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Emmanuella Tieku joined BUI earlier this year as part of our internship programme. Her passion is cyber security and she’s determined to lead the way for the next generation of women in tech. We asked her about her career ambitions and her thoughts on South Africa’s IT industry…
Q: Emmanuella, what did you study at university, and how did it influence your career trajectory?
A: I went to Pearson Institute of Higher Education, in Midrand. I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and at the time I didn’t really know what I wanted to do as a career. My love for cyber security didn’t come in varsity; it came after, when I went to a cyber security institute to do a course there. I thought I would be a software developer or a coder.
Q: What drew you to the field of cyber security?
A: My varsity has an entire office dedicated to helping graduates at the start of their career journey. After I’d finished my degree, they called me and said there was an institution that wanted to train students in cyber security. I knew I had to go for it. So, I grabbed that opportunity. And when I started the course, I thought it was so interesting. I felt like a real hacker! Like the ones you see in the movies. When I started to understand what actually goes into it, that’s when I got really interested in it… Since then, I’ve never looked back. Wherever I go, I know I want to be in cyber security. I don’t want to do other stuff.
Q: You’re a cyber security intern here at BUI. What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
A: What is most rewarding is getting all this knowledge, and knowing that I can use it and my new skills to help somebody else in the future… Maybe somebody who was like me in the beginning.
Q: How do you feel about being the only woman in the cyber security team at the moment?
A: Even when I was studying Computer Science at varsity, women were always in the minority. In a class with 40 students, we’d have maybe 4 or 5 women sitting together.
Q: Do you see a similar trend in South Africa’s IT industry?
A: I’m definitely seeing it… Maybe things are changing faster overseas, but here in South Africa it’s still a big issue because we’re a developing country. I think a lot of people still believe that women can’t be engineers. And I know that it’s hard for a lot of young women to study today. I’d like to help change that, because we have to pave the way for those who come after us. I want it to become a normal thing for girls to study engineering or computer science.
When I used to fail at something, the first thing that would come to mind is ‘you failed because you’re a girl’. I had to change my own thinking. I had to stop comparing myself to other people – men and women. And I did it. I told myself: ‘Do what you want to do. Attain your goals the way you want to attain them. Don’t make it a boy-girl thing. Do it for yourself.’
Q: How has your internship been so far?
A: The whole atmosphere at BUI is lovely. When I come to work, it doesn’t feel like I’m coming to work. Since the lockdown, everyone has been working from home and I miss the office vibe… That buzz from everyone working together. I really enjoyed the BUI birthday party earlier this year. I have such fun memories from that day!
Q: What excites you about the tech industry?
A: If you look at the computers we used to work with in the past and what we have now… Who would have thought we would ever be able to carry around a computer in our bag. Things are becoming better and better. There’s always something fresh and new. There’s always something to learn and look forward to, so you aren’t stuck in the same spot, doing the same thing every year.
Q: How do you keep up with the latest trends and technology changes?
A: BUI posts a lot of technical articles and I like to check them out and grab information that is interesting and relevant to me. I also spend time on YouTube and social media; there are a lot of cyber security channels that I follow.
Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: I’m all over the place. I’m a person who can’t sit too long doing one thing. So, I would either read a book, play games, or learn something new. For instance, this weekend I’m learning to sew with my mom!
Q: How do you think South Africans should spend Women’s Day this year?
A: I think people should make a real effort to highlight our country’s problem with gender-based violence. And personally, I’d like to see more projects to support young women, through education and job placement, so that they can find their place in society.
It’s official! BUI has been named a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP). We’re extremely proud to be the first South African company to achieve this distinction, which is currently held by only a select group of Microsoft Partners worldwide.
The Microsoft Azure Expert MSP programme recognises Microsoft Partners with the proven expertise and capability to deliver the highest quality of managed end-to-end Microsoft Azure cloud services, from initial planning and design through to implementation, operation, and optimisation.
“This is a fantastic achievement for BUI and a win for our customers,” says Managing Director Ryan Roseveare. “This is an acknowledgement of our skills and competencies around Microsoft Azure and benefits our company and our customers. It shows that we are in the top tier of globally recognised Microsoft Partners, and that we are highly successful when it comes to managing modern cloud environments. As more and more South African businesses explore cloud-based solutions, the need for Azure specialists grows. We’re proud to rank among the best, and to support local companies.”
