MyBroadband Magazine Q3 2018

MY BR OAD BAND 2018

Q3

DFA – FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO TELECOMS

Thinus Mulder DFA CEO

GIVING NEW LIFE TO OLD COMPUTERS

R 45 .0 0 i n c l va t

HOW BANDWIDTH IS BECOMING ALMOST FREE IN SOUTH AFRICA ISSN 2519-7509

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EDITORIAL Welcome to the latest edition of the MyBroadband Magazine.

Our magazine is once again packed with in-depth and interesting tech and telecoms pieces which are relevant to both the local and global ICT business scene. The pages that follow are filled with an array of topics, including a look at Dark Fibre Africa and its plans for the future, blockchain for business use cases, and how Rain’s mobile offering is bringing cheap data to smartphone users.

You will also gain insight into SqwidNet and its IoT road map for South Africa, how bandwidth is drastically dropping in price, and how Vodacom’s Jannie van Zyl spends his free time restoring classic computers. Thank you for reading, and I trust you will enjoy this edition.

KEVIN LANCASTER EDITOR

IN THIS ISSUE

CONTENTS 26

SQWIDNET ‘SHARK TANK’ – FUNDING LOCAL IOT ENTREPRENEURS

30

THE AWESOME SMARTPHONES LAUNCHED IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 2018

07

DFA – MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS

36

START YOUR BUSINESS’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY WITH FUJITSU

12

MISCONCEPTIONS AROUND IOT TOWARDS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE AND DASHBOARDS

16

THE RAINMAKERS

18

40

22

46

IS THERE ENOUGH FIBRE IN YOUR 5G?

WEBSITE BLOCKING IN SOUTH AFRICA MAY BE INEVITABLE

GIVING NEW LIFE TO OLD COMPUTERS

CLOUD HOSTING IS CHANGING THE ICT LANDSCAPE

60

THE BLOCKCHAIN BUSINESSES OF THE FUTURE

65

HUAWEI’S ‘ONE CLOUD, ONE LAKE, ONE PLATFORM’ ARCHITECTURE

68

48

HOW BANDWIDTH IS BECOMING ALMOST FREE IN SOUTH AFRICA

52

NOT COMPETING FOR ENTERPRISE BUSINESS IN SOUTH AFRICA

HOW MICROSOFT CAME TO LOVE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

70

REDEFINING SECURITY,

BY DESIGN

73

MOVING TOWARDS SOUTH AFRICA’S FIRST SMART CITY

56

TECHNOLOGY: THE NEW STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE

74

WHAT GDPR MEANS FOR SOUTH AFRICAN COMPANIES

58

ONLINE LEARNING: THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

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EDITORIAL

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ISSN

2519-7509

Thinus Mulder DFA CEO

T E L E C O M M U N I CAT I O N S

DFA – MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS Vicky Sidler

D

ark Fibre Africa (DFA) specialises in openaccess networks and physical infrastructure, but the company has set its sights on expanding further in the infrastructure layer in adjacent areas, says Thinus Mulder, DFA CEO.

Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) has been in the business of supplying wholesale openaccess dark fibre for over 10 years now and has more recently added managed metroEthernet-access connectivity to its portfolio of services. The company has invested close to R10 billion into their infrastructure of almost 13,000 km to extend the reach and density of the network in support of its current and future portfolio of services.

“Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, the company has now set its sights on adding additional wholesale telecommunication services to its offering,” says Thinus Mulder, DFA CEO. “We have a significant footprint, and we are quite proud of it,” says Mulder. “As a result, we have begun progressing from pure dark fibre to providing connectivity solutions to our customers – evolving from a reliable engineering company to a fully fledged wholesale telco. We are even seeing

DRIVEN BY AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, THE COMPANY HAS NOW SET ITS SIGHTS ON ADDING ADDITIONAL WHOLESALE TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES TO ITS OFFERING.

a change in our culture as we transform from being infrastructure focused to a focus on services and customer experience.”

DFA was established over a decade ago, and Mulder – a qualified chartered accountant – joined the team as the CFO.

He gained experience working for Standard Bank before moving into the ICT industry when he joined Advanced Software Technologies (AST) and was later employed by the Imperial Group in the retail space.

MYBROADBAND 07

T E L E C O M M U N I CAT I O N S

“Accepting the role at DFA enabled me to take on unique challenges, as I needed to raise capital for the company through equity raising and debt funding,” says Mulder. “Because of the capital intensity of building a network, funding is one of the main challenges of this business, which requires deep pockets from shareholders and costeffective debt-funding structures.”

Mulder was offered the position of CEO at DFA when Gustav Smit retired in 2016. “I was a member of the board from the start and was always part of the succession and strategic planning of the business, so I accepted the position, and I am glad I did. I really love what I am doing, as every day presents new challenges because the industry is constantly transforming.”

08 MYBROADBAND

IT’S A TEAM THAT I AM VERY CONFIDENT IN, AND THEY SHARE THE COMPANY’S VISION AND ARE HELPING TO DRIVE US FORWARD.

WE ALWAYS USE LOCAL LABOUR, SO WE LEAVE A GOOD LEGACY WHEN WE'VE ROLLED OUT OUR NETWORK IN A SPECIFIC AREA.

THE EVOLUTION OF DFA Mulder says that the ruling which allowed value-added network (VAN) service providers to self-provide infrastructure, coupled with the demand from mobile operators for connecting their base stations with fibre, provided the opportunity for DFA to enter the market. “We had a very small footprint, and then we received two significant orders from two mobile operators to roll out fibre to their base stations,” continues Mulder. “That was probably the defining moment of the company’s history, but it also presented one of our biggest challenges, because we suddenly had to build thousands of kilometres of fibre and navigate complex regulatory processes.”

Since then the company has become a specialist in deploying and managing fibre networks and has expanded its footprint nationally. “Through the years, we’ve begun providing connectivity solutions as well,” says Mulder. “We moved into the FTTB space, so we have an extensive footprint in buildings, and we have recently started making investments into FTTH as well through our investment in SA Digital Villages.”

DFA disrupted the industry when it introduced open-access networks to the

market, and that legacy of innovation continues today. The company has also branched into IoT, establishing a company called SqwidNet, which is the licensed Sigfox network operator for South Africa.

SqwidNet provides an IoT network that currently covers 85% of the population in South Africa. “Our intent is to accelerate IoT development and adoption by making available a network that enables an ecosystem of devices, platforms, and applications that will support innovation and disruption across business verticals and the consumer market segments,” says Mulder.

A STRONG TEAM Mulder credits much of the company’s success to the strong management team, some of whom have been with DFA since its inception and others for an extended period.

“While we are a technology company, we are also a people’s company, and our staff are extremely proud of what we've achieved,” says Mulder. “It’s a team that I am very confident in, and they share the company’s vision and are helping to drive us forward. Our reason for existence is to connect South Africans to each other and to the world – we want to play a significant role in closing the digital divide. This is not a one-man show – it’s a team effort, and we work well together as a team.”

MYBROADBAND 09

T E L E C O M M U N I CAT I O N S

As an open-access fibre-connectivity company constantly on the cutting edge of technological innovation in South Africa, DFA believes it should also be on the cutting edge of job creation.

“We are very proud of the number of jobs we have created over the years by building our network,” says Mulder.

“We always use local labour, so we leave a good legacy when we've rolled out our network in a specific area. This will always remain a focus of ours – to make sure that we create jobs and contribute to the growth of South Africa’s economy.”

With a winning team and robust business model, DFA has now set its sights on international expansion while remaining based in South Africa.

“I would like to see the company continue on its current growth path, while expanding into adjacent areas and replicating this model into other territories,” says Mulder.

“Customer service is key to achieving this, and we always aim to ensure that our customers get world-class service,” he adds. “That will probably be one of the big differentiators in the industry, and whoever delivers the best and most reliable service will likely get the bulk of the revenue share.”

Mulder also dreams of establishing a fully automated, zero-touch service for customers. “We need to become smarter about how we do business, and digital transformation is a big drive in the company. My vision is

10 MYBROADBAND

that the customer logs in from almost anywhere at anytime, places an order or configures a service, and the service is spun up and delivered on virtual customer premises equipment. All of this is made possible on the back of high-speed connectivity that is enabled by fibre.

DFA intends to play a role in the SA Connect project as well to enable the delivery of e-government services, which both improves and extends the reach of services to citizens. “I am proudly South African, and I want to contribute to the growth and success of the country,” says Mulder. “We want to see South Africa’s increased inclusion and participation in the digital economy and contribute to this by providing cost-efficient connectivity that will enable individuals to access the digital tools and services to nurture and develop their talent and skills. ∎

DFA’S WATCHLIST OF INDUSTRY TRENDS “The industry is changing a lot, and it is driven by the desire for data, due to data-hungry technologies like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality. According to Butters' law, the amount of data coming out of an optical fibre is doubling every nine months," says Mulder, who outlined the following trends to watch out for: •

Copper will be phased out Every building and house will have a fibre line, as the need for data-hungry technologies increases.

•

Speed will disappear People will have the best speed to their businesses and homes, with the only variable being the amount of data they consume.

•

Home automation will become standard People will start managing their lives more intelligently through IoT.

•

Computing will move to the edge Edge computing will ensure that apps and content are available on demand, and will help drive down data costs and dramatically improve the customer experience.

Enabling a

high-speed digital world.

Service providers that use our wholesale infrastructure and connectivity services can give you premium access to a world of digital possibilities where innovation and meaningful connections prosper.

For more information on our state-of-the-art wholesale connectivity, visit www.dfafrica.co.za.

INTERNET OF THINGS

MISCONCEPTIONS AROUND IOT TOWARDS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE AND DASHBOARDS Jamie McKane

T

here is a widely-held misconception in the ICT space that IoT systems are built on next-generation technology which is completely disconnected from existing monitoring systems.

Netshield CEO Inus Dreckmeyr offers a different perspective, stating the goals of the two systems are essentially the same and they share very similar structures.

Netshield produces and sells a range of IT products and solutions, and develops both the hardware and software for IoT monitoring systems. The company is also a local OEM of intelligent gateways and sensors, and offers custom dashboards for its IoT implementations which allow it to deploy tailored IoT systems for a variety of customers.

The company also offers comprehensive end-to-end IoT solutions which allow customers to quickly and easily implement monitored networks on any scale. Netshield has deployed its end-to-end IoT solutions across a number of industries in South Africa already, and can configure its deployments to match the needs of almost any situation. Its approach to building IoT systems focuses on creating the most efficient structure for the customer in question and delivering a simple interface

12 MYBROADBAND

using its intuitive dashboard software.

Dreckmeyr states that companies should not be wary of “switching” to an IoT system from a traditional monitoring setup, as both systems can be thought of as very similar. “Don't think of IoT as something separate from traditional monitoring tools, there is no reason to,” he said.

“SWITCHING” TO AN IOT SYSTEM Dreckmeyr explained that Netshield constructs its IoT systems from the ground up to fit a customer's needs, while keeping implementation costs as low as possible.

He added that many people view IoT as completely alien to their current monitoring system, while it actually shares many characteristics and hardware systems with traditional monitoring. "I really think people are intimidated by the idea of moving monitored legacy systems to an IoT system," said Dreckmeyr.

