Pisces holds HIPS forum

The event - entitled “Taking the Pain out of HIPs” - is designed to highlight the need for a single data standard as the HIPs deadline approaches.

Speakers at the event will include Cathy Cant, HIP Programme Manager at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Nigel Payne, Managing Director of The Mortgage Business, HBOS; and Neil Ewin, Chairman of Visualfiles.

Cathy Cant has invited industry discussion on the issue of data standards needed to cope with the arrival of HIPs, expected early in 2007.

Neil Ewin, who is leading the initiative for PISCES, said: “There are already a number of HIPs applications reaching beta testing. They will enjoy the benefit of being amongst the first to market but this short term personal advantage may cause long term damage to the wider HIPs market if we end up with incompatible builds.”

He added: “Pisces has a proven development methodology which brings together industry and technical experts in a program to distil knowledge and procedures into viable data structures for all parties concerned in a transaction. The challenge for the HIPs program is that, given the market position, this process must be carried out in a very short time period."

The November 8 event, to be held in Chester, will mark the launch by PISCES of a new series of HIPs Workgroups to provide a technology framework to enable effective and rapid HIP implementation.

Roger de Boehmler, Director General for PISCES added that “The tight turnaround to produce a HIP will demand automated connectivity. Any organisation that understands the challenge of HIPs will know that it can only work within an industry standard for data sharing. The PISCES Standard will allow any combination of partners in the supply chains to form quickly, flexibly and effectively. ”