Pamoja has its eyes set on the evolving cloud services market, characterised by the rise of telcos and ISPs over traditional IT service providers.
The company is a provider of wholesale cloud computing services in southern and East Africa.
"By establishing a wholesale cloud services marketplace for SME solutions, the aim is to capitalise on the projected growth of cloud computing. We see cloud computing as a perfect fit for the African market, which has proven that it often quantum leaps technology trends," notes Albie Bester, GM of Pamoja.
Telcos and ISPs are looking to move up the value chain by enhancing their connectivity services with cloud-based IT services, he says.
"At the bottom end, we have the traditional business productivity services such as e-mail, collaboration, online back up and recovery, and cloud-based servers. The next layer focuses more on the business side of things and includes payroll, accounting and ERP. Ultimately, we see vertical solutions such as learning management and business management," Bester continues.
Bester notes that financial service providers are adding cloud services to their products in order to enhance the business value of their SME offerings and increase customer retention rates.
These institutions have also recognised the cloud as a source of new revenues, he adds, with global investments in cloud services projected to more than double from an estimated $55 billion in 2011 to almost $130 billion annually by 2015.
"With revenue consistently under pressure due to the economic slowdown, increased competition and the need for competitive pricing, telcos are looking for ways to maintain bottom-line profitability," Bester says.
"SMEs will get real benefit from the cloud when they can get most of their skills-intensive IT solutions delivered as services. While they can only get some services or have to use multiple cloud suppliers to get all their services, they will not experience the full benefit of the cloud," continues Bester.
Pamoja's cloud services will be provided through the company's network of data centres, located on the Seacom submarine infrastructure. The first cloud platform, Albie notes, is running in the Mtunzini cable landing station near Richards Bay. The second platform is planned for Kenya, after which roll out will occur as and where there is demand.
Pamoja has three channel partners in SA, three in Kenya, and is in discussions with others in Tanzania, Rwanda and Zambia.
"Our channel partners continue to experience a surge in interest in cloud services in the African market. The drivers range from organisations responding to the global interest around cloud computing, to organisations that look at driving business value from IT but cannot afford to deploy and operate all the business systems they require. At the base level, SMEs are looking for quality e-mail, intranet and accounting services. A basic cloud-based accounting service at below R120 per month is in high demand," explains Bester.
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