Industry news

Human rights abuses in the supply chains of the electronics we all rely on are endemic. Policies and targets are improving, but the reality for the migrant workers who make up a growing proportion of the workforce, remains bleak.

Global tech giants NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments are among dozens of firms putting the lives and livelihoods of supply chain workers at risk by failing to meet even the most basic expectations of human rights due diligence, a new report published today reveals.

Only three out of 45 of the world’s biggest ICT companies scored over 50/100 for tackling forced labour and other human rights abuses in their supply chains, and the average score was just 20/100.

Read the full article on Computing here.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has unveiled the full details of the UK's landmark Cyber Security and Resilience (CSR) Bill, outlining sweeping new measures to fortify the nation's critical infrastructure against escalating cyber threats.

The bill, slated for parliamentary introduction later this year, includes provisions for daily fines of £100,000 for organisations failing to comply with government-mandated security directives.

The CSR bill seeks to strengthen the existing Network and Information Systems (NIS) regulations from 2018 by holding organisations accountable for cybersecurity measures.

This week Kyle outlined the bill's three core pillars: expanding regulations to encompass more organisations, enhancing regulatory enforcement powers, and ensuring the government can swiftly update cybersecurity regulations to counter evolving threats.

Under the proposals more organisations, including datacentres, managed service providers (MSPs) and “critical suppliers,” will be brought under cybersecurity regulations to protect the IT supply chain.

Read the full article on Computing here.

With Atos’ new CEO, Philippe Salle, in place since February, we now await the Capital Markets Day on 14th May to hear his vision and mid-term strategy for the Group. There is every indication that a ‘One Atos’ approach will be part of that vision, with the Tech Foundations and Eviden businesses merged (Atos Group: A new chapter). Indeed, in the first four weeks of UK&I CEO Michael Herron’s tenure, he reunited the two parts of the business in the region, a move which he stated would allow for greater clarity in developing Atos’ Value Proposition and Go-To-Market strategy (see New Atos UK&I Lead: Michael Herron).

With all that in mind, onlookers might be interested by this morning’s announcement. Atos has appointed Pierre-Yves Jolivet, previously Vice-President and General Manager of the Cyber Digital Business Line at Thales, as Executive Vice President and Head of Eviden. According to the release, “Pierre-Yves will also serve as Head of Cybersecurity business, overseeing both cybersecurity and products strategy and portfolio.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a crucial tool in cybersecurity, helping organizations detect and respond to threats faster than ever before.

However, a recent survey by Sophos found that 89% of IT leaders believe flaws in generative AI could introduce new risks1. With cybercriminals also leveraging AI to refine their attacks, businesses must understand both the opportunities and challenges AI presents in cybersecurity.

A recent survey from Darktrace revealed that 74% of security practitioners acknowledge the significant impact of AI-driven cyber threats on their organizations, yet 60% fear they are not adequately prepared to defend against such attacks.

Read the full article on Computing here.

Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announces that it has been selected by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to transform service desk and end user services into a single coherent, agile service.

The five-year contract, worth £150m, will improve quality and efficiency of DEFRA’s service desk, which manages 34,000 users, through continuous innovation of modern technologies including AI, ML, analytics and automation.

The Atos solution will also make DEFRA’s service the most environmentally friendly and sustainable UK government digital workplace solution available today. Working with partners, Atos will repair, refurbish, remanufacture and re-issue hardware first, ensure minimal packaging and shipments for delivery and donate disused devices to charities and third-party social enterprises.

Read the full article on Atos here.

Atos has won a contract with NS&I, valued at over £500m, to support their transformation, to protect existing services and collaborate in a multi-supplier ecosystem to transform systems and processes.

Atos, with our partner Sopra Banking, will continue to run legacy services, implement new systems, and extend B2B services to UK Government customers and the UK Public – a truly critical national service.

Our solution is aligned to deliver NS&I’s key objectives for increased digital services and automation, reduced time to change, a lower cost profile and enhanced customer services showcasing the UK governments confidence in our strategy and capability.

Read the full article on Atos.

Atos announces the appointment of Michael Herron as Head of UK&I, Atos Group, as of January 27, 2025.

With a strong track record in leadership as well as extensive expertise and knowledge of delivering digital transformation within the public sector, Michael will bring valuable skills to the management team in UK&I and at the Group level, as Atos opens a new chapter in its history.

Michael Herron, Head of UK&I, Atos Group, “I am delighted to join the Atos team at such a pivotal moment and look forward to working with the UK&I team to deliver operational excellence, drive growth, continue quality of service and to provide an end-to-end offering to support our customers on their digital journey.”

Read the full article on Atos here.

Further movement in the AI-led Business Process space yesterday, saw WNS acquire Houston-based Kipi.ai, a Snowflake Elite Partner specialising in data modernisation services. An acquisition that should strengthen WNS's analytics and AI practice while expanding its decision intelligence offerings across a range of sectors. Whilst the client base is currently mainly in the US, there is no reason why WNS cannot take the capabilities global.

Founded in 2021, Kipi.ai looks good on paper, claiming some 600 SnowPro certifications, 250+ proprietary AI and ML solutions, and a team of over 600 employees with data engineering expertise. The company's presence in banking, insurance, manufacturing, and healthcare complements WNS's existing client portfolio.

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

Accenture has agreed to acquire Soben, a Glasgow HQ’d global construction consultancy which specialises in data centre development and the pharmaceutical and energy sectors. The purchase aims to boost Accenture Industry X’s capital projects capabilities in advisory as well as project, cost and commercial management for clients.Logo

Founded in 2011 as Smyth Contract Services, Soben has expanded significantly from its quantity surveying and Scottish roots. Today the firm’s services include project management consultancy, scheduling, project controls, cost and commercial management, consultancy and advisory, and carbon cost management. Soben’s 250 personnel work with leading global hyperscalers and co-location providers on major data centre construction initiatives across the UK, Europe, the US, Mexico, Brazil, India and Australia.

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

The UK government has announced an overhaul of how it funds, manages and regulates digital projects, promising a “start-up mindset” as it attempts to overcome the barriers to tech adoption, save taxpayer money and boost public services.

Speaking at techUK yesterday, Peter Kyle (Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology) said the UK had suffered from a failure of optimism and pragmatism, and without change it risks being left behind. He said there is “no possible version of that future which does not have technology at its heart” and that “transparent, adaptable, pro-innovation regulation” will be central to the government’s digital and technologies sector plan.

Read the full article here.