Ctrl Alt Lead

What can data tell an ambulance service about why its vehicles fail? South Central Ambulance Service’s head of data, analytics and insight Mark Green and senior management information analyst Vivienne Parsons join Ctrl Alt Lead to discuss how SCAS is combining vehicle telemetry with Ordnance Survey data, machine learning and analytics to better understand the stresses on its fleet. They explore some of the unexpected findings, from the effects of different road networks and gradients to charging time, and how those insights could influence vehicle rotation and maintenance.We also look beyond the fleet to the wider potential for AI at SCAS. With millions of rows of vehicle data generated every month and large datasets elsewhere across the service, Mark and Vivienne talk about how AI could reduce the time spent processing information, help teams get to the reasons behind problems faster and ultimately support better operational decisions. Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Penny Horwood Are you an IT leader with a story to tell? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI is changing the cyber threat landscape, but not every attacker is using it in the same way. In this special crossover episode of Ctrl Alt Lead and Ready Set Mid-Market, former FBI cyber leader Cynthia Kaiser, now leading ransomware research at Halcyon, breaks down the emerging breed of AI-powered cyber criminal. Nation states can dedicate specialist teams to experimenting at the cutting edge, while ransomware operators tend to incorporate AI into playbooks that already make them money. Then there are the previously “non-capable” attackers using AI to do things they simply could not do before.Cynthia explains why the latter group can be particularly unpredictable, including creating ransomware so poorly that even paying for a decryptor cannot recover the data, edging towards what she calls “destructionware”.We also explore AI-enabled phishing and voice cloning, the continuing importance of manipulating human trust, why SMEs shouldn't dismiss nation-state threats, and how defenders can use AI and automation to fight back. Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Penny Horwood Are you an IT leader with a story to tell? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; }How did the UK government’s Cloud First strategy become, in practice, Microsoft First?In this episode of Ctrl Alt Lead, Penny Horwood speaks to Bill McCluggage, former Director of IT Strategy and Policy at the Cabinet Office, about the growing concentration of the UK public sector technology market.Bill argues that decades of perfectly rational procurement decisions have created a deep dependency on Microsoft across cloud infrastructure, productivity software and now AI. Moving away can mean confronting switching costs, interoperability problems and changes to identity, data and skills, making meaningful competition increasingly difficult.With Copilot adding another layer to that technology stack, Penny and Bill discuss whether AI risks deepening existing cloud lock-in, why multicloud has failed to deliver on some of its early promises, and what this means for technology sovereignty.They also examine the role of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), why Bill believes regulators need to move more quickly, and what public sector buyers can do to create genuine competition rather than simply defaulting to more of the same.In this episode:How Cloud First became “Microsoft First”Why short-term savings can create long-term technology dependencyThe barriers to switching cloud providersWhy multicloud has proved difficult in practiceHow Copilot and agentic AI could deepen vendor lock-inThe implications for UK digital and AI sovereigntyWhat the CMA can do to encourage greater competitionThe questions technology leaders should ask before their next major procurement  Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Penny Horwood Are you an IT leader with a story to tell? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this special Inside the News edition of Ctrl Alt Lead, Tom and Penny break down a series of cyber incidents affecting fashion and food retailers, before exploring who is behind the attacks and what they could mean for the West's war footing.We also examine Ukraine's strikes on Russian datacentre infrastructure, the implications of Elon Musk/Donald Trump's latest decision to hobble Starlink, and the growing push for digital sovereignty.We also look at two sides of the AI debate. In support: a growing challenge to Adobe's software ecosystem. Opposed: the mounting financial pressures, including concerns about debt, spending and market consolidation. Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Penny Horwood Are you an IT leader with a story to tell? