Member Article

Middle Eastern software outfit set up in Sunderland

A Middle Eastern company has moved to the Software Centre in Sunderland after spotting opportunities in the region.

Environmental and Quality Solutions (EQS), which aims to offer online smart business solutions, moved to the centre in February as part of its strategy to develop Qshare Central, a unique software project.

The company also hopes its new base, which is at the heart of the city centre in Sunderland’s Tavistock Place, will help move the business into its next stage of growth.

EQS was established in the United Arab Emirates in 1997 as a traditional consulting company that helped business design and implement management systems based on international standards however it recently spotted an opportunity to further develop its software credentials in Europe.

The impetus behind the move was the development of a unique software project Qshare Central, a second generation global collaborative management system platform designed to help companies comply with management system requirements and increase collaboration with stakeholders.

Abdallah Gani, managing director of EQS, said that the company, which has a workforce of 14 and several contract based specialists, decided to create a Sunderland base after spotting the opportunities and infrastructure that exist for technology companies in the area.

He said: “We invested time researching a number of software companies we could leverage in the UK to help in the development of our new software platform and our search yielded Sunderland Software Centre. The idea and ethos of the centre was really intriguing and we decided to visit and find out exactly what was on offer for software and technology companies.

“Upon visiting the centre we realised with the kind of facilities on offer and the grants and support available for emerging software companies, we stood to greatly benefit by creating a full time presence. From introductions to potential investors to market research, we’ve been really impressed by the level of support and potential in the city.”

Following the 2006 industry success of the company’s first generation of the Qshare Central software which recognised a need for software intervention to help reduce the amount of paperwork associated with the maintenance of management systems, the company has now embarked upon the second phase of the project.

Mr Gani added: “From the first introduction to the Sunderland Software Centre, as a company we knew we had found a perfect fit, a strong partner, a rich mix of value added tenants and a new home for the development of the new Qshare Central Platform.”

Since its move to the centre, the company has been focussing on growth, subsequently releasing and maintaining the new generation platform with plans to offer its full suite of services across the UK.

Councillor Watson, leader of Sunderland City Council said: “Sunderland City Council has a well-planned strategy to support the growth of this sector and is committed to playing a part in the development and growth of innovative businesses that choose Sunderland as their base.

“It is the perfect time to be based in a city geared towards helping IT businesses to thrive, and I am delighted that EQS has chosen Sunderland Software Centre to press ahead with its growth plans.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .