It’s Time to Up your Endpoint Security Game

Posted on 20 April 2021 by Guin Davies

A combination of cyber smarts and a comprehensive Endpoint security solution is the key to keeping safe from cybercrime.

Data. It’s such a small word for something considered one of the most valuable resources in the world. Let’s not kid, it’s not actually more valuable than oil, but it’s pretty important all the same. And yet, our data is at risk every day in increasingly elaborate ways while most of us continue to ignore the threats until they literally become our problem.

The connected devices we use and truly rely on to function in the 21^st century continue to be the easiest targets for cyberattacks – whether it’s your laptop, tablet, smart phone or watch. Sadly, the reason is mostly down to us – the end-users.

We are the weakest link

With work from home now becoming the norm, increasing our awareness around cybersecurity and the presence of online threats is more important than ever. We’re not only responsible for the integrity of our personal devices and data, but of the data and devices of the companies that employ us too.

From the email attachments we casually open to the websites we innocently browse and pop-ups we click on, the threat of cyberattack is ever-present and only growing more savvy.

And while we may try to stay vigilant, there’s only so much we can do, especially when we have so many connected devices – especially ones belonging to our kids – to worry about at the same time.

Know your (fiercest) Endpoint enemies

Just when it seems safe to enter the Internet waters, a new threat inevitably emerges. With hackers taking advantage of everyone’s fear and panic during the height of COVID-19, ransomware attacks reportedly rose by 148% globally in March last year. Mostly targeted at companies, ransomware is a type of malware (malicious software) that hijacks a network’s data/files and denies its users access until a ransom is paid.

Malware in general continues to be the most worrisome form of cyberattack for home users, as most of us won’t even be aware our computers, laptops, smartphones or tablets are infected until it’s too late – your device is ruined or your data is breached, all with a simple click on the wrong link. With the rise in mobile banking, smartphones are particularly vulnerable to malware attacks as they’re one of the last devices we often consider protecting.

You can mitigate your risk by making sure your operating system is continuously updated and you’re not opening or downloading anything from an unknown source, but ultimately, the best defence will always include an Endpoint security solution – which literally means protecting your all devices/endpoints from malicious attacks, as any device connected to your network is an Endpoint.

Do it all in one

While you can hopefully rely on your company to have put Endpoint security protocols in place to protect their network integrity from afar (if not, tell them to check out our Cybersecurity Portal or IT Security Toolbox ), when it comes to the multitude of devices you have at home, it’s possible to simplify the threat of multiple types of attacks on various devices with a single solution.

Our Endpoint Security solutions not only include anti-virus and anti-ransomware, data encryption and parental controls, it can cover a range of connected devices in your home simultaneously, providing comprehensive protection for your PC, laptop, tablet and smartphone as well as your gaming console. Don’t you feel safer already?

How to Work from Home Without Getting Fired

Posted on 16 April 2021 by Suhail Dinat

We’ve all heard the story about working from home a thousand times. It’s the new normal, Covid19 has affected the way we function, businesses have moved out of traditional offices- you name it, we’ve read it (and sometimes written it).

To many, the concept of “new normal” isn’t even new anymore – it’s pretty much standard practice. Many of us have adapted, some have changed, others still learning. Yet, strangely, we occasionally find ourselves sprawled on the couch from time to time, frantically scrambling up three flights of stairs while wiping Dorito residue from our mouths as we hear that “ping” on Teams.

Working from home has its benefits, but also presents its fair share of challenges.

Which is why we’re putting together this handy guide to ensure you still have work and a home come the end of the year.

Step One: Shower. Always shower.

Aside from good form, domestic bliss and the obvious need for hygiene in the middle of a pandemic, nothing gets you out of ‘bed mode’ quite like a good morning scrub. While it’s tempting to lay in until the last possible second (we’d use our laptop as a pillow if we could), the fact is you don’t really snap out of the snooze until the water hits your face.

Getting into a full morning routine despite not having an office to go to can genuinely alter the way your workday goes. Brush your teeth, shower, have a schedule and stick to it. Or, if none of those work for you, just make sure you shower. Pants and socks, however, well they’re completely optional.

Step Two: Remember to Eat.

