E-COMMERCE and multimedia firm Global iQ, which has carved out a niche by developing hand-held technology for use by property managers in the real estate industry, is now hatching plans to export its products to the US and Europe.
While hand-held technology for real estate isn’t the only aspect to Global iQ’s business, joint director of the Subiaco-based business, Dario Sorbello, said its success in this area had helped put the company on the map.
Global iQ also develops a range of software and online solutions, including content management and sales systems, 360 degree virtual tours and interactive CD Roms.
The company’s flagship hand-held product, the Pocket Reporter, is a system that runs on the Windows Pocket PC and allows property managers to work from a software template rather than using a notepad or clipboard.
The initial version of Pocket Reporter was developed in collaboration with Geoff Baldwin of Roy Weston.
Mr Sorbello said that, while Mr Baldwin no longer had interests in Global iQ, Roy Weston continued to provide an excellent reference site for the company’s Pocket Reporter and e-commerce systems.
“The Roy Weston site now gets many more hits than any other real estate web site, as many as 1.5 million hits per month,” he said.
Global iQ, which has developed and manages several other e-commerce systems for Roy Weston, has recently completed a major online project launch for the real estate firm in Indonesia.
Mr Sorbello said Pocket Reporter functionality had evolved since its inception and was now used by an increasing number of real estate companies and organisations across Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia, among them REMAX, Ockerby Real Estate and McGrath Real Estate.
“The system is currently being used by 150 independent agents,” Mr Sorbello said.
Much of the system’s success can be attributed to the fact that it streamlines existing business functions by collating information electronically on-site. This is downloaded in the office at a later time.
As with many fledgeling WA IT companies, Global iQ started small. Established by Mr Sorbello in 1999 in a shed in suburban Perth, the company’s initial focus was on multimedia and e-commerce.
Global iQ joint director Dennis Predovnik joined the company a year later, bringing software development and e-commerce skills.
Mr Predovnik has since managed the development of a range of software solutions, including the Pocket Reporter, sales systems and custom software.
As the client base increased the company shifted to premises in Joondalup in June 2000, where it remained until six months ago, before relocating to larger premises in Hay Street.
“The move has been good for us because it is more central and clients are more receptive,” Mr Predovnik said.
Global iQ employs six staff full-time, along with a team of sub contractors, including photographers and creative staff involved in the development of virtual tours.
