A BURY-BASED provider of services and technology to the UK small business sector has been named one of the fastest growing Top 10 Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) partners in the UK.

There are more than 200 MBS partners in the UK, and Cedilla Systems is the only Top 10 partner in the north west of England.

There are four products within the Microsoft Business Solutions portfolio: Navision, Great Plains, Axapta and CRM. Cedilla specialises in delivering systems based on Microsoft Navision.

Jason Fazackerley, Business Development Director at Cedilla, commented: "We have been working hard to develop a stronger value proposition for the Microsoft Business Solutions platform for our clients, and have invested throughout the year to improve our sales and marketing processes and sharpen our competitive edge."

Those sentiments were echoed by Cedilla Managing Director, Mike Dickson, who said the company was now well placed to go forward, as Microsoft seeks to capitalise on the performance of UK partners.

"This announcement reflects the company's achievements in the past year," he said. "To date, the company has grown organically - about 27 per cent year on year - and we are now surpassing our own growth targets."

"With Microsoft putting more emphasis on increasing revenue through its MBS partners, it will be tough - especially as other medium size partners merge. But if we work smart and focus on doing a good job the potential for growth remains." In early 2003, edilla was the subject of a management buy-out (MBO), led by Dickson. Since the MBO, edilla has moved into a new headquarters building, there has been a 40 per cent increase in staff, turnover is up 30 per cent and the company is showing good profitability.

Jonathan Hughes, Director for the Microsoft Business Solutions Partner Group, agreed that Cedilla was a MIcrosoft success story. "Their strategy of delivering solutions to meet the needs of specific market sectors is precisely how we envisage our channel partners playing to their strengths," he said.