People will make the difference in 2010

The Integr8 Group has once again firmly entrenched its value proposition to the market
and underlined its intention to emerge as the premier provider of ICT services in Africa.

We are delighted to announce that another member of the executive management assisting with the
continued success at the Integr8 Group was merited with African Achiever Awards. In November
Robert Sussman was identified as the best overall individual winner in this year's competition after
winning Top ICT CIO and Top ICT Entrepreneur Awards within the Program. This is a magnificent
achievement and we would like to take the opportunity, with this forum, to publicly acknowledge Rob
Lance Fanaroff and Robert Sussman, Joint
on his personal accomplishment and for the recognition and distinction that, by association, befalls
CEO’s, Integr8 Group
the Group. This is truly a fitting accolade - not only because of the caliber of management that we
have at the helm of this profitable and influential business, but also because people management and
Human Resource will be pivotal in trade and commerce next year. 2010 is almost upon us and so dawns a new chapter in South Africa's history. We have an
opportunity, a real opportunity, to advertise the strength and benefit inherent within the country's diverse range of industry to the global stage. People, skills
development, training and effective recruitment to fill vacant positions will underpin almost every facet of service and delivery going forward. But no
opportunity comes knocking without its challenges. Now is the time when South African commerce, the benefits and advantages of its entrepreneurial spirit
must come to the fore. A statement must be made and it must be made well. Anything short of this and we will miss the mark. However, true to the principle
and spirit of Ubuntu, and the tenacity with which we approach challenges, we doubt that this will prove too difficult a task.

2009 will go down as one for the history books

By Bennie Strydom, Sales Director, Integr8 Group

What a year it has been. The world has again been through substantial change – now, more than ever, companies need to innovate in
order to remain competitive.

During good times companies often adopt a relaxed approach to the management of their costs and essentially become apathetic and
fat. They also become complacent with regards to the management of their customers. These companies have now been forced to
rapidly reduce their overhead in order to sustain their operations going forward. It is unfortunate that some of these companies action
their plans too late and as a result become fatalities of a weak economy. On the other hand, companies that run efficient and lean
operations during these easier times manage themselves through the lean times and prosper even further during the upturn. At
Integr8, we have used our entrepreneurial Innovation to remain respective leaders in our field since the beginning of this century.

It has always been our intention to build a sustainable, strong company. Many small companies often do not have the opportunity to become big
companies because they either fail to strategise for the long term, do not have a sound financial model or sell too soon. The sound financial model that
underpins Integr8's innovative services, has allowed Integr8 to build a leading national organisation with hundreds of skilled ICT professionals across the
continent. As we head into 2010, we move closer to celebrating a near decade of successful trading and reinforcing our mark within the ICT sector. This is
once again proof that our strategy continues to deliver. We have certainly achieved everything we set out to achieve and now we place new challenges and
objectives in order to continue growing our market share.

This year, we commenced with placing huge emphasis on our internal operations and using technology internally to create and drive efficiencies as well as
automation. From the rollout of new systems to include a new Financial Accounting package, Enterprise Resource Planning systems and Customer
Relationship Management software, we continue to invest into the company to build a platform to cater for the tremendous growth we continue to
experience every year without fail. We will discuss this strategy and related steps in forthcoming editions of the newsletter. Watch this space!

We share in the festive Eco-friendly technology in

spirit with Sparrows 2010
Village By Jan Roux, MD at Integr8 Group

By Tami Sussman, Regional Director, With year end fast approaching many people are
Integr8 Group beginning to wonder what 2010 holds for companies
and their strategies for the new year. This year has been
We are proud to reflect on a wonderful day we dominated by a global economic crisis and, although it
recently shared with children and staff at is not over yet, there are signs that we have turned the corner and that we can
Sparrows Village, a section 21 organisation and place of safety. It has been expect to see some improvements.
established to provide care, sanctuary and comfort to adults and children who
have been infected or affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It is both a hospice The Copenhagen Climate Summit is being billed as a meeting that will
for the terminally ill as well as a home for orphaned and abandoned children. determine the future of humanity and our collective impact on the planet.
Another very significant theme is the impact and influence of technology on
It was with a sense of deep respect and pride that we were able to make a the environment. An interesting fact released by a UK-based organization,
donation of festive packs, including toys and hampers, for the children ahead called the IDC, is that the carbon footprint of an IPod Nano is 31kg compared
of Christmas. We are blessed to be a part of the development and growth of to the 8kg CO² of a book. Devices with electronics are responsible for the
an organisation that touches the lives of people and communities every day. largest carbon footprints, due to the great amount of energy required to
The care and dedication they show, the hope they offer and the spirit of produce the components and batteries and the energy they consume.
compassion and love with which they do it, epitomises the spirit of goodwill
throughout the festive season. The Integr8 Group, as a company focused on technology services, has a role
to play in determining and considering the management of its impact on the
“We are so proud to be associated and enjoy a long relationship with a environment. This general theme will be the talk of boardrooms throughout
formidable and distinguished company. We appreciate their support and the world in 2010.
would like each member of the Integr8 team to know that their kindness goes
a long way to making a difference to those in need,” said Nuska Mirriam Decisions that will be taken in Copenhagen this year will change future
Zwane, Administrator, The Rivers Foundation. directions of governments and companies.

