Fast growth abroad sees channel plays succeed
Resellers show strong presence in international sales league tables
Seventeen IT distributors, resellers and consultancies won spots in the Fast Track International 200, which aims to list the UK companies seeing the most success abroad in revenue terms every two years.
The fastest channel horse in the race was York services provider Phoenix Software, at number 14 on the list, which saw sales grown abroad of 160 per cent in the year, to £4.1m in revenue. It sells software to Europe and the US via its network of channel partners abroad.
"Led by husband and wife John Forsyth and Suzanne Marshall-Forsyth, [it] helps organisations to buy and manage their software and says it supplies two million software licences a year to public sector bodies, housing associations and corporations," said the Fast Track assessment.
"It has also developed a tool that manages licences for clients including American Express and the mining giant Anglo American."
Bell Micro was the next channel firm, coming in 20th for its sales of services abroad. It plans to open offices in Melbourne, Australia, and Hong Kong later this year.
Kelway was number 22, growing international revenue 100 per cent to reach £29m in the year. It now has a presence in Dubai, and plans to expand into Asia as well as further into Africa.
Genuine Solutions – a telecoms reseller run by co-founders Bav Majithia and Christian McBride – was snapping at Kelway's heels, taking spot 23. The former saw 100 per cent growth as well, but in its case through supply of mobile peripherals to retailers in 32 nations.
TTG, a reseller of British-made radio comms kit to China, was almost neck and neck with Genuine and Kelway in 24th place.
With offices in Dubai and the US, business tech and managed services provider Amor Group, helmed by John Innes, took 35th position.
2e2 came in at number 37, PTS Consulting at number 41, and Microlease at 45. Videoconferencing specialist proAV was number 49.
Telecoms integrator Optilan was the next third-party tech specialist to be listed, taking 87th position.
Video comms distributor Imago was number 106, enjoying a 38 per cent rise in its international sales over the year to £27m. It also plans to open two more European offices this year.
Ian Vickerage, managing director of Imago Group, said the company had been listed on the previous Fast Track International 100 in 2010. This is the first year the Fast Track International 200 list has been created.
"It is for the second time and is based on organic growth, which in the current market is challenging to achieve. It shows how consistently our overseas sales are growing," Vickerage said.
IT consultancy Excelian was 108th, and distributor Interactive Ideas took the 143rd spot, just beating services provider Endava, which has a going concern involving software engineering education in Romania as well as several US banks as customers.
Distributor Westcoast was a brave 148th, and Hammer came in at number 186.
Vendors, developers and manufacturers
The highest placed of all IT companies on the list, however, was at number eight. SMS Electronics, a manufacturer, now earns more than 70 per cent of its revenue from the Continent and the US. Some £36.2m of its revenue in 2011 came from abroad.
It was followed close behind by Mind Candy, a developer of games for children. "Its Moshi Monsters game is played by 50 million children in 150 countries," said Fast Track.
Other developers Thunderhead, AppSense, and ID Business Solutions came in 48th, 63rd, and 136th respectively. Online payments provider Skrill bagged the 137th spot after buying an Austrian rival for £113m.
Further down was another developer, Thomsons Online Benefits, in 158th.
Components maker Worldmark was number 192.
The Fast Track International 200 league table looks at the companies' latest two years of available accounts, calculating the compound annual growth rate over those two years.