ibcs Software Blog

East Midlands International Trade Association - Member of the Month

2012-04-17T13:23:00.000+01:00

ra Information Systems - emita's 'Member of the Month'.

Each month, as a way of thanking their members for their loyalty and support of the Association’s events and activities, East Midlands International Trade Association (emita) nominate a 'Member of the Month' and showcase them on the emita website and in their monthly newsletter,

This month we are pleased to announce that we at ra Information Systems, have been selected as emita's Member of the Month for April 2012.

Below you will find a copy of emita's interview with our Business Development Executive, Ian Underdown, detailing our overseas challenges, international achievements and aspirations for the future.

1. Please provide a company background including when it was established, where it is located, how many staff you employ etc.

Formerly known as R&A Software Systems Ltd, ra Information Systems has been established since 1988. The company was originally based in Sheffield. More recently in 2009, we moved to new offices in Chesterfield. We currently employ 19 staff in Chesterfield and have 1 person permanently based in London.

Originally ra was a bespoke software house working mostly with local authorities in the UK. Over the years we have grown and diversified into many other IT areas, products and services.

We now work with many private companies and local authorities all over the country, providing them with IT Software/Hardware Solutions and Support and we are now building up our export markets.

2. Please provide an overview of the products and services offered and areas of specialisation.

At ra we take a personal and proactive approach to IT and our methods are based on a sound understanding of our client's businesses.

We have a great deal of experience in dealing with the specific requirements of serviced office and managed workspace environments, gained through the implementation of our software product ibcs into hundreds of Business Centres, Science Parks, Incubation and Innovation Centres across the UK. More recently we have formed a partnership with UKSPA and released UKSPA CLARITY, a sector specific version of ibcs, for Incubation and Innovation Centres and Science Parks.

We also understand the needs of Local Authorities and Tree Consultants/Contractors, through the supply and development of our tree management system ezytreev, used by numerous District and Borough Councils, County Councils, City Councils, London Borough's and other tree management related industries such as Universities, Country Estates and Historic Royal Palaces.

We have over 15 years’ experience working closely with organisations such as UKSPA, UKBI, the bca, MTOA, LTOA and the Arboricultural Association and their members, to ensure that we continue to lead the industries with our bespoke and innovative software solutions.

In addition, we pride ourselves in offering an unrivalled range of IT design, consultancy, installation and support services and are spearheading the IT support industry with our successful and experienced, in-house helpdesk. As a result we have established a large client base in a variety of system environments across the UK and mainland Europe.

Our ethos is to listen carefully to our clients’ needs and to expand ALL of our solutions to meet them. We are continually evolving as a company, ensuring that we forever meet the changing demands of the market, resulting in a growing number of satisfied, long-term customers.

3. How did you find out about emita and what benefits do you find the most valuable?

We are on the UKTI Passport to Export and so emita membership is included as part of that. We are really pleased it was, as it has been a great resource running many excellent events.

4. How long has your company been active in the export / import market and which countries do you currently trade with?

We have been exporting since 2006. We export our bespoke software and IT services to Ireland, Poland, Hungry, Germany and Kuwait.

5. What made you decide to expand your business overseas?

ibcs, UKSPA CLARITY and ezytreev are very specialist products which have strong, but limited markets in the UK so expanding overseas is key to the continued growth of our business.

6. What has been your biggest exporting / importing challenge?

That every market has different ways of operating and that there is a lot to learn when looking at a new market.

7. What’s the most helpful piece of international trade advice you have received?

Target small markets first whilst you are learning about exporting. That said we were recently invited to China to present UKSPA CLARITY to them!!!

8. What does the future hold? Any particular markets you are looking to target next?

We have an OMIS commissioned for Sweden and are going to the IASP (International Association of Science Parks) International Conference in Estonia in the summer. Hopefully we will start to bring in regular international sales for our software and services.

- Ends -

If you would like to know more about us a company then please visit the ra Information Systems, ibcs, ezytreev or UKSPACLARITY websites. Alternatively please follow @raInfoSystems, @ibcs, @ezytreev and @UKSPACLARITY on twitter.

