London, February 27, 2014 – Eight key new sales in seven countries for its cloud-based commodity trade and risk and trade management solutions gave CTRM/ETRM vendor Aspect Enterprise Solutions the fastest growing customer base of any company in its sector during 2013.
While rivals increased penetration by acquiring competitors, Aspect’s 18% revenue growth for its flagship AspectCTRM solution came through securing new contracts, some replacing the solutions of vendors providing conventional (non-cloud) systems. Sales cycles, due to high awareness of Aspect’s track record and profile, overall remained short, with one, to a Swiss trader in fuel oils and naphtha, notably signed just weeks after negotiations began.
Ultra-quick to configure to meet exact client requirements, and powerful to use with the industry’s only real-time profit and loss and risk calculations, AspectCTRM is now even more compelling with the addition during 2013 of Railcar Operations Support to allow tracking of shipments down to individual railcar level. Such advances helped secure Aspect during the year the top ETRM Asia Award by industry journal Energy Risk Asia and recognition as a “Major Player” in IDCs Top ETRM Assessment of Software Vendors.
Aspect’s multi-commodity market information and decision support portal AspectDSC has been positioned for growth in 2014. Last year included the unveiling of new content from Argus Media, the launch of “Power Hours” training Webcasts for users, the hiring of further sales and pre-sales professionals in London, Houston and Moscow, and the development of a roadmap for AspectDSC which includes further new content for petrochemicals, biofuels and agricultural markets. AspectDSC provides real-time futures and trade support at the desktop, tablet, and on Apple® iPhone® and iPad®, Blackberry®, Android™ and other mobile devices.
Aspect CEO Steve Hughes said 2013 had brought tough trading conditions, however, as the level of sales has shown, Aspect has been uniquely able to win major new deals where others have not.
“The basic drivers of our market remain in place, with those involved in the trading of commodities facing stiffer competition, increased regulatory oversight, and significant pressure to further reduce costs. Against this backdrop cloud-based CTRM/ETRM offers a solution and our own AspectCTRM that is, we believe, the best solution of all.
“We were the first with a solution built from the ground up for the cloud, rather than adapted for it, and that shows in the way we match punch for punch every feature that alternatives offer, and then deliver a knockout blow with real-time processing and live operation, typically in 4 to 6 weeks. Instant answers are vital for trading operations looking to contain risk and yet we are the only vendor able to provide it. Couple that with Aspect’s ability to support multiple-commodities and provide trade, risk, operations and market data on one platform, and we have every reason to be confident that in 2014 we will again lead the sector through organic growth”.
As a forward indicator, in January 2014 alone Aspect secured two new contracts for AspectCTRM along with a significant expansion at an existing client valued in total at $1.3 million, and won a record-breaking contract for AspectDSC valued at $1.8 million.
