iLAYO Software Solutions has bought a 31% stake in Puleng Technology in a deal that will strengthen both companies' ITIL-based infrastructure management capabilities.
iLAYO is a black-owned South African company focused on infrastructure management solutions that assist organisations in managing the availability, cost, location and level of service each IT asset provides.
Puleng Technologies, also a South African company, offers systems management and infrastructure automation solutions to clients in central and southern Africa.
Inana Nkanza, MD of iLAYO, says the deal makes sense from whichever angle it is examined.
"iLAYO and Puleng are the leading South African practitioners in their respective fields within the infrastructure management industry and working together creates a critical mass that strengthens the overall capabilities of both companies, enabling us to offer turnkey solutions.
"Moreover, the companies are a natural fit in terms of management structure and their approach to the market," adds Nkanza. "Customers will now have access to a comprehensive enterprise infrastructure management framework, without having to rely on partners restricted to solutions developed by one vendor."
The companies will continue to operate as independent entities, but will pool resources when required to offer comprehensive solutions built on ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) standards. ITIL is a framework of best practices intended to ensure the delivery of quality IT services.
Paul Thompson, MD of Puleng, notes his company had been looking for a partner to expand its service capabilities for some time before recognising the natural fit with iLAYO. "iLAYO's call and service centre expertise is immediately complementary to Puleng's service delivery automation skills. Between the two of us, we fulfil the demands of the ITIL model in terms of automation, an offering few companies in South Africa can match."
Thompson adds that the deal also provides Puleng with a black empowerment partner that delivers immediate value to the business in terms of skills and experience.
"There are a number of customer scenarios in which iLAYO and Puleng would benefit from working together and offering a combined service to clients," Thompson says. "We will now be able to structure holistic solutions that go beyond the capabilities of either company individually as well as most of our competitors."
After running into each other on a project site in 2004, Puleng and iLAYO have been working together on an ad hoc basis for two years. Nkanza says that during this time the organisations recognised each other's strengths and saw a way to extend their respective resources and provide a comprehensive offering to the mid- to enterprise-size business market as well as to the public sector.
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