That's no Moon...

... that’s an R&D tax credit claim !

As an IT guy and all-round sci-fi nerd, it shouldn't surprise anyone that I love Star Wars. It’s the first film I can remember being genuinely captivated by. Space Wizards with laser swords, fast-moving space battles featuring cool looking starships… as a four year old I wanted to be a Jedi Knight or at the very least a roguish smuggler with an seven foot tall hairy bodyguard.

Love it or hate it, but from the use of extensive motion control photography combined with hyper-detailed models and blue screen (subsequently green screen) filming, standard-setting THX surround sound, pioneering use of digital cameras for both filming and editing, and generally helping to propel computer-generated effects light years ahead, Star Wars films have always extended the boundaries of what’s possible from a technical perspective.

It’s perhaps not surprising that the same futuristic philosophy is evident in the films themselves. Remote AI-controlled droid armies… eight kilometer long Super Star Destroyers – no problem. However, the greatest achievement of them all has to be the Death Star. This small moon-sized space station, armed with a planet-destroying 'superlaser', was designed and built to inspire terror and ensure loyalty.

You have to wonder if the Galactic Empire ever put in an R&D tax credit claim. After all, they would've had to research and engineer the laser, a suitable power source and a superstructure capable of withstanding the stresses of basic motion, not to mention moving the whole thing through hyperspace without it imploding, exploding or performing an improbable combination of the two.

In overall expense terms, I imagine we’re looking at something akin to the Edinburgh Tram Project…


Author - Bryan Ford

Don't Fear the Auditor

Who do you fear more, the auditor or the attacker ?

It is a key question for IT leaders thinking of dabbling in on-demand computing provision through the cloud. For many information security officers, there is only one answer, particularly for firms operating in highly regulated sectors: A lot of companies fear the auditor more. If you hold data internally, you can show the auditor your controls, but the cloud makes such demonstrations more difficult.

The resulting complications mean many businesses still shy away from on-demand IT. About 40% of UK companies use cloud computing systems, according to the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. This represents a significant proportion of British organisations, but implementation levels – certainly with regards to large-scale enterprise systems – are nowhere near matching the cacophonous intensity of supplier hype.

While suppliers often portray the cloud as ground-breaking, most independent commentators agree there is nothing inherently new about on-demand IT. Mainframe computing and hosted technology have been around for many years. Application service provision (ASP), for example, represents an often forgotten stage of hosted computing that might be more usefully viewed as the early stages of software-as-a-service (SaaS).

The on-demand marketing push – which started from about 2008 – means anything hosted suddenly represents “the cloud”. So, why is the current phase of hosted services different? Most CIOs appear unsure, especially while suppliers continue to hype services and swerve security concerns.

Many CISO’s have run a trial of cloud-based provisioning service of some description, often using the opportunity to help capture error data relating to the failure of systems. The approach involved using the cloud as a virtual datacentre, renting processing power and disc space on-demand to aggregate error logs.

The likely growth in cloud computing means a new approach is required. The sudden growth in on-demand computing could lead to suggestions that the technology is now moving faster than legislation, and that auditors need to take a more sophisticated approach. But for now, responsibility once again lies with the suppliers.

Success here allows the CISO and their team to explore the applicability of cloud for other business areas. But results have been inconclusive, particularly with regards to the persistence and recover-ability of data. The studies often leave the CISO to conclude that the potential wider use of cloud is complicated.

While the on-demand provision of computing resources can help drive down costs, it can also increase risk – especially for a UK business operating in a heavily regulated sector, such as gambling. CISO’s needs to be able to provide a complete audit trail, and providing such visibility to a supplier’s infrastructure is an inherently complicated task.

CISO’s need to know where their information is at any point in time, and they need UK data to be kept in a UK cloud. Finding a supplier to meet that demand is a significant challenge. The cloud supplier must prove that the datacentre is secure and that information will not be moved between locations.

Less regulated industries are more likely to make an early move towards the cloud. As good as the technology could be, heavily regulated firms will have concerns until suppliers are able to answer the question, ‘where is the data being held?’. The market needs to think more carefully about regulated businesses.

A supplier might be able to confirm that data will be held in a particular location for the majority of time, for example, but the potential for a change in location, and a lack of visibility to supplier records, will not satisfy the auditor.

Many CISO’s expect use of on-demand computing to increase, especially as the cost of silicon is now so low that power and air-conditioning are by far the biggest costs associated with running a datacentre. Analyst firm Gartner confirms the inevitable emergence of on-demand provision, with cloud computing leading its recent list of top 10 strategic technologies for 2010.

