Bristol Business News

The takeover of Alterian, the loss-making Bristol-based marketing software specialist, has been completed by Maidenhead-based SDL.

The move ends a long and drawn-out restructuring of Alterian, which has gone from a highly-profitable and innovative group to a loss-making business riven by boardroom splits and shareholder unrest following the loss of a major contract. Along the way founder and chief executive David Eldridge left and the management team was restructured.

However, the core business has remained strong with market-leading products.

All Alterian employees and partners will now transfer to SDL, which describes the takeover as “an excellent strategic fit” combining Alterian’s product suite with SDL’s web content management and eCommerce products.

Alterian’s shares were today cancelled on the London Stock Exchange. The terms of the acquisition value the entire issued share capital of Alterian at approximately £68.4m or 110p in cash for each share. This represents a premium of approximately 73.2% to the closing price of 63.5p per Alterian share on October 21, the last dealing day prior to the offer period.

SDL executive chairman Mark Lancaster said: “Understanding what your customers are interested in by analysing what they are looking at, and for how long, is key in developing your web and customer engagement strategy. We already have best-of-breed web content management technology, user guidance content management technology and leading language technology.

“Adding Alterian’s marketing analytics, social media and campaign management technology will provide customers with a superb integrated solution for managing customer engagement and improving customer experience. We are very pleased to have completed this acquisition and look forward to working with Alterian employees, partners and customers.”

The rise in the number of people using smartphones to check out bargains online while shopping has led Cabot Circus to become the first shopping centre in the South West to offer free wireless broadband.

Retailers have reported that more and more shoppers are using the internet to check and compare prices when they’re in stores, and even ask friends for opinions via social media before they buy something.

The deal with WiFi provider The Cloud, which services Krispy Kreme and Pret a Manger outlets in Bristol, now brings free wireless internet connection to shoppers in the city centre.

Kevin Duffy, Centre Director at Cabot Circus, said: “The decision to provide WiFi at Cabot Circus comes as more and more people us the internet on the go. The WiFi will be available to all throughout Cabot Circus and Quakers Friars, and will allow visitors to use their smartphones, iPads and laptops at broadband speed during their visit.”

The Cloud has more than 6,500 hotspots across the UK. Vince Russell, its managing director, added: “Shoppers are using smartphones and tablets to access very data-heavy content, such as their social media accounts, or video clips and music, when they’re out and about.

“That means they need a fast and reliable internet connection.”

Bristol Business News

A new breed of business-to-business exhibition is coming to Bristol – one which turns the tables on the traditional and out-dated style of such events.

Rabbit 2012, which takes place on March 20, will use the latest technology to give exhibitors and delegates the best opportunities to engage with each other and ultimately grow their businesses.

The event, to be staged at Brunel’s Old Station, next to Temple Meads railway station, is being backed by Bristol Business News as official media partner for this pioneering event, which has this week been opened up to exhibitors and delegates for registration.

The exhibition will have its own Rabbit mobile app allowing delegates to scan QR codes to upload exhibitor details direct to their contacts.

The app will also provide delegates with all the information about the event including seminar and workshop programmes and will offer the opportunity to book meetings direct with exhibitors, prior to the event.

RabbitTV will play across LCD screens throughout the venue for the duration of the exhibition. Exhibitors will be offered the chance to have their promotional videos featured on the channel, along with live interviews from some of the most engaging stands during the day.

Live Twitter walls will encourage debate and promote product launches at stands as they happen. There will also be plenty of other opportunities for exhibitors to get their key sales messages across, including seminar sponsorship, banner advertising on the main website, advertising space in the show programme and through Bristol Business News and its sister products.

Rabbit is open to any business that wants to learn how to grow. Industry-leading seminars on subjects such as investment, growing a business through recession, digital marketing, social media and leadership will inspire businesses to take the next step towards a more lucrative future. Exhibitors at Rabbit will be able to provide solutions for these businesses, advising on growth strategies and providing the services these types of growing companies will need.

Glenn Robinson of Rabbit said: “Rabbit is a fresh, new and exciting twist on traditional B2B exhibitions and is already shaping up to be a fantastic event.

