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We’re proud to announce that we have earned ISO 22301 certification after a rigorous independent evaluation by the British Standards Institution last month. The ISO 22301 badge is recognised internationally and sets the standard for Business Continuity Management Systems.
“This certification highlights the strength of our company’s business continuity strategy,” says Gayle Roseveare, our Chief Operating Officer (COO) here at BUI. “It proves to our staff, partners and customers that we’re prepared for any eventuality – and that we’re able to serve and support the people who rely on us, no matter what. Our ISO 22301 badge represents our commitment to effective risk management, organisational resilience, and reliability – even in the face of disruption,” notes Roseveare.
Developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation, ISO 22301 lays out a framework to help companies like ours create, implement, and maintain a comprehensive business continuity management system (BCMS). The main aim is to ensure that companies are protected against unforeseen business challenges and equipped to respond and recover when such events do occur.
“BUI is a global company with offices in East Africa, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States,” says Roseveare. “On any given day, our teams are provisioning cloud infrastructure, monitoring and securing digital environments, and delivering a wide range of IT services to customers. We operate around the world and around the clock – and we have to be able to do so continuously. Whether there are power outages in South Africa or internet connectivity issues in Europe, we need to ensure we can deliver uninterrupted services to our customers. Our ISO 22301 certificate validates our planning for disruptive incidents and disasters.”
“In an unpredictable business climate, it pays to be prepared,” explains Dhiren Boodhia, our Group Governance and Compliance Manager. “And that goes double for service providers like us. To earn our ISO 22301 certificate, we had to demonstrate that we have a thorough BCMS in place; that the staff in our various offices understand the BCMS and the processes required to sustain it; and that we are focused on maintaining business continuity and sustainability regardless of market uncertainties and challenges. I think the ISO 22301 badge is an important differentiator – especially when customers are looking for a steadfast technology ally that is as dedicated to legal and regulatory compliance as it is to protecting the business resources of the organisations it works with,” he says.
For customers who choose to partner with BUI, there are five key benefits, adds Boodhia.
ISO 22301 may be our newest certification, but it’s also a testament to our unwavering focus on our customers, notes our COO. “To be a dependable, reliable technology partner, you need to anticipate the challenges you’re going to face and then take the necessary steps to ensure that you can address those challenges as soon as they arise. We’re being proactive today so that we’re ready for tomorrow – and always on hand to help our customers be productive, secure, and resilient,” Roseveare concludes.
Our experts can help you craft a comprehensive backup strategy aligned with your business structure, your IT resources, your budget, and your goals.
We’re excited to add two new advanced specializations to our Microsoft portfolio: Cloud Security and Calling for Microsoft Teams.
The Cloud Security Advanced Specialization is awarded only to Gold Microsoft Partners with deep technical knowledge related to Microsoft’s cloud security products, and a successful track record of implementing comprehensive protection across Microsoft Azure and hybrid cloud environments.
To earn the Calling for Microsoft Teams Advanced Specialization, Partners must have extensive experience deploying and managing voice solutions in Microsoft 365, and must be able to integrate modern telephony for customers who require end-to-end communication.
As enterprises accelerate their digital transformation initiatives to enable remote and hybrid work, holistic security should be a key consideration, says Managing Director Ryan Roseveare. “Cloud adoption is taking place at a rapid rate, but it’s also taking place at a time when cyberthreats are more serious, more sophisticated, and more frequent than ever,” he notes. “A single mistake or misconfiguration could leave your enterprise vulnerable to attack, and you cannot afford such exposure when hackers are actively targeting businesses, almost constantly, every day.”
“Here at BUI, our approach is ‘build secure and deploy secure’,” continues Roseveare. “We make security part of the process from day one. We work with our customers to understand their unique challenges, and we help them to make the most of Microsoft’s cloud security products so that their digital environments are fully protected. Our expertise, certified by this Cloud Security Advanced Specialization and several others, is what gives our customers the peace of mind to move to the cloud confidently,” he adds.
BUI already holds advanced specializations in Adoption and Change Management, Identity and Access Management, Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop, Teamwork Deployment, Threat Protection, and Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure, as well as 16 Microsoft competencies in cloud productivity, cloud solutions, and cybersecurity, among other solution areas.
The Calling for Microsoft Teams Advanced Specialization recognises BUI’s capabilities in creating modern voice solutions for a work-from-anywhere world, explains Cloud Centre of Excellence Lead Dhiren Boodhia. “With remote and hybrid work here to stay for many enterprises, there’s a demand for phone-calling technologies that combine unified communications and teamwork,” he says.
