DiData standardises with Colour Corporate and Epson for colour printing
Dimension Data (DiData) has standardised on Colour Corporate and Epson for its local colour laser printing needs.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
One step closer to a working charter
Staff Reporter
The ICT Charter Steering Committee late last week released the new draft of the ICT Charter for further and final industry consultation.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
New charter draft makes waves
Samantha Perry
While Telkom yesterday issued a statement declaring its full support for the new Charter draft, the SMME Forum this morning issued a press release questioning, what it calls, the 'TV' clause.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Deal with German company on the cards for local IT company
A Cape-based software company is on the verge of signing a deal with the German company that created Session, a meeting management system used by governments, municipalities and business in Europe.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Nashua splits to form BEE organisation
Nashua recently announced its decision to split its organisation.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Datacentrix announces year-end results
Infrastructure, solutions and services provider, Datacentrix, has announced its year-end results for the year ended 28 February 2005. The company recorded an increase in operational performance (EBITDA) of 40% to R80,2m, and generated strong operating cash flows of R97,5m, resulting in R167m cash on hand, with no interest-bearing debt.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
McGregor BFA, a wholly owned subsidiary of M-Web Business, today announced its partnership with UK-based Company Watch.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
DataPro's VoIP targeted at hospitality industry
"We firmly believe that the hospitality industry will benefit from the cost savings benefits of VoIP," says Martin Kuhlmann, product manager: hospitality solutions at DataPro Group. "The SA hospitality industry is a core focus area in our VoIP strategy for 2005," he adds.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
'World's first packaged SMS directory service'
iFIND is claimed to be a world first, and it is launching in SA this month.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
UCT team advances to world finals of programming contest
A team of three programmers from the University of Cape Town is one of 78 teams advancing to the world finals of the 29th Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) taking place this week in Shanghai, China.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Pale males still prominent in ICT management
The greatest change in the complexion of SA's ICT sector has not occurred at the highest levels - but in the ranks of professionals. Research undertaken by Johannesburg-based LMO Executive Services for the ninth annual CompITE report for SA, part of a series of salary surveys undertaken by Watson Wyatt, reveals that the proportion of white males in the highest positions in ICT organisations has declined by a mere 2,6% since 2002, to 64,9% in 2004 (65,5% in 2003).
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Intercare opts for Accpac Advantage Series
Accpac Solution Provider, AccTech Systems, is to install Accpac Advantage Series Corporate Edition for Intercare.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Business Connexion and SARS resolve trademarks dispute
The board of Business Connexion (BCX) has announced that the dispute with the South African Revenue Services (SARS) over its trade marks has been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
AL Indigo forms new division
African Legend Indigo (AL Indigo), a member of the African Legend Technologies Group, has established a new business division - Infrastructure Services.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Computer Olympiad gets open source slant
The Computer Society of South Africa (CSSA) has announced long-term commitment from Standard Bank to supporting the Annual Computer Olympiad, along with the formation of a new category, which focuses squarely on the open source Python programming language, and which is facilitated by joint investment from The Shuttleworth Foundation and CSIR.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
iWeek calls for papers
The fourth Internet Week (iWeek), jointly co-hosted by the Internet Service Providers' Association and UniForum SA (the registrar for .co.za) will be held later this year. September 12th - 16th has been tentatively reserved at the Pharmaceutical Society in Lower Houghton, but the event will only be held over a three-day period.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
The Notebook Company grows again
Pretoria-based notebook and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company (http://www.notebook.co.za), has announced that its turnover for the year ended February 2005 is R15,9m, representing a 10% year-on-year increase since the year ended February 2002.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Free sales training for township businesses
The Sales Academy, having recently opened its doors, is planning to give more than just a little back to the community, by giving free sales and marketing training to township businesses - one day each month every month in different townships around the country.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
DocQnet becomes equity partner for Enterprise Connection
Enterprise Connection, the black-owned IT infrastructure and software licensing provider, has further expanded its product offering by acquiring a 26% equity stake in DocQnet Systems International.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
