond. &nbsp;</p> <p>The missing piece in the datacentre efficiency discussion is the efficiency of the IT infrastructure. There are multiple layers to this effort:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>The deployment of IT infrastructure equipment with high work per watt ratios and the capability to reduce power demand at low utilisation.</li> <li>The use of automated (AI or machine learning) power-aware IT workload systems that maximise IT infrastructure utilisation. These systems can minimise the quantity of equipment and increase the work per megawatt-hour (MWh) required to deliver a defined set of workloads, reducing the datacentre footprint.</li> <li>The coding of more efficient software that can minimise and optimize the IT infrastructure resources required to execute a specific application.</li> </ul> <p>Datacentre operators need to embrace processes that optimise the performance and efficiency of the integrated hardware/software stack to reduce their energy demand and associated Scope 2 emissions. Avoiding energy use is an effective tool to manage power demand during planned growth; significant capital costs and supply chain stress can be avoided while reducing the operational strain on the electrical grid.</p> <p>If properly executed, the planned global datacentre buildout can deliver a significant improvement in the sustainability and environmental performance of these facilities.</p> <p>Integration of the facility and IT infrastructure, along with the deployment of highly efficient software applications, can deliver higher work delivered per unit of energy consumed while significantly reducing resource consumption.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more from the IT Sustainability Think Tank</h3> <ul style="list-style-type: square;" class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Environmental-trends-to-redefine-IT-strategies-in-2025">Sustainability has shifted from a buzzword to a business imperative</a>. It is no longer just a tick-box exercise – it is now a central pillar shaping the future of enterprise strategy, according to Gartner.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-The-10-energy-risks-enterprises-must-prepare-for-now">As the global transition towards developing low-carbon economies continues apace</a>, Gartner shares its take on the actions enterprises must take now to navigate an increasingly volatile energy landscape.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-How-IT-directors-can-spot-false-green-claims-from-Big-Tech-suppliers">In an era where nearly every tech supplier touts green credentials</a>, IT directors face the challenging task of separating genuine sustainability commitments from marketing spin. But how?</li> </ul> </div> </div> A year is a long time in tech, and the same is true of IT sustainability. So here are some reflections on how the green IT conversation around datacentres changed during 2025 https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/IT-sustainability-think-tank-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-How-datacentres-can-go-from-power-hungry-to-power-smart-in-2026 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 05:58:00 GMT <p>Over the past decade, the role of chief information officer at <em>Al-Masry Al-Youm</em>, Egypt’s largest independent Arabic-language daily newspaper, has undergone a profound transformation. Omar Badr, who has led the organisation’s technology strategy since 2012, reflects on a journey that has taken the newspaper from early-generation digital systems to a fully integrated, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven, multi-platform newsroom.</p> <p>“Ten years ago, our primary focus was ensuring uptime and stability,” Badr recalls. “We relied on monolithic CMS [content management] systems, on-premises <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/ezine/CW-Middle-East/CW-Middle-East-Egypts-datacentre-plans-take-a-step-forward" target="_blank" rel="noopener">datacentres</a> and semi-manual workflows. Technology projects are primarily focused on keeping the newsroom operational under tight publication deadlines. Today, everything is different. Multicloud infrastructure, API [application programming interface]-driven and headless CMS architectures, AI-powered tools, and real-time analytics have transformed how we produce, distribute and personalise content.”</p> <p>But digital transformation is not only about technology – it’s also a cultural shift. Badr emphasises that legacy media organisations face unique challenges. “It’s as much about people as it is about systems. Introducing agile, data-driven practices requires patience, empathy and trust,” says Badr.</p> <p>For <em>Al-Masry Al-Youm</em>, editorial independence is non-negotiable. Protecting it has shaped every technological decision. The organisation employs a layered governance model integrating cyber security, data privacy and operational transparency. Encrypted communications, multifactor authentication and zero-trust access controls protect journalists, sources and sensitive information without constraining editorial freedom.</p> <p>“Technology acts as a guardian, not a gatekeeper,” Badr explains. “It empowers our teams, ensuring that security and data governance enhance, rather than hinder, journalism.”</p> <p>Regular security audits, ethical data use policies, and journalist awareness programmes reinforce a culture where independence and protection coexist seamlessly.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="AI, cloud and analytics: The engines of transformation"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>AI, cloud and analytics: The engines of transformation</h2> <p>Recent years have seen transformative technology reshape the newsroom. Artificial intelligence now supports editorial discovery, fact-checking, tagging and personalised content recommendations. One landmark project, Ask Al-Masry, is Egypt’s first Arabic AI semantic news search assistant, which allows readers and researchers to explore millions of archived stories through conversational queries.</p> <p>Cloud adoption has been equally transformative. Multicloud infrastructure and distributed content delivery networks unify previously fragmented workflows, enabling real-time collaboration among reporters, editors and designers, whether in the newsroom or working remotely. During high-pressure news cycles, this flexibility proves critical.</p> <p>Real-time analytics has also become indispensable. By tracking metrics such as reading depth, scroll behaviour and time-on-page, editors can understand what resonates with different audience segments. Interactive dashboards provide instant insights, enabling proactive storytelling rather than reactive publishing. Data informs everything from headline testing and story selection to video publishing schedules, turning analytics into a true editorial partner.</p> <p><em>Al-Masry Al-Youm</em> leverages data to understand reader behaviour and shape content strategy. By unifying insights from web analytics, social media metrics, search engines and Google News Consumer Insights, the newsroom gains a real-time picture of audience interaction. Readers are segmented into casual visitors, frequent readers and brand loyalists, guiding content tailoring and distribution strategies.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> Our goal is sustained engagement, not just clicks. Analytics help us test formats, refine publishing strategies, and deepen the relationship between journalism and its audience </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Omar Badr, Al-Masry Al-Youm</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Our goal is sustained engagement, not just clicks,” Badr explains. “Analytics help us test formats, refine publishing strategies, and deepen the relationship between journalism and its audience.”</p> <p>While innovation drives modernisation, editorial credibility remains paramount. AI tools may assist with headline testing, content recommendations and interactive storytelling, but editors retain final oversight. “Every tool is evaluated against our ethical and editorial standards,” says Badr. “Innovation supports journalism; it does not replace it.”</p> <p>AI is also central to the future of Arabic-language media. Advances in generative AI, natural language processing, local dialect recognition, and automated summarisation are opening unprecedented opportunities for accessibility and audience engagement. At <em>Al-Masry Al-Youm</em>, responsible AI adoption ensures factual accuracy, minimises bias and preserves editorial judgement.</p> <p>“AI is a strategic enabler,” Badr concludes. “It helps us expand access to credible information and deepen audience trust, all while respecting the human oversight that defines independent journalism.”</p> <p>With a decade of digital transformation under Badr’s leadership, <em>Al-Masry Al-Youm</em> exemplifies how a legacy media organisation can thrive in the digital era, harnessing AI, cloud and data analytics to deliver credible, innovative and audience-centred journalism.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about artificial intelligence</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634063/From-ambition-to-action-How-the-Gulf-is-turning-responsible-AI-into-a-global-reality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">From ambition to action: How the Gulf is turning responsible AI into a global reality.</a> The Middle East is rapidly advancing in artificial intelligence and digital transformation, driven by strong government strategies. Success in the region requires trust, cultural awareness and alignment with local regulations.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634839/UAEs-e-enterprise-drives-growth-with-AI-and-sovereign-cloud" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UAE’s e&amp; enterprise drives growth with AI and sovereign cloud.</a> Acting chief revenue officer Majd Coussa outlines how the digital transformation company is turning innovation into measurable business outcomes for 2025.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> Al-Masry Al-Youm CIO Omar Badr reveals how Egypt’s leading independent daily has navigated a decade of digital disruption, balancing editorial freedom with cutting-edge technology https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/Newspapers-print-publicaton-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366636247/Reinventing-the-Arabic-newsroom-How-Al-Masry-Al-Youm-is-harnessing-AI-data-and-cloud-to-transform Mon, 15 Dec 2025 07:01:00 GMT <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/microscope/news/366631308/Quocirca-Print-investment-holding-firm">Quocirca publishes research on the influence of sustainability factors on IT decision-makers when they are selecting workplace print suppliers</a>, including sustainability considerations when modernising print infrastructure can deliver measurable reductions in the organisation’s environmental footprint and costs, through waste and emissions reductions. We also monitor the progress of leading print technology suppliers in improving corporate sustainability performance.</p> <p>We have tracked both an acceleration of sustainability initiatives and a shift in motivations over the last year. Despite the changing political climate and delays in sustainability-focused regulations, our research shows that 82% of organisations are accelerating their sustainability plans.</p> <p>For the first time, building or improving corporate reputation is among the top three reasons for pursuing corporate sustainability initiatives, alongside the more usual drivers of operational efficiencies and meeting industry standards.</p> <p>As Generation Z’s workplace influence grows, it seems that corporations are responding to their demand for responsible suppliers and focusing more strategically on demonstrating sustainability commitments.</p> <p>On a related note, businesses may be seeking to improve their own reputations, but they are also growing more suspicious of others’ claims. Greenwashing is cited as a key challenge to reducing the environmental impact of print infrastructure, and concern has risen markedly over the past two years.</p> <p>Part of this stems from a historical lack of robust data on product performance, but there are encouraging signs that suppliers are addressing this issue.</p> <p>Environmental impact and lifecycle assessments are now table stakes for new product launches, alongside optimisation tools that help customers quantify the impact of new print hardware deployments.</p> <p>Independent certifications, such as Energy Star and Blue Angel, have long had credibility with IT decision-makers, but we are now seeing suppliers seeking certification for a wider range of products, including remanufactured devices.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Circular economy progress in print"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Circular economy progress in print</h2> <p>The print industry has a relatively good heritage in circular economy approaches, but suppliers are not resting on their laurels. In the past year, we’ve witnessed innovations in <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/microscope/news/366616656/Quocirca-Print-industry-must-promote-remanufactured-goods-programmes">both product design and commercial models aimed at supporting the market for second-life devices</a>.</p> <p>This includes the launch, by Ricoh, of circular-economy badged products whose remanufacturing process includes upgrades that enhance the devices beyond their original specifications. Canon is also notable for its established remanufacturing and refurbishment programmes, while Xerox has extended its Certified Pre-Owned range this year, and Brother introduced a hardware remanufacturing initiative in 2024.</p> <p>Remanufacturing is an area where supplier activity is slightly ahead of customer demand, however. Currently, only 12% and 9% of IT decision makers consider the availability of refurbished and remanufactured devices, respectively, to be a top three consideration when reducing the environmental impact of print.</p> <p>Despite the high standards of remanufacturing and refurbishment – backed by robust warranties – delivered by suppliers in their second-life product ranges, concerns persist around possible hidden costs and reliability.</p> <p>Suppliers, therefore, now have work to do to encourage demand for these devices, allay customer concerns, and engage their sales channels more closely, developing incentives for second-life device sales and support.</p> <p>In this area, devising commercial models that reflect the market realities in which they operate is key. Recently, we’ve seen innovations around leasing, including Epson, which has launched a programme that sees it retain ownership of products (including office print, audio-visual, retail, industrial print and robotics) after first-use, in order to establish a pipeline of devices for remanufacturing and refurbishment.</p> <p>These devices are then available to help channel partners meet requirements for second-life hardware, where specified in tenders.</p> <p>Suppliers are also focusing on end-of-life recovery and the reuse of raw materials, in a bid to reduce virgin material extraction and use by closing the loop. Canon, for example, has started using recycled iron for the steel components in new devices. The iron used is recovered from its own end-of-life devices. Similarly, Lexmark’s cartridges contain 42% post-consumer recycled plastic, with 39% deriving from its own closed loop plastic process. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Manufacturing, stocking, and supplying spare parts is another area where we’ve seen industry innovation, partly in response to regulation around repairability. Sharp Europe has piloted an additive manufacturing programme that creates spare parts on demand in the region where they’re required. This has positive impacts across raw material consumption, transportation, and storage.</p> <p>Our research shows that customers want suppliers to help them reduce, manage and mitigate their environmental impact, and suppliers are responding. Notable offerings include the Verified Carbon Neutrality Service from Xerox, HP’s Carbon Emission Sync Service, and Ricoh’s Sustainability Optimisation Service and Carbon Balancing Service.</p> <p>In terms of corporate sustainability targets, most print industry suppliers have set 2050 as their net-zero year, with the exceptions being HP and Xerox, which are targeting 2040.