Epicor VAR conference brings unity to growing EMEA channel

Epicor Software Corporation, the largest provider of integrated enterprise and eBusiness software exclusively for midmarket companies, today announced the successful completion of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) partner conference in Sun City, South Africa. The conference was designed specifically to address the needs of Epicor`s EMEA channel partners, as well as to introduce Epicor`s new eBusiness strategy, based around the new "e by Epicor" product suite.

Thirty-three partners from across the EMEA region attended the three-day conference, which included keynote speeches from Cassandra Millhouse, lead Customer Relationship Management (CRM) analyst at worldwide consultancy and analyst house OVUM . Also speaking were David Edwards, managing director at Clarus and Vince Sheeran, Epicor`s vice president of worldwide sales. The event gave VARs the opportunity to learn about Epicor`s corporate strategy and new product offerings, as well as how to capitalise on the growing market interest in CRM.

"We found the conference really informative, with a very good line-up of speakers. Being able to meet individually with senior management gave us a very clear view of the thinking behind Epicor`s eBusiness strategy and was very useful from a relationship-building perspective," said Scott McKenzie, managing director of TopTech ERP Business Solutions, South Africa. "Epicor obviously values its channel and this really came across at the conference - they want us to succeed. The Channel 2000 Initiative gives unprecedented levels of support, which can only be good for us, because we think there is a huge market in South Africa for e by Epicor."

Gary Bailey, sales and marketing director of UK VAR Platsoft added: "The quality of the speakers was excellent and the message came through loud and clear that Epicor not only values the contribution made by its VARs but is prepared to support us fully in our activities."

Epicor has recently announced that it plans to double the size of its channel across the EMEA region by the end of 2000, building on the increased market demand for CRM solutions that integrate with key back office operations. This ambitious growth programme will focus initially on a number of key areas, including South Africa and Sweden, and will be supported with the Channel 2000 Initiative, announced in December 1999. The Channel 2000 initiative is designed to provide enhanced training programs, new marketing tools, Web support, virtual headquarters and a streamlined support organisation to new and existing Epicor resellers.

"Building a really strong channel is a key part of Epicor`s strategy worldwide and our EMEA VARs play a vital role in this. We were particularly pleased to be able to bring our partners together in South Africa, as it is a region currently experiencing massive growth," said James Frampton, Epicor`s regional director for business development in EMEA. "In Q1 2000 our South African VAR channel grew by 50%, and we plan to have around 10-15 partners by the end of this year. To achieve this, our main focus will be on developing the channel for our award-winning CRM solution, Clientele, but we will also be looking to build our channel to sell e by Epicor, our integrated front and back office eBusiness suite."

Integrated eBusiness Applications for the Midmarket Announced in conjunction with the UK launch of e by Epicor and Epicor`s eCommerce Storefront, Epicor`s EMEA channel expansion plans will enable VARs across the region to take advantage of the opportunities arising from increased market demand for eCRM and eBusiness and applications. e by Epicor is one of the first eBusiness offerings designed specifically for midmarket companies that provides integrated front office, back office and eBusiness capabilities spanning all customer touch points.

Epicor`s e solution incorporates its Platinum ERA suite, as well as the next generation of its Vantage solution, which combined, will evolve to become a suite of six applications: Epicor eCommerce, Epicor eFrontOffice, Epicor eBackOffice, Epicor ePortals, Epicor eIntelligence and Epicor eIndustry.

Epicor eFrontOffice, powered by Clientele, provides an integrated set of sales, marketing and customer support tools for midmarket companies, designed to ensure that customers remain at the center of all operations. Epicor eFrontOffice enables companies to manage the entire lifecycle of a customer, from generating leads to closing sales and providing personalised support. The software enables businesses to easily gather, organise, track and share information about customer prospects, products and competitors. By integrating Epicor eFrontOffice with other `e` applications and extending these capabilities to the Web, Epicor allows businesses to maximise the value of their customer relationships.