Computer Reseller News Aug 08

July 2008

www.crn.co.za

Iomega

Inside This Issue Getting government business right p17>> Fujitsu Siemens touts Select Programme p19>> Are grey imports undermining channel legitimacy? p30>> Ingram Micro has new CEO p41>> 2008 CRN Partner Excellence Awards p45>>

engages gear Iomega is ramping up channel initiatives locally. Find out how the removable storage products vendor plans to woo solution providers that target the SoHo and SME storage market. p14>>

PUBLISHER’S: NOTE

Paying tribute to the women in IT

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ollectively, they have a voice that reverberates throughout the IT industry. Individually, their roles run the gamut from distribution executives to vendor channel directors to CEOs of solution provider and reseller companies. As we celebrate, recognise and honour women achievers in the local IT and the channel, here at CRN we also take cognisance of the contributions that women in general have made towards building a more racially and gender-balanced society. As is the norm in our publishing calendar, we pay tribute to those women who are the movers and shakers in IT and local channel. This year, CRN has decided to honour those influential women in the local IT industry who are making a mark for themselves and are inspiring other women to join them. When women from all over the world come together to celebrate their day, they can look back on an international tradition that represents at least nine decades of women wanting to participate in society on an equal footing with men. In celebrating National Women’s Day, which falls on 9 August in SA, CRN pays tribute to the local IT channel’s outstanding women achievers. Does gender hamper or aid advancement in the channel? What do the statistics really tell us? Through individual profiles highlighting their personal achievements and how they found themselves in IT, CRN is letting women tell their stories and what their roles entail. This year, there are more 18 women on our list we are profiling. The women of years past paved the way for those who came after them. Today’s Women in IT will do the same for the generations to come. As we salute these movers and shakers, we believe that it is through their participation in the IT and channel space that a lot of progress continues to be made as more and more women are getting into middle and senior management positions. As a publication that supports equal opportunities for all, we firmly believe that by honouring these women, we are also dispelling the myth that IT is or should be a male-dominated industry. By paying tribute to these women, we are also hoping that their individual achievements will influence others to consider careers in IT, particularly young girls who would like to pursue careers in industries that are predominantly seen as a male only domain such as IT, engineering, mining and geology, to mention a few. In the pages that follow, CRN features some of the most influential women in the local channel: discussing their roles in the sector, how they joined the IT industry and their rise to fame. To all women happy Women’s Day and always remember the struggle continues – Aluta Continua! Enjoy the read and I let me know what you would like us to tackle in CRN. I can be reached at [email protected]

Manda Banda – publisher

Contents News & Analysis 4 – What’s News 6 – Comings and Goings 8 – Dmoves 10 – High Five: Panda Security 14 – Cover story: The Intelligent Network. Cisco’s senior VP Worldwide

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Channels, Keith Goodwin is upbeat partners will benefit from intelligent networking. By Manda Banda CRN Contacts: Publisher: Manda Banda [email protected]

16 – HP has updated its Preferred Partner Programme with new initiatives focused on profitable growth and business development. By Dudu Shaba

18 – Cisco Extreme Business Makeover reaches out to SMBs. By Dudu Shaba

Online editor:

20 – GovTech: This year’s GovTech conference was a great event for resellers,

Kaunda Chama

not only because they were able to see and hear about plans made by government,

[email protected] Journalists: Portia Shaba [email protected]

the biggest ICT customer in the country, but also to learn about some of the

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pledges and suggestions made by key players in the public sector. By Kaunda Chama

22 – Demand Generator: NC Solution X300 boosts PostNet’s Internet Cafes. By Dominic Khuzwayo

Dominic Khuzwayo

23 – Microsoft Partner Summit 2008. By Kaunda Chama

[email protected] Brand executive:

Features

Hellen Murahwa

28 – Ease of use drives accounting software boom.

[email protected]

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By Dudu Shaba

Sub-editor: Jenny Bastomsky [email protected]

32 – Wireless networking has become a pre requisite. By Dudu Shaba

Designer: Spencer van Graan

37 – Mobile technology aids in addressing economic challenges.

[email protected]

By Dudu Shaba

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Database and subscriptions: Daisy Mulenga [email protected]

40 – Women in IT CRN pays Tribute women movers and shakers in the SA IT channel space. By Manda Banda, Dudu Shaba, Kaunda Chama, George Maseko and

copyright notice CRN Southern Africa is published monthly by Systems Publishers (Pty) Ltd. The copyright of all material in this publication is reserved by the proprietors, except where expressly stated. The publisher, however, will consider reasonable requests for the use of material by others on condition that the source and author of the report are clearly attributed. Due to the nature of the newspaper print process, Systems Publishers cannot be held responsible for colour variations in printed advertising. Printed by Ultra Litho. CRN Southern Africa is a licensee of CMP Media LLC.

Private Bag X12, Rivonia, 2128 Tel: (011) 234 7008 Fax: (011) 234 7025 Registered with the Audit Bureau of Circulation

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Stanley Chishala.

Parting Shots

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56 – Snapshot: Dan Engel, Polycom

56 – Dilbert

CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • AUGUST 2008

Scans in this publication have been reproduced on the EPSON PERFECTiON 2450 photo

WHAT’S

NEWS

COMINGS Serima jumps to SAP Pfungwa Serima, ex Microsoft boss will take over the helm of SAP’s Africa region, which was under the stewardship of Claas Kuehnemann MD, SAP Africa. Serima will be responsible for strategic planning, operational excellence, sales and field operations, professional services and Pfungwa Serima overall performance in the Africa region. “I am honoured to join SAP’s winning team and to work with it on expanding the strong foundation that has been built in the region.” Serima adds that his main focus is to ensure that African businesses look increasingly to IT as the basis for business innovation and to improve their profitability.

SAS appoints sales head SAS Institute has announced the appointment of Kevin Kemp as its dedicated sales manager. “We are in an exciting time at SAS and are investing heavily in our people, Kemp’s appointment is a key component of this investment,” says Kerry Evans, general manager, commercial division, Kevin Kemp SAS South Africa. Tasked with building up the personal and client relationship skills of the team, Kemp brings 17 years of experience in which he has served in roles within the insurance, banking and ICT industries. Kemp recently held senior positions at GijimaAST where he was responsible for the financial services and retail services units.

Stephen Moore to manage CommVault Stephen Moore has joined Workgroup to head the company’s CommVault division. His experience includes a stint in operations management at Acer Africa and he was a partner in the creation of Jokers Wild Productions. “As Stephen Moore CommVault product manager, I’ve been tasked with promoting the brand, increasing market share and setting up a solid client base. A large part of this will be maintaining strong relationships with our partners, and ensuring they are up to speed on the product offering and the value add it brings to South African end-users,” he says.

New PR manager at Microsoft.

Adrian Wainwright

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Adrian Wainwright has been appointed new PR and image manager for Microsoft SA. Adrian comes to Microsoft SA from Microsoft West, East and Central Africa (WECA) – a team he joined two years ago as the PR and communications manager. More recently, Adrian assumed

CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • AUGUST 2008

&

the central marketing lead role, which saw him taking broader responsibility for BG and segment marketing. Prior to Microsoft, Adrian spent over 10 years in account direction and content generation roles at different agencies, handling PR and throughthe-line communications campaigns for a broad spectrum of local and international ICT companies, including Microsoft.

Timm now with HP

HP has announced the appointment of Allan Timm as sales director, HP SA. Timm joins the HP team from Faritec where he held the position of group sales director. Oliver Fortuin, TSG Country Manager says, “Timm will be responsible for driving HP sales, creating a new TSG sales culture Allan Timm and building an investment plan for the sales team. He hopes to significantly influence the strategic aspects of the HP sales organisation in SA.” Fortuin adds that Timm’s appointment marks an important step forward in growing HP’s sales with a well-led sales force.

3Com promotes Wiggill 3Com, one of the leading global networking companies, has promoted Derek Wiggill to regional sales director for Africa. Wiggill joined 3Com in January 2007 as regional telecommunications sales manager. Before that he was sales director of Redline Communications, where he Derek Wiggill was responsible for opening its Africa office. He has extensive experience in telecommunications, consultancy and channel management in the region, and is responsible for defining strategy for 3Com in Africa and driving innovative solutions that benefit partners and customers. Wiggill says: “3Com is committed to providing the highest level of service and support to its customers in Africa as well as maximising the tremendous growth opportunities that exist across the region.”

EMC has new technology solutions manager EMC South Africa recently appointed Palesa Mapetla technology solutions manager. Mapetla holds a diploma in business IT systems and Advanced Business Programme Management from Wits Technikon. She was also a recently awarded her MBA from the University of Johannesburg. She combines her formidable Palesa Mapetla qualifications with considerable industry experience, having worked for several years in various roles at other international IT vendors. Mapetla will be responsible for IT service management (ITSM), backup and recovery, consolidation and related disciplines.

G O I N G S

WHAT’S

NEWS

Ingram Micro adds backup solutions

Citrix unveils Project Kensho

Ingram Micro SA has added a full range of HP tape drives to its portfolio. Jacques van Zijl, product manager, Ingram Micro SA, says this will enable the company to sell HP tape drives to customers, while HP installs services and provides the warranties on the solutions.

Citrix Systems, one of the global leaders in application delivery infrastructure, has announced the release of Project Kensho, which is designed to allow independent software vendors (ISVs) and enterprise IT managers to easily create hypervisor-independent, portable enterprise application workloads. These tools are set to allow application workloads to be imported and run across Citrix XenServer, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and VMware ESX virtual environments. Project Kensho will enable ISVs and enterprise IT staff to leverage a hypervisor-independent portable virtual machine format that packages a complete application workload as a secure, portable and pre-configured open standard virtual appliance.

Citrix expands channel program Citrix Systems has extended its Citrix Advisor Rewards programme to pay channel partners on sales of Citrix XenServer software. The programme, originally introduced in 2004, pays Citrix Solution Advisers for designing and delivering solutions based on Citrix application delivery products. According to the company, the programme has been extend to include embedded versions of XenServer and eliminates any potential channel conflict with OEM partners. This also ensures strong incentives across the board by compensating partners that influence embedded XenServer deals as well as those who fulfil them.

ProScan launches GPS system ProScan Enterprise Mobility has launched the CoPilot Live 7 GPS from ALK Technologies for Windows smart phones and pocket PCs. Andrew Fosbrook, group MD, ProScan says that the CoPilot Live 7 software redefines mobile satellite navigation with its simple and intuitive menus, new clearer 2D and 3D map views, and real-time mobile Internet navigation-based services. “The redesigned destination entry makes finding to destinations simple, with step-by-step address entry, finger-touch buttons and predictive address matching. Frequently used features are quickly accessible, including changing the map view and locating the nearest petrol station,” he says.

HP goes gold HP has launched its upgraded and expanded Gold Preferred Partner Programme to the local market. HP announced that it will invest in additional channel sales resources for its preferred partner programme, while including a new gold level and a new virtualisation specialisation. “We believe in our partner strategy more than ever,” says Mark Perry, country manager, solutions partner organisation, HP, SA “Our channel commitment is defined by business results and we’re investing heavily in partners who share this vision, while making it simpler and more rewarding to work with us,” adds Perry. With the new programme, HP aims to extend its flagship programme to even more resellers looking to maximise their relationships with the company.

GovTech needs make-over Public and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi stressed the need to change GovTech from being a talk shop to a more outcomes-focused event. She says the government’s IT agenda should be one the people follow to make a difference, especially considering the huge budget that is set aside for ICT procurement by the government. Fraser-Moleketi stresses that ICT should be primarily used to find solutions to the challenges the country faces. She adds that making a success out of the technology that the government procures goes beyond effective public private partnerships (PPPs) to cohesion within government organisations like OGCIO, GITOC Council and SITA.

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CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • AUGUST 2008

Acer presents P243W widescreen display Acer has released the new P243W LCD monitor, a 24-inch widescreen display for the home or small office environment. According to John Geypen, business development manager Acer SA, the widescreen display integrates the latest panel technology for an improved contrast ratio of 3000:1, wide viewing angle of 170° and 400 cd/m? brightness. He says the P243W supports resolutions of 1 920 x 1 200 and 94.1 pixels per inch (PPI) enabling users to take full advantage of the latest multimedia applications. “This new 16:10 widescreen monitor allows media lovers and professionals to comfortably view multiple applications simultaneously,” he adds.

New Logitech driving force Logitech will release a wireless force feedback racing wheel for the Playstation 3 console. Robert van de Vegte, regional director, Logitech SA says the device is very quick to set up and easy to store. “The Driving Force Wireless force feedback wheel delivers the type of racing experience you’d expect from a Logitech force feedback wheel and the one-piece design is easy to set up and just as easy to put away, keeping the living room free of clutter,” says Van de Vegte. The Logitech Driving Force Wireless force feedback wheel is expected to be available in SA in September at a suggested retail price is R1 199, including VAT.

Sahara unleashes desktop PCs Sahara Computers has released its latest range of desktop PCs. The latest offering is designed to meet the needs of a growing end-user base as resellers experience an increase in demand for competitively priced, multi-functional PC solutions. Gary Naidoo, deputy MD at Sahara, says the company has received substantial feedback from its resellers indicating an increase in demand for desktop PCs, from entry-level to the high-end gaming market. “The focus is on quality, feature-rich desktop products. Aspects such as LCD monitors, the latest in sound and graphic cards, wireless peripheral devices, Internet connectivity and the most up-to-date software are all key factors behind a decision to invest in desktop solutions,” he says.

ANALYSIS: DISTRIBUTION

MOVES

SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

Westcon SA partners with Symantec Westcon SA, one of the leaders in the networking field, has formed a partnership with storage and security specialist Symantec. Jacques Malherbe, CEO, Westcon SA says: “Westcon SA is committed to its channel and continuously aims to offer its partners the best value in the business. To ensure that Westcon SA offers the best-of-breed technology, it is crucial to build partnerships with industry leaders such as Symantec,” he adds. Mark Smissen, channel manager, Symantec Africa adds that the prospect of working with Westcon across Africa is a significant step for Symantec, especially as Westcon SA demonstrates a keen vision to expand Symantec’s reach outside of the traditional enterprise space.

Comztek gets Iomega account ICT distributor Comztek has added Iomega to its dynamic consumer electronics product line. Heinz Stephen, director of consumer electronics, Comztek says, “Iomega fits in perfectly with the rest of Comztek’s blue-chip product mix. The partnership with Iomega puts us in a unique position to offer our customers true end-to-end solutions in the consumer electronics market.” Stephen explains: “The decision to work with Iomega was an easy one. Comztek sought a partner that would match its culture of innovation and customer-centric service delivery together with providing reliable quality products, and this was achieved through the partnership with Iomega.”

