On our recent trip to Brisbane, we attended the first of the 2019 series of TechOne hosted Showcase events. The annual event invites existing and potential TechOne customers and industry experts to explore key industry trends and serves as a platform for TechOne to exhibit some of its latest product releases. TechOne has been a long-term holding in our Australian share portfolios since 2012 and the Showcase was a great opportunity for us to find out what is top of mind for TechOne staff and 500 customers in attendance.
The central theme of the 2019 Showcase was how shifting from traditional on premise enterprise IT systems to adopting Software as a Service (SaaS) would help provide cost efficiencies, increase productivity and add functionality for businesses at a time when data flows are increasing at an exponential rate. Traditional on premise software is installed and run on computers located at a user’s work place. SaaS in contrast is accessed via the internet. TechOne’s SaaS product is accessible anywhere anytime on a smart device with data now stored in the Cloud. TechOne released the first of its SaaS solutions in 2012. It now has over 390 SaaS customers with a focus on servicing local government and tertiary education institutions across its core markets in Australia, New Zealand and UK.
Local governments and tertiary education institutions have historically been laggards in upgrading their software systems. However, a study by Intelligent Business Research Services (IBRS) shows this is set to change. Over 40% of local governments and 70% of education organisations are looking to procure entirely new IT solutions within the next 12 months. Based on the number of attendees from these organisations at the Showcase, and the questions they asked we can well believe this. Residents of local governments and students of education organisations are demanding increased functionality from their councils and universities. This is driving increased demand for solutions like TechOne’s SaaS product, which is well equipped to organize large amounts of data and present it in an easy to use and cost efficient manner for clients.
In one of the Showcase breakout sessions we attended, a representative from Moreton Bay Regional Council in Queensland walked us through what they are doing to increase their service offering to residents. Initiatives include residents being able to ask Siri and Google when roadworks would be completed and when the next rubbish collection day is. Both Siri and Google are able to feed off the data now centralised and made easily accessible by Moreton Bay’s TechOne SaaS enterprise system. Moreton Bay residents can also report civic issues like a damaged footpath, swing or bench via the Moreton Bay Council mobile app for timely repair. For us the most impressive innovation came from enabling the simple waste pickup truck to detect potholes on its normal collection route. Using cameras attached to the truck and technology that integrates with TechOne’s software Moreton Bay Council are now able to geographically identify and automatically trigger an order for the potholes to be fixed in a timely manner. These functions offered by Moreton Bay are aimed at increasing resident satisfaction. This is made possible by the collection and processing of data by TechOne’s solutions.
It was clear from the Showcase that TechOne is solving a fundamental need for its clients as they seek to improve the efficiency and increase their customer’s wellbeing.
As TechOne’s strapline says: “Transforming business, making life simple”
