Logicalis SA: Architects of Change Succeed in Workplace Shift

Technology was a major disruptor of the workplace pre-Covid and has since displayed the ability to not only change the way we work but impact the way people live their lives. What seemed like second nature in an office environment in 2019 has become first nature in 2021. Video calling, digital meetings, online messaging, group chats, customer tickets, virtual campaigns – all powered by the world’s technology innovators. It has helped businesses through the pandemic work-shift, and it’s here to stay.

 The cost, efficiency and effectiveness of providers like Zoom, Google Meets, Apple’s FaceTime and others are, according to Rauf Arif for Forbes, set to become favourites by company execs. “In the post-pandemic world, businesses and academic institutions will favour cost-effective hybrid and virtual workspaces over traditional face-to-face and physical workplaces,” he writes. Maybe, in the future, the next generation will be unaware what it is like to not use digital tools for their business interactions?

 But, of course, to take advantage of all that technology can offer, businesses must have a suitable base to work from. Up-to-date hardware, software and infrastructure is now perhaps more essential than the shop front of the past. Many factors including security and capacity are driven by the quality backroom set up of a company’s IT systems.

 Logicalis SA – the local arm of the international IT corporation – has grown quickly to become a leading provider of digital services including security, cloud, data management and IoT. Globally, the business services around 10,000 customers with 6500 employees, generating revenue of $1.7 billion annually. By working with innovative brands such as Cisco, Microsoft, HPE, IBM, NetApp, Oracle, ServiceNow, and VMware, Logicalis has built an ecosystem of world-class solutions and is able to solve problems for clients at scale.

 In November 2019, CEO Frikkie Grobler told Enterprise Africa that the company was desperate for growth after its successful establishment in 2017. After strong acquisition activity, Logicalis SA was positioned perfectly to take on the leading managed services providers in the country while keeping an eye on the top spot on the continent.

 In December 2019, the first case of Covid-19 was detected in China and the rest is history. But for Logicalis SA, 2020 was not a year of shut down, and the company managed to pick up exciting new contracts to aid in its growth.

 REMOTE OFFICE

 As the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in South Africa in March 2020, it became clear that the country would have to follow others and implement lockdown measures to stem the spread of the virus.

 Quickly, the Logicalis SA offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban emptied as the company moved to a remote office working environment. Demonstrating this capability internally was the perfect advert for clients.

 “We were very fortunate in the sense that when we started the company, we designed all our systems in such a way that we can remotely access them. It was done for business continuity purposes. We were able to move to a remote working model within two days,” Frikkie Grobler tells Enterprise Africa.

 This ability to master the situation and assist clients in moving to a remote office working model was extremely attractive and provided the company with a decent market while global chaos engulfed even the strongest of economies.

 “Corporates delayed and are still delaying capitol spend,” admits Grobler. “Projects are not cancelled but delayed. We are experiencing a wait and see situation.

 “We definitely saw our offering become more attractive. We experienced it through the successes we had during these trying times. The ‘remote office’ has been a key driver for clients to adopt a cloud strategy with our Managed Services layer.”

 Logicalis has leveraged its partnerships with global tech leaders to assist in this modern challenge. As a Global Gold Certified Cisco Partner, a Gold Partner of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, a Premier Business Partner of IBM, a Gold Microsoft Partner, a Star Partner for NetApp, and a trusted partner to many more of the world’s top IT providers, the company is perfectly placed to advise on suitable solutions and will not force a ‘one size fits all’ package on any customer.

 “That is our strategy and it is paying off,” confirms Grobler. “We focus on value-add solutions for our customers and potential customers.

 “Our relationships are solid with our international partners. We added another strategic partnership to our portfolio during 2020 with Hitachi and are now well established as a strategic partner.”

 In Feb 2021, Logicalis renewed its status as a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP).

 This prestigious status is only given to those proven to be the most high-fidelity cloud managed service providers and promotes partners with the highest level of expertise as managed service providers in assisting customers as they digitally transform their businesses, leveraging the power of Azure – Microsoft’s open and flexible cloud computing platform.

 “Our re-certification of the Microsoft Azure Expert MSP status demonstrates the continued investment in our global strategic partnership with Microsoft. We are proud to be part of this elite group of global Azure Expert Managed Service Providers,” said Logicalis CEO, Bob Bailkoski.

 In March 2021, Logicalis partnered with Thycotic to bring Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions to clients across Africa. Thycotic products limit privileged account risk, implement least privilege policies, control applications, and demonstrate compliance. This type of technology is vital as the modern workplace changes.

 “The rapid acceleration of digital transformation initiatives and soaring cloud adoption rates globally in response to the pandemic and a remote workforce means that more organisations are seeking privileged access solutions that are purpose-built to support cloud environments. By partnering with Thycotic we will be able to offer our customers a complete end-to-end IT security solution that complements any cloud strategy,” says Caesar Tonkin, Logicalis SA CISO.

