iTouch to further Remgro`s paperless office ideal

By Bronwen Kausch, Media strategist, Innovative Media Productions

Johannesburg, 02 Nov 2001

Local mobile services company iTouch has secured a deal to supply its mobile business services to the Richemont and Remgro groups worldwide through a preferred supplier agreement with telecom company CommsCo International.

The agreement sees iTouch`s mobile technologies and applications rolled out to the groups` cellphone and PDA users throughout Venfin, Richemont and Remgro`s operating subsidiaries around the world. Most of the applications have been developed at iTouch`s research and development facility, iLabs in Cape Town.

CommsCo International, part of the JSE-listed Venfin investment group, will customise and distribute iTouch`s range of Business Mobility applications. The applications will support mobile sales, service and freight workforces using handheld devices.

It will also package iTouch`s corporate SMS and WAP products as well as interactive voice response services to companies within the groups.

"The CommsCo International deal is a perfect fit with iTouch`s business model and presents an opportunity to gain critical mass through three significant business groups both in SA and internationally," says iTouch SA CEO, Greg Brophy.

The deal forms part of iTouch`s plan to gain a stronger international footprint. It began an acquisition spree this month using the listing funds from its August 2000 LSE flotation.

COO Sean Stegmann says it is difficult to place a value on the deal, saying its worth will unfold over time.

"Johann Rupert is very on top of IT. He is moving toward a completely paperless office and as part of this he is mobilising his staff, from the top down. CommsCo has chosen our solutions to help them do this," says Stegmann.

Rupert heads up JSE-listed Remgro, which is the financial holding company of the group, while Richemont is a luxury goods company based in Switzerland.

Despite the market slowdown, Stegmann says the group`s European operations have recovered nicely and the group as a whole is still well on track to reach breakeven by 2003.