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Category: Vox 4 Thought
Wednesday Series of the Week: Designated Survivor
Designated Survivor is an American political thriller and drama television series created by David Guggenheim. The series stars Keifer Sutherland (best known as Jack Bouwer in 24) as Thomas Kirkman, an American politician and chosen designated survivor for the State of the Union address.
Viewers can anticipate major drama in the show’s pilot. Kirkman is home with his family and next thing the Secret Service busts down his door and drags him to the White House to be sworn in as President of the United States of America.
I love this show because I feel like a fly on the wall in the White House!
Sure, the show has a far-out premise, but the suspenseful plot gets your adrenaline pumping. It’s also fun to watch Sutherland navigate a role where he can’t rely on his fighting skills!
Designated Survivor has a host of recognizable faces in the supporting cast. You might recognize Maggie Q from Nikita Fame and Natasha McElhone from Californication.
Verdict: Designated Survivor is both disturbing and riveting and well worth watching! Since it’s on Netlfix, you can find all the seasons available on the platform with another on its way.
This is what our Voxies thought of Designated Survivor:
“Amazing show, every episode leaves you wanting more. We need more seasons!” – Trisha Viljoen, Vox Marketing Studio Manager
“A fast-paced, political thriller. I was gripped from start to finish!” – Nina Appiah-Baiden, Vox Senior Content Writer
“I love this show because I feel like a fly on the wall in the White House!” –Nicky Stainforth, Vox Graphic Designer
Check out the trailer below:
What is the difference between Office 2019, Office 365 & Office Online?
Most people need Microsoft Office applications. We use them at home, work and school. The Internet has opened a world of possibilities and as a result, Microsoft has given us more to choose from. If you’re struggling to make a choice, have a look at the table below to compare:
Enablers of the smart world
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the interconnection between everyday objects or “things” that are embedded with computing technology and are able to send and receive data from each other.
Think your fridge connecting to your phone and telling it you’re out of milk while you’re at the grocery store.
The fast connection of 5G, Fibre and WiFi 6 will together enable IoT products to speak to each other and essentially ring in the pinnacle era of the smart age. Think smart homes, smart transport, smart education and ultimately smart cities – run by technology with little human interference.
The Game Changers
Fibre
Fibre is your best bet when using IoT devices in homes and business buildings. It has a lower contention ratio than 5G and is your fastest internet connection. It is however a fixed connection and therefore won’t have the advantage of being mobile. “Things like cars and phones that rely on mobility will not always be able to connect to fibre, but “things” like home appliances, TVs and garage doors can be brought to life with IoT through a fibre connection”.
WiFi 6
WiFi 6 has a lower contention ratio than 5G, by creating narrower dedicated channels. This means there are less people sharing channels on WiFi 6 than on 5G, where many users share the same bandwidth. WiFi 6 will work well in all public spaces. It will not only significantly improve user experiences in your usual WiFi hotspots like restaurants, hospitals, schools and businesses, but it will also bring WiFi capabilities to public transport like buses, trains, planes and the like or public spaces like streets, parks, beaches and any other public space you can think of.
The disadvantage however is that we are not ready for WiFi 6. Devices like smartphones need to have WiFi 6 enabled technology to utilise WiFi 6 and as of yet, these devices have not yet been built. The equipment needed to build devices for WiFi 6 is currently expensive and since people aren’t using it, it is not yet needed. So, while WiFi 6 exists, we can’t use it to its fullest potential.
Think smart homes, smart transport, smart education and ultimately smart cities.
5G
5G is said to bring higher throughput, lower latency and lower cost than the mobile generations that came before it. The predecessors of 5G all brought a faster speed and lower price than the technologies before them, but unlike 5G, they were not catalysts of the smart world. The speed and mobility of 5G will enable a world run by IoT technology. Signal strength, high contention ratios (the high amount of people using one network) and the dependency on base stations that could go down due to power cuts, is however the disadvantage of 5G connectivity.
Related: How the Internet of Things can drive industry growth in the post-pandemic world
The world is abuzz about 5G, but to usher in this smart age, we need more than just 5G, we need multiple Internet connections sharing the load so that devices can send and receive data seamlessly. Fibre will work best in homes and buildings and WiFi 6 in public spaces, while 5G fills the gaps in between. Relying on only one internet connection to usher in this smart utopia is shortsighted. As they say, the cord of three strands is not easily broken, even if some of those cords are wireless.