</p> <p>The suppliers in our study typically have ambitious interim reduction targets for 2030. They are also achieving good progress in shifting to renewable energy sources, with Epson notable for achieving 100% renewable energy use in 2023.<i> </i></p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What gaps remain?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What gaps remain?&nbsp;</h2> <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Tackling-Scope-3-emissions-in-materials-to-help-meet-datacentre-climate-goals">Scope 3 emissions continue to be a challenge</a>. Suppliers have set targets in this area, and they are a strong motivator to reduce the in-use emissions associated with devices, but there is also work to do on customer education around print infrastructure optimisation.</p> <p>Many suppliers have strong offerings in the area of data-driven tracking, advanced analytics, and recommendations for optimising device fleets; by promoting these as an intrinsic factor in the purchasing decision and demonstrating how they integrate with customers’ own sustainability performance management systems, suppliers can drive awareness and adoption. &nbsp;</p> <p>Many organisations are in the middle of technology refresh cycles prompted by the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) PCs and the end-of-life of operating systems.</p> <p>Our research shows that up to eight in ten will also modernise their print infrastructure to better reflect the productivity and security needs of hybrid workers.</p> <p>In most organisations, there is still a considerable opportunity to reduce carbon emissions associated with print – particularly at the procurement stage – so this is a critical time for meaningful change. From product and configuration choices to in-use management and end-of-life disposal options, decisions at this stage can make a demonstrable difference.</p> <p>IT decisions-makers are strongly advised to put a circularity lens on print technology purchasing decisions. Ask suppliers for full details on product lifecycle impacts and end-of-life arrangements. Don’t dismiss the potential of second-life devices to fulfil at least part of a fleet deployment, as they can significantly reduce impact without compromising performance or supplier support.</p> <p>It is also worthwhile exploring the sustainability features available from the Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) that specialise in print management. These can help maintain good visibility of resource consumption and impact.</p> <p>&nbsp;Ask suppliers how they’ll support you to achieve your corporate sustainability goals and provide audit-ready evidence of the improvements made. Many suppliers offer data-centric carbon-neutrality, offsetting, and avoidance services; customers should integrate them into their own carbon management systems.</p> <p>Given the advances in product circularity, device performance, and adjacent sustainability services over the past year, organisations with pressing sustainability targets are advised to explore the positive effect these could have on reducing the impact of their print infrastructure now and into the future. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more from the IT Sustainability Think Tank</h3> <ul style="list-style-type: square;" class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Environmental-trends-to-redefine-IT-strategies-in-2025">Sustainability has shifted from a buzzword to a business imperative</a>. It is no longer just a tick-box exercise – it is now a central pillar shaping the future of enterprise strategy, according to Gartner.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-The-10-energy-risks-enterprises-must-prepare-for-now">As the global transition towards developing low-carbon economies continues apace</a>, Gartner shares its take on the actions enterprises must take now to navigate an increasingly volatile energy landscape.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-How-IT-directors-can-spot-false-green-claims-from-Big-Tech-suppliers">In an era where nearly every tech supplier touts green credentials</a>, IT directors face the challenging task of separating genuine sustainability commitments from marketing spin. But how?</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> A year is a long time in tech, and the same is true of IT sustainability. So here are some reflections on how the green IT conversation changed during 2025 https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/IT-sustainability-think-tank-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Perspectives-on-the-print-industrys-net-zero-push-in-2025 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 04:59:00 GMT <p>Reflecting on 2025, the path to decarbonising technology is becoming clearer, particularly with the publication of the UK government’s <i><a target="_blank" href="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/-NKyC0R296fMEG2kNtwfNC9Y6e8?domain=gov.uk" rel="noopener">Carbon Budget Delivery Plan</a></i> and <i><a target="_blank" href="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/lSevCgJxkgimgAlqESohPC4tGlX?domain=gov.uk" rel="noopener">Industrial Strategy</a> </i>policy papers.</p> <p>More businesses understand the environmental impact of new technologies and there is a more concerted effort to convene capabilities to mitigate environmental consequences and improve the resilience of energy supply chains.</p> <p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) is still the centre of the conversation, but the question remains as to how we can maximise the benefits of AI while mitigating the environmental consequences of increased dependence on the technology. This is where enabling deep tech companies to scale will be key.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>As it stands, AI is responsible for <a target="_blank" href="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/SW6CCjRvnlf36njYoC5iRCmyfPf?domain=carbonbrief.org" rel="noopener">5-15% of datacentre power use</a> and is expected to grow to 35-50% by 2030. Based on this increase, there are still challenges to solve around sustainable AI, particularly the impact of datacentres and the opportunity to leverage thermal energy to support the UK’s energy supply chain.</p> <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366631812/Digital-Catapult-sets-sights-on-boosting-AI-take-up-in-agrifood-sector">At Digital Catapult</a>, we accelerate the practical application of deep tech to equip the UK to be future-ready. This includes delivering necessary interventions and programmes that ensure we take a responsible and sustainable approach to innovation, and address market gaps.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Gaps and opportunities for improvement"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Gaps and opportunities for improvement&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2> <p>While research highlights environmental consequences of new technologies, gaps remain in how these consequences can be communicated to business owners, and how business leaders can in turn mitigate problems further down the line.</p> <p>Many recognise the need to embrace deep tech innovation and integrate AI into their operations, but don’t yet know how to cut emissions and improve efficiency. In fact, <a target="_blank" href="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/ukeACkRwomfrLOnk2S9sRCGm6rg?domain=salesforce.com/" rel="noopener">research</a> by Salesforce found that the most pressing challenge for sustainability professionals is a knowledge gap around AI and sustainability, while <a target="_blank" href="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/cjFrClYvpnuA92o1Ri1t8CzHxSX?domain=ey.com" rel="noopener">research</a> from EY found that existing frameworks and legislation “often fall short” in guiding companies on AI-related sustainability.</p> <p>This knowledge gap remains a pressing challenge for businesses, highlighting an area that must be addressed through appropriate intervention.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Business leaders are currently sitting on a breadth of opportunities to lead the way integrating and applying deep tech innovation while simultaneously decarbonising their operations. At Digital Catapult, we partner with businesses to achieve this, supporting organisations across major sectors and improving industrial supply chain resilience in the process. <a target="_blank" href="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/H5yqCmZ2EotA0j5pyiDuECRG5-V?domain=arxiv.org" rel="noopener">Research</a> found that businesses that can effectively embrace energy-efficient solutions, leverage AI-optimised datacentres and achieve circularity in their e-waste systems, can reduce energy consumption and the costs that ensue by 40-60% without compromising on performance. This highlights the value of working creatively to solve systemic challenges while also pursuing growth.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The progress being made to drive decarbonisation"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The progress being made to drive decarbonisation&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2> <p>One of the best parts of my job is seeing progress across the board on AI offerings, applied by a range of innovative startups in clean energy, decarbonisation, and environmental monitoring.&nbsp;</p> <p>These startups address a variety of innovation gaps and are helping to advance deep tech innovation that can be applied to solve a range of environmental challenges. Digital Catapult builds partnerships across the innovation ecosystem to enable deep tech companies to scale, bridging the gap between industry, government, academia and the startup community.</p> <p>Through our programmes, we are seeing genuine progress being made in the application of deep tech innovation to build a future-ready UK economy, one that is built on clean energy and net zero emissions.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>An interesting and cross-cutting area of decarbonisation efforts is the supply chain, with startups developing new solutions to improve UK industrial supply chain resilience across a range of sectors.</p> <p>This includes startups considering how <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/sustainability/feature/Scope-1-2-and-3-emissions-Differences-with-examples?_gl=1*trg474*_ga*MTYwOTQwNDI5Ny4xNzQyMjk2NTEz*_ga_TQKE4GS5P9*czE3NjU1NTE5MzEkbzU4NSRnMSR0MTc2NTU1MjE0MyRqNTgkbDAkaDA.">Scope 3 emissions</a> can be tracked and monitored using AI, as well as others considering new ways to make supply chains more transparent, cut carbon emissions and reduce energy consumption and costs, informing and empowering decision-making amongst business leaders. These solutions have been underpinned by pushing the boundaries of deep tech innovation and practically applying it in industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The value of convening capabilities"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The value of convening capabilities&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2> <p>One initiative that’s shaping conversations in the sustainability space is the AI for Decarbonisation Virtual Centre for Excellence (ADViCE). This initiative looks to develop AI offerings to support the transition to net-zero and has seen Digital Catapult, alongside Energy Systems Catapult and the Alan Turing Institute, partner for progress with over 40 policy, industry and startup thought leaders, including Octopus, SSE and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.</p> <p>ADViCE exists to bring together an ecosystem of AI companies, industrial adopters, policy makers and investors to support, promote, and coordinate the adoption and diffusion of AI decarbonisation applications.​&nbsp;</p> <p>A recent webinar on sustainable AI, which can be found on the <a target="_blank" href="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/50P3Cn5YzpcKy7GX9UpCACJ8dwK?domain=alan-turing-institute.github.io/" rel="noopener">ADViCE Knowledge Base</a>, is just one example of ADViCE’s work in IT sustainability and exemplifies the range of fascinating innovations taking place in the IT sustainability community as a whole.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>As we look ahead, driving decarbonisation will rely on our collective ability to close the remaining knowledge and capability gaps.</p> <p>Deep tech innovation offers a powerful pathway forward, not only to reduce emissions, but to reshape how industries operate, collaborate, and innovate. By continuing to convene capabilities, accelerate practical adoption and empower businesses with the tools and understanding they need, we can ensure progress doesn’t stall. With the right interventions and partnerships, the UK is well-positioned to lead the way.&nbsp;</p> <p>Any readers interested in learning more about the ADViCE initiative, can learn more <a target="_blank" href="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/28ylCo2vOqfBorXD2C7F2Cp0G7_?domain=digicatapult.org.uk/" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more from the IT Sustainability Think Tank</h3> <ul style="list-style-type: square;" class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Environmental-trends-to-redefine-IT-strategies-in-2025">Sustainability has shifted from a buzzword to a business imperative</a>. It is no longer just a tick-box exercise – it is now a central pillar shaping the future of enterprise strategy, according to Gartner.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-The-10-energy-risks-enterprises-must-prepare-for-now">As the global transition towards developing low-carbon economies continues apace</a>, Gartner shares its take on the actions enterprises must take now to navigate an increasingly volatile energy landscape.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-How-IT-directors-can-spot-false-green-claims-from-Big-Tech-suppliers">In an era where nearly every tech supplier touts green credentials</a>, IT directors face the challenging task of separating genuine sustainability commitments from marketing spin. But how?</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> A year is a long time in tech, and the same is true of IT sustainability. So here are some reflections on how the green IT conversation changed during 2025 https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/IT-sustainability-think-tank-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Progess-in-decarbonisation-made-in-2025-but-gaps-remain Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:11:00 GMT <p>As 2025 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on how <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Distinguishing-the-green-washers-from-the-green-winners">dramatically the conversation around IT sustainability has shifted in the past 12 months</a>. This has been a year of transition - not because enterprises have suddenly become experts in sustainable IT, but because they’ve finally stopped treating it as a peripheral topic.</p> <p>For the first time in my career, sustainability is no longer the “add-on” to IT strategy - it’s now a structural pillar shaping procurement, infrastructure planning, lifecycle decisions and long-term transformation roadmaps.</p> <p>And yet, as with most areas undergoing rapid change, progress has been uneven. We’ve seen encouraging steps forward from some organisations, stagnation in others, and ongoing confusion about what meaningful, measurable IT sustainability actually requires.</p> <p>With that in mind, here’s what I’ve observed about how the conversation around IT sustainability has evolved in 2025.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. Sustainability finally became a CIO-level accountability"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. Sustainability finally became a CIO-level accountability</h2> <p>For years, sustainability lived primarily within environmental or corporate responsibility teams. But in 2025, CIOs, CTOs, CISOs and even CFOs became direct participants in the sustainability conversation. IT estates - datacentres, devices, cloud workloads, servers, networks, storage and the entire end-to-end lifecycle - are now recognised as major contributors to emissions, waste and resource consumption.</p> <p>Boards started asking different questions. Instead of, “Do we have a sustainability plan?”, they started asking “How is our IT estate affecting our net-zero trajectory?”</p> <p>That reframing has shifted accountability upwards and forced leaders to confront inefficiencies and assumptions that had been ignored for a decade.