Innovation Diary: The Valley vs the Roundabout: London is starting to close the gap August 11, 2013 WHEN I met David Richards – the British founder of Silicon Valley success story WANDisco – last year, I asked him whether he thought London’s Silicon Roundabout could compete with its San Francisco equivalent. Richards replied: “It would be ridiculous to contrast the two.” Richards – who recently brought his product development team from the [...]
Remote working: A new approach to 9-5 January 30, 2013 LAST November, Nick Clegg hit headlines when he made a speech on flexible working. His proposal may only have extended the right to request flexible working hours to all employees, but this phenomenon is here to stay. And it won’t exclusively be for the benefit of those with children. Flexible working can be an appealing [...]
Workspace plans Tower Bridge building as pre-tax profits soar November 13, 2012 WORKSPACE yesterday posted better-than-expected half year results, driven by strong tenant demand for its trendy London office space and its focus on asset management. The company, which provides offices to some 4,000 businesses such as Moonpig, as well as the Metropolitan Police, became a stock market darling after posting stellar annual results in May and [...]
A look inside Google’s Tech City Campus for start-ups October 28, 2012 GOOGLE Campus is a seven floor work and event space in the City’s eastern fringe on Bonhill Street, EC2, designed to encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs. It’s an open-source building, with floors run by individual partners – each with a different take on what a start-up needs to thrive. Anyone can join the Campus [...]
Smart offices need stylish furnishings October 24, 2012 WHEN you have prestigious offices, you need an aesthetic to match. International law firm McDermott Will & Emery, which has offices in the stylish Heron Tower – the tallest tower in London at one point – were looking for an exceptional fit-out when they moved into the building last year. It was the first occupier [...]
Best of the Brokers September 25, 2012 CABLE & WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS Liberum Capital’s Lawrence Sugarman has downgraded Cable & Wireless Communications from “Hold” to “Sell” and recommends investors take the opportunity to lock in profits. The FTSE 250 telecoms group makes most of its money from operations in Monaco and island territories with historic connections to the UK. But Sugarman says “the [...]
FTSE 100 down on weak Chinese data September 20, 2012 The FTSE 100 fell in early trading this morning, as the miners that rose on the blue chip index yesterday fell on weak manufacturing data from China, which spurred concerns about demand for the oil and metals market. Miner Ferrexpo, steelmaker Evraz and Aquarius Platinum led the fallers, down 5.5, 5.37 and 4.92 per cent [...]
FTSE 250 entrant Workspace seeks up to £75m with bonds September 19, 2012 LONDON property firm Workspace Group yesterday announced plans to tap the retail bond market for between £50m and £75m with the launch of a seven-year sterling bond for retail investors. The firm, promoted to the FTSE 250 last week, said it would offer the bonds in a bid to help diversify its funding streams. The [...]
FTSE 100 jumps on German court ruling September 12, 2012 The leading share index was up in early trading, as investors reacted positively to news that German judges ruled in favour of the Eurozone’s rescue fund. Meanwhile, holding company Chesnara led the fallers on the FTSE All-Share, down 6.87 per cent. Embattled platinum miner Lonmin shed 5.56 per cent, as strikes continued at its Marikana [...]
A workspace is not a workplace: A mobility strategy is crucial June 27, 2012 DIRECTOR UK ENTERPRISE, CISCO Q What are the key drivers behind a mobility strategy? A The workspace is no longer a workplace. Successful businesses are reducing their dependence on expensive office property and enabling a mobile workforce to be productive wherever they are most effective. A business is only as good as its people. Retaining [...]