MyBroadband Magazine Q1 2018

M YBRO A D B A N D 2018

Q1

RESURGENCE OF THE PAY-PER-USE BUSINESS MODEL

THE BIG Q&A – CELL C Zakhe Khuzwayo CA (SA) InnoVent Rental and Asset Management Solutions

R 45. 00 i n cl v a t

SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESSES ARE AT A HIGHER RISK OF DATA BREACHES ISSN 2519-7509

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EDITORIAL Welcome to the first edition of the MyBroadband Magazine for 2018. This edition is filled with the latest

ICT trends and developments affecting businesses and

industry stakeholders, including the hottest topic in the

IT space right now - the blockchain. We take a look at how businesses can implement blockchain solutions, digital transformation in the workplace, and how roles of

C-level executives are changing. South Africa’s growing demand for developers is put under the spotlight, along

with Cell C’s big plans for the year ahead. The latest tech and hardware launched this year is also on display, along

with Intel’s world-record-breaking drone army. Thank

you for reading and I trust you will enjoy this edition of the magazine.

KEVIN LANCASTER EDITOR

IN THIS ISSUE

CONTENTS 07

NETWORK WITH A PROVIDER THAT IS AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF CONNECTIVITY

08

18

THREE6FIVE CYBERSECURITY DIVISION ENHANCED THROUGH ADDITION OF SPECIALIST SERVICES

20

NET NEUTRALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA

22

UNWRAPPING THE EXECUTIVE CHALLENGE

24

THE NEW C ISN’T FOR YOUR HEALTH RESURGENCE OF THE PAY-PER-USE BUSINESS MODEL

12

ARK – BLOCKCHAIN AT THE PUSH OF A BUTTON

14

SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESSES ARE AT A HIGHER RISK OF DATA BREACHES

26

TAKING YOUR BUSINESS TO THE CLOUD WITH MICROSOFT AZURE

28

ERROR/REBOOT

31

16

RPA: THE ABBREVIATION OF 2018 HEAD DOWN, MUSIC ON

36

THE RISING DEMAND FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

60

40

5G – PROMISES AND CHALLENGES

44

DEATH TO DIGITAL

46

SOUTH AFRICA FERTILE GROUND FOR IOT INNOVATORS

48

THE BEST MOBILE NETWORK IN SOUTH AFRICA

50

A DANGEROUS CYBERSECURITY FUTURE FOR SOUTH AFRICA

52

BEST OF CES 2018

59

THE BIG Q&A – CELL C

62

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN SOUTH AFRICA’S ECOMMERCE MARKET

65

MYBROADBAND EVENTS IN 2018

68

MAZDA’S NOT GIVING UP ON PETROL ENGINES JUST YET

70

INTEL’S WORLD-RECORD-BREAKING DRONES

INTRODUCING LTE OTTENAS PUBLISHER MyBroadband ADDRESS Office F01, Ashford House, Midstream Estate, Olifantsfontein, 1692 TEL +27 12 687 5159 WEB mybroadband.co.za EDITORIAL kevin@mybroadband.co.za ADVERTISING cara@mybroadband.co.za ISSN 2519-7509

Value

Westcon-Comstor puts Value into your Cloud Business As a reseller, we understand that the market can be a lonely place.

FastSTART

E

specially if you don’t have the support you need from vendors and distributors. It is with this that Westcon-Comstor has launched its Microsoft

Fast Start programme, providing you with the sales and enablement tools you need to succeed as well as our Velocity online learning programme.

Digital Marketing Collaboration with Microsoft Fast Start With our new marketing and sales enablement programme we aim to help you our resellers succeed in the cloud with expert guidance and support.

The Westcon-Comstor Microsoft Fast Start programme makes it easier for technology resellers to build lucrative, thriving cloud computing businesses.

Through Fast Start, we provide customisable assessment and migration tools, training courses, personalised assistance and activation support to enable Microsoft cloud service providers (CSPs) of all experience levels to tackle even the most complex deployments with confidence. The programme currently supports Microsoft Office 365 and Azure.

Why Fast Start?

To attain true success in the cloud, resellers need more than a portfolio focused on the most critical cloud solutions or the most trusted and fastest-growing cloud vendors. The ability to transact quickly and then manage many technologies, licenses and customers efficiently is essential for profitable growth.

Westcon-Comstor’s BlueSky Cloud and Services Management Platform

provides unprecedented visibility into and control over the entire cloud supply chain, all from a single interface.

BlueSky makes it easier for resellers to perform the required “back office” functions such as ordering, tracking, monitoring, transacting, and delivering cloud services. It also includes powerful analytics and insights into key service metrics, including user credentials, usage trends, service tickets, top providers, and more to enable resellers to optimise their cloud services supply chain.

New Westcon-Comstor ‘Velocity’ Online Learning Programme In order to assist partners to accelerate their success we have launched our Velocity Online Learning Programme, with our first catalogue of courses designed to help solution

providers specialise in cloud technologies and gain relevant insight into the trends shaping the industry.

Velocity is an on-demand, online education programme designed to empower partner sales teams with the right mix of industry-trusted sales coaching, accelerated vendor-solution training and targeted Westcon-Comstor programme and systems guidance. Velocity complements our expansive expertise across a wide range of vendor certification and instructional courses offered via live and self-paced e-learning programmes. Initial courses will focus on cloud programming with plans to expand into other technology areas in 2018.

Although a global programme, Velocity was first piloted and rolled out in South Africa as the umbrella e-learning platform the company uses for partner and channel enablement. Westcon-Comstor’s Azure

New Westcon-Comstor ‘Velocity’ Online Learning Programme

Road to Inspire programme is included as a curriculum in Velocity and provides partners access to structured training to support certification and skills development.

Targeted Learning for Busy Executives Velocity is targeted toward reseller sales and business teams. The first set of courses are designed to accelerate partners’ sales motion for cloud, it ensures that the right content is presented at the right time in the selling cycle.

Rapid Content Development and Customisation With extensive on-line learning opportunities, Velocity enables both global and regional teams to gain a deeper knowledge of emerging technologies as they come to market.

With the added ability to monitor, measure and assess e-learning tools, Westcon-Comstor can refine Velocity offerings to maximise their impact and effectiveness.

Course offerings include vendor- and technology-specific courses, Westcon-Comstor courses and CompTIA webinars.

For more information contact: Westcon-Comstor Cloud Success Centre Saartjie Wait | +27 11 848 9121 | BlueSkyCloudSuccessCentre.za@westconcomstor.com

COLUMN

Presented by BitCo

NETWORK WITH A PROVIDER THAT IS AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF CONNECTIVITY

O

ur Maximise Channel Partner Program enables collaboration to deliver the best customer experience and supports our channel partners in growing their business together. We are committed to assisting with the growth of the ICT industry in South Africa and offer several ways in which you can partner with us and elevate your business.

Being a BitCo partner is about much more than just doing business with us. It is about enhancing and forging long-term relationships. The aim is to cultivate an environment for collaboration so that we create customers for life. We provide you with tools and benefits to enhance service, streamline operations and optimise your revenue. We identify channel product fit by your unique requirements within our product offering.

Channel Sales Manager, Chrystal Singh says, “I believe that there are three fundamental components that are key to a successful Channel. Communication is imperative both internally and externally to foster effective relationships; synergy which compliments your business strategy, and lastly support to align with business objectives."

Channel Partners have all the benefits of a Carrier Grade Fibre, Wireless and Voice Network.

Maximise your benefits: • Benefit from a Carrier Grade Network • Compliance. Leverage off our premium, national Tier 1 licences • Revenue growth • B2B partner strategies • Access to our collective experience • Dedicated Channel personnel • Partner alignment • Channel marketing support • Training and Development And more…

Who can apply?

IT Resellers and Systems Integrators, ISPs, Telephony or switchboard companies, Hardware suppliers, Network Suppliers, Telecom Resellers, WISPs, IT Consultants.

Chrystal adds, “Success and growth are at the heart of the best partnerships. BitCo will give you the necessary commitment through Channel partner alignment to ensure that the partnership is mutually profitable.”

Visit www.bitco.co.za/channel-programme/ for more information and to become a partner. ■

Zakhe Khuzwayo CA (SA) InnoVent Rental and Asset Management Solutions

8 MYBROADBAND

P A Y- P E R - U S E

RESURGENCE OF THE PAY-PER-USE BUSINESS MODEL

P

ay-Per-Use is the perfect pill for the corporate headache, especially when it comes to hardware assets.

In 2017, research firm IDC reported that the public cloud services market saw 28.6% growth in the first half of the year.

The revenue tacked onto the stat was an impressive total of $US63.2 billion and highlighted how the as-a-Service (aaS) model continues to show significant growth and adoption as organisations shift from the traditional world to one that resides in the cloud.

“We have entered an era in technology development where it is growing at such a pace that organisations don’t want to own it, but they do want access to it,” says Zakhe Khuzwayo, InnoVent Rental and Asset Management Solutions.

The impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning is also transforming the way technology assets are procured. With the maturation and the prevalence of cloud, we are starting to see a demand for effortless access to goods and services.

Companies don’t want to buy licences or tangle themselves in the resources required to store and manage equipment, they want easy, cost effective and efficient solutions.

They also don’t want risk, and unfortunately risk is part and parcel of asset ownership.

WE HAVE ENTERED AN ERA IN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT WHERE IT IS GROWING AT SUCH A PACE THAT ORGANISATIONS DON’T WANT TO OWN IT, BUT THEY DO WANT ACCESS TO IT. MYBROADBAND 09

P A Y- P E R - U S E

SOUTH AFRICANS STILL BELIEVE IN OWNING RATHER THAN LEASING, BUT THIS ATTITUDE IS CHANGING.

“In January 2020, Microsoft will stop support for Windows 7 and the impact of this on organisations without Windows 10 or hardware that can cope with it is going to be considerable,” says Khuzwayo. “The cost of upgrading the machines and the software could be prohibitive, especially for smaller organisations, and the last thing any business needs is a lack of support from Microsoft in the current cybercrime environment.”

The ability for organisations to sidestep this risk while remaining relevant is starting to see the resurgence of the Pay-Per-Use (PPU) model. For many years, the concept of leasing IT equipment has been met with resistance. Companies haven’t been comfortable with leasing their hardware.

They want to own it. And this has hindered the potential growth of the PPU market in spite of the benefits.

“The psychology behind the PPU model has been a challenge,” explains Khuzwayo.

10 MYBROADBAND

“South Africans still believe in owning rather than leasing, but this attitude is changing.”

Purchasing relevant assets for the business is a complex process and requires a commitment of three to five years. In that time, the technology becomes rapidly obsolete, weighs down the balance sheet and impacts on growth and productivity.

