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A passion for service

ITEC Digital Solutions (IDS), previously known as GX Connect, is a security system integrator run by founders Richard O’Connor and Gordon Fraser, later joined by Johan Crause. These three individuals have a passion for service delivery and are applying this to the security market, with great success.

Originally founded in April 2011, IDS is focused on supplying customers with the correct, reputable product at an affordable price. The service the company offers its customers goes further than simply the implementation. According to O’Connor, once a solution has been installed to IDS’s standards, as well as those of the customer, the company seeks to maintain the systems to ensure it performs at the desired level over its lifespan.

O’Connor says that in many cases in the South African security business, the effective maintenance of installed systems is lacking. This is something IDS plans to change.

“When dealing with new projects, we propose a solution and products that suit the client’s needs. We do not undersell or oversell to ensure that we deliver the promised solution to the client,” explains O’Connor. “We also ensure the products we install can be expanded as and when the client requires. We are also one of the few companies out there that proposes and designs a solution, supplies, installs and then maintains it for the long term.”

Guarantee of quality

And it’s not only talk, IDS includes penalties in its SLAs (service level agreements). “If we don’t deliver on our service promises, we pay a penalty to the client,” explains O’Connor. “To date we have not paid a penalty to anyone, and we plan to keep this clause in our contracts to offer clients peace of mind.

“As an additional service to clients, we also offer finance/rental solutions of equipment (either in-house or ceded to a bank). This has been one of our main differentiators. There is no need for the client to outlay cash in advance.”

To deliver the optimal solutions, IDS has changed its approach from outsourcing some services to third parties, to handling it all in-house. This ensures it has total control over the solution and the quality of the installation.

ITEC Digital Solutions has shown a 450% growth over the last two years, indicating the impact its approach is having on the market. It already has a number of customers in the education sector on its books, ranging from schools to college campuses as well as large corporations. Among its corporate clients are some of the best-known brands in the country.

Leading brands

The following are some of the brands on offer from IDS:

* IP surveillance: Vicon, Hikvision, Samsung, Dahua, Axis, Avigilon.

* Video management software/analytics: Agent Vi and Nuuo.

* Access control: Saflec, Impro, Softcon backbones, with Sagem, Virdi and ZK readers. As well as time and attendance software via access control or mobile systems.

* Analogue surveillance: Samsung, Sony, SecuriProd, Hikvision.

Looking ahead, O’Connor sees ITEC Digital Solutions growing into one of the top system integrators (SIs) in South Africa over the next three to five years, as well as becoming a growing player in selected African countries. It will continue to source industry-leading products and software, and aims to develop skills for the security market in South Africa and up into Africa. O’Connor says, “The more we develop and mentor people, the better service we will offer. In all the projects it undertakes, the reality IDS lives by is that Customer Service is a Reality, not an Attitude.”

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