Choosing the right PBX system for your business
One of the most important aspects of any business is that customers are able to get hold of you. As VoIP communications technology continues to evolve and improve, many businesses are saying goodbye to their old phone systems and embracing digital technology. Making that decision requires careful planning, but the lower costs, increased flexibility and simplicity of virtual PBX systems make them hard to ignore.
Choosing the right PBX for your business can be a daunting task. You ask yourself: do I remain with a traditional on-site PBX or do I go with a hosted system? If I don’t, will I be left in the dark ages, but if I do, will I lose control of my business? Decisions, decisions – all I want is for my business calls to be answered!
To help you make that decision with minimal fuss, we have outlined some questions below that will guide you in selecting the right option for your business needs.
- How big is your business?
A good rule of thumb is that if you have more than 40 employees needing connections, a traditional on-site PBX is most likely the best option. Alternatively, if you are a smaller business with fewer employees and minimal needs for advanced functionalities and features, then a hosted solution would probably be the best option.
- Do you plan on growing your business and staff in the near future?
Not only should you choose a good business phone to match your current needs, but also one that continues to meet the needs of your business as it grows.
A hosted PBX is not only flexible and scalable, but also provides security, mobility and growth whereas a traditional system is fairly stagnant, expensive to install and maintain and once it’s installed, it can be costly to add users or to replace it.
- How much are you willing to invest?
An on-site PBX solution has a high upfront cost because of the hardware, licensing, and installation costs.
Hosted PBX offers the advantage of much lower start-up costs since you’re not responsible for purchasing all of the necessary software, core hardware, and equipment as required for an on-premise system.
- How are your employees working?
In the case of remote employees, it often means sacrificing functionality and professionalism when communicating from cell phones, Skype, etc. With a cloud phone system, remote employees can take their VoIP phones wherever they go and maintain a consistent number and service functionality with customers and the home office.
- How reliable is your office’s Internet connection?
With a PBX system deployed on-site, there is no need to worry about having an internet connection that can support the phone system.
As high-speed and reliable internet connections with good download and upload speeds are becomingly increasingly available to small businesses, this can be great for e-businesses who do everything online. However, a simple connection to the internet will not necessarily do the job and it’s important to check with your service provider about the service itself, the connectivity and hosting.
In conclusion
While there seems to be more advantages to a hosted VoIP based system, the kind of phone system you opt for really comes down to the size, type of business you are running and the type of infrastructure you already have in place.
The table below provides a simple comparison between hosted and traditional premise-based PBX solutions which should aid you in making the right decision for your business PBX requirements.
Eskom’s fibre could provide revenue and uplift communities
The power utility has the means for a new income stream that would also take the country into the fourth industrial revolution
Eskom, which is going to cost the government R150bn over the next decade, is cited as the single-biggest threat to SA’s fortunes. However, with some creativity the power utility could take fast internet to the masses. It is sitting on a fibre gold mine.
While the public has every right to be angry and demand accountability for the malaise of the state-owned enterprise as it directly affects all our fortunes, there is an opportunity that simply cannot be ignored. As the discussions focus on the utility’s unbundling and turnaround strategy, it would be useful for all stakeholders, from the president and public enterprises ministry to the decision-makers at Eskom, to consider a different revenue stream.
On every Eskom (and Transnet) power line there is a duct with core fibre strands in it. Two years ago Eskom brought in Deloitte to conduct studies, and then approached internet service providers (ISPs) and asked whether they would be interested in taking the capacity if Eskom were to sell it. The response from us ISPs was an obvious yes, because their fibre contains unlimited capacity and speaks to our strategy of broad connectivity.
For instance, placing fibre in a remote Northern Cape town is the easy part, but the infrastructure cost to get there kills the business case before you even dig up the first pavement. The result? The town remains neglected. Yet here, in front of everyone’s eyes, is the solution. Many residents in these small towns only use the internet for basic services such as limited internet searches and social media. There is no streaming and no over-the-top offerings. Imagine turning this on its head: you “fibre up” the town and suddenly it goes from best-effort basic services to having the capability to leverage enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management in the cloud — in fact, just about any cloud-based services.
It’s not only connectivity that is improved. Education is enhanced, as is business efficiency and service delivery. Infrastructure that has been built up over generations is there, ready to be used. It provides immense potential for new revenue streams, but to date the report with such socioeconomic potential doesn’t appear to have caught the attention of the executive management at Eskom, the public enterprises ministry or the president.
