Workgroup Distribution Workgroup Distribution is the largest distributor of PC based software in South Africa, and the only major computer industry distributor focused exclusively on software. We carry the nationwide group responsibility for distribution operations; representing Microsoft, Lotus, WordPerfect, Novell, Corel, Watermark,Symantec and Shapeware. Our main focus is to distribute price competitive products to software resellers and dealers, with all systems and support services unbundled from the basic product. Workgroup Distribution was the first company in South Africa with the rights to distribute the full range of Microsoft products, including the high-end networking, database, mainframe connectivity and mail products. The same status has been afforded to Workgroup Distribution by Lotus Development (SA) for the distribution of the Lotus Notes range of products. Workgroup Distribution is split into three functional areas; Product Marketing and Support, Sales - National and Regional and Logistics. Product Marketing and Support We have product specialists and support personnel for each of the main product groups. Within the vendor categories, further specialisation may take place, based on product groupings, such as applications and communications. The product specialists are a resource available to our channel partners for customer demonstrations and market development. Sales The sales function is split into National and Regional Sales. The National sales team is based in Johannesburg and is the focus of the Workgroup move to centralised distribution. The regional sales team consist of the external sales teams and Workgroup Warehouses across the country. The sales teams are supported by the addition of our Customer Service Desk. Getting Workgroup product to the End-User Stock is carried centrally in Johannesburg and is sent to Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. Our branches are linked to head office via a Diginet based wide area network. The administrative work such as quotes, orders, invoicing and other related tasks are performed on-line. We have invested a great deal of money in building a state of the art distribution and customer tracking system. This will dramatically improve the level of service our customers (Dealers and Resellers) receive and will ultimately, benefit YOU, the end user of Workgroup Distributions software products. Workgroup Systems The changing face of Service Provision Workgroup Systems has built up a services business to complement Workgroup Distributions position as South Africas largest distributor. Workgroup Systems is the mechanism that drives and focuses all the divisions to market a wide range of services such as support, training, development, integration, consulting and solution providing to customers. The company is comprised of three Microsoft Solution Providers: Workgroup Systems, Workgroup Institute and Workgroup Technology. Operating independently as business units, the divisions share a collective pool of manpower and resources that benefits both reseller and corporates alike. The overlap of skills and experience between the different divisions provide a rich environment of technology and expertise exchange. Lecturers at the Institute have the opportunity to deal with real world situations, while support engineers, developers and consultants have the latest courses at their disposal. A number of developers and support engineers have undergone trainer certification, improving their theoretical knowledge The Research and Development division is responsible for the development of software products both for the local and international market. BateTech Software, which is a division in Denver, Colorado is also a Microsoft Solution Provider. It released its first product, Customer-One, in the USA during March 1994. BateTech specialises in building Windows based client-server solutions. Microsoft development skills include Windows NT, Windows, SQL Server, C, C++, Visual BASIC and Access. Customer-One is marketed locally by Workgroup Systems and the product received the prestigious Computer Week Key Products of 1994 award. The Workgroup Institute was the first Microsoft Authorised Technical Education Centre (ATEC) in South Africa. The Workgroup Institute focuses not only on the high-end Microsoft training, but also on advanced technical training for WordPerfect and Lotus enterprise products. It also offers end-user courses from all the major software vendors such as Microsoft, Lotus, WordPerfect and Corel. The newly formed Workgroup Technology focuses on customer-centred solution framing, building and integrating using Microsofts BackOffice. It is also a Microsoft Solution Provider and the staff complement is comprised of a large number of Microsoft Certified Professionals and boasts an MSCP for every MSCP test available. The division works on a project basis and was responsible for the set-up, installation, training and support for the 40 site, 1000+ PC wide area network for the Independent Electoral Commissions supervision of the 1994 South African elections. Workgroup Technology Introduction Workgroup Technology is the Microsoft Solution Provider focused on BackOffice implementation projects. The company was formed by the merger of Premium Support and Right Sizing SA, two subsidiaries of Workgroup Systems, to provide a complete skill set around the Microsoft BackOffice product range. Background There is a large band of medium sized companies for whom technology can be deployed to create opportunities, increase profitability, improve customer service and add value. Typically these companies have smaller IT departments and depend on line-of-business systems which may have been purchased or developed in the past. These companies need to integrate modern LAN-based technology into their current midrange environments. Without solid support systems these companies have a limited ability to upgrade their systems, or to take advantage of new developments and trends. Workgroup