BDS appoints Ugandan partner Bytes Document Solutions, has partnered with Service and Computer Industries (SCI). Coenraad Ackerman, Africa operations manager, Bytes Document Solutions says that SCI has been chosen because of its strong reputation in Uganda as an independent services provider. “The company has entrenched partnerships with some of the world’s leading ICT companies, demonstrating a depth of experience that makes it an ideal Ugandan partner for us,” he says. Amitava Chatterjee, project manager, SCI says, “We are focused, with the support of Bytes Document Solutions, on providing superior delivery and implementation of Xerox products and solutions to our customers and to follow through with quality after-sales support.”

Biodata gets rights from IBM Biodata, local security distribution company, has secured rights to distribute IBM Internet Security Systems (ISS) products. According to Biodata, it is currently the only distributor of ISS products in the region, and plans to deliver the full scope of ISS security solutions in SA, Namibia, Swaziland and Lesotho. “As a specialised security distributor with a wide array of solutions in our stable, we feel the IBM ISS range truly complements our current offerings,” says Christian Runte, MD, Biodata.

Workgroup now CommVault disti Workgroup has landed the exclusive distribution rights to CommVault Simpana software. According to Stephen Moore company?designation?, “While there are a host of synergies between the two companies, with Simpana working seamlessly with a range of our hosted products like Microsoft and VMware, we’re looking forward to branding the product locally and cementing it as a singular information man-

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CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • AUGUST 2008

agement tool to be reckoned with.” Nick Wonfor, country manager, Africa, CommVault concurs saying: “CommVault’s partnership with Workgroup was the natural next step in its growth phase internationally.”

WAM signs with Rifle-Shot WAM Systems, one of the leading providers of supply chain planning solutions, has signed a distribution agreement with Rifle-Shot Performance Holdings. Jack Weiss, CEO, WAM Systems says: “RifleShot’s wealth of knowledge, its strong customer base and expertise in the process industry in both South and sub Saharan Africa made it the ideal partner to assist us in expanding our business in Africa.” “Our product range fits well within the climate of opportunity in Africa,” adds Weiss. Ian Huntly, Rifle-Shot Performance Holdings MD comments: “We are very excited about this partnership and the expanded benefits we are now able to offer our clients through WAM Systems’ solutions.”

Pinnacle Micro gets Cherry deal Pinnacle Micro has signed a distribution agreement with specialised computer input devices manufacturer Cherry GmbH. According to Hans Steyn, business development manager, Pinnacle Micro, the replacement market for keyboards in sectors such as retail and banking, and general points-ofsale will easily be in excess of R1 billion. “All current keyboards will, over the next year or two, have to be replaced so that they will be able to transact with the new EMV technology,” says Steyn. In addition, Cherry keyboards are integrated with contact/contactless smart card readers as well as standalone smart-card readers, which have been awarded certification from the USA security programme.

TomTom gives distribution to Rectron TomTom, one of the market leaders in portable navigation systems, has appointed Rectron as its sole local distributor. The appointment of Rectron follows Tom Tom’s ending its relationship with Core Peripherals SA in May this year. Joost Jetten, TomTom regional manager, South Africa and Middle East, says TomTom has identified Rectron as the ideal partner to help it expand its distribution network, set up the required presence and further establish the brand in SA. “Since Rectron focuses on best-of-breed products, TomTom is clearly the quality brand we want to be identified with,” says Mark Lu, Rectron chairman and CEO.

Lexmark secures Itec, OfficeSmart Lexmark, through its Value Print Partner Programme, has secured local partnerships with office solutions providers, Itec Distribution and OfficeSmart. “Lexmark’s channel-centred culture now offers an additional avenue of revenue for service dealers,” says Lawrence van Namen, Lexmark sales director. “Itec and OfficeSmart’s immediate commitment is a clear indication that the programme will be accepted in SA,” adds Van Namen. According to Lexmark, the programme’s “save more” philosophy provides channel partners with the tools to help their customers print less and gain control over their printing costs, which can equal between one and three per cent of a company’s turnover.

HIGH FIVE: EMC SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

EMC appoints new technology

solutions manager EMC gearing for growth. BY DOMINIC KHUZWAYO Palesa Mapetla is the new technology solutions manager at EMC, one of the leading developers and providers of information infrastructure technology and solutions. Mapetla holds a diploma in business IT systems and another in Advanced Business Programme Management from Wits Technikon. She combines her formidable qualifications with considerable industry experience, having worked for several years in various roles at other international IT vendors. CRN had a chat with Mapetla about her new position. CRN: What is your management style? PM: My personal leadership style is one of being approachable. I like to consult with my colleagues and to draw on the broad range of skills and expertise within my team to ensure that we develop solutions that offer clients powerful, compelling and meaningful solutions. CRN: What changes are you making? PM: I will be implementing changes and restructuring my department with an increased focus on services. This will include a specific sales focus in the services arena, with particular emphasis on high-end services. We are going to offer best-practice services and solutions, leveraging off the benefits of the experience that EMC has gained, particularly in the Middle East. CRN: What challenges is the storage sector facing? PM: Our Expanding Digital Universe survey, which we conduct in conjunction with IDC, indicates that the volume of data is growing at an increasingly rapid rate and that it should reach 1.8 zettabytes by 2011, a compound annual growth rate of 60 per cent. This vast volume of data will need to be stored and managed effectively and efficiently to ensure that critical data is always available when required. One of the key issues this highlights is the requirement for storage hardware. CRN: What benefits is EMC offering customers? PM: EMC has evolved substantially over the past few years and through acquisitive growth and internal innovation and development, we offer a far more comprehensive range of solutions and products than ever before. Wherever individuals and organisations are using information to imagine, to discover, to create, and to build relationships, you’re very likely to find EMC working behind the scenes to enable this by making information fit and ready for use. We created the Information Lifecycle Management category and we are evolving this proposition in line with constantly changing information management requirements. CRN: Where do you see EMC in the future? PM: EMC will continue to focus on four areas of information man-

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CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • AUGUST 2008

“We are going to offer best-practice services and solutions, leveraging off the benefits of the experience that EMC has gained in the Middle East in particular.” – Palesa Mapetla, EMC.

agement: storage; protection; optimisation; and leveraging. We will assist companies with their information requirements through: Managing growth – particularly as there is a dramatic growth in the amount of information and the storage of this will pose increased infrastructure complexity Managing risk –where we will play a role in protecting against information loss, securing information against unauthorised access, and complying with legal and corporate mandates Managing effectiveness – where we will play a role in reducing capital and operational costs, improving flexibility and responsiveness, and delivering service levels demanded by the business Creating new value – where we will leverage information in new ways, using infrastructure to drive the business.

COVER

STORY:

CISCO SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

Intelligent Networking Pioneering a new IT path. BY MANDA BANDA

I

n the aftermath of the 2008 global Cisco Partner Summit held in Honolulu in April, Cisco Systems is urging its channel partners globally to follow it down a new path and on a course it believes will catapult it and its channel community to the forefront of the IT industry. That path, according to the vendor, is Intelligent networking which has been stimulating and continues to enhance collaboration via online Web 2.0 tools and Softwareas-a-Service (SaaS). The collaboration strategy Cisco has been preaching in the channel over the past three years is a combination of technologies such as VoIP, unified messaging, instant messaging, IP video, Telepresence, mobility, SaaS and Web tools like blogs and Wikis.

“If you look at our business, 96 per cent goes through the channel.” – Steve Midgley, Cisco In fact, the networking vendor has been at the forefront of making it easier for customers to communicate easily with each other using an amalgamation of technologies as the linchpin of its broader intelligent networking strategy. Clearly, a combination of the above technologies is the foundation on which Cisco’s strategy is based as it rallies partners to go beyond their traditional networking focus of selling and implementing routers and switches. To this end, Cisco is moving towards software and is advising solution providers to skill up and get their hands on software applications or find someone to partner with who is operating in this space. The networking and convergence solutions vendor is moving away from its traditional business focus and embracing software to be at the forefront of what should be its key offering in the new intelligent network. As this strategy becomes clearer, Cisco does not want to leave its partners behind

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and is urging them to get up to speed with applications or partner with their peers who are well vested in this market.

SaaS investment Cisco’s SaaS strategy has gained momentum following the vendor’s US$3.2 billion acquisition of WebEx Communications in May 2007. At the time of concluding the deal, industry pundits touted the purchase would yield a long-term impact on Cisco. In an exclusive interview with CRN SA, Keith Goodwin, senior VP worldwide channels at Cisco, says the main motivation behind the push of intelligent networking and SaaS is to ensure that Cisco becomes the most influential IT company in the next three to five years. Goodwin says Cisco resellers around the globe will have to adapt to take advantage of the collaboration opportunity, even in the way they engage with the company. “Traditionally, we have been strong in the networking space,” he notes. “To capitalise on the opportunities that have been created as a result of Web 2.0 technologies, partners will have to not only invest in systems but solutions and software capabilities.” Goodwin emphasises that changing the way partners do business with Cisco is not enough as they need to evolve themselves and their business models for them to capitalise on the opportunities that are emerging. He says through initiatives such as the Industry Solutions Partner Networking (ISPN), which has brought over 200 Cisco solution providers globally into direct contact with ISVs, the company has been able to assist partners to jump onto the software applications bandwagon. “We are investing a lot in SaaS as we believe it is a multi-billion dollar industry,” he says. Locally, Cisco has three partners enrolled on the ISPN programme following its launch in August 2007. Prabashni Pillay, regional channel manag-

COVER SOLUTION

STORY:

CISCO

PROVIDERS

er at Cisco Systems SA, says the local subsidiary has two partners serving the mining sector and one partner playing in the real estate industry enrolled on the ISPN programme. Pillay adds that four more partners are to register before year end, which will go a long way in persuading others to join the programme. “Through our interactions with these partners, we are getting positive feedback,” she says.

Pilot channel programmes As Cisco maps out channel building blocks to assist channel partners, it is also testing a number of channel programmes for partners working in service models particularly outsourcing and managed services. In addition to a managed services pilot programme launched in the second half of last year and another pilot initiative around WebEx, the company it acquired this year, Cisco is also piloting a channel programme for outsourcing. In fact, the outsourcing programme is part of a strategy that Goodwin unveiled at the 2006 Partner Summit conference with the aim of creating what he dubbed then as “offer-based” partner programmes. Steve Midgley, country manager at Cisco Systems SA, says although these programmes have not been kick-started locally, there is a lot of interest from local partners. The vendor will start local pilots at the start on the fourth quarter. Midgley says the interest emanates from the fact that Cisco’s addressable market in SA has doubled. “If you look at our business, 96 per cent goes through the channel,” he says. “Locally, we only have one direct client.”

Product roadmap With the vendor having launched its Aggregation Services Router (ASR) family of products earlier this year, Goodwin says the company sees virtualisation as an area that is growing and should receive more attention from Cisco both from a technology and product perspective. In addition, Goodwin says SME networking products, the new midrange routers together with video and Telepresence products are slated to receive a lot of attention this year. “It is vital to point out that while we are embracing software and services that go with software applications, Cisco will continue to bring to market networking solutions in the SME,

Keith Goodwin, Cisco

“Changing the way partners do business with Cisco is not enough as they need to evolve themselves and their business models for them to capitalise on opportunities that are emerging.” – Keith Goodwin, Cisco

midrange and enterprise space that have made it a strong and trusted brand,” he says. While many solution provider partners are upbeat about Cisco’s vision and push of the intelligent network and what it can do, enduser customers who, in essence, are supposed to benefit from these initiatives are slow to embrace full-scale collaboration and Web 2.0 solutions. The success of Cisco’s partners in changing the mindset of their customers will be the yard stick on which Cisco’s vision of intelligent networking will be measured.

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ANALYSIS: HP SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

HP

updates Preferred Partner Programme New Gold level for 2009. BY DUDU SHABA

H

P has updated its Preferred Partner Programme with new initiatives focused on profitable growth and business development. Mark Perry, Country Manager, SPO, HP, says HP has invested in additional channel sales resources for its Preferred Partner Programme and included a new Gold level for 2009. According to Perry, the Gold level for 2009 is for Partners who are specialists that have gone the extra mile in terms of accreditation and dollar commitment to HP.

register should be catering to the enterprise and public sector and be registered by 1 September 2008. HP Gold Preferred Partners are required to meet the following criteria:  Revenue threshold  HP Certified Professional Certifications  Specialisation-specific criteria  Self-profiling  Sales and service partner contracts with HP

Revenue threshold

“The Gold level for 2009 is for partners who are specialists and have gone the extra mile in terms of accreditation and dollar commitment to HP.” – Mark Perry, HP “These partners operate in the corporate enterprise and public sector space. They will offer specialised solutions to their customers and their Gold status will further HP’s commitment to these partners and vice versa,” he says. The updated Preferred Partner Programme will benefit partners by suiting their market conditions, enabling them to experience big technology shifts and implementing quicker to their markets. “We have very good programmes for our partners and we can’t keep them stagnant, our partners will get bored. There are many technological and environmental changes taking place and we have to keep them informed. In addition to that, we found that the existing Preferred Partner Programme is still desirable and growing bigger, so we looked at our programme and standardised around the world,” he says. Perry says that eligible Gold partners have been identified. Partners who still want to

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CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • AUGUST 2008

Perry says to apply for entry into the Gold Preferred Partner Programme partners are required to meet sales revenue of $2 million (net value) per annum from HP SA authorised distributors for the previous full 12-month period. He says that partners wishing to specialise in any of the focus areas below, will need to ensure that they meet the necessary individual specialisation requirements by 1 September 2008. He states that the 2009 specialisations are:  Computing Systems  High-Performance Computing  DataCentre Solutions  StorageWorks Solutions  Virtualisation  Workstations  ProCurve Networking  Service  Professional Service Partner (previously ASDP specialisation)  Authorised Services Partner (previously ABSP specialisation)  Office Printing  Office Printing Solutions  Large Format Printing

ANALYSIS: HP SOLUTION

HP Certified Professional Certifications Perry says that the HP Certified Professional Programme is structured around five certification focus areas which are sales, pre-sales, integration, administration and development. “There is a requirement to achieve and maintain at least two Accredited Sales Professional Certifications or one Accredited Sales Professional Certifications and one Accredited Pre-sales Professional Certification,” he explains. HP recommends the following certification for partners who are new to the HP Certified Professional Programme – Commercial Solutions Sales Professional or Commercial Solutions Presales Professional. “For those partners operating in the enterprise market we have an equivalent Sales and Presales Certifications in Enterprise Solutions. HP Certified Professional Certification can be achieved through the passing of the required exams. Sales exams can typically be taken on the Web, technical exams will normally require a visit to a secured Prometric exam centre,” he comments. Once partners have completed all of the above, they should email [email protected] requesting entry into the programme, with: “Request for Entry into the Preferred Partner Programme” in the subject header. Perry goes on to say that partners who want to be considered for membership of the 2009 HP Preferred Partner Programme should consider the following criteria:  Revenue threshold – Preferred Partner Programme partners are required to meet sales revenue of $100 K net value per annum from SA HP authorised distributors  Self-Profiling – HP Preferred Partners must complete and submit self-profile information on an ongoing basis. The information required ranges from general contact details and job functions to employee statistics, turnover for the past two financial years, business segmentation and focus, product turnover, vertical market details and details of other vendors used and brands  ASP – Partner Fundamentals Training  HP Certified Professional Certifications – the HP Certified

PROVIDERS

Mark Perry, HP Professional Programme is structured with five certification focus areas: Sales, Presales, Integration, Administration and Development.  SSP Contract – To sign and return the SSP contract, the request can be sent to [email protected] with: “Contract Request” in the subject header. For 2009, Perry says that HP is also aggressively targeting the small business small office (SBSO) Preferred Partners. “We are creating a pool in this market for HP products. We will do this via marketing as well as our acquisition database,” he says. Perry says the updated Preferred Partner Programme will enable its partners to have more market share and be more profitable. “HP is a channel organisation and we have been dealing with partners for many years. Our updated Preferred Partner Programme endorses our new commitment to the channel and shows that it will continuously evolve,” he concludes.

