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Column Insight Plus
HOW COVID-19 ACCELERATED SA’S PUTTING A POSITIVE SPIN ON COMPANY NEWS
MOVE TO THE GIG ECONOMY DATA GOVERNANCE TOP JOBS
2 10
JANUARY 2021 | Issue 70
Data protection: Are SA businesses caught napping?
Covering the continent
Daily news and analysis of Africa’s key ICT markets.
www.itwebafrica.com
First with IT news. Every day.
www.itweb.co.za
326 Rivonia Boulevard, Rivonia, South Africa
Tel: + 27 11 807 3294
Fax: + 27 11 807 2020
IN THIS
ISSUE
CREDITS
As the world continues to fight the spread of COVID-19,
businesses are under intense pressure to continue to operate,
compete and survive. This means having to comply with data
Publisher protection laws and governance regulations too.
JOVAN REGASEK There’s little doubt that data security remains a major
jregasek@itweb.co.za concern. According to the results of an IBM study in August
2020, on average, data breaches cost South African companies
Editorial Director R40.2-million per breach.
RANKA JOVANOVIC It would appear from the survey we feature in this edition,
rankaj@itweb.co.za that most South African businesses believe they are on top of
their data management and are prepared for data breaches.
Editor However, a look at the statistics reveals mixed responses,
CHRIS TREDGER which indicates that in reality, confidence is not as high as
chris@itwebafrica.com respondents would have us believe. Training remains an issue.
You can also read more about data governance and how
Sub Editors to approach it, in a column by Lawrence Smith, KID Group
HEIDI HURWITZ presales solution architect.
He says that unfortunately, the drive for data governance
Production Manager has generally been motivated by a ‘stick approach’ due to
PETER CALORE regulations, and that most organisations have started on their
peter@itweb.co.za data governance journey out of fear, not value creation.
In this edition we also offer insight into cloud costs and the gig
Designers economy.
SANE LOUW Enjoy the read!
ANA RADENKOVIC
Chris Tredger
Business Development Director Editor
CARYN BERMAN
CONTENTS
caryn@itweb.co.za
Published by
ITWEB LIMITED
326 Rivonia Boulevard
Rivonia A third of SA businesses
PO BOX 2785
2 are prepared for a data breach 6
Rivonia
2128 INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Putting a positive spin
Web: www.itweb.co.za on data governance 10
Tel: +27 (011) 807 3294 Growing beyond
Fax: +27 (011) 807 2020 agricultural network
complications 11
Financial planning and the
tech tools that empower it 12
Costing cloud and
weighing up use cases 13
Printed by , a division of Novus Holdings The digital transformation
imperative for shared services 22
Copyright ©2020 by ITWeb Limited.
Rolling into 2021:
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or
Prepare for more cyber security risk 23
distributed in any form or by any
means, or stored in a database or SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
retrieval system, without the prior Software Development and Testing 20
written permission of the publisher. 4IR Technology 21
Opinions expressed in this publication
are not necessarily those of the editors, COMPANY NEWS 3-5, 10-17,19,22
publisher, or advertiser.
January 2021 | 1
COLUMN INDUSTRY INSIGHT
How COVID-19 accelerated SA’s
move to the gig economy
Gig workers allow companies to be more flexible in terms of scaling up or down fast − an
essential survival tactic as competition and demand for digital skills intensify.
theHarvard Business Reviewdescribed it as African context, McKinsey estimates that 63
the “most significant social experiment of million people in Africa are involved in some
the future of work in action, with work from type of self-employment.
home and social distancing policies radically These numbers are receiving a significant
changing the way we work and interact”. boost, with most organisations surveyed
This has upended the workplace, validating expecting contingent work to play a key role
the significance of remote working as a viable in shaping people strategy in the near future
alternative to the necessity of the physical as professionals seek flexible alternatives to
presence of the traditional business model. traditional employment.
Having become accustomed to having Many workers who are joining the gig
workers scattered outside the office, economy are doing so to be more flexible −
businesses have become more comfortable foregoing job security and other perks to have
augmenting their teams with talent sourced more control of their working lives.
outside the company. With this flexibility comes great
The pandemic has turned traditional responsibility to keep skills up to date, as this
MARTIN PIENAAR, COO OF MINDWORX employment models on their head, in favour is no longer the role of an employer.
of more agile workforces. Accessing a digitised labour market
T he pandemic has redefined the workplace
for employers and employees: rigid
constraints have been removed in terms of
place and time in a new remote economy
where the workforce has shifted to include The pandemic has turned traditional employment
the expertise of gig workers.
These changes were happening anyway models on their head, in favour of more agile
because of the fourth industrial revolution,
but being locked out of our offices for more workforces.
than six months has accelerated this trend by
between five and 10 years.
While the pre-COVID world of work
already saw a move away from the old-
fashioned notion of having to work in one More and more firms are outsourcing skills platform for the right talent without being
place at one job, the pandemic has turned to complement or expand their current talent limited by geography is the upside for
traditional employment models on their head, pool. This “gig” economy is more efficient companies.
in favour of more agile workforces augmented and cost-effective, but importantly, allows Now businesses can expand their talent
by experts who are employed on a contingent access to talent in far-flung geographies. pool, closing skills gaps in the IT and digital
basis, bringing their particular skill set to a While a shift towards contingent labour of skills space, according to the demands of
company as and when needed. the gig economy was already under way prior particular projects.