We thank emita for profiling us. If you would like to be an emita ‘Member of the Month’ then we would encourage you to maximise your emita membership and attend regular events, taking full advantage of the many member benefits available to assist you with your business ventures.

Who knows, the next emita ‘Member of the Month’ could be you!

Advantages of Serviced Office Space

2012-04-12T16:05:00.000+01:00

Advantages of Serviced Office Space

More and more businesses are turning to business centres and serviced offices for their needs. With modern, cost-effective facilities, clear charging procedures and no day-to-day office management problems, its clear to see why.

Most serviced office space, comes equipped with everything from contemporary office furniture to telephone equipment and Internet access. Most also provide a professional receptionist to answer calls, perfect for a business start-up or downsizing company operating with minimal staff.

Super fast Internet access is normally available and charged for as part of the office rental package. Another advantage being, that if the Internet stops working, the client doesn't have the hassle of trying to get it fixed. If anything else breaks, professional maintenance will do the repairs at no extra cost. This offers a huge savings in time, money and also stress. This often also includes office cleaning and janitorial services.

With network printing, copying and scanning, fax services, conference facilities, mailing and courier services and additional office supplies available onsite for minimal extra fees, businesses are able to project a big image on a small budget.

With a virtual office, a business can gain the advantage of a permanent business address, in a prominent area. Mail can be directed, meeting, conference or boardrooms can be rented for use with clients, and details can be added to business cards.

With so many different sized office packages available from all-in-one offices at business centres, to mobile working facilites, a small business can start with the bare essentials and expand with additional services as they grow. Alternatively, if a business is experiencing tough times it can easily downsize services until it gets back in the black.

ibcs is Intuitive Business Centre Software, we help increase business centre efficiency, reduce manual interventions and help business centres save valuable time and resources in offering the above services to their clients.

For more information please see www.ibcs-software.com or contact us.

ibcs - Intuitive Business Centre & Conferencing Software

2012-03-19T16:23:00.000Z

Intuitive Business Centre & Conferencing Software

To ensure that the solutions we provide are always completely focused on the industries that we support, we've decided to make some significant changes to the direction that ibcs is being developed and deployed.

ibcs was launched way back in 1999, as ‘Integrated Business Centre Software’, and maintains a highly successful track-record of managing serviced office space to this day.

Since 2005, demand from new sectors has resulted in ibcs also being deployed at over 50 Science Parks, Technology Parks and Innovation-Led Incubators across the UK. To cater for the differing demands of this market, and to ensure that we retain a strong focus in both sectors, we have recently launched UKSPA CLARITY to cater for the Science Park community.

Developed with UKSPA (UK Science Park Association) and powered by ibcs, UKSPA CLARITY takes all of the sector-specific features for Science Parks and combines them into a new system, which will now be developed in parallel with ibcs.

This means that we are now able to bring the development of the original ibcs product back to the fore, with a stronger focus to the business centre market. Of course, we have always been meeting and exceeding the needs of this serviced office industry over the last 13 years, but we feel now is the right time to tailor our future development effort, to ensure that we continue to offer the best possible solutions to all of our clients. As a result ibcs will now be known as Intuitive Business Centre & Conferencing Software.

Over the coming months you will begin to see changes to the ibcs website and @ibcs twitter feed, providing a strong focus towards business centres and conferencing facilities.

If you are an existing Science Park, Technology Park, Innovation or Incubation Centre client, or you are interested in learning more about this solution, then please visit the UKSPA CLARITY website, blog, and follow @UKSPACLARITY on twitter to stay up-to-date with further changes and industry-specific news.

If you have any questions please feel free to email us at: info@ibcs-software.com.

James Chaffer Presenting at the UKSPA February Members' Meeting

2012-02-06T10:49:00.000Z

Reception at The Exchange, Colworth Science Park

The Exchange, Colworth Science Park
07/02/2012 - 08/02/2012

The February 2012 UKSPA event is hosted by Unilever and Goodman and will take place at The Exchange, Colworth Science Park.

