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First Distribution’s Database Administration, Security and Compliance needs lead it to trusted advisor, Ascent Technology. For any large organisation, Database Administration (DBA) is a vital part of maintaining their Data Platform Operations effectively. As it has...
When Bidfood SA chose to modernise and migrate its data platform to Microsoft Azure, it turned to Ascent Technology for help. In a world that is digitally transforming, it is more vital than ever to an organisation’s success to utilise the latest platforms to drive...
A Windows Server and SQL Server consolidation, optimisation and migration to Microsoft Azure enables the company to reduce costs, modernise its data platform and boost its innovation capabilities. As an operator running two distinct betting businesses, Phumelela...
CAMPAIGNS
A Database System Health Check assesses if your Database is running optimally, and can help diagnose challenges before performance issues, and/or down time affect your users. That’s where Ascent's Database Health Check Service comes in. Our Database Health Check...
The growing number of threats to databases and unauthorised access to the data within, is clearly creating on-going headaches for CIOs. Solving these headaches may not be easy, but by asking the right questions, CIOs can begin to overcome their Database Security and...
Economic volatility is driving a greater number of organisations to consider cost cutting measures and to implement consolidation procedures. This situation is further compounded by the growing skills shortage that makes it more difficult for businesses to acquire and...
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
Ascent Technology continues its strong showing in the Microsoft Partner of the Year awards, as a finalist in the Data and Analytics Partner of the Year award. Finalist Data and Analytics Partner of the Year "It is always gratifying to be recognised by Microsoft as one...
NEWSFLASHES
SQL Server 2022 is the most Azure-enabled release yet, with continued performance, security, and availability innovation. SQL Server, enabled by Azure Arc, extends Azure services on-premises, and manages your SQL Server estate from the Azure portal for a more unified...
FROM THE DESK OF THE MD
The start of another year inevitably brings with it the promise of change, and in wishing all our clients a happy New Year, we would like to suggest that 2019 is going to be a year of considerable and exciting change. After all, not only do we have what are sure to be...
Welcome to the latest Ascent newsletter. We have reached the half year mark for our organisation and it has been truly fantastic. Business has continued to improve and we believe we are only going to get stronger throughout the rest of the year. Our goal is to build on the success experienced in the first two quarters and to utilise this strong base to continue to provide our customers with the service and value to which they have become accustomed.
More and more organisations are implementing cost-cutting measures and consolidation procedures. This shift in the market became apparent some months ago, but is continuing unabated. Adopting such measures often leaves these companies short on skills in certain key areas, such as database administration. Ascent therefore recommends that customers should seriously consider adopting a co/outsourcing model.
We believe that this option represents the future for database administration, as it genuinely offers customers the best of both worlds. It means that they are able to retain ownership of their sites and equipment, not to mention their intellectual property, while still remaining safe from unnecessary downtime or any other potential disasters.
Clearly such a model offers customers vastly improved cost efficiencies – something all companies are seeking – while it also provides them with the security of knowing that Ascent’s expert staff are always on hand to manage and optimise their database environments.
Our latest annual internship programme has kicked off and is going from strength to strength. This is Ascent’s sixth such programme of its kind and will, for the third year in succession, be Microsoft focused.
The learnership programme forms an important part of Ascent’s corporate social investment (CSI) drive and is one which is beneficial to all parties involved. We benefit in terms of the CSI and by having new eager talent join the organisation, the students benefit as they receive the kind of training that will serve them well in their future careers, and our customers benefit by receiving genuine value add when the graduates are contracted out to them.
Our internship programme has been one of our biggest success stories in the period it has been run, and we therefore hope to replicate our previous achievements with this new crop of talented youngsters.
In addition to the Partner Summit in Sun City, Ascent was also a participant at the Microsoft World Partner Conference, held in Washington in the US. Furthermore, we will also be a part of the forthcoming Microsoft Tech-Ed South Africa event. Ascent will, in fact, be hosting a table focused on database administration at the ‘Ask the Experts’ evening. We will have some of our brightest talents available that evening to answer delegates’ technical questions and to provide them with expert advice. We are looking forward to attending this event and meeting the many visiting delegates, not to mention catching up with the many other Microsoft partners to discuss a variety of technical and strategic developments.
As we enter the second half of our financial year, Ascent is looking forward to continuing the work begun in the first two quarters. We will in particular be focused on the bedding down of a number of on-going projects. We also expect to see increasing demand in the area of high availability and anticipate regular projects in this regard over the next two quarters.
As far as our customers are concerned, there remains a strong focus on consolidation and we will be continuing an on-going tweaking process in this regard within our customer base. Ascent also anticipates new and exciting technologies will emerge in the early part of 2011, which should prove to be good news for all our clients as well.
Ascent aims to build on the successes experienced in the first six months of the new financial year, using the existing accomplishments as a foundation from which to continue to add value to our customer base. While we will be working closely with our existing clientele to help them to realise even more from their existing investments, we also anticipate strong growth throughout the rest of 2010 and on into 2011.
By: Johan Lamberts
