The existence of an emerging tech industry in Nigeria owes itself to the work of such companies as Sidmach Technologies. At the time of its founding, most Nigerians hadn’t even set their eyes on a computer. The dream of a future driven by digital technology was practically inconceivable; if only, something to be enjoyed by the developed world.
Fast-forward nearly three decades, and we’re connected to the globe and pretty much catching up with the trends very quickly. There’s communication crossing national borders, access to globally held information on the web, and cloud storage systems that let businesses store terabytes of data and allow schools do practically all their ‘paperwork’ and ‘filing’ on intangible networks. And the pioneers of this hookup with a worldwide revolution are having their share of its innumerable benefits.
Today, Sidmach continues to offer an array of IT services to local small and medium scale businesses, large corporate organizations, and public sector institutions. They range from cloud storage to biometric and security solutions, e-registrations, network infrastructure, and information systems. These services have expanded over time, just as the number of technologies and their possible applications have grown. They’ve helped companies, schools, hospitals, financial institutions and government bodies improve the speed and efficiency of their operations.
Sidmach Technologies was set up in 1994 by a group of Nigerians who thought there was an opportunity to build a venture for the future. They would have had as much to challenge them as there was to confirm their optimism. After all, the country didn’t have a particularly strong market for the sort of products it was to sell. But the potential for growth was there, even if hidden, and these entrepreneurs pulled resources together to establish the company.
Some of Sidmach’s product offerings include its payroll and Human Resource management systems, which it provides to businesses. These software services help companies maintain orderly accounting processes and keep tabs on their employees’ punctuality and productivity. Tax deductions, staff leaves and loans can also be tracked and taken care of with these tools.
Education institutions have benefited from Sidmach’s services as well. It provides them with web applications to help them take care of their internal operations; ultimately, its user schools are able to cut down on time, material and processes they would otherwise require to get going with these operations. Universities have had Sidmach build their online staff and student portals, enabling them to keep and retrieve their biodata and other important information on such platforms.
Sidmach also has an insurance solution, which is designed to help them manage their operations and customers’ policies with greater ease. This product, called Indemnity Pro Insurance, affords insurers an end-to-end electronic system for monitoring claims, as well as administering and documenting policies.
Sidmach has been involved with a number of public sector collaborations and support programs. One of such is the national e-Agriculture web portal, which it set up for a partnership between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD). The portal lets farmers access information about weather, fertilizers, machinery, marketing, finance, and other things they would like to know. Sidmach has also developed portals for WAEC, JAMB and the NYSC.
In 2017, it launched its cloud solutions platform, which opens up access to cloud benefits for small and medium scale enterprises. It has achieved this by leveraging a tier 1 partnership with Microsoft that lets it bring cloud services to its many customers, from schools and hospitals to government agencies.
Sidmach has come a long way since its early days. A good indicator of this is the spread of its clientele and the geographical reach it has achieved thus far. It has offices in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt- three of the most important cities in Nigeria –and an equally strong nationwide coverage. In the time since it started off, it’s assisted with the birthing of a business sector that’s been transformed by technology. And it continues to play a significant role in this unfolding story.
Feature image source: Sidmach Technologies