From pilot to practice - The Innovation Hub gains momentum
The Innovation Hub, SA's first internationally accredited science park, was officially opened yesterday at its new site in Pretoria by Gauteng Premier, Mbhazima Shilowa.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Special offer for co-located LinuxWorld and BrainShare
Novell and Exhibitions for Africa have announced the co-location of LinuxWorld and BrainShare, along with a special offer for delegates that intend to attend both conferences, taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre between the 17th and 18th of May, and 19th and 20th of May respectively.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
SA organisations participate in early delivery of next generation ERP solution
SA organisations are said to have participated in the ramp up and delivery ahead of schedule of the definitive version of mySAP ERP 2004, the new-generation ERP suite from SAP, which, the company says, will permanently change the business applications landscape.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Dimension Data today announced that it intends to acquire the Bellerephon Group, an Australian IT consulting organisation, which designs, plans and delivers Microsoft IT infrastructure and management solutions.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
CA CEO reorganises, creates five business units
Stacy Cowley, IDG News Service (New York Bureau)
Five months after joining Computer Associates (CA), new CEO John Swainson is implementing an internal reorganisation intended to focus CA on two core areas - systems and security management - and to increase the autonomy of the company's business unit heads.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Siemens acquires IPTV software company Myrio
John Blau, IDG News Service
Siemens has reached an agreement to acquire US software company, Myrio, which specialises in technology for providing TV service over the 'Net. Myrio, in Seattle, Washington, aims to provide middleware and applications for emerging Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) services that use the Internet - and not broadcast towers or satellites - to deliver video into consumers' homes.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Google bumps up Search Appliance capacity
Cathleen Moore, InfoWorld (US online)
Google on Wednesday announced new licensing terms for its search appliances that lower the price point and up the document capacity for both the Google Mini and the Google Search Appliance.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
NEC and Sun extend systems integration partnership
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau)
NEC and Sun Microsystems will work more closely together in the areas of systems integration, network technologies and middleware, the companies say.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Microsoft CFO leaves company
Joris Evers, IDG News Service (San Francisco Bureau)
Microsoft CFO, John Connors, left the company as of March 31, without a replacement being named, Microsoft said Wednesday.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Verizon may drop MCI acquisition attempt
Juan Carlos Perez, IDG News Service (Miami Bureau)
Sounding like a spurned suitor, Verizon Communications says it will drop its efforts to acquire MCI if the latter's board deems a competing offer from Qwest Communications International to be superior.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
SAP reaches out to all PeopleSoft customers
John Blau, IDG News Service
German business software vendor, SAP AG, says that it is extending its Safe Passage maintenance and migration programme to all companies in the US which run PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards (JDE) applications.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Alcatel today announced that it has signed a turnkey contract, valued at more than 14m euros, with Ethiopia Telecommunications Corporation (ETC), an Ethiopian fixed and mobile operator, to extend the existing transport network in the eastern and southern parts of the country.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Gartner completes acquisition of Meta Group
Gartner, a provider of research and analysis on the global IT industry, has completed its previously announced acquisition of Meta Group, an IT research and consulting firm.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Gatekeeper test aims to get IT professionals 'hot' on security
Microsoft SA is joining 19 countries throughout the EMEA region in launching the Gatekeeper Test, an online quiz aimed at challenging, informing and educating IT professionals on IT security.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Simon Perry appointed to stakeholder group of ENISA
Computer Associates International (CA) today announced that Simon Perry, CA's vice-president of Security Strategy, EMEA, has been appointed by the Executive Director of the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) to be a member of the organisation's Permanent Stakeholder Group.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
CA to acquire Concord Communications
Computer Associates International and Concord Communications have signed a definitive agreement for CA to acquire Concord, a provider of network service management software solutions, in an all-cash transaction valued at $17 per fully diluted common share, or approximately $330m.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Governments must move beyond eGovernment initiatives - Accenture study
