iStone's integrated, value-added solutions redefine business intelligence

Booming economies in Asia are stimulating businesses globally, but only those with stable, well-integrated enterprise systems are flourishing beyond their potential. The key is finding not just the right business intelligence products, but a partner who turns such business tools into decision-making, profit-generating investments.

Business systems trading house iStone Group was founded on this concept, helping clients navigate several systems and efficiently transform complex data into useful, well-organised output - be it for decision-making, business development or project management. Its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, for instance, links other business systems and integrates solutions within existing systems. Focusing on M3, SAP and Microsoft Dynamics AX programs, it adds information flow and data integration to the traditional ERP model to manage the internal and external flows of business information between disparate applications.

"iStone brings together the best systems and adds value through in-depth expertise to provide best-of-breed business intelligence," says CEO Markus Jakobson. "Our clients take advantage of a suite of products through a single, long-term point of contact that delivers solutions and services wherever they are."

iStone quickly expanded from a Stockholm consultancy firm in 2007 by acquiring and building specialised yet seamlessly co-ordinated companies - creating a distinctive structure that has become the group's edge over information technology companies. It has since followed its nearly 500 clients to Europe, the United States, Australia, Chile, India and China.

The group has also partnered with other industry leaders, including SAP, Hybris, Microsoft, Infor, IBM, EPiServer and QlikView. Among its biggest clients is the Norwegian-Chinese company Elkem, with which it has integrated systems that are slated for a worldwide rollout due to their success. To support Swedish and international customers on the mainland, iStone has opened a Shanghai office.

"iStone is an innovative, future-thinking and collaborative service company," Jakobson says. "We seek like-minded network partners to help clients get the most of their business and peripheral systems through internet-based and e-commerce solutions."