Optimation Group sells Mentum Systems to FTS Group

New Zealand-owned Optimation Group, a leading Application Outsource & Digital Solutions and Talent provider, has sold its Australian business Mentum Systems to FTS Group, one of the largest privately owned IT services and consulting companies in Australia.

Optimation Group Chair Neil Butler says the move will allow the Group to apply greater focus and resource to its core New Zealand business and boost its growth plans for Optimation and Presto.

“Optimation will accelerate its drive to build world-class enterprise digital and cloud solution capability,” says Mr Butler. “Our recent partnerships with IBM and its subsidiary Red Hat, and the new appointments of Sallie Purser to General Manager Business Operations and Pat Cullen to Executive Director, are part of this journey.”

Both Ms Purser and Mr Cullen joined Optimation from IBM New Zealand recently, where Sallie was General Manager Partner Ecosystem and Pat was Software Client Leader responsible for large software deals in New Zealand. A key focus for the pair is to develop Optimation’s new IBM relationship as the tech giant joins other New Zealand enterprises in transitioning from direct sales and management to form robust business partnerships.

“We are focusing on opportunities created by this change for both our Optimation and Presto businesses.”

IBM joins Optimation’s other established Business Partners – AWS and Microsoft, and low-code platform OutSystems for which Optimation is the leading partner in New Zealand.

“We’ve been doing considerable work across the market to support our enterprise customers’ digital and transformation initiatives. Our Business Partners bring a suite of technologies that are pivotal these projects,” says Mr Butler.

“Organisations are being forced to innovate more quickly and more continuously than ever before. Several years ago we saw the emergence of low-code technologies as faster and more cost-effective tools for innovation than either big platforms like Salesforce and SAP or traditional software development. Since then, we’ve gone from having limited low-code expertise to having market-leading capabilities in less than three years.”

Most recently, Optimation started work with Accuro Health Insurance to transform its core business system. Optimation is helping the company to take a ‘digital first’ approach to customer experience using modern application development platforms.

It follows successful digital transformation projects including a franchise management system for Jae Cleaning and the Medical Council of New Zealand.

Meanwhile, technology talent and resourcing provider Presto is growing year-on-year. New recruitment and sourcing consultants joined earlier this year, along with the addition of a Philippines-based sourcing capability.

“We are rapidly evolving the business to best help customers in an environment of acute talent shortages,” says Mr Butler.

Optimation began Canberra-headquartered IT and consulting business Mentum Systems as a start-up and acquired the professional services team of ThoughtWeb in 2014. Mentum deploys and integrates software solutions for its clients, enabling them to make better decisions, and demonstrate achievement of strategic and operational objectives.

Since 2014, it has tripled in size and significantly expanded its reach within its key client segment, the Australian Defence. Mentum presents synergies with FTS Group’s existing business units, offering growth opportunities for the highly capable Mentum team.

“It has been very satisfying to grow Mentum to this point and it’s a logical time for the business to move to new ownership to continue that journey,” says Mr Butler, adding that all of the Mentum team will be retained under FTS Group.

“We will continue to partner with Mentum and the FTS Group where appropriate. Independently, Optimation will pursue live opportunities to leverage our own SCP software product with government agencies across Australia.”

Optimation’s locally developed SCP software product has been successfully deployed in New Zealand with Corrections and the Defence Force.

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