ASX-listed Chrome Global has continued its Asian offensive, signing a Heads of Agreement with Singapore-based health integrator Systems for Health Management (SHM).

Chrome and SHM are currently nutting out the details of a joint venture company to provide a plethora of e-business solutions, including Web site design, application service provision, software integration and consulting, to customers in the Asia-Pacific region.

For the time being, both companies will leverage intellectual property and marketing initiatives in the Health care vertical based on Chrome's eHEALTH suite of products, and SHM's existing customer base.

SHM provides healthcare data management, Web-based clinical trail data management, resource deployment modelling, pharmaco-economic analysis, case-mix management, medical/statistical database management and hospital financial packages.

Tony Sparks, Chrome's chief financial officer, claims the move is part of Chrome's regional strategic marketing and branding strategy to enter into the largely untapped Asia-Pacific market by setting up local offices in the region.

"It's not a case of going gun-ho into the Asia market. What we're doing is selecting the right partner, and then establishing a local presence on the back of that."

Chrome has recently set up a similar partnership arrangement in Malaysia (ARNnet, July 7) with Amtech, and is looking to replicate its approach again in Kuala Lumpur.

Since listing last year, the company has doubled its workforce and Sparks claims Chrome is well placed to capitalise on its alliance strategy.

"It has good potential. The thing is now, we have to convert that," Sparks said.