Spinnaker Takes Third-Party ERP Support Business to Africa

March 19, 2013 Alex Woodie

Oracle JD Edwards and SAP customers in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa can now utilize third-party ERP support services from Spinnaker Support thanks to a new partner Spinnaker has in the region.

Denver, Colorado-based Spinnaker’s entry into Africa is largely the result of its new partnership with Mantrasys, a South African company that distributes enterprise IT, network monitoring, and test automation solutions to companies throughout the continent.

Spinnaker managing principal Matt Stava says that the company is being contacted by customers all over the world due to increases in ERP vendor maintenance costs. SAP recently announced it would increase the amount that new customers pay for annual maintenance by 5.5 percent, while Oracle’s rates, which are already among the highest at 22 percent (for new customers), typically go up less than that every year.

“Formally expanding our services footprint into South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa was an easy decision due to the interest we have recently seen in this region,” Stava says in a press release. “We are extremely enthusiastic about having Mantrasys as our partner. . . . The relationship exponentially boosts our efforts to become the go-to maintenance alternative for SAP customers in the region.”

Spinnaker is looking overseas for growth in its third-party ERP support business. It recently hired new EMEA GM Nigel Pullan away from primary competitor Rimini Street, and also hired Barbara Harper from Oracle.