It’s so easy to get sucked in a vortex of work that sometimes you lose track of time. More so when there’s no co-workers coughing next to you or throwing a paper plane at your head. While in the office we’d often find ourselves clock watching, sometimes at home we look up and it’s four hours later (relativity and all that).

The key to getting the most done during your day is taking the time to eat, drink and keep your body fuelled so that your mind can do its thing. Remember, this isn’t college anymore and, tempting as a two-minute noodle and Red Bull diet may seem, we don’t think they’re meant for anyone whose knees crack when they stand up.

Step Three: Communicate.

They say no man (or woman, it’s 2021) is an island, and for the most part this is true. While many confuse making meowing noises at their cat or using a baby voice on their Rottweiler a surrogate for human interaction, studies show that it’s really, really not.

Unless you’re Marc Zuckerberg, you need to be compatible with other humans to some extent. Working from home can be the most liberating, distraction free feeling in the world- like Ritalin for adults. However, after a while it does feel like solitary, and you can easily find yourself isolated from your team without even realising it.

Take the time to touch base with the people around you. Emails are great, but those passive aggressive “as per my last request’s” tend to add up. Engage in team building, meet up for drinks or even just chat now and again- we’re social creatures, and we need to get along (at least until Skynet takes over).

Step Four: Pace yourself.

Remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint. An 8-hour marathon that continues every day, but a marathon nonetheless.

Go at your own pace so as not to burn out by the time you reach 3pm. Get up, stretch, take walks, spy on whether your domestic worker is actually busy or go to the gym if you have time. Take a moment to live, take a moment to fly, take a moment to love (and don’t ask why).

What’s the point of working from home if you’re glued to a desk for hours on end anyway? We do recommend checking your calendar before taking a breather, however, because nothing is worse than getting an ‘incoming video call’ while you’re on the can.

Step Five: It’s in the Setup.

A terrible chair and washing machine for a desk can quickly make your day go pear shaped. It may be an investment, but we advise using the money you’d otherwise have spent on petrol on the correct setup. Your desk is where you’ll spend the better part of your day- it needs to look good, feel good and maintain the weight of you smashing it every time the signal drops.

Step Six: Track your time.

The easiest way to get stuck mucking around is to eliminate the concept of accountability. This may not be primary school, but nothing kills a sense of urgency like knowing there’s no deadline. Some bosses are chilled, others related to Satan, but all companies have things that need to be completed- and with WFH, it’s often your job to self-govern.

If you’re fortunate enough to not work on a timesheet or per project structure, implement a system that involves measuring how you spend your workday. Set deadlines for yourself, find new ways to keep mentally stimulated or feel the wrath of falling in a rut- which is a very, very bad place to be. Just ask any political party ever.

Ultimately, it’s an interesting time to be alive. We have oranges as former politicians and telling people to back off is a social norm. We live in a society where “no touchey” is now a compliment, and we can skip as many weddings as we like without feeling like a tool.

Work, however, continues, which makes many of us more fortunate than others. The trick is finding the discipline and motivation required to keep going when unsupervised while avoiding “1984” references on a Teams call with your boss.

Doing Business on Demand with Modern Applications

Posted on 15 April 2021 by Duo Marketing

By Neville Levinthal, Head of Sales and Marketing, Braintree by Vox

Having grown accustomed to seamless experiences with their personal apps, business owners and managers are increasingly looking for business applications that integrate with each other, and use a shared data pool to provide users with real-time information or recommendations that helps them to do their job more efficiently – without being asked to do so.

The challenge for organisations is that traditional applications were built around the functionality they offered, and not the user experience. In addition, these systems often operate independently of each other, leaving employees with the task of manually moving data between applications. This leads to inefficiencies, increases the possibility of errors and even missed opportunities.

Modern applications change all of this by providing an end-to-end user-centric solution that is designed to make the workplace more efficient by presenting valuable information on demand, doing much of the mundane tasks, and allowing employees to focus on their core responsibilities – and this ease of doing business will be crucial going forward.

Using a common platform enables a digitally-driven environment that unlocks new ways of doing business. In Microsoft’s case, this means that applications from across productivity (Microsoft 365) and business tools (Microsoft Dynamics 365), as well as the cloud (Microsoft Azure) seamlessly integrate with each other. This enables easy sharing of data and switching between applications, while also laying the foundation on which third-party applications can be built.

