Last year (2002) saw Dimension Data KwaZulu-Natal building up its competencies and resources to address the growing need in the province for the delivery of integrated application networked solutions.
Until recently, IT companies in the region have focused on providing software applications, networking infrastructures or hardware systems as isolated silo solutions, without taking account of the `bigger picture`.
"Our business strategy has evolved and Dimension Data is positioned as a company with the skills, competencies and resources to provide end-users with true, holistic business solutions," says Craig Ireland, regional director KwaZulu-Natal region.
Complementing the development of the skills required to deliver these solutions is the recent appointment of Dave Brennan as manager: Applications Integration and Converged Communications. Prior to joining Dimension Data, Brennan was financial solutions manager at Oracle Corporation in Johannesburg.
"The strategies we are delivering to the KZN user base revolve around application network solutions (ANS) including all the different, related IT disciplines from supplying core network infrastructures through to application roll-out. Our emphasis, at all times, however, is tightly focused on solutions," says Brennan.
Describing the delivery mechanism as a business solution as opposed to an IT model, Brennan says that the components that fall under the ANS umbrella can include, inter alia, network cabling, local and wide area networks, ERP, CRM, IP telephony systems and communications centres.
"We have access to expertise across the majority of vertical market sectors enabling us to orchestrate total solutions that are both scaleable and provide a return on investment (ROI) that we believe no other company can match.
"The differentiating factor is our ability and commitment to understand customer requirements. From our diverse product portfolio we can recommend appropriate building blocks and form long-term relationships adding value along the way in an approach that is unbiased and allows room for alternatives," says Brennan.
These strategies are already beginning to bear fruit and Brennan confirms that a number of corporations are at an advanced stage of discussion around the deployment of Dimension Data-developed solutions.
"These companies have recognised a need to partner with a holistic technology provider. IT has matured to the point where the days of isolated islands of technology in different departments require integration to be more cost-effective and function more effectively within the organisation`s structure."
In addition to its technology approach, Brennan says Dimension Data has developed a mechanism which enables it to share the risk and rewards of deployment with customers, thereby highlighting its confidence in and commitment to the solutions offered.
"The more established the partnership, the lower the risk - and ROI and customer satisfaction is also improved. We have to build total trust in order to achieve the big picture," he says.
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Dimension Data Holdings plc (LSE: DDT) is a leading global technology company that provides solutions and services which enable businesses to connect devices, information, applications, processes, people and organisations efficiently and reliably.
To achieve this, the group delivers solutions using its proprietary `Application Network` architectural framework and its expertise in networking, application integration and operational services. By optimising and managing the performance of `converging` software and hardware infrastructures, these solutions enable businesses to take advantage of rapidly evolving standards and new developments in IT, such as Web services.
Dimension Data, founded in 1983, had revenues of $2.1 billion in 2002 and operates in 30+ countries with over 9 000 employees.
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