Growing from strength to strength
This year, JMR Software celebrated 30 years in business. The company has grown significantly, since being established in 1987 and starting out providing IT resources, but now delivering IT consulting, managed services and major transformation projects.
Today, we are also globally recognized as a leading Data Migration solutions provider, employing over 100 consultants, plus support staff. JMR founders, shareholders and employees recently enjoyed a party to celebrate 30 years.
Yet, how do you become one of South Africa’s most successful, influential and established IT companies?
Unlike today’s venture capital backed tech start ups, JMR’s inception was a little less traditional.
“In the beginning, there was just me,” says Mike Richards, JMR’s founder and CEO. “Our first office was a spare room in my house.” But, the start was anything but plain sailing: Mike explains: “I landed a big contract early on and needed a contractor, so I asked Virgilio Peneda to work for me. He was working full time for another company at that time, but I persuaded him to join me.
He resigned from his job and officially became my first full-time employee – and then the contract fell through. I had no contract, no money and no way to pay Virgilio’s salary! But I said to him, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll find the money to pay your salary. And I did. Luckily I found another contract and JMR – all two of us – were solvent once again.” However, looking at JMR’s track record over the past 30 years, it’s clear that luck had very little to do with it…
Read the full article here.