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. A move away from headline claims toward measurable outcomes"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. A move away from headline claims toward measurable outcomes</h2> <p>In previous years, sustainability conversations were driven by ambition rather than evidence. This year, enterprises began basing decisions on:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>measurable energy reductions</li> <li>documented lifecycle emissions</li> <li>transparent reporting</li> <li>accredited frameworks</li> <li>supply chain scrutiny</li> <li>hardware circularity metrics</li> <li>real, auditable data</li> </ul> <p>Leaders are now interrogating suppliers more closely, asking for lifecycle assessments, reuse rates, repairability, carbon impacts and chain-of-custody evidence - rather than accepting broad claims.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. Recognition that sustainability and risk management are inseparable"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. Recognition that sustainability and risk management are inseparable</h2> <p>Sustainability has moved firmly into the risk management domain. Poorly managed hardware disposal, opaque supply chains, excessive cloud sprawl and non-compliant data destruction now all sit under wider governance and audit scrutiny.</p> <p>The conversation is becoming more pragmatic and grounded, linking sustainability objectives with risk mitigation, operational efficiency and financial resilience.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Where the IT industry saw genuine progress in 2025"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Where the IT industry saw genuine progress in 2025</h2> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. A measurable rise in circular IT practices"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. A measurable rise in circular IT practices</h2> <p>This year, more organisations committed to:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>reuse instead of default recycling</li> <li>refurbishment and redeployment</li> <li>value recovery models</li> <li>extending device lifespans</li> <li>lifecycle-focused planning</li> </ul> <p>Circularity is becoming operational rather than theoretical. Public sector bodies, financial institutions and mid-sized enterprises have all shown stronger discipline in managing hardware responsibly while extracting maximum value.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. Stronger demand for independently verified sustainability reporting"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. Stronger demand for independently verified sustainability reporting</h2> <p>Organisations are becoming sceptical of unverified ESG claims. Instead, they’re seeking partners who can provide:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>accredited ITAD processes</li> <li>ISO-certified environmental and security management</li> <li>transparent audit trails</li> <li>independently validated reporting</li> </ul> <p>This has raised expectations across the entire industry - a welcome development.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. A renewed focus on efficiency over expansion"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. A renewed focus on efficiency over expansion</h2> <p>Rather than defaulting to new infrastructure, enterprises focused more on optimising what they already had. We saw:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>consolidation of on-premise hardware</li> <li>rationalisation of cloud environments</li> <li>reduced duplication of data</li> <li>decommissioning of underused servers</li> <li>optimised storage architectures</li> </ul> <p>These measures delivered both sustainability gains and significant cost benefits - a key motivator in a financially cautious year.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Where gaps still remain"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Where gaps still remain</h2> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. Lack of unified standards across regions and suppliers"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. Lack of unified standards across regions and suppliers</h2> <p>Sustainability progress remains fragmented because organisations still face:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>inconsistent reporting metrics</li> <li>varying levels of supplier maturity</li> <li>unclear end-of-life requirements</li> <li>uneven data quality</li> <li>regional regulatory differences</li> </ul> <p>Without greater standardisation, enterprises are left to interpret sustainability for themselves - often incorrectly.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. The misconception that cloud equals sustainability"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. The misconception that cloud equals sustainability</h2> <p>Many organisations still assume cloud migration is a sustainability strategy. In reality, cloud environments can be just as inefficient if poorly governed. Cloud sprawl, unused instances and oversized workloads continue to drive both emissions and cost.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. Hardware disposal remains a major blind spot"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. Hardware disposal remains a major blind spot</h2> <p>IT asset disposal remains dangerously under-managed. Many organisations still:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>rely on non-accredited recyclers</li> <li>fail to track serial numbers</li> <li>lack evidence of certified data destruction</li> <li>treat disposal as an afterthought</li> <li>choose partners solely on cost</li> </ul> <p>This exposes businesses to compliance failures, environmental harm and significant governance risk.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The way ahead in 2026"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The way ahead in 2026</h2> <p>If 2025 was the year sustainability entered the governance mainstream, 2026 must be the year it becomes truly embedded operationally. This requires:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>lifecycle-first hardware planning</li> <li>sustainable procurement frameworks</li> <li>disciplined cloud governance</li> <li>accredited IT asset disposal</li> <li>circular IT strategies</li> <li>audit-ready data destruction</li> <li>transparent, verifiable reporting</li> <li>cross-functional ownership</li> </ul> <p>Sustainability is no longer a trend or competitive differentiator. It is becoming an essential hallmark of responsible technology leadership. While challenges remain, the momentum we’ve seen this year suggests that the sector is increasingly prepared to confront its environmental responsibilities and make meaningful, measurable change.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more from the IT Sustainability Think Tank</h3> <ul style="list-style-type: square;" class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Environmental-trends-to-redefine-IT-strategies-in-2025">Sustainability has shifted from a buzzword to a business imperative</a>. It is no longer just a tick-box exercise – it is now a central pillar shaping the future of enterprise strategy, according to Gartner.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-The-10-energy-risks-enterprises-must-prepare-for-now">As the global transition towards developing low-carbon economies continues apace</a>, Gartner shares its take on the actions enterprises must take now to navigate an increasingly volatile energy landscape.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-How-IT-directors-can-spot-false-green-claims-from-Big-Tech-suppliers">In an era where nearly every tech supplier touts green credentials</a>, IT directors face the challenging task of separating genuine sustainability commitments from marketing spin. But how?</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> A year is a long time in tech, and the same is true of IT sustainability. So here are some reflections on how the green IT conversation changed during 2025 https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/IT-sustainability-think-tank-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Why-2025-was-a-turning-point-for-greening-up-enterprise-IT Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:18:00 GMT <p>The hyperscalers’ hold on the global, multibillion-pound cloud computing market has come under repeated scrutiny over the past couple of years from governments, regulators and trade bodies.</p> <p>In broad terms, the purpose of this scrutiny is to ascertain if the market’s biggest hitters, which include Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft, are behaving in anti-competitive ways to grow and protect their market-leading positions.</p> <p>Where Microsoft’s activities are concerned, there is one particular behaviour the company <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366570212/Competition-in-the-cloud-Microsofts-unfair-licensing-tactics-under-the-microscope">participates in that has been singled out for criticism in many of these investigations</a>.&nbsp;That behaviour concerns its widely criticised practice of charging customers more for wanting to run and host its software (namely Windows Server) in competing cloud environments.</p> <p>It is claimed the tactic can make it cost-prohibitive for enterprise cloud users to run Microsoft’s software anywhere but on the software giant’s own public cloud platform Azure, which could potentially give it an unfair advantage when it comes to building its share of the cloud infrastructure market.</p> <p>As <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366570212/Competition-in-the-cloud-Microsofts-unfair-licensing-tactics-under-the-microscope">previously reported by Computer Weekly</a>, the UK communications market regulator&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366554453/Ofcom-refers-UK-cloud-market-to-CMA-for-deeper-anti-trust-probe">Ofcom raised a red flag about the issue in</a> its October 2023 UK cloud market study, which paved the way for a two-year follow-up investigation by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/The-CMA-anti-trust-investigation-into-AWS-and-Microsoft-explained-Everything-you-need-to-know">which concluded in July 2025</a>.</p> <p>The CMA’s 637-page investigative report devoted more than 170 pages to discussing Microsoft’s cloud licensing habits in detail, and concluded the company’s practices are “adversely impacting the competitiveness of AWS and Google [specifically] in the supply of cloud services” and “reducing competition in [the] cloud services market”.</p> <p>The CMA also stated that Microsoft’s licensing practices, “in combination with other features we have identified”, are further limiting the choice and “attractiveness” of alternative products and suppliers.</p> <p>As a result, the CMA recommended that Microsoft be subject to targeted and bespoke interventions to remedy the impact the company’s behaviour is having on the UK cloud infrastructure services market as a whole.</p> <p>At the time of writing, it is unclear when exactly in 2026 the CMA’s recommendations are likely to come into effect and what the long-term impact of them will be on Microsoft’s behaviour.</p> <p>Meanwhile, in November 2025, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634615/European-Commission-launches-AWS-and-Microsoft-focused-cloud-competition-probes">the European Commission launched a separate probe into Microsoft’s hold on the continent’s cloud market</a>, which is expected to culminate in a final report within 18 months.</p> <p>In the meantime, work is underway to secure financial recourse for UK businesses in the form of a burgeoning group legal action, which is open to any firm that fears it may have paid more “at any point since December 2018” to use Microsoft’s software in the AWS, Google or Alibaba public clouds.</p> <p>Overseeing this effort is Italian competition lawyer, Maria Luisa Stasi, with the support of complex disputes resolution firm, Scott+Scott. They claim UK firms affected by Microsoft’s cloud licensing practices could be collectively owed £2bn in compensation.</p> <p>The first round of court hearings on the issue are due to take place at the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) on 11 December 2025.</p> <p>The hearing’s purpose is to determine if a collective proceedings order (CPO) for the matter should be granted. This is a legal mechanism that allows a collective action involving multiple claimants with similar issues to band together in a single legal action against an entity (in this case, Microsoft) on anti-competition grounds.</p> <p>If the CAT grants the order, that will certify Stasi’s claim and means her case against Microsoft can proceed to full trial, putting the businesses that have allegedly been left financially disadvantaged by Microsoft’s actions one step closer to being compensated.</p> <p>The case itself has been more than a year in the making, as news that Stasi had submitted a claim <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366616330/Microsoft-hit-with-1bn-UK-legal-claim-over-anti-competitive-cloud-licensing-tactics">for consideration to CAT first emerged in December 2024</a>, with it being confirmed at the time that this claim would take the form of an “opt-out collective action”.</p> <p>This approach makes it possible for class actions, such as Stasi’s case, to proceed against a company like Microsoft without needing to get those allegedly affected by its behaviour involved and onside first.</p> <p>Over the past 12 months, Microsoft has been given the chance to respond to the claim, and – in October 2025 – Stasi issued her first call for businesses that suspect they’ve fallen foul of Microsoft’s alleged licensing practices to get in touch and join her group action.</p> <p>Ahead of the 11 December CAT court date, Computer Weekly sat down with Stasi to find out what it is about Microsoft’s cloud licensing practices that persuaded her to take on this fight on behalf of the UK business community.</p> <p>“Microsoft is dominant on some parts of the [IT infrastructure] stack and is using this power to impose things that otherwise will be difficult to accept for business users, and the reality is that they can do that because they limit choice for people,” she says.</p> <p>“It’s not just about the [fact its services are] overpriced, it’s also about how difficult it is for users to switch and use other providers, and how that limits competition within the market.”</p> <p>She adds: “[The cloud market] is a sector of the economy that should be very vibrant, innovative and open because we all rely on it, but it’s not. And someone is making a profit out of this situation, so things need to change.”</p> <p>Stasi makes the point that it would be very difficult for a single business, upset with its treatment by Microsoft, to launch a legal action against the company alone and achieve that change.</p> <blockquote> <div class="imagecaption alignLeft"> <img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/computerweekly/Maria%20Luisa%20Stasi-competition-lawyer-140x180px.jpg" alt="Photo of competition lawyer Maria Luisa Stasi, who is taking legal action against Microsoft"> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><span style="color: #34495e;">“[It’s] my mission. to represent all of [the affected users] and try to get their money back, working on the theory that together, you’re a stronger force”</span></strong></span></p> <p><em><span style="color: #34495e;">Maria Luisa Stasi, competition lawyer</span></em></p> </blockquote> <p>“That’s my mission. I want to represent all of [the affected users] and try to get their money back on their behalf, working on the theory that if you unite together, you’re going to be a stronger force to be reckoned with.”</p> <p>The UK court system is set up well to support this kind of claim, she says, with one of the most advanced systems in Europe for pursuing this kind of group claim. “It’s also exciting to be part of shaping this body of law that, to me, is one of the best guarantees we have for the public interest to be respected.”</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Momentum for change"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Momentum for change</h2> <p>Citing the European Commission’s recently launched investigation into Microsoft, and the previous work done by Ofcom and the CMA to bring to light aspects of the software giant’s anti-competitive behaviours, Stasi says there is a real momentum building to get the software giant to change how it operates.