ICT distributor, Comztek, has recently donated power supply technology to an IT training organisation - in return for high product visibility. It hopes that this marketing strategy will dramatically increase product awareness in its key target market. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Communication costs slowing SME growth in SA?
Local SMEs are labouring under a massive disadvantage when compared with their international rivals, due to the limited availability of ADSL, un-affordability of leased lines, and the unavailability of 1 Megabyte data lines. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
SMEs want finance - but must consider the risks
The major challenges facing SMEs relate to the availability of finance, skills and expertise, according to the findings of the recent SME Survey 2006. However, while these factors are considered critical by 91% of the 6 000 respondents, their availability could be more challenging. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Bringing open source software to schools
Metropolitan, together with the Shuttleworth Foundation, Inkululeko Technologies and the KZN Department of Education, has installed an Open Source computer centre, known as a tuXlab, at the ZamaZulu Secondary School in Pietermaritzburg. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
The installation of a R9m wireless communication network in Eastern Johannesburg by Bromide Technologies is said to have made the Ekhuruleni Metropolitan Municipality the first SA municipality to cover its entire constituency under one seamless network. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
MultiChoice SA has announced the sale of (forty-five million) shares in its holding company to black investors, as part of its Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment programme. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Laser Facilities 'saves customers print and distribution costs'
Laser Facilities, a supplier of electronic printing and document management outsourcing solutions, has signed up four new clients: Ampath, Virgin Mobile, Medihelp and iBurst. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
BEE firm wins Cape Town facilities management contract
Contac4, an independent black-owned call centre in Cape Town, has landed a major contract with the City of Cape Town which will see the company overseeing the maintenance of all the electrical and mechanical systems at the Civic Centre, the city's largest building. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Cognos launches local branch of its training academy
Cognos, a Performance Management (PM) and Business Intelligence (BI) vendor, has launched its training academy, the Cognos Academy, in this country. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Accsys establishes new branch in PE
Accsys, national provider of HR, payroll management and time and attendance solutions, has opened the doors of a branch that will service the market in Port Elizabeth and reinforce its presence in the Eastern Cape. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Teba Bank selects PIC solutions
Teba Bank is a niche provider of affordable financial services to workers, their families and broader communities in southern Africa. The bank aims to focus on providing each person access to affordable financial services, no matter what they earn, treating people with dignity and respect, and educating them to manage their finances. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
HP simplifies network storage for SMEs
HP has announced easy-to-use storage systems that are designed to drive down cost and complexity for SMEs grappling with the exponential growth of data. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
FTS presents at GSM4-3G Africa 2006
Herzliya, Israel (FTS), a global provider of business control, billing +ACY- CRM solutions for communications service providers, will be providing a demonstration of the value of the new sector of telecoms technology, called Business Control Layer, at GSM4-3G Africa on October 19 at 12:05pm. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
GovTech 2006: The first annual SITA technology conference
The State Information Technology Agency (SITA) will host its first annual Government Technology Conference from October 30 to November 3 at Sun City. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Nedbank makes strategic investment in Micro Focus technology
Nedbank has made an investment in Micro Focus products following an extensive evaluation conducted with the support of local representative, MigrationWare. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
AccTech Systems implements solution for SANBI
Softline ACCPAC 2005 business partner of the year, AccTech Systems, has been appointed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) to implement all core modules of ACCPAC's accounting solution on ACCPAC ERP 500. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
BI informs Colomer's flexible sales strategy
A provider of haircare products to the local market has looked to the Cognos Powerplay BI solution provided by Synergy Computing to help to give it the edge in a highly competitive market. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service (New York Bureau)
Top McAfee executives have gone on the offensive against Microsoft, saying Vista will be even less secure for customers than previous versions of Windows. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Tension envelops US oversight of ICANN
Juan Carlos Perez, IDG News Service (Miami Bureau)
Internet governance experts remain divided over last week's decision to extend the US government's oversight of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), with some calling it appropriate, and others portraying it as unwise. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Microsoft to fix Windows, Office security flaws
Robert McMillan, IDG News Service (San Francisco Bureau)
With hackers exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities in its Windows and Office software, Microsoft plans to issue 11 security updates next Tuesday. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Ben Ames, IDG News Service (Boston Bureau)
IBM says that it has improved the power efficiency of two models of PowerPC processors, aiming to strengthen its position in markets from cars and printers to networking and communications equipment. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
AMD's acquisition of ATI receives clearance
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and ATI Technologies have announced that the Fair Trade Commission of Taiwan has cleared the proposed acquisition of ATI by AMD. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Nokia develops short-range wireless technology
Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service (Dublin Bureau)
Nokia has developed a short-range wireless technology which, it says, could improve on some of the shortcomings of Bluetooth. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Sun says OpenSparc is gaining traction
Robert Mullins, IDG News Service (San Francisco Bureau)
