Software builders hit Africa

Tuesday, 14 December, 1999 - 21:00
APPLECROSS-based software designer Metech has cracked the corporate business sector in Africa for the first time.

Metech managing director Bill Withers said the company had just signed a deal worth an estimated $250,000 with Anglo American Prospecting Services which selected acQuire as its corporate data management system.

The acQuire system augments regional database technology and

currently provides solutions based on Oracle, SQLServer and Access.

Quality data management is important in the exploration and mining industry because the costs of collecting the data itself are so high.

The Anglo American contract involves Metech installing acQuire and undertaking training at nine sites throughout Africa early in 2000.

“Our target is the corporate sector and this is the biggest contract for our acQuire software – and our first major contract in Africa,” Mr Withers said.

The company has decided to open an office in Johannesburg as a service centre base in February 2000.

Mr Withers said Anglo had

purchased acQuire for storing and accessing geochemical analytical and drillhole data.

Started in 1980, Metech has grown from a two-man operation to a company with a full complement of geologists, mining and software engineers.

It also provides a significant amount of research and development for the MineSight system that can be used in large underground mining environments or large surface mining operations.