Guest Post By Robert Sussman and Lance Fanaroff, joint CEO’s at the Integr8 Group

If business operators within the Information and Communication Technology sector believed 2012 to be a competitive and challenging year, then they better prepare themselves for an even more active and vibrant time in 2013.
Advanced information systems, social networking and mobility, together, will represent the epicentre of business next year.
Data management and data services will emerge as the frontline of commercial activity as more sectors continue to invest in communications infrastructure to secure competitive advantage.
With the increase in focus on data and strategic utilisation, particularly big data analytics to promote and help position business, there will be renewed appreciation for security and more cost effective ways to secure networks.
Big data analytics will play an increasingly important role in defining and shaping the commercial landscape. This will not be the hunting ground of larger enterprises exclusively – 2013 will be the year of the small-to-medium-sized company.
Security, reliability and cost efficiency will be the trademarks of adequate service provision going forward. With the advent of advanced managed ICT services and specialist, high-tech skills sets, the decision maker has at his or her disposal a number of management options.
Today there are several options available to managers in terms of how they want to apply their technical resources, as well as maintain and sustain these resources. The traditional outsource/co-source and in-source models still hold – but the significance of cloud based service will continue to escalate.
The cloud is opening up the market on a number of levels – and there is no reason to expect the situation to change. Aside from the continued rollout of cloud-based offerings, there will be an increase in awareness of the cloud model and what this means for business.
We believe this to be constructive for the industry – the more awareness there is of technology, the more chance there is that inadequate services and ill-equipped service providers can be weeded out of the system.
In addition to the powerful role that social networks will have on business – and the growth of converged industries such as mobile payments/ mobile payment services – 2013 will be known for being the year of machine-to-machine technology and services.
This will emerge as one of the key industries, one that will attract operators and services. This will add a further dimension to an increasingly mature industry.
Technology has been – and will continue to remain a foundation sector for the country’s economy. South Africa, being one of the BRICS nations, is expected to entrench itself as a central region in Africa from an ICT and telecommunications point of view.
Integr8 Group, Integr8 is an ICT management and managed services company, was founded in 2001 by high impact serial entrepreneurs, Rob Sussman and Lance Fanaroff, who are the current respective Co-CEO’s of the Group Companies.
Integr8 is the founder and operator of the only South African based Nerve Centre®, a hub of technology, skill and process, that is used to support and regulate the ICT environment of many of the country’s leading organisations
The ICT Infrastructure Management and managed services company in the Integr8 Group, Integr8 IT (Pty) Ltd., was organically grown over 12 years into the largest privately owned ICT company on the African continent with over 550 highly skilled professionals across its multiple offices.
In February 2013, Integr8 Group’s, Integr8 IT (Pty) Ltd. was acquired by the country’s largest publically traded technology company, The Business Connexion Group (BCG), in a R 126m cash transaction.
Through the BCG acquisition, Integr8’s clients enjoy access to 7,000 high skilled personnel across the group, with more offices on the continent than any other local technology company. Offices also span across United Arab Emirates and into Europe.
This passion for ICT is best demonstrated by the Integr8 Nerve Centre®, which hosts some of the finest technical operations to be found anywhere on the globe. It is from this technology hub that Integr8 remotely manages infrastructure for many leading organisations around the globe.
Integr8 is vendor agnostic, choosing the very best solution for each client and can deliver managed ICT services through the cloud to customers of any size in any location.
Founded on technical excellence, Integr8 operates the only South African-based Nerve Centre® (www.nervecentre.co.za), providing a digital hub to manage and regulate many of the country’s leading corporations. This single point of contact allows remote access to clients enabling tier – 3 support 24/7.
The South African offices can be found in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and has representation in Port Elizabeth, East London, and across the Southern African region. Integr8 can be reached on our call centre number or through any other contact means of your choice (click here).
Integr8 IT has achieved an official BEE rating as a level 4 contributor and is regarded as a “Value Adding Supplier’’. As Integr8 continues to invest in its partners and people, clients can expect exceptional BEE ratings with added benefits for all. (click here)
The Integr8 family remains committed to the world around it and has developed a keen nurturing culture over the years. The company supports multiple charitable organisations