Manufacturing VSP e-know.net gets further £1.2 million funding from 3i

e-know.net, the Telford-based application service provider (ASP) that prefers to style itself VSP (vertical application service provider), offering manufacturing and distribution management and e-business software and services over the web, has been rescued by £1.2 million of further funding from 3i. e-know.net, like so many in ASP, has been going through tough times. Despite high profile successes like stair lift maker Minivator and medical equipment manufacturer Deio, it’s found that ASP for most manufacturers, big and small, remains ahead of its time. Although the firm, and others like it, argues that delivering packaged software and services using web technologies gives manufacturers lower cost, faster and easier to implement and manage (even better) solutions – solving otherwise intractable problems – take-up has been slower than hoped for. Nevertheless, David Redwood, CEO of e-know.net, puts a brave face on it. “This forward thinking decision from 3i really does support all of our staff, customers and partners, in that it gives us the confidence that we are taking the right decisions needed to create a really strong company even during very turbulent times for the industry as a whole.” And clearly, 3i has been persuaded of the future, if not the present, of VSP in manufacturing. Says Redwood: “As an ASP we have devoted the last 18 months to building a genuine environment that can be utilised by the full spectrum of industry, from small stand-alone private companies to large multi-national concerns. “We have developed a technical infrastructure that provides high security levels for all of our users, whilst enabling them to access their data on a 24 hours per day basis, seven day per week basis.” And he claims: “Today we have over 450 connected users from as far afield as the USA, Canada, Finland, Germany, and France. “Analysts forecast that over the next five years the ASP marketplace for Europe alone will grow to some $13bn per annum. We believe that e-know.net is uniquely positioned to capture a major part of this market share.” Managing director Reg Smith agrees: “Our pricing model really does assist our strategy. Customers pay no capital fees, only fixed monthly costs per user based upon a 3 year contract. “This gives them access to software solutions that may well normally be out of their budget restrictions. The management information they can obtain from such systems can be used to materially assist their company in remaining competitive and thus keep ahead of their field”.