There is research that draws a direct correlation between having people connected to the internet and the GDP growth of an economy.
With some creativity Eskom could take fast internet to the masses. It is sitting on a fibre gold mine.
That isn’t overly surprising; the utility is in survival mode. But the business case surely deserves consideration. The asset doesn’t need to be sold, and we all know how contentious that topic is. It could be leased over a period of time. New revenue streams would be made possible and the economic potential that could be unleashed is immense.
There is research that draws a direct correlation between having people connected to the internet and the GDP growth of an economy. The fourth industrial revolution presents an opportunity to fast-track SA’s development and improve the lives of its citizens. Of critical importance in this instance is that we have a golden opportunity to bring fast, cost-effective connectivity to the masses.
People who have never been connected to the internet before will be online. Industry is increasingly moving to the cloud, and unless businesses are connected they will become restricted in what they can achieve and remain uncompetitive.
In addition to harnessing the power of the fibre contained in the Eskom (and Transnet) infrastructure, ISPs look forward to the government moving on the release of 5G spectrum. But the load requirement as mobile connectivity continues expanding is growing exponentially. For us to keep up with these demands and increasingly data-intensive applications we simply have to have access to 5G.
Companies such as ours that have 5G as part of their strategic plans are watching with interest to see how the spectrum allocation eventually happens, because ultimately the cost will be passed on to the end user. That’s really where demand comes from, and SA’s inequality means the poor cannot access expensive services.
As South Africans we are agile, innovate, fast and make decisions well. The private sector is raising its hand to be part of the president’s “new dawn”. This country and continent has immense potential. It’s why we are strategically looking at creative and innovative ways to invest in both the consumer and business client in SA, and then take this successful strategy to other parts of Africa and the world.
The knock-on revenue streams continually increase, from big data and advertising, to smart malls and eventually smart cities. The government has in its control the infrastructure to enable ISPs to make this future a reality.
*Original article published and written by The Business Day, 28 March 2019
Demystifying Unified Communications
In this ever rapidly evolving technological world that we find ourselves in today, the number of techy terms and jargon thrown around is so overwhelming and almost impossible to keep up with. So we find ourselves in 2019 where everyone is talking about “Unified Communications” – another term, another vernacular, another frustratingly technical idiom that sees our intelligence levels rapidly dwindle from Einstein to Village Idiot!
What exactly is “Unified Communications” (UC) and what value will it add to our lives?
Simply put, UC is a term used to describe the business world’s efforts to integrate all the “apps”, or communication channels, if you will, to allow the user to have all this information easily accessible, irrespective of when or where he/she needs access – be it home, work, on the Gautrain – and how he/she needs access, e.g. laptop, tablet, smartphone or even the local pub!
UC blurs the demarcation lines between the communication channels. For example, a user can receive a voicemail message and can choose to access it through email or any phone. The sender’s status can be seen through presence information, and if online, a response can be sent immediately through chat message or video call. The objective is to unify and streamline those business procedures that involve human communications – it is an ongoing process of convergence that brings together vendors, technologies, applications, processes, and users.
This technology is a major step in the direction that organisations need to take in order to enhance and improve workflow in any workplace, encouraging better engagement and performance from employees. In fact, studies have shown that UC solutions can save companies up to 191 hours in terms of productivity.
The following benefits of UC in the business environment in summary:
Cost reduction
Having the ability to consolidate all of your communication avenues into a single system is going to massively reduce your operating costs. Furthermore, video conferencing has the ability to dramatically reduce the costs associated with both internal and external meetings and conference calls, e.g. travel costs and employee downtime can be lessened as much as possible.
Increased employee productivity and working on the go
Work anywhere. Connect with partners and customers from the road, from home, or anywhere business takes you. On a UC plan, instant connectivity provides flexibility when it comes to where, when, and how business communications occur. In addition, with files stored in a secure cloud that everyone in the team can access, working on shared documents is simpler and faster than ever. Linking employees to the cloud is another way that UC can help to drive greater productivity. It is all part of a smarter way of working.
Communication is simple to manage
With UC, specific applications can be developed for company networks that secure company data and make bandwidth monitoring and management far easier to handle.
Also, with the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies that many companies are moving towards can make the security and management aspects of IT harder to deal with. However, a unified system mitigates this by pushing all users into the same, secure company communications network.
Superior Reliability
UC offers superior reliability by creating performance redundancies that protect against downtime. If one tool goes down, another is programmed to kick in.