The UKSPA event will include:

Study tour of the campus and The Exchange - (Please note: this tour is now fully booked)
Conference plenary sessions
Choices from four parallel sessions
Network reception and buffet dinner

The theme of the conference is 'Collaborate to Compete', and plenary sessions will cover open innovation and collaborating for shared success. There will also be a selection of Parallel Sessions to ensure that a diverse range of topics are covered at the event, including a presentation on commercial conferencing space and the tools you can use - Introducing UKSPA CLARITY, by James Chaffer from the ibcs/UKSPA CLARITY team.

For more information and full programme please visit the UKSPA website.

We hope to see you there!

Introducing UKSPA Clarity – Powered by ibcs

2012-01-27T14:30:00.000Z

Introducing UKSPA Clarity – Powered by ibcs.
A Clear Vision from UKSPA.

We are pleased to announce the launch of UKSPA CLARITY – The exciting software product, developed with theUK Science Park Association's (UKSPA) .

UKSPA’s extensive knowledge, gained over the past three decades through the provision of support and guidance to innovation environments, has helped to deliver efficient, trusted and profitable business locations for pioneering and high tech companies. Combining this knowledge with our established and highly successful Science Park management system ibcs, UKSPA CLARITY will deliver to the UKSPA Membership base, a powerful solution for the efficient management of leases and licences, conferencing, enquiries, surveys, reporting, billing, facilities and much more.

ibcs was launched in 1999, and has a successful track-record of managing serviced offices. Since 2005 the focus of the system has moved to Science Parks, Technology Parks and Innovation-Led Incubators, and it is now deployed in over 45 sites within these sectors across the UK. The experience and feedback from our current ibcs users provides a clear indication that UKSPA CLARITY will become a powerful tool to simplify management functions, improve efficiency and streamline communications, whilst continuing to evolve to meet the changing needs of the Membership.

Speaking at the recent UKSPA CLARITY launch, Product Manager James Chaffer said, “I have been working closely with UKSPA members for over 5 years now, providing software solutions to improve their operational efficiency. To see this hard work result in the launch of UKSPA CLARITY - Powered by ibcs, is very exciting for me personally, for the Association and, most importantly, for the members.”

Based on the original foundations of ibcs, UKSPA CLARITY will provide a modular solution for all size of operation, enabling flexibility and customisation as individual requirements develop.

UKSPA CEO Paul Wright commented, “UKSPA members will also benefit from the inclusion of additional modules focusing specifically on key areas for the industry, showing further our commitment to improving the efficient management of Science Parks, Technology Parks and Innovation-Led Incubators.”

We will be working hard with UKSPA over the coming months to ensure that the delivery of UKSPA CLARITY, alongside other new UKSPA initiatives such as the UKSPA Aspire Quality Assurance Programme, will provide members with the tools required to continue delivering first class innovation locations, providing the best possible environment for the high tech companies that are contributing to future economic growth.

Further details will be coming soon to the website www.ukspa-clarity.com but for information now, please email info@ukspa-clarity.com or call us on +44 (0)1246 459 446.

UKSPA to advise on the development of Chinese Science Parks

2012-01-19T09:34:00.000Z

UKSPA to advise on the development of Chinese Science Parks

The UK Science Park Association (UKSPA) has been asked to share its expertise with science parks in China to provide training to local science park managers, strengthen relationships between the two countries and help UK companies fully exploit commercial opportunities in China.

Several years ago, UKSPA had a strong relationship with many Chinese science parks and delivered a training and development programme for the country's science park managers over a number of years. At the time it also helped to establish a Chinese Association of University-based Science Parks.

Over recent years, as China's economy has boomed, Chinese science parks have grown rapidly in both number and size and UKSPA has been asked to become involved in the next phase of their development. As part of this knowledge share, UKSPA has been invited to take a delegation of members to Shanghai in February in order to kick start the successful relationship again.

