These are some “hand-picked” clients for display to represent some of the more technical work/skills needed when Craven Coetzee supported / managed services via his company, Kondura Technologies CC, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa from 1997 to 2018.
He was involved in all aspects and stages of ICT planning, design, implementation, configuration, asset control and legal compliance, management and support.
He has the highest regard for these clients as they ran a tight ship and diligently followed his advice for hardware, software, policy and procedures. As a result, value was co-created and strong relationships were formed between them.
Kondura Technologies supported thousands of IT workstations in hundreds of SMME, corporate companies and even more home user systems. Most companies had in excess of 15 computers/users per site.
Over the years, he has supported and gained experience in legal, financial, retail, manufacturing, government and home user markets.
In over 25 years in involved in the corporate IT world (as Kondura Software Development and Kondura Technologies), not a single client that followed his advice had more than a few hours of downtime, and not a single customer that followed his recommendations lost any data. On various occasions over the years, he fully recovered systems from full hardware failure, ransomware attacks, theft, fire and most of these used his services in excess of 15 years and were exceptionally loyal.
Most client sites had multiple redundancies put in place for internet and data accessibility. Almost every single one of these clients was migrated in part eg. e-Mail (or completely) to an Office 365 cloud solution.
Generally, every single client had assistance, consulting or ongoing support and management from us regarding security, Voice over IP phones, managed services, mail systems, web design, social media assistance, antivirus, etc.
Kondura Technologies managed the software on their large multi-function copiers as some of the the printer copier companies were a bit ignorant on how to manage multiple printers and sync data in a large corporate environment. Most of the attorney firms had multiple associates and satellite branches.
In addition, Craven worked closely with Microsoft South Africa as a “Clean Reseller” as well as the Software Piracy Association and other software companies. Kondura Technologies CC was recognized for their service several years in a row for their strong stance and support of legal software compliance and correct licensing of IT infrastructure.
Craven has extensive knowledge of Microsoft Licensing and worked on several cases involving software piracy and assisting with gathering evidence and formulating reports.
He ensured government data and IT compliance policies, data privacy regulations and procedures for his clients was accurate and regularly updated and maintained these documents.
Client: Kaplan Blumberg Attorneys (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 41 363 6044
Staff: about 35 on-site pc users
Approximate Service: from 2001 to 2018 (prior to that, supported the partners at “Kaplan Blumberg Friedman Scheckter” from 1996 to 2001
Primary Contacts: Dave Nezar, Grant Howard (business partners)
Brief ICT Overview: 2 x Physical Dell servers. 4 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, Debian Linux Intrusion prevention system (virtualized). Managed Antivirus Services (ESET). Windows Remote Access Server (RDP), BYOD connect to office via Mobile & Notebooks. Partners could work remotely via RDS. Originally also provided, set up, configured and supported numerous iterations of Exchange on-premises and later migrated to Office 365. Consulted for various legal matters relating to cases. Multiple printers and copiers managed with software.
Client: BLC Attorneys (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 41 506 3700
Staff: about 90 at Port Elizabeth branch.
Approximate Service: from 1996 to 2018 (supported through numerous mergers, dissolutions over the years) – multiple satellite branches.
Primary Contacts: Guy Dakin, Peter Bowes, David Geard (business partners), Keith Loon (retired)
Brief ICT Overview: 2 x Physical Dell servers. 7 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, Debian Linux Intrusion prevention system (virtualized). Managed Antivirus Services (ESET). Windows Remote Access Server (RDP), BYOD connect to office via Mobile & Notebooks. Partners could work remotely via RDS. Originally also provided, set up, configured and supported numerous iterations of Exchange on-premises and later migrated to Office 365. Consulted for various legal matters relating to cases. Multiple Offices – users connected via VPN (on occassion) and also RDS. Multiple printers and copiers managed with software.
