First Mobile puts $200,000 into new operating system

By RICHARD WOOD

Mobile reseller First Mobile is spending around $200,000 on an accounting, point of sale and customer relationship management system.

First Mobile has bought three competitors in the past year, including the Mobiletronics chain in February.

Last year, it bought Digital Connections and Corporate GSM.

The company has selected Sybiz software running across a Microsoft Terminal Server.

An earlier version of Sybiz was in use at Mobiletronics, but the accounting software being replaced at its other stores include MYOB, NZA Gold and Meridian. The target date for the change is July 1.

IT contractor Richard Holmes said the major business gains from the new arrangement would be centralised stock control, reporting and daily performance monitoring.

A nationwide virtual private network and data centre has been selected following a tender and that firm's name will be announced this week.

Holmes said it was difficult to find an IT company to host the service using cost-effective high-speed digital subscriber line connections.

He said the reason for choosing hosting was to ensure that the servers were operating in a secure location rather than at the back of a store.