Crimsonwing lands €10m contract - Article in the Times of Malta, 4th Nov 2010

Crimsonwing – shortlisted for the Most Improved Corporate Exporter Award (annual turnover more than €10 million)

 Times of Malta - 4th Nov 2010 (331.12 kB)

Since it was first established in Malta in 1998, Crimsonwing plc has been growing its exports of leading-edge IT solutions exponentially.

When Crimsonwing first embarked on doing business in Malta, it started off with just four employees. Twelve years later, it has grown into a publicly listed company with more than 220 employees in Malta, the UK and the Netherlands, and an annual turnover of over €12 million in 2009/10.

Its latest success story is a €10 million contract for the provision of IT professional services and solutions over three years for a large food retail chain in the UK.

“Our relationship with this client goes back 12 years, practically since we were founded in Malta,” said managing director James Bonello. “This is a superb example of building trust and loyalty towards our services, and confirms our position as a leading choice for quality, added value and cost-effective solutions. This demonstration of repeat custom is the best accolade we can aim for, and it is a vote of confidence in our business that helps boost our drive for further expansion.”

Crimsonwing’s primary export markets are the UK and the Netherlands. Other countries, however, such as Italy and Germany, are being served as well. Its exports are mainly generated through its subsidiaries in the UK and the Netherlands, which sell a number of software solutions and support services to help clients to achieve sales and operational business benefits from information technology. These projects are then mainly handled by Crimsonwing’s technical engineers in Malta.

“With the solution centre based in Malta, overheads and risks can be reduced, while still keeping the services easily accessible and cost-effective. Our key investment is our people who are accredited with the business and technical know-how to ensure consistent quality, which goes beyond our ISO 9001:2000 certification,” Mr Bonello added.

“We also continuously grow our team and bring in new skills and talents in order to expand into new business areas, like the Magento practice, which we took on in 2009, or the Microsoft Dynamics Enterprise Resource Planning Systems in 2007.”

In 2007, Crimsonwing achieved Microsoft Gold Partner status, which helped it further enhance its exports through a number of acquisitions for a greater project and client base. The first acquisition was the enterprise business unit of Peracto Ltd, also a Microsoft Gold Partner. This gave Crimsonwing a leading portfolio of business solutions for the printing and publishing industry.

The second acquisition was a controlling interest in Promentum Group, a Netherlands-based provider of Microsoft Dynamics services and training to Microsoft and the Microsoft business partner channel. In June 2008, the company acquired a second Dutch company – VDA – with a strong presence in the media and broadcasting sector in Holland, which strengthened Crimsonwing’s ERP and custom development portfolio further.

“We are aware that in order to sustain our export growth, we need to consider entering new markets. As well as dealing directly in the markets, we are also building solutions that can be delivered through local channel partners to increase coverage and reduce risks. Crimsonwing plc in Malta is not just providing a services capability, but also innovative solutions that have a global relevance,” Mr Bonello said.

 Times of Malta - 4th Nov 2010 (331.12 kB)