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SHARES, issue 36, 5 - 11 September 2002 Printer maker blazes a new communications trail
by: Michelle Baltazar
OXFORD MAIL, 04 September 2002 Printers ordered to front Computer hardware manufacturer Blazepoint has won a key military order. The company, based in Chalgrove, has secured a £4.25m contract to supply its rugged printers for the Bowman communications system for the British Army. Blazepoint chairman Roger Wadsworth, and managing director Paul Cooper are pictured (see pdf). The contract has come from lead contractor General Dynamics and agreement has been reached for further work for the project. Bowman is a digital voice and data communication system for the Army. It will replace 25-year-old systems. Mr Cooper said: "We believe the printer will become the market leader and standard for defence printer applications." Please click here to download a pdf (30 KB) version of this press cutting.
WESTERN DAILY PRESS, 03 September 2002 Hardware that can take a rap Old-fashioned British Army communications equipment which cannot cope with desert heat is to be given a hi-tech upgrade by Oxfordshire firm Blazepoint. Shares in the group leapt 33 per cent to 2p at news of a £4.3million contract to modify computer printers for use in extreme conditions on 2,000 army vehicles. The printers will allow personnel to transmit complex information such as maps of enemy positions.
DOWN JONES INTERNATIONAL NEWS, 02 September 2002 Blazepoint Group Wins GBP4.25 Million Supply Contract.
LONDON -(Dow Jones)-Blazepoint Group, the specialist computer hardware
manufacturer, Monday said that it has been awarded a GBP4.25 million contract
from General Dynamics United Kingdom Ltd ("General Dynamics U.K."), the prime
contractor for the BOWMAN Communication System, to supply ruggedized printer
that are compatible with the BOWMAN system. Blazepoint has also signed a
Heads of Agreement with General Dynamics U.K. for further contracts related
to the BOWMAN project.
NOTHING-VENTURED.COM, 02 September 2002 Blazepoint: Up 33% on army contract Shares in the specialist computer hardware manufacturer are up 0.5p to 2p after it was awarded a £4.25m contract to supply ruggedised computer printers for use in British army vehicles.
TIMES BUSINESS & SPORT, 03 September 2002 Biggest price movements of the day .... Blazepoint .................... 2p (+1/2p) ........................... Contract win
GUARDIAN, 03 September 2002 Moving up .... Blazepoint .............2.00 (+0.5p) Explanation: £4.25m contract win from General Dynamics
ATX News, 03 September 2002 Blazepoint wins 4.25 mln stg MOD contract; upbeat on defence division ops LONDON (AFX) - Blazepoint Group PLC said it has won a 4.25 mln stg contract from General Dynamics United Kingdom Ltd, the prime contractor for the BOWMAN Communication System, to supply ruggedized printers that are compatible with the BOWMAN system. Blazepoint has also signed a Heads of Agreement with General Dynamics UK for further contracts related to the BOWMAN project. BOWMAN is a secure digital voice and data communication system for the UK armed forces and will replace a technology that is now 25 years old. By 2007, all 18,000 army vehicles will be equipped with the new system and the 60,000 service personnel will be trained accordingly, it added. Paul Cooper, Managing Director said: "The defence division of our business is making excellent progress and we anticipate further major contract wins this year as we develop standard products that are critical to, and compatible with, prime defence contractor's needs. Specifically, we believe that the printer product range which Blazepoint is using for the BOWMAN project will become the market leader and standard for defence printer applications."
