'Outdated' systems are slammed

Some IT managers are lulling their lawyers into a false sense of security with systems that are badly out of date, a leading IT consultant said last week.

Tony Korn, associate director of IT and management consultants Cornwell, told an in-house conference of clients: 'Many systems are still based on hopelessly out-dated technology.

They are now becoming increasingly and dangerously unsupportable, leaving their organisations vulnerable and exposed to significant business risk.'Mr Korn said that following the large amount of time and money spent in the run-up to the predicted millennium bug meltdown, some IT managers are now working on the 'once bitten twice shy' principle and 'failing to live up to their responsibilities'.He added that firms with such systems could act immediately and either select the most appropriate off-the-shelf commercial package and upgrade it in the short term, or replace it with a better system in the medium term.Neil Rose