2020 saw the sharpest rise in digital transformation across the globe. The pandemic accelerated the introduction of online education workflows in an unprecedented fashion. The effects of the crisis-induced change in teaching and learning are permanent.

“When the worldwide lockdowns started, every school was scrambling to see how they can deliver value and ensure learning continuity during this terrible time. The crisis exposed the technology access gap between the poor and rich in many societies”, stated Edzai Zvobwo, the Founder and CEO of MathsGee a peer to peer learning platform for learners to help each other through subject-specific questions and answers.

Online learner support platforms like MathsGee, Brainly and Byjus among others saw experienced exponential growth as learners and teachers were scrambling for scalable solutions to help them weather the “learn from home” phenomenon.

The common feature among platforms that gained the most users during this period is the availability of free content. This inclusive approach to business enabled learners from all walks of life to have access to quality educational resources at no cost.

This trend is evidence that there is a need for new and innovative business models that serve all learners regardless of their economic situation.

One prevalent business model that has enabled inclusivity is the ads-based model whereby learners can consume all the content but are exposed to advertising from third parties.

Another model that has grown is the freemium model whereby learners have access to basic content or free trials for a given period and then to access more features they have to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee.

“The freemium model is half-good because it gives you access but not full access thereby depriving learners of the quality information behind the paywall, this is exclusivity”, said Zvobwo.

MathsGee is committed to providing tools that enhance learner outcomes regardless of extenuating circumstances like poverty thus it has maintained a “full buffet” model. The EdTech startup currently uses an ad-based model to get revenue but is in the process of phasing out this method. They now have a “Sponsor/Tip-jar” model that seeks to optimize information sharing among learners and tutors on the platform.

In line with trends in the open-source world, which have seen the emergence of companies such as Patreon, who facilitate for the payment of creators by fans. This is a new model that allows for fans to give back to creators who are freely adding value in their lives. Github, Reddit, Pixabay and many other open-source platform now have a “Sponsor” button.

MathsGee has decided to make peer to peer sponsorships and donations the main revenue model for both the platform and content creators. Every user has a unique link on their profile that allows for other users and visitors to donate to them. The platform gets a 10% commission inclusive of transaction charges from the payment gateways.

This model ensures that no content is hidden from anyone and if a creator is producing quality content, they are guaranteed to be supported by beneficiaries on a willing donor basis.It is vital that education tool providers continue innovating for the benefit of the learner.

Website: https://mathsgee.com

Example Profile and Donate Button: https://mathsgee.com/user/MathsGee

Kerio has revealed that it is set to discontinue four Kerio Connect packages by 31 March 2019. To ensure that they remain secure and up to date, customers will need to source alternative solutions from April 2019.

Henk Oliver, MD of Ozone Information Technology Distribution suggests alternatives and upgrades that will help customers adapt.

The four discontinued solutions are: Kerio Control box series 1120 Kerio Control box series 3110 Kerio Control box series 3120 Kerio Control box series 3130 The primary impact on the user will be felt when it comes time to renew and maintain the older software.

Customers will need to upgrade to the new version of the replacement hardware. GFI is, however, offering an upgrade promotion to users who are still using the older hardware.

These solutions are set to be replaced by: Kerio Control NG 100W Kerio Control NG 300W Kerio Control NG 500 “The NG series hardware boxes have far better performance than the older series,” explains Olivier.

“GFI has also implemented a new licensing model for the NG boxes that allows customers to purchase a GFI Unlimited license with a Kerio Control box – this allows you to use all the software in the GFI software pool and enhances business performance significantly.”

To find out more about Ozone Information Technology Distribution and how it can work with your business to create intelligent technology, visit www.ozone.co.za, call +27 10 591 5588, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

RubiBlue, intelligent business solutions provider, has developed a digital solution that transforms membership management for organisations. easiClique is a customisable software platform that allows companies across multiple industries to effectively control all aspects of membership from communications to reporting to invoicing to notifications, and more. It simplifies how organisations, NGOs and government bodies build, maintain and access their members.

“easiClique provides comprehensive reporting, annual comparisons, mass communications, efficient and secure membership fee management, and a clear audit trail,” says Chris Ogden, MD, RubiBlue. “Organisations across multiple industries – sports and professional associations, societies, alumni, political parties and unions – can tailor the application to allow for greater control of members and their data.”

The easiClique platform includes numerous features that can be used to effectively engage with existing and potential members of an organisation such as online applications, personalised member communications, automated notifications and easy payment options. It’s capable of generating comprehensive reports on member data, annual analytics and revenue while also easing the management of financial transactions with automated bulk invoicing.

