iPhones unshackled, IT wages revealed and outsourcing explained

Once again, September saw another fresh crop of students head off to university for the first time, on their way to becoming the next generation of IT workers.

But how good are the UK's universities at turning out the skilled professionals that the tech industry needs? According to a silicon.com CIO Jury last month, the answer is not very. Asked if tech graduates are finishing university with the expertise their companies are looking for, only four out of 12 said yes.

But for those who have recently graduated in IT, the question of how much a techie can expect to earn years down the line has been answered - the average annual wage after a decade in the business was revealed in how much will you be earning in 10 years' time?

Incidentally, some of the highest paid IT workers are those who specialise in outsourcing - perhaps one reason why silicon.com's Cheat Sheet on outsourcing proved popular last month.

Another Cheat Sheet topping silicon.com's best read list in September was the iPhone - Apple's iconic device explained.

Despite Apple rejecting some iPhone apps, it's approved the potential risk to its own business that is music service Spotify. Columnist Seb Janacek has more on why it's a good move in Minority Report: Why Apple was smart to OK 'iTunes killer'.

The iPhone also made the news last month with the announcement that the device will soon be available on multiple carriers, ending Apple's exclusive arrangements with O2. From later on this year, the iPhone will be available on Orange, as well as Vodafone.

iPhone users are well-known as some of the biggest data consumers in the mobile world but are mobile surfers getting a raw deal from 3G? Peter Cochrane examined the disparity between what the industry promised and what 3G delivers in his blog: 3G Reality bytes.

Another high-speed connectivity of interest to silicon.com readers last month was fibre - superfast broadband which could deliver downlinks many times those available today - with the news that Digital Britain's fibre tax will be law before the next general election.

Software also hit the headlines in September, as silicon.com reporter Nick Heath explored why malware writers are turning to open source in their attempts to garner victims' financial details.

For those creating software on the right side of the law, silicon.com columnist Peter Cochrane had some advice: software - keep it short and sweet.