Paul Wright, UKSPA CEO, said: "Our brief is for UKSPA to provide a programme of practical sessions for around 50 science parks, and we are particularly pleased that UKSPA Aspire and UKSPA Clarity, our quality and software programmes, have attracted significant attention from our Chinese colleagues."

The first delegation comprises UKSPA Honorary Chairman Malcolm Parry and CEO Paul Wright; Toby Reid, BioCity Nottingham; John Latham, CEO, Coventry University Enterprises; and UKSPA Director James Chaffer, who have been asked to cover techniques for efficient science park management, technology transfer techniques, and approaches for multimedia and biomedical park development.

Malcolm Parry said: "This is good news for the Association as we are recognised as world leaders in science park development, and have been asked to investigate ways for tenants on UK-based parks to benefit from the enormous market China has to offer."

Commenting on his invitation, James sounded positive about the forthcoming trip: “I am very excited to have been invited to Shanghai by the British Council, as part of a delegation from UKSPA. I am looking forward to exploring collaborative opportunities with Chinese University Science Parks, arising from our experiences in developing and supporting efficient management systems on UK Science Parks.”

James has also already attended the UK Trade & Investment Mandarin Language and Culture training day in Loughbourough last week, and has stated that he will be practicing his new language skills on his kids before the trip!
For more information please contact UKSPA.

We look forward to hearing all about it on their return.

Happy New Year From The ibcs Team

2012-01-03T09:23:00.002Z

Happy New Year from the ibcs Team

A New Year is the start of a new era, the best time to complete the remaining tasks of the previous year and to start new things from the beginning. We welcome 2012 with new dreams, new visions, new resolutions, new commitments and a new way of thinking…

Happy New Year to all our ibcs users, contacts and prospective clients, we hope you enjoy 2012 and that it is a successful year for you all!

Christmas Wishes From the ibcs Software Team

2011-12-19T09:55:00.002Z

Merry Christmas from all of us at ibcs Software

2011 has seen many new and renewed relationships for us as a company. We have been busy continually developing ibcs and improving our tailored support to better serve you, our valued clients.

We thank you for your business during 2011 and we look forward to working closely with you in 2012.

Christmas Opening Hours 2011...

We will continue to offer ibcs support over the Christmas holidays with the minor adjustment of reduced hours on 28th, 29th and 30th December of 9am-5pm, and excluding the Christmas and New Years Bank Holidays.

If you do have any support issues over the Christmas period then please contact the helpdesk as normal.

Have a very Happy Christmas and we wish you a Prosperous New Year!

The ibcs Team

Tel: +44 (0)1246 459 459
Helpdesk: 0845 345 46 01

Email Us | Visit Our Website | Follow us on Twitter

IASP 2012 Conference in Tallinn

2011-12-14T10:49:00.000Z

Tallinn Science Park TEHNOPOL

Tallinn Science Park TEHNOPOL would like to remind you that the 29th IASP World Conference will be held next year in Tallinn, Estonia on the 17th – 20th of June 2012 and that they are looking forward to welcoming you!

As the conference preparations are successfully proceeding, the IASP World Conference 2012 registration is open. Please visit the Conference website www.iasp2012tln.com to submit your registration form and get the best out of the special early bird rates.

You can find more information on the Conference website or by contacting the organising team by sending an e-mail to iasp@tehnopol.ee.

EBN Tools Exchange Forum for Innovation Based Incubators and BICs

2011-11-28T11:58:00.001Z

Our stand at the EBN Incubation/Innovation Tools Exchange Forum 2011 - Berlin (Germany)

Business Incubation Centres (BICs) are constantly seeking to optimize the quality of their services and to be equipped with the right set of tools. Therefore this week the EBN have organised a two-day Tools Exchange Forum, where the time for multilateral and bilateral interactions between tools designers and tools potential users is to be maximized.

The Tools Exchange Forum is taking place in Berlin at Adlershof Science & Technology Park, and is being welcomed by the WISTA-MANAGEMENT team. The space is being laid-out enabling constant interaction among participants, around an exhibition area, where tools designers such as ourselves, have the possibility to make demos and discuss in private with interested potential users.

