Computer Associates (Africa) has appointed local secure technology provider NamITech as its first enterprise security partner (ESP). This is part of CA`s new worldwide strategy that will see all sales of its security solutions handled by leading third-party security specialists.
Although NamITech has been awarded global partner status, the company will initially focus on servicing sub-Saharan markets.
"Our goal is to dominate the African security market," says Charles Laxton, managing director of NamITech New and Emerging. "We want to look after our own back yard before setting our sights on overseas markets, even though the rand-dollar exchange rate results in our security services costing 20% of the fees charged by our US competitors."
Laxton expressed his pleasure to be partnering with CA on its new global strategy for security solutions and pledged his company`s commitment to achieving stated growth targets.
"While we`re a product-agnostic company, we see great opportunities working with CA and its user base," he adds.
Under its new go to market strategy for its eTrust family of e-business security management solutions, CA is to focus its attention on new product research and development while allowing security specialists to drive solution delivery and sales.
"The security market is growing rapidly and despite being in the security business for 25 years, there are areas of expertise required to meet market needs today that we do not have and which it is physically impossible for one company to supply," says Mark Smissen, eTrust Business Unit Manager, CA (Africa).
"NamITech has expertise in these areas and it is our intention to make further ESP partner appointments based on different market specialisation."
As CA`s security partners will now be the main component of the race for market share, CA will focus its efforts on supporting and working alongside these partners.
"Together we will ensure our customers get the world class support levels they have come to expect," he adds.
As CA`s first ESP partner in Africa, NamITech is projecting rapid market penetration beyond its traditional strengths in the financial sector. In particular, it sees a growing interest in its security solutions from industry and commerce in general.
"Industry is beginning to wake up to the need for security risk management especially now that supply chain management is increasing its use of electronic transfers and online transactions," says Maeson Maherry, general manager, NamITrust, the enterprise security solutions provider within NamITech, focused on the monitoring and management of security in the digital domain.
"The King II report has also created a greater awareness of the requirements for security from a corporate governance point of view and security is now seen as an essential rather than a grudge spend."
The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act whereby digital signatures are admissible as prima facie evidence and new proposed regulations around managing the commercial risks of electronic transactions are also seen as key market drivers.
"We have a three-pronged security solution strategy: measure, monitor and manage. It is on the management side that CA will fit into our solutions which include 24x7 remote security monitoring from our Johannesburg Trust Centre, the only VeriSign approved seven-tier security centre in Africa," says Maherry.
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