IT News
Telkom Launches Mobile Streaming Service in South Africa
Telkom has partnered with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to launch a new streaming channel, TelkomONE. The mobile operator channel will house SABC’s television channels 1, 2, Sport and Education as well as all 19 SABC radio stations. The five-year partnership, a first-of-its-kind for the SABC, is expected to showcase South Africa’s most-watched TV programmes and most listened to radio platforms, on one online platform. “We are excited about the opportunity to provide South Africans with free access to watch their favourite SABC content, online, when and wherever they want,” says Sipho Maseko, Telkom’s Group CEO. “TelkomONE will make it possible for subscribers to pause, go back into the programme guide (time-shift) and instantly watch a scheduled TV show they may have mi...
vivo Launches the Y20 Mid-range Smartphone in Kenya
vivo has officially launched its latest mid-range smartphone – the vivo Y20 – in Kenya. The device comes with advanced features for performance, a premium design, as well as an AI triple camera. “We are strengthening our Y-series family with the latest addition of Y20 packed with loads of features in the camera, big battery, huge storage, eye-popping colours and ultra-game mode for a complete smartphone experience for users in the mid-range price segment,” says vivo Kenya Brand Manager, James Irungu. “As an evolving youth-centric brand, we are continuously innovating to deliver stylish smartphones infused with trendsetting technologies at the most competitive price points locally. Keeping in mind user’s day-to-day lives, Y20 has been designed to be user-friendly, support various multimedia...
Digital Transformation is not just about Technology, it’s about the Experience
While many businesses were on the road to Digital Transformation (DX), there is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these strategies and projects. ‘Nice to have’ technology became ‘must-have’ practically overnight, and the entire business model had to shift in many cases. However, DX is not just about implementing new technology. It is about choosing the right technology to solve a business problem or leverage an opportunity, or both. Ultimately it is about the experience, for both the end user and the customer. Technology with a purpose DX should always be about improving business efficiency and effectiveness rather than implementing technology for the sake of it. However, during the panic caused by the pandemic, this has been overlooked in many instances. /* custom css */ .td...
How Telcos are Bringing Inclusion to Africa’s Financial Landscape
Sourced from IDG Connect Mobile financial services are a global game-changer with an open money network being the connection needed between the financial industry and telecom to increase both the commercial and social benefits. As the world grapples with an unprecedented crisis in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are cautious to use cash or making a withdrawal from an ATM and agent network. This has given mobile money a new dimension as customers can make payment anywhere at any time with their mobile devices as easy as sending a text message in geographies that are normally unable to benefit from banking structures. This allows customers to seamlessly purchase products or services without having to physically hand over cash or swipe a card. The freedom to send, spend and recei...
9 Ways to Avoid being Scammed Online this Black Friday
Black Friday 2020 could be bigger online than in-store this year, thanks to concerns about the risk of COVID-19 in crowded shops, and an increase in the number of people now comfortable with shopping online. But for first-time online shoppers and those who might forget caution in their quest for a bargain, online shopping could be more lucrative for criminals than it is for consumers this Black Friday. Cybercriminals and old-fashioned fraudsters can take advantage of unwary shoppers in several ways: by getting access to their bank card details to steal money; by using personal information to commit fraud and theft; or simply by accepting payment for goods they don’t deliver. To avoid disappointment, theft and fraud, here are nine tips for safer online shopping this Black Friday: Make sure ...
Internet of threats – cybersecurity measures in the IoT landscape
Internet of Things (IoT) refers to any object or device that is connected to the Internet. This rapidly expanding set of “things” – which capture, send and receive data – includes cars, appliances, smartwatches, lighting, home assistants, home security, and more. It’s predicted that by 2025, there will be 41.6 billion units of IoT connected devices worldwide. Internet-connected devices can make us more efficient, save time and money, and allow us connectivity from almost anywhere, but they also require that we share more information than ever. The security of this information, and the security of these devices, is not always guaranteed. Once a device connects to the Internet, it could be connecting to all sorts of risks. As the number of connected devices increases, especially as more peop...
