Ever-dependable IT services outfit ComputerLand, a GCI recommendation at 98.5p, chimed in with stellar interims to 31 October, with sales, profits and margins all reaching record levels. Profits before tax and goodwill were lifted 26% to £1.13m, after a 16% turnover hike to £29.8m, and operating margins rose by 0.2% to 3.5%. Graham Gilbert, chairman and chief executive, explained profits and margin growth were driven by a 15% increase in contracted revenues compared with the previous year, and a strong performance from ComputerLand's hardware support business, where revenues benefited from new contracts and January acquisition IT Solutions. Gilbert also expressed optimism about the 'excellent' opportunities for ComputerLand in the managed services and public sector markets. Spending will be ramped up in this area to boost ComputerLand's ability to bid for outsourcing deals with mid-size organisations and public sector bodies. Meanwhile, the project-based business, including product sales, had a good half despite continued pressure on margins. Overall, Gilbert is bullish about the full year, with bid outcomes imminent and the company sitting on a healthy new business pipeline. Last year ComputerLand, which boasts household name clients such as IKEA, Egg plc and House of Fraser, boosted profits by 27% to £1.92m on a higher turnover of £56.4m (£54.8m). House broker Charles Stanley has culled its current year profit forecast to £2.1m on an expected uptick in investment spend, but forecast earnings of 14.8p place the shares on an undemanding p/e of 13.1 times.