Advania subcontractor in giant Cloud project
Felleskjøpet, the leading supplier of assets for agriculture in Norway, will replace its proprietary business systems with a holistic solution based on Microsoft Dynamics. iStone has been commissioned to deliver the project with assistance from Advania Norway.
iStone has recently signed a major delivery agreement with Felleskjøpet Agri on design and implementation of a new business solution. The project, which will last for several years, will be one of the most interesting iStone has carried out in Norway, not least since the solution will be cloud-based. The implementation is of such extensive character that Advania will be included in the delivery.
"The project is so challenging that we have brought Advania on the delivery side. This will be a very interesting project and is confirming Microsoft and Dynamics' position in the very top ERP segment, "says CEO Tor Arnstorp at iStone.
”Felleskjøpet Agri has seen the value of a holistic solution for the business. We are experiencing an increasing interest in Microsoft Dynamics, not least because of the capabilities offered by cloud services in addition to local solutions, " says Helge Solbakken, Director of Microsoft Dynamics at iStone.
From self-developed to platform
Felleskjøpet has until now utilized proprietary business solutions for its operations.
” Today’s business solutions at Felleskjøpet are based on Cobol, a very stable and robust system. After many years of operation, it has become challenging to find expertise in the solution, which makes further development challenging. Felleskjøpet operates in a large number of business areas, and this requires us to develop a smooth business system with good integration capabilities." says IT Director Christen Rehn at Felleskjøpet Agri.
The desire and need for a modernized ERP platform has evolved gradually. Existing solution works very stable and Felleskjøpet has been able to make a solid evaluation before the choice of new platform was taken. Not least, Felleskjøpet wanted to evaluate the new delivery models, especially the use of the cloud.
iStone sees a development where the market increasingly wants highly integration-friendly platforms. Some customers choose to modernize their existing solutions, while others with older and proprietary systems look for brand new platforms that can be customized from scratch.
"We deliver all kinds of projects, whether it is adding integration layers to the top of existing solutions or implementation of brand new solutions. For Felleskjøpet we are building the solution from scratch”, says Solbakken.
Agriculture Giant
Felleskjøpet has a turnover of 15 billion NOK and 3150 employees and is the most important supplier of operating equipment and technology for Norwegian agriculture. The business of Felleskjøpet also include property management, bread and bakery goods, park and plant equipment, food and equipment for pets. Felleskjøpet is a cooperative owned by 44,000 farmers.
"The agreement with Felleskjøpet is the largest, and perhaps most important, we have signed in our ten-year history. We have all the key competencies required, but at the same time we are humble to the size of the work that shall be delivered, "says Markus Jakobson, CEO at iStone.
For further information, please contact:
Espen B. Hartz, CEO Advania Norway
Phone: +47 93 02 96 88 , e-mail: espen.hartz@advania.no
Tor Arnstorp, CEO iStone
Phone: +47 982 63 100, e-mail: tor.arnstorp@istone.com
Markus Jakobson, Group Chief Executive Officer iStone
Phone: +46 706-17 30 52, e-mail: markus.jakobson@istone.com
www.istone.com
Columbus has submitted a bid for the purchase of iStone, but this is only effective when 90 percent of the shareholders accept the bid. This is expected to take place by January 2nd, 2018.
About Advania
Advania is a leading Nordic IT supplier with more than 1150 employees in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland. In Norway, the company is the country's largest Microsoft Dynamics partner. Advania offers a wide range of IT services, solutions, platforms and support for private and public companies. With industry knowledge, recognized technology and value-added services, Advania creates value for customers with the smart use of IT, service and collaboration. www.advania.no www.advania.com
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