The ICT sector has always reflected a slightly distorted image of gender equality in the workplace. So claims Tami Milwidsky, founder of and partner at Integr8 IT, South Africa's largest privately-owned national BEE-information technology network integration and infrastructure management specialist.
Milwidsky recently joined the company's board of directors after having been appointed as Regional Director.
The responsibility calls for interactive management of all Integr8 IT branches, at director level, that are spread throughout the country to entrench the company's presence and maintain service levels.
"Yes, there is a lot of responsibility and I am looking forward to the challenge. It is a great opportunity and I am very honoured to have been selected. If one reflects on the role that women now have in South Africa's socio-economic development, an opportunity such as this is individually empowering, but also shows the company is in line with modern global HR practices," says Milwidsky.
Integr8 IT's executive management says the appointment accurately reflects the continued growth, maturity and direction of the company.
"There is no doubt that Integr8 IT has a mature foothold in the business community and interacts with an innovative, dynamic and professional approach. Its rapid development and solid standing in the market can be attributed to adherence to leading current and emerging trends within the modern technology sector. The fact is women are playing a bigger role in the direction and strategy of companies. They are more prevalent at executive level in IT than was the case before," comments Lance Fanaroff, joint MD at Integr8 IT.
One of the emerging trends Fanaroff alludes to is the entry of more female IT practitioners into the ICT market and the impact of more 'balanced boardrooms'.
"It is fair to say the industry was male-dominated, and opportunities for women to secure positions at decision-making or director level were few and far between. Fortunately, the industry has matured, and companies, especially modern practices, adhere to a code which advocates that people - irrespective of race, creed or gender - should be given every opportunity to advance themselves both professionally and personally," adds Fanaroff.
"We are delighted to welcome Tami onto our board of executive directors and we entrust the regional development of the company into her capable hands," he concludes.
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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 the company has 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, and 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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