Continued growth and success
A local software supplier making strides in UK and Irish local government.
Tascomi’s success to date stems from a focus on the development of web-based systems and secure managed services for customers, as well as responsive and flexible open source-based software. From small beginnings in 1998, the Hillsborough-based company has grown to 15 staff, one now being based full-time in England. Tascomi has a large customer base in local government in Northern Ireland and recently won the province-wide contract for provision of software to support the new animal welfare legislation in Northern Ireland, including an offline mobile application.
It is clear that customers are increasingly realising the benefits of using Tascomi web-based systems (accessible through any browser) and secure managed services for flexibility and accessibility, and particularly for the reduced costs of operation that result. “Making our customer’s business easier and more cost efficient is our aim at all times,” pointed out Tascomi Managing Director, Richard Martin. “The fact that all of our systems (Environmental Health, Building Control, Licensing, Leisure Management, Customer Management) are designed with mobile working and online services for citizens in mind, makes them potentially substantial cost savers, vital in today’s market conditions.”
The Tascomi method of developing systems using an open source-based approach keeps costs down both for Tascomi and for customers, as there are no licensing costs involved or passed on. This approach to cost-saving systems for customers, is clearly a winning strategy which has seen the company grow rapidly over the last few years. Tascomi counts 23 (or 88 per cent) of local councils in Northern Ireland as customers now, with over 76 per cent using its Building Control system, 38 per cent using Environmental Health and 73 per cent using the Dog Licensing system. Many councils are starting to use the systems with mobile working and to develop online services for citizens.
Another vital aspect of the Tascomi method is the close liaison with customers in the design and building of systems. Both the Environmental Health and Building Control systems, for instance, were built with a clear partnership approach with council customers in Northern Ireland and this same approach is very much to the fore in developing systems for the Irish and GB markets. The responsiveness of this approach has real benefits for all involved. User groups with customers keep this development approach alive on an ongoing basis and ensure that all products are up-to-date and responsive to customers and to legislation and, most importantly, at little or no cost to customers.
This concentration on building cost efficient systems for local government in Northern Ireland has prompted substantial interest in the Republic of Ireland and in the rest of the United Kingdom. So much so, that Tascomi now has a sales presence based in England. Earlier this year a major contract was secured in the Republic of Ireland, for the design and delivery of an enterprise software solution. All in all, the future looks bright for Tascomi as new markets based on more cost-efficient products beckon in Ireland and the rest of the UK.
