 The broadband challenge in South Africa
by Dr. Brian Armstrong, COO Telkom
The mobile revolution has brought many benefits of the modern ICT industry to millions of people. The next crucial step is to take performance, availability and adoption of fixed broadband in South Africa to the next level... ( more)
|
 In conversation with Prof. Saurabh Sinha, UJ
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
On the status of engineering education in South Africa and the criticism that there is not enough interaction between universities and the workplace: "Criticism is always warranted if it is constructive"... ( more)
|
|
"Parting of the clouds" to be a major trend in 2014
by Jay Kidd, NetApp
The tension within IT on moving to the cloud will resolve as organisations recognise a hybrid cloud model is needed to serve their applications. CIOs will sort their application portfolio into those they must control entirely or partially, workloads that are more transient and those best purchased as software as a service (SaaS)... ( more)
|
|
Virtual panel discussion - ISA 100 and WirelessHART
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
Recently Tim Bourke, Honeywell Analytics, UK, said in a White Paper that SA100.11a offers a more powerful and comprehensive architecture, obviating the need for WirelessHART. Experts share opinions on whether there should be only one standard... (more)
|
|
Home or away? Is off-shore better?
by Stephen Sher, Cirtech Electronics
"Offshore" means China. China has been able to undercut everyone else in all areas of manufacture to such an extent that entire industries have gone to the wall in places like South Africa and the United States... (more)
|
|
EngineerIT Inbox: winning letter
Letters from our readers
Our winning letter this month says cybercrime in South Africa is at crisis levels, costing the economy billions of rands. Other letters enlarge on the subject of another scourge, copper theft... (more)
|
Integrating data from different sources
by John Salisbury, Endress+Hauser
Data relating to process equipment and components is generated throughout the life cycle of a plant. Where data generated in one phase of the plant life cycle is required in another phase, it must be available to the user in a clear and precise way... ( more)
|
|
Safety of buildings near to process facilities
An overview of a paper by Kehinde Shaba and Colin Hickey, Det NorskeVeritas Software, UK
Ensuring the safe location and design of occupied buildings is high on the agenda of key stakeholders. This requires a significant amount of analytical work. Sometimes, simplifications are used that can result in a less than realistic assessment... ( more)
|
|
Is resistance to the public cloud softening?
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
The question is: when to opt for a private cloud and when to take the bold step to move into the public cloud? A lack of understanding is keeping South African companies from huge cost-saving and efficiency-improving benefits...
|
|
Q&A: Ask an expert - field device organisations' merger
Gary Friend, chairman of the Fieldbus Foundation Southern Africa Marketing Committee, answers questions
The Fieldbus Foundation and HART Communication Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding for a possible merger of the two organisations. This proposed merger is still in the exploratory phase and is not yet guaranteed. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about the merger...
|
|
Increasing MES productivity: the need for agility
by Tom Troy, Invensys Operations Management
As market demands and business drivers continue to evolve for customers in manufacturing and production, it is very clear that organisations are under significant pressure to increase the speed and agility of their business and manufacturing operations... ( more) |
|
Over-the-air platform security review
by Vijay Akasapu, Mandiant, USA
The universal integrated circuit card (UICC) is the smart card used in mobile terminals. The integration of UICC into IP networks and the ability for carriers to use the UICC exposes the end-user's UICC card and also the carrier's over-the-air (OTA) long term evolution (LTE) platform to attacks... ( more) |
|
Is the virtual PBX the death of traditional premises-based PBXs?
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
The question of virtual PBX replacing trditional premises-based PBXs has been around boardroom tables for some time. The answers undoubtedly lie in a system that is IP-centric and can be upgraded by loading new software, even remotely... (more)
|
|
Ambient LED lighting advances in tomorrow's vehicle
by Johann Stelzer, Andreas Reiter and Frank Ziegenhorn, Microchip Technology
The advancement of ambient LED lighting solutions stems from the quest by automotive-OEM interior stylists to make their vehicles more appealing to the driver's senses, while creating a truly positive driving experience and increasing brand awareness... ( more)
|
|
Expanding the dynamic range of current measurement
by Erik Lange, LEM USA
ASIC-based current transducers can expand the dynamic range and increase the sensitivity and reliability of current measurement. The benefits offered by ASIC-based transducers with over current detection (OCD) can help to reduce component count and, as a result, deliver higher reliability... ( more)
|
|
Radio amateurs experiment near the edge of Space
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
For many years radio amateurs have been launching weather balloons with communications equipment. The latest project was when a group launched two balloons with some ingenious payloads. To everybody's surprise it did everyone proud as the balloons rose to 40 km, near the edge of space... ( more)
|
| Telecoms developments in Africa
Compiled by Matthew White
- Monopolies "stalling modernisation of many African economies"
- IBM identifies way for Africa to bridge the technology gap
- Mobile data consumption to shape Africa's telecoms industry - IDC
- Alcatel-Lucent to upgrade EASSy submarine cable system
- Burundi launches first phase of ICT backbone
- Vodaphone Ghana engaged in major network expansion
- Korean Telecom launches new joint venture in Rwanda
- Nigeria in fresh effort to liquidate Nitel
- al-Shabaab imposes internet blackout in parts of Somalia
- Call for Tanzania to take back Bharti Airtel's 35% stake in TTCL
- Banks in Zambia, Nigeria investigated for cybercrime complicity... ... (more) |
|
Gadgets4geeks
- When the environment gets tough
- Tactical CCTV vest
- Improved experience with the Nokia Lumia
- Acer Iconia offers additional 3G connection option
|
|
Aerospace Technology
- Coronal mass ejection from a solar flare that bypassed earth
- Water vapour found on dwarf planet... ( more)
|
|
Views, Comment and Opinion
|
|
