Software Futures joins global consulting alliance

Software Futures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSE Securities Exchange-listed MGX, has joined the PASS Global Consulting Alliance AG (GCA), a worldwide network of software consulting companies with partners in 15 countries on five continents.

This places GCA on the level of the large international consulting firms right from the start. The partners' combined workforce numbers 10 000 employees worldwide, and their annual sales amount to approximately $500 milion.

All GCA members are successful companies in their respective local markets. They maintain their individual cultures and independence but co-operate with one another within the GCA. This combines the advantages of small companies with the critical mass of global players.

PASS Consulting Group is a German-based consulting company with a focus on the financial sector. Its core competence is in taking up new technologies, assessing them and implementing them in customer projects to ensure greater competitiveness and productivity.

The alliance is integral in helping Software Futures achieve its long-term strategic objectives.

"Pooling resources internationally will extend Software Futures' reach and allow us to achieve our global aspirations much faster. As a South African-based software company, we have found that our customers are seeking solutions that can be applied internationally," says Ziaan Hattingh, a consultant at Software Futures.

"Now we can offer Software Futures' expertise in countries all over the world, delivered by our local partners through the alliance, without having to convince multinationals of our ability to deliver internationally."

Hattingh says the GCA offers Software Futures the opportunity to build up and establish a global presence, establish worldwide business contacts, bolster product and services know-how, acquire specialised skills and knowledge, open new sales channels, develop new markets and customers, and acquire and market new products and services. This ensures the growth of its companies in terms of turnover, profit and number of employees.

"Software Futures can draw on the complementary experience, products and services of the entire GCA to provide first-rate support to clients," adds Hattingh. "This means employees with special know-how can be employed globally, the existing software solutions can be customised at low costs, and successful concepts can be applied to every individual situation. Each client is attended by the GCA partner originally commissioned to develop special solutions, making it possible for Software Futures to build and share expertise on a global scale."

The GCA alliance provides obvious advantages for customers. Its objectives include providing one face to the customer, seamless processing of customer projects, meeting orders on a 24-hour basis, and ensuring consistent quality. "The partnership-based alliance makes a comprehensive pool of knowledge, products and services available to customers that could not be otherwise acquired," Hattingh says.