Gig workers allow businesses to be more to the pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic has Employees in turn can work at a growing
flexible in terms of scaling up or down fast − brought the benefit of flexible working into number of jobs that can be done anywhere
an essential survival tactic when competition sharper focus, highlighting its crucial role there is access to a computer or smartphone.
to deliver new products and services is in enhancing business productivity without Additionally, according to McKinsey, most
intensifying and the demand for scarce, digital the associated costs of employing permanent independent workers who have actively
skills such as cloud computing, machine staff. chosen the gig working style report high
learning, big data, cyber security and more levels of satisfaction with it.
are increasing rapidly. The end of 9 to 5? The gig economy has the potential to bring
The gig economy has been a rising trend for much-needed economic benefits, providing
Altered reality some time now, first emerging in the wake a solution to addressing South Africa’s
The lockdown response to the pandemic has of the 2008 financial crisis. Some 64 million unemployment crisis by opening
dramatically transformed the workplace. individuals in the US and European Union up opportunities for independent
Deloitte has called the COVID-19 pandemic are gig workers − the fastest growing area of workers in the South African job market and
“a time machine to the future”, while job creation, according to McKinsey. In the internationall.
2 | January 2021
COMPANY NEWS
BUSINESS
Chillisoft is Standard Adaptability the focus at InterSystems
Bank’s 2020 Fast- Summit
Growth Women-Owned InterSystems recently hosted its virtual annual event and provided
SMME insightful content from leading experts on how technology has
One of SA’s leading tech aided InterSystems customers to combat, fight and even do vaccine
companies, Chillisoft Solutions, research amid COVID-19. This year’s event focused on "Creating an
led by CEO Anujah Bosman, won Adaptive Organisation" and explored what makes businesses thrive
the Fast-Growth Women-Owned amid disruption, the ways InterSystems’ technology can help you
SMME Award at the Standard adapt, and how to make your enterprise nimble and responsive to
Bank 2020 Top Women Awards! challenges and opportunities. Henry Adams, country manager of
Recently, the Standard Bank Top InterSystems in South Africa, said: “Today we are thrilled to be able
Women Awards grabbed headlines to extend this invite to our Virtual Summit to all of our customers,
One of SA’s leading tech companies, during its virtual awards event partners and potential clients across Africa.”
Chillisoft Solutions
celebrating top women and the www.intersystems.com
companies behind them.
www.chillisoft.co.za
Surviving COVID-19: Turning obstacles into
opportunities
Proptech-driven innovation boosts local market The ability to turn obstacles into opportunities is why some
The wave of Proptech-driven innovation is having a substantial impact companies are able to steer through various types of “storms”.
on the global real estate industry and South Africa is no different, Throughout history, we have seen many examples of this,
according to Fintech specialist, e4. Rapidly evolving and advancing, like the SARS outbreak in 2002, which inspired the creation
Proptech is not only disrupting the real estate sector, but redefining of the e-commerce giant Alibaba. Desperation has a way of
it too. Ian Bayne, Proptech executive at e4, says it is not only about forcing companies to adapt and innovate. During lockdown,
innovation, but also the rise of property-related services. “While South amid stringent regulations, the vigour to “adapt or die” was an
Africa’s property sector has been slow to digitally transform, there is a unmistakable drive behind many South African companies. In
much greater awareness of the importance of technology and the role it particular, those that started producing and selling essential goods,
plays in the real estate industry of tomorrow.” those that pivoted their businesses to e-commerce and those that
www.e4.co.za launched a start-up.
www.domains.co.za
FlowCentric Technologies Australia shines at
MACA Key lessons from my intrapreneurship journey
MACA is a publicly listed, international contracting group providing Becoming an intrapreneur helped me address customer needs,
services to the mining, infrastructure and construction industries. In grow our business, motivate my team and more, says Rohit
September 2017, MACA reached out to FlowCentric Technologies to Tripathi, chief product officer and head of GTM, SAP Digital
evaluate the company’s proprietary business process management Interconnect. He believes an intrapreneur realises that innovation
platform, FlowCentric Processware. MACA’s intention was to for the sake of innovation is never the objective – rather, it is to
implement an agile process management product capable of scaling drive impact on either revenue growth or the broader company
as the company grows locally and internationally. Over the past strategy. Tripathi reflected on his journey as an intrapreneur
three years, FlowCentric Technologies Australia has automated and and identified key takeaways, including: It’s critical to get early
integrated multiple processes, and has also built a custom offline- customer engagement and validation on the thinking process; and
capable Android tablet application that is used by onsite supervisors learn to pivot and recognise the path to possible success rather than
to capture plant time, labour time and to automatically generate shift pushing against the wall.
reports. www.sapdigitalinterconnect.com
www.flowcentric.com
COMPANY NEWS
To read the FULL company releases, visit
www.itweb.co.za Contact sales@itweb.co.za for any sales enquiries.
January 2021 | 3
COMPANY NEWS
INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS
Lockdown triggers An inspired test for the Scouts
demand for digital The Scouts Association UK recently upgraded its business-critical
signature tools membership management system, and Inspired Testing, a Dynamic
The inability to print hardcopy Technologies company, was on hand to ensure the system reflects the high
documents to sign and scan standards associated with being a Scout. Scouts is a worldwide movement,
could be disastrous in the context active in 216 countries with a global membership of over 31 million children
of sensitive documents and and youth. Scouts Association UK senior project manager, Tom Mortimer-
compliance, says Herman Kriel, Hart, says the association required the swift appointment of a company to
GM of CyberTech. “A signature undertake functional testing of the development of the new system. “We
acts as a proof of identity and binds were faced with a hard deadline as the system’s existing software version
an individual to a document’s was end-of-life and out of support.”
Herman Kriel, GM of CyberTech intent. If there’s any chance that www.scouts.org.uk
the signature could potentially
be forged or tampered with, the
document could be invalidated Dawn of a new era –
and may not be classified as legally introducing NuPay
binding.” EMV NuCard
www.altron.com NuPay, a division of JSE-listed
group Altron, recently launched
its new NuPay EMV (Europay
Rakuten Mobile adds Nuance Intelligent MasterCard Visa) NuCard. The
Engagement AI Services to platform new solution introduces a “Tap
Nuance Communications and Rakuten Mobile have announced & Go” functionality, which
a strategic partnership to add Nuance Intelligent Engagement AI means cardholders no longer
Services to the Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP). As a result, need to swipe their card to do a
RCP becomes the first-ever mobile communications, cloud-native and The recently launched NuPay transaction, but can simply use a
EMV (Europay MasterCard Visa)
virtualised platform to have Nuance Conversational and Engagement NuCard
“Tap & Go” enabled device to make
AI services built-in. Through the Nuance-Rakuten Mobile partnership, a purchase.
