Tag: internet

The future of business is in the cloud. That is the message from global analysts as the latest IT sales figures show a marked shift away from hardware. The shift to cloud services and other Digital Business solutions has slashed Gartner's global IT spending growth forecasts by half: a cut of $67bn for this year alone, with data centre growth predicted at a modest 0.3% in 2017.

Technology is advancing much more quickly than most people anticipated even a decade ago. This begs the question as to whether or not our social, economic and political institutions and structures are equipped, or have developed sufficiently, to deal with the ethical and legal challenges that these advancements have brought and are ever more rapidly bringing.

As the world has become more connected, so too it has become more vulnerable. As more data is regularly exchanged between employees, clients, and suppliers as well as families and friends - using technologies that were designed to share information, not to protect it - we must realise that there is a greater need for more human involvement and understanding when it comes to the use of technology.

Along with the rest of the world, South Africa is in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, in which the smart use of information and technology is reshaping societies. One of the most apparent ways in which this is happening can be seen is in the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), where smart, connected devices are being deployed in cities and industries globally, to gather data and glean contextual insights which are used to achieve higher levels of efficiency, productivity and utilization of scarce and natural resources.

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.

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.

Sophos has released the findings of a regional study carried out in South Africa and the Middle East, indicating that the majority of organisations in Middle East & Africa (MEA) are recognising the benefits of integrated security especially the concept of linking network firewall and endpoint security for better insights.

The long awaited .AFRICA domain name extension will be available as of 3 April 2017 and will be managed by ZACR (ZA central registry).

In 2017, South Africa is expected to spend $10.5 billion on information, technology and communications (ICT).

This year will see three areas in the financial services sector impacted by technology. These are customer relationship management, the processes of banking and...