Company Overview. Table of Contents

Transcription

1 Bridging the communication divide through multi-point Audio and Video Conferencing Reg. No. 2008/156714/23 Managing Director: Mr. I G Omar Bram Fischer Road, Randburg P O Box 69552, Bryanston, 2021 imtiaz.omar@hybridge.co.za

2 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary Introduction Our Strategy Vision Mission Statement Why Hybridge Communications The Beginning Rising from South Africa s City of Gold, Gauteng Black Economic Empowerment Measuring Value Industry Solutions Education Business Financial Institutions Law Health and Tele- Medicine Upside to the Downfall of the Economy Conclusion Annexure A: Additional Company Information Page 2 of 11

3 1. Executive Summary 1.1. Introduction During the last decade we have seen the impact of technology in South Africa enhancing business efficiency, providing competitive advantage, increasing access to information and improving service delivery. We have also witnessed the impact of technology build an industry that is growing and advancing year on year, contributing billions of Rand s to the South African economy. Through this approach, Hybridge Communications is a company that is dedicated to providing truly world-class services for our South African customers at predictable Rand based prices. This unique opportunity allows us to draw on global best practice and experiences and incorporate these into our local research and development. Amongst the combination of our global demand and our local delivery, we believe that this will add significant value and governance to our clients and future stakeholders. For many years, futurists have envisioned a future whereby telephone conversations will take place as actual face-to-face encounters simultaneously with video and audio streams. Today, through a multi-point audio and video bridging capability, Hybridge Communications encompasses a technology offering that can deliver an excellent quality communication channel across all organisations so that the increasing demand for real-time collaboration between colleagues, business partners and customers, can take place reliably and effortlessly. This hybrid solution facilitates organisations to protect their current investments whilst taking steps to increase business productivity and efficiency. Page 3 of 11

4 2. Our Strategy 2.1. Vision To be recognised as one of the global leaders in unified communications by the use of a multichannelled strategy in which organisations can benefit from collaboration that can enhance itself in a sophisticated and engaging way, accelerating business performance, client loyalty and service delivery whilst increasing the evolution of technology to the next level and acquiring the advantage of globalisation Mission Statement Hybridge Communications is a company that aspires to provide its clients with excellent values and superior services through its delivery capabilities. With the potential to assist our clients to develop strategies for managing their investments toward a profitable and practical approach, Hybridge Communications will endeavour to operate tirelessly to bridge the communication divide to millions of South Africans in ways that will be affordable and accessible so that each an every individual can connect and share in the benefits of the collaboration revolution Why Hybridge Communications Hybridge Communications is a new and innovative organisation, initiated upon pure South African heritage and located in Randburg, Gauteng South Africa, specialising in a multi-point audio and video bridging service and aim at providing a conferencing facility to small, medium and large organisations. Through advanced, dependable and resilient business tools, organisations can experience unified collaboration across the globe which will be controlled and managed. By just a click of a mouse, distances that were considered to be virtually impossible, is now achievable. People will be able to cross time zones and regardless of distance, interaction can occur daily whereby organisations can obtain the supporting need of decreasing their carbon intake whilst increasing business profitability. Page 4 of 11

