Midland software firms expand their businesses
TWO Midlands software firms have announced major boosts to their businesses.
Leamington Spa-based Focus Solutions Group has secured a major new contract worth £2.75m, while Black Country firm Innovise has expanded its operations with the acquisition of an ID card systems and software business.
Focus, which serves the global financial services market, has secured a contract with Mastek, a high-end IT solutions company with global operations providing new technology and intellectual property-led enterprise solutions.
The five-year contract allows Mastek to re-sell the Focus product focus:360° across North America, Europe (excluding the UK) and Asia Pacific. It also includes a £50,000 a year service agreement.
The deal strengthens Focus’s penetration into global markets, while Mastek will also invest in an IT centre of excellence to support the implementation of focus:360° in the various territories.
Richard Stevenson, Focus chief executive, said: “We see this as a great opportunity for focus:360° to be utilised outside of our traditional UK and Irish markets through Mastek’s strong presence across the US, Europe and Asia Pacific.
“It has always been a key strategy of the group to extend our international reach and we are looking forward to working with Mastek to provide a unique proposition for global life and pension providers and wealth management firms.”
Mike Brinsford, Mastek’s senior vice president, said: “Global Life & Pensions and Wealth Management organisations are increasingly turning to multi channels to distribute their products and services, including direct to customers through the Internet.
“focus:360° dovetails perfectly with our Elixir platform to deliver powerful, integrated front and back-office solutions to our clients and prospects.”
Innovise said its acquisition of Identifile Systems provided a strategic opportunity to grow the business.
Identifile, based in Welwyn Garden City, was formed in 1992 and designs and supplies identity card systems and tracking and control software.
It has customers in the UK, Europe and Africa, and its current annual turnover is around £550,000 – representing a small operating loss.
Innovise said it believed the synergies from including Identifile within its business would eventually make the acquisition earnings enhancing.
Mike Taylor, Innovise chief executive, said: “While this is one of our smaller acquisitions, I am confident that it will enable us to add further value to our total customer offering.
“Identifile’s software solutions are advanced, cost-effective and highly flexible, and will fit neatly into our existing sales activity within the workforce management and security marketplace.”
