BMI-TechKnowledge recognises Dimension Data as largest service provider in delivery of IT services to South African market

Dimension Data, the $4.7 billion global specialist IT services and solutions provider, has been recognised in BMI-TechKnowledge's market sizing and forecast report on IT Services (2009-2014) as the largest provider of IT services to the South African market.

BMI reported that the three largest players have maintained their positions between 2008 and 2009, with the largest player, Dimension Data, accounting for 14.8% of the total South African IT services market in 2009, followed by Business Connexion and GijimaAst, with 10.8% and 7.6% respectively.

Brent Flint, Services Executive for Dimension Data Middle East & Africa, says what is important is being the best, rather than the biggest. "The reason we have grown is because of the quality of our people and their desire to deliver exceptional services to our clients. We have a continued process of improving the services we offer," he says. He puts this all down to Dimension Data's investment in people.

"We have the Dimension Data University and at every level we accredit our people with our technical support partners so that we become the best at delivering support in that area."

In addition, the organisation is able to draw on the synergies between itself, Internet Solutions and Plessey to enable cross-collaboration across many solutions and services, all to the ultimate benefit of the client.

BMI reports that the maintenance, support and upgrade services segment reflected an increase of 13.2% on a year-to-year basis and accounted for about 21% of the total 2009 IT services market, while the full outsourcing segment also accounted for 21%, reflecting a surprising increase of 6.4% from 2008.

Another segment that reflected a good year-on-year increase is managed services, which grew by 21.7%, reaching a total of R4.4 billion in 2009.

Flint attributes the growth in the managed services market to businesses desire to have access to the best IT skills in the market, without the cost and administration of employing them directly.

"Outsourcing certain IT services also gives customers an opportunity to focus on their core business and innovation while having access to the expertise and up to date infrastructure that is provided by IT services vendors," said Clinton Jacobs, senior analyst and author of the report.

In addition, Jacobs recommends that IT service providers need to improve their focus on SMEs and continue developing services that are suited to SME businesses, as this market collectively represents a huge part of the country's economy with numerous opportunities.

"With the service models we utilise and the significant investments we have made in our systems, we are able to replicate and provide services to organisations that traditionally were only available to the very large companies, with big IT spend," says Flint.