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DB Administration, Security and Compliance for First Distribution

DB Administration, Security and Compliance for First Distribution

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...

Ascent Technology helps Bidfood SA migrate to Microsoft Azure

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...

Ascent Technology helps migrate Phumelela Gaming to Azure

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

Database System Health Check Service from Ascent Technology

Database System Health Check Service from Ascent Technology

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...

Database Security and Compliance with DB Shield

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...

Database Administration and Support Service from Ascent Technology

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

Microsoft Data and Analytics Partner of the Year Finalist

Microsoft Data and Analytics Partner of the Year Finalist

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

Ascent Technology’s clients benefit from Data Platform Modernisation

Ascent Technology’s clients benefit from Data Platform Modernisation

Facing platform ‘end of life’ issues together with increasing pressures to digitise processes, increase profitability and innovate on product and service, organisations are finding Data Platform Modernisation projects can deliver significant value by enabling IT cost...

FROM THE DESK OF THE MD

From the Desk of the MD – January 2019

From the Desk of the MD – January 2019

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...

Case Study SA Home Loans

Ascent Technology supports SA Home Loans

24 Jun 2014

SA Home Loans turns to specialist Enterprise Database Management company Ascent Technology for Database Management and Consulting Services.

SA Home Loans is South Africa’s largest non-bank specialist home loan provider with a single dedicated purpose: to offer the best in every service associated with being a home loan provider. These services cover the full spectrum of home ownership and home financing, from origination and credit approval through to registration and ongoing loan servicing. Launched in 1999, the organisation is an entrepreneurial success story that continues to provide an original and creative approach to home finance.

As one of the leading players in the home loans space, the company requires a sophisticated IT operation to assist it in handling the many and varied financial aspects of its business. To this end, SA Home Loans builds, maintains and hosts all of its key IT systems in-house. This ensures that the IT systems are geared very specifically to its operations and means that, at an infrastructure, software and operational level they are tailor made to SA Home Loans’ requirements.

Giving how critical its IT systems are to the business, the company also needs to ensure that they are being utilised as effectively as possible, in order to maximise performance while minimising both cost and risk. Ascent Technology have proven to be the ideal partner in this capacity.

Guy Saville, Director of IT and Systems at SA Home Loans points out that the company has an enterprise-level data centre based on Microsoft and VMware technologies, where it maintains all the critical financial data and processes to manage and service its approximately 190,000 clients. In addition, because of its in-house development and testing operations, SA Home Loans runs not only its live production system, but also additional ones that support the development and testing processes. It is for this reason, he explains, that the company decided to work with Ascent.

“We chose to partner with Ascent because the company is particularly strong in handling complex database environments, our Enterprise Database Management partner has to be a true specialist in its arena.”

“Ascent offers exactly the right level of expertise and specialist skills that our company requires in order to complement and grow our critical capabilities in data management,” adds Saville.

Ascent’s MD, Johan Lamberts states that it is always gratifying to work with leading players in any given market sector.

“In particular, it is pleasing to be able to contribute our expertise to SA Home Loans in such an important area of its business. It is indicative of the work we do that an organisation of this calibre places its trust in us to help manage such a critical aspect of their operations.”

Saville adds that the relationship between the two organisations remains strong, to the extent that SA Home Loans has recently renewed its Database Management and Consulting contract with Ascent.

“We are happy with Ascent’s role as our trusted advisor in the Enterprise Database Management arena and are now looking to the future and considering several additional projects where they will be assisting us. One such project will be the follow up to the very successful upgrade to Microsoft SQL Server 2012 that Ascent assisted us with – namely our upgrade to SQL Server 2014.”

“This project is currently in the planning stages, but we will be looking to Ascent to assist us in not only upgrading to the new SQL Server 2014 environment, but also to help us to obtain additional value from the new functionality available in this latest iteration of SQL Server,” Saville concludes.

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