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Many organisations have ambitious AI strategies, but far fewer have successfully moved projects into production. In this episode of Ctrl Alt Lead, Penny Horwood speaks to Chris Carreiro, CTO at Park Place Technologies, about the obstacles holding enterprises back and what IT leaders can do about them.Chris explains why data readiness remains the biggest barrier to AI success, how unclear ownership and governance stall progress, and why organisations should focus on smaller, more targeted use cases rather than broad board-level mandates. The discussion also explores a sometimes overlooked aspect of AI infrastructure: power and cooling. As AI workloads drive unprecedented server densities, cooling has become a strategic concern for CIOs, with implications for sustainability, edge computing, data sovereignty and future infrastructure planning.Key topics:Why AI pilots fail to reach productionThe importance of data readiness and accountabilityGovernance challenges in a fast-moving AI landscapePower, cooling and the infrastructure demands of AIWhat CIOs should ask when assessing AI readinessThe future of AI infrastructure and edge deployments Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Penny Horwood Are you an IT leader with a story to tell? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this special Ctrl Alt Lead episode, Computing Research Director John Leonard explains why AI, despite attracting enormous attention, still represents a relatively small proportion of overall IT spend, while cloud remains the largest and most challenging budget category.The conversation also explores the practical realities behind cloud sovereignty, the difficulties of moving away from incumbent hyperscalers, and how UK organisations compare with their US counterparts in areas including AI adoption, cybersecurity investment and sustainability. The result is an evidence-based look at where IT leaders are investing today and what may shape spending decisions in the years ahead. Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Penny Horwood Are you an IT leader with a story to tell? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The datacentre industry has spent decades preparing for equipment failure. But what happens when the greatest risks are completely unpredictable - extreme weather, water shortages, energy constraints and geopolitical instability? In this episode, Arup's David Davies argues that resilience must be redefined for a more uncertain future.David discusses the growing impact of climate change on datacentre design, including the prospect of UK summer temperatures exceeding 45°C, the pressure that AI growth is placing on energy infrastructure, and the need to prepare for multiple disruptions occurring at the same time. He also explains why future-ready datacentres must be adaptable, integrated into broader energy systems and designed for continuous change rather than static operating conditions.We also explore public attitudes to datacentres, community engagement, microgrids and the key questions IT leaders should ask providers about resilience. Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Penny Horwood Are you an IT leader with a story to tell? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI's pricing model has changed, and many IT leaders - and business executives - have been caught flatfooted. In this episode Greg Holmes, field CTO at Apptio, an IBM company, discusses the changing economics of enterprise technology. From AI spending and consumption-based pricing to FinOps and value measurement, he explains why CIOs can no longer treat ROI as a one-time exercise. Instead, they need continuous visibility into both costs and outcomes.As well as costs, governance and sovereignty, Greg also discusses the growing importance of Chief AI Officers and the skills technology leaders will need to develop as AI becomes embedded across the enterprise. Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Penny Horwood Are you an IT leader with a story to tell? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Generative AI is transforming research, but its use in academia raises very different questions from mainstream business applications. In this episode, Elsevier CTO Jill Luber discusses the opportunities AI creates for literature discovery and analysis, as well as the risks of hallucinations, bias and a lack of source transparency. We explore Elsevier’s research-focused LeapSpace AI platform and consider the future role of AI agents in research workflows. Jill argues that, while AI will continue to accelerate discovery and publication, researchers will continue to rely on human judgement, supported by systems that prioritise trust and verifiable evidence. Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Penny Horwood Are you an IT leader with a story to tell? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we - along with the US and UK governments, as well as OpenAI itself - are tackling the controversial topic of AI kill switches. Tom and Penny discuss the proposals on the table, as well as the practical challenges of defining what a kill switch actually is, who would control it and what circumstances would justify its use.We also examines the wider implications of AI's transition from software tool to business infrastructure. From reports of rogue agents to the challenge of incorporating AI outages into resilience planning, we ask whether organisations are becoming dependent on systems whose governance remains unresolved. Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Penny Horwood Are you an IT leader with a story to tell? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.