A COMMUNICATIONS software firm which serves one in three FTSE 100 companies is growing its partnership development work as it builds on a landmark year.

In its last financial year Thirsk-based TeleWare recorded its first ever £1 million revenue month as sales grew for its range of voice and data recording systems.

The growth came despite a slower than expected uptake of products in overseas markets, and is set to be further boosted by potential for partnership work on new developments at TeleWare, which include a range of cloud-based enhancements for Skype for Business.

The firm has increased its research and development expenditure significantly, and was awarded Microsoft Gold Partner Communications status, putting it in the top one percent of a global network of 430,000 Microsoft Partners.

TeleWare had forecast international growth from its mobile software technology which help banks and financial institutions meet new laws being introduced across the world to monitor financial trading through data and communications recordings.

However with the US market being slower than expected to take up the new technology, and the introduction of the European COmmission's MiFID II directive being put back a year to January 2018, TeleWare has instead focused on its interface developments for growth, building on a long-standing history of working with well-known partners including BT, Siemens and Damovo (now part of Daisy Group).

Chief executive Steve Haworth said: "We have a history of developing strategic partnerships with leading communications technology businesses.

"At TeleWare we firmly believe that by focusing on research and development to foster the creativity that delivers innovative products, we can help our partners to create the differentiation they desperately need to create growth and drive real value for their clients.

"Our Microsoft Gold Partner status means that we enjoy early access to new software, which enables us to better serve customers and to easily connect with one of the most active, diverse networks in the world.

"We want to create long term value driven partnerships that help to transform the businesses of our clients. We’re ready to talk to innovative businesses that share the same vision."

Employing a team of 80, which is set rise to 90 by the end of the year, TeleWare designed products to help users optimise how their communications are routed, recorded and analysed, working in parallel with existing communications infrastructures.