Product category:
Internet and Electronic Resources for Engineers
News Release from: Pera
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 22 May 2002
Direct access to global technology
information
A revolutionary new website for British businesses has been designed and developed by innovation strategy specialist Pera.
A revolutionary new website for British businesses has been designed and developed by innovation strategy specialist Pera, in partnership with the DTI, Autonomy and Positive Focus International (PFI) Bringing fast-breaking technology intelligence from around the globe direct to UK companies, the website represents a major new addition to the services managed by Pera for the DTI's International Technology Service, which helps British businesses identify and learn from leading organisations around the world
Dr Peter Davies, Pera's Chief Executive says: "We are extremely delighted to have been chosen to manage this pioneering new service from the DTI which will undoubtedly become a major force in improving the UK's competitiveness.
The successful launch of the website illustrates our ability to work well in partnership with public and private organisations to provide British businesses with leading-edge products and services".
The GlobalWatchOnline website is the first advanced Internet-enabled service of this kind to be commissioned by any British Government department and the Head of the International Technology Service, Allan Mayo, is very pleased with the way the project has progressed.
"This is a highly ambitious, and continually evolving, website development project and I have been impressed by Pera's ability to manage the diverse elements involved and deliver our vision".
Reflecting the DTI's recognition of the worldwide web's unique ability to reach out across the country to connect with even the smallest companies, the website offers, in the words of Lord Sainsbury at its launch, "one-click access to international developments and to sources of support and advice - it is truly at the forefront of e-government".
Providing British businesses with access to 600 of the world's most impressive science and technology websites, as well as to exclusive events and reports filed by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff, the GlobalWatchOnline website is powered by state-of-the-art knowledge management technology.
Created by Autonomy, the global leader in infrastructure software for the web, and installed with the help of Positive Focus International, this software drives the site's intelligent search agents.
Capable of understanding concepts rather than simply matching words, the software delivers sophisticated and speedy searches.
It also enables the automatic compilation of personalised user profiles, which generate ever-more relevant results, as well as the sending of email alerts when new documents matching this profile are added to the site.
Well received by over 170 representatives from the business and research communities at its London launch, the comments of Philippa Ryan, who is the Innovation Policy Adviser at East Midlands Development Agency (emda) were representative of the response from the regional agencies.
"Part of our role at emda is to encourage innovative companies and enterprising people, trying to make them aware of emerging technologies and ways in which existing technologies can be used innovatively.
As a result of attending this launch we will certainly seek to make companies aware of the website and its capabilities".
But emda won't have to take on this task alone.
The team behind the London launch is already making plans to roll out the launch to the regions.
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