SPECIAL FOCUS - Integr8 Group

special
focus
an independent report _ AUGUST 2008
GOING
PLACES:
Why Integr8's business
keeps growing

ainstorm
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Special Focus
EDITOR
Mia Andric (mia@itweb.co.za)
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Integr8 IT may have begun life as a small start-up, but in less
than a decade, the company has achieved unmatched successes.
These successes, and the resultant growth, have seen
the company branching out into different business sectors.
Now an integral part of the Integr8 Group, Integr8 IT has built
on its knowledge and customer base to create a number of
companies that provide fax, telecoms, rental and network services
to new and existing customers both in South Africa and
worldwide. With a global client base including companies like
Toyota, Volvo, Goldfields and American Express, it’s easy to
understand why Integr8’s success has resulted in not only the
formation of a number of new companies, but movement into
new countries too. In addition to its South African offices, the
Integr8 Group is now represented across Africa, the USA and
parts of Europe. Integr8’s success lies not merely in its ability
to provide the services and products demanded by customers,
but in its focus on and growth of its people. With a progressive
BEE policy and a focus on creating an enticing workplace,
Integr8 has ensured that its people are fulfilled and that its staff
remain at the company for many years – a rarity in an industry
where staff turnover is notoriously common.
With all of these things in place, the logical next step for the
business would be to tap into the government sector. With its
sound BEE policies, its skills, and its expertise, Integr8 is ideally
placed to provide government with tailor-made solutions – and
to grow even further.
Mia Andric
Editor
Copyright © 2008 by ITWeb Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means,
or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written
permission of the publisher.Opinions expressed in this publication are not
necessarily those of the editors, publisher, or advertisers.
and other
retail outlets
AUGUST 2008 - 1

4
Keeping it real By Samantha Perry
Founded in 2001 by Rob Sussman and Lance Fanaroff, Integr8
IT (Pty) Ltd. is associated to the Integr8 Group, the 400+
person-strong organisation with a global client base.
8
Success down to structure By Graeme Scala
The company is owned 100 percent by people who work within
it. There are no outside shareholders or passive investors.
Integr8 IT has come a long way in a relatively short time.
10
Driving online growth By Richard Morgan
Integr8 IS has grabbed international market attention with
its Software as a Service and Web 2.0 applications.
12
Sticking to the fax By Carel Alberts
Integr8 FAX’s FaxM8 service throws the humble fax a life-line
by offering a corporate-grade, free fax-to-e-mail service with
zero installation, subscription, training and support cost.
14
Putting the C into ICT By Donovan Jackson
Integr8 Telecoms positions for long-term
prosperity with its telecoms company.
16
“Each month
there is a substantial
compounded
increase.”
Why own ICT? By Patrick Heske
In only three years, Integr8 Rental has positioned itself as a
leader in the technology and office asset rental market.
con
Ray Schur, Chief Financial Officer
tenTs
2

18
Bolstering group achievements By Carel Alberts
After nine years of strong growth and award-winning success,
the Integr8 Group has built up and branded a R300 million select
property portfolio, which supports its operations and adds a strong
asset base to the strategic group focus on annuity revenue.
20
Work or play? By Candice Jones
While Integr8 IT may be deadly serious about work, its personnel
are also given a relaxed and fun environment to visit each day.
22
Tighter controls boost profits By Iain Scott
In introducing regular reporting and tight control
over expenditure, coupled with increased market
share, Integr8 Group has boosted its profits.
24
Heading north By Patrick Heske
Africa is a continent with unbelievable ICT prospects, says Integr8 IT.
26
Close to the heart By Sipho Memela
For Integr8 IT, BEE is not only something to
comply with, but rather a way of life.
28
Staying connected By Richard Morgan
Integr8 plays a vital role in making sure that the Fidelity
Security Group’s user group remains connected.
30
The value of optimisation By Donovan Jackson
Integr8 IT upgrades Gold Fields Ghana
32
At a glance
Integr8 IT - special focus
AUGUST 2008 - 3

OVERVIEW
keeping
it real
“Each month
there is a substantial
compounded
increase.”
Founded in 2001 by Rob Sussman and Lance Fanaroff,
Integr8 IT (Pty) Ltd. is associated with the Integr8 Group, the
400+ person-strong organisation with a global client base.
Ray Schur, Chief Financial Officer
Robert Sussman and Lance Fanaroff, joint-CEOs
4

Starting with a mere R300 000 in start-up capital, invested
by joint-CEOs Rob Sussman and Lance Fanaroff, The Integr8
Group houses Integr8 IT, which is today the largest BEE, privately
owned, ICT infrastructure management company in
Africa. “The company was formed in 2001 by Lance and myself,”
says Sussman. “We very rapidly found co-partners Jan
Roux (technical director), Bennie Strydom (sales director)
and Tami Milwidsky (now Sussman, regional director).”
the pain and wins on the client sites,” he says. “It allows us to manage
all our client sites from a central place. We could have put it
anywhere in the world but we decided to put it in Africa. We are a
100 percent African owned and run, so although we provide services
around the world, we have our roots firmly on African soil.”
The Integr8 Group is headquartered in South Africa and has a
presence in the US and UK. It uses these offices to provide services
from Africa.
WORDS Samantha Perry
These entrepreneurs formed Integr8 IT (Pty) Ltd., a company “very rich
in skill and integrity and the delivery aspect around ICT infrastructure and
managed services,” says Sussman. “We sat down in early 2001 to write a
list of what we had, clients, financing and so on, and we had nothing. But
we went out and did it, and picked up some very good minds.”
He adds that they got into the market when everyone else was getting
out, post-Y2k. “The listed companies were taking a hammering,
the bubble had burst,” Sussman notes. “We founded the business with
our own funds, and the company has continued to use its own funds
to grow. It doesn’t have, and has never had, any debt and it hasn’t, and
never has, used an overdraft facility. Our growth has been 100 percent
organic,” he says.
Zero to group
Sussman says the company rapidly built a strong customer profile.
“The market liked the view we had and what we did and saw
us as a young innovation house with the ability to execute. We
landed strong national and multinational brands early on.”
Integr8 IT’s main focus was then, and remains today, the design,
implementation and, most importanty, the management of ICT
infrastructure, in addition to its managed services offering. This
involves managing an organisation’s underlying architecture and
provides Integr8 IT with a healthy, annuity-based revenue stream.
“We had small, medium and large clients in the beginning,” says
Sussman, “but that’s changed. We’ve realised that we are only able
to work with companies that are serious about investing in ICT
in order to make a difference to their business. In the early days
it wasn’t about the reactive model but about roadmaps, where
the client’s business wanted to go and how to use technology to
get there. We’ve always been able to understand business. We’re
business people in the IT world, not the other way around.”
Neural hub
One of Integr8 IT’s underlying assets is its Nerve Centre. Sussman says
Integr8 IT built the first ever Nerve Centre on the African continent.
Running 24/7, it comprises a knowledge centre, connecting Integr8 IT to
all of its clients and includes a call centre, support services, on-demand
support and remote monitoring capabilities, to name but a few.
“It lets us connect to our clients and acts as the digital nervous
system, with our clients being the nerve endings. It lets us feel
Brains trust
People, Sussman states, are
Integr8 Groups’ most important
asset. “We have over 400 full-time,
highly educated, professional and
skilled people who understand
ICT from beginning to end.”
The company’s culture is
critical, Sussman adds, and when
interviewing new candidates,
they are carefully assessed to
ensure they will fit in. “What we
“We want
to be the
Investec
of the ICT
industry.”
Lance Fanaroff
look for, and our success is based on this, is people who can do very
well within a short time frame. We look for a young mindset, which
often but not always comes in a young body, entrepreneurs who can
grow a business within the business, their ability to innovate, and, most
importantly, passion for the brand. They must love what they do.
“We’ve created a great environment too,” he says, noting
the filter coffee that is available to all staff in all of Integr8
Groups’ offices. “It’s the small things that make a difference.
People won’t leave family in a hurry but they will leave a business
quickly, so we’ve created a family environment.”
That said, Sussman says everyone is “deadly serious about work.
It’s about retaining the best minds in the industry, so it’s a fun
environment, but we are deadly serious about hard work.”
Branching out from IT to Group
Sussman says the group has had opportunities to branch into
other IT verticals over the years. Taking advantage of some of
these has seen the company grow to the size it is today. The Integr8
Group has affiliated with it: Integr8 IT, Integr8 Telecoms,
Integr8 Fax, Integr8 IS, Integr8 Rental and Integr8 Property.
Intregr8 IT (Pty) Ltd. is the original business, Integr8 Telecoms
(Pty) Ltd. was set up to take advantage of telecommunications
convergence. Integr8 IS (Pty) Ltd. was originally known as 2Pi (Pty)
Ltd. and founded as a development house focusing on SaaS and
Web 2.0 hosted services. Integr8 Fax (Pty) Ltd. was a company
originally termed Binary Transmssions (Pty) Ltd., which owns and
operates a global platform for fax to mail services. Integr8 Rental
(Pty) Ltd. used to be Arengo (Pty) Ltd., and was born out of the
Integr8 IT - special focus
AUGUST 2008 - 5