Calling in Microsoft Teams has rich functionality to enable people to place and receive calls, transfer calls, and mute or unmute calls. “For end-users, the experience is similar to traditional telephony, but with additional features and the power and scale of the cloud,” continues Boodhia, describing how end-users can use a mobile device or a headset with a laptop or personal computer to place calls to anyone listed in their online address book.
“Calling in Microsoft Teams delivers truly seamless communication, but it must be deployed correctly and securely. The implementation process can be quite complex, especially if it involves Microsoft 365 service deployment, networking changes, and the provisioning or porting of large volumes of telephone numbers. Expert hands are needed, and that’s why our specialists are trusted to help enterprises transition from on-prem phone systems to cloud-based ones – as quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively as possible,” concludes Boodhia.
The BUI Cyber SoC is a state-of-the-art facility backed by world-class Microsoft security technology, including Azure Sentinel.
Take a look inside to see our teams in action, or contact us today to explore next-generation security solutions for your enterprise.
BUI is proud to be recognised as a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP) for the second year in a row.
As the first South African company to achieve this status in 2020, and the only SA-based Microsoft Partner currently holding this prestigious accreditation, we are part of an elite group of cloud specialists trusted to provide world-class managed services to Azure customers.
Launched in 2018, the Microsoft Azure Expert MSP programme is a global initiative to highlight Microsoft Partners with proven expertise in end-to-end cloud management. Approximately 100 organisations have been granted the Azure Expert MSP badge to date. We achieved re-certification after a rigorous independent audit of our people, processes and technologies in July 2021.
“When BUI became an Azure Expert MSP for the first time last year, our teams were acknowledged not only for their superior technical abilities, but also for their commitment to service excellence,” recalls Chief Technology Officer Willem Malan. “Since then, we have focused on expanding our Azure credentials and our portfolio of Advanced Specializations to offer our customers the best possible advice and support throughout their cloud journeys. As we celebrate our Azure Expert MSP renewal, I’m so proud of the team whose focus and passion have helped us retain our place among Microsoft’s top cloud partners,” says Malan.
In the past 12 months, BUI has earned Microsoft Advanced Specializations in Adoption and Change Management, Identity and Access Management, Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop, Teamwork Deployment, Threat Protection, and Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure, and been selected to join the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA).
“We are actively strengthening our alignment with Microsoft, while distinguishing our company in terms of skills, experience, and customer successes,” explains Malan, citing the BUI Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCoE) as a key enabler in this regard.
“Our Cloud Centre of Excellence is an important business unit – for us, and for the customers we serve,” agrees BUI CCoE Lead Dhiren Boodhia.
“With a dedicated group of cloud experts, including Azure architects, DevOps and cybersecurity specialists, we’re helping customers move to Azure in a secure, fast and consistent manner. With these tried-and-tested frameworks in place, we can deliver scalable, cost-effective solutions for our customers, and ensure they have the expert guidance they need every step of the way,” says Boodhia.
The Azure Expert MSP badge is awarded only to those Microsoft Partners with demonstrated abilities in high-fidelity managed services on Azure.
“The accreditation comes with a lot of prestige, but it’s not a one-and-done accomplishment,” notes Boodhia. “You aren’t given the badge forever: you have to earn it every year. The BUI a2zManaged services team is truly committed to end-to-end cloud lifecycle management, and the Azure Expert MSP badge is our assurance to customers… Yes, we can build, deploy, migrate, optimise and manage your business solutions in the cloud. Yes, you’re in expert hands. And we will help you to harness the full power of Azure,” he concludes.
Johannes Kanis, Cloud and Enterprise Business Group Lead at Microsoft South Africa, comments: “Our partner ecosystem is an integral enabler for customers at every stage of their digital transformation journey. Through its investment in building deep Azure skills, knowledge and competency, BUI is delivering innovative, impactful solutions that enable customers to become more agile and resilient. The Azure Expert MSP re-accreditation is a rigorous process and BUI has continued to demonstrate its commitment to helping customers achieve more with Microsoft cloud technology.”
From assessment and planning through to deployment, optimisation and management, our Azure experts can help you to achieve more value from your cloud investments.
Make your digital transformation a success with a trusted partner, and thrive in a cloud-first world. Book an Azure Discovery Workshop to explore the platform and its possibilities.
