Africa, a hot prospect in 2010 - Softline Accpac MD

"We are starting to see renewed interest in ERP and CRM systems from the mid-market. Companies which traditionally take longer to make decisions now realise that they have to reinvest in technology and are looking to implement modern systems to improve efficiencies and become more competitive," says Waterman.

He says 2009 saw many of the bigger software vendors take their eye, and budgets, off Africa despite the potential of this burgeoning market: "When international budgets are cut, Africa is often a casualty. For us, Africa is always priority. We have grown and nurtured this market for over 25 years and believe in its potential today as much as we did in the Eighties. I believe next year (2010) will see continued growth up into Africa."

2010 is a big year for the company as it is launching new versions of all its flagship products Sage Accpac, Sage Erp X3, Accpac CRM and SalesLogix.

"I don't believe we will see enormous change but rather steady growth. The channel will need to ensure it spots opportunities as and when they arise and are ready to assist with a hassle-free implementation," concludes Waterman.