FINANCIAL
clients’ requirements to rent or finance, not purchase IT assets.
All except Integr8 Property are Pty Ltds in their own right. Integr8
Property, says Sussman, manages all of the group’s property in South
Africa and is a holding brand for six additional property-owning entities.
Says Fanaroff: “Every entity feeds off the other. So if, for example,
we get a new fax client, once they’re entrenched, they
can benefit from other relevant services from within the group.
We have a deliberate strategy to keep all entities completely
separate. This way we are able to conclude unique transactions
that are applicable to a single entity and line of business.
“We’re business
people in the IT world.”
Robert Sussman
Sussman says Integr8 is considering listing one of its entities in
the near future. “The market is split into listed and unlisted businesses,”
he says, “and this will take us across to the listed side. We’re
at the top of our game, so the question is do we retain our position
or move across and become one of the listed ICT giants? Before
then we aim to control as much premium client market share as
we can. We’re in a position where we are lucky enough to be able
to choose which clients to deal with, and ensure that the client is
the right profile. This isn’t a matter of size or spend, but a mindset
of being serious about what ICT can do for the business.”
Going up
Sussman says it takes a lot of physical and mental work to
get it right, and “you take your beatings. But we like to learn
from those so that we don’t take the same beating twice.”
“We want to be the Investec of the ICT industry,” adds Fanaroff.
“Going forward, we don’t want to be viewed as the biggest but
rather as the best at what we do. We’re lucky in that many of the
bigger groups outsource to us. A lot of our growth has come
from the faith these groups have in us in that we’re not big
enough to be a threat to them but we are of use to them.”
“We’ve often been asked what our intention is long-term,” says Sussman,
“and our advisors have indicated that the company is perfectly
positioned for a main board listing. That said, a lot of businesses like
ours never become powerhouses because they sell too soon. Another
reason not to sell is that even if we did, I’d use the proceeds
of the sale to go out and invest in a business just like this one.”
6

overview
Jan Roux, Integr8 IT technical director
Ben Strydom, Integr8 IT sales director
Success
down to
structure
The company is owned 100
percent by people who
work within
“Each
it.
month
There are no
outside
there
shareholders
is a substantial
com-
or
passive investors. Integr8 IT
pounded
has come a long way in a
increase.”
relatively short time.
Ray Schur, Chief Financial Officer
Aside from the healthy financial
position Integr8 IT finds itself
in, the company has had better
month-to-month revenue growth
in the last nine months than ever
before. What does it attribute
this success to when many
competitors in ICT are flailing in
the economic winds of change?
Integr8 IT sales director
Bennie Strydom says the
biggest influence from a
revenue perspective is that
the company employs some of the best people in the industry.
“They’re the best at what they do and are well equipped to
deliver greater efficiency and innovation to customers – and
the directors of the business are even more actively involved
in the overall operation, looking at things like profitability,
managing budgets and adjusting targets as required.”
Interestingly, he adds that Integr8 IT has yet to make a single coldcall
to any customer in almost nine years of operation. This underscores
the importance placed on customer and partner referrals.
“We’ve also streamlined our processes, the ripple effect
of which is that we’re able to run a tighter shop. For the
first eight years of trading, there were only five people running
the business. Now we are over 400 people, so in our early
days it was difficult to efficiently manage the business.”
WORDS graeme scala
Middle management
The result is that Integr8 IT introduced an executive management
team (exco) made up of the five directors and shareholders, and what
Strydom calls a divco, a regional divisional management team. “By
having a mid-level managing the company and staff, it has become
easier for everyone to focus on their respective areas. Now we have
people and processes and have formalised the structure within the
8

