MY BR OAD BAND 2019
A n n u a l Ed i t i o n
4IR. LEAPFROG OR LOSER? 5G. WHY ARE WE WAITING?
R45 .0 0 i n c l va t
Phathizwe Malinga, Managing Director of SqwidNet
THE HYPERSCALE STORM. THIS CLOUD IS FOR AFRICA.
FROM THE EDITOR’S PEN Welcome to the 2019 special edition of MyBroadband Magazine. This issue focuses on some of the biggest issues facing the ICT industry today, and some of the most interesting opportunities. We kick off with the dominant conversation in the market – The Fourth Industrial Revolution – by asking some of South Africa’s leading experts and analysts what they believe lies ahead for the country. We explore the future of 5G and the challenges of spectrum and infrastructure that are slowing development and adoption. Is that a 5G skeleton lying in the corner as it waits for spectrum to finally be released or is it just an illusion as finally things are starting to shift? Of course, no analysis of the industry would be complete without examining hyperscale and the sparkling arrival of Microsoft Azure in the country. We ask some of the questions that decision makers want answered. Also included in this bumper issue are the hottest electrical cars, the looming risk of a Carrington event, the steady growth of the South African digital bank, and stunning snapshots of the MyBroadband Cloud Conference. As you step onwards into these pages designed by Colleen Mulrooney and penned by some of SA’s best writing talent, be prepared to be informed, entertained and inspired.
TAMSIN OXFORD EDITOR
IN THIS ISSUE
CONTENTS 05
30
CONVERSATION
SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE FROM
08
IC LOGISTIX
TO FOSTER INNOVATION
IT’S ELECTRIFYING – ELECTRIC
THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL
BUILDING AN ENVIRONMENT
SPECIALISED TECHNOLOGY
32
10
CARS ON THE MARKET
NIGHTMARES WITH IOT
START YOUR DIGITAL JOURNEY
ELIMINATING CALL CENTRE
38
12
WITH RSAWEB
COMMUNICATE. VISUALISE.
CLOUD – INCREASING BUSINESS
CUSTOMISE. COLLABORATE.
40
16
AGILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS
TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS’
LISTEN UP! PODCASTING
UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 10 SECURITY
18
WAITING FOR SPECTRUM. WAITING FOR 5G
22
NEW YEALINK + MULTI-CELL DECT, REVOLUTIONISING OFFICE MOBILITY
24
A HELPING HAND FROM HYPERSCALE
42
IN SOUTH AFRICA
46
TECHNOLOGY MADE BEAUTIFUL
50
WIOCC’S JO’BURG/PRETORIA METRO NETWORK UPGRADED TO MULTI-100GBPS CAPACITY
52
UNDONE BY THE SUN
56
70
REDEFINED FOR AFRICA
CLOUD CONFERENCE
58
78
PARGO – LAST MILE DELIVERY
JOIN THE REVOLUTION AT THE CTICC
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DARTCOM SA AWARDED R50-M FIBRE AND ETHERNET
60
DATA CENTRE CONTRACT
REVOLUTION
EQUAL EXPERTS. MAKING
THE DIGITAL BANKING
80
64
SOFTWARE. BETTER
66
A10 NETWORKS
POLLAK IMMIGRATION
4IR, WHY IT’S IMPORTANT AND AN AFRICAN LEAPFROG
82 84
THE FINAL ANALYSIS
68
APP-BASED INSURTECH GRANADILLA GROWS UP
PUBLISHER MyBroadband TEL +27 12 687 5159 WEB mybroadband.co.za EDITORIAL kevin@mybroadband.co.za ADVERTISING cara@mybroadband.co.za ISSN 2519-7509
EDITOR Tamsin Oxford CONTRIBUTORS Kerry Haggard Tamsin Oxford Monique Verduyn Jan Vermeulen Adam Oxford DESIGN Colleen Mulrooney ADVERTISING Cara Muller and Elouise Viljoen
T H E F OU R T H I N DU S T R I A L R E VO LU T I O N
THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL CONVERSATION
Takalani Netshitenzhe, Chief Officer: Corporate Affairs at the Vodacom Group.
4IR REQUIRES DEDICATION TO A FUTURE THAT SHOULD BENEFIT ALL Tamsin Oxford
T
here is so much hype and conversation around the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and what it means for the country and the world that it sometimes feels that nobody is talking about anything else. In April, the Presidency revealed the names of those who would serve on the Presidential Commission for 4IR and in July, the first Fourth Industrial Revolution SA Digital Economy Summit stretched its legs and started talking. Amidst this flurry of chatter and speculation, several reports and analyses have landed with a thump. The World Economic Forum has examined how 4IR will affect the ways in which humanity handles the Earth and various global economies; McKinsey and Company has explored how 4IR will influence the worlds of work, healthcare and productivity; and every other research giant has released a report that highlights what it is, what it can do, and why it is important to pay attention. It’s a massive melting pot of potential, ambition, hope, ideology, technology and innovation that hovers elusively on the global horizon, and South Africa has some cliched and crucial hoops to jump through, fast‌
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T H E F OU R T H I N DU S T R I A L R E VO LU T I O N
Lee Naik, CEO of TransUnion Africa
“South Africa has a narrow window of opportunity to leapfrog to 4IR so that it enhances economic transformation, drives new skills, creates jobs, and improves education and health systems,” says Takalani Netshitenzhe, Chief Officer: Corporate Affairs at the Vodacom Group. “Here, the conversation about this revolution is gaining traction at a time when the World Bank has confirmed that ours is the most unequal society in the world, plagued by the triple scourge of inequality, unemployment and poverty.” Vodacom is optimistic about the blueprints and plans that are to be devised by the Presidential Commission on 4IR. The company believes that these will help position South Africa as a leader and allow the country to explore its potential in developing innovative solutions that are driven by the unique challenges that the country faces. Dr Corrin Varady, CEO of IDEA Digital Education agrees: “If we focus on developing advanced technologies in South Africa, we can become an African and global incubator for digital innovation,
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inspiration and entrepreneurship. The ultimate goal for us should be to house and attract investment, as well as long-term development, in our technology industry.” It’s time that South Africa, as a collective citizenship and collaborative enterprise venture, stop looking at 4IR as this silver lining but rather as an essential step towards remedying the challenges that the country faces. If commissions and governmental committees and legislation get it right, then 4IR could allow for the increase of knowledge and skills, create jobs, and significantly improve quality of life. Thing is, people seem to be waiting for someone to hit an official ‘start’ button and say, ‘4IR has arrived’ before they pay attention. It is already here. “We are in the middle of 4IR right now,” says Varady. “We cannot put off digital transformation until tomorrow because our workforce will be behind. We cannot keep thinking that this is something we can plan for granularly either, it is time to move. Now.”
Dr Corrin Varady, CEO of IDEA Digital Education
That said, there are still those walls that South African innovation and 4IR exploration continue to crash against, repeatedly. Like the limited connectivity and infrastructure, the cost of data, the lack of spectrum, limited access to education for all, and the sloth-like arrival of 5G. There have been announcements around the intent of government to release the spectrum needed for the growth of 5G; and various committees and sub-committees have drunk plenty of coffee while having deep conversations, but there are still so many pointless delays. “Government has already stated its intent to release more spectrum to allow highspeed 5G to be implemented by the Telcos and the Telcos themselves are being tasked with driving down the cost of data,” says Lee Naik, CEO of TransUnion Africa. “These are two key infrastructural inhibitors that need to be dealt with to truly see 4IR adoption increase. Mass adoption has been inhibited by several nontechnology constraints, including a need for leadership to sponsor the fundamental
Collin Govender, Group Executive Shared Services at Altron
re-imagination of organisational and government strategies to conceive a new way of working in a native 4IR and connected society.” T h e f i n g e r s a r e p o i n t i n g a t yo u , government. It’s time to fast track the release of spectrum, to drive a review of the education system and to push the STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) curricula adoption, to partner with global players, and to improve access to financial inclusion. This is on top of taking a very long, hard look at the regulations that are squeezing businesses so tightly that the small to medium enterprise (SME) market is floundering when it should be thriving. “The rules and regulations that we have in place make it near impossible for entrepreneurs to start a business that creates jobs,” says Phathizwe Malinga, Managing Director of SqwidNet. “We need an environment that encourages entrepreneurship and makes it easy for the SME to do business. An environment that has the kinds of rules and regulations that make working out of South Africa highly desirable. Amidst the many critical steps towards successful 4IR, an important one is for our lawmakers to spend every waking second making South Africa the go-to place for innovation.” For Liquid Telecom, one of the critical steps forward would be to overcome the limitations of connectivity for the vast population that lives in rural areas and on the fringes of urban cities. “We need to adapt the methodologies that governments in more developed countries have used, such as investing in the CAPEX to build the passive, active and backhaul networks in rural areas,” says Shaun Reuben, Chief Sales Officer, Liquid Telecom South Africa. In addition, the private sector should look to partnering with government to push investment and build an environment that engenders employment opportunities.
It would be a significant move towards stimulating small business and encouraging the use of 4IR technologies to innovate, create highly specialised solutions, and develop inventive answers to South Africa’s biggest questions around education, skills, infrastructure and growth.
takes humanity forward, so it is essential to focus on people-oriented solutions when harnessing the power of 4IR.”
“The South African government is aware of the opportunities that 4IR will bring, as a result it has implemented several reforms to address these opportunities,” says Felleng Yende, CEO of Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Sector Education Training Authority (FP&M SETA). “One of them is the National Skills Development Plan 2030 that seeks to develop an educated, skilled and capable workforce for South Africa. People will always be the driving force that
“The focus in this challenging time, and the singular role we need to play as leaders, is to enable our people,” concludes Collin Govender, Group Executive Shared Services at Altron. “Previous industrial revolutions yielded an increase in productivity and an increase in jobs. This will be no different. It will just be different jobs. It is incumbent on us to enable our people for this challenge.” ∎
It’s a view shared by most when talking about 4IR – people lie at the heart of its success.
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C O N N E C T I V I T Y I N N O VA T I O N
BUILDING AN ENVIRONMENT TO FOSTER INNOVATION By Reshaad Sha, CEO, Liquid Telecom South Africa
W
hat does the much-touted Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) actually mean? The term encapsulates more than just the convergence of all the new technology. According to the WEF founder, Klaus Schwab, it is the “blurring of the physical, digital and biological spheres” and their combined impact in our daily lives. Some are even defining it as the ‘rise of the machines’, where technology is reducing the value of people and their roles as meaningful contributors to society. At Liquid Telecom, we believe that we should look at 4IR as being about the rise of connectivity, and its associated technologies – artificial intelligence, robotics, drones and blockchain. These technologies will unlock new avenues for creating value and additional opportunities to deliver solutions and services that can significantly and positively alter society. For example, the use of remote diagnostic sensors, high definition video and cloudbased AI tools can assist doctors in remote areas of the country to obtain health information, observe patients and provide quicker high-level diagnoses. This will potentially provide more accurate and
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lifesaving interventions to patients in rural and impoverished areas. The IoT also offers enormous potential in terms of enhancing agricultural productivity to meet food demand. Smart agriculture will utilise IoT-based technologies and solutions to boost operational efficiency, maximise yields and minimise wastage, thanks to real-time field data collection, data analysis and deployment of control mechanisms. This could also result in creating faster economic growth and employment opportunities.
