HIGH-tech firm Mitrefinch is setting out to prove yet again its prowess in The Press Business Awards 2006.

In 2004, as well as last year, the time and attendance specialist in Clifton Moor, York, scooped the technology title.

Now its 90 employees hope to do the hat-trick by winning this year's Science & Technology Business Of The Year award.

Mitrefinch's core product, TMS time and attendance systems, is now operating at more than 2,500 sites worldwide, but nifty new technology has also ensured sales this year should be boosted from £6 million to £9 million.

One adaptation has meant synchronising time and attendance and human resources systems for installation on to rugged hand-held devices so information can be accessed in "tough" environments.

Called the MC9000, the gadget should meet the needs of the likes of construction site staff, dock workers and contract cleaners who need a portable, but durable, way of clocking in and updating records, wherever they are.

It should prove particularly useful to miners in remote areas of Canada.

That is important because the technology has led to a partnership with hand-held device manufacturer, Symbol - increasing marketing penetration in Canada and Australia, where Mitrefinch already has outpost offices.

Other new revenue- boosting technology includes a new sel-service capability for Mitrefinch's human resources system, HR Net.

This allows employers to selectively roll out access to everyone in their organisation, so that they can see and update their personal records.

A third money-spinner was the result of a project to reprogramme and standardise all of Mitrefinch's disparate systems relating to time and attendance, payroll and access control so that it is incorporated in one super system which can be accessed across organisations even in different countries.

Sophie Holt, the firm's marketing co-ordinator, said: "These significant sales are being generated by more fully realising our existing systems through using our new technology, rather than undertaking the vast research and development time and cost of creating totally new systems.

"So, although this method has been thorough and time consuming, it has been very cost-effective."