Cheltenham, 26^th September 2008, Maxima announced today that its MAXcel solution, a business management solution for the construction and service sector, has passed the Software Solution Test for Microsoft Dynamics, which is a major requirement for Certified for Microsoft Dynamics® status.

Certified for Microsoft Dynamics is Microsoft Corp.'s highest standard for partner-developed software. This certification represents a significant step in elevating the standard for partner-developed software solutions for industry-specific business applications. Solutions with a successful software test have demonstrated development quality and compatibility with the Microsoft Dynamics product. VeriTest, a service of Lionbridge, performed independent and rigorous testing on the solution's integration with Microsoft Dynamics. Maxima have also earned the Microsoft Certified Partner designation with the ISV Competency.

"By requiring the software solution to meet our highest standards, Microsoft is assuring customers that these certified solutions work with their investments in Microsoft Dynamics," said Doug Kennedy, vice president, Microsoft Dynamics Partners. "Microsoft congratulates Maxima on the software test results and wishes it success in earning the Certified for Microsoft Dynamics designation."

MAXcel works like, and with, familiar Microsoft software, automating and streamlining business processes and connecting you with global customers, business partners and subsidiaries in a way that helps you drive business success. Through Maxima's long standing experience and expertise in the construction and maintenance industries we have created modules which include Contract Management, Hire Services, Contract Sales, Service & Maintenance, Subcontractor system and a fully integrated Payroll module.

Maxima provide's implementation, training and consultation across the UK for small, midmarket and corporate businesses using business applications. Maxima specializes in Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM with solutions such as MAXcel for construction and service industries plus a construction industry template for Microsoft Dynamics CRM that help leading global companies across the construction sector including Leach Lewis, Murphy's and Heyrod.

Maxima has always been committed to software excellence, and passing the Software Solution Test for Microsoft Dynamics is a reflection of that commitment," said Kevin Binley, Sales Director, Maxima

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management solutions that help businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business.

About Maxima

Maxima is one of the UK's leading IT solution and service providers, offering a unique blend of deep industry knowledge and specialist technology expertise to deliver real business value to organisations of all sizes across a wide range of commercial sectors.

Our goal is simple: to help you drive efficiencies, cost savings and improved business performance from your investments in IT throughout their full lifecycle. Maxima's portfolio spans a broad spectrum of customer IT requirements, from ERP, CRM, business intelligence and performance management solutions to high quality managed services for your applications and IT infrastructure. Yet this broad reach does not imply a generalist approach: we are proven specialists in each of our business areas, offering a premium service for all of our chosen solutions and industries of focus.

About Lionbridge
Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIOX) is a provider of globalization and offshoring services, including VeriTest software testing services. Based in Waltham, Mass., Lionbridge maintains solution centers in 26 countries and provides services under the Lionbridge and VeriTest brands.

Cullum Capital Ventures has strategically outsourced its IT requirements to allow flexibility and a rapid response to the ever changing demands from this fast growing business.

The 3 year outsourcing contract from Maxima allows CCV to take advantage of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd line technical support resources removing the requirement for sourcing their own internal team with the appropriate skill set and the associated cost. As part of the outsourcing contract Maxima will also support CCV's server management, datacenter provision and infrastructure roll out, allowing CCV to integrate their acquisitions into the core business at an impressive rate.

Fraser Fisher, Managed Services Director of Maxima said: "We are delighted to have won this contract with CCV, proving our experience with dynamic fast moving businesses. We retain the philosophy that outsourcing all or part of your IT function actually is a huge strategic advantage in making an organisation more economical and flexible to business change."

Richard Norris, CCV's IT Director added: "We chose to outsource our IT function as we have an acquisition strategy and using Maxima's outsourcing service we can integrate the new acquisitions into our business at a much faster rate gaining the business advantages early. I look forward to a continuous relationship with Maxima."

Editor's Notes:

About Cullum Capital Ventures

Cullum Capital Ventures (CCV) is one of the UK's top 5 largest independently owned insurance intermediaries with more than 650 staff. CCV focuses on investing in regional brokers providing a wide range of specialist and no-specialist general insurance products in partnership with a core group of capacity providers with whom the underwriting risk is placed. Since establishment in 2006, CCV has completed 30 acquisitions and controls run-rate GWP in excess of £230 million.

CCV was formed to provide a range of solutions for both insurance brokers and underwriting agencies who wish to consider a sale or partial sale of their business.

About Maxima plc

Maxima is a UK-based business solutions and IT managed services company with a 25-year pedigree, more than 500 staff and 1,300+ customers.  In each of the core business areas Maxima brings specialist business and technical competencies, able to respond flexibly and rapidly to new customer requirements and changes to their business or technology environment.  Customers also have the assurance that Maxima have the skills, resources and management strengths to resolve the issues that inevitably arise in the use of technology.  

The business implements and supports enterprise and infrastructure software solutions for mid-sized, UK-based manufacturing, distribution and service organisations. These solutions are based upon leading software suites as well as products developed in-house.

From ERP implementations and support, through to 24x7 management of IT and network infrastructure, Maxima customers depend on for their business-critical support.  Delivering high quality services that provide the stability, flexibility and agility customers need for continued business success.

Towergate strengthens their e-commerce trading platform with a 3 year £500,000 E-commerce, Hosting and Server Management contract from Maxima. 

Towergate Partnership Ltd has further strengthened its e-commerce trading platform and position as a market leader with a new 3 year contract for E-commerce Hosting and Server Management services from Maxima.

Centralising all e-commerce activities into one scalable platform allows Towergate to provide a quick and efficient trading experience for clients whilst allowing for sustained organic growth without loss of performance. It continues Towergate's strategy of driving innovation within the UK insurance marketplace.

Towergate and Maxima have developed a trusted partner relationship over the last 5 years, supported by 24x7 service level agreements and guarantees.

Fraser Fisher, Managed Services Director of Maxima said: "We are delighted to have won this contract with Towergate, strengthening the relationship between our organisations. The recent acquisition of DXI Networks has added breadth and depth to our hosting and server management offering, supporting our position as a key player in the marketplace."

Mike Newman, Towergate's IT Director added: "Our investment in the e-commerce trading environment strongly underpins Towergate's innovation and versatility in high performance e-commerce trading within the Insurance sector. Maxima has proven their capability and experience and I look forward to our continued working relationship."

Editor's Notes
About Towergate Partnership

Towergate Partnership is Europe's largest independently owned insurance intermediary controlling more than £1.5bn of gross written premium (latest accounts).

Towergate was established in 1997 to provide insurance in niche markets ranging from holiday homes to cherished cars. Having expanded and broadened their products range to over 200 - the widest range of specialist and traditional products in the UK market.

With over 3,500 committed staff operating out of 100 UK offices. Towergate's reputation for innovation, progression and dynamism is backed up by recognition from the Sunday Times as a Profit Track 100 company.  In 2008 Towergate was voted Private Company of the Year by ACQ Magazine and Management Team of the Year by the Sunday Times Fast Track.

12 August 2008

Maxima Holdings plc ("Maxima" or the "Company")

Maxima Holdings plc, (AIM: MXM.L) the AIM listed provider of integrated IT solutions and managed services, today announces its preliminary results for the year ended 31 May 2008.

