Security and big projects to dominate IT Directors' Forum

Security and managing big projects look set to be the main issues for the cream of the UK's IT buying community on board the cruise ship Aurora for the annual IT Directors' Forum (ITDF) this week.

CIOs, IT directors and IT managers from companies such as the BBC, DaimlerChrysler, Debenhams, Dixons Group, Ginsters, Levi Strauss & Co, Pfizer, Sporting Index and Virgin Trains will spend the next two days meeting with suppliers and attending workshops on leadership and management.

This year around 350 IT directors and 180 suppliers will be at the event, which is slightly smaller than usual due to the organisers sharing the ship with the simultaneous Communications Directors Forum.

One attendee, Hugo Smith, IT director at Sporting Index, is in his fifth year of going to the event and he told silicon.com there are signs of optimism this year.

"The press in general says spending is up so the vendors will be more optimistic. Certainly there has been a real upturn in recruitment. We've lost two or three people recently to greater opportunities," he said.

And despite the various technology fads that have come and gone, Smith said security is still the main issue.

"In terms of subjects that are topical the absolute number one, aside from the usual stuff like business intelligence and storage, is security. Everything about security from patch management to application firewalls is number one still. It will be one of our biggest areas of spend," he said.

Some of the sessions this year include a debate on "Vendors are from Venus, IT directors are from Mars", leadership and personal development workshops and a closing address from Have I Got News For You panellist and Private Eye editor Ian Hislop on "The Virtuoso of Satire".

Anne Chambers, project manager at Richmond Events, which organises the ITDF, said attendees have expressed interest in addressing issues around managing large projects this year.

"As far as focus it seems an awful lot of big projects are going on and serious money is being spent on them. But they don't seem to be allowed to take on extra people to do these projects," she said.

silicon.com will be on board the ITDF to bring you the latest news and views.