Keystone founder with Elite

By ADAM GIFFORD

Keystone founder Kaye Sycamore has left Solution 6 to set up a direct-sales operation for one of its main competitors, practice management software giant Elite Information Systems.

Australian-listed Solution 6 bought legal practice management specialist Keystone a year ago for £13.5 million.

Sycamore stayed on as president of global solutions with responsibility for product and market strategy across the Solution 6 Group, but quit at the end of January.

"My role changed, and while I had the option to continue, I would have been requested to do considerable international travel to lead sales in the United States and UK," Sycamore said. "That is what I have been doing for eight years, and the lustre of travel has well worn off."

After considering several offers, Sycamore joined Los Angeles-based Elite, which leads the market in software for professional services firms in the US and Britain.

It has so far been almost invisible in the Asia-Pacific region, but last year appointed resellers in Melbourne and Singapore.

"Some competitors you admire, some you don't. Elite is one I have always admired," she said.

"It has a broader range of products than Solution 6 - practice management, customer management, document management - and it has just been acquired by Thomson Corporation, which is a massive legal content provider with its own knowledge management solution, so I will have all that work with."

Elite's presence would also provide a choice for the market - its two closest competitors, Keystone and CMS Open, were now both owned by Solution 6.

Sycamore will work from Auckland and Sydney to set up the Elite operation. She said direct representation was vital to win new business.

Elite already has a four-person development team based in Auckland. Sycamore said staff would grow as the business grew.