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Posted October 31, 2000

Dalkia energy services and FM subsidiaries merge; Redfern moves to Gensler
Dalkia’s £250m energy services and FM subsidiaries have merged to meet the changing requirements of customers in the commercial and public sector markets.

BBC to create Broadcasting House of the future
The BBC has released details of its plans to bring news and information services back to central London and create a 'modern centre for global broadcasting'.

Balfour Beatty finalises £153m PFI contract
Balfour Beatty plc has announced that Transform Schools, a concession joint venture between Balfour Beatty plc and Innisfree, has reached financial close.

Aerospace firms form B2B exchange for supplies and services
AirNewco, a airline-led B2B initiative, and MyAircraft, a B2B exchange fronted by aerospace manufacturers, are to combine their existing efforts into a new venture that aims to cut costs for both buyers and sellers.

Posted October 30, 2000

Morgan Stanley pilots concierge service
Morgan Stanley is trialling the use of 'lifestyle managers' to help its staff retain their work-life balance.

Bigger better for smaller
At the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) National Conference on Friday, Charles Handy stated that the growth of larger companies and merger deals is creating new opportunities for smaller ones.

Building & Property wins £40m Ministry of Defence contract
Building & Property Defence, a division of the Building & Property Group, is to provide Work Services Management (WSM) for the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Posted October 27, 2000

Highways Agency unveils ten-year strategy
As the Government's hopes that more people will get out of their cars and onto trains suffer a setback, the Highways Agency announced yesterday its 10-year strategy to improve Britain's national road network.

Pre-Budget report speculation
In less than two weeks the Chancellor will deliver his fourth annual pre-Budget report (November 8). Professional services firm KPMG suggests Gordon Brown might make announcements on fuel, urban development and landfill tax.

Stress is costly for companies, says professor
Professor Cary Cooper yesterday warned the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) National Conference that the costs of stress over the next decade are likely to increase rapidly.

IKON Results
Office equipment supply and services company IKON Office Solutions reported net income of $93.1m for the fiscal year 2000 up marginally on the previous year.

No 10 switches to green power
Twenty five per cent of the electricity supplies to No 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office building in 70 Whitehall are now being provided by renewable energy

Posted October 25, 2000

Property and technology companies to create European construction e-marketplace
Another runner entered the race to create the definitive e-commerce site for the construction industry yesterday. A formidable group of property and technology companies announced the launch of an online exchange for the £540bn European market.

Bidcom and Cephren to merge
Two of the world's leading providers of Internet services to the engineering and building industries are to merge.

US real estate brokers choose web solution
Three leading US regional property firms have chosen a web-based system to manage the entire process of buying and selling commercial real estate.

Posted October 24, 2000

BBC spends millions on move
The BBC plans to spend millions of pounds moving its news operation back into Broadcasting House. Three years ago, it spent millions of pounds moving it out.

ISS continues on acquisition trail
ISS has acquired seven companies in Singapore, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland with a total turnover of £10m (DKK 130m).

CBI presses for £3bn tax cuts
The Confederation of British Industry this week launched a campaign to convince Chancellor Gordon Brown to ease concern about rising business costs by cutting tax burdens.

Posted October 23, 2000

BBC shortlists two for property portfolio
The BBC has short-listed two consortia in the next stage of its property programme, namely the 2020 Insight and the Foresite Consortium.

SMEs struggle to expand
Most businesses want to expand but feel they are being held back by a variety of barriers.

Web-based platform becomes service provider in France
Workspeed, Inc., developer of what is claimed to be the first web-based platform for streamlining property management workflow, has established its first portfolio agreement outside the US.

Dalkia PFI project reaches half way stage
The third unit of the PFI project for Sussex Weald & Downs NHS Trust, the Harold Kidd Unit in Chichester, has opened, bringing the development to the half way stage.

Posted October 20, 2000

Mapeley acquires Abbey National property portfolio for £457m
Mapeley Columbus Ltd has acquired Abbey National’s property portfolio, both freehold and leashold, for £457m.

Telehotels still promising a warm welcome
Despite recent uncomfortable days and nights for some listed technology companies, telehotels continue to push ahead with plans for new developments and, in some cases, flotation.

More women managers but still less money
Nearly a quarter of managers today are women. Considering this is an increase from only 8% in 1990, it is a great step, according to a survey released by the Institute of Management and Remuneration Economics.

Posted October 19, 2000

i-FM wins Golden Web Award!
i-FM has won the 2000-2001 Golden Web Award. The site was selected for the Award after being reviewed by the International Association of Web Masters and Designers (IAWMD).

EC Harris expands in Far East
As a part of its strategy of continued investment in the growing FM market in South East Asia, EC Harris has appointed Andrew Green to lead the company’s facilities management operation in Singapore.

World Workplace comes out on top for buyers
Ever wondered about the value of big professional gatherings? Well, IFMA has been asking members for their views of its annual World Workplace conference.

Posted October 18, 2000

Regus valued at £1.5bn after completing flotation
International serviced office provider Regus has announced that its initial public offering shares will be priced at 260p per ordinary share and £12.98 ($18.79) per American Depositary Share.

Utilities e-markets growing strongly, analyst says
The use of e-commerce in gas and electricity utilities markets, first introduced in the UK (pioneered by PowerGen) and Scandinavia in 1999, is showing explosive growth

Generali in property venture
Insurance company Generali has formed a joint venture with property company Lend Lease, which manages over £28m ($41bn) in US institutional property assets.

Posted October 17, 2000

Government support for ACE initiative
Nick Raynsford, the minister for construction, has given his support to an Association of Consulting Engineers (ACE) initiative to promote research and innovation for construction consultants.