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ANALISYS: CISCO SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

Reaching

out to SMEs

Cisco’s Extreme Business improves productivity. BY DUDU SHABA

A

s part of its commitment to stimulating economic growth by making technology more accessible to small and medium businesses (SMBs), Cisco has this month announced the winner of its Extreme Business Makeover competition. The Cisco Extreme Business Makeover competition, which targeted SMEs in SA, was launched in March this year. Val Moodley, regional sales manager for Commercial, Cisco SA, says the exciting initiative was aimed at working with SMEs to assess what their current networks entail, what their actual requirements are and how they can grow by implementing bestin-class Cisco technology. Moodley says SMEs were offered an opportunity for a total makeover of their network, free of charge.

Val Moodley, Cisco SA

“After receiving more than 350 entries, Cisco announced Redpeg the deserving winner on 7 August 2008 in Sandton. The overall prize is a complete networking transformation featuring the latest Cisco products and solutions valued at R300 000. The campaign marked another step forward in Cisco’s ongoing commitment to help stimulate economic growth by making technology more accessible to SMEs,” he says. The competition was open to all businesses in SA, employing between 8 and 250 people, which had been trading for three or more years. “To take part and qualify, participating businesses had to answer various questions, such as how the Cisco technology will enhance their business growth and efficiency. Cisco received a massive response to the competition. The number of entries exceeded all expectations. We had entries from SMBs from all around the country which proved that local SMEs are increasingly looking to build an IT infrastructure that will present them with a differentiator,” he says. In determining the deserving winner, Moodley says that a panel of ICT and SME industry experts assessed the entries and evaluated them against various criteria to determine the competition winner. “Our technology experts will now conduct a detailed analysis of Redpeg’s needs and instigate a renewal of its technology platform with Cisco integrated solutions, including a fully integrated Cisco network with voice, video, wireless communication and desktop applications,” he says. “As our business grew, so did our requirement for a reliable, well integrated and cost-effective networking and communications infrastructure. Managing the vast amounts of data we work with in a secure, reliable and cost-effective manner is key to our business, so is the ability for employees working remotely to access this informa-

ANALISYS: CISCO SOLUTION

tion,” says Tracy Jean-Pierre, founder and director, Redpeg. “As our existing system no longer meets our business requirements, we are thrilled to be the winners of this makeover. The

call for the larger IT industry players to be more supportive of the SME market and provide enablers for them to grow. “Through campaigns such as our Extreme Business Makeover we are able to demon-

“The Extreme Business Makeover competition marks another milestone in Cisco South Africa’s ongoing commitment to help stimulate economic growth by making technology more accessible to small and medium businesses (SMEs).” – Val Moodley, Cisco SA

new Cisco network will enable our employees to remain connected, productive and able to access the information they need in an efficient and reliable manner. Additionally, the ability to collaborate with various stakeholders in creating up to date and quality HIV/Aids material and reports is essential to maintaining a competitive advantage,” Jean-Pierre adds. According to Moodley, there has been a

strate that Cisco is responding to this call by delivering tangible support for this growing portion of our economy. Our research indicates that SMBs are becoming increasingly sophisticated and demanding in their use of technology; they are now in a position to take advantage of what has always been within the realm of larger organisations. Until recently, large enterprises had an edge over SMEs with regard to emerging tech-

PROVIDERS

nologies,” says Moodley. Moodley explains that the common challenge faced by small businesses is finding the right technology tools to increase productivity and efficiency. “As part of our ongoing commitment to the SME segment, we are pleased to be playing an important role in assisting them to transform the way they do business. In Redpeg’s case, we believe our technology solution will provide it with the tools it needs to increase productivity and competitiveness, and develop quality materials and reports to create competitive distinction Effectively, we see ourselves as the change agent, creating new opportunities for SA SMEs to leverage and grow their businesses and contribute towards job creation. The kinds of solutions we provide are simple roadmaps that emphasise scalability of technology as well as optimisation of costs. In driving our messaging through, we used various media, including print, broadcast and online, and it’s thanks to all these media institutions that we were able to reach so many SMEs,” Moodley concludes.

ANALYSIS: GOVTECH SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

Govtech 2008, great for resellers Formulating action plans. BY KAUNDA CHAMA

T

his year’s GovTech conference was a great event for resellers, not only because they were able to see and hear about plans made by government, the biggest ICT customer in the country, but also to learn about some of the pledges and suggestions made by key players in the public sector. To start with, Telkom announced it will continue updating its infrastructure, which is great news for channel players that are lucky enough to be part of Telkom tenders. For example, a spokesperson from the fixed-line operator mentioned that the company is setting up WCDMA networks as a way of deterring the cable thefts that have plagued the company for many years.

“What we want to do as a government is give our citizens a ‘single view’ of the public sector so that we can better serve them.” – Frazer-Moleketi

This will also contribute to improved bandwidth availability and affordability as end-users become more sophisticated, and at the same time be a better facilitator of e-government. At the event, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine FrazerMoleketi stressed the need to change conferences such as GovTech from being mere talk shops to being events where stakeholders can formulate action plans that are actually followed through. The minister said IT spend must make a

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significant difference in the business of the companies that supply it to the public sector as well as improve the functioning of government departments considering the sheer size of the public sector’s annual IT budget. “IT should be used to find answers and solutions to the challenges faced by both the government and its citizens but, at the end of the day, collaboration between local IT suppliers and government? is critical in achieving this,” she explained. Adding on to the fact that collaboration is a prerequisite to success Frazer-Moleketi said that it should go beyond just being between the government and its suppliers but also within government structures themselves. “These structures must ensure that they get the basics right if they intend providing effective service delivery. I must also caution against conference euphoria where people leave and forget most of what they discussed. We need to make GovTech a real knowledge platform and not just a talk shop,” she said. Former State Information Technology Agency (SITA) CEO Llewellyn Jones stated that 2008 has been an eye opener for both the private and public sectors because of the global economic downturn. As good news for local channel players, Jones announced that SITA would ensure that local distributors and resellers enjoy the majority of public sector business. This, he said, would help to develop the local IT sector, which has been going through turbulent times. He said that although the power crisis still hangs over the country, he sees 2008 as a year of change with the emphasis on strategies. “Even us as an agency have shifted from

ANALYSIS: GOVTECH SOLUTION

being a very inward focused entity primarily focused on fixing SITA to one that is more outwardly focused on helping government better deliver services through IT,” Jones said. He added that although the S ITA Act makes it mandatory for companies to go through the agency when doing business with the public sector, Jones would like companies to do business through SITA because of its quality of business and level of service. The agency has committed to maintaining a collaborative delivery model where it will ensure the involvement of local technology suppliers, while at the same time adopting a shared services model. SITA could potentially set aside more than R500 million for the extension of its ICT infrastructure as a way of ensuring that it remains financially stable. “We will deliberately focus on working with local companies to get the best technology solutions into the public sector. Although the multi-nationals are perceived to have the best solutions on the market, a good number of local hardware and software developers and system integrators have been making an impact globally,” Jones explained. One hopes the person who takes over from him shares these feelings as this could help further the local ICT channel which is struggling. He added that SITA will also work to help develop local small development houses through the imposition that they are involved in its procurement process. He, however, could not give an indication of how much local companies could potentially gain from the agency’s millions in?. Of the areas that companies can target to gain reasonable revenues from the public sector, Jones said that networking, hardware (server consolidation) and software licensing are hot areas. He added that most of the spending will be on networking, which is critical in facilitating better service delivery. commented that local distributors and resellers have great potential for revenue generation as the government continues on its journey towards automating and integrating its service delivery processes through ICT. “What we want to do as a government is give our citizens a ‘single view’ of the public sector so that we can better serve them,” she said. Another area where local technology

PROVIDERS

Llewellyn Jones, SITA

providers might make money is through the provision of technology products and services to the public sector while it strives

“Although the power crisis still hangs over the country, he sees 2008 as a year of change with the emphasis on strategies.” – Llewellyn Jones, SITA to upgrade its systems in line with the requirements of what has come to be known as green computing. As the government moves to become a leader in implementing more environmentally friendly systems, there is great potential for companies to sell more products and solutions to the public sector. According to the minister, although government has not yet formulated a specific policy on green computing, it is committed to keeping in line with the principles of adopting environmentally friendly technology solutions.

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ANALYSIS: GOVTECH SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

A new look at

procurement BY KAUNDA CHAMA

A

t this year’s GovTech conference, Jonas Bogoshi, CEO of system integrator Gijima AST, which is also the platinum sponsor of the event, said that procurement has moved from just getting the best product at the best price to creating solutions partnerships. He stressed that companies and the government have to start looking at the entire value chain when selecting procurement partners. “Sadly, we find ourselves in a situation where procurement remains at the lower end of ICT maturity,” he said. Looking at government and large enterprises specifically, Bogoshi said that as a system integrator Gijima AST has noticed that the time taken from the time companies and corporates identify technology needs to when they actually implement systems is too long.

Conferences like GovTech help in driving public service transformation and enhancing the strategic role of procurement in enabling public sector service delivery.” – Jonas Bogoshi, Gijima AST “This situation makes it such that the time to the actual realisation of technology benefits is prolonged unnecessarily,” noted Bogoshi. He suggested that a workable alternative is for the public and private sectors to change their procurement strategies from technology specific to solution oriented. “Both these entities have to adopt valuebased adjudication processes and not just focus on elements such as cost and black economic empowerment,” noted Bogoshi. He advised that government and the private sector also have to develop models that result in the sharing of risks and rewards.

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“SA does not have a good and clear publicprivate partnership model which tends to delay project implementation times,” commented Bogoshi. He added that the time overrun when using traditional implementation models can be more than 30 per cent, whereas through effective public-private partnerships the time can be reduced to about 11 per cent. At the event, the then SITA CEO, Llewellyn Jones, announced that the theme for this year’s GovTech conference was “Collaborate, Innovate and Deliver”. The theme was the result of recognition by the government that it is critical for it to work more closely with the private sector on delivering large complex projects. “This close partnership will also help to mitigate the shortage of appropriate ICT skills in SA,” he said. According to Bogoshi, a new approach to planning, procurement and implementation of ICT projects by the public sector is needed to ensure successful delivery and the sustainable leveraging of new technology frontiers. “It is also necessary to simultaneously stimulate the development of a local industry capable of competing with established and emerging ICT giants globally. Conferences like GovTech help in driving public service transformation and enhancing the strategic role of procurement in enabling public sector service delivery,” he said. According to him, it is vital to develop and grow technology continuously to meet the needs of South Africans while ensuring that projects are completed on time and in line with a broader national strategy. “This is why particular attention must be paid to the final aspect of delivery,” noted Bogoshi. “There is a need to differentiate between simple traditional procurement and strategic

ANALYSIS: GOVTECH SOLUTION

procurement. Simple procurement is appropriate for known products with fairly simple and known functionality. Experience has shown that normal or traditional procurement processes are inappropriate for complex strategic projects like government’s Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) and Home Affairs’ ‘Who Am I Online’. In this situation procurement needs to foster partnerships for sharing risks and rewards between the supplier and consumer. A more strategic partnership will enable quicker realisation of benefits by the consumer,” he explained. Bogoshi further said that government’s support for the IT sector is vital, as the majority of IT companies around the globe continue to grow because they are able to spend money on research and development, banking on continued support from their governments. “SA faces its own unique challenges, including a shortage of skills. Although this is prevalent throughout the world, the shortages here are more acute. Another problem is that the industry is too fragmented. There are too many small companies in a sector where only the big players have the financial wherewithal to spend reasonable sums on research and development. “These issues highlight the importance of conferences such as GovTech, which are unique in that they allow for both private and public sector organisations to come together to share best practices while finding solutions to the problems plaguing the sector,” he explained. Blowing his own company’s horn, Bogoshi was quick to say that he believes it is Gijima AST’s diversified and comprehensive range of ICT consulting and delivery capabilities, together with its in-depth knowledge of? experience in? systems integration, that provides a solid foundation from which to develop the kind of integrated and focused solutions that will play the biggest role in enabling government to better meet the needs of its people. As government continues to embrace open source software, CEO of Europe-based OpenForum Graham Taylor commented that the potential for open source software and open standards arguably has the biggest potential for discontinuity in the ICT industry since the Internet. “Open source software can now be as

PROVIDERS

Jonas Bogoshi, Gijima AST

commercial as proprietary alternatives?, the only difference now is the business models and licensing structures, ” he said. He adds that the open source movement is no longer an anti-software industry movement, quoting research group Gartner as having predicted that by 2012, 90 per cent of public sector organisations will be using open source software in one way or another. “Open source software is here to stay and so is proprietary, the key for government and private organisations is to develop integrated strategies,” explained Taylor. He added that with 70 per cent of e-government applications being developed in-house, open source and standards present an opportunity for lowering ICT costs, encouraging a sharing culture, faster development timescales and increasing accessibility to citizens by reducing dependence on specific software. In addition, Taylor pointed out that adopting open standards also increases opportunities for local software developers and SMEs to get a slice of public sector business.

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21

DEMAND

GENERATOR:

NC SOLUTION SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

NC Solution X300

boosts Postnet BY DOMINIC KHUZWAYO

N

C Solutions (Pty) Ltd, one of the most popular terminal solutions companies in SA has offered PostNet in Northgate shopping centre, Johannesburg, a user-friendly virtual PC Internet café. PostNet upgraded its Internet café to NC Solutions’ NComputing X300 virtualised terminal solution and TrueCafe billing system.

PostNet Northgate enjoys improved infrastructure manageability, system security, usability and reliability since upgrading to NC Solution X300. Working on both Linux and Windows, the X300 uses only 1 watt of electricity per added user (compared to 115 watts for a typical PC). With a longer useful life and far

“We are very happy with the outcome of the project and believe PostNet Northgate is a true indication of Internet café environments from virtualised terminal solutions.” – Sean Owen-Jones, NC Solutions

This upgrade follows PostNet Northgate’s previous experiences of agerelated issues and security problems which rendered each PC vulnerable to numerous virus onslaughts which became increasingly difficult to manage. Additionally, the Internet café’s multiple points of entry added to the system’s vulnerability. Alex Hughes, owner of PostNet Northgate says, “Due to these challenges I decided to partner with NCSolutions as it provided me with a solution that will allow me to run one central system with six terminals, which means I have only one PC to worry about. “In addition to this, it was important to have a robust and easy-to-use billing system and that is where TrueCafe shone out from the other billing systems. “It just made a lot of sense; the chances of users installing malicious software is virtually zero, plus running only one copy of software improves manageability and mitigates system vulnerability,” he adds.

