ICT in Reuters
Reuters Departments
Here is a summary of the main ICT related departments in Reuters.
ICT Support
Information about ICT support in Reuters was given to me by Roger Peters. ICT Support was partly contracted out to Fujitsu when Reuters moved to South Colonnade at Canary Wharf. Fujitsu manage all Desk-top support which involves keeping workers at their desks and being able to use their computer. Fujitsu’s main objective is:
- To keep staff working with as little interruption as possible
The server teams manage other parts of ICT Support which include looking after the phone lines, the networking between building, and ADSL. The server teams are Reuter’s staff at this moment, but this part of ICT Support may be contracted out in the future.
50% of the staff used laptops, while the other 50% used PCs before they moved to South Colonnade at Canary Wharf. Since the move, Reuters have changed their policy so that nearly 95% of staff now use IBM laptops.
Software called ...
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- To keep staff working with as little interruption as possible
The server teams manage other parts of ICT Support which include looking after the phone lines, the networking between building, and ADSL. The server teams are Reuter’s staff at this moment, but this part of ICT Support may be contracted out in the future.
50% of the staff used laptops, while the other 50% used PCs before they moved to South Colonnade at Canary Wharf. Since the move, Reuters have changed their policy so that nearly 95% of staff now use IBM laptops.
Software called Service Center is used to log all requests for help from employees. The programme is a Call Management System. The software records the user name, the ICT problem, the referral made, and also the outcome of the help. The system to get help is:
- A Phone or Email Help Desk is contacted. If the problem cannot be solved, the user is referred to PC Clinic in their own building.
- If Business As Usual needs to be maintained, an engineer is sent to help the user at their work station.
- Otherwise an email is sent to the user to bring their laptop to PC Clinic within 24 hours. The user is told to back-up data, and a replacement laptop is loaned to the user if required to carry on working.
Fujitsu can then analyse the most frequent problems, how long it takes to solve, and the solution made.
Development
The main aim of the Development department is:
- To develop software to meet the needs of customers
The Development department starts with a base program. Any upgrades or adjustments that the customers might need are then added later. The adjustments are saved, and can be redesigned to reach a satisfactory level. Software and programs can be adapted to work on different operating systems.
There are several different development teams at Reuters. The teams vary depending on the necessary skills and knowledge needed for the development. The software used by the department includes development software to create and write programs, version control software to save and modify adjustments, testing software for use on new programs, and network software to connect to client areas. Double screens are sometimes used due to the demands of the work, when multiple programs need to be run simultaneously.
Finance
The aim of the Finance department is:
- To work out whether the purchase and sale of information is balanced enough for Reuters to make a profit
To make sure Reuters do not spend more than it can afford, records of all transactions are kept. Each Reuters department is given a yearly budget. The expenditure of each department is worked out and sent to them as a report. If a department wishes to spend extra money, they will require permission from the Finance department. The department is also responsible for working out income tax, pension contributions and National Insurance, which are then sent to government departments. Each year, the Finance Department must produce an Annual Profit/Loss statement to present to shareholders.
Software used by the Finance Department includes spreadsheets for much of their work, ISIS for transaction records, Microsoft Word for letters, and e-mail for communication.