Intentia Thailand, a business software developer, will team up with its worldwide partner IBM Thailand to serve the food and beverage business this year.
The company expected sales of software in the sector to rise by at least 30 per cent from last year's level, said managing director Benjawan Rangsichamras.
Movex Total Collaboration for Food & Beverage is one of the flagship products of the Swedish-based company. Intentia develops products for various industries but focuses 80 per cent of its development on food and beverages. Thailand is one of the world's leading food exporters.
The company has operated in Thailand since 1999 but only began to focus heavily on the food and beverage business six months ago.
Benjawan said Intentia would sell the software in a package that also included hardware designed by IBM. The latter would offer its products at special prices to attract customers in the sector, said Thamrong Kiatiwongse, country manager for the distribution and industrial sector of IBM Thailand.
A full-option package tailored for 10 users costs 10 million baht (€250,000) or more.
Benjawan said although there was stiff competition in the solutions software business, the company was confident it would achieve 30 per cent sales growth because its product was comprehensive. "We are a single developer that can fill a specific market niche. In other words, we don't have any rival in the market."
However, a key obstacle was the lack of understanding among business owners, particularly in the food business, of the importance of information technology to efficient management. She said the company worked to educate customers through seminars. As a result, more entrepreneurs had begun to understand the need to apply IT because of tougher competition in many businesses.
Currently, Intentia has around 20 customers. Each prefers buying options necessary for its business, as the company provides advisory and system installation services. New customers seeking services from the firm include Siam Food, Tipco and Bangkok Ranch.
Intentia International is the world's fifth largest business solutions software developer, based in Sweden, with worldwide revenue growth of 20 per cent last year.