Financial Highlights

• Revenues up 47% to £46.7m (2007: £31.8m)
• Operating profit* up 54% to £9.7m (2007: £6.3m), giving an operating margin of 20.7% (2007: 19.7%)
• Profit before tax up 24% to £5.2m (2007: £4.2m)
• Net debt at 31 May 2008 of £8.5m, after net cash outflows on acquisitions of £6.1m
• Adjusted earnings per share* of 26.3p (2007: 25.9p)
• Final dividend of 3.6p per share proposed, making a total of 5.6p for the year (2007: 5.2p), up 8% * before exceptional items, share based payments and amortisation of intangibles

Operational Highlights

• Acquisitions of:
  - Centric Networks Ltd (Infrastructure Managed Services)
  - Eclectic Group (Business Intelligence and Corporate Performance Management)
  - After year end, DXI Networks Ltd, a very similar business to Centric
• 76 new clients won, spread broadly across the business and by industry sector
• 40 sales achieved of a new Microsoft Dynamics AX based solution for the construction and facilities management sector
• Senior management team strengthened:
  - Appointment in October 2007 of Boris Huard as Chief Operations Officer
  - After the year end, in July 2008 John Taylor was appointed as Group Finance Director

Chief Executive, Kelvin Harrison commented
"Trading continues to be robust with the early months of the current financial year being ahead of the same period last year, despite the slowing economy. We continue to be confident that our high levels of recurring revenues from our large, diverse and stable client base, predominantly in the mid-market, will provide a foundation for continued growth and that we will accrue the expected benefits from recent acquisitions during the year.We continue to find good value opportunities for further acquisitions; we will pursue these selectively and would expect to finance them through a combination of operating cash flows and prudent use of bank facilities."

Click here for full press release PDF - 126Kb

An analyst presentation will be held at 9:30 this morning at the offices of Smithfield Consultants, 10 Aldersgate Street, London EC1A 4HJ.

Images in high and low resolution of Kelvin Harrison, Chief Executive, Maxima Holdings plc are available at www.fovea.tv or call 020 7089 2627.

For further information please contact:

Maxima
Kelvin Harrison, Chief Executive - 01242 211211
John Taylor, Group Finance Director - 0141 880 1000

Cenkos
Stephen Keys - 020 7397 8926

Smithfield
Reg Hoare / Katie Hunt / Will Henderson - 020 7360 490

Reading - 14^th July, 2008 - Maxima has been named to the 2008 Microsoft Dynamics President's Club, receiving recognition from Microsoft Corp. for its dedicated commitment to customers. This honor reflects Maxima's success in extending the Microsoft Dynamics platform to drive business advantages in companies worldwide.

This recognition came during the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2008 in Houston. The elite club recognizes the top 5 percent of Microsoft Business Solutions partners worldwide and their constant dedication to delivering solutions that meet their customers' unique needs, active pursuit of product and technological advancement, and impressive sales performance.

"Microsoft is proud to congratulate Maxima on being named to this year's Microsoft Dynamics President's Club," said Doug Kennedy, vice president, Microsoft Dynamics Partners. "Maxima not only demonstrated a high level of product expertise, but also provided a superior level of service and commitment to our Microsoft Dynamics customers, ultimately contributing to the overall success of Microsoft Dynamics and companies worldwide."

Maxima works closely with the teams at Microsoft to maintain a comprehensive understanding of the Microsoft Dynamics platform. This knowledge, combined with a deep understanding of customers' business needs, enables Maxima to help customers gain the maximum benefit form their Microsoft investments and achieve the enhanced operational efficiency and service that promotes growth and competitive advantage.

Maxima provide implementation, training and consultation for midmarket and enterprise businesses using business applications. Maxima specializes in Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM delivering solutions for Business Management, Customer Relationship Management and Business Intelligence that help leading companies achieve success.

 "With our in-depth skills and expertise in our chosen target markets, we have built specialist CRM and ERP solutions using Microsoft Dynamics technologies that seamlessly integrate sales and marketing, ledgers and accounts, and supply and logistics. To compliment these business systems we are able to offer Business Intelligence, Corporate Performance Management, Enterprise Content Management, Document Management, Infrastructure and Networking Capabilities and Managed Services. The outcome for our customers is greater efficiency, cost savings and improved business performance." - Boris Huard, Chief Operations Officer, Maxima

About Maxima

Maxima is a leading IT managed services and systems integration company with a proven track record of delivering innovative and flexible business solutions and services.

Maxima's in-depth knowledge of industry and business, coupled with its skills and understanding of leading software suites ensures its services and solutions deliver real business benefits.

It prides itself on the quality of its services which lead to strong customer relationships and high retention rates. Regardless of size, all companies require effective delivery of business critical operations.

Maxima have over 1000 clients across more than 2000 sites in the UK, Ireland, Europe and USA, including, Diageo, Twinings, Johnson and Johnson, Murphy Group, ROK, Leach Lewis, Orange, Boots, DVLA and Network Rail.

Maxima’s new enterprise software system helps construction businesses to improve operational efficiency, VAT compliance, job control and management of information. 

Coventry 1 July 2008 — Maxima, a provider of software and consultancy to the construction and services sectors, today announced the general availability of its new enterprise resource planning (ERP) software; MAXcel. MAXcel is powered by Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, and has been designed by Maxima to specifically address the needs of the construction industry.

Maxima has created this tool in recognition of the fact that to date, the needs of construction firms have been widely ignored by the technology industry. The end result of this is that many businesses operate on archaic legacy systems that provide little benefit to employees or the management of the company. 

MAXcel allows automated planning and reporting - and the delivery of specific information, tailored to individual roles within a company. The tools within MAXcel allow construction firms to overcome in-efficient buying of materials, problems with plant and resource scheduling and inaccurate estimating and bidding on projects. In addition, using MAXcel means that firms can successfully manage and control data to meet increasing government legislation. The benefits of MAXcel include: 

• A compliance centre that provides one central, integrated view of internal controls, key performance indicators and other compliance data 
• Embedded workflows that automate business processes, enforcing standard operating procedures to limit organisational risks while still enabling organizations to respond quickly to rapidly changing market needs 
• A unified customer relationship management (CRM) system that is integrated with other customer information to help improve bidding strategies, customer service, and project management 
• Tools to allow businesses to develop and implement new key business processes while maintaining and improving successful, existing business processes, helping to enhance profitability through significantly improved productivity 
• Systems that help to provide more accurate and timely financial and accounting information to improve management decision-making, risk management, and record-keeping 
• Delivery of real time reports on projects such as profitability by project, customer, or job site

Boris Huard, Chief Operations Officer, Maxima commented, “Completing on time and within budget is essential for construction firms. This means that reliable, up-to-date information is essential to allow the effective management of time and resources within those budgets.  MAXcel delivers this information to construction companies - meaning that they can be sure their projects are being run and monitored successfully"

In April 2007 Maxima signed an agreement with Microsoft that would provide Maxima with the support and backing to develop a construction specific solution.  This support and continuous research and development enables Maxima to concentrate on key business functionality required for the construction industry whilst Microsoft ensures that the application platform is class leading.

About Maxima

Maxima has been providing quality software and consultancy to the construction and services sectors for over 25 years.  Our experience and depth of knowledge means we understand the needs of construction, maintenance and facilities management companies which have many discrete and unique differences from other industries.  Working in partnership with Microsoft, Maxima has developed and built specialist CRM and ERP software that seamlessly integrate sales and marketing, ledgers and accounts, and supply and logistics.

