Technology is a firm favourite (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Technology is a firm favourite

Chief executive of Centennial Software, Andy Burton A SWINDON firm which designs software to stop identity theft has been recognised by a national newspaper.

Centennial Software, which employs 40 people at its headquarters in Viscount Way has been announced as the third fastest growing technology firm in the South West according to the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 annual league table.

The table also recognises the firm as one of the fastest growing of its type in the country.

Andy Burton, chief executive officer of Centennial told the Swindon Advertiser: "We are extremely proud to be featuring in the Tech Track 100.

"It is the second time we have been inside, in two years, and I think that demonstrates the commitment and ability of our staff to keep growing the business."

Customers from both the public and private sector are already queuing for Centennial's products, while those who have already brought the software include Madrid City Council in Spain, the London Borough of Islington, TV channel Five, and even the low-cost airline EasyJet are amongst Centennial's 2,500 customers in 43 countries.

Such is the popularity of the firm's products that sales have grown quickly from £2.8m in 2002 to a massive £5.5m last year.

It even has offices across the world, in South Africa, Australia, the United States and in Germany.

The company develops which allows firms using computers and other IT equipment to protect themselves against the installation of illegal software.

Its popular new DeviceWall software was launched in March this year.

It stops people from stealing company information from inside the company.

Firms are at risk from employees who can use portable hard drives, MP3 players, memory sticks and other portable storage devices to download information that the business might not want made public.

Mr Burton said he was proud to be based in the town: "Swindon is one of the best places our business can be.

"When our founder members split from Novell, they wanted to keep the business in the area so they moved from Hungerford to Swindon and the company has grown."

"There are many firms, all using IT in the region, and in Swindon itself there is a superb talent base of people from a range of firms."

Centennial was established in 1997 by Glenn Stephens and John Spinks.

The founding pair worked as software engineers who realised there was a need for Y2K Millennium bug work within businesses.