Tami Sussman, Integr8 IT regional director
company,” he adds. “Plus, we have a focused HR department [see
sidebar] that ensures our people remain happy. If they’re happy,
they’ll stay with the company to ensure that we remain profitable. We
pay our people above market related salaries, which means that when
they decide to leave, it’s not for more money. Having said that, this
reason, together with a passion and prestige associated with working
at Integr8 IT, is probably why our personnel turnover is so low.”
Jan Roux, technical director at Integr8 IT, points to the company’s
laser focus on infrastructure. “Within the infrastructure
business, our model is to concentrate on one or two products.
When people call us, they know they’ll get expert advice; we’re
not a jack of all trades,” he stresses. “As soon as we feel something
is diluting our focus, we split it off into another company – and
that’s where you get the Integr8 Group structure. If there’s one
golden thread that runs through all the companies, it’s our focus.”
From a sales perspective, Strydom points out that he has one
of the best sales teams he could have hoped for. “These guys are
managing our clients’ expectations across the company’s multiple
offices, ensuring that clients are visited and serviced as required.”
Another key contributor to the success of Integr8 IT has been its
vendor partnerships with the likes of Microsoft, HP and Cisco. This
is tightly integrated with Integr8 IT’s managed services offering.
Based on the way the market is changing, skills are becoming thin
on the ground and more expensive. Due to this shortage, the price
of skills has naturally escalated; it’s a simple supply and demand scenario.
Integr8 IT is innovative in supply of infrastructure as a service
as opposed to what is commonly called “body-shopping”. This means
that operational ICT support can be managed from a consolidated
and centralised Nerve Centre, with guarantees (such as SLAs) provided
to customers based on specific outcomes and requirements.
Global expansion
Integr8 IT is on a steady drive to expand its international business
ventures. Started in July, the company is moving aggressively into
Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana, the UK, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong
and Australia. It’s looking for new business opportunities and growing
international revenue streams, says Strydom. He admits that although
greater competition exists outside of South Africa, he is confident
his company can replicate its services on the global playing field.
“If we can achieve this, we could be very successful because service
in those countries is very different to what we’re accustomed to
locally. For example, there are not a lot of companies in the UK that
“You have
the JSElisted
ICT
companies
and the
privately
owned ICT
companies.
We are the
largest in
terms of
numbers
and market
share in
the privately
owned
space.”
have the underlying innovation
that we have. And we are, therefore,
seeing great return and a
further massive opportunity.”
Industry sectors that
Integr8 IT is actively working
on include the financial and
banking markets, as well as
mining – the company is also
focusing its attention on the
manufacturing sector, property
and government, to a degree.
“Government contracts are
proving lucrative. Our BEE rating
is right, but we don’t have
anyone right now to focus on
that business. If we focus on the
government space and replicate
our success in the private sector,
we’ll catapult ourselves further
into an unrivalled position.”
Should be something
worth keeping an eye on.
Personnel & skills retention
Skills and people remain a major challenge for businesses of all sizes. Integr8 IT seems to have the right formula.
Regional director Tami Sussman says Integr8 IT has very low staff turnover (four to five percent) for
one simple reason: keeping its personnel happy and incentivised. She says the primary reason for
personnel retention is that Integr8 IT offers a flat management structure and an open-door policy.
“Our entire environment is open plan and we ensure that our office, work spaces and
‘chill areas’ are comfortable and equipped for staff. A key factor within the HR function
of the business is to ensure the work environment is a happy place to be.”
This is done through an initiative that offers monthly wellness programmes (health,
financial advice, guidance, eye tests, vital signs testing), training from external
and internal resources, regular social events and welfare programmes.
“Barking orders is out. Instead, innovation and leadership have replaced the ivory tower
concept. It’s common for personnel to have food delivered to their desks to encourage the
blur between work and social interaction. Although the personnel are relaxed and play
hard, we are deadly serious about our work. Success and achievement is constantly encouraged
and rewarded via internal promotions, bonuses and other financial incentives.”
Integr8 IT - special focus
AUGUST 2008 - 9

integr8 is
Driving
online
growth
WORDS richard morgan
Integr8 IS has grabbed
international market
attention with its
Software as a Service and
Web 2.0 applications.
Integr8 IS was established several years ago to extend additional
service offerings to the strong Integr8 IT client base. “Integr8
IS provides software solutions and development focused
on core Microsoft technologies such as SQL Server, SharePoint,
and .Net to our clients who are predominantly in the financial
“Each month
there is a substantial
compounded
increase.”
services sector,” says Deon Robertson, CEO of Integr8 IS.
The company’s product offering includes the net.1 online enterprise
business solution, online survey management, Microsoft
Office SharePoint Server solutions, and SMS and mobile aggregation
services. The net.1 online enterprise business solution consists
of several modules that lets users maintain control of their business,
irrespective of where they are. The control panel centralises all
baseline information such as customer, supplier, project, and user
data. Additionally, it supports user-defined workflow and collaboration.
Modules include expense management, timesheet management,
purchase order management, and task management.
Ray Schur, Chief Financial Officer
“The Online Survey Manager enables users to create customised
surveys within a few minutes. Simply type in the questions and
sub-questions, create lists of available answers as single or multiselections,
save, and you are good to go. Additional features include
the managing of mailing lists, a statistics dashboard that aggregates
all relevant information, and reporting feedback,” explains Robertson.
The Microsoft SharePoint Server solution lets people easily create and
manage a range of content through dynamic websites. It allows users to
share, disseminate, and keep track of this content without the restrictions
of a traditional paper-based environment. Integr8 IS specialises in
planning, implementing, and customising SharePoint-based systems.
Robertson says that the Integr8 IS SMS Gateway is an international
public gateway developed by the company in response to
the increasing demand for instant notification. “Messages sent via
the gateway to any mobile number in the world are guaranteed a
sub-eight second delivery. The gateway facilitates user configuration
options to provide e-mail-based delivery receipts and SMS
replies,” he says. Integr8 IS also offers an online webSend facility that
can be hosted allowing a company to create and manage subaccounts,
and set monthly limits by department or individual user.
Growth
However, the company is not stopping there. These products are
part of a core offering that Integr8 IS will continue to expand on, as
Microsoft Core Competencies awarded
Integr8 IS encourages its Microsoft
certified specialists and engineers to
obtain and continually update their
Microsoft certifications. This has seen
the company being awarded a number
of Microsoft Core Competencies.
Development Solutions Competency
The Custom Development Solutions
competency is reserved for partners with at
least three specialisations, proven to deliver
focused customer value using the Microsoft
Visual Studio 2005 development platform.
Web Development Specialisation
The Microsoft partner has proven Webenabled
deployment solutions required
in organisations that wish to operate and
transact through the internet using Visual
Studio, ASP.NET, IIS, Windows Server 2003,
and SQL Server.
Business Process and Integration
Solutions Competency
The solutions partner has helped
organisations build integrated, interoperable,
modularised, extensible, and secure
e-business solutions with high levels of
reliability and availability that connect
information, systems, people, and processes.
Microsoft BizTalk Server and Microsoft Host
Integration Server on Windows Server 2003
form the backbone of a growing number of
integration and business process solutions.
10

the need arises. “We have plans to continue growing our financial
services solutions offering with respect to the core products already
mentioned, as well as putting effort into further developing our
expertise and increasing value for our clients,” Robertson says.
He adds that the long-term strategy for the company is to
continue to grow a quality client base on both a national and
an international scale. With existing customers including Fidelity
Security Services, acsis Ltd., Sizwe, Blue Financial Services, Fifth
Quadrant, JTI, Brait, Goldfields, Mondi and Verizon, this foundation
will provide a substantial point of reference for future clients.
Because Integr8 IS focuses on using its expertise and partnering
with clients, the company is in a unique position to understand their
business in order to provide solutions that work for them. Robertson
explains that this is key to the continued growth of the company. “Our
experience and know-how are better employed if we fully understand
Preserv8
Preserv8 is a full managed software as a service Web 2.0 e-mail archiving and compliance solution
recently developed by Integr8 IS. It is deployed to a global network of data centres to provide
users with an instant disaster recovery strategy with no capital outlay.
The e-mail of a company is routed through the solutions, sanitised, and archived before being
routed and delivered directly to the various mail servers of an organisation.
the client’s business,” he explains. “It is through our partnerships with
our clients that we can reach that level of awareness and provide
them with the right solution and better value for their business.”
“We are continually
developing our expertise
and broadening the
quality of our client base
on local and international
fronts.”
Deon Robertson, CEO of Integr8 IS
Additionally, the solution remotely synchronises Active Directory users, mailboxes, and groups
to reduce the administrative overhead associated with those tasks. Organisational policies, such
as content restrictions, can be configured and enforced using Active Directory groups.
Account activation is virtually immediate and Web-based administration facilitates complete
visibility. Preserv8 also provides business continuity via a Webmail interface should the customer
mail infrastructure fail or experience any downtime.
Integr8 IT - special focus
AUGUST 2008 - 11

