Pulse Data International
Registered Office Address
Directors
TOWNSEND, Alan
History
Major Shareholders
Orion New Zealand - 10%
Website
www.pulsedata.co.nz
News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
29 November 2001 - NZPA
Orion takes 10 percent stake in Pulse Data
Christchurch-based electricity company Orion New Zealand today announced it had taken a 10
percent stake in Pulse Data International, one of the world's leading electronics designers
for blind people.
Orion manager director Chris Laurie said Orion's cornerstone investment in Pulse Data meant
the company could expand its global business with spin-offs for employment and the
Christchurch economy.
Pulsa Data was formed in Christchurch in 1988 and exports its computer systems products to 30
countries.
Income and capital gains from Orion's investments, which includes gas company Enerco,
contributed to the company's ability to provide significant dividends to its shareholders,
Christchurch City Council and Selwyn and Banks Peninsula District Councils.
The Christchurch council has budgeted Orion to make a net surplus of $29 million in 2002-03
financial year.
Pulse Data has the backing of Microsoft chief Bill Gates for its products helping blind
people.
Their BrailleNote organiser, which allows blind people to check their e-mail, had been a huge
success and an example of 21st century Kiwi ingenuity.
Prime Minister Helen Clark officially launched the new blind organiser in London last year.
BrailleNote is a major breakthrough in its field and has received personal endorsement from
Mr Gates, who is pictured on the BrailleNote.com website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 28, 2001 - Unlimited, by Fiona Rotherham
Making A Blind Bit Of Difference
It's not hard to see why Pulse Data is considering a public listing in the next couple of
years. Growth rates for the Christchurch developer of electronic aids for the blind and
visually impaired averaged nearly 43% in the past three years. It claims to be making good
profits and the outlook is just as promising.
With winning the eye of the world's richest man last year - that's right, Microsoft's Bill
Gates - has come the sort of publicity small companies dream of. The company's latest
product, BrailleNote, is a talking computer for the blind with a killer application that can
use Microsoft's Windows and email Braille documents to other users in standard form. "We got
a photo of BrailleNote in the New York Times when Microsoft put out a press release
mentioning it, and coverage from all major newspapers and magazines around the world that we
couldn't hope to tap into on our own," says managing director Dr Russell Smith. The Kiwi
company signed a deal with Microsoft late last year to develop further software to allow
BrailleNote users to access the Microsoft electronic book programme. The book reader, due for
release in the first quarter of 2002, will allow blind people to download books the day they
are published and read them instantly in Braille.
It's all heady stuff for the company that evolved from a 1988 management buyout (MBO) from
parent, Wormald International. Smith and seven partners struggled to raise the $700,000 or so
capital needed for the MBO, when the company was still not making any money. But they saw the
international sales network, built up at great cost, was gathering momentum. Early cash flow
hassles were resolved by setting up two divisions (since on-sold) importing medical
instruments and hearing aids.
Smith says the company could never have come into existence in the current environment
without the export incentives that helped it survive as a start-up. From the outset the
company invested heavily in research and development - currently 8% of turnover. Being the
technology leader in its field has paid off. All of the major companies in the industry have
at some stage bought Pulse Data's technology and componentry to put in their products.
"Some people think it's a crazy idea because you're helping the opposition, but it is very
lucrative. It also stops the opposition developing the expertise themselves so they're always
a cycle behind you." As an R&D company there is a competitive advantage to being
head-quartered in Christchurch - Smith reckons the company gets around three times the output
per dollar it would if it were based in the US or Europe. Most of the savings comes from the
lower wages paid here.
The biggest challenge in recent times has been strengthening its marketing network worldwide.
Pulse Data recently acquired two North American marketing companies to gain greater security
of supply into its biggest market.
Staff numbers have gone from five in 1988, to 130 worldwide. Revenue has gone from nothing to
$30 million last year. Sales are forecast to be $50 million in the next financial year. If
achieved, that growth will lift the company's size to among the top in the industry and give
it access to customers who previously wouldn't deal with it because it was judged too small.
Smith reckons the company can continue its rapid growth because the low-vision end of the
market is so under-penetrated. "Even if we take never take any business off our competitors
there is huge growth potential over the next 10 years because so many more people are living
longer and outliving their eyeballs. And more and more are using computers."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~