Posted April 28, 2000
Carillion wins BT's Project
Jaguar 
BT has awarded the biggest private sector outsourcing contract in
recent years to Carillion. The 'evergreen' contract is the outcome of
Project Jaguar, a 15 month long review of the way the telecoms giant procures
maintenance and FM services across more than 400 office buildings.
New online service for UK small business
sector
CompuServe UK and office supplies provider Viking Direct yesterday
launched a new co-branded online service designed to help small and medium-sized
UK firms play a greater role in the emerging digital economy.
Posted April 27, 2000
Manufacturing
confidence falls, says CBI
Confidence among UK manufacturers is falling for the first time in a year,
according to the latest survey by the Confederation of British Industry
(CBI).
BT announces broadband service
BT has announced plans for a mass market broadband portal and high-speed
Internet service to be available from July.
Centrica
creates telecoms jobs
Following its announcement of deals with Vodafone AirTouch, Cable &
Wireless Communications and Kingston Communications, Centrica (the owner
of British Gas) is to create at least 800 jobs as part of its drive to
become a telecoms company.
But some people still don't have a phone!
Over 97 per cent of the UK population have access to either a fixed or
mobile phone according to a new survey published yesterday by regulator
OFTEL.
Posted April 26, 2000
Potential partners line up for BBC PPP
It is likely that most of the major players in the FM market will be bidding
for the BBC’s huge property outsourcing project, announced last week
(see yesterday’s News item).
IoD attack on B2B portals
Many online business-to-business (B2B) entrepreneurs are using venture
capital to buy their way into a marketplace they don't understand, according
to Andrew Main Wilson, the CEO of newly-launched B2B portal.
Posted April 25, 2000
News Extra! - BBC issues property outsourcing
tender
The BBC is looking for a commercial partner to take responsibility for
the 'ownership, development, management and operation' of its White City
complex.
New MD for Johnson Control
Johnson Controls has announced the appointment of Don Kenny as Managing
Director of its Integrated Facilities Management operations.
Regus
opens longest and largest centres and pilots rail hubs
The world's first 24-hour business centre opens its doors in London
next month.
Construction finance on the web in US
The e-commerce bandwagon gathers pace with the news that the leading construction
and real estate market websites in the US have got together to deliver
an online financial resource for the commercial construction industry.
Posted April 20, 2000
Professional services online
The next time your lawyer calls your mobile it might not be to arrange
a meeting but to deliver a re-worked facilities contract, followed up
by an e-invoice.
AMEC wins
Direct Line contract
AMEC has secured a building services maintenance contract for Direct
Line, one of the UK's top insurance companies.
RSI Update: £235,000 Award for Damages
The RSI issue has re-surfaced after a bank clerk who worked for two years
at a defective workstation was awarded nearly a quarter of a million pounds
in damages.
Posted April 19, 2000
CFC links with Cybertech to offer e-solutions
The Centre for Facilities Consultancy has teamed with technology company
Cybertech to offer 'e-solutions' to facilities requirements.
Building
and Property in new £200m contract
Building & Property has signed a £200m, 7-year contract with
Liverpool City Council to maintain and repair approximately 30,000 council
homes in and around the city of Liverpool.
HR not interested in working environment
says i-FM poll
HR directors show little or no interest in the working environment,
according to the latest poll of facilities professionals - hosted here
on i-FM.
Posted April 18, 2000
US contractor work permit system on the
web
Contractors faced with lengthy delays while seeking permissions from local
authorities will be interested in an Internet-based system being introduced
in the US.
Workers
consulted on call centre operation
NFU Mutual Direct, the National Farmers Union's insurance company, has
given call centre operators a leading role in designing the IT systems
for its £3.7m operation in Glasgow.
Student health services in US to become
more accessible
Two technology providers in the US college health market have announced
a strategic agreement that will connect students to their campus health
centres via the internet.
Posted April 17, 2000
Numbers change on Saturday!
Here is a reminder that some telephone numbers are changing over Easter.
With just less than a week to go to the Big Number change – many
British firms are still in the dark.
MacLellan
ranks top with Xerox
MacLellan International has won a building services contract, worth in
the region of £800,000, for Rank Xerox at its new headquarters in
Portugal.
New Guidance on Environmental Reporting
The DETR has published guidance to help companies measure their waste
and report on their environmental performance to shareholders.
Posted April 14, 2000
BT restructures
While the world of FM waits to hear the outcome of the long-running Project
Jaguar saga, the fast-moving world of telecommunications moves on.
Europe's
tallest office building on the South Bank
Europe's tallest office building will soar above London's south bank if
a £600m project, unveiled on Wednesday, goes ahead.
