A contract to develop a major Internet presence for the National Business Review has gone to Auckland company Clearfield Communications, in a deal thought to be worth around $300,000.
Clearfield's tender is understood to have been the lowest of those received, with some ranging up to $500,000. NBR's publisher Barry Colman and managing editor Nevil Gibson were both out of the country last week and Cleafield's commercial director, Ken Westlake, refused to comment but the new venture raises some intriguing possibilities.
Clearfield has been consulting for Clear Communications' planned Internet service, and was also involved in establishing BellSouth's Web site and the various Telecom online services. Some sources suggest that NBR may be looking to create an online product which it could then on-sell to another content provider.