Computing

Top sports stars say the difference between success and failure is confidence. Ability and hard work are essential but they are 'ticks in boxes', not what makes a winner.

So confidence is a vital factor to consider in assessing Tony Blair's goal of making the UK the world's leading knowledge economy, an objective that directly affects everyone in IT. His announcement of a new Digital Britain strategy is certainly full of essential ticks in boxes.

Making technology fundamental to education, government and crime-fighting must be achieved. But building confidence at all levels of society in using the internet and overcoming techno-fear remains an enormous challenge.

Security is a major barrier. The continued growth in cybercrime revealed this week by the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, costing businesses £2.4bn per year, is perhaps the biggest cause of online insecurity.

But the ticks in boxes are slowly being addressed. The Cabinet Office-run project to kitemark IT security products, reported on our front page, is the sort of initiative that will help.

BT has announced its five millionth broadband connection - achieved a year ahead of schedule. A big tick for the fastest rate of adoption experienced by any new technology in the UK.

The number of job adverts is on the increase as more employers find the confidence to hire new IT staff after a long slump. In last week's Computing, we revealed that Centrica is recruiting an extra 300 staff for a major IT overhaul. Tick.

Many of the essential elements are in place. We have the ability; we're not afraid of hard work. But would all users of IT say they have total confidence in the systems they routinely use? Perhaps we in IT have to be brutally honest and say this is not always the case.

IT directors have to keep working on those ticks in boxes every day. But it is equally vital to promote and develop confidence among users at all levels to build the global leadership we need to maintain a healthy and vibrant IT profession in the UK.