THESE TECHNOLOGIES WILL UNLOCK NEW AVENUES FOR CREATING VALUE The core of it all is to ensure that there is a network that seamlessly supports these new technologies, and we recently announced our network upgrade which has to a large extent, enabled us to evolve our customer experience positively. In
undertaking the network modernisation, we focused on enabling a future ready service capability, both from an architecture and capacity perspective. Not only is the network much more resilient and redundant, with very low latency, but now we also have one of the most technologically advanced, reliable networks on the entire African continent, strategically positioning and pushing us lightyears ahead of our competitors. This enables us to help our existing customers on their digital transformation journey and cater to the demands 4IR is expected to bring to the African continent. This powerful position is one that we want organisations to leverage – especially as the infrastructure promises greater stability and easily adaptable technology for the immediate future of business. If one describes the 4IR as the ‘heart’ of the modern world, then connectivity would best be likened to the world’s nervous system. Just like the nervous system, if it is shut down, the heart fails. On the other hand, when it is strong and reliable, connectivity can open unprecedented new possibilities. ∎
INTERNET OF THINGS
ELIMINATING CALL CENTRE NIGHTMARES WITH IOT
G
rowing your business is not only about acquiring new clients, it is also important to keep your service level agreement clients happy. This is a constant struggle for companies with overloaded call centres, especially in the hardware support category. By the time a caller gets through to an agent, they are usually uncooperative and frustrated after waiting in an answering queue. This can often lead to a situation where the company has no choice, irrespective of the issue at hand, but to send out a technician to the customer’s premises to resolve the issue.
IF YOU WORK SMART, YOU CAN SAVE YOUR CLIENTS TIME AND MONEY AND THEY WILL LIKE YOU MORE... Netshield South Africa CEO Inus Dreckmeyr identified this situation as a serious inefficiency for modern business service operations, especially considering the costs involved in sending out a service technician for a simple problem such as power failure or power reset. “It can cost
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you around R500 – R950 per service call to send out a technician to simply restore power or reset a device,” Dreckmeyr said. “Up to 45% of support calls are based on problems which do not necessarily require a technician to fix.” Dreckmeyr said the simple solution to this issue is one which is being implemented across multiple industries to reduce costs and improve efficiency – Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology. Netshield’s offerings include IoT products built for almost any environment, and the company has locally developed a solution for the problem of inefficient call centres. By implementing Netshield’s intelligent embedded point-of-presence gateways in their installation hardware, companies can remotely monitor equipment and proactively deal with obvious issues before the consumer has any opportunity to become frustrated. Through a centralised database and intelligent holistic dashboard which can be set up to deliver alerts through a variety of channels, including IoT Protocols, Telegram, and email, Netshield South Africa offers companies a way to automatically detect when there is a problem with their services clients' hardware or environment. Dreckmeyr said this solution can be setup to interface directly with the service supplier’s existing call centre system, allowing them
to automatically file support tickets when any problem is detected and enabling them to proactively contact the affected client/s before they get frustrated and initiate ‘the call’. He added that the fault information supplied by the gateway also allows clients to determine what the issue is with the customer’s hardware, and possibly walk them through the solution without sending out a technician. Alternatively, they could remotely reset the hardware if that would fix the problem. “The opportunity for improving call centre efficiency is significant due to the volume of calls involved,” Dreckmeyr said. “If you work smart, you can save your clients time, money and they will like you more and spend more money with you.” He said that an IoT solution like this pays for itself, as the cost of equipping one site with the gateway required would be paid off after less than ten false calls were avoided. Netshield South Africa has implemented this solution in call centres before, and Dreckmeyr said that companies who refused to embrace these types of smart solutions would be unable to compete or scale at the level required of modern businesses. He added that there were millions of potential applications for IoT devices across almost any sector at any scale, and each would result in an improvement for both the consumers and businesses involved. ∎
ELIMINATE CALL CENTRE NIGHTMARES WITH IOT Reduce costs and improve efficiency of your call centre by using Netshields’s Internet of Things products.
Netshield’s locally-developed intelligent embedded point-of-presence gateways solves the problem of inefficient call centres. Remotely monitor equipment
Proactively deal with obvious issues Centralised database
Intelligent holistic dashboard
Alerts through a variety of channels
www.netshieldsa.com sales@netshieldsa.com +27 (0) 12 841 0320
MOBILE DEVICES
CUSTOMISE. COLLABORATE. COMMUNICATE. VISUALISE.
T
he mobile device. It has become the definitive communication and collaboration tool for the savvy business user. It is the mark of an individual – the application of customisation and colour defining personality and work style – the technology constantly changing to adapt to the needs of the market. This batch of mobile beauties are all about the visual impact of design, looks and capabilities. These big, bold, beautiful displays put every last drop of screen real estate into your hands, and in front of your appreciative eyes.
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HUAWEI Y9 PRIME
Stylish, colour co-ordinated, powerful. The Huawei Y9 Prime comes with an ultra fullView display screen that takes up 91% of the visual estate. It’s a smooth and unobstructed glass surface across 6.59-inches and with 2340 x 1080 FHD resolution. This smartphone also comes with a 4000mAh battery that allows for extensive use and the Kirin 710F chipset for improved performance quality. Storage is 128GB built-in and the multiple cameras provide high resolution imagery in a snap.
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MOBILE DEVICES
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IPAD PRO 12.9
The Apple iPad 12.9-inch iPad Pro comes with 256GB of built-in storage, a Liquid Retina display that runs tight to the edge to place a glorious, crystal-clear view right in front of your greedy eyes. Of course, no mention of this iPad could go past without talking about the A12X Bionic chip. This is the fastest, smartest and most powerful chip ever produced by Apple and it has, in some benchmark tests, given ARM and Intel a run for their money. This super-fast and visually spectacular tablet also comes with the new Apple pencil and Smart Keyboard Folio and offers the usual Apple range of delicious technology, applications and capabilities for work and entertainment.
HISENSE INFINITY H30
The Hisense Infinity H30 drips the 6.5inch waterdrop display into your hands. The screen-to-body ratio is 83.3%, creating a visual smorgasbord for users who appreciate crystal clear displays and immersive experiences. The battery is an impressive 4530mAH and the system has embedded artificial intelligence into the system to drive smart power saving and improved battery life. This is no small tick in a box for the business user as battery life is critical. Powered by the MediaTek Helio P70 AI chipset, the Hisense Infinity H30 is powerful, visually delicious and comes with 128GB of on-board storage. ∎ MYBROADBAND 17
I N N O VA T I V E S U P P O R T
UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 10 TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS’ SECURITY By Marilyn Shamba, Microsoft Product Manager at Rectron
T
he end is nigh for Windows 7 and now is the time for businesses to prepare for it. Most are not equipped for the end of support for Windows 7 that’s due to kick in on January 14, 2020. The fact that Windows 7 will no longer be supported by Microsoft means there are many users who need to start thinking about finally moving on from their favourite operating system. Technical support and automatic updates that help protect your PC will no longer be made available for the product. What does this mean for your business? SECURITY AND PRODUCTIVITY It is common for hackers to wait until after that date to find ways to exploit vulnerable systems as they know when end of life hits. Armed with the knowledge that Microsoft isn’t going to support the operating system, and that there are still plenty of people using it, this will be the best time for hackers to attack. Keeping in mind that liability for attacks lies squarely with device owners who do
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not comply with security risk requirements, a successful hack is a huge price to pay and a potential risk to your business operations. CAN YOU STILL USE WINDOWS 7? You can continue to use Windows 7, but after support has ended your PC will become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Windows will still start and run, but you will no longer receive software updates, including security updates, from Microsoft. Remember that the continuous use of an unpatched Windows 7 machine offers criminals and hackers the time needed to perfect their malware in order to penetrate the operating system. Upgrading to Windows 10 means that your business information, customer data, employee’s digital identities as well as your reputation and your brand are all protected. To take advantage of the latest hardware capabilities, we recommend upgrading to a new PC with Windows 10. Alternatively, Windows 7 PCs can be upgraded by purchasing and installing an FPP or ESD version of the software. ∎
To learn more about how to upgrade your system to Windows 10, visit https://www.rectron.co.za/windows-7-end/ or email Microsoft Product Manager at Rectron Marilyn Shamba: esd@rectron.co.za
T E L E C O M M U N I CAT I O N S
WAITING FOR SPECTRUM. WAITING FOR 5G. Monique Verduyn
FOR SOUTH AFRICA'S MOBILE OPERATORS THE POSSIBILITIES OF 5G ARE LIMITLESS BUT THE WAIT FOR ACCESS TO MORE SPECTRUM IS ENDLESS 20 MYBROADBAND
Jacqui O’Sullivan, Executive for Corporate Affairs at MTN South Africa
T
he much-touted Fourth Industrial Revolution depends on the rollout of 5G. That will play a key role in meeting business and consumer demand for enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low latency and massive machine type communications, as well as the related product features and service experiences. But South Africa’s established mobile operators, including Vodacom and MTN, are unable to launch 5G services until more spectrum is licensed to them by communications regulator Icasa. As a result, the country continues to trail behind the rest of the world in deploying 5G services. Both operators have, however, successfully experimented with 5G networks and are raring to go. Jacqui O’Sullivan, executive for corporate affairs at MTN South Africa,
says the company has trialled various use cases of 5G, collaborating with Ericsson and Huawei. Different use cases have been tested and throughputs of 1Gbit/s were achieved with limited spectrum available. “Recently, MTN launched a live 5G indoor solution at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and International Convention Centre,” she says. “This is the first time that MTN has deployed a trial 5G network in an indoor business environment with standardsbased commercial-grade 5G network equipment and devices. “We require spectrum to deploy 5G, but we have actively upgraded our transport and core network. The MTN mobile core network is now 3GPP Release 15 5G capable, and we continue to run lab testing on the latest mobile radio technologies. Additionally, where not done already, we are modernising our radio network to support 5G.”
In 2018 Vodacom set up a standards-based commercial 5G network in Lesotho, the first operator in Africa to do so. At last year’s Durban July, the company broadcast, for the first time, a live sports event via 5G. At this year’s fixture, it demoed a commercially ready 5G smartphone on a 5G network, having received a test licence from Icasa for the spectrum. “We have demonstrated that if we have access to the right spectrum, we will be able to launch,” says Nic Naidu, managing executive for technology innovation at Vodacom. “We have put an enormous amount of effort into 5G readiness and innovation and as soon as we get access to relevant spectrum, we will start rolling it out.” WHY SPECTRUM MATTERS The spectrum crunch that has beset South Africa for a decade has undoubtedly made prices higher than they should be,
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T E L E C O M M U N I CAT I O N S
Driving the success of 5G depends on access to spectrum
Nic Naidu, Managing Executive for Technology Innovation at Vodacom
O’Sullivan says. “Of the 21 countries across Africa and the Middle East in which MTN operates mobile networks, only our operations in Afghanistan, South Sudan and Yemen have less spectrum than in South Africa. Much closer to home, Swaziland has more spectrum than the whole of South Africa but serves just 1.4 million residents.” Spectrum matters for several reasons. Think of data as water flowing through a pipe. There’s only so much water you can push through the pipe at any one time. But if the pipe has release valves, to expand its diameter, you could push more water to more people without building a new pipe. Spectrum is the industry’s release valve and without it, more ‘pipes’ in the form of base stations, towers and masts are needed. The lack of spectrum has forced the industry down a more expensive route to satisfy customer demand. “As mobile operators, we are tasked with building the infrastructure from which our nation will deliver 4IR,” says O’Sullivan. “Additional
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spectrum will reduce the amount we need to spend on infrastructure. Fewer sites means we can serve the same traffic volumes in a way that costs us less, helping drive down prices. We also believe that the continued decline of data pricing will result in increased consumption.” Vodacom is hopeful that movement will happen soon. “Because of the technology, we have to gain access to completely new spectrum bands for 5G and the opportunity exists for that spectrum to be made available right now. The 3,5GHz band is key because it provides good coverage and capacity. It’s unused and unassigned; it’s just lying there doing nothing. "We believe it should be licensed as quickly as possible so that South Africa does not miss the opportunity to be at the forefront of innovation, particularly in the context of 4IR. To remain competitive, we need to enable 4IR applications and we can only do that once we have licenced the spectrum for 5G. That’s what we’re appealing to the government for.”