It is flexible and can be customised to suit industry and brand.  In addition to features that are specifically designed to enhance member engagement and management, easiClique has built-in security features to mitigate the risk of fraud. It audits all transactions and it allows for consumers a variety of payment options - all retail stores, debit orders, and card and cash payments.

The solution assures organisations and members of increased transparency into membership administration.

To find out more about easiClique and how it can transform member management for your business visit www.rubiblue.com, call +27 (0) 861 48 48 99, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

Cape Town-based CloudOne Technologies Pty Ltd, trading as CloudOne.mobi, has announced that it closed two funding rounds totalling R34m at the end of 2018. The investors include Investec Private Capital, through its Emerging Companies mandate. The investment will be used to help scale out and grow the business more aggressively. CloudOne.mobi was founded in October 2014 with the mission of re-inventing the Point Of Sale (POS) experience.

Founder and CEO Dana Buys has successfully started and sold a number of software businesses since launching his first business while studying at the University of Cape Town in the early 1980s. Subsequently a hospitality business owner, among other interests, he became frustrated with poor levels of technology, particularly related to POS. Buys is passionate about customer service and wanted a solution that would improve the speed and accuracy of serving customers.

 "Speed and accuracy deliver a win-win for both business and its customers,” he says. “Happy customers spend more and spread the good news via word of mouth. Accurate orders reduce costly mistakes and improve profitability. It’s hard to beat if you can make the solution easy-to-use and affordable to own!” He continues, “There is massive opportunity to deploy affordable Cloud and mobile technology in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Cloud solutions model allows us to eliminate many of the headaches experienced by SME businesses which often lack strong IT skills. We develop the , keep the systems up to date, manage the databases and integration to external solutions, perform regular backups, and enforce security.” 

CloudOne.mobi has developed an advanced cloud-based Point of Sale solution called TallOrder for SME businesses across the hospitality, retail and service segments. TallOrder delivers Cloud benefits, along with robust offline capacity to deal with the relatively slow, less reliable and costlier Internet prevalent throughout emerging markets. Buys explains that similar solutions developed in the United States and Europe assume an always-on, fast and low-cost Internet which is not yet the case in Africa and other developing markets.solution

 CloudOne.mobi says TallOrder is easy to deploy, easy to learn to run, and operates on Microsoft Windows, Apple's iOS, and Android devices. It is designed for traditional point of sale stations, tablets and even smartphone-sized devices. The system supports mobile use, which boosts the speed and accuracy of customer service. "TallOrder replaces expensive upfront license and installation fees with low monthly or annual fees, based on the number of devices in use. This opens the market to many businesses which previously could not afford nor cope with the older technology" says Anna Groenewald, COO and co-founder at CloudOne.mobi.

 According to Meiring de Wet, Chief Technology Officer at CloudOne.mobi, "SME companies by themselves will never generate enough data to be as truly useful as Big Data. We have built TallOrder in a way that allows us to aggregate the small data coming from SME businesses into Big Data".    

“This investment is an important opportunity for CloudOne.mobi to expand our software developments and allow us to rapidly scale our marketing and sales efforts and increase our future partnership opportunities,” stated Groenewald. Learn more about CloudOne.mobi and their hero products TallOrder Point of Sale and PageMan Digital Signage on their website, https://cloudone.mobi/ or contact them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ +27 (0) 728630116

Purchasing and playing a new or favorite video game in South Africa doesn't have to involve waiting for postal delivery or other headaches any longer. Online Shop Doodah has solved this problem now offering valued customers instant online game keys via email with purchase as a new option. 

November 22, 2018 

Gaming's popularity is on the rise in South Africa the market is worth an estimated R3.5 Billion in 2018 with this figure expected to increase to R6.1 Billion in the next four years according to Statista.com. Even so purchasing a new game can be quite inconvenient, when it comes to things like waiting for the game to be delivered, arriving at the store to find it's sold out and paying high retail prices associated with traditional brick-and-mortar outlets. 

The good news is South African-based computer, gadget and tech importer and online retail store, Doodah has recently launched a new service as a way around these issues. Doodah now offers the ability to order online and receive an email delivered game key that allows a game to be instantly unlocked. A huge amount of platforms are covered. 

“We are always thinking of ways to make our customer shopping experience more valuable, fun, and interesting,” commented a spokesperson from the company. “Trying to stay ahead of in tech space is a never ending pursuit, we have always tried to supply cutting edge wares which one might not be able to get their hands on easily in South Africa. This new service will definitely help in all of those important areas and we hope the people who order from us enjoy this new option.” 

