Research shows confusion still reigns over compliance

UK IT directors are becoming increasingly confused over compliance, with half (50%) unaware of the relevant document management, archiving and disposal regulations, according to research from leading global document and systems management software provider, Macro 4.

Research amongst 1000 UK IT directors shows only 32% claim they are completely informed of legislation and industry requirements. This compares with 65% who claimed such awareness in 2004. The number of IT directors who admit they are not aware of requirements has grown from 6% in 2004, to 26% this year.

Just over half (57%) of IT directors claim they are compliant with the relevant regulations, a drop of nearly 20% since 2004, when 76% of directors claimed they were compliant. The number of directors who admit they are not fully compliant has remained the same (11%).

There is also evidence that the numbers of IT directors who claim to be compliant exceeds those who claim to be aware of the relevant legislation. This gulf between awareness and implementation has grown from 11% in 2004 to 25% in 2005.

Michael Brand, Chief Executive of Macro 4 plc's Business Information Logistics division explains: We have again discovered evidence that IT directors are claiming to be compliant without being fully aware of what they are complying with, suggesting a tick-box approach exists.

There has also been a marked drop in IT directors awareness of regulations and their confidence that they are compliant. This may be because IT directors are now beginning to see the full extent of compliance projects. The growth in directors admitting they are not aware of regulation does not bode well for future developments within the arena of compliance.