This is despite the "move" often consisting of something as simple as implementing better monitoring software and intelligent

DON'T THINK OF IOT AS SOMETHING SEPARATE FROM TRADITIONAL MONITORING TOOLS.

gateways, which would increase efficiency at relatively little cost to the customer.

Netshield's hardware is also built for IoT applications and can function independently to regulate and monitor devices while disconnected from a central server. "We have added intelligence into our gateways, so if we lose connectivity those gateways can carry on functioning," said Dreckmeyr. "If we use a gateway for an access control mechanism and we lose upstream connectivity, we will still be able to continue the access control process."

This is accomplished by the intelligent devices locally buffering all events for upload when connectivity is recovered, ensuring continued productivity with no loss of data. In addition, Netshield's

ability to interface with existing thirdparty sensors and implement either cloud or WAN-based solutions allows the company to deliver easy monitoring system upgrades to customers and remove the anxiety associated with "overhauling" a system towards IoT. Dreckmeyr said the company's intelligent gateways can interact with other protocols and use whichever protocol is required by the customer. "So if we have a manufacturing process running MODBUS and we'd like to integrate some of that information into a cloud management system, we have the ability to stream those in," he said.

Inus Dreckmeyr Netshield CEO

END-TO-END SOLUTIONS Netshield provides end-to-end IoT solutions to customers, with the goal

MYBROADBAND 13

INTERNET OF THINGS

WE HAVE CREATED AN INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTION THAT GIVES YOU EVERYTHING IN A SINGLE PACKAGE.

of making it as simple as possible for customers to interact with the system. An example of this end-to-end approach is Netshield’s Self-Contained Cabinets, which deliver all the required infrastructure for local storage in a single, easy-to-install package. The product includes support for access control, climate control, power monitoring, power backup, and all other required environmental elements. All of this is managed from a single IP address.

“Instead of building a mini data centre, you can use one of these integrated products,” said Dreckmeyr. “They are available in different sizes and give you the ability to implement a full infrastructural rollout much quicker and easier.”

“What we have created is an infrastructure solution that gives you everything in a single package and that you can install very easily,” he said. These products are an example of a simple IoT implementation for local storage monitoring, which can be set up quickly and monitored remotely over almost any interface.

SIMPLE DASHBOARDS AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS “Our approach is to keep the technical stuff as far away from the customer as possible,” added Dreckmeyr. “If they do have technical experts, they can plug into that and access the technical information, but the top-end of any dashboard or

14 MYBROADBAND

application-type system should give you a holistic view with a click-through to the point of presence.”

Netshield’s multi-layered dashboards are engineered to provide a simple and usable interface for customers, which Dreckmeyr said helps to show them that changing to an IoT system is not as complex as they feared. “I think a lot of people are not aware that it is possible to

Netshield’s dashboards are also easily customisable and can be configured using an intuitive visual composer system. This allows customers with relatively little technical experience to lay out a visual representation of their network which is both easy to navigate and efficient to use.

All events and triggers within Netshield’s solutions are also stored and secured for future analysis and diagnostics. With this, Netshield focuses on simplicity and

IF YOU HAVE BEEN DOING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONITORING THERE SHOULD BE NO MAJOR CHANGE TO THESE OPERATIONS.

monitor and manage IoT systems using intuitive software. Companies worry about employing technical teams to monitor and maintain the new system, along with the financial impact,” he said. “Theoretically, if you have been doing a certain amount of monitoring – which most people do – there should be no major change to these operations.”

ease-of-use, aiming to create systems which are easy to implement and provide greater visibility compared to traditional monitoring setups. ∎

IOT DOESN’T NEED TO BE A MESSY EXERCISE GET END-TO-END IOT SOLUTIONS FROM NETSHIELD Netshield’s end-to-end IoT (Internet of Things) solution is designed to assist customers with the development, management and deployment of successful IoT implementations.

IOT SMART METERED POWER DISTRIBUTION UNIT

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• Measures: kWh, kVarh, kW, Kvar, kVa, PF, Hz, VAC and Amp • Bi-directional measurement IMP & EXP • Dual pulse outputs • TCPIP Ethernet, USB, RS485 2-wire Modbus & 1-wire sensor connectivity • Class 1 or better accuracy • Easy installation, cost-sensitive environments • Single or extended capacities for “A” and “B” feed metering • Verticle Zero U models use industry standard front panel mounting • Smart PDU to combine with Intelligent Handles to enable electronic access control • Web-based and SNMP monitoring and control • Combination of C13 and C19 powerbanks • 1 Phase and 3 Phase PDU • Can be combined with Intelligent Handles to enable electronic access control

• Only one IP address to monitor and control all infrastructural requirements • Security and access control (Facialrecognition, RFID, Biometric reader and keypad integration) • Door switch monitoring • Power Energy Metering (Class1) • Surge Protect (Monitored No/NC) • Serial communications to UPS • Monitored optically isolated WAN network Interfaces • Environmental sensors (temperature, humidity & fluid-rope sensors) • In-cabinet split air conditioners, airflow optimized side mount split air conditioners and compact side mount enclosure air conditioners • Fire detection and suppression (Solid State extinguisher constantly monitored - current loop) • 24/7 Remote monitoring and configuration through onboard SNMP • Emailed report summaries of user definable statistical event reports

• Monitors environmental conditions including temperature, humidity and flooding environments and enclosure • Monitors and controls multiple door access to environments such as server rooms, high sites and buildings, identifying users through both the connected access controllers and integrated video cameras and allowing access by referencing to local or remote access controlled databases • Controls and manages the duty/time cycles of two or more air conditioners • Monitors and controls power systems including surge protection elements, UPS’s, generators and energy metering devices • Monitors smoke and heat sensors and controls solid-state fire extinguishers

• Interactive (change settings and commands sent) • All events are relayed through an IoT-HUB or private WAN to a cloud or local database for future analysis and safe keeping • Overview of entire network of monitored/sensing installations • Hierarchical dashboard structures that click through to each point of perchance • Analysis are presented in “Event Count” or “Pie Chart” formats • Secured with multi-layered access • All event statuses are indicated • Administrative information for easy viewing and reference • Alert/Event grouping in table format

Find out more at www.netshieldsa.com

MOBILE

These skeptics had a point. Why should users trust a group of bankers and financial experts with no telecoms experience to take on Vodacom and MTN? Cell C and Telkom have been struggling for years to make money in a highly-competitive market, and it is not even clear if South Africa can support a fifth mobile operator. Hell, even the name of their company, Rain, is unconventional.

THE RAINMAKERS Rudolph Muller

W

hen two bankers - former FirstRand CEO Paul Harris and former FNB CEO Michael Jordaan – announced their plans in 2015 to launch a new mobile operator, people were skeptical. When they then announced that Outsurance founder and CEO Willem Roos would lead the new mobile operator, onlookers may have questioned their sanity.

But maybe unconventional is exactly what the South African mobile data market needs. South African mobile users are frustrated with high data prices and even higher out-of-bundle rates, and Rain is doing things differently to address these concerns. It launched its first mobile products on 6 June 2018 with one simple plan: 5c per MB. This product elegantly sidesteps regulatory hurdles related to out-of-bundle charges and expiring data, and at an effective rate of R50 per GB, it compares favourably with competing mobile data products from South African operators.

To appeal to high-end users, Rain also has an add-on product which offers subscribers unlimited data usage during off-peak times for R250 per month. What makes this add-on attractive is that peaktimes are only between 18:00 and 23:00.

This means Rain subscribers can enjoy uncapped mobile data for 19 hours per day, which is unmatched in the local market.

GREAT OFFER But how can Rain offer such an attractive product, when its competitors are hesitant to even speak about uncapped mobile data?

The reason is that Rain is doing things differently, which gives it a big advantage over its competitors.

Instead of building its own physical network infrastructure, like cellular towers, Rain partnered with Vodacom to use their infrastructure to roll out its network. This agreement significantly reduces costs, removes tedious and expensive site acquisition processes, and makes it possible to roll out its network much faster. In fact, Rain has rolled out over 2,000 sites in under two years.

Rain also does not have any legacy 2G or 3G networks to maintain, which means it can focus all its energy and capital on its 4G network. Vodacom and MTN always have to consider the impact on 2G and 3G subscribers in network plans and spend, which puts them at a disadvantage against a 4G-only player.

As a data-only mobile provider, with an IP-only core network, Rain also does not have to worry about supporting

16 MYBROADBAND

a circuit-switch voice network and can use all its spectrum for its LTE-A network.

Vodacom and MTN are forced to refarm spectrum from their 2G and 3G networks for their LTE networks.

URBAN NETWORK Rain is unapologetically an urban network which focuses on metropolitan areas with high population densities. As it does not have minimum service level and rollout obligations from the regulator ICASA, it has the freedom to focus its network investment where it makes sense. It therefore does not have to spend billions to build a network in rural areas with lower population densities.

Rain is also actively promoting the use of dual-SIM smartphones to its subscribers, with an MTN or Vodacom SIM which can serve as a fallback for voice calls or mobile data. In fact, the company is selling the Huawei P20 Lite dual-SIM phone as part of its launch special.

what Harris and Jordaan promised South Africa. Like many other consumers, I am rooting for Rain to be a great success. ∎

UNCAPPED DATA It remains to be seen whether Rain can sustain its uncapped mobile data offering, however, as many other wireless providers

Another advantage Rain has as a new operator is that its small subscriber base means a far lower number of users per megahertz of spectrum. This extra network capacity gives it the freedom to offer more aggressively-priced products, which the big players with millions of data users and network capacity concerns cannot match.

Rain’s focus on doing things differently and reducing costs is even seen in its distribution model. It currently only sells its products via an online channel, which means it does not have to pay channel partners commission on sales and struggle with complicated logistics. This may change in the future, but with an earlyadopter market an online sales channel makes sense.

This does not mean Rain is challenge-free. Even with its rapid network expansion, Rain’s coverage remains patchy. It does not have a roaming agreement with Vodacom or MTN, which means its subscribers can be left without connectivity when traveling or when they visit a shopping mall. Rain CEO Willem Roos told MyBroadband they are working on improving their indoor coverage in shopping malls, and that projects are already in progress in this regard.

have tried to offer uncapped mobile data and failed. Rain’s network and business model will definitely be tested over the coming months as its subscriber base grows.

Michael Jordaan, Rain Chairman

An uncapped mobile data product is a perfect example of a product which shakes up the mobile market, though, and this is

MYBROADBAND 17

F I B R E I N F R A S T RUC T U R E

IS THERE ENOUGH FIBRE IN YOUR 5G? Vino Govender

Vino Govender CM(SA) Acting Chief Strategy Officer Dark Fibre Africa

F

ifth-generation mobile networks (5G) are expected to unlock unprecedented potential to build seamless digital ecosystems, which will, no doubt, completely reshape the way people live, work, and interact. Although full commercial rollout of 5G is still to come, already the promise of massively increased data speeds with incredibly low latencies is getting businesses, industries, and ordinary people extremely excited by the possibilities 5G offers.

