SOFTWARE firm The Test Factory has opened offices in London and Chicago as it wins new business worldwide.

The Wearside company is now planning to open an office in Australia or Asia as it builds on the exports which already account for half of its £1.5m sales.

It is aiming to push its revenues up to £2m this year and to £10m over the next five years as it continues to win contracts with global companies including Microsoft, HSBC and the BBC as well as North East firms such as Gentoo and Newcastle College.

The Rainton Bridge-based firm makes software which can collect and manage data from a company’s workforce.

It was originally designed to help businesses assess applications for jobs but has been adapted to help run training programmes. Technical director David Copple said: “It was conceived as a recruitment tool when we started up in 2007, but going into an economic crisis isn’t the greatest time to be looking at recruitment.

“But the strength of this product is that it is very flexible and we have been working with companies to adapt it to their needs. It has worked particularly well in training.

“It is easier and more efficient for a company to run training online through a PC or mobile device so that staff can put in their own input rather than having to do everything manually as before.

“Although we are a relatively new company we have got work with some really large companies and that is getting our product around the world.