Alastair Revell

Welcome to my web log (or 'blog' in the vernacular).

My intention is to use this blog to record my thoughts on various issues within the IT Profession, on specific technical issues that Revell Research Systems encounters that might be of interest to a wider audience, and on applications of technology in general.

It's not quite a New Year's Resolution, but I hope to keep blog on a regular basis - perhaps at least once or twice a week.

I would welcome feedback on the various postings and hearing from people about the topics I touch on.

Recent Blog Posts

Data Protection Act 1998
I suspect many businesses and probably most members of the general public are unawarethat the fees for notification under the Data Protection Act 1998 were changed witheffect from 1st October 2009. The change was made through The Data Protection...
Alastair Revell, Revell Research Systems | 27th January '10

More on the Exeter University Virus
Just a quick update to my earlier blog regarding the problems currently being faced by the University of Exeter. It seems the virus is exploiting known flaws in the Microsoft Vista and Microsoft Server 2008 platforms.Zack Whittacker, who blogs for...
Alastair Revell, Revell Research Systems | 20th January '10

Exeter University Shutdown!
It seems that the University of Exeter is currently in the middle of a major virus outbreak, which has led to their IT team shutting down the entire campus network, including their telephone system in an attempt to contain the problem.The attack...
Alastair Revell, Revell Research Systems | 20th January '10

IT Professionals must be assertive!
I’ve been mulling over Michael Cross’ article of 23rd September 2009 for the Guardian web site for a while now, which was written in response to The British Computer Society rebranding itself as BCS—The Chartered Institute for IT...
Alastair Revell, Revell Research Systems | 2nd December '09

Rural Payments Agency: More Government Data Loss
Farmers Weekly has reported that the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has lost the payment details of every farmer in the United Kingdom that has ever claimed a farm payment. The details include names and addresses, bank details, passwords and...
Alastair Revell, Revell Research Systems | 31st October '09

BCS Rebranded: The Future isn't just Green!
The British Computer Society (BCS) launched its new branding over the weekend and it is clearly setting an ambitious course. The changes clearly run far deeper than just the corporate colour change from blue to green. Firstly, it is...
Alastair Revell, Revell Research Systems | 21st September '09

National Museum of Computing to Reboot the Harwell Machine
I was pleased to just read a few moments ago on the BBC Web Site that the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park is to acquire the Harwell machine. It is the oldest computer in existence (depending on whether you classify the Collusus...
Alastair Revell, Revell Research Systems | 3rd September '09

Chartered IT Professional (CITP): The Qualification Whose Time is Coming?
I welcome the joint report produced by fellows of The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and The British Computer Society (BCS) entitled: Engineering Values in IT, which was published on 3rd...
Alastair Revell, Revell Research Systems | 25th August '09

Selling and marketing in a recession: Forget email?
I’ve recently had occasion to contact a number of professional service firms “out of the blue” about the services that they offer. As an IT professional, I’ve naturally used email as my preferred means of...
Alastair Revell, Revell Research Systems | 28th May '09

Bletchley Park: Important to the IT Profession
I attended the BCS South West AGM Talk “The Second World War Code Breaking Centre at Bletchley Park” at the University of Plymouth on Wednesday, 13th May 2009, given by John Gallehawk of The Bletchley Park Trust, who came...
Alastair Revell, Revell Research Systems | 20th May '09