iJET Outlines Risk Landscape for 2011

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, a leading provider of global intelligence and business resiliency services, today outlined the major risks and trends that it anticipates will most significantly affect business travel, risk management and resiliency planning in 2011.

"As businesses continue to expand globally, it becomes increasingly important for organizations to understand, track and plan for a myriad of risks that can jeopardize their success," said Steve Hoffman, CEO of iJET. "Leveraging our team of world-class intelligence experts, iJET has provided a critical look at the year ahead and forecasts events that could have the greatest impact on our clients' day-to-day operations, enabling them to better survive and thrive amidst a growing threat landscape."

iJET's analysts predict that many of the issues faced by businesses in 2010 will continue to remain a concern in the coming year. These include economic volatility in Europe, Latin America and Africa, drug-related violence in Mexico and neighboring Latin American countries, and the ongoing challenges surrounding airline passenger security. iJET also warns organizations to watch for a number of developing risks that could threaten business operations and travel around the globe.

A regional breakdown of the forecasted areas of concern for 2011 include:

• The Americas:  2011 will be a critical year for Guatemala as it combats a surge in drug cartel-related violence spilling over from Mexico. Increased government instability could materialize in Nicaragua and Honduras resulting in civil unrest, while important elections in Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia could perpetuate political instability and violent protests.
• Europe: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to announce early in 2011 whether he will run for president in elections slated for 2012. There are fears that civil unrest would grow more common if Putin makes a run for the office he previously held for the maximum allowable term limit. He undoubtedly enjoys more de jure power as prime minister, but many suspect he won't be able to help himself, and that he will attempt to replace incumbent Dmitry Medvedev, who many view as a "placeholder" until Putin returns.
• Middle East/ North Africa: Presidential elections taking place November 2011 in Egypt have the potential to spur civil unrest before, during and after voting, especially in light of the overthrow of Tunisia's regime, which many unfavorably compare to Hosni Mubarak's decades-old autocratic regime. Continued violence can be expected in Yemen, further exacerbated by the release of diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks in late 2010. In addition, Saudi Arabia may face issues with succession that could bring uncertainty and instability. Lebanon awaits on tenterhooks the verdict in the death of Rafik Hariri, and the controversy will keep regional politics – already perennially unstable - particularly unsettled.
• Africa: The ongoing battle for the presidency of Cote d'Ivoire will strongly influence a number of key political referendums and elections that will take place throughout Africa in 2011, including: Zimbabwe, Southern Sudan, Nigeria, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If Cote d'Ivoire's incumbent president refuses to resign, leaders in other African nations could follow suit and threaten the positive governance trends across the continent. The outcome of the coming divorce between Sudan and South Sudan will also resonate strongly across Africa and beyond and could embolden less worthy separatist movements elsewhere.
• Asia: Succession issues could arise in Thailand leading to another wave of violent protests and riots, and uncertainty and animosity between the two Koreas will keep the region unsettled. Pakistan and Afghanistan will continue to pose grave challenges for the region and the world.

In addition to regional threats, recent events such as Haiti's category 7.0 earthquake and the Eyjafjallajokull ash cloud crisis reveal that other unforeseeable events such as natural disasters and terrorist incidents continue to remain a threat to business operations in 2011.

Finally, with outbreaks of H1N1 on the decline, pandemic-sized health threats are not expected for 2011. However, iJET cautions organizations to monitor seasonal influenzas and other health risks – such as the recent Cholera outbreak in Haiti – closely as epidemics are also unpredictable.

For more information, including tips for mitigating risks and additional resources to help your organization, please visit iJET's Resiliency Resource Page at www.ijet.com/tips.

About iJET Intelligent Risk Systems

iJET Intelligent Risk Systems (iJET) is an intelligence-driven provider of business resiliency and risk management solutions to nearly 500 multinational corporations and governments – helping them survive and thrive amidst global threats to their people, facilities and supply chain assets.

iJET's services, team of world-class intelligence analysts and patented Worldcue® Global Control Center technology solutions equip decision-makers and organizations with real-time information to anticipate, respond to and emerge from business disruptions with a competitive edge. iJET's Worldcue solutions provide decision makers with timely, actionable intelligence on potential disruptions and emerging threats to employees, operating assets and suppliers.

iJET®, Travel Intelligence and Worldcue® are registered trademarks of iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.

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SOURCE iJET Intelligent Risk Systems