2018 is set to be a bumper year for the world’s largest Africa-focused tech and telecoms event, with a bigger and better free content programme than ever before. As well as two vibrant exhibition halls and 400 innovative exhibitors, the free exhibition visitor pass grants access to 100+ hours of free content, world class speakers, and unmissable networking parties. Here’s an overview: • AfricaCom Headliners (formerly AfricaCom keynotes) – featuring 30 of Africa's most prominent digital thought-leaders on topics as varied as 5G, Fintech, IoT, AI and more • 400+ tech and telco innovators - access to 400+ solutions focused exhibitors • The Exhibition – Incorporating the Connectivity Hall - showcasing the thinking and technology behind the inventions improving connectivity across the continent and the Technology Arena – dedicated to ICT innovation, entrepreneurship and digital transformation • The Connectivity Stage – discover the people, products and services improving digital connectivity. Analyst briefings, expert talks and panel discussions are the order of the day. • The AHUB – showcasing talent, facilitating partnerships and encouraging investment in Africa's growing sector of ICT and web-based start-ups • AfricaCom 20/20 – premium conference content on the show floor – visionary presentations from world-class speakers on AI, IoT, African smart cities, blockchain. tech innovation in sport, enterprise digital transformation and more • Daily networking drinks – taking place at the AfricaCom 20/20 bar at 15:00 each day! • Africa Video Forum Content Hub – tackle the issues surrounding content creation and broadcasting in free to attend presentations bringing the entire value chain together • AfricaCom Awards after party - celebrate success within African tech and telecoms and party with some of the most innovative companies around • Unrivalled Networking Opportunities - meet decision makers, like-minded futurists and tomorrow’s business leaders in . . .
Alive to Possibilities
AfricaCom 20/20 Agenda set to explore the future of tech and telecoms in Africa London, 28 September 2018 – Housed within the Technology Arena at AfricaCom (the world’s largest Africa-focused TMT event), AfricaCom 20/20 will launch at midday on Tuesday 13th November 2018. This year’s line-up has an enlightening agenda which will set the scene for robust debate around some of the most pressing issues facing Africa’s entry into the 4th Industrial Revolution, as well as presentations showcasing the possible solutions to meet many of these needs. Kicking off, Lanre Kolade, Managing Director of Vodacom Nigeria, will share some key insights with audiences eager to learn what the effects of this shift have had on Africa to date and what might be expected in years to come. This will be followed by a keynote panel entitled: The Digital Gold Mine - Overcoming Regional Obstacles, such as the effect of digitisation upon production, management and governance, as well as addressing technological expertise and economic difficulties. Experts already agree that many of these socio-economic challenges will be met by Africa leapfrogging legacy systems. Yet, while this may be the case, the principle of laying solid foundations remains a pre-requisite for long-term success. Patrick Kabre, Managing Director, Alink Telekom will give a keynote exploring this. The caveat to all this access to knowledge and technological advancement, is cybersecurity, reckoned to be the Achilles heel of digital transformation. This will be addressed by Dimitris Maniatis, Head of Secure-D, Upstream, who will share his thoughts on the darker side of the web. On the other side of the coin are organisations such as the MST Group, a social impact organisation that operates sophisticated mobile units which deliver comprehensive solutions in healthcare, education and the administrative sectors. All of which, are underpinned by a nifty digital solution – GUUD – that tracks, monitors and optimises . . .