WHAT WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO Once available, 5G will enable instantaneous connectivity to billions of devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) and a truly connected world, providing the speed, low latency and connectivity to power a new generation of applications, services and business opportunities that have not been seen before. With 5G promising to reach peak speeds 20 times faster than 4G LTE, we can expect new applications for business and consumer use that we have not even thought of yet. The additional speed and capacity will allow autonomous vehicles to become fully connected at all times, not just to the Internet, but also to each other. From self-driving cars to telemedicine, remote surgery, and virtual reality, the high bandwidth and low latency of 5G connectivity will bring unexpected changes to a host of industries. And as IoT and other networked applications expand, enabled by 5G, the volume of sensors, devices, and data will grow even more. We live in hope. ∎
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CONNECTIVITY
NEW YEALINK MULTI-CELL DECT, REVOLUTIONISING OFFICE MOBILITY NOLOGY ENABLES VOIP ROAMING IN YOUR OFFICE, IT’S NOT AS COMPLICATED AS YOU THINK!
M
obility within office environments is a crucial aspect for many businesses. Imagine working for a car dealership, when a customer phones to ask for the price of a specific vehicle. Not having the price on hand, the easiest solution would be to walk to the car and see the price in the window, but your customer now has to be put on hold or you take the call with you on your cordless phone which risks losing the call when going out of range of the base station and worse, losing the business for good. Nology is proud to introduce Yealink’s Multi-Cell DECT solution which solves the above problem. Forgoing the technical jargon, Multi-Cell DECT simply means that a cordless phone can “roam” between various base stations without losing the call. Yealink’s Multi-Cell DECT solution allows up to 100 handsets to be connected to up to 30 base stations, all seamlessly handing over calls and allowing users to roam as they please. Taking the DECT
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base station range into account (50M indoors, 300M with clear line of sight) this provides a massive area of coverage when fully populated! Of course, most businesses will not just deploy phones over a large flat surface, and the Yealink Multi-Cell DECT solution is ideal for bridging the coverage dead spots between multi-level buildings. Unlike Wi-Fi based cordless phones which are prone to interference and bad user experience with incorrect setup, DECT remains one of the best high voice quality, low interference and secure VoIP communication methods. M u l t i - C e l l D E C T, c o m b i n e d w i t h Yealink’s industry leading design is also revolutionising the traditional office environment, by bringing DECT to your desktop and conference phones! As part of the refinements expected later this year, Yealink will offer a comprehensive cordless office VoIP solution. This is great news for both installers and end users, as it means install times are cut down, the requirement
for trenching/trunking is significantly reduced, and there’s a cost saving by not deploying ethernet cables. Alex Bantjes: “The Multi-Cell DECT market has traditionally been dominated by only a few brands, at an almost unaffordable price point. Not only will Yealink disrupt this trend, but also introduce a new facet of mobility to your desktop and conference phones which is completely unique to the market. Nology is eager to empower our partners with Yealink Multi-Cell DECT which will usher in a new era of cost effective, high coverage, quick deployment VoIP devices” Yealink Multi-Cell DECT works with most of the existing Yealink cordless handsets and customers who are relying on Yealink’s DECT products already can simply make the switch to Multi-Cell by replacing the DECT base station, with minimal disruption to their business operations. Contact Nology today to see how we can help you build your DECT solution. ∎
Multi-Cell DECT
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NOLOGY
C L OU D C O M PU T I N G
A HELPING HAND FROM HYPERSCALE Adam Oxford
THE BIG MULTINATIONAL HYPERSCALE PROVIDERS HAVE ARRIVED. WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL THIS MAKE TO THE MARKET FOR PUBLIC CLOUD IN SOUTH AFRICA?
“I
t’s helped to dispel many of the of the concerns customers had about moving to the cloud,” says Jaco ven der Merwe, CEO of software and services developer DVT. “Although public cloud datacentres have been available for a number of years, the fact that Microsoft has made this investment has proven to local CIOs that moving their workloads to the cloud is a mainstream strategy.” Van der Merwe is talking, of course, about the ribbon cutting on two South African datacentres for Microsoft’s Azure hyperscale cloud services in autumn 2019. It was an event which, he says, has increased interest in public cloud in general. “The local datacentres have done a lot to change the perceptions of the costs and real risks of moving to the cloud,” Van der Merve says. “Furthermore, various latency speed tests, including Azure Speed Test 2.0, show that the local datacentres generally provide five times, or better, improvement in latency.”
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This has been a big year for cloud in South Africa. Since Microsoft started selling space and compute time from Johannesburg and Cape Town, Huawei has quickly followed suit and, in a few months, Amazon will be offering the same for AWS. In July, Microsoft encored with news that the full suite of “365” services – including everything Office – can now be provisioned locally. Indeed, it’s possible for an administrator to shift their entire current 365 infrastructure and data from an overseas datacentre to a local one with the click of a mouse. We hope that the firm, formerly best known for Windows, is ready for a tsunami of requests. “There’s always been high demand for local cloud datacentres,” says Jeremy Potgieter, SADC regional head for IoT consultancy Eseye. “The benefits relating to security, privacy laws and latency are key strategic points on every CTO’s agenda.”
Jaco van der Merwe, CEO of DVT
C L OU D C O M PU T I N G
Jeremy Potgieter, Regional Head at Eseye SADC
IT PROVIDES GREATER REACH AND OFFERS BETTER FLEXIBILITY; HOWEVER, IT CERTAINLY IS NOT A SHOWSTOPPER. Many of the benefits of the cloud have long been clear, Potgeiter continues, such as total cost of ownership (TCO), flexibility and the ability to be resilient against certain locally-specific challenges. “Load-shedding is also a very unique challenge that businesses in South Africa face as blackouts can cause on-premise data centres to lose data, which can be extremely costly.” says Potgeiter. “Use of enterprise-level cloud data centres can
eliminate the possibility of data loss as a result of a sudden loss of electricity.” MONEY TALKS Although it’s still early days, it looks like revived interest in public cloud caused by the arrival of hyperscale is translating into money being spent. Analysts at Gartner reckon that software spending in South Africa will rise by a massive 11.4% in 2019, largely as a result of investment in “cloud-first strategies”.
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C L OU D C O M PU T I N G
Karl Reid, Chief Solutions Officer at Elingo
“It has been a phenomenal time in the market,” says Karl Reed, chief solutions officer at customer service specialist Elingo. “We are seeing exponential-type growth. If a business has not already embraced cloud or at least looking to do so soon, they will lose out to competitors that have. From our perspective, out of every 10 customers, nine are moving to, or have chosen, cloud services.” Reghard van Jaarsveld, engagement manager at Decision Inc, says that many smaller organisations have been particularly interested. “We’re especially seeing more smaller and more frequent deals.” Van Jaarsveld explains, “Many clients don’t have the appetite, budget and infrastructure in place to start data-related projects. Traditional data platforms require large investments into infrastructure and software. Microsoft’s Azure offering has enabled us to utilise necessary software to deliver more frequent data projects at a lower cost. This drives a double benefit to both consultancies and clients, as we’re doing more business more frequently without exposing either party to large risk.”
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DVT’s Van der Merwe says that new projects are also being started as cloudnative, and most organisations are planning to migrate legacy applications over a longer period of time. On the whole, though, many of the companies we spoke to seemed to suggest that, while new hyperscale services were generating interest in the cloud, it’s not necessarily what customers are buying. “Most local customers are still getting comfortable with the basic cloud offerings. We see cloud forming part of their data strategy, but we’ve not heard many conversations around hyperscale.” says Van Jaarsveld. “While hyperscale will have an impact,” says Elingo’s Reed. “It is not the be-all and end-all of a cloud approach. Without it, the business will be okay, and with it, it will do even better. It provides for a greater reach and offers better flexibility; however, it certainly is not a showstopper when it comes to cloud migration. But it is the future.” Every company’s journey to the cloud is unique. Still, judging by the current level of interest it is inevitable, and if it doesn’t happen soon, they may well miss out. ∎
What’s being moved? There’s plenty of interest in the cloud, but it’s still the case that many implementation projects fail. So, what do mature enterprise customers look at migrating when then embark on a cloud strategy? It depends, is the easy answer. “Based on our findings, applications with lower processing requirements are ticked off first to ensure stability in the platform and then gradually scale over time,” says says Jeremy Potgieter, SADC regional head for IoT consultancy Eseye. Elingo’s Reed says that many organisations, however, are starting to adopt a total migration approach. “From CRM to financial systems, ticketing solutions to contact centre offerings, telephony, process automation, and even security-asa-service – these are all proving popular areas where the cloud is growing locally.” Reed says. “Data warehousing offerings are also gaining momentum.”
SPECIALISED TECHNOLOGY
SPECIALISED TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE FROM IC LOGISTIX IC LOGISTIX (PTY)LTD (ICL) ARE IMPORTERS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF SPECIALISED TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT
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he company was founded in 2011 when Fujikura Ltd. signed an exclusive agreement with ICL for the distribution rights of the legendary Arc-Fusion Splicing Equipment. Fujikura Ltd, a global conglomerate with their Head Office situated in Tokyo, Japan, overarches a wide range of companies from various industrial sectors. They remain the world’s leading manufacturer of equipment for the fibre-optic telecommunications market. ICL is presently the sole accredited distributor for Fujikura Splice and the American branch of Fujikura’s (AFL) test-and-inspection equipment in Southern Africa. Customers hold ICL in high regard for their professional service, highly knowledgeable staff who are keen to assist, and integrity – a rare characteristic in this day and age. The ICL vision is to be active participants in their customers’ businesses. The purpose is to make significant contributions to customers in order to sustain and develop their businesses by providing superior advice, products, and services. ICL’s corporate philosophy is to do whatever it takes to exceed customers’
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expectations, and they recognise that it takes exceptional dedication from each team member to achieve and maintain this goal. Their success is founded on excellence and their relationships with their customers. Management at ICL constantly evaluates the company’s performance by asking these questions: Are our customers satisfied? Are we willing to take up challenges with enthusiasm to drive progress? How can we improve in order to enhance excellence? EQUIPMENT ICL offers a full turnkey solution for the installation and maintenance of optical fibre systems. Their range of products on offer include Fujikura arc-fusion splicing machines; AFL optical test, inspection and certification equipment; and Plumettaz blowing/floating machines. World-renowned brands in their portfolio include; Fujikura, AFL, Plumettaz, Ripley, Miller, AFL- Hyperscale, Softing, Divot, Fibertool. Aftersales service is provided via an internationally accredited CalibrationLab. Chris Keur is the lab manager and is factory-trained abroad. Cliff Agar is a master-technician and is an expert on
several types of specialised equipment and has more than 17 years’ experience. Robert Louw is well known in the industry and is a copper and fibre equipment specialist. Team leader and Managing Director, Zach Yacumakis, is a firm believer in excellence, and he implements this philosophy in the workplace. n
Contact Reception: +2711 521 2370 icladmin@icl.co.za Sales: +2711 521 2305/53 iclsales@icl.co.za Lab: +2711 521 2380 lab@icl.co.za Web: www.iclogistix.co.za
SOLE ACCREDITED DISTRIBUTOR FOR SOUTHERN AFRICAN MARKET
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Sales | Tel +2711 521 2370 Email iclsales@icl.co.za Ts & Cs apply. Pricing is subject to the Rand/Dollar exchange rate and might change if huge ROE fluctuations occur. Duration of deal is 01 Sept 2019 to 30 Nov 2019 as long as stock lasts. Pricing only valid if the equipment is bought directly from ICL or Actsys.