&nbsp;</p> <p>However, change will take time, she admits. “We are hoping to see some remedies introduced soon [on the back of the outcome of the CMA’s work], but it’s not a fast process, and even my proposed class action is not going to progress quickly.”</p> <p>She says: “We went to court a year ago, and we’re hoping to have the certification in a couple of weeks’ time, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to get judgment anytime soon. But if we get certified [after 11 December 2025], we can start working towards the trial, and the game is on.”</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Microsoft’s take on Stasi’s case"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Microsoft’s take on Stasi’s case</h2> <p>Perhaps unsurprisingly, Microsoft has not taken the news of Stasi’s legal action particularly well, with a spokesperson for the company sharing a statement with Computer Weekly that accuses Stasi of trying to opportunistically capitalise on Google Cloud’s complaint to the European Commission about Microsoft’s licensing practices.</p> <p><a href="https://preview.pg.techtarget.com:8080/ComputerWeekly/news/366635494/Google-Cloud-withdraws-complaint-with-European-Commission-over-Microsofts-cloud-licensing-tactics">Incidentally, Google Cloud withdrew its complaint on 28 November 2025</a>, citing the European Commission’s decision to conduct its own investigation into Microsoft’s grip on the continent’s cloud computing market. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“This is an opportunistic attempt by a law firm and its private funders to piggy-back on baseless complaints Google has made and which we’ve all addressed or rebutted,” the Microsoft spokesperson’s statement reads.</p> <p>“We enable our cloud competitors to profit by offering our products to their cloud customers, and our competitors set their own prices when they do this.”</p> <p>Stasi dismisses Microsoft’s take on her legal action and the notion that its existence owes anything to Google’s (now abortive) attempt to address its rival’s cloud licensing strategy.</p> <p>“I’m grateful to my brilliant legal team and supportive funders, but the driving force for this case is me. What’s more, my voice is not alone. UK regulators found that Microsoft charges higher prices for using its software on rival cloud services,” she says.&nbsp;“The European Commission recently announced a similar probe into Microsoft’s cloud services.”</p> <p>In response to Computer Weekly’s questions about how Microsoft has engaged with the legal process so far, she says:&nbsp; “It won’t surprise you that we have a completely different reading of what the impact of its actions are on the class [the businesses involved] and on those sectors of the economy overall.”</p> <p>She continues: “We’re trying to do everything we can to solve all the different things that can be solved before getting to a potential trial, so that the latter can be straightforward and proceed as fast as is reasonably possible.”</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> I would be very surprised if nothing changes in the cloud market over the next five years. There are political discussions, policy discussions and enforcement actions coming down the line, so everything seems to be in place for a change to come </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Maria Luisa Stasi, competition lawyer</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>The trial will also be an opportunity to address what Stasi describes as an “asymmetry of information” in this case, which would not be possible without getting Microsoft into the courtroom.</p> <p>“One of the aspects covered by this asymmetry of information is how many clients are actually paying what I consider to be an overcharge [to run Microsoft software in competing clouds],” she says.</p> <p>“This is something I don’t know precisely, but our experts have been estimating this based on publicly accessible information. The precise number is known to Microsoft, but this type of disclosure won’t happen unless we go to trial.”</p> <p>She adds: “The piece that I’m arguing is that Microsoft’s [behaviour around licensing has] a real financial impact on many, many businesses and public administrations, which needs addressing.”</p> <p>With an imminent court date, the CMA’s actions set to take effect in 2026, and the European Commission’s own investigation into Microsoft now underway, Stasi says she is confident that the cloud market will become a much more level playing field in the years to come.</p> <p>“I would be very, very surprised if, in five years from now, we’re sitting, having this conversation and nothing has changed,” she says.</p> <p>“This class action might be one of the entry points [for change] and is particularly targeted on claiming back some extra charges, but there is a lot going on [in the cloud market] with the European Commission investigation and the CMA and the work they’re doing to restructure the market, but this is only part of the story.”</p> <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366633473/Government-faces-questions-about-why-US-AWS-outage-disrupted-UK-tax-office-and-banking-firms">She then went on to cite the October 2025 AWS outage</a> in the US, which had far-reaching consequences across the globe, as further evidence that having a market so reliant on just a handful of large tech firms is far from ideal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“The outages are a strong reminder of what kind of harms and problems we can face as a democracy and as a citizenry, if we keep on having this environment so concentrated and so controlled in brackets by just a few global players,” she says.</p> <p>“This makes it extremely difficult to guarantee basic principles such as observability, transparency, accountability and resilience. I would be very surprised if nothing changes in the cloud market over the next five years. There are political discussions, there are policy discussions, and there are enforcement actions coming down the line, so everything seems to be in place for a change to come.”</p> <hr> <p><em>UK companies interested in joining Stasi’s legal action can find out more about it here: <a title="https://ukcloudclaim.com/register/" href="https://ukcloudclaim.com/register/">ukcloudclaim.com/register</a>.</em></p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about Microsoft’s cloud licensing issues</h3> <ul style="list-style-type: square;" class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366628071/Microsoft-reports-massive-cloud-uptick-as-CMA-questions-licensing">Latest quarterly results show that the Microsoft cloud is booming</a>, but the CMA is not happy with how it is winning business.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366626998/Law-professor-urges-CMA-to-take-swift-and-urgent-action-over-Microsoft-cloud-licensing">University of Leeds law professor has published an academic paper calling on the CMA</a>&nbsp;not to drag its heels on correcting Microsoft’s controversial cloud licensing habits.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> Microsoft’s approach to cloud licensing has been labelled anti-competitive and cost-prohibitive to enterprises by regulators, and now Maria Luisa Stasi is the competition lawyer looking to take the company to task over its behaviour https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/cloud-money-finance-investment-savings-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366635440/Interview-Meet-the-competition-lawyer-taking-Microsoft-to-task-over-its-cloud-licensing-tactics Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:00:00 GMT <p>Flights to and from Edinburgh Airport are continuing to be beset by delays, after an undisclosed IT issue grounded passengers for around an hour on the morning of Friday 5 December 2025.</p> <p>The airport issued a statement via its social media channels at around 9.30am, confirming that no flights were currently arriving or departing from the site due an “IT issue” affecting its air traffic control provider.</p> <p>“Teams are working on the issue and will resolve as soon as possible,” the statement added.</p> <p>Over the course of a series of messages, shared online with affected passengers, Edinburgh Airport confirmed the downtime was not caused by a “national issue”.</p> <p>At around 10.40am, a follow-up statement was released by the airport, confirming that flights were resuming, with the unspecified IT issue seemingly resolved.</p> <p>At the time of writing, no further details about the incident have been released by Edinburgh Airport.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the airport’s live departures and arrivals information site confirms the incident appears to have had a knock-on impact for many of the flights that are scheduled to take off and arrive there for the rest of the day.</p> <p>Computer Weekly understands that Edinburgh Airport’s air traffic control provider is a company called Air Navigation Solutions, with the latter company’s website talking about the “long-term partnership” that exists between the two entities.</p> <p>It states that <a href="https://ans-atc.com/news/">Air Navigation Solutions is responsible for providing air traffic control and air traffic engineering</a> services to the airport.</p> <p>Computer Weekly contacted the company to clarify its working relationship with Edinburgh Airport, and to see if it could shed any further light on the cause of today’s outage. At the time of publication, however, no response had been received.</p> <p>IT issues are often cited as a factor in downtime incidents at airports, serving to <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450420405/The-British-Airways-IT-outage-What-went-wrong-with-its-datacentre">underscore vulnerabilities in some sites’ legacy IT systems and datacentres</a>, while highlighting the broader technological challenges site operators face.</p> <p>Also, given how widespread and high-profile the disruption caused by an IT incident at an airport can be, these sites have also found themselves the targets of cyber attacks.</p> <p>For example, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366631755/NCA-arrests-man-following-cyber-attack-that-disrupted-air-travel">London Heathrow Airport was among the targets of a wide-scale</a>, aviation industry-focused, ransomware-based cyber attack that came to light in September 2025.</p> <p>That incident could be traced back to a ransomware attack on the systems of commercial aviation services supplier Collins Aerospace, and<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366631592/Cyber-attack-that-downed-airport-systems-confirmed-as-ransomware"> caused flight cancellations and delays across Europe</a>, with Berlin, Brandenburg, Brussels and Dublin airports all affected, along with London Heathrow.</p> <p>Speaking about the incident at the time, <a href="https://www.eset.com/uk/">ESET</a> global cyber security advisor Jake Moore said the cyber attack served to highlight just how disruptive IT issues can be to the aviation industry as a whole.</p> <p>“When the supply chain is attacked in the aviation industry, the disruption hits on a damaging global scale. Since the outage stems from a third-party provider for check-in and boarding systems, it shows how a single point of failure can ripple quickly across multiple countries, causing widespread problems,” said Moore.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about aviation-related IT issues</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366628224/UK-flights-suspended-after-air-traffic-control-outage">Flights arriving and departing from the UK were disrupted by an outage</a> affecting technical systems at air traffic control body NATS’ Swanwick facility.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450420405/The-British-Airways-IT-outage-What-went-wrong-with-its-datacentre">BA has blamed “human error” for its bank holiday datacentre outage</a>, but the Uptime Institute suggests there may be more to it than that.</li> </ul> </div> </div> An unspecified IT issue affecting Edinburgh Airport’s air traffic control services provider has led to flight delays and cancellations https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/aircraft-landing-plane-travel-adobe.jpeg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366635873/Edinburgh-Airport-grounds-flights-due-to-IT-issue-affecting-air-traffic-control-provider Fri, 05 Dec 2025 10:03:00 GMT <p>A coalition of countries has provided Ukraine with more than €1.3bn of telecommunications, information technology and other high-tech equipment since Russia began the deadliest conflict in Europe since the Second World War.</p> <p>Although €1.3bn may be small compared with Ukraine’s military budget, the equipment – provided with the support of Western governments and companies – has been critical to allow Ukraine’s government and institutions to continue functioning under Russian attack.</p> <p>Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar, chair of the IT Coalition Steering Group, told Computer Weekly that with peace talks floundering in Moscow, the group is prepared for a long game, and is ready to support Ukraine’s technology infrastructure for the next five or, if necessary, 10 years.</p> <p>Russia’s attempts to use “well-crafted” <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623547/UK-at-risk-of-Russian-cyber-and-physical-attacks-as-Ukraine-seeks-peace-deal">cyber attacks</a> to destabilise Ukraine just before troops crossed the border were largely unsuccessful, she told Computer Weekly.</p> <p>Speaking ahead of a talk at the <a href="https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-training-events/cyberthreat-2025">SANS CyberThreat Summit</a> in London, Tiirmaa-Klaar said that Russian attacks included a widely reported attempt to deploy wiper software to destroy data on Ukraine’s critical computer systems.</p> <p>Ukraine had the support networks in place to patch the zero-day vulnerabilities used in the attack in a matter of hours.</p> <p>An attack by Russia on Ukraine’s train network the day before Russian troops crossed the boarder also failed, said Tiirmaa-Klaar. “By the time the invasion happened, and you needed to evacuate, the trains were running again,” she said. The defence was good enough and resilient enough, and that is why we could not see major <a href="https://informaplc-my.sharepoint.com/personal/bill_goodwin_informa_com/Documents/Documents/SANS%20CYBERTHREAT%20SUMMIT/Heli%20Tiirma-Klaar%20INTERVIEW.docx">cyber disruptions during the invasion</a>.</p> <p>“The Ukrainians were quite successful, especially in the early days of the conflict, keeping the lights on, keeping the phones working, the trains running and other critical services running despite major cyber attacks,” said Tiirmaa-Klaar.</p> <p>Ukraine was able to prepare in advance by moving government data to cloud systems run by the major hyperscalers. It meant that even if data was destroyed during the war, there were backups available.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Russia behind ‘hybrid attacks’"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Russia behind ‘hybrid attacks’</h2> <p>Since Russia launched its military action, cyber attacks are no longer a Russian priority in Ukraine. Tiirmaa-Klaar added: “The Russian rationale would be, ‘Why do we need to cyber bomb if we can actually bomb?’</p> <p>“Their main goal is political, and the main means for them is still the military – troops on the ground and tanks rolling over the border,” she said. “They don’t see hybrid warfare and cyber as key capabilities once they have decided to invade.”</p> <p>Moscow is widely believed to be behind drones and balloon incursions that have disrupted airports in Europe, and the sabotage of undersea communications cables.</p> <p>“I think this is the old tactic of creating disruptions, testing the response and trying to influence public opinion … to show that [Russia] can bring the war closer to you if you continue to support Ukraine,” said Tiirmaa-Klaar.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Information wars"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Information wars</h2> <p>Tiirmaa-Klaar said the media has also played a part in amplifying Russia’s disruption tactics, by over-publicising the disruption caused by suspected Russian drones in some Western countries.</p> <p>“The way the journalists responded was a dream for Russian operatives because they just spread chaos,” she said.