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Proactiveinvestors United Kingdom smartFOCUS Group http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk Proactiveinvestors United Kingdom smartFOCUS Group RSS feed en Thu, 24 May 2012 08:51:46 +0100 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Genera CMS action@proactiveinvestors.com (Proactiveinvestors) action@proactiveinvestors.com (Proactiveinvestors) <![CDATA[ smartFOCUS CEO says combination with Emailvision represents "best opportunity" for shareholders to realise investment at significant premium ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/27268/-smartfocus-ceo-says-combination-with-emailvision-represents-best-opportunity-for-shareholders-to-realise-investment-at-significant-premium-27268.html Following today's announcement that software firm smartFOCUS is to be acquired by Emailvision Holdings for £25 million, Proactive Investors takes a look at the background to the deal

]]> Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:08:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/27268/-smartfocus-ceo-says-combination-with-emailvision-represents-best-opportunity-for-shareholders-to-realise-investment-at-significant-premium-27268.html <![CDATA[SmartFOCUS agrees takeover by Emailvision Holdings for £25 mln cash ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/27253/smartfocus-agrees-takeover-by-emailvision-holdings-for-25-mln-cash-27253.html Software firm smartFOCUS (LON:STF) is to be acquired by Emailvision Holdings for £25 million in cash.

The recommended deal values SmartFOCUS at 25 pence a share – a 61 per cent premium to Friday’s closing price.

Interim CEO of smartFOCUS Curt Bloom said: "The smartFOCUS directors are delighted to unanimously recommend the proposed cash acquisition at 25 pence per share and consider a combination with Emailvision represents the best opportunity for shareholders to realise their investment at a significant premium."

Nick Heys, CEO of Emailvision, said of the acquisition: "We are excited to further our presence in the UK and US as well as adding multi-channel campaign management to our portfolio of products."

Emailvision Holdings has received the backing from investors speaking for 51.7 per cent of the shares.

Separately, smartFOCUS announced its results for the year ended December 31, in which it posted revenues of £13.9 million (FY2009: £11.9 million) and a pre-tax profit of £0.9 million (FY2009: £0.5 million).

As at 31 December 2010, its total assets were £11.4 million (FY2009: £10.5 million), net assets were £4.3 million (FY2009: £3.5 million) and net cash was £2.7 million (FY2009: £2.4 million).

SmartFOCUS is a global provider of email and multi-channel marketing software and services.

Emailvision Holdings is a newly-incorporated private limited company which is indirectly controlled by investment funds advised by Francisco Partners. The Emailvision Group focuses on on-demand software for email, mobile and social marketing.

SmartFOCUS shares were trading up this morning by 58 percent - at 24.50 pence per share.

 

]]> Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:39:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/27253/smartfocus-agrees-takeover-by-emailvision-holdings-for-25-mln-cash-27253.html <![CDATA[smartFOCUS wins Hastings Direct contract ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/26523/smartfocus-wins-hastings-direct-contract--26523.html SmartFOCUS (LON:STF) said car and home insurance broker Hastings Direct is adopting its marketing software to increase communication with its customer base and gain marketing insight.

The new client is a division of Hastings Insurance Services, the global provider of e-mail and multi-channel marketing software said. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Under the contract Hastings Direct will adopt smartFOCUS's marketing database, modelling, campaign management and reporting tools to secure a single customer view and increase the relevance of communications and engagement with prospects across all the company's brands and throughout the customer lifecycle.  

Hastings Direct will use smartFOCUS's full Intelligent Marketing Solution which comprises:  Analyzer, the visual analytical technique module; Modeler, providing easy and rapid predictive model marketing campaigns; Campaigner for scalable campaign planning, and production; and Reporter for continuous reporting and measurement in multiple formats.

SmartFOCUS cited Hastings Direct sales and marketing director Mat Shepherd as saying: “SmartFOCUS was selected for its software and experience.  We reviewed the market and quickly found that smartFOCUS was the clear choice for all our criteria.”

As well as increasing efficiency of the marketing process, smartFOCUS will enable Hastings’ marketing team to lower the costs of its customer database processes and to identify and leverage cross-sell opportunities.

At a trade show earlier this month, smartFOCUS unveiled a new web-based Software as a Service (SaaS) marketing software.  The new product, currently referred to as code name Arjuna, will directly address the many challenges faced by modern direct marketers around the globe.

