Bad Camberg Serviceware SE (“Serviceware”, ISIN DE000A2G8X31) reports highly successful nine months in the fiscal year of 2018/2019. During the first three quarters, (1 December to 31 August) important strategic goals were reached in all areas of the expansion strategy: the extension of the modular ESM (Enterprise Service Management) platform, the internationalization of the enterprise, and the stronger approach towards major customers. The strategic success is accompanied by positive business figures. During the reporting period, sales revenues increased by 24.2 percent compared to the prior year period to EUR 47.7 million. Consequently, the sales dynamics continued to grow versus the half-year (+21.3 percent). Organic growth as well as the acquisition of cubus AG and SABIO during the past quarters were equally acting as drivers of this progress. Sales in the field of Software as a Service (SaaS)/Service increased over-proportionately by 58.9 percent to EUR 16 million. The EBIT adjusted by the expenses of the program to accelerate the future growth improved by 19.9 percent to EUR 4.1 million.
To achieve its long-term growth objectives, Serviceware has used the funds from the IPO in 2018 to launch a program for the acceleration of future growth. During the first three quarters of fiscal 2018/2019, a total of EUR 4.6m was invested as scheduled and expensed on an EBIT level. This amount includes investments into internationalization, temporary integration costs within the framework of inorganic growth, and the orientation towards the strategic key account business as well as acquisition-related costs and amortizations. Taking into account these expenses, the unadjusted EBIT amounted to EUR -0.5m. Last year, it was EUR 2.2m.
During the reporting period, Serviceware has further extended its integrated and modular ESM platform through the acquisition of the business intelligence specialist cubus AG. The integration of cubus into the ESM platform as a new “Serviceware Performance” module went faster than expected. With this module, for the first time Serviceware was able to gain a key account in France during the third quarter of 2019. Said account is a large infrastructure company in the telecommunications sector, which has acquired an SaaS subscription for more than half a million licenses for the coming three years. During the reporting period, cubus has made a positive contribution to the group result of Serviceware. SABIO GmbH, taken over during the past year, has likewise fully met the expectations with the new “Serviceware Knowledge” module. After the integration has now been completed, SABIO, too, has made a positive contribution to the group result and increased sales revenues in a clear double-digit percentage range. Cross-selling activities have had a successful development: various SABIO customers are now using additional offers of the Serviceware platform. Moreover, Serviceware Knowledge has succeeded in acquiring a leading provider of infrastructure solutions in the capital market from Greece as a customer and during the third quarter, a globally leading online mail-order company was gained as a customer. The modules that were already part of the ESM platform also performed well: At Deutsche Flugsicherung the “New Daily Log” solution was put into operation based on Serviceware Processes (helpLine) for all air traffic control centers in Germany. During the reporting period, Serviceware succeeded in gaining altogether 115 new customers of which around two thirds decided in favor of the ESM platform. The business volume per new customer was significantly increased. In the field of Commercial, the deal size for new customers in Germany more than 50 percent above the prior year period.
During the third quarter, a far-reaching co-operation agreement in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was entered into with the Technical University of Darmstadt. The goal is joint work and research on current issues in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The result of the research is to include possible applications of AI in the digital service processes as a whole, so that Serviceware customers can operate their digital service processes more cost effectively and efficiently. First concrete results for the Serviceware platform are still expected in the course of 2019.
Based on the positive first three quarters of the fiscal year and the further improvement of its market position, Serviceware corroborates the positive forecast for the fiscal year as a whole.
The 9-month report 2018/19 is available for download at www.serviceware-se.com.