Global Dispatches: U.K. police propose e-crime unit

U.K. Considers E-crime Unit

LONDON -- The U.K. Home Office last week confirmed that it is "considering" funding a national e-crime unit proposed by the country's Association of Chief Police Officers.

Earlier this month, Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker met with Charlie McMurdie, head of Scotland Yard's Computer Crime Unit, and other law enforcment officials to discuss the proposal.

The police chiefs group has proposed that the Home Office approve £1.3 million ($2.6 million U.S.) in initial funding for the e-crime organization.

A Home Office spokesman said that the agency is "considering how we take an overall approach to issues such as electronic fraud."

McMurdie told Computerworld U.K. that the meeting with Coaker was "fairly positive" and that she expects an answer in four to six weeks. "He's asked us to leave it with him in the short term, to see if the funding is available," said McMurdie. -- Leo King, Computerworld U.K.
BT Opens IT Center in India

GURGAON, India -- BT Group PLC last week opened a global operations center here to run systems and processes for BT's various worldwide business lines. About 300 people will work in the facility.

The center will also support corporate functions, such as procurement, legal, finance and human resources operations, the company said.

The London-based telecommunications company has opened similar centers in Hungary, Brazil and China. -- John Ribeiro, IDG News Service
Briefly Noted

Jeremy Richard Godfrey has been named CIO for the government of Hong Kong. Godfrey, most recently a partner at PA Consulting Group Ltd., previously held management posts in the Hong Kong office of Cable & Wireless PLC and at Hongkong Telecom. He will begin his new job on April 7. -- Stefan Hammond, Computerworld Hong Kong
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