RCP will now offer Rakuten Group companies the ability to leverage www.altron.com
conversational AI services, engagement AI services and Nuance
Mix Rapid AppDev Environment. “With Rakuten Cloud Platform,
we are creating an innovative telco cloud platform that will drive a Best practices for your cloud monitoring
better AI-based customer engagement experience," said Tareq Amin, strategy
representative director, executive VP and CTO of Rakuten Mobile. With the advent of cloud technologies, there has been a major shift in
www.nuance.com the way organisations handle infrastructure operations and service
delivery. The increasing shift towards cloud-based and hybrid
cloud ecosystems for business operations has made it necessary
Syrex delivers for organisations to employ cloud monitoring tools that monitor
complete cloud the performance and efficiency of these cloud-hosted services. ITR
migration and DR with Technology says compute is one of the first cloud services implemented
Hystax by organisations that prefer the cloud. The primary aspect of cloud
The Hystax Acura live cloud performance monitoring involves tracking fundamental performance
migration and disaster recovery parameters, especially memory usage, disk space and network traffic;
(DR) solution is now available tracking these metrics is crucial to guarantee resource availability and
through its strategic South seamless application performance.
African partner, Syrex. This www.itrtech.africa
provides organisations with a
simplified and fully automated
platform to securely conduct Best SAP tool for your SAP S/4 HANA data
large-scale migrations to any migration project
Ralph Berndt, director of Sales cloud environment, irrespective of The toolset on offer by SAP for data migration is often overlooked,
at Syrex
the source location. The solution and consideration only given to it when the project has already kicked
delivers a complete agentless off. Perhaps this is due partly to the fact that many customers are not
experience. aware, on a technical level, of the data migration tools on offer and
www.syrex.co.za what would best suit their project. “Often the pre-migration and data
analysis activities are seen as critical to the data migration project and
focus is placed on this," states Paul McCormick, executive and lead
migration consultant at GlueData.
www.gluedata.com
4 | January 2021
COMPANY NEWS
NETWORKING SECURITY
ZTE, China Unicom build innovative FTTH- TDK Electronics chooses CrowdStrike Falcon as
based smart community premier security solution
ZTE Corporation and the Yinchuan branch of China Unicom have CrowdStrike, a leader in cloud-delivered endpoint and workload
completed the trial of an innovative smart community deployment protection, has announced that TDK Electronics has selected the
based on a fibre to the home (FTTH) network in Yinchuan, China. The powerful CrowdStrike Falcon to protect its endpoints. With CrowdStrike
trial has enabled the development of smart community services over Falcon’s transformative cloud-native platform, powered by single-
the existing passive optical network (PON) broadband infrastructure, agent architecture, TDK Electronics has replaced several previous IT
thereby driving the digital transformation of residential communities security solutions that no longer met increased requirements. Through
into smart communities at a low cost. In the trial, ZTE and the harnessing the power of the cloud, Falcon is able to successfully protect
Yinchuan branch of China Unicom have employed ZTE’s flagship TDK Electronics’ endpoints using powerful, next-generation anti-virus,
optical access product, TITAN Optical Line Terminal (OLT), to make endpoint detection and response, managed threat hunting and threat
optical distribution network (ODN) resources shareable under the intelligence integration. TDK Electronics used to use two different
same PON port. security products from different suppliers, and CrowdStrike fits
www.zte.com perfectly into TDK Electronics’ existing strategy.
www.crowdstrike.com
MTN Zambia enters into partnership with ZTE
ZTE Corporation has signed a partnership with MTN Zambia, a Secure data collaboration: best defence against
leading telecommunications operator in the Middle East and Africa, data breaches
to construct a cross-border optical transmission network backbone Nearly 24 million South Africans had their personal data compromised
in Zambia. ZTE will employ world-leading technologies to build the in a single incident in August this year, placing major scrutiny on the
optical transmission network backbone to connect Lusaka, the capital practice of data handling, policies, processes and technology, as well as
city of Zambia and the border of Namibia. By providing the backbone the “authorised” users that had access to the data. This, combined with
network with a large bandwidth, ZTE aims to break the bottleneck of an increase in cyber attacks associated with working remotely, makes
the international egress traffic. In addition, this backbone network will secure data collaboration invaluable and non-negotiable, says Frans
effectively reduce the cost per megabyte of accessing Internet data, Marx, business development manager of Data Protection at CyberTech,
thereby greatly improving user experiences and increasing economic a division of Altron. Marx adds: “When you’re working remotely, there
benefits. are a lot of environmental variables at play – including an unsecured
www.zte.com network. This could open a backdoor into sensitive data on your device
and network.”
www.altron.com
Get a live view of network performance with
OpManager’s Realtime Dashboard
Although network monitoring is an unenviable task, it must be done to DDOS attacks remind enterprises to check first
sustain your network’s health. But what if you had a real-time report and last defence lines
containing only key metrics, revealing how your network is doing At the end of August, a series of cyber attacks on the New Zealand
without overloading you with information? This would assure you Stock Exchange over five consecutive days forced it to halt trading for
that there are no aberrations in your network and give you peace of a number of hours for four out of those five days. The attacks raised
mind. The Realtime Dashboard available in OpManager is like a report questions about the stock exchange’s security, as well as the threat
card that contains only the most up-to-date information on the vital actors’ underlying motives. “This was a series of distributed denial of
metrics that determine your network’s health. The Realtime Dashboard service incidents, in which threat actors disrupted the normal traffic
renders a consolidated view of the most decisive parameters. to the enterprise by overwhelming the target with a flood of Internet
www.itrtech.africa traffic at volumes that the system just couldn’t handle,” explains Risna
Steenkamp, GM: ESM at value-added distributor Networks Unlimited
Africa.
