Bytes Technology Group (Bytes) says that it is assisting in bridging the digital divide in previously disadvantaged schools and communities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) through its corporate social investment project involving multimedia centres at seven KZN schools. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Don't allow your ID to be compromised
Christo van Staden, director at Carrick
Identity theft has emerged as a significant threat within IS today. The action of gathering and manipulating personal information for criminal purposes is a disturbing trend that is growing in SA. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
ISPA upbeat about transparent Icasa
The public call by The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) for input regarding the ADSL regulations published in the Government Gazette in August 2006 was answered by the Internet Service Providers' Association of SA (ISPA) on behalf of its 126 members, many of which provide ADSL services to SA Internet consumers. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
DataPro calls for clarity on Infraco role and funding
Business Internet service provider, DataPro, has called for far greater clarity on the role and funding of Infraco, the government-owned company which is set to take over the telecommunications infrastructure owned by Transtel and Eskom. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
The Internet Society of South Africa (ISOC-ZA) has officially launched the Spam Bounty Hunter Programme. This is intended to provide information on spam, how to deal with it, when to report it, and how to manage the criminal case and investigation in order to receive a bounty or reward for the successful conviction of a spammer. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
TimBukOne announces 2007 IS survey
Software developer, TimBukOne, has announced the launch of its 2007 IS Survey (ISS), the annual research project which determines how users apply information security practices in their day-to-day usage of computers in this country. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
MTN cuts data rates
MTN has reduced rates on data contracts and data bundles by up to 20%. MTN customers can now also pay as little as 20c per MB when buying the 1GB data contract or data bundle. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
ISPA reacts angrily to minister's claims
In response to media reports that Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri blamed the private sector for failing to "come to the party" on Voice over IP (VoIP) and self-provisioning during a Parliamentary briefing this week, ISPA has issued a call for urgent clarity on the legality of self-provision. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
First National Bank (FNB) has launched FNB Cell Pay Point, a feature that aims to make paying for online purchases possible using a cellphone. Currently, FNB Cell Pay Point will initially only be available to FNB's registered Cellphone Banking customers. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Carphone Warehouse ploughs extra R35m into SA contact centre
The Carphone Warehouse's offshore contact centre based at Merchants in Johannesburg has been expanded by sixty seats and now offers TalkTalk Broadband users in the UK level two technical support in addition to general fielding of queries. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Sybase SA implements solutions at Bank Windhoek
Embarcadero Technologies, a provider of cross-platform database tools, has announced that Bank Windhoek has chosen its Rapid SQL and DBArtisan solution for cross-platform database development and maintenance throughout its head office in Namibia. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Conversant acquisition good news for SA utilities market - Mincom
Mincom Africa, the local division of the global Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution provider, has announced Mincom's acquisition of the customer information and billing systems business of Conversant, a developer of utility industry software solutions. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Mintek uses mySAP All-in-One to improve performance management
Mintek, SA's national mineral research organisation, says that it has implemented mySAP All-in-One to improve its assessment of both organisational performance and individual projects. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Microsoft updates anti-piracy tool
Microsoft SA has launched the latest version of its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Notifier as an opt-in download to its local Windows Update and Automatic Update users. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
The uptake of General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) technology for business-to-business and machine-to-machine applications is rapidly increasing as its application in a range of industries expands. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Neotel to partner with Cisco and Dimension Data
South Africans will soon have access to more bandwidth and services as, shortly after its announcement securing R2bn in funding, Neotel has awarded components of its infrastructure roll-out to Cisco, through its partner, Dimension Data Africa. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Eric Lai and Gregg Keizer, Computerworld (US online)
Microsoft's licensing terms and anti-piracy measures for Windows started getting more complicated after it launched Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) two years ago, much to the chagrin of confused customers. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Phishing scam uses Google Maps to locate victims
Darren Pauli, Computerworld Australia
Account holders with at least two Australian banks have become victims of a phishing scam in which malicious code reveals the physical location of affected IP addresses using Google Maps. Bank account holders in Germany and the USA have also been targeted. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Dodgy program advertised on MSN Messenger
Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service (London Bureau)
Banner advertisements for a security application said to report false or inflated threats appeared for at least a few days on Microsoft's instant messaging (IM) program, prompting warnings from security analysts. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld (US online)
Windows Vista can be used for as long as 120 days without agreeing to its product activation anti-piracy software, the company confirms. That is four times as long as the 30 days the company has widely used as the maximum time span the operating system can be used before it shuts down. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
iLAYO Software Solutions acquires 31% of Puleng Technology
iLAYO Software Solutions has bought a 31% stake in Puleng Technology in a deal that aims to strengthen both companies' ITIL-based infrastructure management capabilities. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Enterasys demonstrates Microsoft Network Access Protection interoperability
Enterasys Networks says that it has completed interoperability testing of its Secure Networks products with the Microsoft Network Access Protection policy enforcement platform. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
IBM boosts support for business partners using Open Source technologies
IBM has announced a range of resources targeted at business partners using open source technologies. IBM says that it will provide companies with free access to its sales, marketing and technical consultants, allowing them to bring their offerings to market quicker and expand into new markets. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
EMEA printer, copier and MFP market grew 5% in the second half of 2006 - Gartner