James and Ian from our ibcs sales team are attending both days, so if you happen to find yourself in Berlin this week, please pop over and say hello! We hope it will be a very busy and worthwhile trip.

Collect Payments by Direct Debit Using the ibcs Direct Debit Module

2011-11-25T11:46:00.001Z

Collect Payments by Direct Debit Using the ibcs Direct Debit Module

Collecting by Direct Debit is the simplest and most convenient way to manage payments, both for you and your clients, the automated process saves everyone valuable time. You can select the date of payments, giving you greater control over your finances and helping to minimise time-consuming reconciliation and payment allocation tasks.

Our automated ibcs Direct Debit module provides a simple and effective way of collecting your customer Direct Debit payments with a few mouse clicks, ensuring that your process is efficient, manageable and cost-effective.

With the ibcs Direct Debit Module you can:-

Set-up customer Direct Debits.
Collect payments for fixed rental and variable service invoices.
Manage Direct Debit and Direct Credits.
Automate setup of Direct Debit Instructions using AUDISS.
Set-up flexible Direct Debit collection frequency.
Produce ‘BACS Standard 18 Format’ payment files.
Reduce administration, allowing staff to concentrate on your core business.
Have monies transferred quickly and reliably into your specified bank account.

The ibcs Direct Debit module also integrates with 3rd party applications for Direct Debit collections, so contact us today to discuss your requirements in full. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can start to reap the benefits.

bca Annual Industry Awards Gala Dinner 2011

2011-11-24T11:19:00.001Z

bca Annual Industry Gala Awards Dinner 2011

Once again the bca Annual Industry Awards Gala Dinner, in London, is nearly upon us.

This year James and Ian from the ibcs team and Jon Dabbs, one of our company Directors, will be heading down to entertain guests Jo Willet from Oxford Innovation, Peter Allen and Oliver Oswin from STL and David Hall, Victoria Garside, Monica Obrebska and Alan Wilson from Forsyth Business Centres.

Not only is this the 'Business Centre industry event of the year', but it’s the perfect place to socialise in a fantastic atmosphere, so we're all looking forward to a spot of networking and some free champagne!

The black tie dinner will also see the presentation of the industry’s most prestigious awards for Business Centres, Managed Workspaces, Trade Suppliers and Broker Representatives of 2011. So we hope to see more of you there and thanks again to any of you, our lovely clients, who may have kindly nominated us for as bca Trade Supplier 2011. Fingers crossed!

Need to Import Data into Sage 50 Accounts 2012?

2011-11-21T16:54:00.001Z

Import sales transactions directly from ibcs into Sage 50 Accounts 2012

Those of you who are contemplating a Sage 50 upgrade will be pleased to know that our ibcs Sage Importer, which imports sales transactions directly from ibcs into Sage 50, is now available for the latest release of Sage 50 Accounts 2012.

As members of the Sage Developers’ Programme, we have been successfully developing this import tool for a number of years now, and we understand both the technical and business requirements for Sage 50 Accounts integration. With our latest ibcs Sage Importer tool, you can transfer your sales transactions directly from ibcs into Sage 50 Accounts 2012 in just a few mouse clicks.

If you are upgrading to the latest version of Sage 50 Accounts, and already use our Sage Importer, then please contact us to arrange the installation of the 2012 importer upgrade at the same time.

Alternatively, if you would like to import transactions directly from ibcs to Sage 50 Accounts but do not currently have this option, then please get in touch and we can arrange to install the relevant Sage Importer for you, to save you time and effort.

IASP Measuring & Improving the Performance of Science Parks

2011-11-10T14:43:00.000Z

ibcs Attend the IASP European Division Workshop, Berlin - November 9th - 11th 2011

WISTA-MANAGEMENT GMBH the developers and operators of Berlin Adlershof Science and Technology Park (pictured above) are hosting this week's IASP (International Association of Science Parks) European Division Workshop in Berlin.

The aim of the workshop is to present existing methods and performance indicators for the benchmarking of Science Parks and their impact on the regional economy. During the event, attendees will also have the chance to discuss and exchange ideas in working groups.