ZTE launches industry’s first 5G NR broadcast www.networksunlimited.africa
service
ZTE Corporation has launched the industry’s first broadcast service
based on the 5G NR physical layer technology at Ultra High Definition
ICT INSIGHT
Video (Beijing) Production Technology Collaboration Center, realising
end-to-end 5G HD video broadcast service on 700MHz spectrum.
Based on 5G NR broadcast, multiple terminal users can simultaneously
receive 5G radio broadcast signals with one set of radio resources, and
the number of users is not limited. The HD video broadcast service To read the FULL company releases, visit
will promote the standardisation of broadcast/multicast services,
integrating media with 5G. The end-to-end broadcast service is www.itweb.co.za
implemented on 30MHz 700M spectrum, with the connection of 5G Contact sales@itweb.co.za for any sales enquiries.
core network and the video server as broadcasting media input.
www.zte.com
January 2021 | 5
DATA PROTECTION SURVEY
By ALISON JOB
A third of SA businesses are
prepared for a data breach
More South African businesses are ready for GDPR compliance than POPI,
fortunately there's time for them to catch up.
training should be a top priority for such successful privacy programmes,"
initiatives." says Collard.
Sixty four percent of respondents believe Accidental data loss by staff, or
they have in place “sound routines for external hacking attempts resulting in
reporting data breaches”. On the other data breaches were rated as the biggest
hand, 18% indicated they don’t. "Not a risks related to personal information.
week goes by without another data breach "Educating users about these risks and
hitting the news. Organisations need to raising awareness on how to spot external
prepare for security incidents such as data threats such as social engineering attacks
breaches,” says Collard. are effective controls to address these
The majority (68%) agree that their risks."
company has relevant privacy skills and Less than a third (30%) believe their
training in place. However, 18% indicated organisation is prepared for a data breach,
that they hadn’t yet implemented privacy indicating they have a mature incident
training, and a further 15% weren’t sure. response process in place. The majority
Collard says, “Management and user (49%) report they are “somewhat”
awareness are some of the top priorities prepared but need to do more work on
when starting out on a privacy compliance this. Eighteen percent admit that they are
ANNA COLLARD, SVP OF CONTENT
STRATEGY AND EVANGELIST AT KNOWBE4
journey.” not prepared at all, whereas 3% hope this
AFRICA When it comes to the preparedness of won’t happen to them. "The majority of
their organisation for POPIA compliance, organisations need more work on their
I TWeb, in partnership with KnowBe4,
conducted an online data protection
survey during September and October
just under one-third (30%) indicated
they were well prepared, while 39%
said they were “somewhat” ready, but
incident response," Collard says.
Forty five percent report they have had
no breach incidents in the recent past.
2020. The objective was to find out where more work needs to be done. Fourteen For those who did, the most common
South African organisations are in terms percent of the respondents have only just attack vector is social engineering (e.g.,
of managing their data and ensuring started, while 8% admitted they are not phishing or vishing). "What’s interesting
that they’re compliant with local and prepared at all. In contrast, when asked about this result is that it closely matches
international regulations. about their compliance with GDPR, 45% international research, such as the 2019
It also sought to uncover the extent of respondents indicated that they comply Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report,
to which businesses have identified and fully with GDPR, while 40% comply to a where phishing and social engineering
classified their data according to risk, limited degree, and only 15% don’t comply were listed as the number one attack
and how COVID-19 has impacted privacy at all. vector of successful data breaches. It’s
compliance programmes. The top three privacy programme clear that South African organisations face
Roughly 27% of respondents completely elements that the respondents have similar challenges," concludes Collard.
agreed that “decision makers and staff conducted are to educate staff (67%), to A total of 176 responses were
in the organisation are familiar with the tighten technical controls (61%) and to captured, wi
POPIA regulation", while a further 38% identify their personal information assets ABOUT THE SURVEY nearly 70% o
“agree". However, 16% indicated this was (66%). respondents
not true for their organisation. A third of the respondents have fully A total of 176 responses were being at
Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy completed the process of identifying captured, with nearly 70% of executive
and Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa, says, and classifying data according to risk, respondents being at executive or middle
“Despite POPIA only coming into full force while another third have only done a or middle management level, and managemen
by 2021, many South African organisations basic classification. “Data flow mapping, working in a range of major industry level, and
started their privacy compliance asset identification and subsequent sectors.
programmes years ago. Awareness data classification are key aspects of
6 | January 2021
Data Protection SURVEY
DATA PROTECTION SURVEY
How well prepared is your organisation for POPIA Have you identified and classified your data
compliance? according to risk?
Somewhat, Basic
but should be classification
more in place
48% 32%
Somewhat, but should be more 48% Basic classification in place 32%
Well prepared 30% Yes, fully completed this 30%
We just started 14% We just started with this 30%
Not at all 8% No 8%
Is your organisation prepared for a data breach? Has COVID-19 and working from home impacted
your privacy compliance programme?
48%
50
49% Somewhat, but we will need to do more work on this
30% Yes, we have a mature incident response process in place
40
18% Not good enough
30%
3% We hope this doesn't happen to us 30
20 16%
10 6%
0 Yes, other Yes, we had to Yes, our remote No
reasons reassign budgets users pose more
from privacy risks to our
compliance to personal
more pressing information
needs (ie, VPN
technology)
xx | December 2020 January 2021 | 7
Data Protection SURVEY
DATA PROTECTION SURVEY
Is your organisation complying with GDPR? To what extent do you agree with the following statement:
"Decision makers and staff in our organisation are familiar
with the POPIA regulation."
Yes, 38% Agree
in full
27% Completely agree
45%
19% Neutral
13% Disagree
3% Completely disagree
Yes, in full 45%
Yes, but limited 40%
No 15%
To what extent do you agree with the following
statement: "We have sound routines for reporting data
breach in place."