IT’S ELECTRIFYING Jan Vermeulen
THE CARS. THE TECHNOLOGY. THE SUPERCHARGED. THIS IS THE BEST OF THE BEST IN ELECTRIC CARS ON THE MARKET TODAY
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hese are the all-electric vehicles and hybrids that are already on the market or set to become available in 2020. This list includes allelectric vehicles and hybrids that are already on the market, or set to become available in 2020.
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Jaguar all-electric I-PACE Launched in March 2018, the Jaguar I-PACE can do 0–100km/h in 4.8 seconds and has a 90kWh Lithium-ion battery which is rated to provide a range of 470km on a single charge. It also offers 100kW DC rapid charging, which can recharge the battery to 80% in 40 minutes. Home charging with an AC wall box at 7kW will give you the same 80% charge in 10 hours. The Jaguar I-PACE is available in South Africa at a starting price of R1.7 million.
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The first all-electric Aston Martin The Rapide E’s top speed is just under 250km/h, and it can accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in around four seconds. Aston Martin Lagoda couldn’t help but lay into other electric sport vehicle makers in its press release. “These figures are not restricted to a narrow window of battery charge or climatic conditions,” it said. “The Rapide E will deliver its performance in a consistent and repeatable way as would be expected from a traditional Aston Martin product. This includes the ability to drive a full lap of the Nürburgring with no performance derating of the battery or the motors.”
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Porsche Taycan, known internally as the Mission E When Porsche unveiled the Taycan, it proudly announced that it required six billion euros in investments and resulted in 1,200 new employees being hired in Zuffenhausen. Its 0–100km/h acceleration of ‘under 3.5 seconds’ is slower than the Tesla Roadster, but Porsche said that its focus is the 200km/h mark to meet expected Autobahn performance. No realworld range estimates are available, though Porsche has given an NEDC range rating of 500km.
NIO EP9 Chinese electric supercar maker NIO unveiled the EP9 in 2016 as the fastest electric car in the world at the time. Others have since superseded it, but it remains an impressive feat of engineering. The company has offices in the US, London, Munich, and Shanghai. Its Chinese name, Weilai, means ‘Blue Sky Coming’. The EP9 has a top speed of 313km/g and can do 0–200km/h in 7.1 seconds.
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The New Tesla Roadster You can’t have a list of the coolest electric cards without including the company that made them cool in the first place. Tesla announced the successor to the original Roadster in 2017 and it is set to launch after the Tesla Model Y, hopefully sometime in 2020. It will accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in around two seconds, will have a top speed of over 400km/h, and a range of nearly 1,000km on a single charge.
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Land Rover Defender completed testing with the Tusk wildlife charity to support lion conservation in Kenya Jaguar Land Rover halted Defender production in 2016 because it couldn’t meet the new emission regulations. You may be asking: “What in the holy name of Musk is a Defender doing in my coolest electric cars feature, then?” For more than two years, there were (controversial) rumours that Jaguar planned to launch an electric Defender. As the relaunch of the Land Rover Defender crept closer, there has been a lot of excitement and many leaks about the off-roader. It appears as though the reports of an all-electric Defender were premature. Mild hybrid and plugin hybrid variants are on the cards, though. n
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D I G I TA L J O U R N E Y
START YOUR DIGITAL JOURNEY WITH RSAWEB GET THE CONNECTIVITY, CLOUD, MOBILE DATA AND SECURITY SOLUTIONS YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO THRIVE
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SAWEB makes life easier by helping businesses navigate technology, overcome challenges, improve customer experience and reduce risk. Starting your digital journey is easier with RSAWEB. CONNECTIVITY A dependable, fast internet connection is essential. If you’re looking for the speed and reliability of carrier-grade Business Fibre (up to 10Gbps); need to improve or expand your network with SDWAN or MPLS, or incorporate add on Telco services like hosted PBX and VoIP — RSAWEB has got you covered. RSAWEB ensures low latency and high resiliency by combining local peering and caching with internet breakout from all the cable systems. Their constantly upgraded network combats external risks like load shedding. This customer-centric approach is why long-standing customers like SafariNow have been able to “improve productivity and enable use-cases that were impossible before.” CLOUD RSAWEB specialises in providing cloud solutions that solve problems through a consultative approach backed by an expert engineering team.
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RSAWEB offers their own Virtual Data Centre (a multi data centre VMware public cloud providing Infrastructure as a Service), access to hyperscale public clouds like AWS and Azure (managed or unmanaged), New Relic (application and infrastructure performance monitoring and management), Cloudflare and Veeam Backup and replication.
connected – on one contract with one pooled data bundle. Reduce your admin overheads with consolidated invoicing and reporting. RSAWEB has helped companies like Autozone save up to 62% on their data, while companies like Olarm have made it the backbone of their business.
Moneyweb relies on a fully managed solution provided by RSAWEB, allowing them to focus on their core business whilst RSAWEB keeps the lights on.
SECURITY Mitigate your daily risk of attack with RSAWEB’s cyber-crime prevention solutions that keep your data conveniently accessible without sacrificing essential security and sovereignty.
MOBILE Simplify your company’s Mobile Data with RSAWEB’s industry-leading solution. Mobilise your workforce, keep hundreds (or even thousands) of IoT devices online, provision connectivity failover to multiple office locations or keep your point of sale devices trading.
Keep your business protected with security solutions that include Backup & Disaster Recovery, Fortigate threat management and firewall, DDoS protection with Cloudflare, and intelligent data management with Veeam.
An intuitive management dashboard gives you transparent control of your data, allowing you to allocate, top up and manage your data for groups, users or even each SIM card. Your staff can securely access your private networks almost anywhere in South Africa with Private APN and Enterprise APN options. Access both MTN and Vodacom’s networks to keep all your staff and/or devices
PARTNER PROGRAM Leverage the expertise, knowledge and infrastructure of RSAWEB to help you grow or supplement your existing services. Their Partner Program makes it easy for you to accelerate your business’s growth and offerings without excessive capital. n RSAWEB business solutions, email sales@rsaweb.net RSAWEB Partner Program, email partner@rsaweb.net
C L OU D C O M PU T I N G
CLOUD - INCREASING BUSINESS AGILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS Carien Steenkamp
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oday there is a massive drive towards cloud computing, but the reasons for cloud adoption have evolved over time. According to dataversity.net, cloud computing had developed all of its basic features by 2014. It then started becoming the rule as the realisation sunk in that all applications across industries would be hosted in the cloud. According to Innovative Integration, reasons in later years for cloud adoption included that cloud promised to accelerate IT modernisation and provide flexibility in resource utilisation. Then companies realised the value of migrating to the cloud as it offers benefits such as lower computation costs due to the reduced requirement for in-house hardware and support, a payper-use model, self-service access, faster deployments, better performance, and flexibility. Today, however, companies are looking towards the cloud as it provides increased business agility as well as scalability. AGILITY AND SCALABILITY The cloud provides speed and because of this, businesses can adapt and
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respond much faster and more costeffectively to market and environmental changes –speeding business innovation to the marketplace. This in turn allows businesses to drive growth and build trust and loyalty among customers.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS ON THE MIGRATION JOURNEY However, according to Intellipaat, implementing and running 4IR technologies successfully depends greatly on data security.
It also offers scalability for IT resources, which has a direct impact on performance as it allows you to bypass tedious equipment procurement processes and add resources to improve performance. Therefore, to be agile, you also need scalability so you can position your organisation to compete.
While the cloud is trusted for its security and data integrity by many, there are still some with concerns around data loss. Partnering with the right organisation that provides cloud solutions and assists you on the migration journey, is a sure bet to successful and secure migration.
Scalability is ideal for businesses with not only growing, but also fluctuating, bandwidth demands. According to Market Business News, scalability allows the network, system, software or organisation the ability to handle an influx of demand, increase productivity and support changing needs. Cloud is a key enabler for data flow, which is why scalability and agility also assists with adapting and adopting 4IR technologies. By exploiting 4IR technologies, companies will be able to radically streamline and enhance existing processes, create new business models, and develop innovative products and services for a new generation of consumers.
SMOOTH CLOUD MIGRATION Kaskade Cloud specialises in managed cloud services and are experts in their field. They focus on enabling businesses to migrate to the cloud, utilising AWS technology, and can assist in existing cloud infrastructure audits to ensure alignment with global best practices. They also offer full managed services post migration, making them a great option as a partner on your cloud journey. n
Find out more on their website: https://kaskade.cloud/, or contact them via info@kaskade.cloud or on 010 005 5267.
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LISTEN UP! Monique Verduyn
PODCASTING IS BOOMING IN SOUTH AFRICA. AND PODCASTS ARE CHANGING THE FACE OF CONTENT CONSUMPTION FOR THE FUTURE
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P O D CA S T I N G
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he number of podcast listeners in South Africa is increasing sharply according to a new report. Strong sales of smartphones are helping to lift the podcast market, with audiophiles turning to the format for content they can’t find elsewhere, and the medium has already spawned hits. There were 5.1 million monthly podcast listeners in 2017, with the audience set to grow by 23.7% to total 14.8 million in 2022. The latest facts and figures on the rise of podcasting come courtesy of PwC’s Entertainment and media outlook: 2018 – 2022. The study found that broadcasters have been the leading volume providers of podcasts, although they often produce podcasts as a type of catch-up version of an existing show rather than to deliver dedicated programming. This has led to independents dominating the original content field. Among the successes is African Tech Round Up, a provider of technological innovation trends from across Africa. The weekly show is produced by broadcaster Andile Masuku and co-hosted by marketing star Musa Kalenga, and there are many more. Local podcasters are using social media to reach a wide and diverse market, from young to old, across gender lines, income groups, and race. Among these are Lessons with Lion (marketing and entrepreneurship), MashStartup ( e n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p ) , C h i c a T r av e l with Lelo (travel), Conversations with Mpoomy & Yolz (personal development and religion), and The Cheeky Natives (African book reviews). In Voices from SA, host Nicholas Claude interviews people working in the arts, business, academia and civil society, and offers new perspectives on issues of race, gender and transformation. There’s no doubt that the range of podcasts offering uniquely South African perspectives is growing. Lebo Lion’s Lessons with Lion grew to 12 000 listeners in a year. She says there are creative ways that podcasters
are monetizing their content. “The most obvious is through advertising revenue from brands aligned with the topics covered in the podcast. Hosts can also make money from speaking engagements and conferences,” says Lion. “Celebrities like Casper Nyovest, Gareth Cliff and Tbo Touch are showing brands how podcasts can be enjoyed and consumed by a large number of South Africans. The growth of
Lebo Lion from Lessons with Lion
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P O D CA S T I N G
Gavin Kennedy, founder and CEO of Solid Gold Podcast Studios
WHEN SOCCER LADUMA STARTED, MORE THAN HALF THE AUDIENCE WERE LISTENING ON THEIR BLACKBERRYS AND NOKIAS...
local audiences is also aided by social media influencers who are creating podcasts as another content avenue.”
similar success with its bi-weekly podcast which has had more than 10 million downloads.