Our clients include Amey, Alfred McApline Business Services, Balfour Beatty Rail, Galliford Try, Hanson, May Gurney, Murphy Group, Severfield Reeve and Rok.  We develop and build long term relationships with client teams from day one of the project through to go live and into longer term support.

For more information about Maxima’s fresh approach to technology tailored to the construction industry visit www.maxima.co.uk/construction  

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management solutions that help businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business.

30th June 2008

Maxima Holdings plc ("Maxima" or the "Company") 
Acquisition of DXI Networks Ltd ("DXI") 

Maxima Holdings plc (AIM:MXM), the integrated IT solutions and managed services provider, is pleased to announce that it has agreed to acquire DXI Networks Ltd. 

Highlights:

• Acquisition of DXI for a net consideration of not more than £8.5m, payable in cash on completion, which is expected to be in early July.  The acquisition will be financed from a proposed increase of existing facilities with Barclays Bank plc.
• The acquisition fits well with Maxima's existing infrastructure managed services business and will add breadth and scale, as well as creating cost synergies.
• The Board anticipates that the acquisition will be earnings enhancing in the company's financial year ending 31 May 2009 (see note 1).
• The acquisition is in line with Maxima's consolidation strategy within the fragmented IT services sector.

DXI is a provider of converged Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services to business customers in the UK.  DXI provides 24x7 fully managed IT infrastructure and communications solutions, including the design, deployment and management of complex converged networks, server hosting, internet, network security, VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) and other telecommunications services.  DXI is based in London where it has some 50 staff and its own data-centre.  In addition it has some 30 staff in Hyderabad, India, providing technical and administrative support. Its customers include Berkeley Group plc, Inchcape Retail Ltd, Transport for London and the FA Premier League.

In the financial year ended 31 March 2008 DXI generated revenues of £14.1m, EBITA of £1.25m and profit before tax of £0.8m.  As at 31 March 2008 DXI had net assets of £1.3m. The gross consideration payable is £9.1m and at completion DXI is expected to have cash balances of at least £0.65m.  DXI is a very similar business to Centric Networks Ltd, which has performed strongly since its acquisition by Maxima in July 2007.  Integration with Maxima's existing infrastructure managed service business is expected to yield significant cost savings.

Completion is subject to satisfaction of customary conditions precedent and to finalisation and signature of legal documentation to  increase Maxima's existing bank facilities.  Of the net consideration of £8.5m, £2.3m will be used to repay DXI's bank loans and £0.85m will be held in an escrow account for 2 years, and will be available in the first resort for settlement of any warranty or indemnity claims.

The acquisition of DXI continues Maxima's successful strategy of building a focused IT solutions and managed services group through value enhancing acquisitions and organic growth.  Maxima's acquisitions underpin the group's business model of generating high margins from recurring revenues with strong cash generation.  As Maxima builds scale in the fragmented IT markets in which it operates, acquired businesses will increasingly generate synergies and cross-selling opportunities for the Maxima group.

Note 1: The statement that the acquisition is expected to be earnings enhancing in the year ending May 2009 relates to future actions and circumstances, which, by their nature, involve risks, uncertainties and other factors.  This statement does not constitute a profit forecast and should not be interpreted to mean that earnings for any future period would necessarily match or be greater or less than those for any preceding financial period. Earnings in this context represent net after tax earnings [on an IFRS basis], excluding the amortisation of intangible assets and any exceptional items.

Kelvin Harrison, Maxima's Chief Executive said:
"I am delighted to welcome the DXI team into the Maxima Group.  Their deep skills will reinforce our end-to-end ICT (Information and Communications Technology) managed service capabilities.  In addition their long term customer relationships and high levels of recurring revenues will reinforce Maxima's financial strength."

For further information, please contact:

Maxima
Kelvin Harrison, Chief Executive Officer - 01242 211 211

Cenkos
Stephen Keys/Adrian Hargrave - 020 7397 8900

Smithfield
Katie Hunt/Reg Hoare - 020 7360 4900

Established more than 50 years ago, Murphy Group is one of most respected names in the building and civil engineering industry. The Group has become a major force in civil and mechanical engineering, pipelines, tunnelling, telecommunications, commercial and residential building and property development. Companies within the Group also specialise in piling, drilling, stabilisation and demolition and pipeline testing and are involved in many of the biggest projects in the UK & Ireland.

 

Based in North London, the Murphy Group employs up to 3,000 staff and has 8 offices across the UK and Ireland.  It was one of the first contractors to win a contract for construction work relating to the 2012 London Olympic Games.

 

The value of Murphy’s projects can easily run into several millions of pounds. With a reputation for high quality work, completed on time with exemplary safety on site, Murphy has won many landmark projects and has doubled its turnover during the last four years.

 

Murphy Group has made the strategic decision to migrate from its current Intellect system to Maxima’s new MAXcel business solution which is based upon Microsoft’s class leading ERP application, Microsoft Dynamics AX. Murphy Group will be implementing the MAXcel modules for Finance, Fixed Assets, Inventory, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Procurement, Contract Management, Hire Services and Human Resources.

 

Vision - Maintaining growth and steady turnover

 

With this success and expansion came a new goal for the future.  Crucially, the company needed to consolidate its increased market share and provide a sound business footing for future development and a stable environment for its loyal, experienced workforce. At this point, the company decided to review its internal computer systems to ensure that it would have the best possible systems and software to support its future development.

 

Murphy needed to equip its staff with modern tools to manage its information. “We needed more interrogation of our project costing information and more powerful reporting tools.” says Tom Cassidy, Costing Manager at the Murphy Group.  There was also an ongoing requirement for specialist software to take care of Contracts, Plant Hire and Services.

 

Murphy had some first hand experience of other software packages for the construction industry gained during joint construction projects with partners and was aware that these were not always easy to learn and to use.  The new software needed to be at least as flexible as their existing package, Intellect.

 

There were certain requirements that the new software had to meet. First, it was important that the new software should allow plenty of room for further growth. Murphy’s project team had identified some new requirements in the areas of Human Resources, Document Management and Customer Relationship Management.

 

Murphy had already made the decision that in future they would standardise on Microsoft based packages. “We needed to be certain that the software would be reliable and robust,” says Tom Cassidy, “and we have great confidence in Microsoft.” They were very pleased to learn that Maxima was offering a solution built around Microsoft’s financial software suite, Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Requirements

• Scalability – software that would grow with the business
• Better management of customer data
• Powerful data interrogation tools
• Flexible reporting
• Specialist applications for Contract Management, Plant Hire and Services
• Easy for staff to use

It was at this stage that Murphy began to talk to Maxima about the possibility of replacing Intellect.

During the planning and discussions, Maxima advised on a suitable hardware specification for the new software solution. In fact, Murphy already had a modern IT infrastructure in place that would be suitable to run MAXcel.

 

The MAXcel Solution

 

Maxima’s MAXcel solution for the construction industry is based around Microsoft Dynamics AX and provides modules for Contract Management, Contract Sales, Hire Services, Service and Maintenance and a Subcontractors System.

 

Being a Microsoft solution, it integrates perfectly with Microsoft Office. It is very easy to learn how to use MAXcel because it looks and feels like Outlook. Also, there is a direct transfer of data between Excel and MAXcel, which makes loading data and reporting quick and straightforward.

 

During discussions, it became very clear that MAXcel offered some additional software functions that would be extremely useful to the business. MAXcel would be easier and more effective to use and, as the information is only stored in one place, there is no need to keep more than one copy of the data. This would save a lot of time, because the data would not need to be re-keyed.