It said that specifically the product is designed to meet the growing need to deploy and evaluate marketing efforts across all channels - including social media.

Interim chief executive Curt Bloom said just prior to the trade show: “Beta customer feedback to date has been phenomenal and shows promising results."

Arjuna is slated for launch in the second half and represents a comprehensive revision of the group’s core analytic and campaign management software.

SmartFOCUS said it will include new features like integrated workflow management as well as flexible data loading capabilities.

]]> Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:43:00 +0000 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/26523/smartfocus-wins-hastings-direct-contract--26523.html <![CDATA[smartFOCUS to launch new SaaS marketing software ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/25982/smartfocus-to-launch-new-saas-marketing-software--25982.html SmartFOCUS (LON:STF) will unveil a new web-based Software as a Service (SaaS) marketing software at an industry event in Earl’s Court this week.

According to smartFOCUS the new product, currently referred to as code name Arjuna, will directly address the many challenges faced by modern direct marketers around the globe. 

It said that specifically it is designed to meet the growing need to deploy and evaluate marketing efforts across all channels - including social media.

"I am excited about the launch of the first ever complete multi-channel SaaS marketing solution, which offers marketers the power they need to execute sophisticated campaigns and the ease of use and flexibility that SaaS deployment enables,” interim chief executive Curt Bloom said.

He adds: “Beta customer feedback to date has been phenomenal and shows promising results."

Arjuna, which is slated for launch in the second half, represents a comprehensive revision of the group’s core analytic and campaign management software. 

SmartFOCUS said it will include new features like integrated workflow management as well as flexible data loading capabilities.

Bloom added: “This solution provides marketers the capability to rapidly target, design and execute marketing campaigns, without having to manage the peripheral data and application infrastructure associated with traditional analysis and campaign management engines.”

This week smartFOCUS is taking part at the annual Technology for Marketing & Advertising convention (TFM&A) in Earl's Court in London.

 

]]> Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:16:00 +0000 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/25982/smartfocus-to-launch-new-saas-marketing-software--25982.html <![CDATA[smartFOCUS boosts global offering with new partnership deals ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/25607/smartfocus-boosts-global-offering-with-new-partnership-deals-25607.html  

smartFOCUS (LON:STF) has agreed several new partnerships that will boost its global offering.

The multi-channel marketing specialist highlights that it has a global user base of more than 700 businesses and these new partnerships will increase its breadth and reach, particularly across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

It has also signed a new direct agreement with Japanese firm BrainPad, who will translation and localisation of smartFOCUS' eChannel software in Japan. The company said the deal has strengthened its worldwide channel. 

"Our partners are a vital route to market and a key component of our offering. We understand that it is essential for marketers to tailor their communications and offerings to their consumers,” chief executive Curt Bloom said.

“We offer our partners a tailored programme to maximise the relevance and strength of our solutions to the channel. 

“I am delighted to welcome our new partners to the smartFOCUS community, and I look forward to seeing the results we can achieve by bringing the power and ease of use of smartFOCUS solutions to more marketers across the globe."

In Europe, Middle East, and Africa region (EMEA), partnerships have been signed with EDM Media in the Netherlands, AMG in Poland, and MEDA in Israel.

In the EMEA region - Europe, Middle East, and Africa - it has signed three new partnerships. In the Netherlands it has signed up EDM Media, while it has also signed up AMG in Poland and MEDA in Israel. 

It signed five partnerships in North America with: Data Square; the Wheaton Group; MORE Marketing; Redirect; and the Relevate Group.

 

]]> Thu, 17 Feb 2011 07:21:00 +0000 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/25607/smartfocus-boosts-global-offering-with-new-partnership-deals-25607.html <![CDATA[smartFOCUS sees full-year results in line with market expectations ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/24988/smartfocus-sees-full-year-results-in-line-with-market-expectations-24988.html Multi-channel marketing software provider smartFOCUS Group PLC (LON:STF) expects results for calendar 2010 to be in line with market expectations and in accordance with its October 2010 trading update.

In addition to showing continued progress in its UK operation as reflected in its previously announced customer wins such as with lastminute.com, LK Bennett, Betsafe and others, smartFOCUS  showed continued growth in its US operations with the signing of a record number of new partners, such as The Wheaton Group, Redirect Relationship Marketing and Relevate. 

The group  also saw continued progress in its traditional NewsMedia vertical, with wins at Florida Times, The Day and a significant enterprise deal with one of the world's largest media conglomerates.