VOIP’s Productivity-boosting benefits clear, tangible & immediate
From enabling videoconferencing and shared-screen sessions, to its immediate positive bottom line effect, VoIP can easily boost corporate productivity without added expense. Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a connectivity technology that initially found favour for its ability to drastically cut business voice and data communication costs to the bone. “Immediate savings of some 45% are routine when corporate clients make the switch to IP-based communication,” says Rad Jankovic, CEO of independent telco, Otel, a longtime provider of VoIP solutions across the length and breadth of South Africa. Mr Jankovic says corporate clients operating in our current tight economic climate are initially drawn to VoIP’s promise of bottom line savings. However, it’s VoIP’s productivity-boosting benefits that really turn users into solid VoIP voice and data converts. “Clients always say to us they knew this technology enabled additional voice and data services over and above what they had been used to on copper wire, but they never expected the range of VoIP services that now enables them to be so much more productive,” says Mr Jankovic. Configuring any number of additional value-added services on a VoIP line is as easy as selecting options on a web-enabled computer interface. Mr Jankovic outlined five specific reasons why VoIP services have such a positive effective on SME and enterprise productivity: By eliminating the need for both an office line and a mobile line, and offering a single voice mailbox, VoIP means faster and more efficient responses to everything from sales enquiries to customer complaints and new business opportunities. VoIP ensures that home-based employees have access to work emails and other communication around the clock. Studies show that work-from-home and telecommuting employees with access to work emails and calls work several hours a week longer than office-bound employees. VoIP means improved intra-office collaboration by . . .
RubiBlue’s easiPol insurance administration tool reaches six million policies
easiPol, the market leading insurance administration solution from RubiBlue, has officially recorded six million policies as of August 2018. The web-based subscription management platform has played a pivotal role in the effective management and control of policies and subscriptions in the South African space and continues to show growth in the current economic climate. “It is an incredible achievement to have reached six million policies with our easiPol platform,” says Chris Ogden, CEO, RubiBlue. “The platform continues to grow in reach and capability and is the only product of its kind that services this market.” easiPol is designed to support the needs of funeral administrators, insurance underwriters and subscriber-based service administrators. It’s rich feature set minimises risk while maximising efficiency. The secure platform prevents theft and fraud while the customisable framework assures customers of a tailored solution that fits their unique requirements. easiPol’s functionality is crafted to make policy management, control and collection seamless and effective, giving both the industry and its customers peace of mind. “easiPol is a simple and effective tool that reliably serves the needs of funeral administrators, insurance underwriters and a variety of subscriber-based service administrators,” says Ogden. “It allows for these markets to effectively manage their clients and their business operations with secure administration and payment across multiple platforms within a proven business model using proven market-leading technology.” To find out more about easiPol and how it can work with your business visit www.rubiblue.com, call27 (0) 861 48 48 99, or email contactus@rubiblue.co.za. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. . . .
The GSM LCR is back, better than ever
Pansmart, a leading Panasonic Telecommunications and Security distributor in South Africa has secured a unique proposition for the telecoms dealer community with Huge Telecom, a premier provider of telecommunications services and connectivity solutions. GSM LCR, also known as Premicells, was the first form of business Least Cost Routing. It was revolutionary in its time allowing companies to connect a physical device with a SIM card to their telephone system as an additional or alternate outgoing line. Not only did it allow for quick and easy communication, but it also reduced calls costs significantly as calls out over the GSM LCR was at cellphone to cellphone rates, as opposed to fixed-line to cellphone rates. The telecoms community went crazy, and this market caught on like wildfire. It was profitable, super easy for dealers to sell, and even more straightforward for clients to use. And thanks to Pansmart and Huge Telecom, GSM LCR is back, and it’s better than ever before! Louis Fourie, the managing director of Pansmart, says, “It’s back! We’ve brought back all the positives, and have advanced the technology to bring our dealers a solution which is unmatched in the industry. You can now relive the good old LCR days, where getting clients connected to LCR came without the complexities that are common with VoIP implementations today.” “We are extremely excited with our partnership and deal with Huge Telecom. You don’t get any bigger than Huge Telecom, and well, when combining Panasonic PBX bundles with our next generation LCR, the offer becomes an extremely competitive office-in-a-box solution with ‘quick time to money’ for dealers as they no longer need to wait for last mile termination.” GSM LCR’s are quick and easy to deploy with minimal programming needed if any programming at all -and with no restriction on the make or model of PABX. Although many believed that GSM LCR is something of the past, Huge Telecom and Pansmart are changing this through . . .
NJIN Agency launches in JHB and Cape Town, promising a “NO BS” approach to marketing.