On the other hand, asset leasing mitigates these challenges as it is flexible, up-to-date, on-demand and cost-effective. There is no need to invest cash into devices, instead the money can be utilised in other areas of the business, such as marketing, sales and innovation.

As the trend for aaS is driven by convenience, cost and capability, it is equally igniting the adoption of PPU. With predictable monthly expenses and the ability to keep your equipment up to date, the advantages of asset leasing far outweigh the traditional issues of ownership and

control. Most people often underestimate the challenges associated with disposing outdated computers, but with a lease, those hassles are taken out of your hands, allowing the business to focus on what it does best – the business, not the hardware.

IT cannot afford to spend time troubleshooting ancient devices when disruption and competition are the new normal. “Are you really moving forward using an old machine when you can get one now for the same price that’s ten times faster?” concludes Khuzwayo. “If you look at progressive economies like the United States or Japan, the asset leasing model is so successful that it isn’t just the large and progressive companies that are adopting it, it’s individuals. Why get stuck with old technology when you can upgrade on demand?” ■

DON’T SWEAT YOUR ASSETS, LEASE THEM! AND GET THE NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU NEED TODAY!

PAY-PER-USE: THE NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS Technology is developing at such an exponential rate. Why get stuck with outdated and slow equipment when you can stay ahead of the curve with a pay-per-use model.

A great way to keep equipment costs down is to lease instead of buying, especially when it comes to technology. All hardware depreciates and quickly becomes obsolete and will have little or no resale value. Leasing technology for your day-to-day operations provides you with the opportunity to preserve your cash and stay abreast of technology.

OUR SERVICES: ASSET FINANCE: Subsidised Finance (IFRS off balance sheet).

ASSET MANAGEMENT: Asset Tracking, Asset Manager, Online Reporting Tools, Comprehensive Insurance & Warranties.

ASSET REFRESH: Reverse logistics at refresh and upgrade points, certified data cleansing and disposal of redundant equipment.

At INNOVENT, we offer tailor made leasing solutions to companies and institutions alike. We help you finance the purchase of the equipment that you need with costs spread evenly over the leasing period. Unlike conventional financing, we offer subsidised finance, which means you only pay for a portion of the equipment for the duration that you use it.

Upper Grayston Office Park, Block D, 2nd Floor, 152 Ann Crescent, Strathavon, Sandton, 2196 +27 (0)11 884 8274 | info@innovent.co.za For more information visit www.innovent.co.za

BLOCKCHAIN

ARK – BLOCKCHAIN AT THE PUSH OF A BUTTON

By Jamie McKane

B

lockchain technology is poised to change the way we think about currency and business, with technologies like Bitcoin and Ethereum leading the way in peer-to-peer payments, decentralised applications, and autonomous businesses.

Mainstream adoption of blockchain technology by consumers and businesses is still hindered by various technical obstacles, however, including the secure implementation of scaling and governance solutions. Despite this, developers have begun to build products which increase accessibility and compatibility for blockchain projects. One of the most promising of these startups is ARK, a blockchain project which aims to build a network of interconnected blockchains while offering businesses and users an easy way to enter the ecosystem. MyBroadband spoke to two of ARK's cofounders - Rok Cernec and Travis Walker - about the team's vision for the project and what it can deliver.

A single blockchain ecosystem ARK is a decentralised blockchain which uses a DPoS (Delegated Proof-of-Stake) consensus mechanism. This means that participants use the ARK cryptocurrency to vote for their preferred delegate based on their governance strategy. Blocks are verified based on the consensus of 51 elected delegates, and standard users can run light clients, taking advantage 12 MYBROADBAND

of increased block times and low system requirements to send transactions within seconds from their smartphone. The ARK team's vision is to connect blockchains and create an entire ecosystem of inter-operable chains and projects, while providing developers, startups, and everyday users an accessible interface. ARK's founders said they were motivated to start the project when they noticed that nobody had attempted to build an accessible blockchain ecosystem. "Everyone was boasting they are the use case of the future, instead of working to make blockchains better and easy for the everyday user," said Cernec and Walker. "We saw the need for blockchains to communicate with each other, while making it easier to create and maintain them being a major necessity as well."

Wordpress of blockchain ARK is continuously working on its S ma rtbri dg e system for n u m erou s major blockchains, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. This system allows the ARK blockchain to communicate directly with other blockchains through the use of "Encoded Listener Nodes", negating the need for manual currency transfers through a centralised exchange. The cryptocurrency has been named the "Google of blockchain" by supporters, but the team behind the project prefers a comparison to the WordPress platform. "We certainly don’t want to become a central point for interoperability, more like a decentralised starting point.

Travis Walker ARK Cofounder

EVERYONE WAS BOASTING THEY ARE THE USE CASE OF THE FUTURE, INSTEAD OF WORKING TO MAKE BLOCKCHAINS BETTER AND EASY FOR THE EVERYDAY USER.

WE SAW THE NEED FOR BLOCKCHAINS TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER, WHILE MAKING IT EASIER TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN THEM BEING A MAJOR NECESSITY AS WELL.

Rather than a comparison to Google, we see ARK more like the WordPress of blockchains, giving developers the tools they need to create while gaining a spider web-like ecosystem of interoperable chains."

Point.Click.Blockchain One of the selling points of the ARK team’s systems is the ability to deploy blockchains at the push of a button. Dubbed "Point.

Click.Blockchain", this mechanism allows businesses and users to easily and securely deploy blockchains and tweak them to fit their specific needs. The architecture of these blockchains can link them directly to the public ARK blockchain, allowing for easy accessibility and transaction compatibility with public users. "Push-Button deployable blockchains are clones of the ARK blockchain. They are set up using a simple

UI where you can set your own parameters.

You can set your own blocktimes, your own number of delegates, and more. The applications of this are endless. If you need a blockchain, you are no longer hindered by building on someone else's chain and stuck with their parameters." This will also reduce load on the main ARK blockchain, as transactions for specific services will be verified on their respective blockchains.

vision of an interconnected network of blockchains, it may quickly become the first choice for startups looking for an easy and effective blockchain solution. â–

Progress The ARK team regularly completes new development milestones, such as the recent launch of a mobile wallet and the implementation of Smartbridge listeners for Bitcoin and Ethereum. In 2018, the team said it will focus on rewriting the blockchain's core code and adding new features like smart contract support to its project. If the ARK project delivers on its

MYBROADBAND 13

CYBERSECURITY

SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESSES ARE AT A HIGHER RISK OF DATA BREACHES

By Vicky Sidler

A

s the security landscape continues to evolve, attacks are becoming more sophisticated and targeted – and companies in South Africa are particularly at risk.

Barely a week seems to go by without news of a new data breach exposing customer or commercial data. Data breach activity was high in 2017, with 1,202 breaches in the 11 months to November, according to a report from the Identity Theft Resource Centre.

This was an increase of 10% over the 1,093 breaches during the whole of 2016.

In fact, according to the Breach Level Index, nearly 5 million data records are lost or stolen worldwide every single day – a staggering 58 records every second. And according to the Ponemon Institute, South African organisations are at a higher risk of data breaches than their counterparts across the globe, with the cost of data breaches to South African companies estimated at $2.53 million.

South Africans are unprepared Despite their investments in security technology, 9 out of 10 South African IT security professionals surveyed have experienced a phishing-related incident and almost all still worry about emailrelated threats, according to a phishing response trends report by PhishMe. The report is based on surveys of 100 South Africa IT security professionals, 14 MYBROADBAND

offering insights into their phishing and incident-response processes. The survey revealed that over 60% of respondents felt unprepared to deal with a phishing attack, even though phishing is their primary concern. 56% went so far as to say that their response to phishing attacks ranges from mediocre to “totally ineffective”, despite having a tech team.

Automation is the key to success When it comes to improving phishing d e fe n c e s , ove r h a l f ( 5 2 % ) o f t h e respondents said automated analysis was the way forward, as manually analysing phishing emails and possible malware is difficult and time-intensive. Automation, however, allows for the analysis of phishing emails and helps incident responders distinguish noise from real threats.

To assist with this, PhishMe offers various solutions, including PhishMe Triage™ and PhishMe Intelligence™, which strengthen your organisation’s ability to quickly identify and respond to phishing attacks in progress.

Furthermore, the powerful combination of PhishMe Simulator® and PhishMe Reporter® helps turn all employees into your own human phishing defence. With PhishMe’s solutions, you can condition employees to resist phishing attempts and empower them to become part of the solution by identifying and reporting real attacks in real-time. ■

NEARLY 5 MILLION DATA RECORDS ARE LOST OR STOLEN WORLDWIDE EVERY SINGLE DAY – A STAGGERING 58 RECORDS EVERY SECOND.

Welcome to the

Jumble

Your phishing response is a mess, right? A new report tells why.

The “Uh oh” Moment COFENSE surveyed 100 South Africa IT security professionals to learn about their phishing and incident-response processes. Most are experiencing an “uh oh” moment. Though phishing is their #1 concern, over 60% feel unprepared to deal with a phishing attack.

84%

of companies worry the most about phishing and spear-phishing attacks.

20%

90%

of surveyed companies get over 500 suspicious emails report each week.

39%

have an add-in button or other feature to report phishing email with one click.

have dealt with a security incident originating with a deceptive email.

56%

say despite having a tech team, their response is mediocre to “totally ineffective”.

Most say automation is the key to their success.

When it comes to improving phishing defenses, over half (52%) want automated analysis. When technology does the digging, people can do the hunting.

Go to www.cofense.com and www.nu.co.za to learn about our comprehensive anti-phishing solutions

Alec Aronson

alec.aronson@nu.co.za 0112028400

IS NOW

ROBOTICS

RPA: THE ABBREVIATION OF 2018

By Tamsin Oxford

A

t a time when organisations are looking for ways to improve efficiency, productivity, and speed to market, the reliance on manual processes keeps them stuck in slow motion – Institute for Robotic Process Automation (IRPA).

There are two employees. One is being slowly sucked into the endless, dreary quicksand of error-prone manual processes that are so tedious the light behind his eyes is just a reflection of the halogens above.

The other has gone to make coffee, buoyed by the fact that her business processes are largely automated so she has time to concentrate on what she’s actually there 16 MYBROADBAND

for, her job. The one organisation remains firmly stuck in the manual past, the other is reaping the rewards of robot process automation (RPA).

Let’s be clear about what RPA is not. It is not incredibly intelligent or capable enough to take away a human’s role or the panacea sought by the enterprise to radically transform its employee cost to business. What RPA really does is automate the mundane and the tedious. It reduces the error introduced by the tired or distracted employee and it allows for the business to free up talent to focus on complex tasks and innovative thinking.

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, RPA TOOLS AND SOLUTIONS HAVE BECOME FAR MORE COST-EFFECTIVE AND THE MARKET INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE.

