Extending the terms of an existing joint venture which has been in place for some time, enterprise resource planning vendor IFS has tightened its relationship with BEE consortium Motswedi Technology Group to form Motswedi IFS. Shareholding in the venture is 51% held by IFS, with the remainder held by Motswedi.
Paul Whalley, managing director of the IFS Group in South Africa, says the company had been involved with Motswedi through one of its subsidiaries, IFS Defence (Pty) Ltd.
"Owing to the proven mutual benefits of this relationship, we have extended the interaction between our companies which will allow us to effectively expand into the balance of IFS business in other industries such as telecommunications, utilities, construction and process manufacturing," he says.
While IFS is committed to the advancement of BEE, Whalley stresses that the deal with Motswedi is focused on driving the business interests of each party while addressing market demand for IFS solutions.
Motswedi chairman Tebogo Matsoso notes that the industries focused on by his organisation are the same as those addressed by the IFS ERP solution set. "IFS provides the enterprise systems for several key sectors in which we are active, including defence, transport, government, utilities and telecommunications, so in terms of partnering with an appropriate vendor, this is a very good fit. Furthermore, a mid-range ERP solution like IFS now equips our group to provide complete solutions from the front office to the back office in these sectors," he explains.
As service delivery falls under the spotlight, Matsoso says government will increasingly seek to leverage the efficiencies that can be created with information technology to improve access to services across the nation. "With Motswedi we have several successes in municipalities in the Eastern Cape, the North West and the Free State. We have the distinct advantage of a modern product where other vendors are still pushing legacy systems; IFS is fully Web-enabled, based on service-oriented architecture and offers the advantage of rapid deployment and flexibility to meet specific business requirements. Based on our existing successes, we believe the market for solutions in local government is considerable," he says.
Noting that government is a multifaceted organisation, Matsoso says IFS is geared to handle large and complex projects, supporting key best practices both within administrative environments and within demanding business organisations. "That, we believe, can make a difference in South Africa," he adds.
With significant investment in infrastructure projects announced in the recent Budget speech, as well as the demand for construction as the country prepares for the 2010 World Cup spectacle, Motswedi IFS is positioning itself as a preferred partner for the delivery of the technology component of these initiatives.
"We have customised products to meet the specific requirements of the local market, and even have a development team on the ground in the country, something that no other midrange ERP vendor can offer," Whalley concludes.
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IFS develops and supplies component-based business applications for medium and large enterprises. IFS Applications, which can be implemented step by step, is based on Web and portal technology. The solution offers 60+ enterprise application components used in manufacturing, supply chain management, customer relationship management, service provision, financials, product development, maintenance and human resource administration. IFS offers customers an easier, more open alternative.
IFS interests in sub-Saharan Africa are represented by the IFS Group in South Africa. With revenues in excess of R60 million and a staff complement of 90, the group is one of the largest application vendors operating in the region.
A leading global business applications supplier, IFS has 2 800 employees, with sales in 45 countries, and more than 350 000 users worldwide. The company is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange (XSSE: IFS).
For more information please visit www.ifsworld.com
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