Wilmington: Profit and revenue soar at data provider September 16, 2024 Data provider Wilmington has hailed “another strong year” after it posted double-digit profit growth and revenue. The London-listed firm, which in the summer offloaded its UK healthcare unity for £26.3m, saw its profit before tax soar 42 per cent to £24.1m in the year ended 30 June. Its profit margin rose a quarter to 26.8 [...]
UK government says data centres are now Critical National Infrastructure September 12, 2024 The UK government has officially designated data centres as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), as it looks to further boost investment in the UK’s critical hubs of digital information. With this new status, data centres will receive extra government support to protect crucial data, including NHS records, financial information, and personal smartphone data against major incidents [...]
Meta: Watchdog greenlights changes to advertiser data rules on Facebook August 20, 2024 The UK’s competition watchdog has given the green light to new commitments from Meta to better protect the data of advertisers on Facebook. Since June 2021, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been looking into whether Meta has unfairly data from its advertising services to give its Facebook Marketplace an edge over competitors. After [...]
Could data save the NHS? August 14, 2024 If we want a better future for the NHS, we need a collective commitment to ethical, transparent and innovative data practices, says Sir Nigel Shadbolt
Yodel receives £85m in funding – but how should it be spent? August 8, 2024 Yougov’s chief executive Steve Hatch takes a closer look at the data behind the biggest stories in business. Liverpool-based delivery firm Yodel recently announced an £85m funding package from a consortium of investors. The deal has dealt the final blow to the proposed merger between the parcel company and Shift, which led to a rescue deal for [...]
The City is at the vanguard of a new industrial revolution in open data and AI August 5, 2024 By leveraging the expertise of the City, we can pioneer the Fourth Industrial Revolution, writes Lord Mayor Michael Mainelli As well as being an enthusiast and early adopter of technology (even predicting the internet in his 1898 short story From The London Times of 1904) Mark Twain gifted the world many great aphorisms. Among my [...]
The Notebook: Freedom of speech at risk under Labour’s online safety plans July 8, 2024 Silkie Carlo tells us what to expect from Labour's online safety plans - and how they might put personal rights at risk.
What’s in Labour’s tech manifesto? Data centres, start-ups, AI and a national data library June 13, 2024 Labour announced plans for a "national data library" to centralise existing government research programs.
Octopus is the UK’s top home electricity supplier – what powers its success? May 2, 2024 Ofgem recently confirmed that Octopus Energy has edged out British Gas to become the nation’s largest domestic energy supplier. The news follows the company’s takeover of Shell Energy (and its 1.3m customers) in 2023. But the last two years have been a fraught time for energy firms in terms of public opinion: if they’ve earned [...]
Proposed snooping powers are an incursion into our most basic rights May 2, 2024 Slippery slopes are so named for a reason. One step might feel okay; a second, trouble-free. But suddenly momentum builds, and there’s no stopping you. The metaphor could not be more appropriate for the snooping powers that government is soon to take for itself – powers that represent a most aggressive incursion into basic privacy [...]