• silicon.com
• Technology
• Software

By Suzanna Kerridge, 12 June 2001 17:50

NEWS High-octane management and high-octane staff are the only way to survive in the cut-throat world of ebusiness, according to controversial Autonomy CEO, Mike Lynch. Speaking at the Giga World IT Forum in Rome today, he told a packed conference that getting rid of unenthusiastic staff and only planning for the short term are key strategies for the online economy. "Good ebusiness projects are run on enthusiasm and it is very easy for an enthusiastic person to be undermined by a graphite person." Lynch went on to tell the audience that the IPO and secondary funding markets are currently closed options and that the mergers and acquisitions market is almost shut. "Negative sentiment and low budgets make it hard. Trying to buy a company now is like trying to dock two yachts in a rolling sea," he said. Lynch's views on XML also provoked a strong reaction. "XML is touted as the solution to every problem, but there are practical problems with it -who tags the data in the first place with this hyperlink language? We need a careful understanding of the use of workforce and not technology projects that no one wants," Lynch claimed. He added that XML is a technology for the future, rather than practical for use today. Uttam Narsu, director at Giga, strongly disagreed with Lynch's views on XML. "He is wrong," he said. "The hype peaked late last year and now we are starting to see real business uses and the majority of companies use it for mission critical content. The problem we have is that it is in multiple markets and it is easy when you look at the hype, but don't see it in your market, to think it has failed." Narsu claimed XML is slowly filtering into the mainstream market but is still in its early stages. One attendee from a well known high street brand said: "Many companies use it simply but effectively for tagging lines rather than go for the web sessions and complex implementations- it'll be a long time before we see that becoming mainstream." Narsu admitted that the lack of common XML standards, coupled with overlapping interests from different companies promoting the technology, threatens to make XML a risk. But he urged companies to set out a formal manner in which XML will be integrated into an internet strategy. "Companies need steering committees to look at the benefits, risks and performance issues." Autonomy's Mike Lynch features in silicon.com's Agenda Setters 2001. To find out more, visit http://www.silicon.com/as2001