5 3. The Beginning 3.1. Rising from South Africa s City of Gold, Gauteng Established in 2008, Hybridge Communications is a close corporation, with 100% black ownership, founded by an ambitious South African, Imtiaz Goolam Omar and upon inception is currently appointed as a managing member. Imtiaz encompasses extensive experience in the ICT industry and served as a Multi-point Audio and Video Service consultant for one of South Africa s leading global IT organisations for more than six years. Among a track record for functioning in the service industry for the past fifteen years, Imtiazs diversity of skill within the communication arena and involvement as a member of Hybridge Communications will be invaluable in implementing the Africa strategy, driving the growth in Hybridge Communications share of public sector business as well as accelerate internal transformation. As the organisation begins to expand we envisage the opportunity for Hybridge Communications to develop strategic alliances with established organisations. I believe that the Almighty created people into a span of different nations and tribes so that we may get to know one another and what more easier way to achieve this is by enhancing our freedom to communicate - with Hybridge Communications of course. Imtiaz Goolam Omar, founding and managing member 3.2. Black Economic Empowerment Every organisation should pertain to regulations governed by the laws of good business practice that should be permissible by the company and valuable to it customers. Since Hybridge Communications is a fairly new and small enterprise, it currently does not generate a turnover of more than R5 million per annum and therefore is certified as an Exempted Micro Enterprise (EME) or Qualifying Small Enterprise (QSE). This is in light of the current release of information by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that qualifies the above validation for BEE Exemption and BEE codes of good practice intended for small, micro and mini enterprises. Nevertheless, Hybridge Communications has been allocated a Level 3 BEE status which certifies a 100% black ownership and qualifies for a 110% BEE spend. This is a valued advantage for organisations to be awarded an opportunity to utilise Hybridge Communications as a preferred BEE supplier and benefit by claiming their BEE spend. Page 5 of 11

6 4. Measuring Value Audio and Video conferencing services are an important part of today's world. Not only do they offer an efficient and effective way for business communications to occur, but conference calls are globally recognised and utilised for: Business meetings: organisations today are leveraging conference calls to enhance productivity of employees and reduce time and travel costs. Minimised travel destinations: with Audio and Video conference calls, mobile employees can continue to communicate with other employees and their investors and companies significantly reduce the need for travelling since meetings can take place right from an employee s desk. A recent study from the Travel Industry Association notes air travellers are making less and less trips each year meaning conference calls are the next option as communication continues to occur without having to travel long distances. Long distance communications: for families with loved ones serving overseas the ability to connect with them by means of a teleconference offers great advantage. Since communication is such a major factor in the maintenance of their relationships, conference calls that remove costly fees are important. Figure 1: Benefits of Audio and Video Conferencing Page 6 of 11

7 5. Industry Solutions Audio or Video conferencing can be used in a host of different environments, which is one of the reasons why this technology has become so popular. General uses for Audio or Video conferencing include business meetings, educational training or instruction and collaboration among employees, customers, health officials or other representatives. Thus far Audio and Video conferencing has been used in the following fields: 5.1. Education Audio and Video conferencing provides students and lecturers with the opportunity to participate in a two-way communication platform. Furthermore teachers and lecturers from all over the world can be brought to classes in remote or otherwise isolated places. Students from diverse communities and backgrounds can collaborate to learn about one another and also by the following: Faculty members keeping in touch with classes while away for a week at a conference; Researcher collaborating with colleagues at other institutions on a regular basis without loss of time due to travel; Administrators that are on a tight schedule, collaborates on budget preparations from different parts of the school or campus; Student interviews with an employer can take place in another continent or city; Faculty committee can audition a scholarship candidate; and Staff can collaborate with teachers that are on the move Business Audio and Video conferencing enables individuals across the globe to have meetings in a short lead of time. Time and money that is used on travel spend can be reserved for conferencing. Point-to-point technology enables low cost face-to-face business meetings without leaving the office, especially for businesses with wide-spread geographical locations Financial Institutions Various organisations in the financial sector prefer the use of Audio and Video conferencing to other modes of meeting. As an important tool for business success, conferencing takes about 25 percent of the time of people involved. Even though frequent conferencing is not linked with job performance is proves to be an important tool for these financial organisations. Among the modes of conferencing, face-to-face meetings still account for half of all the time Page 7 of 11

