Software Could Be NZ’s Greatest Export

News Release

9th October 2007

Software Could Be NZ’s Greatest Export

National leader John Key was told last night that, with government support, software could be New Zealand’s greatest export, by the CEO of Software Associates, one of the country’s fastest growing information technology specialists.

Speaking at the opening of the company’s new headquarters, Keith Mackenzie said: ` Software is the greatest export New Zealand could have. The value added is astronomical compared with manufacturing and even our agricultural sector. It’s green – the air miles for product distribution are virtually zero, apart from the sales activities, and our so-called carbon footprint is extremely low. New Zealand software companies have been quite successful to date and are well respected around the world but we have hardly scraped the surface of what is a quite massive market.’

Accepting the first ever single-user licence for Software Associates' secure email and date exchange service, Securit-e, Mr Key said that Wellington had focused too heavily on inventing rules for big businesses: `while the vast bulk of New Zealand firms are small and trying to grow. The real challenge for business is how to grow it rather than just set it up. Software Associates is to be commended for blazing a new trail.’

Mr Mackenzie who bought the twenty year old company six months ago pointed out that his ambition was to: `develop earth shattering “eureka” type software that we can take to the world. There were four staff when I bought the company in April this year and we now have a team of eight. We have achieved 50 per cent growth this financial year and our exports have gone from zero to a third of a million dollars in just six months. On top of this we are projecting the company to grow at 100% per annum from next year and exports to grow at 200%.’

Software Associates plans to build its own intellectual property within Mobility Solutions, Warehouse Management Systems, and Secure Data Transfer.

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