Johannesburg, 05 Mar 2013
Following the launch of Jasco's Virtual Data Centre, financial and business administration software developer, IQ Retail, has partnered with Jasco Networks to move its retail accounting software and point of sale (POS) solutions to a secure, cloud-based computing environment.
IQ Retail has been developing business systems specialising in accounting and retail management environments since 1986. IQ Retail's business sites range from single-site businesses with basic accounting and business process needs to large, complex store installations. Today, the company has a range of software solutions servicing a loyal retail and franchise customer base throughout South Africa, Africa, Australia and some European countries.
According to Chris Steyn, Managing Director at IQ Retail, the company has evolved with the changing needs of its clients. "Retailers require a technology partner that can provide all the IT and business services they require," says Steyn.
As a result, IQ Retail looked for a trusted ICT infrastructure provider that could consolidate our accounting and business process solutions onto a single, robust, hosted platform in the cloud as software as a service (SaaS).
"Software and infrastructure as a service allows IQ Retail's customers to budget for their IT expenses on a per user basis, and delivers scalability for future growth while having access to the latest in retail technology," says Steyn.
Jason Watt, Business Development Manager at Jasco Networks, says that by utilising next-generation network access solutions, Jasco provides a secure virtual private network (VPN) to IQ Retail resellers connecting retail stores, warehouses, distributors, suppliers and even consumers.
"This gives them access to a range of software services securely and safely hosted in the cloud. The services are backed by a service level agreements (SLAs) for maximum reliability and uptime.
"Jasco Converged Solutions provides a complete range of last-mile access solutions to connect retailers directly to the Jasco Retail Cloud. Whether it is for a single site or multiple locations, these access solutions cater for the needs and budgets of any sized business, from small, rural-based retail outlets to large manufacturing factories in major city centres throughout South Africa," adds Watt.
Watt says that by partnering with Jasco and consolidating its software solutions onto a single platform in a virtual data centre, IQ Retail now has a secure point of entry for its resellers to deploy and maintain its SaaS at end-customers cost-effectively, regardless of their geographical location.
"IQ Retail customers now have a single point of contact for all their ICT requirements, with secure always-on access to a world-class facility. Customers also have additional benefits such as consolidated billing, disaster recovery, redundancy and unified patch management," he adds.
Watt says the agreement paves the way for IQ Retail resellers to sell additional value-added IT services, such as access, voice and data solutions offered by Jasco.
"The IQ Retail resellers can now effectively compete with larger companies and can access SaaS markets, which they could never sell to before. These can include hosted point of sale systems, training platforms, supply chain management and customised in-store shopper experience," says Watt.
Concludes Steyn: "Jasco brings the expertise in almost all of the IT services required for retailers and business owners today. As a partner of Jasco, our resellers are assured that they can offer the best-of-breed systems and software, and that we have taken research and development out of their hands. Standardisation allows for the rapid development of the knowledge base and allows the reseller to focus on sales, not troubleshooting."
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