Business Benefits

• Proper integration with Microsoft Office packages
• No duplication of data, no re-keying
• Specialist software modules for construction
• Better information from MAXcel reporting
• MAXcel can be configured to a company’s exact requirements

Murphy Group has purchased a MAXcel solution for 150 users. “MAXcel matches our requirement for business software and we are confident that this product, which is based on Microsoft Dynamics AX, will deliver what we need. We have a sound relationship with Maxima and we are looking forward to working with them long term in this new stage of our development,” says Michael O’Connell, Financial Director at the Murphy Group.

 

Murphy is to implement the Human Resources package in 2008 and will roll out the other applications from 2009 onwards to go live in 2010.

Leach Lewis Group is a major independent supplier of heavy plant and industrial compressed air systems. Motivair, the Compressed Air Division, has grown rapidly by acquisition. Supplying efficient service to their customers is a key objective of the businesses. 

Leach Lewis Group operates from a datacentre in Waltham Cross with depots throughout England. Microsoft Terminal Services are used to control local users’ PC options and also to facilitate faster response. 

The main challenge for Leach Lewis was managing a complex business which includes sale of major plant and spares, installation and service of equipment requires a heavy reliance on an efficient IT system. In 1998 the Group invested in a single integrated package to meet these requirements but heavy customisation meant that the system was restricting the growth and development of the business.  

Group Financial Director, Mick Brown, said, “We want to be the largest independent supplier of product and service in our market and we believe MAXcel will help us achieve that aim.” 

The development of the service function had been identified as a key business area in order to provide a high level of customer satisfaction and to maintain a strong revenue stream for the Group. Therefore any new IT system needed to have a strong and fully integrated service dimension. Several acquisitions in the Motivair Division meant that customers and offices were widely spread and in order to reduce cost and improve efficiency there was a need to centralise the service function and operate using mobile PDA communications for the field engineers.

A further key business requirement was to integrate CRM with the main system so that the customer became the single point of entry whether for sales of equipment, spares or service. 

Maxima is working with Leach Lewis’ Project Manager and team to implement MAXcel. Features of the project are: 

• Extensive Data Migration
• Development of new features to MAXcel service in line with Leach Lewis’s requirements
• Integration of Service with CRM
• Joint Management of Project
• Planning for Document Management and HR as part of Phase 2 of Project

The technologies provided are 150 user licenses for MAXcel software powered by Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 including: 

• Maxima’s own integrated Service and Maintenance module
• Integrated PDA devices for filed engineers
• Servers and System Software required to operate MAXcel
• Data Conversion
• Project Management and Implementation Resources

Deploying MAXcel throughout the Leach Lewis Group has meant growth and development of the company is no longer hindered by an inflexible IT system. The key objective of improving customer service has been achieved by using MAXcel Service and PDAs. By utilising the strong CRM functions in MAXcel this important business function now becomes integral to the system rather than being an adjunct.  

Mr. Brown added, “We looked at many packages before selecting MAXcel. MAXcel provided the only fully integrated Service solution that met our requirements”.

New ERP solution helps businesses thrive in a competitive global marketplace by controlling costs, managing risk and increasing employee productivity.

REDMOND, Wash. — June 2, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the general availability of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, an adaptable business management solution that offers powerful new capabilities to help growing multisite organizations streamline processes, reduce operational costs, manage compliance and drive informed decision-making.

As businesses expand globally, so does the complexity of managing accurate business insights and standardizing operations across multiple locations. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 offers new multisite and shared services capabilities, enabling customers to manage complex financial and supply chain processes more easily. For example, the new software can run multiple legal entities on a central installation and provide a single, integrated view of financial and supply chain information from facilities around the world, helping organizations simplify global planning. Advanced planning and reporting scenarios, such as consolidation and budgeting, are offered through integration with Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server.

“With its innovative role-based user experience, improved reporting and BI capabilities, and improving platform harmonization, Microsoft Dynamics products should be on ERP selection shortlists for a variety of SMBs, particularly those that use Microsoft’s server-based products,” wrote R “Ray” Wang of Forrester Research Inc. in the firm’s report “Microsoft Dynamics Gets Renewed Focus” in April 2008. “Multisite companies should consider Dynamics AX.”

Another business challenge that growing companies face is the increasing pressure to meet global and local regulatory compliance, a complex and costly problem that has been a top priority for chief executive officers and chief financial officers. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 delivers core features to help companies limit these risks and lower total cost of compliance, including the following:

“Managing risk is an integral part of my job, and Microsoft Dynamics AX makes my job easier,” said John Elmer, vice president, information systems, and controller, the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. “I can access critical company information from within the Executive Role Center and see a 360-degree view of our global IT and finance operations, ranging from compliance risks to how the company is tracking against forecasts.” The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, based in New York, represents a wide variety of entertainment copyrights for more than 200 writers, including Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, through its theatrical, concert and music publishing divisions.

In a fast-paced world, people need software that helps them do their jobs more effectively and with minimal training. To increase productivity and foster more confident decision-making, the RoleTailored design of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 gives employees access to critical business data through the following new features:

“Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 signals a new chapter in enterprise resource planning (ERP) user productivity,” said Mogens Elsberg, general manager for Microsoft Dynamics ERP. “Employees using traditional ERP systems have had to wade through inefficient, time-intensive steps — enter transactional data, run reports, analyze reports — before they can do their jobs effectively. Through Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009’s Role Center, employees from the executive suite to the warehouse have access to role-relevant business intelligence to help them make decision more efficiently. The Role Center provides a centralized view of each person’s prioritized work lists based on their organization’s configurable business processes and clearly identifies specific steps to take, thereby optimizing productivity.”

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management solution’s that helps businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business.

For more information or how to buy contact 08700 730073 or email marketing@maxima.co.uk

Fast-growing North West construction business, Heyrod Construction, selects MAXcel from Maxima to provide foundation for growth.

Heyrod Construction Ltd, established in 1978, has selected MAXcel, Maxima's new software solution for the construction industry, to enable the business to effectively manage its continued growth and streamline its business processes.

MAXcel is a complete set of specialist software modules for the construction and services sectors and is built upon Microsoft's flagship business management application, Microsoft Dynamics AX. As well as the core financial modules, MAXcel includes Project Costing, Subcontractor Management, Hire Services, Service and Maintenance, Contract Sales and Contract Management modules.

Heyrod is one of the most experienced construction companies in the North of England and has been included in the top 30 fastest growing companies in the North West of England for the last 3 years.

Heyrod Construction specialises in structural re-enforced concrete work and undertakes large projects in civil engineering, new build and refurbishment. The company has experienced healthy growth in its business over the last four years. This continuing success, winning major projects with clients such as Manchester City Council, resulted in steady expansion and the directors of Heyrod recognised that they needed to invest in new financial processes.

They needed strong accounting modules, particularly in the key areas of Project Costing, Subcontractors, Contract Sales and Plant Hire. It was also important to have flexible reporting and close integration to Microsoft Office was essential.

Having evaluated MAXcel, they realised that it would meet their needs and would also provide the flexibility they were looking for to support the growth and evolution of the business.

"We realised that we had to upgrade our old, Unix-based software to a new, Windows-based package," says Heyrod's Financial Director, Neil Harrison.