Author - Peter Bassill

Cyber Security Pains Small Business

From pizza and wine shops to doctors and dentists surgeries, small businesses are falling victim to data theft, credit card fraud and the many other facets of digital crime at an alarmingly high rate.

The key problem is one I hear time and time again. Business owners think of computer and data security as a problem that mostly involves hackers who only target large firms. This is simple not the case. Far more small firms get hacked than any other. Why? Because they are easy targets.

Yet hacking is only a small part of the problem. Disgruntled suppliers have been known to steal data to make money and of course the disgruntled employees use the same to secure better jobs, and of course to cause their ex-employer pain. Thieves will make off with desktop computers, laptops, mobile devices etc, all of these containing information and often the owner is more worried about the information becoming public than the loss of the hardware. Lets look at an example.

Health Club and Spa

The owner is a very hard working gentleman who was adamant that no-one would attack him because he has nothing of value. The club has more than 500 members, with detailed health data on all of those 500 members.  The value of that data alone is £50k at a modest £100 per record.

Then there is the card data. The vast majority of those 500 members will have paid on a credit or debit card. If we took a conservative number and said 75% used a card, that is 375 card records just for the members.The club has onsite a cafe cum bar and a number of networking groups frequent the establishment. Steering to the conservative, lets add another 500 card records so we are now up to 875 card records. With a simple value of £30 per card records, there is another £26,250.

The club likes to engage with its members socially and is very active on Twitter and Facebook. Over the past year we are seeing more and more businesses attacked for the social media details of their connections with large twitter accounts becoming more prime targets.

Put simply, the club is a goldmine of information waiting for the picking and with an insecure WEP WiFi network and open network ports in public area, it is yet another example of a business waiting to be breached.

12 CONTROLS TO HELP KEEP YOU SAFE

1. Keep clean machines: Your computers should be equipped with the latest security software, web browsers and operating systems. This simple step is the best defense against viruses, malware and other online threats that are constantly changing. Install key software updates as soon as they are available and set antivirus software to run a scan after each update.

2. Secure your Wi-Fi networks: If you have a Wi-Fi network for your workplace, make sure it is secure, encrypted and hidden. To hide your Wi-Fi network, set up your wireless access point or router so it does not broadcast the network name, known as the Service Set Identifier (SSID). Password protect access to the router.

3. Provide firewall security for your Internet connection: A firewall is a set of related programs that prevent outsiders from accessing data on a private network. Make sure your operating system’s firewall is enabled or install free firewall software available online. If employees work from home, ensure that their home systems are protected by a firewall as well.

4. Control physical access to your computers and create user accounts for each person: Prevent access or use of business computers by unauthorized individuals. Laptops can be particularly easy targets for theft or can be lost, so lock them up when unattended. Make sure a separate user account is created for each employee. Administrative privileges should only be given to trusted IT staff and key personnel.

5. Protect payment card systems and information: Work with banks or card processors to ensure the most trusted and validated tools and anti-fraud services are being used. You may have certain security obligations under agreements with your bank or processor, so make sure you know your liabilities. Isolate payment systems from other, less secure programs and don’t use the same computer to process payments and surf the Internet.

6. Limit authority to install software and access information: Don’t provide any single employee with access to all data systems. Employees should only be given access to the specific data systems that they need for their jobs, and should not be able to install software without permission.

7. Get tough on passwords: Require employees to use strong passwords and change them every three to six months. Consider implementing multifactor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry.

8. Get tough on Suppliers: If your supplier is providing a technology service, ask to see their latest independent security assessment report. Ask to see their ISO27001 or IASME certificate. If they need remote access to your systems, do not just enable it and forget about it. If the supplier gets hacked, and they have access to your systems, you get hacked automatically. Only enable remote access when it is actually needed.

9. Website: Security of your website is NOT done by the ISP or the hosting provider. If you chose a simple password for your websites administration system then expect to have that password cracked. (See point 7). Equally, if you outsource your website to an agency,  ask to see their latest independent penetration test report for your site. If they can not provide you with one, question them as to why they do not take your reputation and image seriously.

10. Encrypt your laptops: It is a simple thing to do but often overlooked. If you have sensitive information on your laptops, encrypt them. Use tools such as Microsoft BitLocker to ensure that if your laptop is stolen, your data is not available to the thieves.

11. Update your Data Protection Registration: Make sure you re-visit your Data Protection Registration on at least an annual basis. This aids you in looking at the data you have in your business and keeping you in line with the Data Protection Act.

12. Get an independent security review: It is true that an ounce of prevention of better than a pound of cure. Talk to a digital security provider and find out how they can help you. You may be surprised, the cost may just be a lot less than you though it would be.


