IT Factory strikes Lotus deal

IT Factory has signed an OEM distribution agreement with Lotus to supply its Software Development Kit (SDK) across EMEA.

The deal is the Danish developer's first significant OEM contract and comes just one month after it opened a UK office in Staines as part of an expansion programme across Europe and the US.

At the time, IT Factory said it was looking to establish a formal relationship that would bring it closer to Lotus (PC Dealer, 16 June).

David Brown, EMEA vice president of sales at IT Factory, said: 'For us, it's a seal of approval from Lotus. The making of a structured development architecture is an area in which Lotus has had some issues. This deal will help to elevate Notes and Domino as an enterprise-wide application platform.'

He claimed the Lotus business partner community would be 'more productive' as a result of the agreement because it would allow it to capitalise more quickly on sales opportunities.

Under the deal, IT Factory retains the rights to the source code for SDK, a product that allows enterprise and departmental data to be centrally administered using a common design platform. SDK will be rebranded by Lotus, while IT Factory will provide training, development and consultancy services to the vendor.

Brown added that he was hoping to extend the deal to the US and the Asia-Pacific region.

Edgard Gassino, EMEA vice president of Lotus Professional Services, said the deal had some 'compelling advantages' for Lotus, and would lead to greater returns on Notes investments for business partners as well as users.