Roseveare’s sentiments are shared by Technical Director Willem Malan: “Now, more than ever, I think customers are looking for the best partners to support them through digital transformation. We have attained Microsoft Azure Expert MSP status and that is certainly a validation of our abilities, but more importantly, it’s an assurance for our customers. It shows that we’re equipped to provide truly world-class service, and to deliver Azure cloud services at scale for enterprises across the board.”
To participate in the Azure Expert MSP programme, Microsoft Partners must meet stringent requirements defined by Microsoft and independently evaluated by third-party auditors.
“The process is rigorous,” explains Malan. “Our teams have been assessed on everything from technical aptitude to customer deliveries, and we’re delighted with the positive feedback received. We’re fortunate to have so many talented, passionate people who are committed to delivering business value for our customers,” he says.
“We congratulate BUI on their Azure Expert MSP recognition and look forward to working alongside them, to help more customers make the move to the cloud as a critical enabler of digital transformation. It is a digital transformation journey that for many has accelerated exponentially, as the need for remote working has increased. Our partners are a cornerstone of the Microsoft ecosystem, now more than ever, as we navigate towards a post COVID-19 business landscape that creates hybrid workplaces that are secure, cost efficient and streamlined,” says Lillian Barnard, Managing Director of Microsoft South Africa.
“We’re honoured to have earned this prestigious accreditation, and we look forward to helping more customers benefit from the security and scalability of Microsoft Azure,” concludes Roseveare.
Ryan Roseveare remembers walking through a Sandton shopping mall with a cellphone in his hand and hearing hushed chatter from the people behind him. “Look, that guy’s got one of those new cellphone thingies,” someone had whispered in amazement. It was the dawn of the new millennium. The world was still getting used to novelty items like mobile phones. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn were on the distant horizon. And digital technology was evolving at an unprecedented speed.
In the year 2000, Roseveare and his good friend, Willem Malan, were working at an IT firm that was struggling to adapt after a takeover. “We saw a very dynamic business deteriorate into a complete mess. It became very clear very quickly that the focus was on the stakeholders instead of the people.”
As the corporate carnage continued, Roseveare and Malan weighed their options. “We knew we didn’t want to do mundane IT. And we knew we wanted to put people first. We soon realised that starting our own business was the best thing to do,” he says. And so, BUI was born.
They started small and focused on their strengths, gradually building up a customer base in Johannesburg before taking on projects from around the country. It was a year before they could afford to move the business out of Roseveare’s house and into a corporate space. But the lessons learned in those first 12 months proved invaluable, and Roseveare believes their success comes down to five key factors…
Johannesburg had been BUI’s main hub since inception, but satellite staff had been supporting customers elsewhere, too. With increasing demand in the Mother City, and a desire to broaden the company’s range of solutions, Roseveare approached Living Tech, a leader in managed services. “We were looking to establish a hub in Cape Town, and we were also looking to expand our capabilities,” he explains.
The acquisition of Living Tech ticked both boxes: BUI gained a metropolitan office in the Cape and a new business arm to leverage in service of a growing customer base. Roseveare was determined to make the integration as smooth as possible for Living Tech employees. “For two years, we didn’t change anything. We didn’t even change the coffee!” It was a thoughtful approach that created an opportunity for new faces to become familiar ones, and for teams to learn each other’s rhythms and routines. And it worked. “We have a very close-knit community,” he says.
BUI’s expansion and continued success didn’t go unnoticed. “We had multiple corporates courting us, trying to purchase us, and we turned down a lot of offers,” confesses Roseveare, adding that he and Malan had similar concerns about BUI losing its unique identity. It was a proposal from First Technology Group CEO Arnold Sharp that finally made them reconsider.
“When Arnold came to us, he understood who we were, what we were doing, and how we worked – and he didn’t want to change us. He wanted us to retain our independence, but benefit from belonging to a bigger family,” remembers Roseveare. BUI joined the First Technology Group in 2015. “It was a positive move. It’s given us more strength, more credibility, more reach, and an ally who appreciates our philosophy.”
