Digital Transformation
Why Telcos Should Gear Up to Secure New Wave of 5G Networks
Telcos are expected to implement a wide array of measures in 2021 to secure the next wave of 5G connectivity, according to a global survey by Heavy Reading. As operators begin to rollout standalone 5G networks, they are moving swiftly to secure core network configuration services, such as slice management, which enable 5G operators to provide highly customized connectivity. By the end of 2021, 71% of respondents expect to have implemented security measures for their core network configuration services and 75% plan to have secured the radio access network (RAN). ...
How AI Puts the ‘Smart’ in Smartphones
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building smart devices capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. From the realm of science fiction, AI has evolved to, in some applications, match human performance, with the latest facial-recognition software having a 99% accuracy rate. Strategy Analytics, a company that shares insights and analytics, states that 41% of consumers believe AI will improve their lives in some way and South Africa isn’t lagging behind the rest of the world in its development and application of this cutting-edge technology either. “We’re seeing even more companies using AI in more daring ways through innovative products or services that disrupt the status quo,’ says Dries Cronje, CEO at Deep Le...
How Mobile Technology could Provide Food Security for Rural African Communities
Climate change combined with unsustainable farming practices has exhausted African soil — leaving much of the ground unfarmable. In the future, a major reduction in crop yield and productivity is likely to be seen as a consequence of the extreme weather conditions and unviable farming techniques. In fact, the production of maize could decrease by as much as 10%, even if no climate adaptation actions are taken. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_560.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_560.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } According to the African Development Bank (ADB), this is not only unsustainable but unaffordable as the continent spends close to $65 billion importing food — a number that is expected to grow exponentially within the next decade. In addition to the growing lack...
Combined Rubrik and IDC Report Addresses Data Sprawl in the Modern Enterprise
Image sourced from Gerd Altmann, Pixabay Data sprawl – referring to the fact that valuable data is now commonly spread across multiple physical locations and different repository types – is one of the most critical IT issues that a modern organisation will have to manage. Not only does this expanse of data create issues for an organisation around its effective use, it can also negatively affect its security measures. This is according to a recent report from IDC, the global market intelligence firm, and cloud data management company Rubrik, which commissioned the IDC White Paper study and which involved just over 800 respondents in North America, Western Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. The white paper reveals that: Companies are not leveraging data to its fullest extent, causing ...
How Digital Adoption Across Africa Supersedes the World
Sourced from Redbubble and iStock. Although Africa currently trails other regions in terms of digital adoption and maturity, the pace of adoption and infrastructure buildout is happening faster on the continent than any other region in the world. This creates the opportunity to unlock enormous economic potential, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in partnership with Casablanca Finance City. “The COVID-19 crisis has also focused minds, accelerating digital adoption among consumers and digital transformation among companies,” says Jan Gildemeister, Managing Director at BCG. “For success going forward, we believe that companies and governments need to coordinate on three fronts: creating scale, nurturing and attracting digital talent, and building ecosystems and innov...
Microsoft Joins Forces with Tech4Dev to Teach Women Coding Skills in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt
Microsoft and Tech4Dev have partnered to launch the Women Techsters Initiative in 54 countries. This programme aims to train girls and women across Africa in coding and deep tech skills, bridging the digital and technology divide and ensure equal access to opportunities across the continent. Ghada Khalifa, Regional Director of Microsoft Philanthropies MEA, was excited about the initiative being scaled to other countries on the African continent from Nigeria where the program was piloted. She says “when we empower girls and women in the ICT industry, through greater access to skills and training, we not only unlock innovation but also economic opportunities”. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_2ad.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_2ad.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } A recent report&...
Growing Female Talent in the Tech Workforce
Sourced from TechCabal International Women’s Day, 8 March 2021, is a celebration of progress and recognition of work that still needs to be done to advance women in business and society. In an annual study produced by the World Bank titled “Women, Business and the Law 2021” the gender inequality amidst the global COVID-19 Pandemic is explored looking at eight key pillars. The pillars are mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets and pension. The report analyses laws and regulations affecting women’s economic opportunities in 190 countries and shows promising results. Results show that despite the difficulties of the global pandemic, many economies have made gender equality a priority. The results are encouraging with every region surveyed improving its a...
COVID-19 Fuels Global Appetite for App Modernization, AI and Edge Computing
COVID-19 has catalysed the speed and depth of the world’s digital transformation efforts, according to F5’s latest State of Application Strategy (SOAS) report. This year’s report strongly underlines how the need to improve connectivity, reduce latency, ensure security, and harness data-driven insights is intensifying. It also points to an elevated interest in cloud, as-a-service solutions, edge computing, and application security and delivery technologies. “The COVID-19 pandemic has vastly accelerated a global digital transformation that was already underway. Progress that might normally have taken a decade has leapt forward in a single year,” says Lori MacVittie, Principal Technical Evangelist, Office of the CTO at F5. “In a short time, more organization...
Women in Tech to Observe International Women’s Day
The next instalment of the Women in Tech Conversations virtual forum hosted by legal technology firm, LexisNexis South Africa, and information technology vendor, Dell Technologies, will see three formidable tech pioneers share their stories to mark International Women’s Day (IWD 2021) on Monday, 8 March 2021. The session – on Zoom between 2pm and 3.15pm – will build on the IWD 2021 campaign theme, #ChooseToChallenge, in celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This year’s global theme calls on the international community to address gender bias and inequality by choosing to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements in order to help create an inclusive world. The three tech industry game-changers who will share their experiences and insights ar...
The Sustenance of Job Creation During a Digital Evolution Epoch
Tau Mashigo CTO Group IT, Standard Bank As the future pushes ahead unabated, the set of circumstances emerging spark a lot of imagination. We no longer just rely on linear cognitive capabilities that give rise to incremental change, but rather parallelised, and intertwined capabilities that result in exponential progress. The world is filling up with opportunities waiting to be discovered. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterised by the on-setting of new capabilities stemming from exponential developments in a multiplicity of domain technologies including robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnologies, quantum computing, 3D printing, superfast telecommunications, and the internet of things. While these can be leveraged independently of each other, real impact can be exp...
Vodacom and Google Give Smartphones to Rural Communities in South Africa
Vodacom has partnered with Google to give away hundreds of Android-powered smartphones to communities across Limpopo, South Africa. This move forms part of the companies continued efforts to “reduce the digital divide” and offer many who reside in deep rural communities “access to the internet for the first time”. “At Vodacom we are optimistic about how technology and connectivity can enhance the future and improve people’s lives. Through our business, we aim to build a digital society that transforms communities, embraces everyone, leaving no one behind. Our purpose is to ‘connect for a better future’, improving the lives of the next 100 million customers by 2025,” says Imran Khan, Managing Executive for Vodacom Limpopo. “In our pursuit to build an inclusive and sustainable digital societ...
Why Telcos Should Prioritise Efficiency and Sustainability in 5G Networks
5G is expected to be one of the most transformative communication technologies in a generation – thanks to its ability to enable new services including advanced energy management capabilities that will be critical to solving growing energy and sustainability challenges. But new research highlights the practical challenges of 5G energy management facing telco operators. Estimates suggest 5G networks can be up to 90% more efficient per traffic unit than their 4G predecessors. However, they still require far more energy due to increased network density, heavy reliance on IT systems and infrastructure, and increased network use and accelerated traffic growth. A recent report from Vertiv concludes telecom operators should address these challenges in two ways: by adopting energy efficiency best ...