In order for us to further tailor our ibcs solution in this area, James Chaffer from the ibcs team, is in attendance at the Berlin workshop this week, to help us to better understand the statistical and survey requirements of the Science Park sector.

For more information please visit the IASP or the Berlin Aldershof websites.

BIN@Sheffield 2011 - Business & Innovation Network, Sheffield, UK

2011-10-17T10:24:00.000+01:00

BIN@Sheffield 2011 - Business & Innovation Network, Sheffield, UK

Join The University of Sheffield on the 02/11/2011 - 04/11/201 for the 2nd international event bringing together businesses, researchers, investors, science parks and incubators to share good practice in innovation and develop opportunities for collaboration.

BIN@Sheffield2011 is the second in a series of FREE annual, international events designed to stimulate discussion, promote the sharing of best practice and support collaboration across disciplines in science and between research and industry. It is an international brokerage event aligning science and innovation with real global challenges.

The event is focused around moderated and themed workshops (Think Tanks) bringing together industry, academia and the public sector to explore key economic or societal challenges in an open and supportive environment. The Thinks Tanks are fertile and effective environments helping to identify synergies and opportunities that can support collaboration and the translation of research into value.

The ibcs Software team will be exhibiting at the event and there will be ample opportunity to network with fellow delegates. Refreshments and lunch will also be served.

To view the full event programme and to register please visit: www.bin2011.net.

James Chaffer - New UKSPA Board Member

2011-10-12T11:00:00.000+01:00

Paul Wright, UKSPA CEO (Left) and James Chaffer, ibcs Technical Consultant (Right)
at UKSPA Members Meeting, BSPA, October 6th 2011.

James Chaffer, ibcs Technical Sales Consultant, has been elected to the Board of the United Kingdom Science Park Association (UKSPA) following the Association's AGM, held recently at Birmingham Science Park Aston (BSPA).

James, who has overseen the development of ibcs since joining ra Information Systems more than 15 years ago, and has been working closely with UKSPA and its members for a number of years, is delighted to take up the position as Business Affiliate Director which has a particular remit of representing the views of Business members of UKSPA.

"Having developed ibcs as asoftware solution specifically designed for science parks and innovation environments, I think I am ideally placed to provide advice and technical input on how new technology can be embraced by the Association as well as the wider membership," says James. "In addition, I intend to provide a clear channel of communication between the Business Affiliate membership of the Association and its Board, and to bring other affiliates into closer working relationships with the Association."

The election of James to the Board coincided with an additional announcement to UKSPA members, introducing an exciting partnership which was agreed between UKSPA and ibcs, which will result in the UKSPA brand becoming more visible on the world stage, endorsing a variety of software tools for managing and analysing the performance of science parks and other innovation environments.

Paul Wright, CEO of UKSPA said "I am delighted not only to have James' enthusiasm and commercial expertise at future Board meetings, but also that for the first time in our history, the Association will have a branded product that has the potential to support the development of science and technology parks, incubators and innovation centres across the world".

ra Information Systems, Supporting SUFC

2011-09-27T11:44:00.000+01:00

Early next month we will become the associate match ball sponsors of the Blades vs. Charlton Athletic FC match at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. As a result we are looking forward to treating 10 representatives and clients of ra, by inviting them to the game.

Our guests will be greeted at Sheffield United Football Club by an ex-Blade legend and welcomed with a champagne reception. They will then be treated to a tour of the dressing rooms, followed by commemorative photographs that will be taken on the pitch.

Our guests will lunch in the Platinum Suite before taking their seats in the directors’ box to watch the game. After the match the group will be involved in the selection of the sponsor’s man of the match award and will be presented with the signed and mounted match ball.

Rob Dabbs, ra Information Systems, Managing Director commented: “We are looking forward to the match and are sure it will be enjoyed by all. It’s a chance for us to let our hair down, to treat some of our valued staff and clients and to enjoy some time out of our busy schedules. Our expectations are high that SUFC can claim their place back in the Championship, they've made a great start to the season and we are happy to be supporting them in their quest.”