Sun Microsystems says its UltraSparc T1 microprocessor, nicknamed Niagara, is creating a big splash. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Fujitsu details Sony battery exchange plans
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau)
Fujitsu will offer owners of some of its laptop computers replacement batteries, as part of Sony's global battery exchange programme. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Worldwide shipments of PDAs and smartphones combined totalled 42,1m units in the first half of 2006, a 57% increase from the same period last year, according to Gartner. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
IBM announces service management offerings
Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service (Dublin Bureau)
IBM is introducing a range of products and services, many based on technologies coming from recently acquired companies, aimed at helping businesses better manage and take advantage of their various software and hardware systems. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
IBM iSystem users launch online community
Common, the world's largest group of users involved with IBM's premier business computers, has announced a new online System i community in collaboration with users, students and partners. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Windows Vista, Longhorn to get new anti-piracy measures
Steven Schwankert, IDG News Service (Beijing Bureau)
Microsoft will introduce a new system for fighting software piracy with its upcoming Windows Vista and Windows Longhorn Server operating systems, the company says. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau)
Hitachi Maxell says that it has developed a thin optical disc that could lead to data cartridges capable of storing terabytes of information. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
HP extends further into copier market
Robert Mullins, IDG News Service (San Francisco Bureau)
Hewlett-Packard is extending its reach further into rivals' markets for workplace copiers. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
'Digitise your photos and film at home with Epson scanners'
Epson has launched three A4 scanners. At the entry level is the Epson Perfection V10, for home users and first time scanner buyers. The Epson Perfection V100 Photo is designed to meet the needs of the photo enthusiast and the Epson Perfection V350 Photo is said to be suited to the amateur photographer. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
ProScan Systems, a provider of supply chain, automated data collection and mobile computing solutions, has announced the release of the Intermec CV30, said to be a flexible, rugged, vehicle and fixed-mount computer. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Silicon advances usher in new era of energy-efficient performance - Intel
Intel president and CEO, Paul Otellini, has outlined the company's plan to accelerate its technology leadership, and told thousands of developers and engineers at IDF that advances in silicon technology will deliver new performance breakthroughs in an era of energy-efficient computing. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Intel motherboards series 'serves up value for SME market'
Annex Distribution has announced a range of Intel server motherboards that are specifically designed to add value to the growing SME market segment. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Intel extends embedded offerings with Core 2 Duo processors
Intel has announced expanded life cycle support for the Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 and T7400 processors for embedded applications, ranging from bank ATMs to point-of-sale cash registers. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Iomega introduces external hard drives for Mac users
NYSE-listed Iomega, a global supplier of data storage and protection solutions, recently announced two lines of external hard drives for Mac users and others who require high capacity drives with a variety of functionalities. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Dell 'upgrades performance, energy efficiency of quad-socket servers'
Dell has announced that it has enhanced its quad-socket servers with performance-boosting, power-saving 64-bit dual-core Intel Xeon 7100 sequence processors and system management software to simplify data centre operations. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Mitel 'puts patients first' with Tele-Call solution
Mitel, a global provider of communications applications and solutions for business, has announced the release of its Tele-Call healthcare solution. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Oracle has announced the general availability of Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise Financial Management 9, which is claimed to feature enhancements to core financial accounting, asset lifecycle management and enterprise service automation applications. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Samsung launches 22-inch LCD monitor
Samsung Electronics, a manufacturer of LCD computer monitors and professional displays, has launched a high-resolution 22-inch LCD monitor (SyncMaster 225BW). This monitor is said to be compatible with the Microsoft Vista version, which is based on a widescreen format. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Absa relies on EMC for mission-critical storage
Absa has recently made several further investments in EMC storage subsystems, concluding three deals in eight months to boost storage capacity for its transactional mainframe and distributed systems environments. While two of the purchases were upgrades, the third is an implementation of EMC technology for improved business continuity in its open systems environment. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Pinnacle announces 'hyper-fast scrolling mice'
Digital lifestyle specialist, Pinnacle Micro, has announced the immediate availability of two mice from Logitech which are intended to change the way in which people use their PCs. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Canon MF6500 series 'fulfils SA's all-in-one requirements'
Canon SA's LaserBase MF6500 series is claimed to offer local SMEs fast, high-quality laser printing, colour scanning, faxing and copying in a single compact unit. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Xerox 'introduces greater flexibility for SMEs'
Bytes Document Solutions, sole authorised distributor of Xerox products and solutions in 24 sub-Saharan countries, has announced the availability of the WorkCentre 7132, a colour-capable multifunction device (MFD) that, it says, can be customised with essential business tools to fit the needs of SMEs and workgroups. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
MGE UPS Systems announces new range
MGE UPS Systems, a supplier of power solutions for business continuity, has announced the launch of a new generation of Evolution UPSs, a high-frequency interactive range dedicated to network equipment. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
'Maximum storage with Maxtor's Mini Edition'
