The users of the Pick(D3) database have been given some welcomed news with the announcement that newly-formed OpenIT Solutions will resume responsibility for D3 sales and support in Africa following the decision earlier this year by Raining Data Corporation to close down its SA subsidiary.
The decision to close down its local subsidiary followed the purchase on 4 December last year of Pick Systems by Nasdaq-listed Omnis Technology Corporation. The acquisition, for an undisclosed amount, resulted in the formation of a new company called Raining Data Corporation.
OpenIT Solutions, created out of the merger of four former D3 VARs (value-added resellers), Intelligent Information, Marchand & Associates, Pick Business Systems - formerly a D3 VAR in Cape Town - and DN Consult, is from 1 July, recognised as the sole African distributor for all Raining Data Corporation`s products, including D3.
The new company has a staff of 20 and a combined market value of R20 million. This is according to MD Schalk de Klerk, formerly the MD of Intelligent Information.
De Klerk said that OpenIT Solutions, which commenced trading on 1 July, anticipates a turnover of R12 million by year ended 28 February 2002. This is expected to swell to R20 million in its first full financial year, ended 28 February 2003.
"We are not just concentrating on the traditional D3 market in Africa, although this will definitely be one of our main focuses. Besides supporting the existing D3 dealers and users - and growing the D3 marketplace further in Africa - we intend moving aggressively into non-D3 marketplaces with Omnis` range of products, which includes an open development tool set. Omnis Studio, for instance," said De Klerk, "allows users to develop thick or thin Web-based database applications which can be deployed on any number of databases, including Oracle, Sybase, DB2 and Microsoft SQL."
De Klerk said D3 dealers and users will receive full support from OpenIT, which already boasts offices in Johannesburg and Durban. Additional branches will be opened in Bloemfontein and Cape Town on 1 August when Pick Business Systems and DN Consult are officially incorporated into OpenIT Solutions.
"While some paperwork still has to be finalised in terms of the incorporation of DN Consult and Pick Business Systems, we are fully up and running and are already in a position to both sell and support the existing D3 client base."
De Klerk said all seven directors of the four individual Companies, which are now disbanded, will be directors in OpenIT Solutions.
"We feel we are entering a bullish era for D3 in this country," said De Klerk.
Share
Raining Data Corp.`s products include mvDesigner, the first object-oriented rapid application development (RAD) tool developed for use with multidimensional database applications; Omnis Studio, a powerful cross-platform, object-oriented RAD tool that is ideally suited for developing sophisticated thick-client, Web-client, or ultra-thin client database applications; and a family of innovative multidimensional database management products that are the choice of thousands of application developers worldwide.
Raining Data Corporation was created as a result of the 4 December 2000 purchase by Omnis Technology Corporation of Pick Systems. With 165 employees worldwide, Raining Data`s pro forma combined revenue (prior to the merger) for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2000 was $23 million.
Editorial contacts