Lawson names Makino as ASP partner in government sector

Lawson Software, the Enterprise behind the Internet, today announced the appointment of Makino Alliance Solutions, a technology provider in the government sector, as an Application Service Provider (ASP) in the LawsonTone remote computing program. The announcement was made at the South African Computer Faire 2000 in Johannesburg.

"Makino`s strong relationship with South African and national governments was a key factor in completing the partnership," said Cliff van Tonder, country manager, Lawson Software Africa. "Along with Unihold Business Solutions, another Lawson ASP partner announced today, Makino will offer the technical expertise and implementation required for government tenders."

Makino Alliance Solutions is a subsidiary of Makino Technologies, a global software implementor in the public sector. This relationship has allowed Makino to acquire valuable knowledge in the technical field as well as develop relationships with key government officials.

"Our strength lies in providing the technical expertise of government installations," said Sheiks Makhado, executive chairman, Makino. "Joining Lawson`s ASP initiative has allowed us to move forward aggressively in the emerging ASP market."

"ASP`s will be handling all the infrastructure needs of companies in the future," said Gerrit Cloete, relationship manager, Makino. "This is especially true of government offices that do not have the technical skills or the trained staff to maintain and manage IT systems. Having a service provider host their IT systems is the pragmatic approach to government technology infrastructure."

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Makino was impressed with Lawson`s reputation for service, advanced partnerships and its focus on leading-edge e-business solutions. In addition, Makino company officials cited Lawson`s robust functionality as a major factor in partnering with Lawson.

"Lawson`s solutions are specifically designed for the Internet, instead of being adapted," said Cloete. "The software is flexible, affordable and scaleable, allows easy upgrades and provides organisations with a better, faster return on investment than traditional enterprise systems."

"Many governments are still in their infancy of embracing new technologies and IT solutions," Cloete added. "This sector requires practical and proven solutions. Makino is confident that Lawson`s software suits these needs and that its solid reputation and progressive focus on the IT industry will allow the initiative to prosper."

Van Tonder comments that as Makino is becoming more focused on customer relationship management, using the Lawson software product range allows it to concentrate on this critical part of the business offering. "This partnership parallels Lawson`s core business philosophy, allowing customers to focus on their core business, instead of IT headaches."