 2020 NEW BUSINESS

 By making quick decisions and remaining nimble, after Logicalis moved its employee base to a safe remote working environment, the company continued to perform well while others struggled through the challenges of 2020.

 In September, Logicalis SA announced the big news that it would partner with Liquid Telecom to deliver security solutions to customers across Africa. As a leading communications solutions provider for the continent, boasting the largest independent fibre network which stretches more than 70,000km, Liquid Telecom is a big triumph for Logicalis.

 “Liquid Telecom has appointed Logicalis as their strategic security partner. This is a feather in our cap as Liquid Telecom has some very large enterprise customers on the African continent,” says Grobler. “We will deliver services as well as product through Liquid Telecom to their customers. It is a very important strategic win for us. It will give us exposure to a larger customer base as well as experience in the rest of Africa. It is also confirming the quality of our security solutions and services.”

 David Behr, Liquid Telecoms Chief Digital Officer, said: “At Liquid Telecom, we pride ourselves on ensuring that our customers get the best services and solutions, meaning we need to partner with the best as we extend our offering in the cyber security space. Logicalis was the obvious choice for us as we venture to expand our offering in the cyber security industry not only for their wide range of solutions and products but also for their global reach.”

 In December, capping off a tough year on a positive note, Logicalis SA released details of an exciting new partnership with Quantum Foods – a large diversified agricultural player in SA and on the continent.

 Logicalis will provide a multi-faceted managed services contract, bringing Quantum Foods IT efficiency forward to a new phase of modernisation, allowing the company to make use of large amounts of data and improve competitiveness.

 “Quantum Foods was a very important win for us,” says Grobler. “The success of the service transition was crucial as the market had all eyes on us to see if we could pull it off. With the success, we have proved to the market that we are capable and deliver on our promises. I hope to announce similar wins soon.

 “At Logicalis SA, we pride ourselves in supporting some of the most important businesses in the country. Quantum Foods is an important strategic player in the supply of eggs, animal feed and broilers to the country’s big poultry producers, and consequently to South Africa’s food production. We are excited to join forces with them, and we are looking forward to helping their business achieve their objectives with our exceptional solutions.”

 For Quantum Foods, the feeling of success is mutual. “Of the providers we considered for this work, Logicalis was a stand-out candidate. Their effort to obtain a detailed understanding of our businesses requirements, transparent approach and energetic and knowledgeable executive team positioned them as the preferred outsourcing and digital transformation partner for Quantum Foods,” stated Michiel van Niekerk, CIO at Quantum Foods.

 ARCHITECTS OF CHANGE ^TM

 In February 2020, Logicalis – at global level – repositioned its brand to highlight the transition towards becoming a strategic consultative partner rather than a more distant IT provider. The Architects of Change^TM strap line talks of the focus that Logicalis now places on purpose, proposition, behaviours and personality. In South Africa, Logicalis is following the new brand guidelines to the letter and already reaping the rewards.

 “We have fully adopted the mantra and it is exactly what we deliver to our customers,” says Grobler. “We assist our customers and potential customers with their digital transformation strategy. Every customer requirement is different and that is where we as the Architects of Change^TM come in. We work with the customer to design a solution for their business and do not force then into a pre-defined solution.”

 This new branding is important for Logicalis in South Africa considering the company is only young in its life. After starting out in 2017, Logicalis has grown significantly and a major part of that development has been through merger and acquisition activity. The company acquired Clarotech in September 2018 before gaining Mars Technologies in July 2019 and then agreeing a partnership with Qualys in September 2019. Of course, this brings together various cultures which can cause friction. But, managed correctly at Logicalis, the transition from small to big business has been a success. The Mars Technologies team has now been fully integrated into the Logicalis head office and the business is working towards the goal of being true Architects of Change^TM.

 “I believe the brand is established,” admits Grobler. “The market is taking notice of Logicalis and the number of enquiries we receive is proof that the industry is aware of us and taking notice. Establishing a brand and keeping the brand relevant is a continuous effort and not something with a start and end date.”

 In November 2019, Frikkie Grobler was keen on seeing Logicalis dominate the local marketplace while also expanding across Africa. The African market represents a major opportunity with only a few companies managing to make the difficult but attractive jump from national to international organisation. While for many growth plans have been pushed back as a result of the pandemic, Logicalis remains optimistic.

 “We will always look at good opportunities. I believe we will do more acquisitions in the future but for now we have built a strong solutions and managed services business and need to continue our organic growth. Obviously with the pandemic, plans have had to move a bit. We are currently servicing some of our customers in various African countries through partners. We will continue to build relationships with partners in the different countries until such time we are ready to penetrate the Africa market,” confirms Grobler.

 As the rate at which technology changes the workplace and the industries that we know gathers pace, it is clear that partnering with experts like Logicalis brings benefits that are both measurable and essential in an ever-changing world, catalysed by a pandemic that no one has been able to avoid. Who better to trust than the Architects of Change^TM themselves?