Author - Peter Bassill

Jumpstart joins HMRC Research & Development Consultative Committee

In October, Hulton Associates partner for R&D Tax Credits, Jumpstart joins HMRC’s Research and Development Consultative Committee, which meets twice a year to discuss the operational delivery of the Research and Development (R&D) tax relief schemes.

This gives Jumpstart a great opportunity to take the views of our clients directly to HMRC, ensuring that its inspectors are made fully aware of how any change to the operation of the programme may affect SMEs in manufacturing, software, engineering and food & drink.

Richard Edwards, Director at Jumpstart, will be representing us at the forum: “We look forward to joining the discussion on how the scheme develops, and feel that our inclusion on the Committee is testament to Jumpstart’s growing client base and influence at a national level.”

Author - Mark Lear

Antibiotic Resistance : A Return to the Medical Dark

What images spring to mind when you consider healthcare in the middle ages? A world of pestilence and plague? Where illnesses were treated with superstition and old wives tales, rather than antibiotics and clinically proven drugs? Recently, Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that we could soon be “cast back into the dark ages of medicine” as a result of the increasing threat of antibiotic resistance. 

Can you comprehend a world without antibiotics? Back in the middle ages rates of mortality were high from illnesses readily treatable in today’s world with a dose of antibiotics. Even something as simple as a cut finger could end in an untimely death.

Antibiotics are medicines that inhibit growth or kill microorganisms that can cause all sorts of nasty infections and diseases. In 1928 Ayrshire born Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin: this marked the start of modern antibiotics. Healthcare was revolutionised: less women died from infections following child birth; soldiers injured in warfare were less likely to die from infection; life threatening diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia and sexually transmitted diseases could be managed by antibiotics.

However, this miracle cure soon resulted in the widespread overuse and misuse of antibiotics, which lead to a far more alarming problem, which is now a major threat to public health: antibiotic resistance. In layman’s terms, this is when bacteria no longer respond to antibiotics. Bacteria are pretty crafty, failure to complete a course of antibiotics may leave a few tougher bacteria to survive and multiply; in other cases bacteria undergo genetic mutations which makes the drug non-longer effective.

Lots of diseases that we thought we had mastered are now on the rise, only this time a little bit more scary. Meticillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacterial infection resistant to many widely used antibiotics. It is increasingly prevalent in hospitals: without antibiotics major surgical procedures as knee replacements, organ transplants to complications in childbirth would carry a greater risk.

We all know from reading Victorian fiction that a cough is never just a cough… Tuberculosis was the killer of many, rich or poor. In 1815 it claimed the lives of one in four in England. Improvements in public health and the development of the antibiotic Streptomycin in 1946 made it possible to treat and cure TB. That is, until now. Since the 1980s there has been a resurgence of tuberculosis due to the rise in multi-drug-resistant TB.

But before you get frightened by the thought of an untimely paper cut bring about your demise, let’s consider the cutting edge science that is being carried out by lots of clever people. Researchers all over the world are developing new technology and innovations including: genetically modifying current antibiotics; developing drugs to target the bacteria’s protective cell wall; and targeting the mechanisms by which bacteria form biofilms, a critical phenomenon which protects the interior cells in the film from antibiotic attack.

Antibiotic resistance is a global concern: this week The White House unveiled a new plan to accelerate the research and development of new antibiotics by 2020 and introduce tighter regulations on the use of current drugs. With a global effort to control the increase in antibiotic resistance instead of being “cast back into the dark ages of medicine”, we’ll be propelled to the future where once a disease is tackled it stays that way.

Author - Louise Tibbets

Image Credits: Dr Graham Beards

A Helping Hand or Three

Hulton Associates is on a mission in association with its R&D Tax Credits partner, Jumpstart.

We want to help enterprising companies throughout the UK claim the significant amounts of R&D tax relief that they’re entitled to.

Did you know that since 2000, when the Government’s R&D tax relief programme was first introduced, only around 11,700 claims have been processed, at a value of £1.2bn each year in R&D tax relief from HMRC? Impressive, yes. But many more thousands of companies aren’t yet claiming, leaving an estimated £10bn in the pot. That, as Jim McColl OBE says later, could – and should – make a big economic impact.

How will we achieve our goal?
It’s simple really – by practising what we preach and offering a helping hand in securing R&D tax relief. As the UK’s leading R&D tax relief specialist, with a proven track record of securing over £20m in tax relief for clients, we know a thing or two about our chosen field.

The time has now come to share some of this expertise with accountants who, like us, want to do the best by their clients. So, over the next few weeks, we’ll be producing a series of three Best Practice briefings.

