Posted September 30, 1999
The technology divide: those with set to
leave those without behind 
An investigation sponsored jointly by Oracle, Cisco and the Institute
of Directors has identified a gap developing between e-business 'haves'
and 'have-nots'.
Businesses not ready for DDA
requirements
With key parts of the Disability Discrimination Act set to come into effect
from October 1st, leading charities are saying that many businesses are
clearly not ready.
Energy tax will be good for us, new report
says
The proposed Climate Change Levy will benefit both the economy and the
environment, says a new study carried out for the World Wide Fund for
Nature.
Posted September 29 , 1999
Business model for the future goes one step
further
World-leading PC manufacturer Dell and IBM have signed a $6bn deal for
support services.
'Workstation of the future' goes into production
BT today announced that its 'Smartspace' workstation has been licensed
for production by Incorporated Technologies Ltd.
Employers warned they are ill-equipped to
handle stress
HR specialist William M Mercer says employers must do better when it comes
to handling stress issues.
Posted September 28 , 1999
All change: women become the management model
Yet another traditional business practice seems to be falling away rapidly.
Management Today magazine has concluded women out-perform men on a series
of key variables.
'Partnership, not postering' needed in the
workplace government says
Results of the largest ever study of UK workplace practices have been
published, drawing a claim from DTI minister for competitiveness Alan
Johnson that they lend support to government policies.
Change of use: microchip factory re-born
as call centre
Last year, Siemens closed its nearly-new microchip production facility
on Tyneside. Claiming unforeseen market conditions, the company ran into
a storm of protest from the local community...
Posted September 27 , 1999
Technology - it's an age thing
Intel chairman Dr Andy Grove has told delegates at a CBI conference that
they should be guided by younger staff in making decisions about technology.
Alarm bells ring: new RSI award
A former Shell employee has been awarded £25,000 in compensation for a
repetitive strain injury.
Tower crane index hints at good times in
the property market
That periodic symbol of increasing property supply, the tower crane, is
once again visible in growing numbers - especially in central London.
Posted September 24 , 1999
Government says yes; Taskforce 2000
says no
With less than 100 days to go until the Year 2000, there is sharp disagreement
on the state of preparedness in the UK.
Industry update: good results
Caxton FM, now in its fifth year as part of the Kier Group, has announced
"record-breaking" results. Turnover is up by 28% with profit margins remaining
constant.
Posted September 23 , 1999
MPs want new radiation limits on mobile phones
The all-party Commons Science and Technology Committee has issued a call
for quick action to head off the potential dangers of the microwave radiation
generated by mobile phones.
Take up of e-commerce takes off
There has been a dramatic rise in e-commerce applications over the past
12 months, according to Andersen Consulting, and not just in new high-tech
companies.
WSP wins government contract; Symonds completes
restructuring
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has awarded a five-year £1.6M
contract for procurement and management of facilities services to WSP
FM.
Posted September 22 , 1999
Location, location, location - but don't
overlook the other considerations
Bradford & Bingley Relocation Services has uncovered the best and worst
business locations in the UK - and what figures in the judgement, according
to over 1000 senior executives.
Xerox extends old partnership into manufacturing
Xerox signs £5m p.a. deal with Sulzer Infra for Mitcheldean plant
Responsible for facilities management
after a merger?
It could be more of an IT clash than a culture clash unless you follow
some simple pointers
Posted September 21 , 1999
Regus decides
the time is not right after all
Serviced office
provider Regus has changed its plans and will not now proceed with flotation
until some time next year.
More on the call centre debate
This is turning into a two-horse race, with daily opportunities to bet
on the good news or the bad news.
Government procurement set to go online
The Office of Government Commerce, the recently created focus for the
multi-billion pound public sector buying function, intends to establish
online shopping over a secure intranet.
Posted September 20 , 1999
Government decides more time is needed
to talk about energy efficiency
Following discussions that have so far been "constructive and productive",
the government has decided that an extra two months of consultation is
needed in the run up to agreements on energy efficiency measures.
Lloyds outsources IT services
Technology specialist Bull is set to take over the management of IT for
Lloyds of London in a £26M 7-year contract.
Industry Update
Project and facilities consultancy EC Harris has completed its two-year
contract with BT - managing the £50M development at Atlantic Quay, Glasgow.
The 15,000sqm building will eventually accommodate 1400 staff in BT's
own 'Workstyle' environment. The six-month fit out contract, valued £11.5M,
was also managed by EC Harris.
Posted September 17 , 1999
Multi-disciplinary firms moving in on
property
management
The list of multi-disciplinary consultants bringing in property management
skills to complement an existing focus on FM continues to grow.
Complaints follow lack
of control
Uncomfortable temperature tops the list of workplace complaints received
by facilities managers in a survey carried out by Environmental Monitoring
Services.
Still too much red tape,
says the CBI
Four out of five British firms believe they are being held back by the
increasing demands of workplace legislation.
Posted September 16 , 1999
Don't travel over the millennium period,
warns Taskforce 2000
As the Foreign Office and the US State Department published information
on Y2K readiness gathered from around the world, millennium watchdog Taskforce
2000 warned against travel to destinations outside the UK for about five
weeks around the date change.
Call centres ignore
predictions of an early demise
Despite research suggesting that the labour-intensive call centre could
prove to be just a peculiarity of the late `90s, plans for new developments
continue to be announced..
Stressed? Your colleagues
may be to blame
One cause of workplace stress that doesn't get much official attention
has been revealed in a new survey. The people we work with may be the
source of the problem.
Posted September 15 , 1999
BA buys into online travel business
British Airways has taken a minority stake in Biztravel.com, a rapidly
developing internet-based business travel planning and booking service.