As an example, Braintree’s CRM24, which is designed to help employees better manage engagement with potential and current customers with its “Activity Management” feature to assign tasks, send emails, schedule appointments and even select from built-in workflows and business process flows – all of which are synchronised with Microsoft Outlook and Teams.

Imagine how much easier it would be if your applications could automatically pull up documents or past emails to provide context, and allow you to easily switch between your emails and finance or CRM (customer relationship management) just by clicking on a invoice, purchase order or customer support ticket number. Or even having potential new business enquiries sent via email automatically captured to your CRM system and assigned to a sales person or team.

Cloud gives businesses computing clout

These developments in technology are being made accessible to businesses of all sizes as a result of the economies of scale of cloud computing. Rather than having to invest in infrastructure, organisations can leave that to specialists, and rather focus on how best to make use of the tools and functionalities – including artificial intelligence and machine learning – that they now have access to.

Furthermore, being part of a global multi-tenanted cloud provider like Azure means that business users stand to benefit from the customer and supplier insights that are gleaned from across all users, and not just within your own organisation.

Powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, companies can now get recommendations from their modern applications, such as your finance application telling you that a certain customer might have difficulty with payment, when you look to process their order.

Getting started

While companies previously had huge capital expenditure costs in order to fund their infrastructure and software licenses, this is no longer the case. Switching to cloud means that they move to a consumption based model with a monthly subscription fee, which makes it far more scalable.

In addition, modern applications are built on a template-based deployment model, which cuts down on the lengthy lead times associated with traditional software of the past. In addition, vendors such as Braintree are also annuatising the deployment costs so that these can be paid along with the monthly subscriptions rather than as an upfront cost.

With more business transactions taking place online, companies will need to ensure a seamless process for both their employees and customers. Research shows that digital sales have grown by 18% in the first quarter of 2020 over the comparative period the year before. Furthermore, the share of traffic coming from social media increased to 8% in Q1 2020 as opposed to the 6% of 2019. This is highlighting the importance of being able to serve customers better in newer, more agile ways than pre-pandemic.

In order to respond to this need, organisations will need a solution that enables and empowers their employees by being proactive and presenting them with the right information, with the right context, in real time. That solution is turning away from traditional business software and toward platform-based modern applications.

Distributed working does not mean distributed attention: keeping employees engaged in the new normal

Posted on 15 April 2021 by Jacques du Toit

Four years ago, a BBC correspondent speaking on live television about relations with North Korea made headlines for another reason: while on a virtual call his young daughter walked into his office and approached his desk, followed by a baby in a walking chair and then a panicked Mum bursting into shot to remove the children. We laughed and cringed in equal measure.

Fast forward four years and our world has changed. Online conferencing tools are the norm, and most of us have come to terms with the fact that even although we have systems and procedures in place to prevent unprofessional interruptions, there is little we can do about the odd hadeda screech at inopportune moments.

A year on from our hard lockdown it is evident that Covid-19 sped up all aspects of digital transformation, and distributed working is a reality that is here to stay in one way or another. Distributed working, however, does not need to mean distributed attention, and companies that are able to instil an engaged culture supported by the right tools will improve their productivity and team efficiencies notably.

Not all industries are poised to benefit from distributed working. For example, while professional services firms make the shift fairly easily, agriculture happens on a farm. That being said, the success of a remote and distributed workforce lies in the level of employee engagement.

Harvard Business School conducted a useful analysis of 3-million workers across 16 cities in Israel, the EU and the US, which – though not specific to South Africa – provides a bird’s eye view of how the workday has changed. The average workday is nine hours long, the number of meetings has increased, though their duration has decreased, phone calls are up 230%, the number of emails has grown 57% and CRM activity is up 176%.

While these numbers should ordinarily scream “productivity”, the problem of disengaged employees looms ever large. The Gallup 2017 State of the Global Workplace Report found that 85% of the workforce were not engaged. While 15% were actively engaged and loyal and generally go on to become leaders, 67% were not engaged and merely coast along under the radar. A staggering 18% were actively disengaged and driving negative sentiment about the company.