Being part of the First Technology Group also enabled greater collaboration within the local IT industry. BUI has had a strategic relationship with Ascent Technology since 2017. It’s an accord that Roseveare attributes as much to their shared mission as to their shared status as First Technology relatives. “I think we’re kindred spirits, as far as businesses go. And our agenda is the same: to transform our customers’ IT, modernise them, and make them secure. It makes sense for us to work together to deliver more value to the people we serve.”
Delivering value to customers is one of BUI’s fundamental principles, and technology vendors and partners have always been chosen with this core tenet in mind. “If you’re going to pin your flag to someone else’s mast, then you better choose wisely,” advises Roseveare. “We’ve been selective. We’ve chosen good partners, and good platforms, and we’ve got it right the first time.”
Going all-in with Microsoft was a key decision, and a natural one. “It was a Microsoft world when we started BUI. That worked in our favour, because we knew the market and we had the expertise. But we also saw how technology was changing society. We knew we’d have the chance to innovate alongside one of the most innovative companies in the world,” says Roseveare.
BUI also has longstanding relationships with Cisco and Palo Alto Networks. “For us, end-to-end consulting means having advanced capabilities,” explains Roseveare. “It means knowing which complementary products and services would best suit a customer’s needs. And it means mastering the skills required to develop seamless, integrated solutions.”
Aptitude is important, says Roseveare, but attitude is paramount. “We’ve got an eclectic bunch of individuals here, and our offices are open, interactive places. We talk, we share, and we encourage friendly rivalry. But there’s a golden thread in our business: everyone has the same drive, and the same passion to be the best.”
The company culture is something that Roseveare set out to establish from Day 1. Working from the spare room of his Parkhurst home, he had the dual responsibilities of new parent and new business owner. Malan, likewise, was balancing his home life with the demands of entrepreneurship and a commute of more than 100km every day. “He used to spend half his salary on petrol and the other half on food,” chuckles Roseveare. “It took a lot of energy, but we did it. We planned, we prepared, and we executed.”
Their personal experiences informed their team-building techniques over the years. “We’ve built a people-focused business with a specific culture around agility, flexibility, excellence, and positive outcomes – for BUI and for our customers,” explains Roseveare. The results speak for themselves: dozens of elite technical specialists; a trophy cabinet full of industry accolades; and an enviable list of clients in diverse sectors. “We’re just warming up,” he quips.
BUI will continue to focus on managed cloud services, cyber security and networking, especially in the local market, where skills shortages remain a challenge for even the largest enterprises. Roseveare is also committed to expanding the company’s footprint internationally.
“We’re putting a lot of focus into growing our customer base in sub-Saharan Africa,” he says, adding that cloud-centric solutions make sense in developing countries where infrastructure and capacity constraints may be obstacles to productivity.
He has similar plans for the BUI base in the United States, but he’s being purposefully methodical about scaling up in a foreign environment. “We’re ambitious about our growth. We do want to become a truly global business. But first, we need to make sure that what we’re doing here can be replicated successfully overseas.”
After 20 years at the helm, Roseveare has every confidence in BUI – and his team. “The people in this company… They’re the ones waking up at dawn to solve problems for customers. They’re putting everything they have, and more, into making BUI a success. Without them, nothing would happen. It’s that simple.”
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan says the company is working to address privacy and security concerns, but cyber experts and government agencies have already raised the alarm regarding:
In response, many organisations have strongly discouraged the use of Zoom, or banned the software altogether.
Likewise, we do not recommend your business use Zoom until these vulnerabilities are patched
OUR ADVICE
Rather use Microsoft Teams. Microsoft’s powerful communication tool is your best option for secure online video-conferencing. If you don’t already have Teams as part of your Microsoft licensing package, the free version is available now. Learn more.
Get the Zoom For Teams add-on. If you’re required to participate in an external Zoom meeting, then use this app to do so from within your Microsoft Teams environment, with full control over your conference participation.
BUI is fully operational during the COVID-19 lockdown period and our specialists are available to help you make the most of Microsoft Teams. Contact us today.
