Four of the world`s most powerful IT service and solution providers are teaming ahead of next month`s local M-Commerce World exhibition to bring their combined expertise to bear on the southern African Internet business market.
That`s the word from officials at HP South Africa - the partnership principal - who say that visitors to the exhibition can expect tangible mobile business solutions from the team of HP, Cisco Systems, KPMG Consulting and Oracle.
"Our joint focus will be on demonstrating business-to-business and mobile e-commerce solutions, as well as ways of meeting the customer relationship management (CRM) challenges that the Internet economy presents," explains Mohamed Cassoojee, the e-services manager at HP South Africa.
Flying under the banner of 'partnering for the new e-conomy` the local alliance results in part from a strong global affiliation between the four companies, as well as previously successful joint initiatives. The real value-add lies not only in the strength of each provider`s particular offering, though, but in the combined whole.
"Having the solutions in our respective portfolios represents only one aspect of satisfying customer demand," says Cassoojee. "Between us we have a vast amount of skill and experience architecting, developing, implementing and supporting the broadscale enterprise infrastructures that make mobile and Internet-based business a reality."
As part of the alliance Cisco Systems is offering what some market observers will see as a broadly expanded portfolio of solutions. Paul Ruinaard, the market development manager at the local operation, sees the company`s primary role as building the infrastructure capable of supporting complex Internet-based business processes.
"As far as this alliance [and exhibition] is concerned Cisco also supports CRM by providing infrastructures for IP contact centres," he says.
"If companies are to succeed in the Internet economy, they have to be able to communicate with customers via Web, fax, email and voice. And building an intelligent contact management centre which is capable of handling this mixed media requires a comprehensive infrastructure. This is where we come into play."
The company is touting its Avvid (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data) infrastructure as the answer. It is also set to demonstrate the technologies which build on this base and act as middleware - applications such as call routing, telephonic or IP interaction, or Web integration, for example.
"Companies looking to migrate their brand equity to the web need to ensure that their enterprise infrastructure is as highly-available, scalable and secure as possible," he adds.
KPMG, the local arm of the global consulting giant, plays a key role in the alliance: engaging customers, developing a framework according to the level of solution required, architecting the system from the network layer up to the business level and overseeing its successful implementation.
"Digital technology, advanced software and the expanding power and influence of the Internet are creating a vast array of Web-based services which provide around-the-clock from anywhere," says Errol Macaulay, a partner at KPMG Consulting.
"Wireless bandwidth is also expanding exponentially, ensuring universal connectivity for the delivery of mobile information and services. KPMG Consulting, together with its alliance partners, is enabling companies to embrace this new phenomenon."
In addition to its Internet-enabled CRM application solution Oracle brings mobile e-commerce, B2B and commercial portal software solutions to the table. Carla Monteiro, the marketing and communications manager at Oracle South Africa, says the mobile solution allows GSM operators to manage a wide variety of traffic delivered to multiple appliances on its network, while the other solutions provide a comprehensive platform for conducting secure electronic business.
HP`s Cassoojee says his company is spearheading the local drive with its end-to-end infrastructure offering - comprising, among other aspects, enterprise servers and storage; enterprise management and security software; mobile e-commerce billing solutions; creative corporate financing options; and service and support offerings.
"The overall intention is to demonstrate working solutions to South African companies that are underpinned by an alliance as strong as ours," he says.
M-Commerce World is taking place at the MTN Sundome from 8 - 10 November 2000.
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