MultiChoice Africa has renewed its IT services outsource contract with JSE-listed CS Holdings for another three years, beginning 1 September 2003. The new contract is valued at R34 million over the three-year period.
MultiChoice Africa is a multi-channel pay television platform with channels from Africa, Brazil, Britain and the US. It provides premium television entertainment to over 860 000 subscribers in about 50 countries on the African continent and adjacent islands through its DStv Bouquet.
MultiChoice`s operations include world class subscriber management services and the management of a digital satellite television platform broadcasting 55 video and 48 audio channels 24 hours a day that include a number of data channels, the first non-return path Interactive television offerings on the continent.
"Under the new outsourcing contract CS Holdings will deliver high-end support to the entire MultiChoice operation including 89 agencies and offices across 22 African countries," explains CS Holdings chief operations officer (COO) Andrew Holden.
"This includes LAN, WAN, desktop and back office support, a help desk and project management. CS Holdings will also provide the necessary hardware support to the MultiChoice Africa Foundation. The foundation, which focuses on education, arts and media, supports the Department of Education in the implementation and extension of teacher development training to educators by streaming cutting-edge multimedia teacher development material to remote centres across the country."
"Although CS Holdings has provided excellent service over the last three years, the new contract was re-awarded to them based on fresh evaluation criteria," says MultiChoice CIO Errol du Preez. "Not only is their pricing highly competitive, but their black economic empowerment (BEE) programme meets that of our own empowerment requirements. With MultiChoice Africa`s rapid expansion across the continent, we are fully cognisant of the need to stimulate economic growth by expanding wealth creation opportunities for previously excluded members of the black community. As such, MultiChoice Africa has developed and adopted a comprehensive empowerment strategy supported by a multi-faceted activity programme."
"This is in line with CS Holdings` own BEE strategies, which seek to go beyond mere compliance to legislation," adds Holden. "We aim to make a meaningful impact on the fundamental transformation of the company and in turn, the IT industry, in terms of developing PDI (previously disadvantaged individuals) entrepreneurial and technical skills and broadening the ownership base held by PDI and BEE groups."
"Outsourcing to CS Holdings has enabled us to operate our IT environment using best practices, and effectively reduce costs by 34%," says Du Preez. "We are positive that these efficiencies will continue, and be improved upon over the next three years."
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CS Holdings provides business and IT solutions that enable sustainable competitive advantage for clients through reduced cost, managed risk, improved efficiency and added effectiveness. This is done by means of integrated solutions that incorporate the complete value chain of strategy formulation, best practice business processes, appropriate information technology and optimised people effectiveness.
CS Holdings is a leading BEE company for the ICT sector, and won the `Most Progressive Company` award at the latest BMI-T African Achievers function.
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