JSE-listed ICT services company, Gijima, has been awarded a contract to design, implement and support the complete ICT infrastructure for the Gauteng Open Road Tolling (ORT) System, which forms part of the South African Roads Agency Limited's (SANRAL) Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP).

Motorists using the GFIP road network will be tolled utilising the ORT System with electronic and automated methods of levying and collecting toll charges. The system is scheduled to launch next year.

The GFIP will inject approximately R29 billion into the South African economy and approximately R13 billion into the provisional gross geographic product, creating nearly   30 000 direct jobs over its lifecycle.

Guilluame Snyders, Programme Director at Gijima, says the contract has positioned the company as the ICT service provider of choice with the capacity and capability to support such large scale projects.

“The awarding of the tender to Gijima is a big win for us, and we see this as a strategic partnership with the Electronic Toll Consortium (ECT) to deliver premium services to SANRAL,” he adds.

Last year the company responded as a sub-contractor to the ECT, to a tender issued by SANRAL for the provision of a comprehensive range of ICT services. SANRAL subsequently appointed ETC to deliver the ORT solution and Gijima was awarded the subcontracting of the ICT implementation.
“Gijima will deliver all the high availability ICT infrastructure and services for the proposed ORT system. The system consists of four components, which includes the Roadside System (RSS), ORT Back Office, Transaction Clearing House (TCH) and the Violation Processing Centre (VPC), as well as a number of customer service centres. Oracle software and database administration services will also be supplied directly by Gijima.

“Gijima will deliver all ICT infrastructure products and services required for the ORT solution. This includes the delivery and installation of hardware, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software and desktop support services, and the design and implementation of the support network solution,” explains Snyders.

“We will also facilitate the call desk services for the ICT Infrastructure of the ORT system during the operations phase, as well as hosting services, which include data security, disaster recovery and operations services,” he adds.

A new business unit within Gijima’s Managed Services division has been created to focus on the SANRAL tender. This business unit will be responsible for programme management and co-ordinate delivery integration between the four business units responsible for the delivery and operation of the solution, reporting to Emson Moyo as the programme sponsor.

“Given the current state of the entire IT industry and the economy as a whole, it’s important for organisations such as SANRAL to keep operational costs down whilst increasing performance and productivity through turn-key solutions.
 
“Gijima is a very passionate organisation and I believe that, together with our committed team, will drive the partnership forward. I am looking forward to the synergies this project will yield working with ETC and SANRAL,” Snyders concludes.