Free Expert Advice
Clearly and concisely written by our experts, these informative guides will give you the inside track on everything from improving the size and success of future R&D tax relief claims to avoiding and resolving stressful, time-consuming and potentially detrimental HMRC enquiries.

All you have to do is contact Mark Lear on 07967 462704 with your contact details and he'll send the Best Practice guides direct to your inbox.

“If everyone made use of the services of Jumpstart, then the UK economy… would be so much healthier. I urge all to follow us, and get what is, after all, rightfully theirs. It’s about economic impact and it is in our hands.” Jim McColl, OBE, Clyde Blowers Capital


Author - Mark Lear

The 5 Most Common Cyber Security Mistakes

Recent headlines confirm that cyber attacks are growing in scale and incidents are on the rise.

 

Organizations are increasingly vulnerable as a result of technological advances and a changing workplace, including remote access, big data, cloud computing, social media and mobile technology.

 

The amount and importance of data continues to grow, as does the sharing of information via online networks. Organizations increasingly open their IT systems and lose direct control of data security.

 

Today, cyber security is no longer just an IT issue — it is a challenge for the leadership of any organization.

 

Rather than focusing on technology alone to address these issues, it’s critical that management, boards and shareholders understand the most common cyber security mistakes so they can adopt a flexible, proactive and strategic approach to building an informed organization.

 

KPMG LLP recently surveyed 100 primarily C-level and senior executives in the technology industry for our 2014 Technology Business Outlook. Technology executives continue to believe that security is the biggest challenge to businesses adopting Cloud, mobile or social media technologies and almost two-thirds expect their company to spend 1 percent to 5 percent of their revenue on information security over the next 12 months.

 

In light of the recent data breach at Minneapolis-based Target Corp. and the fact that data security is one of the top concerns of many of our clients in the Minneapolis market, we’ve compiled five common cyber security mistakes that company leaders should work to avoid.

 

Mistake No. 1: “We must achieve 100 percent security.”

Reality: 100 percent security is neither feasible nor the appropriate goal.

 

Whether it remains private or is made public, almost every large, well-known organization will experience information theft. Once you understand that perfect security is an illusion and that cyber security is “business as usual,” you also understand that more emphasis must be placed on protecting your most important information assets, in addition to improving detection and response capabilities to identify and address issues as they arise.

 

Mistake No. 2: “When we invest in best-of-class technical tools, we are safe.”

Reality: Effective cyber security is less dependent on technology than you think.

 

The world of cyber security is dominated by specialist suppliers, such as those that sell products enabling the rapid detection of intruders. These tools are essential for basic security, and must be integrated into the technology architecture, but they are not the basis of a holistic and robust cyber security policy and strategy. The investment in technical tools should be the output, not the driver, of cyber security strategy.

 

Mistake No. 3: “Our weapons have to be better than those of the hackers.”

Reality: Security policies should primarily be determined by your goals, not those of your attackers.

 

The fight against cyber crime is an unwinnable race if it’s defined solely as an arms race with attackers, who are constantly developing new methods and technology, forcing companies to keep investing in increasingly sophisticated tools to prevent attacks.

 

Managers need to understand what types of attackers their business attracts and why and assess their own risk profile and prioritize policies, procedures and controls based on that risk profile.

 

Mistake No. 4: “Cyber security compliance is all about effective monitoring.”

Reality: The ability to learn is just as important as the ability to monitor.

 

Cyber security is very much driven by compliance with certain laws and policies. Even so, only an organization that is capable of understanding external developments and incident trends, and uses these insights to inform policy and strategy, will succeed in combating cyber crime in the long term.

 

Effective cyber security policy and strategy should be based on continuous learning and improvement to beef up the company’s program and protect their highest value assets, not simply reacting to a regulatory compliance issues that may address only part of their environment.

 

Mistake No.5: “We need to recruit the best professionals to defend ourselves from cyber crime.”

Reality: Cyber security is not a department, but an attitude.

 

Cyber security is often seen as the responsibility of a department of specialist professionals, which may result in a false sense of security and may give the broader organization the mistaken idea that it’s not their problem.

 

The real challenge is to make cyber security a concern of the entire organization. For example, this means that cyber security should become part of HR policy. It also means that cyber security should be built into the requirements for key business and information technology initiatives vs. retrofitting security into business processes, IT systems or third-party controls only at the end of such projects.

 

Developing a strategic, customized and comprehensive cyber security program — driven from the top — will help companies avoid these common security mistakes and build an informed and knowledgeable organizational culture.

 

 

Author - Peter Bassill

Onwards and Upwards for Innovation and Growth

HMRC recently released its latest annual Research and Development Tax Relief Statistics and they make encouraging reading, not just for the companies that have benefited directly, but for UK PLC as a whole.

