Expect the compliance treadmill is about to slow down? Think again. '06 and '07 are set to be big years for monitoring, record keeping and re-engineering of processes across businesses. Privacy and data retention will be just two of the drivers for the boom in regulations, according to new forecasts.

It means that in a shrinking jobs market, IT professionals will have to hone their skills in regulatory requirements and business know-how, says research firm Gartner.

Not that any of this will stop fraud or malfeasance. Expect at least one multi-billion dollar fiasco for 2006, warns the International Herald Tribune.

Might be a concern for anyone running a business but it's great news for lawyers, accountants and bureaucrats.