This is a landmark announcement for Dial a Nerd as we have some exciting news we’ve been dying to share. We’ve just finalized a deal which marks a significant evolution for us and adds a wider range of services and skills to our portfolio. Dial a Nerd is now truly a one-stop-shop for all of your IT requirements.
We are delighted to welcome Turrito Networks to the Nerd family. They have acquired a major stake in Dial a Nerd and share our vision and ambition to excel at service delivery in the IT industry.
Turrito Networks is an Internet Service provider with a difference. They deliver managed Internet services, provided by the largest Tier 1 providers in South Africa, from an agnostic platform. This means they can offer corporate-level services to smaller customers and in an affordable way. Having access to all of the services and networks also means they can customize their offering on a per customer basis instead of with a one-size-fits-all approach. Internet connectivity is extremely important to every single Dial a Nerd customer and it’s becoming more important all the time, especially considering the move to Cloud.
We have been working closely with Turrito for months and their service ethos matches ours. Previously each company lacked the in-house skills and services which the other provided. Together we’re able to offer an end-to-end IT solution, resulting in a single point of responsibility and none of the finger pointing endemic to the IT industry. From managed desktop and LAN support through to managed connectivity, hosting and Cloud solutions. Working closely together, we can now handle every aspect of our customers’ IT with a wider range of skills yet the same massive focus on superior service.
Below is a Q&A we’ve put together but please feel free to get in touch if we’ve left anything out!
What will this acquisition mean for me, the customer?
Nothing will change for our existing customers except that we can now provide more connectivity, hosting and Cloud products and services. If you’re interested, please email sales@dialanerd.co.za
Why was Turrito Networks interested in Dial a Nerd?
SME’s, NGO’s, schools and consumers in the South African market are battling with accountability in the IT space. They require trusted partners to assist in guiding their technology spend, and ensuring their solutions deliver as needed. Turrito has always focused on delivering the telecom aspect of this to its customers, but the overlap into support is substantial. Dial a Nerds long history of expertise in this field means that Turrito can now be able to offer an end-to-end management of every facet of IT solutions, taking accountability of these solutions. “Customers often ask for LAN and support expertise and it made sense for us to acquire a key player in the market thathad the skills and experience to deliver these services to the market” says Louis Jardim from Turrito.
Why was Dial a Nerd interested in being acquired?
There were two problems which were neatly solved with the Turrito Networks deal: 1) Our customers are extremely reliant on superior connectivity and we haven’t been able to find a partner who could offer the products we needed and in a way which matched our service ethic and 2) We had two partners, Roberto Caprio and Phil Case who wanted to exit the business as they were no longer as actively involved. We had been working with Turrito Networks for some time and were extremely happy with the results. When they offered to buy our partners shares, everything fitted.
I’ve been a small but loyal customer for years, will Dial a Nerd ‘forget’ about me?
Everyone at Dial a Nerd is extremely cognizant and thankful for the thousands of loyal customers we have. Any deal which would jeopardize our relationship with you wouldn’t be allowed to happen. A key part of Turritos involvement is to try and add value to our existing customer base. Big or small.
What will happen to the Dial a Nerd brand?
The Dial a Nerd brand is 17 years old and is one that will continue to grow and strengthen. If anything, this acquisition will grow the brand.
Will there be management or staff changes?
Colin Thornton founded the business in 1998 and Aaron Thornton joined him in 2000. They are both still substantial shareholders and will continue to lead the business. The two other shareholders, Roberto Caprio and Phil Case, who joined in 2002 and 2006 respectively, will be exiting at this time and moving in new directions. Over the last 3 years Dial a Nerd has consolidated and consequently, everyone in the organisation plays a vital role and will continue to do so. In fact this partnership will now allow us to grow, therefore we see our workforce increasing, not decreasing.
