ARMA International Announces Conference and Education Opportunities

NOW OPEN - Registration for 56th Annual Conference and Expo

ARMA International, the authority on records and information management, has opened registration for its 56th Annual Conference & Expo to be held October 17-19, 2011, at the Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center, just minutes outside of Washington, D.C.

“In today’s business environment, information governance is crucial for business function and helps keep organizations competitive and compliant,” said Marilyn Bier, executive director at ARMA International. “ARMA 2011 puts the right resources and vendors at the fingertips of the professional community that is in need of their services.”

The conference will feature more than 80 education programs presented by experts in the legal, information tedchnology (IT), and information management professions, as well as an Expo Hall boasting more than 200 top-tier exhibitors showcasing the latest offerings from technology to data retention and storage.

“Conference attendees will be able to see the industry’s emerging technologies and understand how to implement them into their day-to-day business strategies,” said Bier. “Our primary goal is to answer the questions and pain points of today’s professional that touches information management and provide them with solutions and best practices to strategically address all of their organization’s information governance needs.”

The ARMA International conference & expo is the premier educational event for the records and information industry. This year at ARMA 2011 more than 4,000 information management professionals from around the world will come together for unparalleled education, networking, and to discover top-of-the-line products.


Recommended Attendees

• Records managers
• Records analysts
• IT managers
• IT developers
• Industry consultants
• Archivists
• Attorneys
• Legal assistants
• In-house counsel
• Chief information officers

Industries Represented:

• Legal
• Government
• Health care
• Financial services
• Manufacturing
• Contracting
• Energy
• Utilities
• Education
• Consulting
• Insurance

For more information about ARMA International’s 56th Annual Conference & Expo and to register, visit www.arma.org/conference!

About the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center

The Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center is the site of ARMA International’s 56th Annual Conference & Expo. Located on the Potomac in Maryland just minutes outside of Washington, D.C., Gaylord National is the perfect place to enjoy the region's rich cultural and business appeal. Scenically located in the National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Gaylord National offers guests convenient shuttle service to Washington, D.C., and Ronald Reagan National Airport, and water taxi to various locations, including Old Town Alexandria.

National Harbor is a community unlike any other in the D.C. region, designed to take full advantage of the most historic river in the nation. Rising from the banks of the Potomac River just south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, National Harbor is a 300-acre, mixed-used development with tree-lined promenades and scores of shops, restaurants, a marina, and much more.

Press

Press passes are available for editors, writers, bloggers, and other interested media in the information management industry. For a pass, e-mail K.C. O’Rourke at kc.orourke@armaintl.org with your credentials.

About ARMA International

ARMA International (www.arma.org) is a not-for-profit professional association and the authority on information management and governance. Formed in 1955, ARMA International is the oldest and largest association for the records and information management profession with a current international membership of more than 10,000. It provides education, publications, and information on the efficient maintenance, retrieval, and preservation of vital information created in public and private organizations in all sectors of the economy. It also publishes the award-winning Information Management magazine.

Commission faces battle on data retention

Euractiv.com writes that MEPs are gearing up for a fight with the European Commission on a review of rules allowing countries to store telecommunications data for anti-terror investigations, as they urge the EU executive to substantially reduce the scope of the law.


After the terror attacks in London and Madrid, the EU rushed through new legislation on retaining telecommunications data to help track suspected terrorists' movements. But the Data Retention Directive continues to anger many lawmakers, who argue they have no proof the law is necessary.


Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/commission-faces-battle-data-retention-news-504187?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=74515e95a1-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

PlayStation data theft hits 70m gamers

BBC News reports that Sony has warned users of its PlayStation Network that their personal information, including credit card details, may have been stolen.

The company said that the data might have fallen into the hands of an "unauthorised person" following a hacking attack on its online service.

Access to the network was suspended last Wednesday, but Sony has only now revealed details of what happened.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13192359

Parmalat fraud case ends with four banks acquitted

BBC News reports that four banks have been acquitted by a court in Milan over accusations they did not take adequate steps to prevent Parmalat from committing fraud.


Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13115771

Microsoft takes Google complaint to EU

BBC News writes that Microsoft is to take an anti-competion complaint against Google to the European Commission. The software maker claims that Google used its dominant position in the search market to restrict the growth of Microsoft services.

It cites a number of practices, including Google limiting the ability of Microsoft Bing to index web content. Google said it was not surprised by the move and would happily explain itself.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12918059

EU patent office, Google seal pact on translation

Euractiv.com reports that the European Patent Office (EPO) and American Internet giant Google signed yesterday (24 March) an agreement to collaborate on machine translation of patents into 32 European, Slavic and Asian languages.


Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/innovation/eu-patent-office-google-seal-pact-translation-news-503495?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=67231e0a22-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

Governments 'not ready' for new European cookie law

BBC News writes that European rules aimed at giving consumers more control over how their web browsing is tracked will not be enforced come May, experts have said. No European government has yet drawn up the guidelines for how the ePrivacy directive will be enforced.

It states that websites must seek consent from users before using tracking technologies. Privacy campaigners say the solutions being put forward are "not fit for purpose".