Further information can be found at SUFC and the ra-is website. Alternatively please contact us on 0845 365 10 71.

ibcs Sponsoring Pre-Dinner Drinks @ UKSPA October Members' Meeting

2011-09-23T15:29:00.000+01:00

UKSPA Octobers Members' Meeting, Birmingham Science Park Aston

Birmingham Science Park Aston will host the next UKSPA event, Making Connections in the Digital Age, on Thursday 6th and Friday 7th October. The event will look at the broad theme of Making Connections for science parks and other innovation environments, tenants and clients, and with other national and international stakeholders.

After the meet join your colleagues at our ibcs reception for pre-dinner drinks at the Bank Restaurant, 4 Brindley Place, Birmingham.

For more information or to register please see www.ukspa.co.uk.

ibcs Software Team Developments

2011-09-22T13:53:00.000+01:00

New Staff Members Join the ibcs Software Team

We are pleased to report that after 2 pretty lean years, the last 12 months have been among the best years that we have had as a company.

The plan is to now re-invest in areas in need of re-enforcements, and to take all our products to the 'next level'. As a result an experienced IT support engineer, Daniel White, has now been added to the ibcs helpdesk team, and future 'high-flyer' Paul VonGyer has joined the ibcs development team.

We hope that they will become valuable assets to the company and that you will all get the chance to develop fantastic working relationships with them both.

bca 'Trade Supplier' nomination request...

2011-09-07T11:02:00.000+01:00

bca Annual Industry Gala Awards Dinner

Once again the bca Annual Industry Gala Awards Dinner is nearly upon us, and as you might recall, we at ra Information Systems were delighted to be voted bca Trade Supplier of the Year 2005 and also runners up in 2007, for the quality of support received by our ibcs software clients.

This was particularly pleasing for us as the nominations came from you, our users, and the results were judged not only by quantity but also by the quality of the positive comments that were made.

We would, of course, very much like to win this prestigious award for a second time and would therefore appreciate it if you could take a few minutes now, to nominate us once again.

The nominations procedure for 2011...

If you choose to have your say this year and would like to nominate us, then please click here to download the nomination form with completion instructions. Nominations must be received by the bca no later than 5.30pm on Wednesday the 28th September 2011.

Please note that all centre managers are entitled to vote so please forward this on to your colleagues if you think that they may also like to nominate .

If you haven’t had a good experience of ibcs, then we certainly want to hear about it. We kindly ask that you send us an email telling us what has happened so that we can learn from it and improve our service going forward.

Either way, we thank you for your input and your support is very much appreciated!

Empty Property Rates: BCA Petition

2011-08-25T12:10:00.003+01:00

Empty Property Rates Tax, bca Petition

The Business Centre Association (bca) has launched an urgent campaign against the unfair Empty Property Rates (EPR) tax, which is inhibiting economic growth and putting jobs at risk.

According to the bca, flexible space operators have been put under considerable financial pressure since April 2011, when the Government dramatically lowered the Empty Property Rates threshold from £18,000 to £2,600.

Having fast access to flexible space is essential for the survival of start-ups and SMEs, but the current EPR tax is stifling innovation and causing the sector to stagnate. If this situation continues there will be no additional supply of flexible workspace at a time when it is most needed to aid the UK’s fragile economic recovery.

Jennifer Brooke – bca Executive Director states "We must act fast if we are to achieve changes before the next Budget. We need at least 100,000 signatures to ensure that a debate can be tabled in the House of Commons. Forward it to your colleagues, flexible space providers, clients, suppliers, small businesses and anyone who cares about the vitality of the British economy".

To sign the petition please click the following link: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/318

How Twitter is used by Science & Technology Parks

2011-08-10T13:19:00.002+01:00

How Twitter is used by Science & Technology Parks

One of the information navigation tools available for Science and Technology Parks (STPs) is the microblogging tool Twitter, which allows STP professionals to tap into the stream of conversations on any topic imaginable.

