Saicom has created a dedicated Microsoft division and appointed industry veteran Michael Ziervogel as the GM.
“If we have learnt anything over the last two years, it is that hybrid work is here to stay, and our clients are looking for ways to leverage their Microsoft investments,” says Kyle Woolf, CEO of Saicom. “By combining our expertise in cloud and voice solutions, with the power of the Microsoft Teams platform, more businesses can benefit from world class unified communications.”
Ziervogel has been tasked with strengthening the cloud-first, software-driven solutions company’s partnership with Microsoft and equip business clients with the tools to navigate their migration more efficiently to the hybrid world of work.
“The pandemic resulted in a massive growth in platforms like Microsoft Teams with organisations looking for ways to collaborate remotely as securely as possible while still maintaining their corporate identity. This has also had a knock-on effect on how employees view their work environment. According to the Microsoft State of Remote Work survey published last year, 73% of people want flexible remote work options to continue,” says Ziervogel.
Closer to home, many companies have been using Teams for its voice and video functionality. However, the platform provides significant functionality beyond that. Saicom has seen many of its corporate customers requesting Teams and Teams-aligned services to create collaboration sites where employees can readily access, share, and create content.
“The golden thread running through the modern workplace is the need for companies to stay connected with their teams using advanced technologies like those available through Microsoft. I have always had a strong interest in these solutions. And while the underlying Microsoft technology is great, what really excites me is the application of that in the South African market and the potential for companies and consumers to benefit from this ecosystem of solutions in all aspects of their operations and lives,” he says.
Ziervogel joins Saicom from Dimension Data having spent almost 25 years at the organisation.