Two divisions within the Grintek Group, Grintek Electronics and Grintek Ewation, have embarked on a project that is bound to bolster their performance as they refresh their software inventory. Datacentrix, Centricity and internal Grintek personnel will spearhead this R2.8 million project, focusing on Microsoft software.
With its recent appointment as official IT supplier to Grintek Electronics, Centricity has been tasked with legalising all software licences and enhancing the existing IT infrastructure of the company. Grintek Ewation, which receives IT assistance from an in-house team, also recognised the need to evaluate and possibly boost its IT infrastructure.
Says Jakes Jacobs, IT manager at Centricity: "It is vital that we know exactly which products we have at our disposal, while also taking note of the illegal use of software which might have emerged over the past few years as Grintek grew in size. Even if Grintek Electronics only has a single unlicensed software unit, it is one too many."
Realising the value of an experienced IT partner familiar with the Grintek environment, Datacentrix was asked to head the project as well as supply the required software licences and assurances.
Datacentrix, together with Microsoft, conducted an extensive software audit at each of the various Grintek organisations. The audit included all Microsoft products operational on the server, applications and systems pool. Based on the audit findings, Grintek Electronics and Grintek Ewation acquired roughly 300 new office product licences, 250 Exchange licences and more than 400 Windows Client Access Licences (CLAs).
Justice Maphosa, account manager at Datacentrix, regards software audits as vital for all organisations. "Grintek Electronics and Ewation have both gleaned substantial business benefits from this project. Not only did it educate them in terms of the required software asset management policies and procedures that a company must adhere to, but it also provided valuable insight into business operations and served to identify areas that warranted improvement."
Maphosa adds that Datacentrix will continue to assist both companies to develop a software asset management plan including centralised licence management, education of employees on licensing requirements and procurement policies.
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