Interim chief executive Curt Bloom said: “2010 continued to show growth in all geographies and segments of our business.   Our recurring revenues remain strong enabling us to move forward with a predictable and dependable business model behind which we are able to invest in new opportunities and at the same time deliver our customers and investors the results that they expect."

SmartFOCUS is a business software developer that supplies ‘intelligent marketing’ systems that aim to deliver relevant, personalised and timely communications to a brand’s customers through different channels, e.g. print, e-mail, mobile phones and the Web.  It is headquartered in Bristol, with operations in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific.

SmartFOCUS Digital, a London-based specialist division, provides smartMARKETER eChannel, a fully on-demand digital marketing ssuite that serves its customers with email, mobile, social network, landing page, microsites and RSS channel communications.

]]> Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:53:00 +0000 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/24988/smartfocus-sees-full-year-results-in-line-with-market-expectations-24988.html <![CDATA[Retailer EAST selects smartFOCUS product as backbone for new email marketing strategy ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/24359/retailer-east-selects-smartfocus-product-as-backbone-for-new-email-marketing-strategy-24359.html

The high street fashion retailer EAST has selected a smartFOCUS (AIM:STF) digital marketing package for its email campaigns. 

EAST will use eChannel version 7 to plan and manage its communication, including its weekly mail-out to customers to promote offers and new collections. 

The product provides analysis that influences both tactical and automated email campaigns based upon individual preferences, response history, engagement and previous customer transactions.

Simone Williams, eCommerce manager of EAST, said: "In line with the re-launch of the new EAST website, we feel that smartFOCUS, with their vast retail experience, will be the perfect partner to work with us to define and evolve our email marketing strategies to increase both customer engagement and online sales. 

“A crucial part of our business is launching a new collection to our existing customers via email every two weeks. 

“smartFOCUS provides us with a quick, efficient way to keep our customers informed on the latest fashions and accessories available online and through our retail outlets. 

“eChannel is a digital marketing solution that is secure and simple to use by all members of our team and provides us with a great platform to grow from using the sophisticated analysis that will help us to improve how we segment our communications. 

“This partnership will also help bring our marketing in line with our company's business goals."

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The EAST chain sells women’s clothing, jewellery and accessories and has grown to 85 outlets, with 55 stores and 30 concessions, including 22 within John Lewis stores.

Curt Bloom, interim chief executive of smartFOCUS, said: "EAST has built an outstanding reputation in the fashion industry, designing eclectic collections for women around the globe. 

“We're thrilled about this new deal as it expands our portfolio within the retail industry. 

“eChannel will provide EAST with an innovative solution that is flexible and functional and will help meet their digital marketing needs. We look forward to being part of the Company's future success."


]]> Thu, 06 Jan 2011 07:50:00 +0000 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/24359/retailer-east-selects-smartfocus-product-as-backbone-for-new-email-marketing-strategy-24359.html <![CDATA[smartFOCUS wins marketing software order from Betsafe ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/23785/smartfocus-wins-marketing-software-order-from-betsafe-23785.html SmartFOCUS Group (LON:STF) has won a contact to help Betsafe - a northern European online gaming group - improve its marketing efforts.

The company will allow Betsafe to boost player retention and profitability, by using timely and relevant multi-channel communications.

"We're in a competitive and fast-moving business," said Betsafe chief executive Henrik Ekdahl Persson. “To us it's all about the best possible player experience and to maintain the most relevant communication across the player lifecycle,

“With our new CRM tool from smartFOCUS we aim to not only enable us to achieve these marketing objectives, but to do so with increased automation and efficiency.” 

Persson highlighted that smartFOCUS’ software will give Betsafe an ‘integrated view of the player’, providing information across channels, history and preferences. 

He adds: “We've grown so fast, to 500,000 players, and I'm excited about the stage smartFOCUS and its social media, multi-channel analysis, campaign management and reporting will bring us to next."

Betsafe is now going to use smartFOCUS's packaged game solution, which is specially designed for the gaming market's sophisticated digital marketing needs.

The software suite includes smartFOCUS smartMARKETER, with its Analyzer, Campaigner and Reporter components. It also has the eChannel software which communicates through e-mail, mobile, SMS, landing page, microsites, and RSS, as well as social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. 

"Betsafe has undergone a tremendous rate of growth since its launch,”  smartFOCUS interim chief executive Curt Bloom said.

