Sage Software, a global supplier of ERP, CRM and Human Resource Management (HRM) solutions to medium and large organisations, is currently eyeing the increasing demand for ERP-based software solutions and services in the UAE’s mid-market segment.
The company’s confidence in the ERP segment complements a recent Business Monitor International (BMI) report showing that the UAE’s software spending for 2011 will reach US$636 million. The report has also identified the UAE as one of the region’s fastest growing ERP markets, which reflects local businesses shift towards utilising efficient resource management tools. Manufacturing and trading firms are looking to improve on productivity and efficiencies by transitioning from manual environments to full automation of back-office systems.
The BMI report also shows that private firms are now investing in key ERP software, even during times of fiscal leniency. To help sustain this growth, Sage will be implementing new initiatives like global support service, global partner program and global certification for consultants and business partners. The company’s strategy and investment in Sage ERP X3 has already started to deliver strong results.
In the Middle East alone, Sage currently has more than 5,000 customers and 40 business partners. The leading software provider has managed to develop a strong foundation and has reported rapid progress since its introduction of Sage ERP X3’s version 6.2. Sage’s web-based applications and connected services offerings are bringing great productivity improvements, flexibility and cost-effectiveness to its customers in UAE.
“We have significant opportunity to grow through upgrading existing customers as they themselves grow. Sage ERP X3 is a very good example of this, where it has expanded our addressable market and brought another type of customer into the Sage business, those being mid-market customers that operate on a multinational basis,” says Guy Berruyer, CEO, Sage. “Our strategy is not to re-write our existing mid-market applications for the web. Instead we are making available hosted or cloud-based versions of many of our existing on-premise solutions that allow customers to take advantage of some of the benefits of SaaS solutions, such as subscription pricing and no hardware management.”
In line with this, Sage has announced plans to reinforce its strategy for Sage ERP X3, its leading ERP solution for the UAE mid-market segment. According to Sage global performance reports, the influx of new customers, partners and the enhancement of the Sage ERP program has helped Sage ERP X3 reach double digit revenue growth. The company’s strategic move is aimed at providing a high quality and consistent customer experience, which include a premium global support service, a standardized methodology for Sage ERP X3 multi-country deployments and a global certification for consultants and business partners worldwide.
Christophe Letellier, GM, Sage ERP X3 Worldwide, Sage, highlights the importance of Sage’s partner ecosystem to the growth of Sage ERP X3’s market with the announcement of a comprehensive new partner program. The new initiative is part of Sage’s response to the demand created by its customer community.
The partner recruitment and certification initiatives aim to foster innovation and strengthen Sage ERP X3’s mid-market presence through close collaboration and innovation on industry-based offerings.