Integr8 FAX
Sticking
to the
fax
Integr8 FAX’s
FaxM8 service
throws the
humble fax
a life-line by
offering a
corporategrade,
free faxto-e-mail
service
with zero
installation,
subscription,
training and
support cost.
WORDS Carel Alberts
Fax-to-e-mail (and back again) allows for the
sending and receiving of faxes as e-mail attachments.
This technology has become an increasingly popular
office communications method, for obvious reasons.
For starters, it integrates an old-school
communications channel (fax) into a futureproof
one (e-mail), giving it a new lease on life
and broadening the accessibility of business
communication. In a country undergoing
wholesale upliftment of previously disadvantaged
businesses, your trading partners may well rely on
the humble fax; lowering the barriers for them to
deal with you can only benefit your transformation
score and enrich your trading ecosystem.
It is also hugely convenient and cost-effective. With
internet everywhere you care to look these days – at
work, at home and on the run almost anywhere in
the world – e-mail follows you wherever you are,
on your Blackberry, smartphone or laptop. Lastly,
you contribute to another very important cause.
While fax-to-e-mail doesn’t herald the dawn of the
paperless office just yet, it is one answer to the call
for green IT, which is getting louder every day.
It makes sense, then, that the Integr8 Group
incorporated a company dealing exclusively with this
technology into its portfolio of IT-associated businesses.
Integr8 Fax ensures that its, and the Integr8 Group’s,
clients have access to the best possible solutions.
Cost benefit
Integr8 Fax’s FaxM8 service is one of these
vitally important “green” facilities, launched in
May 2007 in a bid to improve the efficiency
of office communications. CEO Walter Bredell
says the service is free to use when receiving
faxes, but attracts a fee when sending.
“Receiving FaxM8 faxes as e-mail attachments
doesn’t cost a cent – no setup, no monthly
subscription, no installation cost, and no training or
support costs. FaxM8 is freely available to anyone
with an e-mail address, by application to support@
integr8fax.com. It will remain free, and there is no
limit to the number and size of faxes received.”
Walter Bredell, CEO, Integr8 Fax
The service is licensed with Telkom, which offers
Integr8 FAX a rebate on calls placed to 086 numbers.
Bredell says this revenue is enough to allow the
company to offer free receipt of faxes, while still
offering a corporate-grade service. Rates for sending
faxes are lower than normal fax-sending rates.
Fax as a service
With much experience in offering IT as a service
through its Nerve Centre, an intelligent data centre
and communications backbone, Integr8 Fax servers
are hosted in a highly scaled, secure and powerprotected
environment, offering a fast, reliable
and secure service. Faxes sent to a 086 number
pass through the fax server, are converted to an
image file (TIFF) or non-editable .pdf, and routed
to the e-mail client of the 086 number holder.
Faxes are sent from e-mail in the same way in
reverse – as an e-mail attachment in a number
of popular formats, converted by an off-site
fax server, and routed to any fax number, 086-
prefixed or otherwise. Bredell says conversion
from attachment to fax, and back to attachment, is
done up to 70 percent faster than the ponderous
fax-receiving or -sending process of old. The 086
number can be faxed from anywhere in the world,
by simply prefixing the (0)86 number with 27.
There’s a kind of touching justice in allowing an
old technology a re-entry into a brave new world.
As it is, Africa cannot afford to chuck out too much
of the old while getting on with the new. So for the
sake of business efficiency and support of a social
and green cause, it makes sense to join the new fax
revolution: No more klunky, on-premise hardware,
no more get up and wait, no more away-from-myfax
delays, and a whole new vista of trade partners. B
12

Integr8 Telecoms
Putting
the C
into ICT
Integr8 Telecoms positions
for long-term prosperity
with its telecoms company.
WORDS Donovan Jackson
and deliver last-mile connectivity
over whatever technology they
choose, this market is going crazy.
There is massive opportunity;
those companies that have the
ability to provide the telecoms aspect in conjunction with IT
infrastructure solutions are able to provide their customers with a
compelling value proposition that meets all their needs,” he says.
Pointing out that IT and communications are no longer
disparate, he notes that the industry at large has been seeking
It’s not just the old parastatal boys and the like from
the telecommunication business who are looking
at tapping into the new opportunities presented
by the deregulation of the telecommunications
industry. Companies like Integr8 Telecoms, which
came from nowhere and was born out of Intergr8 IT,
at the turn of the millennium looked to bolster their
offerings to clients to provide a complete solution
set which encompasses both the IT and the C.
This, confirms Michael Vorster, head of telecoms
at Integr8 Telecoms, is a reflection of the reality
of convergence. “As a growing company with a
solid foundation of clients and services in the IT
environment, adding telecommunications is a
sensible step for the Integr8 Group,” he says.
More than that, it also secures the medium- to
long-term future of a company that has grown
steadily from its inception and intends to build on
its blue-chip client base and present trajectory to
become the country’s preferred ICT solution provider.
Vorster points out that in the present environment
in this country, where deregulation is finally taking
hold, telecoms is exploding. “With new licences being
awarded, which enable holders to self-provision
to present combined services to market. “This is evident in, for
example, the efforts noted in the local industry with the telco’s
attempt to absorb local IT companies and skills. There is a
definite understanding that without the telecoms component,
it is not possible to handle the needs of enterprise clients.”
That said, Vorster points out that it is not only the larger
customers that are demanding complete ICT solutions.
“Right down to the SME, there is demand for ICT solutions
that lower operating costs. This is perhaps more relevant
now than ever before where tightening economic conditions
are putting pressure on companies to control costs as a
tactical measure to improve profitability,” he explains.
A full range of solutions
With Integr8 Telecoms (PTY) Ltd company being added to
the fold, Vorster says offerings are focused around complete
telecommunication services and solutions. These include
innovative services right down to the standard incumbent
offerings of Premicells, least cost routing, voice over IP and
PABX management. “The primary area of value creation is
that we can reduce telephony costs by up to 45 percent.
That’s a big saving that speaks for itself,” he says.
Backhaul connectivity, he says, is carried on Transtel’s fibre
network or Neotel’s Metro Ethernet. Through various licences
14

and joint ventures, Vorster explains that Integr8 Telecoms is able
to offer a full range of telecoms service to its clients, including
last-mile connectivity. “Essentially, our agreements take care
of our licensing obligations. We are free to deliver connectivity
to our clients over the technology that is best suited, most
convenient or most appropriate, whether that is WiMAX, fibre or
OFDM – and without using Telkom’s infrastructure at any point.”
He adds that interconnect agreements are already
in place with Vodacom, Cell C, Telkom and MTN.
With the successful launch of Integr8 Telecoms into the
Integr8 Group stable, Vorster says it is also researching
niche products for introduction into the African market. “For
example, we have identified a product that makes personal
cellphones integrate 100 percent with the PABX, so there
is no need for a different device when a worker comes into
the office. With built-in WiFi, making or receiving calls in the
office on the cellphone doesn’t touch the GSM network – it
is all VOIP for low cost and full PABX functionality,” he says.
VoIP: From hype to demand
In addition, Vorster says the telecoms division is very busy with
the existing Integr8IT client base, which he says is perfectly
positioned to take advantage of LCR and VOIP solutions.
“There is no question that VOIP is a big story right now. It has
gone from a much-hyped technology to a solution that can and
does deliver the voice connectivity that every company, large
or small, depends upon. And it does so with the levels of quality
and reliability associated with traditional telephone networks.”
He adds that while its corporate clients are clearly benefiting
from VOIP solutions, there is also growing demand from
SMEs that are seeking to reduce their communications
costs. “We also offer PABX supply, service and maintenance.
In effect, with the addition of the Integr8 Telecoms
business, we are geared to provide ICT infrastructure.” B
Michael Vorster, head of telecoms at Integr8 Telecoms
“There is an
understanding
that without
telecoms, it
isn’t possible
to handle
the needs of
enterprise
clients.”
Integr8 IT - special focus
AUGUST 2008 - 15