“I'm looking forward to what we can achieve together as Betsafe reaps the benefit of our intelligent marketing solutions, and also deploys smartFOCUS eChannel to communicate with gamers across e-mail, mobile, social networks, web and SMS," Bloom added.

The financial details of the contract were not disclosed.

 

]]> Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:40:00 +0000 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/23785/smartfocus-wins-marketing-software-order-from-betsafe-23785.html <![CDATA[SmartFOCUS on track to beat 2010 expectations ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/22433/smartfocus-on-track-to-beat-2010-expectations-22433.html SmartFOCUS Group is doing more than just living up to market expectations. The recently announced major contract wins and continuingly strong demand for its software are set to translate into a full year performance that will come ahead of forecasts, justifying the bullish comments the company has received from brokers.

]]> Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:18:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/22433/smartfocus-on-track-to-beat-2010-expectations-22433.html <![CDATA[smartFOCUS confident of continued profitable growth ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/21515/smartfocus-confident-of-continued-profitable-growth-21515.html SmartFOCUS (LON:STF) is confident it will continue its profitable growth for the remainder of 2010 and beyond, says chief executive Chris Underhill in the group's first half results statement.

In the first six months of the year the company doubled pretax profit.

The marketing software specialist has long-standing relationships with major companies, and these companies' recurring revenues are now representing 63% of total revenue. It achieved a revenue renewal rate above 90% in the period.

"2010 revenue visibility had risen to 88% at the end of August,” Underhill commented.

“This, combined with strong second half trading and continued new business wins, supports the company's confident outlook.”

In the six months ended 30th June 2010, smartFOCUS increased revenue by 17% to £6.6 million (H109: £5.6 million), pretax profit was £0.31 million (H109: £0.15 million) and earnings per share (EPS) reached 0.21p (H109: 0.11p).

SmartFOCUS won contracts with over 30 customers is the period, include significant new contracts with lastminute.com, Expedia, Morgan Stanley and Party Gaming.

The company said its pipeline has continued to grow strongly, which supports the good visibility for the full year performance.

]]> Wed, 29 Sep 2010 07:44:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/21515/smartfocus-confident-of-continued-profitable-growth-21515.html <![CDATA[SmartFOCUS wins software contract from major tour operator ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/21420/smartfocus-wins-software-contract-from-major-tour-operator-21420.html SmartFOCUS (LON:STF) announced a new contract from a major travel company. Its marketing and database software will be deployed by escorted tour operator Page & Moy Travel Group, which it said would “increase customer insight and targeting for enhanced marketing performance focused on delivering stronger campaigns”.

The group operates across three brands, Travelsphere, Page & Moy and Just You, offering holidays in 80 countries around the world.

The product provided by smartFOCUS will replace the group's existing SQL database and legacy SAS marketing applications.

The company added that apart from supplying the software, its support and expertise will help reduce costs and accelerate the ROI (return on investment) through improved database maintenance.

“We're seeing a huge demand in the market from companies just like the Page & Moy Travel Group  that are looking for software which enables internal departments to deliver and drive business forward, while eliminating the time and costs of external consultants or resources.

“This is what smartFOCUS delivers,” commented chief executive of Chris Underhill.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This is the company’s second contract with a high profile customer this month. Exactly two weeks ago, smartFOCUS announced a contract for its software from retail phenomenon The White company, which has become one of the UK’s fastest growing clothing and bedding sellers.

SmartFOCUS is a business software developer that supplies ‘intelligent marketing’ systems that aim to deliver relevant, personalised and timely communications to a brand’s customers through different channels, e.g. print, e-mail, mobile phones and the Web.

The firm’s clients include well-known brands such as Easyjet, Harrods, Hilton, Manchester United, Rabobank, Société Générale and Sony. In total it has more than 700 clients around the world.

In full year 2009, smartFOCUS made a pre-tax profit of £490,000 on revenues that had improved 14.7% year on year to £11.9 million.

]]> Mon, 27 Sep 2010 08:40:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/21420/smartfocus-wins-software-contract-from-major-tour-operator-21420.html <![CDATA[SmartFOCUS Lands The White Company as its Latest High Profile Customer ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/20940/smartfocus-lands-the-white-company-as-its-latest-high-profile-customer-20940.html  

Retail phenomenon The White Company is taking software from smartFOCUS (LON: STF) to increase customer insight and improve the flexibility of its marketing campaigns.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The tie up will provide the perfect tonic for investors ahead of the interim results on September 29.