American heavyweights wade into internet waters
Two of the biggest property-focused organisations in the US, if not the world, are pooling resources to study just what impact the internet is likely to have on real estate.

Back pain knocking businesses flat
Back trouble among staff is taking a heavy toll at many UK businesses, according to a new report published Monday.

Posted October 16, 2000

Johnson Controls wins seven-year contract with Novartis
Johnson Controls has been awarded a seven-year contract with Novartis valued at £78m per year (CHF 200m). The company will deliver integrated facilities management and infrastructure services at four Novartis sites

ADT launch to reduce energy bills
ADT Fire and Security has launched a new Network Communications Group, a specialist division which will enable companies to cut down their energy bills by giving them complete control of all their communications systems.

Online Space Advisor Gears Up for Testing
SpaceShift, the latest internet-based ‘advisor’, will begin live trials next month with the goal of full launch early in 2001.

Posted October 13, 2000

Siemens names itself ‘largest e-business building site in the world’
Siemens has seen the writing on the wall. Announcing a billion-euro investment programme yesterday, the company said it intends to integrate its operations at a "fast and furious" pace.

The downside to teleworking
Companies are consistently violating employees’ health and safety rights with poorly implemented teleworking practices, according to industry analyst the Gartner Group.

UNITE to provide FM for student accommodation centres
Provider of student and key worker accommodation services, UNITE, has acquired two new student accommodation centres in Sheffield and Plymouth for £7.8m.

Posted October 12, 2000

Contract update
Middlesbrough Council has selected Amey and Hyder Business Services as short-listed partners to provide services such as facilities management, IT and customer services.

Contradicting survey results on UK e-commerce
A UK survey by incubator Xworks showed that nearly half (45%) of small businesses said they did not understand the benefits of building a website.

Paying for the car
The levying of ‘congestion charges’ on commuters could shake up business operations in city centres.

Posted October 11, 2000

E-procurement: No need to rush
There is little ‘first-mover’ advantage for companies entering e-markets, says industry analyst Gartner.

Facilities managers warned by Disability Rights Commission
The Chairman of the Disability Rights Commission, Bert Massie, issued a warning to facilities managers to start preparing their buildings for the Disability Discrimination Act or to face much higher costs as the 2004 deadline gets nearer.

CDM regulations clarified for designers
Amended regulations for designers have come into force, clarifying that they are responsible for health and safety in all designs.

Posted October 10, 2000

More pressure on energy prices to come
Last week, the Government called for an increase in the proportion of 'green' electricity produced in the UK.

Suits out, casual in
According to recent research, the majority of bosses accept that suits are out, leaving workers to dress casually.

World Cargo Centre delivers
The critical eye of the Office Productivity Network was cast over BA’s World Cargo Centre at Heathrow on Monday.

Posted October 9, 2000

Miller Construction and Amey in PPP project
Miller Construction (UK) and Amey Asset Services are to revitalise and maintain Glasgow’s 29 secondary schools in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project.

Skanska launches FM services in Finland
Skanska has launched facilities management services in Finland based on models developed by the Skanska Group, which will be supplied by Skanska Facility Management Oy.

BRE to develop handover protocol
Lamenting the fact there is no formal building handover protocol, the BRE claims this often results in unnecessary losses in operational efficiency.

Posted October 6, 2000

DDA Compliance Lags Behind Schedule
Meeting the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act looks like it may not happen at most businesses for quite some time.

Suddenly Co-Location Is In
Telehotels, or large-scale data centres, have become big business almost overnight as companies build their global networks on the back of internet technology.

Good News and Bad News at BT
This week saw the launch by British Telecom of a national programme of free e-business seminars, designed especially for small and medium sized businesses.

Posted October 5, 2000

BSI to Re-launch Quality Standards
ISO 9000, now 20 years old, is set to be re-launched with a series of improvements designed to make the standards clearer and more accessible.

Government Wakes Up to the Value of Design
A hundred years ago public buildings were often the pride of Britain's towns and cities. The best embodied a strong sense of civic pride.

Two High Profile Wins at Chesterton
With the Conservative Conference in full swing at Bournemouth, Chesterton Workplace Management has scored a nice bit of timing by announcing a new contract.

Posted October 4, 2000

Construction activity up
BuildOnline, working in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, has carried out a survey of the UK construction industry which shows a further increase in the overall levels of activity in September

Mowlem launches energy division
Mowlem plans to enter the utilities market with the launch of Mowlem Energy, to specialise in the provision of multi-utility solutions and services across the UK.

Keeping People Happy
News from the international corporate real estate organisation NACORE confirms that office design schemes can be a crucial factor in attracting new staff and keeping current employees happy.

Posted October 3, 2000

Job designs put workers' mental health at risk
According to an Industrial Society report on work-related stress, the trend in job designs intended to improve productivity and efficiency could cause mental health problems among UK employees.

No future for current e-marketplace model?
Current business-to-business internet markets will fail, says an organisation that runs an online marketplace for the paper industry.

Supermarket giant tests wind power
Sainsbury's is to power one of its key distribution depots with wind-generated electricity, in the UK's first ever commercial, non-subsidised project of this kind.

Posted October 2, 2000

IBM creates new centres to counter creative crisis in e-business
IBM has created two new dedicated e-business centres in the UK to provide a focus for an "unparalleled range of creative, technical and business talent and experience."

Tilbury Douglas preferred BT bidder
Tilbury Douglas has been chosen as preferred bidder to become one of four Tier One Suppliers providing construction services to BT throughout the UK.

Citex in new PFI contract
Business infrastructure management company Citex has been awarded a two-year contract to provide technical advisory services in connection with the proposed PFI contract for Gloucestershire Magistrates Courts Committee.