If one takes these figures and superimposes them onto a distributed workforce in 2021, it becomes blatantly clear that for companies to benefit from a work-from-home environment, business leaders need to actively drive engagement. The risk of losing more employees to apathy or disengagement is higher than ever before.

Building an engaged workforce starts with an engaged leadership who make engagement an expected way of life through their actions and behaviours.

They become the beacons who set the tone for the rest of the organisation.

The next step lies in developing a compelling employee value proposition and growing talent. At its core, this requires spelling out what is expected of each employee and what they can expect in return, including how exemplary performance will be rewarded. Talent development should be integral to an organisation, thereby guiding staff that have a career plan that they can see, keeping them engaged.

Once the leaders are engaged and all employees understand the value proposition of their jobs, to thrive in a distributed work environment, businesses must ensure they have the right resources and processes in place. Going back to the research on engaged and disengaged staff, 36% of employees who said they did not feel enabled to complete their tasks fell into the actively disengaged segment.

To complicate matters, within the segment of employees who did not feel enabled, about a third were engaged. This is a dangerous statistic because the combination of disempowered while remaining engaged can lead to burnout and frustration. When this boils over, they will become disengaged.

Companies should conduct surveys to measure engagement levels at all levels of their organisations at regular intervals and implement interventions timeously, including steps to enable employees.

As we know from experience, working from home is far more than “just” conducting a Teams call. There is a hierarchy of needs that must be in place for effective remote working, starting with the most essential.

The foundation is Fibre. The data and real-time audio-visual requirements of the modern workday mean that a Fibre line is an absolute essential.

The step above this is Wi-Fi, which is an extension of Fibre. As more devices are added, there are more risks of critical functions being interrupted, which necessitates a robust router.

Living in South Africa, we all understand that load shedding can happen at a few hours’ notice, and so a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) system that covers the basics, such as the router and a few switches, is essential to doing business.

Once they’re in place, the company needs to look at collaboration tools such as Microsoft 365 that enable conferencing, voice calls, file sharing, and more. A distributed workforce is a golden opportunity for cybercriminals to exploit more weak entry points into an organisation. Shifting to the cloud and employing hybrid cloud models is here to stay. It needs to be secured.

Collaboration tools come with built-in security but companies would do well to invest in a firewall. The last thing a business needs is for an employee to open a back door to a cyberattack.

The next step in enablement lies in the hardware – laptops, printers, speakers, and cameras, among others depending on the nature of the work. Because the new normal and its implications for remote working continues to evolve, many companies are handling rentals of these essentials as operational expenses as opposed to capital expenses.

While work will never be the same again, the shape it settles into will be dependent on how the pandemic moulds our world over the next few months. What we can be certain about, is that we do not need to forego an engaged workforce as we navigate these unchartered waters.

SD-WAN White Paper

Posted on 14 April 2021 by Duo Marketing

One of the most disruptive network technologies available today, software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) not only allow companies to leverage a mix of various information transport services (including Fibre, 5G, LTE-A and Wireless) to connect users quickly and securely to applications, they also hold the promise of significantly lowering operational costs and improving resource optimisation in the process.

In this white paper, we offer a detailed outline of the future of SD-WAN in South Africa as well as how our unique SD-WAN offerings will:

Future-proof business infrastructure – particularly for SMEs
Bridge the divide between traditional and modern technologies
Enhance agility and support for cloud applications
Increase efficiency and promote flexibility within the workplace

More than just another tech industry buzzword, we believe SD-WAN holds the key to creating a more innovative and agile enterprise environment.

CRM24: A Cloud-Based Solution Built Around the Customer Experience

Posted on 6 April 2021 by Duo Marketing

Customer relationship management (CRM) has become one of the most important strategic areas in business today. The pandemic, challenging economic conditions, and an increased focus on digital solutions mean organisations are rethinking their approach to these systems.

“COVID-19 has overwhelmed lives and livelihoods around the globe. For vulnerable individuals and the customer teams that serve them, it has also forced a rethink of what customer care means. Suddenly, examinations of customer journeys and satisfaction metrics to inform product and service direction have given way to an acute urgency to address what the immediate needs are,” says Nishie Sewpersadh, Product Manager: Microsoft CSP at Braintree, the consulting and integration division of Vox.

