If an IT system cannot give employees what they need to do their job, they tend to seek out their own solutions e.g. use of personal equipment/devices. This introduces security risks, as such shadow IT operates outside of the firm’s protected systems. Outsourcing risk Let me now turn to outsourcing.
On a positive note, the tentative recovery in the euro area which began in the second half of 2003 picked up steam after the turn of 2003-04. In the second quarter of 2004, seasonally adjusted real GDP grew by ½% for the second quarter in a row. These growth rates are the strongest the euro area has seen for some time.