Marking an expansion of its already-strong reseller channel, Sage Enterprise Solutions - the enterprise software arm of the UK FTSE-listed Sage Group - has appointed pan-African IT services consultant, Exponant, as a systems integration partner.
Exponant, a Centurion-based privately-held company with over 300 people and more than R100 million in turnover, has a presence in 14 countries across Africa - including the DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia. This gives the company a significant advantage when taking Sage Enterprise Solutions' offerings into the continental market.
"Our main focus areas lie in the fixed-line and mobile telecommunications service provider, government, logistics, financial services, healthcare and aviation vertical market in these territories," explains Louw Cilliers, Business Development Executive at Exponant.
"We have long specialised in the enterprise IT space, especially e-commerce, asset monitoring, and infrastructure development and maintenance. However, by adding the Sage business management solutions [such as Sage Line 500] to our portfolio, we can move further into the strategic software development and implementation arena - something that's ideal considering our vertical market focus."
Another benefit of Exponant's experience is that it holds agencies for a number of third-party products that can be integrated with Sage Line 500 v5.5 - a point-of-sale, and a GSM network and asset management solution, for example.
In addition to a 30% shareholding by Pytron, a local black-empowerment IT company, Exponant's holding company, Exponant Investments, has a shareholding in three local black-empowered organisations: Inyanga Communications, Tseleng and Ukhozi Technologies; turnkey projects are also taken on board in partnership with BEE companies. This enables Exponant and Sage to make a positive contribution to SA's economic development through training, skills transfer and business support.
According to Ashley Ellington, the divisional director for Africa at Sage Enterprise Solutions, the move to appoint Exponant gels directly with Sage's expansion plans for Africa.
"One of our main drives is to take the latest version of Line 500 into the vertical markets that Exponant focuses on - both here in SA and further afield," he says.
"While we already have select partners in East and West Africa, with Exponant on board we can strengthen our market penetration even further and deliver even more solid on-the-ground support and services to local customers."
In the near-term, Exponant will focus on ensuring that its solution specialists are trained and accredited according to Sage Enterprise Solutions' international requirements. The company intends to work closely with Sage to enhance the visibility of Line 500 across Africa.
For more information on Sage Enterprise Solutions, visit www.sageafrica.com. Exponant can be found at www.exponant.com.
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