Author: Gugu Lourie
By John Butler-Adam South Africa is fortunate to boast excellence in a large number of cutting-edge science and technology domains. Whether it is in nanotechnology or astronomy, laser technology or high performance computing, South Africa has made an impact in the global science area. – Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor, February 2015. Pandor’s speech to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is helpful and honest, although perhaps a little one-sided. Science is not just about nanotechnology, medicine, astronomy and information technology. It is about all of those research and discovery areas – and about climate change…
“Electronic computing and communication pose some of the most complex challenges the world has ever faced. They ( cyber security threats) range from protecting the confidentiality … to preventing the scenario recently dramatized in the Bruce Willis movie “Live Free or Die Hard,” in which hackers take down the transportation system, then communications, and finally the power grid.” This is an extract from the 2015 budget vote speech by the minister of state security David Mahlobo The advent of the electronic web of information-sharing known as cyberspace has revolutionized the world. It has brought exciting opportunities in developing our economies, improving our health…
By Staff Writer South African technology group Datatec said on Wednesday its subsidiary, Logicalis has acquired Trovus, a UK Business Intelligence consultancy, for an undisclosed amount. Trovus’ analytics solutions equip its customers with rapid access to actionable business insights from existing data within their own businesses. Its offering is highly complementary to Logicalis’ Business Analytics and Information Management unit. “This acquisition of Trovus supports our strategic goal of growing annuity revenue streams within the business. Trovus has highly specialised skills. The acquisition will strengthen Logicalis’ Business Analytics and Information Management offering to existing customers and open new doors in the information insights…
By Staff Writer TechFinancials.co.za has won a 2015 African Blogger Award for Business category in the 2nd annual African Blogger Awards. WINNER for business blog is @LourieGugu for http://t.co/1YW0I4jyQ7. — AfricanBloggerAwards (@African_Blogger) May 5, 2015 “We are pleased to have our hard work recognised,” Gugu Lourie, founder of TechFinancials.co.za said. “To the community of our readers, followers on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ thank you, without your support the efforts of everyone involved would be wasted.” Entries were open in five main categories including Best African Blog, Best African YouTube Channel, Best African Instagrammer, Best African Twitter profile and…
By Craig Froome Tesla’s plans to use its new battery storage system to power homes will provide households with more opportunities to reduce bills. But it will also cause headaches for the electricity distribution companies. The company’s founder, Elon Musk, announced last week that it had developed the Powerwall batteries that could store electricity generated from solar panels. The idea is to store the energy generated during the day, when demand is relatively low, that can then be used to power a home during the evening when the demand is higher. It can also act as a backup supply during…
By Staff Writer The Apple magic is as strong as ever. The proof is in the sale of two Apple Watches on www.bidorbuy.co.za at prices that can only be described as premium. Tech7, one of thousands of sellers who sell regularly on South Africa’s online marketplace, posted his wares on 28 April: two beautiful Apple Watches, one made of aluminium alloy, and the other of stainless steel. On 3 May, one buyer snatched both, presumably happy to pay the premium price for the bragging rights of being one of the first in South Africa to wear Apple’s newest wonder. The…
By Staff writer Vox Telecom will be partnering with Sage SA to include Sage One Accounting online software to its suite of products as part of a complete IT services solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Sage One Accounting is a simple, secure and affordable online accounting solution, developed specifically for South African businesses. It offers you the freedom to run your business anywhere, anytime with simple, secure online access from the cloud to your customer and accounting information. “The availability of Sage One Accounting as part of our solution set means we can now fulfill on the business fundamentals of reliable, high-speed…
By Gugu Lourie Vodacom, the country’s biggest mobile phone operator by subscribers, on Monday launched a bonus prepaid airtime promotion, which provides customers with additional airtime tomorrow equivalent to the airtime used today. Whatever you use today, you get 100% back for free tomorrow through the Use & Get prepaid promotion. Vodacom said the new promotion is designed to attract new customers and reward loyalty. For example, if a Vodacom customer uses R5 worth of airtime today they will get R5 airtime back for free tomorrow. Bonus airtime will be charged at standard Vodacom rates and the promotion will run until the end of…
