A Sussex businessman who helped create the world wide web has been named as a pioneer of future internet development.
Brighton-based etribes was set up by Simon Grice to build online communities for large companies and charities using the internet as a communication tool. The company designs, develops and manages the communities and interactive tools such as chatrooms, bulletin boards and file storage areas.
The firm is one of a handful of IT companies included in Vision 100, a list of 100 UK firms recognised as having a clear focus and putting their ideas into practice, produced by a research team at Cranfield School of Management.
Mr Grice said: "Ten years ago I was working with the man who invented the world wide web, Tim Berners-Lee, and he always said it was about putting ideas in as well as taking ideas out.
"He had a vision of the web as a way to share information and I have been influenced by his vision that the web should be much more than a glorified TV channel.
"At etribes we build spaces where people can communicate. The commercial benefits for our clients are huge.
"We have been working with a travel agency to help link up their customers before, during and after their holidays. The age-range involved is diverse, from teenage to pensioner, with many different demands.
"We have been looking at building online communities for each holiday market where people take control of the content and use the space for their own needs.
"We make use of web's interactive potential in the way it was originally intended rather than as a passive feed. Many companies put little more than a corporate brochure online and this can be a waste of a web site.
"Sites using our communities have seen an increase in customer or member retention and more visitors willing to try online shopping."
The Vision 100 list was set up last year to find which UK companies had visionary approaches with a winning formula for business. More than 2,500 companies of all sizes entered for the awards.
Peter Murray, chairman of the judging panel at Cranfield School of Management, said the Vision 100 listing was awarded to etribes for being able to demonstrate the philosophy behind developing online communities had been properly thought-through and applied with success.
He said: "Simon's company was clearly trying to think outside the box. The online communities put forward by etribes were in many cases in the early stages but there was more than enough evidence to show they were practicing their own vision and building it for the future. We had many entries from people using new technology but etribes was one of the few able to demonstrate they have a clear understanding of what they want to do with the service they are promoting."
The initial entries were assessed by a research team who used a matrix, designed by Mr Murray, to establish whether a company was working to a vision for the future.
At the next stage, potential winners were interviewed to find out more about their aims and achievements before the final list was compiled and announced last week.
Mr Murray said: "We quickly weeded out the people who had nothing more than a mission statement of aspiration, to find the companies where the visions were effecting a measurable change and benefit.
Mr Grice established etribes last year. He had previously set up three other successful internet companies and was involved with the early coding for the internet.
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