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An influential US organisation that keeps tabs on the worldwide IT industry has given an Auckland firm a leg up on to the international stage.
Gartner has added Sonar6 to its prestigious Cool Vendors list and invited the company's founder, Mike Carden, to speak at a seminar in San Francisco yesterday.
Carden's company, which is backed by former TradeMe owner Sam Morgan and produces graphics-based talent management software, is the first New Zealand company to appear on the Gartner list under the human capital management category. But Carden isn't surprised by the recognition.
"We are obviously very happy about being added to the Cool Vendors list," he said.
"But it's not a huge surprise because we expect, given our strategy, that we would be considered to be one of the more innovative [IT] vendors.
"This sort of thing is basically an instruction from Gartner saying 'if you are looking at talent management software this is one vendor to look at'."
The Gartner Symposium/ITxpo happens twice a year in the US and attracts thousands of people. An Australian version takes place once a year.
Senior Gartner analysts typically give presentations at these events, but - in an unusual move - Carden will take to the floor to deliver a nine-minute presentation about his company's product.
"It's quite a long way to go to talk for such a short amount of time," said Carden.
"There's a whole new paradigm and discipline around talent management and we are trying to put a stake in the sand and say 'we don't know what the future [of talent management] looks like - but it looks more like us than anyone else'.
"We are an export-led business, we have some great customers in New Zealand - but the big opportunities for us are in the US and UK."
After three days in the US, Carden will fly to Britain where Capital Consulting, a London-based recruitment outsourcing provider, is a client.
Carden is also on the hunt for more business development money.
He's tight-lipped about how much he's after but says an investment document will be released in two weeks' time.
"We are not desperate for money but expanding into the UK and US has a cost," he said.
"The market for raising venture capital is a global market so we are looking at options in the US, UK and New Zealand."
Sonar6 has also been invited to join the Girvan Institute of Technology in the US; an organisation that supports the growth of high-technology businesses. "Within the United States in particular, our Girvan Institute status will assist us to demonstrate how innovative, effective and tailored our human resource tools are," said Carden.
Earlier this year Carden signed a strategic alliance with recruitment firm Sheffield to promote Sonar6 software to clients.
What Is Gartner
* Gartner serves 10,000 client organisations worldwide, including chief information officers and other senior IT executives in corporations and Government agencies, as well as technology companies and the investment community.
* The company consists of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events.
* Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, United States. It has 3,800 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants in 75 countries.
