The jury may still be out on Comparex but it has delivered a good verdict on a heavyweight newcomer, the customer relations software developer, Ixchange. This is a product of exceptional growth, since listing on the Venture Capital board in September 1997, and equally demanding expectations. Exceptional growth both historically and forecast rests heavily on its US operation GoldMine. Risks inherent in software development should also not be disregarded. CEO Derek Kreunen is on record as saying the strong customer base is more important than the products.
Software developers are, however, generally only as good as their next product.
Ixchange has several products coming which, together with aggressive expansion of its distribution network, will be watched with much interest. From its listing Ixchange roared away from a 100c share placing price to 3 900c at a June 1998 peak. Relative to its peer group price volatility of as high as three times average has been the norm over the past year. For all this its overall price gain still rates it as top performer since the start of 1998. Softline, with a path set firmly on global software development, has much in common with Ixchange.