SCIENCE

LONDON, ENGLAND -- Conference organisers for the '50 Years of Business Computing' Conference today invited entries for a 5,000 Pounds Sterling prize, sponsored by the National Computing Centre, for the best paper outlining a vision of business computing in 2051. The winner will be invited to deliver the paper at the conference, which is taking place on 5-6 November 2001 in the Guildhall, London. Entries for the award should consider the applications to business of computers and associated technologies in 2051. They may also like to discuss issues such as the benefits that will be brought to people's lives, as well as attitudes, public policy, regulation and government. Judges will be looking for the entry that produces the most illuminating and imaginative discussion whilst remaining within the bounds of credibility. The conference celebrates the 50th anniversary of the spawning of the business computing industry by the start-up of the Lyons Electronic Office (LEO) in November 1951. Speakers for the conference include David Caminer of the original LEO project, George Cox of the Institute of Directors, Alastair Macdonald, President of the British Computer Society and Michael Grade, Chief Executive of First Leisure Corporation. Sponsors of the event include the London School of Economics, Wall Street Journal Europe, the BBC, Yahoo, KPMG, Brodeur Worldwide, BT, ICL, The Institution of Electrical Engineers and the National Computing Centre. For more information about the conference and the NCC prize, please visit: www.is.lse.ac.uk/BusinessComputing50/