Crimsonwing goes Dutch!

This month Crimsonwing launched its new company Crimsonwing b.v. in the Netherlands. Replicating the success its sister company has had in selling Maltese services to the UK, Crimsonwing b.v. will be targeting medium-sized companies to handle IT offshore projects.

According to David Walsh, Crimsonwing's CEO: "This is definitely the right time to enter the Dutch market. Although some very large companies have outsourced their IT requirements to the far east, many medium-sized companies who are receptive to the concept of outsourcing, are now looking closer to home. Malta is that ideal location".

Owned by Crimsonwing Group, Crimsonwing b.v. will function in exactly the same way as Crimsonwing UK. It will be completely sales-orientated, with work generated being handled in Malta.

The Malta team will forward proposals, plan projects and work using the on-site off-site model in much the same way as is done with UK clients.

It is anticipated that much of the work will be project based with an emphasis on e-business. There are many legacy systems making use of mainframe technology which Crimsonwing also has experience with. Crimsonwing b.v. will also actively market the MS Axapta solution and will act as a reseller for Intershop products and services in the Netherlands.

According to Ernst & Young (Netherlands), "It is anticipated that offshoring and outsourcing of software development and ICT solutions will increase. In a recent poll, more than half the respondents expected ICT activities to be outsourced. At the moment, 16% of the respondents are actively involved in outsourcing activities while another 15% have indicated their plans to outsource services or products in the near future."

This Dutch venture started almost two years ago when Crimsonwing's business development team together with top management started investigating alternative markets. A marketing consultant was hired to explore the Dutch market and seven months later this was followed by a hugely successful seminar organised jointly by Logica CMG and Crimsonwing who gave a presentation on IT outsourcing in Malta.

While there are obvious synergies between the Netherlands and the UK, doing business in Holland is made easier by the fact that although the business language is Dutch, English is spoken as a second language. The directors of Crimsonwing b.v. are not new to the world of IT, all four have had extensive experience in managing large IT companies in Europe and the USA. Having local Dutch management is a real plus and Crimsonwing b.v. can look forward to a great future, the company said in a statement.

For more information on Crimsonwing visit www.crimsonwing. com.