Irish employers unaware of legal obligations

Almost two-thirds of companies don't realise their legal responsibilities regarding their employees and electronic communications, a new survey has revealed. The Chambers Ireland eBusiness Survey 2007 found that only 37 percent of companies are aware that they are liable for their employees' online activities and can risk prosecution if their staff engage in unlawful activities using company resources. The publication also raised concerns about the lack of awareness among employers regarding their obligation to let employees know if they wish to monitor staff emails and files. Meanwhile, a little over half of companies still don't have their own website, and more than 80 percent of firms are failing to take advantage of online tendering websites. For more on this story see ENN.ie.

Firms unhappy with anti-spam solutions

Most businesses are unhappy with the performance of their anti-spam technologies. That's according to a new survey entitled 'The Spam Index Report' from IT consultants Brockmann & Company, who polled more than 500 businesses. Respondents found anti-spam services provided by internet service providers (ISPs) to be the least effective of all solutions, while spam filters were found to be the next most ineffectual method of killing spam. Only 21 percent of respondents were "very satisfied" with their user-trained PC email client spam filters. The study found that challenge-response anti-spam technology garnered the most business satisfaction, with 67 percent proclaiming themselves "very satisfied" with it. Challenge-response involves first-time email senders being challenged with a reply email, requesting that the sender reply to that message to assure the original email is delivered. For more on this story see ZDnet.co.uk.

Fraudsters target networking sites

Social networking websites could be exposing businesses and consumers to increased security risks, according to credit information provider Equifax. The firm claims that fraudsters could take users' personal information in order to commit identity theft and is urging web users to limit the amount of information they post online. Details such as date of birth, email address, job title and marital status are frequently posted online by unwary users, and "fraudsters can use this information to steal an individual's identity and open accounts in their name," said Neil Munroe, external affairs director for Equifax. Meanwhile, Mark Murtagh, technical director of security firm Websense, warned that the rise of Web 2.0 applications - such as blogs, discussion forums and networking sites - is creating "security and productivity challenges" for European small businesses. For more on this story see Silicon.com.

E-shoppers taking longer to make purchases

Online shoppers are taking longer than ever to make up their minds when making a purchase, according to a recent study of UK e-shoppers by security firm ScanAlert. The ubiquity of broadband connections at home and work means that consumers can now do more window shopping and price comparison. The average lapse between first visiting a shopping site and buying a product is 34 hours 19 minutes, up 80 percent on 2005, when the average delay was 19 hours 11 minutes. "It is a bit of a paradox for retailers. While faster internet access allows customers to complete an order quickly, it also enables them to jump rapidly from site to site," said report author Nigel Ravenhill. He said the study results show that online retailers should take a longer-term view about the return on investment of their pay-per-click advertising campaigns. ScanAlert analysed 2.6 million online sales across 470 shopping sites over a two-year period. Read more on this story on VNUnet.com.

CRM: managing customer relationships

Keeping track of overseas operations

Case study: Lotus Automation

Wireless USB

Wireless USB (WUSB) is a new wireless technology that offers a number of advantages over existing wireless solutions. It uses ultra-wideband technology, which enables short-range connections without wires at much faster speeds than Bluetooth while consuming much less power than Wi-Fi devices. The first WUSB products for consumers have just been approved, and laptops from Dell and Lenovo as well as networking hardware from D-Link and IOGear will be the first products on the market to carry the 'Certified Wireless USB' logo. In future, all products carrying this logo should be compatible with each other.

The Vaults, Harbourmaster Place, IFSC, Dublin 1, September 5
This event is the latest in a series of debates on internet topics hosted by the Irish Internet Association. The IIA is currently seeking speakers for the evening event from participants who are passionate about blogging, whether for or against it. There will be time for networking after the debate.

The third annual BT Inspired IT Awards have just been launched by Irish market research firm iReach. The awards were created to recognise heads of IT and their teams for their strategic role in helping to drive competitiveness and place Ireland at the forefront of knowledge creation and IT innovation. The awards, which are free to enter, honour business growth, technological innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. Among the award categories are Overall SME, Overall Project and Overall Team of the Year. Submissions must be received by 4 October, and the awards ceremony will be held at Dublin's Burlington Hotel on 25 October.