My message in our last newsletter, 5 months ago, talked about the exciting year we had ahead and, so far, it has most certainly proved to be just that!!
Let’s get the Election out of the way first! I would imagine that most people reading this, irrespective of political leaning, will agree that the outcome, and subsequent GNU, is the best scenario we could have hoped for! Regrettably, there will always be “horse trading” as the individual parties and politicians justle for position. Having governed/dictated for the past 30 years, the need for consensus with people with fundamental different beliefs must be very difficult for the ANC! It will be very different, and challenging, but let’s hope common sense prevails more often than not!
On the business front, the past few months have been fantastic. Our existing customers and partners continue to get value from their Yellowfin implementations, in some cases showing significant growth. Equally exciting is the addition of 5 new customers/partners – 3 of which have taken advantage of our recently launched Hosted Service.
One of the challenges of competing in a hotly contested marketplace, with an annual subscription-based licensing model, is ensuring the retention of the customer base. There is multiple choice of products, all of which do much the same thing! We believe that the key is consistent delivery of value.
Although the mainstay of our business is software licenses – in this case Yellowfin licenses – the product alone can never ensure sustained value. It is for this reason that we have our Professional Services Team through which we are able to deliver a wide range of services, including Training, Proof of Value Engagements, Consulting and Development, Data Connectivity, rapid ROI etc., all of which is designed to assist you in maximizing your value.
It seems that word of our local success in this has spread into the larger International Yellowfin and Idera Community! A few months ago, we were asked by Yellowfin Head Office if we would be able to establish a Yellowfin Centre of Excellence, here in South Africa, to service the North American market! Our response was a loud “Yes!” and I am delighted to report that the Centre of Excellence (COE) was formally launched on July 1st!
Although we already have a really great team, trained and operationally productive, it was clear that we would need to increase the resource base. Two more interns, Bentrice Mashabane and Matildah Dlamini, joined us at the beginning of May, both of whom are already happily demonstrating their potential. We also realized that we needed additional senior experience, particularly in the Data Analytics field, as well as in management, and we are thrilled to welcome Annelien De Jager who joined us at the beginning of June. Her role as Business Development Manager speaks for itself but, in the immediate term, she has assumed responsibility for the Centre of Excellence.
Never a dull moment in the AIGS world and we look forward to continued excitement during the second half of 2024!
