In the era of digital transformation, businesses need to quickly be able to create custom applications to solve the problems they’re facing. Creating programs the traditional way often takes hundreds of hours of programming as well as developers to do the necessary coding. However, the rise of low-code has allowed organizations to create custom apps to meet their needs without sacrificing time or money.

With the launch of FileMaker 19, Claris has released its first open platform that enables developers to build sophisticated custom apps by leveraging direct JavaScript integrations, drag-and-drop add-ons, AI using Apple’s Core ML and more.

To learn more about the company’s latest release and how low-code can help developers and businesses be more productive, TechRadar Pro spoke with the CEO of Claris, Brad Freitag.

• Low-code could lead to improved job satisfaction for IT developers
• The OpenJS Foundation aims to be the home of all JavaScript development
• Also check out the best web development tools of 2020

• We've also highlighted the best laptops for programming

Businesses have quickly had to adapt to remote working as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This has led to a huge increase in the number of organizations using video conferencing software and online collaboration tools. However, meeting with your coworkers just isn’t the same when everyone is staring at a screen. You lose the sense of human interaction and sharing a document on your screen pales in comparison to passing one around a conference room.

To make up for the shortcomings of video conferencing, organizations have begun to explore the idea of holding meetings in VR. TechRadar Pro spoke with MeetinVR’s marketing manager Tomas Budrys about the company’s new VR collaboration tool and how it can help organizations simplify remote work.

• HTC Vive reveals new VR headset bundles for enterprises
• How enterprise VR can empower a remote working world
• VR is the future of remote working

• We've also highlighted the best business VR headsets

2020 will be remembered as the year that changed everything, with the ongoing pandemic likely to leave a legacy that will affect generations to come; it has changed the way we live, learn and work.

With this in mind, we want to find out more about your experience, as part of the Future audience. How well have you managed to embrace remote working in the last few months? What have been the primary roadblocks and main facilitators?

We've put together a few questions and would love if you could provide us with some insights into your daily working life.

>>>ENTER THE SURVEY HERE<<<

The survey takes no more than five minutes to complete. To say thanks, you’ll be entered into our fantastic prize draw with a total value of more than $27,000, to be scooped up by a single reader.

If you want to be in with a shout of winning the prize, as well as sharing your opinion on your future and remote working, make sure you take part today before the survey closes on June 30th. Good luck!

The prize chest contains all the basic ingredients any business (or freelancer) needs to be successful online and much more. Here's the entire list:

T&Cs apply, over-18s, prizes may be replace with items of similar value at our discretion. See here for details: https://www.futureplc.com/competition-rules/

During the early days of the coronavirus outbreak many wondered if the internet would end up going down due to the dramatic increase in traffic from remote working, distance learning and people keeping themselves occupied while stuck at home. 

In fact, research from Cloudflare revealed that internet usage swelled by over 25 percent in most major cities around the world as a result of lockdown measures. Thankfully though, data center providers were able to upgrade capacity to handle this added strain on their networks.

To learn more about how data centers were able to adapt to this surge in internet usage, TechRadar Pro spoke with the President and CEO of CyrusOne, Tesh Durvasula.

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• Global appetite for website building reaches new highs during pandemic
• Internet access hangs by a thread for hundreds of millions

• We've also highlighted the best cloud computing services

The pandemic has shown businesses around the world that allowing employees to work from home is actually possible and can even lead to improved job satisfaction. As a result, many businesses will likely continue to allow their employees to work remotely once the crisis has subsided. For most employees, this won’t be a problem as they can do their jobs with off-the-shelf laptops and software but what about engineers, architects, graphic designers and others who require more computing power to do their work?

To learn more about how much computing power is really needed when working from home, TechRadar Pro spoke with vice president of global commercial marketing at Lenovo, David Rabin.

• What makes a remote working team successful?
• Happier working from home? You're not alone
• Remote working sees one in five adopt new technology

• We've also highlighted the best business laptops

The ongoing pandemic has changed the way millions approach their work, opening up new opportunities for cybercriminals, but also creating an environment in which cybersecurity specialists can demonstrate their mettle.

