Column Insight Plus OUT-DATED TECH EDUCATION GET READY FOR A COMPANY NEWS NOTIONS TO FALL POST-COVID-19 BRAVE NEW WORLD TOP JOBS 2 12 JULY 2020 | Issue 65 AI - intelligent customer service Covering the continent Daily news and analysis of Africa’s key ICT markets. www.itwebafrica.com First with IT news. Every day. www.itweb.co.za 326 Rivonia Boulevard, Rivonia, South Africa Tel: + 27 11 807 3294 Fax: + 27 11 807 2020 IN THIS ISSUE CREDITS Publisher JOVAN REGASEK [email protected] Amid increasing uncertainty and economic turbulence arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s reassuring to Editorial Director know that technology can – and does – play an important RANKA JOVANOVIC role in sustaining business operations. [email protected] Specifically, artificial intelligence technology has come to the fore as companies look to offer better service and Editor experiences to customers. CHRIS TREDGER ITWeb’s recent AI & CX survey explores this in more [email protected] depth. According to its findings, 46% of respondents have implemented or are experimenting with AI in customer Sub Editors service. But one in four are not using AI in any form SIMON FOULDS yet, and by far the biggest barrier to AI adoption is the HEIDI HURWITZ challenge of integrating it into existing processes. It’s no surprise that business continuity, customer Production Manager experience, security, business transformation and agility SINDISO KHUPE remain key discussion points. [email protected] No-one really knows how long the current situation will continue and no-one can say for sure what the likely Designers outcome will be. What’s certain is that most businesses SANE LOUW will have to dig deeper for longer to come out of the storm. ANA GOLIJANIN Enjoy the read! Circulation Manager PETER CALORE Chris Tredger [email protected] Editor Business Development Director CARYN BERMAN [email protected] Published by ITWEB LIMITED CONTENTS 326 Rivonia Boulevard Rivonia PO BOX 2785 Rivonia One in three firms 2128 2 look to AI to boost customer Web: www.itweb.co.za experience 6 Tel: +27 (011) 807 3294 Fax: +27 (011) 807 2020 INDUSTRY INSIGHT Printed by , a division of Novus Holdings The workplace 16 Cyber security 18 Copyright ©2020 by ITWeb Limited. Network transformation 19 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or SKILLS DEVELOPMENT retrieval system, without the prior HR and payroll 24 written permission of the publisher. Software and Opinions expressed in this publication development testing 25 are not necessarily those of the editors, publisher, or advertiser. COMPANY NEWS 4,5,10-15, 20-23, 26-28 July 2020 | 1 COLUMN INDUSTRY INSIGHT Out-dated tech education notions to fall post-COVID-19 Our colleges and education providers need to go beyond creating tech graduates with a narrow band of capabilities. Fewer positions will exist for job- are focusing on creating job-ready seekers and candidates will feel graduates who can work on both the increasing pressure to adapt and front-end and the back-end of a Web work across a much broader set of site, while also being able to create, competencies than was required prior to debug and work with a wide array of the arrival of coronavirus. software applications. Sadly, despite the requirement for More of these types of immersive the future workforce to develop a rich programmes need to be developed to and varied skill set for the increasingly produce graduates who can rise to a uncertain job market, the onus doesn’t rest wide variety of tech challenges, and solely on their shoulders. The education meet the ‘do-it-all’ needs of the modern system that produces them is required to technology business − be it big or small. adapt to this new environment if it is going Tech careers remain one of the least- RIAZ MOOLA, CEO and founder of HyperionDev and CoGrammar. Sadly, quick pivots and adaptation isn’t what our education system is best known for. he effects of COVID-19 have left the Tworld reeling. Businesses have closed their doors and people continue to hide in their homes. Cut off from physical things, people and companies are turning at an unprecedented rate to digital services and to continue adding value to the lives of affected jobs a person can have, as the operations. students in South Africa. impact of COVID-19 forces physical Working from home is the new norm. Sadly, quick pivots and adaptation offices to shut down. I’m specifically Internet usage continues to spike. isn’t what our education system is best proud of the fact that we’re able to bolt Colleges and universities have taken up known for. The simple fact, however, on a guaranteed internship at the back- remote learning not as an add-on, but is that many people can no longer end of one of our new programmes − it’s as a core part of their central education afford the prospect of spending years a real-life differentiator for a