"We chose to go with MAXcel," continued Neil Harrison, "because it is based on Microsoft technologies, so we are confident that it is a good product. The fact that it looks like Outlook, which our staff are already using every day, and its tight integration with Excel are big advantages to us in terms of familiarity and user adoption. MAXcel also offers us the flexibility to alter our business processes, in the future, should we need to."

The Maxima project team is working closely with Senior Managers of Heyrod Construction on the implementation of Maxcel. David Johnson, MAXcel Implementation Manager, Maxima says "Our goal during the project has been to understand Heyrod's requirements in detail and to plan the changeover so that it will go smoothly and Heyrod can hit the ground running with the new software solution."

"We are really looking forward to getting the new reporting system," adds Neil Harrison. "It will make a fantastic difference to the way we work and it will save us a lot of time. It means we'll be able to produce management reports as and when we require rather than at the month end so we'll be able to keep a better eye on the numbers, which is really important in the current business climate."

The MAXcel software is to be installed at Heyrod Construction's 4 acre head office site in Oldham. Heyrod is purchasing modules for Subcontractors, Contract Sales and Plant Hire.

About Maxima

Maxima has been providing quality solutions to the construction and services sectors for over 25 years and we understand the importance of a strong customer relationship linked to a detailed knowledge and experience of your industry Our clients and client relationships are the key to our success. Project success is the key to our future. We develop and build long term relationships with client teams from day 1 of the project through to go live and into longer term support.

MAXcel clients include Ansa, EDS, Fugro Aberdeen, Heyrod, ISS Adviance, Leach Lewis, Pulse, SPI, Connevans. These clients join other well known Maxima clients such as Altro, RIBA Enterprises, The Concrete Centre, Wavin, Hepworth Building Products and Kingspan.

www.maxima.co.uk/maxcel

Tuesday 12^th February 2008, Maxima were presented with the prestigious QAD Award - "Partner of the Year" (for financial year ending 31^st January 2008) by Pam Lopker, President and Founder of QAD Inc. at QAD's Annual Sales Conference in Long Beach, California.

The award reflected a record year for Maxima with regards to license revenue since the relationship began with QAD through Minerva eighteen years ago.

 

 

 

The prize was received by Charles Harrigan - Divisional Director, Maxima Information Group during a formal dinner on board the Queen Mary; he said, "being recognised in front of the entire QAD Executive, sales force and other channel partners is particularly rewarding in itself, however I would like to acknowledge our dedicated QAD team at Maxima, from the Support Desk through Development to Technical and Consulting Specialists, not forgetting Admin, without whom none of it would be possible.   Furthermore I would like to thank our customers who continually show faith in us by investing more and more of their IT budget with Maxima.   Finally, I am looking forward to an even more rewarding twelve months to come with the launch of QAD Enterprise Applications 2008 and our augmented capability in the areas of Infrastructure, Applications Deployment and Managed Services".

Wednesday 13^th February 2008
Maxima presented with award for "Emerging Partner of the Year".     

 

 

Maxima plc is recognized at the Oracle Partner Network Annual Award ceremony in London for its outstanding performance and contribution to Oracle.  The prize was awarded to the specialist Business Intellligence divsion of Maxima, based on the work carried out by Eclectic, a recent acquisition to the Maxima group.

The prize was received by Mark Simpson, Business Development Manager for Maxima plc; "Maxima are delighted to be acknowledged by Oracle for our achievements in the UK.  This award recognises the effort and contribution we have made to Oracle with our outstanding performance, specifically with the delivery of Oracle Business Intelligence solutions.  This puts Maxima in the top echelon of Oracle partners in the UK and we will look to build on this success through 2008."

QAD, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software and services for global manufacturers, today announced that Consumer Goods Technology magazine has selected QAD as the top provider for customer experience in the Enterprise Resource Planning section of the magazine's annual Reader's Choice Awards, published in the January 2008 issue. The annual Reader's Choice Awards honor winners across twelve different categories focused on service and solutions for consumer goods companies.

Consumer products manufacturers worldwide rely on QAD as a trusted partner to analyze, plan and manage every aspect of their enterprise at every stage in the manufacturing process. QAD develops and delivers enterprise solutions designed to solve the immediate challenges consumer products manufacturers face today while laying the groundwork for future success and lasting bottom-line results.

"We are pleased to be included in this year's Reader's Choice Awards," said Phil Friedman, vice president, consumer products, QAD. "Consumer products manufacturers have to deal with many different layers of suppliers, distributors and channels in taking their product to market these days. QAD is committed to supporting these manufacturers in achieving their goals in brand development, demand management, and new product introduction."

QAD Enterprise Applications are designed to streamline the management of manufacturing operations, supply chains, financials, customers, technology and business performances all in one suite. Built on a deep, foundational understanding of manufacturing and designed for maximum flexibility anywhere in the world, QAD Enterprise Applications are available in 27 languages and can handle multiple currencies. For both single-site manufacturers with customers and suppliers in many locations around the world, and global enterprises with factories and plants in dozens of countries, QAD can provide the solutions and support to operate multi-national businesses efficiently and profitably.

Tuesday 5 February 2008
Maxima Holdings plc (‘Maxima' or the ‘Company')

Maxima Holdings plc (AIM:MXM), the acquisitive IT solutions and managed services group, is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 November 2007.

Financial Highlights:

• Revenue up 62% to £21.1 million (H1 2007: £13.0 million)
• Recurring revenues represent 56% of total revenues
• Operating profit* up 74% to £4.0million (H1 2007 £2.3million)
• Profit before tax up 43% to £2.0 million (H1 2007 £1.4 million)
• Adjusted*, fully diluted earnings per share up 16% to 10.2p (H1 2007: 8.8p)
• Dividend of 2.0p per share (H1 2007: 1.8p) - in line with progressive dividend policy

*pre-amortisation of intangibles, share based payments and exceptional charges

Operational Highlights:

• Appointment of Chief Operations Officer, Boris Huard
• 35 new clients won during the period, across all business areas
• Good progress on our Microsoft Dynamics AX solution for the construction and facilities management sector with 8 sales to date
• Acquisition in July 2007 of Centric Networks Ltd, Infrastructure Managed Services provider for £6.4million (gross maximum)

Commenting on the results, Mike Brooke, Chairman, said: "The business has always exhibited seasonality, resulting in a stronger second half. This trend continues and our second half will also benefit from contributions from the acquisitions made in July and December 2007. As announced in the trading update issued on 28 January 2008, we have experienced an increased level of caution in our markets, however we continue to win new business across the group. We are confident that the diversity and spread of our offerings and client base, together with our strong operational management and sales organisation, position us well. Our high level of cash conversion and recurring revenues also give us the robust financial foundations from which to achieve our objectives for the future."

Click Here to download the Interim Results

Enquiries:

Maxima
Kelvin Harrison, Chief Executive - 01242 211211
Linda Andrews, Group Finance Director - 0141 880 1000

Cenkos Securities plc
Stephen Keys - 020 7397 8900

Smithfield
Tania Wild/Reg Hoare - 020 7360 4900

Maxima CEO, Kelvin Harrison, has has been shortlisted for ‘Entrepreneur of the Year Award' which is one of the ten categories being recognised at the Quoted Company Awards 2008 sponsored by Grant Thornton. The ceremony will be taking place on 30^th January 2008 at Grosvenor House. 

The Quoted Company Awards 2008 recognises the achievements of quoted companies listed below the FTSE 350. They take a fresh and innovative look at the quoted company market and reward the outstanding contributions of individuals active in public companies.

