EDS global partners net $100m in sales

An EDS partner program aimed at helping small Australian resellers win global deals has begun to bear fruit, harvesting some $100 million in sales after five years.

Mike Smith, executive director for federal government business at the local arm of services giant EDS, said a global partner program EDS began in 1999 had won some of the 39 small partners accepted had won deals totalling about $100 million.

"It's an export facilitation program, looking for what we believe are niche products that will sell," he said.

Best of breed products that could be marketed and delivered alongside EDS offerings helped EDS and the partner make more money, Smith pointed out.

NSW-based monitoring specialist Proxima Technology had won banking and government deals in the UK and banking and telecommunications sales in the US as a result of the program, he suggested.

Queensland cryptographic transaction security provider Eracom had made sales to government agencies in Austria and Hong Kong, Smith added.

He suggested that the program was becoming more popular. Some 200 partners had applied but only 39 were accepted.

"We do a due diligence check on them," Smith said. "The partners have to complete a questionnaire and we look at more detailed information about the company [too]."

Mark Shoebridge, managing director at Proxima Technology, said in a statement that breaking into foreign markets was a daunting proposition for any company.

"The Global Partner Solutions program removes many of the costs and difficulties of international marketing and opens doors at some very high levels," he said.

Proxima had added nine staff in a year as a result of opportunities from the program. Getting backing from a big industry name like EDS added further credibility, Shoebridge said.

Smith said the success of the Australian scheme had prompted EDS UK and New Zealand to start their own similar schemes.