The importance of open systems was the message that emerged from a recent UK Computer Measurement Group seminar on information technology challenges for the 1990s. A small panel of senior staff from several major installations talked about the issues that they believe will dominate the next decade. They all agreed that interoperability and a service-oriented approach are two problems that the manufacturers must address. Console message handling, automated operations, and the rise of expert systems were also highlighted by several speakers. Alan Stokey of the Stock Exchange says that soft-ware strategy is increasingly important. He believes that in terms of operational efficiency, system-managed storage is the primary vehicle for different disk architectures. The man from British Telecom says that his company is undergoing the biggest cost-cutting exercise ever, which makes automation, design and methodology more important. Anthony Butler of Colonial & Mutual identified several issues that he feels affect City-based companies. The Financial Services Act and the push for private pensions have upped the tempo of business, and this is compounded by problems caused by technology. He believes that the rate of technological change is causing turbulence. In Tolkienesque mood, Butler says that the computer age has gone, and we’re now moving into the age of information, with chaos in between. He also sees industrial integration as an aspect of the 1990s, with manufacturers and service providers crossing into the others traditional territory. Butler says that these changes will make defined architectures and methods more important. The final speaker reinforced the view that information technology has to face the challenge of being business- and service-oriented, and will have to accept the cultural changes of a more mature industry. Janice McGinn