The 'Entrepreneur of the Year Award' will seek to recognise the entrepreneur at the helm of a young growing company whose flair, professionalism, dedication and opportunism has radically improved the trading prospects and the status of their company. Financial measures will be examined as well as various corporate deals, contracts, product development and product positioning. This award will focus on leaders who are founding shareholders or who hold significant stakes.

Since floating on AIM in November 2004, Maxima has trebled in size through strong organic growth and a series of carefully selected and well integrated acquisitions.

Maxima now has a complete offering of applications and infrastructure software solutions and managed services addressing the needs of mid-market customers in the UK and Ireland. These solutions and managed services are based upon technologies and products from world-class vendors including Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, IBM, Citrix and Cisco, overlaid with proprietary templates, tools and processes developed by Maxima. 

Maxima has a client base across the UK, Ireland & North America, with over 1000 clients, across more than 2000 sites, who consider Maxima as their trusted IT partner. Major clients include: Orange, J Murphy and Sons Limited, Boots & Mars.

07 January 2008

Maxima Holdings plc ("Maxima" or the "Company")

Maxima Holdings plc, (AIM: MXM), the integrated IT solutions and managed services company, today confirms it has completed the acquisition of the trade and assets of Eclectic Group Limited, a subsidiary of Glen Group plc (AIM: GLN), which was announced on 19 December 2007.

The acquisition is in line with Maxima's consolidation strategy within the fragmented IT services sector and is anticipated to be earnings enhancing in the year ending 31 May 2009.

For further information, please contact:

Maxima
Kelvin Harrison, Chief Executive - 01242 211211
Linda Andrews, Group Finance Director - 0141 880 1000

Smithfield
Tania Wild / Reg Hoare - 020 7360 4900

Friday 23rd November 2007, Maxima was presented with the Unichem Pharmacy Award - 2007 Shortline Supplier of the Year by Paul Forster-Jones, Managing Director, Cordia Healthcare at the prestigious annual dinner held this year at The Intercontinental Hyde Park, London.

Maxima was nominated by Paul Forster-Jones for their sterling work installing, implementing and validating a QAD Enterprise Applications 2007 compliant ERP solution at Cordia Healthcare, on budget and on-time for what was a very tight schedule. 

The prize was received by Kelvin Harrison, Chief Executive, Maxima Holdings PLC; he said, "Being acknowledged like this by a demanding organisation such as Cordia, as part of Alliance Boots PLC is very big feather in our cap.   This is exactly the type of service Maxima strives to offer right across the Group regardless of the solution or technical platform.  The award gives us confidence to continue to invest in our people, resulting in a world-class service for our customers"

Charles Harrigan, Sales Director, Maxima Information Group Ltd said, "The Cordia contract was won by the Maxima QAD Division in a extremely competitive environment; however it was our ability to demonstrate and reference the skillsets and experience necessary to deliver a fully compliant and validated solution, encompassing the FDA's CFR21Part11 Electronic Signatures requirement".

Tuesday, 6^th November 2007, Maxima were presented with the QAD Award - 2007 Market Share Builder of the Year by Jean-Claude Walravens, Vice-President EMEA, QAD at the QAD Alliance Conference in Vienna.

The prize was received by Charles Harrigan, Sales Director, Maxima Information Group Ltd; he said, "we are delighted to be acknowledged and honoured once again by QAD for our commitment and drive in promulgating QAD Applications in the UK and Ireland manufacturing and distribution sectors. An intrinsic component of our success is in our ability to present value justification to our customers and consistently deliver on our promise.  QAD and our customers' sales relationships are based (and sustained) on their understanding of the value that Maxima delivers, whether it be a point solution or a fully managed service."

 

06 November 2007

Maxima have been awarded Citrix Gold Partner Status in the UK

Maxima (AIM:MXM.L), the IT solutions and managed service company, is pleased to announce that they have been awarded Citrix Gold Partner Status for the UK.

After a lengthy accreditation process demonstrating dedication to their partnership with Citrix, the Maxima team achieved the necessary qualifications to meet the high technical standard and commercial goals set by Citrix.

Fraser Fisher, of Maxima commented "I am delighted that we have achieved Gold Solution Advisor status in the UK. This demonstrates our commitment and recognises our expertise and value as a Citrix solutions partner, complementing the Citrix Platinum partner status we hold in Ireland."

Maxima is now ranked as one of the most qualified Citrix partners in the UK with many clients choosing them to provide a whole solution in both core applications and infrastructure platforms.

Maxima excels in the arena of Managed Services, offering design, implementation and maintenance of complex infrastructure systems, including live monitoring of critical servers, firewalls, hosting, user groups and applications, ensuring downtime is minimized for customers. All support is in-house and managed by a highly skilled, efficient and qualified technical helpdesk.

Gold Partner status with Citrix is based on a combination of completing sales and technical certifications, sales volume, successful customer deployments and a close working relationship with the local Citrix team

About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CTXS) is the global leader and the most trusted name in application delivery infrastructure. More than 180,000 organisations worldwide rely on Citrix to deliver any application to users anywhere with the best performance, highest security and lowest cost. Citrix has approximately 6,200 channel and alliance partners in more than 100 countries.

19 October 2007

Maxima is today hosting a site visit for investors and analysts at their offices in Cheltenham. Case studies will be presented of the activities in both the Maxima Solutions and the Managed Services divisions, as well as an illustration of Maxima's approach to the integration of acquisitions. No material new information will be disclosed in the presentations. At the same time, Maxima today announces the following update on current trading:

Maxima is pleased to report that since the start of its financial year on 1 June 2007 it has won a total of 39 new clients broadly spread across the different business areas. Cross-selling is steadily increasing as the acquisitions become fully integrated within Maxima. Further to this, significant additional business and substantial numbers of managed service and support contracts have been renewed from Maxima's existing client base.  This includes the sale of four of its new IT solutions for the construction sector based upon Microsoft Dynamics AX which was announced in April this year.

The Company is also pleased to announce the successful completion of two important projects.  Firstly, the go-live after a four month accelerated implementation and full validation of the manufacturing solution for a leading pharmaceutical company, based upon QAD applications software.  Secondly, the successful upgrade to Oracle R12 of the systems of a major insurance company, one of the first such upgrades to be carried out in the UK.

Overall trading remains in line with expectations.

Kelvin Harrison, Maxima's Chief Executive said: "It has been a good start to the year for Maxima as we continue to extend our existing client relationships and grow the pool of new customers in our core sectors.  We are now able to offer our clients full end-to-end applications and infrastructure software solutions and managed services which we continue to develop. We will report our interim results for the six months ending 30 November 2007 in early February 2008."

For further information please contact:

Maxima
Kelvin Harrison, Chief Executive - 01242 211211
Linda Andrews, Group Finance Director - 0141 880 1000

Cenkos - Nominated Advisor to the Company                 
Stephen Keys - 020 7397 8900

Smithfield
Tania Wild / Reg Hoare - 020 7360 4900

Maxima Holdings plc (AIM:MXM), the IT Solutions and Managed Service Company, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a £3.5 million, three year managed services contract from Towergate Partnership Ltd. The contract is to provide Incident, Infrastructure and Problem Management services to over 100 offices and 3,500 staff within Towergate, the largest independently owned insurance organisation in Europe. Towergate became a client of Maxima following the acquisition of Centric Networks in July 2007.

The agreement expands on the scope of existing Service Desk, Server Support and Datacentre provision contract. Maxima have also been awarded an additional contract to provide disaster recovery services for Towergate.  

