Published on 05 January 2009

Possibly Europe's most seasoned SF software provider is Sword Apak. It has offered a dedicated wholesale finance system along fairly consistent lines since the late 1980s.

A close competitor is French provider Fimasys, which provides systems for Société Générale and Credit Agricole, as well as for Honda Finance in the UK. Other competitors include Scandinavian software giant TietoEnator, and International Decision Systems.

Datascan also, an ASP-model company based in Atlanta USA, has a limited number of customers in Europe.

Other systems will enter the game in 2009, however. After being quiet on the wholesale market since 2005, White Clarke Group intends to secure a European implementation of its CALMS system's new wholesale finance application, the first instance of which will go online with WesBank in South Africa early next year.

The Java-based system, designed from scratch over the past three years, will only be used for car stocking in South Africa, but is intended to support any asset type across an international distribution network. WCG is also considering adapting an ASP model for use in the SME sector.

After successful implementations in the Asia-Pacific region during the second quarter of this year, CHP Consulting is ready to deploy the wholesale finance module of its ALFA system in Europe.

Currently implemented for passenger vehicle wholesale, the system is 'asset agnostic', according to CHP, and therefore suitable for stock funding support of any type of asset. The system will be web-deployed, and fully functional to funders, dealers and suppliers.