Sponsored by Accountancy Age , Europe’s leading software and e-business event for the accounting and finance industry promises to be a huge gathering with around 100 software providers exhibiting. Including free vendor seminars, executive masterclasses and breakfast briefings that focus on the setting up and implementation of a finance system, the show runs from 5 to 6 March in the Grand Hall, Olympia, London.
- The NHS IT tsar has tasked industry body Intellect with coordinating an industry view on IT strategy for the health service. Richard Granger, director general of NHS IT, has asked Intellect to build a representative consultation group for NHS IT suppliers. More than 220 Intellect member companies work in the healthcare sector, and between them are responsible for over 75% of installed NHS systems.
- The US Computer & Communications Industry Association has defended its decision to lodge a new Microsoft antitrust complaint with the EC. The group revealed it has filed a 260-page complaint alleging Microsoft Windows XP ‘violates’ European competition law. The complaint has been filed at a sensitive time for Microsoft, which is talking to the EC as it works hard to reach a conclusion on a separate ongoing anti-trust investigation. Microsoft dismissed the allegations, saying the CCIA appeared to be attempting to reignite its failed US case.
- US corporate spending on hacker insurance will rocket from $100m (£61.8m) to $2.5bn by 2005, according to industry estimates. In January, the hacker insurance market increased as many existing policies expired and were replaced by policies that contain explicit exclusions for hacker-related losses. According to the Insurance Information Institute, a policy covering revenue lost due to hacking costs about $4,000 per year for each $1m in coverage. Policies generally insure against hackers, viruses, programming errors or intellectual property theft on the internet.