Network infrastructure supplier and consultant, Ultra Network Solutions, and corporate ISP, The Internet Solution, have announced a partnership which will offer joint customers a complete networking service solution including full network creation, maintenance and the provision of a dedicated Internet connection.
"Any modern company needs a functioning network and connectivity to the Internet if they want to remain competitive," says Ken Marsden, director, business development at Ultra Network Solutions. "By partnering our expertise in installing networks and our consulting services, and The Internet Solution`s (IS) market leadership in the corporate ISP arena, we can now offer a complete end-to-end networking solution to our respective client bases."
The JV will see the companies offering a holistic solution to their clients, ranging from analysis, mapping, network installation and connectivity, including all hardware and software.
"Internet provision was always a by-product of network installation, but now we can provide a bundled solution with only one service provider interacting with the customer," continues Marsden.
As Ultra is aimed specifically at the SME market, and IS has always aimed at the corporate market, the partnership also offers both companies a chance to expand their business horizons. IS currently holds some 85 percent of the JSE-listed corporate market, and some 49 percent of the total corporate market, according to IS channel manager Rob Firer.
"All Ultra`s customers will now connect to our backbone, which is one of the largest in the country," says Firer. "Ultra will continue to be the single point of contact and support for the customer, which fits the market demand for only one interface for all networking and Internet connectivity issues."
Ultra supplies the entire network hardware, including the cabling, the PCs, the servers (IBM Netfinity or own brand as per customer desire), the hubs and routers and all other peripherals such as the requisite software. In addition, Ultra provides ongoing maintenance and monitoring of the entire network.
Ultra also physically monitors a customer`s system by loading software applications that check on utilisation, bandwidth demands, and a line monitoring system. The latter allows Ultra to identify potential telecom line issues before they become serious and allow for proactive measures to be taken.
"By converging the services of Ultra and IS, we are able to leverage the connectivity issue even further," concludes Marsden. "This means that in addition to offering network monitoring, we can use the system to engage in administration tasks for our clients, such as user creation, tape backups and so on - things that would otherwise require a person physically on site."
Ultra is a fully owned subsidiary of the Softline Group, while IS is a subsidiary of the Dimension Data Group. ULTRA has been supplying hardware, software and consultancy services to the South African business market for 12 years, while IS has been offering internet services to the corporate market for seven years.
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