Dimension Data profit up

South African IT firm Dimension Data posted a rise in full-year profit on Wednesday and said it expected its operations to fare better in 2010.

The company, which is also listed in London, said revenue for the year rose 0,4% to $4-billion and earnings per ordinary share rose to 7,6 US cents from 7,4 cents in the year-ago period.

Operating profit climbed 25,4% to $194,4-million.

In August, Didata reported a solid third quarter and forecast a good second-half performance as weak product sales were offset by growth in managed services, helping maintain margins.

Didata, which is a global partner of US networking giant Cisco Systems, said its deepest cost cuts in response to economic slowdown had been in the US and Asia.

“Notwithstanding the significant focus on short-term cost management, we have continued to invest in areas important to the group’s longer-term positioning,” it said in a statement.

Didata’s customers include Vodafone, Pfizer and BP.—Reuters