Strate broadens monitoring services contract with Datacentrix

IT solution provider, Datacentrix has expanded its monitoring and operations services contract with Strate, the licensed Central Securities Depository (CSD) for the electronic settlement of financial instruments in South Africa and one of the organisation’s key clients, to include specialised IBM mainframe support services.

According to Abrie Peens, Datacentrix’ IBM business unit manager, Datacentrix has invested heavily in its multi-million Rand monitoring and control centre to ensure that clients, like Strate, can leverage its significant execution capabilities and, as such, mitigate the associated technology risks within a complex environment.

“Through our new contract, Strate has access to highly specialised expertise at Datacentrix, in the form of our IBM mainframe team, which numbers among the top skills in the country. Our monitoring and control centre also allows for centralised monitoring and technical support, where accountability resides with Datacentrix, to help improve availability, while increasing efficiencies and, ultimately, business competitiveness.”

Strate’s core purpose is to mitigate risk, bring efficiencies to the South African financial markets and improve its profile as an investment destination. The organisation handles the settlement of a number of securities, including equities and bonds for the JSE Limited as well as a range of derivative products such as warrants, exchange traded funds (ETFs), retail notes, tracker funds and money market securities.

Says Peens: “As a company that already operates within the high risk financial sector, Strate needs the reassurance of knowing that its technology environment is risk-free, something that can easily be achieved though Datacentrix’ monitoring and control centre.”