Cell C, SA's third licensed cellular phone operator, says results for the six months ended 30 June 2006 were satisfactory. Newly appointed CEO, Jeffrey Hedberg, says management is addressing the challenging issues which it faces, and has a plan to ensure the company can meet its objectives. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
IDtek has been awarded a contract by the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) to install its biometric identity control technology in the restricted personnel areas of SA's largest airport, Johannesburg International. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
As a result of growing customer demand, Hetzner, a local provider of specialist Web hosting services, has announced the opening of its new data centre in Cape Town. This latest facility brings Hetzner's total number of data centres to three, representing a 120% increase in the company's cabinet capacity. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
The Telecoms Action Group today launched its national consumer advocacy campaign, calling on SA businesses and private individuals to donate money to take out a full page advert in a national newspaper, protesting the lack of alternatives in the SA telecommunications sector. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
MultiChoice yesterday applied for a commercial satellite and subscription broadcast licence, as required by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa). [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
The CEOs of Sentech and SABC, Dr Sebiletso Mokone-Matabane and Advocate Dali Mpofu, have announced that Sentech, in partnership with the SABC, will lodge an application for a television subscription licence. This was in response to the invitation to apply that was published by Icasa earlier this year. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Aiming to improve the quality of its MyWireless Flexi products, Sentech will discontinue new sales of MyWireless Classic product range. Existing MyWireless Classic contract customers will be able to continue until the end of their contract. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Datatec, the international provider of ICT products, solutions and services, has announced the appointment of Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu to its board of directors. Nkuhlu will serve as a non-executive director and a member of the audit, compliance and risk committee. The appointment will be effective from 1 September. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Bidvest Group company, Minolta SA, has finalised a three-year outsourcing contract to provide a document optimisation output system for Alexander Forbes' financial services division, which will significantly reduce the division's document production costs. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Vodacom has added six per second Top Up packages to its current range, aiming to provide its subscribers with the flexibility of choosing a package that is suitable to their financial and personal needs. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Absa Bank claims that it is well on its way to achieving information management excellence. Dave Donkin, group executive: information management at Absa, described Absa's journey to date at the SAS Forum International, which was held in Geneva earlier this year. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
AMD has announced it will be a major sponsor of the first local professional league for competitive online computer gaming. The league, which is powered by AMD servers, allows participants in this growing sport to realise ambitions of provincial and national colours. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Rocketseed, a provider of intelligent business e-mail software and services, has announced the launch of a new product, Latitude, which aims to provide hassle-free smart e-mail for businesses with up to 40 users. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Specialised back-office administrator DigiCall Solutions has made its first major acquisition by acquiring a controlling stake in Fogi Online Geyser Installation, SA's largest administrator and service provider for plumbing-related household insurance claims. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Vodacom and the Vredendal community have celebrated the launch of five base stations on the N7 route, which connects Vredendal and the Namibian border - effectively bringing continuous mobile communication to Vodacom subscribers travelling on the N7 from Cape Town to Namibia. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Worldwide server shipments for the second quarter of 2006 increased by 12,8% over the same quarter last year, while worldwide server revenue for the same period climbed by 2,5%, according to Gartner. Worldwide server revenue totalled $12,4bn for the quarter, as worldwide servers shipments reached 2m units. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service (San Francisco Bureau)
Microsoft has accidentally listed the pricing of the high-end consumer versions of Windows Vista on its Canadian Web site. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Steven Schwankert, IDG News Service (Beijing Bureau)
The contract manufacturer of the iPod music player has filed lawsuits against two Chinese journalists who wrote articles about working conditions at factories where iPods are made, according to Chinese press reports. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
The iBurst wireless broadband system is now available in Ghana, after Infinite Stream Ghana recently launched the service in collaboration with BusyInternet. SA iBurst users are now able to roam in Ghana and vice versa. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
James Niccolai, IDG News Service (Paris Bureau)
Intel will announce the results of an internal review of its operations next week that could result in thousands of layoffs at the company, according to published reports. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau)
Sony has appointed one of its presidents to oversee product quality and safety, the first time that such a high-level member of staff has taken that position at the company. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Human resources business process outsourcing (HR BPO) continues to be a major component of the overall worldwide BPO market, as worldwide HR BPO is expected to reach $24,6bn in 2006, an increase of 4,7% from $23,5bn in 2005, according to Gartner. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
The combined page printer, copier and multifunctional product (MFP) market in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) grew by 5% in the first half of 2006, with shipments totalling 22m units, according to Gartner. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
GSA, the representative organisation for GSM/3G suppliers worldwide, has announced that there are 117 HSDPA network deployments in 54 countries, of which 52 networks have commercially launched services in 35 countries. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Hyperion Solutions, represented locally by Intellient, has announced record financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2006. Total revenues for the quarter increased by 18% to $223,9m; software licence revenue increased by 22% to $95,8m; and maintenance and services revenue grew by 16% to $128,1m. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Vodacom Tanzania says that it will introduce 3G technology to its local market. Based on the success of 3G implementation in SA, Vodacom Tanzania has chosen Siemens Communications to supply the full 3G solution. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Intel has unveiled eight Dual-Core Intel Xeon 7100 series processors designed for multi-processor servers. Previously codenamed 'Tulsa', the Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 7100 series aims to deliver on key requirements to support the demands of enterprise applications: top performance and reliability. The processor family also includes lower-power, 95 watt options that reduce associated energy costs, Intel says [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
