Certus launches in Australia following record growth and new IBM partner opportunities

Certus Solutions, New Zealand’s largest specialist IBM software and services provider, is bucking the recessionary trend and expanding into Australia to take advantage of IBM’s new business partner channel arrangements.

Certus Managing Director, Brian Allen, says the company has experienced strong revenue growth over the last two years, servicing an increasing demand for IBM solutions in the New Zealand enterprise space. 

“Recent changes in the IBM model for software and services delivery have seen a stronger emphasis on partners, creating new opportunities for us in the mid-tier market, both in Australia and New Zealand,” said Allen.

“We will identify IBM customers who wish to extract the best value from their solution framework, but lack an experienced and knowledgeable services partner to guide them.”

Certus has established an office in Melbourne and will offer enterprise asset management, content management and underlying infrastructure technology expertise to companies across a range of different business sectors.

Certus increased revenues by over 46 per cent last year, and it forecasts growth for 2009 to increase by another 30 per cent.

“This has given us a strong position from which to launch into Australia,” Allen says. “I believe few companies will be able to offer the depth of specialist IBM product expertise that we can.”

IBM’s Mid-market & Channel Marketing Manager – Australia/New Zealand, Ginger Kidd, says Certus’ expansion into the Australian market will provide IBM customers with more choice when it comes to selecting expert services partners.

“Each new IBM partner brings a different set of skills to the market,” says Kidd. “Certus provides implementation services for complex enterprise software projects, with a strong track record in IBM Maximo asset management solutions.”

Allen says, as the only IBM-certified Maximo sales and support organisation in New Zealand, Certus has the expertise to attack the Australian market, delivering full service enterprise asset management.

Last year, Certus merged its operations with UtilityAP creating New Zealand’s largest specialist IBM software and service partner, with over 50 staff located in key centres throughout the country.

Certus is New Zealand-owned and managed and has been an IBM Premier Business Partner since 2002. The company offers comprehensive IBM software service and support, being certified to supply and support all five IBM software brands: WebSphere, Information Management, Tivoli, Rational and Lotus.

About Certus

Founded in 1999, Certus is New Zealand’s largest specialist IBM software services company, with more than 50 highly skilled and certified IBM software professionals, supporting all five key IBM software brands: WebSphere, Information Management, Lotus, Tivoli and Rational. Certus customers include some of the largest IBM users in the country such as Fonterra, Westpac, Air New Zealand, AMP, Aon, Department of Building and Housing, Department of Internal Affairs, Foodstuffs South Island, Inland Revenue, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Trustees Executors, Vodafone and BNZ.