According to Doodah, game keys for multiple platforms are available like Steam, Uplay, and Origin, to name just a few. Secure payment options include EFT and Card Payments through Payfast payments processor, also, Cryptocurrency and Bitcoin lightning network payments accepted through Coingate. 

The products offered all sourced from first-class, reputable sources like wholesale B2B distributors and vendors of PC, Xbox and PlayStation games, who all have great reputations. Doodah also offers laptops, tablets, phones, 3D Printers and cryptocurrency miners; gadgets and computer hardware; and other video gaming options. All at very attractive price points. 

Feedback from customers has been completely positive. Johan Vd., from Capetown, recently said in a five-star review, “I placed an order for a few different items from Doodah and they all showed up quickly in perfect condition. Plus I saved money compared to shopping locally, which I would have never been able to source these products locally! Totally recommended.” 

For more information be sure to visit https://doodah.co.za.

Pretoria, Gauteng - 6 July 2018 -Bounz Media (Pty) Ltd is pleased to announce its brand new social media platform. The team consisting of two 19-year-olds believe they have found a way to overcome the two biggest hurdles in social media today by allowing users to literally bounce interesting posts they have received by pulling them down and then having them sent onwards to all their followers. This process can continue indefinitely and allow the posts of people with a limited following to theoretically reach everyone on the platform.

The ability for posts to be shared is not a new concept but Bounz places emphasis on this and “gamifies” the experience through a fun, interactive bouncing motion which incentivises sharing. Furthermore Bounz has been designed for the sharing of creative graphical posts to strangers and for that purpose only. What this means is that everything on Bounz is public and should be posted with that intention. This is significant because it solves the privacy issues that current platforms are battling with by providing no privacy and making that clear to users.

Ishe Mabugu realised that most people are very creative and should not be limited to only being able to share posts with people that happen to follow them. Ishe had a brilliant idea to solve this problem with an app that allows posts to be bounced. Unfortunately Ishe is not a software developer and had to find a partner who could bring his idea to life. Ishe managed to get in contact with local coding prodigy, Gerhard de Clercq and the two have been working tirelessly for the past year to make Bounz a reality.

Gerhard has pulled off a miracle to single-handedly craft a working prototype and work on completing an engineering degree (for which he is still currently top of his class) but simply cannot find the time necessary to bring the app up to public release standards.

The team realised that they needed to find funding in order to complete their app but could not manage much success with regards to venture capital. As such, they are now looking to crowd funding in order to get their app completed. The belief here is that fans of the app should me more than willing to support it. 

Their campaign is now live on Indiegogo at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bounz-the-app-that-sets-your-posts-free-apps-iphoneand includes an interesting YouTube video showcasing their prototype and explaining how the app works. They hope that the public will support them in their mission and wish to reiterate that any contribution, no matter how small, will make a big difference.

The General Data Protection Act (GDPR) may set the guidelines for the collection and processing of personal data within the European Union (EU), but it also has far reaching global impact.

Alongside South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), GDPR compliance has to be an essential part of business process and investment to minimise risk. For organisations that want the assurance of compliance without the complexity, GFI Unlimited provides a bundle of tools in one subscription that’s both GDPR and POPIA compliant. “GFI Unlimited is a Netflix-style software solution that allows organisations to pay one subscription fee to gain access to multiple tools and software packages,” says Henk Olivier, managing director at Ozone Information Security Solutions.

“Launched earlier in 2018, the existing bouquet consists of 12 different software products that allow for organisations of any size to gain access to high-end, enterprise-level solutions and compliance. These services hand the business the visibility it needs into its systems and provides a full audit trail of the software or tools that are used by the business or managed service provider.”

Organisations that process the data of EU citizens, organisations or employees have to ensure that they are compliant. The same goes for any business that provides full data services to EU partners, employees or persons. The primary areas that require compliance include data identification and classification tools, data encryption solutions, identity and access management, network security and breach prevention, email security, and audit trails and reporting. “GFI Unlimited includes tools for email security, email and data archiving, network security, network auditing and reporting,” concludes Olivier. “It can provide the business with reports and information around security and data breaches as well as potential hazards located on the network. The solution also advises on how to prevent certain security breaches.”

"Meeting compliance requirements like GDPR can be challenging for any business, but with GFI Unlimited we’re making it even easier for businesses to access the technology they need," said Johannes Kamleitner, senior vice president and chief revenue officer at GFI Software, Aurea SMB Solutions. “We’re investing millions in growing a catalogue of software products, so that businesses don’t have to. It’s an exciting opportunity for channel partners and customers alike.”

To find out more about Ozone Information Technology and how it can work with your business to create intelligent technology, visit www.ozone.co.za, call +27 10 591 5588, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Discerning, informed, and connected.

