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MYOB Exits US Business

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Accounting systems vendor MYOB has exited it loss-making US operations via a management buy-out.

The new owners will take over distribution, sales and marketing responsibilities for the North American market. The management buy-out (MBO) is expected to complete on 3 December 2005.

Although the US operation’s revenue contribution to MYOB would have been around A$5.6 million for the year ending 31 December 2005 this would have resulted in an EBITDA loss. The new owners, however, will get an immediate return on their investment with new product upgrades due this month expected to deliver December revenue of around AUD$0.9 million.

Local management put the decision to sell the US operations down to a “detailed review of MYOB’s” US operations which decided that the strategy required for success in America was significantly different from what was required from the rest of the group.

“MYOB has a long history in the US, but it’s a unique competitive environment. This means that niche tactics are necessary for long-term success. And, strategically, while a niche approach is fantastic and workable for a stand-alone local business like Acclivity, it’s less attractive for a global company like MYOB that aims to have strong synergies between multiple regions to best leverage our scale. So I’m very confident that this is the best outcome for every one involved.” Said Craig Winkler, MYOB’s Chief Executive Officer.

“We firmly believe that this structure delivers the best result for MYOB’s customers, employees and shareholders. And, importantly, our US customers will continue to receive the same world-class products and service that they have always received. We are pleased with the outcome and look forward to working closely with our new US distributor over the years to come.”

The sale has been structured to maintain a relationship between MYOB and the MBO team with the business becoming the exclusive distributor for MYOB products in the United States, providing continued support to MYOB’s customers there.

Cavity Mounted Surge Protector From Thor

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The Surge Shield Pro Series with its Dual Bank Isolation Cascade circuitry provides maximum value protection for all your electronic equipment.


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32 separate and discrete components working in both series and parallel provide a fail safe barrier against virtually all categories of electrical disturbances, so common with today’s power grids.

Traditional power surge protection always relies on simple surge absorbing circuitry at predefined points on the waveform. However, THOR Dynamic Active Tracking monitors the sine wave, instantaneously sensing and clamping transient spikes and surges to a safe level, regardless of where they appear on the waveform.

THOR additionally filters and cleans all incoming power and through its unique 3-Bank isolation, prevents EMI and RFI pollution as well as inter-circuit back EMF – all of which are major contributors to software glitches and hardware damage.

See www.thortechnologies.com.au

Emerson Takes Lovelace With Account

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Emerson Network Power Australia has appointed Steve Lovelace to the position of New South Wales Channel Account Manager.

Lovelace joins Emerson following a three-year spell at Ingram Micro where he was responsible for managing the Liebert product portfolio. He has total of seven years experience in the Australian IT channel.

The appointment follows Emerson’s decision to move its national distribution from Ingram Micro to LAN Systems, a move Lovelace says is consistent with the company’s current channel direction.

Lovelace will be responsible for all channel activities in NSW for Emerson’s Liebert range of Micro Uninterruptible Power System (UPS) products, assisting resellers with a range of services including technical support and bid preparation.

“LAN Systems is widely regarded as a channel leader for Cisco, and given our close engineering partnership with Cisco the move to LAN is a logical one for us,” said Lovelace. “It’s also consistent with our focus on power protection for newer technologies like IP telephony, where Liebert has developed Cisco-compatible products for mission-critical applications in the SMB space.”

“We’re delighted to have Steve on board full time,” said Bob Daniel, Managing Director, Emerson Network Power Australia. “Steve’s experience in the channel is second-to-none, and he’s already proven his proficiency with Liebert during his time at Ingram. I personally look forward to Steve’s input in growing our channel presence in the region.”

Commander To Take Stake in NetReturn

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Just four months after accounting software specialist MYOB took a 35 per cent stake in the company NetSuite distributor NetReturn is believed to be about to announce another deal, this time with Commander Communications.

With an announcement to the ASX believed imminent, Commander Communications would likely offer the NetReturn on-demand applications as part of a bundle incorporating data and potentially services such as VoIP.

MYOB took a 35 per cent stake in NetReturn in late June this year. Paying $7 million for its share an amount equivalent to the company’s 2004/5 revenues. MYOB wanted a piece of the company as a alternative for its existing companies which are growing out of the small to medium-business accounting solutions.