Construction reaches six year high
Construction output rose firmly in the first quarter of 2000 reaching
a six-year high, thanks to dynamic commercial and housing sectors, reveals
a building sector survey published yesterday by the Royal Institution
of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Posted April 13, 2000
Ark sails under new flag
ARK Facility Management, the new venture set up by ex-Chesterton and
Workplace Management director Lionel Prodgers, is to trade as ARK e-management.
ISS buys National in UK and takes over
Danish state agency
Services company ISS UK has acquired National Cleaning, the contract cleaning
business of DL Services Ltd, boosting its presence in Wales and the West
of England.
Peregrine and Harbinger merger
Peregrine Systems and Harbinger Corporation, the provider of B2B e-Commerce
delivery solutions, have announced a merger agreement under which Peregrine
will acquire all shares in Harbinger in a stock-for-stock deal valued
at £1.3bn.
Posted April 12, 2000
BBC to invite tenders for its private property
partner "in the next few days"
The long-awaited OJEC notice inviting expressions of interest from companies
wanting to manage the BBC's extensive property portfolio will be published
within the next few days.
Citex announces new contract win and
appointment of new MD for Citex Consulting
Citex has been awarded a contract to provide consultancy services under
a framework contract for The Court Service in England and Wales over a
three to five year period.
Building & Property wins PFI project
Building and Property Group has been selected as preferred bidder for
a £1 billion PFI project on behalf of the Dudley Group of Hospitals
NHS Trust in the West Midlands.
Posted April 11, 2000
ISS buys French cleaning company
Denmark based cleaning and specialised services company ISS Group has
regained pole position in France by acquiring Lyon-based Klinos, the sixth
largest cleaning company in that market.
CSC buys BNFL IT services subsidiary
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) has acquired the IT services subsidiary
of British Nuclear Fuels, called IT Services (ITS), under a deal which
includes a five year contract to provide full IT support for BNFL.
New ACoP to be published by the end of this
month
The eagerly awaited Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) for the Management
of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 will be published by the
end of this month.
Posted April 10, 2000
New name for Symonds FM
Symonds FM has changed its name to Dalkia Workplace Services, bringing
it closer to its parent Dalkia Group and its sister service companies,
all part of the French utilities and telecoms giant Vivendi.
ICL switches to Chesterton for outsourcing
The long running saga of ICL's attempt to outsource the management of
its entire UK property portfolio has taken another twist with the news
that discussions with the Comax led Integrated Workspace Solutions consortium
have been terminated.
Stiell wins contract with Bank of Scotland
Stiell, one of the newest names to emerge as a major FM and IT provider,
has won a £125 million, UK-wide contract with Bank of Scotland.
Posted April 7, 2000
MoD looks for step change in property management
The procurement and management of the UK’s defence estate is to be
radically transformed by the Prime Contacting initiative.
New guide for small business managers
How can small business managers juggle the hands-on running of their businesses
with finding the time to research the latest thinking and update their
skills?
Construction firms improve performance
The performance of the construction industry has improved overall during
the past year, according to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), published
yesterday.
Posted April 6, 2000
IFMA launches UK web site - Chapter to follow
The International Facility Management Association has launched a web site
for members in the UK and it is anticipated that a formal IFMA Chapter
will be formed by the time of the World Workplace event to be held in
Glasgow this June.
CBI launches people management scheme
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) yesterday renewed efforts
to improve UK productivity by launching a scheme to raise standards of
people management.
Posted April 5, 2000
Fraser Williams launches property portal
Property managers will soon be able to outsource their management systems
online using what is claimed to be the first-ever application service
provider (ASP) Internet portal for the property market.
CIRIA launches environment management guide
CIRIA launched new guidance on the design and implementation of Environmental
Management Systems within companies yesterday, Sustainability Day of National
Construction Week.
Select wins contract in Woking
Select Facilities Services, part of the OCS Group, has been appointed
by Woking Borough Council to manage key services in various sites in and
around the town centre.
Posted April 4, 2000
Telecoms set to join location in shaping
building value
Buildings need to meet the needs of occupiers, of course, or they rapidly
become redundant.
One new contract and two new awards
Maxwell Stewart plc has been awarded a 4-month contract, worth £1m,
to carry out modifications to existing building services at a new leisure
facility to be constructed within the Trocadero in Piccadilly Circus.
Beware Dangers of Muzak?
An MP has launched a Bill which would ban the piping of music into public
places.
Posted April 3, 2000
Knowledge workers are the future
Over the next five years, 75% of all blue-chip organisations will have
to face up to the need for major changes in their workplace policies and
people management practices.
More on the shift towards online procurement
Last week, we reported on the growth of electronic markets, linking company
buyers with suppliers via internet technology.
The Rising Cost of Stress at Work
A recent spate of cases involving stress in the workplace has resulted
in the public purse paying out over half a million pounds in settlements
at the start of this year.