Despite having invested billions of dollars moving services and information resources online, governments around the world are still struggling to meet citizens' growing expectations for better customer service, according to the results of a study released on Wednesday by Accenture.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Sun's Schwartz cites open source Solaris intentions
Paul Krill, InfoWorld (US online)
In offering an open source version of the Solaris operating system, Sun Microsystems' main intent was to expand the open source community rather than to grab business from the rival Linux OS, says Sun President and COO, Jonathan Schwartz.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
AMD unveils virtualisation platform
AMD today for the first time publicly disclosed key elements of its Pacifica virtualisation technology, at the AMD Reviewer's Day in Austin, Texas. Pacifica is designed to enhance 64-bit server virtualisation technologies for x86-based servers, desktops and mobile computers.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Ed Scannell, InfoWorld (US online)
IBM on Tuesday announced what company officials say is its lightest portable notebook to feature the company's built-in fingerprint reader, along with software that carries out a complete hardware check to ensure that the system is working at peak performance.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
DCC, Overland lead disk-based back-up market
Drive Control Corporation (DCC) has announced that, responding to growing demand for disk-based back-up and recovery, Overland Storage, a provider of back-up and recovery solutions, has shipped more than 1 000 REO appliances - said to be more disk-based appliances than any other vendor.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Telelogic aims to provide 24 x 7 access to RM
Telelogic, a provider of solutions for advanced systems and software development, today announced the release of Telelogic DOORS XT.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Study shows success of RFID is dependent on network capability
Cisco Systems has unveiled a study by IDC, which predicts that the widespread deployment of radio frequency identification (RFID) is expected to have a major impact on enterprise networks.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Fujitsu improves its palm vein sensor technology
Paul Kallender, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau)
Fujitsu and its research arm, Fujitsu Laboratories, have developed a smaller version of their palm vein pattern authentication system that Fujitsu plans to put on sale in Japan before the end of this month, the company says.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Worm uses romance rumours between Brad and Angelina - Sophos
Experts at SophosLabs, Sophos' global network of virus and spam analysis centres, have discovered a worm which plays upon the public's interest in movie stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, as well as celebrities such as Britney Spears, Pamela Anderson and Paris Hilton.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Qualcomm selects Inetcam's mobile solution for SA trial
Qualcomm, supplier of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, today announced its successful collaboration with Inetcam in a project to provide trial wireless services to customers in SA.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Dual-core Opteron may be due April 21
Robert McMillan, IDG News Service (San Francisco Bureau)
The race between Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to be the first to market with dual-core processors is about to come to a close. AMD is expected to introduce its first dual-core Opteron processors an event in New York City scheduled for April 21, according to sources familiar with the company's plans.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Google adds satellite images to maps
Juan Carlos Perez, IDG News Service (Miami Bureau)
Google has enhanced its Google Maps and Google Local services with satellite and aerial images, letting users view digital snapshots of an area, the company announced Tuesday.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Sony refreshes HDD Walkman design
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau)
Sony will soon launch a new member of its hard-disk drive-based Network Walkman family, its fourth so far, and this time the new player is more than an update to the previous model.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Windows Server for supercomputers delayed
Joris Evers, IDG News Service (San Francisco Bureau)
Microsoft has pushed back the release of a special version of Windows Server for high performance computing (HPC) until the first half of next year, the company said on Tuesday.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Gigabyte bundles Xpand Rally with graphic accelerators
Gigabyte Technology has announced the soon-to-be-released bundling of Xpand Rally with selected graphics accelerator products. Xpand Rally by Techland is regarded as one of the most photo-realistic, exciting and innovative car racing games to date.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Microsoft aims high with Small Business Accounting
Joris Evers, IDG News Service (San Francisco Bureau)
In September, Microsoft plans to release Office Small Business Accounting, a product designed to help small businesses operate better. Microsoft will sell Office Small Business Accounting as a stand-alone product and as part of a new Office bundle called Office Small Business Management Edition, it announced Tuesday at an event for independent software vendors (ISVs).
