MetaSolv names former Lucent exec Holmes president and COO

(Telephony) On the heels of last week's restructuring announcement, MetaSolv Software has named T. Curtis Holmes as president and chief operating officer effective Monday.

Holmes comes to MetaSolv from Lucent Technologies, where he was vice president and general manager of the company’s intelligent network and messaging solutions unit.

One of Holmes’ priorities will be to oversee MetaSolv’s stated global expansion effort, which will include establishing sales and marketing offices where MetaSolv will conduct business, as well as relying on strategic partners and alliances in those regions.

“Our strategy will be simple: we’re going to be where our customers are,” Holmes explained. “It will be absolutely critical that we have partners who know some of the customers, who know the local customs in these countries and who understand how to work in that environment.

“We have to have the right strategic partnerships, the right alliances and even the right distributors working with us. At the same time, our customers still expect us to have our people in the home country working to support them as well.”

Holmes replaces current Chief Operating Officer Sid Sack, who announced his retirement in August 2000. In his new role, Holmes will oversee MetaSolv’s product development, sales, marketing and professional services. Jim Janicki will continue as MetaSolv’s CEO, concentrating on corporate business strategy, product development and shareholder relations.

According to Janicki, the company’s impending push beyond the domestic marketplace doesn’t mean that MetaSolv is forsaking its roots.

“I have an obligation to our shareholders to increase our base and move out,” he said. “The opportunity is now to go into international markets, and we’re ready … But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to support the U.S. market. Eighty percent of our resources will still be dedicated to the domestic market.”