txt your way to bargains and savings

Txtsales launched their website yesterday, Monday 8th December, and set live their new business initiative. Claiming a world first, txtsales utilises your mobile phone as your own personal shopping browser. It works like this: you text the name of an item you’re interested in buying, along with your location, to txtsale’s number (829), and you’ll immediately get texted back information about which retailers near you have that item on sale. Aside from the cost of sending your text enquiry, there are no other fees.

At the heart of txtsale’s system is a powerful, interactive and intuitive, keyword search engine. When you send in your text message, you are effectively hooking up to the databases of some of the country’s biggest retailers (The Warehouse is a major player).

If you don’t want to send text messages, the txtsale website offers an alternative facility, whereby you can search for special deals online (there is no cost, but you will need to register first).

Txtsales was dreamt up by Donnamaree Ryder. During the winter of 2007, she was on maternity leave, and she needed to buy a heater. After a frustrating time spent ringing around her local stores, and enduring endlessly being put on hold, all she had learnt was that yes, her local stores sold a variety of heaters. In the end, she had to venture out into the cold along with her six week old baby in order to visit the stores in person – to actually see what was on offer and what the prices were. From her frustration came the thought: there has got to be an easier way! And that was when txtsales was born.

Take a look txtsales.co.nz

Kiwi know-how, Microsoft muscle

Hamilton-based IT company NetValue expects a huge boost in international sales as a result of Microsoft taking an interest in its specialist high-performance search technology.

After seeing NetValue's ground-breaking technology for super-fast genetic searching and analysis, Microsoft has given the Waikato company access to its global marketing and sales network.

Microsoft announced on Tuesday it was conferring a rare "high-potential managed independent software vendor partner" status on NetValue, making it one of only about 400 companies worldwide Microsoft takes a special interest in grooming for success.

Read the full article at the New Zealand Herald

NetValue gets top Microsoft recognition

A “bunch of Linux geeks from Hamilton” and their company NetValue recently entered the stratosphere in Microsoft partnership terms when the company was granted Microsoft High Potential Partner status, thanks to the company’s SlimSearch technology for searching and analysing DNA.

Read the full article at thechannel

Software enables DNA comparison on 'regular PC'

Software developed in Hamilton has been picked up by Microsoft US, providing the company, NetValue, with a great push into the US market.

Microsoft has made NetValue a partner in its High Performance Computing (HPC) programme, as well as in its High Potential Managed Independent Software Vendor (ISV) programme and its Life Sciences Partner programme.

Read the full article at Computerworld