 

By the end of 2013, more than 28,500 companies had made claims under the SME scheme since its introduction in 2000, and over 7,000 under the Large Company scheme, which launched in 2002, making a grand total of more than £9.5bn in tax relief claimed to date.

What’s even better news is that uptake is on the increase, with over a quarter more R&D tax relief claims in 2012-13 than the previous year. London has been the main beneficiary of this remarkable surge, businesses in the UK capital easily outstripping other British regions. The South East also had a disproportionate number of claims and the East of England - with just 9% of the population - claimed more than Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the North East of England put together, which collectively have 20% of the population.

There was a general welcome in business circles for the reported 30% increase in SME claims, however there was undisputed joy in SME circles at the fact that the overall money given back to SMEs by HMRC rose by a staggering 39.5%, compared with the 2.5% decline in large company claim values.

Felicity Burch, Senior Economist at EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, said: "The continued strong uptake of the R&D tax credit is good news, as it supports companies seeking to bring new products and services to market. The credit is a strong feature of the UK innovation system and its position within the innovation landscape must be maintained."

Brian Williamson, MD at Jumpstart agrees that this increase in claims “demonstrates that awareness of the government's existing relief programme is significantly increasing throughout the UK. The 30% rise in the number of SME claims has to be because of a better understanding of the scheme by companies and their advisors.”

The Jumpstart team works tirelessly to promote awareness of the benefits of the UK R&D tax relief scheme. Why? Because they can make a real difference to the finances of dynamic and expanding companies. "Those companies who reap the benefits of successful R&D claims tend to go on to spend more on R&D, thus creating a virtuous circle and bringing substantial benefits to the wider UK economy," adds Brian Williamson.

Of those companies capitalising on the scheme, those in the ‘Manufacturing’, ‘Professional, Scientific and Technical’, and ‘Information and Communication’ sectors accounted for the greatest volume of claims for 2012‐13, according to HMRC’s latest stats. As Jumpstart knows though, R&D tax relief isn’t just confined to technology and manufacturing companies. Far from it! Lots of companies – in a variety of different sectors – are constantly striving to take their products and production methods above and beyond existing technology. This means that they’re doing R&D – sometimes without even realising it – and could be eligible for R&D tax relief, providing the funding for continuing advances.

Take ACS Clothing: “When Jumpstart came to visit and advised us that even the processes used by bakeries had been eligible for R&D, then we thought about all the process projects we have in ACS. We realised then that R&D is not the preserve of high-end, high-tech, pharmaceutical businesses!” says Andrew Rough, Finance Director, ACS Clothing Ltd.

"The rewards for innovation and efficiency are there for all to see” continues Williamson, "SMEs just need to make the most of them. The number of new clients we are attracting every day would suggest that UK SMEs are becoming much more aware of the game-changing advantages which can be reaped from government schemes.”

However, he is keen to stress that “companies must not become complacent when claiming R&D tax relief. It is of the utmost importance that claims are compliant, and good advice and guidance is necessary to ensure vigilance when claiming and avoid the possibility of a challenge from HMRC.”

If anyone can help businesses to benefit from the Government’s increasingly popular and lucrative R&D tax relief scheme, Jumpstart can. Since its inception, Jumpstart has helped its clients recover £44m in R&D tax relief and has identified over £225m in R&D expenditure. It has achieved a claim success rate of 98.9%.

Jim McColl OBE, Chief Executive and Chairman of Clyde Blowers Capital looks back on his experience claiming R&D tax relief with Jumpstart “My company has benefited enormously. Whether you’re £1.4m or £1.4bn, the principle is the same. If everyone made use of the services of Jumpstart, then the UK economy... would be so much healthier. I urge all to follow us, and get what is, after all, rightfully theirs.”

 

Author - Laeticia Guillard

Beetle Technology Gets a Grip on Medical Adhesives

Ouchless, residue-free, and durable: could beetles’ feet hold the secret to better bandages? Researchers from Korea and the US have used the same design that gives beetles their grip to invent a material that sticks to skin without any help from glue. Their work, published this month in the journal Advanced Materials, paves the way toward an improved form of medical adhesive.

 

Many medical treatments require adhesives that cling to skin to hold tubes or dressings in place. However, most use glue and can leave behind residue, irritate skin and lose stickiness, not to mention how much they can hurt to remove. These inconveniences become more serious for older patients who have fragile skin, meaning that a better material could really improve care.

