Link Business Systems Ltd of Harrogate, Yorkshire and London NW-based Saffronrose Ltd merged on August 1 to form Meta Computer Systems Plc. Financial terms were not disclosed. Although not financially linked to it in any way, the two systems houses have been value-added resellers for Misys Plc’s TIS Software division for the past eight to nine years. Both distribute TIS’s accounting packages, Global 2000, which boasts 20,000 users worldwide, and Global 3000, the latest generation product. Also on offer are the Strategix development tools, aimed at clients involved in downsizing projects. The former Link Business additionally supplies TIS’s fourth generation language, Speedbase, as well as bespoke systems. Its client base is centred on and around the distribution world and its main appeal from Saffronrose’s point of view was its strong focus on sales and marketing. Saffronrose’s contribution, on the other hand, was said to be a higher level of technical expertise, and a large and varied user base, ranging from government ministries to management consultancies. Both companies were apparently looking to expand and knew each other well via the TIS Software Value-Added Reseller network. Due to a concentration on vertical, niche markets, it was described as almost like a club, where everyone knows everyone else, where co-operation abounds and business is even passed around to the most suitable candidate for the job. The merger is viewed as a blending of two companies with complemetary skills, providing increased geographical coverage and increased credibility from increased critical mass.