“It will be a unique opportunity for businesses to talk to and learn from some of the most forward-thinking companies in the South West. It is a chance to multiply contacts and build lasting relationships that will encourage growth.

“Delegates and exhibitors will be shown how to make the best use of technology, often freely available to them, that will add value to their marketing strategies and drive sales, at the same time being given every opportunity to network and do business with each other.”

Delegates can register for free at www.rabbitevents.co and exhibition space starts at £280 plus VAT. Bristol Business News subscribers are entitled to 10% off all stand prices, by quoting reference BBN10. The first 50 stands to book will receive a free exhibitor advertising package, including airtime on Rabbit TV on the website and at the exhibition, website banner and Rabbit app advertising and a full advert in the show programme, together worth £750.

For more information about the possibilities at Rabbit2012 visit the website or call the Rabbit team on 01622 685 078.

A Bristol technology firm is expanding into the Asia Pacific region with the opening of a new office in India and making connections with China and Taiwan.

Test and Verification Solutions (TVS) announced that its presence will help it deliver software testing and hardware verification products and services to semiconductor companies and design houses in the region.

CEO Dr Mike Bartley said the move was vital to tap into the “global hub” for development and manufacturing in India, China and Taiwan.

“Some of the leading market research agencies predict continued and unabated growth in this region,” he said. “We are confident that TVS products and solutions will address the pain points of our customers and help them not only reduce development costs, but also accelerate their go-to-market plans.”

TVS India at Chennai will be the primary development centre, while TVS will also open a development centre in Bengaluru in the next year.

Meanwhile, the firm – supported by the SETsquared Partnership at Bristol University – has signed an exclusive agreement with HyperSilicon for China mainland and Grand Technology Inc. for Taiwan to promote its products and services offerings.

Nick Sturge, centre director of SETsquared, said: “The expertise within the cluster of creative technology companies in the Bristol & Bath area is world class, so the fact that TVS, a key enabler of the industry’s growth, has been able to expand into the exciting territories of Taiwan, China and India, is not surprising.”

Bristol Business News

More than 67,000 homes and businesses in the Bristol area have been targeted for super-fast broadband as part of a major expansion of BT’s £2.5bn fibre broadband roll-out plans.

Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Eastville and Henbury, along with Kingswood in South Gloucestershire, are among the areas identified and will take the South West’s new super-fast network to more than one million users.

They will join Bristol North, Bristol West and Downend exchanges which are already live and Bitton, Bristol Redcliffe, Bristol South, Easton, Stoke Bishop, Filton and Winterbourne which are due to be upgraded. The latest upgrades are due to be completed during 2012.

Weston-super-Mare is also set to benefit from the roll-out along with other centres in the South West including Barnwood, Cirencester, Devonport; Dorchester, Exmouth, Fernwood, Gloucester, Newton Abbot; Poole; Teignmouth, Tewkesbury and Yeovil.

BT’s local network business Openreach is driving forward plans to make super-fast fibre broadband available to two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014*. The network features a mix of fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) and fibre to the premises (FTTP) technologies. Speeds are vastly superior to those previously available to many UK homes and businesses.

FTTC, delivered to street cabinets, currently offers download speeds of up to 40Mbps with 10Mbps upstream. Openreach has said it will roughly double these speeds next year. FTTP, where the fibre goes directly to homes and businesses, offers speeds of up to 100Mbps, rising to 300Mbps in the spring. This compares with 6.8Mbps, the average actual speed of all UK broadband according to Ofcom’s latest research published in July 2011.

Jon Reynolds, BT’s South West regional director, said: “At a stroke, small and medium sized firms will have access to big business speeds at much lower costs allowing them to find new markets, boost their competitiveness and create new jobs.Faster upstream speeds are a boon for flexible and remote working, slashing office overheads and improving employees’ work-life balance. Large graphic and video files can be sent immediately online instead of being physically delivered to customers on hard disk. And high quality voice and video calls will enable businesses to save time travelling to clients without losing direct customer contact.

“We are making rapid progress with super-fast broadband across the UK. More than six million homes and businesses can now access the high-speed technology and last month we announced that two-thirds of UK premises will have access by the end of 2014, a year earlier than planned.”

