In Brief

CMG starts 'lifestyle' sites
European IT services group CMG has implemented two new "Lifestyle" centres which can be found on the internet at at MoneyWorld.co.uk and moneyeXtra.com respectively. The centres provide financial planning help for both pensions - Pension Centre - and regular savings - Savings Centre. They also generate "what-if" capabilities to help consumers make the most of their money and control their finances.

Long-term care site from PPP
Health insurer PPP is re-launching its web site for long-term care insurance. The site offers information on long-term care as well as on-line illustrations and marketing support services. The contents are designed to suit different levels of IFA knowledge and experience. To use the on-line illustration facility, IFAs simply enter their client's age, gender and the required level of benefit. IFAs can change benefit values or input further details, such as the level of cover required, to see how this affects the quote. The site can be found at www.lifetimecare.co.uk

Intech secures Sackville deal
Intech Solutions has won a contract to supply Sackville, managing agent of Syndicate 2121 with Open Box its specialist software for Lloyd's syndicates. Syndicate 2121, a composite reinsurance syndicate with a mixed capital base, needed a comprehensive, integrated document system and PC analysis tool. Open Box uses a core insurance data structure that allows for the customisation of policy screens and statistical coding across all classes and types of marine and non-marine insurance. Tony Holland, managing director of Intech Solutions, said: "Because of our in-depth knowledge and experience of Lloyd's syndicates, our software was ideal for this project."

IT damage costs £2.8bn
Lost computer data has been estimated to cost European businesses £2.8 billion a year, according to a report from remote recovery data specialists Stac Europe. More than two million incidents of data loss are recorded every year, and around 70% of organisations affected go out of business as a result. The report says data loss, can have crippling costs in terms of lost productivity and damage to company reputation. The main cause of data loss has been found to be computer hardware failure, accounting for 42% of cases, human error 31%, software corruption 13%, computer viruses 7% and theft 5%. Freak weather conditions such as floods and lightning is implicated in three per cent of hardware damage. The report 'The Cost of Lost Data in Europe' was written by Dr David Smith and Cheryl Bowker of Pepperdine University School of Business Management and is available from nick@nspr.demon.co.uk.