Information and communications technology (ICT) specialist Grintek Telecom has announced the opening of a new Nortel Networks Training Centre to deliver Nortel Networks product training to the South African and sub-Saharan African markets.
"The launch of the training centre cements the ongoing and productive synergistic partnership that Grintek Telecom enjoys with Nortel Networks, and provides a significant common gateway to both the local and pan-African customer base," says Phumlani Moholi, managing director at Grintek Telecom.
The training centre opened in March in response to growing requirements in the local and pan-African market for rand-based product and solution training on the Nortel Networks Enterprise Voice range.
"There is a huge requirement for enterprise voice products, with their blend of facilities management, IT and call centre functionalities, not only in SA, but even more so throughout the rest of Africa, where the business market is opening up and telecommunications infrastructures are just becoming established," Moholi points out.
"In the past, product training was only available from Nortel Networks in the UK, which, due to exchange rate pressures, has become increasingly out-of-reach of many South African and other pan-African customers."
According to Moholi, Grintek Telecoms' training solutions have grown substantially in the last few years, and resulted in Nortel Networks officially awarding them international certification, making Grintek Telecom the first to offer this service to the local ICT market.
Says David Fraser, service account manager at Nortel Networks South Africa: "The rapid pace of development in network technology creates a demand for ongoing improvements in training. Grintek Telecom has allowed us to ensure that latest developments from overseas are passed on and that the technological advances in the local market are applied.
"Ultimately, this supports our own needs for highly qualified engineers as well as the ongoing initiative in both the public and private sectors to maintain the country's skills base."
Grintek Telecom provides training on Nortel Networks entire spectrum of enterprise voice solutions, including Meridian, multimedia call centres and voicemail offerings. There are currently six certified technical trainers on-site at Grintek Telecoms' training centre.
"We have trained many local and sub-Saharan African customers, including companies from Kenya, Nigeria and Angola, on the Nortel Networks Enterprise Voice range of products and solutions," Moholi says.
"These include both business partners, as well as other blue chip players in the banking, insurance and telecommunications industries."
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Grintek Telecom, a division of JSE-listed Grintek Ltd, is one of SA's leading empowerment ICT and integration companies. Grintek Telecom provides tailored and innovative ICT solutions from initial project and business requirement consulting, through to implementation, integration and ongoing support.
The company's ICT solutions have been implemented in more than 500 top South African companies and it provides solutions, services and maintenance in 23 African countries. Over 25 international vendors have selected Grintek Telecom as their local service provider and partner.
Nortel Networks
Nortel Networks is an industry leader and innovator focused on transforming how the world communicates and exchanges information. The company is supplying its service provider and enterprise customers with communications technology and infrastructure to enable value-added IP data, voice and multimedia services spanning wireless networks, wireline networks, enterprise networks and optical networks. As a global company, Nortel Networks does business in more than 150 countries. More information about Nortel Networks can be found on the Web at www.nortelnetworks.com.
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