Cape Town-based iono.fm, which has become one of South Africa’s leading distributors of podcast content, picked up R4 million in funding from local venture capital firm Clifftop Ventures in 2017. Iono.fm reported some 15 million unique users for 2017 across its 1 500 active audio channels and 250 000 active episodes from more than 250 content providers. The platform hosts content from corporates, media companies and individuals.
“When Soccer Laduma started, more than half the audience were listening on their Blackberrys and Nokias,” says Retief. “Today there are between 100 000 and 200 000 downloads per show.”
“Our listenership has been growing at an annual compound rate of 40% over the last five years as more and more people move to content on demand,” says François Retief, COO of iono.fm. “The range of content is diverse and includes everything from radio dramas with big listenerships to niche content that reaches a small but committed audience.”
Iono.fm allows advertising campaigns to be dynamically inserted into the content it distributes, allowing the company to monetise its aggregated content. “If you have an audience of 50, it’s difficult to sell advertising for your podcast, but if a platform hosts a thousand podcasts with 50 listeners each, you suddenly have an audience of 50 000, making it an attractive option for advertisers. Importantly, we also track and report on the demographics of our user base which is appealing to ad agencies.”
Retief points to Soccer Laduma as the country’s success story. The top selling sports publication in South Africa has had
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PwC’s research found that South African podcast advertising revenue was R32 million in 2017, up 77.8% on the previous year, and is forecast to grow by 46.4% to reach R212 million in 2022.
Gavin Kennedy, founder and CEO of Solid Gold Podcast Studios, attributes the growing popularity of podcasts to the booming world of audio. “Audio used to be the poor relation when it came to broadcasting, but today it’s taking over. It’s easy to interact with, and you don’t have to sit still to watch it or read it. You can listen to audio content whenever you want, wherever you go, whether you’re at the gym, in the car, at home making dinner, or out doing the shopping. It’s easy to consume throughout the day and while you are doing other things, unlike video and text. The majority of Solid Gold studio’s clients are corporates who are using podcasts to communicate and engage meaningfully with a highly targeted audience they want to influence. “Our clients make a podcast series, release it, and then promote it through social media, but they also notify their target market via email. We made a series for a client that wanted to influence just 14 people to make a buying decision. The episodes were an extremely focused way to get a message out there to the right audience.” Kennedy says big brands are starting to invest heavily in audio marketing monies, thanks to multiple branded podcasts and many other opportunities to invest in audio content becoming part of their digital content marketing strategy. He points to an interesting challenge that lies ahead for the industry. “Data is cheap for high-end users. But at the lower end of the market it’s a different scenario. People are paying to create content at one end; at the other, listeners are paying the networks to listen to that content. It’s an interesting situation, and one that will have to change. Content providers will have to find a way to subsidise data costs for the growing audiences that want to download and listen to their content.” ∎
DATA C E N T R E S
Author
TECHNOLOGY MADE BEAUTIFUL ELEGANT. UNDERGROUND. RETRO-CHIC. HARDCORE TECH HAS IT ALL
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PIONEN Quite possibly one of the most mysteriously magnificent data centres in the world, the Pionen building is based entirely underground. Like the lair of a secret villain or world-saving organisation, this data centre was once a nuclear bunker and is based around 30 metres below the surface and protected from the outside world by a 40cm thick steel door. It comes with some impressive features, not least of which being innovative power and cooling systems, redundant routers and power systems, and the ability to withstand a hydrogen bomb. It is also one of the trendsetters in a world now obsessed with putting data underground.
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DATA C E N T R E S
SUPERNAP THAILAND Currently SUPERNAP Thailand is the most advanced data centre in the Asia Pacific. It cost around $300 million to build and is located in the Hemmaraj Industrial Estate in the Eastern Province of Chonburi. The centre has capacity for more than 6,000 data racks, extends over 12 hectares, and is supported by two newly installed power sub-stations. It boasts some interesting innovations such as tri-redundant power systems, modular building design, and 100% heat containment technologies. What makes this such a stunning datacentre is the modular design, gorgeous colours and extraordinary architecture.
William Mzimba Vodacom Business Group Chief Officer
BARCELONA SUPERCOMPUTING CENTRE This computer does 13,677 trillion operations per second, is comprised of 3,400 Lenovo servers connected by 48 kilometres of wire and cables, has 48 racks with more than 3,400 nodes, and a processor total of 165,888. It is also situated in the most magnificent space ever imagined for a computer, the Torre Girona Chapel, a 19th century church on the campus of the Polytechnic University of Catalona. It’s a beautiful slice of computing power that drips tech and beauty in equal measure.
H Y P E R S CA L E I N F R A S T RUC T U R E
WIOCC’S JO’BURG/ PRETORIA METRO NETWORK UPGRADED TO MULTI-100GBPS CAPACITY
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o support the ever-increasing capacity needs of channel partners, ISPs, WISPs, telcos, OTTs and Content Providers, WIOCC - the leading player in the deployment of carrier-scale, future-proofed network infrastructure into Africa - has recently upgraded the core of its Johannesburg/ Pretoria Metro Network to support multiple 100Gbps of capacity. With a 10Gbps Access Layer, WIOCC’s upgraded Metro network now offers even more scalable, high-quality, cost-effective internet and point-to-point connectivity solutions within the Jo’burg/Pretoria area and accommodates the needs of larger clients requiring 100Gbps hand-offs. WIOCC CEO Chris Wood explained, “This 100Gbps upgrade is the latest example of WIOCC investing to create Africa’s first, truly hyperscale network infrastructure. Over the last 12 months, we have rolled out more than 1Tbps of backhaul capacity across South Africa to ensure that we are able to meet future data volume demands of end-users throughout the country.” Wood continued: “Our focus on building and maintaining strong, long-term relationships with each client, coupled with our ongoing commitment to network
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investment, means we are able to develop bespoke solutions that not only meet clients’ current requirements, but also have the scale and flexibility to match future demands for growth, extra resilience and geographical expansion.”
The Metro network also enables clients to connect two or more sites on the same layer 2 ethernet network, via a managed, dedicated, point-to-point or point-tomultipoint ethernet connectivity offering - at speeds from 20Mbps up to 100Gbps.
WIOCC’s investment in deploying a 45-PoP (Points of Presence) Jo’burg/ Pretoria metropolitan area infrastructure delivers direct access, over a highly redundant network, to more than 2,000 client premises across 95 business parks and numerous shopping malls in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Operating exclusively as a wholesaler, WIOCC revolutionised the delivery of high-capacity connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world and is now widely recognised as Africa’s carriers’ carrier. ∎
Building Africa’s Hyperscale Infrastructure
Are you looking to extend your influence and capability in Africa? If so, you need a partner who’s committed to supporting your current and future connectivity needs.
Come and talk to us
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Investing now for your future in Africa
marketing@wiocc.net
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
UNDONE BY THE SUN Jan Vermeulen
OUR PLANET’S LIFE-GIVING STAR HAS THE POWER TO BRING DOWN OUR WHOLE INFORMATION SOCIETY. WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES OF SOLAR RUIN?
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t sounds like something from the latest Hollywood disaster film. Or the opening scenes of a postapocalyptic drama. A violent solar storm ejects a massive chunk of the sun’s corona and sends it on a collision course with Earth. As the coronal mass hits our magnetosphere, humanity’s electrically powered civilisation is undone. Shockwaves, as transformers at a nearby substation explode. Some appliances spark and catch fire, while electronic devices give a hiss and pop as induced currents fry their internal components. This is a Carrington Event. And it is not some made up cataclysm either. One of these events has already happened in human memory, and another could happen at any moment. The only thing that saved us the first time was that we weren’t so wholly dependent on technology. A Carrington Event is the worst-case scenario and, compared to the typical human lifespan, it is a rare occurrence. Frequency and likelihood should not be confused, though. A smaller solar storm caused the electrical grid in parts of Canada to go down in 1989. The Earth
also narrowly avoided a Carringtonsized coronal mass ejection in 2012, but we will almost certainly get hit with one eventually. The only question is when, and how ready we will be. READINESS, NOT FEARMONGERING Heliospheric physicists in South Africa are among those working on the problem of predicting potentially damaging coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The South African National Space Agency also hosts the only Space Weather Regional Warning Centre for Africa, which operates as part of the International Space Environment Service. One of the top emerging researchers in the field is Ruhann Steyn who, as part of his Master’s degree, derived new equations that describe the magnetic field of the sun. Steyn is a physics lecturer and PhD student at the Centre for Space Research at North West University. His PhD focuses on the transport of very energetic particles from the sun to the Earth, specifically for space weather prediction. Steyn says that although the physics of Carrington Events are well understood, there is immense pressure on the scientific community to educate people about
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Ruhann Steyn, Physics Lecturer, Centre For Space Research, North West University Carrington Events without crying wolf or coming across as prophets of doom. Scientists need to be up-front about the uncertainty surrounding Carrington Events and explain why it is important to be ready for one, even if they are rare. “Although it could happen this afternoon or in 150 years, it is something people should know about and it is something that there should be a plan for,” Steyn said. CARRINGTON EVENT The Carrington Event is the name given to a major solar storm that happened in 1859. It gets its name from one of two amateur British astronomers, Richard C. Carrington and Richard Hodgson, who observed and recorded a “super flare” on the surface of the sun. It was one of the largest geomagnetic storms on record and caused havoc for the early telegraph system. Operators reported receiving electric shocks, and being able to send and receive messages even after disconnecting the power from their telegraph machines. Sparks were also visible from telegraph pylons. If such a CME were to hit Earth t o d ay , t h e e f f e c t s wo u l d b e devastating. That Carrington Event occurred close to the solar maximum — a time during which the sun goes through a lot of sun spot activity. Steyn explained that the sun has an eleven-year cycle. Currently it is in a deep minimum, which effectively decreases the likelihood of the Earth being hit by a Carrington-class
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coronal mass ejection. Over the next five or six years, activity on the sun will increase until it reaches solar maximum again, which is when large CMEs are more likely. Aside from destroying the electrical grid and electronic devices by inducing currents that they are not designed to handle, a Carrington-class event will bring down the internet and disrupt telecommunications networks. While fibre optics are immune from the effects of such a geomagnetic storm, fibre networks still need electricity to operate. If the electric grid goes down, so does the internet. It also won’t be easy to restart the grid as destroyed transformers would first have to be repaired or replaced. This could take months or years, depending on the extent of the damage. The effect on satellites and aircraft is also cause for concern. Such a massive solar storm would knock
out the electronics in the satellites orbiting the Earth and it would also heat up the upper atmosphere. This would increase the density of the air, causing increased drag on low earth orbit satellites. Many of these satellites would simply fall from the sky, as they would no longer be going fast enough to stay up. Without avionics, many commercial airliners would crash. Passengers will also face a burst of harmful radiation from our sun, which will arrive long before the actual plasma from the CME does. Depending on the strength of the storm, the radiation could cause DNA damage and cancer. NOT-SO-EARLY WARNING SYSTEM Currently, the most effective way to defend against a Carrington Event is to switch off anything electrical. Unfortunately, the major problem is ensuring that people are warned in time.