Systems recognises that these companies need one-stop solutions and the ability to integrate systems into a seamless whole. Supported by the distribution arm of the group, Workgroup Systems has consolidated its technical companies into the newly formed Workgroup Technology. This move brings together the considerable expertise from both units to focus on providing complete technology-based solutions for medium size organisations. Focus Workgroup Technology concentrates on providing solutions based around the robust products which form the foundation of the BackOffice platform. These include the engines to drive the information requirements, the networking and communications components. Building on this foundation, Workgroup Technology is capable of delivering customised solutions that take advantage of the latest developments in client-server architecture. Maximising the desktop benefit, these systems ensure that incremental growth can be accomplished with minimum user impact. Electronic (including voice) mail is having a significant impact on the way in which people communicate. Combined with customer service and support, communications systems will ensure a consistent image and achieve sustained improvement in service levels. Integrating Microsoft BackOffice with desktop applications takes the systems platform beyond simple data manipulation and into real information-based value added computing. Target Workgroup Technology aims to provide its expertise and experience to the range of medium sized companies looking for technology platforms to support their business in this age of rapid change and increased competition. These companies share some common characteristics but the real difference will be their willingness to embrace the technology and forge long term relationships with technology-focused experts: Often with limited PC based information technology skills, running mid-range computers, and having basic knowledge of the software, such companies are at risk. Add to this the geographic remoteness from the main centres for support and the opportunities become apparent for progressive management to create and maintain robust custom-built solutions. The critical factor for Workgroup Technology is that working with its customers will always demand the transfer of technical knowledge. Customers have to become self-reliant over time, and Workgroup Systems has both the product distribution and training services to ensure that this can be achieved. Investing heavily in developing Microsoft product skills, Workgroup Technology can provide the complete range of products and services demanded by organisations ready to accept the challenges both in business and technology terms. Only by ensuring that customers become independent can Workgroup Technology continue to develop and grow its skills base. Partnerships are all about winning, and Workgroup Technology is positioning itself to be a partner for businesses looking to play in the highest leagues. Bringing the finest skills in the latest technology, Workgroup Technology can deploy solutions which blend these skills with the business competence of the customers. Workgroup Technology will work with Workgroup Distributions reseller partners to compliment their skills where required and ensure skills transfer at the same time. The Workgroup Institute Introduction The Workgroup Institutes Mission Statement To provide internationally recognised software technology training that is of the highest quality The Workgroup Institute offers professional quality software training courses. They range from end user application courses to technical support and software developer courses. Our focus has always been to provide personal and intensive training to all our students. We want our students to really feel that they have gained an in-depth understanding of the software and leave us feeling enriched and motivated. History In September 1992, Workgroup Systems signed a contract with Microsoft Corporation, USA authorising the Microsoft Institute (MSI) as the first technical training centre in Africa. The training centre opened doors in April 1993 and was called the Microsoft Institute of Advanced Software Technology. It became an official Microsoft Education Services (MES) Training Centre. The introduction of MES replaced the original MS University. The Windows Institute is a branch of the Workgroup Systems training division. It offered end-user courses on Windows, Windows for Workgroups, Microsoft applications and CorelDRAW. In July 1994 the decision was taken to change the name of the entire Workgroup Systems training division to The Workgroup Institute. This was done to encompass the different product courses available. Microsoft changed its world-wide training partner program and, as a result, the Workgroup Institute qualified as the first Microsoft Authorised Technical Education Centre (ATEC) in Africa. At the same time, the Institute was appointed as a Lotus Authorised Desktop Application Education Centre and a Wordperfect Authorised Training Centre which provided authorisation to teach technical support courses. The Windows Institute also started training end-user courses on Lotus Smartsuite applications and WordPerfect. As of November 1994 Workgroup Institute has been appointed as a Drake Authorised Testing Centre (DATC). The Workgroup Formal Technology Transfer Model The Workgroup Institute bases its training on the Workgroup Formal Technology Transfer Model. This model was developed to encourage clients to learn how to determine their exact requirements and training needs. The need for a formal model arose from the fact that many users tended to over simplify their understanding of the different areas of technology. In order to prevent the misallocation of both staff and training budgets, the Workgroup FTTM enables clients to highlight exactly what technology transfer is required and how that transfer should be effected. This is done by subdividing a clients requirements into one of