Eagle lands on its feet in systems integration

By RICHARD PAMATATAU


Research company ACNielsen turned off its Prime Computer last week, ending an era for Kiwi systems integrator Eagle Technology.

The privately held Auckland company was built on the back of Prime Computers, said chairman Corallie Eagle, who took over the reins of the company after the death of her husband, industry stalwart Trevor Eagle, nearly three years ago.

She said the company had its roots in hardware such as the Prime systems but had shifted, like many of its competitors, down the path of services and software.

Hardware was no longer lucrative, said Eagle, but you needed it to meet and anticipate customer needs.

She is one of the few women running an IT company and has been closely involved with the business since it was set up in 1974.

Eagle plans to make the company a knowledge economy business based in Auckland but working throughout the world.

About 110 people are on the payroll, with the number fluctuating as projects start and end.

Eagle recently returned from a business trip to Britain and the United States, where the company is pushing ahead as the systems integrator for BST Enterprise, a management tool for professional service firms.

BST allowed organisations to run projects and billing across multiple companies and currencies, said Eagle, and was designed to work over the web.

The company landed the deal for BST with a global consultancy, Environmental Resource Management, which has offices in about 35 countries. Eagle Technology has completed the projects in the US, Australia and Britain. It is now integrating Europe and about to begin work in Asia.

While not disclosing the value of the deal, Eagle said it was significant and put the company in a good position to land business in other sectors where the software was used.

"I'd like to take Eagle totally into the international arena in selected areas," she said.

The company has also returned to software development and just launched a geographic information system called Bizpoint, which is aimed at organisations running fleets of workers.

The activities of field workers and the office can be synchronised by sharing "point of interest" data using either a live map or just text.

Eagle said field workers could report their progress using pocket PCs, and payment was through a "map credit system" that worked like a prepay phone card.

The wireless system used a global positioning system, was web-based and could also incorporate a tracking system, she said.

All development has been paid for by the company, though Eagle said the Government should recognise the contribution IT companies made to the economy with a more favourable tax environment.

The cost of business was high, she said. Companies did not want handouts, but a better environment would certainly help.

Eagle would also like to see more women making IT a career choice.

Women had plenty of role models in public companies such as Telecom, with Theresa Gattung, or TelstraClear, with Rosemary Howard, but the reality of business for them was that in the end it was not their money.

That aside, IT was exciting, said Eagle, who has no intention of quitting the game.

She sits on The Breakfast Club, a group of businesspeople who meet at the Auckland Club to discuss business issues. She is the only women member but definitely not a token attendee.

"I have views that are worth listening to."

GIS remains the core business for Eagle Technology and it has the local government market sewn up through its longstanding relationship with American mapping giant ESRI.

Eagle said the relationships between topographical data and other information were being recognised now by other businesses.

The company had also just signed a deal with Counties Power for consulting and facilities management.

She said Eagle was close to signing more significant deals and had no plans to take on investors. Listed company FAI was a shareholder in the past and that had slowed decision-making.

"When you are responsible for your customers and their systems plus loyal staff who have been with you a long time, you don't want to get bogged down with a committee.

"I work with my team, who keep me informed, so we can keep the company pushing on without wasting time."