This is the problem that researchers like Steyn are working on, but it is also only one aspect of the issue. There are also social and political barriers that must be overcome. “You can imagine, if I pick up the phone and call Sweden to say that they need to switch off because my model predicts that they are going to be hit, obviously they are going to say, ‘Who are you? We are going to run our own models,’” said Steyn. “By the time they’ve run their own models, the storm has already hit.”
A strong storm could cause DNA damage and cancer
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“It’s very storm dependent,” Steyn said. “If the configuration is very simple it takes a lot less time to put it through a model, and you can have three days’ warning.” If you are unlucky, it can take a very long time for the computers to crunch the numbers and then you may only get an answer three hours before the CME hits.
Steyn said that because of this, there’s a big push in the international community to work together and consolidate space weather predictions. “If one of our allies says, ‘Listen, you need to switch off,’ then we must be able to trust them. We need to switch off and see what happens.” ∎
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LAST MILE DELIVERY
PARGO - LAST MILE DELIVERY REDEFINED FOR AFRICA
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e ve loped na ti ons a re ful l y indulging in 4th industrial revolution (4IR) solutions, pouring huge financial resources into innovative omni-channel delivery services aimed at giving customers more options.
While all these challenges affect the roll out of 4IR delivery technologies seen in other countries, the continent is ripe for disruption, as it has large, untapped market potential, and offers opportunities for the development of unique and creative business models.
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, for example, is building an ecosystem of digital services which it says will see customer experience enhanced by augmented reality, AI, and facial recognition.
eCommerce in South Africa is also already going mainstream as a result of the country’s 80% smartphone adoption rate, an annual eCommerce growth-rate of 25%, and high Internet penetration.
Alibaba has also successfully incubated fully digitised supermarkets and smartphone-powered experiences across China where customers can browse the shelves, shop, and have their goods delivered within minutes. Amazon will soon be launching Prime Air Delivery Drones and has been testing an autonomous six-wheeled delivery robot named Scout to see if it can withstand exterior surfaces and safely navigate around obstacles in its path. BARRIERS TO 4IR DELIVERY While the rest of the world is speeding towards fully-fledged 4IR delivery solutions, African countries are lagging. “Most African countries and industries are just not as far as their counterparts in more developed countries. There are still many basic problems that must be solved in order for Africa to engage in the 4IR,” said Lars Veul, Pargo Director and Co-Founder.
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The logistics industry for one is still grappling with basic challenges, of which access is the biggest. “75% of the Sub-Saharan population refrains from shopping online due to scant delivery options caused by inconclusive a d d r e s s e s , va s t d i s t a n c e s , m i s s e d deliveries, and high costs, especially to informal residential neighbourhoods and small rural towns,” said Veul. The country also faces challenges with poor infrastructure, high unemployment rates, large economic inequalities, lack of skills development, high crime rates, and inadequate urban planning.
PARGO ADDRESSES AFRICA'S PROBLEMS “Pargo plays a critical role in this, as it helps solve delivery challenges by creating access through an extensive network of designated Pargo Pick-up Points, located at popular retail stores across Southern Africa such as Clicks, FreshStop at Caltex, Spar and Lewis,” said Veul. The courier service’s smart logistics platform uses technology and big data to solve the challenges of last-mile delivery, managing the entire supply chain from A to Z. Pargo is also continuously developing and improving its platform to create more innovative delivery options and an omnichannel delivery experience, through instant click and collect, simple returns and in-store fulfillment, so that customers have more choice when it comes to delivery. ∎
C O L L A B O R AT I O N
JOIN THE REVOLUTION AT THE CTICC THE FOREMOST COMMENTATORS ON THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION CONVERGE AT THE CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE
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s a leading convention centre offering world-class technology and flexible spaces, the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) provides the perfect platform for events that catalyse the knowledge economy. This year has seen various events focused on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) take centre stage at the CTICC, each of which is aimed at sharing ideas and collaborating in order to improve industry as a whole. February’s Investing in African Mining Indaba at the CTICC focused on partnerhips as well as discovering how “Industry 4.0” can be mutually beneficial to mining companies and social license stakeholders. In his address, President
Cyril Ramaphosa urged the mining industry to take advantage of the technological advances underpinning the fourth industrial revolution to improve efficiencies, safety, skills and to preserve jobs. While African Utility Week, in May, featured a Transmission and Distribution Knowledge Hub, exploring the future of transmission and distribution in the face of technological disruption, distributed energy and climate change. Speaking on behalf of Vodacom, Lawrence Juku, Executive Head for Vodacom Business IoT said, “It’s an honour for Vodacom to be a part of the 19th annual African Utility Week, which is known for being the leading conference and trade exhibition for African power, energy and water professionals. We’re especially
keen on exploring the strides that have been achieved within the IoT and telecoms space, sharing the latest solutions with some of our industry leading experts.” In July, the CTICC hosted the Future Production Technologies Convention, where business owners and senior management involved in all aspects of production gathered to discuss how the 4IR will reshape the future of production, future trading and our lifestyles. Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2019 was hosted during September, this conference explored technology, insights and trends shaping the future of IT and business. These are just a few of the events hosted at the CTICC which are aligned to the Western Cape Government’s growth and investment areas, these are further augmented by the City of Cape Town’s catalytic sectors, namely; oil and gas, tourism, agro-processing, including business process outsourcing, renewables and film; electricity, water, ICT, logistics and financial services as well as education and health. World authorities in these sectors come to the CTICC to exchange knowledge, and many of these event topics are tied into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As a platform the CTICC gives local and international delegates and experts attending these events space to collaborate and share ideas that move the industry forward. ∎
It’s been said that the best way to predict the future is to create it. The CTICC offers the ideal platform to do just that. Every aspect of the centre’s offering has been considered – from the more than 140 000m² of flexible space across two state-of-the-art buildings to world-class technology, delicious cuisine, and servicedriven staff. Turn your knowledge and vision into potential with events that shape your future at the CTICC.
Call +27 21 410 5000, email sales@cticc.co.za or visit www.cticc.co.za and connect to possibilities.
D I G I TA L B A N K I N G
THE DIGITAL BANKING REVOLUTION By Kerry Haggard
CAN BANKING REALLY GO DIGITAL?
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igital banking is enjoying tremendous growth in South Africa thanks to offering customers better, faster and more convenient banking services. This new way of doing banking is organised around what customers need and is driven by the latest technology developments. The efficient use of technology also has cost benefits which are passed on to consumers in the form of lower banking fees. T h y s B r u we r , D i g i t a l Te c h n o l o g y Integration Leader at Deloitte, explained t h a t d i g i t a l b a n k i n g g o e s b e yo n d just creating value for businesses by streamlining and optimising processes. He said the improved efficiencies should see digital banks running at a cost to income ratio of between 20% and 25%. The disruptive nature of digital banking has seen many new digital banks trying to make inroads in South Africa, including Tymebank, Discovery Bank and Bank Zero. These digital-first banks are trying to wrestle market share away from traditional banks by offering more agile and cheaper products.
Luisa Mazinter, Chief Marketing Officer at TymeBank
It is, however, not only banking products which are seeing a digital shake-up. Richard
Firth, CEO of MIP Holdings, explains that the trend for automation and digitisation is visible across the value chain - from customer contact and lending to mortgages to payments and alternative financing. “We are seeing the transformation of banking, and those companies that can master new digital capabilities will not only be the leaders, but the only survivors,” said Firth. A big competitive advantage of the new ‘digital-native’ banks is that they do not have any legacy systems to support and integrate with. This means they are better positioned to make use of emerging technologies like automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These technologies can be built into the core of the banking platform rather than an add-on as is the case with many traditional banks. These technology advances are changing the way people do banking and what consumers expect from their bank. Luisa Mazinter, Chief Marketing Officer at TymeBank, said people no longer want banking, they want everything that banking enables. She said digital banks are best positioned to deliver this new era of banking which support what people want to achieve and overcome previous barriers to access.
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D I G I TA L B A N K I N G
Richard Firth, CEO of MIP Holdings
Ahmed Cassim, Managing Director: Financial Service Unit, Hello Paisa
Digital banking, however, does not mean that a physical presence is no longer needed. Mazinter said a brick-and-mortar branch or kiosks remain important, especially in South Africa where many people are now engaging with formal banking for the first time. “People are daunted by the complexity of traditional banking, and are reluctant to trust strangers with their money,” she said. To ensure it serves all the needs of its customers, TymeBank designed its product around its customers and what they need, rather than who they are. Its products are simple and transactional, its ‘branches’ are widely accessible at Pick n Pay and Boxer stores and its costs are low. The market is responding well to TymeBank’s new banking products. It has acquired more than 400,000 customers since its launch in February 2019 and now claims the title of the fastest-growing digital bank in the world. Another player making waves in the digital banking space is Hello Paisa. The company has evolved from being a money transfer service to offering transactional banking. Ahmed Cassim, managing director for the
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financial service unit at Hello Paisa, said their key differentiator is their in-housedeveloped mobile onboarding app. “The app allows our sales team to digitally onboard customers in the comfort of their own homes,” Cassim explained. “New customers can be issued with a bank account and a VISA card at a fraction of the cost of mainstream banks.” While most new digital banks still issue bank cards, even this cornerstone of the banking world may be disrupted. MIP Holdings’ Firth said bank cards increase administration, delivery and management fees. “The use of IoT and devices mean that we will see a decline in the use of cards over the next three years,” said Firth. He added that AI and big data aggregation are growing in the financial services sector because they are helping to drive the complete self-service of accounts. The big question regarding digital banking remains - Can a full banking service be offered without the need to interact with humans or visit a physical bank branch? The short answer no, but it does depend on the segment you are targeting. “If you want to create a retail bank with very simple
and basic products – basically a savings account linked with a method of payment and unsecured lending - then it’s possible to operate without branches,” said Deloitte’s Bruwer. “However, as soon as you start getting into complex products that the consumer needs to understand, then a level of engagement with a consultant becomes a necessity. This is often the case with customers who want to make an investment or buy property.” Bruwer said that while bank branches will not disappear anytime soon, they will change. “Branches will no longer be the bank branches we have come to know. Through digital banking, traditional brickand-mortar branches will be replaced by consultants who will help people with their financial services and tailoring products for their needs,” he said. n
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I M M I G R AT I O N
POLLAK IMMIGRATION THE EASIEST WAYS TO EMIGRATE TO THE US
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any South Africans find the idea of moving to the US attractive as it offers new opportunities and a fresh start. It can, however, be difficult to navigate the complex legal requirements for such a move. Karen-Lee Pollak, founder of Pollak PLLC, is an award-winning immigration lawyer who has lots of experience with this process. Pollak says there are four visa types that are popular with South Africans. L-1 VISA – BUSINESS The L-1 visa is available to people who own or have worked for a South African company for at least 1 year and who then transfer to open a new branch in the USA. They must be hired in a managerial or executive position, or in a position that requires specialised knowledge. The US is getting tough on granting these visas. “We generally do not see success unless the South African entity has 10-15 employees and this is matched by the US entity within 1 year,” said Pollak. H-1B VISA – EMPLOYMENT The H-1B employment visa is for workers in specialty occupations that
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require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a specific field, or the equivalent work experience. These visas are very popular, so the US uses a lottery system to allocate them.
