Award-winning software development specialist Fusion, which started life in Gwent, has made three new appointments to help meet demand for business. New recruits Andrew Piper, Dave Stillman and Ian Bishop join the fastest-growing company of its kind in Wales.

Fusion, which specialises in the development of e-business and e-commerce applications, was ranked third in the recent 2005 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards - and is the number one hi-tech high achiever in Wales. Mr Piper, who lives in Newport, is an Oracle database expert; Mr Stillman, from Barry, joins the .Net team at Fusion, while Mr Bishop, from Cyncoed, Cardiff, provides additional internal systems support.

Fusion managing director Chris Short said: "All three join us in what has without doubt been our most successful year to date. "The business is already recording significant growth on this time last year, and by the year end we're anticipating an improvement of well over 50 per cent. "Our Fast 50 ranking is testament to the stunning 1,500 per cent growth in business achieved over the last five years." Short continued: "Our vision for the future is to use the skills and knowledge we've developed to become one of the UK's top e-commerce agencies. "Even though our development activity and head office will always be in Cardiff, we're starting to win a lot more new business in London and the South-East and will look to grow that," he said.