BLAZEPOINT WIN £4.25M 'BOWMAN' BRITISH ARMY CONTRACT Blazepoint Group plc, the specialist computer hardware manufacturer today announced that it has been awarded a £4.25m contract from General Dynamics United Kingdom Ltd, the prime contractor for the BOWMAN Communication System, to supply ruggedised printers that are compatible with the BOWMAN system. Blazepoint has also signed a Heads of Agreement with General Dynamics for further contracts related to the BOWMAN project. BOWMAN is a secure digital voice and data communication system for the UK armed forces and will replace a technology that is now 25 years old. By 2007, all 18,000 army vehicles will be equipped with the new system and the 60,000 service personnel will be trained accordingly. Blazepoint will supply General Dynamics UK with 1989 HQP ruggedised A4 printers and has already started shipping some of the printers to General Dynamics. The ruggedisation and certification will be to the rigorous standards demanded by the MOD. The initial order will cover the General Dynamics UK’s recently won contract to provide an infrastructure to support digitisation applications over the next 30 years for the British Army. Paul Cooper, Managing Director of Blazepoint Group plc, said: “The defence division of our business is making excellent progress and we anticipate further major contract wins this year as we develop standard products that are critical to, and compatible with, prime defence contractor’s needs. Specifically we believe that the printer product range which Blazepoint is using for the BOWMAN project will become the market leader and standard for defence printer applications.” Jonathan Murday, BOWMAN Programme Manager
for General Dynamics UK added: “The MoD are undergoing the largest defence
communications programme in the UK for 50 years. General Dynamics UK
welcomes Blazepoint onto the BOWMAN team providing their well designed and
good value printer products."
Oxford Mail (10th July 2002) Printers firm set to double in size A computer printer firm is set to double in size after agreeing to take over another hi-tech company. Blazepoint, which is based in Chalgrove and specialises in providing rugged printers capable of withstanding tough conditions for the armed forces and transport operators, will take an initial one-third share of information technology firm Montal with an option to buy the rest, subject to shareholder approval. Montal, which is based in Dorking, Surrey, supplies a full range of computer products to small businesses. Blazepoint managing director Paul Cooper said: "There is very good fit between the firms and, as a small public company, it gives us more bulk to get a better quality of earnings." The move comes exactly a year after Blazepoint, which employs 46 staff at its headquarters, floated on the Alternative Investment Market. Mr Cooper said that Blazepoint's existing business was uneven because it relied on large contracts at different times, but the Montal acquisition would smooth it out. The existing firms will continue to act a separate divisions, with Mr Cooper joining the Montal board. The announcement follows a £2m deal announced in April, which saw Blazepoint win orders from computer giant ICL and technology specialist Ultra Electronics.
Press release (3rd July 2002) Acquisition of Montal Group Limited Blazepoint, the specialist computer hardware manufacturer, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire an initial 33.33 per cent interest in Montal Group Limited ("Montal"), an IT services company, and has been granted an option to acquire the remaining 66.67 per cent interest in Montal ("Montal Option"). The maximum additional consideration payable by Blazepoint for the entire issued share capital of Montal is £1.5 million, to be satisfied by a mixture of cash, loan notes and ordinary shares. Blazepoint manufactures rugged printers and computer hardware for defence and transport applications and has been seeking to expand their 'mission critical' service division, which provides maintenance for printers in harsh environments. Montal provides a complete IT and communications infrastructure solution to the SME marketplace; in particular, housing associations and other public sector bodies. Its business includes maintenance and provision of hardware, software support and professional consultancy services with sales support service coverage throughout the UK. Peter Alexander and Andrew Monteith founded the company in 1985. Turnover for the year ended 30 April 2002 was £5.6 million. Initially, Blazepoint will take a one third stake in Montal, financed by the issue of 20,000.000 Blazepoint ordinary shares. The deal will be concluded later in the year by the issue of further Blazepoint ordinary shares, cash and loan notes, on the exercise by Blazepoint of the Montal Option. The existing Montal management will remain with the company. Paul Cooper, Managing Director of Blazepoint, will join the Montal board. Roger Wadsworth, Executive Chairman commented: 'We have been seeking a partner for some time with expertise in the provision and maintenance of critical IT systems to augment our range of rugged equipment. Montal has an excellent established client base in the Local Authority and Housing Association areas. Montal's excellent team will bring added value to our existing service division by applying its technical expertise to our established client base in the defence and transport industries. The two companies complement each other perfectly.'
Retail Technology (June 2002) Please click here to download a pdf (35 KB) version of this press cutting.
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