CHERTSEY, U.K., Jan. 15, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Regus (Nasdaq:REGS) (LSE:RGU) has entered into a new phase of its growth by signing its first UK franchisee under an agreement with Business Spark Ltd. The deal closely follows the signing of a 15-center franchise agreement with the HAK Group in the Middle East.
"Franchising is now a Regus core strategy to help us achieve our global business development goals," commented Mark Dixon, chief executive of Regus. "I welcome Business Spark to the Regus global network and I am confident that they will thrive within our framework for growth under the direction of managing director, Karl Newman. We will be fully supporting Business Spark in this venture, using the experience gained in delivering consistently high quality to our customers around the world."
Business Spark is to open new franchised Regus centers in Farnborough and Winchester, Hampshire and Farnham, Surrey, during the next three years, with the first center in Farnborough due to open early in 2002. These new Regus business centers will provide businesses, both large and small, with access to fully equipped office workspaces on flexible terms, and the opportunity to outsource their office accommodation requirements on cost-effective terms.
"The opportunity to become part of the world's largest network of outsourced offices, at the forefront of changing the way people work, is very exciting," said Karl Newman, managing director of Business Spark Ltd. "It complements many of our existing business services and provides us with some great new opportunities."
Serviced offices are now even more cost-effective for longer periods, for larger numbers of people and over a wider geographic spread, compared with five years ago, claims a new survey, entitled The True Cost of the Flexible Office, published by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply. The report highlights that serviced offices can provide an average saving of 78% in the UK, over traditional property acquisition methods.
For further details of the new Regus center in Farnborough contact Business Spark on 01784 410237 or visit www.regus.com
Note to editors
Represented in 180 cities in 50 countries, Regus is the global leader in supplying fully serviced office workspaces. Offering more than 85,000 workspaces in more than 390 prestigious locations, it is also the market leader in providing meeting rooms, conference and training facilities and public access videoconferencing studios.