IRPA defines it as: “…the application of technology that allows employees in a company to configure computer software or a robot to capture and interpret existing applications for processing a transaction, manipulating data, triggering responses, and communicating with other digital systems.”

Over the past few years, RPA tools and solutions have become far more costeffective and the market increasingly competitive. Solutions that were once prohibitively expensive have become more accessible and increasingly flexible.

“There are many advantages to investing in RPA, mainly: flexibility, cost reduction, and improved customer service,” says Bruce von Maltitz, cofounder and joint-CEO at 1Stream. “You can now trial different systems on a pay-per-use basis and, if you have success, you can then deploy them more widely. In the past, this would have cost millions to obtain the necessary kit and if it didn’t work for your business, you’d be stuck with it. This has been driving business to the point of adoption, aided by the maturity of the technology incorporated with cloud capabilities. This has opened up more opportunities for smaller companies.”

RPA potential While RPA has been around for a while, it is still considered to be a relatively new technology in South Africa. Internationally, its potential is still being discussed and examined by experts, each turning it over and looking at how it could be the first step towards a human-digital workforce hybrid, while organisations invest in solutions that look set to benefit the human and the organisation.

“Too much time is being spent in business using talented and capable resources to repeat tasks in order to produce data, results, reports, and so forth,” explains

Brian Timperley, MD at Turrito Networks.

“As an analogy, imagine before calculators when your employees had to do all their calculations in their heads or on a piece of paper. It would take longer, be open to error, and add immense stress to the employee.

RPA is like a calculator – it doesn’t matter how a calculator gets to the answer, it only matters what the answer is.”

With the support and capability delivered

by RPA, there is another advantage added to the pool – the ability to make important decisions more quickly, or to take action before it is too late. RPA effectively frees people up to focus on complex tasks which can have the knock-on effect of improving other processes.

demand and seamless and in real time and now, it’s hard to ignore the value to be gained from a strategic RPA investment.

“A lot of companies are starting to recognise the opportunity presented by RPA and are experimenting with its potential and exploring what it can do,” concludes Hans Zachar, MD for Technology Strategy, Accenture. “Some are getting great results, but it really is about ensuring that the technology works with the people to achieve better outcomes. Many companies don’t quite trust the machines yet, but it is starting to become more prevalent.” ■

A LOT OF COMPANIES ARE STARTING TO RECOGNISE THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED BY RPA AND ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH ITS POTENTIAL AND EXPLORING WHAT IT CAN DO.

“It’s a good idea to approach RPA integration organically,” adds Timperley. “Businesses should consider the most critical and timeconsuming rule-based tasks and address those first. Trying to identify all aspects of your business that can be automated upfront is not recommended. It can lead to project creep and often the outcome of one automated process can have a domino effect on the others, rendering them redundant.”

RPA is a collection of technology tools and solutions that can really help standardise business processes and allow for the organisation to become more digitised.

In a world where everything has to be on MYBROADBAND 17

CYBERSECURITY

THREE6FIVE CYBERSECURITY DIVISION ENHANCED THROUGH ADDITION OF SPECIALIST SERVICES

L

ocal systems integrator three6five has increased its Cybersecurity offering by providing bolstered specialist services supplied by their highly qualified technical staff.

“We believe that our Cybersecurity Division’s differentiator in the market is that we are sufficiently established to offer comprehensive services to a wide spectrum of customers. We also have the flexibility to be agile and adapt to security threats as they evolve,” says Tyrone Carroll, CEO of three6five.

“Cybersecurity is a dynamic, constantly evolving technology which requires security partners to adapt and customise security solutions to specific customer needs. Our Cybersecurity Division utilises best-of-breed technologies and vendors coupled with in-house developed tools to offer a complete cybersecurity solution portfolio. Our client engagement begins with a cybersecurity assessment and business workshop, allowing us to provide customised security services which not only fulfil the security requirements, 18 MYBROADBAND

but synergize our solution with existing technologies and business needs,” says Adam White, head of Cybersecurity at three6five.

Three6five’s Cybersecurity Division is based on three primary service offerings; Systems Integration, which covers products offered by selected vendors; Professional Services, which has a selection of services which can be used on an ad hoc basis; and Managed Services, which offers the same services on an ongoing or annuity basis.

“Irrelevant of company size, all companies can utilise our Cybersecurity services,” says White. “Depending on what is needed to provide maximum security, we can provide a completely tailored offering depending on the customer requirements.”

These services cover the following: cybersecurity consulting, firewall/UTM/ IDS/IPS, web application firewall, identity and access management (IAM), email security, endpoint protection, vulnerability assessment, and penetration testing.

Noticing that true cybersecurity specialists are few and far between, three6five has a

strong Cybersecurity Division with security experts in its Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban offices. However, as many of the security products three6five offers are available remotely, these services can easily be provided to its customers across Africa. ■

IRRELEVANT OF COMPANY SIZE, ALL COMPANIES CAN UTILISE OUR CYBERSECURITY SERVICES.

NET NEUTRALITY

NET NEUTRALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA

By Jan Vermeulen

A

t the end of 2017, the Federal Communications Commission in the United States repealed regulations that reclassified broadband services "common carrier".

Referred to as the FCC's "net neutrality" rules, it effectively required that broadband be treated the same as other utilities. In other words, Internet service providers were compelled to treat all legal traffic on their networks the same.

When issues like this arise in the United States, the discussion around them tends to spill over to South Africa. However, in neither country is the issue as clear-cut as it may appear.

"In a perfect world, net neutrality is a great concept, but there are many questions that need to be answered before we can achieve healthy net neutrality," said the CEO of FTTH Council Africa, Juanita Clark.

Fast lanes On the surface, the principles of net neutrality appear to be good - Internet service providers may not interfere with legitimate traffic crossing their networks.

In reality, upholding these principles in their purest form is simply not practical.

For modern networks to function, providers typically have to do some form of prioritisation to ensure that more "realtime" services perform as they need to.

Voice over IP services, video calling, live video streaming, and gaming traffic tend to be sensitive to loss and latency. It therefore makes sense to prioritise certain protocols over ones that are not usually as critical or sensitive, like peer-to-peer downloads.

The FCC's net neutrality rules recognised that providers may have to take certain reasonable steps to ensure quality of service on their networks. It seems concerned with preventing a situation where providers could create "slow lanes" for certain services, like Netflix. The issue 20 MYBROADBAND

Laurie Fialkov Cybersmart CTO

was that subscribers may ultimately have to pay extra for traffic to go in the "fast lane", whether directly or through increased fees.

But what about other unfair advantages, like certain services not counting towards your cap, or zero-rating?

Zero-rating Zero-rating is of particular relevance in South Africa where the only Internet connection many people have is through their mobile device and a cellular network.

South African mobile networks offer service-specific bundles or free access to apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and music and video streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix.

IN A PERFECT WORLD, NET NEUTRALITY IS A GREAT CONCEPT, BUT THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED BEFORE WE CAN ACHIEVE HEALTHY NET NEUTRALITY.

It can be argued that this will make it difficult for new entrants to compete in a market where established players have traffic to services zero-rated. But, can it not also be argued that this low-cost and free access which mobile operators provide to certain services is a benefit to the average consumer?

"Whilst we agree that access to the Internet is a human right, the conversation on zerorating versus net neutrality has two aspects to it: that of cost and that of quality of service," said Clark.

"As an industry association, we are very concerned about the widening digital gap.

As a country we cannot afford widespread social exclusion and we have to find ways of

connecting people - especially those in rural areas - to other communities."

She added that it is important that zerorating is underpinned by quality of service, and that operators agree that simply because a site is free should not mean that it is slow.

Is zero-rating an issue?

Cybersmart CTO Laurie Fialkov offered a different perspective, stating that he struggles to see how zero-rating and net neutrality are related.

"To say zero-rating services is a threat to net neutrality is ludicrous," said Fialkov.

"Facebook zero-rates their content to sell adverts, similarly Google zero-rates their search for the same reason."

It only becomes a problem if no one else can compete with the bundled pricing, and the company offering predatory pricing has significant market share.

"If zero-rating the content makes it impossible for other providers to compete, that is a competition issue rather than a net neutrality issue," said Fialkov.

Whichever way you look at it, the issue of completely open and equal Internet traffic is not a clear-cut case - internationally, or in South Africa. â–

MYBROADBAND 21

D I G I TA L T R A N S F O R M A T I O N

UNWRAPPING THE EXECUTIVE CHALLENGE

D

igital transformation is fantastic.

It is also complex, challenging, demanding and full of interesting surprises.

What are the biggest challenges when it comes to the existing enterprise network and digital transformation? A lack of a clear vision, resistance to change, inflexible technology, legacy business models, and complex network requirements are just a few. The organisation has to wade through this quagmire of confusion to create a seamless solution that’s easy to use and capable of pivoting on a dime.

“Most organisations are in a phase of complete transformation towards digitisation,” says Henk Olivier, Managing Director, Ozone Information Technology Solutions. “This comes with plenty of advantages, but the challenges that present themselves along the way are the by-product of change. These need to be managed and monitored to ensure they don’t become legacy challenges that impact on the efficiency of the new digital organisation.”

The first step is to gain control. The enterprise needs to have control of systems and implementations to manage IT spending and increase performance.

It needs to be able to access insight on demand and see what’s happening across the entire business, from user to network to application to device to location.

“This is difficult to do,” says Olivier. “Most businesses have applications running in the cloud or on a WAN network, especially if it is based across different geographic locations. For the IT network engineer and professional, the challenge lies in improving the performance of these applications 22 MYBROADBAND

or improving the actual performance of the WAN. And this is close to impossible without the right tools or systems.”

Many organisations make the mistake of thinking that the solution lies in upgrading WAN network speeds or Internet connectivity speeds. The problem here is that while the enterprise ends up with bigger and faster and juicier connections to transmit the data, it may not be the data or applications that need to use the line. The solution doesn’t lie in upgrading the speed or the connection, it lies in tools that can do this for you on a continuous, on-demand basis.

MOST ORGANISATIONS ARE IN A PHASE OF COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION TOWARDS DIGITISATION. “These tools allow you to manage the network and the WAN without spending money on constantly upgrading your connections,” he says. “This is where a solution like Exinda Network Orchestrator for WAN optimisation comes in handy. This type of technology gives you a full view of your WAN network in real time, live. It also gives you control.”

The solution is designed to provide users with an interactive analytics capability that allows them to analyse and inspect

application traffic at Layer 7. This gives quick insight for quick solutions – making it possible for the teams to troubleshoot issues rapidly and on demand. The live charts and reporting can be used to improve WAN planning, application performance planning, network governance and critical IT projects. Exinda comes with a recommendation engine that assists in uncovering potential problems before they occur, automatically making suggestions that will help the teams repair the issues, adjust policies and optimise network performance.