PTC, the product development company, represented in sub-Saharan Africa by Centurion-based distributor, productONE, has announced that the BMW Oracle Racing yacht, 'USA', a challenger for the 32nd America's Cup in 2007, has been developed with PTC solutions, including Pro/Engineer and Windchill. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Fair Isaac, a provider of analytics and decision management technology, has announced that The Saudi British Bank (SABB), an associated company of HSBC Group, has implemented Global FICO Score to enhance its decision-making process. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Manufacturers are facing numerous challenges within their markets as the number of foreign competitors grows and increasing material costs impact margins. Many are looking to implement lean production strategies. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
D-Link has introduced the DVG-G1402S, an 802.11g wireless router with embedded VoIP functionality. It is designed for VoIP service providers and resellers to bundle their existing VoIP services, and create a consistent, reliable, and flexible VoIP Networking Solution. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
ATTO has released the FastStream VT 5300, a high-performance, standalone virtual tape appliance that is designed to seamlessly integrate into existing back-up environments to fully emulate existing tape libraries. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
ICT World exclusive
The drive to reduce overall data protection costs and complexities is said to be leading companies of all sizes to adopt tiered disk-to-disk-to-tape strategies, necessitating investments in autoloaders and tape libraries. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
The Nokia Software Updater, launched by Multimedia Customer Care, is a Windows application designed to enable users to update Nokia mobile device software over the Internet using their PC. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Local data storage distributor, New IT, has announced the availability of the A16F-G2430 and A16U-G2430 Raid arrays from Infortrend, which are said to use Infortrend's latest Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
A phishing mail, which pretends to come from eBay, attempts to convince users to click on a link and give away confidential account information. At a time when even the most susceptible user is becoming cautious against attempts of e-mail fraud, this one claims to educate users on how scamsters use spoof e-mails, before directing them to click on a link to open an impostor login screen! [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Oracle has announced the general availability of Oracle Application Express Release 2.2, a free tool that aims to enable users to easily build, deploy and manage secure Web applications using only a Web browser. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Oracle has unveiled Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise Performance Management 9, the latest product to be delivered from Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 suite. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Rectron has announced the immediate availability of Transcend Information's 2GB 80X miniSD, a flash memory card which, it says, is optimised for high-specification cellular phones. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Logitech has introduced the Logitech Z-10 Interactive 2.0 Speaker System, the latest member of Logitech's line of Advanced Peripherals. It features a design that is intended to change how people think about and use PC speakers. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Through its Global Financial Services Division, EMC now offers the OpenScale solution which aims to supply on-demand capacity delivery. Businesses seeking more flexibility from the technology solutions upon which they are reliant can benefit from this on-demand storage solution, EMC says. OpenScale is designed to allow customers to seamlessly access appropriately configured storage as and when they need it. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Local IT services company Galdon Data has announced that it is gearing itself to provide services and solutions around Microsoft's Live Communications Server 2005, making this a cog in its future growth strategy. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Canon SA has introduced its third generation of the inkjet brand, Pixma. The models of the third generation are claimed to strengthen the existing Pixma line-up, with three Photo All-in-Ones, which offer performance and sophisticated design. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Centennial Software appoints BSI as local distributor
Centennial Software, the developer of IT asset discovery and network security solutions has appointed Bytes Systems Integration (BSI), a division of Bytes Technology Group SA, as distributor for the company's Discovery and DeviceWall solutions in sub-Saharan Africa. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Bytes Document Solutions, sole authorised distributor of Xerox products and solutions in 24 sub-Saharan countries, has appointed Ashley Groenendaal to the position of Xerox GM: channel operations. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Leaf Wireless, a developer of mobile solutions, and exclusive African distributor of i-mate Smartphones and Pocket PCs, has joined the Microsoft Mobile2Market programme. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Channel Data, specialist distributor of storage and network products, has appointed data management specialist, Bytes Technology, as an Iron Mountain Digital partner and reseller. Iron Mountain Digital is one of the world's largest providers of data back-up and recovery and archiving software as a service. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
ITQ, a Simeka BSG company that delivers standards-based custom developed solutions to a broad customer base, recently extended its service offerings, aiming to provide customers with further enhanced packaged solutions to ensure that continuously changing business requirements are met. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
At this year's Gartner Symposium/ITxpo platinum exhibitor Softworx, SSA Global regional distributor and member of EOH Group of Companies, shared with delegates why RFID brings greater intelligence and productivity to the supply chain. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Although today's big challenge for retail stores is innovation, local retailers should drive innovation 'from the customer in', to avoid prohibitive costs, and to ensure that they can meet customer requirements by applying the best use of resources. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
With multi-core processors making their appearance in the mainstream, Microsoft's upcoming Vista operating system being delayed for a fourth time and Apple Computer beginning to use Intel processors in its desktop and notebook platforms, corporate buyers are finding it increasingly difficult to make 'safe' decisions that will support their future IT strategies. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
Ashley Dugmore, MD of The Printer Distribution Company (PDC)
Although sometimes cynically touted as a solution looking for a problem, the benefits of RFID are widely acknowledged. Early adopters of this technology have realised advantages in some, if not all, areas of their business, making the business case for RFID a compelling one. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
ICT World exclusive
Over the last decade, storing ever-increasing repositories of data has compelled companies to apply smarter methods of managing storage. [Issue:Two hundred and one (28/8/06 - 1/9/06)]
