*hyperLINK****hyperLINK****hyperLINK****hyperLINK*****hyperLINK* Here is this week's hyperLINK, your window on the local, national and international IT sector, brought to you by Canterbury Software Inc and editor Carol Webb. It includes news on the next CSI Tech BBQ and other CSI events, as part of promoting success through connections for IT products, services and people.
See the full version at http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/current.htm Sign-up options at http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/news.htm + Please forward this newsletter. You can freely re-use the feature stories, provided you acknowledge the credited feature story writer and hyperLINK as source. ############### FRIDAY TECH BBQ JUNE 20: Hosted by Alchemy http://www.alchemy.co.nz Contact: Howard Nicholls [EMAIL PROTECTED] JUNE 27: LA's Bar and Cafe,31 Dundas St, from 5.30pm. Food and drinks available at the bar. For further information (and to see who got snapped by the CSI paparazzi at recent events) go to the Tech BBQ page at http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/bbq.htm + Canterbury Software Inc is keen to promote the Friday Tech BBQ as a meeting point for the Christchurch tech community. If it's been a while since you last checked out the BBQ scene, now could be the time. If you know of anyone who might be interested in coming along, especially those new to the sector or new to Christchurch, forward this to them. The BBQ is an informal social and networking event that takes place every Friday, 5.30pm to around 7.30pm. It gives members of the tech community a chance to meet other similar people in a relaxed environment, talk shop, network and get to know each other better. ############### hyperLINK contents: Issue 7, June 19 2003 + Sky's the limit for Christchurch spam buster + Pulse Data top ICT exporter + Tech Newsbytes from all around + Incredibly useful website of the week + Online with CSI + Hot topics at the forum + Contact us, subscribe/unsubscribe etc NEXT WEEK IN HYPERLINK: Pricing Pitfalls ############### *FEATURE* SKY'S THE LIMIT FOR CHRISTCHURCH SPAM BUSTER By Carol Webb Nick Bolton gets calls from venture capitalists wanting a slice of the action generated by his spam-busting software, but so far the Christchurch businessman has had no trouble funding Firetrust �s rapid expansion from the donations grateful users started sending after its launch as a �free� product almost two years ago. [more here http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/current.htm#feature1 ] ------------------------------ *FEATURE* PULSE DATA SCORES TOP ICT EXPORTER AWARD Rapidly growing its annual export sales to $50 million won Christchurch high-tech star Pulse Data International the Information, Communications and Technology Exporter of the Year award at the Trade New Zealand Export Awards last week. Niche Software, a Christchurch developer of workplace safety software, was among the four finalists in the ICT category, all of whom export health-related products. [more here http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/current.htm#feature2 ] ------------------------------ *NEWSBYTES* QUICK AND EASY: A research team at Lincoln University is surveying the Christchurch high tech sector via a quick and easy, six point questionnaire. It will report to IndustryNZ on the strategic development of the sector, and provide comment on factors that are enhancing or inhibiting this development. Canterbury Software is urging members and other sector players to contribute. Contact Carolyn Saunders - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - for a questionnaire. VC TIPS: How To Approach A Venture Capitalist, a roadshow seminar run by the New Zealand Venture Capital Association is coming to Christchurch on Friday afternoon. Hear practical advice for business owners, managers and their advisers from four of New Zealand's leading venture capital and private equity firms. Further details and registration instructions at http://www.nzvca.co.nz or contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] WILLING WORKERS: Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology has Graduate Diploma in eCommerce students looking to work on industry-based projects, starting next month. About 200-250 hours work will be involved and projects could be anything from website development through to the development of internet marketing plans for businesses. Christchurch College of Computing is also looking for practical business experience opportunities for its senior secondary-level students on July 7-9, and director Prue Purser says next Wednesday�s open day will be a good opportunity to see the college in action, especially for parent interested in what it offers for their kids ( http://www.ccc.school.nz ) email [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; CPIT: [EMAIL PROTECTED] HELPING HAND: Christchurch company SLI systems, developer of world-beating search technology, has been selected for the Industry NZ Fast Forward programme and CEO Shaun Ryan says other CSI members should consider putting their names forward for the scheme. SLI will be eligible for up to $100,000 over three years towards capability development. �It is going to accelerate when we are able to do certain things -- in the short term we are looking at getting advice on PR, marketing and partner strategies�, Ryan says. Importantly, he says it was �painless and quick� for SLI to apply and be accepted into the programme. �The whole process involved one interview, a one page application form, and a few emails. It took less than two weeks.