Miami deal gives Pacific Softworks 'leg up' into global marina market

Auckland-based software development and consultancy company Pacific Softworks has got a "leg up into the top end of the market" following the sale of marina management software to the City of Miami.

Miami municipal marina, which has annual revenues of US$7 million ($9.6 million), covers three sites and about 1000 berths.

Pacific Softworks managing director Chris Thomas said the company was taking on staff following the "major strategic sale" - its first to a large municipal customer.

"We expect to get a lot of credibility. We've already got a huge amount of PR from it in the US ... and we intend to leverage that heavily."

PacsoftMMS 5.0 provides marina management, reservation and accounting capabilities. Hand-held devices running the software can log boat movements, read meters and synchronise with office-based accounting software.

Thomas said marina management was akin to a hotel but more complex.

Imagine a hotel interested in how much you weighed and how tall you were and you would start to get the picture, he said.

The Miami deal is the most technically challenging undertaken by Pacific Softworks, with about 20 marina users but 3000 city-wide municipal users.

"They have a security person, they have a database administrator, they have a networking person ... and interestingly, we were having unexpected language problems," Thomas said.

The wide use of Spanish in Miami had proven an unexpected but useful lesson in global marketing.

Technology to separate the user interface from program code is under development. The company can then maintain and develop one code set with multiple languages.

"When I first looked at it [marine software] I thought I could do a system in six to nine months - 30 years later we're still going."

Current developments include wireless online payment using hand-held devices, which will be useful for tourists who may moor for only a few hours.

Thomas estimated there were 30,000 marinas globally, of which a third were of significant size.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has provided expertise and advice on export issues in such a niche global market.

Thomas said Pacific Softworks had bucked the perceived export wisdom of focusing on one market and was looking everywhere for business.

It had customers in Australia, America, the Caribbean, UK and New Zealand.

"If we focused on one market we wouldn't have been successful. By adopting this wide-eyed view, we have achieved this level of penetration."

The company has about five global competitors.

However, rather than flying the silver fern, Thomas said a more subtle approach was needed, especially in America, where mention of New Zealand provokes a "New where?" response.

"At the moment we are trying to create an image of a global company."

A love of boats has given Thomas an edge when dealing with marina customers. "It's the practicality. You intrinsically have an understanding of the reality of it."

Established in 1989, Pacific Softworks also provides managed IT infrastructure services.

R&D migration

* Peace Software is to open development centres in Australia and the United States.
* The utility billing software developer sees no sustainable advantage in establishing centres in low-wage markets.
* The company's approach is to undertake research and development close to its customers.