The Consultancy Blog

Software Development Practice

2012-11-26T21:54:18.015625+00:00

The Institution of Analysts and Programmers has launched a new software development journal targeted firmly at experienced professional software developers, entitled Software Development Practice: The Journal of the IAP. It is published and distributed electronically at http://sdp.iap.org.uk.

The peer-reviewed publication is to be published three times a year.

The first edition has an article by Dr Hans Meuer, Professor Emeritus at the University of Mannheim on super computers, which is largely based on a lecture that was delivered in the House of Lords in April 2012 as well as articles on the Azure platform, SharePoint and logging on the .NET platform.

The Editorial Board is led by Professor Jeremy Gibbons of the University of London and comprises of a number of leading practitioners.

This weblog is produced by Revell Research Systems.

Windows 2012 Launch Availability Announced

2012-08-03T09:44:17.671+01:00

According to Jeffery Snover, who is a Microsoft Distinguished Engineer and the Lead Architect for their Windows Server Division, Windows 2012 was released to manufacturing on 1st August 2012 with a general availability date of 4th September 2012.

We believe that Windows 2012 is a very significant release of the Windows Server operating system, which will largely facilitate server virtualisation in SMEs and see them adopting infrastructures that will give them high availability platforms.

This weblog is produced by Revell Research Systems.

Microsoft KB2621440 Patch and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Vulnerabilities

2012-03-15T00:20:08.671+00:00

We strongly advise anyone using Remote Desktop Services to apply Microsoft Patch KB2621440 at the earliest opportunity. This patch fixes two privately reported vulnerabilities within the Remote Desktop Services frequently used by administrators to control servers and end-users using Remote Desktops.

It affects ALL versions of Windows.

The more serious of the two vulnerabilities could allow an unauthenticated hacker to run code on a vulnerable machine, which potentially could result in a very serious security breach.

We believe that this vulnerability will be exploited in the very nearing future.

This weblog is produced by Revell Research Systems.

Benjamin de St Paer-Gotch Awarded 2011 Revell Research Systems Prize

2011-09-24T12:53:34.078+01:00

I was very pleased to present Benjamin de St Paer-Gotch with the 2011 Revell Research Systems Prize at the University of Plymouth on Wednesday, 21st September 2011 during the graduation ceremony.

The prize, which the consultancy established in 2006, is awarded to the top student to graduate from the university’s BSc(Hons) in Computing suite of degree programmes. In essence, it means that Benjamin is the best student to graduate in the subject from Plymouth this year. The Revell Research Systems Prize is specifically designed to highlight this fact on CVs and the like, providing the recipients with an additional way to mark themselves out from the crowd - not just a First, but the very best.

Benjamin de St Paer-Gotch (left) receiving the 2011 Revell Research Systems Prize at the University of Plymouth from Alastair Revell (centre), while Professor Steve Furnell, Head of Computing and Mathematics looks on (Photograph courtesy of Ted Draper).

Benjamin de St Paer-Gotch has already been snatched up by Microsoft, where he recently was employed as an Associate Consultant and is now enjoying the benefits of their graduate recruitment programme.

I’m grateful to Ted Draper, who was at the ceremony to present the BCS The Chartered Institute for IT’s project prize, for capturing Professor Steve Furnell (Head of the School of Computing and Mathematics) and myself congratulating Ben on stage just after the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wendy Purcell, had conferred his degree.

Students from Plymouth graduate in marquees on The Hoe overlooking Plymouth Sound, which is a truly spectacular location to graduate. The location is certainly an iconic symbol of this great maritime city, from which the Pilgrim Fathers left in search of a new future. Likewise, graduates leave this city seeking their own futures, but with a solid education, they are assured of success.

This weblog is produced by Revell Research Systems.

BCS South West 2011 AGM

2011-09-22T22:37:18.656+01:00

The South West Branch of BCS The Chartered Institute for IT has announced that its 2011 AGM will be held on Thursday, 29th September 2011 at 6:30pm at Plymouth University. The formal meeting will be followed by a presentation at 7:00pm by Dr Dan Livingstone (Plymouth University).

Dr Livingstone's presentation will provide an overview of current shifts in the perceived value of games development and the impact on the South West of this fast evolving sector as well as the opportunities for independent developers; Gamification, Tangental Learning and Experiential Design.

Dr Livingstone leads the new BSc Computing and Games Development degree at Plymouth University and has well established links with key players in the sector, including graduate startups, nationally recognised independent development studios and regional initiatives such as explay.

He is an academic partner and Jury member of Europrix awards with the International Center for New Media in Salzburg, he leads the new interactive systems studio within the University's School of Computing and Mathematics and is a staff member of CRNS the Center for Robotics & Neural Systems.

The event, which will conclude with a free buffet and networking opportunity, is open to the general public (although voting at the AGM will be restricted to Branch members). People who wish to attend are asked to register at http://www.bcs-southwest.org.uk to help with catering arrangements, etc. The web site also includes directions to the venue on the university's campus.

This weblog is produced by Revell Research Systems.

IAP Symposium 2011

2011-06-22T16:30:56.718+01:00

The Institution of Analysts and Programmers has announced that its 2011 Symposium will be held in London on 14th October 2011 at the Churchill War Rooms and that it will be on "The Virtual World."