So what is 5G? Like its predecessor, 4G, it is a set of standards for mobile communication that is both more stringent than the earlier version and promises a better quality of service for end-users.

18 MYBROADBAND

FIBRE WILL NOT ONLY NEED TO BE AVAILABLE BUT NEED TO BE AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE.

What sets 5G apart from earlier networks is that it is technology that is expected to connect everything around us to a network that is 100-times faster than traditional cellular connections and at least 10-times faster than the speediest home-broadband service.

Such speeds are becoming increasingly necessary when one considers that data generated by smartphones and tablets is currently growing at a rate of between 20% and 40% per year across developed markets, according to PwC. And, one of the most prominent uses for 5G, once it is deployed, will likely be for streaming super-high-definition video content.

However, this is just one area where the new high-speed network will offer benefits.

The combination of speed, responsiveness, and reach that 5G promises will also in all likelihood unlock the full capabilities of other hot trends in technology. This includes everything from self-driving cars to drones, and encompasses virtual reality, the Internet of Things (IoT), and even services such as remote surgery – something that would simply not be possible on existing networks.

The reason all of the above will become possible with 5G is that experts have suggested that it will be able to deliver up to 10Gbit/s connection rates to mobile devices in the field, along with network availability of 99.999% and latency of a maximum of just one millisecond. Of course, these formidable network performance goals are heavily predicated on the availability of fibre – and lots of it – to the cell sites.

Fibre is the critical foundation required to achieve these kinds of speeds, as copper based time-division-multiplexing (TDM) circuits are simply not effective enough for the kind of speeds we are talking about. In fact, there is little doubt that as bandwidth demands increase with the advent of 5G, existing mobile-backhaul (MBH) networks will quickly be overwhelmed – hence the urgent need for fibre MBH instead.

Fibre enables far higher capacities and is thus the ideal solution to best futureproof MBH networks. There is no doubt that MBH fibre upgrades will be necessary to form the backbone that will provide future 5G networks with the required near unlimited bandwidth needed to deliver all the many next-generation services already discussed above.

As the only transport medium capable of scaling to meet the demands of this predicted deluge of content, fibre will not only need to be available, but need to be available everywhere. South Africa is particularly fortunate in this respect, as DFA has already installed over 13,000 kilometres of fibre across South Africa, and this number is increasing all the time.

DFA has a deployed fibre footprint in all metros across South Africa and is continually investing in the expansion and densification of its network coverage/ footprint. Already the network offers uptime of 99.99%. In addition, DFA already connects over 1,000 base stations, including those on the Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C networks, and applies an open access model that solves the challenge created by multiple service providers installing their own fibre networks.

More critically, this fibre network does not have to deal with spectrum constraints, as wireless networks do. This means that, even though contention might be applied, the speeds achieved by end-users will be much higher than on the wireless networks – exactly what is required when handling the rich media that will become the norm once 5G arrives.

FIBRE IS THE ONLY TRANSPORT MEDIUM CAPABLE OF SCALING TO DEMANDS.

So while the rest of the world worries and frets about whether it will be 5G-capable in time, South Africa has already made enormous strides in ensuring it will have the required fibre network in place and be ready for the high-speed future promised by 5G. ∎

MYBROADBAND 19

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P R I VA C Y

WEBSITE BLOCKING IN SOUTH AFRICA MAY BE INEVITABLE Jan Vermeulen

22 MYBROADBAND

S

everal countries have implemented a regime of blocking websites on the grounds of facilitating copyright infringement, or have been obligated to do so through the European Union. According to the Motion Picture Association, in the last 10 years at least 42 countries have adopted or implemented the blocking of access to websites.

Countries which have adopted website blocking rules include members of the European Union, Australia, Iceland, India, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, and South Korea.

Russia's telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor recently reported great success with its blocking of 8,000 “piracy� sites in 2017 - four times as many sites as it blocked in 2016. Of the sites blocked, 65% offered the option to stream or download movies.

IN SOUTH AFRICA, THE FPB AND SAFACT ARE ADVOCATING FOR THE ABILITY TO BLOCK WEBSITES.

Roskomnadzor also cited a report by the Cinema Foundation, which found that as illegal file sharing decreased, cinema revenue increased in the country. In 2017, overall box office revenues in Russia grew by 10.9% from 48.4 billion rubles to 53.6 billion rubles (R11 billion). Attendance at cinemas increased by 11.4%.

BLOCKING WEBSITES IN SOUTH AFRICA In South Africa, the Film and Publication Board (FPB) and the Southern African Federation Against Copyright Theft (SAFACT) are advocating for the ability to block websites. With other nations reporting successes with their attempts, this raises the question as to whether it is inevitable that website blocking laws will be passed in South Africa.

The FPB is looking for the ability to regulate the distribution of online content in South Africa, including user-generated content on social networks and platforms like YouTube. It says the aim of the regulation is to protect children from sexually-explicit material, and to curb hate speech and revenge porn.

It has tabled the Film and Publications Amendment Bill - also known as the Internet Censorship Bill - in the National Assembly to achieve this. The bill includes provisions to give the FPB powers to have online content blocked in South Africa.

Parliament approved the legislation by a vote of 189 in favour and 35 against, and the Bill must now be debated and approved in the National Council of Provinces before

MYBROADBAND 23

P R I VA C Y

it can be sent to President Cyril Ramaphosa to be signed into law.

SAFACT is seeking similar blocks, and has asked Internet service providers to block access to sites which it said facilitates online piracy.

It informed the Internet Service Providers’ Association of South Africa (ISPA) that it may consider legal action if service providers do not agree to its proposal.

SAFACT told MyBroadband that it could obtain injunctive relief against a service provider providing conduit services. However, it noted that exemptions in the law protects service providers who are part of an industry representative body recognised by the Minister of Communications.

Where an ISP is not part of such a body, like ISPA, they are not protected by these exemptions and SAFACT and its members could seek damages against these service providers.

STER-KINEKOR AND NU METRO WEIGH IN In light of Roskomnadzor's reports of the benefits of website blocking for Russia's cinema industry, MyBroadband asked Ster-Kinekor and Nu Metro for their opinion on the matter.

Nu Metro said that blocking sites which enable copyright infringement will help counter the scourge of piracy in South Africa, and antipiracy measures must also be extended to curb the sale of illegal DVDs on street corners and other venues.

"[Piracy] affects the creative content industry detrimentally as a whole. We fully support the efforts of SAFACT and the SAPS in this regard," said Nu Metro. However, it stated that any blocking regime must not result in legal services getting taken down or in censorship of any kind.

"Nu Metro would never support any blocking efforts that amount to censorship, including selfcensorship, or any form of limitation placed on the freedom of expression

WEBSITE BLOCKING THREATENS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ISPA warned that as a country with a short democratic history, South Africa must not allow legitimate concerns by intellectual rights holders to lead to questionable

NO ONE SOLUTION WILL COMBAT PIRACY. THE REASONS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF PIRACY SITES VARY AND SO SHOULD THE SOLUTIONS.

by creative content producers rights enshrined in South Africa’s Constitution and Bill of Rights," it said.

Ster-Kinekor said that it is involved in fighting piracy, contributes and participates in anti-piracy education and campaigns, and has partnered with SAFACT in this regard. It does not believe that one solution will combat piracy, though.

I t c a u t i o n e d t h a t yo u c a n ' t necessarily compare South Africa to other countries like Russia when it comes to solutions for piracy, as they have their own circumstances and regulations.

"No one solution will combat piracy.

The reasons for the existence of piracy sites vary and so should the solutions," said Ster-Kinekor. "The

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fight against piracy should also be about showing how enjoyable legal and authentic means of consuming content can be, so that consumers see value in them and see no need to pirate movies."

website blocking rules that threaten freedom of expression.

The organisation said it understands the challenges facing copyright holder associations, and has engaged with them on responses which fall within the current legislative framework.

Copyright holders, on the other hand, need to understand that the broad actions which they propose create unintended avenues for censorship that are particularly concerning in light of South Africa's recent history.

"ISPA’s members have made it clear that they will not block websites other than through a lawful process or order of a court," said ISPA. ∎

INTERNET OF THINGS

SQWIDNET ‘SHARK TANK’ – FUNDING LOCAL IOT ENTREPRENEURS Vicky Sidler

N

ine entrepreneurs pitched their ideas and demonstrated their innovations during the finale of the SqwidNet (IoT)E Entrepreneurship Programme on 31 May 2018.

The (IoT)E Pitch day took place on 31 May 2018, where candidates of SqwidNet’s inaugural three-day (IoT)E workshop could showcase their solutions in a “Shark Tank” style format – with potential investors who had the opportunity to invest or pass on each project.

The investors included Michael Stannard, MD of Paper Plane; Srini Moodley, MD of Tulipcomms; Gustav Smit, ex DFA CEO; Steve Sutton, Business Doctors CEO;

Ineshan Pillay, MD of Energim; and Sunil Deokali, Cirtech Group CEO.

The (IoT)E programme aims to empower entrepreneurs to become participants in the Sigfox IoT ecosystem nationally and internationally, said Malinga.

“For IoT to work, it needs an ecosystem, b u t we f o u n d t h a t t h e r e a r e f e w South Africans creating products and international solutions are unaffordable for many companies,” said Phathizwe Malinga, SqwidNet acting CEO. “Our IoT Entrepreneurship Programme has been established to give aspiring entrepreneurs the knowledge and skills they need to

Sigfox, a global IoT network, has established an ecosystem reaching 45 countries. Through SqwidNet, the network currently reaches 85% of the population in South Africa. Its proposition comprises low-cost, long-range, low-power modules and devices that serve IoT data in a secure and cost-efficient manner to application and service providers.

Bashan Naidoo – Carbon Monoxide Nose Bashan Naidoo’s Carbon Monoxide Nose is a device that measures carbon monoxide levels by sending data to the user’s smart device or directly to emergency services over the Sigfox network. It also has built-in self-monitoring, letting users know when the sensor or battery needs to be replaced. The intended application is for detecting fires in low-cost housing.

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develop local solutions, and the Pitch Day aims to give them access to funding.”

Brian Henning and George Smith – Keg tracking Brian Henning and George Smith developed KegTrack, a sensor that allows brewers to track the location and temperature of their kegs remotely over the Sigfox network.

This ensures their beer is correctly stored at pubs or restaurants. It also includes geofencing to combat theft.

Creston Campher and Keenan Gwells – Smart irrigation Creston Campher and Keenan Gwells’s sySTEM smart irrigation device measures soil moisture levels and triggers automatic irrigation. The device also provides ambient weather information and humidity, and is AI-enabled – providing smart suggestions for different plants, based on information gathered from the community.

Earl Maree – People tracker Earl Maree designed a personal tracker that acts as a personal safety device, allowing users to track down missing people in possession of the device. The tracker also includes check-in functions, has a built-in accelerometer, and sends an alert if the user falls.

Lizette Venter – SilverAxiom platform Lizette Venter’s SilverAxiom platform assists property and facility management companies in keeping track of organisations and IoT-enabled asset portfolios, including property management, facility intelligence, and asset tracking and management. Via a dashboard, users can view the real-time management of assets, compliance monitoring, and performance of supplier response.

