SYDNEY – A South African systems integrator has created a new offshore division in Australia in hopes of creating a secondary source of demand for its Oracle-based services.
The Navigor unit of EOH of Johannesburg has opened EOH Australia, which will initially focus on labor broking and completing selective projects using Oracle solutions.
“Based in Perth, this new division will essentially be a means of extending our expertise and services. We’re thus looking to continue our work in J. D. Edwards’ based projects, CRM (customer relationship management) on demand, and Oracle implementations,” said Navigor executive director Ken Cullinan.
J.D. Edwards fell under the Oracle umbrella in 2004 when it was bought by PeopleSoft, which bought JDE during a controversial fight the year before.
EOH has business consulting, outsourcing and technology divisions. EOH Australia regional director Desmond Massey-Hicks said Western Australia is very similar to South Africa in many respects, specifically when it comes to culture and economy,
“Western Australia is focused on the same markets and industries that South Africa is. EOH is already a significant player in these industries – namely mining, construction and engineering,” he said.
“In fact, many of EOH’s African customers already have or are currently establishing their own investments in Australia. It thus makes sense that EOH will be there to support them in their expansion.”
Massey-Hicks said there are also significant financial services and public sector opportunities that EOH will be looking to target across Australia.
When it comes to the choice of Perth for EOH Australia’s new address, Cullinan explains that Western Australia continues to outperform most other cities in the world in terms of its growth, which is being fuelled by a resource boom that shows no sign of abating.
“Because it’s so close to Asia and China specifically, Western Australia is well positioned to take advantage of the demand that has been created by the growth of these markets,” he said.
“EOH already has a well-established local track record when it comes to assisting organizations optimize their processes and achieve efficiencies. We believe we can replicate this success in Australia.”