“This ultimately prevents unnecessary network upgrades that will cost money, take time and won’t actually solve the problem,” says Olivier. “This is also the future of WAN network optimisation and control. Tools like these are designed to manage, control and use resources in such a way as to keep the network running at peak performance without layering on additional costs or introducing fresh new challenges.”

The system is also very useful when it comes to ensuring that all computers on the network have installed the latest operating system updates, or that the anti-virus is up to date, or whether or not there has been any data leakage throughout the business.

All three boxes are very important to tick in the current climate and take a lot of pressure off the network administrator, the enterprise and the organisation’s shift towards digital success. ■

Network Orchestration Solution

 Manage and Monitor Application performance  Detailed application performance visibility  Analyse and inspect application traffic  Policy based traffic shaping  Application acceleration  WAN optimization and application performance scoring

MANAGEMENT

THE NEW C ISN’T FOR YOUR HEALTH

By Tamsin Oxford

O

nce upon a time in a leadership meeting far, far away, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) was crowned.

This role was one of many that were to sit at the giddy heights of the decision-making table for decades along with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), General Counsel, and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO).

These titles have been the stalwarts of the C-Suite world, and have been around for so long that all who wish to rise to greatness have put them on their To Do list. Until now. Now, it seems that we’re gonna need a bigger table.

24 MYBROADBAND

The big C There are a lot of C-Suite titles and their evolution has been triggered by the same rampantly disruptive technology that has inspired new business empires, transformed the traditional, and reduced mega-enterprises to tatters. Today, there is the Chief Data Officer, Chief Talent Officer, Chief Privacy Officer, Chief Analytics Officer, Chief Experience Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, and Chief Robotics Officer - freshly minted towards the end of 2017. But do these roles have any longevity beyond a sudden business need to plug a hole?

“As with all jobs in a technology-driven world, the skills in understanding how to solve, work, and communicate with different tools and be flexible enough to constantly change alongside rapid updates and information requires leadership,” says

FOR C-SUITE TITLES THERE IS NO LIMIT TO REBRANDING HOW YOUR COMPANY WILL BE FUNCTIONING IN THE FUTURE.

Muggie van Staden, Managing Director, Obsidian Systems.

He has a point. While the ever-lengthening list of C-suite titles is beginning to feel a bit preposterous, the role that they play is essential. The CEO cannot be expected to think along every new pathway, or predict every new security flaw, or anticipate the next big trend on their own. In a study undertaken by Harvard Business Review, the CEO is more likely to have been selected by the board and is accountable to them from the outset, and that is balanced by the need for the CEO to listen, multitask, communicate, and use the rest of the C-Suite’s expertise to make informed decisions. In short, without new roles providing expert insight, the CEO is running with scissors in the dark.

Unfortunately, not all C-Suite roles are going to be as relevant tomorrow as they are today. Just look at the extraordinary shift in the responsibilities of the CIO over the past year. Will any of the new titles still be relevant by 2020? For Robin Olivier, Managing Director at Apple Premium Reseller Digicape, businesses are having to change the way they work to attract and retain the right talent, and appeal to the ever-changing needs of the customer. This means adapting the roles to the need.

“We are in the middle of a new age of ‘woke’ and companies not taking cultural sensitivities into consideration may soon themselves become the target of consumer wrath,” he explains. “Since H&M’s recent media saga revolving around an illconceived hoodie design, they have added a Global Diversity Leader to their team. Their role is to ensure the company considers the sensitivities of every market they operate in. I anticipate that we will see the emergence of similar roles in this space.”

with the 2016 State of the Connected Customer Report finding that 75% of consumers expect a consistent experience when they engage, and 76% are happy to just switch brands if a company doesn’t make an effort.

When the battleground for money lies in catching the customer’s loyalty, this C-Suite role is very likely to be one that will hold its value for a while.

But what about the Chief Listening Officer (Kodak), Chief Flavor Officer (Bai Brands), Paranoid In Chief (Yahoo, appropriately), and Chief Storyteller (Microsoft)? Some of these roles are still in play today, although not necessarily adopted by other companies or making it into mainstream, and they highlight the importance of reinvention.

“There is a risk in not moving towards future thinking roles and the rebranding of leadership as it can leave you lacking in aggressively-competitive talent that can lead your business aligned strategies,” concludes van Staden.

Muggie van Staden Managing Director at Obsidian Systems

“For C-Suite titles there is no limit to rebranding how your company will be functioning in the future. As the workforce moves closer to contracts versus employees, some companies may even rebrand Human Resources to be Chief Relationship Manager or marketers to Chief Consumer Experiential Officers.”

Or, for those who own their own businesses, it is perhaps an opportunity to create a role that best defines exactly what it is that your disruptive new startup can do. Like Joanna Pineda, who, as the CEO of the Matrix Group, decided to add a new C to the suite for herself – Chief Troublemaker. ■

New roles New C-Suite roles are being defined all the time. Some include the Chief Experience Officer, Chief Transformation Officer, Chief Data Officer, and Chief Culture Officer each one adding a dash of spice to the table.

Others stand out because their abilities are incredibly relevant to the current climate.

One such role is the Chief Engagement Officer - the need for customer engagement has statistically proven its worth in 2017,

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CLOUD

TAKING YOUR BUSINESS TO THE CLOUD WITH MICROSOFT AZURE

By Vicky Sidler

M

icrosoft Azure is an open, flexible, enterprise-grade cloud computing platform that allows you to move faster, do more, and save money.

Cloud migration is showing significant growth in South Africa, with a study from the International Data Corporation revealing that 93% of South African companies are developing a cloud strategy.

Yet, many businesses interested in moving to the cloud are unsure of how to do so compliantly and cost effectively. For this reason, Axiz has added Azure skills to its business in the form of front-line technical expertise – supported by Microsoft Solutions Architects, Solutions Experts, and Solutions Developers – to better guide its partner channel and to support end-users in their cloud journey.

These skills are critical in helping to drive a cloud strategy in any IT environment – particularly because Azure has wide market place offerings with global Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), including Citrix, Veeam, Veritas, IBM, and Red Hat.

Locally-offered Azure services The experts that form part of Axiz’s Microsoft CSP team have enabled Axiz to grow over 2,000% with Azure yearon-year, which has seen many South African businesses move to a modern data environment.

Microsoft is further supporting South African businesses by establishing an Azure 26 MYBROADBAND

cloud region in South Africa, deploying infrastructure in co-located data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town to offer locally-hosted cloud services. As a result, customers will enjoy more reliability, faster speeds, and lower latencies than they can get when accessing cloud services from data centres in Europe or the US.

Azure also offers a comprehensive set of flexible AI services for any scenario and enterprise-grade AI infrastructure that runs AI workloads anywhere at scale, as AI becomes more relevant in businesses today. Azure offers modern AI tools that have been designed for developers and data scientists to help solutions partners create AI solutions easily and with maximum productivity, which Axiz’s expert team can assist with.

To better help customers and partners experience Azure first hand, Axiz offered a $200 Azure experience at the Microsoft Tech Summit in February in Cape Town.

At the event, a keynote presentation was also delivered on Azure, Cloud for All to showcase the value of Azure to enterprise customers as well as SMBs. Axiz has removed the complexity from the cloud by collaborating with Microsoft Azure, making high-end services and brands available to channel partners and their customers – enabling them to remain relevant in an industry that is at the leading edge of digital transformation. ■

AXIZ HAS REMOVED THE COMPLEXITY FROM THE CLOUD

BY COLLABORATING WITH MICROSOFT AZURE, MAKING HIGH-END SERVICES AND BRANDS AVAILABLE TO CHANNEL PARTNERS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS.

CLOUD

ERROR/REBOOT

By Tamsin Oxford

C

loud is majestic. It is a technology that has sp r un g fo r t h fro m customer need, enterprise demand, and inventive technology minds. It has lifted the weight of the box and the thump of the hardware from the office floor and replaced it with fluffy connectivity, flexibility, and agility.

Cloud saw, according to the IDC, a total spend increase of 15.3% year-on-year by the end of 2017, while traditional, noncloud, IT infrastructure was set to decline by 5.3%. The IDC long-term view has postulated that the five-year CAGR will be 11.7%, hitting $47.2 billion by 2021.

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With this in mind it would be a real pity if the cloud decision you made today was the wrong one, wouldn’t it? So, what are the biggest cloud mistakes that could bring your business to its Earthbound knees?

The cloud “Don’t rely on a single cloud vendor,” says Nick Saunders, cyber resilience expert at Mimecast. “Cyber-attacks and data breaches are becoming commonplace and hackers know they have only one lock to pick to gain access, so they focus their attention on cloud services because of the potentially large payoff.”

DON’T RELY ON A SINGLE CLOUD VENDOR

CLOUD COMPUTING IS A NEW TECHNOLOGY AND WHILE IT IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO USING A HARDWARE INFRASTRUCTURE, IT WON’T CURE EVERY ISSUE IN YOUR SYSTEM.

Cyber-attacks - the dreaded lurgy of the connected world that kicks the business in the shins and results in downtime, lost productivity, disappearing customer trust, and a fat chunk of revenue.

A study by cyber security firm CGI and Oxford Economics found that the average FTSE 100 firm lost £120 million (around R2 billion) when breached. Of course, it isn’t just the fact that the cloud service may be hacked which could impact placing all the proverbial eggs in one cloud basket, it’s the risk of the cloud service provider going down and leaving you stranded while it tries to figure out what went wrong.

Another common mistake is a complete lack of a cohesive cloud strategy. It sounds like the most basic of errors, but if the business doesn’t look to a cloud solution that actually suits its growth plans and existing infrastructure, it’s going to hit some unpleasant walls.

Richard Vester, Group Executive, Cloud Services at EOH, points out: “Many businesses are still making fundamental mistakes in their strategies. In particular, there is a misconception around the public cloud. Business very often doesn’t know exactly what IT is doing in terms of the public cloud, so is unable to incorporate everything into a total, holistic strategy.”

Good management and visibility are often missing when it comes to cloud implementations and these are both pretty big boxes the business should tick. They will not only highlight potential issues before it’s too late, but could allow for more inventive investment with better long-term results.

“Cloud computing is a new technology and while it is a great alternative to using a hardware infrastructure, it won’t cure every

issue in your system,” says Damian Michael, Managing Director at Innovo Networks.

“The number one secret to cloud success is good communication. If you’re thinking of switching over, do some research. Don’t choose a certain program or software because it’s popular, choose it because it is a good fit for your company.” And select a cloud provider with a track record and experience. It’s easy to assume that every IT company is qualified to implement the cloud, but this really is not the case.

Cowboys aren’t exclusive to other industries and it’s a big mistake to assume that just because someone has a qualification they know what to do. Rather dodge the bullet by using a company with a history, choosing the right applications to move to the cloud, and investing in an in-house cloud expert.

