Online 99 proves popular resource for IT professionals

NEWS IT professionals flocked to London Olympia today for the Online Information 99 show seeking advice about how to handle their Net based business data. The exhibition stands and seminar theatres were overflowing, reflecting the growing impact the Internet is having on businesses and other organisations. Most delegates - predominantly information and business professionals - sought advice on how to meet the growing demand from within and beyond their organisations (from internal and external sources) for information delivered electronically. Sally McCullum, network development officer, at the Washington Library of Congress said the key to developing a sound online information strategy is managing the information overload. "The Internet is becoming an increasingly larger pile of information. We're trying to use automated means, but as the information grows, those means become increasingly ineffective and we start spending more and more time looking for the information," she added. Robin Mitchell, speaking for exhibitor Soutron, said IT professionals have been focusing on the wrong things for too long. "We feel that the culture of the user is very important for IT professionals to focus on. Too many times people focus too much on the technology. They forget that the users are real people that need IT solutions that make their job easier rather than harder."