39%
40
35
30
25%
25
20 16% 16%
15
10
5 1%
2%
0 Do not Completely Disagree Neutral Completely Agree
know disagree agree
8 | January 2021
December 2020 | xxKnowBe4, Inc | +27 21 300 8457 | www.knowbe4.com | popcornsales@knowbe4.com
INDUSTRY INSIGHT: DATA GOVERNANCE
Putting a positive spin on data
governance
With data having become the ‘new oil’, it may be time to use a different
term for data governance when having discussions with business.
governance journey out of fear, not value management’ which in reality does not
creation. equal ‘data governance’.
In my experience, many data governance For me, the term is to change the label of
programmes fail due to a failure to sell the the programme, not the content thereof nor
value of a data governance programme the goals. The programme will still be a ‘data
within an organisation. governance’ initiative − just running under a
This failure is due to many reasons, different label or heading.
including the ability of data practitioners This label recognises data as something
to convince business of the value of such a of value, to be curated to drive more
programme, an inability to link business value. Many organisations today are
value to data governance projects, failing realising that data is a true asset, which,
to focus on business value rather than if managed effectively, can lead to the
Lawrence Smith, KID Group presales
the number of assets being monitored, organisation achieving growth and
solution architect executive buy-in (as with most IT-based outsmarting the competition. Many
projects, senior commitment and buy-in publications use a very high-level
will determine success or failure) and using theoretical value of somewhere between
‘stick measures’ like regulations alone 20% and 60% of the value of your
D ata governance − establishing the
correct procedures and policies for
the formal management of data − is crucial
rather than finding ‘carrots’ to encourage
compliance.
company.
That said, there are more scientific
and is still in its infancy within most
organisations in South Africa and around
the world.
While no organisation will deny that this
is important, the very word ‘governance’
may be a stumbling block in the way of
broader and more effective adoption and
Most organisations have started on their data
implementation. governance journey out of fear, not value creation.
As a data practitioner, I commonly find
that when having a conversation with
business, as soon as I mention the dreaded
words ‘data governance’ in a meeting,
people’s eyes gloss over. Their inbuilt
protection mechanisms go on high alert
and they ready themselves to object to Most organisations have started on their methods which can be used to get a more
anything you say moving forward, even data governance journey out of fear, not accurate valuation of data assets. It is
the positives. value creation. worth reading Infonomicsby Douglas B
This may be because for many people, So why not change the conversation and Laney for details.
governance implies a rigid and punitive refer to the data governance programme So conservatively at 20% of the value
system − in short, a grudge process that as something different; for example, of the organisation and growing in value
does little to add value to the business and ‘data asset management programme’? daily, data is a major asset which needs
its bottom line. Why? Data is an asset with a fiscal value, to be managed effectively − just like
Unfortunately, the drive for data and the main reason for initiating a data any other asset. To manage this asset
governance has generally been motivated governance programme is primarily to effectively, one needs to set up the correct
by a ‘stick approach’ due to regulations, be manage your data assets more effectively. internal structures, agree on roles and
it POPIA, GDPA, BCBS 239 and so on. Most From a purist point of view, this could responsibilities for managing it, then
organisations have started on their data be viewed as blasphemy. Mainly due implement the correct tools to assist with
to the formal definition of ‘data asset this process.
10 | January 2021INDUSTRY INSIGHT: NETWORK AUTOMATION
Growing beyond agricultural
network complications
Networking obstacles can often keep farms from adopting automation,
or relegate them to a low level of automation without the ability to
scale their operations.
• Removing the risk of human error in reasons, many farmers view autonomous
irrigation calculations, design and build, equipment as a liability rather than as an
which lessens water waste. investment. For some technologies, simply
• Allowing farmers to meet regulatory existing outdoors can be a challenge.
standards with less effort, while Industrial interference: Between silos,
documenting their compliance. buildings and heavy machinery, signal
• Remaining fully secure and monitored at reflection and refraction are common in
all times to protect valuable livestock and agricultural environments. Any large pieces of
equipment. metal, glass or bodies of water can interrupt
Teresa Huysamen, Head of the wireless It is clear that automated precision farming a signal.
and surveillance business unit, Duxbury techniques offer a holistic answer to many of Legacy infrastructure: Farmers with
Networking. the agriculture industry’s challenges. traditional or outdated wired infrastructures
Networking obstacles, however, can often struggle with new network elements
often keep traditional farms from adopting that require a higher level of flexibility in
I n my last Industry Insight, I discussed
automation and how introducing
autonomy to agricultural processes is
automation, or relegate them to a low level of
automation without the ability to scale their
operations.
order to scale. To effectively support new
mobile-driven IIOT applications, farms with
wired infrastructure must integrate some
important in creating a full industrial Internet Some of the most common agricultural type of wireless mobile connectivity.
of things (IIOT) environment. In this article, networking and equipment issues are: Agricultural networks must overcome
I will look at the agricultural network
requirements and obstacles.
Automation encompasses a wide spectrum
of capabilities, making it an accessible
option for farming operations of any size
or background. Autonomy will help to give It is clear that automated precision farming
farmers a place from which to continue
building their automation goals in a steady, techniques offer a holistic answer to many of the
controlled process.
No matter the level of automation at which agriculture industry’s challenges.
a farm begins, precision farming techniques
and IIOT connectivity power solutions help
to mitigate agriculture’s biggest challenges,
allowing operations to be more accurate,
efficient and scalable. Lack of connectivity: The majority of farms these common obstacles in order to
These improvements include: are located in remote, rural areas that lack a successfully utilise autonomous precision
•T illing, seeding and harvesting fields faster strong signal. These farming operations rely farming applications and enable the IIOT at
than ever before in order to meet growing on cell towers – spread few and far between varying levels.
food demands. – to power their network. Unfortunately, That makes installing a network which
•C o-ordinating crop rotation with ease in these networks often fall short. With an addresses these challenges a top priority for
order to promote healthier soil and help average signal reach of only 35-72km, distant farming operations that wish to move up the
restore a natural balance to the land. cell towers cannot provide the coverage to levels of autonomy and precision farming best
•P lanting precisely to utilise every available power agricultural automation over sprawling practices.
centimetre of existing farmland, avoiding hectares of land. It’s important to deploy a network
further deforestation. Rugged terrain: In an agricultural solution that is powered by a fully mobile and
•M onitoring the ground as well as auto- environment, networking and automation ruggedised private wireless network, and
spraying safe bio-pesticides to decrease equipment must withstand extreme which integrates with legacy infrastructure to
instances of transboundary pests and temperatures, countless weather events and drive precision farming automation at every
diseases. damaging chemical sprays. In fact, for those level.
