BCD Adds New Partners In The United Kingdom and Ireland

June 4, 2012 Dan Burger

Business Computer Design, Intl., creator of popular IBM i application modernization tools, is expanding its business partner network in the United Kingdom and Ireland by teaming with IT services and solutions provider Proximity Resourcing and systems integrator CSI. The two companies operate separately but share a single business management team. Each has been a BCD customer for years and both have done development and application modernization projects using BCD WebSmart and Presto tools.

The partnership is intended to improve the availability of BCD’s solutions in the U.K. and Ireland and broaden the portfolios of Proximity and CSI with Web-centric development solutions that keep pace with business needs. The agreement was structured so Proximity and CSI are BCD’s exclusive business partners in those markets, meaning the partners will not distribute products that compete with BCD products and BCD will not make agreements with other companies to distribute its products in the region.

Proximity and CSI do have the capability to contract with sub-distributors including independent software vendors, resellers, and system integrators.

Proximity and CSI will be the main source for product information, sales, and support for companies interested in BCD’s application modernization products including WebSmart ILE, WebSmart PHP, and Presto, along with other BCD products such as Clover Query, Catapult, and Nexus Portal. The partnership agreement includes existing BCD customers in addition to new business.

For more than 20 years, BCD had a business partner in the U.K. and Ireland that provided service and support for companies using BCD software. Originally that company was Oasis 400, which was later purchased by SoftLanding Systems. As the maintenance contracts for individual customers expired during 2012, those companies were transitioned from SoftLanding to Proximity and CSI. About half the BCD customers have made that transition. All customers will make the transition by the end of 2012.

Eric Figura, BCD’s director of marketing and sales, expects IBM midrange shops in the U.K. and Ireland will find “elevated responsiveness and increased product satisfaction and support for our application modernization solutions.”

Proximity’s managing director, Dave Pickburn, said in a prepared statement that IT departments in the U.K. consider application modernization a top priority and his company needed to offer “proven solutions that make the modernization process much easier and faster to implement.” He also noted that BCD’s “robust product line and great reputation in the marketplace” was crucial to partnership decision process.

BCD is looking to expand its sales and support coverage in other international markets, Figura said. Spain, Portugal, France, and Japan were specifically mentioned. BCD has existing partnerships in more than 30 countries. Figura noted particular success in Italy, Australia/New Zealand, Mexico, and Germany.