Author: Gugu Lourie
As the fight to retain and attract customers enters a new phase, MTN and Liquid Telecoms are trying to find new ways to tackle the African telecoms space. The two African telcos announced on Monday that they have teamed up to provide a larger connectivity footprint across Africa for its customers. But are the two telcos doing enough for their customers. By Gugu Lourie On Monday, MTN Group – Africa’s largest mobile phone operator, announced that it has partnered with Liquid Telecom – independent data, voice and IP provider in eastern, central and southern Africa – to access to each other’s fixed…
By Staff Writer In an African first, Vodacom has developed and successfully deployed a mobile recovery solution to ensure its network is even more resilient in the case of an unforeseen catastrophic incident. Vodacom has successfully launched and tested its Radio Access Network (RAN) Mobile Recovery Solution. Essentially two mobile data centres on wheels, the solution gives Vodacom the ability to restore functionality at any of its Mobile Telephone Exchange (MTX) sites within 48 hours. This is a major step in ensuring the company is prepared for any unexpected network crises. A crucial part of the network, Vodacom’s country-wide MTX…
GreatSoft is the first company in Africa to provide fully integrated cloud-based practice management software solutions to accounting practices and firms.
Ujuh Reporter The Davis Tax Committee (DTC) has missed some critical gaps in the application of VAT in ecommerce which will see continued loss of billions of rands if not tackled. For example, the area of traders who use complicated means to hide their identities and dodge VAT remains un-tackled. This is a takeout from the assessment of the DTC’s First Interim Report on VAT undertaken by global consulting firm PwC. The firm said in a statement more work is required in ecommerce space to ensure that the law keeps pace with technological developments. Charles de Wet, Head of Indirect Tax at PwC Africa,…
By Jonathan Roberts The arrival of Microsoft Windows 95 on August 24 1995 brought about a desktop PC boom. With an easier and more intuitive graphical user interface than previous versions it appealed to more than just business, and Bill Gates’ stated aim of one PC per person per desk was set in motion. This was a time of 320Mb hard drives, 8Mb RAM and 15” inch CRT monitors. For most home users, the internet had only just arrived. Windows 95 introduced the start menu, powered by a button in the bottom-left corner of the desktop. This gives a central point…
By Gugu Lourie The company, which is owned by CNC Group (CNC), said on Thursday it was launching new consumer-facing brand, CompareGuru, into both Nigeria and Kenya. South Africa’s popular online comparison website Click n Compare created some buzz of its own in Nigeria and Kenya on Thursday after the company announced it was expanding into Africa’s biggest economy and East Africa’s largest economy. The online comparison website established in 2013 is a one-stop portal for African consumers who are looking to source services and be educated in hard-to-navigate verticals, such as insurance, mobile, broadband, and banking. The company, which is owned by…
By Staff Writer MTN Business has announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft to provide a pan-African cloud platform that offers customers a true hybrid cloud solution serviced from MTN’s data centres. The platform is powered by Microsoft’s technology and is built on MTN’s Global MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) network which has 23 points of presence across the globe. This will ensure an enhanced customer experience due to lower latency and better response times. In line with the characteristics of cloud, MTN’s customers will be provided with a self-service management portal, powered by Microsoft Azure Pack, with a consistent look and…
By Gugu Lourie Adapt IT’s share price rose more than 1, 960 % in the past five years. Adapt IT has been a hugely successful software and computer services stock listed on the JSE and it continues to make money in the highly competitive technology market. Those who invested in Adapt IT three years ago are now benefiting from the rising share price. The software and computer services firm on Monday posted a 35% rise in headline earnings per share – SA’s true profit gauge – to 46, 57 cents per share in the year to end-June 2015. The company…
By Joanne Orlando Are toddlers really becoming addicted to technology? There’s certainly a lot of media hype to suggest that they are. And there’s no question the footage of small children breaking down when their tablet is taken away is unsettling: A montage of technology-induced tantrums.Footage such as this is often aimed at showing the evils of technology and the myriad ways digital devices engender bad behaviour among children. Viewers are often put in a position where they naturally try to apportion blame for such behaviour. In this case, the apparent targets are the technology and even the parents. Scare…
Ujuh Reporter An advert spotted online titled; Know Our Food, plus the visible PR campaign in the news media reveals that McDonald’s is on a serious mission to deflect negative perceptions about the quality of its products. Fast Food giant McDonald’s seems to be feeling the pressure from a growing movement of people who are having a go at the quality of its food. The global giant is running a counter campaign titled Know Our Food. The situation denotes the power possessed by the Ordinary Joe who is armed with web connectivity. And there is a remarkable rise of…
By Staff Writer Today (19 August 2015) at 09h57, South Africa registered its one millionth .co.za domain name. The registration of www.vulindlela-hpt.co.za with the ZA Central Registry (ZACR) comes 20 years after there were just 450 registered .co.za domains by the end of 1995. The Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for South Africa is .za, while .co.za is the second-level country code domain available for general use by South African and non-South African persons and entities. “This is a landmark day for the local web. It clearly demonstrates that the South African ICT sector in general, and the…
By Craig Freer, executive head of Cloud at Vox Telecom Vendors and telcos are aligning. They’re aligning their business models, their technology and in so doing, dis-intermediating the traditional channel partners. Essentially removing the system integrators (SI) out of the equation. In turn, the shift from SI to cloud partner is immense. It’s not a business model that can just ‘quickly’ be changed. SIs have heavy cost structures to support their traditional business models and when coupled with the threat of their intellectual property (IP) being usurped, at a lower cost base, does not bode well for their…
