TCS+

In the second episode of this series on migrating to Microsoft Azure SQL, the focus turns to what’s involved in moving from SQL Server to Azure SQL, and First Distribution’s Preegan Chetty returns to discuss the key priority of securing databases in the cloud.

If you missed episode 1 in the series, you can find it here – or dive straight into this interview.

Preegan Chetty, who is Microsoft Azure product manager at First Distribution, unpacks:

• What makes Azure SQL a secure choice for companies today, including features such as data encryption (when data is at rest or in transit), threat detection and firewall protection;

• Why companies shouldn’t simply assume that the cloud is secure because it’s being managed by a hyperscale cloud services provider;

• Azure SQL’s performance, and the optimisations that can be done to make the system fly; and

• The role of AI in cloud database management.

Don’t miss any of the episodes in this insightful series.

Is your company thinking about modernising its IT infrastructure? Is it planning to migrate from an on-premises Microsoft SQL Server database to the cloud-based Azure SQL Solution? Then this podcast is for you.

In this two-part series, we delve into greater detail on what’s involved in a cloud database migration.

First Distribution’s Microsoft Azure product manager Preegan Chetty is our guest in the studio for this episode. He unpacks:

• The risks and opportunities involved in the migration;

• What companies need to be aware of before they even embark on a migration to Azure SQL;

• How Microsoft helps companies with their migration projects; and

• The top motivating factors driving companies to migrate away from an on-premises SQL Server solution to Azure SQL.

Don’t miss this informative discussion – and be sure to catch episode 2 in this series with First Distribution.

The operating environment in South Africa for ride-hailing services like Bolt is fraught with complexity, while the country’s crime problem only contributes to the challenge of getting passengers safely from A to B.

This complexity is compounded by the nuances of operating in different areas. Municipal districts have different permitting requirements, while competitive elements from other transport sector players, like taxi associations, presents further challenges.

Fulfilling a ride request in the Cape Flats at 11pm is a different proposition to one in Sandton at 2pm.

Simo Kalajdzic, senior operations manager at Bolt South Africa, tells TechCentral’s business technology show, TCS+, about how Bolt is approaching these challenges. He delves into:

• The overall problem that Bolt is trying to solve for South Africans;

• Bolt’s strategic approach to safety on the platform;

• The £100-million investment into safety Bolt has pledged at a global level;

• The technological solutions baked into the Bolt app for both drivers and passengers;

• The industry-wide collaborations Bolt has undertaken to address safety from an ecosystem perspective;

• How drivers and riders are empowered to be safe on the platform;

• Feedback from a recent stakeholder engagement meeting held in Cape Town; and

• Bolt’s long-term vision for safety in the South African context.

This episode is not to be missed!

Companies moving to the cloud – and those already there – need to be aware of the Toxic Cloud Trilogy, three pitfalls in cloud computing that must be avoided.

Bernard Montel, technical director at exposure management company Tenable for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, recently unpacked this for TechCentral’s audience in an episode of TCS+ (watch or listen to the interview below).

Montel unpacked what the three risk factors are that make up the Toxic Cloud Trilogy – critical vulnerabilities, excessive permissions and public exposure – and how to deal with each of them effectively.

Tenable recently published its 2024 Tenable Cloud Risk Report, which examines findings by the Tenable Cloud Research team based on telemetry from millions of cloud resources across multiple public cloud repositories.

In this episode of TCS+, Montel discusses:

• Tenable, its history and its focus areas in the information security industry;

• Why companies should take the Toxic Cloud Trilogy seriously, and how it amplifies risk for organisations;

• The key findings in Tenable’s Cloud Risk Report and what they mean in practice, including addressing the Toxic Cloud Trilogy; and

• How Tenable Cloud Security can help companies overcome the Toxic Cloud Trilogy.

If you’re involved in protecting your organisation’s data and assets in the cloud, don’t miss this important discussion.

Trace Network Operations, founded in 2016, provides bespoke network solutions in network management and network monitoring.

Company founder Darryl Theron saw a gap in the market for a company that provides leading solutions in this space, stemming from his many years of experience in the pan-African infrastructure market.

This episode of TechCentral’s TCS+ business technology podcast, hosted by Jaydev Chiba, delves into how Trace Network Operations supports its customers in the areas of network management and network monitoring as a service (NMaaS) with Theron and his colleague, Gert van Deventer.

The company’s solutions are built around a product called StableNet, a carrier-grade network management and monitoring system that is built from the ground up. Trace Network Operations also uses other technologies, including the Red Hat Ansible automation platform, Cubro, Sophos, NetWitness and FNT.

The company’s solutions are designed to help businesses solve problems such as:

• Lack of visibility into network activity: Many businesses lack the tools and expertise to monitor their networks effectively. This can lead to problems such as security breaches, performance issues and outages.

• Difficulty in troubleshooting problems: When problems do occur, it can be difficult to identify the root cause and resolve them quickly.

• Lack of automation: Many network management tasks are still performed manually, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.

Trace Network Operations addresses these issues by providing a comprehensive suite of NMaaS solutions that includes:

• Network monitoring: StableNet provides real-time visibility into network activity, allowing businesses to identify and resolve problems quickly.

• Network management: The company’s solutions help businesses to automate many network management tasks, such as configuration management, change management and fault management.

• Security monitoring: It integrates solutions such as NetWitness and Cobra to provide comprehensive security monitoring and management.

Trace Network Operations offers its solutions on a flexible basis, allowing businesses to tailor the level of service that best meets their needs.

