New era as Dispatch moves seamlessly to Beacon Bay

It's all systems go at the Daily Dispatch’s contemporary new Beacon Bay home where this edition was produced.

Dispatch staff reported for work yesterday to find all the computers, servers, internet and phone lines fully operational and ready for action.

“Everything has gone really smoothly – the IT guys worked really hard this weekend,” said circulations manager Ryan Megaw, who has doubled up as the project manager of the new construction in the hip Triple Point development.

“There have been some hair-raising close calls,” said Dispatch IT manager Kelden Naidoo, who has been putting in 16-hour days to ensure the Dispatch’s communication systems migrated seamlessly from the old building to the new.

“Our internet line was delayed as were our phone lines, but we overcame it because we anticipated certain problems.

“The only thing that let us down is the fax lines which will be ready later this week, but all our phone numbers and extensions have remained the same.”

Naidoo said two IT technicians from the Dispatch’s sister paper The Herald had spent the weekend helping to get the new offices on the corner of Quenera Drive and Saint Helena Road wired up and ready. “They really helped.”

Megaw said an emergency plan B had thankfully been avoided. “We had a disaster plan but we didn’t have to use it thanks to good planning,” said Megaw.

Deputy editor Brett Horner said the move-in weekend had been frenetic, but praised the project management and IT teams, saying they were “the stars of the show”.

“To our readers and clients, please bear with us as we make the building as comfortable and efficient as possible. Your experience will be a whole lot better now and if you are in the area we would like you to come and say hi and see where all the magic will happen.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za