INTERNET OF THINGS

Lucky Mabanga and Ulrich van Stryp – Smart Drone Lucky Mabanga and Ulrich van Stryp developed a Smart Drone, planned to be roughly the size of a car when constructed, which will fly autonomously and can be used for heavy lifting. It includes GPS tracking, flight data, maintenance alerts, and will reach speeds of 200km/h.

Paseka Motsoeneng – Cashless IoT vending machine Paseka Motsoeneng’s cashless IoT vending machine allows users to scan a QR code and place cashless orders from a vending machine. The machine also provides status updates over both GSM and the Sigfox network, including system health, stock levels, and movement notifications. The device also allows users to make calls to a call centre for assistance.

Tebogo Moseamedi – Construction site monitoring and smart helmet Tebogo Moseamedi developed a construction site monitoring solution and smart helmet, which allows stakeholders to monitor the health and movement of employees, as well as temperature and humidity around a construction site via an online platform.

Tjaart Zwiegers and Lodewyk Uys – Automated rain gauge Tjaart Zwiegers and Lodewyk Uys’s Droplet automated rain gauge is a tipping rain gauge that sends users realtime, accurate rainfall level data to their smart devices via the Sigfox network. It includes GPS tracking to deter theft and also measures ambient temperature.

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GA D G E T S

THE AWESOME SMARTPHONES LAUNCHED IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 2018 Kevin Lancaster

S

outh Africa, along with the rest of the world, has been treated to an array of awesome device launches this year, with truly-great smartphones unveiled in the past 6 months.

Samsung and Huawei led the charge with their new flagship phones, which offer users the best technology available when it comes to Android devices.

Also throwing their hat into the ring was Nokia, which launched two highend Android devices, and a sub-R1,000 smartphone running the Go version of Google’s Android operating system.

For Android fans, 2018 has left them spoilt for choice, and whether you want a device which costs less than an expensive meal for two, or a phone that will rival modern laptops in terms of processing power, there are new models to satisfy your needs.

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SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 AND GALAXY S9+ The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are the latest flagship Android smartphones from the company. Both devices feature Exynos 9810 CPUs, on-board and microSD storage, LTE connectivity, and IP68 durability. Fingerprint, iris, and facial recognition are also included with the devices, along with dual-aperture rear cameras.

For Samsung fans who love Android and the company’s products, or first-time users of a Galaxy device, the S9 and S9+ have impressed across the board.

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GA D G E T S

HUAWEI P20, P20 PRO, P20 LITE, AND RS PORSCHE DESIGN Huawei went all out in 2018, launching four new Android devices aimed at the mid and top of the smartphone market. The new pack is led by the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro, which both feature HiSilicon Kirin 970 processors, dual-lens and triple-lens Leica cameras respectively, big batteries, and the latest version of Android. Joining these devices in the P20 range is the Huawei P20 Lite, a midrange device in terms of price - but which packs an array of flagship features. This includes an octa-core processor, 3,000mAh battery, and 5.84-inch display. Huawei also unveiled its luxury smartphone, the Mate RS Porsche Design. The device is only available in limited numbers, and features a triple-lens camera, Kirin 970 processor, and 4,000mAh battery.

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NOKIA 8 SIROCCO AND NOKIA 7 PLUS The Nokia 8 Sirocco and Nokia 7 Plus are two of the top-end devices from the reinvigorated brand. Made by HMD Global, the Nokia 8 Sirocco and Nokia 7 Plus offer the latest, and always-up-to-date, version of Android, along with powerful hardware. This is epitomised in the Nokia 8 Sirocco, which sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 3,260mAh battery.

The Nokia 7 Plus packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 3,800mAh battery.

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GA D G E T S

Nokia 1 The Nokia 1 is a combination of optimised software and affordable components - which when put together have produced a smartphone for R999. The Nokia 1 runs Android 8.1 Go - an OS optimised for low-end devices - features LTE connectivity, and packs a 2,150mAh battery, making it an attractive option in its segment. As with Nokia phones of old, the build is made to last and the battery will last users an age.

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6/8/18 3:10 PM

PRODUCTIVITY

START YOUR BUSINESS’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY WITH FUJITSU DOCUMENT SCANNERS AND SOLUTIONS Over the next few pages we will be looking at some of the industry drivers and Fujitsu’s latest document scanners and what sets them apart.

D

espite the talk over the past years, and more paperless offices, printed documents are still an integral part of today’s workplace.

However, with the uptake of digitalisation, driven by the likes of GDPR and the need to secure data, employees demanding the right to work remotely and be mobile, and the need to boost productivity and cut costs, traditional paper-based processes are being put under pressure. As a result, more organisations than ever before are turning to the power of scanning and digital document management.

Organisations are constantly being faced with challenges around costs and efficiency gains and as such need to find ways to cut those costs and improve efficiencies. At the same time, providers are continually looking for ways to improve the quality of—and access to—customer satisfaction and the information associated with it. This is particularly challenging in an era of customer rights, ubiquitous online connectivity, and the information expectations driven by social media and compliance that we are seeing with the evolving implications of GDPR which came

into force last month. Clients are more knowledgeable than ever before and are demanding greater participation in their relationship. Complicating these challenges are new and evolving technology advances such as mobile, cloud, and analytics, which organisations need to embrace to remain competitive.

Scanning solutions can deliver a wealth of functionality including: •

•

•

•

•

Capturing and creating content in a wide variety of formats, including paper and electronic documents, email, and images.

Organising information with metadata which is used for indexing and classifying documents.

Enabling collaboration using information that is easily located and shared.

Expediting search and retrieval of documents for enhanced business processes and better customer services.

Supporting publication and delivery of documents in adherence with stricter compliance concerns.

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PRODUCTIVITY

BROAD IN SCOPE – SMALL IN SIZE Fujitsu fi-7460 & fi-7480 Start your business’s digital transformation journey with the versatile and compact fi-7460 and fi-7480 desktop scanners.

• • • •

Increase productivity, collaboration and customer satisfaction Meet legal and regulatory obligations and disaster recovery objectives Save space and money Address sustainability management

As the smallest A3 format scanners in their class capable of scanning even A2 and A1 size documents, the fi-7460 and fi-7480 are perfect for office use. Their versatile feeding capability runs from regular A8 to A3 sizes, and extends to folded A2 and A1 documents as well as small plastic cards.

For maximum versatility, uninterrupted mixed batch scanning eliminates the need to sort your documents in advance.

FAST SCANNING OF VARIED DOCUMENTS The fi-7460 scans at the high-speed of 60 ppm / 120 ipm and the fi-7480 is even faster at 80 ppm / 160 ipm (A4, landscape, Color, 200 / 300 dpi). They wake from power-saving sleep mode in <1sec, so you can scan straight away and continue working effortlessly – with no pauses or interruptions. Thin or thick documents, the fi-7460 and fi-7480 can handle them.

Their dependable paper feed mechanism copes reliably with paper thickness from 27 to 413 g/m2.

UNINTERRUPTED VOLUME SCANNING Hundreds of documents can be scanned without interruption, thanks to a 100-sheet ADF paper chute (A4, 80 g/m2). You can even add more paper while scanning or collect additional documents into the same capture routine and file. It’s seamless.

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Fujitsu fi-7480

HASSLE-FREE MONITORING AND ADMINISTRATION A backlight-enhanced LCD screen within the operating panel puts instant information at your fingertips, including scanner settings, operating status, interaction hints and a paper counter.

Also, selecting from the user panel predefined scanning routines created with the powerful PaperStream Capture solution included in the package is a breeze.

INTUITIVE, RELIABLE PAPER FEED The fi-7460/7480 include exclusive functions for enhanced operation and nonstop scanning. These devices mark a major technology breakthrough, achieving best-in-class feeding performance.

Innovations like Intelligent Sonic Paper Protection (iSOP) and the Fujitsu fi Series Skew Reducer technology make scanning mixed batches at the desktop simplicity itself. These advanced scanners will minimise pre-processing time and effort throughout the capture routine. iSOP is a unique paper protection function based on

acoustic sensors, which reduces the risk of documents being damaged during image capture. By sensing the audible sound of paper movement, iSOP stops feeding sheets the instant an irregular noise is sensed.

The Skew Reducer, another sensor driven innovation, eliminates the risk of physical skew being carried over from one sheet in a mixed batch to the next.

These advanced technologies work alongside proven functions such as the Brake Roller, which separates each document to enable smooth digitisation.

Additionally, each hopper side guide moves independently, making it easy to adjust precisely to the document width.

MANAGEMENT ALL IN ONE PLACE Scanner Central Admin software enables the fi-7460/7480 to be managed and maintained along with other Fujitsu scanners from a single location. Remote management and administration means lower scanner downtime anywhere in the world, plus provides the benefit of crosslocation control over the installed base of capture devices.

HIGH PERFORMANCE DOCUMENT CAPTURE Fujitsu fi-7600 & fi-7700 The fi-7600 and fi-7700 help you reliably produce digital information from paper documents content, in back-office applications, specific line-ofbusiness processes and right across the organisation. These models combine heavy duty durability and high-volume mixed batch capture within a single device.

• •

• • • •

Fast processing at 100 ppm/200 ipm (A4, landscape, colour, 200/300 dpi) Mixed batch scanning from A8-A3, 20-413g/m2, folded documents up to A1 and longer 30,000 document daily duty cycle PaperStream platform performance Patch code, barcode, blank page batch separation Barcode, matrix code and zonal OCR indexing included

FLEXIBLE – DURABLE – HIGH VOLUME SCANNING With scanning speeds of 100 ppm/200 ipm (200/300 dpi), the fi-7600/7700 greatly improve process efficiency. Large volumes of information can be captured from various media, including thin paper, plastic cards, envelopes and long page documents.

SMOOTH PAPER FLOW The fi-7600/7700 automatically adjust to paper weights from 20-413 g/m². The straight paper path reduces the load on a document and assures reliable scanning regardless of the condition and type of a document. By simply sliding a lever to nonseparation mode, you can easily scan thick and long documents folded in half, multilayered document sets and envelopes.

Fujitsu fi-7700

INNOVATIVE PAPER FEEDING MECHANISMS

LOWER WORKLOAD BEFORE AND AFTER SCANNING

Skew Reducer automatically handles sheets of paper in a stack individually, so that if one sheet is fed-in skewed, subsequent sheets are not forced into physical skew.

This ensures that all information in the documents is captured correctly, even in batches with mixed document formats.

The Paper Protection function monitors document movement and automatically stops feeding when any irregularities are detected.

The ADF’s independent side guides move to exactly the position required for each batch. The adjustable stacker side guides support neat alignment of processed documents. The fi-7700 flatbed consecutively scans thick, fragile or bound documents even with the document cover open.

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION Both scanner models feature a unique market-proven design concept that adjusts to individual user preferences and requirements. The fi-7700’s ADF unit slides to either side or rotates by 180 degrees. The fi-7600 is equipped with an operation panel on both sides allowing for right and left handed use. The LCD on the operation panel reveals the scanner status at a glance and enables instant operation.