The Institution of Analysts and
Programmers Coat of Arms

The day-long event features a number of notable speakers, including Neil Cross (MD, Advanced 365), Richard Hall (MD, CloudOrigin and former Marketing Director of Avanade), Henry Nash (Manager, IBM Cloud Solutions), Simon Rice (Principal Policy Adviser for Technology at the Information Commissioner's Office) and Dale Vile (MD, Freeform Dynamics).

The event is using the #IAPSymposium2011 hash tag on Twitter.

The cost of entry includes lunch with ample opportunity to network with some of the senior members of the IT profession expected to attend.

More details are available at http://www.iap.org.uk/main/events/symposium-2011.

This weblog is produced by Revell Research Systems.

Smarter Spectators at a Smarter Tennis Tournament

2011-02-28T19:06:16.578+00:00

The next event being organised by BCS The Chartered Institute for IT in the South West promises to be an interesting look behind-the-scenes at the technology used by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

The presentation, entitled Smarter Spectators at a Smarter Tennis Tournament, will be given by Bill Jinks (Client Technical Advisor for IBM United Kingdom) and will reveal how IBM works with the Club to accommodate the huge demands that the Wimbledon fortnight places on it.

The talk will be on Thursday, 10th March 2011 at 7:30pm at the University of Exeter. It is free and open to members of the public. People interested in attending are asked to register at http://www.bcs-southwest.org where more details about the venue can be found.

The Club accommodates around half a million spectators on-site during Wimbledon fortnight and must also meet the needs of the world’s sporting media with over three quarters of a billion television viewers on 129 TV channels in 173 countries.

During the 2010 Championships, over 11.5 million unique users visited the official wimbledon.org web site, and nearly 307 million page views were served. As the popularity of Wimbledon continues to increase, the Club has managed to maintain the charm of English lawn tennis and keep pace with the demands of modern sport and multi-media broadcasting. Attracting and retaining even bigger audiences in a world of growing choice and distractions is, nevertheless, a challenge.

Since 1990, IBM has been the official IT Supplier to the Club and has worked with it to engage its audiences by introducing innovative multimedia "touch points" where people can connect and interact with The Championships in new and exciting ways.

This weblog is produced by Revell Research Systems.

Institution Appoints Alastair Revell as New Director General

2011-01-04T12:56:43.125+00:00

The Institution of Analysts and Programmers has announced that Alastair Revell has been appointed as the organisation's Director General, following the retirement of Mike Ryan.

Alastair Revell will remain at the helm of Revell Research Systems as both Chairman and Managing Consultant.

Alastair has been an elected member of the body's ruling council since 2009, with responsibility for the Institution's membership. He said, regarding his appointment: "Professionalism within IT is extremely important, especially in relation to the development of software solutions. Society increasingly relies on the work of those engaged in software development and the Institution plays an important role in promoting high standards in this field. It is a tremendous privilege to be asked to lead the Institution. The Institution some very ambitious plans for the future and I look forward to the challenges ahead."

The President of the Institution, David Morgan, said: "We have every confidence that Alastair Revell will be able to lead the Institution forward into the next phase of its development. We are excited by his plans and look forward to them coming to fruition. The IT world is changing and so is the Institution. Alastair Revell has a strong background in software development and systems analysis himself. He is a respected IT consultant, having established his own consultancy in 1985, which continues to expand."

Alastair, who was admitted to the Institution in 1988 after graduating from the University of Birmingham with a degree in Mathematics, is both a Chartered IT Professional and a Chartered Engineer. He was elected as a Fellow of the Institution in 2006 and is also a Fellow of the RSA.
Retiring Director General, Mike Ryan said: "We have been looking for my successor for some time. Alastair has strong leadership skills and is a very experienced IT consultant, with a significant background in software development. The Appointments Committee was struck by his proven track-record as a business leader and his ideas for the Institution's future development."

The Institution is Britain’s leading professional organisation for people who work in the development, installation and testing of business systems and computer software. It was established in the 1970s.

This weblog is produced by Revell Research Systems.

Retro-Computing Event

2010-11-22T17:22:48.062+00:00

The next event being organisation by BCS The Chartered Institute for IT in the South West is focusing on computing technologies of yesteryear. The event is taking place at the University of Plymouth on Tuesday, 14th December 2010 at 19:30.

The evening will start with a brief talk covering the early days of micro-computing followed by an opportunity to use and play with a variety of early devices.

The event is also being used to launch a retro-computing web site, which is being supported by the BCS South West Branch.

There will also be plenty of mince pies!

The event is free and open to members of the public, but attendees are asked to register at www.bcs-southwest.org.uk to help with the catering and venue arrangements.

This weblog is produced by Revell Research Systems.

Physical Security in Information Technology

2010-11-03T20:15:00.89+00:00

The next event being organised by the South West Branch of BCS The Chartered Institute for IT is at the University of Plymouth on the evening of Tuesday, 9th November 2010. It is a presentation entitled: “Physical Security in Information Technology” by Thomas Hackner of the University of Hagenberg in Austria.

The event is open to anyone interested in attending, but people are asked to book using the branch web site at http://www.bcs-southwest.org.uk, so that appropriate catering can be provided.

This weblog is produced by Revell Research Systems.