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Posted March31, 2000

More money to spend on IT - but is it worth it?
With Y2K consigned to history, the floodgates are set to open on technology investment.

More money for construction research
The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions has allocated £6.6M to the construction sector for research and innovation projects over the next three years.

Rutland launches FM business
Rutland Property Solutions, based in Edinburgh, has launched a facilities management business.

Posted March30, 2000

Join the club: online markets take off
It’s rapidly beginning to look like there may be more to the idea of online procurement of products and services than just high-tech hype.

Asbestos – more liability for building owners and managers
Changes to the legislation controlling asbestos-based materials and premises are currently being considered...

Employees surf the net at ABB
ABB have unveiled its first employee cyber cafe.

Posted March 29, 2000

Too many companies ignore the benefits of environmental strategies
Businesses are failing to adopt the green strategies that will support development and long-term competitiveness, warns industry ginger group Business in the Environment.

The death of energy supply as we know it?
According to a report from Datamonitor, industrial and commercial energy suppliers as they exist today may soon be a thing of the past.

One new contract, one new award
Johnson Controls has won a contract from AEA Technology plc (AEAT) worth £25 million.

Posted March 28, 2000

Customer Services - Not Everyone's No. 1 Priority
Last week, we reported on a major study from ICL of customer service functions. The results showed that this is a "hit and miss" area for most businesses (see i-FM, 22 March).

Answers to your maintenance dilemmas
A new guide, designed to answer your operation and maintenance queries and problems, has been published by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, CIBSE.

NACORE and AMEC sponsor events
NACORE UK, joint sponsors of Occupiers Property Databank’s (OPD) Total Occupancy Cost Code launched in October last year, addressed the topic at the SPR Occupiers Group meeting, held earlier this month.

Posted March 27, 2000

CFM confirms move to Salford
As reported on i-FM last week, the internationally recognised Centre for Facilities Management is to relocate to a new home at the University of Salford in Manchester from this August.

Blue Circle in property defence
Britain's biggest cement producer, Blue Circle, has moved to fend off the unwanted £3.4 billion takeover offer from France's Lafarge by highlighting the value of its surplus properties in the lucrative south east of England.

Higher mobile speeds delayed says Forrester
Higher mobile speeds delayed says Forrester European managers expect higher mobile speeds to build better customer relationships - and vendors say this is imminent.

MoD telecoms system good value reports NAO
The Ministry of Defence achieved a good price when they awarded the contract for a new Defence Fixed Telecommunication System to BT in 1997, Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament last week.

Posted March 24, 2000

Quick wins for London's transport possible
Sweeping changes to London's transport system could bring fast benefits to passengers in the capital, according to Professor David Begg, Chair of the Commission for Integrated Transport.

Welsh Assembly HQ under review
The new Welsh Assembly may not move to its planned £22.8m headquarters as First Secretary Rhodri Morgan reviews the plans.

Members vote for radical change to create New RICS
The re-shaping of the traditional professions continues as chartered surveyors voted overwhelmingly in favour of radical plans to modernise the property profession.

Posted March 23, 2000

Budget News Legal Update
Climate change levy; Stamp Duty; Company Cars; Workplace Nurseries; CIS and Employee Shares.

Stamp duty rise will hit commercial not residential property say GVA Grimley
The Chancellor has steered a prudent course for the economy in his latest Budget, but property advisers GVA Grimley say the fourth consecutive rise in stamp duty is bad news for commercial property...

Amey reports support services sales up and BPO wins
Business travel group Hogg Robinson is understood to be in "advanced discussions" over a management buyout of the business.

Posted March 22, 2000

Customer service inconsistent, says research
Facilities managers running help desks or trying to become more customer focused might be interested in the results of research commissioned by ICL and marketing communications agency Evans Hunt Scott on consumer customer service.

British Energy awards £100m IT services contract
Logica has signed a contract to supply British Energy with both back and front office IT services valued at £100m

Hogg Robinson for MBO?
Business travel group Hogg Robinson is understood to be in "advanced discussions" over a management buyout of the business. The company was prompted to make the announcement after its shares rose by almost 40%.

