tech news
Nutanix and Intel Launch Innovation Lab
Nutanix and Intel have launched a ‘first-of-its-kind’ joint innovation lab which will dedicate both products and engineering resources to the continued exploration, adoption, and productization of Intel’s latest innovations in computing, networking, and storage with the Nutanix software stack. Nutanix and Intel’s Innovation Lab is said to illustrate the companies’ mutual commitment to success for customers. This agreement not only opens the door for specialized engineering and resources but will also bring together the best of hybrid and multi-cloud with industry-leading computing power for end-users. “At Nutanix, we have long understood the importance of creating synergies between technology market leaders. By launching this Innovation Lab with Intel, we are actively working on critical p...
24 Million South Africans at Risk After Experian Hack
South Africa has just been hit a major data breach that may have put the personal information of as many as 24 million South Africans at risk. This information could include First and last names, ID numbers, Telephone numbers, Physical addresses and Email addresses. Experian South Africa – business and credit information services agency – has confirmed that “an individual in South Africa, purporting to represent a legitimate client, fraudulently requested services from Experian”. This resulted in the “release of information which is provided in the ordinary course of business or which is publicly available.” The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) says that “Banks have been working with Experian and SABRIC to identify which of their customers may have been exposed to the...
T-Systems Invites Submissions for Enterprise Supplier Development Program
T-Systems South Africa invites qualifying small businesses to submit their bids to join the T-Systems Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) Program. The closing date for submissions is 12 noon on the 31st of August 2020. The T-Systems ESD Program is aimed at developing Exempt Micro Enterprise (EME) and Qualifying Small Enterprise (QSE) Suppliers to support Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) transformation in South Africa, giving preference to Black-owned and more specifically Black Woman-owned companies. The 2020 ESD strategy pays special attention to qualifying small businesses that have suffered financially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The global pandemic has devastated businesses across all industries and sectors, but the small business sector has been h...
Gmail Suffers Outage Across the Globe
Google has confirmed that Gmail suffered an outage after users reported being unable to send emails and attach files. “Gmail service has already been restored for some users, and we expect a resolution for all users in the near future. Please note this time frame is an estimate and may change,” says the company in its latest update. Google Maps is Getting a more Realistic Update Google has revealed that it’s rolling out “new visual improvements that bring even more detail and granularity” to its global map. The company hopes that this will give help users get a better understanding of what an area looks like whether they’re exploring it virtually or planning a visit. Google uses high-definition satellite imagery that maps out 98% of the earth’s population. “With a new color-mapping algorit...
Thinking Beyond the Pandemic with Silver Peak SD-WAN
Organizations will have to look at re-engaging with their customers and business prospects in an entirely new way in a post-COVID-19 economy. This will most likely force an assessment of business model design and delivery, in which the wide-area network (WAN) will play an important role in defining success. So says Kristian Thyregod, vice president for Europe, Middle East, and Africa at SD-WAN solution provider, Silver Peak. Writing in a blog entry, Thyregod explains, “Forward-thinking companies continuously plan and execute their enterprise architectures to not only accommodate current requirements, but also foresee developments of future requirements – e.g. a temporary, or even permanent, shift in business model design and execution. “…The WAN is the connecting tissue across the enterpri...
Instagram Accused of Collecting Users Private Biometric Data
Facebook-owned Instagram is being sued over allegations that it “illegally harvests the biometric data of users”, according to Bloomberg. “In [a] new lawsuit, filed Monday in state court in Redwood City, California, the company is accused of collecting, storing and profiting from the biometric data of more than 100 million Instagram users, without their knowledge or consent.” The report goes on to say that if found guilty of privacy violations, the company could be expected to pay $1000 per violation — “or $5000 if it’s found to have acted recklessly or intentionally”. Instagram Debuts Reels to Rival TikTok Instagram has rolled out a new way to create and share videos – Reels – to rival popular Chinese app, TikTok. The social media platform says that use...
Nutanix Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure Rolls Out on AWS
Cloud computing solutions company, Nutanix has announced the general availability of Clusters on AWS. This roll-out hopes to extend the flexibility and ease of use of the company’s hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) software, along with all Nutanix products and services, to bare metal Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances on Amazon Web Services (AWS). With this announcement, Nutanix aims to deliver hybrid cloud infrastructure — one that allows businesses to accelerate their digital initiatives and optimize spending, priorities further amplified in the age of COVID. Additionally, customers will be able to take advantage of the company’s full software stack on the private and public cloud. This includes unstructured storage solutions Files, application orchestration solution ...
Women in Tech: Kholiwe Makhohliso, VP of Software AG
In a predominantly male-dominated industry, Kholiwe Makhohliso has carved a name for herself as a diverse leader in the ICT sector as Country Manager and Vice President of Software AG – a German-headquartered global software company. Makhohliso’s experience spans over two decades with a career that has been meticulously nurtured in both public and private sectors. Her growth as a revered executive in the ICT industry is owed to her risk-taking nature, resilience, and an unwavering belief in offering her clients the best solutions for their needs whilst also ensuring that her teams thrive in a holistic world-class working environment. “I have never taken it to heart that it’s a man’s world,” says Makhohliso. “I grew up with men, but I was never aggressive some people believe I’m way too sof...
Kaspersky Extends Reach to West Africa
Kaspersky has partnered with Pan-African distributor company, First Distribution, to expand its security software portfolio into West Africa. First Distribution currently distributes Kaspersky in Southern Africa and East Africa. The addition of the new territory means it now covers the full region for non-Francophone sub-Saharan Africa. Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is said to be constantly transforming into security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialised security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and ev...
Dell Introduces New Latitude Chromebook Enterprise
Dell has officially unveiled its new Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise – a ‘2-in-1’ business laptop that the company says boosts productivity with on-the-go power, sophisticated security and fast connectivity features employees need. This device comes at a time when businesses around the world are looking for innovative ways to keep their employees connected from anywhere. “This is not just another Chromebook,” says Rahul Tikoo, senior VP of Dell Technologies. “Our latest Latitude Chromebook Enterprise is designed equal parts for employees and IT managers adopting Chrome OS in the enterprise. Employees will appreciate its sleek design and collaboration features that help them navigate new work dynamics, while IT managers have the management and security features they ex...
Microsoft Launches Safe@Home Hackathon to Tackle GBV
Microsoft South Africa is partnering with NPO’s, 1000 Women Trust and TEARS Foundation, to launch the Safe@Home Hackathon which aims to address gender-based violence in South Africa. Hackathons are aimed at finding solutions to specific challenges through collaborative brainstorming and programming in a short space of time. The Safe@Home Hackathon will look to facilitate collaboration to create and develop technology-based solutions that will work in the context of South Africa’s unique circumstances and challenges. “Gender-based violence is one of the most pressing and critical challenges South Africa faces: President Cyril Ramaphosa identified it as the second pandemic our country is currently battling and a war that is being waged against our women and children, with over 40% of S...
Rubrik Go: a Flexible IT Offering during Uncertain Times
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change,” said the renowned genius and theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein, and cloud data management company Rubrik is taking this to heart in its latest offering which delivers flexibility at its core. Rubrik is distributed throughout Africa by value-added distributor, Networks Unlimited Africa. Rubrik Go, the company’s new subscription purchasing programme, applies a Software as a Service (SaaS) model and enables customers to enjoy future innovation through one simple and predictable subscription licence. “In these current uncertain times brought about by the global COVID-19 lockdown situation, the ability for customers to have flexibility with their IT arrangements is extremely useful,” comments Risna Steenkamp, General Manager: ESM Divi...
