Korwe Software

Software solutions going straight to the core

The Founders

Korwe Software was initially founded inthe United Kingdom, back in 2002. David Hislop, Korwe’s founder and ManagingDirector, was working on start-ups in London at the time, but wondered tohimself why he could not be doing research and development in a place where hewanted to be. As a result he decided to move the business to sunny SouthAfrica, where it was officially registered in 2007.

What Korwe Does

Korwe (pronounced as in "coreware") is a technology company that produces software solutions forbusinesses who want to open up mobile spaces for their customers. Korwe hasdeveloped an open source message based integration platform called “The Core”and with this software, they are taking on the big guns of the mobile industry.

The Core is a MEAP (a Mobile EnterpriseApplication Program) that allows businesses to provide mobile web interactionsthat take into consideration both the technicality of the back-end processesand the front-end web experience of the users themselves.

“The mobile Web is not about clickingfrom page to page. People want just the right information - for instance, if aperson is at a train station they want to know when the next four trains are leaving, not a 24X7 time table of all the trains at the station,” David explains. Simplicity appears to be a guiding principle for Korwe, since The Core does not require an iPhone or an Android smartphone to run, but is designed to work on the simplest of phones with internet connection.

What makes Korwe a Success Story

In 2009, Korwe secured its first round of funding of R1 million from SPII, a support programme managed by the Industrial Development Corporation for the Department of Trade and Industry. Korwe was also nominated as an Emerging Enterprise by Technology Top 100 in 2009.

Words of Advice

David advises to not gauge success by money alone. Choosing and maintaining a career in IT is not about stuffing your pockets with money, David says. “It is a way of thinking and communicating.”

What is next for Korwe?

Korwe is launching an exciting new product called “The Tree” at the end of April 2011.

“Mobile phone users will use The Tree as their homepage. Their home page will contain links to their favourites as well aspreviews of services registered on the Tree - we will sign onto these servicesautomatically if required. The Tree is free to mobile phone users. Communities can be created so that everyone has the same look and feel, and be provisioned with the same default services,” says David.

“The Tree will use Korwe´s mobile platform built around The Core: this includes our Single Sign on Service, Personalisation Service and other reference services including email, SMS, Twitter, Loyalty,Metrorail timetables, RSS feeds (news, sport, business), weather, presence,etc. Our patented Context Engine will assist users in finding the services they require on The Tree.”

To visit Korwe’s website, click here.