CBL sales rose 31.3 per cent

Press, 9 May 1983, Page 26

CBL sales rose 31.3 per cent

The group revenue of CBL Holdings, Ltd, grew 31.3 per cent to $18.5 million in the year ended 31 December, reports the company’s chief executive (Dr Bernard Battersby), in his annual review to shareholders.

The computer systems and services group made a pre-tax profit of $813,587, while net profit of $426,121 after tax showed an increase of 1.3 per cent over the previous year. The earning rate on a capital of $852,102 was 50c a share.

Growth came from large tailor-made systems as well as from timeshare and network services, where revenue grew 45 per cent to pass the over-all turnover from batch bureau operations. Auckland added 31 new timeshare channels and Wellington and Christchurch 26 each.

“At the end of 1982,” says Dr Battersby, “we had a total of 25 PDP 11/70 computers installed at our centres in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Sydney. Because of our three-year depreciation policy, five of these machines are now fully written off.”

In addition, CBL installed its first VAX computer from Digital Equipment Corporation. The top of the range 11/780 machine went to Hamilton to accommodate a major systems application for the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company. A similar contract had recently beeen signed with TNT N.Z., Ltd, (formerly Alltrans).

A further major facilities management computer system was completed for Group Rentals N.Z., Ltd, on schedule in December.

LEGAS, CBL’s legal accounting system had sold well. But it was anticipated that COMMAND, a manufacturing and distribution system which can be customised to meet users individual needs, would provide the company’s most successful product to date. It is marketed under licence from Pioneeer Computer Systems, in the U.K. CBL has a staff of 270-80 of whom specialise in software.

“We are a large systems house in New Zealand terms,” continues Dr Battersby, “and one of the few professional computer service companies capable of undertaking major system development projects.

It is a matter of fact that we have established an excellent record of installing systems on time and within budget.” Although different machine companies had recently given publicity to socalled “fourth generation” S ramming languages, has been using such a tool, USER 11, successfully for more than four years in all its systems developments, he said. Datacomm Equipment, Ltd, the CBL group’s hardware marketing subsidiary, generated a turnover of $5.3 million—up 67 per cent on 1981.

Major successes during the year included the sale of 90 MSI hand-held terminals to Nathans Variety Stores (formerly Woolworths) and to Hellaby’s van sales operation; communications test equipment to the State Services Commission; a major data communications network for the N.Z. Dairy Board; further specialist communications equipment to the TAB.

Datacomm acquired two new agencies during the year: for Printek printers and for Direct terminals. The latter can be used as stand-alone micros or interfaced to a large mainframe computer. Direct terminals are currently being installed in Datacomm’s own offices.

By the end of the year it was expected that Datacomm’s own administration would be totally computterised with its own products providing a showcase example of the office of the future.