IBM Cloud beats Microsoft, Huawei to clinch Uganda’s Infinity Computers cloud deal

Infinity Computers has chosen IBM to deliver cloud, analytics and IT services to support a wide range of new web and mobile offerings for its clients.

I3C chose IBM’s cloud solution and services over competing offerings from Microsoft and Huawei, citing customer care and technical support, competitive pricing, solution agility and global capabilities.

I3C is counting on IBM to expand its business footprint in East Africa and to serve a growing number of Asian and European clients by providing quicker and more efficient access of services.

Infinity Computers –or I3C –provides a range of services to clients in East Africa, South Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. The portfolio includes services for developers in the vibrant East African tech startup community, Internet domain registration, Web and cloud hosting, as well as fiber optic and mobile communication installation.

Previously, I3C hosted all its servers on premise and was running into several limitations such as Internet bandwidth capacity, scalability, unstable power at the server-room level, and inadequate customer care and technical support to meet the needs of its clients.

Since beginning the transition to IBM earlier this year, I3C has reported 40-percent improved performance in accessibility and speed of provisioning services to clients and 45 percent lower operating costs from reductions in support resources, Internet bandwidth requirements and electrical power consumption.

New offerings provided to I3C customers through IBM include storage-as-a-service, data warehousing and back up services, and hosting for mobile-enabled web sites and databases. In addition, I3C customers will have access to analytics for mobile applications allowing them to improve workflow processes in specific business functions such as sales and marketing intelligence and customer care.

They will be able to examine user demographics like the number of web page visits, their country of origin, what mobile devices are being used to access their content as well as screen resolution and preferred user language. This will allow them to enhance their mobile web-based marketing campaigns and the end user experience.

“As the needs of our customers have evolved, we required a cloud solution and services that could meet those growing demands and help us expand our business,”said Charles Musisi, General Manager of I3C. “When we looked at competing offerings, no one else could match the combination of IBM’s technology, expertise and global capabilities to meet all our current and future requirements.”

The solution is offered in a hybrid cloud format, with clients having the options of choosing public cloud services through SoftLayer, on-premises virtualized services managed through IBM’s Global Delivery Centers or a combination of both.

The SoftLayer cloud solution provides I3C’s customers with infrastructure choices that include bare metal servers, virtual servers, turnkey big data solutions and an option for private cloud.

I3C is also looking into incorporating IBM Bluemix solutions on the cloud and where necessary and provide these services at the client’s premises using IBM’s Hybrid solutions such as IBM Power systems managed by IBM’s Global Delivery Centers.

“In East Africa, we are seeing more of our clients seeking to scale operating efficiencies and minimize long-term IT spending by adopting managed IT services and cloud solutions,” said Nik Nesbitt, IBM general manager for East Africa. “The cloud solution and services we’re providing to I3C is designed to help them achieve its aggressive growth objectives while providing their customers with the speed, scalability, economy and flexibility they need.”

A growing number of enterprises across Africa have partnered with IBM to help drive their expansion and overall business plans. IBM has announced over 20 banking deals throughout Africa over the last five years. Within the health sector, Metropolitan Health in South Africa and the Zambia Ministry of Health have tapped IBM solutions to drive their business models.