Extending Horizons with a “Better Together” Mantra

Husband and wife team Kym and Jenny Houden started their entrepreneurial journey in the late 90s, after spotting a gap in the retail market, which was highlighted by the introduction of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) into Australia. Their discovery led to the formation of Task Retail Technology, which was incorporated in 2000.

Task Retail Technology is a privately-owned developer of point of sale software (POS) systems to quick-service restaurants, retailers, casinos, large venues and stadiums. Today, positioned to scale dramatically in the USA, the company has nearly 32 employees and a presence in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

After launching the company, founders Kym and Jenny brought their sons Daniel on as CTO, later CEO, and Dean as CMO. Daniel initially developed the company’s award-winning Xchangexec suite of POS software products and was instrumental in the company’s shift from being a reseller to being a software company.

“We started the business out of a garage. And while we have grown substantially, we have retained the family values at the core of our operations, which keep our employees with us and our customers coming back,” says Kym.

With its family-centric approach to business, the Houdens knew they needed a technology provider that would feel like part of the family and act as a collaborative partner, bringing tailored solutions to their business.

“Dell offered a personal touch, genuinely taking a partnership approach, which is more important to us than dollars and cents,” says Kym. “We needed to get the foundation network right to cope with the growth we were experiencing and hoped to experience in the future.”

In a few short years these predictions would come to fruition, with expansion to three countries and top-tier clientele, particularly in the hospitality sector. With Task Retail Technology’s expanding global horizons, Dell was tasked with providing an end-to-end solution capable of international reach, along with the support needed to succeed in new markets.

Dell provided Dell PowerEdge R720 servers and Dell EqualLogic PS6110XV storage, which support the delivery of the Task Retail Technology’s Xchangexec-hosted POS system. The servers are housed within two secure locations in Sydney and Las Vegas.

The Results

Dell’s uniquely tailored server and storage solutions provided the capability to scale on an international level, allowing Task Retail Technology to take advantage of opportunities around the world.

In fact, the Dell server hardware infrastructure supports over 70 clients, 2,590 outlets with over 5,000 POS devices. In dollar terms, the Dell servers and Task Retail’s xchangexec software technology processes AUD $2.98 million per day, AUD $1.095 billion per year and is currently storing over 5 years’ worth of data.

“The solid infrastructure established from the beginning has given the business strong footing to grow market share in the US and locally,” says Daniel.

Lessons Learned

At the core of Task Retail Technology is a commitment to treating clients, suppliers employees and partners like family. While it may seem like an old-fashioned philosophy, these longstanding relationships have served the business well, with some staff members celebrating over a decade at the company.

The long-term approach to investing in an end-to-end technology solution provided by Dell has meant the business has been able to build and tailor software that adds value to their customers, while expanding into new markets.

As part of taking the business abroad, the Houden family intends to further leverage their relationship with Dell to fast track growth, with a view to servicing more than 8,000 USA based sites in a number of years.

Are you a business seeking a strategic technology partner to help grow globally? Visit Dell.com.au for more information.

About the Author: Ingrid Vanderveldt