The White Company was founded in 1994 as a 12-page mail-order brochure, but has become one of the UK's fastest growing retailers of clothes and bedding with more than one million customers.

Joe Pack, the company’s head of brand communications, said the cutting edge smartFOCUS software will allow the in-house marketing team to segment and analyse data, build campaign databases, define campaign parameters and initiate triggered and automated campaigns.

 “There were numerous reasons for us to select smartFOCUS, though one of the most compelling was the system’s usability,” Pack added. 

“SmartFOCUS has provided us with an easy-to-use solution that is powerful and equipped with a range of features. 

“Good marketing is about driving the business forward, and by giving our team the ability to monitor and respond to marketing opportunities, smartFOCUS will contribute to that momentum.”

SmartFocys boss Chris Underhill is understandably bullish about the group’s latest agreement. 

“We have a strong presence in the retail sector, as retailers understand the strength and return of good segmentation, relevant marketing messages, speed of execution and the strength of well-handled customer data,” he explained. 

“The White Company is a great success story, and we look forward to contributing to the next phase of its growth through the innovation behind our software, and the innovation it enables.”


 

]]> Mon, 13 Sep 2010 07:50:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/20940/smartfocus-lands-the-white-company-as-its-latest-high-profile-customer-20940.html <![CDATA[smartFOCUS: software that drives revenues ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/20584/smartfocus-software-that-drives-revenues-20584.html With fears of a double-dip recession it will be a long time before there is a real bubble in the software sector, but one software business that appears to be doing well is smartFOCUS Group.

]]> Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:58:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/20584/smartfocus-software-that-drives-revenues-20584.html <![CDATA[Arbuthnot Securities believes smartFOCUS will benefit from M&A in software sector ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/20105/arbuthnot-securities-believes-smartfocus-will-benefit-from-ma-in-software-sector-20105.html In its ‘Morning Bulletin’, Arbuthnot Securities focused on marketing software developer smartFOCUS (LON:STF) in light of new M&A activity surrounding its peers. The stockbroker believes the AIM-listed company has the opportunity to benefit from the continuing consolidation in the software sector.

Specifically, Arbuthnot referenced IBM’s (NYSE:IBM) US$480m bid for Unica Corporation (NASDAQ: UNCA) – an enterprise marketing management specialist - on Friday.

“IBM is paying over 4x the forecast revenues for FY2010. smartFOCUS, therefore, looks compelling value, in our view, on a 0.6x EV/sales multiple for the corresponding period,” Arbuthnot said.

Furthermore, Arbuthnot was particularly bullish on the stock, stating that its valuation for smartFOCUS “could prove highly conservative”.

]]> Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:19:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/20105/arbuthnot-securities-believes-smartfocus-will-benefit-from-ma-in-software-sector-20105.html <![CDATA[FinnCap issues upbeat note on smartFOCUS ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/19450/finncap-issues-upbeat-note-on-smartfocus--19450.html FinnCap has issued a note on SmartFOCUS (LON:STF), calling the group  a “profitable and cash generative software vendor with over 60 percent recurring revenues operating within the high-growth Multichannel marketing sector.”

The broker sees substantial upside to the group’s current shares price of 11.75p.

Full-year results to December 31 2009 - announced in April - reflected a strong performance
despite challenging market conditions with revenue up 15 percent and a return to profitability, finnCap said, adding that this month’s trading update also reflected a strong first half of the new financial year.

“SmartFOCUS is an early mover to SaaS (software as a service) within the sector and has already moved more than 50% of customers and 33% of total revenue onto the SaaS financial model. This has provided smartFOCUS with approximately 60% recurring revenues and over 90% retained revenue annually, which provides a robust platform for growth to FY10 and FY11,” said the broker.

FinnCap believes the market for integrated multichannel marketing management is set for considerable growth over the next couple of years as product and service vendors adopt Web2.0 whilst reducing their overall marketing overheads.

Furthermore, the software vendor industry remains highly fragmented with over a dozen niche vendors supplying solutions into the sector offering both acquisition and consolidation opportunities for smartFOCUS.
“With revenue retention currently above 90 percent, we can confidently forecast strong earnings growth to FY10 and beyond,” it concluded.

