The merger of Damgaard and Navision potentially escalates the newly formed company up the enterprise resource planning rankings, but this is a sector that has seen significant turmoil during the last 12 to 18 months.

In today`s business environment, enormous pressure is placed on sales staff, resulting in unnecessary churn, depriving the IT industry of the opportunity to breed successful, motivated sales people.

Is there truly a call for the splurge of press coverage that Intel`s new Pentium 4 is receiving, or is it a marketing gimmick to convince users to buy computing power they do not necessarily need?

This week: The computer and the Internet rival the car as the ultimate crime booster, two new viruses are out to get you, and the CIA discovers a secret chat room on its network.

Failed, new and proposed take-overs, both locally and internationally, stole the majority of IT news headlines last week.

The timing of MGX`s purchase of CCH, announced this week, may be off, but the potential for long-term benefits makes the deal worthwhile.

The brain drain is taking its toll on SA`s IT industry as talented professionals flock to other countries to take advantage of promises of higher salaries, better perks and improved living conditions.

This week: Dot-cons are out to get you on the Internet, science fiction becomes science fact, Republican Party`s Web site vandalised, hackers plead guilty, and the quote of the week.

Sunday Times` Business Times has rated Dimension Data as Business Times Top Company and its chairman Jeremy Ord as Businessman of the Year.

The tired debate over the intrinsic benefits of contractors versus permanent employees should be put to rest, as, at the end of the day, effective management is the real answer.

In the past few months, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has fallen into disrepute with the press, and tarnished its image as a squeaky-clean well-oiled machine.

This week: High-profile hacker Kevin Mitnick slams software industry, the "father of the Internet" says poor security will hamper the Internet`s potential, the cyber battlefront has arrived, and the love bug is forever.

Micrologix`s rescue operation and the continued troubles at Accord Technologies made local IT headlines last week.