Tag: digital

03.27.18

Activate Group and SqwidNet sign IoT partnership agreement

BY Fast Company 2 MINUTE READ

Activate Group and SqwidNet sign IoT partnership agreement

Activate Group, an end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT), mobile solutions and IoT-as-a-service provider, has signed a partnership with SqwidNet, the licensed Sigfox IoT network operator in South Africa. Sigfox, a global IoT network, has established an ecosystem reaching 45 countries. Through SqwidNet, the network currently reaches 81% of the population in South Africa, with a target of reaching 85% by mid-2018.

The partnership will see Activate Group roll out 14 pilot projects in the retail and logistics vertical with an estimated roll out of more than 100 000 units on SqwidNet’s network by 2019.

“This is a significant milestone for us,” says Rodney Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at Activate Group. “We have seen significant interest in our IoT solutions in the market and through this partnership, we will be able to bring them to life. SqwidNet’s extensive coverage has given us the ability to reach clients in areas we were unable to before the partnership,” he says.

Gartner forecasts that the number of connected things will grow to nearly 21 billion by 2020 and International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that the worldwide IoT market will grow to $1.7 trillion in the same year, representing a significant opportunity for every industry in the world.

“Partnering with Activate Group enables us to leverage on their capability and existing IoT platform solutions to further the digitalisation efforts that are underway in South Africa,” says Reshaad Sha, Chief Executive Officer at SqwidNet.

“While IoT has been a buzz word for a long time, we are seeing it come to life now, as our clients are now being able to take advantage of strategic IoT and mobile technologies that drive innovation, agility and creates new revenue opportunities while giving them a competitive edge,” says Taylor.

Budget constraints are often an inhibitor for mainstream IoT projects. “Our IoT-as-a-service solution offers flexible, affordable financing options that enable system integrators and end-user companies to adopt and implement those technology solutions that give them the competitive edge in business while optimising their cash flow and return on their technology investments,” he says.

About Activate Group

Activate Group helps African organisations unleash the full potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the latest wave of disruptive mobile technologies. As an end-to-end IoT and mobile solutions provider, we work with our clients to identify their needs and enable them to take advantage of strategic technologies that drive innovation, agility and a competitive edge.

Our solutions span industries as diverse as hospitality, logistics, financial services, and manufacturing. They are especially powerful and valuable to companies that have sizeable distributed workforces or customer basis, or large networks of brokers or independent agents.

Visit the stand E2 at IoT Forum Africa to see what Activate Group can do for your organisation.

For more information, please visit www.activategroup.co.za.

 

About SqwidNet

SqwidNet was launched in November 2016 as the Sigfox operator in SA.  It has successfully deployed a low-cost, low-power, ultra narrowband IoT network in South Africa. The company began through a partnership between Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) and global IoT operator Sigfox. Sigfox today has presence in 45 countries through similar partnerships and covers over 800 million people with a Sigfox network. The SqwidNet network in South Africa currently covers 81% of the South African population and will cover 85% by mid 2018, enabling millions of physical devices to be connected to the digital world and bringing the IoT to life.

Visit the SqwidNet stand at IoT Forum Africa for more information.

For more information, please visit www.sqwidnet.com.

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02.23.18

The digital revolution and design

BY Fast Company 2 MINUTE READ
In late 2017, I had lunch with renowned innovation specialist, John Sanei. Highly descriptive, “switched on”, confident, engaging and relaxed are the immediate words from my memory of the encounter. 
 
Sanei, a trend and innovation specialist, global speaker, best-selling author, entrepreneur and Singularity University Faculty member was expanding a bit more on strategic thinking and future innovative growth imperatives to drive sustainable development and long term relevance in a changing world. 
 
The experiential economy
“The experiential economy is rising against the ownership economy and design-led thinking has a strong role to play,” was one of the key discussion points I made a mental note of. What did this mean in the bigger scheme of things? 
 
“At some point it becomes more rewarding and even financially cheaper to experience a product or service than take full ownership,” he further noted, (a point the millennial generation has taken note of). Something along the lines of using an Uber instead of owning a car that will depreciate daily in value further compounded (by rising maintenance and insurance costs). 
 
At the heart of all this is design. Think Uber, think Airbnb, think Google and think Apple, and the future becomes a bit clearer. These giants have risen because of integrating this simple aspect of forward thinking, flawless design and the experiential offering into their products and services. 
 
Design-led thinking and designs
 
Technology is revolutionising the way designs are turned into finished products, heralding a new era of digitally driven production. The new modern industrial digital revolution is upon us. 
 
In mid-January, I visited the only IBM research lab in Africa and witnessed a 3D printer at work. I was impressed with the machine’s attention to detail and it is safe to say it will change the manufacturing industry in a short space of time. 
 
Markus Keyser’s Solar Sinter machine is another example of the ingenuity of design-led thinking. The Solar Sinter machine is a solar-powered rapid prototyping machine that converts sand into three-dimensional objects (chairs, tables, etc.), meaning that it could manufacture items in the middle of a desert without needing any additional raw materials. Unorthodox and astounding. 
 