Client: Greyvensteins Inc. Attorneys (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 41 501 5500
Staff: about 100 (several offices)
Approximate Service: from 1996 to 2018 (supported through numerous mergers, dissolutions over the years)
Primary Contacts: Rohan Greyvenstein Snr (retired), Emile Greyvenstein (retired), Liesl Greyvenstein, (senior partners), Rohan Greyvenstein Jnr, Alan Els, Tiaan Labuschagne, Moya Rossouw
Brief ICT Overview: 2 x Physical Dell servers. 7 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, Debian Linux Intrusion prevention system (virtualized). Managed Antivirus Services (ESET). Windows Remote Access Server (RDP), BYOD connect to office via Mobile & Notebooks. Originally also provided, set up, configured and supported numerous iterations of Exchange on-premises through the years and later migrated to Office 365. Consulted for various legal matters relating to cases. Multiple Offices – users connected via VPN (on occasion) and also Remote Desktop Services. Multiple Offices – some operated independently and he consulted / liaised & managed 3rd party contractors to ensure policies kept in place. Multiple printers and copiers managed with software.
Client: the Little Slipper Company (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 61 329 8588
Staff: about 150 (factory) – about 30 PC / data users (multiple retail outlets)
Approximate Service: from about 2011 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Jackie Horne (HR Manager), Kate Horne (left company), Chris Horne (retired)
Brief ICT Overview: 2 x Physical IBM blade servers. 4 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, 1 x Exchange and Blackberry Enterprise Server, 1 x SharePoint Server, 1 x CentOS footwear production management server. 1 x Debian Linux Intrusion prevention system (virtualized). Managed Antivirus Services (ESET). Windows Remote Access Server (RDP), BYOD connect to office via notebooks. Originally also provided, set up, configured and supported numerous iterations of Exchange on-premises through the years and later migrated to Office 365. Consulted for various legal matters relating to cases. Multiple Offices – users connected via VPN (on occassion) and also Remote Desktop Services. Multiple store retail outlets / Point of Sale configuration maintained and configured. Multiple printers and copiers managed with software.
Client: Abacus Asset Management (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 21 886 5262
Staff: about 20 PC at head office, 10 or so at Baywest, 5 or so at Dainfern
Approximate Service: from about 2013 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Neels Howard (director), Conradie Scholtz (director), Kyle Porter (involved as a consultant to their company)
Brief ICT Overview: Set up (and managed), offered support on a few Mall’s centre management for them – including Baywest Mall (15 users) and Dainfern. Migrated their on-site Novell server to the cloud using Sharepoint. Upgraded every single Windows 7 PC to Windows 10 – the Head Office was one of the last jobs I did for them. Also – at Baywest Mall, assisted with management and install of VOIP for centre management as well as some of the tenants, setting up managed switches, routers, etc. Set up 1 x HP server with 2 x virtual machines and an IPS device and configured Cisco, Ubiquiti WiFi and other IT systems.
Client: Goldberg de Villiers Attorneys (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 41 501 9800
Staff: about 40
Approximate Service: from about 2000 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Shelly O’ Hallaran (book-keeper), Adri Moodliar
Brief ICT Overview: 2 x Physical servers. 4 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, 1 x Debian Linux Intrusion prevention system (physcial). Managed Antivirus Services (ESET). Windows Remote Access Server (RDP).
Client: Anthony-Gooden Inc Attorneys (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 41 582 5150
Staff: about 10
Approximate Service: from about 2000 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Joanne Anthony (known since 1996 or so)
Brief ICT Overview: 1 x Physical servers. 2 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, Windows Remote Access Server (RDP). Assisted with multiple forensic investigations and reporting for the firm.
Client: Kitchings Attorneys (Uitenhage, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 41 582 5150
Staff: about 25
Approximate Service: from about 2015 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Arnold Kitching
Brief ICT Overview: 1 x Physical servers. 2 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, Debian-based Intrusion prevention device. I specifically mention this client here as it is one of my real success stories. They were hit by multiple ransomware attacks and were generally offered horrendous, sub-standard support by their existing IT company (hit three times in six months) We basically saved this firm by preventing them getting kicked off the banking panel, beefing up security, sorting out backups, increasing stability. Not a single ransomware attack after we took over. Not a single loss of data. Reconfigured the entire site with Windows 10, Office 365, virtualized all servers.
