InfoTextX

Welcome to the August 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 - at s.maginness@lancaster.ac.uk.

InfoLab21 Website Re-Vamped

There have been some improvements to the InfoLab21 website since out last newsletter. We hope the new style of navigation helps you find your way around the site more easily.

Please email Sarah Maginness (s.maginness@lancaster.ac.uk) if you have any feedback to offer.

Thank you to James Smith, the Science and Technology Faculty Web Developer and Ed Lockett, Technical Officer in the InfoLab21 Graduate Academy, for their involvement in creating the new site. Web Development is one of the services offered by the InfoLab21 Graduate Academy (IGA), to find out about how we can give your business free support go to the Business section of the website.

Join IT! New Associate Company Profiles

Here are the latest companies to join InfoLab21's Associate Company Scheme and have a web profile on our website. Associate companies can now edit their profiles online, subject to approval.

This section of the website provides Associate Companies with the opportunity to include a 120 word profile about their company, including corporate logos and a link to their site. This provides E-Marketing benefits due to the prominence of the InfoLab21 site on the web. We would value your contributions. Associate Companies can submit their profile online.

Find out more about our Join IT opportunities and how you can join with InfoLab21 to take your technology further.

Abbey Telecom Ltd

Abbey Telecom are installers and maintainers of telephone systems and have 3000+ telecoms products online. They boast national coverage (excluding Northern Ireland) and have installed phone systems for many firms from high street printing franchises and pizza delivery businesses through to multiple site voice and data networks for PLC companies.

MATT Services

MATT Services is a Blackpool based Company specializing in information presentation and digital content retrieval. Managing Director Philip Radley founded MATT Services in 1994 to develop new technologies for the engineering industry. They recently released Spectasia, a 3D Lookable User Interface (LUI) which provides enhanced visual accessibility for files, documents and programmes on PCs and online.

Cardium Outsourcing

Your Office Anywhere - Cardium Outsourcing is an established business that provides outsourced application hosting - email, document management and business application hosting such as SQL databases and Sage to clients throughout the UK. The company, based in Burnley, has 10 years experience in the Computer Services sector.

Elwers Limited

Elwers is able to engineer connectivity solutions using Copper, Optical, Radio, Carrier Infrastructure, Carrier Network Services or Satellite. Blending years of connectivity experience from high profile structured network cabling, fibre optics cabling, microwave radio links, carrier circuits and satellite projects with communication expertise in telephony, IT and video systems has meant Elwers has become a valuable organisation to many.

Technology Matters Event - Financing Innovation in SMEs

Wednesday 5th September, 9.00 – 12.15
InfoLab21, Room C74

Our next Technology Matters event will offer advice on 2 financial topics:

Tax Benefits for Research and Development: The definition of Research and Development (R&D) for tax purposes is wider than most businesses realise and offers considerable opportunities to secure additional tax benefits. The focus of the presentation will be on the ICT sector.

Business Finance Solutions: The NWDA will provide an overview of the range of available grants, loans and schemes designed to help businesses in the region to start up and grow.

Networking Help For Businesses

Computer networks bring many benefits to businesses, from simply sharing files and printers to greater efficiency and flexibility of communication and greater potential for collaborative working. However, network technology also poses challenges such as managing and maintaining networks, dealing with security vulnerabilities and incorporating new technologies.

To find out about the range of free networking support at InfoLab21, Download our Networking factsheet:

Business North West Showcase Opportunities

Apply now for Giant Leap and The Ideas Factory, two competitions for businesses to showcase their ideas to a targeted audience at this year's Business North West conference. The event is in Manchester on November 21 and 22 and is designed especially for owners, directors and entrepreneurs of SMEs providing a central point for information, advice and inspiration for growing businesses, or for those wanting to be more effective and efficient. Deadlines for the competitions are 14 September for Giant Leap and 19 October for Ideas Factory.

Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) Conference at InfoLab21

3rd-7th Sptember 2007

The 21st annual HCI conference, one of the top events about the relationship between people and technology, will be hosted by InfoLab21 this September. It will bring together academics and practitioners from the UK and across the world. It includes a free careers/recruitment event on Thursday (3:45, 6th Sept) which allows access to the best students and graduates working in the HCI field. InfoLab21 Associates and members of the 5 InfoLab21 supported regional ICT cluster groups are eligible for discounted entry.

New Director for Environmental Informatics Centre

Professor Ian W. Marshall has joined the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) from the University of Kent to become the director of the new multidisciplinary Centre for Environmental Informatics.

The new centre combines internationally leading expertise in computing systems and communications engineering from Infolab21 with environmental science from LEC to develop self-managing instrumentation for observation and management of large environments and widely dispersed infrastructures (telecoms, electricity, water, transport).

ICT Focus Congratulates Their First Group of Graduates

ICT Focus saw their first group of students graduate from Lancaster University. David Edwards, Kenny Harper, Jim Williams and Keith Wilson have all successfully completed the Foundation Degree in Network and Systems Engineering: a culmination of four years part-time study whilst holding down full-time jobs.

Training at ICT Focus

Upcoming courses at InfoLab21's Training Centre - ICT Focus - are as follows, including special rates for InfoLab21 Associate Companies:

MS2543 Core Web Application Technologies with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 20th -22nd August 2007

Become a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) 3rd - 7th September 2007

Enrolling now for Foundation Degree Courses (starting October 2007)

 

Business Courses with LU Management School

LAED Preview Days

A reminder that due to the demand for places, the Management School are holding two additional preview sessions for the LEAD programme:

9th August - 11am-12pm

29th August - 11am-12pm

If you would like to book a place or require further information on the preview days or on how the LEAD programme can help your business, please contact  the LEAD team.

 

fresh* People Workshops

The Management School also currently recruiting for fresh* People workshops. These are a series of workshops designed to help SMEs improve their HR structures and processes. This course covers identifying HR, Recruitment and Selection, Performance Management, HR today and HR strategy and the modules are delivered by a host of industry experts.

Contact David Hassall on 01524 510702 or email fresh@lancaster.ac.uk.