South African CIOs reach for the cloud as data centre options expand
Burgeoning investment in cloud infrastructure and services by global providers is great news for struggling companies feeling economic pressure, and for those with continent-wide growth ambitions. While a migration to cloud computing has been building in the South African business sector for some time, the last few months of 2019 and early 2020 have witnessed a surge in interest and activity in the sector that is driving fundamental change in the ways that companies operate. This is partly due to…
African data science education programmes expand to meet diverse needs
Universities as well as hybrid-model online and accelerator programmes are offering a wide variety of data science courses and helping to create a pipeline for newly minted data scientists to enter the enterprise workforce. Metamorworks / Getty Images As enterprises around the world race for an edge against competitors by using data they have gathered to optimize business processes and create new revenue streams, institutions of higher education across Africa have begun offering data science programmes designed to produce graduates…
Android file management: An easy-to-follow guide
From managing files on your phone to seamlessly syncing folders with your computer, this guide will turn you into a certified Android file master. Thinkstock When you think about your smartphone, apps and interfaces are probably the first things that come to mind. Beneath all that surface-level stuff, though, our modern mobile devices are filled with files — folders upon folders of ’em! — just like the clunky ol’ computers we’ve relied upon for ages. We may not…
Microsoft looks to give Yammer a new lease of life; can it?
The once-popular enterprise social media app is getting a redesign and new focus on communities, but faces competition from the likes of Slack and even Microsoft Teams. Microsoft While Teams may be the focal point of Microsoft’s current collaboration strategy these days, Yammer — the enterprise social network it acquired in 2012 for $1.2 billion — hasn’t been exactly left for dead. In fact, Microsoft unveiled a complete redesign of the enterprise social network at last year’s Ignite conference, offering up a new user interface…
As coronavirus worsens, companies renew focus on collaboration, remote work
While some companies and organizations are cancelling big events such as MWC and Facebook’s F8, others are looking to see what’s in their collaboration toolbox to keep workers healthy and productive. wynand van poortvliet / MediaPhotos / Getty Images As the U.S. braces for the coronavirus epidemic, businesses looking to protect the health of their employees are taking steps to support staff working from home – leading to a surge in demand for video conferencing technology and other collaboration…
How Israeli CIOs compete with tech giants for talent in a hot market
Israel-based CIOs need to get creative to attract talent as global tech titans pour money into R&D facilities and snap up IT pros and young graduates alike. Z Wei / Ivanastar / Getty Images Israel has been celebrated for having one of the most vibrant technology sectors outside of the US. But the success has a downside. As billions in venture investment poured into the technology ecosystem and multinational tech companies opened research and development centres over the last decade,…
Chief Information Officer: The 12 skills every company wants
How one executive recruiter assesses the talent market Metamorworks / Getty Images At the risk of letting you all guess how old I actually am (somewhere between 27 and 108), I will tell you that I have been advising CIOs on their careers for more than 20 years and recruiting them into their roles for 15. With all of that CIO executive search experience, along with two decades of writing for CIO.com and CIO magazine (remember print?), I must have interviewed thousands…
Technology Innovation: Are African tech hubs really contributing?
There are hundreds of tech hubs across the continent, with more coming, but not all of them flourish. Keys to success include a focus on emerging technology and a creative approach to generating revenue. Tshimologong Digital Innovation Hub As yet more tech hubs spring up on the African continent, the question becomes how these tech centres can really empower, support and accelerate innovation across the region. There are more than 600 tech hubs actively operating in Africa, according to the GMSA…
