EMC Corporation, the world leader in information infrastructure solutions, announced today that its operation in South Africa, EMC South Africa (Pty) Ltd, has made a strategic investment in Enterprise Content Management Solutions (ECMS), a subsidiary of Waymark Infotech (Pty) Ltd. With this investment, ECMS will establish a focused EMC Content Management Solutions division in South Africa and Africa, thereby strengthening its skills and resources to meet the content management and archiving needs of businesses throughout this region. This new relationship also furthers EMC South Africa’s commitment to Black Economic Empowerment (BEE).

“This important investment gives EMC an expanded and stronger channel that can help deliver ECM solutions to the South African and African markets. With Waymark, we are creating a specific competence around Content Management and Archiving (CMA), an area of information management which is recognised as essential to almost every company,” Gerhard van der Merwe, country manager for EMC South Africa, said. “Our work with Waymark also further supports EMC’s commitment to black empowerment in line with the requirements of South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry.”

Pikie Monaheng, managing director of Waymark Infotech, said, “There are three items of legislation in the South African context which is driving content management and archiving. These are the Promotion of Access to Information Act, the Electronic Communications and Transaction Act, and the National Archives Act. Considering these laws, large companies, the public sector and parastatals have a duty to retain information and produce it if and when required. Our EMC-powered CMA solutions will help better equip South African and African companies to comply with these legal requirements.”

Monaheng added, “Empowerment is one of the business drivers in the South African economy. Waymark’s capabilities and expertise in the CMA space, and the fact that we are a black-owned company, make us a good partner. Waymark will help EMC extend its reach in the CMA market while also enabling EMC to meet its strategic goals for Broad Based Black economic Empowerment compliance.”