Shipments of copiers and multifunctional products in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) outnumbered shipments of printers for the first time during the second half of 2006, according to Gartner. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Recognising a need for specialised training that gives business users practical high-end skills they can implement immediately, BI Planning Services (BIPS), which designs, develops and deploys data warehouses, BI and Performance Management solutions, has launched Dexford Learning Academy. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
'Tackling security threats is key to business success in SME arena'
McAfee and MessageLabs have announced global research that reveals the majority of SMEs believe an IT security breach would be detrimental in achieving their business priorities. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Intel has announced the mobile clinical assistant (MCA) platform, which aims to enable nurses to spend more time with patients, do their jobs on the move while remaining connected, and manage the administration of medications. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Online advertising in Oz grows by 62%
A study by global growth consultancy Frost & Sullivan has found that total online advertising revenues in Australia reached the $1bn mark in 2006, with a year-on-year growth of 62%. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Africa presents a great opportunity for investment and development, however, in order to maximise this opportunity, it is vital to be able to understand and deal with the element of credit risk management in the region, as well as the obligatory compliance regulations, the company says. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
IT enters new computing phase with architectural shift
Sandra Rossi, Computerworld Australia
In a bid to generate strategic advantage, IT is entering a new phase of computing, with real-time integration of the front and back office to create a new paradigm. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Symantec has unveiled Veritas Backup Reporter 6.0, an enterprise back-up reporting tool that aims to provide IT administrators with visibility into backup and recovery operations. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
ICT World exclusive
According to local distributor, DCC, local users can now benefit from improved online network redundancy, security and performance with ASUS RX3042Hb Dual WAN Router, which features two WAN ports for the delivery of two different broadband connections. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
HP 'eases deployment of Unix virtualisation'
The latest release of HP's strategic Unix operating environment, HP-UX 11i v3, aims to make virtualisation easier to deploy and to deliver mission-critical virtualisation by combining virtualisation and mainframe-class availability. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Conquer Kronus with Gigabyte's GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB cards!
Gigabyte has announced the launch of its latest graphics accelerators, the GV-NX88S320H-B-RH, which are being distributed locally by Rectron with the Dark Crusade expansion for Warhammer 40 000: Dawn of War. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Sony solution 'brings analysis capability to IP-based monitoring systems'
Sony has announced the latest version of its IP monitoring software, RealShot Manager 4.0, developed with the detection needs and workflow considerations of security professionals in mind. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Schneider Electric finalises acquisition of APC
Schneider Electric has announced the completion of the acquisition of American Power Conversion (APC), following satisfaction of the closing conditions of the merger agreement. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Epson has launched two all-in-one solutions. The Epson Stylus CX5900 is said to be suitable for a wide range of printing, from documents to photo printing, while the Stylus CX4900 is claimed to be suited for everyday printing and copying, [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Dell notebook aimed at consumers & small businesses
Dell recently enhanced its mobile offering to consumers and small businesses in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) with the launch of the Inspiron 1501 - a high-performance notebook computer said to be ideal for everyday entertainment and productivity uses. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
IBM has announced a tape library solution said to offer enterprise-class tape drive-based encryption capabilities at an affordable price point for midrange corporations and enterprise workgroups. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Virtual Fighter 5 gives PS3 sales jump in Japan
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau)
The launch of Sega's long-awaited "Virtual Fighter 5" for the PlayStation 3 gave the console its biggest hit of the year so far, according to figures released on Friday. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Symantec has announced the expansion of its end-to-end Application Performance Management (APM) solution, which is designed to proactively monitor, analyse and diagnose performance and availability bottlenecks that impact business-critical applications. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Concilium, Agilent roll out advanced performance network analyser
Annex Distribution, supplier of Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC) technology to the local market, strongly advocates participation in the FSC Reseller Development Programme. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
KMPSE signs up local third party maintenance partner
Document printing solutions company, Konica Minolta Printing Solutions Europe BV (KMPSE), has appointed printers and parts DIRECT as its local third party maintenance partner. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Sony commercialises LTO Ultrium4 tape cartridge
ICT World exclusive
Distributor Drive Control Corporation (DCC) is gearing itself up to add Sony's LTO Ultrium4 tape cartridges to its product offering as they enter the final stage of commercialisation. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Spend management beyond the obvious: implementing best practice
Stanton Jandrell, CEO, Fraxion
Almost every organisation that spends money - from businesses through government departments to NGOs - spends more money than it would like to. Once an organisation grows beyond the size where a single individual makes all the spending decisions, risk to the organisation is dramatically increased; this is an inevitable consequence of the way in which current manual systems work. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
IT security branches out
Rick Blum, CIO.com
Remember the good old days of security - back when knowing the latest virus's footprint or how to configure a firewall would vault you to the top of the most valuable list? Ah yes, those were the days when security professionals could simply concentrate on identifying faulty code and leave the business to others. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Paul Viviers, PMSight director
Project portfolio management (PPM) is hot. Monitoring recent announcements from international research organisations, such as Gartner and Forrester, reports are that major software vendors are adding PPM to their software capabilities. Books, articles, white papers, Web sites, and conferences on the topic proliferate. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Google IT fixes
Jerome Wendt, Computerworld (US online)
Regular readers of the Dilbert comic strip know that it often hits close to the workplace. A recent strip (February 18) in which the evil HR director decides to replace the company's current health insurance provider with Google is no exception. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
Workplace wellness and how it affects you and your employees
According to a study recently conducted by Microsoft, professionals are spending an average of 5,8 hours per day in front of their computers, which accounts for 69% of their total working hours. [Issue:Two hundred and twenty-three (19/2/07 - 23/2/07)]
