EDINGBURGH NEWS – July 14 – Bill Dobbie, founder of EasyDate, is a St Andrews pure maths graduate who got a job with Burroughs in Cumbernauld in the 1970s making "business machines" – today they're known as computers. Then he build up Teledata, a telephone information services company that he sold to Scottish Telecom, and Iomart, an internet web hosting firm he helped create with his brother-in-law Angus MacSween. He left six years ago, but maintains interests there, and launched web-based DVD rental firm, dvds365.com. When that was sold to LoveFilm.com, it was time to seek out a new venture. Named last year as one of Deloitte Technology's Fast 50 – a list of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the UK – EasyDate attracts about 200,000 new fee-paying members a month. "We wouldn't be maximising the company's capability if we didn't take it worldwide," said Bill Dobbie, the founder. "And we've had an international outlook from the beginning." Boosted by the stock market cash injection, EasyDate is now preparing to do just that. First up is the acquisition of an American firm that will increase the firm's presence there. Australia, where EasyDate already draws ~£200,000 a month, is targeted for expansion, as is Brazil, China and almost everywhere else you might care to mention. FULL ARTICLE @ EDINBURGH NEWS
