Content about computing

Craig Sullivan, vice president and general manager of International Products for NetSuite, outlines eight ways in which outdated ERP systems can damage your business.

Over the past decade, technology has transformed the broader world of business and consumer applications. Workers interact through mobile devices and social media, with applications increasingly connected over the web. But many ERP deployments remain static in spite of these changes.

Ewen Anderson at Centralis explains how organisations can manage IT consumerisation in an efficient and secure manner, boosting productivity and employee satisfaction while delivering on longer-term strategic objectives.

Given that gamification is so clearly based in consumer technology, it can be difficult to make the leap to how it may work for the likes of an ERP system or operational control software. When one looks at ‘typical’ gamification elements – virtual currencies, badges, competitions and progress bars – they seem more Facebook than factory floor. But look again. Some, though not all, of these elements fit incredibly well into modern business computing and solve real issues.

Many businesses are confused by the diverse offerings of cloud computing. However, for next generation EDI, the ‘managed cloud’ is a simple notion, as Steve Rees explains.

Cloud computing is a remarkable phenomenon, with analysts at IDC predicting public cloud computing services to be a $73 billion market by 2015. However, many CIOs are still puzzled by the term and may not yet be familiar with how appropriate ‘the cloud’ is for certain business IT functions. Concerns over security, too, remain an issue for some.

...and clear strategic thinking mean that after five years building a nationwide fibre optic communication backbone, Neotel is leading the migration to next generation communications. Dr Angus Hay talks to Gay Sutton about the steps that are making cloud computing available in South Africa.

ERP has been the backbone of manufacturing IT for so long that it has taken on its own myths. The trouble is that these myths are now ‘accepted wisdom’, despite being anything but acceptable or wise. Destruction of these misconceptions is long overdue.

Ricoh executive vice president Ian Winham makes frequent trips down the acquisition road. Here, he offers insights on what works, and a novel idea on what’s next.

Maybe it’s time for Google to purchase a carmaker.