The slower-than-expected take-up of point-of-sale technology in the local restaurant industry, and the limited domestic market here, has prompted two local companies to seek opportunities offshore.
The slower-than-expected take-up of point-of-sale technology in the local restaurant industry, and the limited domestic market here, has prompted two local companies to seek opportunities offshore.
While the technology has had some teething problems, these appear to have been resolved, and PalmTEQ Ltd and LanSoft Pty Ltd are hoping to capitalise overseas.
Wangara-based PalmTEQ secured a $1.3 million contract last year to supply restaurants in Mexico’s largest department store chain, Liverpool, with the company’s WaiterPAD technology, and will conclude a roll-out of the technology this year.
The contract will deliver annual revenue of more than $120,000.
PalmTEQ is also supplying POS software to restaurant chain Bondi Bar & Kitchen, based in San Diego and established by WA hospitality identities Julian Heppekausen, Michael Cameron and David Zampatti.
PalmTEQ operations manager Ross Lazzara said Australia was a relatively small market for the company, compared with the UK and the US, which were expected to become core markets for the business.
“I’ve heard that in terms of the size of the market there are as many restaurants in New York as there are in the whole of Australia,” he said.
PalmTEQ merged with US-based Nusable last year, providing the company with immediate infrastructure in the country, including staff.
Distributors have been established in the UK, Malaysia and Indonesia, with another dealer appointed in Dubai last month.
PalmTEQ managing director Keith Caiacob said the company was hoping to achieve a 50 per cent increase in sales next financial year.
Currently, the US market is worth about 25 per cent of total revenue. This is forecast to increase to 33 per cent over the next two years.
South West-based LanSoft is also exporting its software, to the restaurant industries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and China.
Its point-of-sale technology has a language translation capability, catering for a multilingual staff and allowing numerous language translations in a single transaction.
LanSoft design engineer Rodney Warner said the company was pursuing new distribution arrangements in the region.
“Currently, we have several independent entities promoting and marketing our product overseas, but not at a level we’re happy with,” he said. “We’re trying to bring the bigger, more established players on board.”
Mr Warner said the company was on track to have signed a formal agreement with a distributor by the end of the financial year, although it was difficult to compete internationally.
