RubMinds TechBlog

Technology is surely a major backbone of the economy. With no infrastructure in place, businesses are bound to be disorganized and decentralized, culminating in disjointedness, lack of productivity, ineffectiveness, loss of revenue and ultimately declaration of bankruptcy.

Disambiguation: there are clear differences between Internet Service Provider, Service/Network Provider and Solutions Provider / Systems integrator. A service provider provides (on lease, recurrent) internet/mobile/network/backhaul services  while the Systems Integrator (SI) or Solutions Provider acts as a vendor and uses products from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs e.g. Cisco, MS, HP) to provide technology solutions or integrate with existing systems. In this article, we focus only on the latter.

Some of the popular OEMs that have partnered with our Systems Integrators (S.I.s) include Cisco, Microsoft, HP, IBM, Sun, Avaya, Nortel, Red-Hat, Allot, Huawei, Systimax, Polycom, Tandberg, NEC, Panasonic, Dell, Intel, Proxim, Alvarion, Radwin, Wavion, Oracle, Nokia and Axis.

The following Technology giants (in no particular order) have paid their dues in shaping IT over the African continent, especially in West Africa and Nigeria. Let me remind you that the instability of another major backbone of the economy, the banking sector, has severely impacted operations in these firms but most of them are still doing very well and adding considerable value to the economy.

Nigeria’s Top 10 ICT solutions providers and systems integrators

1. Business Connexion (BCX Networks, Nigeria). Over 5,000 workers employed across Africa, known for Managed Services/outsourcing/ support, Data Center, Cloud computing, Storage and Voice.

2. Dimension Data (DD or Didata). Global reputation, known for Service Provider, Voice and Data Centre. DD and BCX are considered the biggest ICT firms in Nigeria due to their strong network and financial backing (outside Nigeria) and are therefore capable of handling the MEGA multi-million dollar projects. DD also have an ISP, Internet Solutions (IS Nigeria, formerly Accelon) and therefore provide end-to-end solutions.

3. iTeco (a Member of the Telnet Group). Having been around for a very long time and having produced and mentored directly or indirectly, more than half of the 35+ CCIEs in Nigeria, iTeco is particularly known for advisory services, design, implementation and mentoring. Also own ISP company, iPnX.

4. Weco Systems. Award winning SI with lots of ambition, experience and command of modern technology. Known for Voice, supply of units, Implementation.

5. Resourcery. One of the most popular SIs, known for Data Centre Infrastructure, Video and Voice (see MTN-Cisco Telepresence solution).

6. DCC Networks (member of the Computer Warehouse Group). Also with an ISP provides end-to-end connectivity dependent solutions.

7. iPartners. Popularly known for Security, Voice and Managed Services. Great US backing, tech-wise.

8. G4V. Popularly known for Software/Hardware Integration.

9. Converge Group. Known for Call/Contact Centres.

10. Galaxy Backbone: strategically attached to the Federal Government and handles most governmental ICT projects nationwide. Usually collaborates with most of the top S.I.s.

Worthy of mention are Lagos and Abuja-based Solutions Providers; Quanteq, Micro-Access, Layer 3, NTTS and others.

You have all done well, please be more innovative and expand more so that the nation can realize her ICT dreams.