ental
Why
own
ICT?
In only three
years, Integr8
Rental has
positioned
itself as a
leader in the
technology
and office
asset rental
market.
Outright information and communication
technology and office equipment purchasing is
becoming the exception rather than the rule in current
volatile market conditions. Neal Fanaroff, CEO of Integr8
Rental, says that, with the current market conditions,
some companies might find themselves in financial
difficulties in the next year to 18 months, and are
increasingly looking to renting equipment to mitigate
risk and reduce their spending going into the future.
“Companies – even though they are financially
solvent – are going to try to limit their cash flow
outflows and rent as apposed to purchase, especially
with the likes of core assets such as ICT equipment,
which as far as their balance sheet is concerned, has no
value,” he says. “Where in the past companies made use
of overdraft facilities or cash in the bank, particularly
those who sell on credit, they are now looking at
rental options in an increasingly uncertain market.”
Additionally, he says that companies are finding it
increasingly challenging to keep up with the faster
pace of technology advancements as information
technology hardware manufacturers and software
developers continuously introduce new and better
equipment to make companies more productive.
This has, however, resulted in much shorter
technology lifecycles and companies want more
bang for their buck when going the rental route.
Separate from the rest
To address this need, Integr8 Rental was started three
years ago to cater for Integr8 IT’s clients that looked for
financed purchases as opposed to laying out cash for
them. The business quickly expanded and, according
to Fanaroff, he was approached by Integr8 Group
16

Neal Fanaroff, CEO of Integr8 Rental
“Each month there
is a substantial
compounded
increase.”
the equipment at the end of life. “At the end of a
contract, depending on the deal, customers can
either return the equipment, or sign a new rental
period for any given time at a reduced rate, or they
can buy the goods at a reduced price,” he says.
WORDS Patrick Heske
joint-CEO Rob Sussman at the beginning of 2007 to
spin off the company as a separate entity to Integr8 IT.
“The Integr8 Group has several different
operating entities and all of them are run as totally
independent companies even though we have
common shareholders,” Fanaroff explains. “We
have been growing the business at a pretty rapid
but sustained rate, although we are still in a new
phase of development. We have also diversified our
offerings to various different areas of the office, such
as office furniture and health equipment,” he says.
Integr8 Rental’s customers today include many
JSE-listed company and multinationals. Fanaroff
believes that Integr8 Rental has certain advantages
and competitive edges over the rest of the asset
rental market, but with that, also disadvantages.
“One advantage that we do have is being associated
to the Integr8 Group; we are aligned to Integr8 IT, who
is a major player in the ICT industry. Through the whole
Integr8 Group, our procurement costs are a lot lower
than our competitors. This means we can do deals at
higher implied interest rates, and as a result, the actual
renting cost to our customers is a lot lower,” he says.
Fanaroff says Integr8’s rental model, unlike other
local rental models offered by local competitors,
often offers customers the option to purchase
Geared for growth
The company continues to grow and according to
Fanaroff, Integr8 Rentals debit order flow grew over
400 percent over the last year. “Going forward for the
next two to three years, I would be very surprised if this
compounded momentum doesn’t continue,” he says.
To cater for this growth for Integr8 Rentals, Fanarofff
says the company is in some exciting negotiations.
“The one option is to maintain a preferred
procurement and sourcing of equipment, and because
of our policy and buying power within the group,
we have got to be competitive. The second option
is by reducing our cost of capital growth as we are
growing. All of our excess revenue is plowed back
into the lending side of the business, which reduces
the cost of borrowing capital dramatically,” he says.
He also explains that because of its client base that
forms part of the overall Integr8 Group, a lot of new
business continues to come from within. “It’s a case of
turning technology-buying clients into rental clients
where it makes sense. We have to identify which clients
are the ones who should be on the rental model
and sell the idea to them. By doing that, the business
will grow with the clients that we have already as
well as the amount of business that we are doing
on a monthly basis with them,” Fanaroff concludes. B
Integr8 IT - special focus
AUGUST 2008 - 17

Integr8 PROPERTY
After nine years of
strong growth and
award-winning success,
the Integr8 Group has
built up and branded
a R300 million select
property portfolio,
which supports its
operations and adds a
strong asset base to the
strategic group focus
on annuity revenue.
Rob Sussman, co-CEO, Integr8 Group
Bolstering
group
achievements
WORDS Carel Alberts
18

“Besides adding strong
cash flows and an
underlying asset base,
property ownership
also supports and
strengthens our core
ICT operations within
the group.”
Integr8 Property, the only non-ICT company
in the Integr8 Group, is nevertheless in close
alignment with the group’s strategic focus on
long-term annuity income, while also adding
a significant asset base to its balance sheet in
the form of prime property investments. “It’s
not such a startling diversification as it may first
seem,” says Rob Sussman, joint Integr8 Group
managing director. “Besides adding strong cash
flows and an additional asset base, our growing
property portfolio also supports and strengthens
core ICT operations within the group.”
Sussman explains that Integr8 Group companies
themselves occupy some of the division’s larger
commercial properties in Waverly, Johannesburg,
Sea Point, Cape Town, and La Lucia Ridge, Durban.
“As long-term owner-tenants we invest considerably
in the buildings’ ICT, power generation and other
infrastructure, as any owner would,” he says.
“We take pride in our buildings featuring leadingedge
technology and brand professionalism.
Ownership further gives us much better control over
our own fate when we outgrow our premises.”
In the first five years of the Integr8 Group’s
existence, it moved practically once a year to
accommodate its runaway growth, he reveals.
“Now, should we become too big again, we can
simply scale upwards and outwards,” he laughs.
He adds that group companies occupying
Integr8 Property premises are, however,
treated as true tenants, as Integr8 Property
entities operate with total independence.
Separate and independent
This division notwithstanding, Integr8 Property
has some common shareholders with other group
businesses, which gives the group the platform from
which to exercise its rights of ownership. Currently
valued by registered appraisers in excess of R300
million, Integr8 Property’s holdings fall into two
broad classes – commercial (70 percent of holdings)
and residential (30 percent), and grouped as such
into two overarching entities. Within those entities,
six associated but independent companies manage
Integr8’s property-related operations.
“We don’t get involved in development
and building,” Sussman notes. “We purely
invest - in commercial properties for the
annuity yield, and in residential properties for
the capital appreciation.” While the annuity
rental income on residential property is easily
outclassed by other investment mechanisms,
the capital base is what attracts Integr8.
Even so, commercial properties attract significant
annuity income on top of their asset value, a
proposition that accounts for the company’s 70-30
split between commercial and residential holdings.
Purpose-suited
Sussman says properties under Integr8 Property’s
control are either owned outright by it or in
partnership with other organisations. “We always
take a substantial stake in a property we deem
suited to our needs, in any event never any less than
25 percent,” he notes.
As regards suitability, the group’s preference is
for prime, high-value properties, both commercial
and residential, in the right areas. On the coast this
means prime sea-facing properties; in Johannesburg
it means anything in and around Melrose Arch.
A poor property in a poor area is evidently not
attractive. Neither is a good property in a poor
location. “During a down-turn, such as we’re
experiencing now, you won’t get good annuity
income on such properties or in those areas. Hence,
we focus on AAA-grade properties; the best of the
best in the best locations,” says Sussman.
Having an asset base that yields long-term
revenue is in many ways a natural outcome of a
successful run of almost a decade in the Integr8
Group’s core business of ICT solutions integration.
It bolsters an already strong value proposition and
doesn’t deter from its strategic focus on recurring
revenue. And to top it all, it represents the crowning
glory of a mature, successful business. B
Integr8 IT - special focus
AUGUST 2008 - 19

