asknet Annual Report 2007 (PDF)

10
2007 Annual Report
Internationalization
Our IPO in November 2006 proved to be a major advantage for the expansion of our international
business by increasing asknet’s acceptance as a business partner. We benefi ted from
this in North America and Asia in particular. After all, our successful listing demonstrates our
sound standing, transparency and size – factors that are underscored by a success story and
experience that now stretch back over twelve years.
In 2007, we invested the proceeds of the IPO in the continuing development of our leading technology
platform and in particular in the expansion of our sales activities for the strategically important
North American market. Bob Lamvik, who took over our US offi ce in San Francisco in July 2007 and has
headed our North American business since that date, played a crucial role in implementing our
growth globalization eff orts. From the beginning, has been instrumental in new customer business
and in expanding cooperation with existing customers such as Nokia.
The establishment of the strategic partnership with the Japanese high-tech group Softbank in 2006
and the foundation of the joint venture asknet BB in Tokyo marked asknet’s entry into the largest Asian
software market. The market position and reach of the Softbank Group also laid the basis for moving
into other Asian markets.
IPO 2006
2006 = €41.8 million
2007 = €64.9 million
+55%