A longer term hold for me as the company (software) recovers after the tech boom and bust ..... New Management - new strategy and today another new contract...



ains





Synstar wins new #15m seven-year contract with AWE



Synstar Plc, the pan-European IT services provider, has signed a new #14.96
million, seven-year contract with the Atomics Weapons Establishment (AWE). The
contract will see AWE using four out of Synstar's five service lines; managed
services, hardware maintenance, data management and networking services.

AWE manages the design, manufacture and in-service support of nuclear weapon
systems for the United Kingdom's defence capability. Across six AWE sites in
the UK, Synstar will provide 40 technicians to oversee the provision of full
infrastructure services to more than 6,500 scientific, research and technical
users. The first phase of the contract begins on 1 April 2003 and will run for
a period of seven years. AWE then have the option to extend the contract to a
second and third service phase.

The business was won in a competitive tender with ten other firms, including IBM
Global, Fujitsu, EDS, HP/Compaq and Serco.

Chris Locke, Head of IT Business Systems at AWE, said: "We were determined to
find a partner who was experienced in providing end-to-end services, able to
demonstrate innovative approaches to our technology requirements and to do so in
a cost effective manner. Following extensive competition and evaluation phases,
we have chosen Synstar as that partner.

Synstar CEO, Steve Vaughan, said: "In 2001 Synstar first outlined its strategy,
which included targeting larger customers with innovative multi-service
offerings under long term contracts. Much like the arrangement with Westland,
today's deal provides further evidence of the successful implementation of this
strategy."

Edged up today on modest volume

Presentatio today for city analysts at offices of Arbuthnot - will provide general overview of operations and strategy

Maybe some reference to smaller coontracts recently won



ains

announces it is today hosting a presentation for City analysts and institutions at the offices of Arbuthnot. This presentation will provide a general overview of the Company's operations and strategy. No comment on current trading will be made by the Company during the course of the presentation. Reference may be made to the smaller contracts won during the first half of the current financial year.

CORSAIR, the French charter airline company based at Paris-Orly airport has appointed Synstar for Managed Services that includes: on-site helpdesk support, networking, security and telecom infrastructure management.

Avecia a global speciality chemicals company has extended its contract, initially signed in September 2002, to include its Dutch helpdesk operation for Neo-Resins.

First Group the Aberdeen-based passenger transport group that owns First Great Western and First Great Eastern has extended its existing maintenance contract with Synstar to take on a managed services approach. The new six-year contract includes computer services, networking and data management.

Synstar will also provide the infrastructure for a shared services centre to ensure consistency throughout First Group.

Aventis the globally based pharmaceutical manufacturer has appointed Synstar for the Outsourced Management of its Desktop Support Organisation throughout the UK.

Recent other projects include Windows 2000 Migrations. Synstar intends to issue its usual trading statement relating to the six month period ended 31 March 2003 in early April 2003.

Trading Update


LONDON (AFX) - Synstar PLC, the pan-European IT services provider, said current trading in the six months to March 31 2003 continued in line with market expectations.
Ahead of its close period, the group said it continues to make progress cross-selling its services into current customers.

Plans for the recovery of the group's French business remain on track and feature the signing of several multi-service line deals, the company added. It said the order book remains strong, benefiting from regularly winning larger, more 'joined up' deals. "We continue to adjust our mix of services, exiting under-performing contracts in order to maintain upward pressure on overall margins."

The board said it remains confident that Synstar's flexible and innovative approach to its customers' end to end IT requirements, coupled with continuing excellent customer satisfaction results, means the group is well placed to deliver enhanced profitability going forward.

Synstar will be announcing its interim results for the six months ended March 31 2003 on Friday May 30.

some huge crosses going through ...... almost 10% of the total cap

CVC have sold their entire holding of 6.69% or 10.875 million shares

Hambro Capitsal also sold 2 million on 3/4 and 1.8 million on 07/05


shares are up 2.52% and clearly someone has bought them


ains

Mail - Computer services company Synstar benefited from news that Arbuthnot Securities had successfully placed more than 10m shares, formerly owned by a venture capital company, at 58 1/2p with a range of institutions*. Synstar shares closed up 1 1/2p at 61p.

12/05 Arbuthnot Securities has a buy rating for Synstar but reduce ratings for IMI and Weir Group and hold stances on LogicaCMG and TT Electronics



Ticking up today as a result - 61/63p up 1.64% in a down market - 160k traded which is about average

Aberforth Partners now hold 18.2 million shares or 11.21%

Artemis Investments now hold 12.1 million shares or 7.46%


looking good and ticking up again

Whatever hapenned to Ainsoph?

Not sure if Synstar morphrd into Synopics or not, but here is the latest news release if they did.

Click HERE

Well if you had read the case of the "canoe man" John Darwin you would
have seen some striking similarities with the legend ainsoph/kdc !

It emerged he had a hidden room where he was trading shares and they found
20 porcelain frogs there, (kdc was obsessed with Tadpole Tech), also he had
some kind of fantasy life which is also similar with ainsoph/kdc and he also
vanished around the same time !

pie in the sky maybe but my friends that used to post on that advfn Tadpole
thread think it's not as crazy as it first sounds :-))