AST DTS, Absa transition successfully completed

Issued by AST Group for GijimaAst
Johannesburg, 09 Oct 2001

AST Distributed Technology Services (DTS), a business unit of the JSE-listed AST Group, has successfully implemented the intended set of best practice processes within Absa`s distributed desktop environment. The transition project, Project Cheetah, implemented the necessary service contract after the decision by Absa to outsource its desktop management to AST. The outsource included transferring 200 Absa staff to AST DTS.

Project Cheetah was aggressively launched on 1 August 2000 and was completed within 11 months, seven months less than the expected 18 months. Using world-class standard tools and processes as a basis, AST DTS made progress towards operational excellence within Absa and allowed for active monitoring and reporting of performance, as well as the integration of a quality process with continuous focus on the customer.

Absa and AST formed a jointly owned new company, AST DTS, in February 2000 that would focus on the rapidly growing market for desktop and distributed systems outsourcing services.

AST DTS obtained the best practice Intellectual Property from one of the leading US-based desktop outsourcing companies currently providing services to the top Fortune 100 clients, these include Microsoft, Intel and Coca-Cola among others.

"The key objectives of the transition were to ensure business continuity and create a world-class working environment for the staff while ensuring a service-first culture," explains Willie Stegmann, MD of AST DTS. "Our delivery of processes, systems and service ethic has gone a long way to meet the total cost of ownership and service improvement objectives set by Absa."

With the implementation of Project Cheetah, we have seen a steady improvement in service levels, specifically with respect to the Support Centre. There has also been a noticeable improvement as far as specific deliverables in the Project Management discipline are concerned. From Absa`s perspective, entrusting AST DTS with the support of our desktop environment was intended to enable our internal staff to concentrate on the rest of our IT responsibilities. The positive experiences attributable to the implementation of Project Cheetah are promising and we are hopeful that, together, we will ultimately achieve operational excellence.

AST DTS

AST DTS (AST Distributed Technology Services) Absa`s Distributed Computing Services and AST Desktop Services combined to form AST DTS in April 2000. The joint venture company, in which Absa has a 30% stake, is setting the pace in the rapidly growing market for desktop and distributed systems outsourcing services.

As part of a five-year contract, AST DTS is providing Absa with a comprehensive range of LAN and desktop services including consultation, equipment procurement and rental, support, repairs and upgrades of end-user equipment. AST-DTS supports an extensive client base in Southern Africa, which includes SA National Parks, Iscor, Logical Options, Government Employee Pension Fund and Department of Justice.

Absa Group

Absa Group Limited (Absa), listed on the Securities Exchange, is SA`s leading provider of banking and financial services, serving more than 6 million customers.

A complete range of retail and corporate financial services and products are provided through a combination of physical (772 outlets) and electronic channels. Building on an integrated infrastructure, Absa is making significant strides in the e-business arena to deliver value-added services to the customer.

Ranked independently as leaders in e-banking, accolades include: (1) A four-star international rating from Lafferty; and (2) Placed first for Internet banking by BMI-T 2000 survey.

Absa currently has more than 200 000 Internet banking customers. Since the introduction of Absa`s free Internet service in February 2001, the monthly growth in the number of new Internet banking users has doubled.

As at March 2001, Absa had more than 35 000 staff, assets of R197 billion and a market capitalisation of R22.6 billion. The group is listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange and its main shareholders are Sanlam (24.36%) and Universa (24.01%). Additional information about Absa can be found at www.absa.co.za.

AST Group

In just three years the AST Group has established itself as one of the leading information and communication technology companies on the JSE Securities Exchange.

Its consistent creation of value for shareholders, clients and employees has resulted in a steady increase in monthly revenue to the R100 million plus mark. AST is now the fourth largest South African IT company by market capitalisation, and is one of the top three in terms of physical infrastructure (mainframes, servers, desktops, and networks under management) and geographical footprint with over 62 physical locations.

Counting almost 90% of the top 100 JSE-listed companies among its clients, the AST Group services mostly large corporate and government clients, but is increasingly offering services to rapidly evolving small and medium enterprises.

Editorial contacts