January 2021 | 11INDUSTRY INSIGHT: CLOUD SERVICES
Financial planning and the tech
tools that empower it
Enterprise processes and procedures are crucial to all companies’ ability
to create fiscal policies that ensure the very essence of business success –
financial health.
procedures is crucial to any organisation’s technology. The wrong choice will prolong
ability to create fiscal policies that not only technology migration indefinitely, losing any
ensure compliance but also the very essence operational gains, and opening the door for
of business success – financial health. Without competitors that got it right. Fully integrated
it, the ability to achieve business goals, meet ERP business management applications offer
tax obligations and ensure sustainability, is a wide range of features and functionality
negated. – complemented by a number of add-on
Without it, the ability to achieve business modules, allowing a solution to be scalable,
goals, meet tax obligations and ensure flexible and robust. It also provides a holistic
sustainability, is negated. Financial planning view of a business, as both accounting and
encompasses a range of vital strategies for operational data reside in the same system.
all businesses globally and within South The right ERP system must give your business
Africa. Organisations require the support of competitive-edge. It must incorporate
Netesh Maharajh, Director at ALNET accurate analyses and reports from financial powerful tools and functionality that allow
Technologies and operational management and this can be you to track, analyse and manage customer
achieved through the deployment of the right and supplier interactions.
technology tools. As most ERP systems are subject to an
T he IT industry is full of acronyms, and we
live in a world where today’s innovations
will be legacy thinking by tomorrow. One
ERP systems have evolved around the latest
technologies such as artificial intelligence
(AI), robotic process automation (RPA) and
annual subscription or licence renewal, the
business model from the vendor must also
deliver important benefits, including updates
industry term that has been around ages, blockchain, where big data is regarded as and upgrades, in or out of country, first and
is enterprise resource planning (ERP). In fintech – financial technology utilised to second line support. They must also provide
essence, ERP is the integrated management analyse and comprehend valuable trends and digital support options such as self-service
of key processes, which enables businesses to
perform, control, deliver and track business
resources, including cash, raw materials and
production capacity - facilitating information
flow between all functions. I like to define it as common sense.
ERP is described as the integrated
management of main business processes,
often in real-time and mediated by software
and technology. It has survived for a very
good reason – it empowers businesses to segmented marketing strategies that aim to support portals with an extensive knowledge
perform, control and deliver. optimise business operations. base for frequently asked questions.
The applications that make up the system AI algorithms can be utilised as part of The reporting and financial dashboards are
share data across numerous divisions within an ERP and financial management strategy critical success factors. They provide detailed
a business, and as such, ERP facilitates to predict changes, highlight emerging monitoring of finance key performance
information flow between all functions and markets and provide valuable insights, such indicators which in turn leads to effective
manages connections to outside stakeholders. as customer spending habits, which enables cash management, enabling businesses to
Gartner defines ERP as the ability to deliver businesses to better understand client needs. track all expenses, sales and profits. Executive
an integrated suite of business applications, Manual processes are slowly being replaced dashboards should provide a concise, but
noting that ERP tools share a common process by more accurate and efficient technologies accurate view of business performance so
and data model, covering broad and deep through the introduction of RPA systems executives can get the information they need
operational end-to-end processes in myriad that automate specific repetitive tasks and with real-time insights into key business
business arenas. are enablers of financial and operational performance metrics that support informed
I like to define it as common sense. processes. decision-making and help to drive the
Developing relevant processes and One challenge is choosing the right business forward.
12 | January 2021INDUSTRY INSIGHT: CLOUD SERVICES
Costing cloud and weighing up
use cases
There are misconceptions that the cloud offers dramatic savings and will allow
companies to eliminate the cost of buying hardware and maintaining it.
to buy and maintain hardware. When a disaster recovery setting. This situation
taking apps to the cloud, companies are would alleviate concerns around a single
essentially renting compute power − the point of failure associated with a company
servers they spin up there still need to be using its proprietary infrastructure.
patched, maintained and monitored, so The SaaS model offers a solution to
they still have that ongoing maintenance many companies. This 'infrastructureless'
cost. cloud has many advantages. The
Consider a typical medium-sized software provider takes care of
company with 100 employees, looking maintenance, patching, hardware and
to move to cloud due to ageing backups. However, this is not ideal
infrastructure. Its monthly costs for for some applications, as companies
cloud-based compute power would lose some control, and that risk needs
amount to between R32 000 and R56 to be managed. SaaS could also prove
000, and it would still have to pay the problematic where operations depend
resources it currently has to run patching heavily on an application, and power cuts
and maintenance. That cost amortised or downtime could bring the business to a
Ethan Searle, Technology advisor at over five years, with escalations of 6% standstill. In circumstances like this, the
LanDynamix. per year, gives a total cost of R2.5 million business might look to both a fibre and
W hen considering a move to cloud,
it is important to understand the
total cost of ownership (TCO) of cloud
versus the alternatives, and to determine
the business case for doing so. Cloud is
Many companies expect to 'just put everything in
not the right solution for all businesses, the cloud and the cloud providers will look after it.
