Beginning a venture which is virtually unkown if not alien to the environment in which it is being introduced, is not an easy task.

This is the situation in which Network Computer Systems (NCS) found itself a few years back when it first introduced the Internet communication technology into the country in particular, and the West African sub-region as a whole.

But with hard work and determination, the company, "chest out", can boast of having achieved a marked degree of success in this direction.

And today, as the NCS celebrates its 10th anniversary, it is indeed heart-warming for the company to look back with pride.

NCS, a Ghanaian Information Technology (IT) company, was established on February 18, 1988 by Dr Nii Narku Quaynor to provide Information Technology services to companies in Ghana and others in the West African sub-region.

Dr Nii Quaynor who is described in many circles as one of the best computer brains in Africa, is currently the Executive Chairman of NCS, whose 14 years working experience with Digital Equipment Corporation in the United States earned him US Patent in Networking.

On his return to Ghana, he worked on a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Project to establish a computer and communication infrastructure for the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation during which he realised the need for a company that will provide computer services of international standards, to organisations.

The idea was to keep Ghanaian organisations in line with advancement in computer science as well as to strengthen the computer industry in the country.

Today, NCS has grown over the years from the distribution of digital computers and accessories into a complex information technology company, making it a national and international company.

It now provides high quality information technology services, network solutions and management, for organisations in Ghana and West Africa.

According to Dr Nii Quaynor, the company's line of operations include the sale of digital computers, SUN computers and accessories and Dakota PCs; software development, maintenance and repair of different systems; consultancy in software application; training and intelligence building, Internet Service provider and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

With regard to the Internet, NCS which is the third company to introduce the technology in sub-Saharan Africa, first experimented the use of the technology in Ghana in 1993 but real Internet service provision started in 1995 with a base number of about 200 customers.

Currently, NCS has over 4,000 subscribers. It is gratifying that Ghana can now boast of over 6,000 Internet users and more than three Internet service providers.

He said NCS is now not only an Internet pioneer in West Africa but also has the biggest international bandwidth or data transmission capacity and has established a global Internet Gateway. Indeed, NCS, expertise in Internet service provision has gone beyond national boundaries.

Among the company's numerous achievements is its assistance to CAFE Informatique, the first Internet service provider in Lome to provide Internet service in Togo. Arrangements are also underway to assist The Gambia Telecom to establish Internet service in The Gambia.

NCS has also established Point of Presence (POP) in Kumasi and Takoradi to allow subscribers in those cities and their surrounding areas to access the Internet with a local phone call. This has tremendously cut down the cost of accessing the Internet. Other regional capitals are to benefit from the POP project very soon to enhance easy access in the area.

Furthermore, Dr Nii Quaynor said the company has mounted a radio mast, which helps organisations to establish radio links up to 64kbps for fast data transmission. Many multinational organisations are benefiting from this facility.

Similarly, NCS has successfully established several Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WANs) and many private networks in the country.

NCS was also the first to establish the Society for Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) Network that enables member banks to conduct fast wire transfers, accounts reconciliation and transmission in real-time.

It is the first Ghanaian company to undertake offshore software development for Fortune 500 company in USA and has trained several leaders in the IT industry in Ghana.

In addition, NCS, in collaboration with General Electric Information Services and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has successfully started an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) network service, the first in West Africa.

It is in partnership with Digital, Polaroid, Autodesk, Merlin Gerin, Pipex Cisco, Sun Micro Systems, Microsoft, General Electric Information Services, Picturetel, Novotel and Dkota.

The company's vision for the years ahead is therefore to provide leadership in eliminating the technology gap between Ghana and the rest of the world.

Source: Graphic