In the most significant deal of its kind in the Cape, Dimension Data Group company SPL-Chariot has succeeded, over several competitors, in clinching the deal to supply Old Mutual with software configuration management (SCM) tools.The SCM product, Intersolv`s PVCS, has already achieved 80% market dominance in South Africa. Robin Mousley, SPL-Chariot`s Regional Manager Cape, says: "SPL-Chariot has adopted an aggressive approach to the corporate market in the Cape in the past 12 months. We are tackling and penetrating this market with the delivery of local service and national support infrastructure as our differentiator."With the widespread move to a distributed computing environment and the ensuing increase in development on PCs, the need for structured change control process has become increasingly vital.A Request for Solution (RFS) was issued by Old Mutual in mid-1997 and SPL-Chariot responded, together with four others, for an evaluation of its offerings. By the end of 1997, review of the responses had been completed and an in-depth evaluation of the products carried out.SPL-Chariot and one other vendor were then issued with a Request for Proposal (RFP) as the short-listed companies. SPL-Chariot was finally selected on the basis that the company met the highest level of criteria, which included an established track record, a clear vision for the future of the product and a commitment to building a long-term relationship with the supplier. The ability of SPL-Chariot Cape to provide excellent local support as well as to offer training, consultation and institution of best practices on a local level was also a factor in the final decision.Mousley adds, "Old Mutual has shown clear recognition of the fact that a product cannot stand on its own without the processes and procedures in place. Companies like SPL-Chariot are showing that support needs to happen at all levels to form a real relationship with clients."
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