Author: Gugu Lourie
Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire founder and CEO of Facebook, has zoomed into the subject of internet connectivity as a tool to address poverty across the globe. By Ujuh Reporter Using an Indian example in his latest blog, he touches on the subject of ehealth in a way that resonates with recently launched initiatives in South Africa and mainly to the project called MomConnect and a youth focused Mobi-Site. “Connectivity isn’t an end in itself. It’s what people do with it that matters — like raising a healthy family,” says Zuckerberg. He was speaking about improvements via the Internet.org to help…
Cyber security experts recently discovered that the almost impenetrable Apple App Store had been hacked. While cyber break-ins have become routine news for many companies, Apple has long prided itself on providing technology for its phones and tablets that was incredibly secure. By Andrew Smith This was done by controlling how developers – the people who create your apps on your device – not only create their code but also upload it on to the app store. Steve Jobs ensured that Apple would check each app before it entered the marketplace, as well as the developers themselves, and the firm has…
In 2016, a team of engineers and adventurers will travel to the South African desert and attempt to become the first people to drive a car at 1,000mph. The British-made vehicle, Bloodhound SSC, is designed to smash the current world land-speed record of 763mph to become the fastest car ever built. By Phil Spiers Amazingly, this incredible target isn’t even the project’s main goal. Breaking the land-speed record is nothing new for the UK, which has held the title for 79 of the past 100 years – and continuously for the last 32 years, most recently with Thrust SSC, driven by…
The sale of Cell C, has seen some telcos drop out of the bidding race, because the country’s third mobile phone operator’s Dubai-based parent company, Oger Telecom, has placed a price tag that seems “too high”. Sources close to the possible transaction on Wednesday said Telkom was the only serious bidder left in the race. By Gugu Lourie Last month, Oger Telecom’s chief legal officer and Deputy CEO Mazen Abou Chakra revealed to Business Day that six groups had approached the Dubai-based firm with interest in acquiring their stake in Cell C. At the time Chakra said: “No decision has been taken.…
JSE-listed technology firm Altron announced on Wednesday that Autopage’s mobile subscribers would be sold for R1.5 billion. By Staff Writer The Autopage customers would be sold to MTN, Cell C and Vodacom. The tech firm added that Autopage workers would not be transferred to the three mobile operators. As part of the transaction, Autopage has signed a 24 month restraint of trade in favour of MTN, Cell C and Vodacom not to compete with them as a cellular service provider in South Africa. During September 2014 and after Autopage entered into a sale agreement with Nashua Mobile to acquire…
Barloworld Logistics, which took the management of 25 Telkom warehouses in the supply chain area of the business, is in a process of retrenching workers it attained through the outsicng of the telco businesses. By Gugu Lourie The process by Telkom to outsource its warehouses in the supply chain area was part of the company’s strategy to unlock further cost inefficiencies and improve customer service. The Telkom employees were transferred to Barloworld Logistics earlier this year. “Yesterday, in a presentation to trade unions, Barloworld Logistics indicated that it was planning to reduce its work premises from 35 to 17. This would…
As competition intensifies in the telecommunications space Cell C, South Africa’s third mobile phone operator, is aggressively positioning itself as an LTE provider and giving customers competitive pricing for its LTE services. The LTE technology enabled fast mobile internet connection. By Gugu Lourie Cell C on Wednesday announced the commercial launch of its LTE services to subscribers in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The operator will offer 1000 customers in Gauteng and 500 in KwaZulu-Natal the chance to buy 100GB of data, valid for three months, at only R100. The deal is available on a first-come first-serve basis on 1 October and…
Internet service provider Axxess is planning to switch over to its own network and introduce mobile voice service, which is a bundle of voice minutes, SMS, and mobile data on one SIM card. By Gugu Lourie As part of its efforts to remain competitive and agile to deliver innovative products, Port Elizabeth-based Axxess is planning to switch over to its network to be able to bring more bandwidth to its customers and make internet connection better. The company revealed its plans on Wednesday in a letter to customers. “Having our own network, not only give us more control over…
Telkom is declaring war on its competitors this festive season. The telco has doubled data allotment on its plans, giving customers free data to chat endlessly with their friends and share great moments with loved on social media this summer – that it has dubbed “It’s a Summer Unlimited, Baby!”. By Staff Writer All Telkom customers are set to receive double their Telkom Internet data allocation for free from 01 October 2015 to 31 March 2016 the Company announced today. This means that customers on Telkom’s largest SoftCap package will now receive one Terrabyte of data per month. “The demand for…
The dust has now settled on the latest product launch from Apple, which for many trumped headlines about refugees, poverty and the battles for the Republican nomination and leadership of the UK Labour Party. We have new iPads, iPhones and more. But how new are they really? By Paul Levy Innovation is often characterised as being either “radical” or “incremental”. When it is radical, it sets new precedents and fundamentally changes the way we do things. From self-administered insulin to solar powered houses to driverless cars, radical innovation releases potential. Incremental innovation on the other hand builds upon what is already…