Development shops, or IT companies that handle bespoke development on behalf of their clients, are like fleas on a dog's tail - everywhere.
But not all of them have the ability to understand and interpret client needs and translate these into custom software applications that are unique.
Cape-based systems development consultancy White Wall Web (WWW) is one of those companies. Specialising in Web-based database systems the company has been in operation for three years, has grown 100% year on year and boasts about 30 large and medium-sized clients - many of whom have been with the company since its inception.
Last year WWW developed a business management system for the regional Southern Africa head office of RE/MAX, the world's largest real estate company with more than 6 000 offices and 120 000 agents in 63 countries.
It's the most comprehensive RE/MAX regional management system in the world, providing the regional head office with the administrative means to run the region: online marketing; an intranet; a paperless billing system; as well as the ability to generate monthly and annual reports and track historical and year-to-date agent commissions.
Recognising the importance of owning one's intellectual property, WWW negotiated a reduced fee with RE/MAX in return for the intellectual property and rights to market the software to other franchises in the same group.
Since then WWW has sold software licences to RE/MAX in New Zealand and recently, Australia. According to MD Peter Flynn, the company will continue to target the East, looking at RE/MAX franchises in countries such as India before it looks at areas like Europe.
It's potentially a lucrative source of monthly annuity income. RE/MAX of Southern Africa has nearly 2 500 agents and a website that receives more than 60 000 visits a month. Australia forecasts 5 000 agents in the next five years.
But Flynn is equally proud of another development. It is a Web-based portfolio manager platform for managing share portfolios and funds in multiple currencies on multiple exchanges with real-time reporting. Called FinAssets, the product is the result of a joint venture between WWW, online share portal ShareNet, an asset management company, and the business developers, an actuary and portfolio manager
"We are hoping to win a lot of business - first with SME asset managers and then with larger companies. We will focus initially on the SA market, but the product will work anywhere in the world and this is where the real potential lies."