Maxtor, a global provider of hard disk drives and data storage solutions, has introduced its Maxtor OneTouch III Mini Edition to the local market. The device is designed as a simple, secure means of data storage and transportation, and is available to the local digital lifestyle market through Sahara Computers. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Aspect introduces Forum-certified customer self service
Contact centre company, Aspect Software, has announced that the Aspect Customer Self Service 7.2 voice portal has been awarded VoiceXML-Forum certification. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
ZyXEL hits the local market
Local distributor, Rectron, has begun to distribute the full range of ZyXEL networking products in this country. ZyXEL is a DSL router and VDSL vendor, and says that it is also Europe's largest wireless equipment vendor. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Interactive Intelligence, a global developer of business communications software, has announced the local availability of its latest Interaction Dialer product, which is designed to provide outbound dialling and campaign management for contact centres, teleservices firms and collections operations. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Integrated anti-virus and application control from Sophos
Sophos has announced the launch of Application Control features that aim to allow system administrators to selectively block unauthorised VoIP, peer-to-peer (P2P) and Instant Messaging (IM) applications that can present risks to company data and networks. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Oracle has announced the general availability of Oracle Berkeley DB Release 4.5, which includes features designed to improve performance, availability and ease of use for developers of mission-critical systems. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Kyocera Mita provides 'user-friendly, wide format printing and scanning'
Kyocera Mita has introduced the KM-3650w, a wide format digital multifunctional product (MFP) which is designed to print and copy in A0 and offer optional scanning functionality. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Mail security from Symantec
Symantec has announced Symantec Mail Security with Premium AntiSpam for Windows Small Business Server, which aims to provide SMEs using Microsoft Exchange 2000/2003 with advanced content filtering and protection against viruses, spyware, and adware. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Pentax rolls out lens-interchangeable digital SLR camera
Pentax has introduced the K10D lens-interchangeable digital SLR camera. This is designed to combine 10,2 effective megapixels with advanced technologies - including the Pentax-original Shake Reduction (SR) system - to deliver high-quality digital SLR photography and responsive operations to advanced amateurs and experienced hobbyists. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Maximizer Software, a provider of customer relationship management (CRM) and contact management solutions, has announced the appointment of a channel partner in Nigeria, SILK Business Network. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
SecureData lands Cibecs distributorship for sub-Saharan Africa
SecureData, a member of the of JSE-listed ERP.com group, has become the sole sub-Saharan distributor for Cibecs, a privately-owned software development company. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Serden Technologies earns HP certification
Desktop management specialist Serden Technologies, represented in SA by Bateleur Software, is now an HP-certified technical and business partner. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Axis announces Q4 incentives for channel
Aiming to help to encourage sales of network cameras, Axis Communications SA has announced a channel incentive programme for the final quarter of the year. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Digital signature technology combats spam menace to electronic messaging
Spam is putting a huge dent in the value of e-mail. The widespread and implicit trust in the use of e-mail as a business and personal communications medium is being steadily undermined by burgeoning unwanted commercial messages (spam) - a situation that seriously needs to be addressed by businesses providing e-mail-based services. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Local market is ready to Skype
Paul Luff, country manager at SMC Networks SA
South Africans are not far behind their overseas counterparts as far as the adoption and use of IP telephony is concerned. It will not be long before the term 'Skype me' is used extensively, and understood widely due to the ease-of-use, cost and functionality of Skype. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Expanding into Africa? Manage your payroll locally
Many local companies have acknowledged the opportunities that lie beyond the borders of this country, expanding their businesses and services into new regions on the continent. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
SMS will 'drive the mobile Internet'
The mobile Internet industry is growing with the uptake of handsets enabled with 3G internet access and users demanding more and more mobile content experiences, such as information, music, games, pictures and video clips. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Professional time wasters
Forget the paperless office, when it comes to the banking and insurance industries, paper is still business-critical for legal reasons, but new research shows that the way in which this paper is processed is costing the industry millions of euros in lost revenue and impacting on productivity. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
An epic battle between IT conformance and business compliance
IT departments and management teams are often left in the dark as to whose court the ball is being played in when it comes to conformance and governance. Foster-Melliar hosted a breakfast presentation in Johannesburg on September 15, focusing on the subtle balance and inter-dependencies of these two topics. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
What are we going to do with the 2010 infrastructure - afterwards?
Andrew Strachan, SAP Africa's industry solution manager for local government and utilities
Given government's current determined focus on service delivery, the question has to be asked: is there any pro-active link being made by government between monies being spent on infrastructure for the 2010 Soccer World Cup and what local municipalities are going to be able to use of that infrastructure for service delivery after 2010? [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
Many SMEs do not consider ICT critical - SME Survey 2006
SMEs are increasingly satisfied with the availability of ICT, but still wrestle with the challenge of securing the skills and expertise necessary for sustained performance. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
The potential for converged networking services providers in emerging markets is considerable given the poor implementation of enabling infrastructure to date. That leaves these markets ideally positioned to take full advantage of newer technologies which enable the 'triple play' of voice, video and data, unhampered by concerns of legacy infrastructure. [Issue:Two hundred and six (2/10/06 - 6/10/06)]
