Melbourne Incubator Firms In Merger
The Age
Tuesday October 27, 1998
INTERNET software and Web site developers, Clearview Technologies and Blue Tongue, have merged their Melbourne IT development teams into a new production company, Blue Tongue Online.
Martin Cheeseman, who founded Clearview in 1995, and Blue Tongue founder Andrew Heath will launch Blue Tongue Online's first two e-business products at Interact98 in Melbourne.
Interact98 opens tomorrow.
Cheeseman and Heath believe their new low-cost products, e-merchant now and e-merchant plus, will revolutionise the ease and cost of establishing an online shopfront.
Both companies have been operating from Melbourne University's Melbourne IT incubator for the last two years.
But Cheeseman and Heath envisage that Blue Tongue Online will move out of the incubator by the end of next year.
Cheeseman said the merger was a significant move forward for both companies and made a lot of sense.
``I am excited about the future and our ability to add extra value to our existing clients, and I look forward to using the combined resources of Blue Tongue Online in developing unique solutions for business," Cheeseman said.
Heath, who originally developed the Intranet system for Melbourne IT's COM.AU domain name registration bureau and oversaw the development of Melbourne IT's corporate communications network, said the new entity would focus strategically on developing corporate e-commerce solutions.
``The merger enables Blue Tongue Online to deliver innovative, cost-effective and commercial solutions for clients to a worldwide market," Heath said.
Both development teams have collaborated on a range of projects over the last two years.
Before launching Clearview three years ago, Cheeseman had worked on a many leading-edge network planning and operations projects over a 23-year career with Telstra and subsidiary companies.
Heath said another drawcard of bringing in Clearview's expertise was its quality assurance accreditation.
Clearview achieved ISO 9001 certification earlier this year.
On the product frontlines, e-merchant will enable customers the opportunity of creating their own online shopping site (www.e-merchant.com.au) within seconds of payment.
For customers who want to tailor their web sites, e-merchant plus will provide a range of options including customised domain name and secure online verification and payment of credit card purchases.
© 1998 The Age
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