For instance, digital sales have grown by 18% in the first quarter of 2020 over the comparative period the year before. Furthermore, the share of traffic coming from social media increased to 8% in Q1 2020 as opposed to the 6% of 2019. This is highlighting the importance of being able to serve customers better in newer, more agile ways than pre-pandemic.

As such, there has been a spate of CRM solutions that use existing enterprise-level technology that has been repurposed in a rapid deployment methodology. Typically associated with a template-based approach, these are designed to be rolled out quickly and ‘plug in’ to existing processes with the least amount of disruption.

However, product differentiation is virtually non-existent with little to choose from between what is available. As such, Braintree has taken a different approach with its CRM24 cloud-based solution.

Coming from 25 years’ experience as a Microsoft partner, Braintree has injected the traditional rapid deployment approach with a focus on customer experience to ensure the solution is built around the needs of the client and not the other way around.

“The template is just a component of what CRM24 delivers. Affordability is a key focus and, as such, we have made the offering available on a 24-month subscription basis. This means that instead of making a significant upfront financial investment, our customers can more affordably implement a high-level solution that unlocks the high-performance computing capabilities of the cloud,” adds Sewpersadh.

Additionally, Braintree has included 12 support incidents as part of the monthly subscription fee which can be used over the 24-month period as the customer sees fit. Whether the problem resolution takes five minutes or five days, it will still count as one support incident further differentiating it from competitor solutions.

Although CRM24 is cloud-based, Braintree has bundled an independent 250GB off-site backup as a further value-add. This gives the customer complete control and flexibility over their business continuity and how quickly they can restore data without going the cloud route.

“For us, it is about delivering intrinsic value to the customer beyond just giving them an off-the-shelf application. In our experience, companies limit the amount of new functionality they explore in their cloud-based solutions. To this end, after six months, we will optimise the CRM24 environment for free to ensure they get the most value out of the system. This helps deliver a richer customer experience,” concludes Sewpersadh.

The Key to a Great Fibre Deal is Found in the Fine Print

Posted on 1 April 2021 by Guin Davies

Shop The Latest Fibre Deals

When choosing a new Fibre deal, make sure you’re not comparing apples to pears – which are also full of fibre, just a different kind.

Fibre. It’s essential to modern life. Not just as part of a balanced diet that keeps everything, uh, moving, but also for enjoying fast, reliable Internet at home. In the age of work from home and those soul restoring Bridgerton binge-watch sessions (we know. We KNOW), Fibre is a must.

But, dive right into a Fibre deal based solely on the price point and you might end up kicking yourself for the next six to 24 months. So read the fine print first!

Fair’s fair… or is it?

Despite every ISP’s best efforts, the dream of uncapped, unshaped, high-speed broadband for all often results in the reality of sluggish, slow Internet for most. And that’s where the Fair Use Policy (FUP) comes in. If you’re consuming obscene amounts of data and leaving nothing for the rest of us, you’ll soon find your Fibre speed rapidly diminishing.

That said, certain ISPs may take the position of throttling you anyway, regardless of your data consumption, during high-peak periods – exactly when you need it most – as part of their regular service delivery.

Speaking of speed, it’s also worth keeping the importance of upload speed in mind before signing on the dotted line for that seemingly amazing Fibre deal.

In the age of Teams meetings and 4k streaming, your upload speed is now a crucial factor in the decision-making process.

A Fibre deal with a nice price but a less than great upload speed might end up hurting in the long run.

Sad but true: buff and buffering are not the same thing. And, just like that, that great Fibre deal doesn’t seem so great after all. Because, weirdly enough, slow Internet is far more frustrating than no Internet. A pain the dial-up Internet generation knows all too well… Yes, some of us crawled so the rest could literally sprint. Not all heroes wear capes.

Is the installation really free?

Those costs start to creep up when you realise there’s a lot more to Fibre to the home than you may have budgeted for. A free installation goes a long way in making the experience that more accessible, but it’s not always a guarantee. Not to mention, there are instances where you may require more cabling, and this can come at extra cost to you. An additional cost made easier to bear if your installation is free in the first place.

Also, if you’re a bit of a technophobe, having a professional on hand to literally hook you up is invaluable. Because the last thing you’ll want to be faced with once the installation process is over is taking a deep dive down a Google rabbit hole to figure out how to get your router to work properly or how to set your own passwords with your smartphone data. This brings us to another possible deal-breaker…

Is a router included?