 

The engineers took on this problem, but instead of trying to refine the glue, they designed a surface that is sticky on its own. They used PDMS, a non-toxic substance used in contact lenses, shampoo and food, and moulded it so that hundreds of thousands of tiny, mushroom-shaped ‘pillars’ covered every square centimetre. Once pillar size and spacing had been optimised for the texture of human skin, their product performed well in practical tests. It remained sticky after repeated removals and reapplications, left skin unharmed, and caused minimal pain to remove.

 

The ‘mushroom forest’ arrangement mimics beetles’ feet, where tiny mushroom-shaped hairs allow the beetle to cling to surfaces, taking advantage of forces of attraction on a molecular scale. While it’s not the first time engineers have tinkered with the beetle’s design secret, it is the first time that such an adhesive has been optimised for human skin. Further work is required to produce this glue-free adhesive on a large scale, but if that can be done, then we can expect the beetle-based bandage to stick around

 

 

Author - Catie Lichten

Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act Seminar

On October 7th, at their offices in Manchester, Hulton Associates partner for Information Security and Penetration Testing, Hedgehog Security, are holding a breakfast seminar to go through the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act.

During the session they will look at the act and what impact it will have on business, from the security and technology points of view and from the business management aspect also. 

The session starts at 9 am with plenty of tea, coffee and pastries and will be finished by 10:30 am.

Registration is free and you can register for the event click here.

For ISC2 members, you can claim 3 CPE's for attending this event. 

Author - Peter Bassill

What new IP has your R&D created? Find out – free of charge

In the course of your R&D work, you’ll have created a variety of intellectual assets. Some of these may be registrable intellectual property, such as patents and designs. There’s often a wealth of other material, from copyright works (such as software code) to specialist know-how and trade secrets.

 

You know that all these assets – your IP and other intangibles - are valuable, because they underpin your products or services. However, because they don’t feature on your balance sheet, you can’t easily quantify or mobilise that value for lending or investment. In fact, how do you make anyone outside your business aware you’ve got them?

 

We have recently met Inngot, who offer unique online tools to help businesses realise the value tied up in these off-balance sheet assets. Their solution starts with their profiling tool which uncovers what you’ve got.

 

Inngot can then tell you what these assets are worth. They have so far found just shy of £200m in IP using their online tool called Sollomon. Developed with specialist input from Grant Thornton UK LLP, Sollomon allows you to produce a comprehensive four-page summary report which gives you a good indicator of value, and shows you what kind of royalty rate you might be able to achieve if you decide to licence your innovation.

 

As a Jumpstart client, you are entitled to a free innovation profile, simply contact Mark Lear on 07967 462704 for more information.

Author - Laeticia Guillard

Antivirus is dead ?

 

Recently Symantec, one of the worlds largest security software houses, recently states that “antivirus is dead” and that they don’t really consider it to be a source of profit. Following Symantec’s statement a number of similar companies made the same statement in what sounds like media attention grabbing.

 

An Experiment

But, as a research firm, we decided to look at this from the point of view of an ordinary home user. Lets introduce Jayne. Jayne is an average home user, on a normal home ADSL line. Jayne hears Symantec say antivirus is dead so doesn’t bother with antivirus on his new laptop. Here is what happens:

 

Windows 7
Windows 7 installed from genuine CD with genuine key, built on Sunday 17th August. Connected to the ADSL line permanently. System fully compromised on the 19th of August.

 

Control

The system was also built identically on a second laptop but this time with Microsoft Security Essentials. This system was functioning correctly with no signs of compromise of the 19th of August.

 

Conclusion

At the end of the day, antivirus is not a perfect solution. In some cases it is not even close to perfect. As systems get more powerful and interactions become quicker, antivirus solutions will need more power. Real-time file scanning, constant updates and regular checks on the whole system only mean one thing – as long as antivirus is thorough, productivity while using a computer goes down severely.

 

This is not going to change in the foreseeable future, but the flip side of the argument is that it is needed. For a machine to operation disconnected from the internet is almost impossible now. It looks like for the moment, antivirus is here with us, for good and bad.

Author - Peter Bassill

How to Win the Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup takes place this year in Gleneagles, Perthshire, at the end of September, with players from Europe and the US competing in 28 matches over 18 holes across three days.

Golf is often associated with business. Is it that the sport requires a mindset involving risk-taking attitudes and strategic planning – present in the everyday life of the businessman – or maybe it’s the opportunity to network and build rapport and trust with peers? It certainly seems to be a metaphor for what the business world is all about, and it’s not unknown for a few of our Jumpstarters to be out and about on the golf course when time (and weather) permits.

The game of golf has long been played across the social classes as a popular leisure activity. From blunt wooden clubs in the early days of the nineteenth century, golf has been transformed through advances in clubs, balls and course design into today’s highly competitive game.