To help us keep you informed about the security-related topics that are most interesting to you, take part in our new survey. To say thanks, you’ll be entered automatically into our fantastic prize draw.

The survey takes no more than five minutes to complete and doing so gives you a chance to to win an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet with the Futurist e-Library, which contains three books (New Solutions for Cybersecurity, Trust: Data and Basic Blockchain) - and is worth £150/$200.

If you want to be in with a shout of winning the prize, as well as sharing your opinion on the future of the cybersecurity industry, make sure you take part before the survey closes on June 30th. Good luck!

ENTER HERE

T&Cs apply, over-18s only.

For more details, click here: https://www.futureplc.com/competition-rules/ 

The days of backing up important files and documents on multiple hard drives for redundancy are a thing of the past as cloud backup has become increasingly affordable. However, choosing a cloud storage and backup provider can often be daunting for users who are unsure of whether they want to sync, store or backup their files. 

For too long, the cloud storage market has been dominated by tech giants whose solutions are often expensive, opaque and complicated. Started back in 2007 with the aim of backing up friends and family’s computers, Backblaze has emerged as a viable competitor in the space by delivering easy, low-cost backup services to businesses and consumers for years. 

TechRadar Pro spoke with the company’s co-founder and CEO Gleb Budman to learn more about its infrastructure and services along with its recently announced S3 compatible APIs.

• Cloud backup: Our ultimate checklist to get you the perfect provider
• Cloud storage vs Cloud backup vs Cloud sync : What's the difference?
• These are the best cloud computing services of 2020

• We've also highlighted best cloud backup services

In today’s digital age, having a website can be extremely beneficial to your business regardless of how big or small your company is. Even if you run a small shop or sell your items locally, a website is a great way to grow your brand and reach even more customers. 

Getting started is often the hardest part of creating your first website which is why TechRadar Pro spoke to SiteGround’s WordPress initiatives manager, Hristo Pandjarov to find out more about how SMBs can begin creating their own online presence.

• 10 quick ways to improve your website branding
• Why should you audit your website?
• These are the best small business website builders

• Also check out our complete list of the best website builders

The increase in sustained Internet traffic brought about by coronavirus lockdown measures has led to speculation infrastructure might crumble under the burden.

Although cloud-based services (such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams) have experienced outages - likely as a result of increased traffic - and broadband providers have suffered blips in service, the UK is yet to experience significant downtime outside of usual margins.

TechRadar Pro spoke to network monitoring firm ThousandEyes about the performance of UK Internet infrastructure, the challenges facing internet service providers (ISPs) and how the pandemic might affect Internet services going forward.

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The company detects network performance issues by actively probing networks from thousands of vantage points around the globe. It takes billions of measurements each day, detecting instances in which traffic is terminating within ISPs and the networks of public cloud providers, UCaaS providers, and edge service providers.

According to ThousandEyes, this outage detection mechanism is highly specific, enabling isolation of traffic termination incidents down to the interfaces of the infrastructure involved.

How do you set about detecting outages?

ThousandEyes detects network performance issues (including outages) through active network probing from vantage points around the globe. The resultant network telemetry data covers latency, packet loss and other key performance indicators.

While packet loss of any level can be potentially disruptive to users, ThousandEyes defines an outage as an incident involving 100% packet loss, where traffic completely terminates at some point within a network.

Since lockdown measures were introduced, how would you assess the performance of UK Internet infrastructure?

The performance of Internet infrastructure in the UK has been varied over the course of lockdown, but generally speaking, it has held up well.

When compared globally, UK outages have remained low overall, standing at 21 in the first week of lockdown, with the second week rising to 28. A significant reduction was seen in the third week with only 10 outages, before we observed a slight increase in the fourth week with 13.

How is UK Internet faring in comparison to other countries?

About a third of all outages in the first quarter this year occurred in EMEA. Although the duration and scope of many of the outages suggest they were the result of network operators optimising performance as traffic levels increased, we have also seen a clear spike in outages among collaboration app network providers, including video conferencing services.

Comparatively speaking, the UK’s Internet has fared well. We saw outages spike in mid-March, but when a second global elevation occurred in early April, the UK was minimally affected.