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CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • AUGUST 2008

smaller size, the NComputing solution also helps to reduce e-waste, a growing problem around the world. The X300 terminals get their power from the PC via the CAT5 fly leads. “What many businesses don’t realise is that up to 90 per cent of a PC’s processing power is unused. In addition, hard drives with large capacities are now standard, making the solution ideal as the hard drive capacity is shared among the terminals,” says Sean Owen-Jones, MD, NC Solutions The NC Solutions X300 terminal solution is optimised for clustered applications such as Internet cafes; expanding one PC by adding a PCI card and connecting up to seven multi-user terminal boxes. It essentially redistributes excess computing power to each PC terminal. Owen-Jones explains that connected users enjoy the same speed and performance as the host PC while working independently and securely from each other. “The X300 is really easy to install and in

Sean Owen-Jones, NC Solutions

the case of PostNet we were up and running in no time. We are very happy with the outcome of the project and believe PostNet Northgate is a true indication of an Internet café using virtualised terminal solutions,” he adds. According to Hughes, the X300 solution has allowed him to cut down on the number of PCs, network points, power points and cabling which translates into cost savings. The system is now simple and easy to use, the environment is more streamlined and aesthetically pleasing, and service delivery has improved Hughes adds, “I believe other Internet cafes can take a snapshot of my environment and implement it. The system copes with the high usage and heavy-traffic requirements associated with Internet cafes. The user response has been very good and the number of complaints has gone down to virtually zero.” In addition to the hardware, NC Solutions also provided PostNet with TrueCafe’s billing system which allows for complete flexibility in billing customisation. TrueCafe software is designed to work in “virtualised” environments hence the good marriage with NComputing’s X300 which shares one IP address for up to seven users per PC. “We hope to support more operating systems this year and will also be launching our “Virtual IP” product for the X300 and as well as two additional size variations of the X300,” concludes Owen-Jones. Do you have demand generator stories to share with us? Please e-mail Dominic Khuzwayo at [email protected]

ANALYSIS: MICOSOFT SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

Looking further ahead Microsoft looks at future trends. BY KAUNDA CHAMA

A

t this year’s Microsoft Partner Summit, Manoj Bhoola, the company’s executive for the server and tools business, outlined what the company has identified as major trends. The first and most obvious technology trend he pointed out is virtualisation; he says that this trend has stemmed from the fact that companies have identified that in the past corporates would install large amounts of hardware and only five per cent of it was ever used at a time. “Today, for example, with the use of the right virtualisation solution, a company can put three servers in a single box and attain up to 70 per cent utilisation,” he notes. He comments that the advantage of the virtualisation solutions on the market is that they are hardware and software agnostic. “A company can take many different servers all running different server solutions and run them in the same box, and with solutions such as Hyper V managing the environment is relatively easy,” explains Bhoola. He adds that a solution like Microsoft System Centre can manage any heterogeneous virtualised environment and with Windows Server 2008, companies can get from a single to an unlimited number of server licences depending on the nature of the licence. According to the software giant’s research, there will be more that 50 000 servers shipped in the next fiscal year. Bhoola reveals that even with virtualisation gaining momentum, the number of servers being shipped does not seem to be decreasing and looks poised to grow at 14 per cent in the next fiscal year. He explains that the enterprise space accounts for the bulk of server consolidation, while the SME space continues to experience growth in server numbers being shipped. According to Microsoft, the Internet and email are the major drivers of server growth in the SME space and will continue to be for some time.

“It is nothing new to say that the days when workers were stuck at their desks are over, and companies large and small are looking for solutions to help them keep up with the pace of development.” – Manoj Bhoola, Microsoft

Manoj Bhoola, Microsoft

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ANALYSIS: MICOSOFT SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

“With 64-bit technology contributing to the enhancement of virtualisation and because solutions like Hyper V and the new Exchange are dependent on it, there will also be a lot of interest in the technology,” says Bhoola.

“Social networking comes with its own unique threats and with broadband being rolled out in SA at a fast pace, corporates need to update their security policies and procedures to be able to meet any potential threats head on.” – Edward Gibson, Microsoft Another trend he pointed out is integrated collaboration, the most common example of which would be unified communications, which has become quite the buzzwords in the corporate space. A good number of local and international corporations are considering or have already deployed unified communications solutions as a way of streamlining their networks as well as to save costs on external communications. Management of server environments both physical and virtual will be a focus area going forward. “Large corporates, in future, will run large boxes with anything up to 40 virtual servers in them,” he notes. Another important factor that is and will continue to be a catalyst in increasing server sales is compliance with international regulations. The likes of the King II Report and Sarbanes-Oxley require that corporates keep certain important information for specific periods and have systems in place in terms of disaster recovery and backup, and storage. In addition, Bhoola explains that security will continue to be a growth area for companies and distributors as well as resellers who can earn good revenues by becoming their end-user customers’ solution partners. “Security is no longer what it used to be because today’s threats demand that security solutions are integrated and multi layered,” he comments. At the same event, Microsoft’s chief security adviser Edward Gibson commented that security trends have come full circle since

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early 2000. He says the biggest security threat within corporates remains the user and they need to be a little more stringent with their security policies. “Microsoft does have a number of security competencies that partners can qualify for, but what we find is that a lot of our partners are more interested in selling our other value and volume products rather than our security products,” he comments. He says that when it comes to the business world security is not the “sexiest” subject. He, however, adds that corporate are doing well in curbing security threats but they still remain vulnerable to botnets from users. “The biggest data leaks come from inside the corporate,” notes Gibson. He cites organised crime as a very big threat to corporates as well as individuals because the criminals work continually to extort or obtain information from corporates and individuals. “Social networking comes with its own unique threats and with broadband being rolled out in SA at a fast pace, corporates need to update their security policies and procedures to be able to meet any potential threats head on,” explains Gibson. In addition, Bhoola says standards and interoperability will be a big trend as different vendors respond to end-users’ demand for heterogeneous environments. “A good example of this is the agreement that Microsoft signed with Novell last year which means that there is better integration between Microsoft’s operating system and Suse,” he notes. Mobility has also come of age and Bhoola comments that there is a lot of scope for business in this space as companies continue to embrace the concept of the mobile worker. “It is nothing new to say that the days when workers were stuck at their desks are over, and companies large and small are looking for solutions to help them keep up with the pace of development,” he comments. High-performance computing is yet another area that is seeing notable growth with many companies embracing clustering and taking their servers and maximising their capacities and capabilities as if they were a single system.

ANALYSIS: MICROSOFT SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

The importance of

partner selection Partnering with Microsoft. BY KAUNDA CHAMA

A

t this year’s Microsoft Partner Conference, the company stressed the importance of selecting the right partners for business success. The software giant believes that partner selection is a very important process, adding that a company must ensure that its views, vision, policy and goals are all shared by its partners. The company says that partners, if aligned properly, can gain reasonable amounts of revenue above and beyond just distributing and reselling its software solutions. According to Microsoft, for every rand spent on its technology about R6.25 is spent on hardware, R1.25 on services and R1.50 on software. The company recognises the mammoth task of skills development and retention facing the country and has pledged to work much closer with its partners in overcoming this major challenge. According to Mark Reynolds, the company’s group manager of small business and transactional partners, Microsoft has very serious plans for regional expansion in Africa. Some of the business areas that the company sees as being good revenue generators for its business partners include Internet Server Share, Virtualisation (Hyper-V), software as a service/hosting as well as its Small Business Server solution. He adds that Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM are seeing very impressive market penetration and this is giving the vendor a lot more reference sites. On the voice-over-Internet protocol side, Microsoft says it is looking to migrate its voice-enabled customers to Microsoft Exchange 2007 and get them “fully VoIP” ready. Microsoft says it is very committed to continually improving the customers’

“We are also looking at working very closely with our partner channel to identify where the skills gaps are in the sector and also to see how we can work together to address this issue.” – Sandy Overtveld, Microsoft

experience and will put a lot of focus on ensuring that that its customers perceive value as well as derive it from its solutions. The company admits that licensing remains an issue that needs urgent attention as piracy levels are relatively high and end-users need to be educated around legal software issues. The company’s Sandy Overtveld says the company is more than ever focused on improving the eco system between itself, its partners and end-users. “Our strategy involves looking at our partners as well as end-users and identifying what is pertinent to them, and then working with them to develop three- to five-year growth plans,” he explains. The company is consciously bringing more partner account managers on board as a way of better servicing its channel partners. These individuals will also be responsible for ensuring that the company conducts regular reviews with its partners either on a quarterly or bi-annual basis depending on the requirements of the software giant. “A major part of this is obviously that we want to align our objectives with that of our partners as it is imperative that we are both headed in the same direction with the same vision and objectives,” says Overtveld. He adds that because planning ahead is

important to Microsoft, it will remain committed to supporting its partner network through assistance in sales, support and marketing initiatives. “We are also looking at working very closely with our partner channel to identify where the skills gaps are in the sector and also to see how we can work together to address this issue,” notes Overtveld. One important aspect that he stresses is that Microsoft wants to ensure that not all its partners grow in the same direction as it wants them to focus on specialisation in particular disciplines. Hot specialisation areas include skills in SQL Server, virtualisation and the management of virtual environments. “Our partner capacity planning priority areas include systems management, networking infrastructure, infrastructure security, business intelligence, Windows deployment, Microsoft Office deployment and unified communications,” Overtveld says. He adds that part of the vendor’s goto-market strategy is recognition of the fact that customers buy solutions as opposed to just products. The vendor agrees that one of the major principles for success will be aligning and clearly mapping its partners’ businesses to its solution areas and capabilities.

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25

ACCOUNTING

SOFTWARE FEATURE

SOLUTION

PROVIDERS

Ease of use drives

accounting software boom Are grey imports undermining channel legitimacy? BY DUDU SHABA

A

ccounting software remains the core of any business system and is always mission critical. What has changed is that, in the past, it was a defensive tool. Now it’s also pro-active in that it helps you to manage your business better. This is according to Steven Cohen, MD, Softline Pastel, who says that SMEs that have used accounting software to improve efficiencies now want to be more creative about how they manage their businesses and are moving towards add-on functionality such as customer relationship management (CRM), business intelligence (BI) and mobile solutions. “So, overall, accounting software is giving companies more insight into their operations than was possible before,” he remarks. Jumana Helal, head, Microsoft Dynamics business, Microsoft SA, says that companies have a pressing need for partner support they can trust and solutions they can use, giving products with a familiar interface and trusted brand equity a head start in the marketplace. “The financial and accounting software arena is undergoing a major business and technology overhaul and the market’s growing need to replace high-priced infrastructure with cost-effective, highly scalable technology is creating gaps for savvy channel players to emerge as strategic technology partners to business and to use their technological edge to seize market share and grow profitability,” says Helal. “Moreover, every company has a different set of needs, one size most certainly does not fit all and flexibility is a key factor in ensuring that a company realises the full potential of its financial software spend,”

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Helal adds. “Accounting software is vital to all businesses, particularly in a fast changing global economy. With costs escalating almost weekly it is now more important than ever for decision-makers to keep an eye on their businesses’ profitability,” says Malcolm Granville, CEO, Accknowledge Systems.

Current trends According to Cohen, the 2008 trend is that vendors are pre-integrating vertical solutions such as CRM and BI into their core accounting product. He says they are also integrating operational activity into accounting to make their product a more complete business solution rather than only an accounting solution. “But the quality of the accounting core has still to be preserved and SMEs, in

economic growth continues, customers are tightening up on expenditure and this could drive the ”software as a service” model, and encourage more small businesses to purchase accounting applications,” Granville comments. Helal says that ease of integration is a key factor in adoption and potentially the customer experience. “We believe it’s extremely important for the end-user to have the feeling of having been there before, and know intuitively how to navigate in their business software applications. This provides real productivity to the end-user,” he says.

What to look for When looking for a good accounting system, Cohen says that users need to be sure the systems they buy give them solid after-

“Flexibility is a key factor in ensuring that a company realises the full potential of its financial software spend.” – Jumana Helal, Microsoft Dynamics business.

particular, will only go with a business rather than an accounting solution if it is easy to use and can be implemented quickly and with minimum disruption to their operations,” he says. “More accounting applications are offering Web support, allowing access to business accounts remotely, a key feature for decision-makers. Globally, as the trend towards higher interest rates and slower

sales service, good vertical products and software development kits, particularly for the integration of legacy systems. “This is a trend that Pastel has seen escalate over the past two years. About a year ago, the requirement for interoperability in even the smallest of businesses became so noticeable that Pastel embarked on a process of building its own software development kit (SDK) for its Pastel Evolution product.

ACCOUNTING SOLUTION

SOFTWARE FEATURE

PROVIDERS

“Accounting software is giving companies more insight into their operations than was possible before.” – Steven Cohen, SoftlinePastel.

Also, your accountant and auditor should know the package. There should be a solid existing user base in the geography you operate in, because that automatically guarantees you easy access to support,” Cohen says. He goes on to say that users should make sure that the software they end up with is from an established developer with thousands of customers. “Pastel has 180 000 customers worldwide and is the most popular accounting software package among SMEs. Get referrals. Ask your accountant’s opinion. Accountants work with a variety of their clients’ accounting packages and will have an accounting package of their own. So their advice is based on first-hand knowledge. 9 out of 10 accountants who recommend accounting software to the SME market recommend

Pastel,” he says. In addition to that, he says that customers should choose software that does the basic accounting work as well as have add-on modules for other business disciplines such as CRM and BI that will give them deeper insights into their business and its potential. “Thereafter, stick to doing what you do best, which is run your business. Don’t try and be a hero and set up everything yourself. That’s what value-added resellers (VARs) are for, to save you time, money and headaches. But do take the time to let your VAR know what you need out of the system,” he comments.

ERP and CRM According to Helal, the typical ERP applications in the market provide the same user experience, whether you are in finance,

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production, sales or are the CEO. Helal says the next wave of financial and accounting software identifies some 50 key roles in an organisation and provides specific user experiences to those roles. “It’s still the same business processes and the same data that you are going through, but the way they are being presented to you is different,” he explains. Another key driver of usability and productivity is the way new-generation financial and accounting applications are linking structured information from other business applications like BI, CRM and ERP with unstructured information in Word, Excel, PowerPoint or even a voicemail. He says this provides a complete overview of what information is available in an organisation.

“Companies use these applications as a means of differentiating themselves in the market to build and develop competitive advantage.” – Jeremy Waterman, Softline Accpac.