</p> <p>The tactic is called “reflexive control” – setting up the conditions so that an enemy responds the way Russia intended. “You create the decision-making ground,” explained Tiirmaa-Klaar. “You can anticipate their next steps because you know how your actions are going to influence them.”</p> <p>Fighting hybrid warfare poses a tougher challenge than fighting cyber attacks, she added. It will need government agencies, the military and civilians to collaborate in new ways.</p> <p>Tiirmaa-Klaar pointed to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/11/finland-accuses-tanker-crew-sabotage-undersea-cables-anchor">Finland’s response to a Russian ship suspected of cutting critical cable links</a> between Estonia and Finland last year as an example of the type of response needed.</p> <p>Finland boarded the ship and arrested the crew, and it sent an important political message, she said: “You mess with us, and we mess with you. If we respond properly, if we get our act together, then we diminish the probability that we will be influenced by these hybrid operations.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about Russian cyber attacks against Ukraine &nbsp;</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>With the third anniversary of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine passing this week, Charl Van Der Walt reflects on how the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Reflecting-on-three-years-of-cyber-warfare-in-Ukraine">cyber threat landscape</a> in Europe has changed since 2022.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623547/UK-at-risk-of-Russian-cyber-and-physical-attacks-as-Ukraine-seeks-peace-deal">UK at risk of Russian cyber and physical attacks as Ukraine seeks peace deal</a>: UK cyber security chief warns of ‘direct connection’ between Russian cyber attacks and physical threats to the UK.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366617232/Russia-focuses-cyber-attacks-on-Ukraine-rather-than-West-despite-rising-tension">Russia focuses cyber attacks on Ukraine rather than West despite rising tension</a>: Computer Weekly talks to GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre operations director Paul Chichester and former NCSC chief executive Ciaran Martin on Russia, China and Salt Typhoon.</li> </ul> </div> </div> <p>The IT Coalition Steering Group Tiirmaa-Klaar chairs was established in 2023 after Russia’s second invasion against Ukraine in February 2022.</p> <p>A US initiative led to the <a href="https://uamission.com/ukraine-defense-contact-group/">Ramstein Coalition</a>, which today brings together 56 countries – including European Union and Nato members – to provide military support to Ukraine.</p> <p>Some 10 subgroups provide support in areas ranging from maritime equipment, to artillery, drones and de-mining. Tiirmaa-Klaar chairs the IT coalition, a group of 18 countries which provides Ukraine with hardware, software, tactical communications cyber defences and IT hardware.</p> <p>Military procurement is notoriously slow, so the IT coalition focuses on dual-use devices, such as laptops, tactical radio communications equipment and satellite communications technology.</p> <p>Ukraine has “a very long list” of equipment that it needs, which is constantly updated. Every time there is a battle, essential equipment including radios and computer equipment is lost and will need replacing.</p> <p>There are also logistical challenges ensuring that equipment reaches the front line, which might be more than 2,000km away.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Old phone masts could help Ukraine"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Old phone masts could help Ukraine</h2> <p>A priority is to source decommissioned mobile phone masts that could be used to provide Ukraine with military communications. The group is also supplying equipment for the Ukrainian military to build datacentres and private clouds.</p> <p>Tiirmaa-Klaar is far from optimistic that the current peace talks brokered by the US will bring a quick end to the conflict. “Putin has no interest, as far as I can see, in ending the war,” she said.</p> <p>The IT coalition is prepared, with a three-year plan, a five-year plan, and – if necessary – a 10-year plan.</p> <p>“We will go on even after peace is signed, because if peace is signed, we do not know how long it will hold,” said Tiirmaa-Klaar. “And the Ukrainian armed forces still need to build up capabilities, even in peace time, because they need to have credible deterrence.”</p> </section> Russia is deploying hybrid warfare against Europe as western nations supply critical IT and telecoms equipment to Ukraine’s front line https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/Ukraine-Kyiv-Kiev-city-OFarion-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366635678/Western-coalition-supplying-tech-to-Ukraine-prepared-for-long-war Thu, 04 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMT <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366612012/Google-Cloud-files-complaint-with-European-Commission-over-Microsofts-cloud-licensing-practices">Google Cloud has confirmed the withdrawal of a complaint it filed with the European Commission (EC) in September 2024</a>, relating to Microsoft’s controversial cloud licensing strategy, whereby it charges customers higher fees for wanting to run its software in competing cloud environments.</p> <p>The issue has seen Microsoft repeatedly come in for criticism and scrutiny from regulators, trade bodies and cloud market stakeholders from around the world in recent years, with research previously <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366542697/Microsoft-slammed-for-hitting-European-cloud-users-with-unfair-additional-charges">claiming the tactic is costing enterprises billions in additional annual licensing fees</a>.</p> <p>As previously reported by Computer Weekly, Google Cloud announced in September 2024 its intention to file an antitrust complaint with the EC, on the basis that Microsoft’s cloud licensing strategy put customers at increased risk of supplier lock-in by making it cost-prohibitive for them to switch between providers.</p> <p>Speaking at the time of the complaint’s filing, Amit Zavery, former vice-president, general manager and head of platform at Google Cloud, said Microsoft’s products – particularly Windows Server – were prevalent across the enterprise IT market, with users running them in private datacentres, on-premise environments and in the cloud.</p> <p>“What Microsoft does is restrict those licences to be taken to other cloud providers and puts them all towards Azure, and [in doing so is] linking the on-premise products, as well as Windows Server, to Azure, which are really two different markets. One is around the operating system and on-premise, and the other one is about cloud,” said Lavery, who left Google in October 2024.</p> <p>“That’s why we believe this regulatory action is the only way to end Microsoft vendor lock-in and for customers to have a choice, and create a level playing field for customers.”</p> <p>Despite these concerns, Google has confirmed its complaint against Microsoft has now been withdrawn, as of Friday 28 November 2025, in the wake of the EC’s decision to launch its own probe into Microsoft’s hold on the continent’s cloud market.</p> <p>In a statement, Giorgia Albetino, head of government affairs and public policy at Google Cloud Europe, said the company stands by its previous misgivings about Microsoft’s behaviour, and the contents of its original complaint.</p> <p>“We filed our antitrust complaint with the European Commission (EC) to give voice to our customers and partners about the issue of anti-competitive cloud licensing practices,” said Albetino.</p> <p>“We are withdrawing it in light of the recent announcement that the EC will assess problematic practices affecting the cloud sector under a separate process.”</p> <p>Albetino continued: “We stand behind the arguments outlined in [<a href="https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/inside-google-cloud/filing-eu-complaint-against-microsoft-licensing">our earlier blog</a>], and we continue to work with policymakers, customers and regulators across the EU, the UK, and elsewhere to advocate for choice and openness in the cloud market.”</p> <p>The EC investigation into Microsoft was announced 10 days before Google decided to withdraw its complaint, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634615/European-Commission-launches-AWS-and-Microsoft-focused-cloud-competition-probes">which will centre on whether Microsoft should be brought into scope of the Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA)</a>.</p> <p>This would potentially see Microsoft being given “gatekeeper” status by the EC, in recognition of how much control the company has on the overall cloud computing market.</p> <p>As per the terms of the DMA, gatekeepers are typically large tech firms that are able to control access to digital services markets and, in turn, make it difficult for smaller companies to gain a foothold in them.</p> <p>They must also meet a specific set of market value, revenue generation and user number metrics to be labelled gatekeepers, and are expected to abide by rules set by the EC to encourage competition to thrive within the parts of the digital services market they operate in.</p> <p>Failing to follow these rules can result in the commission issuing fines of up to 10% of a company’s annual revenue for a first-time violation, rising to 20% for repeat offences.</p> <p>The EC also confirmed that a separate investigation along the same lines is also being launched into Amazon Web Services (AWS), with a final report on the findings uncovered as a result of these probes due within 18 months.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about Microsoft cloud licensing</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366628071/Microsoft-reports-massive-cloud-uptick-as-CMA-questions-licensing">The company’s latest quarterly results show that the Microsoft cloud is booming</a>. But the CMA is not happy with how it’s winning business.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366626998/Law-professor-urges-CMA-to-take-swift-and-urgent-action-over-Microsoft-cloud-licensing">University of Leeds law professor has published an academic paper calling on the UK Competition and Markets Authority</a> not to drag its heels on correcting Microsoft’s controversial cloud licensing habits.</li> </ul> </div> </div> More than a year has passed since Google filed a complaint with the European Commission, outlining its concerns over Microsoft’s licensing tactics, and now the internet search giant has withdrawn it https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/cloud-threat-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366635494/Google-Cloud-withdraws-complaint-with-European-Commission-over-Microsofts-cloud-licensing-tactics Mon, 01 Dec 2025 07:53:00 GMT <p>Chip manufacturers are warning of a shortage in <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Computer-storage-hardware">DRAM, NAND and probably HBM memory chips</a> because demand from cloud providers is outstripping supply. The problem is compounded by the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366628713/Trump-slaps-100-tariffs-on-chips-to-get-tech-onshore">Trump administration's recent ban on Chinese factories</a> manufacturing these components.</p> <p>The largest component manufacturer, Samsung, announced last week in the Korean press that it was going to focus on the production of DRAM chips to the detriment of NAND at its Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong factories in South Korea, which until now have manufactured both types of component.</p> <p>The reason given is that RAM is receiving the highest demand from customers. This explosion in the need for DRAM stems from <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366632030/How-AI-is-driving-a-rethink-of-storage-architecture">the high volumes of memory required in servers to load artificial intelligence (AI) models</a>, the size of which – often many tens of gigabytes - far exceeds that of traditional web applications. And that's just to cover inference needs – that is, the use of pre-trained AI by businesses.</p> <p>The pressure on DRAM manufacturing will have an impact on internal HBM memories in the <a href="https://www.lemagit.fr/actualites/366621277/GTC2025-Nvidia-recentre-sa-production-sur-les-GPU-haut-de-gamme">GPUs designed for AI training</a>. These are the same circuits in both cases - they are etched on the same chains. The difference lies in the way they are assembled on a communication bus. The HBM bus is very large, because it is designed to interface directly with the pins of a computing chip, whereas the bus for DDR5 chips is smaller, to accommodate a portion of the connections behind a chipset.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="60% on DDR5 prices and 100% by the end of 2026"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>60% on DDR5 prices and 100% by the end of 2026</h2> <p>Demand for more memory in servers is currently so great that the price of DDR5 DRAM components has rising by 60% on wholesale markets this month. Prices are set at the end of each month by manufacturers according to demand. Unusually, however, Samsung has delayed publication of its latest prices by a fortnight to take stock of the situation.</p> <p>According to Tobey Gonnerman, head of memory wholesaler Fusion Worldwide, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/samsung-hikes-memory-chip-prices-by-up-60-shortage-worsens-sources-say-2025-11-14/">quoted by <em>Reuters</em></a>, "Most server manufacturers and datacentre operators now have to accept they will no longer get their memory components on time, and that prices for premium access to stocks are already... extreme".</p> <p>A 32GB DDR5 chip is trading at $239, up from $149 at the end of September. A 16GB chip now costs $135 and a 64GB chip $1,194.</p> <p>One particular point is that Samsung, like its competitor and compatriot SK Hynix, has recently overhauled its production lines to engrave memories with greater finesse - generation 1c at Samsung (between 11 and 12 nanometres) and generation 1b at SK Hynix (between 12 and 13 nanometres). The problem is that the newness of these processes has resulted in a number of production failures. At Samsung, only 50-70% of the DRAM circuits engraved on a wafer are functional, compared with the usual 80%.</p> <p>Another aggravating factor is Nvidia's recently announced intention to use only LPDDR5 memory on its GPUs for inference by the end of 2026. This type of memory is more energy efficient than normal DDR5, which means that Nvidia's GPUs will consume less power. But LPDDR5 is also more complicated to manufacture. According to Gonnerman, quoted by <em>Reuters</em>, the widespread use of LPDDR5 would mean doubling the price of memory in servers.</p> <p>According to analysts, DRAM component prices are unlikely to stabilise before mid-2027.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="A shortage of SSDs too"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>A shortage of SSDs too</h2> <p>The fact that Samsung and SK Hynix are dismantling NAND production lines to install DRAM production lines will create a shortage of SSDs from the end of 2025 until the end of 2026.</p> <p>The first to sound the alarm was SSD manufacturer Phison in its <a href="https://www.phison.com/images/IR/3Q25_Phison%20Earnings%20Call_EN_Official_uploaded%20version.pdf">latest financial report</a>, published earlier this month. According to its CEO Khein-Seng Pua, the price of a 1-terabit TLC NAND chip (it takes eight to make 1TB) is now trading at $10.70 on the wholesale market, up from $4.80 this summer. All the SSDs that Phison will be producing in 2026 have already been sold and prices will continue to rise until 2027.</p> <p>Rival <a href="https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20251107PD227/memory-memory-module-sandisk-nand-revenue.html">SanDisk also announced</a> that all its NAND chip suppliers had increased prices by 50% between October and November. SanDisk also pointed out that it had had to wait an exceptional 15 days to obtain the updated monthly prices.</p> <p>According to analysts, SSD production is not just suffering from a probable drop in production at Samsung - it also has to respond to growing demand from AI infrastructure providers, who now prefer SSDs to HDDs to load tens of GBs of RAM more quickly from large language models (LLMs).