What kind of damage was caused by the recent outages you identified?

The impact of outages can vary depending on location, time of day, and scope of the outage. In general, when Tier 1 ISPs, broadband providers, and large transit providers experience outages, the impact of consumers and business can be significant.

The recent Tata Communications outage had far-reaching implications geographically, as did last week’s CenturyLink outage, which caused Merrill Lynch to publicly report on disruptions to its brokerage business. Many other large businesses experienced service disruption throughout the outage. Taken together, the financial impact may well have been in the millions of dollars.

What have been the primary causes of outages in recent weeks?

Outages can occur for many different reasons, including infrastructure failure, fibre cut, and configuration error, making them hard to predict.

Throughout March, as traffic usage increased to support remote work, online school and leisure activities, the duration and scope of network outages has increased compared to pre-coronavirus. These characteristics aren’t consistent with congestion related outages. Instead, they suggest increased traffic engineering activity by network operators — likely to address increased traffic usage.

What are the greatest challenges currently facing ISPs?

Overall, ISPs have performed well given dramatically increased network usage. As traffic volumes increased, many reported an increase in requests for bandwidth and connectivity from their customers and peers. Responding to a large number of service requests may have posed a challenge for some providers.

ISPs are also under greater scrutiny, given the dependence that users now have on the Internet. Even issues unrelated to network usage, such as fibre cuts, can bring an unwelcome spotlight.

Outages are, however, an inevitability even under normal Internet conditions, and sound network strategy and operations will continue to be the best methods to limit their occurrence.

Do you anticipate any changes to the way services are consumed going forward?

The overnight transition to a remote workforce and customer base has made one thing very clear for a lot of enterprises - they’re reliant on a well-functioning Internet to power all of those online services and applications that are core to employee and consumer experiences.

Going forward, we may see a change in the way businesses invest in and consume some Internet services. ISPs may also examine their service and investment prioritisation given the heavy utilisation of consumer networks.

• Here's our list of the best business routers on the market

Improving efficiency allows organizations to get even more done in the same amount of time. When it comes to developing apps, low-code allows businesses to quickly build custom applications to suit their needs while Robotic Process Automation (RPA) allows businesses to automate mundane tasks so their human employees can focus on more important work.

Appian is known for its low-code software but through a series of recent acquisitions, the company has expanded further into automation by offering customers the ability to automate tasks through RPA and do so intelligently using AI. TechRadar Pro spoke with the company’s global financial services and insurance industry lead, Michael Heffner to learn more about its expansion into automation.

• Why businesses are turning to low-code for their custom applications
• Automating our future: an inside look at robotic process automation
• Also check out our roundup of the best mobile app development software

• We've also highlighted the best AI platforms

Using technology in the classroom can make the entire educational process more immersive and successful for both teachers and students. However, sometimes not all the conditions are met for it to bring true results, which is why educators propose that:

• All stakeholders (students included) are invited to voice their opinions and concerns, 
• A clear plan is created for the establishment of an engaging learning environment, 
• Appropriate professional development is introduced for teachers 
• A network infrastructure is built which would be strong enough to support a 1:1 implementation 
• New mobile devices are integrated with other systems on the network, including projectors, printers, and scanners 
• A steady multi-year funding stream is secured for these purposes 

In terms of delivering educational content, a projector is still the most practical and affordable method for large screens. Not only does it increase student engagement and create more immersive experiences, but it also results in more effective learning of new material.

Newer interactive projectors by Casio, a Japan-based multinational consumer electronics manufacturing company, aim to support both students and teachers in the collaborative classroom. 

In addition to providing flexible content delivery, these projectors can increase interaction and promote student engagement. The more engaged and immersed students are, the more they will learn. That said, to truly make the most out of implementing these newer technologies in the classroom, there needs to be a system of meaningful, ongoing professional development in place for teachers so they can learn how to improve instruction.

Download the whitepaper below to find out more.

The 2020 Mobile Industry Awards will now take place on Friday, September 25.

In line with many other events in the technology space, the Awards – which look represent the gold standard of excellence in the UK mobile industry – are following recent government guidelines regarding the coronavirus outbreak.

