South Africa based First Technology, an authorised Adobe reseller, is beefing up its Adobe technical capability with the establishment of a development division focusing on Adobe solutions.
Complementing its enhanced focus on Adobe, First Technology is also an accredited Adobe Silver Partner and is a preferred Software Asset Management Partner.
The newly established First Technology division adds niche, advanced technology and software development as well as integration skills to the reseller’s arsenal, giving it a complete skill set to tackle complex user requirements and deliver training across the Adobe solution set.
Kerry Hope, manager for Strategic Software at First Technology, says the company sought to take its existing Adobe capability a step further. “We already have existing relationships with Adobe and a large cross-section of the user base. This closeness to users resulted in the identification of a gap in the market for specialist skills which, with the announcement of this division, we have now filled.”
Hope says the six new First Technology employees within the division bring specialist skills to the market. “The development arm holds a niche capability, which delivers the ability to customise and develop across various platforms. These include, among others, Adobe Flex, Adobe AIR and Adobe LiveCycle Enterprise Suite 2 (ES2) custom process components.”
Flex is a cross-platform Flash software development kit, while Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) is a cross-platform runtime environment for building rich Internet and/or desktop applications using Adobe Flash, Adobe Flex, HTML or Ajax.
Hope draws special attention to Adobe LiveCycle Enterprise Suite 2, which she says enables businesses and governments to build applications that improve interactions with customers and constituents across devices and channels.
Delivering significant productivity improvements to IT and line-of-business managers, LiveCycle ES2 provides a rich Internet application (RIA) framework for building customisable RIA workspaces, mobile and desktop access to critical applications, and deployment in the cloud.
“The software requires proper integration to realise value for the end-user. Within our new development division, we are providing additional support to clients by giving them access to high-level skills, while ensuring First Technology is equipped to deliver dynamic workflows relating to any organisational business processes,” she says.
Building the development arm on the enterprise suite of products enables First Technology to become a certified Adobe Silver Solutions Partner in addition to its other certifications, says Simon Bromfield, Adobe channel manager for Africa.
“Good technology solutions depend not only on quality software but also on quality skills and people. First Technology has demonstrated its commitment to Adobe across product lines and has made the necessary investments in people to ensure its clients receive optimal value when they choose any of our solutions.”
Arnold Sharp, First Technology CEO, believes the company has built its reputation by forging solid relationships both up and down the channel. “Partners like Adobe are every bit as important to us as our customers are. By investing in the relationship through skills development, we not only have a partner we can rely on, but a customer base that is secure in the knowledge it will receive products and expertise that is certifiably world class.”
