A PC-based facility which provides excellent data as well as video conferencing facilities. |
The UK is the first choice for software companies that want a successful base in Europe. Some may be looking for opportunities to expand into the burgeoning European e-business market. Others may be seeking world-class R&D.
But whatever their needs , whether its in terms of expertise, accommodation and other resources, Britain can meet them.
Software is one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK. From famous names such as Microsoft and Oracle to smaller leading-edge innovators, more than 33,000 companies are flourishing in this vibrant sector.
Besides databases and other mainstay software packages, the UK’s strengths include:
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Virtual reality
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WAP (wireless applications protocol) technologies
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Multimedia applications based on neural networks
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Real-time and safety-critical software
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Britain has Europe's fastest growing software and computer services sector
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a thriving and creative indigenous software industry
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top place in Europe for e-business solutions, applications and research
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an innovative, skilled English-speaking workforce
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strongly regulated software training
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an established tradition of research and innovation in both academia and industry
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successful IT-related industries
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an advanced and competitively priced telecoms infrastructure
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venture capitalists eager to invest in software companies
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a Government that actively supports innovation, business and inward investment |
All these assets make Britain the natural gateway to Europe’s $107bn software and computer services market, which represents around 26% of the world market.
The Vodaphone WAP (Wirless Application Protocol) |
Many software houses here draw on the world-class R&D skills in British universities, especially in areas such as e-commerce, parallel computing, artificial intelligence and multimedia.
Outside of the universities is another solid base of highly skilled software developers, who focus on commercial and business applications such as financial systems.
The UK software and computer services industry has grown by between 17% and 24% a year since 1993. This trend is expected to continue. By 1998 the combined turnover of the top 2,000 UK companies in this sector was almost $27bn; their profits are expected to increase by an average of more than 35% a year.
The UK's total systems and applications software market alone is predicted to increase by around 25% to over $15bn. The broad IT and communications sectors are expected to contribute more than 10% of British GDP by 2001.
The Web is now a strong force in British culture. UK business and personal consumers are considered to be Europe's most comfortable users of multimedia interface channels. Some 45% of UK adults have Internet access.
By 2002, one million UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be wired to the digital economy. This puts the UK well ahead of its European neighbors in terms of information, communication and technology (ICT) uptake and usage.
And in the UK, Internet shopping alone is expected to rise to £10 billion – 2.5% of total retail sales – by 2003. Some 68% of SMEs are connected to the Internet, against 53% in the rest of Europe.
This large and growing user base allows R&D departments to test and fine-tune a new product or service before incurring heavy manufacturing and marketing costs.
Deregulation has created the most advanced, reliable and cost-effective telecoms infrastructure in Europe. Yahoo!’s UK producer, Ralph Averbuch, says: ‘The UK is by far the most mature on-line market in Europe, thanks to early privatisation of telecommunications and the rapid growth in cable companies’.
Technology advances are also driving growth. The widespread roll-out of cable modem and OSL Internet access will be complemented by technologies such as WAP, which offers Internet access via digital GSM mobile networks. In the UK, the mobile phone market is expanding rapidly – nearly one person in three owns one.
UK universities have established 58 science parks to foster closer relationships with industry. The parks are now home to 1,400 companies, over 46% of them in IT and telecoms. These business campuses provide:
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Opportunities for both formal and informal collaboration with academic staff
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Accommodation for small teams as well as
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R&D units for multinationals Management and support services, including financial and business advice |
The UK software and computer services industry excluding e-business is forecast to carry on growing at around 15% annually until 2002, when the market is expected to be worth around $35bn.
As computers increasingly penetrate and influence our personal and professional lives, the demand for software applications will rise. At the same time, the emphasis on IT skills means that the UK is training its next generation of skilled software technologists, giving companies the proficient staff they need to expand successfully from a UK base.
The growth potential of the Internet and e-business is huge. But companies wishing to exploit this potential must have a base that offers all the resources they need. With its superb telecoms infrastructure, its world-class academics and researchers, and its large and expanding pool of e-technologists and e-professionals, the UK is the unbeatable location in Europe.
Information courtesy of invest.UK
www.invest.uk.com
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