Mobile robots to outpace drones in supply chain
Smart mobile robot adoption in supply chains is growing rapidly and will far outpace drones over the next three years, according to Gartner. In the Gartner report, Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones, 2023, Gartner experts said that many organisations already...
Google opens AI accelerator for African startups
Google has unveiled the Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First, an initiative aimed at supporting African startups looking to use artificial intelligence (AI) to solve local challenges. The programme recognises the transformative role that AI is playing across the...
How India can realise growth potential
S&P Global Market Intelligence has found that, for India to meet its growth potential in the coming years, the country must leverage its strong and growing labour force, hone in on the growth of its global manufacturing exports, and lean into the boom in local...
Watsonx generative AI accelerates mainframe app modernisation
IBM has announced watsonx Code Assistant for Z, a new generative AI-assisted product that will help enable faster translation of Cobol to Java on IBM Z and enhances developer productivity on the platform. This product will be generally available in Q4 2023, and is...
Financial inclusivity drives QR code payment growth
The volume of QR code payments in the leading southeast Asian market will increase from 13-billion in 2023 to 90-billion in 2028, according to a new study from Juniper Research. High growth in Southeast Asia and other developing markets is largely down to financial...
Tobacco sales ban failed to encourage smokers to quit
The 20-week sales ban on tobacco products introduced by the South African government in response to the Covid-19 pandemic did not have the intended objective of encouraging large-scale smoking cessation, a study has found. The paper, published in Tobacco Induced...
Global IPO activity still on a decline
Last year saw a dramatic slowdown in global IPO activity, with the total value of deals plummeting by 72% to $171,2-billion. However, 2023 doesn’t look much better as high inflation, rising interest rates, and the gloomy economic outlook continue to make fundraising...
What your telephone system can tell you about your business
Telephone systems are the primary point of contact for many businesses. They also offer insights that can improve customer satisfaction, retention and business performance. Zendesk's CX Trends 2023 Report found that 59% of consumers believe businesses should use the...
How AI can transform business for the better
Despite what many may fear, artificial intelligence (AI) is not going to replace humans in the job market. At least not yet. If harnessed correctly, AI could do wonders for the way we live, work, play, and travel. The future of the hospitality industry in particular,...
Lead the AI revolution with data
Trying to deliver on AI without a data strategy that addresses data quality challenges is like putting the cart before the horse, writes Paul Morgan, head: data, analytics and AI at Altron Karabina. ChatGPT exploded onto the global landscape at the end of 2022, and...
Fintech and the challenge of Treating Customers Fairly
Fintech businesses need to apply Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles when designing new products and services, especially considering the digital divide, writes Lerato Lamola, associate director at Webber Wentzel. The future of financial services is...
How to extract more value from software licenses
As the world becomes accustomed to cloud computing, licensing has become a major pain point for businesses whose costs continue to rise while they don't see a requisite rise in value. This is according to Braintree MD Heath Huxtable, who adds that managing the regret...