Fujitsu have a wide range of document scanners to suit all scanning needs, whether mobile scanners for community workers, personal productivity devices for the desktop, entry point machines into more complex document management routines, network devices, and workgroup workhorses up to the departmental and production level devices we have looked at in this article.

For further information on the ranges, to book an evaluation unit, or just to discuss further contact, Mustek today. ∎

MYBROADBAND 39

TECHNOLOGY

GIVING NEW LIFE TO OLD COMPUTERS Rudolph Muller

J

annie van Zyl is one of the best-known telecoms executives in South Africa and has had a big impact on local broadband services as the former group CEO of iBurst and the executive head of Vodacom’s consumer data division. Van Zyl was part of the team which successfully launched Vodacom’s first 3G network in 2004 and was also behind many innovations in the mobile data market.

In his current position as the head of innovation at Vodacom, he is responsible for driving new ideas and transformation in the business based on industry trends, best practises, and customer insights. To achieve his goals, he has to identify global trends and challenge the status quo to drive efficiencies resulting in new, better ways of doing things.

While van Zyl’s professional life requires him to look ahead and predict what the future holds, his hobby at home – restoring old computers – requires him to learn more about what happened in the past. He has one of the biggest private computer restoration operations in South Africa, with old computers filling his large workspace at his home in Plattekloof in Cape Town.

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MYBROADBAND 41

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PCS IN 1978 His love for computers started in 1978 when he was 14 years old and received his first computer - a Compukit UK-101 with a 6502 CPU running at 1MHz, 4KB of RAM, and 1KB of display memory. “I spent countless hours programming that system, often right through the night. This was first in BASIC and later in machine code. Programs were stored on a cassette player at 300 baud,” said van Zyl. He later upgraded to a DAI 8080 system with advanced graphics and sound in 1980, which lasted him until IBM PCs became dominant. His first IBM PC was a Taiwanese Takeaway system with an 8088 CPU running at 8MHz, 640KB of RAM and 2 x 360KB floppy drives. “It was simultaneously the future of computing and the end of the golden era of computing,” he said.

Two years ago, van Zyl decided to fulfill his childhood dream of owning some of the most iconic computers and found a large group of people on the Internet collecting and restoring these machines. “I found my spiritual home. Every computer I can remember was available, with knowledgeable people actively supporting it,” he said.

His initial plan was to get two models of each of the computers he always wanted one to display and play with, and one to keep in storage. This plan flew out of the window, however, and what should have been a 5-to-10 system restoration project turned into 150 computers and counting. “I

now have many computers I did not initially intend to own and often have multiple of the same models. Every time I acquire a new unit, I fully restore and fix it, even if I initially got it for spares. I just cannot bear them not working again,” he said.

Van Zyl did not go the traditional, and easy, route to build up his vintage computer collection. “While there are many systems available on commercial sites like eBay, the prices are just crazy and to get them to South Africa can be expensive and traumatic,” he said.

also active vintage computing threads on the MyBroadband Forum, where van Zyl picked up machines from forum members.

Van Zyl does not have favourites when it comes to computer restoration, though.

“That’s a bit like asking who your favourite child is. Any computer which fully works after being restored is great. My passion is still component-level electronics, so it’s a real high to debug and repair these old systems down to component level.” ∎

I FOUND MY SPIRITUAL HOME. EVERY COMPUTER I CAN REMEMBER WAS AVAILABLE WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE ACTIVELY SUPPORTING IT.

Fortunately, there is an active local vintage computing community in South Africa and everyone helps everyone to get machines. “Many are still to be found in pawn shops or flea markets and people actively trade them,” he said. There are

Under repair

MYBROADBAND 43

Computer workshop

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13MB IBM Drive

MYBROADBAND 45

CLOUD

CLOUD HOSTING IS CHANGING THE ICT LANDSCAPE HOW 3CX IS TAKING ON THIS CHALLENGE

C

loud is taking the business services industry by storm. It’s one of those words that we constantly hear about. But what’s the fuss about? And why should or should you not consider moving your communications system to the cloud? With all-encompassing solutions like 3CX, the choice often comes down to what you need. 3CX offers powerful levels of control, security, flexibility and functionality no matter how you wish to deploy.

CLOUD OR ON-PREMISE? YOU CAN’T GO WRONG EITHER WAY Many businesses opt for on-premise as a way of keeping absolute control over all parts of the system, for extra peace of mind.

But with advances in cloud technology and incredible rates of reliability, cloud solutions are often just as effective.

In addition to on-premise installation on Windows, Linux, mini-PC or virtualized on your existing server, 3CX gives users the option to deploy in their own cloud account with popular cloud providers such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft Azure, OVH and Openstack. In doing so, you retain control of your data and settings and can manage everything in one place, sticking to a platform that you know and saving money by using your existing cloud plan.

OPEN STANDARDS UC FOR BETTER FEATURES AND MORE INTEGRATION Optimised for open standards browsers such as Chrome and Firefox, 3CX’s web client allows for hassle-free call management directly from the web browser. With access to key 3CX features from the user-friendly interface, overall usability has been greatly improved when it comes to everyday tasks such as scheduling conferences, transferring and making calls, and managing chats and voicemail. Web conferencing is instantaneous with the web client, allowing for coherent real-time communication with a single click. Clients for iOS and Android take this functionality on the road, allowing users to take their office extension with them wherever they go.

Looking to make the most of your existing systems, accounts and devices? 3CX offers plug-and-play compatibility with a wide range of IP phones, gateways and SIP trunks. Server-side integration with some of the most popular CRM systems allows

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for truly seamless communications and a more efficient, productive workflow from employees.

LOWER COSTS TO SAVE BUSINESSES BIG On-premise or hosted, our unique pricing ensures tremendous savings on your monthly telco costs. Based on the number of simultaneous calls compared to per extension pricing, 3CX customers often enjoy an annual cost less than that of the monthly cost of competing products.

USE YOUR OWN CLOUD ACCOUNT, SKIP THE PROVIDER FEES AND RETAIN COMPLETE CONTROL OF YOUR INSTALLATION.

Use your own cloud account, skip the provider fees and retain complete control of your installation.

Whether you decide to follow the cloud trend for your UC solution or remain on-premise, with 3CX your business will be a winner. With 3CX’s unrivaled flexibility, simplicity and affordability the growth options are boundless. ∎

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HOW BANDWIDTH IS BECOMING ALMOST FREE IN SOUTH AFRICA Jan Vermeulen

48 MYBROADBAND

TECHNOLOGY

B

andwidth is effectively becoming free in South Africa, thanks to the content from big international services now available in local data centres where Internet service providers can peer at no charge.

ISPs previously had to spend significant sums on international capacity to access content, but now they can freely peer at NAPAfrica in Teraco's data centres. They then only need to recover capital costs such as their fibre links to peering points, and ports on switches.

"NAPAfrica has done a great job in canvassing content providers and bringing international peers like Facebook, Google, Cloudflare, and Akamai in," said Simon Swanepoel, managing director of Directel which operates fibre-only ISP RocketNet. Netflix, YouTube, and other highbandwidth services also have local content nodes in South Africa.

Swanepoel said around 80% of their total traffic is locally-peered traffic through NAPAfrica, and essentially free.

It is thanks to this explosion of content providers on NAPAfrica's local network that new players like RocketNet can offer uncapped and unshaped services with no fair usage policy.

"It effectively drops our cost on expensive international links into London, where the traditional ISPs used to peer," said Swanepoel.

PRICES ARE MORE THAN BANDWIDTH However, the price of bandwidth is not the only factor which determines the price of a broadband connection. With ADSL, for example, the vast majority of the cost is driven by Openserve's wholesale bandwidth fees to ISPs, and line rental charges.

In 2013, the year before Vumatel exploded onto the South African residential fibre scene with the Parkhurst fibre project, the cost of wholesale bandwidth through a Telkom product known as IP Connect contributed over 70% of the overall cost of ADSL. The price of IP Connect has come down significantly since then, but line rental still remains a significant proportion of a fixed-line broadband connection.

Because of this, Swanepoel said the arrival of international content in South African data centres was just one component for prices to come down like they have. Fibre network operators have been instrumental in helping to bring down the residential and business prices of broadband services in South Africa, he added.

Operators like Vumatel, MetroFibre Networx, SADV, Octotel, and Frogfoot have also created more fibre demand. "By building large-scale networks into highdensity areas, they have contributed to the reduction in price of last-mile connectivity," said Swanepoel.

NAPAfrica rack

MYBROADBAND 49

TECHNOLOGY

Inside NAPAfrica rack

MORE CLOUD PROVIDERS COMING While companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google do have content delivery services in South African data centres, they do not have a full local presence for their cloud services - yet.

Microsoft announced in 2017 that it will launch nodes for its Azure cloud services in Johannesburg and Cape Town in 2018.

In addition to Azure, the company will also deliver Office 365 and Dynamics 365 services from its local cloud nodes.

The launch of local data centres will allow for the adoption of latency-dependent cloud-based applications in South Africa, said Microsoft. Although Microsoft did not state who it will partner with for the local data centres, an industry source told MyBroadband that two data centre players will be involved - a different one for each city. Major player Internet Solutions confirmed it will not host the servers for Azure in its data centres. "We have nine data centres across the country. The problem we've got is that they’re 99% full, but we are busy with our next build," the company told MyBroadband.

While Internet Solutions will not host Microsoft's servers in its data centres, its CloudConnect product has been incorporated into Microsoft’s Azure ExpressRoute network. Azure ExpressRoute clients in Africa will link directly to services hosted in Microsoft's South African data centres when they come online in 2018.

Other candidates that could be Microsoft's hosting partner in South Africa, like Teraco and Liquid Telecom, have remained tightlipped about whether they will host Azure servers. It is understood that Microsoft is traditionally sensitive about disclosing the exact locations of its data centres.

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Following Microsoft's announcement, Amazon launched its first physical presence for customers in South Africa.

Through Teraco, the company launched Amazon Web Services Direct Connect in data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Teraco said this will enable customers to directly access AWS services in AWS infrastructure regions around the world.

This will give dedicated connectivity to AWS regions, consistent network performance, and reduced bandwidth costs, said the data centre provider. The only region excluded from AWS Direct Connect is China.

It is believed that the launch of AWS Direct Connect in Teraco's Johannesburg JB1 and Cape Town CT1 data centres is a forerunner to Amazon building data centres in South Africa - a move which is set to benefit those which rely on, and pay for, bandwidth to access services. ∎

WE HAVE NINE DATA CENTRES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE PROBLEM WE'VE GOT IS THAT THEY’RE 99% FULL.

SOLE ACCREDITED DISTRIBUTOR FOR SOUTHERN AFRICAN MARKET

www.iclogistix.co.za

Sales | Tel +2711 521 2370 | Cell +2778 280 7115 / +2784 602 0066 | Email iclsales@iclogistix.co.za

CONNECTIVITY

CONNECTIVITY

NOT COMPETING FOR ENTERPRISE BUSINESS IN SOUTH AFRICA

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C

ompetition for the connectivity business of enterprises in business parks and shopping malls across South Africa is strong, particularly among small to mid-sized Internet Service Providers (ISPs), wireless ISPs (WISPs) and operators striving to provide these businesses with reliable, cost-effective direct access to the global Internet.