By Gugu Lourie MTN South Africa is still keen on finding a better way of efficient network consolidation and sharing after the proposed deal with Telkom, Africa’s largest fixed line telephone group, was scuppered by the country’s competition body. The Competition Commission on Monday informed Telkom and MTN South Africa that it has recommended the approval of the proposed transaction between the two companies to the Competition Tribunal to be blocked. Telkom and MTN South Africa signed a heads of agreement in 2014 to extend their existing roaming agreement to include bilateral roaming and outsourcing of the operation of Telkom’s…
By Gugu Lourie It is a known fact that most of public pay phones in the City of Tshwane are not working and others have been vandalised. A quick stroll around the city will reveal that many people are on their smart devices – smartphones, tablets, phablets and doesn’t matter if its fong kong’s smart device or not – accessing free WiFi. There are no affordable cinemas to watch movies, but video streaming is an a cheap alternative. But the City of Tshwane deem it fit to allow its citizens to enjoy free WiFi calls and movie streaming on…
By Staff Writer Mustek, one of the country’s largest assembler and distributors of personal computers and complementary ICT products, has been appointed as a distributor of ASUS’s Networking products in South Africa. “The ASUS range of products caters for both consumer and enterprise networking. They are easy to set up, operate at high speed and boast long range, stable signal, as well as cloud and security features,” says Alet Pelser, ASUS Networking product manager at Mustek. “ASUS are known as ‘beasts’ in the world of networking, much like the Lamborghini in the world of cars, so we are excited to…
By Staff Writer Beverly Ngwenya, Vodacom’s Network Engineering Officer, activated a first ever commercial voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) call in South Africa on 4 June at the mobile phone operator’s Midrand office. Typically reserved for data, the move to use WiFi technology to carry voice traffic will mean better call quality for consumers. By effectively integrating WiFi into its network as another voice carrier Vodacom is ensuring a seamless voice experience no matter what the connection (2G, 3G, 4G/LTE, WiFi). Ngwenya used the call to contact Vodacom’s Chief Technology Officer Andries Delport. “No matter how prepared you are when you switch…
By Johan Nel, Gumtree’s director-GM Escrow, a service whereby a third party holds money in an account on behalf of transacting parties until conditions are fulfilled, is not a new concept. In fact, there are numerous escrow companies in operation in South Africa and across the globe. However, no one has quite utilized it like we have in South Africa. This is the first time a classifieds site has partnered with an escrow service – globally, it hasn’t been done before and many markets are eager to follow. Gumtree endorsed Shepherd, an escrow service powered by Standard Bank, in…
Truecaller on Tuesday announced the global availability of its Truemessenger app, which aims to change the way you communicate by making your SMS experience smarter and more social. Available now for free on Google Play, Truemessenger is an SMS replacement app that magically puts a name to any number. It helps you filter and block spam by tapping into vibrant community of more than 150 million members who help protect one another from annoying intrusions. Truemessenger makes SMS safer by adding social context to your conversations. The app is integrated with Truecaller and its network of more than 1.7…
Cloudware will supply its low-cost, low power, and easy to support CloudGate devices to the Got-Game POP UP digital libraries that are being rolled out to underprivileged communities throughout South Africa.
With the days of unlimited data becoming a thing of the past, there has been a growing trend in customers using up mobile data much quicker than they were doing previously. Is this because user habits didn’t factor in just how data hungry our habits were or is there something else at play?
The Competition Commission on Monday informed Telkom and MTN South Africa that it has recommended the approval of the proposed transaction between the two companies to the Competition Tribunal to be blocked. Telkom and MTN South Africa signed a heads of agreement in 2014 to extend their existing roaming agreement to include bilateral roaming and outsourcing of the operation of Telkom’s radio access network. “While the Commission’s decision is disappointing, Telkom and MTN have agreed not to proceed with the transaction, as we wish to avoid a protracted Tribunal hearing,” Telkom Group CEO, Sipho Maseko said. “Over the past 18 months,…
By Staff Writer, JSE Listed Adapt IT delivered another year of strong results to 30 June 2015, growing headline earnings per share 35%. Operating profit grew 89% while profit attributable to shareholders was up 52%. Organic growth was 18% while acquisitive growth added 24% to turnover, bringing total turnover to R575 million, up 42%. “Organic growth was bolstered by a strong demand in the higher education sector, a sector in which the business has provided specialised software services for 29 years,” says Sbu Shabalala, Adapt IT CEO. “The common thread in our business is deep vertical industry knowledge combined with…
By Denise Rosemary Nicholson Access to information is a basic human right entrenched in the South African Constitution. Yet there are many barriers restricting or preventing access to information. The biggest barriers are: access to the internet; restrictive copyright laws together with digital rights management systems that “lock up” information or restrict access; unreasonable policies and embargo periods set by publishers on online material; and excessively priced books. What needs to be done to lift the impossible restrictions currently in place? Copyright laws and the case for open access There is a solution: open access. South Africa is doing…
A South African young entrepreneur William Thubakgale known to most as the “Digital Pitbull” is at it again – this time he has launched Africa’s first online lay-by payment gateway. By Gugu Lourie Thubakgale, a 22-year old Johannesburg-based entrepreneur, launched an online music streaming and download start-up site in 2012 called QPLAY. The youngster born in Polokwane is also involved in a venture that allows customers to buy premium men’s wear online via http://poshpatterns.co.za/. Thubakgale previously worked at a Digital Agency in Sandton, Johannesburg. He resigned to focus and further his entrepreneurial skills. Layby Cafe, his latest venture, is an online…