However, has golf performance improved only because of the emergence of newly developed technology, or has it also been helped by a combination of better psychology, better strategy and better teamwork?

At Jumpstart we positively relish getting to the bottom of a conundrum. While we can’t tell you who’s going to win the Cup this year, we thought we’d be best placed to do a little investigative work, to identify areas that are likely to play an important part in the winning of the Ryder Cup at the end of the month.

POTENTIAL MINUS INTERFERENCE

First and foremost, like all competitive sportspeople, golfers need to have the right mindset to participate with a positive attitude whatever happens, and the ability to make informed choices under pressure. A golfer can have all the equipment and technology at his or her fingertips, but if they lack the commitment to take personal responsibility for making the right choices under pressure in the heat of the competition, they’ll flounder. Timothy Galway said in his seminal book ‘The Inner Game of Golf’ that performance equals potential minus interference. The interference relates to a negative inner voice the golfer may listen to, which can sow seeds of self-doubt and a lack of confidence. To this end, professional golfers at the top of their game have a huge support network in the form of coaches, psychologists, dieticians and physiotherapists to build upon the confidence, commitment and self-belief the golfer intrinsically has, to allow them to unlock the resources within themselves to perform to the best of their ability, and win.

THE POWER OF THE TEAM

Of course, the idea of creating a team has reasons other than to focus the golfers. The goal of the whole team is for the golfers to win, with everyone in the whole team aligned towards the same goal and contributing individually to its achievement through their expertise, taking the team beyond what was ever thought to have been possible. If we think for a moment on the powerful force of a team environment, consider the scenario in which an individual decides to take up some exercise. How many people understand the concept that going to the gym is a good idea? 100%? How many people go beyond that and develop a fitness plan? 40%? And how many actually turn up regularly at the gym and fully implement that plan? 10% at best? Now think if you were to form a team to encourage and motivate the individual to gain an alignment to the common vision and greater focus around the fitness plan, how much greater would the likelihood be that the plan would be implemented? Exactly – the energy of a team helps to build confidence and commitment in the individual, unlocking potential difficult to access without the support.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD LEADERSHIP

And how about the importance in ensuring the Captain and Vice-Captains create an atmosphere of openness and trust so players can share their views when under pressure? A good Captain will encourage the team to develop attributes including strategy, transparency, flexibility, collaboration, informality, openness, creativity and nimbleness. This in turn will encourage the golfers, who in other competitions regularly compete against one another, to collaborate and deploy their skills to benefit the whole Ryder Cup team.

THE LUCK FACTOR

Luck is another interesting area to investigate when focusing on the Ryder Cup, or any other individual sporting event. It would appear that the greater number of external influences, the greater the role luck plays. How do you quantify the element of luck? Professor Richard Wiseman, author of “The Luck Factor”, stated that luck is not an accident but an attitude, and Gary Player, world class golfer, has often said you must work hard to become a natural golfer, quoting “the harder I practice, the luckier I get”. By this, there is an argument that if you practice you will develop your capability to produce a particular shot more often than not, and by practicing you also develop your courage to play shots that others might avoid. Its worth noting that luck could be considered within a single event such as the Ryder Cup, but across a season it would be expected that luck would average out and the impact of talent would dominate.

ADVANCES IN GOLF TECHNOLOGY

And one further point we should really consider - the advances in the equipment used by golfers, and whether these noticeably impact the winning of a game. The wound balls used by Tiger Woods gave him, on average, a 17.4 yard shorter drive than the solid-core balls developed by Titleist which have innovative dimple design and specialist casing to help deliver higher ball speed with a lower spin. Hybrid clubs have also been introduced that combine a high launch angle with high spin, producing a favourably long trajectory, and wedges, although restricted by the Rules of Golf regulators (to avoid a “drive and pitch” farce), have increased the likelihood of scoring a birdie. Equipment does make a difference to the level of play, but it’s unlikely to help one team win over the other as this only becomes apparent when your opponent does not have the same equipment advantage open to them.

Hopefully this article has helped those golfing aficionados out there not to blame their golfing mishaps solely on poor equipment or a bad day, but to take time to contemplate their strategy a little more, as it takes a lot more than a golf club with a high moment of inertia to make a world-class golfer. 

All too often in business we blame the equipment when the reality is that the 17.4 yards is not significant, especially if you consistently miss the two-foot putts. All too often we wrongly reconcile failure with our opponent’s superior equipment whereas it’s more likely about the team strategy and performance and not the props.

And our prediction for the Ryder Cup? We believe the team with the greatest chance is the one that does not change their objective to suit their performance, but the one that changes their performance to suit the objective.

