A Teesside software development firm is playing a noteworthy role, helping an international company to cope with conversion to the euro.

Excel-sys, based at UK Steel Enterprise's Innovations Centre at the Kirkleatham Business Park in Redcar, has successfully completed a euro conversion project for a client that operates a number of companies globally.

The company, an international transportation firm that deals with the movement of bulk liquids, needed the conversion software in a hurry and presented the Teesside firm with a tight, immovable deadline.

Senior partner Brian Hall explained: "The company needed software that would give them a fully integrated euro conversion system.

"They work round the world on a daily basis and now have to deal with customers and suppliers in countries that have changed over to the euro, countries that haven't yet, and countries, such as the US, whose currency will not change, so we were looking at every possible permutation."

He added: "It was a complicated job and one that would usually be tackled by major companies with their own large IT set-ups or by using a large commercial package solution. They also needed it very quickly. We pulled out all the stops and every member of our staff rose to the challenge so we completed the job in about six weeks.

"There is no doubt that we have gained valuable experience in dealing with euro conversions and that will stand Excel-sys in good stead for the future."

Simon Hamilton, of UK Steel Enterprise, said: "Excel-sys has grown rapidly to meet the demand for practical IT solutions so we are not surprised that the company is tackling a global project like this one."