Uncertain times for science sector
Dec 18 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal
A look back at this year's highlights in the technology industry
JANUARY: FAST-GROWING technology solutions company Onyx Group bought Scottish IT services provider Campbell Lee. The deal saw the Middlesbrough company’s workforce go from 50 to 85, while its sales were expected to be boosted by millions of pounds to £12m as its client base grew from 2,500 to around 3,000.
FEBRUARY: INVESTORS behind a firm which offers free mobile phone calls announced plans to become a £100m-a-year business within four years after securing £2.4m in funding. Northumberland-based Palringo was launched in 2006 on the back of £650,000 of funding from NorthStar Equity Investors (NSEI) and is currently in the process of rolling out its “Vocal Instant Messaging” service across the world.
MARCH: INTERNET provider Nomad Digital took its technology on the road to Scandinavia. The Newcastle-based company landed a deal to provide WiFi broadband connection to buses in the Swedish capital of Stockholm.
APRIL: A COMMUNICATIONS firm revealed plans to double its revenue to £15m in two years after completing a lucrative deal to take its technology into 34 different countries.
Gateshead-based Executel, which provides voice and data technology, completed the £130,000 first phase of a deal with £229m-a-year components company Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems Europe (SEWS-E).
MAY: FLEDGLING Newcastle firm iKabs, which puts CCTV technology into North East taxis, set out plans to make inroads into cities across the country by embarking on an ambitious expansion drive.
JUNE: MEMBERS of the region’s video games sector called for an overhaul of the education system in the fight to fill the skills gap, amid reports that the university system was failing the industry. The calls came as industry campaign group ‘Games Up?’ said British developers were facing a severe skills shortage as UK universities failed to equip graduates with the skills they need.
JULY: TELECOMS giant BT urged regional development agency One NorthEast and other public sector bodies to back its bid to bring “super-fast” broadband to the region. BT had announced £1.5bn plans to roll out super-fast broadband to as many as 10 million homes by 2012.
AUGUST: GROWING IT consultancy Aspire Technology Solutions launched a new system which it said could save utilities contractors millions of pounds they would otherwise be forced to pay in fines under recent changes to the law.
The Gateshead company had produced software for national utilities contractor McNicholas, which the company’s research found would save it around £6.5m per year.
SEPTEMBER: A TECHNOLOGY firm from Blyth won a deal to sell its pioneering child safety device in 550 travel agents across the country. Telecoms company DataSMS landed the contract to supply its groundbreaking Tag n Go wristband system to Co-operative Travel outlets up and down the country.
OCTOBER: TECHNOLOGY bosses in the region spoke out against a gloomy national survey which claimed the fear of redundancy was sweeping the IT workforce. A survey by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) said that only one in 10 IT professionals felt secure in their job while more than a third of businesses in the sector were in the midst of a recruitment freeze.
NOVEMBER: NEWCASTLE-based Connect for Care developed a new system with the potential to transform the lives of dementia sufferers across the world through touch-screen technology.
DECEMBER: A GROUP of digital and technology firms announced plans to join forces ahead of a possible merger next year as they battled changing market conditions. The firm behind the region’s largest film production company, Newcastle’s Dene Group, added small digital agency Moko Digital to its growing stable as part of its drive to become a one-stop shop for companies in search of TV and online adverts.
