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ICT for SME
2008 in the news |
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GSM replaces the office
for SMEs
[Jacob Nthoiwa] |
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Local SMEs face unique
challenges
[Vicky Burger] |
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Open source sets sights
on SMEs
[Jacob Nthoiwa] |
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ICT for SMEs conference
arrives
[Vicky Burger] |
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GSM replaces the office
for SMEs
By Jacob Nthoiwa,
[ Johannesburg, 21 May 2008 ] - Most small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
no longer need to work from offices, thanks to the potential of GSM
technology, says telecommunications consultant Maite Nathaniel
Sebolai.
He argues that SMEs “do not need offices nowadays because they can
use GSM technology to work anywhere at anytime and improve their
business performance without the need for expensive office space”.
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Sebolai, who will present a case study on GSM and SMEs at the ITWeb
ICT for SME conference, says “vital business tools, like Web sites,
can be managed from anywhere when a company uses GSM technology”.
He points out that even though SMEs are the real backbone of the
South African economy, there is one remaining drawback to SMEs'
greater use of technology in SA – GSM coverage.
He also points out that some of the locations in SA where SMEs are
most important still have no GSM coverage, or have spotty or
unreliable coverage. In addition, he adds, 3G features such as
Internet access are “still a mystery” in many parts of SA outside
the main urban areas.
An SME “can also choose to host its e-mail with companies like MWeb
and get 10 e-mail accounts as well as space to store e-mail online",
Sebolai adds. E-mail can then be accessed from anywhere, and so SMEs
“do not have to worry about office-based servers when they want to
access their e-mail accounts".
Increasingly, a business can even be linked to the banks via GSM and
can manage the day-to-day financials of the business using
cellphones. The payroll and other financial systems can be accessed
from anywhere, and employees or creditors can be paid on time even
when the person who controls the accounts needs to be on the move.
As for getting paid itself, a business can equally manage its
accounts receivable over the GSM network. Even small companies that
normally use credit and debit cards to get paid can simply carry
their mobile swipe machine with them for on-the-spot transactions
anywhere. He adds that there is also a huge potential for SMEs in
up-and-coming social networking tools such as Facebook, Skype and
Mixit.
Sebolai says cellphones are particularly cost-effective for SMEs
when it comes to selling products. "A small vendor can run with very
few people using GSM. For example, the company can send out
promotional SMSes, which are cheaper than hiring a lot of sales
people."
According to Sebolai, GSM is a cost-effective alternative for SMEs
and not at all as expensive as many people still believe, especially
when compared to the many different costs of running a full-scale
office operation. |
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Local SMEs face unique
challenges
By Vicky Burger
[ Johannesburg, 16 May 2008 ] - The inability to scale bandwidth at
a reasonable cost is keeping Third World SMEs from fully harnessing
the power of IT to grow their businesses and gain a competitive
advantage, says Paul Mulder, specialist technology group manager at
Microsoft SA.
The dual First and Third World nature of the South African economy
has resulted in a dichotomy between customers in the formal and
informal sectors, he notes.
This poses an additional challenge to the local SME, as dealing with
customers in the formal economy requires a significantly different
approach and strategy to dealing with those in the informal sector,
Mulder continues.
The levels of sophistication and geographical distribution of
consumers, coupled with bandwidth complexity, means South African
SMEs must continually innovate to retain and win market share, he
explains.
“The good news for SMEs is the growing trend for vendors to provide
small businesses with easy, fast and affordable business solutions.”
Established SME vendors like Microsoft are investing in making their
solutions more accessible and simpler to use, he states. Even
vendors from the large enterprise space are releasing solutions
designed for companies without any IT staff, Mulder adds.
ICT for SMEs
More information about ITWeb's ICT for SMEs conference, which takes
place on 27 May at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, is available online
here.
Mulder will speak at ITWeb's ICT for SMEs conference, on 27 May at
Gallagher Estate in Midrand.
His presentation will compare and contrast the South African
experience with common global SME trends and the implications for
ICT providers. It will look at the key purchasing audiences and
trends such as mobility, CRM, software-as-a-service, IT maturity and
virtualisation. |
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Open source sets sights on
SMEs
By Jacob Nthoiwa
[ Johannesburg, 16 May 2008 ] - Open source companies are
increasingly targeting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a bid
to transform the “old model” of telecommunications provision in SA,
says open source guru Rob Lith.
Lith, who is director of open source vendor Connection Telecom, will
speak at ITWeb's ICT for SMEs conference later this month.
The advantages of using open source solutions for SMEs are clear:
better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost and
an end to predatory vendor lock-in, says Lith.
He notes that price is usually not the deciding factor as South
African SMEs join the global trend towards open source adoption.
Although open source solutions are usually more cost-effective than
proprietary systems, Lith says flexibility is the main reason SMEs
choose open source.
