Business news in brief 15/03/2012

Cloudy forecast is good for business

THE number of Scottish businesses using “cloud computing” technology more than doubled last year, according to figures released yesterday by search engine operator Google.

Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy, Inverness and Paisley all posted rises in usage that out-stripped the national increase of 111 per cent, while Glasgow lagged behind with a 107 per cent rise.

Cloud computing allows companies to access software and documents from anywhere in the world over the internet rather than storing them on individual desktop computers.

BA suspends deal with Kingfisher

British Airways has suspended its code sharing agreement with India’s troubled Kingfisher Airlines, the UK carrier said yesterday.

Kingfisher is “undergoing a financial restructure,” said Christopher Fordyce, regional commercial manager for south Asia at British Airways, without elaborating on the reason for the suspension.

Cash-strapped Kingfisher, part of Whyte & Mackay-owner Vijay Mallya’s business empire, said it will cut back its overseas flights as it looks to slash costs and attract funding from wary bankers and sceptical investors.

IT firm Endava moves into Glasgow

IT firm Endava yesterday revealed it is expanding into Glasgow after hiring Caroline McHale as a business development manager and Yvonne Currie as a client engagement manager.

The company, which is based in London and has operations in Moldova and Romania, said it would take on extra staff for the office but that the exact numbers would depend on demand from its clients.

Endava, which turns over about £23 million a year, lists chocolate maker Cadbury and the Open golf championship among its customers.