student model. More than ever, we are all seeing and hundreds of thousands of rands entering the daunting world of tech and quite clearly the power and importance preparing to earn a living. makes them far more attractive to post- of the Internet and tech in society, work In these uncertain times, employers internship employment opportunities. and the virology to fight COVID-19. are looking for recruits who can do it Another differentiator is proper Business for South Africa recently predicted all. Gone are the days when they boasted accreditation under the South African as many as two million newly unemployed several teams, each specialising in a Qualifications Authority. people by the end of 2020, as a result of the single mission. The teams of the future Today’s graduates and job-seekers economic shutdown. It’s a terrifying thought must rise to a range of challenges and need a wide set of skills, and they and one that brings an even more chilling solve them with a diverse and deep skill can’t afford to spend years of lost work reality: In a highly competitive job market, set. Our colleges and education providers experience and income, and hundreds job-seekers need to stand out even further need to go beyond creating graduates of thousands of rands getting them. The from the crowd, offering skills across a with a narrow band of capabilities. world is forever changed, and we need to broader range of needs. Online tech educators like ourselves change swiftly with it. 2 | July 2020 COMPANY NEWS BUSINESS CRM tools help businesses recover from Gartner market guide for vulnerability economic uncertainty assessment With COVID-19 and the resultant lockdown, South African industries Skybox Security references a VA market guide by Gartner, which are in a very uncertain place. The closure of businesses and facilities states: "The VA market is made up of vendors that provide capabilities has, as predicted, led to an economic backlash within many (if not that identify, categorise, prioritise and orchestrate the remediation all) industries. In order to succeed and overcome, it is imperative or mitigation of vulnerabilities. These include unsecured system that organisations take hold of technological advances to aid in lead configurations or missing patches, as well as other security-related conversion and the boosting of sales and growth. Michael Bornheim, updates in the systems connected to the enterprise network directly, principal consultant, iOCO, said: “The right customer relationship remotely or in the cloud." management (CRM) tool will increase efficiencies across the board for As per Gartner: "This market guide focuses on the assessment and sales and service teams.” Bornheim argues that CRM is one of the most prioritisation of this function in a security program.” It includes details effective tools to employ in these uncertain times. on how vulnerability assessment buyers are shifting from tools to www.ioco.tech solutions, and which VA solutions dominate the market. www.skyboxsecurity.com Angulas Aguinaga speeds up order processing with Esker SPI, the African distributor for utility software products and services to A new normal for small the open systems segment of the IT industry and the southern African businesses in SA reseller for Esker, a leader in document process automation solutions, According to the SBI (Small is working with Angulas Aguinaga, a leading Spanish multinational Business Institute), 263 224 small, food company, to automate its order management process. Integrated micro-and medium enterprises with the company’s Oracle JD Edwards ERP system, Esker’s Order employ 3.9 million people. This Management solution has helped Angulas Aguinaga to greatly enhance makes the impact of the COVID-19 the efficiency of its order process, resulting in the ability to process pandemic and the subsequent orders three times faster than before. As the driving force behind lockdown that much more Angulas Aguinaga’s mission, innovation is incorporated into its significant, says Johan Fourie, products, management structure and business processes. account delivery manager at www.spi.co.za NuPay. Never has the need been greater for entrepreneurs to step up Johan Fourie, account delivery and think outside of the box. Establish remote manager at NuPay www.altron.com working legacy to drive future productivity – Kyocera Energy needs new Kyocera Document Solutions South models in a post- Africa believes the future is bright, lockdown SA thanks to the rapid acceleration of Demand for reliable energy has remote working policies that have shifted from corporate offices been adapted by organisations, to smaller businesses at homes. and which Kyocera seeks to fuel Meeting the need for more cost- even further with the launch of effective and reliable energy its e-book: “The ultimate guide in homes that are essentially to remote working”.