In a recent Connection Telecom study on the reasons for the growing
popularity of open source in SA, SMEs identified four main
advantages: flexibility, ownership of the system, control and
pricing.
In the past, notes Lith, SMEs had to go to one telecommunications
provider, but nowadays, “open standards” give SMEs the flexibility
to shop around. For example, they can choose whatever handsets from
whatever vendor they want, according to their budget or other
factors. They can mix and match and build the precise system they
want, knowing that the open standards of open source won't “lock
them in”.
ICT for SMEs
More information about ITWeb's ICT for SMEs conference, which takes
place on 27 May at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, is available online
here.
The result, says Lith, is a complete transformation of “the old
model”. The vendor “lock-in” becomes a thing of the past.
Connection Telecom's Asterisk is a free open source telecoms
solution developed by Mark Spencer in 2002 and 2003. Spencer was a
Linux vendor looking for an open source PABX system. Shocked by the
high prices of existing proprietary solutions, Spencer sat down and
wrote Asterisk, which by answering the need for a cost-effective
alternative, became an immediate global success story.
However, Lith points out that even though Asterisk and other open
source solutions are challenging traditional telephony, open source
still faces challenges among SMEs in SA. Some SMEs are still not too
sure about the stability and quality of open source compared to the
established proprietary products.
The solution, says Lith, has to come from “demonstration for
adoption”: once SMEs see how well open source products like Asterisk
actually work, he argues, they will join the bandwagon because the
advantages are so compelling.
Lith's presentation at ITWeb's ICT for SMEs conference on 27 May
will focus on open source as a viable alternative in SMEs and a
transformation of the status quo. |
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ICT for SMEs conference
arrives
By Vicky Burger
[ Johannesburg, 5 May 2008 ] - Small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
are at a disadvantage when it comes to buying and maintaining
technology that suits their environment, says Phuti Mosomane, deputy
programme director, ITWeb Events.
These businesses do not have the disposable cash to buy large
business servers that can be in place for when it needs to grow. In
addition, finding the HR budget to hire IT staff has also been a
problem for SMEs, he explains.
Many of the larger vendors are looking at SMEs' business
requirements and starting to introduce products that are affordable
and scalable for their needs, states Mosomane. However, some are
“dumbed down” versions of enterprise offerings that could cost more
than they are worth, he continues.
Mosomane says SME owners and managers, especially those looking for
technology solutions that are easy to install and maintain while at
the same time are capable of growing profitable businesses by
offering quick returns on investment, need to diarise 27 May.
“The 2008 ICT for SMEs is a one-day event that provides SME owners
and managers the opportunity to understand exactly what technology
will be suited to their environments. The event will showcase
presentations by experts on the role of technology in SMEs and takes
place at Gallagher Estate in Midrand,” he states.
ICT for SMEs
More information about ITWeb's ICT for SMEs conference, which takes
place on 27 May at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, is available online
here.
The day features presentations from, among others, the Department of
Communications, Independent Communications Authority of SA, Small
Enterprise Development Agency, Innovation Hub, Enablis Africa, Cape
IT Initiative and World Wide Worx Strategy, Mosomane continues.
The event also promises to provide insight into global technology
trends relating to SMEs, as well as how major IT players are
addressing these trends.
“The event aims to contribute to the sustainable development of SMEs
by providing information on and raising awareness of available and
upcoming IT technology and solutions. It also hopes to provide a
forum where representatives from the SME community can meet and
network,” concludes Mosomane. |
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xxxxx hello I am an inlcude file
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The
speaker presentations are now available for delegates to download on ITWeb's
vCards.
vCards
are virtual networking tools, which offer delegates,
speakers and sponsors an interactive communications platform to engage,
interact and exchange information.
To get
started click on the link below:
http://www.itweb.co.za/events/vcards/
To view the ICT for SME's conference vCards
simply enter the
username, and password which was sent to you via email.
Should you need any additional information regarding
the use of your vCard, contact
Maggie on
maggie@itweb.co.za or (011) 807-3294.
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HEADLINE
SPONSOR |
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MTN
Business is committed to maximising its customers’ productivity and
efficiency by delivering communication solutions to suit their needs. By
working with our customers and understanding their requirements, we
unlock value for their businesses.
MTN Business offers Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) customers
cost-effective business services; from mobile office solutions to
specific business packages. Visit
www.mtnbusiness.co.za for more details. |
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ENDORSED
BY |
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Small Enterprise
Development Agency; seek to develop, support and promote
small enterprises to ensure their growth and sustainability |
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Enablis is a
membership based small business development organization
that focuses on entrepreneur with and without businesses.
Enablis provides networking, capacity building and financing
to member entrepreneurs. Enablis currently operates in 5
provinces in South Africa |
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