Professional Advantage and System 77 band together to put customers first

Merger designed to increase options available to System 77 customers

 

Sydney, Australia - 3rd July 2006

 

Leading provider of business applications to the mid market, Professional Advantage, has announced a merger with System 77. The merger takes effect today, with the business of System 77 becoming a business unit of Professional Advantage's Microsoft Division.

 

The merger comes after a lengthy investigation by System 77 on how it could improve on its product offering and better meet the needs of its customers going forward. Its investigations led to the decision that the Microsoft Dynamics range was the best option and the merger with Professional Advantage provided it with the least risky way of offering it to its customers.

 

“We felt that merging with Professional Advantage was the best outcome for both our customers and our staff. We had a natural fit with Professional Advantage. Both companies work with mid-market customers across wholesale, distribution and retailing,” said Graham Rix, Managing Director, System 77. “Professional Advantage also allows us to offer customers an expanded offering, such as customer relationship management (CRM) and business intelligence (BI) solutions, which we've not been able to do in the past.”

 

Current System 77 customers will be offered migration paths to Microsoft Dynamics, including Dynamics GP, Dynamics AX and Dynamics CRM. For customers that decide not to migrate, System 77 will be supported and maintained at least until 2010. Product enhancements will also continue to be made available until this time.

 

For Professional Advantage, the merger marks the continuation of its plans for growth. Professional Advantage Microsoft Division intends to nearly double the size of its business to over $30 million by 2010 through both organic growth and strategic merger opportunities.

 

“Our organisation, with its uniquely decentralized structure, provides a very attractive option for companies like System 77 to ‘tuck in' under the benefit of Professional Advantage banner," said Derek Rippingale, Joint Managing Director, Professional Advantage.

 

Over the coming months, System 77 staff will move to Professional Advantage's offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Professional Advantage's team in Perth will relocate to the System 77 premises.

 

The merger will result in Professional Advantage becoming one of the largest privately held IT companies in Australia, with 430 out of its 800+ customers supported by the team of the Microsoft Division.

 

Microsoft is very supportive of the merger. “Professional Advantage is one of our longest standing and successful Microsoft Gold Certified partners, as demonstrated by the multiple awards they have won. We believe that System 77 customers will greatly benefit from the merger and now have even greater access to the extensive functionality of the wide range of Microsoft solutions,” said Kerstin Baxter, Director, Partner Group.