To expand its market share in the North American market, Exact Software has acquired Kewill ERP Inc., a division of Kewill Systems PLC.
Kewill ERP develops manufacturing and distribution software including the JobBOSS, MAX, and Alliance/MFG product lines. Exact will pay $19 million cash for the division. The sale is contingent on approval by Kewill shareholders.
Exact said it will operate Kewill ERP as a separate business unit of Exact Software North America, selling, supporting, and maintaining its software. The acquisition adds 4,500 users to the Exact customer base, which is "a substantial number of customers when you consider that they're manufacturing customers," says Jim Kent, Exact vice president of North American sales and marketing.
Kewill's revenue, approximately $28 million in 2002, will contribute to "Exact's goal to get to $100 million in revenue in North America," says Kent. He adds that in the next two or three years, Exact will merge Kewill's MAX and Alliance/MFG product lines with Exact products for discrete manufacturing, while JobBOSS will be Exact's product for job shops.