The Home Loan Guarantee Company, a Section 21 company specialising in the provision of access to housing finance for lower income people, has outsourced the complete management of its network infrastructure and services to Integr8 IT.
In accordance with the service level agreement in place, Integr8 IT has integrated its Nerve Centre with the HLGC environment and further complemented its immediate support offering with on-site skilled professionals to manage the HLGC infrastructure.
Three years ago, the Home Loan Guarantee Company approached Integr8 IT to conduct a comprehensive ICT infrastructure audit and overview. Shortly afterwards, Integr8 IT had completed the successful migration from a Novell-based environment with other third party dependant applications, to a structured Microsoft framework, based on the MOF standards.
The infrastructure consists of an enterprise Microsoft back-office Windows, Exchange, ISA and SQL redundant infrastructure, with core Cisco switching and routing architecture.
With the growth and technological efficiencies experienced by HLGC, in 2007 management at the Home Loan Guarantee Company were introduced to complementary Managed Service offerings by Integr8 IT. A complete DRP strategy was defined and complemented via D8tavault, allowing for all critical data to be compressed, encrypted and synchronised over a secure Internet tunnel, to an offsite data warehouse. Preserv8 has also been successfully integrated as the software as a service model for e-mail continuity, archive and retention services.
Interaction with existing and potential stakeholders is of primary importance to the Home Loan Company because of the way it manages its risk, particularly in the implementation of its HIV and Aids cover. The company also relies heavily on its ability to relay up-to-date and relevant information to its international financial partners.
"Integr8 IT has provided our company with a stable platform, allowing us to effectively integrate with our partners. The intense management of our environment ensures we are always online via immediate response to requests 24 hours a day. The exceptional skill, client commitment and ability to deliver continues to be appreciated and enjoyed, as we now enter our fourth year of this key partnership," comments Dr Charlene Lea, CEO of the HLGC Group.
"Optimum levels of connectivity and guaranteed uptime are key requirements for the client. Our portfolio of managed services is connected to our South African-based Nerve Centre, so as to deliver a superior level of innovation, support and services. The infrastructure allows for a more robust and scalable platform in order for the organisation to effectively interface with local and international partners, a crucial element of the organisation's operation," explains Robert Sussman, joint-MD at Integr8 IT.
Aside from facilitating access to housing finance, the Home Loan Company provides housing finance-related education and training to the affordable housing market, using a national network of trainers.
"It is absolutely critical that the company's digital nervous system remains linked to partners," adds Sussman. "The Home Loan Guarantee Company has enhanced its technological capability and this will certainly reinforce its business. There are a vast amount of NGOs that are not aware of the advantages and opportunities that exist with regard to licensed software and applications. Our approach is to analyse the business, understand what they do and why they do it, and then facilitate an effective ICT investment strategy."
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Integr8 IT is a network technology services and solutions company. A renowned leader in the field of system integration, infrastructure management and support services, the company employs a wealth of highly-skilled, best-of-breed, certified system engineers who are directly involved in high-level consulting, support and integration.
The company's core focus is on network infrastructures specialising in design, planning, deployment, management and maintenance. Offices are located in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and representation in Port Elizabeth, East London, and across the southern Africa region.
Integr8 IT is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner for Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Network Infrastructure Solutions, Information Worker Solutions, and OEM Solutions.
It has been acknowledged and accredited with many awards, namely: Microsoft Gold Partner of the Year, African ICT Achievers - CIO of the Year for Africa, Best Customer Experience of the Year, Network Infrastructure Solution of the Year, Security Solution of the Year for Middle-East, Africa, & Eastern Europe, Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, and many others, every year, since its inception.
Named as one of the country's Top ICT Companies and honoured with a position among South Africa's Technology Top 100 Companies, Integr8 IT has established itself as a strategic partner with numerous internationally-recognised technology vendors and industry leaders, including: 3Com, Attix 5, CA, Citrix, Cisco, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, MTN Network Solutions, Sun Microsystems, T-Systems and Verizon Business.
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