Robert Sussman, co-founder and joint-Managing Director of Integr8 IT, has been acknowledged by Absa Bank, host of the Absa Entrepreneur of the Year award, and rated among the top three entrepreneurs in southern Africa, at a recent banquet held in Sandton, Gauteng.
Sussman is co-founder of Integr8 IT, South Africa's largest privately-owned national BEE ICT network integration and infrastructure management specialist.
The banquet is an annual event, hosted by the banking institution for the past five years, and organised to identify members of the Jewish business community for their ongoing contribution towards South Africa's corporate and socio-economic development.
"It is an honour to receive this recognition. Integr8 IT is well-positioned and recognised for its contribution towards development of the domestic information and communication sector, and has been pegged by analysts as the privately owned ICT company to watch, particularly with regard to its continued innovation," says Sussman.
Asked who, if anyone, he looks up to, Sussman responded: "It may be interesting to note that this person is in fact a local well-respected and hugely successful South African and one that I hold as a mentor, with the highest level of respect in lieu of his business, family and personal values - this person being Philip Krawitz, the CEO of Cape Union Mart."
As managing director leading the executive committee of the company, Sussman continues to draw industry-wide recognition for his success in managing and sustaining the hugely successful and innovative ICT enterprise, in just over six years, growing the group organically to over 350 of the best professionals the industry has to offer.
Sussman was acknowledged by Absa, alongside Adrian Gore - CEO of Discovery Health, Shaun Melnick - CEO of Peregrine, and other noted industry representatives.
Sussman's past accolades include the ForgeAhead African ICT Achiever's Top Private Sector CIO of the Year Award in 2005, placing him on the award's honorary winners list that includes the CIO of Old Mutual in 2004 and CIO of Telkom in 2003.
In 2006, Sussman was awarded with the same title and is the first person to ever claim the award two years in a row.
Sussman's personal achievements to date also include being named as a finalist in the IT Personality of the Year competition, presented by the Computer Society of South Africa in association with the Gordon Institute of Business Science, Gartner Africa and ITWeb.
The annual competition focuses on the contribution and achievements of individuals operating within the ICT sector. Sussman joins the ranks of previous candidates, including the CEO of SITA, CIO of the South African Post Office, IT director of City of Johannesburg, as well as the CIO of SARS.
In 2006, Integr8 IT was identified by organisers of the competition for the category ICT Workplace Provider of the Year.
This acclaim has been used to reinforce Sussman's personal and business objectives. This is driven by a passion to reinvest in the socio-economic development of South Africa and to strengthen the managed services outsource component within the ICT industry.
This is orchestrated via the company's first-of-its-kind Nerve Centre - a digital hub that is unequalled in size and scope of infrastructure and systems in place. The company has been commended with multiple international awards for innovative use of its technology via its Nerve Centre.
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Integr8 IT is South Africa's largest privately-owned fully-empowered network and infrastructure management company.
A renowned leader in the field of system integration, infrastructure management and support services, the company employs a wealth of highly-skilled, best of breed, certified system engineers who are directly involved in high level consulting, support and integration.
Integr8 IT has brought to market the Nerve Centre (www.nervecentre.co.za), South Africa's first ever digital hub, managing and regulating many of the country's leading corporations.
The company's core focus is on network infrastructures specialising in design, planning, deployment, management and maintenance. Offices are located in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and it has representation in Port Elizabeth, East London, and across the southern Africa region.
Integr8 IT is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner for Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Network Infrastructure Solutions, Information Worker Solutions, and OEM Solutions.
It has been acknowledged and accredited with many awards, namely: Microsoft Gold Partner of the Year, African ICT Achievers - CIO of the Year for Africa, Best Customer Experience of the Year, Network Infrastructure Solution of the Year, Security Solution of the Year for Middle-East, Africa, & Eastern Europe, Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, and many others, every year, since its inception.
Named as one of the country's Top ICT Companies and honoured with a position among South Africa's Technology Top 100 Companies, Integr8 IT has established itself as a strategic partner with numerous internationally-recognised technology vendors and industry leaders, including: 3Com, Attix 5, CA, Citrix, Cisco, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, MTN Network Solutions, Sun Microsystems, T-Systems and Verizon Business.
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