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
IBM delivers data management software
Ed Scannell, InfoWorld (US online)
Hoping to help manufacturers and retailers bring their products to market faster, IBM yesterday announced several enhancements to its WebSphere Product Center software that aim to combine product information management with out-of-the-box connections to commerce and portal solutions.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Compuware releases enhancements to performance testing suites
Compuware has released enhancements to its automated functional and performance testing suites, Compuware QACenter Enterprise Edition and Compuware QACenter Performance Edition.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
IBS, a supplier of distribution and supply chain solutions, and Idion subsidiary, Vision Solutions, have announced a strategic global partnership under which IBS will sell Vision's software under its own 'High Availability Solutions (HAS)' brand to its worldwide customer base.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
HP SA cartridge return programme a success
Following HP SA's introduction of the take-back return and recycling programme in September 2003, 6 508 toner cartridges weighing 8 500kg have been returned by consumers for recycling.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
'Axiz ahead of the pack with lead-free manufacturing'
Axiz has announced that it is in the process of moving its current memory manufacturing plant to a lead-free environment. This move towards the use of 'non-toxic' products for its electronic equipment is a global trend, but not yet common practice in SA.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Netsurit goes for Gold
Netsurit, an IT consultancy specialising in the maintenance and service of Small and Medium Enterprise networks, has been awarded Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status within the Microsoft partner community.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Canon chooses PartServe
PartServe Channel Support today announced that it has been appointed by Canon SA as its services provider for warranty repairs as from April 1.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Cisco announces 2004 global and theatre award winners
In order to highlight its top global and theatre channel partners, Cisco Systems today unveiled its 2004 annual Partner Summit Global Channel Partner award winners.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Complexity of mobile phones threatening take-up of 3G
The growing complexity of cellular devices and services is likely to pose a significant threat to the uptake of 3G technology among SA consumers and businesses.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Software compliance is just the beginning
Efforts to curb software piracy have led to an increase in knowledge of piracy, rather than a decline in its widespread distribution, says Calvin van Wyk, Microsoft product manager at IT systems and communications distributor, Comztek.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Mike's murmurings: One step forward ... two steps back
Well, just as the ICT Charter should be entering the home straight, another potential problem has arisen. See story entitled 'New charter draft makes waves' in today's local section.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Sam's Soapbox: LinuxWorld Magazine to launch in SA
Computing SA is delighted to announce the launch issue of LinuxWorld Magazine. The debut issue will be published as an insert in the 9 May issue of Computing SA, and will be handed out at the LinuxWorld Expo, being held in conjunction with Futurex, from 17 - 20 May at the Sandton Convention Centre.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Sam's Soapbox: Where have all the cowboys gone?
(With apologies to Paula Cole) Computing SA's 25th anniversary this year has given all of us pause for reflection on the state of IT in SA, and the changes we have seen in our time in the industry.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Sam's Soapbox: Constantly connected
Well, I am finally back from my much-needed holiday in Cape Town, and mostly ready to face the rest of the year... Thanks to the loan of a 3G MobileConnect card from Vodacom, I was able to keep in touch with the mad bunch, sorry, the dedicated and hardworking journalists in my news room, as well as everyone else in Johannesburg who needed to get hold of me. While this certainly did not aid my bid for relaxation any, it mean that things were more manageable when I returned.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
Mixed bag & nuts: Tourism in Africa
Nicolas Callegari
You know, there are some things in this world that I will never understand, and African bureaucracy is one of those things at the top of the list. This past weekend I went to Mozambique, on a press tour with one of SA's major banks.
[Issue:One Hundred and Thirty One (04/04 - 08/04)]