Lance Fanaroff, a top 5 finalist for the
CSSA IT Personality of the Year 2009 title.
Integr8's Sussman wins overall Oscar
at the “Oscars of the ICT Industry”
Robert Sussman has been identified as the Overall Individual winner of the
African ICT Achiever Awards 2009. The program featured established and
recognized service providers within the ICT market, including Accenture,
Dimension Data, FNB, IBM and MTN. Over and above being acknowledged as
the overall individual winner, Sussman was also noted as the Top CIO on the
continent as well as the countries leading Entrepreneur. The African ICT
Achievers Annual Banquet, hosted by ForgeAhead is widely regarded as 'the
Oscars of the IT industry'.
The African Achiever's Award is presented to individuals that have
consistently demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism and
achievement with a focus on sustainable, innovative and business models in
high growth areas. The Integr8 story is seen internationally as a truly South
African success story and consistently grabs the market's attention as a result
of its proven ability to deliver innovative ICT services. The executive
management of this enterprise has been strategic in its focus and application
of strategy. It has adopted an organic approach to growth and immediately
eliminated the 'ivory tower' threat to management structure and HR
development.
“In just nine years we have worked very hard to build a strong operational
delivery capability, leading global innovative services. We timed our entry into
the market very well and arrived at the point when many operators were
exiting,” said Sussman. The awards pay tribute to a the ability to utilise
resources in order to maximise value to target markets, expand businesses,
generate profit and ensure effective operations, whilst sustaining budgets
and reducing total cost of ownership.
“It is equally encouraging to have secured the top entrepreneur of the year
award. We have adopted a very structured, strategic direction to accentuate
our business model. I believe we are certainly on the right track in terms of
our core focus and offerings. Whilst I regard this as an important and valuable Integr8IT technicians will migrate the client from a
personal achievement, I would like to thank the entire Integr8 IT team, all of
whom remain committed to service and delivery, and value-add to clients,”
Sussman adds.
In addition to driving business and technical capacity on behalf of key national fault tolerance by utilising Microsoft DFS Replication. This is all part of our
and global accounts, via its Nerve Centre™, the Integr8 Group is accredited proactive service and rapid turnaround time on service and support.
with establishing a fully operational main office base in Botswana and
effective business generation, through strategic partnerships, via presence in
regions such as Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria.
Integr8 Group has also been acknowledged for housing the CIO of the Year
and representing the most innovative ICT company on the African continent.
The new efficiency is
ready when you are!
All kinds of pressure to optimise IT infrastructures for
the ever-changing business requires customers and
implementation partners to be agile. To enable our
customers to do more with existing resources we
introduce the latest trends of the most secure,
uncomplicated technologies. As the cornerstone of
the Microsoft Unified Communications solutions,
Exchange Server 2010 and Server 2008 R2, together
with technologies from Cisco, Dell and Citrix brings together cost savings,
innovation, and productivity to improve operational efficiencies and empower
our people to do more with less.
Our Professional Services Team together with our Account Executive Team
drive constant innovation sessions with our customers to allow the delivery of
world class solutions that allows exceptional growth within their current
environments. To conclude we as the Integr8 Group are proud to introduce
and share new ways to become efficient and are ready when you are.
Another successful event
To end the year on a high note, Integr8 Group Cape
Town hosted another successful event, this time in
association with SizweNtsaluba VSP, a South African
firm of accountants, auditors and business advisors.
Guest speaker and Partner at SizweNtsaluba VSP
Johann Strauss spoke about why ICT governance is a
business strategic imperative and why it is important
to an external audit.
The audience was challenged across a number of topics including how ICT
strategy fits into a company and what best practice ICT governance looks
like.
Attending clients were treated to a very informative presentation and
benefited greatly from the wealth of knowledge and experience both
Johann Strauss and SizweNtsaluba VSP have in the financial services and
ICT industries.
Hardy Boys ready to
compete with new ICT
infrastructure
Employees at The Hardy Boys will get back from their
Christmas break more than ready to take on the
market armed with new IT infrastructure.
disjointed combination of Windows and Linux servers to a new Microsoft
Windows-based system. We will be installing Active Directory, replacing the
Linux Scailx mail server with Microsoft Exchange including the transfer of all
mail. We will also be installing a secondary 10TB dataserver which will provide
Food for thought at MTN Business
Breakfast Seminar
D8taVault, Integr8 IT Fax, in support of its partner MTN,
recently assisted with the hosting of an MTN Business
Breakfast Seminar.
The event was arranged by MTN and Integr8 Group
representatives provided an in-depth overview the
D8taVault Backup solution and Integr8 Fax as SaaS
offerings.The event was very successful. Guest speaker
Gerrie Van Gaarlen discussed the importance of ICT
Corporate Governance and the risks involved in critical
offsite backups, including archiving and retention periods. D8taVault and
Integr8 Fax supplied a Mini Acer travel laptop as a gift on the day. This
included free I8 fax and D8taVault backup for a year.
Congratulations and thank you to all involved.
Making processes work for you
Whether you are running a retail store, an accounting firm or a large IT infrastructure services company, you cannot
avoid the (process) of doing business.

