Website: www.computerworld.co.nz
Written By: Brian Dooley, Computerworld
Rural Christchurch is home and office to Julian and Sarah Stone, while business partner Alan Barlow works in Auckland. Together they run an international company
Visit ProActive Software’s website and it looks like you are dealing with a successful mid-sized US company. You would hardly suspect that this is a Kiwi operation involving four people, headquartered in the rural outskirts of Christchurch in a small residence with seven chickens, a turkey, two horses a dog and a cat. Yet the company is successfully taking their ProWorkflow product to the international market, and getting major wins both locally and internationally.
“It’s a number-eight wire solution,” says director Julian Stone. “The key to looking large is to focus on the top 20 competitors and ignore the rest. We then advertise where they advertise — but only where it reaches major customers.” This saves a lot of money, as well as ensuring that ProWorkflow is always mentioned in the same context as the major players.
But ProActive has more than one string to its bow. It also uses a highly professional, interactive website that is hosted in California. With California’s massive bandwidth availability, this helps the site to operate efficiently at all times as well as providing a US presence.
Reviewed by: www.easycfm.com
Reviewer: Pablo Varando
Product Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!
Having reviewed version one and version two of this software, I went in with an open mind. Thinking will things get better or worse with this product. As products get bigger and better, usually there are more bugs and more problems. I did however test this product extensively. Reviewing it not only from a users stand point, but also from a developers stand point. Guess what I found? A solid product that gets better and better as new releases come out!
The team that builds this product takes into consideration that things are needed and approaches them in a professional manner. You can tell this justby looking at the code. Proper coding, great solutions and correctly implemented solutions (this means planning, which is the way all products should be done).
Overall, I found myself saying, this product rocks! Because it’s a cool tool that every developer needs (even those of us that dont think we do) ;)
If you are a developer (or business user) that wants to lower your costs and increase your profits.. then you need to make the small investment of purchasing this product.
What can I say, I ProWorkFlow in my everyday workday all the time and without it I dont think I would maximize my sales and profits!
So what is my review of this product? Get it, not later; BUT NOW! You cannot be a serious player in the IT field without it! It really is that good!
Published on: www.idg.co.nz
Written By: Darren Greenwood, IDG
The difference between developing for domestic or overseas customers is less to do with technology issues than go-to-market ones. Much preparation is necessary before a first foreign sale. A common theme from exporters is that overseas market expectations are far higher than in New Zealand.
“It’s sue, sue, sue. It’s scary,” warns Annette Dow, a New Zealander who runs Wisconsin company Binary Research International (BRI).
BRI is a year late with a product, and will pay the price. “The damage [in terms of lost credibility] will take years to repair,” Dow says.
Julian Stone of Christchurch’s ProWorkflow.com agrees that the US market can be unforgiving. “You need a higher standard of programming; incredibly clean and robust. You do not muck around in the US. People will sue,” he says.
Auckland-based Peace Software says it is essential companies refine their products in their home market, ensuring they are well tested and proven before taken overseas. Peace, which does much of its business in the US, says that is what set the scene for its later success.
Reviewed by: www.easycfm.com
Reviewer: Pablo Varando
Product Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!
I have been testing and using this application for a couple months now, I wanted to test it throughly and to see what problems might arise as time passed… but the joke was on ME! (Go figure ;)
I installed ProWorkFlow V2.0 in a few minutes and have not touch it since. I have been using the application heavily (to test it in every way possible) and have not found any bugs or issues.
Once again, the documentation is superb and covers pretty much everything I could think of… Once again, I feel that this product shows us all what your applicatiosn must be like at time of delivery… flawless! :)
In a scale of one to ten, I give this product a 20, it’s just that good!
Real opinion… buy this, use this and you will not only thank me.. but you’ll also thank yourself! :)
Published on: www.marketnewzealand.com
Written By: New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
An innovative Christchurch company is today launching version 2.0 of its highly successful workflow management software.
ProWorkflow, the brain-child of Julian and Sarah Stone, and developed with business partner Alan Barlow, is already selling 98% of its software product offshore, less than a year after launching version 1.0.
Version 2.0 has many new features, and versions have been developed for Macintosh compatibility and SQL 2000 users. By the end of this year Julian Stone plans to have Chinese, German, French and Spanish releases available, as well as additional modules and services.
Mr Stone says they developed version 2.0 in response to feedback and suggestions from the clients from around the world.
“We have a very communal approach with our software. It is one of very few software solutions where you can purchase 100% of the code as open source so it is infinitely customizable.”
