Graduate IT firm sets out on its own

By ELLEN READ

One of the first fledgling businesses to enter the Massey University e-centre at Albany has flown the nest and set up on its own.

Creative Business Systems (CBS) is among the first export-based companies to graduate from the Massey e-centre programme, which has been running since January 2001.

"Massey University has the mission of developing New Zealand's business leaders, and our plan is to see graduates of the e-centre become ICT leaders who inspire others to great things," said Steve Corbett, chief executive of the e-centre.

CBS has been going since 1994. When the company joined the e-centre in January 2001, it had four employees and was run out of the basement of founder Trevor Logan.

At the e-centre it has developed a new product - Clearline Profiler, which uses software to check for weaknesses in sewage pipes where repairs are needed - and has won orders from Germany, Australia and the United States. Its revenue has trebled.

"The e-centre has set us up to take on the world," said CBS director Geoff Logan.

"Not only has most of our staff come from Massey University, but the problem-solving ability of the key thinkers has helped immensely."

For example, he says, in the early days the firm struggled with the challenge of keeping the infra-red beam on the Clearline Profiler in the middle of a pipe.

Within a week Martin Johnson of the computer science faculty had devised a solution that allowed it to have the system ready for demonstration at the Chicago Trade Fair.

Corbett said this was a good example of what the e-centre wanted to achieve - using university research to help businesses and using businesses to help commercialise university research.

The Massey e-centre aims to foster innovation across the university and to provide a support network to help burgeoning IT businesses to flourish.

With space for 10 to 12 enterprises, the centre is looking for replacements for CBS and another graduate, IMR.

Both graduating companies will continue to receive support and guidance from the e-centre as they continue to develop their businesses.