Author: Gugu Lourie
Harnessing technology to leverage the internet of things By Isaac Mophatlane, CEO of Business Connexion The internet of things is driving the need for organisations to transform into digital businesses and this is disrupting business operations like never before. Being globally competitive means being able to make rapid business decisions. For companies this means digitisation of process, automation of workflow, access to global information affecting ones business and being able to respond with agility, based on factual information. Digitisation is not just about scanning and saving a document but having the ability to scan, extract, analyse and search information in a document automatically as…
By Staff Writer Orange, French telecoms group, will open the doors to its first physical retail store in the country, situated in Claremont, Cape Town, on June 26. “The opening of a physical store is a logical step for us,” explains Orange Horizons CEO Sébastien Crozier. “The response to the Orange Online Store by South African consumers exceeded all or expectations, which led to a local warehouse being established to service this market. We therefore have sufficient stock levels to justify the opening of our first retail store in the country. “We are excited about the store, as it not…
By Staff Writer Cell C has teamed-up with Facebook to bring affordable Internet access to consumers through the launch of Facebook’s initiative, Internet.org free basic services in South Africa. Internet.org was developed by Facebook and its technology partners to create a way to bring affordable Internet access to under-served communities. “We are excited to bring Internet.org free basic services to Cell C customers in South Africa,” says Markku Makelainen, Director of Global Operator Partnerships at Facebook. “With Internet.org free basic services, more people in South Africa will have access to resources and information that can create new opportunities and ideas,…
By Staff Writer Vox Telecom has expanded its consulting and integration capabilities, with the acquisition of Wishlist Corporation, a certified Microsoft Dynamics partner, for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition makes Vox Telecom, through its Microsoft Consulting and Software Integration division, one of the largest Microsoft Dynamics partner for the mid-market in southern Africa. “One thing we are certain of, is that companies are becoming increasingly dependent on cloud-based solutions and even more dependent on bandwidth. Our ability, through our expertise, and Vox Telecom’s infrastructure, to offer these critical functions, under one banner is very exciting and presents a number of…
By Staff Writer MTN has scooped the much-sought after Total Telecom Best Brand Award in recognition of the popular MTN Sky “Win a Plane” competition. The fiercely contested Total Telecom Best Brand Award is conferred to companies that have elevated their brand awareness in the past 12 months and demonstrated a positive impact on market share, valuation and bottom line. MTN was recognised for its first-to-market MTN “Win a Plane” competition where MTN subscribers stood a chance to win a four-seater Sling aeroplane, or its cash equivalent of R1.7 million. The MTN Sky “Win a Plane” Competition had a…
Kaspersky Lab: Almost half of Internet Users in South Africa still Think Visiting Their Branch is Safer than Online Banking By Staff Writer Almost half (43%) of Internet users in South Africa believe traditional over-the-counter banking is safer than banking online, according to a survey carried out by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International. Despite these fears most people still make some payments online but many fail to take even basic security measures, putting their money and banks’ reputations at risk. One of the easiest ways for criminals to access online bank accounts is to pose as the account owner.…
Telkom’s race obsession and Solidarity’s penchant for playing the race card conspire to revive apartheid While Telkom – South Africa’s largest fixed-line telephone group – professes to be focused on restructuring on its business strategy, which involves trimming off some fat it is the issue of race that is taking centre stage. Lately, the Solidarity union has been accusing Telkom of using employment equity as criteria for retrenchments. While Telkom has lambasted Solidarity for what it says are inflammatory and misleading inferences suggesting that race “is the key selection criterion and that white employees will be targeted.” Telkom adds: “It’s regrettable that Solidarity…
By Staff Writer FNB launches FNB Property Leader, an online property tool that gives step-by-step advice and solutions to manage the entire property process from buying to selling. FNB Property Leader was developed with the customer in mind as the ultimate electronic innovation helping them through the often emotional property process. The solution is not only comprehensive, but convenient as it lives online and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. “For many people the process of buying and selling a property can be overwhelming. This tool is a way to hold the consumer’s hand throughout the entire process from before starting…
