GOING

GLOBAL Words Adrian Hinchcliffe

INDIA’S $6.3 BILLION MAHINDRA

SATYAM GROUP EYES INTEGR8.

Tami Sussman, HR and marketing director
O
NE of the biggest events in South Africa’s history saw 32
teams from around the world descend on the country.
Along with all the big-name football players, a whole host
of big-name sponsors and advertisers also arrived. One name
flashing around the pitchside billboards that stood out, perhaps because
it wasn’t an American fast food restaurant or German sports brand, was
Mahindra Satyam.
Part of the Indian-based, $6.3 billion Mahindra Group, Mahindra Satyam
is an NYSE-listed, global business consulting and IT services company. The
official IT services provider for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, Mahindra Satyam
operates in many industry verticals and offers a range of horizontal services,
including BPO (business process outsourcing), web commerce solutions and
business intelligence. Being involved with the Fifa World Cup™ has not been
Mahindra Satyam’s only foray into Africa in 2010. In February, the company
announced a partnership with Integr8, which is set to expand the markets of
both companies considerably.
Tami Sussman, HR and marketing director, Integr8, says: “We don’t compete
directly, or play in each other’s space and our businesses compliment each
other, so it makes perfect sense.”
The agreement gives both companies access to the skill sets and expertise
of the other and also provides a platform for both to continue to grow.
Mahindra Satyam’s business head for the African region, Bhaskar Ramani, said
at the time: “We are delighted with this new partnership as the expertise and
experience of Integr8 will help us broaden our service offering and provide
innovative solutions to our customers in the South African market.”

PULL TOGETHER
“The importance of the deal is how the two companies leverage the skills
and strengths of the other, and how the relationship will continue to evolve,”
Sussman adds. “The relationship is mutually beneficial, as we are learning from
Mahindra Satyam’s global depth and experience,” she says. “And they are equally
learning from our experience in the local South African and African markets.
They will continuously look at our best practices, technology innovations and all
aspects that give us the industry-leading reputation we have today.

Integr8 - special focus AUGUST 2010 17

e me rging ma rke t
“South Africa has the language, skills
and timezone to become a major global
outsourcing venue.” TAMI SUSSMAN
The partnership also has all the ingredients to
grow into even more of a strategic tie between
the companies.”
Sussman adds that Integr8 fields an
inordinate amount of interest from multinational
companies across the globe to form a
partnership, alliance or to acquire the South
African firm. The number of interested parties
from emerging economic superpowers China
and India were particularly noticeable.
GUARANTEED DELIVERY
Integr8 chose to work with Mahindra Satyam
for a number of reasons. Sussman says: “We
want to continue to be known as a company
that delivers, and in Mahindra Satyam we have
a partner that also has a track record of being
able to deliver. They have the credibility of
being a Fifa partner, not only for this World Cup,
but for the next one in 2014 as well, and that
doesn’t come lightly,” she adds.
“Mahindra Satyam has the backing of a
huge parent company, a very competent and
talented workforce and an impressive client
base.” Another factor that swayed Integr8’s
decision to partner up was the exposure and
experience it would give the South African
company to the Indian market and beyond.
“We felt that it made complete sense for the
company, and our people, to have the channels
available to work abroad in India under the
Integr8 banner,” says Sussman.
Further, this additional global footprint
adds to the benefits that Integr8’s client base
already realises from the company’s existing
international experience and coverage.
True to the company’s entrepreneurial spirit,
Sussman sees this as a chance for the company
to grow into other emerging markets and
explore other new business opportunities.
Integr8 is renowned as an innovative and
entrepreneurial company that places these two
values at the core of its ethos to stay ahead
of the game and deliver to its clients. A quick
look around the Integr8 boardroom reveals
an abundance of trophies and awards to that
18
effect, including Technology Top 100’s
‘Most innovative company in Africa’ and
Legatum’s ‘Innovation in Africa’. The latter
is significant as it recognises Integr8’s
achievements from afar, coming from the
Dubai investment community, adding further
to the company’s fast-growing reputation.
STEPPING STONE
Sussman says Integr8 has gained its current
status from understanding and identifying
the best ways to capitalise on opportunities
in the African marketplace. He adds that,
like Mahindra Satyam, there are many global
companies looking to do the same.
He reasons that many companies are
planning to split their business process
outsourcing locations to reduce costs and
reliance on one country, especially given the
recent global economic crisis.
“South Africa has the language, skills and
timezone to become a major outsourcing
venue for Europe and America,” says Sussman.
Mahindra Satyam’s Ramani adds: “South
Africa has immense potential and is a growing
economy, offering numerous advantages.”
As well as being a recognised growth
economy in its own right, the country also
benefits from being viewed by many as the
gateway into a continent filled with emerging
economies. Sussman believes there will be a lot
of expansion into Africa, using the country as a
point of entry in the next few years.
“As with our partnership with Mahindra
Satyam, there will be plenty of opportunity for
the well-positioned and experienced South
Keith Mafokoane, partner
African ICT companies going forward. This is
especially true for companies like ourselves, who
understand Africa very well and have a solid practices, infrastructure and adoption vary
network and footprint across the continent, as significantly,” she says.
well as international growth ambitions.” “Issues like slow local loop unbundling, lack
For companies from outside the country, it of bandwidth and reliability of infrastructure
is often difficult to break into the market under have forced Integr8 to innovate to match the
their own steam, due to cultural and language status quo of mature markets. For companies
differences. “While IT is a common language coming into South Africa on their own this will
across the world, local culture, business not be easy,” Sussman concludes.