[Johannesburg, 27 September 2018] – NJIN Agency opens its doors in Johannesburg and Cape Town, offering through the line capabilities with digital, data, strategy and technology at its core. >> view website “The marketing industry as a whole has a problem, it’s a ‘BS’ problem,” says Head of Agency, Brandon Faber. “Companies are tired of agencies making (often unrealistic) promises and the inevitable mismatched counter-performance. With NJIN we are looking to create an agency that simply does what it says – at a fair rate, in an open, honest and transparent fashion.” “Driven specialists. Proven Expertise. No BS.” The NJIN Agency management team spent a year analysing shortcomings in traditional agency models, drawing from individual experience, seasoned consultants and open discussions with partners (and key clients) to craft a simple, yet challenging, brand promise. “We are well aware that, in time, our thinking may prove naïve or overly optimistic but we believe this is the right path for our clients, our shareholders and our teams,” says Faber. “We’ve recruited smartly to answer market requirements for creative, data, technology and strategy to reside in one ecosystem . . . the trick, of course, is to ensure these enhanced capabilities deliver value to all our stakeholders.” Listen. Think. Deliver NJIN Agency has a deep understanding of how tough it is for marketers to get the budgets (and buy-in) they need to get their companies moving in the right direction. More than most, the agency’s management team consists of people that have spent much of their time “client side” and are they well aware of the pressures on marketing to show real, tangible, returns. “We are dealing with people’s careers here – way beyond just ‘running campaigns’,” says NJIN Agency MD, Dennis Armstrong. “Our focus is on the creation of amazing user experiences that yield solid campaign or project results. We are working hard to deliver an efficient and agile . . .
Advanced Light Curtain System Improves Flexibility and Safety
Rockwell Automation GuardShield light curtains bring innovative transceiver technology to safeguard perimeter of robotic work cells and other hazardous equipment. The rise of robots has ushered in an increased demand for light curtains that provide a safe work environment between the robotic work cells and the rest of the plant. The Allen-Bradley GuardShield 450L safety light curtain system from Rockwell Automation is a flexible, cost-effective solution that enhances safety while improving productivity through innovative transceiver technology. “Users will see significant advantages throughout the lifecycle of the new light curtain system, but especially during installation and operation,” said Christo Buys, Business Manager – Control Systems, Rockwell Automation, Sub-Saharan Africa. The Integrated Laser Alignment System (ILAS) of the new GuardShield 450L-E reduces installation time by providing multiple visible laser points that optimise setup with a simple touch of the ILAS symbol on the front window of the stick. Plus, the compact design and full-length protective field make it easy to integrate a GuardShield 450L-E system in hand and finger protection applications from 150 mm up to 1 950 mm in increments of 150 mm. After start-up, users can leverage advanced features and functionality, including cascading, built-in muting and blanking, to enhance flexibility while maintaining the highest level of safety. The advanced muting and blanking functions of the GuardShield 450L-E light curtain are easily set up through DIP switches located on the dedicated plug-in modules. Common muting set ups like 4-sensor or 2-sensor with L- and T-configuration and an override function can be selected, as well as reduced resolution or teach in fixed blanking. A cascading plug-in can also be installed for series connection of additional GuardShield 450L Safety Light Curtain systems, enabling multi-sided machine guarding. All these special functions combined with the . . .