Damian Michael Managing Director at Innovo Networks

Running online “One of the biggest mistakes we see is customers thinking that any workload currently running in the enterprise today will run in the cloud,” says Thomas Lee, CEO at Wingu. “We’ve seen issues with financial systems, monolithic applications, input-output heavy database systems, and more. In 95% of cases, applications have to be rebuilt for the cloud environment.”

BUSINESSES ARE INVESTING IN CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THE MAIN PURPOSE OF DRIVING DOWN BOTTOM LINE COSTS. MYBROADBAND 29

CLOUD

ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES WE SEE IS CUSTOMERS THINKING THAT ANY WORKLOAD CURRENTLY RUNNING IN THE ENTERPRISE TODAY WILL RUN IN THE CLOUD. Lee also points to another problem – return on investment. The business can be let down if ROI isn’t calculated properly. Some cloud virtual machines may seem more expensive than on-premise, but this is just in the cost of the kit and ignores the other costs of cooling, administrator salaries, networking equipment, data centre equipment, and electricity. There is also another side to the cost coin.

“Businesses are investing in cloud infrastructure with the main purpose of driving down bottom line costs,” said Andrew Cruise, MD at Routed. “This typically results in the business seeking out the cheapest solution that invariably runs

on cheap, unreliable hardware or software and consists of solutions put together with sticky tape.”

This is a common mistake. It is also one that leads to downtime, poor performance, and a perception that cloud is a useless joke made at the expense of the innocent enterprise.

While these errors are barely scraping the fluffy white surface of cloud mistakes made by eager organisations, they are some of the most common and potentially the riskiest.

To avoid them, the first step is to know more about the market, the providers, and the realities of cost and deliverables. ■

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

H A R D WA R E

HEAD DOWN, MUSIC ON

By Kevin Lancaster

T

he modern workplace has said goodbye to cubicles, small offices with closed blinds, and classroom-like environments where talking above a whisper is discouraged.

Today, you are more likely to see openplan designs, employees across different seniority levels sharing spaces, and funky desk combinations that make sure the building’s “auras” are balanced.

This makes for better-looking and more accomodating workspaces, but it introduces a problem - noise. As much as your colleague’s story about how his cat got

stuck in the fridge is hilarious to Jeff from accounting, you need to get your latest piece of work done without hearing the shrieking.

The solution to this problem is a great pair of headphones, whether you like over-ear, on-ear, or in-ear designs.

If you need to get that spreadsheet done before 13:00 and Jeff ’s piercing laugh is at all-time highs, the headphones below paired with some good music - may be the solution.

MYBROADBAND 31

H A R D WA R E

Sennheiser HD 598 CS Nothing says “I’m busy” better than a pair of over-ear Sennheiser headphones.

The HD 598 CS pair comes with a 3m, 6.3mm-jack cable for home entertainment systems and a 1.2m, 3.5mm-jack cable for portable devices and laptops - making them good for home and office use.

The HD 598 CS pair feature 23 Ohm impedance, a frequency response of 10-28,000Hz, and great-quality sound.

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Beoplay H4 Another option in the over-ear category is the H4 headphones from Beoplay, which feature wireless connectivity.

These stylish headphones come in an array of colours, connect to your device via Bluetooth, and feature up to 19 hours of battery life.

The headphones also feature a 20-20,000Hz frequency range, omnidirectional microphone, and on-device controls.

MYBROADBAND 33

H A R D WA R E

Beats Solo 3 Wireless The Beats Solo 3 Wireless are described as “the perfect everyday headphones” by its makers.

The headphones feature Bluetooth connectivity and up to 40 hours of battery life, which means your week’s worth of office use could be taken care of in a single charge.

An array of colours are available for the on-ear headphones, which weigh only 215g.

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Bose SoundSport Free If you’re looking for something a bit more discreet than headphones, but still want good sound, then in-ear wireless earphones are the solution.

The Bose SoundSport Free are “truly wireless”, and are engineered to stay in place and stay comfortable.

The earphones feature a 5-hour battery life and are IPX4 water resistant.

MYBROADBAND 35

CAREERS

THE RISING DEMAND FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

By Kevin Lancaster

J

obs in the IT industry regularly feature as the most in-demand positions in South Africa, as companies look to excel in a world where technology and software-focused solutions are driving major change.

This trend is set to continue in 2018, according to OfferZen cofounder Philip Joubert, as more companies look to employ skilled candidates - with a focus on software developers.

“The tech space is definitely growing at a rapid rate and will continue to do so in 2018. Corporates and startups are competing with each other for the top tech talent and the demand is rising faster than new talent is entering the market. I think the fact that OfferZen grew by 400% last year attests to the rapid growth in developer jobs,” said Joubert.

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OfferZen, which deals predominantly with software developers and techrelated positions, is not the only player experiencing a surge in demand for roles in the IT market.

Pa u l By r n e , M a n a g i n g D i re c to r a t CareerJunction, said software developers were in high demand during 2017 and remain the most sought-after skill set on CareerJunction.

“Currently, every fifth vacancy is allocated to a role in software development. We expect to see a similar trend in 2018, particularly during the first half of 2018, where we expect to see an even higher number of vacancies for software developers,” said Byrne.

Senior developers The demand for senior developers in South Africa was particularly high, said Byrne,

THE TECH SPACE IS DEFINITELY GROWING AT A RAPID RATE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO IN 2018.

adding that this was an increasing trend in the country.

“When comparing the number of vacancies across various skill levels, there seems to be a notable preference for senior developers compared to junior and intermediatelevel developers. Senior roles are also significantly higher within software development than compared to other professions,” he said.

“This trend has grown over the past year and a half. At the end of 2016, every fourth software developer vacancy was for a senior professional. At the end of 2017, this number increased to every third vacancy.

Looking into 2018, we expect this trend to continue."

This does not mean that students looking to get into software development should reconsider, however.

Joubert said with the market expanding faster than new developers were entering it, it was definitely a good choice for students. “I don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future. I think that the global impact of software is just beginning so, if anything, I foresee increased demand for software developers,” said Joubert.

Philip Joubert OfferZen Cofounder

Roles in demand in 2018 Both CareerJunction and OfferZen said 2018 has kicked off with a strong demand for developer roles, and specific skill sets were already emerging as sought-after for the year.

“2018 started off really quickly, with activity on the platform surging as companies kick off their hiring. The number of people applying to OfferZen has increased by 200% since October/November last year and interview requests being sent per week is at an all-time high,” said Joubert.

“We’re seeing high demand for developers using .NET, Java, and JavaScript across both Gauteng and the Western Cape, which isn’t surprising as these are some of the most widely-used languages. Looking a bit closer, Johannesburg has a lot more demand for .NET than Cape Town does,” he said.

MYBROADBAND 37

CAREERS

MANY PEOPLE THINK WE MIGHT BE IN A CRYPTO BUBBLE AT THE MOMENT. BUT EVEN IF WE ARE, I STILL THINK THE BLOCKCHAIN HAS ENOUGH POTENTIAL FOR SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT. Joubert added that there is also a high demand for UX Designers, and Python and PHP developers in Cape Town.

Byrne concurred with Joubert, stating that C# and Java were the most soughtafter skill sets within the field of software development, followed by .NET.

“C# skills in particular have again become a very popular skill set in recent months. The high competition for software developers in South Africa also results in lucrative remuneration packages for professionals in this field,” said Joubert.

Roles in the tech sector, besides software development, which have also seen an increase in demand of late include systems and network administration, and business analysis, said Byrne.

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Bitcoin and the blockchain One of the standout sectors of the tech industry in 2017 was cryptocurrencies and their respective blockchains. The likes of Bitcoin and Ethereum skyrocketed in terms of popularity - and value - with many companies looking to employ blockchainbased solutions in their day-to-day operations.

This has not translated into a high demand for “blockchain experts” or related positions in South Africa as yet, however.

“Many people, including Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, think we might be in a crypto bubble at the moment. But even if we are, I still think the blockchain has enough potential for sustainable employment,” said Joubert. “Right now it’s still a fledgling industry in terms of software development

job opportunities, but I expect that to grow significantly in 2018.”

Byrne said blockchain and cryptocurrencies are in their infancy, but are set to change how we engage and transact across platforms.

“I see a massive future in this area of development and given the touchpoints of this tech across our lives, there is no question about the sustainability of this industry,” said Byrne. ■

5G

5G – PROMISES AND CHALLENGES

By Kevin Lancaster

5

G has the potential to revolutionise the mobile industry, with the promise of 1,000-fold gains in capacity, speeds of 10Gbps to individual users, and very low latency and response times. It can be seen as a fibrelike broadband experience delivered through the air, which will provide billions of people with super-fast mobile broadband.

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It was therefore with great excitement that MTN announced in January it was conducting the first 5G technology and applications trial in Africa at its head office in Johannesburg. As part of the trial, which was done in partnership with Ericsson, MTN demonstrated speeds exceeding 20Gbps and less than 5ms of latency using 800MHz of spectrum in the 15GHz band.

MTN said it is testing, learning, and pushing the boundaries of how 5G can meet the needs of its customers in the future, which includes delivering next-generation mobile broadband and providing support for large Internet of Things (IoT) deployments. 5G wireless networks will be the foundation on which many new online services will be built, including smart cities, next generation healthcare services, and automated vehicles, said the company.

Giovanni Chiarelli, CTIO at MTN SA, said 5G offers a new world of potential for South Africa. “With 5G, remote healthcare through connected robots could offer world-class surgery in the most remote parts of the continent and the world. Self-driving cars could change the face of road safety, along with smart agriculture, smart mining, and smart cities,� he said.

MYBROADBAND 41

5G

5G-V2X IS WIDELY RECOGNISED AS THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT VERTICAL INDUSTRY WHICH WILL BE ENABLED BY 5G INNOVATIONS.

Game changer There is no doubt that 5G is a gamechanging technology, but it comes with its own challenges, especially in South Africa.

Chiarelli highlighted that to achieve the much higher mobile speeds which the technology offers, additional spectrum is needed. In South Africa, spectrum allocation has been very slow, with operators still struggling to get their hands on muchneeded 4G spectrum.

The fact that 5G networks will be built to use the extremely-high millimetre wave bands, where there is a lot of spectrum available, also comes with drawbacks. This includes relatively weak propagation that would require a super-dense network of 5G small cells, and high absorption which turns buildings, hills, and even raindrops into mortal enemies. The cost associated with rolling out a 5G network can also present a problem to cellular operators, whose revenues and margins are under pressure.

Operators will also be faced with the challenge of developing new business models around how they sell 5G services to consumers. With much higher speeds and support for high-definition video streaming, traditional data bundles, where users purchase data in gigabytes, will no longer suffice. Operators will have to consider bundled video and streaming plans, and unlimited use of some services tailored for specific consumer segments.

