technology news
Vodacom Business Enables Businesses to Digitise their Supply Chain Network
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create significant challenges for the manufacturing and retail industry globally, the need for a resilient and agile supply chain network has never been greater. Vodacom Business has developed various digital solutions to help businesses achieve a true connected supply chain network to help improve efficiencies and withstand disruption and unpredicted hurdles in the future. Today’s supply chain network is more complex than ever. It has become a digital ecosystem of suppliers, logistics companies, customers and other value chain partners that stretch across the globe. The supply chain network relies on the synchronised movement of thousands of interrelated parts to meet the ever growing customer demand for better, more innovative products and on-time, l...
Why Now is the Right Moment to Explore Innovations
In 2020, there was a meme on LinkedIn with a poll asking who leads digital transformation in your company. Surprisingly, the choice was not a CEO or top manager, but COVID-19. This picture perfectly illustrates how at the beginning of the pandemic many companies were forced to urgently implement new technologies or rebuild their business model to survive. But today, when many countries are experiencing a second wave of the virus and implementing social distancing restrictions again, new questions arise. Should companies invest in long-term innovations in such an uncertain and difficult period? Or wouldn’t it be better to focus on the core business and save capital on costly investments until more stable times return? In the European Summer of 2020 we, with the help of independent research ...
TT100 Awards Interview: VNI Consultants
VNI Consultants (VNI) is a consulting firm in South Africa specialising in Organisation Development and Continuous Change Management based on sound business consulting and training delivery experience design. Due to the current business complexities and global systemic realities VNI has undergone a strategic direction change to provide inclusive and holistic cloud services for SMMEs. What is the core focus of your business? As continuous change management and competency improvement experts, VNI’s areas of specialisation include project management, business analysis, diagnostic and research-based assignments, process engineering, systems development, training, coaching and behaviour change implementation. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_665.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_665.td-a-rec...
Google Plans to Help Speed Up Delivery of Vaccines
Image sourced from Pymnts Google revealed that it will be giving $150 million to promote vaccine education and making it easier to find locally relevant COVID-19 information. The company is also going to use its technology to improve vaccine distribution. “The pandemic has taken a devastating toll on communities worldwide. While there is much uncertainty still ahead, the development of multiple safe vaccines in such a short time gives us reason for hope. Now the work begins to ensure that everyone can benefit from this triumph of scientific achievement, and quickly,” says Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. To aid in the distribution, Google Cloud will help healthcare organizations, retail pharmacies, logistics companies, and public sector institutions make use of innovative technol...
Apple says iPhone 12’s may Interfere with Medical Devices
Apple has revealed that the magnets in its iPhone 12 devices could interfere with medical devices. In a blog post, the tech giant says that “[iPhones] contain magnets as well as components and radios that emit electromagnetic fields. All MagSafe accessories (each sold separately) also contain magnets—and MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger contain radios. These magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices.” Apple goes on to reveal that devices, like implanted pacemakers and defibrillators, might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact. “To avoid any potential interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance away from your device (more than 6 inches / 15 cm apart or more than 12 inches /...
Carrefour Launches Mobile Retail App in Kenya
Carrefour has officially introduced its new online shopping platform in Kenya. Using the mobile app, customers are expected to easily and conveniently browse and add all their essentials to a digital cart. “At Carrefour, we’re constantly finding innovative ways to modernise and digitise the shopping experience for our customers. We are confident that the new app will provide Kenyan customers with a convenient and safe option to shop from the comfort of their homes,” says Franck Moreau, Country Manager of Carrefour Kenya. “Since the start of the pandemic, we have seen the significant growth in online shopping. As such, the introduction of our new app also responds to the growing demand in Kenya for a more sophisticated online shopping platform.” According to Gadgets Africa, ...
Spotify to Offer Exclusive Audiobooks
Sourced from Android Police Spotify has released an exclusive collection of audiobooks, causing users to believe that the streaming service is testing an audiobook offering. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the platform regularly runs tests like this to help it improve its user experience. If successful, the initiative could give Spotify “a roadmap for how to take on giants in the space, including Amazon-owned Audible”. Here’s a closer look at the audiobooks on offer: Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens and narrated by James Langton Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelly and narrated by David Dobrik Cane, written by Jean Toomer and narrated by Audra McDonald Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte and narrated by Sarah Coombs Passing, written by Nella Larsen and narrated b...
Commvault Launches Metallic BaaS Portfolio in South Africa
Commvault has launched its Metallic Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) portfolio in South Africa. In addition, Metallic is adding new data protection solutions, features, and enterprise workload support. “We have seen an aggressive push to cloud, automation, and an increased requirement for intelligence as companies transition to a new reality,” says Gerhard Fourie, District Channel Manager for South Africa at Commvault. He continues, “At Commvault we understand the increasing need for a solution that’s easy to undertake, purchase, and manage without any large upfront investment. Our built-in best practices mean customers receive fast, secure backups with speedy, granular recovery to protect them against data loss. Furthermore, Commvault’s deeper integration and collaboration with Microsoft Azure ...
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-...
Top 10 Suspicious Email Subject Lines
Phishing emails related to working from home are on the rise, according to the latest report from KnowBe4. Social media messages are another area of concern when it comes to phishing, and LinkedIn phishing messages dominate as the top social media email subject to watch out for, holding the number one spot at 47%. “It’s no surprise that phishing attacks related to working from home are increasing given that many countries around the world have seen their employees working from home offices for nearly a year now,” says Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4. “Just because employees may be more used to their home office environment doesn’t mean that they can let their guard down. The bad guys deploy manipulative attacks intended to strike certain emotions to cause end-users to skip critical thinking...
DFA is Awarded Top Employer Status in South Africa
DFA announced that it has been awarded Top Employer status in South Africa for 2021 by the Top Employers Institute. DFA joins 1,691 companies in 120 countries globally, including only 97 local companies, who are recognized by the Top Employer Institute for their efforts in various facets of employee management. With headquarters in the Netherlands and offices in several countries around the world – including South Africa – Top Employers Institute was established with the aim of promoting excellence in human capital management to support business strategy. DFA CEO, Thinus Mulder, said that achieving the certification was the culmination of a years-long, concerted effort to align DFA with global HR best practice to attract and retain the best skills in the market. ‘The technology industry re...
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...
