PUBLICATION: ICT WORLD
DATE: 05 MARCH 2008
Mar 05, 2008’SMEs are forced to adapt to changeable IT conditions’
Businesses within the growing SME space are under pressure to adapt general modus operandi and business models to suit new conditions in the IT market. So claims Robert Sussman, joint MD at Integr8 IT, a local BEE ICT network integration and infrastructure management specialist.
In his delivery of a presentation at the launch of Phakisa, a SME Development Programme initiated by the Information Technology Association (ITA), Sussman pointed out the need for businesses - most notably those in the SME bracket - to understand the process of change in IT management structures.
"The ICT sector is moving towards a more streamlined and more structured approach to service delivery. There is a general shift towards a multi-sourced environment and there is new opportunity to be gained by service providers who understand the dynamics represented in this growth. The conventional supply and demand outsource relationship can no longer meet current and expected market requirements," says Sussman.
Integr8 IT has developed a mentorship programme that is aimed at assisting operations in the SME bracket to develop and implement a strategic approach to ICT investment and use, he adds.
"Our role is to enhance this market through information share and by offering proven expertise that is aimed at lowering the cost of ownership for businesses who are embarking on their journey into IT investment and operation," he says.
Phakisa also served as a platform for the introduction of communication technology influences identified by Integr8 IT. These included Web 2.0 or second generation of Web-based communities and hosted services, such as social networking sites, that facilitate online information share and collaboration between users.
"Businesses must know that they are operating under vastly different conditions than was the case a year or two ago. The advent of Internet and Web 2.0 is directly affecting the way in which business is conducted and managed. Now there has to be a level of interaction between all role-players in an organisation in terms of technology. The traditional approach of a stand-alone IT administrator versus the rest of the business simply cannot work anymore," adds Sussman.
Sussman also referred to local bandwidth supply and routing, suggesting that local businesses should be proactive in their dealing with service providers to ensure reliable connectivity in order to bolster levels of competitiveness and profit.
"There are a few questions to be answered in terms of how best to utilise the Internet as a critical business tool. Key considerations include security, cost, the hosted e-mail option and storage of data - all of which will help to determine connectivity and usage policy and strategy," he concludes.