5G clearly offers exciting opportunities to mobile operators, but it has big challenges which will have to be overcome to ensure that the technology offers the promised benefits to consumers and businesses.

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Practical examples In international markets, where certain barriers to creating 5G networks are similar to those in South Africa, companies like Huawei are demonstrating the capabilities of the technology.

Telefónica and Huawei recently achieved the world’s first Proof-of-Concept (PoC) testbed for 5G-based vehicle communication networks (known as 5G-V2X) in their 5G Joint Innovation Lab in Madrid.

“5G-V2X is widely recognised as the first and most important vertical industry which will be enabled by 5G innovations,” said Huawei. “The test for 5G-V2X technology is based on the latest 3GPP New Radio (NR) Standard specification available since 22 December 2017. Some of the most advanced 5G-V2X services include vehicles platooning, extended sensors, advanced driving, and remote driving, among others.”

The company said that due to the stringent requirements of autonomous driving, the so-called Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication mode of 5G NR offers a flexible design to support services with low latency and high reliability.

“The PoC test will lay the foundations for large-scale field trials with the upcoming commercial deployments of 5G wireless networks worldwide,” said Huawei. ■

Exploration lights the way forward The relentless pursuit of innovation enlightens the intelligent world

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Driven by responsible operations, ongoing innovation, and open collaboration, we have established a competitive ICT portfolio of end-to-end solutions in telecom and enterprise networks, devices, and cloud computing. For more information, please visit: www.huawei.com/za

D I G I TA L T R A N S F O R M A T I O N

DEATH TO DIGITAL

By Tamsin Oxford

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D

igital Transformation. These two words describe a panacea for modern business as it wrestles down the complexities presented by the relentlessly-evolving digital realm. It is the cure all for the sluggishness that plagues the corporate. It is the yoga that every organisation needs to boost agility and bend to market whim. And it can die a slow and agonising death if not done right.

Want to know how to kill off your organisation’s chances of a successful digital transformation strategy? Here are five simple steps.

Step One: Stay rigidly stuck to the old ways of doing things “Digital strategies have to remain flexible as the digital landscape is ever evolving and there are changes to digital platforms on a daily basis,” explains Nasiphi Fazi, Managing Director and Digital Marketing Manager at Break Bread Group. “Periodic optimisation is required to keep it robust – review it every quarter or mid-year to ensure it is still meeting business objectives and needs.”

It’s also a really good idea not to invest in a gorgeous new technology only to populate it with old mistakes. Yes, you had the old ways of doing things and they worked, up to a point. They were great back when your business started, but the reason you’ve

DON’T BE FOOLED INTO THINKING THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW FOR FEAR OF DESTROYING YOUR BUSINESS. what’s important to them and implement their responses,” says Rykiel Ramnath, Digital Champion at Cornastone.

“Determine the best user experiences that solve your customer, employee, and partner problems and choose the best technologies to enable these user experiences.”

Customer demand is only going to continue rising, and dictate the success or failure of a business. Think the days of the Goliath trampling over the customer to get to the profit are still strong? You’d be wrong. The defining factor of the sustainably successful business lies in its ability to communicate with its customers, empower its employees, and connect with its people.

Step Three: Spend a ton of money on something that’s free “Many tools that enable digital transformation are free, simple to use, and deliver huge insights, says Stephen Pieterse, CEO at Metisware. “It is so sad to see companies often commission huge, expensive research projects when the data is right under their noses, for free.”

IT IS SO SAD TO SEE COMPANIES OFTEN COMMISSION HUGE, EXPENSIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS WHEN THE DATA IS FREE. invested in a new cloud platform, as-aService (aaS) solution, or software service is because you needed to move faster.

Make your implementation as strategic as possible, be brutal about what systems to keep and which ones to lose. To achieve this goal more effectively, appoint a digital lead who will follow your strategy decisively.

Step Two: Never communicate with anyone “You need to speak to everyone who is involved in your company – customers, employees and partners – and find out

Not only are many solutions free, many can be implemented on a pay-as-you-go basis, allowing the organisation to try different methodologies and solutions and volumes of investment as they go. Of course, this isn’t applicable to the implementation of a company-wide customer relationship management (CRM) platform, for example, but it is applicable to the features and user volumes that are unlocked by the platform.

With the as-a-Service model, the business can opt into a functionality or volume one month and either increase or decrease it the next, dependent on budget or requirement.

Step Four: Dive right in and fix things that aren’t broken “Don’t be fooled into thinking that you absolutely have to do something right now for fear of destroying your business,” says Heath Huxtable, Executive Head at Braintree. “Digital transformation has been around for many years. It’s not new, it just has a new name.”

The best idea is to select and adopt the new breed of technologies and processes, most likely introduced by demand from staff, clients, current shortfalls in existing systems, or the way in which you commercialise or go to market with products or services. You can’t do all the things. Select your vendor carefully, choose your options wisely, and stick with what works.

Step Five: Keep up that tunnel vision, it’s a great strategy “The business should look at its digital transformation strategy through the lens of change and scepticism,” says Jacques du Bruyn, Managing Director at Flume Marketing. “What often happens with digital transformation is that businesses put their heads down, scramble away with tunnel vision and then, when they pick their heads up again, the world has changed.

Keep one eye on the goal, and one eye on the ever-changing digital environment.”

Digital transformation is tough. It is an unknown that can tear the business in places it didn’t even know it could tear.

There are no clear experts and no perfect fits. The one-size-fits-all promise is as much a myth in technology as it is in clothing. The best strategy is to have a fluid strategy that is courageous enough to allow for risk, bold enough to leave room for innovation, and devoid of egos clinging to preconceived ideas. ■

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INTERNET OF THINGS

SOUTH AFRICA FERTILE GROUND FOR IOT INNOVATORS

SqwidNet (IoT)E Entrepreneurship programme Attendees and team

I

hope to do something incredible through access to funding, markets and partners.” That’s how IoT innovator Earl Maree summed up his participation in the SqwidNet (IoT) E Entrepreneurship programme.

Earl is one of 18 promising IoT entrepreneurs who were identified to take part in the three-day intensive IoT developer workshop. With the South African IoT market expected to grow significantly by 2020, there are a wealth of opportunities for IoT tech startups.

At present many of the available IoT devices are produced in Europe, and South Africans have to pay a premium to access them.

It’s becoming increasingly important for the local market to focus its energies on developing devices that would be more affordable and accessible.

As a South African company that is at the forefront of developing IoT networks, SqwidNet, in partnership with Sigfox, is 46 MYBROADBAND

passionate about creating opportunities for local IoT entrepreneurs who will participate significantly in the IoT ecosystem.

“The (IoT) E programme has equipped the entrepreneurs with the skills to take their IoT ideas all the way from concept to prototype and then to production with our partners,” says SqwidNet CEO Reshaad Sha. Sha says that taking the product to market is one of the greatest challenges any startup will ever face on their business journey.

“Now imagine having access to funders who are already looking at this specific market.”

He explains that a unique aspect of the programme is that it will give each of the entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their innovations to a panel of preselected IoT startup funders who are keen to help them take their products to market.

“The prototype product doesn’t have to be polished, but it has to show market potential that will make a funder want to work with the entrepreneur to make a success out of it,” says Sha.

In addition to giving them the skills to build devices, an aspect of the programme also focused on equipping the entrepreneurs with business skills to enable understanding of revenue, profit, and loss.

Along with the other participants, Earl is currently undergoing the second phase of the programme, where SqwidNet has partnered with Business Doctors SA to deliver a series of webinars which will further sharpen the entrepreneurs’ business knowledge. ■

I HOPE TO DO SOMETHING INCREDIBLE THROUGH ACCESS TO FUNDING, MARKETS AND PARTNERS.

The Internet of Things is here.

SqwidNet is the SIGFOX network operator for South Africa. It provides an ecosystem for IoT innovation and for developing and delivering IoT solutions that are enabled through: • the deployment of long-range networks that are purpose-built for IoT • access to low-cost and highly secure connectivity • access to low-cost, low-power devices and modules.

SIGFOX is a global IoT network deployed in 36 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

The SqwidNet network roll-out started in January 2017 and now covers close to 65% of South Africa’s population. National coverage will extend to 85% of the population by the end of this year.

For more information or to sign up as a SqwidNet partner, visit www.sqwidnet.com.

MOBILE NETWORKS

THE BEST MOBILE NETWORK IN SOUTH AFRICA

By Kevin Lancaster

O

ne of the big considerations for consumers when selecting a mobile service is network quality and coverage.

It is therefore no surprise mobile operators love to use the terms “SA’s Best Network” and “The Fastest Network in SA” in their marketing material - and that many fights at the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa centre around network claims.

To determine which operator has the best mobile network in South Africa is not easy – just trying to establish what is meant by “best network” is a hotly-debated issue. In the past, Vodacom and MTN relied on speed test data from the Speedtest.net app, where the average download speed was used to substantiate their “best network” claims.

This recently changed to a combination of download and upload speed, where a speed score is calculated with a weight of 9 for download speed and 1 for upload speed.

This methodology does not account for latency, coverage, or reliability, however, which are all important factors to

consumers when deciding which network will serve their needs the best. To accurately determine which mobile network is truly the best, a weighted formula which takes all important aspects of a mobile network into account is needed.

That is not enough, however, as the commercial value attached to the “best network” claim means operators are incentivised to game the system. Prominent speed test platforms see many very high speed tests from operator employees, who will do network tests in near-perfect conditions to bolster their average performance.

To o v e r c o m e t h e s e c h a l l e n g e s , M y B ro a d b a n d p a r t n e re d w i t h t wo University of Pretoria academics – Prof.

Pieter de Villiers and Dr. Conrad Beyers – when it launched its speed test platform in 2017. With their help, MyBroadband developed a model which ranks mobile operators based on network performance and mitigates the results of tests which seek to game the averages.

This work culminated in the release of MyBroadband’s first Mobile Network Quality Report in January, which was based on 113,117 speed tests performed between 1 October 2017 and 31 December 2017. To rank networks, download speed (70%), upload speed (20%), and latency (10%) were used to calculate a network quality score.

MTN reigned supreme with a Network Quality Score of 9.98, followed by Vodacom on 9.38, Telkom on 6.72, and Cell C on 6.41.

