Dan Williams (Lancom Technology)
Auckland-based software and technology provider Lancom Technology has taken on former Powernet Group CEO Dan Williams as part of the company’s expansion in the Australian market.
Lancom opened its first Australian office in August, with the company’s new Melbourne-based digs expected to drive its growth in Australia.
Waruna Kirimetiyawa, chief executive of Lancom Technology, said at the time that the moment was right to have a physical presence in Australia, and in the State of Victoria specifically.
"We’ve enjoyed a long history of supporting multiple businesses not just in Victoria, but across Australia," Kirimetiyawa said.
"Melbourne is an ideal location for the delivery of our managed services, cloud solutions and custom software development offerings, with the intention to further grow our footprint in this market.”
The office is staffed by account management, presales, and solutions architects, backed by Lancom Technology’s delivery team located in Auckland.
In the month since Lancom Technology opened its Melbourne office, the company has focused on building a local team while accessing the delivery capability of its Auckland headquarters. To date, appointments have been made in business development.
In due course, other operational roles will be created, bolstering the company’s Australian arm’s ability to deliver locally.
Now, Lancom has appointed Williams as a non-executive director as part of its growth strategy, which has seen several acquisitions and a focus on organic growth by addressing demand for business optimisation and modernisation in mid-sized companies on both sides of the Tasman.
Bringing Williams on board, even in a non-executive capacity, is a strategic move aimed at helping Lancom make good on its expansion goals. Certainly, Williams is a well-known figure in the Australian technology and entrepreneurial space, having founded, grown and coached multiple organisations.
Until August, Williams acted as director and board member of Powernet Group, the managed service provider (MSP) he helmed as CEO from 2015 to 2019. Williams continued to work with the company in the role of strategic visionary director for several months after stepping down as CEO while his successor Bernard Moran took over the top role.
“My specialty is in building strategy, vision and healthy teams,” Williams said. “As a company which has done business successfully in Australia for some time, Lancom Technology is ideally positioned for an expansion of its services, particularly in the underserved mid-market.”
From Williams’ perspective, the mid-market is a source of demand for Lancom Technology’s services, given that small businesses tend to have their relatively uncomplicated tech requirements taken care of, while large corporations rely on multinational consulting companies.
“We’re seeing distinct demand particularly in the rollout of cloud services and solutions and application modernisation,” he said. “Organisations today are under no illusions that the cloud is the way forward, and in Victoria, that’s been driven home hard by the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic.
“Company directors are looking to control how and where resources are allocated. Where fixed costs can be avoided, such as through ‘as a service’ billing models with infrastructure and other services, directors are seeking out those options.
“A lot of what Lancom Technology is about is giving back that control, with predictability in how customers can grow or throttle down their service profile with granular control,” he added.
