IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

SITA ran a pilot project for telemedicine for the Limpopo Department of Health. Subsequently, the department decided to implement telemedicine in a total of 14 sites, where SITA assisted with connectivity and related project management.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Telemedicine Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, covering South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mali and Cameroon, finds that the greatest challenge in implementing telemedicine solutions is inadequate connectivity in rural areas.

It is a fact. Healthcare in South Africa implies, for some, long queues at state hospitals and clinics, and for others exorbitant private doctors' fees. Also a fact, our health practitioners are overworked.

One of the solutions proposed by the government and the private sector is telemedicine. It is already in place in South Africa, and uses technology to perform the routine and basic diagnosis of illness, prescribe medication and transmit and store health data - over the internet and by telephone.

There is no doubt that, in a data-driven world, the data centre is a critical and central component of the technology infrastructure of any organisation. However, when it comes to provisioning and obtaining access to the data centre itself and a variety of attached services, there is a growing trend away from owning and maintaining this infrastructure in-house.

Hosted data centres, particularly shared data centres that also offer a carrier-neutral colocation hub, are becoming an increasingly popular option. Shared data centres often bring together various different providers from across the country. This enables organisations that also make use of this data centre to access to their services and provide a range of essential technology solutions and services on a monthly, as needed basis, among other benefits. The decision to outsource and the selection of an appropriate partner is often challenging, and requires organisations to ask themselves a number of questions. Before a service, solution or technology is outsourced, the pros and cons must be carefully weighed and the benefits quantified, so that ultimately the organisation can make the best decision for their business.

The Democratic Alliance (2014) released its 2014 election manifesto today, which states that the party plans to establish a new regulatory framework for the ICT sector to ensure that broadband capacity improves, that prices fall and that the internet becomes accessible to all.

The DA said that new information and communication technologies continue to break down traditional boundaries between people, businesses and nations by making it easier to engage, to exchange information, to transact and to deliver services.

The city you live in is unique – from its architecture to public spaces to how utility services are delivered. As much as each has a distinct vibe, all have one thing that binds them.

It is a common objective. Cities must provide resources and utility services to everyone within their boundaries. If you have heard of or played the video game SimCity, you will know that this includes affordable living spaces, food, transportation, security, electricity, water, sanitation and job opportunities.

The company behind e-toll collections has revealed how many outstanding bills are on the system – which has largely been rejected since its inception almost two years ago.

In an interview with Independent Online, Mark Ridgway, the chief operations officer of Electronic Tolling Company, said that a single large transport company owed as much as R20 million, dating back from December 2013.

Shockingly, he told IOL that a number of JSE-listed companies concealed their e-toll debt to shareholders.

Smart cities need the operational technology foundation of smart panels and transformers, the middle layer of connected devices with edge control self-management and the top layer of real-time insights that can optimise services.

“When asked how we can create a smart city, we need people to understand that there are three levels to the technology,” explains Taru Madangombe, vice-president of power systems in southern Africa for Schneider Electric.

This week, South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan highlighted during the Budget Speech that partnership between government and businesses is a central priority of the National Development Plan (NDP) and key to rapid development for economic growth.

MTN Business welcomes the budget speech and the recent call by the president for the public and private sectors to work together by mobilising the resources and capacity for quality delivery of services.

Tshimologong, the recently launched digital innovation hub in Johannesburg's inner city, has received millions in contributions from reputed multinationals and South African ICT companies, reports ITWeb. Ten strategic founding partners have ploughed upwards of ZAR 5 million each into the newly built precinct, which plans to incubate high-tech startups, commercialise research and develop high-level skills among students, working professionals and unemployed young people.

Cathy Smith, MD at Cisco Systems Southern Africa explained why the global IT company is championing the establishment of Tshimologong, along with the likes of Microsoft, IBM, Telkom, MMI Group and Teraco/KMJ Services. Smith said that the need for skills is particularly important to Cisco and that this influenced the decision to back the project.

The effective use of smart city elements will enable true public healthcare by keeping the population informed of critical updates.

Rapid urbanisation, primarily due to economic migration in cities, such as Johannesburg, has placed additional strains on scarce resources, including healthcare services.

Johannesburg, in particular, struggles to meet demands for emergency medical care, especially when emergency departments have reached critical capacity and ambulances have to be diverted to nearby hospitals.

The City of Tshwane metropolitan municipality (Tshwane) announced the roll-out plan of its free Wi-Fi project at a media briefing in Centurion today (15 August 2013).

Executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa announced in a statement that the roll-out will be done in partnership with Project Isizwe, a non-profit movement that aims to provide free Wi-Fi Internet to Africa.

The University of Pretoria (UP) has created the Hatfield Digital Twin City, which it plans to use to improve service delivery with the help of smart technology.

To manage the expansion of cities and megacities in this era of technological disruption, rapid urbanisation and climate change, new ideas and approaches to city management are being implemented worldwide, notably the smart city and the digital twin city.

GovTech 2015 aims to showcase ICT innovation in government and seek to inspire further innovation, says event programme manager Pieter Coertze.

The 10th instalment of GovTech will be staged by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) at Durban's Inkosi Luthuli International Convention Centre, from 25 to 28 October. Under the banner: ‘Partnering for Service Delivery: Connecting Communities for Development and Growth', GovTech's primary focus will be service delivery.

Smart cities are increasingly becoming a focus area for governments and companies across Africa. However, the transition to these environments does not come without challenges, especially when it comes to security and resource management.

This is where video management systems (VMS) have emerged as a critical tool to provide public- and private-sector entities with the means in this transformation by having a comprehensive view of the environment in which they operate.

The “Virtual Office” will allow those employees who have access to the Internet to apply for UIF benefits online.

During her budget vote speech this week, labour minister Mildred Oliphant said the new system electronically connects the unemployed with their former employers.

Increased broadband connectivity has a meaningful and direct impact on the economic prospects of individuals, communities and countries at large. A World Bank study estimated that a 10% increase in broadband penetration in low and middle-income countries can result in a 1,38% increase in economic growth.

At home, Statistics SA’s General Household Survey released in December last year found that 8,3% of households in South Africa had access to the internet via copper or fibre. This is not to say that the rest of the country is not interested in connecting – the same survey found that almost two thirds of South Africans access the internet via a mobile connection.

"No business people have ever raised concerns about uncertainty and business confidence," spokesman Siyabulela Qoza said on Wednesday.

The Cape Chamber of Commerce's information and communication technology (ICT) committee chairman, Roderick Lim Banda, said on Tuesday that business was becoming increasingly frustrated by a lack of governance and delivery in the department.

“Fibre is about more than just connecting to the internet,” says Zoom Fibre’s Managing Director Mohamed Asmal.

As part of the joint initiative by Zoom Fibre and the Saldanha Bay Municipality (SBM), to give all households in the municipal area access to fibre, new smart poles have been installed in various local sites.

George Municipality has partnered with My Smart City to bring a tailored one-stop solution to your service delivery needs.

George Municipality’s new citizen App “My Smart City” goes live tomorrow, Thursday 1 June.

The App is already available for download on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or via the My Smart City website (mysmart.city).