Cambridge to get there first
BT has unveiled plans to link Cambridge into its experimental ultra-high
speed telecoms network.
Not yet ready for an electronic future
IBM has reported that its 'survey of digital democracy' in Europe has
attracted the participation of over 400 elected officials in 14 countries.
Posted September 14 , 1999
Amec in £50 million capital project win
West of Scotland Water has chosen
the AMEC Northumbrian consortium as their preferred bidder for a substantial
infrastructure project albeit at the somewhat less glamorous end of
the spectrum.
Citex grows with Hong Kong acquisition
Citex Properties & Facilities has
acquired IT specialist Planex as a part of its development strategy in
Hong Kong.
Europe's biggest IT outsourcing deal on
track
IBM has marked the first anniversary of its strategic outsourcing contract
with Cable & Wireless Communications - valued at nearly £2bn - with the
announcement that 1100 CWC staff have now been transferred to IBM employment.
Posted September 13 , 1999
Green commitment pays
According to new research from market tracker Dow Jones, companies
that focus on environmental and social issues, as well as economic results,
out-perform companies that are solely pre-occupied with the bottom line.
European Parliament snagging list grows
Dubbed 'Faulty Towers' in some unfriendly circles, the new £250M EU
Parliament building in Strasbourg currently boasts what must be one of
the longest snagging lists in recent memory - reportedly documenting 10,000
defects.
Cut costs - use flexible workers
Research shows that companies can cut costs and please their employees
through flexible woring practices.
Posted September 10 , 1999
What's going wrong with the Government's
IT
strategy?
The Cabinet Office is set to launch
an investigation into failures in a series of recent large-scale IT projects.
The study will look at basic principles, asking in particular whether
the private investment approach is the right one. It may also examine
current projects to see how they can be brought back on track, where necessary.
Breaking e-commerce barriers
Telecoms regulator Oftel and the Office
of Fair Trading are to launch an investigation into the barriers standing
in the way of the development of e-commerce.
The workplace of the future?
Serviced offices giant Regus is aiming
to lead the way in providing alternative workplaces for people who don't
hold the traditional 9-5 office-based job.
Posted September 9 , 1999
Two public sector wins for consultants
Two public sector organisations have appointed consultants to help
in streamlining operations.
Techno building
The building and construction sectors are being targeted by a new
scheme to encourage the use of IT.
PHS adds another company to its list
PHS group, the acquisitive supplier of washroom services, has announced
a further three purchases.
Posted September 8 , 1999
Four in the running for largest-ever PFI
project
Four consortia remain on the shortlist for STEPS, the £2bn Inland
Revenue/Customs & Excise PFI project.
Action 2000 launches last ditch attempt
Businesses were warned today that 'This is your last chance' to deal
with millennium problems.
The changing face of work
The workplace is slowly evolving to become more employee-friendly,
says the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Posted September 7 , 1999
Eurica acquires Care
Interior Services Group subsidiary Eurica has acquired FM provider
Care Services Ltd for £12M in the latest step in ISG's strategy
of building a 'total occupancy services' group.
Computer upgrade causes problems for Inland
Revenue
The Inland Revenue has admitted that a computer system utilised to
pursue unpaid taxes is still not Y2K compliant and is already causing
problems.
AMEC Announces Strong Interim Results
International capital projects, services and investments group AMEC
Plc has announced interim results for the six months ending 30 June 1999.
Posted September 6 , 1999
Service sector growth drops off
Figures from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply show
that service industries are continuing to grow - but at a slightly slower
rate.
Step outside to improve your productivity
Research from BT Cellnet has found that as many as 80% of business
professionals believe they could achieve more if at least part of their
day was spent working in the fresh air.
New research set to improve construction
processes
The DETR has awarded research funding to BSRIA under the Partners
in Innovation programme.
Posted September 3 , 1999
48 hour employees under pressure?
A new survey conducted by Gallup for the Today programme has found
that 20% of employees felt pressurised into signing waivers under the
Working Time Regulations.
Serco continues on growth track - but sidelines
one investment idea
Serco Group, the 'international task management contractor', reported
another set of good figures with interim results for the period ending
30th June.
Turnover was up almost 15% to £391M and profit before tax up 20%.
Bank of Scotland outsources telephone services
The BT company Syncordia Solutions has won a five-year £100M
contract for the management and development of voice, data and mobile
phone networks at the Bank of Scotland.
ISS profits up 40%
In the first half of this year, ISS reported a 29% increase in turnover
and a 40% increase in operating profit.
Posted September 2, 1999
Regus to seek listing on the London Stock
Exchange
One of the largest global providers of serviced officers, Regus, announced
flotation intentions yesterday.
Software companies holding us back, says
Action 2000
Software manufacturers are not all providing sufficiently clear information
about their products' millennium compliance status.
Hotmail breach shakes confidence in internet
security
Microsoft's free e-mail service, used by an estimated 50 million people
worldwide, was shut down for several hours earlier this week as software
engineers worked to re-establish security.
Fourth JV for Regus
Regus has signed its fourth joint venture with a major property company
in the past 12 months. The others are with MEPC and Arlington in the UK
and Equity International in the US.
Posted September 1, 1999
Help coming on 'green' decisions
The British Standards Institution has launched a joint project designed
to develop tools for achieving an integrated approach to sustainable development.
Too much telecom capacity could mean lower
prices
International telecoms consultant Renaissance Worldwide says that
growth in transmission capacity in Europe is likely to outrun demand within
five years.
Industry news: update
Industry news - A quick update on who is doing what in the FM
industry. Why don't you tell us what is happening in your company?
Italian and UK wins for
Johnson Controls
In its first major national account in Italy, Johnson Controls will
provide total FM to Infostrada at its head office in Milan and other locations
throughout Italy.