A pioneering Bradford firm has a fight on its hands - despite being hugely successful.

Sharedware, based in Saltaire, has come up with a way for companies and individuals to use a number of computer terminals all driven by one PC - vastly reducing the cost of installing a system.

Sharedware, based in Caroline Street, is facing opposition from PC makers who want to sell more than one computer system to customers.

Phil Jones, the firm's technical director, said today: "None of the PC makers wants to know about this product. Some of them rubbish it to customers by saying that it will not work.

"But we have sold hundreds of units and are planning a series of new products in November which will mean we could treble our current staff of six to 18.

"Schools are particularly interested because they have been told that they need to provide a computer for every child and are struggling to come up with the money to pay for them - this is the way for them to do it."

Phil Jones and sales director Richard Seddon originally worked on the project for another Bradford hi-tech firm. They left the company, with its blessing, to develop the Shareware idea further on their own in January.

The company works in tandem with California-based firm Concurrent Controls who Phil Jones met at a computer show in Las Vegas. Both firms are now promoting Sharedware in the UK and the USA.

Sharedware is so successful it moved into profit after its first four months - a milestone normally achieved after two years.

Richard Seddon added: "Since we started our business at the beginning of the year, the level of interest in our product has snowballed.

"Sharedware is now in daily use in thousands of businesses, homes and schools," he added.

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