Due to the recent spate of high-profile sexual discrimination cases affecting the financial sector, big companies are turning to sophisticated technology in an effort to stamp out trouble in the office before it develops into anything more serious.



The software has been developed by autonomy, a Cambridge firm that is a world leader in analysing and recognising patterns in otherwise unstructured information. It is the same technology that was used to track down Al-Qaeda terrorists and is yours for – on average - £200,000.



The software is designed to automatically alert the organisation to acts of sexual harassment and discrimination, by analysing the contents of emails, voice and instant messaging. The technology automatically routes offending material, alerting management to cases of potential and actual policy violations.



The really brainy part however, is that Aungate does not rely on keywords, but forms a conceptual understanding of all communications. It is therefore able to understand the meaning and intent of language. Managing Director of Aungate, Ian Black, said:



“It is the first product on the market that allow organisations to detect offensive material proactively and monitors employee’s behaviour to avert cases of sexual harassment.”



Companies willing to invest in the system should therefore be able to stamp out bullying culture, which has been a much-publicised problem in the square mile of late.



Although this is to be applauded, the waters become murkier when civil liberties group start making ‘Big Brother’ accusations. The technology does go beyond detecting genuine unpleasantness at work, and can alert employers to less sinister practices such as how much time employees spend discussing matters unrelated to work such as sport, or holiday plans.



In view of the astronomical compensation figures involved in recent cases, firms are unlikely to be concerned about looking a little heavy handed. Merrill Lynch, for example, is currently involved with a £7.5 million compensation claim from a former female employee accusing the firm of unequal pay and victimisation. Ian Black, unsurprisingly, is in no doubts about the reciprocal value of his company’s latest toy:



“The alternative is to risk ignorance of such behaviour, which often creates a hostile environment in the workplace, and leaves the company open to costly sexual harassment and discrimination cases.”