</p> <p>As a result, Transcend, Innodisk and Apacer Technology, all three of which assemble NAND circuits into chips before reselling them to SSD manufacturers, have just posted unprecedented financial results - with sales up 27%, 64% and 70% in one year, respectively.</p> <p>In response to this sudden shortage, server and PC manufacturer Lenovo <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-24/lenovo-stockpiling-pc-memory-due-to-unprecedented-ai-squeeze">told <em>Bloomberg</em></a> that it is stockpiling DRAM and NAND components to supply all the machines it intends to manufacture by the end of 2026. Media reports suggest its rival Acer has sent a delegation to buy components direct from Samsung's factories, bypassing the usual wholesalers in the supply chain.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI and storage</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/What-are-the-storage-requirements-for-AI-training-and-inference">What are the storage requirements for AI training and inference?</a> Storage for AI must cope with huge volumes of data that can multiply rapidly as vector data is created, plus lightning-fast I/O requirements and the needs of agentic AI.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366633526/Qualcomm-gears-up-for-AI-inference-revolution">Qualcomm gears up for AI inference revolution</a> - Rack-based AI acceleration hardware is being positioned as a cost-effective and straightforward way to power AI inference workloads.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366622064/What-is-the-impact-of-US-tariffs-on-datacentre-equipment-costs">What is the impact of US tariffs on datacentre equipment costs?</a> Moore’s Law predicts that every 18 months, IT buyers can get more for the same outlay. But US tariffs may mean they end up paying a higher price.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> Hyperscalers and server manufacturers are ordering too many memory components for their AI infrastructures - more than the market can produce. As a result, prices are rocketing, and a shortage could last until 2027 https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/chip-processor-circuitboard-designhunt-2-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366635013/Chip-makers-warn-of-a-looming-shortage-in-DRAM-and-SSD Wed, 26 Nov 2025 06:04:00 GMT <p>As a play on the word “genesis”, the company’s brand evokes beginnings and new life, but for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/sustainability/feature/Tech-jobs-IT-pros-can-use-to-help-the-environment">chief sustainability officer (CSO)</a> Bridgette McAdoo, arriving at Genesys was founded in a series of roles and achievements, delivering broad and deep knowledge and experience.</p> <p>McAdoo started as an engineer at <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252508270/Interview-Identifying-talent-at-Nasa-using-data-science">Nasa</a> before moving into <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/ezine/Computer-Weekly/Viewing-business-through-a-sustainability-lens">sustainability</a> via pivotal roles at Yum! Brands and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF, formerly the World Wildlife Fund). She joined Genesys in 2020.</p> <p>With her engineering degree supplemented by a master’s in business administration (MBA) from the Drucker School of Management, she understands challenges and devises solutions from practical, empirical, science-based and business perspectives.</p> <p>At Genesys, she has worked on integrating sustainability into business key performance indicators (KPIs) with transparency and measurable outcomes, embedding sustainability into innovation and operations. Indeed, McAdoo emphasises an evolution towards formalised strategies and concrete practice since 2008.</p> <p>“Back then, they had constraints, where people did not feel it was a business imperative. You didn’t understand how to move the needle, versus today we have established what we think ‘good’ looks like, what the need is, and why it’s such a value driver,” she tells Computer Weekly.</p> <p>“And the unfortunate reality is now you’re facing a different battle of how to work with the inconsistencies across different regions on the importance of this space,” she says. “There’s so much misinformation now around sustainability.”</p> <p>By the time McAdoo was finishing her MBA in 2010, she had been working as a contractor at Nasa for almost 10 years. That had included “good core engineering work” on the space programme for different companies, including Hamilton engineering and aerospace firms Sundstrand and United Technologies. The latter is now merged with Raytheon.</p> <p>“Once I was taking my MBA classes, I really got into social responsibility and principles from <a href="https://drucker.institute/about-peter-drucker/">Peter Drucker</a>,” she says.</p> <p>A 20th-century academic, Drucker became known for a human-oriented approach to organisational thinking and management science.</p> <p>“I fell in love with this idea that my work could be my legacy, working to benefit society,” McAdoo confirms.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="A taste of the supply chain"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>A taste of the supply chain</h2> <p>After a chance meeting for the National Black MBA Association at a conference, Yum! Brands’ then chief sustainability officer put to McAdoo that her specific background was valuable.</p> <p>“He wanted me to come in and focus on the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-How-IT-buyers-can-verify-the-green-claims-of-their-supply-chain">supply chain</a> and the ops part of sustainability for them globally. So that’s what I did,” she says.</p> <p>PepsiCo spin-off Yum! includes fast food giants <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252529373/KFC-Pizza-Hut-parent-shuts-UK-restaurants-after-cyber-attack">KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut</a>. McAdoo was tasked with looking at ways to ensure the company examined the sourcing for its products, including how foodstuffs were grown. In addition, she had a focus on external relations on sustainability issues.</p> <blockquote> <div class="imagecaption alignLeft"> <img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/computerweekly/Bridgette-Bell-McAdoo-GENESYS-140x180px.jpg" alt="Photo of Bridgette McAdoo, chief sustainability officer at Genesys"> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><span style="color: #34495e;">“I got into social responsibility and principles from Peter Drucker. I fell in love with this idea that my work could be my legacy, working to benefit society”</span></strong></span></p> <p><em><span style="color: #34495e;">Bridgette McAdoo, Genesys</span></em></p> </blockquote> <p>McAdoo “kind of fell in love” with the topic. One partner was the WWF, so she followed that up with the non-profit role at WWF eight years later.</p> <p>“They were such a strong partner,” she says. “I loved working with WWF on that intersection between the food and water organisations. So all the restaurants, hotels, anything you can think of that has a large supply chain and food and water code, Pepsi had worked with them.”</p> <p>The mission was partly to help WWF counter the fact that a lot of the time, while conservation organisations want conversations and want to work with businesses, they’re deep into the science – as they should be – it can come across to profit-driven entities as impractical, she explains.</p> <p>Of course, science done right is not based on flights of fancy. It can be the most practical thing ever.</p> <p>But McAdoo points out that sometimes science-based organisations, perhaps especially non-profits, can include stakeholders who have never been in a business environment. There’s not a shared language to have productive conversations about how to drive practical changes or integrate them into a business.</p> <p>That can end up being seen as a utopian perspective with little reference to the day-by-day realities of <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/An-action-plan-for-net-zero-compatible-with-budget-contraints">earning revenues and staying sustainable</a> in the business sense.</p> <p>“That’s where the disconnect happens,” she says. “So you still have to show that there’s a business case behind it. Most companies want to do the right thing, but they also have to make a profit. You have to show them that you can do both. And that’s the power of the sustainability role.”</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Onwards and upwards"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Onwards and upwards</h2> <p>Moving to Genesys in late 2020 realised a new opportunity for McAdoo to progress her mission.</p> <p>That meant influencing collaborative efforts targeting net zero across the company, based on validated science-based targets, by 2040. Indeed, the company’s operations <a href="https://www.genesys.com/company/sustainability">achieved carbon neutrality this year, reducing emissions by 13% in 12 months</a> versus fiscal 2024.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> You have to show that there’s a business case behind [sustainability]. Most companies want to do the right thing, but they also have to make a profit. You have to show them that you can do both. And that’s the power of the sustainability role </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Bridgette McAdoo, Genesys</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>“It’s been an absolutely beautiful ride. Night and day, people ask how you go from space shuttles to tacos and pizzas, to ‘being a panda’ (referencing the WWF logo), and into the AI [artificial intelligence] space and tech, and I always tell them it’s very intentional,” she says.</p> <p>Regardless of product or sector, the overarching goals have been about ensuring knowledge and applying it. Organisations must have proper protocols and processes in place to scale responsibly. At the same time, they need to understand how employees can have a place where they feel seen and belong, while ensuring societal impacts do not hinder or harm the workplace or its growth.</p> <p>“That’s the same, regardless. I’m just blessed that I get to do it at Genesys, a company 100% committed to it, top down and bottom up,” says McAdoo.</p> <p>Every month or year, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/sustainability/feature/A-guide-to-change-management-for-sustainability">there’s something new</a> to talk about when it comes to sustainability. At the same time, the role reinforces her “unwavering commitment to the work” of leaving society better than she found it.</p> <p>McAdoo emphasises the need for transparency coupled with good, accurate, appropriate data, especially throughout the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/The-supply-chain-sustainability-software-market-demystified">supply chain</a>. For years, obtaining reliable data and information on which to base sustainability decisions, that don’t also harm a business in a two steps forward, three steps back kind of way, has been challenging. Only now is sustainability coming to the fore for many, if not all, businesses, partly as a result of CSO efforts.</p> <p>It’s harder than it might sound. It’s about getting everyone to make sure they are being transparent and that the necessary supply chain information is available. It includes doing all diligence around developing and implementing guidelines that facilitate information sharing that ultimately feeds sustainability initiatives and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/sustainability/feature/Sustainability-and-ESG-glossary-Terms-to-know">environment, social and governance (ESG)</a> audits.</p> <p>“For any organisation, supply chain data is always going to be the hardest part, getting that transparency for your ecosystem,” says McAdoo.</p> <p>Genesys has been reporting on its related strategy and measurable outcomes for almost five years now, showing “progress and momentum year on year”. That includes emissions reduction, growth in volunteerism, sustainable scalability, and sustainable design implementation and practices. This, too, has been quite intentional – it doesn’t occur by accident, she emphasises.</p> <p>“We’ve integrated sustainability into our business KPIs. It’s become just an organic extension of how we work and how we grow. And it’s a passion for me whenever I get to merge my personal and professional values because of Genesys,” she says. “Because sustainability hasn’t just been <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Helping-IT-directors-see-through-suppliers-greenwashing-claims">an add-on</a>. We’re not checking boxes.”</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Sustaining the energy"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Sustaining the energy</h2> <p>McAdoo also says that, despite the politics of the past nine months or so – especially, as a casual observer might note, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/How-AI-and-the-Trump-administration-are-fuelling-quiet-quitting-on-IT-sustainability">in the US</a> – “the energy was already there” and has been sustained. The task of embedding and sustaining better policy and practice, setting goals and reporting on those goals continues. It was already embedded into how Genesys innovates and how it operates and grows.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> We’ve integrated sustainability into our business KPIs. It’s become just an organic extension of how we work and how we grow </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Bridgette McAdoo, Genesys</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>Its sustainable supply chain initiatives continue, therefore, including the implementation of strategies to tackle <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/sustainability/feature/Scope-1-2-and-3-emissions-Differences-with-examples">Scope 3 emissions</a>&nbsp;and green events and internal emissions management. The work of implementing and enhancing procurement guidelines in line with ESG audits, overseen by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified offices across the globe, also continues. Three new such offices have opened in the past year – in Budapest, Riyadh and Manila.</p> <p>McAdoo adds that it also means thinking seriously about <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/news/366630408/Genesys-updates-contact-center-AI-agent-orchestration-tools">AI</a>, working with the engineering and product teams on sustainable AI by design, to avoid wasting energy, including in the cloud.</p> <p>“There’s a multi-layered approach. Different things that happen across our business and across our ecosystem to ensure that we continue to reduce our emissions,” she says. “Every decision we make is measured, not just by our business outcomes, but also the impact that’s going to have, with the future in mind.”</p> <p>Regional differences in applicability remain, of course, not least with respect to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/news/366605120/EU-Calif-climate-risk-rules-prompt-companies-to-prepare">inconsistent or patchy regulatory frameworks</a>. Politics does and will likely always influence reporting requirements, including around climate and the environment.</p> <p>McAdoo agrees that regions and governments could work together better sometimes, accelerating emissions reduction and sustainability. But that doesn’t mean companies are taking their eyes off the ball or expect to relax their commitments. Apart from anything else, sustainability remains a differentiator for Genesys, not least because that matters to customers.</p> <p>There’s often a “very precarious balance” to strike, especially for global entities that must meet the needs of customers worldwide. And there have been headwinds. Rollbacks and dilutions thus far include anticipated US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) climate rules and European Union <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/sustainability/tip/CSRD-explained-What-US-other-companies-need-to-know">Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) guidelines</a>, she notes.</p> <p>“I think that’s what people were hoping was going to happen with the CSRD, and then that got rolled back with all the political changes around climate reporting and just climate in general, whether it’s in the US or the UK,” says McAdoo. “But we’re going to continue to do the work.”