Kelvin Harrison, Chief Executive of Maxima said: "We are delighted to have extended the contract with Towergate, proving the value in our managed service offering, as well further strengthening the relationship between our two businesses." 

Mike Newman, Towergate's IT Director added: "It is an absolute must-have for insurance brokers to work with a first rate IT provider. I am very pleased with the service we have already received from Maxima. Their proven experience and capabilities with both Microsoft and Citrix made the decision to extend the contract easy for us and I look forward to our continued working relationship."

About Towergate Partnership Ltd

Towergate Partnership is Europe's largest independently owned insurance organisation controlling more than £1.5bn of gross written premium (latest accounts).

Towergate was established in 1997 to provide insurance in niche markets ranging from holiday homes to cherished cars. Having expanded and broadened their products range to over 200 - the widest range of specialist and traditional products in the UK market.

Towergate is now Europe's largest independently owned insurance intermediary.  With over 3500 committed staff operating out of 100 UK offices. Towergate's reputation for innovation, progression and dynamism is backed up by recognition from the Sunday Times as a Profit Track 100 company.

Maxima and Application Lynx have just completed a successful Simply HR Implementation for a major UK Insurance company. The implementation went live successfully on Monday 1^st October.

The timescales for this implementation have made this the fastest Simply HR Implementation that either Maxima or Application Lynx have worked on in partnership. To ensure a successful "go-live" required this successful partnership working in an agile way to meet the deliverables.

Deploying on a Windows platform required working in close partnership with both the client and Oracle.

Maxima feel that adopting R12 has allowed the implementation to meet the very aggressive timescales.

14 August 2007

Maxima Holdings plc ("Maxima" or the "Company")

Maxima Holdings plc, (AIM: MXM.L) the AIM listed provider of IT solutions and managed services, today announces its preliminary results for the year to 31 May 2007 which have come in slightly ahead of market expectations.

Financial Highlights

• Revenues up 66% to £31.8m (2006: £19.1m)
• Recurring revenues remain at 56% of turnover
• Operating profit* up 85% to £6.3m (2006: £3.4m), an operating margin of 19.7% (2006: 17.5%)
• Profit before tax* up 76% to £5.8m (2006: £3.3m)
• Statutory profit before tax up 62% to £4.2m (2006: £2.6m)
• Net debt at 31 May 2007 of £6.6m (2006: £3.1m), after net cash outflows on acquisitions of £15.2m. A placing of shares in May 2007 raised £11.5m net.
• Adjusted earnings per share* up 46% to 25.9p (2006: 17.8p)
• Final dividend up 36% to 3.4p (2006: 2.5p) per share proposed, making a total dividend of 5.2p for year (2006: 4.0p)

* before exceptional items, amortisation of intangibles and share based payments

Operational Highlights

• Four acquisitions made and successfully integrated
• Benefits of scale and cross selling now becoming evident
• Investment in developing a Microsoft Dynamics AX based solution for the construction sector
• Commencement of fully staffed 24x7 support and managed service operations
• Market conditions favourable and organic growth increasing

Chief Executive, Kelvin Harrison commented "Maxima has had an excellent year during which our corebusinesses have performed well whilst we made four further acquisitions. We now have a complete offering of application and infrastructure software solutions and managed services and provide our clients with a onestop - shop for all their IT needs.

The new financial year has got off to a good start with some important contract renewals and key new business wins including our first major Microsoft Dynamics AX project, as well as the acquisition of Centric Networks Ltd. Maxima is in an exciting phase of its development as we now build greater scale within our chosen markets."

Click here for full press release PDF - 90Kb

For further information please contact:

Maxima
Kelvin Harrison, Chief Executive Tel: 01242 211211
Linda Andrews, Group Finance Director Tel: 0141 880 1000

Cenkos
Stephen Keys Tel: 020 7397 8926

Smithfield
Tania Wild / Reg Hoare Tel: 020 7360 4900

August 7th 2007

QAD Inc. (NASDAQ: QADI), a leading provider of enterprise applications and services for global manufacturers, provides superior Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) per functionality, according to "The Cost of ERP Functionality," a recent study published by Aberdeen Group.

Aberdeen surveyed more than 1,680 companies of all sizes to benchmark ERP in Manufacturing, measuring both depth and breadth of functionality, as well as the cost of ERP in terms of software, services, and maintenance. QAD demonstrated superior TCO per functionality over most all other vendors, owning in part to its ease of use and simplified design.

"We continue to be committed to serving the needs of manufacturing companies around the world by developing and delivering enterprise software that is easy to install, implement, and use for better business performance," said Pamela Lopker, chairman and president of QAD. "This most recent report from Aberdeen validates our strategy to offer deep industry functionality, while remaining focused on the needs of manufacturers."

"In this study, we found that it is important for users to consider various factors when making buying decisions for an ERP system including, but not limited to the price of functionality deployed," said Cindy Jutras, Vice President & Group Director, Aberdeen Group. "QAD continues to deliver at a strong price point in tandem with its ease of use as evidenced by its low service to software cost ratio."

Earlier this year, QAD released QAD Enterprise Applications 2007, a new version of its flagship enterprise software solution. QAD 2007 is a complete suite to address the requirements of global enterprises. Employing Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) capabilities QAD 2007 includes enhanced functionality that enables global manufacturers to better manage supply and demand chains, enterprise assets, transportation and logistics, while streamlining communication and improving manufacturing productivity.

To learn more and access a copy of the Aberdeen report visit www.qad.com

26th July 2007

Maxima (AIM:MXM.L), the IT solutions and managed service company, is pleased to announce that its recently acquired subsidiary, 3net Ltd (3net) has secured a 3-year contract renewal from the leading City law Firm Baker & McKenzie LLP.  The contract covers support of Baker & McKenzie's data network and provision of proactive network consultancy to ensure that its infrastructure keeps abreast of the aggressive growth aspirations of the London practice.

Mark Just, IT Infrastructure Services Manager at Baker & McKenzie, explains "we've had a good working relationship with 3net for over 4 years now and during that time they've helped us evolve our network to one that is inherently robust and reliable." 

Mark Just elaborates, "3net's consultants have always been flexible and totally committed to our relationship.  This means that we have been able to extract the maximum value from our investment.  Above all else, this is why we are delighted to have negotiated another 3-year contract with them."

About Baker & McKenzie

Baker & McKenzie, London is the largest office of one of the world's leading and most internationally diverse law firms giving clients a unique global perspective. Baker & McKenzie plays a key role in the Firm's extensive European network, linking with offices spanning six continents to provide clients with a peerless combination of local and global expertise.

20th July 2007

Centric Networks Limited has been acquired by Maxima Holdings Plc. Centric provides managed services for infrastructure software to a broad range of clients in the mid-market. 

Based near Stansted with 41 employees, Centric will be immediately integrated with Maxima's existing infrastructure managed service business.  The management team will remain with the business as part of the Maxima group.

Centric's skills lie in operating systems, networking, security and remote access.  These skills are packaged into a managed service conforming with ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) guidelines.  The service generally embraces remote monitoring, for which a range of tools have been developed, and provision of helpdesk services. Centric frequently manages the hosting and maintenance of client's systems in third party datacentres.  Centric is a Cisco Premier partner, a Citrix Silver partner, a Checkpoint Silver partner and a Microsoft Certified partner.

