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David Logan, PBTDavid Logan, PBT


ICT training solutions provider Torque IT has extended IT training to people with disabilities. Tracy Govender, IT training manager at Torque IT, said: “By expanding our offering to this often-marginalised group of students, we are also enlarging the pool of IT specialists and improving the employability of our fellow people with disabilities in South Africa.” – ITWeb

T-Systems SA has become the only known ICT multinational to become 30% empowered through a “creative” deal that will see black staff benefit from any upside in the value of the company. The company has set aside 20% of its shareholding for the benefit of black staff, and another 10% for various education initiatives. – ITWeb

A strategic change of tack in the first few years has resulted in improved case resolution figures for the Presidential Hotline, which launched in 2009, says the Presidency. Cabinet announced that 94.7% of cases reported to the hotline were resolved last year, compared to 87.4% in 2012 and 77.7% in 2011. In the hotline’s first year, from September 2009, case resolution stood at 64%, according to Cabinet. – ITWeb

According to , cyber insurance specialist, South African enterprises are slow to understand that breaches could cost them literally hundreds of millions of rands. , MD of Cygeist, says specialist cyber insurance companies are starting to spring up in SA as enterprises abroad begin feeling the impact of major breaches. – ITWeb

Becoming a data scientist is the “sexiest” profession of the 21st century, according to , principal consultant at the PBT Group. Logan was citing a Harvard Business Review assertion that the data scientist is the sexiest job of the century. A data scientist is someone who can communicate meaningful stories from data, regardless of data size or complexity, said Logan. – ITWeb

Ethisphere Institute recently recognised Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) as one of the 2014 World’s Most Ethical Companies. HDS has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for four consecutive years, emphasising the company’s ongoing commitment to implementing high standards of integrity and ethical business practices within its organisation.

Big data in SA has not been widely adopted, as the majority of organisations in the country do not see its value, according to , CTO at the PBT Group. A recent global report from discovered that 64% of organisations have invested in or plan to invest in big data technology, but only 8% have started using it. – ITWeb

Ericsson SA has entered into a shareholding agreement with Ringgold Consortium that will see Ringgold acquire a 25.1% equity stake in the company, as Ericsson’s empowerment partner. Ericsson, which provides communications technology and services, has not disclosed the value of the purchase. Ericsson SA MD Magnus Mchunguzi says the deal followed “an extensive process to identify a partner who shares our commitment, our vision and philosophy”. – ITWeb

As the role of the CIO evolves and organisations face further challenges, CIOs are required to juggle many roles with different business units in order to meet their mandates, says Len de Villiers, GCIO at . “You need to have an integrated approach, be a peacemaker, a bridge-builder while managing upwards to a CEO and board, and you have to care about the front office,” he says. – ITWeb

FD has acquired 11 300 shares in the company, in open market purchases that combined cost him R923 615. King paid between R81.15 and R82.06 for the shares on the last day of March, the group said in a statement to shareholders. According to Bloomberg’s Businessweek, King has been an executive director at since March 2008. – ITWeb

Into Africa


Kenya is fast becoming the main African hub for global technology companies, according to Ken Mwenda from Kenyan software training institute Emobilis. Big global companies’ establishments of technology research and development hubs in the country show confidence in Kenya’s level of ICT education. Recently, Philips announced plans to set up a research and innovation hub in Kenya. Meanwhile, has its only African research hub in Kenya. – ITWeb Africa

Rwanda’s ministry of health has implemented an electronic logistics management information system (eLMIS) that will oversee drug and vaccine distribution to over 800 villages and towns in the country. The system will allow the ministry to track the customer in real-time, as well as management and distribution of medical supplies from distribution centres to hospitals, clinics and right to the individual patient. – ITWeb Africa

International humanitarian organisation Rockfeller Foundation has announced a $3.8 million grant to facilitate completion of a mini ICT park to be located in central Accra, Ghana. According to the foundation, the grant complements the World Bank’s $5 million provided under the eGhana Project and is part of the Digital Jobs Africa initiative launched in 2013. – ITWeb Africa

Botswana’s defence and justice minister intends to purchase cellphone jammers to trace handsets smuggled into prisons. Minister Ramadeluka Seretse has said the equipment would track mobile calls made by handsets smuggled into prisons, usually used by inmates in crime scheming activities and harassing witnesses outside prisons. Cellphone jammers are used to prevent mobile phones from receiving signals from base stations. – ITWeb Africa

Zimbabwean users of the mobile money platform, EcoCash, are now able to access urgent loans of up to $500 using their cellphones. , a senior executive for EcoCash, said the launch of EcoCash Loans was a follow-up to EcoCash Save, a savings account run in partnership with Steward Bank. – ITWeb Africa

Kenya’s mobile money transfer service, M-Pesa, has officially been launched in Europe, after Safaricom’s former CEO, , launched the service in Romania. Currently the director for mobile money at Vodafone, Joseph said the company was aiming to sign up about six million of its customers in the country, who will be able to transact anything between $0.3 and $9 000 per day. – ITWeb Africa

Zimbabwe’s biggest telecommunications company, Econet Wireless, and NetOne have renewed their battle for an increased share of the country’s mobile phone users. NetOne has introduced free weekend calls when subscribers top up with an amount no less than $5 during the week. Econet announced contract users’ calls during weekends will cost 12 cents per minute. Normal tariffs cost around 22 cents a minute. – ITWeb Africa

Botswana’s Telecommunications Corporation (BTCL) is optimistic that data revenue growth aligned with Internet penetration can spur the company’s growth as fixed-line voice revenue drops. According to BTCL MD, , who announced the company’s annual for 2012/13, Internet penetration in the country pegged at 10% provides potential for growth in data-based revenue. – ITWeb Africa

Abroad

Google has paid a 1 million euros ($1.4 million) fine imposed by Italy’s data protection watchdog over complaints that cars it used to record images on Italian streets in 2010 were not clearly recognisable, the regulator said. Google has faced numerous privacy lawsuits in the United States and Europe, relating to services including Street View, which gives a panoramic perspective on streets around the world. – Reuters

Nest Labs, the maker of smart thermostats that Google acquired for $3.2 billion, called a halt to all sales of its smoke alarms after it discovered a possible defect that could cause users to turn it off unintentionally. Nest co-founder and CEO Tony Faddell said under a unique set of circumstances the alarm’s “Nest Wave” feature could be inadvertently activated. – Reuters

Brendan Eich, MozillaBrendan Eich, Mozilla

Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich has stepped down, the company said, after an online dating service urged a boycott of the company’s Web browser because of a donation Eich made to opponents of gay marriage. “We didn’t act like you’d expect Mozilla to act,” wrote Mozilla executive chairwoman Mitchell Baker. “We didn’t move fast enough to engage with people once the controversy started. We’re sorry.” – Reuters

The ruins of ancient Pompeii will be monitored by satellites and sensors under an agreement with Italian defence and technology group Finmeccanica to try to stop the UNESCO world heritage site from crumbling. The state-controlled group will help train staff and donate its technology for free for three years in an investment worth up to 2 million euros ($2.75 million). – Reuters

The founder of Russia’s biggest social networking site, VKontakte, withdrew his resignation just two days after announcing he was giving up the chief executive post, saying his departure would have threatened the company’s future. “I’m not going anywhere – and remain the CEO of VKontakte,” Pavel Durov wrote on his VKontakte account. – Reuters