Growing Keighley computer solutions company Alaric Systems has celebrated its second birthday with a party for staff.

Plans for the next year were ann-ounced, including expansion in Ger-many and refurbishment and extension of the firm's Devonshire Street offices.

Alaric was formed by Carl Swale with one member of staff, but in two years has grown to 16 employees, including four directors. Its core business area is authorisation software for all types of credit and debit card transactions for banks and building societies.

Senior directors are Mr Swale and Tony Spencer. Mr Spencer has extensive knowledge of the European market and Carl has many years' experience working with building societies in the UK.

Alaric operates in a niche market, supplying specialised software support and consultancy to a small number of very large companies. Customers include three large UK building societies and two major European banks, one in Frankfurt and one in Lugano, Switzerland, as well as an international satellite communications company based in Montreal, Canada.

The company has recently formed a partnership with a large German software house to develop a new card authorisation product, and two European banks have already committed to the new product.

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