HR
Work
or play?
While Integr8 IT may be deadly
serious about work, its personnel
are also given a relaxed and fun
environment to visit each day.
WORDS Candice Jones
There is a well-known maxim that if you love your job, you
will never work a day in your life. Integr8 IT regional director
Tami Sussman has taken this one step further in creating the
ideal workplace for the company’s employees. “People need
to be happy and feel fulfilled within their role and function,”
she says.
Sussman believes the core of the company’s business lies
with the people it hires. “People are our assets. I believe that
key to this is ensuring that people feel part of the company
as a whole and not just as a particular component of the
bigger wheel.”
The company has developed a comprehensive in-house
human resources business unit that has been bolstered with
consultants and advisors. “Each of which has a specific focus on
people and personalities, so we can employ, train, and retain
local South African skill sets,” says Sussman. The actual HR
function has, however, been outsourced for around four years.
“We have followed our business philosophy of our
outsourcing model and followed our methodology of
outsourcing anything we are not experts in, thus the
outsourcing entirely of our HR department,” she explains.
Sussman says this strategy allows the business to focus
on its core competencies as well as give it access to
industry expertise.
But recruitment is not only left to the HR business unit.
Employees are only hired by referrals or recommendations and
not from recruitment agencies. “We offer placement bonuses
to successful placements within our staff complement,
therefore rather paying our people the fees as opposed to
paying non-related entities,” says Sussman, adding that the
company will only hire the best of the best. “We don’t employ
mediocre people because mediocre people create a mediocre
company. We teach and guide our managers to hire better
skills than themselves.”
Alongside the best minds, with the best skills, Integr8 IT
20
also looks for a cultural fit. “The company culture is critical
and it’s imperative that it always remains an attractive one. By
maintaining an attractive environment, Integr8 IT manages to
keep its people energised and continues to attract and retain
top talent,” says Sussman.
“Every potential new member of our team undergoes a
three-phase interview process before entering the company.
Technical skills are probed and tested, but more importantly,
personality and culture fit are analysed. The personality traits
are imperative to ensure a compatible fit and a successful
career for the candidates,” she explains. Building the talent that
is hired is one of the business unit’s priorities. Every employee
has a career path mapped for them once they join the
company and staff members go through continuous training.
A well-equipped and comfortable working environment
is part of keeping the Integr8 IT employees on the ball, adds
Sussman. It also offers personnel several routes to welfare,
health and wellness programmes, as well as the opportunity
to sit on social committees. Integr8 IT has been acknowledged
as a finalist in the ICT African Achievers for three years in a
row for Workplace Provider Of The Year. Sussman attributes
the success to the entire company culture, where working
together is imperative. “We work in a totally open-plan and
transparent working environment. Managers and executive
directors do not have their own offices; they share an open
workspace. By having this transparency, everyone feels equal,
everyone realises and feels part of the team and knows that
they play an integral part in the success of the company.” B
Tami Sussman, regional director at Integr8 IT
“We don’t employ
mediocre people because
mediocre people create
a mediocre company.”

FINANCIAL
Tighter
controls
boost
profits
Integr8’s
financial team
WORDS Iain Scott
Integr8 IT’s net pretax profit for the year to June 2008 is three times that
of the previous year, on turnover that is about 50 percent higher year on
year. The key to that success, says consultant Ray Schur, who manages the
company’s finances, lies in regular reporting, tight control over expenditure
and new business.
Schur, a former financial director at retailer Woolworths, took The Integr8
Group on as a client with the financial year beginning July 2007, and,
together with the company’s directors and heads of divisions, transformed
the way that budgets were drawn up and managed. Among other
measures, the corporatising of reporting and running the operation as if
it was a listed entity was introduced. “Every expense will be actual budget
variance, and there has to be an explanation for every variance,” he says.
“I don’t produce the accounts for every single company within the
group. The accounts are prepared by the finance department and are sent
to me for final review, comment and presentation to the board. I write to
the financial managers of all the companies with comment like, ‘What is
this?’, ‘I don’t understand this’, ‘check this’. That process could take quite a
while – up and down, up and down – but by the time I attend the monthly
executive committee meeting and I present finance, I have satisfied myself
that this is the reason why budget was or wasn’t achieved, I table all that
and action is taken. That has made an unbelievable difference to the
company,” Schur says.
Improvements resulted in happy shareholders
This control of expenditure and revenue has resulted in the marked
improvements in turnover and profit. Schur adds that turnover is increasing
monthly. “Each month sees a huge increase. Annuity-based line items are
going up dramatically – they are signing on new clients all the time. And
in addition to all of those lovely things, control on expenditure is
unbelievable now.”
Schur says he discourages the inclusion of “nice-to-have” expenditure
in the budget, and so at the executive meetings, the budget is debated in
detail before a bottom line is agreed to. Everyone then signs.
Schur says the executives are the ones who actually control the
expenditure. “I’m the guy asking the questions,” he says.
Managing costs
Performance measurement is another area that has helped the company
manage its costs. Schur says it is common in the IT industry to want to hire
more people. “Whatever area you’re in, they’ve got ten people and they say
they need 11, or 12, or 13. Suddenly you start measuring performance, and
you say, ‘What capacity is the client deriving from the current personnel?’”
The solution, he says, has been to allow skills and personnel only if that part
of the business has delivered above budget.
Schur says the company has not gone into overdraft since inception and
the balance sheet is strong, with no debt, which means the prevalent high
interest rates are not having an effect on the Integr8 Group. Debtors’ days
have also been brought down significantly, from 120 days and 90 days
to 30 days.
“That’s without writing off anything. There have not been bad debt
write-offs at this stage,” says Schur. “So we’ve tightened up revenue
and expenses. And this business is motoring – it really is. And what has
happened because of that, notwithstanding the control and being asked
the questions, everybody is very positive and very excited because they see
the bottom line. So it has been incredibly motivating.” B
Ray Schur, Chief Financial Officer
“Each month there is a
substantial compounded
increase.”
22

