AST Technology Rentals (ATR), a business unit within the Infrastructure Services division of the AST Group, has been awarded a contract to provide the Protector Group with procurement and rental services for a period of 36 to 60 months.
The procurement agreement, with an estimated value of R12.5 million, will provide the Protector Group with the technology it needs to be a leading player in the medical scheme environment and will involve securing the availability of suitable technology at the lowest possible monthly rate on an ongoing basis. The rental agreement signed with ATR will realise considerable savings for Protector Group compared to outright purchase.
The Protector Group, 65% owned by Glenrand MIB, was established in 2001 with the acquisition of business units from the Vaalmed and Kopano medical schemes. The group administers more than 40 000 member portfolios while delivering a comprehensive healthcare service to its members.
"The Protector Group has an initiative to be a leader in its field and to reduce administration costs through its IT. As a result, we are always exploring cutting-edge technology in order to support our growth objectives and strategies," explains Marc Seelenbinder, Group Financial Director for the Protector Group. "We need a way to reduce the total cost of ownership and to remove capital purchases off the balance sheet, wherever it makes sense.
"ATR showed the right flexibility in offering us a rental contract with flexible purchase options," adds Seelenbinder. "In addition, with technology evolving at such a rapid rate and our need to be at the cutting-edge of IT, renting the IT infrastructure was the only way to go, with a flexible option to step out."
The Protector Group needed a technology partner that could supply it with a solution no matter what brand was decided upon, and one that could provide swift service. "We chose ATR for its comprehensive range of rental solutions, the low rental rates it offered and its client orientation and service ethic," continues Seelenbinder.
"As a VAR for all major brands and being independent of any vendor, ATR can provide an unbiased procurement service at very competitive prices," notes Petro Plotz, Key Account Manager for ATR. "With our ability to maximise the value of used IT assets and access to asset-based finance and project finance, we were able to provide the best procurement service for the Protector Group. Renting from ATR gives new meaning to the words 'alternative to ownership`."
In addition to supplying technology rental solutions, ATR can provide its clients with access to comprehensive information and communication technology (ICT) solutions through one supplier, at whichever level they choose to contract. "Ultimately, this leads to the establishment of a strategic ICT partnership, Renting from ATR literally means the difference between doing it now, or putting it off," concludes Plotz.
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