Emergence has celebrated 30 years in business during which time it has evolved from a hardware supplier to a full solution provider.

The Bermuda owned and operated technology company, which has won a number of international awards for its work, started off life as MCS Ltd. dealing in computers and microcomputers but 17 years ago developed into a financial management solutions and business management services provider.

Today it has about 30 staff based at its Bermuda headquarters with a global workforce of around 85 operating in the Cayman Islands, Toronto, Halifax, Miami, Puerto Rico and Columbia.

The firm is run by Bermudian partners Robert Burns, president, Tim Kerr, vice-president of operations, and John DeSilva, alongside a business development team which was launched five years ago and is led by Daryl Fubler, director of business development. "One of the most exciting things about this company is that it is always busy, it is a fun place to work, the people that work here enjoy being here and they get a buzz out of what they do," said Mr. Burns.

"We have a diverse group here, with a Bermudian core and people from overseas who provide their expertise and knowledge all working together as a team."

Using its position as a solution provider to full effect, Emergence has expanded its service to meet the needs of local and international businesses, specialising in everything from re/insurance accounting, advanced financial reporting and consolidation management, and human resource management and Bermuda payroll, to customers relationship management, captive management and multicurrency reporting.

The company, which is based in the Butterfield & Vallis Building in Woodlands Road, Hamilton, also covers project billing, professional services and job cost, real-time inventory management and customised application development.

Among some of its main clients are re/insurers, banks, fund and investment managers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors, from local businesses to Fortune 500 companies, many of whom are required to report both internally and to the Bermuda Monetary Authority, Securities & Exchange Commission or their shareholders. Overall it serves more than 485 clients in 15 countries.

"Bermuda has a large number of companies that have offices in other countries and therefore it is about being in the right place at the right time with the right people to provide them with the best level of support possible," said Mr. Burns.

"We also provide opportunities for overseas staff to come here enabling us to leverage their expertise in other areas and then they go back to Canada or the Cayman Islands and continue to provide those services to our client base globally."

Mr. Kerr said that Emergence's focus was on developing a trusted long-term business relationship with its client base, from finding out their requirements to implementing the solution, continuing to provide support to them going forward, in addition to keeping up with the pace of demand for information.

"For us it has been a drive to build a strong business relationship with our clients so that we can assist them in improving their solutions and focus on keeping up with the latest technologies as they evolve to make sure they take full advantage of them," he said.

"And going forward we will continue to look for new business opportunities as they emerge on the market."

Mr. Fubler is concerned with making the solution more efficient and help improve its clients' performance using a custom-made and cost-effective method to match its current and future demands.

"We speak to clients that have needs, requirements and issues," he said.

"And we see how we can solve those in a way that allows them to be more efficient at what they do and streamline that process."

The name Emergence came from the need to cater to emerging markets and technologies, a factor the company decided to concentrate on after changing its business model having sold off its retail and hardware division in 1993. It has been that dedication to service that has seen the company win the 2007 Latin America & Caribbean Award for Microsoft Business Solution Partner of the Year, as well as being a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in the top one percent of its Business Solution Partners specialising in Dynamics GP and Customer Relationship Management and part of Microsoft's Inner Circle and President's Club award programme for the sixth straight year.

Emergence's business solutions utilise the Microsoft Dynamics Business Software, incorporating e-business and portal technologies, business analytics (business intelligence and key performance indicators) and advanced management reporting, as well as integrating the back and front offices together.

Mr. Burns said that his team of accountants, system consultants and application experts all had one thing in common — a passion for technology and to be agents of change in an ever evolving and technologically advanced world.

He said that the company also provides training to clients on Island in order to further their skills, and experts to carry out specific projects they may have outsourced as a result of the global recession to enable them in turn to focus on their core business and give a better return on investment to their shareholders.

"Our success is the success of our clients," he said.

"We are company that evolves as our clients do and that includes the ownership and management and adding new people all the time to keep it fresh and to share in the success of the company."

For more information on Emergence and its business solutions contact 295-0913, email info_bda@emergencecorp.com or visit the website at www.emergencecorp.com