Barbara Janke, Bristol City Council leader, added: ” Bristol is well-known as a digital leader amongst cities. We are keen to work with partner providers such as BT to make sure the infrastructure is there for our companies to thrive and grow, and all our residents have the opportunities to benefit from using the internet.”

Internet users with a fibre broadband connection can do much more online, all at the same time. A family can download a movie, watch a TV replay service, surf the net and play games online simultaneously. The latest chart hit can be downloaded in around two seconds, a CD in 30 seconds and a feature length HD film in 10 minutes. Upload speeds are the fastest in the UK with large video and data files being sent almost instantly and posting hi-resolution photos on Facebook, takes seconds.

Airbus is to create 200 jobs at Filton due to demand for its new A350 airliner, it confirmed yesterday.

The plane, which will use lightweight composite wings designed and part-built in Bristol, was due to come into service in 2013 but has been delayed to the first half of 2014.

Airbus has more than 550 orders from airlines for the A350 – which can carry 340 passengers.

The announcement came as Business Secretary Vince Cable was visiting Airbus this morning to talk about a conditional offer of funding from the government’s £1.4bn Regional Growth Fund which was announced last month.

Airbus head of engineering at Filton Neil Scott told Bristol Business News the engineers being recruited will work on the next generation of the A350, on further refining the A380 superjumbo – world’s latest passenger plane – and on helping creating the A320neo, which will use Filton-designed fuel-saving wing tips.

He also opened the multimillion-pound National Composites Centre in Bristol, which claims it will speed up new products going from the laboratory to the shop-floor.

Mr Cable told Insider Media: “The South West is becoming a real hub for composites and aerospace manufacturing, and is exactly the sort of place where targeted government support through schemes like the Regional Growth fund, can have a real benefit.

“By helping companies large and small unlock their potential for growth, we can make sure that we rebalance the economy and emerge with a stronger and more diverse industrial base.”

Orange and T-Mobile phone customers in Bristol will receive faster internet and data speeds in more places, thanks to the partnership between the two firms.

Their merger last year created the UK’s largest mobile communications company. Since then, they have given free access to each other’s signal – with customers making 1.9 million days’ worth of calls – over 46 million hours – on the other brand’s network.

The next stage of what they have called their “big switch-on” is now available in Bristol, meaning that, as well as being able to keep in touch and send texts in more places, people will now also be able to access the internet and send emails in more places when out and about.

Fotis Karonis, Chief Technology Officer for Everything Everywhere, the company that runs Orange and T-Mobile, said the move would allow phone users more options to search for Christmas gift deals via their phones.

“In the run up to Christmas our customers want to be able to search for the best prices and shop for gifts while on the move. Now they can with Orange and T-Mobile’s extended 3G service, giving them the best voice, text and internet coverage in the UK for no extra cost.”

The regional rollout of the “big 3G switch-on” will continue around the country until the scheduled completion in December.  Customer charges remain the same when using the other network’s signal.

For more information, visit www.orange.co.uk/share or www.t-mobile.co.uk/share

Jobs in Bristol are under threat as the firm which runs mobile phone brands Orange and T-Mobile is planning to axe 550 staff following a review of its business.

Everything Everywhere said the planned cuts will come mainly from head office functions and will not affect customer-facing teams. The proposed cuts, which account for about 4% of the company’s workforce, will affect sites in Bristol, Hatfield, London and Darlington.

The Communication Workers Union said staff are having to pay a “massive price” for the year-old merger of Orange and T-Mobile.

A company spokesman said: “Following a review of its business, Everything Everywhere has announced proposed organisational changes to support the company as it transitions from integrating two businesses to a new phase focused on accelerating the delivery of the company ambitions.

“As a result of the proposed new structure, regrettably, approximately 550 head office and support roles, or 4% of the company, will leave the organisation over the coming months.

“The proposed reductions will come mainly from the head office functions and will not impact customer-facing teams. The new structure will help the company become more agile and ensure it is keeping in touch with customers’ needs.

“We recognise and would like to thank the individuals who may be impacted for their contributions to the business. Everything Everywhere has now entered into a consultation phase on our proposals, which will last 90 days to completion.”

