"G'day, mate!"

That's the warm welcome I received upon arriving in Sydney, a beautiful city with 4.5 million people from all over the world. I've had the privilege of visiting Australia before, but this time felt different. On this trip, we were writing the final chapter of our 14 month journey by announcing the opening of our Sydney office.

Welcome to Australia, Kerio!

Just a few weeks after opening a new office in Prague, Czech Republic, Kerio and its local partners got together to celebrate Kerio's new office Down Under. Aussies, as you learn very quickly, are amiable and sociable and our partners are no exception.

It was no surprise that we had a full house for our ribbon cutting ceremony and reception. In total, more than 20 partners and customers came to see Kerio's new digs, have a beer or two, and chat with us. Everyone had a great time and it was a chance for my colleagues and I to have dozens of great conversations with our partners. You can check out the pictures at http://www.facebook.com/keriotech.

Why Australia?

Although most of our employees are now dying to visit the country that is famous for beautiful beaches, the Opera House and aggressive sharks, that wasn't the reason we needed a local presence.

Kerio, being a true channel company, strives to offer our partners the best possible pre-sale, sales, marketing and technical support. In looking at a globe, Australia is a good 10 inches (depending on your globe) from just about everywhere. Additionally, the Australian IT market is very mature, and our products have carved out a nice place in the SMB market for more than a decade.

All these factors made Australia the logical choice for our eighth worldwide office. In Sydney, we'll provide local sales, marketing and technical support to our more than 300 Aussie partners. Over time, we'll add more people to the office and eventually it will serve as a headquarters for the Asia Pacific region. But, perhaps that's the beginning of another journey.

For now, when you are in town, get on the train at Central station in Sydney CBD and come see us at: 460 Pacific Highway, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Suite 404, Level 4. It's only five stops. That's close, isn't it?