Jeremy Waterman, Softline ACCPAC

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Helal has no doubt that the future of business software lies largely in a Web-based hosting model or software as a service, which gives customers unprecedented flexibility in the way they source, deploy and use mission-critical business software. Depending on their specific business and IT needs, customers will be able to deploy accounting software either as a traditional on-premise solution, a Web-based on-demand solution or as a flexible mix of on-premise software and on-demand services. According to Jeremy Waterman, MD, Softline Accpac, the SaaS-based ERP is a completely different animal. He says that ERP is not typically a “vanilla” application and “one size does not usually fit all”. “Companies use these applications as a means of differentiating themselves in the market to build and develop competitive advantage. SaaS-based ERP stands in direct contradiction to this. By making use of this centralised, hosted model, you essentially forfeit this type of customisation and tailoring. If you’re looking for something more than this, the only real option available

to you is to use the hosted service in conjunction with on-premise software – a hybrid version that would seem to defeat the object of hosting the application in the first place,” he says. While this often makes SaaS-based ERP an inappropriate solution for larger organisations, Waterman says that it still holds appeal for the middle and lower ends of the market where companies have more standard requirements. “In this type of situation, the cost and operational benefits may outweigh the customisation requirements. This is something we’re seeing more and more in the local context, with smaller companies weighing up the advantages of owning their own bottom-end solution or choosing the SaaS-based ERP model to take advantage of tools that were previously the domain of bigger market players,” he explains. Waterman says the SaaS-based applications are set to continue adding value and allow smaller-sized companies to operate like larger ones. “While the model would seem the ideal one for “vanilla” applications, ERPs are not such applications As such, companies weighing up the costs and benefits will find themselves caught in the interminable debate of customisation versus costs,” he says.

How can SMEs benefit? With an SME start-up failure rate of up to 80 per cent in SA, says Cohen, small businesses need to do everything they can to avoid a similar fate. “The move to an automated accounting system is a smart one. There’s an urgent need to differentiate your business quickly, relevantly and affordably. But to do that, you need to spread your information base beyond the admin office and on to the desktop of every employee. Applications specific to disciplines other than accounting –human resources, CRM, BI and ERP - enable you to do that,” he says. He adds that SMEs are beginning to explore and gain comfort from the idea of adding this functionality to their existing accounting solutions. “They’re also realising the benefits of providing this extended functionality in a familiar environment that drives internal adoption and reduces the time needed for training.

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For the first time users can be pro-active exploiters of the available solutions. And as the needs of their businesses change, they can keep their own technology stacks up to date through upgrades, add-ons and modifications. A small amount of time spent exploring the full potential of software

PROVIDERS

the flow of information through a business. You also need to understand the features of the software you’re selling. Only then can you work out how to map those features to a customer’s business requirements,” he says. Granville comments. “Accknowledge Web Accounting software resellers require basic

Applications specific to disciplines other than accounting –human resources, CRM, BI and ERP - enable you to do that.” – Steven Cohen, MD, SoftlinePastel investments can pay dividends when SMEs gain the ability to sculpt their own solutions ultimately saving them time, money and differentiating them in the market,” he comments.

Skills For solution providers to be successful in this space, Cohen says they need to be attractive to their customers. “You need to understand

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computer skills with accounting or book only a few hours training users can be operational in no time at all”.

Decent margins Granville says that Accknowledge Systems’ dealers receive up to 50 per cent annuity income on the retail price of the software sold and can charge for service, training and configuration. There is also the option for

dealers and accountants to brand the accounting software as their own. He adds that there are many revenue opportunities in selling and installing Accknowledge Web Accounting. “Providing training and consulting, setting up call centres and report writing are a few areas where resellers can increase their revenue,” he says. “From a Pastel-specific point of view, we enable our resellers to increase their margins in direct proportion to their efforts. In other words, as they increase sales and staff training, for instance, so their margins grow,” Cohen comments.

Future Cohen says that accounting software will continue to be mission critical. “It will continue to expand from the purely accounting domain into the operational domain and I believe, the Web will become the major delivery platform in the medium term,” he says. “Web-based accounting applications are the future,” concludes Granville.

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Wireless networking has become a prerequisite Business and homes need to be securely connected to networks. BY DUDU SHABA

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ireless technology is no longer a business luxury and has now become ubiquitous in the market. It’s not just a boardroom wireless deployment anymore and employees increasingly expect to have wireless access across the board and enterprise wide. This is according to Kevin Mitchell, Systems Engineer for Enterprise, Wireless sector, Cisco Systems. He stresses that new recruits

“Unlike traditional wireless networks, wireless switching offers a user-based approach to administration policy as opposed to policy tied to ports and, addresses.” – Wynand Moller, D-Link Africa

Wynand Moller, D-Link Africa

in the modern marketplace expect to have wireless access to the network and the issue has recruitment implications for companies looking to attract and retain young talent.

Trends While the network continues to be the backbone of any IT infrastructure, it is expanding in scope due to the need to support an array of next-generation applications such as data and video applications that reach across the divides between television, personal computers and mobile devices. The trend towards the convergence of network infrastructures has improved and changed the way people communicate in today’s enterprise environment. This is according to Andy Robb, chief technology officer at Duxbury Networking. “In this new era, the network has gained in sophistication and is able to carry Web applications, data, voice and video, and accommodate devices such as IP phones, security cameras and bar-code readers. “However, this level of openness has placed increasing pressure on companies from small businesses to large corporates to control access to the network and strengthen security to protect critical, sensitive data,” he says. Robb says organisations are realising the necessity to secure their internal infrastructures against external threats. However, the challenge is to achieve this without sacrificing network performance.

What’s new As businesses scale, traditional wireless network deployments become more complex, more costly and less secure, users expect the ability to roam between access points. Wynand Moller, regional manager Western Cape, D-Link Africa, says that new applications like

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Wi-Fi VoIP require the ability to roam seamlessly and securely. “For example, wireless switches provide a simple, centralised, iron-clad solution, with management tools, policy enforcement and built-in security. They make wireless LANs as secure as their wired counterparts. With today’s technology, you can overlay WLAN switches without compromising the integrity of the original wired infrastructure,” he says. Unlike traditional wireless networks, Moller says that wireless switching offers a user-based approach to administration policy as opposed to policy tied to ports and addresses.

“In this new era, the network has gained in sophistication and is able to carry Web applications, data, voice and video, and accommodate devices such as IP phones, security cameras and bar-code readers.” – Andy Robb, Duxbury Networking.

Andy Robb, Duxbury Networking.

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“This puts the network administrator back in charge, with a centralised console for managing and troubleshooting any contingency. Network administrators centrally control authentication and encryption, manage VLAN groups, enforce roaming policies and maintain tight control over Quality of Service traffic. Each client is tracked by user identity, rather than by port, device or approximate location, making the environment more secure and intruders much more visible. Policies that govern who can do what and where while roaming wirelessly can be easily implemented. Centralised WLAN systems follow users and know who they are, so it is much easier to locate rogues when they appear on the scene,” he says. In terms of mobility, he comments that users stay connected because Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching on the wireless switch allows them to move between access points, VLANs and subnets. Moller says that D-Link integrates Microsoft NAP Technology into xStack Switches, expands Green Ethernet line-up and offers all-in-one Wireless and Wired Smart Switch, providing the freedom to connect virtually anywhere at anytime. Robb says that the deployment of policybased, user-orientated solutions such as

Network Access Control (NAC) will enable ease of use. “NAC solutions monitor activity on the network and collect data within the framework of pre-defined rules. They use this data to implement the appropriate access policies for each user on the network, which is enforced at strategic points throughout the network,” he explains. “This strategy stands in stark contrast to traditional approaches which emphasised the installation of firewalls and access control lists inside the network,” he adds. Against this background, Robb says it is important for companies to embed security into their networking infrastructure and not allow it to form appendages that are vulnerable to attack. “Security information management technologies are available to correlate information from numerous sources throughout the organisation, forming a single picture of its security posture. These technologies must be leveraged to provide a highly available, secure and application-focused communications environment that can deliver all of the converged services necessary to support next-generation business environments,” he comments. Robb says that correlating network data with security information yields a more accurate picture of network and user activity and provides greater forensic granularity for investigating compliance violations. Mitchell says current technologies largely in pilot stages include Outdoor Wireless MESH (WiMESH) in metropolitan areas that could enable users broader connectivity. “From the specific WiFi hotspots at coffee shops and airports to bigger interconnected hot zones that provide city-wide access from the office to the pavement to the park to the home. Indoor MESH in the office will also alleviate the need for expensive and time-consuming fibre optic cabling to each switch or access point, providing blanket coverage without an unwieldy cable infrastructure,” he says. To address the lack of access to ICT in rural communities and developing countries, Mitchell says that technologies such as WiMESH and WiMax are being increasingly adopted. “In the last year alone, we saw more of these technologies being deployed as they have matured to provide secure, reliable and

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scalable communications for wireless data, voice and video applications. Cisco provides MESH solutions via the Cisco Unified Wireless Solution using Aironet 1522 MESH access points, and can offer WiMax solutions from its recent acquisition of Navini Networks,” says Mitchell.

Broadband and consumers According to Moller, D-Link is fuelling broadband to consumers by developing and marketing products that thrive on bandwidth. He says that the new Draft 802.11n wireless technology improves bandwidth speeds and coverage, while enabling next-generation Internet applications like VoIP. “Small businesses that are considering wireless to expand network coverage and add connectivity and flexibility need to consider new draft 802.11n wireless equipment. Draft 802.11n products enable faster performance and longer connectivity range. They are perfectly suited to small organisations needing a more robust wireless solution. Draft 802.11n wireless solutions are much faster than traditional 802.11g, 802.11b and 802.11a equipment. Draft 802.11n technology also expands coverage much further than previous 802.11 technologies. The implications for small businesses and home offices are clear. VoIP telephony, large file sharing and streaming, and numerous other performance-dependent applications are now much easier to maintain without delays or network traffic hiccups,” he says. Pierre Holtzhausen, channel manager, Nology, comments that the ability to offer multimedia products that truly enable the digital home will be a key differentiator. “Ethernet over Power is an interesting development and there are products that use existing home electrical wiring to connect computers or network devices in different rooms or to share printers and files as well as high-speed Internet connection. Additionally, Ethernet over Power can be used to expand a wireless network into a dead zone, as wireless signals cannot penetrate thick walls or reach down to lower levels,” he says.

Convergence According to Moller, organisations of all kinds are taking advantage of IP network convergence solutions to integrate applica-

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tions, boost productivity, save on network management and maintenance, and lower the cost of communication. These new solutions bring people together more efficiently to connect with customers, solve problems and make better decisions. “IP convergence does not require rip-andreplace modifications. Converged IP services, software and equipment can be added as necessary and infrastructure can be improved incrementally. IP networks exist at most organisations,” he says. “Furthermore, there are now file servers available that are optimised for converged services. In a nutshell, these servers allow USB storage devices such as flash drive, MP3 player, DSC, USB HD and USB CDROM to be shared on your local network or over the Internet,” comments Holtzhausen.

Training Moller says that D-Link is offering a course that is designed to introduce, enhance and maintain valuable skill sets that are required in the IT industry. He says that the DCE training is a full two-day intensive training course that encompasses the very basics of networking, taking the student through a series of simple modules right through to some very advanced and interesting topics.

Kevin Mitchell, Cisco Systems

“New company recruits in the modern marketplace expect to have wireless access to the network and the issue has recruitment implications for companies looking to attract and retain young talent.” – Kevin Mitchell, Cisco Systems He says that focus areas include wireless, switches, security and surveillance, and entails theory as well as practical hands-on sessions on the following:  Providing network professionals with the knowledge to design and implement end-to-end solutions.  Channel partners to greatly benefit from course.  To achieve the highest level of technical knowledge across a broad range of internetworking-related technologies.

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“Delegates attending the two-day course will be required to pass assessments to gain certification. On successful completion of the assessments, the delegates will receive a unique D-Link Certified Engineer Certificate with an authentication number,” he says.

Solution providers For solution providers to win customers, he says it is advisable for them to offer complete solutions. “At Nology we provide our partners with products, service and professional advice to do just that,” he says. Solution providers can also earn recurring revenues by offering maintenance and management services such as patch updates and security audits which provide a consistent revenue stream to integrators.

“It’s no longer just about opportunities in the voice market, but rather in the areas where we are able to marry data and security, unified communications, and wireless solutions where the real opportunities exist.” – Richard Menton, Bytes Communications

In today’s competitive landscape, computer resellers will have trouble differentiating themselves from their opposition if they do not add value to the products they sell. This is the view of Andy Robb, chief technology officer, Duxbury Networking, who says resellers who offer hardware at cut-rate prices are simply not going to be successful in a climate where margins are already tight. “The low-margin, high-volume, low-touch sales model has failed time and again,” says Robb. “Hardware and many software products have become commodities that can be easily bought online, allowing customers to bypass the reseller completely. “Resellers who understand market dynamics realise that they need to offer solutions that add tangible value to their customers’ businesses. “These resellers will invest in the skills necessary to integrate diverse product sets and sought-after security solutions which ‘futureproof’ their customers’ current systems – at the same time offering value for money.”

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WAN Optimisation Looking at what will pioneer WAN optimisation in the market, Nelio DeFreaitas, technical authority, Riverbed, SA, says that the WAN optimisation controller (WOC) market is maturing rapidly, but remains dynamic with a high level of innovation from vendors. “Organisations looking to acquire WOC capabilities should identify their specific needs and conduct real-life trials before committing to a purchase. Optimisation techniques for WANs can improve most organisations’ application response times, particularly where network latency is high, which is often due to centralisation of servers and IT resources. Typically, WOCs serve to prevent network latency having a severe impact on the performance of applications and underlying protocols. Through data reduction and prioritisation techniques, WOCs can also help organisations to avoid costly bandwidth upgrades,’ he says. “This has led to different vendors offering different combinations of features. So, before choosing a vendor, ensure you understand the applications and services running on your network, and the protocols they use. Also conduct a detailed analysis of your network traffic to identify specific problems, for example, excessive latency, bandwidth oversubscription or lack of prioritisation for certain types of traffic. Finally, insist on a real-life trial before committing to any purchase,” he explains. Holtzhausen says ROI will drive WAN optimisation adoption. “Organisations such as Riverbed and Packeteer are leaders in the WAN optimisation space. Riverbed’s WAN optimisation solutions, for example, remove repetitive traffic from WANs through data streamlining,” he comments. Holtzhausen says that the evolution of the network in the enterprise, SME, SoHo and home environment has been more evident. “We are continuously seeing the emergence of more data capturing devices that not only improve networking and information capture but offer a more price-sensitive means to do so. Also, with the increase in fuel prices we have seen an increase in the number of people working from home and more companies need to be able to connect their mobile and remote workers to the office network securely,” he concludes.

