Dimension Data partners MindLink for Secure Messaging Solutions to Enterprises…as Cost-Cutting Efforts Continues

Even as Dimension Data is continuing to cut costs, with sources telling CRN the company has told some employees they would no longer receive their short-term incentive bonuses, the company that is a leading systems integrator, has partnered MindLink, providers of secure Chat Enabled Collaboration (CEC) tools for business, to offer enterprises in Asia and beyond secure and compliant chat and collaboration tools.

Sources said some Dimension Data company’s managers were recently notified of the changes to the short-term incentives. The incentives account for a significant portion of the financial compensation for a number of employees, sources said. One source close to the company said the cutbacks have prompted multiple managers to leave the company. "It's a huge issue," said the source. Dimension Data did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The latest cutbacks come after a round of layoffs earlier this year and the sudden resignation of Dimension Data CEO Brett Dawson, who stepped down in June after 12 years at the company. The layoffs earlier this year hit departments across the company including customer service, alliances, solutions engineers, sales and the managed services group.

But to show that its business is not in anyway waning, the partnership with MindLink is seen as a new direction for enterprise-level message collaboration. The Asian market is particularly advanced in terms of adoption of chat and messaging applications. China's WeChat, Japan's Line and Facebook's WhatsApp dominate the consumer market with billions of active daily users. Yet, businesses are left with very few options when it comes to highly secure, enterprise-ready messaging alternatives. This, in turn, creates increasing risk for Asian corporates whose employees are using their consumer tools to share sensitive business data, files and knowledge.

MindLink is the corporate messaging app of choice for a growing number of enterprises, notably financial institutions, governments and law firms, who want the ability to share ideas and collaborate on projects yet don't compromise on security needs, scalability and compliance requirements.

"We have good penetration working with corporates in the UK and US and are now setting our sight on expanding inAsia. Asia is a highly attractive market where our proposition naturally resonates, states Annekathrin Häse, CMO, MindLink. "Dimension Data is the leading IT provider in the region and a strong partner to support our ongoing global growth".

With a turnover of USD 7.5 billion and 31,000 employees Dimension Data is one of the largest ICT solution providers globally. Its particularly strong footprint in the Asian market will allow MindLink to expand into a market where local knowledge and understanding of customer needs is key. Both firms are Microsoft Gold Partners and have strategic links with the latter, supporting MindLink's integrations with Lync and/or Skype for Business to enhance the chat and messaging functionality within the Microsoft offering.