Frater Luca Bartolomes Pacioli, a Franciscan friar is credited as the first person documenting the double entry bookkeeping system "in order that the subjects of the most gracious Duke of Urbino may have complete instructions in the conduct of business," and to "give the trader without delay information as to his assets and liabilities." (Quotes from the translation by J.B. Geijsbeek, Ancient Double Entry Bookkeeping: Lucas Pacioli's Treatise, 1914)

A New Zealand priest had similar issues in dealing with the accounting issues of a small business when he left the priesthood. With little accounting or programming experience he started a system to “help manage business and to also prepare the financial transactions”. He started the development of a “Management System” called Meridian which was logically structured how businesses are managed. This system was soon used by a number of organisations despite the fact that it did not use the most modern information technology.

Cortell was sufficiently impressed with the structure of the solution and the way it addressed business to acquire the product for futher development. Since 2005 Cortell thus completely redeveloped the product using modern technology but retaining many of the good features in the original products. Cortell wanted to develop a product that uses the best information technology and deliver a product with rich features and integration.

This new product is now launched as Merco, which is derived from the Italian term “Commercio” or business, a product developed to serve and facilitate business in the most effective way.