8 spent conferencing with more than two persons. Employees would much rather pay to use a conference facility then drive to the the destination to have a face-to-face meeting Law The use of Audio and Video conferencing technology is becoming more prevalent in today s courtrooms. Audio or Video conferencing systems are used to enable testifying witnesses to appear in court without having to travel to the courtroom. Expert witnesses, prisoners, and various other witnesses can provide the same testimonies from remote locations. From the prison, prisoners will see and hear everything that takes place in the courtroom and will be able to answer questions posed to them by the presiding judges and lawyers. Video conferencing in the court system offers significant cost savings and improved security by reducing the need for high-security prisoner transport. The entire courtroom experience will be made shorter, safer and more cost-effective Health and Tele- Medicine There are times when a person needs medical advice but is unable to visit their personal physician or even more likely, a specialist. In such situations using Audio or Video conferencing can make all the difference. A patient in a rural location can easily meet with a specialist from anywhere in the world. Audio or Video conferencing enables patients to get the necessary information and expert guidance they need quickly and easily. While Video conferencing cannot replace all visits to a medical professional, in some instances it can be the only method of meeting with a specific doctor, and in a difficult situation it may prove to be a lifesaver. Audio and Video conferencing technology becomes useful for telemedicine or tele-nursing applications such as diagnosis, consulting, transmission or medical images and so forth, in real-time and in countries where this practice is considered legal. Rural areas can also benefit from this technology for diagnostic purposes, thus saving lives and making more efficient use of health care capital. Page 8 of 11

9 6. Upside to the Downfall of the Economy More and more organisations today are leveraging on communication technologies like Audio and Video conferencing and unified communications in a bid to improve communication capabilities, reduce costs and stay ahead in the competitive marketplace. In the current state of the economy, with the recession impacting just about all industries, researchers believe that these offerings can provide a viable solution to not only face current challenges, but also to prepare for when the up-turn occurs. According to studies, most companies that have chosen IT and Communication service providers during the crisis have been and will continue encompassing a stronger position when the storm passes even having the ability to grab market share from their competitors. "For companies able and willing to continuing their IT investments during the recession, audio and visual communications and collaboration products and services should become a central part of their strategy for survival and for creating a dominant position for themselves come the upturn" Dominic Dodd, Frost & Sullivan Principal Analyst. With a number of businesses also resorting to employee cut-backs as a result of the recession, these solutions are especially key to supporting remaining employees to work as efficiently and as productively as possible, while saving on costs for the company. Another recent report from the company, World Audio conferencing Bridge Markets, found the Audio and Video conferencing and bridging market will reach $200 million in 2014 as the demand for economical and real-time communication solutions for long-distance business collaboration rises. Like other conferencing markets, the Audio and Video conferencing bridge market is undergoing a transformation in product features, functionality and end-user needs as it becomes a key element in implementing a successful collaborative workplace. As the pressure to go green intensifies throughout the global economy, companies have gained a heightened social consciousness, highlighting their green initiatives and efforts to reduce carbon footprints. Many of these strategies include implementing Audio and Video conferencing and bridging technologies. There are also significant global growth opportunities as the demand for collaboration services have been amplified in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific and Central and Latin America where Audio and Video conferencing is not heavily commoditised. Save our planet by saving our people! People are still considered to be more important even though we need the planet to flourish and endure, but if I can encompass the chance in the race for survival by providing a permanent service that is both viable and favourable to organisations, it s people and stakeholders and with the support of these individuals, we can collectively make a difference Imtiaz Goolam Omar, founding and managing member. Page 9 of 11

10 7. Conclusion In today s competitive business environments, organisations around the world are searching for better and innovative ways to get the most out of their meetings. We make it easier and far more valuable and effective to collaborate with co-workers, partners and customers locally and globally. It should be emphasised that Audio and Video conferencing is an enhancement to business communications, not a replacement. So just when you thought you knew everything about Audio and Video conferencing, technology has yet again enabled communication and unified collaboration in incredible ways. Hybridge Communications is here to change the way businesses prosper, steadfast yet effective. As we embrace transformation and prepare for opportunities to grow, our challenge is to continue to identify our major stakeholders, find out what their communication needs are and ensuring these needs are met. We want to explore the possibilities of diverse challenges, to celebrate our resilience and to enrich our future by progressing and when we progress, we will Prosper. Page 10 of 11

11 8. Annexure A: Additional Company Information The following certified documents have been attached for verification: 1. BEE Certification. Page 11 of 11