El Reg is indebted to Johnson King Public Relations of Weston Street, London for blending fashion and IT in its bid to make CRM more sexy.

Inviting journalists to a press conference on behalf of its client, Detica, it pouts: "CRM - the little black dress of IT."

No longer sexy and sophisticated, the LBD is now a byword for management software. Whatever next? Tiscali - the foie gras of ISPs?

Of course, you know who started this trend of blending fashion and IT, don't you? That's right, the former Textiles Minister and part-time E-minister, Patricia Hewitt. ®