The interview also includes a few case studies of how Trace Network Operations’ solutions have been used to provide value and benefits for companies.

Information technology service management (ITSM) is more than another buzzword. It’s a concept that helps organisations design and deliver IT services to customers and, when well executed, it can have a huge impact on productivity as well as customer and employee experience.

But too often companies don’t do it right, leading to headaches and lost productivity.

To unpack the topic, Muggie van Staden, MD at open-source enterprise software specialist Obsidian Systems, joins TechCentral’s TCS+ to discuss the latest trends in ITSM and what they mean for South African organisations.

Van Staden unpacks:

• The concept of ITSM and what it involves;

• How successful companies utilise ITSM to better manage customer experience, free up IT resources, align IT with business goals, enhance security and risk mitigation, foster scalable growth, and accelerate digital transformation;

• The emerging trends in ITSM that are shaping how organisations manage their IT services and IT infrastructure;

• The role of artificial intelligence and automation in ITSM;

• The shift to Agile and DevOps integration; and

• Where Obsidian fits into the ITSM picture.

Don’t miss a fascinating conversation with a leader in the ITSM space in South Africa.

Veeam is helping organisations in South Africa and the rest of the African continent safeguard their most valuable asset: their data.

In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, four senior executives from Veeam unpack the latest trends in data resilience and protection, and explore how African organisations can better protect themselves against a data disaster.

To unpack this in detail, TCS+ is joined in this two-parter episode by Veeam’s:

• Mena Migally, regional vice president, Europe, the Middle East and Africa;

• Brendan Widlake, regional director and country manager, Africa;

• Ian Engelbrecht, head of technical sales, Africa; and

• Lisa Strydom, senior manager for channel and alliances, Africa.

Topics covered in the discussion include:

• The unique challenges that businesses in Africa face when it comes to securing and managing their data;

• The role of data resilience in helping African businesses maintain continuous availability of their data in the face of growing cyberthreats.

• Securing on-premises and cloud-based environments and the challenges involved in doing so;

• How Veeam works with local partners to ensure African businesses optimise their data protection strategies and build resilience;

• How Veeam helps companies deal with ransomware attacks, both before and after they happen; and

• The emerging trends and innovations in data resilience and protection.

For more information on Veeam’s portfolio of data resilience solutions, including backup, recovery, cloud data management and disaster recovery, visit Veeam’s data resilience portfolio.

Eswatini is on a mission to roll out high-speed fibre broadband infrastructure for its citizens.

According to Themba Khumalo, MD of The Eswatini Posts & Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC), the landlocked territory will draw lessons from leaders in national fibre roll-out in other markets as it deploys infrastructure to the population.

In this episode of TCS+, filmed on-site in Cape Town during Africa Tech Week, Khumalo delves into:

• The role of EPTC Eswatini;

• Features unique to Eswatini that make the challenge of a national fibre roll-out a little easier than it might be in other territories;

• EPTC’s national fibre strategy;

• How the population will benefit from the speed upgrades that a fibre roll-out will enable;

• The proposed timelines for the competition of the national fibre roll-out; and

• The role government will play in accelerating infrastructure roll-out.

Don’t miss the conversation.

In the final episode of a three-part interview series with TechCentral’s TCS+, Digicloud Africa executives unpack what Google Cloud’s solutions mean for end-user organisations in Africa.

Digicloud Africa is Google Cloud’s enablement partner on the continent, and the company’s CEO, Gregory MacLennan, and head of technical operations Louis van Schalkwyk return to the show to chat about what Google Cloud software can do for businesses that deploy it.

In episode 1 of this series, we had a look at Digicloud, what it does, and its relationship with Google. In episode 2, we looked at the company’s reseller partner model, what it involves and how it works with its reseller partners. (LINKS TO SHOWS TO BE INSERTED WHEN AVAILABLE.)

In the final episode, MacLennan and Van Schalkwyk unpack:

• The Google Cloud advantage relative to other cloud and enterprise software solutions;

• How companies can use Google Cloud to innovate and grow their businesses;

• The importance of using open IT infrastructure like Google’s – and what this means for collaboration and information security;

• What Google Cloud offers in specific sectors, including education;

• Examples of African enterprises and government agencies doing interesting things with Google Cloud technology;

• How Digicloud Africa works with resellers to offer Google Cloud solutions to companies, educational institutions and government – and how Digicloud supports those resellers in client engagements and deployments; and

• Becoming a Google Cloud reseller through Digicloud and what’s involved.

Don’t miss insightful interview, and the others in this series!

Pinnacle, one of South Africa’s leading technology distributors, is going all-in on AI.

The company, which represents some of the leading brands in the artificial intelligence space, is working closely with its vendors and channel partners to help local companies embrace the potential of the technology and expand employee productivity.

Jacques Visage, GM for AI and Services at Pinnacle, is the man leading this charge, and he’s TechCentral’s guest in this episode of TCS+.

He unpacks why Pinnacle sees AI as a strategic imperative and how it is positioning itself as an AI leader in the distribution space.

In the discussion, Visagie chats about:

• Pinnacle’s go-to-market strategy around AI and how it is working with its channel partners to provide AI solutions to businesses;

• The company’s key partners and technology providers;

• How conversations around AI in corporate South Africa have changed since the launch two years ago of OpenAI’s ChatGPT;

• What South African companies are doing with AI – and what they want to do with it in future; and

• The top-of-mind issues around AI in the C-suite and the biggest use cases we’re seeing so far in corporate South Africa.

Don’t miss this important and insightful conversation!