Commenting on the acquisition, Kelvin Harrison, Chief Executive said:

"I am delighted to welcome the Centric Networks team into the Maxima Group.  This transaction builds upon our existing infrastructure software skills which have been developed since the acquisition of Intertech in November 2006 and 3net in May 2007.  It greatly reinforces Maxima's total of IT solutions and managed services offering to the mid-market."

Fraser Fisher, Managing Director of Centric, added:

"Joining Maxima provides us with the ideal opportunity to increase the range of skills that we can offer to our clients and to continue our strong growth record."

To find out more about Centric Networks Limited please visit http://www.centricnetworks.net/

Johnson & Johnson Goes to Great Heights for CARE International

Since 2004, the Johnson & Johnson Information Technology team has lead a trek across the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales in less than 24 hours. The objective: to raise money in support of CARE International - one of the world's top development agencies, which works to help more than 48 million poor and marginalized people, each year, to find a way out of poverty.

Whether working in disaster zones to ease suffering or liaising with local governments and businesses to break the cycle of poverty, CARE International is present in over 70 countries, encouraging prosperity with jobs, savings projects, sanitation, construction and health care.

This year, the Johnson & Johnson team decided to up their investment and set out on a more rigorous journey to benefit this cause. On 16th June, Richard Lee, Jonny Harris, Steve Calderon, Mark Bangerter, and Carl Bedson, with the support of Jag Bhachu embarked upon the 24 Peaks Challenge - climbing the 24 highest peaks in the Lakes District in 24 hours!

The Challenge calls for each team to walk over 50KM and climb over 4000M of some of the toughest terrain in the UK, including Helvellyn, Great Dodd and Scafell Pike.

Despite periods of torrential rain, a knee-injury, which caused the withdrawal of veteran team member, Steve Calderon and a four-hour struggle to overtake a tough competitor, Team COMPEED did finish in 1st place. With a twohour lead over second place and five-hour lead over third, CARE International was able to confirm that the team achieved the fastest time for the 24 peaks in the 10 years the event has been run!!

On behalf of everyone, we would like to thank Maxima for their generous contribution to this year's effort.

Chris Wong
Johnson & Johnson IT Manager

24 May 2007

Maxima Holdings plc ("Maxima" or the "Company")

Completion of Acquisition of 3net Limited ("3net")

Maxima Holdings plc, (AIM: MXM), the acquisitive IT solutions and managed services company, is pleased to announce that the acquisition of 3net Limited, conditionally announced on 1 May 2007 successfully completed today. 

Click here for full press release PDF - 97Kb

QAD Drives Innovation in the Manufacturing Market, Helps Customers Achieve Lean Manufacturing Through Flexibility of Progress Application

Infrastructure Technologies QAD Inc. (NASDAQ:QADI), a global provider of enterprise software applications and services, and Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ:PRGS), a provider of leading application infrastructure software to develop, deploy, integrate and manage business applications, today jointly announced they have expanded their longstanding Technology Alliance to allow QAD to globally license and distribute a wide range of application infrastructure products from Progress Software. QAD has been an Application Partner(1) of Progress Software for more than 20 years. Under the terms of the expanded agreement, QAD and Progress may extend their joint offering beyond the Progress(R) OpenEdge(R) application platform to include Progress Sonic ESB(R) (Enterprise Service Bus), Progress Actional(R) for SOA management, the Progress EasyAsk(R) Natural Language and Query product, and other best-in-class technologies that deliver the reliability, high service levels and enterprise-wide visibility that a lean manufacturing environment demands. With access to a broader portfolio of Progress technologies, QAD is on course to deliver on its vision of shaping the "Perfect Lean Market" for manufacturing by helping their customers leverage their existing IT investment. QAD and Progress customers alike stand to benefit from this alliance as the two companies continue to focus on their respective core competencies, share market intelligence and product development plans, and ensure that industry-leading technology will be available when needed. For example, Progress' Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) capabilities bring enhanced functionality into QAD Enterprise Applications. Taken together, this enables global manufacturers to better manage supply and demand chains, enterprise assets, transportation and logistics, while streamlining communication and improving manufacturing productivity. "In today's rapidly evolving business marketplace, customers seek efficiency and competitive advantage. It is vital that QAD and its key technology providers work closely to create better, more robust and flexible business solutions," said Pam Lopker, president of QAD. "We view Progress as an important component in our aggressive R&D strategy, and we expect customers will benefit from the investments both our companies are making to deliver on our vision of 'The Perfect Lean Market.'" QAD embeds Progress' technology in its core product offering, QAD Enterprise Applications, which are in use at more than 5,500 customer sites in over 90 countries. "QAD has carved out a significant market-leading position with manufacturing companies around the world with their powerful and flexible enterprise software solutions. QAD, and their customers, will benefit from the high reliability, low administrative overhead and faster application development provided by the Progress best-in-class technologies," said Dave Ireland, president of the OpenEdge Division for Progress Software. "With QAD's deep-rooted industry knowledge and our open technologies, QAD's customers will gain a significant market advantage." About QAD QAD is a leading provider of enterprise applications for global manufacturing companies. QAD applications provide critical functionality for managing manufacturing resources and operations within and beyond the enterprise, enabling global manufacturers to collaborate with their customers, suppliers and partners to make and deliver the right product, at the right cost and at the right time. Manufacturers of automotive, consumer products, electronics, food and beverage, industrial and life science products use QAD applications at approximately 5,800 licensed sites in more than 90 countries and in as many as 27 languages. For more information about QAD, telephone +1-805-684-6614, or visit the QAD Web site at: www.qad.com. "QAD" is a registered trademark of QAD Inc. All other products or Company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. About Progress Software Corporation Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ:PRGS) provides application infrastructure software for the development, deployment, integration and management of business applications. Our goal is to maximize the benefits of information technology while minimizing its complexity and total cost of ownership. Progress can be reached at www.progress.com or +1-781-280-4000. Progress, Sonic ESB, OpenEdge, EasyAsk, Actional and Progress OpenEdge are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation or one of its affiliates or subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Any other trademarks or service marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

 

16 April 2007

Maxima Holdings Plc ("Maxima" or "the Company)

Maxima Holdings Plc (AIM:MXM), the acquisitive AIM listed IT systems integrator and managed services provider, today announces that it has signed an agreement with Microsoft to become a partner for Microsoft Dynamics AX (formerly Microsoft Axapta).

The agreement builds upon its existing partnership agreement for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, its recent acquisition of leading Microsoft CRM partner, SevenThree Limited, as well its status as a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

Microsoft will be working closely with Maxima in this new initiative to build a substantial business around Microsoft Dynamics AX - focusing initially on the Construction Industry.

Maxima has already enjoyed considerable success in this industry with its existing construction accounting and service management solution, Intellect, used by over 300 customers in the UK. Maxima will be extending the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics AX with specific industry modules for the Construction Industry.

"Today's customers demand complete solutions that meet their organisation's unique needs," said Paul White, UK General Manager for Microsoft Business Solutions. "We're addressing that demand by combining vertical applications developed by companies such as Maxima with the core functionality and deep customisation options offered in Microsoft Dynamics AX."

Paul White continues, "Expanding the industry-specific functionality of all our business management products is key element of our competitive sales strategy worldwide. As one of the first partners in the UK to take this approach with Microsoft Dynamics AX, we will be supporting Maxima every step of the way."

Kelvin Harrison, Maxima's CEO said, "We are delighted to have signed this agreement with Micros