N.Z. firm buys French videotex

Press, 2 August 1983, Page 25

N.Z. firm buys French videotex

Videotex Systems, Ltd, the subsidiary of Computer Consultants, Ltd, and Fourth Estate Holdings, Ltd, has opted for the French Teletel software to drive its proposed videotex services. CCL has concluded an agreement with a leading French software house,

Telesystemes, to develop a new videotex software package based on the French software. The package will be developed by Computer Consultants in conjunction with Telesystemes, and will run on its Harris super minicomputers. Additionally, CCL has negotiated the rights to market the new Harrisbased package in the Pacific region, and sees considerable opportunities for exporting both videotex software and expertise. Mr Reg Birchfield, CCL’s marketing director and

Fourth Estate managing director, said that the French software was more advanced than the Britishbased Prestel software.

“Of particular note is its ability to access databases, public or private, stored on other, third-party, remote, computer systems. It also has sophisticated transactional facilities, keyword search, and an operational ‘smart’ card, and is undergoing active development.” Videotex Systems, Ltd, will spearhead the CCL group’s move into the videotex marketplace. All divisions, including CCL’s equip-

ment marketing, bureau services and publishing activities will be involved in the marketing and provision of videotex services in New Zealand.

Computer Consultants still identifies the commercial community as its prime target for videotex offerings in New Zealand rather than the mass domestic market.

Videotex Systems will begin marketing for the CCL group in earnest next month. Mr Ralph Green will head the company’s videotex activities as the general manager of the subsidiary.