However, the good news for these connectivity providers is that capacity wholesaler WIOCC, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and owns the Johannesburg Metro Fibre Internet Access (MFIA) network, has reaffirmed its wholesale approach and will continue NOT COMPETING for their end-user business.

Instead, WIOCC remains firmly focused on helping these suppliers offer enterprise prospects evermore-competitive solutions.

A key factor for enterprises when choosing a connectivity provider is the desire for high levels of uptime. So, providers offering a solution underpinned by WIOCC’s unique, diversity-rich, high-redundancy network – integrating its Johannesburg metro network, 55,000km of African terrestrial fibre and more than 60,000km

of submarine cable – are extremely well positioned to offer excellent service levels.

As WIOCC has invested in building its own easily-scalable, high-capacity domestic and international network, it can also offer ISPs, WISPs, and operators very competitive prices. Owning the network makes it easy for WIOCC to deliver scalable, flexible solutions, which can be of great value, particularly to enterprise clients operating in dynamic markets.

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES With its Johannesburg Metro, extensive South African network, and strategic investments in multiple international submarine cables, WIOCC offers South African ISPs, WISPs, and operators partnership opportunities to profit from the growing number of enterprise clients seeking cost-effective, high-quality Internet connectivity.

WIOCC HAS REAFFIRMED ITS WHOLESALE APPROACH AND WILL CONTINUE NOT COMPETING FOR THEIR END-USER BUSINESS.

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CONNECTIVITY

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WIOCC: CELEBRATING 10 YEARS’ DELIVERING BESPOKE, CLIENT-CENTRIC CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS Africa’s carriers’ carrier WIOCC has come a long way since it was formed in 2008. 10 years on it is now widely recognised as the leading supplier of resilient, end-to-end managed, wholesale connectivity solutions into, out of and within Africa.

Boasting a blue-chip client base including major African carriers and Internet Service Providers, plus leading players in global connectivity, internet and content markets, WIOCC provides its clients with seamless, direct connectivity to over 550 locations across 30 African countries - and many more globally - through 55,000km of terrestrial fibre and more than 60,000km of submarine cable.

WIOCC continues to invest in enhancing the reach, diversity and scale of this network to meet the evolving demands of its clients and has built a truly carrier-grade infrastructure.

For the last 10 years WIOCC has been central to the transformation of Africa’s connectivity landscape and will continue to invest in infrastructure, client relationships and people to maintain its leading position, and ensure many more anniversaries!

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Why WIOCC? Africa’s leading carriers’ carrier Doesn't compete for your end customers Operates an extensive Jo’burg Metro network High uptime with unique, diversity-rich, high-redundancy network Very competitive pricing Dynamic – responds rapidly on commercial/service decisions Flexible – bespoke offering in SA and cross borders Find out how you can partner with WIOCC to target your enterprise customers with the most competitive solutions. Contact us at marketing@wiocc.net

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY: THE NEW STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE Tamsin Oxford

D

igital and the disruption it brings are the new normal. Digital is the strategic imperative that allows for the organisation to reinvent and adapt to rapidly-changing markets, economies, and demands. It is also putting the C-Suite in a blender – the time of the silo and then singular role has ended, this is the era of strategic collaboration where every C is represented when decisions are made, and business plans put in play.

“Phrases like We can’t do all of these projects, we need to prioritise the top three are a good sign that there has been no representative of technology at the boardroom table,” says Phathizwe Malinga, acting CEO at SqwidNet. “A strong strategy must take information about its internal capabilities into account and this is where we need the CIO the most. She brings to the exco an intimate view of the company’s inner workings, its capabilities, and its asset performance.”

The Deloitte 2018 Human Capital Trends report described this new form of senior leadership as the symphonic C-suite, as teams lead teams to even greater heights of corporate success. The report not only emphasised the value of working in strategic harmony, but found that organisations which already had high

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levels of cross-collaboration saw higher growth percentages. However, in spite of the obvious benefits of working together, 73% of respondents confessed that their C-suite rarely worked together on strategic initiatives.

This is further complicated by the fact that digital is changing the C-suite dynamic, pushing the CIO even further away from the light switch and deeper into a more strategic role.

“If the organisation doesn’t have an understanding of what is to come in the technology space, then technology cannot be executed effectively as an enabler of business strategy,” says Mandla Mbonambi, CEO, Africanology. “The CIO helps to maintain the competitive

IMAGINE HAVING A HIGHLEVEL FINANCE CONVERSATION WITHOUT THE CFO IN THE ROOM.

MOST ORGANISATIONS SEE IT AS AN EXPENSE, NOT AS A BENEFIT.

advantage, resolving the bottlenecks that may impact on strategic implementation and ensuring that technology is aligned to the business, industry, and strategy.”

IT WORKFORCE Gartner predicted as far back as 2016 that 100% of the IT workforce would need business skills by 2020, and the 2017 CIO Survey revealed that nearly 70% of CIOs were measured in the same way as other C-level executives. That said, it isn’t just the CIO who has to change, it is the attitude of the organisation and the willingness to recognise the value that technology offers to long-term success. In the Deloitte 20162017 Global CIO Survey, 78% of CIOs stated that their success relied on IT being aligned with strategy, while only 58% said their organisation met this requirement.

“Imagine having a high-level finance conversation without the CFO in the room, or deciding to tackle operations without the COO present,” says Gavin Meyer, Executive Director, Itec Southern Africa. “It is a non-negotiable that the CIO has to be part of strategic conversations that involve technology, and these days everything involves technology and the business.”

As Mbonambi pointed out, the CIO ensures that the organisation understands technology, providing the board and the C-suite with the insight they need to make critical decisions. The problem is that many organisations talk to the CIO after they’ve made all the decisions, expecting them to come up with a miracle and resenting the costs that come with the technology.

proactively addressing this attitude. They need to engage with the other members of the C-suite and become more proactive when it comes to their contributions and their presence. It is within their ability to understand emerging technology and its impact on the future. They can be sure the business doesn’t get left behind.”

The mantra “get left behind” can be read in almost every headline, especially when the conversation has turned to technology.

It may sound like dramatic smack talk designed to open up corporate wallets, but a walk down the high street reveals the reality. In the United Kingdom, some of the most iconic brands have started to fail, losing their hold thanks to a lack of foresight and agility. Maplin, Clintons, Tesco, Toys R Us, Marks & Spencer – some have closed down for good, others are staggering onwards, grappling for something to cling to. All failed to see the oncoming digital train.

“The dangers are quite dire,” concludes Malinga. “A company that cannot measure its assets is one that may not be able to transform its capabilities in time. The CIO is the Exco member who understands how today's assets are performing, what technologies are in the horizon, and which ones are best suited to transform the assets so that they may produce products and services that can best meet the shifts in demand.” ∎

“Most organisations see IT as an expense, not as a benefit,” says Mbonambi.

“The CIO has to play an active role in

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E DUCAT I O N

ONLINE LEARNING: THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA Vicky Sidler

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apid advances in technology are transforming the way that students learn, and enrolment in online courses is increasing in South Africa, as well as worldwide.

The World Economic Forum calls online learning “the future of education” in its Global Shapers report, as it helps make education more accessible and assists in achieving “education for all” – especially those with restricted access, such as in South Africa’s rural areas. As the online learning trend gains traction globally, the market is likely to reach $331 billion by 2025, according to the Global E-Learning Market Analysis and Trends report, and this is driven largely by the growing on-demand market.

WHAT ONLINE LEARNING IS Online learning includes anything from short courses to executive learning programmes, where students take classes online at their own convenience rather than in a physical classroom, which allows professionals to upskill their current skill set and abilities to ensure that they are aligned to industry requirements. It is often made up of a collection of webinars, online-collaboration tools, software that supports individually-paced learning, learning-management systems, and instant messaging and social networking.

According to a Brandon-Hall Study, students learn 40-60% faster online and at their own pace than they would learn the

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same material in a traditional classroom setting, and retention rates are increased by 25-60% Online learning also offers flexibility, and students don’t need to commute or attend physical classes, and may even have access to experts across the globe without needing to travel. Students are still able to benefit from the social and cognitive benefits of a traditional classroom, however, through interactive webinars. Students are also able to select from a wide variety of courses across various industries, with institutions such as Damelin Online offering short courses in subjects ranging from Data Analytics, to Bookkeeping, to teaching Grade R. The fees for online programmes also tend to be lower than traditional courses, and many programmes include the course materials – so students aren’t required to purchase textbooks.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ONLINE LEARNING IN SOUTH AFRICA The online learning options that enable students to access course material, take assignments, and virtually “attend’’ classes offered by higher education institutions in South Africa is growing steadily, according to the Connecting Africa’s Potential report

by In On Africa. “Internet-based learning provides a platform for student-lecturer interface, and is vital for student success.

Without it, many students face exclusion from opportunities for learning, research, and employment,” states the report.

Upskilling courses significantly increase the likelihood of employment, according to the most recent Labour Force Survey conducted by Statistics SA, which revealed that local matriculants who never study further face a 36% chance of unemployment. Furthermore, in South Africa, employers are favouring employees that have had continuous development as professionals.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN CHOOSING AN ONLINE COURSE Not all online institutions are created equal, however, and it’s important to choose a reputable institution that offers industryexpert-curated courses that have been aligned with current and trending industry skill requirements. Damelin Online, as an example, offers Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who curate course content to ensure that the course material is industry relevant, and an Academic Advising Centre (AAC) support structure to encourage learning and promote an enjoyable tertiary study experience. Damelin Online’s courses are also highly flexible, offering courses that allow students to upskill and start regularly throughout the year. ∎

WE ARE transforming the way that STUDENTS learn.

Damelin Online offers you courses curated by Subject Matter Experts to ensure that the material is industry relevant; we also have a dedicated Academic Advising Centre that encourages your learning and promotes a successful study experience!

YOUR SUCCESS STARTS WITH US Our courses are highly flexible, offering courses that allow students to upskill and start regularly throughout the year.

STUDY ANYTIME, FROM ANYWHERE. www.damelinonline.co.za | info@damelinonline.co.za | +27 860 007 778 Business hours: 08:30 - 16:00 @damelinonline

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BLOCKCHAIN

THE BLOCKCHAIN BUSINESSES OF THE FUTURE Jamie McKane

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he excitement around cryptocurrency and its underlying distributed ledger technology has not gone unnoticed by major businesses, which are looking at different ways of implementing it to improve efficiencies across multiple industries.

From experimental startups to tech behemoths, companies around the world are considering the advantages of blockchain technology for their business. A blockchain is not the solution for every problem, but various finance and insurance firms in particular have recognised the technology’s potential for transforming their respective industries - and have acted accordingly.

By applying potential blockchain use cases to their business environment, companies can stay ahead of the digital asset revolution and be prepared for potential dramatic shifts in the way traditional industries function.

The evolution and popularity of distributed ledger technology is not exclusive to first-world development environments either, and is a global phenomenon which is not limited by borders and traditional regulation. Some of the cryptocurrency movement’s biggest champions are South African, and local enterprise is just as eager to experiment with the technology as their counterparts in Silicon Valley.