In a nutshell, UC:
- Supports remote working
- Manages multiple tools and platforms
- Connects new employees to your system directly from any device
- Sync contacts and schedules with Microsoft Outlook
- Displays user status, e.g. busy
- Accesses video calls from your handset or smartphone
- Makes calls from wherever you are in the world
- Collaborates in real time
UC simplifies your life!
Why Your Business Should Rent its Equipment
Why buy depreciating assets, when you can rent your hardware? Say bye to buy and hello to Vox Hardware as a Service (HaaS)
Besides location and staffing, one of the biggest financial aspects business owners need to consider is the price of their hardware. IT laptop and desktop expenditure can put a serious dent in an organisations’ cashflow if you opt to buy it outright. However, we all know that most businesses can benefit from having the latest technology and the edge that it gives them over their competition. But keeping up with technological trends costs money which puts one in a bit of a catch-22.
Thanks to Vox, the solution is clear: rent your hardware. This way, your company will benefit from current tier-one equipment, without the exorbitant costs. It’s a no-brainer.
The Pros and Pros of HaaS:
- Obsolescence is no longer a worry. Keep up-to-date with technology and avoid capital outlay on depreciating equipment, while ensuring maximum productivity and efficiency.
- Unlike major capital expenditures that may need to be planned months in advance, rental agreements can be implemented immediately with the added benefit of the latest OS.
- Your funds won’t be tied up in an outright purchase.
- The lean OpEx model means predictable and transparent per-user monthly pricing, plus no recurring costs of hardware refreshes or costs of disposal when the equipment becomes obsolete.
- With a rental agreement, once its term ends, the hardware can simply be returned. There is no liability involved.
What are you waiting for? Get a faster return on investment with Vox HaaS. Find out more here.
Cybersecurity: Eight steps to protect your business
The issue of information security is trending in the news again with multiple instances of hacking and information breaches that have exposed the private details of tens of millions in countries around the globe, including South Africa.
Statistics collected by Fortinet shows that nine million South Africans fell prey to cybercrime in 2016, with up to 40% of ransomware victims that pay up. Businesses aren’t immune to this risk either: 33% of South African companies were impacted, with 15% experiencing an attack through their website, and they must take the necessary precautions to protect their networks and data.
With malicious intent often underlying these incidents, attacks are directed through multiple areas, including the network perimeter, websites and email, and an integrated security strategy is required to efficiently respond to these threats.
There are eight steps that companies can start off with to improve:
1. Ensure email security has targeted threat protection: statistics show that up to 90 percent of breaches come via email phishing, and proactively screening for potential threats of such nature helps minimise risk.
2. Use a reputable firewall: rather than relying on consumer equipment, businesses should turn to more robust firewall solutions that include advanced functionality including web and email filtering, data loss prevention, and management and reporting features.
3. Backup files regularly: all businesses should backup important information to ensure redundancy in case of data loss through equipment failure, accidental error, data corruption, natural disasters etc. Best practice also calls for data backups to be held offsite, and away from your main network, and turning to the cloud for backup and disaster recovery is one option.
4. Run scheduled tests: actively looking for weaknesses in your network means that you get to close vulnerabilities before they are exploited by hackers. Apart from running a battery of tests including network and port scans (manually or automated through software), companies are turning to hiring ‘white hat’ hackers or even offering the public rewards for finding bugs.
5. Change passwords regularly: A joint study by Google and the University of California that monitored stolen credentials shows that nearly two billion usernames and passwords exposed through breaches are available on the blackmarket. Regularly changing passwords ensures that the integrity of your network and/or data is not compromised.
6. Check policies and procedures: depending on the size of your business, this can range all the way from a single sheet to a comprehensive document that deals with systems and processes around ICT infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and employee awareness and training. This policy needs to be regularly updated to keep up with changes to the business, the technology uses, and new threats emerging.
7. Be cautious about opening unsolicited emails: employees are increasingly being targeted, with hackers using ever more sophisticated methods including ‘whaling attacks’, which are a highly personalised form of phishing that are directed at senior management, aimed at getting them to part with confidential company information.
8. Train your staff: as much as companies can rely on technology to improve data and network security, training employees to be digitally vigilant is vital to ensure that endpoints do not turn into the weakest link the the cybersecurity chain. This is especially important as work concepts such as enterprise mobility and Bring Your Own Device gain in momentum.
