From Anthony Reeves,Group Chief Executive,Computer Poeple Group Plc,London E14 9GL.
In Computergram No 2,515 you published a lengthy piece on Computer People’s acquisition of the VNG group. Whilst the bulk of the detailed story is accurate, the first sentence is both inaccurate and damaging. You said In a bid to revive a flagging contract based in the North of England…. There is no justification for such a statement and we must ask you to publish a retraction, and an apology. In fact, Computer People has increased its business in the North of England, as elsewhere in the UK. You reported on September 6 that Computer People’s turnover for the first six months of the year was up by 13.4% and profit was up by 137.5% The North of England contributed its share to this growth. Historically, both Computer People and Span have been strongest in the South, where most of their offices are based. The purchase of VNG, which is based in Manchester, balances the geographical spread of Computer People. Since Computer People is not active in Europe, the second half of your opening sentence is also misleading. The purchase of VNG and its Interskill arm again allows growth to build from an established base.
