South African managed ICT Services Provider and Microsoft Certified Gold Partner Integr8 is positioned amongst the top 5% of global Microsoft partners. Via its membership with the Business Connexion Group, the company is empowered with no less than 13 Microsoft Gold competencies – yet another differentiation of the business within the managed ICT services space.
The company has received confirmation of its competency in the following areas:
* Gold Collaboration and Content;
* Gold Communications;
* Gold Data Platform;
* Gold Devices and Deployment;
* Gold Hosting;
* Gold Management and Virtualisation;
* Gold Messaging;
* Gold Mid-market Solution Provider;
* Gold Mobility;
* Gold OEM;
* Gold Server Platform;
* Gold Software Asset Management;
* Gold Volume Licensing; and
* Silver Learning.
Competency in vendor-specific technology, particularly within internationally established and widely implemented Microsoft, is considered a mark of specialised knowledge and credibility in this space.
Executive management at Integr8 suggest this level of competency reinforces its credibility as a partner and adds weight to its value proposition in servicing the mid-market corporate segment.
“The partnership between Microsoft and Integr8 goes back well over a decade. As such a high level of trust exists between the local operations. Microsoft values Integr8’s national coverage, their African footprint and strategy and their ability to scale easily for their implementations.
“Software sales” is only one aspect of the IT business, what is even more important in a partner is their ability to deploy and implement the software, so the customer realises the full value of their investment. In doing this, Integr8 not only shows their value to their clients but directly impacts the customer’s perception of their Microsoft investment,” says Kevin Derman, Partner Strategy and Programs Lead, Microsoft.
“Integr8 is a Desktop, Server, Lync and Exchange, Private Cloud, SQL and SharePoint deployment planning services partner indicating they have the highest ability to provide this service against these workloads.
“As a one-hundred percent partner centric organisation we rely heavily on our partners to show this value to our customers. We are in this together, Microsoft’s success is our partners’ success, and vice-versa,” he continues.
According to Microsoft, partners with Gold and Silver competency have “obtained a high level of proficiency and expertise within a specific Microsoft solution area. There are over 650000 partners in Microsoft’s channel alone, but only 30000 (5%) of partners worldwide can distinguish themselves with a Microsoft competency.”
This level of competency automatically qualifies the company to receive benefits from Microsoft to strengthen its ability to design and/or develop solutions based on Microsoft technology and enhance service delivery to customers.
Microsoft continues to put in place annual joint business development plans and quarterly business reviews to ensure alignment in terms of business direction. Exposure to new product development and impact on the business model is considered critical to growth and overall business success.
Robert Sussman, joint CEO at Integr8, says that the company is committed to meet Microsoft’s expectation to maintain the highest level of certification and sustain this competency. This level of competency strengthens the company’s portfolio in terms of tender processes he adds.
“We operate in a space that requires continuous innovation, where our clients expect competency and proficiency across the entire spectrum of ICT managed service related disciplines. We are proud of our track record in the rollout- and integration of Microsoft technology to local and international markets,” says Sussman.