</p> </section> How resolving to ‘leave society better than you found it’ can open up solid opportunities at the intersection of science-based initiatives and business objectives https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/IT-sustainability-interviews-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634183/Interview-Bridgette-McAdoo-of-Genesys-on-steering-sustainability-goals-to-success Wed, 26 Nov 2025 04:26:00 GMT <p>Just weeks after the&nbsp;IT and networking giant revealed that it had developed software designed to make the new networking paradigm work through networking application demos for classical use cases, Cisco has announced a partnership with IBM to build a network of large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers, laying the groundwork for networked distributed quantum computing, to be realised as soon as the early 2030s.</p> <p>The two firms believe that <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366632022/Cisco-unveils-software-to-accelerate-quantum-networks">distributed quantum networks</a> could lay the groundwork towards a quantum computing internet defined by quantum computers, sensors and communication in the late 2030s.</p> <p><a href="https://research.ibm.com/">By combining IBM’s expertise in building</a> quantum computers with Cisco’s quantum networking <a href="https://www.cisco.com/">development work</a>, the companies plan to explore how to scale large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers. Additionally, they plan to work to solve fundamental challenges towards a quantum computing internet.</p> <p>Within five years, IBM and Cisco will aim to demonstrate the first proof-of-concept for a network that combines individual, large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers, enabling them to work together to run computations over tens to hundreds of thousands of qubits. They believe such a network could allow problems to be run with potentially trillions of quantum gates, the fundamental entangling operations required for transformative quantum applications such as massive optimisation problems, or the design of complex materials and medicines.</p> <p>The companies are targeting an initial proof of concept demonstration by the end of 2030, for which they plan to entangle qubits from multiple separate quantum computers located in distinct cryogenic environments. Doing so, the companies argue, will require them to invent new connections, including microwave-optical transducers and a <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366632022/Cisco-unveils-software-to-accelerate-quantum-networks">supporting software stack</a>.</p> <p>To scale beyond linking two quantum computers that are separate but physically close, IBM and Cisco are additionally planning to explore how to transmit qubits over longer distances, such as between buildings or datacentres. To achieve this, the companies will explore optical-photon and microwave-optical transducer technologies and investigate how they can be incorporated into a quantum network to transfer quantum information as needed.</p> <p>The firms also say that to link together multiple quantum computers, an appropriate interface will be necessary. IBM plans to build a <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634549/UAE-to-launch-first-space-to-ground-quantum-communication-network">quantum networking unit (QNU)</a> to serve as the interface to a <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366625113/Noisy-quantum-hardware-could-crack-RSA-2048-in-seven-days">quantum processing unit (QPU)</a>, with the explicit task of taking stationary quantum information in the QPU and converting it into “flying” quantum information through the QNU to then be further linked across potentially multiple quantum computers through a network.</p> <p>IBM and Cisco also intend to explore the development of quantum hardware and software that could physically link many large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers to form networked distributed quantum computing.</p> <p>Commenting on the partnership, Jay Gambetta, director of IBM Research and IBM fellow, said its roadmap includes plans to deliver large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers before the end of the decade.</p> <p>“By working with Cisco to explore how to link multiple quantum computers like these together into a distributed network, we will pursue how to further scale quantum’s computational power. And as we build the future of compute, our vision will push the frontiers of what quantum computers can do within a larger high-performance computing architecture,” said Gambetta.</p> <p>Vijoy Pandey, general manager and senior vice-president at <a href="https://outshift.cisco.com/">Outshift by Cisco</a>, said getting quantum computing to a useful scale is not just about building bigger individual machines, it is also about connecting them.</p> <p>“IBM is building quantum computers with aggressive roadmaps for scale-up, and we are bringing quantum networking that enables scale-out. Together, we are solving this as a complete system problem, including the hardware to connect quantum computers, the software to run computations across them, and the networking intelligence that makes it work,” said Pandey.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about quantum network technology</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623734/Cisco-lays-out-plans-for-networking-in-era-of-quantum-computing">Cisco lays out plans for networking in era of quantum computing</a>: The network equipment provider has opened a new lab and developed a prototype chip as it fleshes out its quantum networking strategy.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366621104/Nokia-Numana-Honeywell-Aerospace-team-to-advance-quantum-safe-networks">Nokia, Numana, Honeywell Aerospace team to advance quantum-safe networks</a>: Collaboration designed to drive innovation and enable a global post-quantum security economy for enterprises using quantum key distribution and advanced cryptographic network technologies to safeguard digital infrastructures.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366626055/Digital-Catapult-explores-quantum-innovation-for-advanced-connectivity">Digital Catapult explores quantum innovation for advanced connectivity</a>: Deep tech innovation organisation&nbsp;highlights how quantum networking innovation is being embedded across UK industries such as telecoms, aerospace, automotive and ports to address real-world operational challenges.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366563776/Nokia-and-HellasQCI-complete-quantum-safe-networks-proof-of-concept">Nokia and HellasQCI complete quantum-safe networks proof of concept</a>: Trial showcase by leading networking tech firm and communication infrastructure consortium shows hybrid approach with both classic and quantum physics key to reach goal of quantum-safe networks.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Firms collaborate to design a connected network of large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers, laying the groundwork for a quantum computing internet https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/Hero-Virtual-Networks-walaka-10.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634683/IBM-Cisco-light-up-quantum-networking-collaboration Mon, 24 Nov 2025 09:35:00 GMT <p>Google Cloud has secured another multimillion-pound contract to supply a military organisation with secure sovereign cloud capabilities, several months after inking a <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366630792/Ministry-of-Defence-signs-400m-sovereign-cloud-deal-with-Google">similar deal with the UK’s Ministry of Defence</a>&nbsp;(MoD).</p> <p>The public cloud giant has agreed a deal to supply the Nato Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) with its air-gapped Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) setup, which is designed to host workloads that need to be locked down using strict data residency and security controls.</p> <p>“[The GDC] empowers organisations to run modern AI and analytics workloads on their most important data, unlocking valuable insights while maintaining absolute operational control and meeting the strictest digital sovereignty requirements,” said Nato, in a statement.</p> <p>While the specific value of the deal has not been disclosed, it is described as being a multimillion-pound contract that will help bolster Nato’s digital infrastructure by “strengthening its data governance” while allowing it to tap into “cutting-edge cloud and artificial intelligence [AI] capabilities”.</p> <p>The NCIA said the GDC will be used to support the work of its Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC), which will draw on its capabilities to modernise its operations and handle classified workloads.</p> <p>Tara Brady, president of Google Cloud Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said the contract is a show of the company’s commitment to helping military organisations protect their mission-critical data.</p> <p>“Google Cloud is dedicated to supporting Nato’s critical mission to develop a robust and resilient infrastructure and harness the latest technology innovations,” she said. “This partnership will enable Nato to decisively accelerate its digital modernisation efforts while maintaining the highest levels of security and digital sovereignty.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about sovereign cloud</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Go-big-or-go-home-Should-UK-IT-buyers-favour-US-clouds-or-homegrown-providers">Against a backdrop of geopolitical unrest and concerns about the US government snooping</a>, the UK's reliance on overseas cloud providers is coming into sharper focus and giving IT buyers some pause for thought on the issue of data sovereignty.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366615912/Schwarz-Group-partners-with-Google-on-EU-sovereign-cloud">Google has partnered with retail giant Schwarz Group</a> to deliver what the pair claim is truly secure and sovereign cloud-based collaboration for German and European regulated industries.</li> </ul> </div> </div> <p>NCIA chief technology officer Antonio Calderon said the organisation is “committed” to using “next-generation” technologies, such as AI, to revamp how it works and protect its digital environment.</p> <p>“Partnership with industry is a critical component of our digital transformation strategy,” said Calderon. “Through this collaboration, we will deliver a secure, resilient and scalable cloud environment for JATEC that meets the highest standards required to protect highly sensitive data.”</p> <p>News of Google Cloud’s Nato deal comes hot on the heels of an announcement in September 2025 by the company about a £400m contract to supply GDC capabilities to the UK MoD.</p> <p>That contract is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366627224/UK-government-signs-deal-with-Google-Cloud-to-upskill-100000-civil-servants-in-AI-by-2030">first government deal Google Cloud had publicly announced since revealing in July 2025</a>&nbsp;that it had signed a strategic agreement with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to reduce Whitehall’s reliance on legacy technology providers.</p> <p>The DSIT contract is a significant development for Google Cloud, which – despite being one of the top three public cloud providers in the world – has not managed to secure the same degree of foothold in the UK public sector as its largest competitors, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS).</p> <p>Meanwhile, for Nato, Google Cloud is far from the only hyperscale cloud giant it has sought the services of in recent months to support its operations, as the NCIA division announced a deal in September 2025 concerning the <a href="https://www.oracle.com/news/announcement/nato-communications-and-information-agency-selects-oci-2025-09-11/">migration of mission-critical workloads to the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure</a>&nbsp;as part of its sovereign cloud push.</p> <p>A month later, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366632128/Nato-chooses-Oracle-to-secure-battlefield-communications">Nato also set out plans to work with Oracle to build a secure</a> 5G network for use by its Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence for research purposes.</p> Google follows up recent Ministry of Defence sovereign cloud contract win with Nato deal https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/Military-digital-defence-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634759/Google-wins-multimillion-pound-contract-to-supply-sovereign-cloud-services-to-Nato Mon, 24 Nov 2025 07:45:00 GMT <p>The <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366617926/Developing-AI-datacentres-Has-the-UK-government-got-what-it-takes">government has unveiled a package of investments and initiatives</a> designed to strengthen the UK’s standing within the artificial intelligence (AI) space, which includes the launch of an investment fund to support the UK’s homegrown AI business ventures.</p> <p>Among the announcements is confirmation of the location of the government’s fourth AI Growth Zone (AIGZ), sited in South Wales, with Microsoft and colocation company Vantage Data Centers involved in its creation.</p> <p>The AIGZ will span several sites along the M4 corridor, from Newport to Bridgend, with the tech firms involved encouraged to work with local universities to help cultivate a pipeline of AI talent over the coming years to support the endeavour.</p> <p>As confirmed by the government, this AIGZ is now in the process of seeking an investor to support the buildout of the 1GW site’s AI compute capabilities, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366628066/The-UK-governments-AI-Growth-Zones-strategy-Everything-you-need-to-know">which is expected to generate more than 5,000 jobs in the region over the course of the next decade</a>. The AIGZ is the second in as many weeks to be announced by the government, with the first – incidentally – set to be sited in North Wales.</p> <p>Jo Stevens, the secretary of state for Wales, said the creation of two AIGZs in the country will have a transformative impact on its economy. “South Wales is already the home of a growing tech industry, and this major investment in the region will help cement the UK’s place as a global leader in AI,” said Stevens.</p> <p>The AIGZ initiative, announced in January 2025, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623358/Government-bags-200-bids-from-local-authorities-wanting-AI-growth-zones-in-their-areas">has seen hundreds of local authorities and other tech market stakeholders express an interest in getting involved</a> since the government invited them to bid for a chance to have one of these zones set up in their areas.</p> <p>The intention behind the initiative is to support the buildout of the UK’s AI compute capacity by offering millions of pounds of investment and fast-tracked planning procedures for organisations that want to build an AI datacentre, as well as research capabilities, within their regions.</p> <p>This is all part of a broader push by the government to position the UK as an “AI superpower”, which has also seen it announce several other investment initiatives today (Thursday 20 November) in support of its mission. They include the creation of a £500m Sovereign AI Unit – which will be chaired by venture capitalist James Wise – that will be focused on developing the UK’s homegrown AI capabilities by offering funding support to new AI ventures.</p> <p>The government said the unit is intended to unite government, industry and investors to become the “go-to fund” for UK-based high potential AI startups and scaleups, and will launch next year.</p> <p>Wise said: “This will be a new type of government fund – one which aims to be the first choice for founders building essential parts of the UK’s AI infrastructure and economy, one which uses the awesome power of the British state to help scale our AI breakthroughs, and one which aims to make a meaningful return for the British taxpayer.”</p> <p>Additionally, the government has also vowed to make more free compute capacity available to British researchers and startups through a £250m scheme to accelerate the development of new AI models that can be used to deliver new scientific breakthroughs.</p> <p>In alignment with this, the government has also vowed to provide £137m in funding to support the use of AI in drug discovery and the creation of new healthcare treatments.</p> <p>Liz Kendal, the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, said the announcements are a show of the government’s commitment and conviction that “Britain’s best days life ahead” as AI opens up new opportunities for jobs and growth.