JSE-listed information technology company Datacentrix maintained its revenue growth in the year ended February 28, but investments and sustained gross margin pressures weakened operating margins.

The group achieved 9% revenue growth, from R1.7-billion in the year ended February 2012, to R1.9-billion in the 2013 financial year.

“The business is yet to reach optimal functionality in some areas, as certain investments have not yielded returns at this stage and, in some cases, have negatively impacted on profitability,” the company commented.

Basic earnings a share fell to 39.5c in the year under review – a 15% decline on the 46.9c achieved in the prior year. Headline earnings a share decreased by 16% from 46.9c during the year ended 2012, to 39.6c during the 2013 financial year.

Datacentrix experienced a decline in total comprehensive income, from R90.8-million in the 2012 financial year, to R77.3-million during the period under review. Operating profit fell to R106-million during the year, down from R135-million the year before.

The group’s infrastructure unit recorded a decline in operating profit from R60.6-million in 2012 to R39-million in 2013 - despite a rise in revenue from R1.34-billion to R1.37-billion – on the back of competitive market forces.

Total comprehensive income for the unit decreased to R26.9-million during the year, from R43.6-million the year before.

The managed services unit achieved 24% revenue growth to R414.6-million during the year under review, up from the R329.9-million reported in the previous year.

The unit achieved an operating profit of R44.3-million and total income of R29.1-million in the 2013 financial year, compared with the operating profit of R40.6-million and income of R27.7-million reported in the prior year.

The business solutions division achieved revenue of R129.5-million, a 53% rise from the R84.9-million revenue achieved in 2012. The unit’s operating profit rose slightly, from R22.2-million in the prior year, to R23.1-million in the year under review, while total income rose to R16.6-million in 2013, from the R15.9-million recorded in 2012.

The company declared a final dividend of 23.27c a share.