Client: Dynamic Commodities aka Island Way Sorbet (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) – International Distributer – factory in Port Elizabeth.
Telephone: +27 41 405 9888
Staff: about 25 at factory using IT equipment
Approximate Service: from about 1998 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Marc Larter (finance), Adrian Vardy, Manie Maritz
Brief ICT Overview: 1 x Physical servers. 2 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, Debian-based Intrusion prevention device. Also VOIP here.
Client: BlueKap Trust (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 41 363 1234
Staff: about 5
Approximate Service: from about 1998 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Henre Schoeman (finance), Ruven Kaplan (director), Derek Blumberg (deceased/director)
Brief ICT Overview: 1 x Physical servers. 2 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, Debian-based Intrusion prevention device.
Client: Friedman Schekter Attorneys (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 41 395 8400
Staff: about 35 on-site pc users
Approximate Service: from 2001 to 2018 (prior to that, supported the partners at “Kaplan Blumberg Friedman Scheckter” from 1996 to 2001
Primary Contacts: Gerald Friedman, Mick Scheckter (business partners)
Brief ICT Overview: 1 x Physical Dell servers. 2 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, Debian Linux Intrusion prevention system (virtualized). Managed Antivirus Services (ESET). Windows Remote Access Server (RDP), BYOD connect to office via Mobile & Notebooks. Partners could work remotely via RDS. Originally also provided, set up, configured and supported numerous iterations of Exchange on-premises and later migrated to Office 365. Consulted for various legal matters relating to cases. Multiple printers and copiers managed with software.
Client: Concrete4U (Multiple sites, 2 x Head Offices in Port Elizabeth) – Firm went into insolvency in about 2019 due to BB-BEE (government) policies – after I sold my business.
Telephone: +27 41 501 5400
Staff: about 30 spread out in multiple locations (about 10 remote satellite branches (mixing plants)
Approximate Service: from about 2013 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Deon Fourie (director)
Brief ICT Overview: 1 x Physical servers. 2 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, Debian-based Intrusion prevention device. Extensive use of Remote Access Services between branches and VPN as well as cell-phone WAN APN network for CCTV, Biometric Time and Attendance systems in remote areas. Quite a complex infrastructure.
Client: Lithotech (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
Telephone: +27 (0)41 373 3889
Staff: about 25
Approximate Service: from about 1998 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Brian van den Berg (retired), Brian Walker (manager)
Brief ICT Overview: 1 x Physical servers. 2 x Virtual Hyper-V Windows servers, Managed Antivirus Services (ESET).
Client: Dial-a-Nerd (national, but did support for them in Port Elizabeth)
Telephone: +27 21 200 1460
Staff: outsourced multiple, regular support jobs to us
Approximate Service: from about 2015 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Debbie – Can’t recall surname – Cape Town office
Brief ICT Overview: Multiple call-outs – corporate and home user. Of note was the “Supergroup” group of companies and subsidiaries, eg. SG Convenience warehouse, etc. that we we the “on site” support when needed on behalf of Dial-a-Nerd.
Client: Lexis Nexus – originally “Korbitec” (national, but did support for them in Port Elizabeth) – ironically, I do work with them in New Zealand.
Telephone: +27 41 582 1339
Staff: outsourced multiple, regular support jobs to us and we assisted them.
Approximate Service: from about 1996 to 2018
Primary Contacts: Janice Marsh
Brief ICT Overview: Multiple call-outs, multiple solutions solved – corporate and attorneys assisting with getting their SQL-based software working and generally picking up multiple clients along the way. We had a great synergy as companies and Janice is an amazing manageress.
more to be added when I get time and they come to mind…