]]> Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:33:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/19450/finncap-issues-upbeat-note-on-smartfocus--19450.html <![CDATA[SmartFOCUS strong sales performance continues in H2 with thetrainline.com deal ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/18441/smartfocus-strong-sales-performance-continues-in-h2-with-thetrainlinecom-deal-18441.html SmartFOCUS (LON:STF) has secured a contract from the UK’s largest independent retailer of train tickets, thetrainline.com, to provide is Intelligence Marketing software to enhance customer visibility, enabling it to analyze customer behaviour and deliver actionable information to its partner organisations and clients, which include Virgin Trains and First Group.

Thetrainline.com expects the software to improve customer targeting and improve one-to-one communications across multiple channels to improve customer retention and revenues, for which it said it would need a deeper insight of user activity. The company stated it required a “truly scalable solution” that also gives it “superior flexibility and personalisation” given the high volume of customers it deals with.

“With smartFOCUS' analytical capabilities, thetrainline.com will be able to easily extract customer data and export it for relevant marketing campaigns,” thetrainline.com said in the statement.

SmartFOCUS said that individual customers could find relevance of communications diluted as the number of customers increases.

“With smartFOCUS, thetrainline.com can easily segment customers according to a number of different criteria, and deliver valuable personalised communications that increase customer response and deliver enhanced marketing return on investment. thetrainline.com has an excellent understanding of customer behaviour, and we look forward to helping it retain its customers and grow its business,” said Chief Executive of smartFOCUS Chris Underhill.

Last week, smartFOCUS said that “strong demand” for its software services had led to the board’s increasing confidence and it now expected to report H1 results ahead of previous expectations.

Last year the company switched the focus of its business model towards SaaS (software as a service). In April, in the company’s full year results to 31 December 2009, smartFOCUS reported that revenues in FY09 climbed 15% to £11.9m (FY08: £10.4m), 66% of the total revenues were generated from SaaS contracts compared to 50% in 2008.The demand for SaaS software helped smartFOCUS swing to a full year pre-tax profit of £0.5 million from a loss of £1.2 million in 2008.

According to smartFOCUS, investment in the marketing software sector was being driven by a number of long term trends, including increased online competition, increased consumer sensitivity to invasive marketing and pressure on marketing budgets for increased return on investment (ROI).

]]> Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:33:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/18441/smartfocus-strong-sales-performance-continues-in-h2-with-thetrainlinecom-deal-18441.html <![CDATA[FinnCap reflects on strong smartFOCUS performance following trading update ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/18259/finncap-reflects-on-strong-smartfocus-performance-following-trading-update-18259.html London-based stockbroker FinnCap described smartFOCUS (LON:STF) as a profitable and cash generative software vendor, with over 60% recurring revenues, and operating within the high-growth Multichannel marketing sector.

Yesterday the company released a strong trading update in its AGM address.  Chairman Chris Gater told investors that strong demand for the company’s software services has led to the board’s increasing confidence and consequently, Gater expects to report H1 results ahead of previous expectations.

The stockbroker highlighted that the full-year results to December 31 2009 reflected a strong performance despite challenging market conditions, with revenue up 15% and a return to profitability, and the trading update also reflected a strong first half of the current financial year.

“SmartFOCUS is an early mover to SaaS (Software as a Service) within the sector and has already moved more than 50% of customers and 33% of total revenue onto the SaaS financial model. This has provided smartFOCUS with approximately 60% recurring revenues and over 90% retained revenue annually, which provides a robust platform for growth to FY10 and FY11,” FinnCap stated.

The company expects considerable growth in the market for multichannel marketing management, over the next couple of years as product and service vendors adopt ‘Web2.0’ whilst reducing their overall marketing overheads. “Furthermore, the software vendor industry remains highly fragmented with over a dozen niche vendors supplying solutions into the sector offering both acquisition and consolidation opportunities for smartFOCUS.”

FinnCap stated that, with revenue retention currently above 90%, it could confidently forecast strong earnings growth to FY10 and beyond, and its analysis suggests fair value for smartFOCUS of 21p.

SmartFOCUS is a specialist provider of multi-channel marketing software. Last year the company switched the focus of its business model in favour of SaaS. In April, in the company’s full year results to 31 December 2009, smartFOCUS reported that revenues in FY09 climbed 15% to £11.9m (FY08: £10.4m), 66% of the total revenues were generated from SaaS contracts (2008: 50%).The demand for SaaS software helped smartFOCUS swing to a full year pre-tax profit of £0.5 million from a loss of £1.2 million in 2008.