� He says there may be other companies in CSI who could be eligible for the programme � and �I'd be happy to talk to them about what we went through.� SLI Systems: http://www.sli-systems.com and Fast Forward http://www.industrynz.govt.nz/business/fast-forward ENTERPRISING LINE-UP: Five Christchurch Software companies have received Enterprise Awards funding from Industry NZ. The scheme aims to provide early stage financial assistance for well-defined business projects and concepts. Brylton Software (two separate awards for $8550 and $7500) to develop multi-lingual educational software, www.brylton.com ; Aotearoa Software ($20,000) intellectual property protection and prototype design for CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software, www.aotearoasoftware.com ; Digital Presentations ($20,000) develop 3D software www.digitalpres.co.nz ; Forte Solutions ($10,150) to develop Geneva software product for airline rostering and management, www.geneva.co.nz The Medical Software Corporation ($10,150) to develop X-Calibre software. LOTR FIREPOWER: Peter Jackson's special-effects company, Wellington-based Weta Digital, has added 588 IBM blade servers, each with two 2.8 gigahertz Intel Xeon processors, to the formidable graphics rendering firepower working on the third film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Weta Digital chief technical officer Scott Houston said the seven racks of blade servers, when added to Weta's existing 15-rack server cluster, would make up the largest Intel-based high-performance computer site in the world with more than 2000 linked processors. - NZ Herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storyprint.cfm?storyID=3507549 BRAINY BROWSER: Georgia State University researchers have come up with a Web browser that allows people to surf just by thinking. Previous research has shown that it is possible to move a cursor by controlling neural activity. The BrainBrowser software is designed to work with the limited mouse movements neural control allows. The researchers are working on a virtual keyboard with word prediction technology that will allow users to enter URLs. The technology is tipped to be ready for practical communications applications in two to five years. http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/rnb_052203.asp ------------------------------ *EXPORT FOCUS* GLOBAL EMARKETS: A Trade NZ list of about 25 eMarkets that are well known globally in their industries or have significant global traffic. Suppliers should know about these sites but not rule out others. Small niche eMarkets and general opportunity sites also play an important role in helping companies enter markets and win business with new customers. http://www.emarketservices.com/?mainpage=/reports_facts/reports/S ignificanteMarkets.htm ------------------------------ *WEBSITE OF THE WEEK* THE INNOVATORS ONLINE NETWORK (ION): A NZ online venue, administered from Waikato University, that facilitates interaction between innovators,entrepreneurs,investors and mentors. Innovators can benefit from the collective knowledge and business acumen of other innovators and entrepreneurs who have been there before. Entrepreneurs can post their business concepts online for critiquing or contact other ION members and project facilitators directly for assistance. EMentors identify new business opportunities and work with them, voluntarily in the first instance, to add value and bring them to fruition. As the business develops, mentors may become involved in roles such as consultancy, management or directorships. http://www.ion.net.nz + Tell the editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) about any sites you'd like to share with hyperLINK's readers ------------------------------ *CSI WEBSITE HAPPENINGS* JOBS ..JOBS � JOBS � Who said it�s hard to find out where the IT talent and IT jobs are in Christchurch? CSI provides free listings on its website for job hunters and staff seekers and has joined with Christchurch-based RealContacts to provide the ability to find jobs or staff via word of mouth using extended social networks. Go to the Jobs page to join the CSI network on RealContacts and to see jobs posted to the CSI website. You will be able to see jobs posted to the CSI network by other RealContacts members, as well as start building your own network to help the process of finding jobs or staff. http://www.canterburysoftware.org.nz/jobs.htm ------------------------------ *MEANWHILE, AT THE FORUM* The Forum is your online community, where you can: + air your problems and concerns about marketing your software internationally + get rapid and effective suggestions from others like you,who've already done it + raise and discuss subjects of general concern to members Go to http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/forum.htm ------------------------------ CONTACT US ... SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE hyperLINK email options: http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/news.htm Contact the editor, Carol Webb: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ --> via Canterbury Software email forum: Success through Connections Email your messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Searchable list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] Leave or rejoin the list: http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/forum.htm
