Gyro plans a new media spin off

London design group Gyro, one of the UK’s 100 fastest growing companies, is to expand its digital media division, with the appointment of three new members of staff and an expansion into new offices.

Headed by Robb Masters, Gyro New Media currently shares premises with Gyro, using its designers and project managers. But under new plans to strengthen its offer, the division will become a separate company under the Gyro umbrella.

The company recently won a competitive pitch against unknown rivals to redesign the website for CallServe, Europe’s leading Internet telephone provider. The new website is due to launch at the end of January.

CallServe enables dial-up Internet users to make calls while they’re on the Internet, without having to change, upgrade or add to their existing phone line.

Until now, Gyro New Media has worked predominantly for existing clients of Gyro, such as Oracle, Network Associates and Iomega. CallServe represents Gyro New Media’s first independent pitch.

The division now hopes to enter further pitches without the backing of its parent company.

Masters says: “The website will focus on the one-to-one communications that the service offers, rather than the mechanisms of the technology itself. This will be reflected in a humanistic design.”

He adds, “We will be targeting more external business in 2000 and beyond. To meet this objective, Gyro New Media will be taking on three additional members of staff in the near future – an additional producer, a Web developer, and an account director – before moving to expanded offices in London’s Chelsea Harbour.”