As the news has been progressing, we have listened to the concerns from all parties. As the well-being of our attendees, partners and staff is our number one priority, we have taken the very difficult decision to postpone the Mobile Industry Awards 2020 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel until Friday 25 September 2020. 

Everyone at Future would like to thank the mobile business for its understanding and continued support. We look forward to welcoming you all at the Awards this September, when we will once again celebrate the best and brightest the UK and European mobile industry has to offer.

One change to previous years will see the Mobile Industry Awards 2020 move to a lunchtime event, opening at 12.30pm and extending throughout the afternoon and evening.

The shortlist for this year's Mobile Industry Awards will now also be revealed on April 30.

If you have already booked a table or tickets to this year’s Awards, your booking will automatically be transferred to the new date, with no further action needed on your part.

For further information on the awards, please visit the website here, where you will also find a list of FAQs and be able to make a booking. 

For any further questions, please email customer relations executive Kate Smith on [email protected].

Protecting yourself or your business from phishing attacks and other cyber threats has become increasingly difficult. While some have turned to two-factor authentication (2FA) as a means of protection, others have instead opted to use physical security keys to do so and with much greater success.

To learn more about security keys and how they can help organizations and individuals alike keep their accounts secure, TechRadar Pro spoke with Yubico’s chief product officer, Guido Appenzeller.

• Yubico makes it easier for businesses to adopt security keys
• Google is open-sourcing its security keys
• You can now use an iPhone as a Google security key

• Also check out our complete list of the best security keys

There’s a risk that if you read enough news on cybersecurity, hacking and everything else involved with protecting your devices, you might start to see threats everywhere.

Let’s be honest: most of us just want to know how to bank, shop and browse the websites we love whilst staying safe online. But the unfortunate truth is that cybercriminals are often lurking in the background, waiting for you to make a mistake so that they can strike.

Antivirus software is a great way to ensure that your personal information, financial details and devices are as secure as they can be. The question now is, which solution is the right one?

To be a worthy ally, an antivirus platform needs to have a few key features to keep your device protected - here’s all you need to know.

Why is antivirus software important?

Before we get started, it’s important to understand that there is a wide range of cyberthreats out there targeting computers, smartphones and tablets.

A brief list of some of the main threats around today puts this into perspective:

• Viruses
• Malware
• Ransomware
• Cryptojacking
• Formjacking
• Spyware
• Adware
• Worms
• Trojans
• Keyloggers

The methods cybercriminals use to infect devices and package up the cyberattacks for delivery can be just as confusing to keep track of, but some of the main tactics include:

• Email hijacking and phishing
• Fake websites
• Malicious ads
• Free software hiding flaws
• Vulnerabilities
• Exploits
• Malware apps on the official app stores

Needless to say, defending against these cyberthreats can be challenging, and that’s why installing antivirus software should be the first thing any new device owner does.

Real-time scanning

When it comes to what to look for in antivirus software, real-time scanning should always be at the top of the list. 

Antivirus and anti-malware software are consistently being updated to detect the latest tactics that cybercriminals are using. Unfortunately, not every solution is constantly scanning to see if those exploits are actually being used. In fact, some only work when a scan takes place – whether it’s scheduled or manually started.

Fortunately, real-time scanning is included in Norton 360 solution. The all-in-one platform brings real-time protection to devices against a wide range of ransomware, viruses, spyware, phishing and other online threats. The tool is constantly monitoring and looking to block unauthorised traffic, helping to protect your private and financial information whenever you go online.

Real-time scanning can be the difference between a cyberthreat being on your computer for days, or it being quickly detected and blocked before it even has a chance to install. If your antivirus software isn’t consistently scanning for any discrepancies, a keylogger could slip by and get your login details before you know it.

Modern firewall

Antivirus software can’t do it all, which is why it’s often paired with other features that combine to form a single solution. When these features are added, they can come together to provide a better and more comprehensive security offering.

A firewall – which monitors ingoing and outgoing web traffic – is built into your computer’s operating system, whether PC or Mac, but that doesn’t mean it’s the highest quality firewall that you can get.