Often taken for granted and the frequent source of blame when the network crashes for what seems like the millionth time that month, we would be nowhere without our Wi-Fi routers. As the old saying goes, home is where our devices connect automatically.

While creating a reliable home Wi-Fi network can be a tricky beast to master (more about that here and here, oh, and here) it helps to start with a Fibre-compatible Wi-Fi router. It’s even better if that router happens to be included as part of your subscription to begin with. Some may promise the inclusion of a free-to-use router, only for you to discover it’s available on long term contracts but not month-to-month.

Bonus points for an ISP that also offers a wealth of knowledge and services for helping you achieve the best Wi-Fi network possible. Making the most of your amazing, high-speed Fibre is the real goal here.

If only there was an ISP you could count on for the above and more…

Oh wait, there is.

That’s us

Vox UPS: Powering up a Darkened South Africa

Posted on 30 March 2021 by Suhail Dinat

We’ve all been there, we’ve all done that.

Some countries experience outages, but in SA, we’ve embraced them like Bheki Cele embraces a new hat.

One minute you’re minding your own business, enjoying the bliss of a light-filled world. You could be laying on the couch or enjoying some alone time on the can (where else can parents get a minute of peace?), when, suddenly, darkness strikes.

There goes the universe, right? You feel your hopes and dreams getting drained away as fast as the power switch, you curse everyone from Voldemort to the Knights of the Old Republic, and you’re destined to spend the next few hours staring into the ether as you ponder the ending of the last episode of Firefly lane (although technically, they’re all cliffhangers). Aside from your sanity, one of the first things that trips is your connectivity. Which can be an issue if you’re like us and need to work during normal business hours. Deadlines, projects, meetings and beyond all come to a complete standstill- which may be fine if you work at Home Affairs, but to the everyday employee, it can have damning consequences.

Enter Vox UPS, which may not be able to restore your power, but it will definitely keep your Fibre or LTE Router connected for up to four hours during a shortage (if only we could send one to Eskom). And, while we’d love to complain about outages until they go away for good, it wouldn’t be a product blog without some features.

How about four hours of uptime and automatic activation? Or a small, compact device with plug and play installation and 24/7 support? How does the thought of keeping your business running while your competitors are crawling strike you? Or, if that’s not enough, the ability to Netflix and chill as your neighbours acquaint themselves with darkness, their old friend?

Gone are the days of coming home after work and missing out on your evening relaxation time, or the absolute nightmare that is trying to meet a deadline with a looming power cut. Working from home can continue with ease, and you never have to fear draining your Data needlessly again. You’re paying for your Internet, and you deserve to make full use of it- what use is a monthly retainer if you can’t spend 3 hours a night deciding what to watch on Netflix?

At Vox, we understand our consumer needs, which is why our products aim to address relevant challenges.

We know how tough it is running a business, particularly one that requires remote connection, and we’d never want to leave you stranded. As such, The Vox UPS is created for customers and small businesses with 20 employees or less, but truth be told it’s perfect for everyone during these tough times. They told us to stay at home, and then they left us in the dark- but let’s light up our lives with continuous, uninterrupted streaming no matter what Stage we’re in.

Wanna hear more about surviving these tough times? Check out this podcast on Work from Home vs Loadshedding

What’s the Deal with Fixed LTE?

Posted on 30 March 2021 by Suhail Dinat

There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes, and a need for reliable Internet. We’ll be honest, we can’t do much about the first two, but we think we know a thing about the third.

The reality is that, in today’s difficult socio-economic climate, price is king. Now, while that may sound like a pitch, it’s not- people are truly feeling a pinch after Covid-19 and affordability is, to many, as appealing as a load-shedding free South Africa. The concept of uninterrupted power may seem mythical, but dependable connectivity (which is cheaper than cigarettes in Level 5) is actually a reality. Too good to be true? It’s not. We’re here to present a viable, cost-effective Internet solution that’s feasible for everyone.

