SMEs in UAE to drive in increased spending for more strategic Enterprise Application Software solutions, says Sage Software

Small Medium Enterprises (SME) in the UAE are expected to drive in an increase in spending, particularly in key Enterprise Application Software (EAS) solutions, according to Sage Software, the leading global supplier of ERP, CRM and HRM solutions to medium and large organizations. The UAE has been identified as one of the region’s fastest growing ERP and CRM markets as witnessed by its growing number of companies making key transitions from manual environments to fully automated back-office systems. The leading software provider further revealed that the increasing awareness towards the significance of implementing a strategic and reliable ERP and CRM solutions package is seen as a major factor in driving in this increase.

Sage has shared that their upbeat attitude towards the predicted increase is in line with a recent IDC report stating that the Middle East and North African (MENA) region’s EAS segment expected to return to double-digit growth rates from 2010 after suffering a considerable slowdown in growth in 2009 due to the impact of the global economic crisis on the region. According to the report, the region is predicted to expand at an average annual growth rate of 12.8 per cent by 2014. In line with this, the UAE has identified education, healthcare and government sectors as key verticals that are poised to be the fastest growing EAS spenders over the next five years.

“The Middle East region’s SME segment is on the move towards recovering from the impact left by the global financial crisis. This is ably displayed in the influx of economic activity throughout the region. In line with this healthy show of activity, we are seeing increased spending in strategic enterprise application software among key countries like the UAE and the KSA,” said Reggie Fernandes, Director - Gulf Operations, Sage Software Middle East. "Regional SME’s are now investing in ERP and CRM solutions that can be easily integrated with their existing IT infrastructure and can also help address their dynamic needs. Our strength lies within a strong customer advocacy program that assures our customers of acceleration and growth.”

A recent report from Gartner, shows that worldwide enterprise software revenue is set to surpass USD253.7 billion in 2011; reflecting an increase by 7.5 per cent from 2010. The report shares that firms are increasingly looking to invest in improving their business intelligence and content management systems to cope with the continuously changing market demands. The increase is also evident in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, ably demonstrated by the strategic software investments made by some nations. In fact, the UAE reportedly posted over USD559 million spent on new software in 2010. Understanding the importance of leveraging essential and strategic EAS software across different verticals in the region, Sage has identified the UAE as one of its strongest markets in the region and will be organizing a special seminar entitled ‘Don’t slow down: boom time ahead’ in May. The seminar is aimed at capitalizing on growth and development in Abu Dhabi. The company has grown from offering desktop accounting packages to full-blown ERP and CRM solutions, owning as much as a 30 - 40 per cent market share in the UAE in its product niches.

"The growing dependence of UAE SME businesses on strategic enterprise application software demonstrates the market’s maturity and direct approach towards the management of resources and automation of processes. The success of our recent series of seminars in KSA and the UAE affirms the zealous interest of local companies in adopting EAS to drive their own growth. In line with this, we are planning to invest in more initiatives for UAE SME businesses; helping them become better equipped and ready to respond to the changing market conditions through our ERP, CRM and HRM solutions," concluded Fernandes.

SME’s in the UAE are now witness to an influx of activity across all verticals, which have been brought about by efforts to recover from the impacts of the global financial crisis. In line with this, Sage Software, in partnership with Voxtron, an international software developer for customer interaction solutions, recently organized a seminar on customer advocacy and its role in attaining customer power. The event tackled key issues like increasing the number of people that recommend your product or service; improving customer loyalty and retention rates; meeting the challenges of systems integration for better customer service and how to track and respond to feedback about your product and service on the internet.