By Gugu Lourie With revenues from voice telephone services in decline – owing to more people opting for cheaper message services – South African mobile phone companies are becoming more innovative as they position themselves to tackle changes in demand. Demand for data is increasing as more South Africans get connected through their low-cost smartphones. The development means that operators have to find new ways to connect users to their “quality and bigger” networks. On 23 April, MTN SA revealed that its data usage had surged by 62.6%, while data users rose 18.1% to 17.2m in the three months to…
By Gugu Lourie The approval of Telkom’s R2.7 billion proposed deal to buy JSE-listed technology firm Business Connexion (BCX) is at an “advance stage”, says the country’s competition watchdog. Last year, BCX shareholders overwhelmingly voted in favour of Telkom’s R6.60 per share offer to take over the fast-growing technology company. This pave the way for the regulators to review the proposed transaction. Telkom, the country’s fixed-line telephone group, is offering BCX shareholders R6,60 per share to buy 100% of BCX. The deal has already been given a nod by four regional watchdogs – the Namibian Competition Commission, Tanzania Fair Competition Commission, Competition Authority…
While women sitting on company boards remains a much-discussed topic, there is something new waiting to take a seat at the table: artificial intelligence, computers with company voting rights. By Graham Kendall Deep Knowledge Ventures has appointed an algorithm called VITAL (Validating Investment Tool for Advancing Life Sciences) as a member of its board. It uses state-of-the-art analytics to assist in the process of making investment decisions in a given technology. Of course, companies have used computer assisted analysis to analyse investment opportunities for a long time, but is the vision of a computer with equal voting rights as human board members…
When companies are in the process of being acquired by bigger rivals, they tend to lose focus to the point of neglecting their own business strategy. In some extreme cases those in management begin to display less enthusiasm for the work they do. Employees start looking for alternative employment. This situation often results in reduced revenues and profits. By Gugu Lourie But Business Connexion (BCX), a JSE-listed technology firm, is bucking the trend. BCX is pursuing its aggressive pan-African growth strategy through targeted mergers and acquisitions, despite being involved in a R2.7bn deal in which Telkom intends to buy the technology firm. The deal is being scrutinised by South Africa’s competition authorities for possible approval. Management and employees at BCX have remained focused…
The recent WhatsApp ‘scam’, where consumers inadvertently added a potential R200 per month to their phone bill for add-on services, created a lot of fear in the industry. This occurs when consumers, who may be distracted at the time, fail to notice the pricing information which, in accordance with regulatory requirements, is always displaced immediately adjacent to the button that initiates the next step in the sign-up process (known as the “Call to Action”). By Anzelle Robertson Should one be worried? Yes and no. Some companies send out thousands of SMSs based on the assumption that a percentage of people will not…
MTN South Africa debuted MTN Music+, a subscription based music streaming and download platform. Music+ is the only platform that offers its users the ability to simultaneously stream and download music and videos offline. Music+ subscribers can also share music and videos with friends and preview tracks under the same user profile. MTN subscribers can access Music+ through the web and mobile devices, and the service is compatible with a range of operating systems including iOS, Android and BlackBerry. Larry Annetts, Chief Marketing Officer of MTN SA, says one of the key differentiators of Music+ is that the content is…
By News24 Agency staff Cellphone provider MTN denied reports out of Nigeria on Thursday that its office in Abuja had to shut down after coming under attack because of xenophobic violence in South Africa. “It is causing huge reputational damage,” MTN executive for group corporate affairs Chris Maroleng told News24. He said there was peaceful protest action outside its Abuja office on Tuesday – not Wednesday, as reported – and a memorandum was handed over. The only “disruption” was for about an hour when MTN staff could not access the building due to the protest outside, said Maroleng. The Daily…
By News Agency staff MTN’s regional office in Abuja reportedly shut down its operations on Wednesday following attacks by irate youths presumably protesting over the on-going xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Quoting the Daily Sun newspaper, Naij.com said a group of more than 100 youths converged at the MTN premises carrying placards with different inscriptions. Apparently worried that more attacks could follow, the MTN office immediately shut down its operations, the report said. MTN staff said services would be suspended until the xenophobic attacks faded away and stability returned to South Africa. MTN Nigeria warned early this week that any…
By Staff writer Telkom Wholesale Services announced on Thursday it will cut wholesale unit price by up to 63% across its product range. Effective 1 May 2015 Telkom’s Wholesale customers can expect the following price adjustments: Rate reductions of up to 10% on the Wholesale Fibre Broadband Access product range Price adjustments of between 6% and 25% across the SAIX product range Tariff reductions of between 1.4% and 63% across the IP Connect product range Tariff reductions of between 35% and 40% across the Metro Ethernet product range “Telkom has chosen a clear path to democratise data access to all…
