Locally developed intranet solution gives edge over competitors

IntraCS, the powerful new intranet solution developed over a two-year period by local developers of browser-based software solutions, Intervate, "is a powerful tool that gives us the ability to work in a whole new space, to reach and approach a new customer base and an all-important differentiation from our competitors".

So says Sydney Ramutla, lead business consultant at Business Connection. Ramutla says there are numerous reasons why Business Connection decided to become both a VAR and user of the product, not least of which is the fact that IntraCS gives the company a tool that "adds value" to its own infrastructure offerings and a "further layer" with which to "penetrate" the market.

Business Connection is a four-year-old black-empowerment enterprise system integrator largely focused on infrastructure and, although it has skills around other tools, the company mainly adds value to Microsoft Solutions. Like Intervate, it is a Microsoft partner and handles a diverse client base including Government, parastatals, telecoms and private companies. Business Connection has been an IntraCS reseller since March 2001.

According to Ramutla, as Business Connection is largely involved with infrastructure, it mainly works on the backend of Microsoft technology, the benefits of which are usually only felt by IT people who can see the improved running costs, and the functionality and stability of the systems offered by the company. However, with IntraCS, Business Connection is now able to offer a solution whose benefits are obvious to all staff members. This improves the company`s relationships with existing clients and attracts a wider variety of potential clients.

"Business Connection is also a Microsoft licenser with a large licensing division, and those clients who purchase licences want to see this expense actually work for them," says Ramutla. "Portal solutions really helps to integrate disparate technology give a unified front end."

Technical consultant Justin Scott agrees and adds that "great benefit" is derived from adding an enterprise portal to the company`s infrastructures. While Microsoft`s product offering itself offers "a great return on investment", when IntraCS is added, the return of investment period is, he says, "brought down even further".

"The fact that Intervate is a local company was important to us," says Ramutla. "We wanted to support a local company and were in the fortunate position of having had a lot of contact with Intervate even before we formed the IntraCS partnership. We got to know Intervate as being highly effective at what it does. Like Business Connection, Intervate is a Microsoft partner and a young dynamic company of movers and shakers. There are a number of such synergies between the two companies.

"Intervate is the only Microsoft Sharepoint ISV in SA and is one of 20 in the world," adds Ramutla. "It is one of only six portal integrators. These are impressive achievements."

With regard to deploying IntraCS within Business Connection itself, Scott says that the company is just about ready to deploy it. The company is currently training personnel in IntraCS`s use and then it will be "all systems go". He says that Business Connection consists of two main divisions including a consulting leg and a sales/presales/product solution-type leg, and that IntraCS will be used to manage these two environments. It will be extremely useful to the company in both environments from a knowledge perspective.

Asked whether Business Connection would become an IntraCS developer, Ramutla says this is not his company`s area. Intervate offers an 80% solution out-of-the-box and although IntraCS is easily customisable, the actual development will be left to development partners - those who have that sort of expertise.

"IntraCS gives us a new space to play in," concludes Ramutla, "new and different ways of approaching a potential customer. We have not had the benefit of selling it for long, but it is already proving fruitful across our horizontal market."