*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 JULY 4: JULY 4: At the Canterbury Innovation Incubator (Cii) from 6pm approx to 7.30pm, following the Elevator Cafe. Come upstairs at Cii, 200 Armagh St, and BYO drinks and nibbles. JULY 11: Hosted by Tech BBQ stalwart Kevin Scally at CANTERBURYfare� Gallery, 24 New Regent street. Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kevin will provide some exquisite nibbles and you can buy local beers, wines, and other beverages. CANTERBURYfare� Gallery is the Bricks and Mortar version of www.canterburyfare.co.nz. It's a wine bar, a deli, a bookshop, a caf�, and an art gallery. ELEVATOR CAFE Come along tomorrow to the CSI's July Elevator Cafe - you may learn a thing or two about presenting a product or service, you may find a potential business partner, and you'll certainly find out about the broad range of opportunities Canterbury's software companies are involved with. You'll get the chance to quiz people about their company, their services and products. And they'll be looking for feedback on their presentations too. It's happening at 5pm at the Canterbury Innovation Incubator (200 Armagh St). It's free to all, and will be followed by the Tech BBQ afterwards (6pm-ish,BYO). 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 9, July 3 2003 + Launch programme puts companies on growth track + Ideas on ideas + 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: High speed, high growth ############### *FEATURE* LAUNCH PROGRAMME SETS COMPANIES ON HIGH GROWTH PATH By CAROL WEBB Lawrence Smith, "chief cabbage" of fast-growing Christchurch web solutions specialist CabbageTree Creative, has his Tuesday nights back after 14 weeks of hard slog on the Hi Tech Launch Platform, but he says there's still plenty of work ahead as he puts into practice all he has learnt on the course. [more here http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/current.htm#feature1 ] ------------------------------ *FEATURE* IDEAS ABOUT IDEAS Ideas may be the currency of the knowledge economy, but they are worth nothing as long as they are trapped inside your head. That was the message Canadian speaker Ed Bernacki had for last week�s SmartNet workshop in Christchurch. [more here http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/current.htm#feature2 ] ------------------------------ *NEWSBYTES* CLOSING SOON: The opportunity to join a pool of Canterbury Software members getting substantial discounts on subscriptions to the NZ-Australian electronic tender notification service TenderLink will end next week. Cluster facilitator James Saruchera says the regular TenderLink annual subscription cost for individuals is almost $900, but financial members taking advantage of a CSI umbrella cost can access the service at a fraction of that. The more members who sign up, the less they'll pay. Contact Saruchera before Friday July 11 to find out more. Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: Christchurch�s large pool of ICT tertiary student talent is waiting to be tapped by CSI members with suitable projects that can help them in their businesses. Send cluster facilitator James Saruchera a brief outline of what projects you would like students to work on and proposed project timeframes (when and for how long). Saruchera says students would require light supervision, of a nature that would not take much time away from company representatives' normal duties. Project proposals will be posted on the CSI website for student reference. Saruchera says that in the next two weeks there will be more than 100 students available to conduct projects. Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone 3536879 RANKINGS UP: New Zealand�s ranking on the IDC Information Society Index, which measures the use of IT in 55 countries, has risen from 17th in 2002 to 6th this year. A preliminary report by IDC puts NZ ahead of the US (8th), UK (11th), Canada (10th) and Australia (14th). Sweden tops the table, followed by Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Finland.IDC says the index measures the use of IT to achieve technological, economic and social goals in 55 countries. BIG EARNER: Navman says it will be business as usual, but with already-high growth accelerating, following the acquisition of 70 percent of its stock by listed US marine electronics giant Brunswick Corporation. The deal is said to be worth about US$33 million, and follows a record month for Navman�s Christchurch-based OEM division which in May recorded its first US$1m revenue month. Navman OEM executive vice president Mark Bowman says this is expected to double shortly as the OEM business grows. A key earner is a $40m deal to supply GPS technology to Germany�s electronic road toll system. http://www.brunswick.com ; http://www.navman.com EXECUTRAIN GOES UNDER: Binyl, the computer training firm that operated in New Zealand as Executrain, has collapsed with debts of more than $1.1 million and assets of only $120,000, liquidator McDonald Vague has reported. The company was the training arm of Computerland New Zealand till it was acquired by Australian interests in July 2001. McDonald Vague says a hearing is scheduled for August 7 to wind up the company, which had training centres in Christchurch, Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington. Debts include $300,000 to unsecured creditors and the liquidator says it is unlikely they will get any of their money back. WINNING WAYS: Inland Revenue Department�s Christchurch Call Centre has been named the TUANZ Contact Centre of the Year 2003 for centres with more than 50 seats. BROADBAND SLOWDOWN: New Australian figures on broadband uptake show that while the number of users has continued to rise rapidly, the rate of growth has slowed. There were 423,600 broadband services in Australia at the end of March, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission survey - up from 363,500 in December and more than double the number of connections in March 2002. However, the growth rate has fallen to just over half what it was nine months ago. - Australian IT http://australianit.news.com.au/common/print/0,7208,6621966%5E 15318%5E%5Enbv%5E15306,00.html ------------------------------ *EXPORT FOCUS* ELECTRONIC MARKETPLACES: Deciding whether an emarketplace is a suitable channel for your business can be a difficult process. This checklist covers topics including the relevance of emarketplaces, whether your company is ready to make the move, and the process of selecting the right emarketplace. http://www.marketnewzealand.com/common/files/emsjun02.pdf >From a series of checklists prepared by Trade NZ to help companies work through the export planning process. NEXT WEEK: Selecting an e-market. ------------------------------ *WEBSITE OF THE WEEK* COURT THEATRE ONLINE BOOKING Christchurch's Court Theatre's online booking system is superb and it's a local development triumph. Want seats to David McPhail's Muldoon, or any other Court production? Go to http://www.courttheatre.org.nz and check out production details, dates etc, read Press reviews, then secure your seats via the super-smooth online booking system. You'll see a theatre plan showing the seats you've been allocated by the algorithm engine, which mimics as far as possible the thought processes of a box office operator selecting and selling seats. Pay by credit card and the tickets arrive in your letterbox the next day. Solution Architects' John Caldwell developed the Patron Booking system and it is also installed at Dunedin's Fortune Theatre and the Aurora Centre at Burnside High School. Omega Technology's Del Robinson developed the box office algorithm. + Tell the editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) about any sites you'd like to share with hyperLINK's readers ------------------------------ *CSI WEBSITE HAPPENINGS* DIRECTORY: A searchable Who's Who in the Canterbury Tech Community. It's free to list your company and you'll find it a useful resource when you're looking for products, partners for collaborative work, and much more. Check it out, and fill in the form to get your company listed. http://www.canterburysoftware.org.nz/directory.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
