USB sticks threaten companies´ electronic data processing systems 16. May 2006 by Thomas Jannot The entrepreneurial magazine Markt und Mittelstand in his January 2006 edition has drawn an alarming conclusion. According to the magazine the potential of USB sticks, MP3 players and mobile phones to damage sensible company data were underestimated.
Family-owned businesses reject new financial reporting standards 16. May 2006 by Thomas Jannot As was reported by the Handelsblatt magazine, some family-owned companies reject the change over to the new financial reporting standards IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards). This is because they fear that applying these standards they might lose equity capital, given that according to the IFRS provision IAS 32 equity capital will only be considered as …
Without an international corporate identity there is no success on international markets 16. May 2006 by Thomas Jannot Export and other types of international business are of interest to many small and medium-sized entities (SME). Quite often, however, there are many unexpected obstacles to the implementation of a strategic decision. Frequently the local staff is opposed to the decision „from above” due to concerns regarding their own future and external influence. In some …
Entries into the commercial register in future only via Internet 16. May 2006 by Thomas Jannot From the first of January 2007 onwards data which have to be published by companies can be retrieved over the Internet. This is the plan of a draft which has just been agreed by the federal government. This development will render obsolete the conventional disclosure of these data in the daily press. This new electronic …
Basel II may turn cost into investment 16. May 2006 by Thomas Jannot Companies and loans belong to each other just like banks and Basel II. But in order for the rating to be in line with Basel II, a dynamic analysis and evaluation of business figures is necessary. The more work processes and operational data are seized and processed electronically, the more easy will be this analysis.
Content filters protect companies from risks 16. May 2006 by Thomas Jannot Employees surfing on the Internet in an uncontrolled way without limits not only are less productive, but they also expose their company to incalculable legal risks. If files with extremist or pornographic contents or contents which is protected by copy right are downloaded or even circulated, the company will be made liable. As is revealed …
Online banking without HBCI proves to be very risky 16. May 2006 by Thomas Jannot The abbreviation HBCI stands for Home Banking Computer Interface which is a national standard developed by the Central Credit Committee. Using this method it is impossible for bank customers to be redirected by, for instance, so-called Phishing-Mails to faked Internet sites, since the online connection to the sites on which customers leave their sensible data …
Entrepreneurs should adapt support agreements to their needs 16. May 2006 by Thomas Jannot For manufacturers of customized software and their clients it is recommended to expressively lay down in writing for what period the technical support has to be ensured. The entrepreneur should not blindly accept any support agreement which does not contain any clause on a minimum agreement term. This minimum term usually corresponds to the depreciation …
High attention has to be paid to the wording of software support agreements 16. May 2006 by Thomas Jannot Whether and when a software manufacturer is authorized to terminate his support for customized company software, as happened in the Fischer case, has to be put down in writing in a support agreement. The agreement should be form-like or in a pre-formulated standard version.
Incomplete software support agreements may turn out to be expensive for SME 16. May 2006 by Thomas Jannot For customized company software it is indispensable to have support agreements. The lawer Dr. Gero Himmelsbach in the VNU magazine Computer im Mittelstand (CiM) cautions against the risks involved.