New details have been released about the structure of Altron TMT (telecommunications, multimedia and information technology), the new division at Altron, to be headed up by Craig Venter, current CEO of Allied Technologies (Altech).
Altron TMT comprises of Altech and Bytes Technology Group Pty Limited (Bytes) with a joint head office in Woodmead, Johannesburg and which will remain as separate entities while maintaining their individual brands.
In order to reduce overlaps and provide a more focussed offering to customers, various assets are planned to be transferred from the previous Altech IT division and consolidated under Bytes. These are primarily in the payment solutions and systems integration business areas.
Likewise, the telecom infrastructure and ISP assets in Bytes will be transferred to Altech in due course creating a new division, Altech Infrastructure Solutions. The development of Altron TMT follows the recent acquisition of the remaining shares in Altech by Altron.
Craig Venter, Altron group executive: TMT, has released further details pertaining to his division’s management and structure.
“Altech has a tremendous telecommunications and IT heritage and is strong in the markets in which it operates. Bytes has equally strong IT capabilities and putting these two groups together creates a formidable organisation, with tremendous power and potential in the TMT environments.
“The arrangement of the Altron TMT business units and the appointed management team has been meticulously planned and is the culmination of an enormous amount of collaboration between all stakeholders to ensure that the synergies between the businesses perform optimally.
“The Altron TMT division will assist the business in accelerating business growth opportunities through cross and upselling which is in line with our broad strategy of optimising utilisation and further monetisation of existing assets. We currently estimate the total wallet size for additional revenues from our existing products and customer base to be significant,” he adds.
“I have utmost confidence in the leadership of these units and of the operations within these units and I am certain that these changes will position the business extremely well for future growth and will expose the business to many more opportunities to innovate. We are looking forward to the benefits of this new alignment and look forward to delivering even more promising products and services to our clients.”
The addition of the Altron TMT division means that Altron will now be the largest privately owned converged solutions provider on the African continent.
The management of Altron TMT includes:
* Craig Venter – appointed as Altron Group Executive: TMT with strategic and operating responsibility for maximising the synergies between the Altech and Bytes businesses. Venter will continue to fulfil his existing role as Altech CEO and will report to Altron chief executive, Robert Venter.
* Laurence Savage will retain his current position as Altech chief operating officer.
* Rob Abraham will remain a member of the Altron Executive Committee and the Altron Board and retain his current position as Bytes CEO.
* Johan Klein – appointed as Altron TMT executive: Corporate Services. Klein will be responsible for Human Resources, Marketing, PR & Corporate Communications, Government Solutions, Corporate Affairs and Commercial & Special Projects.
* Peter Riskowitz, current chief financial officer of Bytes, will assume the role of Altron TMT: chief financial officer reporting to Craig Venter.
* Andrew Holden, current Group executive: Strategy and Operations at Bytes, appointed as Altron TMT executive: Shared Services responsible for reducing duplication of resources in the new structure.
* Tim Ellis, appointed as Altron TMT executive: Business Development, will be responsible for new opportunities and strategic account management including opportunities for cross and upselling.
* Dr John Carstens will remain as Altech chief financial officer and will report directly to Craig Venter until May 2014 when he will take retirement. During this period, John will progressively hand over his responsibilities to Peter Riskowitz.
* Peter Curle will remain as Altech Executive Corporate Finance and will report directly to Craig Venter until May 2014 when he will take retirement.
After the restructure and asset transfers, and outside of the support structure listed above, Altron TMT will have two executives responsible for operations which will be in the Telecoms and Multimedia/Electronics area and the Technology area.
Telecoms will house Altech Netstar, Altech Autopage GSM & ISP, Altech Radio Holdings and Altech Infrastructure Solutions. Multimedia/Electronics will include Altech UEC/Multimedia and Arrow Altech Distribution.
The Technology unit comprises of Bytes Core Business Software, Bytes Managed Solutions, Bytes Payments Solutions, Bytes Healthcare Solutions, Bytes People Solutions, Bytes Document Solutions and Bytes UK.