Integrated Solutions – which is attending the Africa Oil & Power Cape Town 2019 Conference & Exhibition – has been operating in Angola for more than thirteen years, and focuses on providing IT solutions. Training has been a major part of the company’s success with the major international oil companies.
What was the vision and motivation behind creating Integrated Solutions Angola?
Integrated Solutions Angola (ISA) was established in 2015 with the idea of providing high level IT services locally in the Angolan market. Our focus is on designing, implementing and maintaining IT solutions for our clients. ISA has demonstrated high levels of excellence in executing complex projects for key customers such as BNA, Sonangol, Total, etc. We have a local professional team with proven capabilities.
Which sectors does ISA serve, and how does the company interact with its clients?
ISA serves the oil and gas industry, the financial sector, telecommunications sector and government. We work with both major players in the market as well as different sized companies within the value chain. We help clients acquire technology solutions suitable to their business needs.
In large organizations, factors such as information security, ease of access, data protection even in event of a disaster are extremely important factors to consider. The solution can become fairly complex. We do help our clients address these issues.
Can you provide an overview of the range of products and solutions offered by Integrated Solutions Angola?
We have a wide range of technology products and select what is needed for specific needs to design our solutions. Our products categories include data storage, cloud computing, network and security solutions. We do consulting, system integration, maintenance and support services. We use proven project management processes and methodologies to deploy new IT infrastructure which have the benefits of minimized costs, accelerated project deployment, streamlined communication flow and reduced customer management effort. To keep our client’s data center in good operating condition, we provide a complete range of support and maintained services from regular cleaning, to sophisticated troubleshooting and management. Our hands-on technical and consulting personnel, with relevant expertise, can serve as an extension of our client’s IT team.
How is the trend for migration to cloud computing relevant in Angola?
Let me start by saying that most of ISA’s internal systems have been migrated to the Cloud for a while now. Cloud computing have great potential to simplify operations, reduce capital and operational expenditure on IT. Deployment is relatively straightforward and takes a fraction of inhouse systems. We assist our clients in deciding which aspect of their IT services stays on within the company and which services can make use of a public cloud. We also help clients to design and build private clouds that suit their business needs. I believe that although there are still some challenges around cloud computing, it is here to stay. We aim to help our clients migrate painlessly to the cloud while maintaining integrity of their IT systems.
How does Angola compare to other Sub-Saharan countries in terms of IT infrastructure?
The backbone of modern IT infrastructure is connectivity. Some countries such as Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya started much earlier compared to Angola in IT development. However, Angola is making a lot of investment in international connectivity via projects such as SACS and SAT3. These projects definitely are speeding up international access to information. Within Angola, the cost of connectivity is still very high and access is still an issue even in certain parts of urban centers.
Have you seen noticeable changes in the business environment in Angola since the new government took power?
There is increased transparency in the public tenders. Also, some processes are being defined. The change in visa policies with many countries have greatly simply international travels. For us, this is very meaningful for our partners and personnel as international travels is integral part of our business operations. International monetary transactions have not quite improved, though the process seems more defined now.
What are Integrated Solutions Angola’s objectives moving forward, and do you have a final message for our international readership?
Integrated Solutions Angola aims to become a key player in cloud computing solutions. We are known with integrity, quality and professionalism in our business dealings. We are taking these good qualities into the cloud as well. We are proud to deliver professional services which meet international standards in the Angolan market. International entrants into Angolan market can count on our world-class team with deep understanding of the Angola environment for partnership and top-notch services.