Cabinet Office's £15m IT upgrade
CMG and Compaq have won the Cabinet Office Novus project to modernise its IT infrastructure, worth £15m over the next five years.

Posted March 21, 2000

MacLellan's service business reversed into Jordec
Haden MacLellan Holdings is to sell its Industrial Services Division to AIM listed Jordec Group for £15.35m.

End of Staveley in sight
Staveley Industries, parent of facilities services company Integral, sold its principal business British Salt to US Salt last week for £80m.

New name for ABB
ABB Steward Limited has changed its name to ABB Building Technologies Ltd.

Posted March 20, 2000

Change at the top for Johnson Controls
i-FM understands that John McDonough, MD of Johnson Controls IFM UK is moving onwards and upwards into a European role.

Glasgow FM centre to move
Rumours are rife in FM circles that the renowned Centre for Facilities Management (CFM), based at Strathclyde Graduate School of Business in Glasgow, is planning to move.

Milliken launches e-xperience 2000
Milliken Carpet has introduced e-xperience 2000, which offers two innovations for Milliken Carpet’s European customers, Earth Square and a new extranet.

Posted March 17, 2000

Government projects extra £20 billion PFI investment
The Government expects total investment through its PFI, or Public Private Partnerships programme as it prefers to call it, to reach £20 bn over the next three years.

Kier FM transfer to Caxton
Caxton FM announced yesterday that from next month, Kier Facilities Maintenance Services will become a division of Caxton.

Posted March 16, 2000

Carillion reports increase in infrastructure and services work
Carillion's first full year results since its demerger from Tarmac plc last July show operating profit (after exceptional items) up 11.3% to £41.3 million producing pre-tax profit of £35.1 million on turnover 3.4% lower at £1.8bn.

Computacenter sees rapid service growth
IT services company Computacenter said rapid growth of its services business was the principal reason for the improvement in net profit margins at both the UK and Group level plc.

Posted March 15, 2000

Homeworking: HSE Guidance
The HSE has published much needed guidance on homeworking which should help to clear up some of the health and safety questions.

Trammell Crow signs outsourcing deal with American Express
American Express announced last week that Dallas-based Trammell Crow is to take over all its real estate operations in the Americas under a 10 year deal.

Support Facilities Manager's Death Valley challenge!
Jim Hicks, Facilities Manager at the College of Occupational Therapists in London is attempting to run 125 miles across Death Valley, California, this summer, to raise £30,000 for breast cancer research.

PFI unnecessary says IPPR
According to the think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research, the Government could have directly funded all the investment carried out under the Private Finance Initiative without breaching its own public spending policy.

Vivendi to sell property arm
Vivendi, the French services group which owns the Dalkia group of companies, agreed last week to sell its property arm Compagnie Générale d'Immobilier et de Services (CGIS) to a group of investors led by LBO France and CDC Participations.

PFI contract win for ABB Steward
ABB Steward Limited has won a contract for mechanical, electrical and public health services on the new Worcester PFI Hospital project currently being developed by Catalyst Healthcare (Worcester) plc.

UK e-commerce minister visits US
Patricia Hewitt, Minister for E-Commerce and Small Business, will be visiting the USA next week to exchange ideas on driving forward global e-commerce and responding to the challenges of the developing technologies.

OCS appointment and new contract
Trident Contract Services, part of the OCS Group, has appointed Rod Morphew as its new Director of Operations.

Shanks buys Dutch waste operator
Shanks, the UK waste disposal company, is to buy the Dutch waste operator Waste Management Nederland for £207.7m.

IoD calls for turnaround on workplace parking tax
Government plans to permit local councils to levy a charge for workplace parking would be very damaging to business, says Ruth Lea, Head of the Policy Unit at the Institute of Directors (IoD).

IT directors slammed for poor asset management
IT directors need to take control of their companies' software and hardware assets if they are to succeed in putting technology at the heart of business, according to senior industry figures taking part in a London debate yesterday.

