Nextel Engineering Systems Espana SA, which began operations in May 1994 (CI No 2,444), has surpassed its own initial expectations, according to managing director Christian Barrios, who recently announced turnover after seven months of $5.3m, expected to rise to $7.6m by May this year. The company, 100% owned by the Spanish paper and graphic arts group Unipapel Group, is already involved in various international software projects, mainly in Europe, and will launch its attack on the South American market in 1996, said Barrios. Nextel recently provided its clients in Catalonia with access to its wide range of products by signing an agreement with the Catalan company Integracion de Servicios Informaticos, Isisa. Barrios stressed the company’s independence in its role as a systems integration consultant. After all, we can’t really be on the wrong track, when IBM has created a similar company, but with IBM products, he said. Nextel has made a particularly strong start in the Spanish banking sector, in which there has traditionally been a strong commitment to information technology, but Barrios believes his company has arrived at a time when the sector is recognising a need for an overall change in its technology. Leaning strongly towards the creation of applications in client-server environments and migration from proprietary systems, Nextel relies on a team of 25 professionals, many of whom are currently working on an integration project involving Sybase at Unipapel. The company has just announced availability of what it claims to be the first direct and transparent telecommuting offering to appear on the market. The system goes by the name of Telework and enables access to a network using only personal computer software and a conventional telephone line. The network operating system is immaterial and Telework offers the remote user access to Ethernet or Token Ring at any time and without the need for prior configuration. Equipped with an 80960 RISC processor and employing one single unit weighing less than 15 lbs, Telework will cover the needs of up to 16 remote users, who gain access to the n etwork via modem and Integrated Services Digital Network adaptors. Waiting time and bottlenecks are eliminated and the system offers the same security features as conventional networks. Nextel will offer another three telecommuting products, Sales Force, Info Management and Sales Force, these to be aimed at specific user groups, such as insurance companies and medical case-workers.