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12677534

EU police report shows holes in US data deal

EUobserver writes that US demands for EU banking data under the so-called Swift agreement are "too general and abstract" for Europol to allow a proper evaluation of the necessity of those transfers, an inspection report carried out by the police agency's own supervisory body reveals.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31947/?rk=1

MEPs vote for "naked" short-selling restrictions

BBC News reports that MEPs have voted in favour of restricting the practice of "naked" short selling.


Short-sellers usually borrow shares or bonds, sell them, then buy them back when the stock falls - pocketing the difference.

"Naked" short-selling is when a trader sells financial instruments he has not yet borrowed.

A new directive places conditions on the use of credit defaults swaps (CDS) - a form of government debt insurance.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12670943

EU court rules in favour of 'unisex' insurance

According to euractiv.com, starting from 2012, insurance companies will no longer be able to charge different premiums for men and women, after the European Court of Justice ruled against using gender-based criteria to set prices.


"Taking into account the sex of the insured as a risk factor in insurance contracts is discriminatory," the court said in a statement.


The court was ruling on a case submitted by Belgian consumer group Test-Achats, which argued that current exemptions for women contradicted EU legislation on anti-discrimination and gender equality.

Insurance companies lamented the court's decision, which is due to enter into force on 21 December 2012.


Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/socialeurope/eu-court-rules-favour-unisex-insurance-news-502658?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ce2ab707c9-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

New EU rules demand explicit consent for use of cookies

BBC News reports that from 25 May, European laws dictate that "explicit consent" must be gathered from web users who are being tracked via text files called "cookies". These files are widely used to help users navigate faster around sites they visit regularly. Businesses are being urged to sort out how they get consent so they can keep on using cookies.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12668552

EU to collect data of international air travellers

According to EUObserver.com, air travellers going in and out of the EU may soon have to give their personal details to national authorities in the member state of departure or arrival, if proposals set to be put forward by the EU commission on Wednesday are approved by governments and the European Parliament.



Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31731

Transparency NGOs call on EU not to restrict document access

EUObserver.com reports that the EU is set to tightly restrict its freedom-of-information rules just seven years after they were introduced, says an alliance of some 180 human rights organisations, transparency pressure groups and journalist unions, which have called on the European Parliament to apply the breaks to proposed legislation.

On the weekend a public letter signed by 56 investigative journalists and 131 groups including transparency and access-to-information campaigners and environmental NGOs warned that European Commission proposals that are set to be approved in the coming weeks will "substantially reduce the number of public documents" available upon request.


Under the new rules, originally proposed in 2008 and as of Tuesday (1 February) at committee stage before the parliament, only documents that are formally transmitted would be made available upon request to a member of the public.


Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31736

ARMA European Region Briefing - Join us for a complimentary seminar organised by ARMA International and Autonomy in London on 9 February

Heightened oversight, explosive growth and complexity of information, along with the rapidly growing demands to comply with international laws and regulations are taxing organisations’ abilities to control valuable corporate information. How you manage your organisation’s records and information can have a huge impact on its success.


Join us at this meeting to find out about records management and information governance standards and best-practices, including the latest on GARP, Moreq 2010 and how to handle Web 2.0, from experts including Galina Datskovsky, President Elect at ARMA International, Jon Garde, Author of Moreq 2010 and Gavin Siggers, Director of ARMA’s European Region. There will also be plenty of networking opportunities and we hope you will join us for drinks after the event.

Provisional Agenda

• Registration & Coffee
• Welcome - Gavin Siggers, Director, ARMA Europe
• Generally Accepted Records Management Principles (GARP) - Galina Datskovsky, President Elect, ARMA International 
• Networking Break 
• Moreq 2010 – Jon Garde, Author of Moreq 2010
• Outsourcing Records and Information to the Cloud  - Galina Datskovsky, President Elect, ARMA International 
• Closing - Gavin Siggers, Director, ARMA Europe 
• Drinks/refreshments

Please note spaces for this seminar are limited. Register early to avoid disappointment.

To register, please click here

Eleven states to move on single EU patent

EUobserver.com reports that France, Germany, the UK and eight other countries will go ahead and implement a single EU patent aimed at lowering costs across the bloc to protect inventions, after talks with Italy and Spain over translation rights foundered.
Hailing it as "the cherry on top of the Belgian EU presidency cake," Vincent Van Quickenborne, Belgian acting minister for entrepreneurship and simplification said the move was "an important step for EU integration."

Not integrated in the deal, however, are Spain and Italy, who pressed to have their own languages recognised as well, not just English, French and German as the current decision entails.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31479/?rk=1

Turkey to sue US diplomats over Wikileaks claims

Euractiv.com repoprts that contrary to other European leaders who downplayed the importance of sometimes unflattering reports about them in the US diplomatic cables revealed by Wikileaks, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was working on legal action against claims that he owned eight secret Swiss bank accounts.

Read the full article here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/pa/turkey-sue-us-diplomats-over-wikileaks-claims-news-500211

EU scraps bank secrecy to catch cross-border tax evaders

EUobserver.com reports that EU finance ministers on Tuesday (7 December) agreed to remove bank secrecy as a reason for blocking cross-border tax fraud investigations, in a bid to find fresh resources for cash-strapped state coffers.


