Agree 100% Here's the interview from stockhouse:
Marco Argenti Talks about Expansion into the United States, Working with Razorfish, and SUCCESS at the New
York City E-Commerce Show with Microsoft's Solution-Provider Partners
• • •
Microforum Inc. (www.microforum.com) is a leading Internet applications, and technology services corporation providing a broad range of electronic commerce and
integrated marketing, creative and database services. Microforum's wholly owned subsidiaries include Internet Frontier Inc. (www.ifront.com) doing business as iFront and
Software Guaranty (www.softwareguaranty.com), PPL Marketing Services Inc., Marshall Fenn Communications Inc. and Poste Haste Systems Inc. Internet Frontier Inc. is
a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider Partner providing the proprietary iFrontECS(TM) e-commerce engine and the CALMS(TM) on-line credit approval system. PPL
Marketing Services has achieved the prestigious ISO9001 and the Ford Q1 Quality Certifications.
For additional details about Microforum and iFront, click here to visit StockHouse SNAPSHOT section.
StockHouse: Who has been attending the e-commerce show in New York City?
Marco Argenti: The Gardiner Group, who organized the show, claimed this is going to be the biggest e-commerce event of the year. Basically, all the big e-commerce
companies are represented here, from Microsoft to Oracle and various others. The focus is 100% e-commerce. We have a presence in the conference and we're also
exhibitors in the Microsoft Partners Pavilion.
StockHouse: Regarding deals, are you talking with any financial institutions?
Marco Argenti: Howard Pearl, who is the CEO of Microforum, is here in town, doing a mini-roadshow with investment bankers. I was more focused on doing this trade
show, and making contact with other solutions providers - basically creating some momentum with our proposition.
StockHouse: Does it look like you will be getting business from this show?
Marco Argenti: Definitely. We have literally hundreds of leads from various companies, like financial institutions, retailers, etc. We have two people on the floor: talking to
people, talking to clients, potential clients. There's a double objective. One, to get business directly. The other is to talk to solutions providers and introduce them to our
reseller program for the iFront ECS and CALMS solutions. That's what we've been doing and it's been a tremendous success.
StockHouse: Some have made comparisons between Microforum and Razorfish, this week.
Marco Argenti: We are actually doing business together with Razorfish. There is a particular website that we are building called Paw.net, which is a pet supplier.
Razorfish is working on creating the content and we are working on building the back end, e-commerce transaction part. There isn't a partnership (between Microforum and
Razorfish). We are working on the same client simultaneously. I think they (Razorfish) are a very successful company - definitely one of the top creative shops. We do not
have a direct relationship with them.
StockHouse: Do you envision a U.S. rollout of your CALMS solution?
Marco Argenti: We are looking at the U.S. markets really closely.
StockHouse: What sort of business are you actually getting from this show?
Marco Argenti: Actually, we're getting a tremendous amount of interest in ECS - the license version we were talking about providing to
other Microsoft solution-provider partners. We've had an overwhelming request for trial licenses. Overwhelming meaning more than 15. When
a solution-provider partner inquires about using this product, it's a conclusion that they'll use it and sell it. We've established a new channel
that contains many Microsoft solution-provider partners, and then they will use this product in servicing their clients. For us, it means
license fees and support.
StockHouse: What were the most important developments, for your company, at this show?
Marco Argenti: We saw a lot of interest for our solution. We saw a lot of people stop in at our booth - looking at the demo, requesting
information. The second positive thing is that we established contact with lots of Microsoft solution-provider partners, who we had targeted
as being our future channel. That's a first step for creating a distribution for our product. The third positive thing is we presented at the
conference, speaking the two opening sessions. Over a hundred people listened to our presentation. That's really good to establish our
credibility and our branding. Definitely, people need to know about us in the states. This is a very positive step in that direction. Another
thing, this show is very vertical in focus. So, whoever you meet is someone who is very aware of e-commerce, and secondly, he probably
already has his mind set. It's not a general show, where you can get people who haven't been thinking about e-commerce. The leads are quite qualified because of the
nature of the show. It was also very good to be included in the Microsoft Partners Pavilion.
StockHouse: Was this show a big breakthrough for Microforum?
Marco Argenti: We were definitely one of the most crowded (booths in the show). We'll judge by the results. I think it's a very important step. This is probably the first U.S.
trade show, where we have such a qualified presence and such a qualified response.
StockHouse: Will the results of this show lead Microforum to establish a U.S. office?
Marco Argenti: It's definitely in our plans to open a U.S. office. I can not give you an exact timeline, but it's absolutely part of our plan. We believe that if we want to create
a distribution channel and support a distribution channel for our solution in the States, we need to have a U.S. presence. So, we are already scoping around toward that.
StockHouse: What about expansion into Europe?
Marco Argenti: That will come, definitely, but probably not in the next few months - because the European market is good, but probably still a few months behind the U.S.
market.
StockHouse: How would you summarize this show in just a few words?
Marco Argenti: It was a very important step toward establishing a strong presence in the United States, and a strong brand in e-commerce, and a
channel for our solution. |