Networks Unlimited Wins 2 Channel Awards at Fortinet Africa Virtual Security Day
Networks Unlimited Africa, a leading value-added distributor operating within sub-Saharan Africa, received two awards, namely the Technical Support Distributor of the Year: Southern Africa award and the DLB Growth Distributor of the Year: East Africa award at the recent Fortinet Africa Virtual Security Day. This was the first time that the event took place via a virtual platform, due to the current restrictions around the global COVID-19 pandemic. The online nature of the awards ceremony also ensured that this broadened its reach to other parts of Africa, and not only within South Africa. Stefan van de Giessen, General Manager: Cybersecurity at Networks Unlimited Africa, comments, “We have proudly maintained our business partnership with Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated and a...
How Guest Blogging Services Can Improve Your Business
Just having a decent web design is not sufficient to attract customers. The Internet is saturated with business websites in every sector. So, you need to find ways to gain an edge. Guest blogging has the potential to promote your brand. You will need to choose professional guest blogging services. How is guest blogging beneficial? Guest blogging means you will write blog posts for others. You are the guest and the site you post is the host. Basically, you are writing blog posts for your business site but posting it on another website. It is beneficial for the guest and the host. When you publish your post on Quality Guest Post services, you will get wide exposure and enhance your backlinking profile. How? Every time you publish your post as a guest, you include links pointing towards ...
Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft Report Double Digit Growth while Apple “Plunges”
Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft revenue grew by 35%, 17% and 13% respectively during the first nine months of 2020. On the other hand, Alphabet’s (Google) revenue increased by 9% and Apple’s revenue was up by 4% during the same period. According to the research data analyzed and published by Comprar Acciones, Apple was the only one to post a revenue decline. The three tech giants (Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook) generated a cumulative $152 billion in Q3 2020. Apple Revenue Plunges by 20.7% in Q3 Due to iPhone 12 Delays During Q3 2020, Apple’s revenue totaled $64.7 billion, marking a growth rate of 1% year-over-year (YoY). iPad revenue increased by 46% YoY in that period. Mac revenue grew by 28% and services revenue soared by 16.3%. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_65c.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left;...
Mara Phones Unveils its First Store in South Africa
Mara Phones has officially opened its first experience store at the Maponya Mall in Soweto, South Africa – exactly one year after it launched the country’s first smartphone manufacturing facility. According to the company, this marks a step in the right direction for Africa’s home-grown smartphone brand – noting that it hopes to open 50 Mara Experience Stores, both company-owned and independently operated, before the end of 2022. “The launch of the first Mara Experience Store cements our commitment to expand our retail footprint in South Africa and to make it easier for customers to experience and purchase our smartphones,” says Sylvester Taku, Head of Growth at Mara Phones South Africa. “Opening the first Mara Experience Store in Soweto’s first mall makes a positive statement about our be...
The Major Benefits that Bar Codes have in Business
Why bar codes? What is the big fuss about? Why should I utilize them in my business? These are all honest questions that every business owner has to ask themselves. In reality, there are countless reasons to use EAN bar codes. A life without them would look a lot different to the one we take for granted today. There are endless ways that they make our lives easier. Firstly, using EAN bar codes in your business will reduce the number of mistakes that are made on a daily basis. The honest truth is that every one of us is human and mistakes are normal. However, mistakes often mean a loss of profits or at the very least an enormous waste of time. And as they say, time is money. Using them in your business makes every day processes a lot smoother and more efficient, saving you both time and mon...
4 Ways to Safely and Securely Navigate Black Friday Online
Black Friday in 2020 is expected to see more South Africans than ever before shopping, and paying, online. According to a recent McKinsey & Company consumer sentiment survey, 40% of consumers intend to continue online shopping spend even when the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Thomas Pays, CEO and co-founder of digital payments company Ozow, says the sharp rise in online shopping and eCommerce has highlighted the need for innovative technology-driven solutions that allow shoppers to shop and pay safely online – including consumers who don’t have credit or debit cards. With this year’s Black Friday deals running over four weeks at many retailers, Pays’ says the way to successfully navigate Black Friday responsibly relies on four factors: Stick to a plan and set budget. The overwhelming numb...
