Author: Gugu Lourie
The flow of reports about the impact of automation, mostly dire, continues. The latest is from StartupAUS, Australia’s national startup advocacy group. By Ron Johnston This report follows the now familiar line captured in the phrase “exponential technologies”: exponential improvements in computer power and advances in technology such as artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, cloud computing and the internet of things will have a profound impact on future employment, with almost 5 million current jobs (that is 40% of the workforce) in Australia becoming obsolete by 2030. This follows in the footsteps of a detailed CEDA report in 2015, which conducted…
I grew up with video cassette recorders (VCRs). I still remember rushing off to the the video store to hire the latest movie, hoping that there was at least one copy still on the shelf that didn’t have the “Sorry I’m Out” tag placed in the cover. By Marc C-Scott In 2001, despite the emergence of DVDs, the portfolio for my undergraduate degree application was sent on VHS. That’s all they accepted. I still have a cupboard full of VHS tapes: films I purchased as well as my own video work. But now, viewing these tapes will become far more difficult.…
This year, online retail in South Africa will reach 1% of overall retail for the first time. While the number appears small, it marks a significant milestone for a sector that is attracting robust investment from both established and new players in the retail game. By Kevin Tucker, CEO of PriceCheck It underscores that online retail is now gathering momentum in South Africa, having maintained a growth rate of above 20% for several years, according to the World Wide Worx Online Retail in South Africa 2016 report. The report revealed that in 2015, the rate of growth was 26%, taking online retail to…
Vodacom, South Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator, and its main rival MTN are increasing their participation in the Internet of Things (IoT) space with a growing interest in the connected vehicle industry that is integrating with the smartphone. By Gugu Lourie The connected car space is very lucrative. Ralph de la Vega, AT&T Mobility’s president, once described the changes brought by the smartphone onto the car industry, succinctly saying: “The car is becoming a smartphone on wheels”. By 2020, independent research firm SNS estimates that connected car services will account for nearly $40 billion (R556 billion) in annual revenue. It…
MTN has earned another feather in its cap after being named as the Icon Brand and a winner of the Ask Afrika Internet Service Providers Category in the 2016/2017 Icon Brands Survey. MTN scooped this prestigious award in 2015 and this marks the second consecutive year that MTN is being conferred this accolade. An Icon Brand is a brand that unites South Africans, used and loved by South Africans across age, income, race and language groups. These brands define a common experience and South Africans affirm their belief by using them daily and seek them when they are travelling…
The WDB Seed Fund – which has been developed by Seed Engine, the WDB Investment Holdings (WDBIH) and Grovest – is seeking to raise R100 million to invest in early stage businesses. By Staff Writer The fund is targeting to initially raise R40 million by February 2017. The fund has been developed as a response to the dearth of funding for early and growth stage businesses. It will also offer significant tax advantages and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) points for corporates. Corporates can select the sectors of entrepreneurs the business wishes to develop including ICT, Education, Healthcare, Services, Retail,…
This week marks one year since the launch of what is arguably Microsoft’s most ambitious – and possibly most controversial – operating system: Windows 10. By Vidyasagar Potdar Windows 10 represents a fundamentally different approach compared to the earlier versions of Windows that many of us have used, such as the highly popular Windows 7. One of the things that made Windows 7 so successful was that it represented the culmination of more than a decade of experience developing operating systems for just a single platform: the desktop. Microsoft understood what desktop users wanted and delivered a product to satisfy their…
With one week left in close of nominations, MTN SA announces the expert panel of adjudicators for the inaugural Women in ICT – Partnership for Change Awards. The panel will meet on 12 August 2016 to judge the entries submitted and the finalists in the different categories will be announced on 15 August 2016. List of adjudicators include: Mteto Nyati – CEO MTN Steven Ambrose – CEO Strategy Worx Loren Braithwaite-Kabosha – CEO SACF Mark Harris – Group CEO Kagiso Media Ben Kelly – IT Web Alpheus Mangale – Chief Enterprise Business Officer, MTN Graham de Vries – Corporate Services…
If you want free and relevant African-focused, local content delivered by a cool brand, watch Tuluntulu. By Gugu Lourie Tuluntulu, which is an African mobile video on demand (VOD) service, has been selected by Interbrand as a global ‘break through’ brand. The inaugural Breakthrough Brands, and the Future Growth Report celebrates a new breed of upstarts and challengers, the next generation of brands that are reshaping the market and embody a critical characteristic—growth. “Breakthroughs reflect the times we are in—the Age of You— when brands and businesses need to move faster than ever before. That’s because they are expected to move…
BMW has been connecting driver and vehicle for years now with ConnectedDrive. With the launch of BMW Connected in August in selected European markets, BMW is bringing out an all-encompassing digital concept that provides a seamless services experience covering all aspects of personal mobility. By Staff Writer Using a flexible platform called the Open Mobility Cloud as a basis, BMW Connected seamlessly integrates the vehicle into the user’s digital life via multiple touchpoints, such as an iPhone or Apple Watch. “Over the coming years, digitalisation is set to have a substantial impact on how we use our cars: digital services will…