E R SYSTEM DESIGN LIMITED

What E R SYSTEM DESIGN LIMITED does

E R System Design Limited (trading as ERSD, ER System Design, ER Software Design) is a privately held UK software design house founded in 1996 and headquartered in Chepstow (Wye Valley, NP16) with operations spanning Bristol and South West England. The company specializes in Joomla and Virtuemart-based eCommerce solutions, custom software development, and a portfolio of paid extensions/plugins. Its customer base spans B2B and B2C eCommerce merchants, SMBs, and Joomla/Virtuemart developers, with named customers including Direct Mail Systems, Amphora Aromatics, Best Years, Fabulous Fish Company, Naked Kitchen, Complete CNC Solutions, AA Skincare, and FMS Funeral Management Software across diverse verticals (mailing, aromatherapy, toys, seafood, food production, CNC manufacturing, skincare, funeral services).

The company's core technology stack comprises open-source software: PHP, Symfony, MariaDB, MySQL, Linux, GitLab, Joomla, Virtuemart, C#, VB, JavaScript, and SQL Server. Notable proprietary products include the Virtuemart getAddress.io Postcode Lookup plugin (£20/year), the Virtuemart/ZOHO Inventory Integration plugin, the Joomla Contact GeoCode plugin, the Virtuemart Typeahead Search module, and bespoke applications such as the WPF-based FMS Funeral Management System. The company also builds Kimai-based time tracking applications and PHP REST APIs. All Joomla extensions, modules, and plugins are released under GPL v2 licensing.

ERSD generates revenue through three primary streams: annual subscription licensing for Joomla/Virtuemart extensions (including downloads, support, updates, and language services with no domain usage limits), professional services for bespoke software design, web/app development, and CMS projects, and domain registration/web hosting subscriptions. Pricing for custom work is quote-based with a 7-day refund policy on memberships. Go-to-market is primarily sales-led via the company website (ersd.net) with quote request forms, direct project sales in the South West/Wales region, and self-serve subscription downloads for extensions. The company appears founder-operated, privately held with no external funding, and has operated continuously for nearly three decades.

Name

E R SYSTEM DESIGN LIMITED

Legal name

E R SYSTEM DESIGN LIMITED

Website

https://ersd.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ER System Design Limited (ERSD) is a UK software house founded in 1996, specializing in Joomla and Virtuemart eCommerce websites, custom web/desktop applications, and paid subscription extensions serving SMB and enterprise clients across Bristol, South West England, and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Software Development

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAMAGAK

Marketplace Enablement, Seller Tools & E-commerce Infrastructure

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/E-commerce Marketplaces & Shopping Platforms

Keywords

• Joomla extensions
• Virtuemart plugins
• Custom eCommerce development
• Web development services
• Software design house

Headquarters

HQ city

Chepstow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Extensions Subscription: Joomla and Virtuemart extensions sold via annual subscription. Subscribers receive product downloads, technical support, automated updates, and language services. No domain limit on usage.
2. One Product Membership: Access to any one Joomla template or extension with unlimited updates and support for one year
3. Custom Software Development: Bespoke software design, web development, app development, and CMS development services for B2B and B2C eCommerce sites
4. Domain and Hosting Services: Domain registration and web hosting services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

E R System Design Limited is a UK-based software design house founded in 1996 that builds B2B and B2C eCommerce websites, custom web applications, and desktop applications primarily on the Joomla CMS and Virtuemart eCommerce platform. The company also develops and sells a portfolio of proprietary Virtuemart/Joomla extensions and plugins (e.g., postcode lookup, ZOHO Inventory integration, search modules) on a subscription basis, alongside bespoke software projects such as the FMS Funeral Management System.

