Cornastone goes platinum

Sponsored Content - Cornastone Namibia’s drive and proven track record in the delivery of ICT solutions, services, software and infrastructure in the country has garnered international attention.

The ICT company recently celebrated a milestone achievement that very few companies internationally have attained – becoming an HPE Platinum partner of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).

The latest development in the Cornastone/Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) relationship solidifies the provision of HPE solutions, products and support, that focuses on data management, storage and security, through the establishment and maintenance of digital infrastructure for businesses and private clients.

HPE’s focus on the provision of ‘Hyper-converged’ solutions have changed the way businesses approach ICT management, in an environment that is changing daily.

Achievement

Channel and Alliances Manager at HPE, Jean-Sebastien Vincent, stated that their relationship with Cornastone is one like no other. Cornastone is the first in Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, to have achieved Platinum Status.

“Becoming an HPE Platinum partner means a lot not only for the businesses we are in partnership with, but also for the customers who are served by these businesses, as they are reassured that they are accessing the best ICT services. HPE is quite demanding in its requirements to achieve such a status,” Vincent said.

He added that getting to this level means a company must fulfil a set of requirements. This include achieving a pre-determined critical mass in revenue by passing the minimum threshold level set, obtaining technical certifications, continuous learning, and following a competency track.

“We’re very excited for Cornastone and this achievement, and thought it fit to fly down from Switzerland to celebrate such a momentous occasion,” he concluded.

‘Reason to celebrate’

In a celebration held at Droombos in Windhoek, Cornastone board member Marco Teixeira said: “For us achieving the highest level of partnership within the HPE organisation is a reason to celebrate. It wasn’t easy to get to this stage, and it will take efforts from the entire team to maintain this certification.

“We, as a company, also focus on the ‘Namibianisation’ of skill, through the constant training and upskilling of our staff, as they are the ones that put us on the map through their outstanding dedication and performance. So when we come across customers who want to invest in data centres, the first thing they are assured of is that our track record is solid, and HPE approved,” Teixeira said.

‘Hard work and perseverance’

Also in attendance was the deputy minister of information and communication technology, Engelhardt !Nawatiseb, who spoke on the importance of smart partnerships and how they are important in the drive towards complete digital transformation and relevance.

“This achievement is a cause for great celebration as it is an indication of hard work and perseverance. In Namibia, we have been talking about smart partnerships without seeing the results, making them a cliché.

“The smart partnership between Cornastone and HPE however, is a living testimony that such partnerships taken purposefully to each logical conclusion, can become a reality with tangible economic outcomes.

“We must take a good lesson from this partnership which has, over two decades of purposefulness, strategic intent and a strong drive for tangible results, yielded such exciting outcomes,” !Nawatiseb said in his keynote address.

Transformation

Managing director Mildy Samaria says her role, apart from being challenging as a professional black woman at the helm of an ICT giant, is highly rewarding, especially when the team reaches such heights.

“The most exciting aspect is the transformation of the business, in which the staff will be given ownership of the business. Most of my team has been with us for five years or more, and we were looking at the best way to reward them for their devotion and commitment,” she remarked.

This sentiment was echoed by the executive chairman of Cornastone, Lufuno Nevhuthalu.