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Polics aims for US$37mn revenues by 2008(BNamericas.com Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Brazilian startup SAP implementation and outsourcing company Polics expects to bill 20mn reais (US$9.29mn) this year, its first full year of operations, executive director Alexander Schmitz-Kohlitz told BNamericas. Schmitz-Kohlitz expects revenues to grow to 40mn reais in 2007 and hit 80mn reais by 2008. Polics, which started operations around six months ago, expects to close "many projects in the public sector [this year]," which will benefit results in 2007, he said. The company has expertise in finance, public and utilities markets, and aims to become a leading SAP implementation and outsourcing company in these sectors. Furthermore, Polics believes it is possible to become the leading specialist in ABAP/NetWeaver software factories and the leader in SAP offshore services in Brazil by 2008. "In the third quarter [2006], Polics will open its second site outside of So Paulo," Schmitz-Kohlitz said. "We will think big and look at 200 places. In three years, we will be the largest ABAP language software facility in Brazil." "By 2008, we will open 3-4 more software factories, with some 200 people in each," he said. Polics has 12 active customers mixed across private sectors in Brazil, as well as two offshore companies. "Polics will easily reach 20-30 customers this year," said Schmitz-Kohlitz, although he notes that private sector deals are often smaller with a short cycle, whereas public sector deals are bigger and last longer. Brazil's elections will help to foster spending and the government wants to show that it has done something during its tenure, he believes. "Since the beginning there was not much spending and now they are trying to cram in a lot before the end of the period," he said. OFFSHORE POTENTIAL "Outsourcing in India has seen a lot of hype, but its not all gold," Schmitz-Kohlitz warned. "Some companies are experiencing a hangover as it's not as easy as they thought," he added. "You are at risk if all your eggs are in one basket." "Companies such as [US chip maker] IBM [NYSE: IBM] and [technology services company] Electronic Data Systems [NYSE: EDS] are showing confidence in Brazil," he said. Brazil needs to focus on certain markets such as finance, with sophisticated banking processes; the public sector, where the country has a strong real-time voting platform; and telecoms, with state-of-the-art billing systems, he told BNamericas. Polics is a unit of Politec, one of the largest Brazilian IT services providers. |