</p> <p>“We’re determined to do even more to ensure we are backing British businesses, workers and researchers to benefit from the opportunities AI brings,” she said. “This is about bringing jobs, opportunities and hope to the people and places that need it most, delivering on our promise of change.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about the UK government’s AI plans</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366628066/The-UK-governments-AI-Growth-Zones-strategy-Everything-you-need-to-know">Plans to make the UK an AI superpower imply pervasive use of the technology</a>. Ramping up adoption of AI will require more datacentres to host compute-intensive workloads, which is where the AI Growth Zone strategy comes in.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366617926/Developing-AI-datacentres-Has-the-UK-government-got-what-it-takes">The UK government has unveiled its 50-point AI action plan</a>, which commits to building sovereign artificial intelligence capabilities and accelerating AI datacentre developments - but questions remain about the viability of the plans.</li> </ul> </div> </div> The UK government continues to build on the release of its AI Opportunities Action Plan, with the announcement of another AI Growth Zone plus investment opportunities for the nation's startup community https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/networking-speed-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634738/UK-government-outlines-next-wave-of-AI-investment-plans Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:30:00 GMT <p>A set of digital initiatives for European companies has been proposed by the European Commission to streamline regulations and <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366630833/EU-Data-Act-comes-into-force-amid-fears-of-regulation-fatigue">data sharing</a>. The initiative includes European Business Wallets, which the European Commission (EC) said will offer companies a single digital identity to simplify paperwork and make it much easier to do business across EU member states.&nbsp;</p> <p>Valdis Dombrovskis, commissioner for economy and productivity, said: “Today’s proposal represents an important first step in our digital simplification agenda, aiming to create a more favourable business environment for European companies.”</p> <p>The proposals aim to reduce €5bn in administrative costs for compliance by 2029, while the European Business Wallets promises to unlock another €150bn in savings for businesses each year.&nbsp;</p> <p>Through the European Business Wallet, the EC plans to offer businesses a way to digitally sign, timestamp and seal documents. It is being positioned by the EC as a way to securely create, store and exchange verified documents, and to communicate securely with other businesses or public administrations in their own and the other 26 member states.</p> <p>Among the measures being put in place is a simplification of the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Preparing-for-AI-regulation-The-EU-AI-Act">EU AI Act</a> for smaller businesses. including technical documentation requirements, saving at least €225m per year. There is also a broadening of compliance measures for innovators providing regulatory soundboxes and real-world testing. The EC plans to have an EU-level sandbox ready by 2028.</p> <p>The AI Office is being empowered to provide centralised oversight of AI systems built on general-purpose AI models, which the EC said would reducing governance fragmentation. The timeline for applying rules to AI systems deemed “high risk” is also being adjusted to a maximum of 16 months. This is to start once the EC confirms the needed standards and support tools for the companies developing such systems are made available.</p> <p>From a cyber security perspective, the EC is proposing a single-entry point where companies can meet all incident-reporting obligations. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is set to become more innovation friendly and the EC has proposed a Data Union Strategy to unlock high-quality data for AI by expanding access, such as through data labs. The EC claims the Data Union Strategy will also strengthen Europe’s data sovereignty through a strategic approach to international data policy by offering an anti-leakage toolbox, which provides measures to protect sensitive non-personal data and guidelines to assess fair treatment of EU data abroad.</p> <p>“By <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/podcast/Podcast-RSA-2025-to-grapple-with-AI-compliance-US-and-EU-regulation">simplifying rules</a>, reducing administrative burdens and introducing more flexible and proportionate rules, we will continue delivering on our commitment to give EU businesses more space to innovate and grow,” Dombrovskis added.</p> <p>The proposals include targeted exemptions to some of the EU Data Act’s cloud-switching rules for SMEs, which the EC said could result in around €1.5bn in one-off savings.</p> <p>Finnish commissioner Henna Virkkunen, who is also responsible for tech sovereignty, said: “By cutting red tape, simplifying EU laws, opening access to data and introducing a common European Business Wallet, we are giving space for innovation to happen and to be marketed in Europe. This is being done in the European way – by making sure that fundamental rights of users remain fully protected.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more stories about EU regulations</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366632823/EU-regulation-sharpens-fear-of-Norwegian-AI-exodus">EU regulation</a> sharpens fear of Norwegian AI exodus: Norway’s government wants fast-track adoption of EU AI Act as pressure mounts for the EU to ease regulation on high-tech sectors.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366631407/EU-to-shut-door-on-Big-Tech-in-financial-data-sharing">EU to shut door</a> on Big Tech in financial data sharing: US tech giants to be excluded from EU’s Financial Data Access initiative, which enables the sharing of certain customer financial data.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Changes have been proposed to simplify AI Act compliance for smaller businesses, easier cyber security reporting and tweaks to GDPR https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/EU-data-protection-GDPR-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634698/EU-sets-out-plans-to-cut-red-tape-on-digital Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:54:00 GMT <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Upset-in-Athenry-Examining-the-impact-of-Apples-delayed-Irish-datacentre-build">Apple has dismissed a legal claim that it has breached UK competition law</a> by overcharging and “trapping” users who sign up to use its iCloud storage service, on the first day of a court hearing regarding the matter.</p> <p>The tech giant is the subject of a £3bn legal action raised against it by <em>Which?,</em> <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366615539/Apple-hit-by-Which-with-3bn-legal-claim-that-iCloud-service-charges-are-anti-competitive">with the consumer rights advocate claiming that Apple has locked millions of UK consumers into using its iCloud storage technology through its “rip-off” pricing since 1 October 2015</a>.</p> <p>A three-day court hearing into the matter, scheduled to conclude on 21 November 2025, starts today. Its purpose is to determine if <em>Which?</em> should be granted permission by the Competition Appeal Tribunal to act as a class representative on this matter, so that it can pursue compensation on behalf of the 41 million UK iCloud users it claims were affected by Apple’s behaviour.</p> <p><em>Which?</em> first filed its complaint against Apple in November 2024, and stated at the time that its intention was to secure £3bn in compensation for the UK-based Apple device users it claims were “unfairly” locked into using the iCloud service.</p> <p>Specifically, <em>Which?</em> claimed that Apple has breached competition law by “<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/The-CMA-anti-trust-investigation-into-AWS-and-Microsoft-explained-Everything-you-need-to-know">favouring its own cloud storage services</a>” on iOS devices, and by failing to resolve technical restrictions that lock users into the iCloud platform, while making it difficult for users to seek out alternative providers.</p> <p>“It is <em>Which?</em>’s belief that Apple, the second-largest public company in the world, has abused its position, stifling competition and ripping off millions of customers in the process,” said <em>Which?</em>, in a statement. “Which? asserts that this has led to consumers being overcharged each year through their monthly iCloud subscription fees.”&nbsp;</p> <p>According to <em>Which?</em>, the court hearing marks a “significant milestone in the battle for more choice in the consumer cloud market” and, if successful, could “help millions of consumers get redress for Apple’s anti-competitve abuse”, the organisation’s statement continued.</p> <p><em>Which?</em> CEO Anabel Hoult added that the court hearing itself is an “essential step” in the organisation’s “fight” to represent the millions of UK consumers it believes are owned nearly £3bn in compensation as a result of Apple’s alleged behaviour.</p> <p>“<em>Which?</em> wants to make clear that no company can abuse its position without facing serious repercussions,” said Hoult. “Taking this legal action means we can help consumers to get the redress that they are owed, deter other companies from using similar tactics and drive a more competitive market with positive outcomes for consumers.”</p> <p>When <em>Which?</em> first announced details of the legal action, Apple shared a statement with Computer Weekly, outlined its rejection of “any suggestion” that its iCloud practices are anti-competitive. The statement added: “And [Apple] will vigorously defend against any legal claim otherwise.”</p> <p>On the first day of the court hearing, an Apple spokesperson restated its view to Computer Weekly that the company has no case to answer. “These claims are unfounded,” the spokesperson said. “We work hard to make iCloud a great experience, but no customer is required to use it and customers in the UK have plenty of alternatives to choose from.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about cloud market competition</h3> <ul style="list-style-type: square;" class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366614818/The-Open-Cloud-Coalition-makes-debut-to-bolster-competition-in-public-cloud">A new coalition has formed, focused on making the public cloud a more transparent</a>&nbsp;and equitable place for enterprise IT buyers.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366614787/Microsoft-and-Google-in-war-of-words-following-launch-of-anti-competitive-cloud-coalition">Microsoft's claims that the newly formed Open Cloud Coalition</a>&nbsp;is not all it seems, and merely a front for Google Cloud to ‘mislead’ competition authorities over the state of the public cloud market, are being challenged.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Consumer tech giant Apple has dismissed a legal claim brought by Which? that alleges the pricing strategy for its iCloud service has ‘locked in’ 41 million users in the UK https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/iphone-mobile-apple-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634638/Apple-denies-locking-in-iCloud-users-as-3bn-legal-claim-brought-by-Which-reaches-court Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:45:00 GMT <p>The surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) is fuelling growth in datacentre markets across the world, with figures from Gartner highlighting the twin impact of these trends on global electricity supply and demand patterns.</p> <p>Projections released by the IT analyst house suggest the electricity demands of datacentres will grow by 16% this year and are on course to double by 2030. At the same time, Gartner analysts estimate that the amount of electricity consumed by the global datacentre market will hit 448 terrawatt hours (TWh) in 2025, rising to 980 TWh by 2030, with much of this energy consumed by power-hungry AI workloads hosted in these datacentres. Its figures show that AI-optimised servers are expected to account for 21% of the total amount of power consumed by datacentres this year, rising to 44% by 2030, when they will also represent 64% of the incremental power demand for datacentres. &nbsp;</p> <p>“While conventional servers and supporting infrastructure contribute to overall datacentre electricity consumption, the rapid rise of <u><a href="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/otnbC31j95hGZLg54fgf8CQzJNd?domain=urldefense.com">AI</a></u>-optimised servers is fuelling the increase in datacentre power consumption,” said Gartner research director Linglan Wang. “Their electricity usage is set to rise nearly fivefold, from 93 TWh in 2025 to 432 TWh in 2030.”&nbsp;</p> <p>On a region-by-region basis, Gartner said the US and China are expected to account for more than two-thirds of the global electricity demand generated by datacentres. Specifically, Gartner said US &nbsp;datacentre electricity usage is projected to rise from 4% to 7.8% of regional consumption between 2025 and 2030, with Europe increasing from 2.7% to 5%.</p> <p>Growth in China and in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to be more moderate, because – as Gartner terms it – the area favours the use of more power-efficient servers and benefits from “superior infrastructure planning”.</p> <p>With governments across the world, including the UK, trying to become AI leaders, there has been much talk about the need from various countries to accelerate the build-out of their datacentre infrastructure in support of these plans. This has prompted concerns about how these datacentres will be powered, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366633583/UK-citizens-raise-red-flags-over-environmental-impacts-of-datacentres-in-poll">particularly in the UK where energy security in the popular London datacentre hub is a known issue</a>, and whether it will be possible to do so sustainably.</p> <p>Gartner said the current situation, whereby large swathes of the world’s datacentres are powered by fossil fuels, is not sustainable, but the situation is improving.</p> <p>“New clean on-site power alternatives – such as green hydrogen, geothermal and small modular reactors – are beginning to emerge and will become viable fuel alternatives for datacentre microgrids by the end of the decade,” said Gartner in a research note.</p> <p>In the near-term, however, Tony Harvey, vice-president analyst at Gartner, said natural gas is likely to remain the main power source for datacentres, adding: “In the next three-to-five years, we anticipate rapid growth in battery energy storage systems to balance the fluctuations of solar and wind energy. <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366631957/Green-energy-microgrids-hailed-as-cost-effective-answer-to-UKs-datacentre-energy-supply-woes">While geothermal microgrids offer great promise</a>, its high initial costs and permitting challenges will likely keep it a niche option for now.”&nbsp;</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about energy and datacentres</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366631957/Green-energy-microgrids-hailed-as-cost-effective-answer-to-UKs-datacentre-energy-supply-woes">Research from the Centre for Net Zero claims</a> green energy microgrids could be a more cost-efficient alternative to nuclear small modular reactors when it comes to powering the UK’s datacentres.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366633583/UK-citizens-raise-red-flags-over-environmental-impacts-of-datacentres-in-poll">A poll of 1,000 UK citizens reveals deep concerns</a> about the energy and water usage habits of the nation’s growing footprint of datacentres.</li> </ul> </div> </div> IT market watcher Gartner has shared its projections about how the energy consumption habits of datacentres are set to change as AI takes off https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/energy-power-electricity-pylons-АртурНичипоренко-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634715/Datacentre-energy-demands-set-to-soar-by-2030-as-AI-growth-accelerates-predicts-Gartner Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:15:00 GMT 60 editor@computerweekly.com