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Mobile technology addresses economic challenges Businesses can continue to grow on the move. BY DUDU SHABA

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obile and wireless communication is becoming more important as we battle with a host of challenges in the workplace, such as soaring petrol costs. As a result of this, there are huge opportunities for service providers in the mobile and wireless business sector. This is according to Christopher Riley, MD and founder of laptop and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company. Riley says that with petrol prices having soared by 43 per cent so far this year, companies are being hard-hit and are urging staff to plan their diaries better. “With the punitive petrol prices it is no longer a case of just jumping in your car to visit a customer, the costs are just too high. More and more communication with customers and staff is going to have to be mobile. “There is no point in an employee who has a meeting in, say, Pretoria, rushing back to the office in Johannesburg. Besides the loss in productivity due to travelling time, the actual cost of this travel is becoming hair-raising and is going to affect companies’’ bottom line directly. This is one of the cardinal reasons companies are going to have to look at arming key staff members with laptops which are wirelessly connected. The initial cost of providing the technology will soon be offset against overall cost savings,” he says. But Riley says that it is not just the cost of travel that should make companies rethink their business strategies. “If a salesperson arrives at a customer with a laptop which is linked to their company’s system, they will not only be able to do a client presentation showing its latest products and services, but they will also be able to effect a sale right there, in real-time, if the customer is keen to order something. This level of professionalism and of being ‘in touch’ with the company

will increase productivity and customer service significantly,” he comments. Cathleen Lester, product manager, HP Retail, Axiz, says that in today’s society the idea of a balanced life demands that we think, plan, work and communicate on the

move. She says this will be more achievable with mobile and wireless technology. “In the workplace, mobile and wireless solutions afford employees the opportunity to log on to their organisation’s network remotely while at a doctor’s appointment, for

“In today’s society the idea of a balanced life demands that we think, plan, work and communicate on the move.” – Cathleen Lester, Axiz

Cathleen Lester, Axiz

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example, or at home waiting for peak-hour traffic to pass. Users are able to do what is possible and important through anytime-anywhere access to the Internet, corporate intranet, e-mail and other important information,” she says.

“With the punitive petrol prices it is no longer a case of just jumping in your car to visit a customer. More and more communication with customers and staff is going to have to be mobile.” – Christopher Riley, The Notebook Company Yaron Assabi, CEO Digital Solutions Group, says that mobile phone penetration has reached more than 90 per cent in SA whereas Internet penetration is at around 11 per cent. “Although Internet penetration is low, the growth seen in the past few years in consumer connectivity is primarily due to mobile

Rick Rogers, Alvarion

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Internet. There are also more subscribers accessing the Internet from their mobile phones or 3 G cards than fixed lines. Therefore companies have to consider mobile as the primary channel for interaction with their customers. The high market penetration and the fact that the mobile channel is a personal always on medium makes it a highly profiled and extremely targeted channel. The fact that communication via mobile and wireless is instant and delivery is immediate makes them very powerful, especially because response and effectiveness can be measured,” he comments.

Trends Lester says the smartphone industry is booming worldwide. Consumers have discovered the beauty of converged devices that not only keep them connected, but also afford them the luxury of a handheld computer that manages their diary and enables them to view and edit documents remotely. Lester says notebooks are also in high demand because they are a very affordable means of ensuring you have timely information at your fingertips, which is essential in today’s competitive and dynamic markets. “Consumers and entrepreneurs are clearly demanding mobile and wireless devices, and the winning tool in the market at the moment is definitely the ultra low-cost notebook. These entry-level products offer the channel great margins in today’s economic climate,” says Lester. With recent developments and the trend towards a multi -play environment, Assabi says that the mobile experience has become more engaging and can be a rich media experience. “Mobile data services applications abound and mobile network operators, globally, have realised the data average revenue per user (ARPU) will surpass voice ARPU in the next few years. Mobility is high on the chief information officer’s agenda as an efficient means for employees to communicate immediately. Ideas and innovations surrounding new ways of approaching mobility, taking security and corporate infrastructure into account are a primary concern. The trend towards unified communications and mobile offices is becoming mainstream,” he says.

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3G in notebooks Embedded wireless broadband (3G) capabilities for laptops has been difficult for companies to justify but as the mobile worker becomes more of a necessity this new-wave technology is set to become imperative. Christopher Riley, MD of laptop and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company (www.notebook.co.za), says it is still difficult for companies to justify the higher upfront purchase costs, added monthly costs and asset protection, but new pricing plans and technology evolution are going to change attitudes. “Pricing will come down and as companies realise the benefits of workers being in touch anytime, anywhere, and provide 3Genabled laptops to those workers who they believe will be able to add value to the company by being constantly in touch. In addition, higher travelling costs due to the petrol price, which has risen 43 per cent so far this year, is compelling companies to look at ways to save costs. If workers keep driving to and from offices for meetings when they can be working remotely, petrol costs are going to spiral. So despite the costs of kitting out staff with 3G laptops, overall costs could come down and productivity could also increase,” he comments.

WiMax an answer for Africa Rick Rogers, director, Alvarion, says Africa is one of the most promising regions in the world for WiMax. He says the lack of developed cable infrastructures is forcing the search for the best alternatives, and trends indicate that operators are choosing to use wireless broadband rather than satellite connectivity for cellular backhaul. “True computing mobility is not the pipe dream it used to be. It has, in fact, for various business and environmental reasons, become more of a necessity than an option. Industry leaders are aggressively launching technologies which will give consumers even more mobility and connectivity. Alvarion is at the forefront of mobile computing and WiMax, in particular, is one such technology that will be a catalyst in the global marketplace as far as mobility is concerned,” he says. He adds that the key challenge is to rapidly meet the demand for broadband in Africa as more people and governments realise that a key means to bridging the digital divide is the

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existence of readily available primary broadband connectivity. “WiMax is the obvious choice, because it offers a very cost-effective solution with fast deployment cycles, thereby facilitating a super-fast response to the needs of operators in different countries across the continent. Furthermore, WiMax will bring lower costs for both operators and end-users, allowing new entrants to build attractive business models to address both the residential and business segments,” he says.

Security According to Lester, security is the lifeblood of the ICT sector, therefore it is essential to ensure that confidential data and unique identities are protected. “In addressing the high importance of this, HP has installed multi-layered security solutions and user-authentication devices across its mobile and wireless ranges,” Lester comments.

Assabi believes it is essential for solution providers to ensure that both their staff and clients are aware of new trends and advancements and at the same time offer them tools and solutions that match current trends. “A company’s inward focus on knowledge workers that are connected to their information all the time can provide a huge competitive advantage. From a customer perspective, an online strategy has to include a mobile Internet experience and to ensure the customers that access their site via a mobile phone is the same rich experience they have when accessing the website from a PC. Service providers need to consider that developing application for mobile access requires adaptation as mobile phones have different size screens and operating systems.

“Mobile phone penetration has reached more than 90 per cent in SA whereas Internet penetration is around 11 per cent.” – Yaron Assabi, Digital Solutions Group.

Assabi agrees that wireless networks are becoming more popular and a better understanding of security has become essential. He says that vulnerabilities in wireless networks leave users open to the following:  Session hijacking – where users are interrupted in their online endeavours.  Eavesdropping – in the mobile sphere where callers are overheard and conversations meddled with.  Data manipulation – at some points in the data capturing process as well as afterwards, hackers have access to important and confidential data allowing them the opportunity to destroy relevant and critical data.  Lack of privacy – due to the open nature of mobile. “Security is a concern but can be mitigated by using the right service provider, network design, and customer and end-user education,” says Assabi.

Staying abreast

Service providers have to look at mobile and wireless communication as an essential part of any solution,” he comments. Lester emphasises that it is imperative for resellers to leverage their strong distributor relationships to keep them up to date and on the frontline of what’s new and upcoming. “Axiz understands the importance of this communication link and continuously strives to bridge the information gap with its resellers in the form of roadmap updates, customer visits or vendor-driven technology events,” she remarks.

Future Wireless technologies, Rogers says, will continue to compete for wallet and air space as its competitive landscape pushes fringe mobile computing devices into the background. “Mobility is no longer an expensive, top-level business tool, but something that is accessible to the man in the street. As long as consumers keep adopting mobile technology, they will expect it to evolve,” he concludes.

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Women in IT:

Michelle Kasselman, Iomega

Overcoming barriers of success ...as gender discrimination is becoming less of a factor. By Manda Banda “Gender and gender discrimination are becoming less of a factor in an individual’s success in today’s business world,” says Michelle Kasselman, key account manager at removable storage vendor Iomega. Kasselman says although statistics still support the view that generally senior management positions across all industries in SA are still the preserve of males, this situation is changing rapidly with increasing numbers of women occupying positions at all levels of management in varying degrees of seniority and influence. According to Kasselman, across the spectrum from politics and sport to the IT industry and commerce, women are featuring more prominently and achieving as much as their male counterparts. She says there isn’t a thing a woman cannot accomplish if she puts her mind to it as most barriers have been overcome. “While the IT industry may have been dominated by males in the past, I think this is changing very quickly and may not even be the case anymore,” she says. “A useful indicator is that an increasing number of women are making their presence felt on all levels and contributing significantly to the successful growth of the IT sector.” Kasselman says she joined the IT industry by accident rather than design as her childhood ambition was to be a choreographer. “In 2002 my husband and I moved from Witbank to Johannesburg and, frankly, my attempt to be a stay-at-home mum drove my family crazy,” she recalls. “My husband, who is in IT, introduced me to the industry where I started working in the components reseller business.” Kasselman says she has no regrets about developing her career in the IT industry as it is the most innovative market sector, with technology evolving at a rapid pace. She adds that keeping track of new developments and the latest technologies make it a challenging and stimulating environment in which to operate successfully and keep abreast of the competition. Kasselman says specifically relevant to Iomega and the space in which the company operates – namely data storage and protection -the speed at which technological development has accelerated over the past few years has been nothing short of amazing. “Each year I anticipate that we are going to reach a plateau in terms of storage capacity, but it just keeps on growing,” she says. “From a couple of hundred megabytes a few years ago, we are now delivering portable hard drives with terabytes of storage and NAS systems with advanced features that would have been unimaginable in the not too distant past.” After leaving high school, Kasselman started out as a photographer, later moving into company administration and then into the retail sector, where she owned several small businesses. Having kick-started her IT career in the components reseller business, she soon moved into the storage solutions distribution environment, where she spent five years, progressing from internal and external sales into product and retail management, finally becoming business unit manager. “I’m a people person. I thrive on the challenges involved in establishing, developing and maintaining business relationships that end in a win-win situation for Iomega and its clients.”

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“As women across the country celebrate Women’s Day, it is vital for them to be themselves, be proud to be a woman and, above all, believe in themselves and their abilities.” – Michelle Kasselman, Iomega She says women can compete on an equal footing without losing their femininity, which can be turned to their advantage. She adds that as women across the country celebrate Women’s Day, it is vital for them to be themselves, be proud to be a woman and, above all, believe in themselves and their abilities. 

Women in IT:

Tracy Newman, Microsoft

Inspiration from within By Kaunda Chama

Watching her husband working in the IT industry in the ‘90s inspired Microsoft Dynamics’ Tracey Newman to work in the sector. “I kept thinking that it seemed like an incredibly dynamic sector to be operating in. When an opportunity presented itself that placed me slap-bang in the ‘IT fray’ I took it,” she says. Newman explains: “I don’t think that I’ve faced particular challenges as a woman in IT. I think that I face the same challenges that women in all sectors face: how to balance work and home. How to be there for your children in a really engaging way when you’re working long hours and sometimes get home just wanting to vegetate on the couch. “Interestingly, I know a lot of men who face exactly the same challenges so I’m not even sure that the work/life balance issue is specific to women.” She says that some of the lessons she has learned include always doing one’s homework. “I was doing an MBA at the time I decided to

Women in IT:

move into IT and this gave me an opportunity to find out all I could about the industry before I moved into it,” Newman says. Regarding issues the industry still needs to overcome, she says digital access is an issue that plagues the African continent. “How do we provide the people of this continent with access to technology as well as the requisite skills, so that they can join the global economy and improve their lives? She says that Microsoft is intent on helping people to realise their potential through technology. “This commitment takes a number of forms: On the one hand, it speaks to employability through the acquisition of 21st-century skills. This means that we share government’s aims of creating a thriving and integrated economy, which draws on the creativity and skills that our population can offer, creating meaningful work for all to help eliminate poverty and reduce unemployment.

Tracy Newman

She believes that the local software economy is an important economic driver that has the capability to deliver massive exportable innovation and address unemployment. According to her, the sector has done away with its issues with gender equality. When not being an IT professional, Newman is a mother, a wife and a friend. Newman’s vision for the future is one of a prosperous, innovative and entrepreneurial Africa that is able to help its children to realise their dreams. 

Heather Third, Microsoft

Landing in IT by chance By George Maseko

Heather Third, one of this year’s CRN top women in IT says she joined the industry not by design but by chance. She explains that a major reason for her joining the sector was the possibility of working for Microsoft. “I was attracted to the strength of the Microsoft brand and as a marketer, wanted to know all the secrets behind the company’s marketing machine. I was attracted to the potential of what technology could offer and the Microsoft catch line at the time– Where do you want to go today? – summed it up for me,” she explains. When asked about her challenges as a woman in IT, she says, the age-old challenge of finding balance between family and career is top of her list. Other challenges she initially faced include the fact that she did not hold a technical degree and so to be in a position of product manager for Microsoft Office meant she started

out having to understand bits and bytes from the very beginning. She adds that because the IT industry is all about solving life issues with technology, it has an amazing “can do” aura about it. She advises that to stay ahead in this space, one needs to take time to get perspective. One has to make sure they stick with their personal values and that they bring themselves to the table every time they interact with their colleagues or customers. According to her, Microsoft’s mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realise their full potential, adding that technology is a clear enabler of human potential, creativity, imagination and productivity. “That’s especially true on a continent like Africa where there is so much potential for technology to help leapfrog historical challenges, to transform education, foster innovation, and help create sustainable economic

Heather Third

growth, she says. Third comments that the channel for the future may well not be the traditional channels we are used to. Partnerships will be critical in solving the technological challenges, while stronger alliances are sure to see new and different solutions evolve. Regarding gender issues in the IT space, Third says: “I don’t think there are any, however, I can only speak from my own experience and I have never seen it. Admittedly, I have been privileged to work in a progressive company like Microsoft whose gender equality and diversity outlook and policy is unquestionable.” 

CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • Woman in IT • AUGUST 2008 •

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Women in IT:

Lorna Hardy, HP

Staying focused succeeding against all odds. By Manda Banda When Lorna Hardie was growing up, all she wanted to become was a physiotherapist. However, she did not fulfil her childhood ambition as at age 19, she decided to venture into the IT industry when she joined her mother who ran her own business from home. “I joined her while on a six-month sabbatical when I returned from the UK when I was 19,” she recalls. Hardie says it was this stint working with her mum that laid and gave her a strong foundation and understanding in terms of the IT industry, as it involved everything from building PCs to installing software and even training customers. “I actually had plans to return to the UK and become a physiotherapist but one year in IT and all of that changed. It is history and I am still in IT and enjoying it.” Although the local IT industry is largely dominated by males, Hardie firmly believes both males and females have different experiences and attributes that they bring to the table. She says the fact that more women are becoming visible in the industry as leaders and drivers is a sign that the benefits of communication are paying off. “I believe we all bring different perspectives to the industry and with each perspective comes an opportunity to review and reflect on challenges that may have not been obvious had we not had the opportunity to work together and that cannot be defined by gender,” she says. Aside from that, Hardie is delighted by the dynamism in the IT industry, especially the ever-evolving landscape. She is particularly pleased at seeing and experiencing the HP ProCurve brand adapt and develop in line with what the industry and market truly needs to meet their business objectives. Prior to joining HP in her current role as ProCurve business unit manager, Hardie gained tremendous experience and exposure to IT as a whole when she joined Introstat in a sales role. A six-year stint saw her honing her skills with POS International (division of Mustek) where she moved from telesales to sales and ascended to the sales manager position. Hardie’s defining moment came in November 1999 when she joined HP as a business developer for the English African, Imaging and Printing division. “I moved on to work its channel organisation for several years and finally took on the role of ProCurve Business Unit manager in June 2005,” she says. Hardie says as the country celebrates Women’s Day it should pay tribute to women who are working in IT and influencing others to join the industry. It is vital that women continue to work hard, stay focused, always consider their actions and remember that respect is something you earn and is never something you can buy or demand. She adds that mentorship programmes offer a sustainable means of developing and encouraging young women entering the business world. Hardie says HP is proactively driving graduate programmes to encourage and develop graduates as it fosters real value and growth opportunities for those who are new to the working world. “Ladies, we are all fabulous and sometimes we need to just remind ourselves of that fact,” she concludes. 

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CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • Woman in IT • AUGUST 2008

“Ladies, we are all fabulous and sometimes we need to just remind ourselves of that fact.” – Lorna Hardie, HP ProCurve

Women in IT:

Zelda Emmerick, Axiz

Adding value to people around you

By Dudu Shaba

Zelda Emmerick, product manager, Microsoft, Axiz, has been nominated as one of the 20 top women in the ICT industry by CRN. She says she has always strived for professionalism and excellence as well as to respect other people. Emmerick’s career in the industry started with SDD in 1999. “When the company was liquidated in 2001, I was one of 13 staff to open ACT with Anton Herbst. I worked at ACT until 2005 and then joined Axiz where I am the product manager for Microsoft,” she says. “IT is a very competitive environment and the challenge for me is to stay focused and ahead of the competition. My biggest realisation has been not to measure myself against other people’s achievements but to simply do my best. “Anton always used to ask us about our ‘value proposition’ to the company and this, I believe, holds true in many aspects of a person’s life. If you are not adding value to yourself and those around you, then what are you

actually achieving?” she comments. Emmerick says that Women’s Day is about women celebrating their independence, their ability to have successful careers while being moms, wives, friends and even students. “Times have changed dramatically and women are no longer expected to be submissive. For the ICT industry to continue empowering women, education and training should remain key. “It would be a welcome advancement if the industry offered women study bursaries, encouraged flexi-hours and mentorship programmes,” she says. For her, Axiz is a great company to work for when it comes to family. “Our CEO values family time and encourages employees to keep a balance in their life. I firmly believe a person has to look after all four aspects of their life, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual,” she says. She goes on to say women bring skills such as multitasking, empathy, understanding and

Women in IT: Michelle

Janse van Vuuren, Canon

Zelda Emmerick

flexibility to the table. “I hope 2010 delivers on all its promises, that the Gautrain is a success, and that our national power crisis is resolved,” Emmerick concludes. 

Remaining true By George Maseko

Michelle Janse van Vuuren, GM: marketing at Canon Consumer Imaging SA entered the office automation industry when she joined Panasonic in March 1992. After eight years she moved to Canon SA, again in office automation and photo/video. She explains that one of her major challenges has been exceeding what management believed was the proverbial glass ceiling for her. “In terms of prejudice, I have not experienced it and find it quite painful that women are perceived to be treated unfairly and provided with fewer opportunities due to their gender,” says Janse van Vuuren. She says that one of the lessons she has learnt as a woman in IT is to remain true to what she is. “Don’t try to be a man – be yourself and don’t overcompensate. It might take people a while but they will eventually get used to the fact that you are a woman in a leadership position,” explains Janse van Vuuren. She adds that from a multinational perspec-

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tive, women are treated equally, so in her experience she has found that, for instance, if there is any discrimination it is limited to smaller, privately-owned organisations. Janse van Vuuren notes that she has not experienced discrimination based on her gender in the IT industry in general, although senior management in larger companies is still male biased. Regarding what the industry still needs to overcome Janse van Vuuren comments: “In tough economic times channel players will have to differentiate themselves from the competition. It is particularly second-tier partners that face a troublesome time as there are so many of them and only so much business.” On what key issue her company is facing she says: “Differentiation – what is your value add as product alone is no longer good enough. As a result, we are focusing heavily on our brand and reputation to ensure that we gain a competitive advantage.”

CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • Woman in IT • AUGUST 2008

Michelle Janse van Vuuren

She says that when she is not busy running Canon’s consumer imaging business, she enjoys being a wife and mother. Looking ahead, she says she would like to establish Canon as the foremost input, throughput and output solutions provider enabled through the company’s strong focus on research and development, and resultant patented technologies. 

Women in IT: Jane

Thomson, Softworx

Embraced by the ICT sector By Dudu Shaba

Jane Thomson, MD, Softworx, has been nominated one of the top 20 women in the ICT industry by CRN. She attributes this to her passion, commitment and enthusiasm. Thomson started her IT career as a programmer for 3M, and then moved through the ranks as an analyst and project manager before she joined the management team. She has held the posts of DP manager, IT manager and divisional manager, and then hopped the fence to the supply side. “Here I ran the Baan consulting business for Q Data and then started my own business as a partner. I then joined Baan SA as it was undergoing a management buyout and became Softworx in 1999. “I am the only female board director at EOH and run the Softworx division. We market, sell,

Women in IT:

implement and support the Infor and Cognos ranges of solutions in sub-Saharan Africa.” As far as challenges are concerned, Thomson says she has never been treated differently as a woman, and doesn’t consider her gender a challenge in the IT industry. “I have grown from a technical person and perfectionist who wanted to do everything themselves to a manager who gets the best from people. I believe in gathering the best people as part of your team and keeping them,” she comments. This month, Thomson says she will celebrate the fact that ICT is one of the sectors that embraces the advancement of women and the principles of non-discrimination. One of Thomson’s wishes is that all children

Jane Thomson

should have an equal opportunity for a good education. “I hope to see an end to squatter camps, and that these shack dwellers are moved to better living conditions. I also hope to see crime levels normalise and our national soccer team take the World Cup in 2010,” she concludes. 

Jorina Van Rensburg, Condyn

Everyone has a definition of success By Dudu Shaba

Jorina van Rensburg, CEO, Condyn, has been nominated one of the top 20 women in IT. Van Rensburg says this is as a result of a combination of aspects such as passion, vision growth and team support. “Throughout my career, I have believed in hard work, determination and getting the job done. I am passionate about the industry, my employees and clients,” she says. Van Rensburg, who is CEO of Condyn, says she has been a major player in the field of information security for 15 years and has experience in the IT industry which includes hardware, software, networks and security. “As CEO, my tasks are varied. What I like is that no day is the same as the previous one. Between dealing with clients and employees, negotiating contracts, providing vision and guidance, and having fun, I have to ensure that all the balls stay in the air and that we continue our culture of service provision,” she comments. Van Rensburg says her first challenge in the IT industry was that she had no experience and no idea what people were talking about when they spoke about IT. “I had to learn very quickly through friends, speaking to experts, reading and so on,” she

explains. Nevertheless, she says that her entrepreneurial nature surfaced and she decided to establish a network company in 1995. “Condyn has always been a company that has been able to change in parallel with market needs. After attaining success as a network company, Condyn was converted into a focused information security solutions company. Today, it is a well-established organisation that has a wealth of experience in networking and information security,” she says. Van Rensburg has learned many lessons over the years through trial and error. The three major lessons that she has learnt during this period is that she has to listen to her inner voice in the decision-making process, that business is just business and to always persevere. She believes that both male and female counterparts are human beings with emotions, and perceptions and generalisations are most often defined by society. “In my view, any person female or male reacts differently to different things. But both genders react in the same way in a family crisis. Sometimes the male will be more level-headed but both react emotionally. The bottom line is I believe that we should stop judging people if we

Jane Thomson

do not know them and their circumstances. In other words, stop putting people in boxes because you might find that the predefined generalisation was incorrect,” she says. For everyone to have equal opportunities, Van Rensburg suggests that people should stop trying to find excuses for not reaching the top of the corporate ladder. “People in general, and not just women, should make a difference due to passion, skill and knowledge. We should grow within ourselves and do the best we can within our own assessment and definition of success,” she concludes. 

CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • Woman in IT • AUGUST 2008 •

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Women in IT:

Inocencia Mojane, WCS

Passion for IT Right attitude leads to success.

By Manda Banda The force that has made World Computer Systems’ (WCS) export division grow in the SADC region is evident when you see and chat to Inocencia Mojane, export sales and assistant sales manager at WCS. Mojane has single-handedly built WCS’ export division from scratch and propelled it into a force to be reckoned with in the IT distribution space. The company continues to enjoy favour from solution providers across the borders of SA in countries, including Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Swaziland, Botswana and the DRC. Since starting out in IT in 2003, Mojane’s passion for the industry has grown from strength to strength. Given that she got involved in IT by chance, Mojane’s first introduction to the industry came five years ago when she landed a job at OEM assembler Sahara Computers. “I always wanted to pursue law when I was growing up,” she recalls. “I wanted to specialise in mercantile law.” Having started out as a clerk at Sahara in 2003, Mojane says her diploma in computers put her in good stead and it didn’t take long before she was offered a position in sales. “I have not regretted my decision to pursue and develop a career in the IT industry. In 2006, Mojane joined WCS and was straight away tasked with setting up the company’s export division. “Initially, it was a bit of a challenge as customers across the border can be demanding,” she says. Being multi-lingual has helped her a lot in her current role as she speaks English, Portuguese and a few indigenous African languages. Mojane adds that the fact that she has the right attitude towards her job and clients has really helped her to develop and grow the export division. “What I love about my job is that I have direct contact with my clients,” she says. Although she is delighted to be among the Women in IT that have been honoured by CRN, she strongly believes that having a good state or public education system and foundation from which all will benefit will go a long way in aiding particularly girls to choose careers in industries that are still dominated by men. “Nothing beats the power of knowledge and being knowledgeable,” she says. While Mojane has not experienced any form of discrimination in the IT industry because she is a woman, she says the best way to excel in whatever women do is to learn and keep abreast of what is happening. “There is no job that is a male-only domain and women around the world can achieve anything in the workplace if they have the right attitude and are always optimistic,” she says. A self-confessed religious person, Mojane likes to spend most of her time away from the IT selling business with her family. Looking ahead, Mojane would like to continue growing WCS’ business and see peaceful co-existence between the company and the entire dealer channel. 

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CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • Woman in IT • AUGUST 2008

“There is no job that is a male only domain and women around the world can achieve anything in the workplace if they have the right attitude and are always optimistic.” – Inocencia Mojane, WCS

Women in IT:

Loraine Vorster, CompTIA

From auditor to IT solutions selling Making the mark. By Manda Banda Trained as an internal auditor, Loraine Vorster, regional director at CompTIA says she stumbled upon the IT industry and ended up in several sales and marketing positions after completing her first two years in an accounting role. “I started my career in the IT Industry 18 years ago working for TDF Associates as a PR officer and remained in the IT industry in various roles working with both corporates and training providers as clients,” she says. She points out that she has always been passionate about equality for women in the workplace. “I believe it is easier for women to make their mark in the IT industry than many others that are traditionally male and might remain so for a while yet. The one challenge I still find annoying is women being paid a lower salary than their male counterparts. Most women I meet still fulfil all the traditional roles at home and have a demanding job as well. It is extremely difficult to juggle all these responsibilities,” comments Vorster. She explains that women are emotional and tend to manage that way. In her opinion, men tend to me more practical. “As a woman in a senior management position, I had to learn not to react emotionally, survive company politics and have the company’s best interests at heart as well as those of my staff. Never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in, even if you are the only one standing,” she adds. Looking at the IT industry as a whole, Vorster comments that despite many projects and efforts from major companies the sector is still facing a skills shortage. “CompTIA members are struggling to retain good staff and source new staff. The association is working on several industry partnerships to find sustainable solutions,” she says. As an industry association, CompTIA exists to serve the IT industry; its members attend various forums which provide a neutral platform for them to raise their issues and concerns. “CompTIA then assists to find solutions to those issues and concerns. We are concerned about the skills shortage and believe the solution lies at school level, where we are focusing our resources at the moment. CompTIA provides a valuable link between industry and the academic environment,” Vorster explains. She believes that the industry should be doing more, faster, to bring ICT to all people across Africa. “We still meet young people every day who have never worked on a PC, who have never been on the Internet. Can you imagine your life without it? There are several great projects that have made progress towards solving this problem,” she explains. Vorster still sees certain IT jobs being filled by women and some by men. “Although I believe we have come a long way in the past 14 years with our government setting an excellent example for us, we still have work to do. Women must not be scared to apply for jobs they are interested in, even if that job has traditionally been male oriented,” she explains. When she is not staking her claim in the IT world, she is mother to two teenage boys. “I love nurturing their interests, which currently include skateboarding, PC gaming and heavy metal music. “I enjoy reading and can spend hours in bookshops, particularly looking

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CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • Woman in IT • AUGUST 2008

“Although I believe we have come a long way in the past 14 years with our government setting an excellent example for us, we still have work to do.” – Loraine Vorster, CompTIA

for books on self-improvement and motivational topics. I have also always had some crafty hobby and for the past few years have been an avid scrapbooker. As for the future, Vorster has hopes for a crime-free SA; a country where race and culture is not an issue, and where children will have access to the best education to enable them to build a future. 

Women in IT:

Corlette Wessels, Comztek

From nature conservation to IT By Stanley Chishala

It is not common for someone to trade in their love for nature conservation for the ever-evolving and fast-paced IT industry. But for Corlette Wessels, retail branch manager at local distributor Comztek, IT proved more appealing than preserving nature so in 1991 with no formal knowledge of what IT was, she kick-started her career in the sector. “I knew absolutely nothing about IT 17 years ago as I always wanted to go into nature conservation,” she says. Everything changed when she met the man who became her husband as it was then that nature conservation took a back seat. Wessels says for now, the closest she is to fulfilling her childhood dream is that she lives on a game farm north of Johannesburg and enjoys nature at its best. She says although the IT industry has opened up a lot of avenues for her, it can be challenging at times but she is delighted that the market has changed a lot and women in leading roles have become more acceptable.

