A Gwent-based company set up to provide services which will help e-commerce fulfill its potential has increased its staff from five to 110 in four years and is at a critical stage in its international expansion.

UDEX, at Newport, has established an internet library of universal product information which helps remove barcode confusion and acts as a catalyst for business on the web.

The reading of bar codes is not a precise science and many big companies, such as supermarkets, privately admit that errors are common.

With UDEX's solution, backed by UCCnet, the e-commerce division of the Uniform Codes Council in the US, manufacturers pass all the relevant product information on and the company then arranges it on a uniform template and ensures that definitions are commonly coded.

Retailers and suppliers are then given an internet access code, which allows them to pull down the information as their systems need it. Changes to product descriptions need be passed on only once by the manufacturer and the template altered once.

UDEX's latest appointment is Robin Howe, pictured, who becomes chief executive officer of UDEX Holdings. He was previously divisional chief executive for the Vitec Group, where he was responsible for developing several highly successful brands in the TV and film industry. Before that, he worked extensively in the retail point-of-sale industry in Europe.

UDEX believes that this experience will be invaluable to the company.

Founded by Mike Walton in 1998, UDEX aimed from the start to address the problems of supply-chain breakdowns, most of which were due to errors in product information on a huge scale.

"Robin brings us substantial experience in international sales and marketing and a successful track record in managing high-growth business", said Mr Walton.

"We are approaching a critical phase of our global roll-out and I am delighted his skills and experience are available to UDEX".

Mr Howe's appointment is the latest of a a number made in the last few months. These include Pat McDonald, UK managing director; Steve Hebborn, chief finance officer; and Harold Forbes, global marketing director.