“It’s been a journey of diplomacy,” Wilson says.
“Jump on a plane – it’s the only way to do it. It’s about understanding the cultural differences and appreciating those, particularly with Asian countries.
“A lot of what seems kitsch to us is part of business to them… Their values are very different.
“Do the right thing all the time in terms of working out who likes your product and how you can support them. Respectfully work your way up the chain until you find the person you need.”
“We signed the deal last week but it’s taken the best part of 12 months,” Wilson says.
“To get all the ducks in a row, they presented us with a contract which actually didn’t really feel like it represented us. We had to actually change their standard way of working with partners, which is what a major part of the difference was.
“It’s been a softly, softly process but you just have to keep digging away until you feel like you’re in a position where you can move forward.”
According to Stephen Borg, global director of strategy and market development at AOPEN, the Blocks platform is a welcome addition to the OpenService family because it complements existing relationships within the network.
“We see it as an ideal partner for the OpenService iniative. After rigorous testing, we found features that were completely unique,” Borg said in a statement.
“More than just signage, it represents holistic business tools for retailers, covering display, analytics and specialist services such as mCommerce.”