The merger between T-Mobile and Orange, which created the largest mobile group in the UK and which operates the mobile phones of 28 million Britons, has already seen 1,200 staff depart in an earlier bout of cost-cutting as the newly created business targeted duplication in its workforce.

The cuts take effect on February 1, according to the Communications Workers Union.

Bristol Business News

Innovative business talent comes to the fore today at Venturefest Bristol 2011, the showcase event at the Bristol & Bath Science Park.

The event aims to bring together new technology and innovation-based business ideas with the funding and support they require to help them grow.

Core to Venturefest is the Innovation Showcase where new businesses will be demonstrating their innovative products and services. New entrepreneurs will also be perfecting their techniques in The Pitch at Venturefest.

Other highlights include keynote speeches by Paul Magelli, serial entrepreneur and founder of Bristol-based specialist software firm Apertio, sold recently to Nokia Siemens Networks, and Nigel Risner, author, television presenter, motivational speaker, and experienced business coach.

An exhibition will bring delegates together with a wide range of business organisations whose activities are targeted at supporting the growth of technology businesses, including the SW iNets, business incubator unit SetSquared, law firm Veale Wasborough Vizards and Business West. Speakers in workshops also represent the South West investment community, including SWAIN and Based-based Eden Ventures.

Venturefest Bristol will also include an intellectual property (IP) clinic sponsored by IP law firm Withers and Rogers and patent and trademark attorneys EIP, a funding clinic run by Angels Den, and the Bite-sized MBA course delivered by Rupert Vernalls of Business Information.

To encourage businesses to be creative and innovative in their thinking at Venturefest 2011, organisers Science City Bristol have invited artists, performers and musicians to take part.

As well as encouraging the development of relationships between the between the arts and business communities, these activities will help to demonstrate the rich artistic and creative resources which sit alongside the science and technology assets in the West. In many cases they sit at the interface between science and arts, between creativity and technology which is part of the unique culture of the region.

Science City Bristol communications executive Becky Sage said: “The appetite for Venturefest has been huge. The West of England has a substantial population of entrepreneurs and innovators which has been reflected in the number of applications we received and the number of delegates that have registered.  But this event isn’t about large numbers; it is about the quality of ideas and the quality of interaction on the day.

“We are grateful for the help of expert panels and partner networks who have helped us to generate delegate numbers and ensure the quality of companies that are participating.”

Bristol will host Next Gen 11 – one of the UK’s premier events to promote broadband technology – next month at the University of the West of England.

Taking place on November 15 and 16, it comes as s series of major international reports have encouraged leading UK politicians to recognise how improved broadband access is key to enabling new business and jobs across every sector of the economy.

Contributors to the event at UWE Exhibition and Conference Centre will include EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes, acclaimed futurist Rohit Talwar, and a host of leading industry players and thought leaders from across Europe, the UK and, of course, Bristol.

Bristol City Council Leader Barbara Janke said the event would help the city showcase its “credentials as a leading media and digital city”, as well as promoting the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone.

“Hosting this prestigious conference is an ideal opportunity for Bristol to showcase our credentials as a leading media and digital city, and make the case for further investment in the city in superfast broadband,” she said.

“We are very keen to promote the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone – this will provide unrivalled investment potential for creative and digital businesses from the UK and abroad to locate to a thriving new quarter in the heart of Bristol and the South West.”

The Enterprise Zone in Temple Quarter is designed to drive regeneration and create jobs by attracting more creative and technology industries to the city. Delegates will be able to see the potential of this project firsthand on a special Enterprise Zone tour during the conference.

The UK market for high quality broadband has shifted from high-level planning to urgent requirements of turning those plans into reality. Next Gen 11 plans to encourage this through its new NextGen Challenge – the UK’s first open competition to celebrate broadband achievements.

The winners will be revealed at the Next Gen 11 conference dinner at Bordeaux Quay on Bristol’s waterfront.

• Full agenda details at: http://www.nextgenevents.co.uk/events/nextgen-11-november-2011/agenda/
• Registration details at: http://www.regonline.co.uk/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1007463
• NextGen Challenge: http://www.nextgenevents.co.uk/ngchallenge