Member Info for Aphrodite

Looks like something new going on there. Ciara McMillan MBA Ciara McMillan MBA – ‏@Ciara_Castleton Lovely to meet the team @weavervale - look forward to working with you! #icrproject

Good morning. And as we discussed before, they've been developing both the Housing Management and Financials packages for release of the 2017 version in January, and demonstrating at both sets of user groups. So the new offerings should be well up to speed. Waiting for venue(s) for the Scottish ones, and also a new date for the Castleton Customer Conference when Mr. Dickinson has finished setting his priorities/road map. That last should be a big cross selling opportunity over 2 days, so I guess he wants everything lined up for it.

I wondered about the 'down under' reference too, and had a trawl to see if an Australian company could be found. I couldn't find one, so it could be his way of referring to Kypera - I don't know. Certainly he says he thinks the acquisition will be good for Kypera and Castleton. Tony Smith been doing a bit with different associations on financials lately, and I also notice renewed interest in data protection, with associations reporting that with increasing amounts of tenant private information coming their way, they do not feel entirely confident that their systems are necessarily ready to store it all securely. In relation to Kypera, I have little doubt you've looked up older references which show the company already has a wide variety of commercial enterprises using the Financials package. Must be a lot of potential mileage there, under the now well-known Castleton brand name.

Didn't take Ciara McMillan long in her new job at Castleton before she got onto Tony Smith! Tony Smith ACIH 53m Tony Smith ACIH ‏@HousingITguy @Ciara_Castleton cheers for connecting, catch/follow my #socialhousing ICT blog at … http://tonysmiththathousingitguy.blogspot.co.uk/

Yours is a shared view. On the institution front, sure, Oxford Tech went below 3% so we don't know where they are, and Slaters sold a very few, with no further RNS so they still apparently hold. But Kestrel who were adding at even higher prices, has in the past year alone added 6.5m shares from the high 70s all the way down to where we are, increasing from 16% to 24%. And the Kypera deal was done at 85.6. How does one explain the 5% premium deal price there, other than it being the best Castleton could agree with MXC/BGF at the time - and there has been nothing but good news since.

Good afternoon. Need a few more to test things out. Seems no longer a great appetite to sell at this low price.

Interesting read of results this morning insofar as they may relate to Castleton. Smith talks of price of acquisitions, and synergies being established to release the (inherent) value to the whole. As former CEO here, he will know the time/effort/cost of all that, and it was said to be a bit 'sticky' having regard to the wide ranging issues addressed. But I'm pleased to know that that's behind us now, can add value, and the Wentworth contract, particularly in a new geography for the Castleton brand, is evidence of the successful integration, both of the acquired companies, and the technical side of its portfolio of solutions. The company is becoming stronger. As we all know, it is the seller(s) for whatever reason that have affected the share price, and not company performance.

And good morning to you Chris. Belatedly. Very quiet all round in this group, so just a couple lines in summary. 14th. November Castleton has the building blocks for growth as a leading supplier to the public and not-for-profit sectors, specifically the social housing market. The integration of the businesses we've acquired has progressed well and signs from our customers are encouraging. I'm confident that the Company will maintain its organic growth, whilst increasing its profitability by providing more of our customers with our broader range of complementary services - whilst continually building our core of repeat revenues. I'm excited by our Company's future prospects". 15th. November Wentworth Contract is over four years for the provision of Kypera's housing system and three other products including 365Agile's mobile working solutions, demonstrating the success of the Group's cross-selling strategy. The Wentworth Contract also shows the benefits that Castleton's suite of products can bring to the Australian market which represents a significant opportunity for the Group. Having put in place a local management team, the Wentworth contract is evidence of how Castleton can capitalise on this market opportunity as we increase our capabilities and presence in this geography. Integration of acquisitions has largely been completed, Castleton has just moved into profit, resulting in broker FinnCap forecasting a cash flow yield of 4.5% and 6.9% respectively over this and next financial year, which should also see improved adjusted pre-tax profits of £3.6m and £4.4m.

And will have made a few extra enquiries about Castleton before packing in at Whitefriars, a decent size organisation.

Good morning Chris. Yes. Project manager with housing association and public sector background. And looks like buyer still in.

2 largish sells taken up at bid and straight back at 60.2 to buy a few.

And also, further good news for associations:- "Housing associations will ramp up the delivery of sub-market rented housing following the government’s climb-down on grant funding restrictions." In the Autumn Statement chancellor Philip Hammond announced £1.4bn in funding for 40,000 homes and flexibility around the additional, previously announced, £4.7bn in the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme to 2021. This means providers can use government grant to build affordable rented, shared ownership and rent-to-buy homes. The programme, launched by George Osborne at last year’s Autumn Statement, had controversially contained no cash for sub-market rent with the vast majority directed to ownership. David Bennett, chief executive of Sanctuary, said: “With today’s government announcement we will be able to build even more social housing.” Keith Exford, chief executive of Affinity Sutton which is shortly to merge with Circle, said he is “really keen” to build more affordable rented homes and welcomed the flexibility over the funding. The policy U-turn follows extensive sector lobbying, after housing associations submitted reduced bids due to fears over the viability of building only for shared ownership.

For those interested in such:- Right to Buy extension delayed until at least 2018 "The national roll-out of Right to Buy for housing association tenants will not take place until after April 2018 at the earliest, with the sell off of high-value council homes also delayed."

Just out of interest, I see First Wessex seem set to merge with Sentinel. First Wessex twice the size. There may be a bit in that for Castleton as well.

Re reading the retweet, the most interesting thing for me is that it refers to two 'systems.'. Since that date, Castleton has acquired Kypera, which with it's other offerings straddles both. And Castleton's other offerings are compatible with Kypera, which has the advantage of being the only ERP system purpose made for housing. So the all round offering with 'proper' integration should appeal, as it has done with the Wentworth contract.

It is a good endorsement. His blogs are widely followed in the sector and I know Castleton speak to him now and then. This is the first I have seen like that and may indicate a different approach by the new CEO. I hope so.

Castleton Technology Retweeted Tony Smith ACIH 12m Tony Smith ACIH ‏@HousingITguy If your #socialhousing ICT provider does not provide CRM,where do you look? … http://tonysmiththathousingitguy.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/aero-dynamik.html … #ukhousing

And First Wessex like it too. Castleton Technology Retweeted First Wessex 6h First Wessex ‏@FirstWessex Great article in @housingtech on our #digitalfirst project with @CastletonTech & @OrchardSystems - enhancing our mobile working #ukhousing

Castleton Technology Castleton Technology – ‏@CastletonTech Great article about our Agile project with @FirstWessex & integration with @OrchardSystems in this month's @housingtech #ukhousing You may recall I posted the article yesterday

As an aside, I see Kestrel went up through a RCN % same day as here. Very much less cash than here though.