africa and international
Heading
north
Neo Nwako, head of
Integr8 IT in Botswana
WORDS Patrick Heske
Africa is a
continent with
unbelievable ICT
prospects, says
Integr8 IT.
Lance Fanaroff, joint-CEO at national network
integration and infrastructure management
specialist Integr8 IT, is energetic and passionate
about the company’s African expansion efforts. With
funding already available from many governments,
organisations and companies that want to become
part of the global village, he believes there is a fortune
of business opportunities in Africa.
He says African businesses are no different from
those on any other continent in the world when
it comes to IT requirements, and are experiencing
the same business pains, such the lack of high-level
skills, services and support, due to challenging and
remote conditions. “They also want the value add, the
innovation and the latest processes in place that will
allow them to be competitive in their industries,” he
says. “With IT and where the world is today, anything is
possible even in the most challenging conditions, but
it’s also a case of ensuring that the solutions that make
these companies work are financially sustainable. This is
where we come into play.”
Integr8 IT’s rich technical skill set and the company’s
ability to execute on decisions quickly, Fanaroff believes,
are the two main areas that set Integr8 IT apart from
large corporate companies wanting to enter the African
market. “The big problem large firms have is the red
tape and time it takes to make and act on a decision.
With some, it could literally take a year, but with us, it
can be a month or two, or even weeks, so there is really
not much competition. If a company has the right skills
and right structures in place, there is more than enough
work,” he says.
Value adds
Using Intergr8 IT’s multimillion-rand Nerve Centre, its
high-tech digital central nervous system that hosts a
hybrid of technology and technical skills to its clients,
the company provides a range of technical skills,
technology, support and customised value-added
managed outsource services to its African client
base, such as Goldfields, Blue Financial Services and
Amadeus. “The rationale behind the Nerve Centre is
that clients, irrespective of geographic location, can
connect directly into the Integr8 IT system, and be
provided with managed infrastructure services and
utility-based services immediately,” Fanaroff says.
Integr8 IT’s African growth has been organic, but
the company made a conscious effort to expand into
Africa through a two-phased approach. “Firstly, Integr8
IT pro-actively set up offices in countries such as Ghana,
Nigeria, Namibia, Tanzania and Botswana, to name
a few. Secondly, some of our larger clients, such as
Goldfields and Blue Financial Services, have aggressively
expanded into Africa and require the same level of
support if not more than they do locally in South Africa,
so it was really a case of providing that high level of
service wherever they are,” Fanaroff explains.
Roadmap for the future
He adds that a key priority for Integr8 IT is to ensure that
the IT strategy it puts in place for its clients is not only
right for them now, but is a roadmap for the future and
that their infrastructure is scalable to gear for massive
growth to keep their competitive edge. Not only is the
company expanding its African operations, but it’s also
24

“If a company
has the right
skills and right
structures in
place, there
is more than
enough work.”
Lance Fanaroff, joint CEO, Integr8 IT
making inroads into the UK and the Netherlands due
to referrals and past business encounters with local
individuals that have relocated overseas.
“For example, in the UK, we are one of the larger
providers of fax to e-mail services, a product that has
really taken the market by storm due to the significant
cost savings involved. Other countries that have the
vision and skills, such Saudi Arabia, are also requiring
our high-level consulting services, design and road
mapping from a technical perspective, and I think it’s
just the beginning for us,” he concludes. B
Intergr8it Ad_half page_June08_conv.pdf 2008/06/24 01:32:12 PM

BEE
Close to
the heart
For Integr8 IT, BEE is not only something
to comply with, but rather a way of life.
WORDS sipho memela
Integr8 IT’s approach to BEE is a progressive one;
the company perceives it to be both an economic
imperative and an opportunity to address the
disempowerment of previously disadvantaged
communities. To this end, the company is a fully
complaint BEE contributor with regards to all aspects,
and not just those required but also over and above
legislative policy.
Mantu Dlamini, Group HR manager at Integr8 IT
says that the BEE Act was intended to redress the
Apartheid legislation which essentially restricted
ordinary South Africans from the fundamental right
to equal opportunities.
She says that while people will always find personal
opportunity in public programmes, the company
strives towards driving the intent of the legislation, thus
legitimising the country’s claim to democracy. “It has
never made business sense to keep the economy in the
hands of only four percent of the country’s population.
Real economic development only happens when the
majority of the population makes a direct contribution
to the economy. We believe that this legislation should
have happened a long time ago,” she explains.
BEE tools
Internally, Integr8 IT has developed a number of
strategies that will ensure that it carries out its intent to
develop the people of South Africa within the framework
of the BEE Act. Its transformation policy is aimed at
implementing definitive strategies to promote the
employment of historically disadvantaged individuals
(HDIs) based on merit at all levels in the organisation. The
company currently has a 43 percent representation of
HDIs at all levels of the organisation, with the intention
to grow this figure in an effort to better reflect the
demographics of the regional population, bearing in
mind the limited skills pool in the sector.
“The other part of our transformation strategy
deals with the identification and elimination of any
employment barriers to HDIs that may exist within
the company. We do this
through sensitisation of our
workplace and employee
awareness campaigns that foster
respect among all cultures and
orientations,” elaborates Dlamini.
Other tools include skills
development initiatives relating
to its core services. The company
makes itself available to assist
all employees to enhance
their careers, whether through
financial assistance, mentoring
or internal training initiatives. It
has an effective learnership agreement in place, through
which it has undertaken to provide a substantial amount
of HDI candidates the opportunity to study, gain the
relevant qualification, and then join Integr8 IT to get the
practical experience with an aim to developing these
individuals into key members of the organisation.
Beneficiaries
Integr8 IT’s progressive attitude towards BEE extends to
the fast understanding and uptake of policy changes.
The South African government has recently announced
the recognition of Chinese people living in South
Africa as previously disadvantaged individuals, thus
giving them BEE status. This entitles the Chinese to
all opportunities set out for black people in the Broad
Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act.
Dlamini says: “We need to remain relevant with the
current changes and embrace all challenges posed
by it. This inclusion could also create opportunities
to accelerate the development of the previously
disadvantaged communities.”
She says that as the country battles with
unemployment, a direct result of the skills shortage,
it is critical to offer long-term and sustained solutions
to our communities. “Hence our long-term approach
to social responsibility.”
B
Mantu Dlamini, Group HR
manager at Integr8 IT
“We need to
remain relevant
with
the current
changes.”
26

