Cross-Tasman Merger – top resellers join forces

Press Release: Enabling Technologies
1 February 2007

Media Release: 1 February 2007: Cross-Tasman Merger – top resellers join forces to become Enabling Pty Ltd

Four of Australasias top SME financial and business software service providers have partnered to capitalise on their collective experience and individual strengths, and make the most of greater market opportunities. Orchid Systems, Online Business Solutions, and Accsoft, of Australia, with Enabling Technologies Limited in New Zealand found that they were providing very similar services to small to medium businesses, and agreed that a single business would deliver a better, more cost-effective deal for clients.

With 90 staff, the combined entity, Enabling Pty Ltd, now has the critical mass to work on bigger, more complex business without compromising their commitment to existing clients. The deeper pool of expertise means that a wider scope of work can be tackled effectively, with dynamic teams of the most appropriate people for specific projects being drawn together from around the business.

Enabling’s greater buying power means better value solutions for clients for the core products supported by Enabling: Sage Accpac, Timberline and CRM; Microsoft Dynamics AX and NAV; Greentree; and Applix TM1. Enabling also has the development capacity, through associated companies Orchid Software Development and Enabling IP, to create new applications, enhance systems, and fill in the gaps between existing applications.

Each company in the Enabling stable has a fine history of rapid growth from delivering effective, cost-effective systems and services. They have built a good understanding of their respective markets, and make sure they understand their clients’ business processes before proposing particular solutions. Their philosophy is to work with the clients best interests at heart, which means any solutions put forward must add long-term value to the clients business.

Enabling plans to develop regional centres of excellence to both deepen and widen the pool of expertise in within the company. Combined turnover last year was Aus$20m and is expected to continue growing at 20% per year.

Enabling’s New Zealand partner, Enabling Technologies Limited epitomises the rapid growth and dedication to providing quality services that is common to the group. After just 5 years in the business, Enabling Technologies gained the Sage Accpac Master Partner award at the regional conference at the Hunter Valley in November last year – the only NZ partner to take the award, and the Premier Partner award the previous year.

Enabling Technologies is the youngest of the partnership, but has established offices in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, with about 40 staff across the country. In its short life there have been lots of opportunities to expand in many directions, but they have maintained focus on their 3 core financial systems (Greentree, Sage Accpac, and Microsoft Dynamics) and specific, related development. Last year, it was recognised that some applications were particularly marketable, and Enabling IP was created as an associated business to build, market and manage software development.

Enabling Technologies was founded by Gary Taiaroa. As a chartered accountant in Dunedin, he could see a clear need for a full end-to-end financial, accounting and business software service, driven by people that understood the needs of businesses and how best to meet those needs. Gary pulled together some of the industry’s most talented players and infused them with his enthusiasm and ‘total services, customer-oriented’ ethos, and has led the business to the success that it is now. He will continue to play a major part in leading the combined business.