Money Dashboard’s eagerly anticipated beta testing programme launches today. Testing is by invitation only and thousands of people have already signed up to take part.

For the first time testers will get a feel for how Money Dashboard will finally look when it launches next Spring. Users can aggregate their bank accounts, tag transactions and use the budgeting tools provided. A forum to provide feedback is also now live.

Money Dashboard is a free online personal finance service for the UK consumer. It brings a person’s bank accounts, credit cards, store cards and loans together on one screen – giving a clear up to the minute picture of their personal finances, making it the one place to manage your money.

Consumers can access the Money Dashboard application from any PC and by using it for just ten to fifteen minutes a month it allows them to track spending, set budgets and helps them save. It will also send email and text alerts of budget overspend, suspicious transactions or important events.

Independent of banks, building societies and lending organisations, Money Dashboard is the consumer’s friend. It puts people in control of their finances and helps them identify suitable products and ways to save.

The feedback from Money Dashboard’s testers will help shape the final product and ensure that it can put the UK consumer back in charge of their own finances.”

Money Dashboard will be rolling the service out to those that are currently signed up over the next few weeks – applications for access are still being accepted at www.moneydashboard.com/signup.aspx.

Web hosting specialist, Webfusion, has acquired the hosting assets of XCalibre Communications to strengthen its entry level managed hosting business. The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, will enable Webfusion to extend its offering and provide XCalibre customers with access to a variety of products, along with 24×7 support.

The remaining XCalibre business will transfer to Flexiant Ltd. Webfusion, in partnership with Flexiant, will trial the FlexiScale cloud computing platform and it is hoped that FlexiScale will eventually be offered as a service to Webfusion customers.

Thomas Vollrath, Managing Director of Webfusion, comments, “XCalibre has an excellent portfolio of hosting products and we are delighted to partner with them. The acquired Xcalibre customer base will benefit from an increased product set and more choice in entry level managed hosting packages. We look forward to the opportunities to widen our portfolio and present these customers with a greater choice of hosting and web security solutions.”

Tony Lucas, CEO of XCalibre, comments: “This partnership with Webfusion is very important to us and will allow us to strengthen our focus on the continued development of FlexiScale platform and other software products. Our roots are in hosting but our passion is development and going forward this experience will shape our transition into and growth as a software and services company, pioneering cloud computing.”

Customers of XCalibre Communications will become clients of Webfusion with immediate effect. There will not be any changes to control panels or services provided. In addition, customers will benefit from Webfusion’s UK-based data centre, round the clock support teams and access to a wider range of products and services.

Webfusion is part of the Host Europe Group, which is owned by Oakley Capital.

An open letter of thanks from Jackie Calder to the supporters of Wish For Rwanda

My goodness what an amazing start! And we haven’t even launched yet!!

Thank you to everyone who turned out in such fabulous style for Wish for Rwanda’s first fundraising fashion show and lunch on Saturday 28th November. Over one hundred of Edinburgh’s most glamorous ladies and gentlemen were there to help us raise money and create a real buzz about Wish for Rwanda.

The Christmas-themed event was held in the Balmoral Hotel and opened with a champagne reception. Clothes for the fashion show were provided by Booby Trap Boutique, John Lewis and Retucco. In addition to ticket sales, a charity auction and raffle raised money for the charity. Guests were also invited to leave personal messages on a wishing tree for a small donation.

My good friend and long-time supporter of Wish for Rwanda, Lisa Henderson, hosted the fashion show and took to the catwalk like a duck to water, ensuring the show ran smoothly and charming the crowd with her enthusiasm and good humour. Professor Gerda Siann, the Honorary Consul for Rwanda to Scotland, later joined her on stage for the auction and raffle.

Once again, thank you to everyone who has donated to Wish for Rwanda so far. Your contributions bring us closer to our target of raising £1million for the widows, widowers and orphans of the Rwandan genocide.

Our first project will be the building of a Health Centre in the district of Gasabo, near the capital city of Kigali. A health centre in this area will provide the community with stable healthcare and my vision is to provide well-equipped premises and trained medical staff.

We hope to build a brighter future through the introduction of clinics to educate the community about hygiene, child welfare, nutrition, family-planning and the avoidance of malaria and HIV/AIDS.

I hope to see you all again for our official launch event in the new year.