infrastructure, or applications, and
may not prove as cost-effective as many
think. In some scenarios, the cost of
cloud could prove up to 10 times higher
than running in a hosted environment or
on-premise over a period of five years. over five years − just to rent compute microwave link to ensure continuity; or
Organisations should undertake a careful power. In contrast, if you spec the same it might find that on-premises hardware
needs analysis and calculate the TCO requirements and buy the hardware, and applications are needed. The cheapest
over an extended period, building in the and have it hosted in a data centre, the option remains having a server on site,
cost of hardware, software, management cost over five years would be R250 000. particularly for traditional businesses
and potential downtime. It goes beyond Downtime alone can add significant running one mission-critical system
opex versus capex. There are instances costs to the IT environment. In an in an office. Not only would it be cost-
where the cloud makes sense, such as exercise to put a number on it, factor in a effective, but if the power and Internet
for businesses with elastic compute hypothetical server going down halfway connection went down, it would still be
requirements who need to scale up through a working day, plus the following able to work. Organisations shouldn’t
quickly. It is also useful for organisations day added as a waste as the imaginary be 'pushed into cloud’, but instead, they
that don't have the budget for new company with arbitrarily 50 employees should consider building n environment
hardware. Many companies expect to tries to bring services live again. This that cost effectively supports their
'just put everything in the cloud and simple scenario would cost approximately needs and growth plans. They need to
the cloud providers will look after it'. R202 500. The money lost in half a day view it strategically within the context
But there are misconceptions that the alone would virtually cover the cost and nature of the business and how it
cloud offers dramatic savings and will of an additional server to replicate the operates, rather than getting caught up in
allow companies to eliminate the need company’s production environment into the latest trends.
January 2021 | 13COMPANY NEWS
TECH FORUM CHANNEL
Most employees won't be Nebula wins ISV partner of the year at Microsoft
returning to the office Awards South Africa
Troye CEO Helen Kruger says the Nebula was recently named ISV partner of the year at the Microsoft
road to widespread remote work Awards South Africa. The award is handed out to the partner who
has not been easy. "Almost half of shows excellence in innovation and the implementation of customer
the IT leaders who participated in solutions using Microsoft technology. Other finalists in the ISV partner
the Censuswide survey say their award category included Customer Experience and customer journey
companies did not have a business analytics software brand, inQuba, and Praelexis, a machine learning
continuity plan based on the vast and predictive analytics company. In line with the company’s
majority of employees working from commitment to local COVID-19 lockdown regulations, the annual
home, and 61% found it challenging event was held virtually for the first time. The Microsoft Awards
to make the switch." recognise and acknowledge the efforts of Microsoft partners across a
www.troye.co.za variety of categories.
Helen Kruger, Troye CEO www.nebula.co.za
Intelligent infrastructure in the modern data First Distribution, VSS agree to distribution
centre partnership for Africa
As the world’s largest IT companies realise the importance of First Distribution has signed an agreement to distribute the entire
‘intelligent infrastructure’ in the modern data centre, the race is on Video Storage Solutions (VSS) product line of video surveillance
between storage competitors to provide products and solutions that appliances. VSS is part of BCD International, a global video data
are actually truly intelligent, and not merely standard infrastructure. infrastructure manufacturer, and supplies pre-engineered video
So says Marcel Fouché, Networking and Storage GM at value-added appliances through authorised security distributors. All VSS appliances
distributor Networks Unlimited Africa, which partners in South Africa are validated to withstand the taxing video data write load and
with Tintri, a provider of intelligent infrastructure for virtualised and demands of video storage. While VSS is a relatively new name in the
non-virtualised enterprise IT environments. He clarifies: “In order security industry, it brings with it more than 40 years of computer
to get to grips with this challenging issue, Tintri recently held a free industry experience, with the last decade focused solely on the video
Webcast to unpack the differences between intelligent and standard surveillance infrastructure marketplace. BCD’s global headquarters,
infrastructure.” located outside of Chicago, Illinois, includes a 55 000 square foot
www.networksunlimited.africa facility with two build centres.
www.firstdistribution.co.za
Saving money, reducing your risk profile
Ensuring an organisation’s valuable data is not only protected but also First Technology wins at
available for quick recovery is a major concern for IT. Logicalis offers Microsoft South Africa
a range of solutions and services that provide insights into storage, Partner Awards
backup and virtual infrastructures and cost-effective data protection. At the recent virtual FY20 Microsoft
Experts from both Logicalis and Veritas recently hosted a virtual South Africa Partner Awards, First
session to discuss and explore data management and data protection Technology received the Commercial
strategies, including coverage of the solutions they have in place to Channel Partner of the Year award.
ensure the required level of security and protection. This award recognises partners that
www.logicalis.com develop modern customer-focused
services that leverage the Microsoft
Cloud Platforms. These partners add
new customers to Microsoft Clouds in
Enterprise Commercial, Public Sector
First Technology has received and Corporate Commercial.
the Commercial Channel
Partner of the Year award. www.firsttech.co.za
COMPANY NEWS
To read the FULL company releases, visit
www.itweb.co.za
Contact sales@itweb.co.za for any sales enquiries.
14 | January 2021COMPANY NEWS
TELECOMS SOFTWARE
ICASA releases invitation to apply for high- Changing weather: New
demand spectrum and WOAN reasons to move to cloud
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) As we transition through the COVID
released the long-awaited invitation to apply (ITA) for both the quagmire, businesses are realising
international mobile telecommunications (IMT) spectrum, also known that they need more than agility built
as high-demand spectrum, and the wireless open-access network into infrastructure to stay ahead in
(WOAN) on 2 October 2020. The closing date for the IMT Spectrum tomorrow’s uncertain (but no less
ITA is 28 December 2020 and for the WOAN ITA is 30 March 2021. competitive) environment, says Phil
In order to ensure that more telecoms operators gain access to this Lewis, Infor VP Solution Consulting,
high-demand spectrum, ICASA has created a policy that requires EMEA. Resultantly, cloud-based
that a portion of unallocated high-demand spectrum be assigned to enterprise software has had to
the WOAN. The WOAN will operate as a single network, built via a evolve to enable quicker responses to
consortium. opportunities and customer needs.