The polarising factor
 
Speaking in late 2017, the chief designer at Toyota’s Calty studio in the US, Ian Cartabiano, noted that Toyota President Akio Toyoda had given the firm’s designers increased “creative freedom”. Moving away from the bland design red tape that had at times limited the global car manufacturer’s creativity. 
“I respect something that’s new but not perfect, rather than something that’s beautiful but nondescript. I’d rather be challenged than made comfortable. Polarising is okay,” he said. 
 
The next big thing will not be endorsed by everyone. To make progress we need to think out of the box. An unorthodox idea without controversy is usually bound to fail. Let’s disrupt, re-define and polarise. The more we do so, the higher our chances of progress. 
 
This is our design issue. Design-led thinking; physical design and even automotive ingenuity are some of the core themes. Take a peek into the next phase of human development.
 
The future is what we make of it. Ideas are the backbone of human progress, however, creativity and design-led thinking are at the centre of it all. 
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02.21.18

7 rules for break up in the digital age

BY WENDY MONCUR AN DANIEL HERRON 4 MINUTE READ

Digital technologies can be great when looking for love, and displaying togetherness to the world. But for those who are facing a broken heart, we offer a more useful gift than roses or chocolates. Inspired by Dua Lipa’s pithy advice in her hit song, New Rules, we have produced a practical checklist for how to deal with the digital aftermath of a romantic break up.

1) ‘Don’t pick up the phone’

As tempting as it might be to check up on your ex online, don’t do it. Yes, it’s easy to take a peek at your ex’s Facebook profile or Instagram feed and see what they’ve been up to, without them ever knowing you were there, but still …

This kind of Facebook “stalking” is fairly common, but it really isn’t a good idea. It can lead to an increase in longing and sexual desire for your ex, levels of distress, and negative feelings, as well as a decrease in personal growth post-break up. Every time you visit your ex’s profile, it makes moving on that much harder for you (but doesn’t affect them in the slightest). Why put yourself through the pain?

2) ‘Don’t let him (or her) in’

When you’re in a relationship, all of the different ways you have of keeping in touch with your partner online are the bee’s knees. Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, or Google make keeping up-to-date with each other so easy; but what about after a break up? Suddenly the WhatsApp thread that you used to make plans together can turn into a direct line for your ex to get a hold of you, while the location data you shared with each other on Google can make stalking you infinitely easier. What about the passwords you shared, or the logins you saved on your ex’s laptop – how much access does your ex actually have to you and your online accounts?

After a break up, take steps to reduce their access. Some social media platforms such as Facebook have an option to end sessions on particular devices, and others, such as Google, give you the option of logging out of all devices. Consider changing your passwords or adding extra security to your accounts with two-step verification. You can also turn off location services on your mobile phone and other devices.

3) ‘Don’t be his (or her) friend’

This one is tricky. After you break up, should you “unfriend” your ex, and sever connections across social media? Severing your online connections might seem brutal, yet a big part of being able to move on after a break up is about being separate from your ex, both on and offline.

If you don’t want to completely sever connections, there are other options. A good one is to add your ex to your “restricted list” on Facebook. This sneaky option means that it looks like you’re still friends with your ex, but you only share your posts with them when you choose “public” as the audience, or when you tag them in a post. And you can still see their posts – even though you know that’s not a good idea.

4) ‘If you’re under them, you ain’t getting over them’

Facebook “pushes” content at us. It reminds us of our own past posts, based on their popularity. It alerts us to new posts by the people who are important to us.

On a bad day, you could get notifications about your ex’s current activities and reminders of memories of happier days as a couple. To dodge these bullets, do two things. First, alter your Facebook “on this day preferences” to remove people (your ex) or significant dates, and stop those unwelcome memories from coming at you.

Second (if you are still Facebook “friends” with your ex), change the preferences for your news feed. There is an option to “prioritise who to see first”. Take that little blue star off of your ex’s photo, and their updates will no longer be top of your Facebook feed.

5) ‘He (or she) doesn’t love me’

If you have set your “status” on your Facebook profile to indicate romantic togetherness – for example, in a relationship, engaged, civil partnership – you may want to change it. A change from togetherness to singledom will only appear on your timeline if you choose for it to do so.

Sharing news of the break up with your friends on social media can be like ripping off a plaster – painful but you only have to do it once. However, breaking the news will likely generate responses from your friends – for better or for worse. And if your friends aren’t too tech-savvy, those opinions may be quite public. Think about letting your friends know that you’d rather communicate privately with them about the break up, online or offline.

6) ‘I’ve got new rules’ (for using my Netflix)

If you were cohabiting, it’s likely that you shared online accounts for everything from utilities to media streaming services like Spotify. Often, these accounts are intended to be used by just one person, and are password protected.

If you are the account holder, change your passwords. Now.

If you are not the account holder, get all of the details that you need from the accounts (for example the name of your electricity provider, the Game of Thrones episode you were watching) before your ex changes the password and you lose access.

7) ‘Write it down and read it out’

It’s tempting to make it look like you are coping really well and having an amazing time in your newfound singledom, by posting only very positive images and text about your fun activities and new friends. If your aim is to show your ex that you are doing great without them, go right ahead.

But bear in mind that if your friends see those same posts, they may be less likely to offer you their support, exactly because you look like you are doing fine.

So make good use of your online social media, and make it a force for good after a romantic break up. Don’t look at what your ex is doing. Do let your friends know that you need them. And things will start to look up.

– The Conversation

 

The Conversation

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