MTN outperformed its competitors on both download speed and upload speed, and also boasted the highest number of successful tests. ■

South Africa’s Average Mobile Network Performance Download Speed

Upload Speed

Latency

19.29 Mbps

7.71 Mbps

53 ms

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South Africa’s Mobile Network Quality Scores Network Operator

Network Quality Score 9.98

MTN 9.38

Vodacom 6.72

Telkom

6.41

Cell C

South Africa’s Mobile Network Performances Network Operator

Download (Mbps)

Upload (Mbps)

Latency (ms)

Test Count

MTN

22.22

10.07

50

28,870

Vodacom

21.63

8.32

53

25,691

Telkom

15.35

4.44

49

19,164

Cell C

14.05

6.25

66

14,768

Network Operator

Download (Mbps) Upload (Mbps)

22.22 MTN

10.07 21.63

Vodacom

Telkom

8.32 15.35 4.44 14.05

Cell C 6.25

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CYBERSECURITY

A DANGEROUS CYBERSECURITY FUTURE FOR SOUTH AFRICA

By Ryan Brothwell

L

ocal cybersecurity was once again thrust into the spotlight at the end of 2017, with the personal details of millions of South Africans discovered in a single data leak – the largest of its kind in the country’s history.

Major leaks - like the aforementioned Master Deeds leak - combined with the rapid growth of the digital landscape in recent years means there has never been a greater demand for individuals with solid cybersecurity skills.

administrators is low in South Africa and the second category of legitimate experts is even lower.”

Not just a local problem Kapoor noted that this shortage is not unique to South Africa, but was exacerbated in the country as areas such as ecommerce remain three years behind developed nations such as the United Kingdom and the USA.

Despite the demand, there is a noticeable dearth of these skills in South Africa, according to Vikas Kapoor - practice head of cybersecurity at In2IT Technologies.

This sentiment is echoed by Riaan Badenhorst, general manager at Kaspersky Lab Africa, who cited a recent report by analyst firm Frost and Sullivan which details the severity of the international cybersecurity skills crisis.

“A lot of South African managers are people that started in, and understand, security, but have not been in the trenches for a while and are lacking the skills to be a truly modern security expert. Having said that, the count of everyday qualified security

“The problem appears to not only relate to the number of available candidates, but also to the skill sets of candidates, as well as individuals already working in the industry,” said Badenhorst. “The skills gap needs to be bridged by a combined effort

“In the simplest terms, we can classify South Africa’s cybersecurity professionals into two categories – basic security administrators, and people with a security mindset that understand how advanced hacking and security has become,” said Kapoor.

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The report forecasts a 1.5-million shortfall of cybersecurity professionals by the year 2020, and predicts that companies and public-sector organisations will need 6 million security professionals by 2019 – while only 4.5 million will have the necessary qualifications.

THE COUNT OF EVERYDAY QUALIFIED SECURITY ADMINISTRATORS IS LOW IN SOUTH AFRICA AND THE SECOND CATEGORY OF LEGITIMATE EXPERTS IS EVEN LOWER.

of both industry and education if we are to enthuse young people about entering cybersecurity careers.”

“Young people should be made more aware of the career opportunities that exist in cybersecurity and encouraged to develop their skills for society’s good. Through a combination of education and learning on the job, we need to nurture and entice young people into the profession before the gap widens even further.”

Riaan Badenhorst General Manager at Kaspersky Lab Africa

Closing the gap Kapoor said that both the government and the industry need to be doing more to close the skills gap we are currently experiencing.

“The South African government’s focus is currently on basic computer skills and there is no focus on the gap,” said Kapoor.

“You can see this in the fact that we still haven’t passed the cybersecurity bill or the POPI (Protection of Personal Information) Bill.”

He also cited a lack of qualifications in the private sector as a major deterrent.

“Right now, there are hardly any long-term customised security programmes in South Africa, and private companies should also be incentivising by providing a premium for security trainees,” he said.

Badenhorst added that it was ultimately the responsibility of every company to safeguard their assets – particularly their data, access points, and employees – from potential cyber threats.

“Companies need to get to grips with the reality that cyberthreats are not something that should be taken lightly and there is no silver bullet. Business leaders should look to take a firm stance that is pro cyber-safety and take a proactive approach to employing mechanisms from software and hardwarebased solutions, and organisation-wide education programmes.” ■

THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT’S FOCUS IS CURRENTLY ON BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS AND THERE IS NO FOCUS ON THE GAP.

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GADGETS

BEST OF CES 2018

By Kevin Lancaster

T

he annual Consumer Electronics Show is one of the highlights of the year for tech fans, with the world’s biggest companies showing off their latest hardware and software.

CES 2018 played host to a range of tech giants, including Samsung, Nvidia, and Intel - all of which revealed awesome new products at the event.

For Samsung, it was its giant The Wall TV, Intel showed off the most powerful NUC it has ever made, and Nvidia gave gamers heart palpitations with its big-format gaming monitors.

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Samsung The Wall Samsung unveiled “The Wall” – the world’s first consumer modular MicroLED television.

“The Wall” is a 146-inch modular TV with incredible definition, without restrictions to size, resolution or form. It is a self-emitting TV with micrometre-scale LEDs – which are much smaller than current LEDs, and serve as their own source of light.

The MicroLED technology featured in The Wall eliminates the need for colour filters or backlight, yet allows the screen to offer consumers the ultimate viewing experience.

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GADGETS

HTC Vive Pro The HTC Vive Pro sports a redesigned chassis and improved display resolution compared to the original headset.

Its display contains 78% more pixels than its predecessor, which means fine details - like the text on a page of a book - are clearer and sharper.

HTC also showed off the Vive Wireless Adapter, which lets users play with the Vive Pro without needing to be connected to their PC via a cable.

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Latest Intel NUC Intel unveiled its most powerful NUC to date at CES 2018.

The new NUCs are based on Intel’s 8th-gen Core processors and feature AMD graphics processing via Radeon RX Vega M systems.

Great for VR enthusiasts and workload-heavy content creators, it will also be Intel’s smallest premium VR-capable system in the market.

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GADGETS

New AMD CPUs AMD launched its new series of Ryzen processors with integrated Radeon Vega graphics.

The new range of Ryzen mobile APUs include the Ryzen Pro and Ryzen 3 models, while the company also provided a first look at the performance of its 12nm 2nd-generation Ryzen desktop CPU. AMD further announced the expansion of the Vega family with Radeon Vega Mobile, and that its first 7nm product is set to be a Radeon Vega GPU for machine learning applications.

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Nvidia BFGD Nvidia’s big format gaming displays (BFGDs) were created in conjunction with Acer, ASUS, and HP. The Nvidia BFGDs integrate a 65-inch, 4K, 120Hz HDR display with Nvidia G-Sync technology and Shield.

It’s the world’s first big-screen PC gaming display, specifically designed for enthusiast gamers seeking the ultimate 4K PC gaming experience.

By using G-Sync’s variable refresh rate technology, and a true 120Hz panel, the BFGDs can also be set to a genuine 24Hz, perfectly matching the framerate of source material.

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GADGETS

Gaming laptops High-end gaming laptops were also shown off at the event, including products from Acer and ASUS. ASUS ROG Strix SKT T1 Hero Edition

The ASUS ROG Strix SKT T1 Hero Edition features a 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 IPS LCD display, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card, and an Intel Core i7 CPU. Acer Nitro 5

The Acer Nitro 5 features a 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 IPS LCD display, AMD Ryzen Mobile processor, AMD Radeon RX 560 GPU, and up to 32GB DDR4 RAM.

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ANTENNAS

INTRODUCING LTE OTTENAS

O

Otto Wireless Solutions introduces Ottennas to the local market.

Leveraging on their extensive experience in the industrial connectivity and IoT market, Otto Wireless Solutions, a leading wireless industrial connectivity hardware supplier situated in Randburg, has introduced their range of high-gain LTE antennas, aptly named Ottennas, to the commercial market.

Each Ottenna is an aesthetically pleasing product which includes an internal DC-Short, allowing the user to simply ground the metal mounting bracket

supplied with the product, in order to achieve a level of surge protection at very little added cost (ground wire not included).

The first two models have been strategically chosen for a wide variety of customers, catering for industrial and commercial needs.

By adding a small RF adapter, the Ottennas become compatible with many popular commercial LTE routers such as the popular Huawei B315 and B618 routers, E5573 MiFi router, or E8372 dongle modem.

Simply plug the cables into the devices for an immediate enhancement to the signal

strength - leading to an improvement in download speeds and general wireless connectivity stability.

The first models for sale are the directional M I M O, 1 1 d B d ev i c e ( p a r t n u m b e r LTE-MD-11), and the Omnidirectional MIMO, 6dB device (part number LTE-MO-6).

The products are presented to the customer well packaged, with all installation instructions (including how to locate the closest cellphone tower) simplified and printed on the side of the box. â–

Jose Dos Santos Cell C CEO

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INTERVIEW

THE BIG Q&A – CELL C

By Kevin Lancaster

C

ell C under CEO Jose Dos Santos is a company making multiple plays in the telecommunications and entertainment space as it looks to capitalise on increased demand for a wide range of services in South Africa.

While it may be best known for its mobile network, and the MVNOs which run on it, Cell C today is operating in multiple avenues in the ICT industry. It offers mobile cellular and fixed-LTE services, fibre packages, and a streaming platform - Black - with exclusive content. It also has the opportunity to move into new fields thanks to its recapitalisation deal with Blue Label telecoms.

MyBroadband spoke to Cell C about its plans for the year ahead.

What are Cell C’s main goals in 2018?

Cell C has recapitalised the business and we are now looking at building on the strong foundation that we have created.

Cell C plans to accelerate the investment in our network and we have a continued focus to offer affordable and disruptive products to our customer base.

We are also continuously looking at strategic partnerships that will add value to our portfolio.

What will Cell C’s diversification strategy look like in 2018?

Cell C has made some fundamental investments in areas that are not traditionally telco. As the commoditisation of telecoms services accelerates, we have implemented alternative revenue streams. This includes partnerships with organisations like ClickaBet, Black, and our MVNO partners.

We will continue to focus on innovation within the business as well as enter into partnerships that fit into our innovation strategy. The recent [fixed-LTE] announcement in conjunction with Internet Solutions is an example.

Our next phase of Black is an educational drive around the flexibility of the packages, content, and affordable pricing, which we expect will accelerate growth over the year.

Are South Africa’s major urban centres where Cell C plans to have a strong mobile presence and take market share from competing operators?

If Cell C could change any three things in the local market in 2018, what would they be?

Ultimately, the aim is to bring services to our customers that they want and need.

Yes. Cell C maintains its focus on rolling out our network to the places that people work and live. This has been successful for Cell C over the last few years and having the additional coverage through roaming partners has made sense for the company.

To gain market share, Cell C will continue its drive to offer innovative products and services to its customer base.

How is Cell C’s fibre business doing?

Cell C’s fibre division, C-Fibre, has been something of a highlight within our stable of services. The last financial year in this segment has shown strong growth. We are also in the process of making several acquisitions in this space, which we will announce once they are complete.

The relationship between Black and Cell C has had a very positive impact on the subscription of the service. It is one of our focus areas for 2018.

For 2018, we are hoping to see strong economic growth off the back of political stability and certainty.