www.webberwentzel.com Phil Lewis, Infor VP Solution www.infor.com
Consulting, EMEA
Workforce management – maximise your Adobe Connect gets sleek new user interface
omni-channel performance The new Adobe Connect is out now! Adobe Connect 11, which started
As has been effectively determined, agents are your organisation and rolling out to customers this month, brings a much-anticipated
their productivity will directly impact the customer experience (CX) new user experience to hosts, presenters and participants. This new
you deliver. With CX being the biggest driver of the 21st century, it experience is available in our HTML client using any modern browser
is essential to start with an engaged workforce that can carry your as well as a brand new Windows application for Adobe Connect.
organisation’s banner. When it comes to creating a strong, engaged “Adobe Connect 11 is the start of a new era for Adobe Connect, with
workforce, many different components need to fit together coherently HTML5 at its core instead of Flash. This new version has revamped
to realise a workforce that is both efficient and effective. A major and enhanced what was already an incredibly robust and functional
benefit of enabling this is happy agents as well as happy customers. e-learning, webinar and virtual meeting solution,” says Jeremy
Major uses for workforce management within your omni-channel Matthews, CEO of Dax Data.
contact centre include simplifying and automating processes of www.daxdata.co.za
staffing and scheduling.
www.scopserv.co.za
Simplifying and securing
data management in
Africa
NETWORKING As Africa embraces some of the
leading emerging technology available
CPaaS delivers successful across the globe, it becomes evident
experiences for that one of the greatest obstacles
enterprises to overcome is its complexity.
Rohit Tripathi, chief product officer, Andrew Voges, Africa sales director
and Mirko Benetti, VP, Head of at Quest, says key to success in this
Sales EMEA and APJ at SAP Digital digital journey is simple tools that do
Interconnect, look at how CPaaS helps Andrew Voges, Africa sales complex tasks easily, seamlessly and
director at Quest
developers benefit the enterprise. securely.
They say CPaaS solutions have long www.quest.com
been popular in technology circles,
especially among developers who
appreciate how such capabilities can
Rohit Tripathi, chief product simplify the development process.
officer, and Mirko Benetti, VP,
head of Sales EMEA and APJ at www.digitalinterconnect.com
SAP Digital Interconnect
ICT INSIGHT
To read the FULL company releases, visit
www.itweb.co.za Contact sales@itweb.co.za for any sales enquiries.
January 2021 | 15COMPANY NEWS
SECURITY
T-Systems SA joins forces with Fortinet to Stick a fork in cyber fraud
launch Cyber Security Academy SA-based managed IT security
T-Systems South Africa has teamed up with Fortinet, a global leader services company Securicom says
in broad, integrated and automated cyber security solutions, to businesses can stick a fork in cyber
create a specialised Cyber Security Academy incorporated into the fraud and keep their money. The
organisation’s existing ICT Academy, accessible to the youth from the company has introduced a unique
local community. The new academy will include Fortinet’s Network solution for the South African
Security Expert certifications, helping participants build cyber market, ProtectU, which provides
security awareness skills and upskill to address a widening global advanced e-mail security protection
cyber security workforce shortage in the market. “Cyber security against spam, malware and phishing.
has become a top C-level priority across the globe, with skills in ProtectU combines Securicom’s
high demand,” explains Marcus Karuppan, ICT academy manager at Richard Broeke, MD of Securicom. industry-leading management
T-Systems South Africa. solution e-Purifier.
www.un-outsource.co.za www.securicom.co.za
Protecting consumers at every level with
enhanced protection for Windows FINANCIAL
ESET, a global leader in cyber security, has launched new versions
of its Windows security products for consumers. The new versions American Express offers SA Cardmembers
upgrade the protection in ESET Internet Security, ESET NOD32 more choice
Antivirus and ESET Smart Security Premium. The wide range of American Express South Africa is launching a new American Express
security improvements cover malware detection, online banking, Membership Rewards Card – a rewards redemption companion card
password security and smart home support. With the ever- offering its Green, Gold, Platinum and Centurion Cardmembers choice
increasing volume of reported cyber attacks, it is vital that users are on how they utilise their points. With the new Membership Rewards
secured in their online activities. These product updates address Card, American Express will be converting points to cash, and putting
key issues, including online payments and banking-related threats, that money back in the hands of existing individual and business
identity theft and leaking of personal information, stolen passwords American Express Cardmembers. Now, Cardmembers can use their
and connected device security. points in new ways – with the options to use the Membership Rewards
www.eset.com Card to pay with points at any American Express-accepting merchant
around the world, with points converted to the local currency at the
point of sale.
A new look on identity verification www.nedbank.co.za
COVID-19 has redefined the way businesses interact with their staff,
business partners, suppliers and the like. Many organisations were
mandated to employ a work-from-home policy where possible, and IFS extends service management leadership
even now as the lockdown restrictions are gradually lifted, it seems with 86% growth for Q3
like this ‘distributed workforce’ milieu, or at least a hybrid thereof, IFS, the global enterprise applications company, has announced its
is set to continue for the foreseeable future. According to Integralis IT financial results for Q3 year-to-date of 2020, encompassing January
Consultancy, services and capabilities for this remote (home) office to September. The financial highlights reveal a strong business that
were expedited by many IT departments and service providers with continues its trajectory of hyper growth in areas like cloud and service
a necessitated amount of haste. New hires were onboarded during management software. The company’s commitment to advancing its
the lockdown with as much welcome as one can produce with social service management technology is projected to deliver north of 100%
distancing and remote offices in place. year-on-year growth in service software revenue by year-end. IFS’s
www.integralis.co.za evolution into becoming the global service solutions vendor of choice is
evidenced by a number of recent customer wins, including agricultural
group Lely as well as the launch of new software capabilities in its
customer engagement offering.
www.ifs.com
COMPANY NEWS
To read the FULL company releases, visit
www.itweb.co.za
Contact sales@itweb.co.za for any sales enquiries.
16 | January 2021You can also read
