By putting on the market T.DocLink and T.RecrutLink, the Sophia Antipolis SII is launching in software production. A new challenge for Yvette Godwin's start-up.
A new stage for Techlink! During the first Monnet meeting (Monaco Net Show), from Sept. 20th to 22nd, the start-up launched in Sophia Antipolis by Yvette Godwin, just a bit more than 2 years ago, presented its two new software. T.DocLink for quality document management and T.RecrutLink for human resources management.
Techlink is a firm which grew very fast among SII (computer science services companies). Last spring, after just two years of experience, the company had 40 employees. But now, a superior gear has been engaged. Not only, the firm widened its activities, but it also widened its location. This year Techlink became a firm at national scale instead of staying a local one and now, the firm has planned to expand at world scale around the Mediterranean sea.
Development of companies' gates
'From the beginning, when I founded Techlink, I wanted to create a bridge towards communication new technologies,explains Yvette Godwin, 42, computer science engineer to whom a year spent at the CPA Méditerranée gave wings. I wanted to help the client, to help him to know how to use NTICs. We started with traditional SII services, as for example, technical assistance. But always with the spirit of realizing fixed sum developments, to propose innovating products for prospects. '
'A first stage was made in January 1999: the recruitment of an engineer turned to innovating services in new technologies. With him, we thought about how to build our supply. Thus, we began by designing and develop the different software we put on the market today. Our aim was to prepare a platform of gate development dedicated to adapt to each kind of activity. Our first gate is DocLink which allows the firm to manage its internal communication, to have forums, news groups, news selection… '
Expansion to Europe and North Africa
For Techlink, a new life is beginning. At the beginning, the services activity was prevailing with intellectual services of technical assistance, of advice and software creation done for the client. Nowadays, the orientation is clear: sale of goods and services. This implies to anticipate marketing, distribution, client help, hot line, and this also implies a territory expansion.
'At the beginning, we were working almost exclusively with Sophipolitan firms,Yvette Godwin explains. Then, we expanded across PACA. Now, we try national and have plans for the international, essentially Europe and North Africa. Our team already counts about ten nationalities (French, English, American, Swiss, German, Iranian, Moroccan, Senegalese, Filipino...). The recruitment of Diane Bouzebiba, who deals with marketing, allowed us to design a strategy of supply development and plan to expand to Paris, Europe and North Africa.'
Techlink has recruited about ten people in some months (now, about 50 employees for an 8 million franc turnover in 1999 and a 12 million franc one in 2000). The development should accelerate even more if the launching of the second stage of the rocket Techlink succeeds…