Foreshore leads the way with Channel Islands email seminars

October 2006

Following our successful email seminar in the Grand Cayman in September, we recently held two similar and equally successful events in Jersey and Guernsey. The seminars focused on the areas of email security, compliance and archiving, continuity and marketing.

Speakers included Robert Eyrou, an IT security expert who flew in from Canada for the event; Shaun Roberts, Deputy Director - Head of ICT at the Jersey Finacial Services Commission; George Gardiner, principle of Gardiner & Co, a UK technology law firm; and Leanda Guy, a marketing expert in Jersey with extensive experience in London and abroad.

Robert Eryou’s key message was that security is a process, not a product. He explained that IT is an integral part of enterprise governance and consists of the leadership and organisational structures and processes that ensure that the organisation’s IT sustains and extends its strategies and objectives. He also empahasised that although the more you control security governance, the greater the cost, it is nevertheless an important investment.

George Gardiner focused on the increasing involvement of emails in Court cases. For example, Norwich Union was forced to shell out £450,000 in damages and costs for slander and libel after Western Provident discovered damaging and untrue rumours circulating on Norwich Union’s internal email system. Another case, Ron Perelman v Morgan Stanley, led to the bank incurring additional costs after it was slow to disclose emails about the securities fraud alleged by Mr Perelman. He emphasised that emails are legally binding and that seemingly innocent emails can be incriminating. He therefore urged companies to properly archive email so that if faced with litigation the ’smoking gun email’ can be found and dealt with.

Shaun Roberts supported Mr Gardiner’s comments and explained how vital it is for the regulator to ensure continuity, security, a record of communication and value for money. He also stressed the importance of having an integrated system with scalability and flexibility to grow with the business.

Several speakers, including marketing expert, Leanda Guy, focused upon the necessity of implementing clear procedures for external communication. An increasing number of companies are looking to brand emails or engage in e-marketing campaigns. Ms Guy argued that it was important to do this in a way which supports the company’s brand, but does not inhibit the personality of staff. She pointed out that email branding is by no means purely a marketing function – it is or should be heavily tied in with HR and compliance in order to ensure corporate governance.

Andrew Jarrett, Foreshore’s sales & marketing director, said: "We recognise that email is now business critical, with companies needing both always-on email and secure data archiving. Added to that, offshore financial services businesses need their data stored in an appropriate legal jurisdiction. What has been concluded at both events is that email is now at the heart of an organisation’s activities and so must be at the forefront of the minds of its directors."