"Tax evaders can no longer exploit bank secrecy as an excuse," EU taxation commissioner Algirdas Semeta said after the meeting.

Targeted is all "income from employment, directors' fees, dividends, capital gains, royalties, certain life insurance products, pensions, and ownership of and income from immovable property." The new rules will apply from 1 January next year, but they will not be retroactive.


Read the full article here: http://euobserver.com/9/31455/?rk=1

ARMA Europe - member update

Dear ARMA Europe member,


Following on from our recent survey to which many of you replied I’d like to share with you the latest thinking about how we can develop the region and provide you all with resources that are relevant to you. Below is a list of initiatives we plan to move forward with in 2011, these can only happen if members volunteer to help run them and provide input.

Website launch; we have now established a website with the support of ARMA HQ, to make this a worthwhile resource we need to develop a content strategy and reach out to members to provide value to the site. I am keen to make this site the flagship for the region, make it relevant to our members and distinct from the main ARMA site. There are many good examples of chapter sites available via the main site. Please take a look at these, provide feedback to me and get involved in providing content.

Events; we have the opportunity to provide members with both ARMA (Europe) led and co-hosted events in 2011, currently we are focusing on three probable events (Spring, Summer, Autumn) locations to be confirmed. We have also been approached by other organisations (e.g. vendors) looking to run smaller local activities. Again, none of these things can really happen without your input and support. As plans develop we will be looking for volunteers to assist. If you are able to suggest/provide venues for small meetings we can facilitate getting members to participate and contact vendors on your behalf to support/sponsor such events. We will also continue to negotiate on your behalf to provide member discounts to other European events – if you are aware of any up and coming events you would like us to look at please let me know.

Membership for the region continues to grow; however, we would like to do more in increasing our numbers. Both the website and the planned events programme will go someway to provide a shop front for ARMA Europe, combined with direct marketing and approaches to other associations and interest groups across the region we hope to expand over the next 12 months. Reliance on our members to make ARMA the first choice professional association for our colleagues depends on you getting involved.

To assist us in the run up to elections in the middle of 2011 where we plan to expand the regions committee I would like to reach out to all of you and ask for volunteers in a holding capacity for the following committee roles:

- Communications & Website;
- Events;
- Membership.

Please let me know if you are willing to take on any of these important roles. I would like to have a meeting early in the New Year so that we can move forward with these initiatives.

Finally, following on from my recent visit to the DLM meeting in Brussels last week; ARMA Europe and the DLM continue to work closely together and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for asking me to speak at the meeting. The MoReq 2010 initiative continues to move forward. Here is the final Press Announcement of the Launch of the MoReq 2010 Electronic Records Management, I have asked ARMA HQ to publish this release on the website and in the magazine but wish to share it with you here.

The MoReq2010 Launch marks a milestone in Cross Sector, Flexible Records Management. DLM are developing a Presentation and Workshop pack for MoReq 2010 and there are planned events in Norway, Finland, Stockholm, UK. Also a MoReq 2010 Testing Board is being set up; six companies across Europe so far have registered interest in becoming Test Centres.

ARMA and DLM have recently published a webinar about Moreq 2010; this is available free on the main ARMA website for a limited time. The latest draft of the core requirements is also available online via the DLM website.

Regards,

Gavin

Gavin Siggers
Region Director ARMA Europe

European Commission's collected decisions and implementing rules on records management

The English language version of all current decisions and implementing rules, as result of the thorough recast in 2009-2010 is now available, providing a coherent and up-to-date foundation for the records and archives management within the European Commission.

EU to press for 'right to be forgotten' online

EUObserver writes that the EU is in the process of revamping its data privacy rules dating back to 1995 so as to encompass social networks, online data aggregators and the way prosecutors and policemen across the bloc handle personal records.

The Facebook generation knows it. Everything you've posted online can and will be used against you at some point. People have been fired for the party pictures or unthoughtful jokes they've posted online.


Deleting a Facebook account does not help. According to the popular website, users can "reactivate" their accounts at any time: Facebook does not erase your data, its simply hides it from others.


In a bid to stem these developments, the commission is now revising a 15-year-old "Data Protection Directive," drafted before the Google and Facebook booms. New legislative proposals are set to be put forward mid-2011, but the commission has already adopted a "strategy" on how to go about the changes.

One of the principles mentioned is the "right to be forgotten" online, meaning that people who want their online profiles deleted "should be able to rely on the service provider to remove personal data, such as photos, completely

Seen from the American perspective, businesses find it difficult to navigate between the EU laws and the patchwork of national data protection requirements, one US official familiar with this dossier told EUobserver.
"The lack of harmonisation among the member states in terms of interpreting the directive and transposing the directive into national laws led to uncertainty among compliance officers, privacy officers, and legal counsel. These ambiguities result in confusion and a lack of clarity with regard to obligations the business community must meet," said the official, who requested not to be named.

Read the full article here: http://euobserver.com/9/31200/?rk=1