Steenberg Office Park, Cape Town, 14 June 2007 - Networks Unlimited, a leading value-added distributor of IT security solutions for sub-Saharan Africa, has been independently verified in terms of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act, number 53 of 2003 and government's black economic empowerment strategy.
As per the codes of good practice gazetted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on 9 February 2007, Networks Unlimited achieved a Level 2 contributor status and the company is thus seen as having a BBBEE (broad-based black economic empowerment) procurement recognition level of 125%.
"We believe that selecting the BBBEE route for our company will allow us to reach a larger percentage of previously disadvantaged individuals (PDIs), thus uplifting their lives and careers and providing further growth to us as a company," comments Craig Copeland, director for Networks Unlimited.
Over the past 24 months, Networks Unlimited has progressively developed its internal policies regarding employment equity, skills development, preferential procurement, enterprise and socio-economic development, resulting in the company achieving such a high score, and in the process impacting many of its partners in their efforts to become recognised as empowered companies.
"We see this verification process as the beginning of an ongoing development process within Networks Unlimited, which will allow us to take the company to the next level, and assist the development of many PDIs and black empowered companies in the process. We offer ongoing sales and technical training to all our staff and partners, meaning that the products we distribute are supported at all channel levels in this territory."
A major step in the right direction for Networks Unlimited was the sale of the NetOp product client database and distributorship during the last financial year to Sisonke Software Solutions, a BEE enterprise development initiative. Sisonke Software Solutions is under the directorship of Ighsaan Akoojee, previously in the employment of Networks Unlimited for seven years, and the company currently enjoys a 100% PDI staff complement.
Networks Unlimited is the sole distributor for best-of-breed IT security products such as SurfControl Web and e-mail content filtering, IronPort e-mail appliances, PGP Encryption software and Webroot Spyware software. It plans to add to its growing range of award winning products. For further information about Networks Unlimited or its supported product base, please visit its Web site: www.nu.co.za.
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