WE GENERALLY DO NOT SEE SUCCESS UNLESS THE SOUTH AFRICAN ENTITY HAS 10-15 EMPLOYEES
This visa requires a job offer from an employer, relevant qualifications, a need for these qualifications, and an available job paying the required wage for the position. EB-5 VISA – INVESTMENT The EB-5 visa is based on a large investment by the applicant into the US economy that creates additional employment opportunities in the US. They must either invest $1 million in one’s own business, $500,000
in a Target Employment Area, or $500,000 in a regional centre. On November 21, however, the required investment figures will increase from $1 million to $1.8 million, and from $500,000 to $900,000, respectively. EB-3 AND EB-2 VISA – GREEN CARD THROUGH EMPLOYMENT If an employer has offered you a position in the United States, they can sponsor you for a Green Card. You will either need at least 2-years’ skilled work experience or a 4-year bachelor’s degree for the EB-3 visa, or a 4-year bachelor’s degree and 5 years of experience or a master’s degree for the EB-2 green card. The employer must also advertise the position and provide evidence that there were no qualified U.S. workers available. n
Contact Pollak Immigration on info@pollakimmigration.com to learn more about these and other visa options.
Phathizwe Malinga, Managing Director of SqwidNet
I O T I N N O VA T I O N
4IR, WHY IT’S IMPORTANT AND AN AFRICAN LEAPFROG By Phathizwe Malinga
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hat makes something a good decision? Is it the number of options one could conjure up, and then through a process of elimination, the best one was chosen? Is it in the result and how no other decision could have yielded better value? Or is it because we’ve seen the problem before, and the decision taken last time is the best decision for that kind of problem? And do we factor in how much time we have to make the decision? The world we find ourselves in is one where free trade and global competition have increased the rate at which we see new and better products and services frequently. The global market is highly competitive, and our customers have less and less patience to wait for us to innovate our products to compete with these new developments. This is the fast pace world. The choice has shifted to the customer. Spoilt for choice. But this world that I paint, is of the customer who has. South Africa is a place where the Gini co-efficient: the measure of the gap between the haves and the have-nots of society, is at the greatest in the world.
Add to this, we live in a tropical world, meaning that we are prone to disease and experience a higher rate of mortality if we do not master the nature that is around us. Our burden of disease is four times higher than the world average. Simple preventable diseases like Diarrhoea kill twice as many children in South Africa than the average. We have a quality of life problem, that affects our life expectancy. That is the bad news. The good news is that we can do something about this, individually and collectively. We can increase our life expectancy. The Far East Asia region did just this, they increased their life expectancy by 30 years in the last half century. With a geographical advantage on the demand for silica that is used to produce electronics (the 3rd industrial revolution), they used this as the fulcrum. If the third industrial revolution was about producing digital knowledge, then the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is then about mastering this knowledge. In order to make a difference to our life expectancy as Africans, one of the things we have to be
able to do is to master is our environment. We have to master knowledge about our environment. This mastery begins with being informed about the state of our assets and being able to make better decisions that lead us to actions that increase our quality of life. The reason we can do this as Africans, is because the dematerialisation of data that 4IR brings results in ultra-low-cost technology. Businesses and municipalities are able to make better decisions that innovate their products and services experience, even for the have-nots. Municipalities are able to get real-time water usage and even proactively detect and repair leaks. And for the first time, citizens themselves are able to access this digital data on their cell phones and take steps that prevent the loss and overcharge of water. Just clean and abundantly accessible drinking water will do wonders for reducing the number of diarrhoea related deaths. This is the beginning of the African leapfrog. Using 4IR technology to leapfrog developed countries and improve the life expectancy of Africa. n
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INSURETECH
APP-BASED INSURTECH GRANADILLA GROWS UP GRANADILLA HAS BEEN THROUGH ITS GROWING PAINS AND AFTER ONE YEAR IN BUSINESS CONTINUES TO SET THE BENCHMARK FOR INSURTECH IN SA
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ranadilla is a 100% digital insurance company that launched in July 2018, offering singleasset and on-demand insurance through a mobile app. The company started with two products and has grown to provide insurance cover for gadgets such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, cameras, jewellery, action cameras, headphones, gaming consoles, gaming rigs, as well as travel cover, with more products to be released soon. “For a start-up, the first year is generally tough. Insurtech in South Africa was new so we had nothing to benchmark against. It has been a steep learning curve in terms of consumer needs, product trends and demand, with numerous key learnings,” said Jonathan Walker, CEO of Granadilla.
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“We initially thought we’d attract a young, digital-first audience in their early twenties. However, our average customer is 32 years old, with the bulk of customers being between the ages of 28 and 43. Our female base is growing. Compared to 39% at the start of 2019, our base is now 44% female and 56% male. Just after launching, our base was male dominant and mostly iPhone users. That has changed significantly, with iOS app downloads today accounting for less than 5% of our user base, reflecting Android’s popularity in South Africa,” said Walker. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) is core to the company’s business and its operational model. Both Granadilla and their customers are benefitting as a result: Granadilla is able to use AI to filter for good quality customers, and customers get to enjoy lower premiums, cash backs, and 24/7 access to their insurance provider. “From the consumer’s perspective, appbased insurance is relatively hassle-free
and quick. Onboarding as a new customer and insuring your personal items can take under 2 minutes: it is instant, paper-free and lightning-fast. This extends to the claims process as well,” said Walker. Granadilla’s proprietary technology has allowed the company to scale in a fast and stable manner, while keeping costs low. The insurtech has consistently enjoyed strong growth figures across all threegrowth metrics since the start of 2019, with users up by 454,5%, policies sold up by 110,73%, and gross written premium up by 101,7% in quarter two. Proof that Granadilla is satisfying the demand for do-it-yourself, cost-effective, fast appbased insurance amongst South African consumers. n
You can download the Granadilla app from your app store. Or visit their website: www.granadilla.ai.
THE MYBROADBAND 2019 CLOUD T CONFERENCE
he 2019 MyBroadband Cloud Conference, hosted in partnership with Liquid Telecom, took place at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on 6 June 2019. Now in its fifth year, it is the premier cloud and hosting conference in South Africa.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, INSIGHTFUL CLOUD CONVERSATIONS AND IMPRESSIVE EXPERTISE 72 MYBROADBAND
The annual MyBroadband Cloud Conference has become the meeting place for the South African IT community and a platform for IT decision makers to interact and do business with South Africa’s top cloud and hosting providers. This years’ conference attracted over 1,100 ICT executives, business owners and IT decision makers from across South Africa and neighbouring countries.
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Software developing company Codehesion preparing for the event
Reshaad Sha, the CEO of Liquid Telecom in South Africa, discussing the local telecommunications market
Marcus Tay, Director for Cloud and Data Center Solutions at Huawei, gives an overview of cloud platforms, security, and Huawei’s growing cloud capabilities
These delegates were treated to excellent presentations from South Africa’s top cloud, hosting, and security experts. Radio 702’s Aki Anastasiou was the emcee at the event, with Liquid Telecom’s new CEO Reshaad Sha delivering the keynote address. Other speakers included Connection Telecom MD David Meintjes, Huawei’s director for cloud and data center solutions M a r c us Tay , M icr os of t c lou d specialist Kevin George and Teraco MD Jan Hnizdo. SAP Africa director Kathryn Tindale, Schneider Electric’s regional executive head Derek Friend, Siatik CEO Brett St’Clair and Oracle’s solution engineering director Ocea Garriock presented in the afternoon and shared insightful
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information about the local cloud market. MyBroadband’s editor-atlarge Jan Vermeulen chaired a panel discussion on cloud platforms, cloud security and virtualisation, and was joined by VMWare’s Dave Funnell and Mimecast’s Mikey Molfessis. The expo area hosted South Africa’s top cloud and hosting players, which included Liquid Telecom, Huawei, Connection Telecom, VMWare, Teraco, Schneider Electric, Axiz, and Microsoft. These companies showcased their latest cloud, hosting and telecommunications products and engaged in discussions with delegates about the business applications for these products.
Continued on page 74
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Aki Anastasiou manages the conversations across industry experts and insights for a packed auditorium. The conference saw more than 1 500 people attend and participate in industry debate
Derek Friend, Regional Executive Head at Schneider Electric, discussed the edge of the cloud and the need for green power
Kathryn Tindale, Director Channel and General Business at SAP Africa, talked about the potential of technology and cloud services and how it is transforming businesses
Michele McCann, head of interconnection and peering at Teraco, talks about the value of great Internet peering points in South Africa
Ocea Garriock, Solution Engineering Director at Oracle, discussed the advantages and challenges of moving to the cloud
The conference was a tremendous success. Delegates were treated to dynamic conversations that allowed for in-depth analysis and discussions around cloud services and how it impacts the South African business environment. Delegates also loved the opportunity to network and interact with prominent cloud players in the local market. ∎
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Yealink DECT IP Multi-Cell System W80B Yealink, a leading global unified communication (UC) terminal solution provider, today announced the global launch of its Yealink DECT IP Multi-Cell System W80B. 'The new DECT multi-cell is another major development in the Yealink product range, once again showing why Yealink is the leading IP phone brand in South Africa.' Adrian Bush. Even Flow is one of the only African distributors in Yealink’s top 30 international partners. Even Flow is the Top Platinum Distributor in Africa for Yealink. The Yealink DECT products bring scalability and increased mobility to business users, the DECT IP Multi-Cell System W80B provides a seamless handover and roaming solution, stable communication experience and simple deployment service covering multiple scenarios, including warehouses, hotels, 4S stores, offices, retail and other large spaces that need to use Multi-Cell solution. 'The new Yealink DECT multi-cell is an exciting product, that enables Yealink cordless handsets to be used in larger sites and offers true mobility due to the handover capabilities and mesh nature of the DECT multicell.' Shazley Naidoo, Yealink Product Manager.
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• Seamless handover and roaming • Up to 100 parallel calls • Up to 30 base stations • Up to 100 handsets • Up to 100 SIP accounts • Support LDAP/Remote Phonebook • Support Xsi Directory • DECT radio coverage up to 50m indoors and 300m outdoors • DECT technology: Yealink DECT technology is based on CAT-iq2.0, which focuses on high quality Audio VoIP (wideband), as well as low bit rate data applications. But we are not compatible with any third-party DECT devices (base station, handset, etc.). • Support Opus • Support PoE • Compatible with Yealink W56H/W53H (version x.83.0.20 or later)
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DARTCOM SA AWARDED R50-M FIBRE AND ETHERNET DATA CENTRE CONTRACT NETWORK SET TO CATER FOR INCREASED BANDWIDTH DEMANDS, SCALABLE CONSUMPTION AND FASTER ACTIVATION TIMES, ENSURING THE CLIENT REMAINS RELEVANT IN EVER-CHANGING TECHNICAL ENVIRONMENTS
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outh Africa, Pretoria, 2nd October 2019: Dartcom SA, South Africa’s black-owned and controlled proudly South African telecommunications company, has recently been awarded the highly-acclaimed R50-million Fibre and Ethernet Reticulation Solution project by tech giant Dimension Data. The company, renowned for its specialist distributor services and innovative solutions, is the provider of value-added services in the telecommunication and other higherend technology sectors. The country’s premier specialist distributor of radio frequency and fibre optic communications technologies, Dartcom SA has been given the green light to commence the project with Dimension Data and end-user, Internet Solutions. After a gruelling two-year long process, involving acute technical evaluations in this highly specialized product field, the tender was awarded to Dartcom SA late last year. The project involves the implementation of a fibre and ethernet reticulation solution at various Internet Solution Data Centres, including nine Points-of-Presence (POPs)
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in South Africa, one POP in the United Kingdom and one POP in Germany. This entails the provision of cabinets and connectivity for the upgrade and/ or establishing of new Data Centres for Dimension Data and Internet Solutions nationally. Together with Huber+Suhner DC’s product portfolio, Dartcom SA's solution is custom fit for the client’s needs. Implementing world-class professionalism, training sessions have been conducted and Huber+Suhner have been working closely with Dartcom SA on the first installation as the partners roll out best practice methodologies. Chairperson Mr Khudusela Pitje commented, “Colocation companies around the world rely on our high-density fibre management systems to connect incoming carriers to their valued customers. Our excellent cost per port and leading packing density make us the number one choice for regional and global colocation businesses. For example, our high-performance cable systems provide financial companies with the reliability they depend on to maintain their business-critical connections.”
