The demand for robust technology, connectivity and reliable solutions in Africa is as strong as it has ever been, says Robert Sussman, joint-MD of Integr8 IT, a local provider of network integration and infrastructure management services.
And, says Sussman, South African companies can play a greater role in driving IT services and solutions through to the continent.
According to Integr8 IT, the ICT market in Africa has reached a higher level of maturity and is more strategic in its approach to investment, skills development and innovation.
"Our experience within this market is that business is aware of the need for prudence and forethought when making an investment in technology. There is a realisation that product and solutions alone cannot solve all the issues and that there needs to be a transfer of skills and business value in ventures," says Sussman.
As part of its strategy to push technology and reliable infrastructure north of the border, Integr8 IT technicians recently assisted Help Desk Solutions Botswana (HDS Botswana) and the Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA) with a high-level solution integration and installation.
The project centred around the installation of a disaster recovery (DR) solution at BEDIA, in conjunction with the service provider HDS Botswana. Aside from the provision of a fully redundant and available DR and business continuity solution, the client had to be moved to the next level in network redundancy.
"Integr8 IT was contacted and recommended for the solution through Computer Associates. Integr8 IT is one of the highest accredited CA partners in the world. The solution involved deploying CA Brightstor High Availability on six servers. Exchange, Oracle, SQL, their Web server and file and print services within the environment, this is an enterprise-level solution allowing fault tolerance and server failover across a WAN link to the BEDIA DR site located 40km away from the head office," explains Eirin Lankwarden, Integr8 IT Consultancy Services (ICS).
According to Lankwarden, Integr8 IT`s role had been formulated during the initial stages of meetings. The primary aim was to deploy the solution for HDS Botswana as well as provide a skill and knowledge transfer. The latter is an important prerequisite for trade and development in the country and companies are keen to leverage off international skills.
"This process has helped with the development of business and in service delivery to clients that continue to move towards cutting edge technology," adds Lankwarden.
The business partnership with Integr8 IT has allowed for Botswana HDS to leverage off high-end, best-of-breed skills and service remotely through Integr8 IT`s full remote enabled support service or `nerve centre`.
"As a result Botswana HDS has placed itself in a position to sell service level agreements in the region and provide a service previously unheard of," adds Lankwarden. "This not only propels Botswana HDS ahead of its competition, but, with the way our Nerve Centre remote support works, technicians in Botswana can learn in real-time by watching our technicians work remotely. Sessions can be recorded and played back by support staff in Botswana to provide a real-time scenario training platform to further increase skill and benefit from our involvement."
Plans are under way to establish an Integr8 IT branch office in Botswana. This will allow for direct interaction with the market and the provision of employment opportunities.
"This is an opportunity to invest in the people and infrastructure within Botswana and further entrench the Integr8 IT name in Africa," comments Sussman. "We have also identified Botswana as a host-base for the establishment of an Africa Nerve Centre that will represent a truly African IT gateway for the rest of the continent."
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