AMEC appoints new people...
Edward Carter has been appointed Business Development Director for AMEC Facilities.

Events and exhibitions joint venture
Two of the UK's largest architecture, construction and facilities management publishing groups have formed a joint venture company to focus on new opportunities in the events and exhibition market.

IT skills gap in Europe
Research by Datamonitor and Microsoft, launched at a summit on Technology, Innovation and Skills Training in Brussels on Tuesday, suggests that the potential economic impact of the European skills gap in information technology could jeopardise the future prosperity of the region, allowing overseas competitors to reap the rewards of the e-commerce revolution.

Free PCs for Intel employees
Intel Corporation, the world's largest chipmaker, has announced a new benefit programme to offer computers, internet access and services to all 70,000 Intel employees world-wide, completely free of charge.

WSP reports record turnover
International design, consultancy and facility management business WSP Group yesterday reported turnover topping £100 million for the first time.

Compass agrees 30 year contract with IBM in US
As UK service providers struggle to push contracts out beyond the five year mark, usually settling for between one and three years, catering giant Compass (which uses the Eurest brand in the UK) announced a groundbreaking 30 year deal with IBM for in the US.

New GCHQ building gets go-ahead
The Government Communications Headquarters' (GCHQ) proposed new Cheltenham building, the largest so far provided under the Private Finance Initiative, has been given the go-ahead by Ministers and work on its construction will begin shortly.

Jarvis preferred partner on PFI schools project
Jarvis plc, the international facilities management group, has been selected by Kirklees Council as Preferred Partner in a major project to transform and refurbish 20 schools across the Kirklees district.

IT challenge to FM?
Facilities managers see information technology providers posing a serious challenge to their position and responsibilities according to the results of i-FM's latest straw poll.

Trigon goes to MIPIM
Property and facilities management provider Trigon will be exhibiting at MIPIM - the international property services fair - for the first time this year, to promote its particular brand of FM outsourcing expertise.

Insurance company launches new workplace solutions division
Cavell Management Services, the insurance services company, has announced the launch of a new workplace solutions division which offers fully managed office relocation and refurbishment services.

Serco predicts strong growth from outsourcing
Serco reported pre-tax profits up 14.5% to £29.3m on turnover of £807.5m (1998 - £687.8m) for 1999.

Arlington Group buys Summit
Summit Group, venture capital investors who specialise in business to business services have been acquired by Arlington Group plc for £25 million (£5m in cash and £20m in new Arlington shares).

Select expanding
Select Facilities Services has increased regional representation throughout the UK creating an improved service for nation-wide clients.

Davis Service Group reports successful year
With pre-tax profits up 10% at £60.6m on turnover of £431.3m (up 6%) the Chairman of Davis Service Group declared himself pleased with the company's results...

Data Protection Act a mystery to UK businesses
The UK's stringent data protection laws went into force yesterday - but less than one-quarter of UK companies have even heard of them.

New CIRIA project on environmental impacts
A project to promote sustainable construction by identifying and providing guidance on assessing the costs of environmental incidents has been launched by CIRIA in collaboration with Risk & Policy Analysts Limited and Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick.

Fast Moving Graduate Centre's new workplace
A 'new ways of working' environment with a difference was officially opened on Tuesday...

UK Government proposes e-commerce "trust mark"
Culture Secretary Chris Smith has put forward a proposal for a Europe-wide "trust mark" to build consumer confidence in e-commerce.

Rentokil Initial reports profits up 10% and announces share buy back
Rentokil Initial reported profits for the year to 31 December up just over 10% at £541m on turnover of £2,983m, an increase of 2.9% on the previous year.

ISS UK reinforces in the North and Midlands
ISS UK has acquired Ideal Commercial & Industrial Services Limited, a leading provider of cleaning services in the North and Midland regions of England.

Catalyst launches Futures Forum
Catalyst is currently collaborating with some of the UK's leading thinkers on management, property and design to develop a new programme for senior decision-makers, planners and researchers.