Microsoft's multi-million dollar takeover of Fox computer firm in the US could lead to a boost in business.

The deal is likely to result in a huge surge in the popularity of database information management systems, said Mrs. Rosalind Dunmore, president of NCS, which sells FoxPro data base software.

"FoxPro will be more readily accepted at the corporate level now because of Microsoft's reputation,'' she added.

"To date, most of the usage of personal computers has really been in the word processing and spreadsheet arenas.

"Secretaries have capitalised on the fact that they can now do word processing on computers.

"By the same token, accountants have realised that spreadsheet software again makes them very much more efficient.

"Now the era of the information manager having the computer as a tool is really only just beginning. Microsoft's takeover of Fox will lead to a very powerful data base software product which will do for the information managers what spread sheeting did for the accountants and what word processing did for the secretaries.

"It's a learning curve which has been happening gradually and it will potentially take someone like Microsoft to make it happen in reality. It needed the exposure of a huge company like Microsoft rather than a private company with limited resources, as Fox was.'' Network Computer Services, which was formed in 1983, designs computer software for businesses looking for PC data base solutions.

Much of the company's business involves designing software programmes for Bermuda's captive insurance companies.

Now Mrs. Dunmore hopes to expand into the overseas financial computer software market, and already has one client -- a captive management subsidiary of the giant Zurich insurance group -- in Dublin, Ireland.

Mrs. Dunmore flies to Dublin this weekend to follow up on that installation and to seek out more customers in the city's financial sector.

"We're looking at the possibility of opening up an office in Dublin, but nothing's been decided yet,'' said Mrs. Dunmore.

"We're exploring Dublin because it is trying to do for captives in the European market what Bermuda has done for the North American market. A lot of captive management companies in Bermuda are establishing offices over there and European companies are establishing their own captives there.'' Captive managers and captive companies in Ireland have shown a lot of interest in her products.

While captive management firms build up their client list, Mrs. Dunmore believes there may be greater potential in the short-term if her firm deals directly with captives themselves.

As well as the insurance industry, Network Computer Services provides software for ship management firms, restaurants, hotels, and anyone else who is looking for PC data base business systems.

Most of NCS's programmes are custom made for individual clients, but Mrs.

Dunmore said is concentrating more now on marketing these programmes for use by others in industries which require similar needs.

Another of Mrs. Dunmore's clients is Government conservation officer Mr. David Wingate, for whom she is helping to store a mass of information on birds and other animals which he has collected over some 40 years.

Mrs. Dunmore is the sole employee of Network Computer Services, which operates from Woodbourne Place, in Hamilton.