19 Apr 2012

Diligent sales and revenue jump

11:15 am on 19 April 2012

Software developer Diligent has more than doubled its first-quarter sales.

The New York-based New Zealand-listed firm's software helps company boards keep track of their papers online.

The company earns its money from annual subscriptions for the software.

It generated $10 million of revenue in the first three months of the year, a record for a quarter and more than double its earnings in the same period a year earlier.

The compay made $8 million worth of new sales, more than double that of a year earlier.

It signed up 205 new customers including 65 firms listed on the New York Stock Exchange and 32 listed on the Nasdaq.

Chief executive Alex Sodi told Evening Business on Checkpoint the company's strongest sales growth is in Europe and Australasia, with Australia and New Zealand generating $400,000 in new business.

He says customers are a mix of public and private, with a lot of government agencies signing on in Australia.

Diligent has not given specific full-year financial forecasts, but says it expects its operating margins and cash position to continue to improve.

It services 1200 public and private companies, including 189 Fortune 1000 firms. The bulk of its sales are to US firms, and the popularity of the iPad among executives has also boosted sales in recent years.

Shares in Diligent rose 21c to $3.71 on Tuesday morning before closing the day at $3.69.

The value of its shares has increased by almost 47% so far in 2012.