Boutique software company cracks UK market

Boutique software company cracks UK market

23 May 2012

A small, under-the-radar Hamilton-based software company has secured a foothold on the other side of the world.

Wild Bamboo has gained its second UK-based customer, Leeds Mind, after a rigorous selection process in which it competed against four UK-based software companies.

The Wild Bamboo team of 23 is led by Alan Grainer, the former chief information officer at Waikato District Health Board. The company specialises in health software for use in non-government mental health, disability and community service organisations.

Its flagship product, Recordbase, is a client management system which was originally designed for the New Zealand mental health sector. Recordbase is now used by organisations in New Zealand, Australia and the UK.

Wild Bamboo’s latest customer, Leeds Mind, supports hundreds of people with mental health problems.It offers a range of employment, housing and wellbeing services.

Wild Bamboo chief executive Alan Grainer recently travelled to the UK to meet with Leeds Minds and to further investigate other market opportunities. The company has also been active in Australia where it is now looking to expand its client base in Victoria and Queensland.

“We are delighted to have another UK-based customer. Our first UK customer, mcch, started using Recordbase in 2010,” Mr Grainer said.

“It’s extremely satisfying to have Recordbase recognised as an information management system that’s as applicable in the UK as it is in New Zealand. It validates the team’s foresight, hard work and commitment to developing a product in partnership with non-government organisations.

“We’re really starting to see the benefits of this approach, and we now have a number of opportunities in the UK which we’ll be following up in the next few months.”

Adding to Wild Bamboo’s recent achievements is the launch of its new website today.

The website – www.wildbamboo.co.nz - details the benefits of using Recordbase and explains the program and its modules – Recordbase Elite, MyRecord and Supported Employment. It also profiles the Wild Bamboo team and features case studies about customers’ experiences of selecting, implementing and using Recordbase.

Wild Bamboo is part of the Wise Group, one of the largest non-government providers of mental health and wellbeing services in New Zealand.

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