By Brian Timperley of Turrito Networks South Africa’s bandwidth pricing has experienced less dramatic reductions of late, after several years of more aggressive price drops – but a new round of disruption is due under the twin pressures of fibre rollout to consumers and the growth of international “over the top” (OTT) services like WhatsApp. We all know that South Africa lags far behind when it comes to bandwidth availability, cost and speed. In urban areas in developed countries the availability of bandwidth is likened to air – the idea of rationing it by capping services is very foreign. Fortunately, we…
Telkom is furious over reports about Solidarity union allegations that race will be one of the factors considered by the country’s biggest fixed-line telephone group on its restructuring process, which include retrenchments. Telkom’s plans include reducing its workforce by 4 400 through Voluntary Severance Packages and Voluntary Early Retirement Packages. Earlier this year, 724 employees have already accepted packages. If this new target is not met, forced retrenchments will follow in July to attain the desired number. Another approximately 3 200 permanent employees will be transferred to other companies. Solidarity alleged in a statement on Monday that Telkom indicated in a section 189…
Vodacom, South Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator in terms of subscribers, plans to scale up its niche funeral and life insurance business. The mobile phone operator, which is 65%-owned by British mobile giant Vodafone, provides life and funeral insurance. It also provides device insurance services to both contract and prepaid customers in SA. Vodacom, which is valued at more than R200bn, has more than 32m customers in SA. The company has 27.2m prepaid users and 4.9m contracted subscribers. Presently Vodacom provides device insurance to only 7% of its contract subscribers – a situation that leaves significant room for growth in this offering. The total insurance market in SA is worth approximately R61bn. “Our focus has mainly been on…
By Barry Dwolatzky Over the past two years, an initiative has been underway to put an area of central Johannesburg on the map as a place where digital innovation and entrepreneurship happens in South Africa. There is a growing belief that the work being done by the University of the Witwatersrand a few blocks away from its main campus could inspire the development of a new generation of digital technology experts, innovators and entrepreneurs. The attraction of Johannesburg’s inner city The area, called Braamfontein, is located in the centre of Africa’s most important business and economic hub. It is on the…
By Staff Writer From today, Telkom is delivering greater value to its customers as it enhances its pre-paid data offering by consolidating both its Telkom Mobile bundles and its All Network bundles into one set of pre-paid options that will provide national coverage for subscribers. This means that that all packages will provide consumers the benefit of national network coverage that includes roaming on the MTN network outside Telkom’s coverage. Telkom is also adding value by slashing the prices of its pre-paid data bundles to make internet more affordable and accessible for everyone. Customers will benefit from a new mobile…
By Jens Binder The South Korean government has required that teenagers install a spy app on their smartphones. Having the app is compulsory for teens – their phones won’t work unless it is installed. When installed, it provides parents with a means to see what sites are being accessed, block sites and send warning notifications. Even in a society that is more accepting of such paternalistic state control than western Europe, in a culture regularly referred to as collectivist, the Korean government’s requirement to install its Smart Sheriff app or one of the government-approved alternatives has attracted lively debate. Is there…
By Iain Todd A company in the Netherlands is building a bridge across a canal in Amsterdam using 3D-printing robots. It seems that such attention-grabbing headlines appear regularly to declare how 3D-printing is destined to revolutionise manufacturing of all kinds. If the idea that key manufacturing products such as cars, aircraft – or indeed bridges – built by 3D printing sounds like hype, you’re mistaken. It’s human nature to be suspicious of new things: we find them both attractive and worrying. The manufactured world around us has been made by cutting and casting and forging for many centuries. We are…
By Staff Writer Telkom today announced enhancements to its free WiFi offering that will make access to Internet and the management of time online, for non-Telkom customers, much easier across more than 6000 WiFi hotspots nationally. Manelisa Mavuso, Telkom’s Managing Director: Content and Value Added Services, says, “Free WiFi, for business professionals, entrepreneurs, students or just for social media users, is always an attractive and welcome proposition. The changes we’ve made to our WiFi platform will greatly enhance the experience of users that are not on our network as it now allows them to connect securely and seamlessly to the…
