Lists
4 Priorities Shaping CIO Strategies in 2021
With the economic rollercoaster ride of 2020, CIOs and business leaders are formulating and finalising strategies for what is hoped to be a new year of growth and recovery. There can be no doubt that technology and IT infrastructure will underpin and shape the majority of 2021 strategies – with the global pandemic having radically accelerated many digital transformation journeys (while propelling other businesses into newly formed digitisation initiatives). Arguably, the key to successfully leveraging technology to drive growth and recoveries in 2021 will be determined by the clarity of thinking around IT strategies – as well as leadership’s commitment to simplifying complexity while simultaneously harnessing emerging technology tools and platforms. All too often, decision-makers sway betw...
4 IT Security Tips for Businesses in 2021
Sourced from Forbes A shift to remote work, financial constraints due to economic recession and the growth of cyber threats due to the global pandemic will affect the day-to-day role of cybersecurity professionals in 2021. Understanding the challenges but also perceiving opportunities in IT and IT security management is key for companies to maintain their protection. The recent Kaspersky report, “Plugging the gaps: 2021 corporate IT security predictions” suggests advice for each role related to cybersecurity, including CEOs or business owners, CISOs, SOC team leads and IT managers. Here are four of the main trends: Protecting the perimeter is no longer enough – home office assessment and certification will be needed. There should be tools to scan the level of security in a workplace – from...
The 50 Best Albums of 1971
It’s become a cliché, even for post-Baby Boomers, to look back wistfully on the early ’70s as some kind of untouchable golden age for popular music. But when you survey all the era’s best albums in list form, it’s hard not to trust that instinct. I mean…holy shit. In 1971, the psychedelic era hadn’t completely wilted; prog was nearing its popularity apex; Motown was still a revolutionizing soul music; the folk-rock movement was in full flight. The possibilities were limitless. You know it’s a banner year when 50 albums don’t begin to scratch the surface — when both John Lennon and Paul McCartney release definitive LPs and neither make the top 10. Was 1971 the greatest album year ever? We’ll save that debate for another time (or maybe another list). For now, we present 50 stone-cold cl...
6 Tech Trends to Expect in 2021
By mid-March 2020, business plans went out the window and many shifted focus from thriving to surviving. Pedro Lopes, group MD of Seidor Africa, says that “technology trends will increasingly evolve in line with our online and digital lives in 2021.” Here’s what else 2021 could bring: 1. Business management systems are more critical than ever Challenges differ from one organisation to the next, but business needs remain the same. Now more than ever, an end-to-end business management system is needed to manage and control daily activities. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_0d0.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_0d0.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } An integrated solution designed specifically for the business will help managers reach targets by cutting manual tasks and automating business-...
7 Cryptocurrency Predictions for 2021
Ongoing volatility, further progress on regulations and continued interest from institutional investors can be expected in 2021 – this according to South African cryptocurrency exchange, Luno. “Looking back at our predictions from last year – the Bitcoin halving happened without a hitch and the industry matured as institutional investors entered the market,” says Marius Reitz, GM for Luno Africa. “2020 was a proper stress test with Bitcoin hitting a low of around $5,000 in March and a high of $28,000. The new year is following the same trend with the price already reaching the $40,000 level.” Here’s a closer look at seven cryptocurrency predictions for 2021: /* custom css */ .tdi_3_da6.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_da6.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } 1. Institutional inve...
10 Travel Questions With Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves
Punk rock legend Blag Dahlia (Paul Cafaro) has been touring the world for over 30 years as founder and lead singer of “The Dwarves.” Courting controversy is second nature to the band, though it always comes after solid hard-core musicality and Paul’s inspired song lyrics. The Dwarves have produced fourteen albums, several music videos, and have played over 1,000 live shows. Fans follow the band along a global silk road of concerts, never tiring of the raw energy, sexuality, and The Dwarves you-never-know-what-will-happen-next reputation. If you know Paul as a friend, as I do, you’ll know that deep down he’s a serious dude. A voracious reader, he talks music, art, writing, politics, philosophy, travel. He’s published two novels and just finished his third–completing a trilogy about his alte...
5 Tech Trends to Watch in 2021
2020 was a year in which the tech industry came into its own and learned lessons about adaptability, resilience and collaboration that have changed the way we work forever. Perhaps the hardest thing for businesses this year was the uncertainty – which makes predicting trends for 2021 more challenging than usual. But as we move into what will hopefully be a post-COVID reality, here’s a view of the top five tech trends that will impact local businesses in the coming year. 1. Welcome to the Internet of Behaviours (IoB) Anyone who loves a good tech acronym will know the Internet of Things (IoT), is the network of interconnected physical objects – from fridges to data centres – that gather and exchange information and data over the internet. The Internet of Behaviours (IoB) takes this dat...
4 Digital Payment Trends to Watch in 2021
For many businesses that had previously relied on selling their products or services in person, accepting online payments has been a significant step in digitising their offering to the local market. As eCommerce adoption rates continue to soar in 2021, digital payment solutions will need to keep pace to ensure that customers continue to shop online. Jonathan Smit, Managing Director and Founder of PayFast, predicts that 2021 will continue to see an uptake in eCommerce use and digital payments in the following four ways: Contactless continued – contactless payments have become widely accepted. Whether it be by smartphone, card or wearable device – tap-and-go has become a convenient staple for South African shoppers. Additionally, many are still wary of the COVID-19 virus spreading through s...
5 Digital Transformation Predictions for 2021
Although 2020 might have been a year that no one could have predicted, shrouded with uncertainty, technology was the one constant. Helping businesses become more agile and connected with communities in different ways, it provided an essential part of our human and business adaptations to the so-called ‘new normal’. In 2021, technology will continue to provide a path to our economic recovery – and channel partners will play a key role in guiding our progress. They must advocate for the technological transformations that will help businesses to do more than simply survive, but to thrive. And there’s plenty for them to talk about. Here are five tech heroes to watch in the coming year, that will rock the channel and bolster business: 1. Hybrid cloud hype: understanding the full channel opportu...
4 Trends Every CIO Should Know in 2021
We enter 2021 in a very different place from where we were at the start of 2020. For CIOs, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented enormous challenges, but there is a silver lining. Organizations have come to recognize the importance that networking, and more broadly, the IT function can have on the business, including how fast change can be implemented, even under such stressful circumstances. As we begin the new year, with the coronavirus continuing its grip on the globe, organizations have to take the experiences and learnings from the previous year and apply them to their IT strategies if they are to find success. Here are the networking trends for 2021 which can assist CIOs in ensuring organizations stay one step ahead in the future: 1. The emergence of the hybrid workforce /...
