A FAST-GROWING North-East company has attracted attention from across the globe with its advanced online shopping facility - before it is officially launched.

Newcastle-based Dpivision is launching its advanced Tradingeye Shop V5.

It is a software product for web developers and retailers to build online shops or shopping carts compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act, and reach level three of the World Wide Web Consortium accessibility guidelines.

With more than 12 per cent of people in the UK registered as disabled, with a total disposable income of more than £50bn, the software offers a step forward for developers to make products and services accessible to people who cannot shop in the high street.

With the launch of the product weeks away, Tradingeye has sold more than 100 copies to online retailers as far away as Australia, New Zealand and the US.

The product will mark another milestone for the company, which was set up in 2003 by father and son Dimitri and Wladimir Baranoff-Rossine.

It expanded into a 900sq ft attic studio in Pink Lane, in January, and has increased staff from four to six people.

Wladimir Baranoff-Rossine, project manager at dpivision.com, said: "We feel it is important that the internet is accessible to all and are proud to be leading the way in this area.

"The new version of Tradingeye makes it much easier for e-commerce companies to make sure their websites are fully accessible to disabled users, as well as making them easier to use for everyone else.

"We have set the benchmark for standards in this area.

"We would love to see the day when the 80 per cent of UK websites which do not meet the guidelines are brought up to date."

Tradingeye has also been heralded as a benchmark in accessible shopping carts by leading international web developer Andy Clarke, creative director of Stuff and Nonsense.

He said: "Finally, designers and developers have what they want - a standards-based, highly accessible and professional e-commerce solution that has fewer limitations than anything we have seen so far."

Dpivision is a member of Codeworks Connect, the trade association for the North East's digital industries.