Technology

The news of a ransomware attack that began in Europe has made headlines across the globe. The WannaCry software locked thousands of computers in more than 150 countries. Users were confronted with a screen demanding a $300 payment to restore their files.

The dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is here. Sthe Shabangu, Lead: Public Relations, Public Affairs and Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Africa asks whether we are doing enough to ensure Africa is ready. Africa is standing before a small window of opportunity to grow future-ready leaders equipped to take on a new era of industry.

Currently, organisations have access to more data than ever before. However, this data cannot be used to its full advantage if it cannot be identified, located, and established if it can be trusted. An effective data catalogue and governance programme can turn that around. This will be critical as we move from the Age of Big Data and personalisation to the Age of the Connected Individual in 2020 where data and how it is used will determine your competitiveness.

ZA Central Registry (ZACR) has confirmed that some 12 677 org.za domain names are set for potential deletion on 1 September 2017. This is after 15 420 org.za domain names were suspended on 01 September 2016 following an extensive pre-deletion public awareness campaign by ZACR. Deletions are taking place because only 2 394 org.za domain owners have heeded ZACR's many requests to prevent their eventual deletion by migrating to ZACR-Accredited Registrars.

As AI gains traction, concerns loom over the future of jobs in numerous industries. Can we offset these risks, and is it worth it to even try? The rise of the robot, widely considered the next industrial revolution, is a global talking point with the fate of Africa forming a large question mark.

Many African businesses are grappling with the challenges posed by digitalisation as fears mount of the "rise of the machine” and its consequent impact on jobs and growth. However, this myopic view of the future comes with a significant risk as it overlooks the real economic value that digitally driven industry initiatives will bring to growth, development, jobs and society at large.

"The SDDC is the IT infrastructure of tomorrow,” says Lutz Blaeser, MD of Intact Software Distribution. "For really innovative businesses, it’s already here, bringing compelling benefits such as lower costs, and increased productivity and agility, as it has been designed to offer faster speeds and flexibility by enabling IT services to be provisioned more quickly to users.”

Advancements in cloud, mobile technology and Wi-Fi systems have enabled bricks-and-mortar venues to become more competitive by better understanding the needs of their diverse types of visitors. Today, every smartphone is a chatterbox of information.

Automation continues to have a positive impact on the private sector locally and abroad, increasing productivity, customer and supplier satisfaction, and revenue as a result of massive cost savings and efficiencies gained across many industries.

A large majority of global banks, insurers and investment managers intend to increase their partnerships with FinTech companies over the next 3 - 5 years and expect an average return on investment of 20% on their innovation projects, according to a new PwC report Redrawing the lines: FinTech’s growing influence on Financial Services.