Heritage and technology converge to boost tourism
Just in time for National Heritage Day on 24 September, Drakenstein Local Tourism Association has introduced a mobile application that combines the proud heritage of the region with the latest state-of-the-art technology. The Visit Paarl and Visit Wellington apps are easy to navigate and visitors can download it onto their mobiles to get a quick and accessible way of finding the best places to see and things to do in this beautiful region. Both apps feature the latest news and events in Paarl and Wellington as well as maps, accommodation facilities, restaurants, attractions, wineries and other services available. According to Annelize Stroebel from the DLTA, these apps are completely on target with the theme for National Tourism Month, which is kicked off with the UN World Tourism Organisation’s World Tourism Day on 27 September 2018. “South Africa is mirroring the global theme of tourism and the digital transformation, so it is extremely apt for Drakenstein to focus on digital applications within our local tourism industry. We live in an increasingly digitally-driven society and have to look at ways of communicating our destinations on these platforms. It is a uncomplicated, user-friendly reference to tourism products in this area and will definitely assist visitors to explore our towns and surrounds,” mentions Stroebel. Stroebel also encourage local residents to make the most of Tourism Month by becoming visitors in their own towns. “As locals, we rarely take the time to enjoy the touristy aspects of our home towns. We often overlook the incredible offerings Paarl and Wellington have to offer and I hope that Tourism Month will inspire our communities to go out and explore the magnificence of our area and become true ambassadors for the Drakenstein region.” The Visit Paarl and Visit Wellington apps are available for download in your app store for free. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. . . .
Cybersecurity needs to evolve with systems
The integration of cybersecurity into every aspect of an organisation’s business activities is crucial, as it actively guards and protects the mission, vision, objectives and profits of the organisation. However, many companies see cybersecurity as a dark hole into which money is thrown without yielding any tangible benefits, thus reviewing its implementation as separate to the business objectives. Alternatively, they believe that implementing security applications, tools and services will mitigate all cyber risk exposure. This constricted view can lead to disappointment, as data compromises can still happen despite tools, solutions and services meant to defend, protect and secure these enterprises. What is required is a balance between these views, as misalignment to business objectives can either result in overprotecting IT assets, leading to waste of resources, or under-protecting these assets, exposing the organisation to cyber threats and vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity is one of the key pillars in Enterprise Risk Management, which comprises of governance, risk management, compliance and security. This quadrant guides the cybersecurity in organisations and for it to succeed, the organisation’s strategic planning must guide it. Cybersecurity begins at the ‘software factory’, thus underlining the need to select reputable service providers at the base stage. It then moves to ‘information security’; the responsibility of senior management and key business stakeholders; if the organisation is to be competitive, remain profitable and continue to innovate. Evolution of systems Digital ecosystems have evolved, and IT systems continue to come with new challenges, as respective technologies change both software and hardware. The adoption of cloud services, IoT (Internet of Things) and IoX (Internet of anything), portable and mobile computing is now the norm. Soon, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, neurological systems, high-speed data and . . .
Cell C in another first for Mzansi with all in one communication and entertainment offer
South Africans currently get multiple bills, deal with several service providers and may have a number of monthly debit orders coming off their accounts. Globally, customers have become accustomed to converged offerings through one provider for all their connectivity and entertainment services, all on one plan and bill. Now, South Africans can join the international trend, by signing up for MediaPlay, a revolutionary new, first-to-market solution from Cell C. MediaPlay empowers consumers to plan and budget for their connectivity and entertainment needs through one contract. This transformation contract gives customers all access connectivity and entertainment in one plan. MediaPlay allows customers to connect with the world and with friends and family PLUS keep up with their favourite movies, series, sports, news and music – all through one simple and affordable plan. Launched this week, MediaPlay allows customers to get access to • Voice and SMS; • Data; • Subscription to the entertainment platform, black with free streaming “MediaPlay simplifies our customers’ lives by bringing them an all in one communications and entertainment solution through great value plans, whether on mobile, high speed fixed 4G or Fibre,” says Cell C Chief Commercial Officer, Junaid Munshi. Customers no longer have to have the hassle of paying multiple subscriptions for on-demand entertainment, home Internet and mobile connectivity. Instead, Cell C’s MediaPlay suite of products allows customers to get all of this in one simple package. Consumers have the option to connect through one of three formats: MediaPlay Fibre, MediaPlay LTE or MediaPlay Mobile with various plans to suit their budgets. Customers will be able to purchase their MediaPlay plans directly from www.mediaplay.co.za with just a couple of clicks. On the site, customers will find an interactive educational video and a tour of exactly what MediaPlay is all about, what it offers and how to get it. Customers . . .
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