Greentree branches out west

By RICHARD WOOD

Greentree International has landed three United States sales through Melbourne-based reseller chain Star Accounting, which entered the market a year ago.

The first and largest of the three deals went live on February 3 at computer equipment refurbisher and remarketer Epic Systems. The other two US customers are Century Plating Corporation and JDMI infrastructures.

Century has put in Greentree financials for its eight-user site, and JDMI has chosen financials, inventory, project costing and customer relationship management (CRM) for its 12-user site.

Epic replaced its US-based accounting system as "it had run out of steam" for the US$16 million ($28.5 million) turnover firm which started in 1998.

While the exact value of the sale is undisclosed, Greentree executive director Peter Dickinson said the retail value of the software sold is around $400,000, but there had been some discounting on that. Implementation and consulting from Star would cost Epic another $300,000 or so.

The Melbourne-based Star Accounting purchased four resellers across the US a year ago and is making Greentree its core product for its expansion there. Dickinson said Greentree's strategy was to utilise Star rather than grow its own services arm.

"It's just too hard for a New Zealand development-oriented type of company to do that type of expansion."

Epic remarket HP and Sun Microsystems ex-lease equipment across the US through 10 locations.

Debbie Putman, the financial controller at Epic, said Greentree provided the flexibility it needed, and because of its ease of customisation it overcame all the issues that had prevented them choosing other software.

Greentree

Star Accounting