four key areas: User, Technical, Trainer or Business Management. Once the stream has been decided upon, the Workgroup Institute will suggest the correct curriculum path to follow. If necessary, any other Workgroup Systems subsidiaries, such as Premium Support or Right Sizing SA can be called upon to provide additional services. Courses Technical The technical courses at Workgroup Institute are geared towards certification by Microsoft, Lotus and WordPerfect. The courses are in-depth and cover topics extensively. They are the perfect way to prepare for Microsoft Professional, Lotus Engineer and WordPerfect Engineer certification. The main curriculum paths that are offered by the Workgroup Institute are: · Microsoft Support Professional · Microsoft Developer (Solution Builder) · Lotus Engineer · WordPerfect Engineer The Microsoft Support Professional courses focus on the members of a companys internal support division. The Support Curriculum is specifically designed to cover all aspects of a client-server production system. A support division can be structured effectively once the levels of skill and expertise are measured. This can be done through a series of tests called Microsoft Certified Professional Tests. We estimate that for every 200 users there should be at least 1 qualified support professional available to maintain their systems. There are courses to prepare individuals for Lotus Support Engineers for the support of Smartsuite in a MS Windows environment as well as for the Lotus Certified Engineer tests. The WordPerfect Systems Engineer course teaches the support of Wordperfect Office and provides delegates with the background required to prepare for the Wordperfect Certfied System Engineer status. The Microsoft Developer Curriculum is designed for those wishing to develop within a Windows environment. The Workgroup Institute offers courses at a design and a conceptual level as well as at a coding level. End-User The end-user courses vary from basic and introductory levels to the more advanced intermediate courses. They are perfect for the first time software user and for someone who wishes to gain greater understanding of product that is already being used or a new version that is due for release. Students are guided through the products step by step and no subject is ignored. Each course is run at least once a month and schedules are drafted six months in advance. The Executive Enlightenment courses are geared towards executives and management personnel who do not have a working knowledge of the desktop software used in their company, but would like to improve their understanding. The classes are small and personal attention is ensured with at least two lecturers in attendance at all times. The lecturers are highly professional and are well positioned to cater for the needs of this special audience. However, the late afternoon cocktail hour provides refreshments to sustain energy for the last two hours of the course. Facilities of the Institute There are 8 training rooms (7 in Johannesburg and 1 in Cape Town) which are equipped with 66mhz 486DX2 machines with 16MB RAM and 240MB hard drives. For the Systems Management Server course the machines have 24MB RAM and 500MB hard drives. They are all networked, so students on network intensive courses can work in a simulated business environment. The class sizes range from 12-16 people which ensures the personal attention that Workgroup Institute is renowned for. After each day on course, time is set aside for feedback and question and answer sessions, so all students are ensured of quality student/trainer interaction. Accreditations · First MS Authorised Technical Education Centre (ATEC) · First Lotus Desktop Authorised Education Centre (LDAEC) · First WordPerfect Authorised Training Centre · Microsoft Authorised Training Centre (ATC) · Drake Authorised Testing Centre (DATC) Branches The Workgroup Institutes head office is in Johannesburg, and a branch was opened in Cape Town in February 1994. Hotels and transport Hotels The Balalaika Maude Street, Sandton 884-1400 Sandton Holiday Inn Rivonia Road, Sandton 783-5262 City Lodge Katherine Street, Sandton 444-5300 Bed & Breakfasts in northern Johannesburg area Gillian Jones or Lindsay Wells 787-3169 or 803-7170 Transport Magic Bus shuttle from Jan Smuts to Balalaika & Sandton Holiday Inn 884-3957 Avis 0-8000-2-1111 Budget 0-8000-1-6622 Imperial 0-800-11-0344 Contacts details PO Box 1610, Kelvin 2054 For enquiries and reservations, please call 0-800-111-332 toll free. Research and Development The focus of the Research and Development division, is the development of software packages for internal Workgroup use, as well as the creation of our own shrink-wrap software for resale. Our first package, Customer-One, is an automated customer service system. The WIN CD contains the Customer-One front end software, including the instructions on how to install and use it. Customer-Ones development was initiated by an internal need for an interactive customer service tool. The product was the only locally developed software to win the prestigious Computer Week Key Products of 1994 award. Our US branch in Denver Colorado, markets Customer-One internationally, while Workgroup Systems markets it locally. Workgroup Systems was one of 14 Microsoft Solution Providers world-wide that displayed their systems at COMDEX in November 1994. Customer-Ones seamless integration with Microsofts higher-end products like Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Windows NT and Microsoft Systems Management Server were demonstrated. The development team consists of a small number of highly skilled people. Our main area of expertise is in Windows development and Client-Server systems design and implementation, with specific emphasis on Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Basic and Visual C++. The R&D division has also been responsible for developing Workgroup Systems internal accounting system, its contact database and the WIN CD itself.