Stellenbosch-based IT infrastructure and network support specialist, Space Age Technologies (SAT), today announced it has been awarded Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status in the network infrastructure solutions as well as information worker solutions competencies.
Membership into the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Programme is awarded to independent companies that have proven their expertise when delivering Microsoft technologies to their customers.
"The Gold Certified Partner Programme is a very useful differentiator in our industry," says Thomas Malinowski, Microsoft SMS&P Partner Manager Coastal. "Gold Certified Partners must meet rigorous certification criteria and must be able to prove their expertise in a given solution area by providing real-world customer references which are thoroughly inspected and evaluated."
Says Mark Geschke, Managing Director of SAT: "Current market pressures require customers to look for IT providers with specialised skills and a proven track record when deploying information technology initiatives. We are very pleased to have acquired this status, as we can now leverage off advanced technical training and special events to further enhance our high customer service levels."
SAT has been involved with the Microsoft Certified Partner Programme since 1998 and, in addition to the gold status, was recently chosen as the 2004 South African Microsoft Small Business Partner of the year.
As Cape Town's leading provider of IT services to small and medium businesses, SAT has again proven that quality service, expert knowledge and cutting-edge technology are not only reserved for bigger organisations.
"Whereas most other IT providers see smaller businesses as a necessary stepping stone towards bigger customers, SAT is passionately committed to this market and, although equipped to do so, has no ambitions to provide solutions to large businesses. SAT quite simply believes that small businesses are the innovators of the future and we thoroughly enjoy assisting these forward-thinking companies," continues Geschke.
According to Mathias T"olken, SAT's Operations Director, the company's success and high regard in IT circles is based on the company-wide integrity and moral values. "We place much emphasis on business ethics and spend a lot of resources attracting and recruiting team players that share our strong values, passion and dedication. This approach has proven to deliver a very professional and competent team."
It is exactly this attribute that is also responsible for one of SAT's most important distinguishing factors of not employing any dedicated sales staff. Instead of sending people out to 'hunt' for new business, SAT relies on its good service and comprehensive solutions to generate opportunities through client referrals.
"If no new business opportunities arise for a given period, we know that we are not delivering enough visible value to our existing customers. What better feedback mechanism can a company ask for?" challenges Geschke.
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