We would further like to see regulations passed that support and enhance competition in the sector (e.g. MTR and number portability regulations) and that do not entrench the current duopoly (which is ultimately negative for the industry and the South African public at large).

Finally, to lower prices to the consumer, we need to see consolidation in some form or another (such as network sharing) to reduce infrastructure duplication, which adds dramatically to input costs. ■

How is the Black streaming service doing in the market?

We are exceptionally pleased with the take-up of Black and the engagement on the platform. While it was only recently launched, growth has been good across the services.

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ECOMMERCE

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN SOUTH AFRICA’S ECOMMERCE MARKET

By Kevin Lancaster

S

outh Africa’s ecommerce market is growing rapidly, with big increases in customer spending in recent years. PayPal said in 2017 that South Africa’s online shopping space was increasing by leaps and bounds, and was forecast to grow to over R53 billion in 2018.

With this growth comes competition, however, and online retailers are battling one another to stay on top. This is evident in the regular online sales and annual specials - particularly on Black Friday and Cyber Monday - held by online stores in an attempt to get clients to their sites.

Getting the right customers to your site depends on who your audience is, though, said Raru Director Neil Smith.

To attract the right audience to Raru, Smith said it requires them to have a wide range

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THIS IS THE KEY TO ECOMMERCE MINING DATA, UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOUR, PREDICTIVE MODELING, AND CUSTOMER SEGMENTATION. of products in various categories. “This enables you to have a long tail where we sell a lot of single, but hard to find products, besides just the popular lines,” said Smith.

WantItAll founder Justin Drennan said it was key for online retailers to know their customers - including where they live and how to get hold of them.

“This is the key to ecommerce - mining data, understanding behaviour, predictive modeling, and customer segmentation.

This, with great marketing, should keep customers coming back,” said Drennan. He added that this assumes a company has the basics in place, which include stocking the right products and ensuring reliable deliveries to customers.

Loyalty While getting an online shopper onto a site with good discounts may give a retailer a sale and exposure, getting users to return regularly - even during “non-sale” periods - is more difficult.

K ly n e M a h a ra j , H e a d o f B ra n d a t Superbalist, said that whether a user becomes a repeat customer or not comes down to their full shopping experience.

said the package will be there in five days, then we must be consistent with what we are promising,” said van de Waal. He added that you must be a trusted retailer, meaning users know your pricing is consistent, your service is good, and you’ve established good communication channels - typically via email.

“You need to know your customer and communicate with them about things they are interested in. For instance, if I send you information about prams and you don’t have a child, then you aren’t going to be interested in coming back to my site. So it’s around knowing your customer - either what they’ve searched or what they’ve put in their trolley. Looking at their purchases helps because the more you know, the better you can cater for their needs,” he said.

If an ecommerce player achieves this, it does not mean a customer will remain loyal exclusively to a single store, however.

“The concept of customer loyalty and faithfulness to one brand only in the online world is at best a very fluid one,” said Smith.

“When browsing, checkout, and delivery all happen seamlessly, customers fall in love with us. The market is more competitive than ever, so the all-round experience has to be positive for a first-time buyer to become a loyalist,” said Maharaj.

“Most customers will always shop from a selection of stores, looking for the best combination of service, price, and availability. We always hope to be in our customers’ selection, and strive to make our overall offering as attractive as possible - so that ordering isn’t always price-driven only.”

“On their first experience they need to feel safe and secure on the site when they make their payment, and they need to feel that we delivered on what we promised. So if we

Drennan said the handling of large volumes of orders, and successfully delivering these orders, formed part of the Black

Paul van de Waal, eCommerce Executive at Makro South Africa, agreed, stating that customers must have a good first experience on their site.

Challenges Ecommerce players also face an array of challenges outside of their battles for customer loyalty, thanks to factors which affect South Africa as a whole.

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ECOMMERCE

Justin Drennan WantItAll Founder

WHILE THE ECOMMERCE INDUSTRY IS STARTING TO GET SCALE, THERE ARE OBVIOUS ISSUES REGARDING BEING ABLE TO DELIVER VOLUME. Friday “meltdown” in 2017 - once again revealing the chinks in the local ecommerce industry’s armour.

“While the ecommerce industry is starting to get scale, there are obvious issues regarding being able to deliver volume, which talks to the challenges of mass-market appeal. You can’t say this ecommerce thing is for everybody and then on Black Friday large numbers of sites fall over, and delivery times suddenly go to two weeks. The challenge is to work out how to deal with Black Friday and ensure that when every day is at current Black Friday levels, expectations are met,” said Drennan.

The volatile rand is another problem for online retailers, said Smith. “Over the last couple of years, the volatile rand has caused problems on occasions. One can only hope 64 MYBROADBAND

the rand stabilises during 2018, which would help smooth out trading and price volatility,” he said.

Issues around the customer’s perception of security, accessibility to services, and on-time deliveries are additional challenges faced by online retailers, which have resulted in unique solutions being developed.

Van de Waal said South Africa is only now coming to a point where it has national online players for fulfilment. “Logistics is still a challenge, because places are far apart and so delivering to a customer economically and reliably can be a challenge,” he said.

“We have seen this as an opportunity to innovate. A great example of this is the

Makro Pick-Up Locker service. The benefit of using the Makro Pick-Up Locker service is that it allows online customers to collect their purchases at a locker placed at safe and convenient locations.”

Maharaj added that making online shopping accessible to everyone should be the overriding mantra of all local ecommerce players.

“Whether it’s progressive web apps in the tech realm, the right product assortment, or even the logistics, local ecommerce players need to practice the mantra of accessibility and help overcome uniquely South African challenges to make sure anyone can shop online.” ■

EVENTS

MYBROADBAND EVENTS IN 2018

By Kevin Lancaster 2018 will play host to the best ICT events in South Africa, hosted by MyBroadband.

The MyBroadband Conference, the country’s premiere ICT event, will be even bigger and better this year, with the country’s top speakers, exhibitors, and delegates gathering at the Gallagher Convention Centre on 18 October 2018.

MyBroadband will also host its Cloud Conference on 13 June 2018, along with several MyBroadband Underground events - exclusive conferences which unpack the latest trends in the ICT industry.

CLOUD CONFERENCE 13 JUNE 2018

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EVENTS

MYBROADBAND CONFERENCE 18 OCTOBER 2018

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VARIOUS UNDERGROUND CONFERENCES

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MOTORING

MAZDA’S NOT GIVING UP ON PETROL ENGINES JUST YET

By Kevin Lancaster

C

ar giants like VW, BMW, and Ferrari are all pro electric cars at the moment, and are investing huge sums of money to advance their respective electric car programmes.

The global drive to develop and sell electric cars has been brought on by a number of factors, including their efficiency and players like Tesla causing concern among the established brands that they will be left behind if they do not get on board.

The positive impact electric vehicles will have on the environment - as they do not burn fossil fuels and emit harmful gases - is arguably one of the primary reasons electric car advocates are pushing for worldwide adoption.

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Despite this, Mazda is not giving up on the internal-combustion engine just yet and has shown off its latest attempt to keep gasoline engines alive - its next-generation Skyactiv-X technology.

More efficient Mazda has called its Skyactiv-X engine “a revolutionary powerplant”, which combines the free-revving characteristics of a gasoline engine with the fuel efficiency, torque, and fast initial response of a diesel unit.

This combination of characteristics is thanks to the company’s Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI) technology.

At the end of 2017, Mazda said the new tech will see its engines become the first commercial gasoline motors to “use compression ignition to realise an

unprecedented level of sharp engine response and torqueful acceleration combined with higher fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions than ever before”.

The new engine technology was developed alongside a new vehicle platform, the Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture. The platform is focused on the comfort and ergonomics of a vehicle occupant's driving experience, said Mazda.

Saving fuel At the start of February, Mazda North America provided more details on how its new engine technology will work, what it expects for the platform, and the fact that its move comes at a time when the automotive world is doubling down on electric cars.

Mazda's Skyactiv-X engine will launch in 2019

The key to the success of the engines is the Spark Controlled Compression Ignition.

Petrol engines have spark plugs, which ignite the fuel and air mixture to cause combustion - which drives the motor.

Diesel engines, on the other hand, use compression ignition, which forces air and fuel to combust without a spark. This improves the efficiency of the engine, but causes more emissions. Mazda is looking to take the best characteristics of both, while removing the drawbacks.

It said that higher compression in an engine generally results in higher efficiency and more torque, which the Skyactiv-X motors will take advantage of via their three modes

of operation. The first mode works similarly to a normal petrol engine, which uses a spark to ignite the fuel and air mix, while a small supercharger forces more air into the engine for increased power. Once the engine is going, the second mode is engaged - which allows for more efficiency in normal driving conditions.

The third mode is where peak efficiency takes place and where compression ignition is automatically managed by the engine.

Mazda has already put prototype vehicles using Skyactiv-X engines on the road, and early reports state that the technology works smoothly and as intended.

The Skyactiv-X engines are set for a full launch in 2019, when the combination of performance and efficiency the technology promises has been mastered. Before this, Mazda will host a technology exhibit at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show in March, demonstrating the new engine technology. â–

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I N N O VAT I O N

INTEL’S WORLDRECORD-BREAKING DRONES

By Kevin Lancaster

O

ne of the highlights at the start of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang was Intel’s record-breaking drone light show. Intel smashed a Guinness World Record for the event, when it used 1,218 of its Shooting Star drones to put on the display.

The record broken was for the “most unmanned aerial vehicles airborne simultaneously”, which was achieved in December 2017 and prerecorded for the game’s opening ceremony. The previous record for the most drones flown at one time was set by Intel in 2016, with 500 drones flown simultaneously in Germany.

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Intel set the drones to display an array of colours and formations for the show, which included the Olympic rings and a snowboarder. This was possible thanks to the drones’ built-in LED lights that can create over 4 billion colour combinations in the sky, and the company’s automated software.

“The software and animation interface on the Intel Shooting Star drone system allows a light show to be created in a matter of days or weeks, depending on the animation complexity,” said Intel. “Intel’s proprietary algorithms automate the animation creation process by using a reference image, quickly calculating the number of drones

needed, determining where drones should be placed, and formulating the fastest path to create the image in the sky.”

“The light show control software also runs a complete fleet check prior to each flight and is able to select the most optimised drones for each flight based on battery life, GPS reception, and more. The fleet size is dependent on the complexity of the animation needed.” ■

Shooting Star Drones Technical specifications Type Quadcopter with encased propellers Size 384 x 384 x 93 mm Rotor Diameter 150 mm Maximum Take-off Weight 330g Typical Show Duration 5-8 minutes Maximum Range 1.5km Maximum Tolerable Wind Speed 10m/s Maximum GPS Mode Airspeed 10m/s Maximum Light Show Airspeed 3m/s

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