No. 1 Story

ACCC clears Optus to scrap HFC network and use NBN instead

The ACCC has cleared, provisionally, the proposed deal between Optus and NBN Co under which Optus is to be paid around $800m to shut down its HFC network and transfer customers onto the NBN. read more

TechnologyOne moves ahead with new appointment

IT People - People

Australian-listed enterprise software company, TechnologyOne, has created a new executive role in a move which the company says is the next step in its development and achievement of a long-term strategy for its vertical markets business.

TechnologyOne executive chairman, Adrian Di Marco, announced the appointment of former Tower Software CEO, Martin Harwood, as Operating Officer for market solutions, and said that the new executive role was the next step in the company’s evolution to “provide customers with best practice, pre-configured, seamlessly integrated enterprise solutions” for its seven vertical markets of health and community services, financial services, utilities, local government, government (central, federal and state), education and managed services.

According to Di Marco, Martin Harwood’s appointment also represents a major step towards achieving a long-term strategy for the enterprise software company and “complements the realignments of its sales, R&D and consulting teams to focus on the development of vertical market solutions.”

Di Marco said the realignment is the result of a decade of development, which has seen TechnologyOne evolve from a single product software house to a “globally competitive business” with an integrated enterprise solution suite of 11 products and a breadth of offering virtually unmatched worldwide.

The announcement by TechnologyOne says that Harwood will work closely with the entire TechnologyOne executive team to realise this vision, which Di Marco said will “continue the company’s success in existing markets and increase its footprint both locally and overseas.”

At Tower Software, Harwood oversaw the development of the company’s TRIM document management product, and Di Marco said he had “increased the company’s international business to be the dominant contributor of revenue, as well as guiding it through the HP acquisition.”

Harwood said that following the buy-out he had intended to take some time out, but that his “longstanding relationship with Di Marco and his admiration for TechnologyOne products made the opportunity to join the company too compelling to pass up.

“The calibre of TechnologyOne’s software is first rate and easily surpasses anything else on the global market, and I am excited about the huge opportunities that lie ahead. This focus on developing solutions designed for specific vertical markets is just the beginning.  Obviously, we will continue to evolve the products and solutions over time to ensure we meet the ongoing needs of our customers.”

Di Marco said Harwood’s appointment would provide a clear plan for developing integrated software solutions for specific markets – an approach that he claims will “reduce implementation time, cost of ownership, any associated risk, and the complexity of the projects, as well as providing a better experience for the company’s customers.

“The development of the vertical market solutions means that instead of starting with a blank sheet and asking each customer what they want, we will be able to provide a best practice, out of the box solution using a combination of the products best suited for the needs of their sector.”