Waltraut Ritter, Knowledge Economy and Innovation researcher based in Hong Kong, (@kdialogues on Twitter) has recently analysed how STPs are using Twitter to navigate the online information space. In her paper she details the use of Twitter by STPs worldwide, with stats and great examples of what can be conveyed in 140 characters. She pays particular attention to how users conversed during the recent International Association of Science and Technology Parks (IASP), World Conference 2011.

Her analysis takes a look at what STPs are tweeting, focusing on businesses such as the UK Science Park Association (@UKSPA) and Manchester Science Park @McrSciParks. She even quotes our very own James Chaffer: @jchaffer/@ibcs - "Interesting piece on diff between business incubators & accelerators ... http://bit.ly/mmV6LE #IASP2011"

She takes a closer look at how STPs know if they are getting it right, how an STP defines its profile, what it tweets, who it tweets for, who is tweeting, who it chooses to follow etc, all issues that need to be discussed as part of the communication and knowledge management strategy.

She discusses what language an STP should use for its tweets and how Twitter can help to create a community among Science Park professionals. For example during the IASP conference, active delegates used the hash tag #IASP2011 to share insights and comments about the event, creating a kind of insider circle of people 'in the know'.

To summarize her analysis she states "Only a few pioneers among the IASP members are using the tool and other social media creatively as part of their communication strategy. The low adoption in organizations that see themselves at the core of regional, national and global innovation systems is striking at first glance.

STPs are just beginning to discover the power of digital information and communication spaces in knowledge-based economies where a single tweet can lead to a new breakthrough idea and tangible business deals."

To read the full analysis please click here.

We would like to thank Waltraut for including us in her study.

ibcs Software @CollaboJam #cjam - Creating Opportunities Together

2011-07-18T13:04:00.000+01:00

CollaboJam is a call for aspiring and seasoned collaborators to come together and share expertise

A very interesting time was had at CollaboJam, the inaugural Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) collaboration event for the CDI sector, held at the Workstation in Sheffield last Wednesday.

After a number of inspiring initial case studies on making space and providing platforms for collaboration, both in the public and private sector, there were a variety of workshops available, including one on “Customer-driven Iterative Software Development” presented by our very own James Chaffer. His presentation looked at our ethos of working with clients to meet everyone’s needs, with a spotlight on the ibcs developments for RiDO and Oxford Innovation in particular, and how this has resulted in ibcs being market-leader in the Business Incubation and Innovation sector.

This approach was discussed with interest by the workshop participants, and a number of key requirements for successful collaboration were identified, including committed, innovative clients, clear boundaries and defined channels of communication.

Nobody was really sure what to expect from the event, but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with all the delegates buzzing with new ideas and projects, and the networking opportunities in the bar afterwards were invaluable.

Here’s to the next CollaboJam event!

For more information or to register your interest in the CDI sector group, please visit collabojam.net.

ibcs Invited to 4th NatWest Series ODI - England v Sri Lanka

2011-07-11T10:05:00.002+01:00

4th NatWest Series ODI - England v Sri Lanka 2011

Ian Underdown, our ibcs Business Development Executive, received the full VIP treatment as a guest of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club on Wednesday 6th July. The occasion was the fourth one-day international at Trent Bridge between England and Sri Lanka.

Fortunately Ian's wife (due on 9th July) didn't give birth during the game and so he was able to network whilst enjoying the cricket, company, excellent food and English victory, by 10 wickets!

Thank you to all at Notts CCC for their excellent hospitality. It was a very memorable day.

Your Centre Featured on Our ibcs Website?

2011-06-24T12:20:00.002+01:00

Get a Picture of Your Centre Featured Here on the ibcs Website...

Next week we are going to be changing the ibcs 'overview tab' image on our website homepage and as a result are offering your centre the chance to feature on it...

If interested please send us a high resolution photograph of either the exterior or interior of your centre or Science Park, and we'll pick one to use!

You can email your pictures to info@ibcs-software.com and visit www.ibcs-software.com to see where it will go.

For more information please contact us.