Product overview

ER System Design operates as a software design house providing eCommerce solutions primarily built on the Joomla CMS and Virtuemart eCommerce platform. Their core offerings include custom software design (web apps, desktop applications, REST APIs), website design and development (B2B and B2C eCommerce, simple company sites), and a portfolio of Virtuemart/Joomla extensions/plugins. Key extension products include the Virtuemart getAddress.io Postcode Lookup plugin (UK address auto-population, £20/year) and the Virtuemart/ZOHO Inventory Integration plugin (automated inventory sync). Additional modules cover typeahead search, shopper field integration, product search customization, and checkout stock handling. The company also delivers bespoke projects including the FMS Funeral Management System (WPF/C#/SQL Server desktop app) and Kimai-based time tracking solutions. Services encompass web development, app development, domain/hosting, CMS development, and web design across Bristol, Chepstow, Cardiff, Newport, and the South West.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Virtuemart getAddress.io Postcode Lookup Paid Joomla/Virtuemart plugin providing UK postcode lookup functionality for checkout and account registration. Integrates with the getAddress.io API to auto-populate billing and shipping addresses based on UK postcodes (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey). Priced at £20.00 per annum for Joomla/Virtuemart developers and merchants.
• Virtuemart / ZOHO Inventory Integration Joomla system plugin enabling bidirectional synchronization between Virtuemart eCommerce and ZOHO Inventory ERP. Automates stock level updates across sales channels, generates sales orders for unfulfilled sales, synchronizes customer contacts, and updates shipment information for online merchants using Virtuemart.
• FMS - Funeral Management System

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• getAddress.iocoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership providing UK postcode lookup functionality for Virtuemart eCommerce sites. The plugin enables customers to complete billing/shipping addresses by entering postcode and selecting from options, using getAddress.io API which cross-references Ordnance Survey data with property sales, council tax, and other datasets.
• ZOHO InventorycoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership enabling streamlined stock management, customer sync and order automation between Virtuemart and ZOHO Inventory. Automatically generates sales orders for unfulfilled sales, syncs customer data and updates shipment information across channels.
• JoomlacoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary development platform. Joomla is an award-winning open-source content management system used as the foundation for their website and eCommerce solutions. ERSD builds custom extensions and plugins for the Joomla and Virtuemart ecosystem.
• VirtuemartcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary eCommerce development platform. Virtuemart is an open-source eCommerce extension for Joomla. ERSD has extensive expertise building custom plugins, modules and integrations including ZOHO Inventory connector, postcode lookup, and various shop enhancements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• YITH: Major commercial extension publisher for WooCommerce (sibling ecosystem to Virtuemart), demonstrating the broader e-commerce extension-as-a-service model that ERSD operates within, albeit at materially larger scale and on a competing platform.

Direct peers

• JoomShaper: Commercial Joomla template and extension provider with subscription-based access to templates and components, overlapping directly with ERSD's paid Virtuemart/Joomla extension and template offering.
• YOOtheme: Joomla template and extension publisher selling commercial club memberships and individual extensions for Joomla and related platforms, directly competing with ERSD in the same Virtuemart/Joomla extension marketplace.
• StackIdeas: Publisher of subscription Joomla extensions (community, membership, eCommerce add-ons), operating in the same Joomla extension marketplace with a similar subscription/license monetization model.
• ThemeXpert: Joomla template and extension shop selling commercial themes and add-ons via subscription, overlapping with ERSD on commercial Joomla/Virtuemart extension distribution.
• RSJoomla: Established Joomla extension developer with a broad catalog of paid plugins, modules, and components, serving Virtuemart-adjacent Joomla merchants with comparable commercial extensions.
• JoomDev: Joomla template and extension provider offering paid membership subscriptions and bespoke Joomla development services, closely mirroring ERSD's mix of extensions and custom Joomla work.
• iJoomla: Long-standing Joomla extension publisher with commercial plugins and content apps, comparable to ERSD in targeting Joomla site owners with paid feature extensions.

Regional players

• Netstar: UK digital agency delivering web design, web development, and bespoke software for SMBs in similar verticals. Peer in regional scope and bespoke services but without ERSD's specialization in Joomla/Virtuemart.

Emerging players

• Crosstec: Independent Joomla and Virtuemart extension developer focused on security and form components, comparable to ERSD in building niche commercial extensions for the Joomla/Virtuemart stack.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about E R SYSTEM DESIGN LIMITED