By Ujuh Samsung Electronics South Africa and Absolute Software have partnered to offer a traceability feature in selected Samsang tablets targeted for schooling use. The initiative can be taken as displaying Samsung’s hunger for the emerging tablet for schooling market which promises to be a multi-billion dollar affair. In a statement released this week the companies said the Absolute Computrace solution should afford peace of mind to schools, learners and parents about security of tablets which are finding increasing use in South African schools but are targeted by criminals. The Absolute Computrace is embedded technology available on a select range…
By Gugu Lourie MTN SA results for the first quarter in 2015 show that there isn’t much operational fuel in the company as the subscriber base hasn’t risen much, but as expected data users rose 18.1% to 17.2m. During the three months to end-March 2014, MTN SA had 28m subscribers, showing a weak quarter and data usage increased 62,6%. “This was impacted by seasonality, some short-term challenges in the distribution channel and lower handset sales,” the company said on Thursday. The company added that it continues to focus on cost containment. MTN’s footprint spans 22 countries across Africa and the Middle…
Google Maps released the first ever Street View imagery of Robben Island, as well as an audio-visual tour hosted on Google Cultural Institute, on Wednesday, 22 April, five days ahead of South Africa’s Freedom Day. In an effort to marry history with the future, Google and Robben Island Museum partnered to make this global heritage landmark virtually accessible to the world via the internet, the Museum said in a statement. Luke McKend, Country Director for Google South Africa, explained the intentional launch of the project five days ahead of Freedom Day in South Africa, is because “Robben Island is a…
By Shane Chorley There is no doubt that converged networks are no longer the things of fiction, or speculation in the ICT market. Lowered costs to connect, as well as more pervasive and freely available high speed broadband are two critical contributors to this move to a single network for voice and data. But it is not only businesses that are seeing the benefits of a converged network. End users are amongst the most prolific adopters of converged network infrastructure, but very few of them know it. Why now? What is different about the ICT, connectivity and broadband infrastructure today,…
Mobile data usage in townships is accelerating rapidly, placing pressure on mobile networks. Vodacom has developed a solution allowing mobile base stations to be retrofitted to shipping container shops, allowing for the rapid roll-out of coverage. By Staff writer Mobile data usage is growing strongly across South Africa, driven by the rapid uptake of smartphones and tablets. With the increasing availability of low-cost devices, data usage has hit the mainstream and traffic volume growth in townships is running well-ahead of the average growth rate countrywide. This presents a particular coverage challenge for mobile networks, with high population density and a…
Ruckus Wireless, a US-based global WiFi firm, is benefitting from the growth of WiFi services in South Africa and the rest of the continent. The New York Stock Exchange-listed firm is beefing up its presence in the country to service its growing partners and customers. The Silicon Valley-headquartered company, which manufactures and markets WiFi products, believes the lack of ICT infrastructure on the continent offers more growth. The provisioning of free WiFi services is becoming a continent-wide trend. The City of Tshwane, which is in partnership with Project Isizwe, is already deploying free WiFi. The City of Cape Town is also providing WiFi to open internet access to the masses and the City of Johannesburg is in the…
By Giorgio Heiman The digital revolution is transforming the way businesses operate. The advancement of technology and the convergence of media are destroying traditional business models and the businesses that survive in the new environment either have to be disruptors or ensure that their business models are disruption proof. Almost no industry will remain untouched by these developments. The newest and most successful businesses have adopted the platforms that have emerged in the new millenium of mixed mixed social, mobile, information, big data and cloud technologies (or “SMIC” like many people refer to) where convergence blurs the lines between the…
Samsung has introduced a ruggedized tablet in South Africa resistant to water and dust, targeting business users working in rough places such as factories, construction or mining sites. The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active comes with a protective case to endure bumps and drops. According to Samsung the Galaxy Tab Active, which is a tougher version of Tab4 with stylus, can be protected from dust and water. In short it can endure being dropped in a warehouse, construction or mining site. The Galaxy Tab Active was on show at a business breakfast hosted by Samsung. The tablet is incorporating new technology…