A HI-TECH Bury company is bringing 21st century light to the Dark Continent.

Roy Tynan and Paul Rimmer have landed the job of wiring up deepest Africa to the Internet.

It's another triumph for the pair who run the Pixel Factory, which they set up in Bury less than two years ago.

Roy (36) flew out to Sudan yesterday and will spend the next three weeks in Khartoum setting up a complete Internet system for the Sudanese government in tandem with the country's telecom business.

He will help design the system, set up the infra-structure and show them how to use it.

A trip to Kenya to do a similar job will happen in the New Year, and likely to be confirmed for Easter are further jobs in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Egypt.

The Pixel duo are carrying out all this work on behalf of the UN, who have contracted them to develop software and systems.

Following Africa, the former USSR countries are on the agenda for late next year, then the Indian sub-Continent.

All this African travelling does have its drawbacks, however.

"As a keen Bury fan with a season ticket for Gigg Lane, I'm going to miss two or three home matches before Christmas," says Roy.

"Still, I can always log on to the Internet for the results and reports!"

Roy and Paul set up Pixel in early 1996 with offices on Manchester Road, Bury, and their reputation has spread far and wide. Microsoft even invited them to address a conference at Oxford University.

In the summer, they were awarded a contract with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation to help their offices in English-speaking African countries to communicate quickly rather than relying on the post.

Nearer to home, the duo are to be Internet service providers for Bolton Bury Chamber of Commerce.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.