Intergen returns to market

By ADAM GIFFORD

Microsoft developer Intergen, formerly Glazier Systems, is back touting for business in the Auckland market after the expiry of a one-year restraint-of-trade imposed by former owner Advantage Group.

"During the time we were Advantage we did not add much to our client base - we went there with the promise we would get larger customers, but as the work Glazier sold ran out it was not replaced," said director Tony Stewart.

The Auckland office will be headed by former Clearview-Zivo national sales manager Shaun Donaghey.

Advantage bought Glazier, which had just over 50 staff and offices in Wellington and Auckland, for $7 million in late 1999.

In June last year, Glazier's founders and about 20 staff bought back the Wellington operation for a six-figure sum and the acceptance of some long-term liabilities, such as leases.

As Intergen, it has been going through a similar process to Advantage - shedding the fantasy business models of the dotcom era and developing robust processes for software development and quality control.

Intergen needed to prove to the market it could complete projects well after controversy over systems it built for the New Zealand internet name registry company Domainz.

A report into problems with the registry system was commissioned by the Domainz board from consultants Hunter Group.

It criticised what was then known as ADV e-Commerce, in particular its poor project management, some non-standard coding practices and poor testing and quality assurance.

Intergen continues to maintain the site for Domainz. Other customers include Meridian Energy, Vodafone and Internal Affairs.

Stewart said that despite having little work last year, Intergen kept its staff on.

It used the quiet time to train its 18 developers in .Net and other new Microsoft technologies.



Stewart said Intergen's turnover this year would be about $4 million, much of which would come from content management technologies and workplace collaboration.