ACS Boosts Information Resources for Members with Free Access to Butler Group Reports

ICT Professional Society increases value for members by purchasing online access to UK-based ICT research firm

Monday 23 June 2003 - The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has announced a major new benefit for its members with the purchase of online access to the Butler Group's comprehensive portfolio of ICT research and analysis.

Europe's largest independent ICT research body, the UK-based Butler Group is a trusted source of information on ICT products and services for many thousands of organisations throughout Europe, the USA and Australia.

ACS members will now have free, unlimited access to Butler Group's research, analysis and advice catering for the specialised needs of all levels of management, from ICT professionals and business managers through to senior executives and board directors.

Butler Group's Australian Branch Manager, Peta Abernethy, said ACS members would gain access to clear and candid assessments of current, emerging and future technologies to help them more effectively plan their ICT strategies.

"We can help ACS members to better understand every aspect of IT, particularly in relation to the confusing array of products within or entering the market and their various applications," she said.

"Our publications are already popular with Australian governments, enterprises and universities, and will now enable ACS members to stay up to date with the strategic directions being taken by the major vendors to help guide their purchasing decisions."

ACS President, Richard Hogg, said the Society's subscription with the Butler Group represented a substantial value-add for existing members as well as a significant incentive to people considering applying for professional membership.

"Not only can our members now receive regular newsletters updating them on technology developments and their potential applications, but the entire archive of Butler Group research is available to them online, free of charge," he said.

"The ACS hopes that this free access to the Butler Group's extensive information resources will help members add value within their work environment. We will continue to look for additional opportunities to enhance the value of membership."

Some of the key services available to ACS members through the agreement include:

• Technology Evaluation and Comparison Reports - Timely, searching analysis on major topics, offering technical comparisons in clearly set-out format.
• Technology Audits - Each year, Butler delivers a multitude of papers on specific products and services from IT vendors. Each paper describes the relevance and effectiveness of the technology and provides an objective, third-party assessment in a standard format.
• Concept Papers - An overview of major conceptual developments in technologies and markets based on Butler's Technology Evaluation and Comparison Reports.
• Butler Group Review - A monthly journal highlighting trends in each of Butler's four main business areas - Commerce, Intelligence, Operations, and Technology Infrastructure - encouraging broad-based debate.
• TECHwatch - A monthly on-line journal, written exclusively by Martin Butler, covering key activities from the industry and vendors.
• OpinionWire - A weekly round up of what's happening in the IT industry, along with Butler Group's comments and opinions.
• This Month @ Butler Group - A single e-mail summarising all research published each month and information on forthcoming events.
• Butler Group Research Alerts - This allows users to specify their area of interest and be alerted via e-mail as new research addressing that issue is published.

This media release is available on the ACS Web site at http://www.acs.org.au/news/230603.htm

ENDS

About the Australian Computer Society: The ACS is the recognised association for information technology (IT) professionals, attracting a large and active membership from all levels of the IT industry and providing a wide range of services to its 16,000+ members. A member of the Australian Council of Professions, the ACS is the public voice of the IT profession and the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the IT industry, with a commitment to the wider community to ensure the beneficial use of IT. See the ACS Home Page for more information.

Media Enquiries:

Richard Hogg, ACS National President, Tel: (0408) 549 531, Email: richard_hogg@acslink.net.au

Caroline New, ACS PR Consultant, Tel: (02) 9555 1986 or (0411) 889 456, Email: cnew@acslink.net.au