According to smartFOCUS, investment in the marketing software sector was being driven by a number of long term trends, including increased online competition, increased consumer sensitivity to invasive marketing and pressure on marketing budgets for increased return on investment (ROI).

]]> Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:24:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/18259/finncap-reflects-on-strong-smartfocus-performance-following-trading-update-18259.html <![CDATA[smartFOCUS sees interim results ahead of expectations ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/18196/smartfocus-sees-interim-results-ahead-of-expectations--18196.html In his AGM statement, smartFOCUS (LON:STF) chairman Chris Gater told investors that strong demand for the company’s software services has lead to the board’s increasing confidence, and consequently Gater expects to report H1 results ahead of  previous expectations.

"I am pleased to announce that trading in the first six months of 2010 has been very positive, building on the company's performance last year”, Gater stated.

“We are continuing to experience a strong demand for smartFOCUS' solutions as organisations invest more in marketing to retain and grow customer value and improve business results. Consequently, the company expects that its results for the first half of the year will be ahead of the board's expectations with increased top line growth and expected profitability.”

Furthermore, the company said it is now examining options to pay a dividend to shareholders.

SmartFOCUS is a specialist provider of multi-channel marketing software. Last year the company switched the focus of its business model in favour of Software as a Service (SaaS). Subsequently, In April, in the company’s full year results to 31 December 2009, smartFOCUS reported that revenues in FY09 climbed 15% to £11.9m (FY08: £10.4m), 66% of the total revenues were generated from SaaS contracts (2008: 50%).The demand for SaaS software helped smartFOCUS swing to a full year pre-tax profit of £0.5 million from a loss of £1.2 million in 2008.

According to smartFOCUS, investment in the marketing software sector was being driven by a number of long term trends, including increased online competition, increased consumer sensitivity to invasive marketing and pressure on marketing budgets for increased return on investment (ROI).

Indeed, in response to this morning’s update, London-based stockbroker Finncap said: “The group is clearly seeing strong demand from enterprises looking to invest more in advanced digital marketing and customer analytics to retain and grow customers and improve business results ... Given the rapid transition to a SaaS business model for SmartFOCUS, the positive 1H10 trading update should also boost revenue and profitability for FY10 and FY11”.

Last week, the company landed its latest new contract, with a deal with PartyGaming (LON:PRTY) to provide high performance analytical marketing software, to increase both the volume and value of player activity across PartyGaming’s brands - including PartyPoker, PartyCasino, PartyBets and PartyBingo.

The addition of this latest high profile contract further expands the company’s strong client list. smartFOCUS provides marketing software to a wide range of blue chip companies – including Rank (LSE:RANK), Carnival Group (LSE:CCL) and Easyjet (LSE:EZJ). Its software helps to improve customer responsiveness and retention, hence a number of smartFOCUS’s clients operate in sectors where effective communication with their customers is a key corporate objective.

In the current financial year, smartFOCUS has also won contracts with lastminute.com, Myprotein.co.uk and Hachette Filipacchi Media US.

]]> Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:55:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/18196/smartfocus-sees-interim-results-ahead-of-expectations--18196.html <![CDATA[smartFOCUS lands PartyGaming contract deal to provide intelligent marketing software ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/17902/smartfocus-lands-partygaming-contract-deal-to-provide-intelligent-marketing-software-17902.html Multi-channel marketing software specialist smartFOCUS Group (LON:STF) has won a contract with a major online gaming company PartyGaming (LON:PRTY),  to provide high performance marketing software to increase both the volume and value of player activity across PartyGaming’s brands - including PartyPoker, PartyCasino, PartyBets and PartyBingo.
                                                                                                                                                                   
PartyGaming has purchased the full suite of smartFOCUS software and services, including analysis, campaign management and reporting.

The addition of this latest high profile contract further expands the company’s strong client list. smartFOCUS provides marketing software to a wide range of blue chip companies – including Rank (LSE:RANK), Carnival Group (LSE:CCL) and Easyjet (LSE:EZJ). Its software helps to improve customer responsiveness and retention, hence a number of smartFOCUS’s clients operate in sectors where effective communication with their customers is a key corporate objective.

SmartFOCUS chief executive Chris Underhill commented. “Armed with an increased understanding of each customer, PartyGaming is delivering more intelligent customer insights and targeted marketing to improve customer management and significantly increase marketing performance."

