InfoTextX

Welcome to the July issue of InfoTextX – the e-newsletter from the Knowledge Business Centre at InfoLab21, keeping you informed about developments inside InfoLab21 and other news which we hope will be of interest to you. To subscribe or contribute news items to InfoTextX and our website, please contact the editor – Sarah Maginness.

Join IT! New Associate Company Profiles

Here are the latest companies to submit their profile online to our Associate Company Scheme section of the website and take advantage of the eMarketing benefits of having a weblink from the InfoLab21 site:

SurfaceEffect

SurfaceEffect specialises in Interaction Design. Their flagship service is Interaction Design consulting focussing on digital products ranging from handheld devices, desktop software and collaborative systems right through to web applications.

Glow New Media Ltd

Glow New Media is an award winning, Liverpool based new media agency. They provide web design, online marketing, search engine strategy and bespoke software solutions.

ICQ Solutions Ltd

IT specialist recruitment agency providing technology and IT related businesses with the best IT and technical candidates.

AJ Martin & Co. Ltd

A J Martin & Co are Factoring and Finance brokers who offer tailor-made solutions to the individual needs of growing businesses.

University Helps Hundreds Of Businesses To Flourish

An overwhelmingly positive reponse has been received from a sample of 242 enterprises supported by one of the University's eight dedicated enterprise support centres, including InfoLab21. The new study shows that these businesses reported increases in staff numbers, impressive sales growth and a more strategic approach to their work.

Roderick O'Brien, Director of Research and Enterprise Services said, "As one of the leading UK research universities Lancaster has a huge amount of knowledge and expertise. In recent years we have been able to offer support and partnership to thousands of businesses across the region in areas from leadership development to specialist ICT support."

InfoLab21 Features On BBC1

InfoLab21 featured on BBC Northwest Tonight on Tuesday 15th July as part of a series on Science and Technology in the region. Presenter Prof. Brian Cox came to InfoLab21 last month with a BBC film crew to interview Prof. Alan Dix and Dr. Joe Finney from the Department of Computing and Dr. Paul Coulton from the Department of Communication Systems about their current research projects. The segment is currently available to view on the BBC website.

InfoLab21 Boosts Sales At Paper Cup Company

InfoLab21 has been credited with helping to boost business at a new company which has sold 850,000 paper cups in the past year. The Paper Cup Company has been so successful that they now aim to produce two million paper cups a year. Co-founder Mark Woodward credits much of the rise in sales to a new website provided by the InfoLab21 Graduate Academy.

More Graduates Complete Internships At The IGA

Three more Graduates completed their internship at the InfoLab21 Graduate Academy at the IGA this month. Adam Rowntree, the latest graduate to leave, has been snapped up by The REACH Centre, a company he developed a website for during his time at the IGA. He said, "The environment within the KBC office is fast-paced, friendly and supportive. Everyone is happy to share their knowledge, and working together as a team has helped us to deliver some amazing projects to companies."

Mobile Radicals Are A Forum Nokia Success Story

A publication from Nokia has highlighted Lancaster University's Mobile Radicals, led by Forum Nokia Champion Dr. Paul Coulton, for pushing the envelope of mobile application development.

NEMO Recognised By IET Innovation Awards

Research by professor Nigel Davies, Dr Joe Finney, James Brown and Dr. Christos Efstratiou from computing has been highly commended by judges in the North West IET Innovation Awards 2008. The NEMO hardware/software platform research was picked as one of 10 projects out of 28 entries. In partnership with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the IET aims to recognise and reward innovation in engineering, science and technology across the region.

P2P - A New Approach To Distributing Television

Researchers from Computing in collaboration with Pioneer Digital Design carried out a workshop with students helping create a new approach to distributing television across the internet. The workshop was carried out in relation to the P2P-Next project, a pan-European conglomerate of 21 industrial partners, media content providers and research institutions which has received a €14 million grant from the European Union.

InfoLab21 Schools Interaction

Schools Taster Day 2008

The Faculty of Science and Technology's fourth annual taster day attracted over 150 students from across the North West, who travelled to Lancaster to find out what it would be like studying their favourite subjects at university. The year-twelve students from used 3G mobile phones to create 3D images in a session run by The Department of Communication Systems and The Computing Department provided a range of Demos, including the mobile communications 'touch' technology, Multitag.

ICT Focus Celebrates New Foundation Degree Graduates

ICT Focus celebrated as another five of their Foundation Degree students were awarded their Foundation Degrees in Science in Systems & Network Engineering/Systems Engineering by Lancaster University Chancellor Sir Chris Bonnington, on Wednesday 16th July.

Women's Enterprise Rises Up Government Agenda

Women's enterprise has risen in both the national and regional agendas for enterprise. The Government's national strategy on enterprise, 'Enterprise: Unlocking the UK's talent', included several specific initiatives aimed at aligning support for women-owned businesses with mainstream business support.

EduNation Launches Music Tuition Service

Award-winning family website, First Tutors, from InfoLab21 resident company EduNation, now helps families find music tutors. This nationwide find-your-own-tutor service has been extended to help parents find music tutors in their local area with the launch of First Tutors: Music.

Associate Company 'The Baby Maze' Celebrates 1st Birthday

One year on and InfoLab21 Associate Company 'The Baby Maze', a website aimed at all expectant parents and families with young children in the Morecambe Bay area, is going from strength to strength.

Upcoming ICT Cluster Meetings

Kendal: Tuesday 22nd July 2008, 1800-1930, Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, Cumbria.

Blackpool & Fylde: Wednesday 6th August 2008, 1730-1900, Digital and Creative Business Centre, Blackpool.

Hyphen One Two Three - For Creative Businesses

Hyphen One Two Three is a chain of interactive events designed to help creative businesses exploit new technologies. The next event (Hyphen Two) will be focused on Digital-Reach.

Tuesday 23rd September 2008, 1800-2000
Sandbox, UCLan, Preston