Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 31 | Page 29

A PUBLICATION Providing Unparalleled Technology Intelligence ISSUE 31 // www.intelligentcio.com Data explosion How AI and Machine Learning are vital to tackling data growth Meeting demands Hyperconvergence has enabled a printing company to improve performance and scalability How telcos can prosper One expert says effective congestion management is key for telecom operators EDITOR’S NOTE H ello and welcome to the latest edition of Intelligent CIO Africa. This month’s front cover features how MiX Telematics Africa and Apex BI are demonstrating how it is possible to manage an ever-expanding Internet of Things (IoT) environment. MiX – whose South African office is in Midrand – is a leading global provider of fleet and mobile asset management solutions delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). A vast number of smart devices, including in-vehicle telematics devices, connect to the Internet via the GSM [mobile] networks and each one requires a SIM card in order to transmit data – creating a significant management challenge. Apex BI subsequently deployed its proprietary telecommunications expense management platform, Clarity, which aggregates the data from the total universe of MiX Telematics SIM cards – issued by a number of different mobile network providers across the continent. The platform has since helped to eliminate manual processing of information and made the automated analysis of this information attainable in order to provide critical operational and financial insights. In 2019, it’s estimated we’ll generate more data than www.intelligentcio.com we did in the previous 5,000 years and it is fast becoming the most valuable asset of any modern organisation. However, while most have access to their internal data, they continue to experience challenges in deriving maximum value. We hear from Zakes Socikwa, Cloud Big Data and Analytics Lead at Oracle, and Peter Fülle, Digital Core Senior Vice President of SAP EMEA South, in our special feature on Big Data. Our second main feature is on printing solutions, where you can find out how hyperconvergence has enabled leading South African printing company, Kemtek Imaging Systems, to improve performance, scalability and significantly reduced management time thanks to Scale Computing. Businesses are putting themselves at increased risk of losing data, by not curbing the actions of current and former employees, according to research undertaken by Kaspersky Lab. With this in mind, we asked three experts what organisations should do to ensure that their digital clutter does not cloud their data security practices. Managing IoT MiX Telematics Africa - a leading global provider of fleet and mobile asset management solutions has demonstrated how it is possible to manage an expanding Internet of Things environment thanks to Apex BI. Global ICIO Knowledge Partner Intelligent Data Security Partner Global Innovation Partner Intelligent Supporting Partner Intelligent ITSM Partner Intelligent Partner Intelligent Threat Management Partner Intelligent Banking & Finance Partner Intelligent Education Partner country and how Vodacom Tanzania has enhanced its partnership with Optiva so that it will upgrade its current platform and take another step toward leveraging Optiva’s innovative cloud-native BSS architecture. Elsewhere, Ahmad Sayed, Regional Director, Middle East and Africa at Nexign, looks at how telecom operators can prosper this year in ‘Industry Watch’, while to round off the magazine, Craig Nel, Mobile & Cognitive Experience (MCX) Leader at Oracle Middle East, Africa and Turkey, looks at the rise of the new-age digital assistant experience in ‘Final Word’. Remember, if you want to contribute towards the magazine, please email me at paul@lynchpinmedia.co.uk Paul Rogers Editor This month’s Country Focus feature is on Tanzania, where you can find out how Standard Bank is digitising services in the INTELLIGENTCIO 29