For PartyGaming, the software will allow it to gather more customer data, to derive a better understanding of its customer base. The gaming company said it is “now able to profile players segmented by life-stage, value, recent activity and frequency of play, then take advantage of highly granular data”.

“smartFOCUS will enable us to test new ideas and analyse vast amounts of customer data instantly, providing us with a competitive edge to investigate and react to market changes quickly and effectively”, PartyGaming stated.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The company has been progressing well since it shifted its revenue model towards ‘Software as a Service’ (SaaS). In April, in the company’s full year results, to 31 December 2009, smartFOCUS reported that revenues in FY09 climbed 15% to £11.9m (FY08: £10.4m), 66% of the total revenues were generated from SaaS contracts (2008: 50%).The demand for SaaS software helped smartFOCUS swing to a full year pre-tax profit of £0.5 million from a loss of £1.2 million in 2008.

According to smartFOCUS, investment in the marketing software sector was being driven by a number of long term trends, including increased online competition, increased consumer sensitivity to invasive marketing and pressure on marketing budgets for increased return on investment (ROI).

In the current financial year, smartFOCUS has won contracts with lastminute.com, Myprotein.co.uk and Hachette Filipacchi Media US.

Also in 2010, smartFOCUS has launched its analytical software for marketers to better understand trends among social networks. The new software allows marketers to track a consumer's online activity and behaviour through the viral process of social networking - across sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Delicious and Digg - and quantify the consumer’s value as a 'social advocate'.

smartFOCUS believes that the service can enable marketers to optimise their approach to social network marketing by rewarding advocates based on the number and value of customers their behaviour has helped acquire, retain and affect. Thus providing a cost-effective way to engage with customers and increase revenue gained from social networks.

]]> Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:44:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/17902/smartfocus-lands-partygaming-contract-deal-to-provide-intelligent-marketing-software-17902.html <![CDATA[SmartFOCUS wins deal from Myprotein.co.uk to improve email marketing ]]> http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/16132/smartfocus-wins-deal-from-myproteincouk-to-improve-email-marketing--16132.html Marketing software specialist SmartFOCUS (AIM: STF) has secured a contract from online sports nutrition company Myprotein.co.uk to deliver stronger email marketing campaigns, better understand key purchasing groups and customer behaviour, and improve marketing performance. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The company will work with Myprotein.co.uk to develop an ongoing programme of service improvement that will deliver targeted campaigns and improved customer insight, enabling it to improve targeted campaigns, identify and cater for key purchasing groups and improve campaign delivery.

More functionality will be added to the software as required as Myprotein.co.uk continues to grow.

SmartFOCUS said that its software would use customers’ behaviour patterns to provide them with information only on products that are of interest to them and analyze the feedback to further improve service.

“For any growing company, there comes a point where some level of automation in email marketing is necessary. At smartFOCUS, we know that automation does not mean sacrificing personalised relationships with customers; in fact, quite the opposite...we look forward to working closely with Mark and his team to build on their phenomenal success while ensuring that their continuous growth is boosted by customer insight to drive performance and service delivery,” said chief executive of smartFOCUS Chris Underhill.

IN 2009, the company shifted its revenue model towards ‘Software as a Service’, commonly referred to as ‘SaaS’. In its full year results, the company reported hat revenues in FY09 climbed 15% to £11.9m (FY08: £10.4m), with 66% of total revenues generated from SaaS contracts (2008: 50%).

The demand for SaaS software helped smartFOCUS swing to a full year pre-tax profit of £0.5 million from a loss of £1.2 million in 2008. In 2010, the company aims to capitalize on this position with further new products and released, while extending its distribution channels internationally.

Back in March, the company announced a contract from UK online travel and leisure retailer lastminute.com for its multi-channel marketing software and services.


In January, smartFOCUS won a contract from Hachette Filipacchi Media US, the US subsidiary of the global magazine publisher. The Hachette contract win added to a string of other deals secured recently.  In December alone, the company announced several significant contract wins, one with Bournemouth-based financial services group Liverpool Victoria (LV=) to streamline its entire marketing strategy, and another with Rank Group (LSE: RANK), both to implement the digital marketing suite smartMARKETER.

]]> Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:43:00 +0100 http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/16132/smartfocus-wins-deal-from-myproteincouk-to-improve-email-marketing--16132.html