Companies that catch on quickly and get this aspect of management right experience high levels of efficiency, a reduction in operating
costs and waste, and the benefit of proper utilisation of human resources. The size of a business can often lead to a false sense of
security. Large companies often disguise their lack of process management experience in their ability to access capital to cover the
cost of inefficiency. Smaller companies, however, cannot afford to ignore complex processes that are critical to operation.

There is a process involved in every aspect of a business from acquiring and retaining human resources, marketing a product or
service, supporting a product or service after the sale, or researching new market opportunities. A company will not understand the
details of their business processes until they are well documented. Without proper documentation, individual teams tend to work as independent silos. In
other words, the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. In addition, a business does not 'own' their process until it is well thought through,
documented, and archived for future review, alteration, and/or enhancement.

Documenting process, regardless of the size of a company, will help establish a 'turn-key' operation. In this environment employees require minimal training,
have shorter learning curves for new hires and create a highly efficient operation through economies of scale.

A bumper year for HR in International phone calls

2010
I know that, generally speaking, December is
supposed to be a quiet month and that we
encourage employees to relax and take leave this
time of year. This is important to clear their minds
and revitalise energy levels to go full speed ahead
next year, especially considering the rather hectic
year it has been.
However, this is the time when HR and management already begin with
planning. Proactive planning plays a crucial role to success and have to be
taken further than the 'idea' stage. I think it is safe to say that with the Fifa
World Cup finals (one of many exciting dates on next year's calendar and
one that would be quite tricky to match in terms of achievement - but we'll
try and share in the country's success!) we're in for a busy, exciting year
overall.
We've got new systems on the cards, keeping up with technology
constantly improving internal systems and processes. In terms of HR
management, our strategy going forward is to encourage more
responsibility with self service applications, to improve turn-around times
with these applications and ensure the same level of service delivery to our
employees as we offer our clients!
Next year looking brighter
As SA's economy moves into recovery, ICT companies can expect
some relief as postponed projects start coming back onto the table,
say analysts.
Statistics SA says the country's economy grew 0.9% in the third
quarter of the year, an indication that SA is starting to come out of
the recession.
Analysts predict next year is expected to be “reasonable” as projects
that had been postponed due to the crisis are starting to be
resurrected. The financial services industry has started to recover,
and this should flow through to increased spend, which will benefit
the ICT sector. In addition, IT projects in the mining sector are
“starting to come back onto the table”.
Next year could also see new listings on the JSE, as companies seek
to raise capital to expand. It is though safe to say that it will be very
tough in the first half of next year. Most predict the economy will
start improving in the second half of the year.
The recent launch of Windows 7 will start to be
felt in the marketplace in the second half of the
year, as it could provide impetus for
companies that have held off upgrading their
equipment, and now need to do so.
at standard local cellphone
call rates!!!
Dial 087 08715 00 888
Striving for optimal service
and results – ITs up to you
There is no doubt about it – 2009 has proven to be one
of the most challenging. Pressure seemed to have
been felt in just about every core of society – social,
economic, political, trade and commerce.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel and it's not
necessarily an oncoming train! In reality South African
businesses have a substantial opportunity to convert
their ICT capability, expertise, experience and investment into measurable
value to customers. The highly publicized FIFA World Cup Finals will provide a
solid and exciting platform for related broad-based investment in various
managed ICT services to empower management and enhance processes and
procedures.
This is the leadership role that the Integr8 Group has carved out for itself amid
a highly competitive but extremely versatile and burgeoning marketplace. We
are going to experience an extremely busy, very exciting and dynamic year
ahead. We are looking forward to influencing the nature of South Africa's
commercial landscape with proven, advanced infrastructure and proactive
Nerve Centre™-based services.
It's the end of the year and as we all know the
present economic climate continues to dictate
its own pressures, particularly budgetary
concerns, with an expectation of improved
services and swifter service delivery on already
pressured budgets.
The Managed Services Desk at Integr8 Group
provides skills and competencies, with support
tailored to clients’ requirements and flexibility to implement and
manage key projects. Flexibility is key as business needs change.
Expectations are high, and sometimes met; depending on
creating a lasting, quality-focused relationship where the
partner's success, and need for profit, is recognised.
Managing expectations, dispelling perceptions and enforcing
reality help create a successful partnership between Integr8
Group and its clients, one of aligned vision and mutual respect.

Next year will also be the time for software-as- We're looking forward to the new year which will bring its own set
a-service to prove itself to smaller companies. of challenges as well as rewards as we continue to grow our
The concept of pay-as-you-use software will Managed Services offerings and better our services.
also aid firms in cutting costs.