Author - Karen Wilson

Thanks to Mike West (Be Strategic), Mike Fitzpatrick and Fergus King

Online Portal Makes Life Easier for Duncan & Toplis Clients

 

Exchanging confidential information and files and storing sensitive financial information is now easier and even more secure for clients of East Midlands chartered accountants Duncan & Toplis.

 

The top 40 UK accountancy practice has introduced a new online client portal to enable more efficient communication with clients. Virtual Cabinet Document Portal is a secure, password-protected platform for exchanging and storing confidential documents and backing up files.

 

Duncan & Toplis commissioned Hulton Associates partner for Document and Content management, Cambridgeshire software specialists Lindenhouse to install the Virtual Cabinet document management system to its 350 staff.

 

Ian Phillips, Deputy Managing Partner at Duncan & Toplis, heads up the IT for the practice, which has ten offices across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. “Developments in electronic communication continue at a fast pace and we are pleased to be able to introduce the portal to enhance the services we offer our clients,” he said. “Clients regularly ask us for electronic copies of their accounts and tax returns and we can now deliver these documents in a secure environment. “One of the added benefits of using the portal is that we can reduce our paper usage and postage costs for those clients who choose to receive their documents electronically rather than in paper form.”

 

Duncan & Toplis’ clients can access their confidential documents from anywhere in the world provided an internet connection is available, Ian added.

 

The portal also features a facility for electronically signing documents which fits with recent moves by Companies House and HMRC to use only online filing facilities. “We shortlisted three systems and chose the Virtual Cabinet system following detailed discussions with each provider,” said Ian. “We have worked with Lindenhouse before and we found the product simple to use and intuitive. It has a modern Windows feel, we like the functionality it provides and we can see the benefits it will bring to both our staff and our clients.”

 

Notes to editors

• Duncan & Toplis was established in 1925 and has since grown into one of the largest independent firms of chartered accountants in the Midlands.
 

• The firm was named ICAEW East Midlands Medium Accountancy Firm of the Year in March 2014.
 

• Duncan & Toplis appears in the top 40 UK accountancy practices list published by Accountancy magazine.
 

• The company has 10 offices throughout the East Midlands: in Grantham, Boston, Lincoln, Louth, Melton Mowbray, Newark, Skegness, Sleaford, Spalding and Stamford.
 

• Duncan & Toplis offers a wide range of services to small to large-sized family businesses, from accountancy, audit and tax to payroll, human resources and computer services.
 

• The business employs around 350 staff, of whom 85 are currently engaged in professional training.
 

• Combining in-depth expertise with innovative document management technology, Lindenhouse Software Ltd is one of the UK’s leading developers of electronic document management software for industry and commerce. The company has a particular speciality for providing seamless integrated solutions that save time and money for professional firms, including accountants, insurance brokers and financial advisers.
 

• Its Virtual Cabinet solution combines industry-strength document management with secure client communication and the electronic sign-off of documents through an integrated portal. This innovation represents a major step forward in the professional markets served by Lindenhouse.

Author - Jez Ashberry

What every accountant needs to know about secure information management

 

Document management specialists, Lindenhouse Software, announces the first definitive best practice guide to Electronic Document Management (EDM).

 

The Lindenhouse Best Practice Handbook has been produced in association with Accounting Web, the leading online community for accounting and finance professionals in the UK. It provides an invaluable update on the how firms can meet their responsibilities for quality assurance and abide by the key principles of data protection through the use of a new generation EDM system. 

 

A wealth of information in an easy to read format will save accountants hours of research time and bring them bang up-to-date on current legal requirements. The setting out of "appropriate technical and organisational measures" as required by the Information Commissioner's Office has posed a challenge since the Act was introduced. 

 

This Best Practice Handbook sets out the principles and techniques to provide an effective information backbone that meets ICO guidelines and deliver a better, more efficient service to clients.

 

The handbook includes:

• Information management basics

• European data protection proposals for 2014

• What to look for in an EDM system

• A glimpse of the future.

 

"New and emerging technology is changing the way accountants work and new capabilities are expanding the scope of what information management means," says Alison Jackson, Director, Lindenhouse Software. "The Lindenhouse Best Practice Handbook brings together for the first time how the key elements of EDM can help meet legal requirements and ensure the levels of accountability and traceability expected by practice assurance inspectors." With its Virtual Cabinet technology, Lindenhouse has supported hundreds of accountancy firms in their transition to EDM during the past five years. This guide draws directly from their experiences to support other practitioners who want to achieve similar efficiencies within their firms.

 

To obtain your copy of The Best Practice Handbook, contact Mark Lear on 07967 462704

Author - Lindenhouse