Caroline Rawlinson (MYOB).
Accounting software vendor MYOB has transformed its business management platform through buying two Aussie software companies in Tall Emu and Nimbus.
MYOB will accelerate its software-as-a-service practice management solutions portfolio through the addition of cloud document management software, Nimbus, which serves an integrated and secure client portal, a range of customised workflows and collaboration tools.
MYOB CFO Caroline Rawlinson said the investment in Nimbus was part of a move to accelerate the delivery of a cloud solution that had widespread customer demand and appeal.
“We know how important it is for our accountant and practise customers to have solutions which help their teams collaborate efficiently in distributed work environments, improve their client engagement and meet their document storage compliance obligations -- Nimbus ticked all these boxes in spades,” she said.
Nimbus Portal Solutions CEO John Woodbridge added the acquisition significantly accelerates the delivery of their next generation product and feature enhancements.
“We set out on our business journey with the premise that document management software was one of the most important and under-appreciated solutions available to any accounting practice,” he said.
Through the addition of Tall Emu, the MYOB platform will allow small businesses to manage their workflows through tracking multiple sales flows, marketing and lead management, quoting and selling, online payment, back-order handling, fulfilment, delivery and post-sales services.
Tall Emu will also attract a significant investment in research and development, enabling the team to explore product and feature enhancements, and longer term MYOB integration opportunities. There won’t be any immediate change to Tall Emu's day-to-day business operations.
Tall Emu complements MYOB’s core capabilities in accounting and compliance, and specialised inventory and industry-specific solutions, and offers future development opportunities through combining end-to-end management with financial management.
“The acquisition is a magnificent outcome for us. We are excited by the prospect of learning from the MYOB team and leveraging their decades of experience, market and brand awareness, to unlock the full potential of our software for more businesses,” Tall Emu CEO, Mike Nash said.
“Some of our customers spend all day on our software - the software shows them they don’t need buckets of money to get access to information they need and they can leverage the existing systems to gain an end-to-end view. It’s a whole business process.”
MYOB has made a string of acquisitions in the market as it shifts its business towards a direct sales and service channel strategy for ERP mid-market customers. In the past year the company has bought-out its partners including Star Business Solutions, Axsys and Exobiz.
