As Australian software and services provider Mincom Limited looked around the world for expansion opportunities in 2000, it set its sights on Russia, one of the last great untapped markets for information technology companies.

With its enormous mineral wealth and paper-based business systems, Russia was always going to loom large as an attractive target market for Mincom, a global technology partner for asset intensive industries for more than 25 years.

"Mincom saw a great opportunity to help transform the Russian mining industry though the use of our innovative solutions", said Mincom Chief Executive Richard Mathews.

Against this backdrop Mincom aimed high in its quest to establish a foothold in the Russian market by targeting Norilsk Nickel, the world's largest nickel producer (with a 10% global market share) and a pillar of the Russian economy.

Norilsk Nickel contributes 1.9% of Russia's gross domestic product, 2.8% of its industrial output and 4.3% of the nation's exports.

Mincom's timing was good as Norilsk Nickel had made a commitment to modernise its business through the introduction of modern technology and it was enjoying the benefits of soaring demand for nickel, particularly from China.

After several years of talks Norilsk Nickel signed contracts in 2003 to buy the Mincom Ellipse enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and the Mincom MineScape mine modelling software.

"Although Mincom is providing Norilsk Nickel with software as well as consulting, support and maintenance services, our most important role is to help the company with business improvement", Mr. Mathews said, "Our software is simply the agent of change in this modernisation program."

It was quite an achievement for Mincom, which has customers in the mining, utilities, transport and defence sectors in more than 40 countries and more than 1,000 staff in 17 offices on all continents.

Mincom worked closely with Austrade to identify opportunities to sell the company's software and services to Russian mining companies.

"As a result of excellent introductions from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Austrade, Mincom gained entry into key boardrooms in Moscow", Mr. Mathews said, "The Austrade team provided market research, briefing, translation and introductory services to Mincom in Russia."

Mr. Mathews said that Mincom planned to grow its business in Russia by generating more sales from mining and actively targeting utility organisations.