Working from home is as ingrained in our DNA as sanitiser, social distancing and “wear your mask”. Initially, our early challenges ranged from remembering to wear pants in client meetings to convincing our cat not to nap on top of our keyboard. Now that most of us have acclimatised, however, our main priority is fast, reliable connectivity that serves its purpose both during working hours and in the evenings.

Like a Kardashian or Thor, Fibre is an ideal for everyone, but unattainable to many. It could be the price-point, unavailability in the area, or no desire to wait until a line comes through. It could be a deterrent to sign an extended contract when you’re trying to budget for the future. It could be any one of a variety of reasons, but for many, Fibre isn’t as easy as picking up the phone and getting connected.

With Fixed-LTE, however, it’s really that easy.

From Home Affairs to a State of Nation address, very few things in South Africa are simple- except for plug-and-play. We’ve come a long way from “please call me” and call-per-second billing, and Data has replaced airtime as the most valuable commodity in any modern household. At entry level alone, you can buy 25GB for R100 (which is cheaper than a meal for one at a certain chicken franchise- but then again, most things are), while heavier users can enjoy up to 500GB Data Bundles.

So, what’s the difference between LTE and Fibre?

Glad you asked. Not only is LTE available instantly (or as soon as yours is delivered and you’ve excitedly opened the box like a kid on Christmas morning), but Data bundles are available anytime. You’ll still be zooming like Schumacher in his prime, but you don’t need to stress about on or off-peak periods, as your Data is yours whenever your heart desires.

Contracts are on a month to month basis and, should you later install Fibre, you can always keep your router for as a failsafe backup option (or as a private stash for when the kids are on holiday and Fortnight is dividing the family)

In a nutshell, Vox and MTN have joined forces to bring you a solution that’s versatile, affordable and a feasible alternative that doesn’t break the bank. 2020 was tough, and 2021 isn’t letting up, but sometimes it’s the smallest solutions that make the biggest differences.

To find out more about our LTE solutions and get your business up and running in an instant, check out our website!

Modern Enterprise Resource Planning in 2021 and Beyond

Posted on 24 March 2021 by Guin Davies

Flexible, cloud-based accounting solutions and a focus on financial forecasting will continue to dominate in Enterprise Resource Planning.

If the last 12 months have taught us anything, it’s that the ability to adapt quickly and easily to whatever the world might throw at us next is something every industry should always focus on. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is no exception.

Looking ahead, it’s pretty clear that cloud-based solutions will continue to provide the accounting industry with game-changing innovation and technology like automation and artificial intelligence (AI) for data analytics, allowing accountants to provide their clients with more than just accurate financial records, but proactive financial solutions too.

Work from anywhere

Thanks to cloud-based software solutions, accountants can work securely from anywhere, at any time, from any device with an Internet connection.

Access to crucial data in real time allows accountants to make the most informed decisions to push the business forward, saving valuable time and, yes, money, in the process.

Braintree’s BC Xpress goes one step further by offering rapid deployment for an almost seamless move into the cloud. The product is designed to get you up and running with your cloud-based accounting software in as little as eight days. Microsoft supplies everything needed – from secure servers to automatic software updates – to keep things running smoothly.

Automate the admin

Cloud-based technology will continue to make the lives of accountants and financial professionals even easier by automating time-consuming and user-error prone practices like invoice generation and payroll admin. By automating these types tasks, accountants are free to focus on creating more efficient workflow practices with in-depth data analysis.

BC Xpress provides crucial information – like payment notifications for vendors and the appearance of fraudulent purchases – automatically thanks to its approval workflows. With BC Xpress’ Financial Management, accountants have the power to make informed decisions, while improving their closing and reporting capabilities. Not to mention keep track of receivables, payables, inventory levels, audit trails as well as manage and reconcile multiple bank accounts across multiple currencies.

Predict the (financial) future

With almost half of the most time-consuming accounting necessities taken care of, more accountants and financial professionals will find themselves able to analyse crucial data and create more accurate forecasting models to guide their clients and their companies towards the best decisions possible. This allows accountants to bring value and insight to the numbers and plan with confidence about where to go next to maximise profitability, increase sales or opportunities for growth.

BC Xpress is designed to quickly deploy the core financial and operational business solution functionality available in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. It connects all the most important decision makers to a single, unified solution to analyse and share data with ease. Access to the most current and accurate data will propel your business forward from anywhere at any time.