Women in IT:

Wessels joined the IT industry in 1991 starting as a receptionist at TSD the then trading arm of Acer Africa. After a year at TSD, Wessels joined software specialist distributor Workgroup in its retail business unit and has loved being in retail ever since. Wessels is particularly thrilled by the retail business as it is not only fast moving and changes frequently from marketing to stock deadlines but is also the fastest-growing sector in the local IT industry. Having had the opportunity to work for TSD, Vantage Distribution, Hensta Structured Cabling, Workgroup and now Comztek, Wessels says the biggest lesson she has learnt is to leave emotions out of business. “Women shouldn’t be intimidated even if the boardroom table is full of men,” she says. “Women in SA and elsewhere on the globe need to believe in themselves and their capabilities, and be professional at all times.” Wessels points out that there should be more mentorship programmes to assist women enter-

Corlette Wessels, Comztek

ing male-dominated industries. She emphasises that this is especially necessary with young women. “It is important to ensure that local companies do not just adhere to black empowerment but also encourage women to join industries that are male dominated and assist them to be successful,” she concludes. 

Candice Gouws, Comztek

Cherishing the IT challenge By Manda Banda

Candice Gouws, internal sales and call centre manager at Comztek, is aware that to be successful in the cut-throat solutions selling game, one has to always stay a step ahead of the competition. It is precisely this that has kept Gouws going since 1988, when she started out as sales assistant to eight account managers for an IT solution provider company. Today, as the internal sales and call centre manager at specialist networking solutions distributor Comztek, Gouws is in charge of a team of 15 people in three different areas. The areas include the call centre/inbound telesales, Gauteng telesales and telesales into the rest of Africa. Gouws explains that the competitive nature of this industry is what excites her the most and keeps her going. “The challenge of selling products that are similar to those of your competitors and still being able to make a profit is what I cherish most about IT,” she says. “The adage ‘you snooze you lose’ is certainly the

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norm in the IT industry.” Gouws says although, historically, men have dominated the technical position in IT and other related industries, while women have tended to lead on the sales side of the business, she enjoys the challenge of being in an industry that has more men than women. “I love the challenge and I am not intimidated by the men,” she says. “Women are feistier than men and go for every opportunity to be at the top of their game. Having started out in 1988 after completing her studies, Gouws’ first job saw her working as a sales assistant at an IT reseller in Pretoria, something which was totally different to her childhood dream. As a young girl, Gouws’ ambition was to set-up her own secretarial school to train women to be successful contributors in the workplace because back in those days, women were perceived as homemakers who stayed at home and looked after the children. “Ambition was something most women could not even

CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • Woman in IT • AUGUST 2008

Candice Gouws, Comztek

discuss,” she recalls. From the time she started out at a reseller company in Pretoria, Gouws has had an opportunity to work in the IT distribution sector, first with LAN Design in 1994, which was acquired by Comztek at the start of the new millennium. During that time, Gouws held several positions from telesales, account manager, telesales supervisor and call centre manager. Take a Girl Child to Work programme has been very successful in shedding light on all the other possibilities available to young girls in the job market,” she concludes. 

Woman in IT:

Michelle Kasselman, Iomega

oming barriers of su By Manda Banda

Woman in IT:

Michelle Kasselman, Iomega

oming barriers of su By Manda Banda

Women in IT:

Linda Balfour

One step ahead

By Manda Banda

Linda Balfour, HR manager at PC powerhouse Lenovo SA, is a firm believer a challenge or challenges in the work environment are only a challenge if one chooses to look at their work surroundings that way. Having started her career as an IT recruitment consultant, Balfour says the industry has always been open to women. She says the nature of the IT industry is influenced by the constant change needed to stay ahead of the competition. Locally, Balfour says the change has seen more and more women join the IT industry serving in key and influential roles. “One of the changes that has been well embraced is the fact that more women are cutting their teeth in IT, an industry widely believed to be a domain for males,” she says. “This is an indication that women are taking it on themselves to dispel the myth that IT is only for males.” Balfour says the IT industry is not as scary as it sounds when you are sitting with men and

Women in IT:

they are talking about gigs and megabytes. She explains that these are common words that only feel strange to a layman. According to Balfour, once you are in the IT industry, most technology terminology becomes part of your vocabulary. “In my opinion, IT is definitely not a male-only industry. There are a lot of women who are making their mark in the industry and climbing the corporate ladder to the top,” she says. “Women need to gear up and take the male folk head-on.” Having kick-started her career as an IT recruitment consultant, Balfour’s childhood ambition was to become a graphic designer. She could not fulfil her childhood ambition and opted to pursue a career in the call centre industry. Balfour’s first break was at PLP, a call centre company where she worked as a call centre supervisor a few years ago. She later moved to join recruitment agency Kelly as an account executive. It was during her stint at Kelly Recruitment that Balfour was first exposed to

Linda Balfour

mainstream IT. After leaving Kelly earlier this year, Balfour landed her current job as HR manager at PC-maker Lenovo SA where she is in charge of recruiting and handling all HR functions for the China-headquartered multinational PC vendor. Balfour is a supporter of the Take a Girl Child to Work campaign as she believes that such initiatives open young career seekers’ minds. However, she says that barriers are being broken by those women currently making a difference and contributing positively to the IT industry. “Being involved at Lenovo at a senior HR level, I strongly believe that gender is not a factor when it comes to performance,” she notes. 

Phumeza Bham, SAP

Women empowernment is imperative By Dudu Shaba

Phumeza Bham has been nominated one of the 20 top women in the ICT industry by CRN. She attributes this to her family background of entrepreneurs and political activists. Against this background, Bham says she has become passionate about creating a level playing field for Africans to participate in the local and global economy, which is a vision she would like to see realised in her lifetime. “My current position as HR manager at SAP Africa has provided me with a tremendous opportunity to give effect to world-class human resource practices and development in a subsidiary of the world’s leading provider of business software. The company’s drive to employ the best people in the software industry as well as its rich diversity and cultural wealth are some of its greatest assets which resonate perfectly with my personal goals. I would attribute these as being the primary reasons for being nominated one

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of the top 20 women in the ICT industry by CRN,” she comments. Bham’s past experience in senior management positions at ABSA and Ernst & Young have provided her with an appreciation of the value IT brings to a developing economy such as ours. In addition, she has been exposed to the limitless benefits that IT brought to the mission-critical operations of the businesses she worked in. For Bham the month of August means celebrating the achievements of the women of SA. “This is the month when we come together to advance women’s struggles for empowerment and our rights to full equality as enshrined in the Constitution. During August we commemorate and re-emphasise the important role of women in the transformation of the country into a democracy,” she says. Bham says that organisations have a huge opportunity to exploit the competitive

CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • Woman in IT • AUGUST 2008

Phumeza Bham, SAP

advantage that gender diversity can give them. “Having women in leadership brings a completely different dimension to leadership, one that is far more embracing,” she comments. Looking ahead, Bham says she would like to leave a legacy which highlights her role as an enabler in creating a supportive environment for employees, where the voice of the employee is heard, and where her interventions enabled the leadership of the organisation to lead through change. “I would like to be remembered as a catalyst of transformation,” she concludes. 

Women in IT:

Magda Engelbrecht, Nortel

Challenging the unchallenged By George Maseko

Magda Engelbrecht, country manager of Nortel, joined the IT industry working for an end-user company where she managed the company’s conversion of its accounting system to MCBA. “This gave me, at an early stage, exposure to the challenges and frustrations customers face in implementing new systems. I think it is beneficial for a supplier to have worked as an end-user to understand the challenges their customers face.” She notes that one of the main challenges of her career has been balancing work and family life. She says although work is important, life outside work is equally important. “The lesson I have learnt is that if these two aspects of your life are not balanced properly, there will be a downside. My vision for the future is firstly to maintain a work/home balance and to ensure that Nortel provides the same solutions to customers in sub-Sahara Africa as it does globally,” explains

Women in IT:

Engelbrecht. She also intends using what she has learnt and her experience by giving back to the industry in terms of mentoring staff and growing Nortel. Looking at Nortel, she says: “The brain drain is a problem. It is severe and is affecting both suppliers and customers. Customers are losing good people which is impacting on their businesses. Good trained people are leaving SA for more secure environments overseas where there is no crime, and where there is political stability and career opportunities.” She comments that one way of getting around this is to stabilise the country and get rid of crime. “The biggest challenge for the channel is our economic climate. Channel players are not seeing the so-called big government projects. There are fewer projects than were expected. There also appears to be less overseas investment in projects, possibly because of the uncertain political environment and crime,” explains

Magda Engelbrecht

Engelbrecht. She stresses that there is no gender inequality in the ICT industry. “Any woman who is prepared to work hard, has an aptitude for ICT and is able to handle a stressful environment will do well. There are many women who make it in this industry, but you need to be mentally tough,” Engelbrecht concludes. 

Voula Philippides, Edutain

Believing in yourself By Kaunda Chama

Voula Philippides, managing member of software distribution company Edutain says she got into the industry purely by chance after her first job in a data processing department. “That job eventually prompted me to study IT and move into programming, but in actual fact I did not enjoy it as much as marketing IT,” she says. When asked what she sees as the major challenges faced by women in IT, Philippides says the one that comes to mind is working with a lot of men who think women are not mechanically and technically minded. “Competing in an excessively competitive marketplace with technologies and margins forever changing mean you have to go to extreme lengths to keep up and stay in the game,” she notes. Regarding lessons she has learned that women wanting to get into the industry can benefit from, she says persistence coupled with extreme drive, and continuous self-renewal will keep them on the bleeding edge of the industry.

“One of the major issues the industry still needs to overcome is that resellers need to incorporate good business practices into their marketing plans. The shortage of good skills coupled with the unmet broadband needs of being more ubiquitous and affordable are also big issues,” explains Philippides. Looking at Edutain specifically, she says that broadband is a huge issue as high-power applications like video broadcasting are still too expensive and sluggish to broadcast in reasonable quality and size. Philippides adds that the current economic slowdown is a stumbling block for retailers and the channel, and ICT sector as a whole. She further says that gender equality in the IT space is slightly better now than it was in the past decade. “When I am not being an IT professional, I am happiest when I am in motion; anything from travelling to working out in the gym. I also

Voula Philippides

spend some quality time with family and friends in between,” says Philippides. Looking ahead, she says: “I have a vision that communications will be revolutionised and everything will be in video format and virtual reality, making it so much easier to generate material, paint pictures and send messages. Robotics is also making huge advancements and I am really looking forward to getting my very first personal assistant robot in the not too distant future.” 

CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • Woman in IT • AUGUST 2008 •

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Women in IT:

Cheslynne Britz, Rectron

Reaching new frontiers By Manda Banda

If ever anyone needed proof that survival in today’s workplace is about people who are multiskilled and can multitask, then Cheslynne Britz, GM at local distribution powerhouse Rectron would be it. Having studied travel and tourism, Britz realised soon after her tertiary studies that no employer was willing to give her a chance in the field of her qualification. “I tried to get a job in the travel industry but did not succeed as every potential employer wanted someone with experience,” she recalls. Although she could not fulfil her childhood ambition of becoming a chef, she does not have any regrets about carving a niche for herself in the IT industry. “To be honest, a career in the IT industry wasn’t something I wanted to pursue, as all I wanted to be when I was a kid was a chef,” she says. Fortunately for Britz, she came across an advert in the local newspaper advertising a job for a young dynamic individual for a local IT

Women in IT:

distribution company. “At that stage I only knew how to turn on a PC but I thought I should give it a try and I have never looked back,” she says. Britz got her break in the IT industry at the age of 19 when Rectron hired her in the position of PA and has been with the distribution powerhouse for eight years. “I have only worked for Rectron and through the years have worked my way up to where I am today,” she says. “Through that time, I have held many positions moving from PA, sales executive, sales manager, product manager, business manager and now I am the GM for Rectron.” Britz believes a woman can do anything or be anything she wants to be. Because the IT industry is dominated by males does not mean one doesn’t have the chance of succeeding and going beyond. Britz says she finds it more challenging to work in an environment dominated by women because more women are putting themselves in line for positions they never would have in the past.

Cheslynne Britz

Britz says as women from all walks of life in SA celebrate Women’s Month, it is vital for them to look after themselves and know that they have a voice and, most importantly, that they can achieve anything they want with the right attitude, drive and charisma. “Remember that nothing is out of your reach if you put your mind to it,” she concludes. 

Nicola Homewood, Ingram Micro

More women in ITneeded By Kaunda Chama

Ingram Micro’s Nicola Homewood started in the IT industry as a receptionist for a company that rented out office space to startup businesses. “At the time Storgate Cape Town was renting offices from us. When Storgate moved into its own offices, I was approached by the branch manager and asked to join them. That was 11 years ago,” she says. She comments that one of the major challenges she has faced as a woman in IT is the assumption that because one is female they know less than their male colleagues. Another, she says is keeping ahead of technology and new products. When asked about some of the lessons she has learned in the industry, Homewood says: “One has to have a positive outlook, be assertive and look for new challenges. The IT industry is always changing, so one should be adaptable and open to new opportunities to

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stay ahead of the game.” Regarding the issues that she thinks the industry still needs to overcome; Homewood says the skills shortage is definitely top of mind adding that another is the opening of more management opportunities for women. “As Ingram Micro South Africa is one of the new kids on the block, we need to prove ourselves to our customers and competitors,” she says. Regarding pressing channel and ICT issues, she notes that the volatile exchange rate and margins are putting a lot of pressure on companies that are struggling to stay afloat. She admits that the IT space still has issues with gender equality, and explains that in her opinion, the situation is not unique to the sector. When she is not busy being an IT professional, she spends time with friends and family, reads, shops, gardens, takes walks, gets creative in the kitchen, goes to the theatre and attends talks on self-improvement.

CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • Woman in IT • AUGUST 2008

Nicola Homewood

Looking to the future, she would like to see more young girls getting involved in ICT from primary school level, thereby sparking an interest in the very exciting industry. She would also like to see more awards that recognise women’s achievements and the equality gap being bridged. 

PARTING: SHOTS

DILBERT

www.dilbert.com

by Scott Adams

S n a pshot Company: Polycom Position: Regional sales manager, Polycom business in

Israel, Greece and southern Africa Age: 37 Best personal achivement: My two young daughters Management style: Open door, results driven Most admired company: Logitech Most admired executives: Yitzhak Tshuva Best IT product: The DSP Most pressing local business issues: Bandwidth Key to success: Analyse the situation from as many angles as

possible, learn from other people’s mistakes and your own Favourite car: My first VW Golf Your car: Mazda 6 Favourite authors: Dan Brown and Harlan Coben Where do you live: Ramat-Gan, Israel Birthplace: Jerusalem Israel Hobbies/sports: Movies, tennis, football and golf Favourite periodicals: Globes IT Popular Science (Israeli), IT

Magazine and Home Theatre/Stereo Equipment Pet hates: People that are not open to change

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CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA • AUGUST 2008

Dan Engel