Business Link Heart of England TEC sponsored two rapidly growing Oxfordshire companies at a top level e-business conference in Oxford.

The companies are the Ortho Group, of Kimber Road, Abingdon, which makes and supplies artificial limbs to the National Health Service and components abroad, and Axicode International, of Chesterton, Bicester, which distributes barcoding equipment world-wide.

Business Link director Mr Colin Alexander said: Both companies are expanding rapidly in their fields and feel they may need to get into e-business to service customers here and abroad. We have been working with them on various projects and the sponsorship is part of our ongoing support.

Mr Michael O'Byrne, chief executive of Ortho, said: We have found Business Link very helpful. We are rapidly expanding and need to look at e-commerce because of our offices abroad.

Mr John Knights, chairman of Axicode, said: Our Business Link adviser is very good and has helped with identifying local sources for the services we require.

The theme of E-business Conference 2000 organised by the University of Oxford's Continuing Professional Centre was that successful exploitation of e-business opportunities required an understanding and rethink of how it affects all aspects of business.