Exclusive: Kykloud ANZ launches SaaS surveying and asset management ‘down under’

UK-based Kykloud have turned to a successful SaaS reseller team to boost their platform’s penetration in Australasia.

North Shields, UK-based mobile building surveying and SaaS asset management vendor Kykloud has launched an operation in Australasia, working with the same reseller team which successfully launched the 4Projects SaaS AEC collaboration platform into that region in August 2012. The Melbourne-based team of Milton Walters, Michael Tonov and Josh King have set up an Australian business called Survey Cloud* to market Kykloud ANZ in Australasia.

Kykloud conquers UK

Kykloud, founded by Ed Bartlett (ex Balfour Beatty Capital) and Nick Graham (former 4Projects CTO), launched its asset management platform, optimised for tablet use and featuring an enterprise-strength SaaS reporting toolset, in January 2012. Just over a year later, they released a Kykloud surveying application which significantly reduced the time surveyors spend on site by 50%, followed – three months later (April 2013) – by the launch of the first RICS-approved mobile templates for typical survey tasks, including dilapidation surveys, commercial building surveys, stock condition surveys, planned maintenance surveys, energy and carbon audits, housing surveys, and valuation surveys.

These tools have been extensively adopted by UK-based firms, with users across the UK, South Africa and Australia. Kykloud has disrupted a hitherto very traditional industry by integrating enterprise class mobile surveying tools and cloud-based asset management software. Field-collected data is stored in the cloud and used for QS schedules, capital planning, life cycle asset management and forward maintenance planning – immediately differentiating it from ‘mobile-only’ reporting solutions.

Kykloud has been used to survey and manage more than 500 million sq ft (50 million sq m) of assets in the past two years, including 6000 schools (a third of all schools in England) surveyed by AECOM for the UK Education Funding Agency’s “Property Data Survey”. Data stored in Kykloud is being fed into the planning of future multi-billion pound capital build programmes. Kykloud’s clients also include seven of the UK’s top 10 surveying firms as well as leading retailers, housing bodies, FM providers, investors, restaurant chains, water, petrochemical and rail companies.

Kykloud quotes

Kykloud ANZ MD Milton Walters said:

“We are very excited about introducing what is clearly the UK’s market leading building surveying and management product to the Australian and New Zealand market. The ANZ market is generally very receptive to technology and we believe we are well placed to promote widespread adoption of Kykloud in this region.”

Ed Bartlett, Kykloud CEO, said

“The ANZ market has always been our natural next step as many of clients operate there. The success of Milton, Josh, Michael and their team in the ANZ and Singapore market with 4Projects did not escape our notice when looking for an international partner to head up our southern hemisphere operations. They have won landmark deals with Downer, UGL, Changi Airport in Singapore [see also: ProjectCollaboration growing 4Projects in Australia] and in this last week a major port in NZ – impressive especially as it’s all been secured in the backyard of the global market leader for project collaboration, Aconex. This is clearly a team that develops deep relationships with their clients and operates in a totally professional manner.”

“In the short time since Kykloud ANZ has been in operation we have already closed deals with some of the leading building surveying organisations in Australia. Many of our UK clients have ANZ operations so we are now in a great position to offer clients a locally-delivered service….”

Nick Graham, Kykloud’s CTO, said:

“We knew that the beauty of SaaS meant Kykloud could quite easily be exported and we very quickly picked up some early clients in Australia, South Africa and the US. But as the former CTO of 4Projects I know how hard it can be to break new markets and fully maximise the opportunity without real local knowledge. This is why we have teamed up with a team who are local experts…. The team has successfully delivered a very different line of construction project collaboration software products and I am very confident … they will make Kykloud’s product a real success.”

Josh King, Kykloud ANZ Director of Pre-sales and Client Services, said:

“[W]e have seen an increased demand for mobile and web based asset management software products that help clients manage their existing assets over the long term. Kykloud does just that and allows us to differentiate from what is currently available in the ANZ market…; for example the product can deliver valuable RICS data content under an exclusive license and is accessible to all, as most competing products are tied into a surveying and asset management service offer. We will sell, train, implement and support locally but will never deliver the survey or asset management work in competition with our own clients.”

Kykloud ANZ will be officially launched at the British Consulate in Sydney on 21 May at 4pm. Kykloud’s founders, together with the Kykloud ANZ team, will be available to meet customers and demonstrate the product.

[Disclosure: I have provided consultancy services to Kykloud in the past.]

(* Not be confused with questionnaire survey provider SurveyCloud.eu or Hampshire, UK-based land and building surveying practice SurveyCloud.co.uk.)