Top entrepreneurs call for reforms to boost UK startup scene November 27, 2019 More than 250 British entrepreneurs have signed an open letter urging the next government to roll out a string of reforms to help the UK’s startup sector. The appeal, dubbed the Startup Manifesto, called for a reform of the visa system so that startups can attract the best talent without the barrier of bureaucracy. Read [...]
Xerox takes $33.5bn HP takeover bid hostile as tensions build November 26, 2019 Xerox today confirmed it will take its $33.5bn (£26bn) takeover bid for HP hostile after the computer maker refused to open its books ahead of a deadline. Read more: HP reject Xerox’s $33.5bn takeover bid but keeps door open for potential merger HP rejected Xerox’s offer of $22 per share earlier this month, saying it [...]
Google activists fear backlash after four workers fired over data breaches November 26, 2019 Google has fired four employees it accused of breaching data security policies, sparking accusations that the company was retaliating against activists. The US tech giant said the dismissals came after an investigation found that the staff members had accessed work, calendars, and emails of other Google staff. Read more: Google vows to curb political ad [...]
Alibaba IPO: E-commerce giant’s shares jump on blockbuster Hong Kong debut November 26, 2019 Alibaba, the Chinese online retail giant, has enjoyed a surge in its share price after floating on the Hong Kong stock exchange, in one of the year’s most hotly anticipated Initial Public Offerings. The firm, which is already listed in the US, raised around £8.8bn in its secondary listing, with chairman Daniel Zhang cheering on [...]
The UK’s social care system is in crisis — but technology can help ease the burden November 26, 2019 Care of elderly people affects us all, whether a loved one requires these vital services, or we simply wish for everyone in society to be treated with dignity in old age. And so we should all care about the current crisis. Social care is one of the burning issues of our time. Social care has [...]
Making the brave new world of automation work for society November 26, 2019 As the chief executive of Capita — a business that employs 63,000 people and aims to be a leading provider of automation services in the UK — I am frequently asked what this technology will mean for society. Often, what people really want to know is if their job is safe — and if theirs [...]
Uber shares slip after London licence loss November 25, 2019 Uber’s share price has slipped after falling close to a record-low in pre-market trading in response to the app’s loss of its London licence. Shares in the New York-listed company were down three per cent to $28.66 in pre-market trading, wiping almost $2bn off Uber’s market cap. However, shares trimmed losses to stand 1.4 per [...]
Software firm Cerillion posts record results thanks to booming telecoms demand November 25, 2019 London-based software firm Cerillion today hailed a record set of full-year results after it secured a string of major new contracts amid growing demand. Read more: London software firm Kape snaps up US cybersecurity company for $95m Cerillion posted an eight per cent rise in revenue to £18.8m in the 12 months to the end [...]
Sir Tim Berners-Lee warns of ‘digital dystopia’ as he unveils plan to save the web November 25, 2019 World wide web creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee has warned of a “digital dystopia” as he launches a plan aimed at tackling the misuse of the internet. The British computer scientist will unveil a string of new standards at an event in Berlin today amid fears of online harms such as foreign interference in elections, hate [...]
Weakest UK tech sector growth since 2015 amid slowdown in demand November 25, 2019 The UK’s tech sector grew at the slowest rate in almost four years in the third quarter as a global economic slowdown and domestic political uncertainty dented the industry, new research shows. The tech sector was hit by a downturn in new work for the first time since 2012 during the three months to 30 [...]