ICL has launched the InfoElite Partners Programme around its Information Builders Business Intelligence (BI) offering.
According to Tony Cross, business development manager for the Systems Integration and Business Intelligence unit at ICL, the partnership launch comes at a time when the South African market is ready for true BI.
"In the past, South African companies viewed BI as a glitzy front-end tool, often only implemented in one business area and seldom resulting in the desired outcomes, as only enterprise-wide or pervasive BI solutions are able to deliver real, tangible benefits," says Cross. "Companies are, however, realising that their best competitive advantage is the value of their information and the ease with which different levels of users can access that information."
Elvin de Kock, managing director at ICL, adds: "The decision to appoint strategic partners is part of ICL`s strategy to gain significant market share by the end of 2002. Our aim is to appoint local partners who will add specific benefits to the programme. On the BI side, potential partners such as Systems Integrators, ERP (enterprise resource planning) and CRM (customer relationship management) vendors and companies with in-depth industry knowledge and experience will be considered."
A number of partners have already been appointed, and both sales and technical training have successfully been concluded. The partners will benefit from substantial software discounts and referrals fees, customised training, joint marketing activities and full sales and technical support.
Our partnerships are designed for mutual benefit and it is hoped that they will allow us to lead this trend and substantially increase the amount of work we are able to do in this area.
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ICL is one of Europe`s leading e-business services companies and employs more than 20 000 people in 40 countries. It designs, builds and operates innovative solutions for customers in the financial services, telecoms, retail, government, utilities and travel markets. ICL helps its customers to transform their businesses and make them more efficient and productive, by providing the IT services needed today together with the end-to-end e-Business services to be successful in the new economy. These services include new media design, consultancy and systems integration through to managed infrastructure services that underpin the mission-critical requirements of businesses.
For the year ended 31 March 2000, the company`s revenues were lb2 774.6 million. Headquartered in London, ICL is wholly owned by Fujitsu Limited, a lb31 billion leader in Internet-based IT solutions for the global marketplace. ICL is the European-centred arm of Fujitsu`s global IT services strategy.
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