Providing internships to previous Girls/Boys Town residents as part of the 702 Sun International CEO SleepOut sponsorship By Staff Writer MiX Telematics announced on Friday an extension of their 702 Sun International CEO SleepOut participation – that they will provide five, 90 day internships to previous Girls/Boys Town residents. “Unemployment in South Africa reached a 12 year high in the first quarter of 2015, at 26.4%, with the combined youth and young adult unemployment rate at 39.9%2. This is a scary reality and I believe that the lack of skills locally plays a significant role in driving up these stats,”…
Wi-Fi calling service are picking up steam in South Africa and is likely to be the new battleground among mobile phone firms and hotspot network operators, such as AlwaysOn and Orange. The offshoot of the telecoms industry Wi-Fi – a short-range wireless networks – is increasingly becoming a lifestyle requirement as more South Africans access the internet via hotpots in bars, restaurants, coffee shops, conference venues, airports and other public areas even bus services in the City of Tshwane. In search of new revenues streams, operators such as AlwaysOn have launched Wi-Fi calling services. Cell C, South Africa’s third largest…
By Staff Writer Cell C is concerned that four days since the apparent approval of the Vodacom-Neotel transaction, ICASA has not published its decision nor explained the reasons for this decision. With the exception of comments attributed to the outgoing chairman, Dr. Stephen Mncube in a news report, ICASA has remained mum on the approval of this transaction. “Considering the magnitude of such a decision and potential negative impact on the industry, market structure and economy, Cell C is concerned by ICASA’s silence on the matter,” Cell C said in a statement. “Furthermore, there has been no mention of the most…
By Staff Writer Tuluntulu – a mobile streaming platform app that enables its users to watch TV anywhere and anytime – today announced the company has been selected by the Unilever Foundry 50 as one of the top 50 start-ups in the world. The first, and only one from Africa. The “official” event takes place at the Cannes Lions in France next week The inaugural Unilever Foundry 50 is an initiative to find the world’s top 50 marketing technology startups that are innovating to help brands better connect, engage and relate with people. Uniliver has vetted 3,000 start-ups in marketing, research…
By Thas Ampalavanapillai Nirmalathas The race is on to get billions of people connected to the internet via a global network of satellites. Europe’s Airbus announced this week that it is to design and build up to 900 satellites for the privately owned OneWeb Ltd, which includes Richard Branson as a board member. A statement from OneWeb said the plan was to begin launches in 2018 to bring “affordable internet access for everyone” by providing approximately 10 terabits per second of low-latency, high-speed broadband. That estimate of 10 terabits per second may be misleading, though. The broadband access rates experienced by…
By Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO at ESET Perhaps the most important single thing that small businesses need to know about cyber threats right now is that cyber criminals are actively targeting smaller firms. This can be hard to imagine or accept. After all, the security breaches we hear about on the news involve big brand names, like Target, Home Depot, Sony Pictures, and Anthem. The fact is, many breaches of smaller firms simply go unreported. There are many business owners who are still wondering what on earth cyber criminals could want with their company’s computer systems and the data they handle. There…
By Ujuh The employee chapter in Vodacom’s R7.5bn black economic empowerment (BEE) scheme will be converted into tradable YeboYethu shares in 2019 following a delayed pay day. The conversion news is carried in the 2014/15 annual report. The annual report says Vodacom employee empowerment trust’s initial seven-year maturity period ends in August 2015. “The units will be converted into YeboYethu shares in March 2019.” The scheme’s pay day had to be postponed due stubbornly high debt. There was some commotion from the Vodacom ranks when the news of the postponement of the initial maturity date was made last year. Vodacom said…
“Great equipment to keep you connected in the digital world” I’ve been using the new Samsung Galaxy S6 for about two weeks and I am convinced that it is a great piece of equipment to keep one connected in the digital space. In short, Samsung finally has a premium smartphone to take its main rivals head-on. However, I feel that the South Korean manufacturer has been influenced by iPhone when it comes to the design of the Samsung Galaxy S6. That said, the Samsung Galaxy S6 has a dazzling design. I love it. I also fell in love with the…
By Gugu Lourie For the past few weeks I have been privileged to use the Dell Venue 11 Pro tablet. The sexy device provides a flexible way to switch from a tablet and a laptop – it works as a compromise between a tablet and a desktop PC. This enables users to enjoy its versatile tablet experience. The tablet, priced at R15 540, comes with a slim detachable keyboard cover that turns this sleek machine into a powerful notebook suitable for business people. But be warned, the Dell Venue 11 Pro is heavy. It is too large to use with…