The Dartcom SA solution is based on the Huber+Suhner Lisa side access solution whilst the IANOS 19” modular patch panel solution in the equipment racks allows clear flexibility. Used in conjunction with the harness cable assemblies, the conversion models allow upgradeability to 40G or 100G, providing large scope for expansion for clients. Floor space is limited and expensive in data centres, making the limited space needed for the products a real and tangible benefit to the client. The design of the Dartcom SA modular solution also allows for quick and easy splicing access, as well as fast interconnectivity between racks. The building block method of CDR solutions also allows scalability for current requirements and future expansion if needed. The labelling methods on modules are clean and transparent for record keeping and traceability, an added bonus and providing ease of execution to the health and safety processes required. Commenting on the project, Internet Solutions’ Mr Abri Kotze said, “In order to continually evolve and improve the service to our clients, our network needs
CDR900 and CDR1200 Cabinets with Slack Management
to cater for increased bandwidth demand, scalable consumption at more cost-effective prices and faster activation times. The ethernet and fibre reticulation platform from Huber+Suhner supports this by providing stable, flexible and robust cable management as required in the Data Centres to meet any current and future requirements and to remain relevant in the ever-changing technology and service landscapes. We are proud to be working with Dartcom SA on this project.” PROJECT SCOPE Dimension Data required a fibre and ethernet reticulation solution to leverage full advantage of all departments in Internet Solutions; including the expansion of data centre footprints, remedial action in existing data centres, and the deployment of the IS4.0 Network. The purpose of the
solution would be to provide a modular and scalable platform on which the Intra-Data Centre fibre and ethernet connectivity could be managed. Internet Solutions provides and operates secure, carrier neutral and resilient Data Centres across South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa. Connectivity provided in these centres includes both optical fibre and ethernet cabling between the WAN, Internet Solutions core equipment, customer equipment and 3rd party service providers. In order to remain technically relevant, Internet Solutions required a network supportive of increased bandwidth demands, scalable consumption and faster activation times, together with a stable, flexible and robust cable management platform in the Data Centres. Commenting on the winning of the contract, Pitje said: “Our cutting-edge technology,
coupled with Dartcom SA’s strong customer-centric focus and underpinned by a solid technically skilled team have made the difference. The supply of cabinets and material has already been delivered to some of the high priority Data Centres and commissioning will be commencing soon! We are excited to make a positive impact for our client and the telecommunication industry as a whole. We are here for the long haul and will continue to provide support to our client after the rollout is complete. As always, we remain committed to South Africa and the African continent.” n
Website: www.dartcom.co.za Tel: +27(0) 12 345 7530
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S O F T WA R E C O N S U L T A N C Y
EQUAL EXPERTS. MAKING SOFTWARE. BETTER
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qual Experts was founded by two technologists who wanted to create a different kind of software consultancy. Since then, the London-based network – founded by Thomas de Cad’oro Granier and Ryan Sikorsky in 2007 – has grown to be a network of over 1,000 experienced consultants with offices in eight countries. One of those is in Cape Town, which opened early 2018. It has a track record of helping organisations achieve great things. This includes processing millions of transactions per day in government, building top-5 mobile apps for iOS and Android, launching start-ups with lean, elegant technology or helping businesses with agile transformation. The network – a mixture of independent contractors and employees – is made up of user researchers, designers, strategic thinkers, product people, BAs, developers, architects, QAs, DevOps and more. THE CLIENT COMES FIRST Equal Experts was founded to be a consultancy with a difference. It always puts the client first and focuses both on doing the right thing for the client and adding value. Being a global network also enables Equal Experts to draw on a huge well of knowledge and experience to help it solve challenging client engagements.
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Equal Experts always works with a client, rather than taking a problem away and working on it in isolation. Working with the client’s delivery teams delivers better results, but it also enables Equal Experts to transfer its own knowledge and ways of working to the client - something that’s at the heart of how Equal Experts works. In fact, reaching the best outcome for its clients matters much more to Equal Experts than how it gets there – given the choice, they’d always choose delivering something that’s right for users rather than focusing on making it technically perfect. A NETWORK WITH A DIFFERENCE Equal Experts’ values help make it distinct. As a network of ‘grown-ups’ who deliver as a team of equals, respect is at the heart of everything – whether that’s towards a colleague, a client or a supplier. It’s proud of its culture. It’s a place where all opinions are valid, and people are
encouraged to take responsibility and make their own decisions. It’s a very flexible network too. Unlike many places, people can leave and then return, and those who join the network are under no obligation to accept a role immediately either. As a company that focuses on building relationships, consulting with clients, and providing access to a global network of experts, we believe that we can take the South African organisation to the next level. With an increasing presence in South Africa, and a variety of engagements ranging from financial services to the ecommerce industry, Equal Experts is well placed for further growth. n
Find out more at www.equalexperts.com or email HelloSA@equalexperts.com
INTELLIGENT SECURITY
A10 NETWORKS INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION WITH MACHINE LEARNING TO MITIGATE ADVANCED CYBER ATTACKS
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hen Lee Chen—a veteran of Silicon Valley networking start-ups and serial entrepreneur—founded A10 Networks in 2004, he was laser-focused on building the fastest, highest performing, and most scalable load balancer in the industry based on X86 Intel off-theshelf hardware. Having achieved that, Chen devised an Application Delivery Controller (ADC) for providing Layer 4-7 load balancing. This was when he realized that A10 Networks’ Advanced Core Operating System (ACOS) and shared memory architecture is uniquely positioned to provide visibility into SSL traffic. At a time when nearly 50 percent of enterprise web traffic was encrypted, and advanced threats hiding in SSL traffic were increasing, it was important to develop a comprehensive and highperformance solution that decrypts traffic at scale. This would enable enterprise security devices to analyse enterprise traffic and stop malware and cyberthreats. For more than half a decade now, A10 Networks brings the in-depth and unprecedented expertise required to build heavy processing capabilities to decrypt traffic across all standard TCP ports and advanced protocols and re- encrypt the same traffic, all in real-time. A10 Networks specialises in AI- driven application and network security solutions delivering ML-based and automated DDoS protection, high performance SSL visibility, hyperscale 5G security and secure application delivery in multi-cloud environments. These application and
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network security solutions work cohesively to detect and mitigate DDoS attacks at the network edge and decrypt SSL traffic for analysing and mitigating SSL-based attacks. A10 Networks also empowers clients with secure application delivery that offers integrated security controls for protecting applications. A10 Networks leverages AI and ML capabilities to protect client infrastructure and to provide better insights into attacks by proactively tracking information from various cyber weapons across the globe. A10 Networks has developed the most scalable DDoS mitigation platform with a smaller form factor than what the competitors are delivering. “Our industryleading scale, performance and constant innovation has resulted in us being the only vendor for DDoS mitigation for the entire Microsoft Azure cloud,” says Gunter Reiss, VP of Worldwide Marketing. A10 Networks has also developed the Harmony Controller—a centralised agile management, automation, and analytics solution—for secure application services deployment over various underlying infrastructures. This tool helps organisations to efficiently automate deployment and operations of application services, simplify the management of distributed application services, receive alerts on security anomalies, and much more. “The Harmony Controller is a game changer and one-of-its-kind offering that presents advanced security, visibility, per app-analytics and troubleshooting capabilities for complex multi-cloud
Gunter Reiss, VP of Worldwide Marketing at A10 Networks
environments. We collect intelligence from various sources and add it to the Harmony Controller to ultimately provide a complete view of the network security statistics,” adds Reiss. Unlike a standard cloud or DDoS scrubbing solution, A10 Networks’ hybrid security solution delivers complete protection. It not only secures the service provider’s infrastructure and applications, but also their clients who use multiple platforms that are not part of the infrastructure protection plan. As a key partner of Microsoft, the company has built a cloud access proxy for Office 365, offering reduced latency for a better user experience with centralised management and SSL encryption and decryption. A10 Networks provides flexible software licensing that meets the needs of any enterprise operating in a complex multicloud environment. The company plans to deliver not just TLS 1.3 support, but a secure-service-mesh architecture around the Kubernetes containerisation. n
Contact Seshni Gafoor by phone on +27 84 269 7860 or by email at seshni.gafoor@ingrammicro.com
T H E F I NA L A NA LY S I S
DIVERSIFICATION OF THE TELCO REVENUE MODEL IS NOW CRITICAL SABELO DLAMINI, SENIOR RESEARCH AND CONSULTING MANAGER AT INTERNATIONAL DATA CORPORATION (IDC) SOUTH AFRICA, UNLOCKS WHY THIS WILL BE KEY TO SURVIVAL IN THE NEXT WAVE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
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he telecommunications industry has breathed a sigh of relief that some direction on spectrum allocation has been provided by Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. The policy direction seems to have been welcomed by everyone as it caters for the incumbent operators and the wholesale open access network (WOAN). It will then be up to ICASA on how much of the high demand spectrum is allocated to the WOAN and to the operators. As it stands, it seems as if all the bands will be available at the same time, therefore the operators will have to decide on which bands to prioritise.
The rise of video streaming and over-thetop (OTT) services such as WhatsApp are also diluting their revenues, putting further pressure on them to create bundles or partner sharing agreements to improve their financials. Internationally, we’ve seen telcos engaging with over-thetop (OTT) providers such as streaming services, to secure revenue sharing through partnerships. For South African telcos to survive the next wave of digital transformation, they will have to find alternative revenue streams that cater to today’s digital consumer who knows exactly what they want.
Most telcos have reported a loss in their revenues. While data consumption is increasing, the pressure to drive data prices down means that they are experiencing declines in data revenue as well because the increase in consumption is not proportional to their revenues.
As the conversation shifts from 4G to 5G, it is important to note that it is still a long way off for South Africa. 5G requires three elements, namely enhanced mobile broadband which provides more speed, an increase in the number of devices that can be connected at once and ultra-reliable low
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latency, or shorter delays. At this stage what is being sold is enhanced mobile broadband. The other challenge in the adoption of 5G is the fact that, while the minister has now provided policy direction on the allocation of 4G spectrum, this has yet to happen. The spectrum will come at a very high cost after which the telcos will need to invest in the infrastructure, followed by looking at their return on investment. Operators in Africa that already have their 4G spectrum and deployed their networks two to three years ago are still awaiting their return on investment, so it would be very difficult for them to start investing in 5G now. It seems that 4G remains the more feasible technology - it's about deploying it more efficiently to get more out of it. n