In the past six months, Bytes Technology Group has seen its divisions build major partnerships with some of the world’s most innovative organisations, all with the goal of providing the best possible service to its clients in South Africa.
As one of the country’s leading IT companies, and a principal subordinate of the JSE-listed Altron Group, Bytes Technology Group (Bytes) shoulders heavy responsibilities from its portfolio of industry leading customers.
Leading the way in all things IT, from Big Data Management and Smart Process Applications to Document Management and Transaction Solutions, Bytes offers a selection of services that support information technology in a wide range of different industries.
According to Telkom’s annual report for the year ended 31 March 2015 which was released earlier this year, Bytes remains South Africa’s largest IT services provider based on revenues in 2014. The report states that Bytes’ 2014 revenue of R8.8 billion is the highest amongst the country’s leading IT service providers and shows that Bytes is certainly leading other dominant ICT players.
The company is made up of many different businesses that sit across four main market sectors; telecommunications, multimedia, IT and business development. Some of the instantly recognisable businesses in the Bytes portfolio include Bytes Managed Solutions (Bytes MS), Bytes Document Solutions (DS), Bytes People Solutions and Bytes Secure Transaction Solutions to name just a few.
Recent developments have seen Bytes tighten its grip of the SA IT industry, with Bytes MS in particular making important advances which will benefit customers in a huge way.
South Africa’s IT sector is well established and sophisticated, with companies largely considered leaders in technology, particularly in the field of mobile software and electronic banking services. South African companies are also world leaders in pre-payment, revenue management and fraud prevention systems.
Bytes CEO, Rob Abraham says that the figures prove the importance of Bytes involvement in the market.
LEADING THE WAY IN SA
“In addition to Bytes’ revenue of R8.8 billion, if we were to add the other IT elements of Altron Telecommunications Multimedia and Information Technology (TMT), the combined revenue is close to R13 billion which illustrates the significance of our success as an IT player in South Africa,” he says.
The company is known for representing the world leading IT brands including Cisco, Microsoft, NCR, Oracle, Xerox and Alcatel-Lucent and Abraham understands that this is valuable for customers.
“By localising these brands and adding value we remain relevant to our customers who seek to work with specialists,” he says.
“It’s a symbiotic relationship where we help our partners achieve their business objectives in the African market through our proven track record of service delivery. In tandem with leveraging off other business units within Altron TMT, we are able to provide our customers with the ultimate turnkey solutions, tailored specifically for their needs,” he adds.
Following the track record of success that Bytes has displayed over the last ten years, it is no surprise that the company is looking north to other quickly developing countries in Africa for growth but Abrahams reiterates that South Africa will always be at the heart of this impressive outfit.
“…we remain a proudly South African company committed to the growth not only of South Africa, but the whole of Africa,” he says.
MODERN, SAFE, EFFICIENT
In a hugely important deal for Bytes, and also for the IT/Finance industry, Nedbank completed the purchase of 250 NCR Teller Cash Recyclers (TCR) from Bytes MS for a reported R65 million in July.
Nedbank is currently undergoing a modernisation process across many of its branches, addressing the needs of consumers for branches to carry the latest self-service technology required to ensure a more efficient and satisfactory banking experience. Consumers are increasingly looking for positive, successful interactions when they visit a physical banking location and a TCR automates cash handling enabling staff to process transactions more quickly and efficiently while offering a greater customer experience.
Bytes MS Business Development Director, Alan Anderson says that the TCRs will offer both improved security as well as improved customer service.
“Used correctly in conjunction with cash management software, the devices can ensure a more productive banking experience for the customer. Additionally, with the removed bullet proof glass from in front of the tellers, the recyclers allow for a more comfortable and customer centric environment within which to transact.
“In addition to the product improving operational efficiency at branch level, the preventative nature of the device will ensure Nedbank is less exposed to potential theft at its branches,” he says.
Bytes relationship with NCR is longstanding and as the only partner for the tech-innovator in South Africa, Bytes is again displaying its dominance of industry leading tech, something which was also exhibited just last month when the company introduced the biggest change to the way an ATM operates since the self-service banking channel was invented nearly 50 years ago.
ADVANTAGES OF THE CLOUD
In another partnership with NCR, Bytes MS has launched Kalpana software in South Africa, an enterprise software platform that moves ATM software and operations to the cloud.
Kalpana software runs ATMs remotely and is designed to eliminate malware and enable rapid deployment of new devices and ATM services, to reduce costs by up to 40 percent, and create amazing customer experiences.
“This new software platform will revolutionise the domestic ATM security market in addition to reducing operating costs and will greatly improve and accelerate the process of bringing new ATM services to market,” says Anderson. “Apart from the operational cost savings and commonly known efficiencies that come with any cloud-based platform or solution, the Kalpana platform will greatly reduce the expenditure associated with power management, security updates, paper receipts and other consumables and the deployment of new ATMs.”
“NCR’s Kalpana software is the most disruptive change to the ATM ecosystem in decades. Business and consumer applications are increasingly turning to enterprise or cloud-based solutions that reshape security and enable fast, nimble and dynamic customer experiences,” said Dimitri Kanellopoulos, NCR country manager, South Africa. “Kalpana software is ideal for financial institutions and independent ATM deployers looking to improve security, quickly advance service delivery through technology, and reshape their cost to serve.”
Kalpana software greatly improves agility, helping bring new ATM services to market twice as fast as before, while also significantly decreasing the cost of deploying new ATMs, security updates, power management, paper receipts and other consumables, remote management via cloud-based data flow and support for dispute resolution.
IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY
Bytes DS last month announced its partnership with service lifecycle management and mobile workforce solutions company Astea International. The partnership is intended to create consistent and highly personalised experiences at every customer relationship touch point. As the largest Xerox distributor in the world, Bytes DS is a customer-focussed business and leaving a positive impression is of vital importance.
“It’s important to invest in improving customer service and in effective tools to help you stay on top of managing your customer experience,” says Anton van den Berg, Bytes DS divisional director of services. “This will ensure that your customers are getting good service from your staff, all of the time. In addition, with some areas of office automation technology becoming commoditised, BDS distinguishes itself in the market through service excellence, hence the investment in Astea.”
2014 saw Bytes DS run a company-wide service modernisation programme with the aim of improving service excellence. The drive also utilised Astea solutions that technicians receive and clear service calls via their mobile phones. The product announced in September from Astea is furthering that drive by allowing technicians to efficiently complete and document assignments, manage vehicle assets, capture expenses and generate revenue through add-on sales during their contact with a customer.
“BDS is one of few that can rightfully claim the capability to deliver a full managed print service (MPS) solution nationally, and of those few, we are clearly the leader in delivering this service,” says van den Berg.
“In addition to enhancing our service to Xerox customers, we are also seeing a positive impact on BDS’s profitability as a result of greatly enhanced productivity on the part of our technicians,” he adds. “Positive change is being felt throughout the organisation, with people buying in to better ways of doing things. We’re all excited about the future of the company.”
It is because of solutions like this, alongside the organisations vast knowledge of IT services, that Bytes is known as a leader in its market. Bytes services four of the five major SA banks, all of the major retail companies and all of the major telecoms companies – an example of one industry leader driving others.
The numbers prove it, the staff know it and the customers believe it – Bytes Technology Group is a business that provides customers with the best technology solutions and helps them to do great work.