case study
Staying
connected
Integr8 plays a vital role in making sure
that the Fidelity Security Group’s user
group remains connected.
WORDS Richard Morgan
Fidelity Security Group, one of the largest South
African security and cleaning group of companies,
has outsourced the management, maintenance, and
support of its entire ICT infrastructure to Integr8 IT. The
security services company has over 32 000 employees
throughout its network of 54 branches in key regions
in Africa that include Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia,
Swaziland, and Mozambique. Its user network also
stretches as far as Dubai.
Bennie Strydom, sales director at Integr8 IT, believes
that the Fidelity Group is the largest security services
operator in the country and says that Integr8 IT plays
a vital role in making sure that the company’s user
group remains connected. “Our chief role is to ensure
that the company’s extensive user group remains
connected, is not affected by any downtime, and all
the systems and infrastructure in place continue to
operate at the highest level possible,” says Strydom.
Changing agreements
The Integr8 Group has a service level agreement in
place with the Fidelity Group that sees it contracted
to provide outsourced services of all operations
locally and internationally, a dedicated projects and
compliance office, a full-time support service, and
guaranteed uptime during critical payroll periods.
Strydom says the service level agreement initially
focused on stability and connectivity across the
organisation. However, it has evolved
over time to incorporate a higher level
of service and support.
“Because of the size of the Fidelity
Group, managing their IT infrastructure
internally became very challenging.
The group selected Integr8 IT to make
sure that it keeps up to date with
innovation to stay ahead by using
technology,” he says.
Getting things done
For this to happen, Integr8 IT has connected Fidelity
to its Nerve Centre operation. This is a high-tech,
centralised digital contact centre that is used to
interact with and manage all of Integr8 IT’s clients
around the world. By being connected to the Nerve
Centre, Fidelity has a stable network and an improved
support infrastructure to ensure network uptime and
availability for all its branches.
“The immediate benefits of being plugged into the
Nerve Centre operation includes around-the-clock
surveillance of Fidelity’s infrastructure, proactive
maintenance and management, offsite backup
services, and national and international support,”
Strydom continues.
With the Nerve Centre, Integr8 IT has a complete
view of the group and is able to make sure that all
their networks run smoothly and is able to identify any
problems before they occur.
Trusted partnership
“As the trusted ICT services and support partner and
advisor, Integr8 IT offers the Fidelity Group the peace
of mind to focus on its core business of providing the
market with a total security system,” says Strydom, adding
that the Integr8 service offering includes the benefit of a
dedicated projects and compliance office, which ensures
that Fidelity has access to the skill sets of Integr8 IT.
“This includes the advantage of onsite technicians
and maintenance staff, as well as skilled IT practitioners
that can offer guidance and application of technology
to ensure full compliance on systems as the company
grows,” he concludes. B
Bennie Strydom, sales director at Integr8 IT
“Our chief role is to ensure
that the company’s
extensive user group
remains connected.”
28

case study
The value of
optimisation
Integr8 IT upgrades Gold Fields Ghana
WORDS Donovan Jackson
Sometimes the pace of change is such that certain pockets
of an organisation get left behind, especially where growth
is by acquisition or assimilation. This was more or less
the case for mining giant Gold Fields’ Ghana operations,
where underperforming and outdated Windows Server
Operating Systems and creaky old versions of Microsoft
Exchange were among the company’s ageing systems.
However, with systems integrator Integr8 IT responsible for
the management, support and maintenance of its South
African information technology environment, Gold Fields
soon sat down for a brainstorm session to see how it could
modernise its Ghana offices and in so doing, reduce the cost
of management and improve business communication.
According to Jan Roux, technical director at Integr8 IT,
the real issue with Goldfields Ghana’s ICT infrastructure was
one of high administrative costs across the mine’s multiple
operations in the West African nation. “The Ghana operations
had to be upgraded to Gold Fields’ standard infrastructure
and messaging platform; in addition, with three different
infrastructure and messaging systems in place, Gold Fields’
Ghana IT division was experiencing difficulty in providing an
integrated, available, scalable and robust system to their user
base,” he explains.
Keeping Busy
With the presence of outdated and incompatible
technologies, administrators were constantly kept busy
solving day-to-day failures. “There was also reduced
efficiency of communication given the incompatibilities
between older systems and the new ones used at other Gold
Fields offices,” he explains.
A need was identified to action these issues. Strategy
sessions held in South Africa in 2007 attracted the
participation of all Gold Fields International IT managers,
IBM, Integr8 IT and Microsoft.
Roux says a conceptual infrastructure solution was drafted
and presented. “With all parties agreeing on the overall
direction of the proposed strategy and technical solution,
Gold Fields requested IBM and Integr8 IT to provide a
business case for how to solve the issues the company faced.”
With its proven capability in handling the South
African Gold Fields infrastructure, Roux says the
company had the confidence to request that Integr8
IT upgrade its current environment, starting with
Active Directory services and Exchange 2003 for all
Ghana sites. “This resulted in a common integration and
connectivity capability in Ghana and across all South
African operations,” he notes.
The Project
The scope of the project included the planning, testing
and deployment of a highly available, scalable and
robust Advanced Infrastructure and messaging platform.
Microsoft Identity Integration Server(MIIS) 2003 was
deployed to provide Global Address List synchronisation
between Ghana and South African operations. “This was
done by leveraging of the existing MIIS infrastructure
deployed in South Africa,” says Roux.
In implementing a single Standardized Active Directory
infrastructure and messaging platform for all Ghana
sites that caters for growth and meets strategic business
requirements, Roux says Integr8 IT applied the
MSF (Microsoft Solutions Framework), which he says
provides for predictable outcomes.
“Creating meaningful business solutions on time and
within budget requires a proven approach. MSF is adaptable
and allows for the successful delivery of solutions faster,
requiring fewer people, and involving less risk, while
enabling higher quality results,” he says.
AS a result of Integr8IT’s intervention, Gold Fields Ghana
today has a considerably simpler, standardised environment.
Says Roux: “There is the immediate benefit that the Ghana
operations can now interact with the rest of the Gold Fields
world. At the same time, the burden on administrators
is substantially reduced, allowing for strategic IT input
instead of a reactive approach. And with Integr8IT providing
ongoing support and maintenance from our Nerve Centre,
Gold Fields can also be sure that the infrastructure in Ghana
is as effective in a year’s time as it is today.” B
Jan Roux, technical director at Integr8
30

integr8
at a glance
Founded: 2001
Recent awards and accolades
CEOs:
Robert Sussman and
Lance Fanaroff
Directors:
Jan Roux (Technical)
Bennie Strydon (Sales)
Tamara Sussman (Regional)
Website:
www.integr8it.com
National offices:
Johannesburg
17 Scott Street
Waverly
2090
Highview House
“Each month
Bracknell
RG12 1DF
there is a substantial
compounded
Suite 200
Scottsdale
increase.” Arizona
Telephone: +27 11 555 9300
Fax: +27 11 555 9301 85260
Ray Schur, Chief Financial Officer
Tel: (480) 603-9400
Cape Town
The Equinox
3rd floor
Main Road
Sea Point
8005
Telephone: +27 21 439 9986
Fax: +27 21 439 9983
Durban
3 Hollwood Park
La Lucia Ridge
4001
Telephone: +27 31 566 4800
Fax: +27 31 566 4801
International offices:
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 207 164 2174
United States of America
» African ICT Achievers Awards – Most
Innovative ICT Company– Winner
» Technology – Top100 Company
» National Business Award – Innovation Though
Technology – Finalist
» IBM – Outsourcing Partner of the Year
» Advanced Infrastructure Solutions – Winner
» Customer Eperience Initiative – Winner
» Networking Infrastructure Solutions – Winner
» Winning customer initiative – Winner
» Networking infrastructure solutions – Winner
» Absa entrepreneur of the year 2007 – Finalist
» SA’s top performing company for 2007 – Topco Media
» IT Personality of the Year – Finalist
» Top Empowered Company in SA 2006/7 – Finalist
» TOP ICTe Company
» African ICT Achievers Award – Top Private Sector
CIO – Winner
» African ICT Achievers Award – ICT Workplace
Provider – Finalist
» Microsoft Gold Partner of the Year – Winner
» Global Small Business Partner of the Year –
Worldwide Winner
» Security Partner of the Year for Middle East,
Africa, & Eastern Europe – Winner
32