Dhaka-based Daffodil Computers has signed an agreement with Hansaworld M.E., a leading supplier of financial software, to extend its products and expertise for mutual benefit, officials said.
Bangladeshi IT companies participating in Gitex have received a good response from the regional market. A number of them plan to set up branches in Dubai's retail IT sector as well as the software solutions market.
"The response we have received from the regional market is very good," said M. Sabur Khan, chairman of Daffodil Group and head of Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS). "We have been inundated with enquiries for certain products and services.
Some of the Bangladeshi participants are looking to penetrate the market. We ourselves are looking for a suitable office and retail space in Dubai's IT market.
"With our agreement with Hansaworld ME, we will have access to the regional market as well as their outsourcing business for Bangladesh."
Johan Ulander, chief executive of Hansaworld ME, said the agreement, signed at the Gitex yesterday, gives Daffodil exclusive rights for Hansaworld ME's products, services and expertise in Bangladesh as well as expanding the latter's reach in the growing software market in Bangladesh.
"With this agreement, we are going to penetrate Bangladesh through our partnership with Daffodil. Bangladesh is a virgin market for our products, especially in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM), and we hope to net at least $1 million in the first year.
"We have sound resources through which the Bangladeshi companies can benefit. The market has a lot of potential for growth."
Hansaworld M.E. started UAE operations in early 2004.
"During our first two months of operations, we were able to confirm 10 orders of ERP and CRM. It's a feat considering these order cycles usually take almost a year to finalise," he said.
"This initial market response is a clear indication of the positive market potential we would like to take the lead in. We are aiming to capture at least eight per cent of the region's market share. The local adaptability of our solutions makes it possible for us to achieve our market objectives," Ulander said.
