Viewpoint: No substitute for data processing expertise

Data bureaux, like many other sectors of UK industry, must see the advance of online data processing and DIY software packages as something of a curate's egg. A good example is the budget airline market. Online booking methods allowed smaller operators to cut costs dramatically to gain a sizeable foothold in a hitherto impenetrable market. For the airline industry and the consumer, this has generally been a good thing, driving costs down and increasing the size and service levels of the industry as a whole.