When an industry giant stands up, the world takes notice

Integr8 IT, South Africa's largest privately owned national BEE ICT network integration and infrastructure management specialist, over the past almost nine years, has established and grown a client-focused technical specialist consulting division to manage its expansion to markets abroad.

The ICT managed services provider has adopted a phased approach to the development and application of Integr8 IT Consultancy Services (ICS) to effectively trade across global frontiers.

ICS is effectively a concentration of an elite team of technical consultants and advisors that are the front line of the company's consulting services and portfolio management to clients.

Its role is to analyse, design, customise and test all functionality of current and emerging technology solutions on a global scale, to the advantage of its client's business.

"The focus of the consultancy services division is to establish the framework of what is required, technically, from a client and then design the foundation upon which this work will be done. Our viewpoint is based on the total process which involves stabilisation, optimisation and transformation via technology to improve operations," explains Robert Sussman, joint-MD of Integr8 IT.

A proven approach is required to create and apply meaningful business solutions on time and within budget, says Sussman.

ICT provides its services using Microsoft Solutions Framework, a flexible and scalable solution that meets the needs of any sized project.

"ICS has adopted the Microsoft Solutions Framework that provides an adaptable framework for successfully delivering information technology solutions faster, requiring fewer people, and involving less risk, while enabling higher quality results. The framework helps teams directly address the most common causes of technology project failure in order to improve success rates, solution quality, and business impact," adds Sussman.

This adopted framework has enabled ICS to spread its wings to engage with both domestic and international marketplaces. The focus is on consultation on a number of technologies including Active Directory, message and collaboration and security.

"We drive these technologies with high priority with all our customers which include security on different levels such as perimeter, Active Directory, patch management, auditing, anti-virus, anti-spam through the use of applications and devices such as System Centre Operations Manager (ACS), MS Forefront, GPOs, ISA server, IAG, etc.

Integr8 IT is a main driver of Microsoft technology and initial revenue can be seen by Microsoft through licensing of deployed software. We use the IO (infrastructure optimisation) model to advance our client's environment as well as creating revenue opportunities for both Integr8 IT and Microsoft," Sussman continues.

ICS management has taken its business model and services portfolio into new areas of operation and is currently working on projects in Botswana, Chile, Ghana, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, to name a few.

"Integr8 IT has also adopted the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) that is the industry-leading software security assurance process. We continue to provide a proactive service and add value by using the Microsoft's security development as it has been a Microsoft-wide initiative and a mandatory policy since 2004," says Sussman.

SDL has played a critical role in embedding security and privacy into Microsoft software and culture and has driven Integr8 IT to adopt the same culture. By combining a holistic and practical approach, the SDL introduces security and privacy early and throughout the development process. This way Integr8 IT keeps up the innovation and adoption of security at all times," he concludes.