DIGITAL ASSETS AND DISTRIBUTION This local interest was shown when Monero lead maintainer Riccardo Spagni recently launched a blockchain incubator based in Johannesburg. The startup is named TariLabs and has attracted investment from major international entrepreneurs, with its team aiming to build a decentralised platform for digital assets.

Built on the security of Monero and scaling as a second-layer solution, the Tari blockchain will facilitate the secure and fast exchange of digital assets and tokens.

This could include anything from trading real currency to selling concert tickets.

Spagni has expressed his confidence in the South African talent pool for blockchain development, saying the country has a large amount of talented developers which could champion the next generation of blockchain-based businesses.

Due to the nature of distributed ledger technology, startups with a simple idea and relatively small capital investment can also deliver scalable products without traditional restrictions. Open-source code and the fact that blockchain nodes run on user devices mean that any blockchain startup with a good idea can scale quickly out of the box, compared to traditional tech startups.

PRIVATE VS PUBLIC While many companies are implementing private blockchains to increase their efficiencies and deliver better products, it is the businesses built on the public blockchain which attract the interest and investment of the public.

And if you are going to consider the viability of building a blockchain-based business, the network to focus on would be Ethereum. Ethereum can be perceived as a decentralised computer which runs immutable programs called “smart contracts”. These smart contracts can be anything from lending agreements between two parties to a decentralised business voting structure, but the important thing is that they are immutable and do not require a third party to enforce or verify.

Riccardo Spagni Monero lead maintainer

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Platforms like Aragon and Colony, for example, allow for the creation of decentralised businesses, where the democratic voting policy and hierarchy is committed to and enforced on the Ethereum blockchain.

This can allow employees and employers to function with an extra degree of security and could be useful for small, global organisations as they can pay their employees around the world in the borderless Ethereum cryptocurrency. A number of businesses built on Ethereum also relied on the available initial coin offering (ICO) funding plan to get off the ground - but this can prove risky, and only a small number may pay off by delivering unique products.

BLOCKCHAIN ALREADY IN BUSINESS These kind of use cases for blockchains are still mostly concepts, but the technology is proving its worth to companies around the world. JP Morgan, excited by the potential of Ethereum, has developed its own enterprise-focused version of the blockchain named Quorum.

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Unlike Ethereum, Quorum is designed for private transactions within the financial industry, and could provide better performance and throughput than conventional transaction systems. The technology was recently used by the South African Reserve Bank to test the benefits of blockchain technology for electronic payments. The solution delivered exemplary results and proved that private blockchains are both scalable and useful for businesses reliant on high-speed interaction, said the SARB. With companies like De Beers, NASA, Lenovo, Ubisoft, and IBM building blockchain-based solutions, the technology is seeing a lot of interest from big names in the world of business. Its applications and security could shake up a collection of massive industries across the world, and businesses should keep an eye on this quickly-evolving digital landscape. â&#x2C6;&#x17D;

IF YOU ARE GOING TO CONSIDER THE VIABILITY OF BUILDING A BLOCKCHAINBASED BUSINESS, THE NETWORK TO FOCUS ON WOULD BE ETHEREUM.

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CLOUD

HUAWEI’S ‘ONE CLOUD, ONE LAKE, ONE PLATFORM’ ARCHITECTURE ACCELERATES ENTERPRISE CLOUD MIGRATION AND INNOVATION

I

nspired by new IT technologies including cloud, Big Data, and AI, IT infrastructure is not only a pillar of business, but also a driving force for creating business value.

The focus of enterprises has been shifting from effective utilization of resources to sustainable business development, and from cost effectiveness to value creation. Huawei are dedicated to tailoring innovative IT solutions to meet industryspecific requirements, to help enterprises solve problems and generate business value.

ONE CLOUD SPEEDS MIGRATION OF CORE APPLICATIONS TO THE CLOUD FusionCloud 6.3 delivers one converged cloud which integrates unified infrastructure, management, and services into shared resource pools to drive efficiency and agility. The private cloud solution utilizes technology stacks based on software-hardware synergy to provide high-performance cloud services. It offers the most number of IaaS cloud services with 42 cloud services in total. The solution leverages innovative technologies including bare metal, GPU enhancement, and SAP HANA cloud host services to help enterprises easily move their core applications to the cloud. Huawei is the

only vendor offering servers, storage products, and virtualization platforms that are all certified by SAP to offer high-specification SAP HANA cloud host services. FusionCloud 6.3 provides heterogeneous computing services (GPUs + CPUs) based on Huawei's Atlas

THE FOCUS OF ENTERPRISES HAS BEEN SHIFTING FROM EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES TO SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT heterogeneous computing platform. A single server supports the processing of 512-channel videos, improving video processing capabilities of a single node 32-fold. Additionally, FusionCloud 6.3 is the only solution that supports a wide array of tenant-level Disaster Recovery (DR) services, such as local, intra-city, and cross-region DR, cloud server high availability, and cross-cloud backup to ensure business continuity. The solution

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also supports Huawei’s public cloud, unified APIs and services, and delivers a consistent experience to enable seamless service deployment and migration across clouds.

ONE LAKE DRIVES BUSINESS VALUE FROM DATA ASSETS FusionCloud 6.3 includes one data lake that provides full lifecycle processing capabilities including data aggregation, storage, computing, management, and utilization to help customers transform data resources into data assets. It provides scenario-specific big data analysis capabilities, supports secondlevel distribution of big data services and accelerates the migration of big data to the cloud. FusionCloud 6.3 supports five types of mainstream databases (Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MPPDB) and provides unique database security services to quickly and securely move databases to the cloud.

ONE PLATFORM INCREASES THE PACE OF BUSINESS INNOVATION FusionCloud 6.3 provides one application enablement platform that integrates basic data services, general-purpose middleware,

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and industry-specific middleware to enable customers and industry ISVs to develop new services based on multiple types of middleware. Hybrid orchestration of containers and virtual machines allows automatic distribution and deployment of complex services. FusionCloud 6.3 also uses cloud service catalogs (CSC) to integrate third-party applications, enable service-driven access to ISV applications, and quickly adapt to scenariospecific service requirements, offering an ecosystem for enterprise innovation.

Huawei cooperates with over 300 industry ISVs to meet the needs of different enterprise scenarios and enable customers to easily migrate their services to the cloud to accelerate business innovation. Last year, Huawei launched its South Africa OpenLab in Johansburg, which provides a platform for cooperation with industry partners and clients to develop new and innovative solutions. The OpenLab is one of 20 Huawei OpenLabs (Such as London, Paris, France, Moscow and Russia) and is part of Huawei’s international ICT ecosystem strategy that aims to bolster the broader ICT environment and adoption of digital systems.

Huawei FusionCloud Private Cloud Solution fully utilizes cloud computing and Big Data technologies to provide resource pooling and full-stack cloud service capabilities, offering customers solutions in scenarios designed for converged

FUSIONCLOUD 6.3 SUPPORTS A WIDE ARRAY OF TENANTLEVEL DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICES.

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S O F T WA R E

HOW MICROSOFT CAME TO LOVE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE Alastair Otter

I

n early June, Microsoft an nounced i t h a d a g reed to acquire online developer platform GitHub for $7.5 billion. It was not only a substantial amount of money for a platform from which Microsoft is unlikely to recoup the costs of the deal, but is the latest in a long line of commitments from the tech giant to open source software.

In a statement announcing the deal, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said: “Microsoft is a developer-first company, and by joining forces with GitHub we strengthen our commitment to developer freedom, openness, and innovation.”

He also said the deal was an indication of how Microsoft was “all in on open source”.

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But Microsoft has not always been “all in” on open source. The company’s support of open source software has grown considerably under the leadership of Nadella, although it began opening up to open source prior to him taking the reins.

This is a far cry from 2001, when then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer famously said the growing open source movement and its star, Linux, was a “cancer”.

At the time, Ballmer said Microsoft was in active combat with open source software proponents, while at the same taking its first tentative steps towards open source. It was also in 2001 that the company launched its Shared Source programme under which the source code of some of its software could be viewed, and in some cases modified, by selected partners.

Three years earlier in 1998, a series of internal Microsoft documents, called the Halloween Documents, had been leaked in which the company acknowledged the growing threat pos ed by o pen so u r c e software. In the document, Microsoft said “OSS poses a direct, shortterm revenue and platform threat to Microsoft, particularly in the server space. Additionally, the intrinsic parallelism and free idea exchange in OSS has benefits that are not replicable with our current licensing model and therefore present a longterm developer mindshare threat”.

FIRST STEPS Microsoft’s real journey into open source arguably began in early 2014, when the company open sourced its .Net platform. At the time, it partnered with Xamarin, a mobilefocused company that grew out of Ximian, an open source alternative to .Net, founded by Miguel de Icaza and Nat Friedman. Nat Friedman is now the CEO of the newly-acquired GitHub.

TODAY, I CAN'T USE MICROSOFT VERY MUCH AS AN EXAMPLE OF BAD TECHNOLOGY.

Since 2014, Microsoft has grown its commitment to open source across the board. In 2016, it joined the Linux Foundation, it has its own version of FreeBSD for its Azure cloud platform, it contributes to the Linux kernel, and has partnerships with two of the world’s largest open source companies in Canonical and Red Hat. An even more interesting fact is that Microsoft is one of the biggest users of GitHub. Microsoft’s GitHub account currently lists more than 1,800 repositories and more than 3,000 developers.

CHANGING THE INDUSTRY For many long-time open source advocates the growing adoption of open source by Microsoft is a welcome change as well as a chance for a “we told you so” moment.

One of those welcoming the new face of Microsoft is open source advocate and Obsidian CEO Muggie van Staden, who says the change is fantastic.

“Seeing Microsoft embracing open source is fantastic. They've now bought GitHub and they've open sourced so much of their software.

It’s fantastic to see how much of their software they’ve made cross platform,” says van Staden.

Van Staden says that 15 years ago he would talk about open standards and open source and tell people that there was good and bad software in both the proprietary and the open source world.

“I used to use the example of the Oracle database. It ran on any operating system. And then you had Microsoft SQL which only ran on one OS. So that made it a bad technology. Not just the the fact that it was proprietary,” says Van Staden.

“Today, I can't use Microsoft very much as an example of bad technology. They've fundamentally changed how they see the world.

We've said for years that if a vendor dictates the technology around their solutions, that's a bad vendor.”

Van Staden says the way Microsoft has changed its attitude to open source software has also shifted the environment that open source vendors work in. “It's had a direct effect on some of the work we do. We now have customers that want to run Microsoft SQL on RedHat. Because it runs faster. And it’s great that we can do that.”

Ultimately, says Van Staden, the customer is the winner because they now have a broader range of quality software to choose from and they aren’t limited to just Linux or Windows software, which is better for their business. ∎

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REDEFINING SECURITY,

BY DESIGN Tamsin Oxford

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he Internet of Things (IoT) brings with it a multitude of benefits and world of potential. It is the connector of devices and the creator of intelligent solutions - and it is the security loophole waiting to be exploited.