The Firewall for PC and Mac included in the Norton 360 platform helps block a wide amount of unauthorised traffic. With bad websites and malicious advertisements out there in large numbers, modern firewalls are becoming more important in stopping what’s known as drive-by downloads. This is when a malicious website or ad automatically starts a download in the background – without the user knowing – and installs adware, spyware or something equally nasty.

Whether it’s online banking, shopping or browsing the web, computers are seeing more of the internet now than they did in years past. Firewalls help ensure that the increase in web traffic isn’t putting your device at risk.

Phishing protection

Emails represent a prime opportunity for cybercriminals to pass on viruses and other malware, with many users keen to download a file from someone they think they know. However if it’s a phishing attempt, that’s almost always going to be a virus.

Many people have a tough time spotting phishing, but each time a phishing email is opened, there’s a chance that the cyberthreat can turn into something much bigger.

If your antivirus software can’t protect against phishing, then it’s not really protecting against viruses. Norton 360 offers powerful layers of protection for your devices and online privacy – all in a single solution. As well as viruses and malware, this protection also protects against phishing by recognising common attempts and checking attachments for viruses.

Cloud backup

Cybercriminals are inventing and using new types of cyberthreats every day. While many antivirus platforms are constantly updating their malware definitions to spot these new trends quickly, it’s not unthinkable for a cyberattack to slip past security.

Antivirus software should often be able to remove the virus or malware. But in the event that it can’t, users should be able to take advantage of cloud backup storage. Doing so ensures that important files and information stays available (in the case of ransomware) or can be recovered if the device has to be wiped clean.

There’s no bulletproof vest for computers and devices – cyberthreats can still find their way into a system. But getting your hands on an effective antivirus software will include cloud backup storage, meaning you can keep your important information safe in the event that anything bad happens. 

The 2020 Mobile Industry Awards (MIA 2020) has announced a collaboration with mental health charity Mind. 

Recognising the top talent in the UK, the MIA 2020 covers from the boardroom to the grassroots, with attendees representing the best and brightest the UK and European mobile industry has to offer.

The two organisations will work together to promote mental health in the UK, but also recognise excellence in the industry with the inaugural People and Culture category.

The awards opened for entries on the 13th January 2020, with entrants called on to showcase how they created an engaging, inclusive, and diverse culture that’s brought staff together, improved their experience and the company’s performance as a result. 

The award entry criteria will also ask entrants about their staff and impact on performance.

Research conducted by Mind found that less than half of staff think managers would spot their mental health problems, despite two in three managers feeling confident promoting wellbeing. 

The data from Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index 2018-19, which researched nearly 44.000 employees, showcased that:

• Nearly half of employees (45 per cent) feel that their manager would be able to spot if they were having problems with their mental health,
• Around two in five (41 per cent) of the managers surveyed said they felt their employer contributed to their skills to support an employee experiencing poor mental health, while two in three (66 per cent) felt confident promoting wellbeing.
• Over one in two staff (56 per cent) felt their organisation supports their mental health, and around one in two (51 per cent) felt the culture at their organisation makes it possible to speak openly about experiencing poor mental health.
• The data revealed that mental health problems are common among staff - more than seven in ten employees (71 per cent) have experienced mental health problems in their lives, while over one in two (53 per cent) employees are affected by poor mental health in their current workplace.

Emma Ihsan, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Mind, said: “We are delighted that Future Publishing has chosen to collaborate with us through the Mobile Industry Awards, as part of their commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. 

“One in four of us will experience a mental health problem every year so it is vital that we provide information, support and advice so that no one has to face their experience alone. We are grateful for Future Publishing’s support in raising funds and awareness on the night of the awards, to help us achieve this.”

“Future are very proud that our highly coveted and distinguished Mobile Industry Awards are working closely with Mind to raise the importance of mental health in the workplace,” Zillah Byng-Thorne, Chief Executive Officer, Future Plc said of the collaboration.

“We are committed to making sure our employees are looked after, with mental health professionals who are on hand for confidential and open conversations. It's great to see one of our leading brands drive this conversation across the mobile and tech industry."

This year's Mobile Industry Awards is shaping up to be a very special event combining great people, great businesses and great food - click here for details of table packages available on the night.