Hardware rental specialist Rentworks has appointed SM NetworX to implement and maintain its LAN and virtual private network (VPN).
This was confirmed by John Delaney, Rentworks director, who says dramatic growth at the company has necessitated that it outsource its IT functions to selected companies allowing Rentworks to focus on its core business.
"We expect to record an annual turnover of R500 million by July 2000 and reach R1bn over the next few years. To achieve this growth we require a sophisticated IT infrastructure installed by a company that has implementation and maintenance skills as well as offering proactive advice and suggestions for improvement."
Delaney says he found these skills within the range of services offered by SM NetworX and appointed the company to provide the outsourcing facilities required to meet Rentworks' general IT and networking requirements.
Rentworks has installed two rack-mounted servers and implemented a VPN between Johannesburg and Cape Town protected by a Cequrux (Citadel) firewall. The VPN will be extended to Durban during the course of 2000. The company runs Windows NT, Microsoft Exchange and a SQL Database. Platinum financials and PC Docs complete the application line-up.
Ronelle Baker, a director at SM NetworX, says the phenomenal growth at Rentworks has dictated that a systems engineer be on the site virtually every day to maintain the network.
"Our responsibility is also to help with day-to-day technical functionality, help with special projects, procure equipment and manage third parties such as cabling companies and software application providers."
Baker says that because Rentworks is growing so rapidly, additions to the network are made on an ongoing basis.
"Over the past year staff at Rentworks has increased by more than 100 percent and this headcount will increase by another 100 percent by the middle of 2000. This creates enormous demands on the network and we need to be proactive to ensure that the company's growth does not affect the functionality of its IT structure," says Baker.
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