Every device and physical object that connects to the gigantic web that is IoT brings with it its own specialised packet of security flaws and vulnerabilities. A report released by F5 Labs in 2017 found that attacks on IoT devices increased by 280% in just the first half of the year.

The Kaspersky Security Summit also saw security researchers uncover flaws in anything from lighting systems, to printers, to air-conditioning units.

As Oleg Šelajev, a lead developer for Oracle Labs, famously said, “The S in IoT, stands for security.”

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CTO at DRS. “Security is now a way of life, not an afterthought, even if it means securing the IoT fish tank, aircon, or CCTV. The difference between security by design and the old school way of stick on and pray is following the core pillars of information security - which are Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.”

If you think that securing a fish tank is extreme, listen to this. In April, a casino in North America was hacked using the sensors that monitored the temperature in a fish tank. Those sensors were connected to a PC, that PC was connected to the network, and the network granted the hackers access to the data they wanted.

The reality is that IoT has opened Pandora’s box and nobody is entirely sure how to close it again.

No, there is no S in IoT. A fact that both the UK and US governments have been paying attention to. The United States Department of Commerce has already issued papers around IoT and the security required to protect it, and the UK government has issued a Secure by Design review that was developed in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre.

The latter includes 13 steps to assist both governments and individuals in improving the security of consumer IoT. The reality is that security for IoT is sorely lacking and the loopholes are ever increasing, placing people and companies at risk. It is essential that security evolves and is incorporated by design to ensure the long-term sustainable security of IoT. SECURITY “Security’s operational field is growing exponentially due to IoT – the attack surface is no longer restricted, but has been blown wide open,” says Andrew Sjöberg,

“Existing security architecture and designs will need to be extended to cater for emerging IoT devices,” says Ian Roy, Compute Platforms and Infrastructure Solutions, EOH ICT. “Foundational security controls required for traditional security will be applied to the IoT undertakings - the principal change we will need to deal with is the landscape that these IoT devices will inhabit and the sheer quantity that could exist.”

IoT devices need secure interfaces, strong authentication mechanisms, secure network and communication services, secure setup and configuration, and so much more. As Roy points out, these security controls aren’t new, but the way in which they are applied must change. Securing IoT is no easy endeavour as the proliferation of device and object and sensor means they aren’t necessarily contained within the organisation or under a single point of control.

“In the past few years, the largest denialof-service attacks were based on exploiting misconfigurations of popular IoT devices,” says Dragan Petkovic, Security Product Leader ECEMEA at Oracle. “IoT is standing on its head when it comes to security and we need to put it back on its feet. Security by design is a key imperative.

This requires us to think differently about that car and fridge. A car is a computer

with wheels and a fridge is a computer that keeps food from spoiling. We are witnessing a new industrial revolution and not thinking about security from the beginning will bring the world to a standstill.”

COMPLEXITIES IoT introduces complexities that organisations either don’t understand or don’t recognise. They lean back against the traditional infrastructure and security controls they’ve relied on for years, expecting them to hold up against the IoT onslaught. The reality is that the IoTenabled infrastructure of today is as closely related to the infrastructure of yesterday as the modern BMW is to the first car that drove off the production line. They both have the same basic elements in place, but are nowhere near the same league.

Roy concludes: “The new security architectures need to be more flexible and need to cater for these new emerging zones. The security controls are nothing new, the change is in the manner in which we will need to apply them. Organisations will need to prioritise which IoT-related project introduces the most risk, design the required security controls for that initiative, and integrate those controls into the broader security framework.” ∎

SECURITY’S OPERATIONAL FIELD IS GROWING EXPONENTIALLY DUE TO IOT – THE ATTACK SURFACE IS NO LONGER RESTRICTED, BUT HAS BEEN BLOWN WIDE OPEN.

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SMART CITY

MOVING TOWARDS SOUTH AFRICA’S FIRST SMART CITY Ryan Brothwell

A

t the end of January, the City of Cape Town called for formal public submissions on ideas to make it “the first truly digital smart city in Africa”.

eventually have to be dealt with by all South African cities which are aiming to become more smart, says Eckart Zollner, head of group business development at Jasco.

The City said the primary areas of focus for this smart city would include energy efficiency; health and assisted living; platforms for economic, digital and social inclusion; public infrastructure maintenance; and public safety. It further published a list of example technologies that it was looking at introducing, including automated meter-reading, public safety surveillance, street lighting controls and technologies that can detect changes in traffic flows, pedestrian and cyclist activity, and parking availability.

With smart technology, Zollner believes that natural disasters such as the drought currently facing the region will be detected earlier, allowing the City to be better prepared and much more proactive in the decisions it makes going forward. However, the biggest benefit is likely to be seen directly by the city’s resident’s – especially considering recent housing demands.

“We have had this uncontrolled use of land take place, as more and more informal settlements spring up,” he said. “The

I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY FIRST AND FOREMOST WILL BE USED TO MANAGE THE USE OF SERVICES AND UTILITIES.

While the City was quick to point out that this would make it the first fully-integrated smart city in South Africa, it will also be unique in how it will deal with socioeconomic challenges - something that will

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other major issue is revenue collection and mismanagement. I think this is where technology plays a role as being able to actively track and identify this data and allows you to be a lot more efficient and effective.”

He added that truly smart cities won’t reinvent the wheel with technology, but rather improve current infrastructure and service delivery.

“I think the technology first and foremost will be used to manage the use of services and utilities – especially in the water and lights sector,” he said. “We currently estimate consumptions, and take forever to pick up leaks, wastage, and illegal connections. We need to be able to measure and show that we are collecting and distributing the basic allocations.”

While Zollner believes that certain local municipalities are already on the way to this goal, by offering pre-paid services, he believes these services need to be rolled out further. “The focus on basic services is very important, and even if you have basic services you need to be able to measure that. If you can’t track it, you can’t improve it.”

CRIME AND EDUCATION Zollner said data tracking can also be used to combat two other major problems facing South African cities – crime and education.

S outh A frica’ s c u r r en t br o a d ba n d infrastructure incurs heavy losses due to cable thieves, and the idea that high-end technology may be introduced on every street corner when other basic needs are not being met may be asking for trouble.

At the same time, Zollner believes that introducing the technology without involving the community and explaining why it is benefitting them is likely to lead to failure. “What they found in Europe (when introducing smart city technology), is that you have to show consumers how, where, and why it is being used,” said Zollner. “Once people become more aware of how much they are using, they start regulating themselves and actually reduce consumption of limited resources.”

While this can be something as small as using a washing machine once a week as opposed to 10 times a week, Zollner points out that making residents aware of their consumption patterns is especially important in South Africa - where due to lower education standards there is the perception that these resources are unlimited.

to be an extensive telecommunications infrastructure, and those layers of network are only just now being rolled out to secondary municipalities,” he said. Zollner added that smart metering and CCTV rollout is already a possibility, and that their expansion will be more widespread across South Africa’s major cities within the next three years.

He adds that tight resources has meant criminality has become a way of life in South Africa, and that smart communities will have to ensure residents are actively involved in the value chain. “If this technology creates jobs, pays salaries, and community members become intimately involved, they will make sure that vandals and crooks will come to book, as it is their livelihood that is on the line,” he said.

“But on a wider scale, we are looking at close to 5-10 years before this technology becomes ubiquitous across the country, especially with the lack of mobile spectrum and fibre infrastructure in the country’s smaller communities.” ∎

“It’s quite a process and a few things need to be in place. The first thing needs

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P R I VA C Y

WHAT GDPR MEANS FOR SOUTH AFRICAN COMPANIES Alastair Otter

T

he General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) introduced by the European Union is both an opportunity and a threat for South African businesses, says Dr Peter Tobin, a Protection of Personal Information (POPI) and GDPR expert.

Businesses that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand the implications of GDPR, however, are going to get caught unawares.

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The EU’s GDPR took force on 25 May 2018 and is designed to give European citizens greater control over how their personal data is used. It is also designed to unify the data privacy requirements of the 28 EU countries and establish processes for penalising violations.

Under the GDPR, companies require explicit consent to process and store personally-identifiable data on any person.

They are also required to delete the data on request or once its use has expired. Anyone who processes the data of European citizens is also required to ensure the safety of that data while it is in their care.

While GDPR is designed to protect European citizens, it has a far broader reach than just Europe and applies to anyone processing European data - whether they are in Europe or not.

“There are lots of businesses in this country that are processing the data of European residents without even realising it,” says Tobin. “And in that sense the GDPR reach is far and wide. Anybody that is in the travel, tourism, or hospitality business and is trying to attract people just to stay in their B&B all fall under the GDPR.” In effect, any business in South Africa that is processing the data of European citizens is subject to GDPR. COMPLIANCE Failure to comply with GDPR rules could see businesses facing hefty fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual worldwide turnover. First-time or unintentional breaches, however, will most likely receive a written warning.

THERE ARE LOTS OF BUSINESSES IN THIS COUNTRY THAT ARE PROCESSING THE DATA OF EUROPEAN RESIDENTS WITHOUT EVEN REALISING IT.

The mechanisms for enforcing GDPR compliance, though, are still unclear, says Tobin. “What is clear is that the European data protection board is now in operation. It is a talkshop for all the national regulators

MYBROADBAND 75

P R I VA C Y

in Europe and it has aspirations to establish relationships with other countries around the world so they can enforce the territorial scope built into GDPR. Until such a mechanism equivalent to Interpol exists, then the threat of territorial scope applying to South African businesses is going to be difficult for the regulatory authorities to enforce,” he says.

At this stage, says Tobin, European customers are more likely to be forcing local businesses to pay attention to GDPR than any regulatory authority.

Local awareness of GDPR implications, however, is relatively low, says Tobin.

“The only thing that happened was that people were rather puzzled by all these invitations to update their consent from European-based organisations they were receiving. And people weren't sure why they should bother.”

Tobin is referring to the emails people received as the deadline for GDPR implementation approached at the end of May. Most of the emails were either trying to secure consent from people to allow companies to continue sending them marketing material, or to alert users to updated privacy policies in line with GDPR requirements.

In the corporate space, however, there has been awareness for some time about the possible implications of GDPR for local businesses, says Tobin, though he doesn’t believe a large number of businesses have done the necessary risk assessments.

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“Have all the organisations that should have done a full impact assessment done that? I doubt it, based on the number of people I'm still talking to, where GDPR is still something new to them,” says Tobin.

OPPORTUNITY

WHILE THERE IS A RISK ASSOCIATED WITH GDPR, THERE IS ALSO OPPORTUNITY.

While there is a risk associated with GDPR, there is also opportunity, says Tobin. “I've several times used the example of Mauritius, where there is recognition by business and government together that data privacy and protection can be a competitive advantage. That you can win more business outsourcing deals, you can win more call centres, you can win more service economy growth if you're a trusted partner.”

The problem, he says, is that South Africa is not a trusted partner, which has a negative impact. Not having privacy and data protection regulations in place “is another reason not to be put on the shortlist”.

For businesses that haven’t yet assessed their risk, Tobin says there are many excellent public domain GDPR preparation recommendations online provided by European authorities. “There are some excellent online tools to assess the risk and those materials are made available by the UK government under an open government licence.” ∎

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