AN Internet firm based in York has scooped a European contract which is prestigious in anybody's language - and completed it in record time.

DotCom Imaging, of The Forge, on the York Riding School estate in Wigginton Road, took just one month to redesign nine new websites in three different languages for a division of electronics giant Hitachi.

London-based Hitachi Software Engineering wanted continuity across three different brands over the nine websites to bring them in line with the corporate image.

The speed of the operation of the £7,000 contract, was achieved using website*turbine, new software which was supported by Science City York during its development and eventual launch last autumn.

Richard Gascoigne, DotCom Imaging's director of sales and marketing, said: "We created a portal which embraces all the Hitachi sites and gives them the architecture to build their own websites. It was great to be able to provide Hitachi with a fast and cost-effective solution."

Ray Wynne, business adviser for Science City York said: "It is excellent to see a York company developing and marketing a successful new product and then attracting good business into the region."

DotCom Imaging, is the specialist Internet arm of Pixel Imaging Ltd which was started in 1996 by David Kirkham, technical director. It was in the Deloitte & Touche top 50 awards in 2000 and 2001 and is ranked as the 18th fastest- growing Internet technology company in the North of England.

Updated: 09:24 Tuesday, April 22, 2003