NetReturn is the exclusive distributor of the NetSuite range of integrated on-demand mid-market ERP, CRM and eCommerce solutions, in Australia and New Zealand . NetSuite is the global leader in providing hosted business management systems, with more than 7,500 customers worldwide.

However, any deal with Commander Communications could be affected by the agreement NetReturn made with MYOB, which gave MYOB the option of acquiring all remaining shares in the ASP in either 2007 or 2008.

Express Online Snares Logitech Business

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Express Online has announced the addition of Logitech to its expanding product portfolio.

Placing special emphasis on products for PC navigation, gaming, internet communications, digital music, and home-entertainment control, Express Online now stocks a large portion of the Logitech product range, from mice, keyboards, webcams, and speakers, to headphones, remote controls, and gaming products.

Alison McQuarrie, General Manager at Express Online, says the new partnership with Logitech is a very positive step forward. “Logitech is a valuable addition to our vendor portfolio and we are excited to have them on board. The Logitech brand represents revolutionary, innovative products that are easy to use. All the things our resellers seek when recommending a solution to their customers” says McQuarrie.
    

 

Will Microsoft Kill Off The Mouse?

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With touch-screen interfaces popping up left, right and centre, Microsoft has said the end of the mouse is nigh with its latest operating system, which it is rumoured will be very similar to build Apples iPhone touch screen.


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According to the company, Windows 7 will allow users to touch, rather than point and click the screen in a move, which indicates that the software company believes that the days of the keyboard-mouse combination are coming to a close.

However what is unclear is how users will embrace the touch-screen PC and how long it will take for them to abandon typing and to start manipulating images on a screen, however the company is more concerned about the popularity of the touch-screen interface on a string of handheld devices, ranging from sat-navs to iPhones and a touch-screen BlackBerry is expected in early 2009.

So the mouse, which was invented by Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute invented the mouse in 1963 will become the sacrificial lamb in Microsoft’s battle with its competitors and its stubborn insistence to stay on top of the IT heap.
 
The company is sorely in need of a lift after the success of the Apple iPod and other handheld technologies, the unsuccessful Yahoo bid, a near-daily losing battle with Google over control of the internet, and the lacklustre release of Vista.

Residential VoIP Takes Off

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VoIP application software provider BroadSoft says ASX-listed ISP iiNet – new owner of OzEmail – is signing around 1000 subscribers a week to its residential VoIP service, and now has more than 10,000 subscribers. IiNet launched iinetphone three months ago.

VoIP application software provider BroadSoft says ASX-listed ISP iiNet – new owner of OzEmail – is signing around 1000 subscribers a week to its residential VoIP service, and now has more than 10,000 subscribers. IiNet launched iinetphone three months ago.

“We have the largest customer base of high speed ADSL users in Australia, so it was a natural progression to use some of that bandwidth for VoIP services. The adoption rate of the VoIP service is tremendous, especially as the product has been launched only recently,” said Greg Bader, chief technology officer, iiNet.

Acer Includes Indirect VARs In

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Though Acer’s direct dealers have enjoyed the benefits of the company’s partner program, dealers buying through distribution have been left out in the cold.

But now the company has re-vamped its channel program to bring in-direct dealers the sorts of benefits it Gold and Silver partners have been enjoying for years.

Greg Mikaelian, General Manager, Channel Sales, told SmartOffice Reseller that the Acer VAR Partner Program is tailored to support those indirect dealers because this is the company’s channel to thew fast-growing SMB market. Most of the Gold and Silver partners it works with focus on enterprise, Government or education, but it’s the business the company can get form the SMB market that it needs to maintain its 100 per cent annual growth rate.

“The main benefits to dealers in signing up to the Acer VAR Partner program is receiving formal accreditation from Acer and having access to a wealth of Acer resources,” said Mikalean.

“As an Acer VAR Partner, resellers will have access to the very best in supply-chain excellence, ground-breaking e-Commerce solutions, training, demand generation programs and access to Acer’s Click and Mortar Sales Support Program”.

Marketing support, quarterly rebates, online training, invites to the annual March Channel Forum at Darling Harbour, all this and more are now on offer for resellers buying their Acer gear through distributors.

The company’s distribution landscape includes, Ingram Micro, Bluechip IT, CompuWholesale in WA and Hi Tech Distribution in SA. Express Data/Express Online are also distbutors though typically focusing on the server and networking product areas.