Message from Pierre Marais, acting MD of Cybernest

New provider with a long track record

With its own name, brand, management, employees and data centres, Cybernest has the freedom to be as nimble as it needs to in the marketplace. At the same time, as one of three standalone business units in Telkom, it benefits from the stability of the parent company.

"We call it 'maverick stability' it's the best of both worlds," says acting Managing Director Pierre Marais "It means we enter the data centre services market as a totally new business but one with a track record - the new kid on the block who's been around the block. Without the Telkom connection, we would be an unknown quantity entering a market that's notoriously tough for newcomers to crack."

As an independent business unit, Cybernest is able to move with the speed and agility that data hosting and recovery customers expect. "We're IT entrepreneurs who recruit our own people, set our own performance targets and have full responsibility for our revenue and costs," says Marais.

Cybernest, which was officially launched yesterday, 19 November, has signalled its intentions to become a significant competitor in providing IT services. It enters the market with a formidable array of assets:

• 9,700 square metres of data centre space - more than anyone else in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Six data centres in South Africa, four in Gauteng and two in the Western Cape.
• Approximately 600 full-time IT specialists.
• Around 80 hosting customers, including FIFA in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
• Three TelePresence facilities, the most advanced videoconferencing technology available, located in Pretoria, Centurion and Bellville.

Flexible... secure... Sustainable