NEWS
Qlik will stage AI Reality Tour in Johannesburg in September
The free-to-attend event is set to take place at the Indaba Hotel and Conference Centre in Fourways on the 17th of September 2024 , from 08:00 to 15:00 .
James Fisher
One of the first steps towards AI success is ensuring that your business has a solid data foundation . This is according to Tejas Mehta , newly appointed Senior Vice President and General Manager , Middle East and Africa at Qlik , a global provider in data integration , analytics and AI , who will be the keynote speaker at the organisation ’ s upcoming AI Reality Tour in Johannesburg , South Africa .
“ The explosive rise of AI has prompted incredible excitement about its transformative potential , akin only to the rise of the Internet ,” Mehta explains . “ But simply put , there is no AI without data – it ’ s all about the data . However , it has to be the right data . What this means is that your AI journey should start with getting your data house in order .
“ At Qlik , we believe that wherever there is data , there is opportunity . Empowering your business to revolutionise data handling will allow it to embrace the power of AI , trust the insights , and embark on a journey to success .”
Mehta , who has successfully led large , cross-functional teams across multiple regions including Africa , and has a deep understanding of AI , data integration , and
Tejas Mehta
analytics , will be joined by Qlik Chief Strategy Officer , James Fisher to take AI Reality Tour attendees through Qlik ’ s strategic direction and product vision in the age of GenAI .
Fisher will also unveil the latest Qlik product and strategy roadmap , with hands-on demos of the latest features showcasing practical applications , and how these advancements can be leveraged for enhanced data analytics and AI-driven insights .
Efficient Group benefits from infrastructure modernisation programme with Braintree
Financial services provider , Efficient Group , is reaping the rewards of an infrastructure modernisation programme , made possible through a partnership with Braintree . Core to this move has been the consolidation of data from a multitude of financial services providers into one Efficient group database – the single view of and for the client .
Doug Morrison
An initial in-depth needs assessment and Microsoft Cybersecurity Assessment also revealed potential security vulnerabilities that required resolution .
As a Microsoft Dynamics partner , Braintree facilitated the implementation of Azure as a secure , powerful foundation on which to seamlessly integrate all business operations . What has resulted is a first of its kind app for South African investors that provides a 360-view of all financial services related products and services .
Improvements in productivity and compliance were catalysts for this systems upgrade , with security being the biggest priority .
The Efficient Group has over 500 employees , many of whom operate remotely and in field , in addition to partnering with more than 200 financial advisors across South Africa . The need to solve complex data sharing challenges and the mitigation of common
threats were integral to the modifications undertaken .
With the ageing and increasingly complex infrastructure no longer able to interoperate as efficiently as needed , a wealth of Microsoft opportunities were uncovered , and the Efficient Group were fully onboarded to Microsoft 365 and its data centre transformed and moved to Azure .
The group is now running on a 96 % Microsoft Secure score , in line with international best practice .
Doug Morrison , Strategic Head Microsoft 365 Braintree , says that the interoperability enabled by Microsoft eliminates complicated development . “ As partners , we are reaping the rewards of the investments Microsoft has made over the past 8 years across security for infrastructure , networks , applications and devices , so we have a totally robust solution to take to market .”
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