With a multitude of choices in the marketplace, multiple buying channels, and instant access to information, today’s customers have never been more empowered, or more demanding. They’ve come to expect the ability to deal with a company on their own terms, very often opting for the convenience of self-service. So, when they do take the time to call a company, it’s usually because they have an immediate need—an issue they want resolved right away, and to their complete satisfaction.

An effective customer service representative (CSR) plays a critical role in meeting those expectations. No detail—from the CSR’s speaking voice to the quality of the sound on the line—is too small. And, the CSR must possess a certain kind of temperament, professionalism, and skill—but these alone are not enough. Answering the phone is just the start. Today’s customer service representative (CSR) listens, understands, and acts upon a customer’s needs with skill, rigor and thoughtfulness. Every minute, every day, the CSR needs to demonstrate that they have the customer’s best interests in mind, while presenting the company in the best possible light.

In fact, for the customer, the CSR doesn’t just represent the company, they are the company. Their job is to completely engage with the customer to provide the most informed advice, support, and guidance.

Problem-solver, diplomat, expert, empathizer: a CSR needs to be all these, and more. How can you help equip them for success?

A headset is a vital tool to the CSR. When it’s performing as expected, it’s barely noticeable. But if a setting needs to be adjusted or updated, it’s immediately noticed—and IT needs to handle it, right away. For companies with hundreds or even thousands of CSRs, it has meant a lot of effort for IT to manage their needs efficiently—until now.

Plantronics has a solution that helps IT monitor, manage, and maintain headsets. Plantronics Manager Pro is a cloud-based management tool that results in effortless management for IT, helping ensure users always have well-maintained headsets that enable them to confidently engage with customers, and ultimately improve the customer experience.

Now available in South Africa, find out how Plantronics Manager Pro can help make headset management effortless. Learn more here.

About Plantronics Plantronics is an audio pioneer and a global leader in the communications industry. We create intelligent and adaptive solutions that support our customers’ most important needs: experiencing and facilitating simple and clear communications while enjoying distraction-free environments. Our solutions are used worldwide by consumers and businesses alike and are an optimal choice for open office environments. From Unified Communications and customer service ecosystems, to data analytics and Bluetooth headsets, Plantronics delivers high-quality communications solutions that our customers count on today, while relentlessly innovating on behalf of their future. For more information visit www.plantronics.com.za 

GFI Software launches GFI Unlimited, transforming the SMB channel landscape with a growing GFI network security and communications portfolio that’s available for a single fee Johannesburg, South Africa, 05 April 2018: Ozone Information Technology Solutions is the local distributor of GFI Software’s new GFI Unlimited solution, a game-changing subscription model that provides small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with access to all the network security and communications software they need to power their business and all at one flat subscription rate.

This innovative approach helps GFI channel partners become irreplaceable technology allies to their customers while growing their own businesses with a consistent and predictable revenue stream. “Tight budgets, complex vendor landscapes and fierce market competition put the SMB under intense pressure,” says Henk Oliver, Managing Director, Ozone Information Technology Solutions. “They need technology to run their businesses more effectively.

This is where GFI Unlimited comes in – it is an extensive catalogue of software products that are readily available for a flat fee.” GFI Unlimited’s single, low-cost subscription unlocks access to the entire GFI Unlimited software portfolio.

Today, this includes more than a dozen full-featured, powerful network security and communications solutions, proven by thousands of users all over the world – with more products being added all the time. “SMBs are faced with an ever-growing list of challenges in today’s environment, from staying on top of security threats and compliance requirements like GDPR to meeting their ever-changing communication needs,” said Johannes Kamleitner, senior vice president and chief revenue officer at GFI Software.

“With GFI Unlimited, our trusted partners can help SMBs rapidly expand and simplify their IT to better thrive in the ever-changing IT landscape while also growing successful businesses of their own.” GFI Unlimited is available now through Ozone Information Technology Solutions and currently includes: GFI OneGuard, GFI OneConnect, GFI LanGuard, GFI WebMonitor, GFI Archiver, GFI MailEssentials, GFI FaxMaker, GFI EndPointSecurity, GFI EventsManager, Kerio Connect, Kerio Control and Kerio Operator. Pricing starts at R290 (exchange rate dependent) per user for a one-year subscription, including technical support for all products.

Further information is available at http://ozone.co.za/products/gfi-software.

Movidius™ Neural Compute Stick, a tiny fan-less deep-learning hardware that can be used to learn AI programming at the edge 

Johannesburg, South Africa, 4 August 2017 - RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), the global distributor for engineers, introduces the Intel® Movidius™ Neural Compute Stick (NCS), which is the newest development tool for ultra-low-power deep-learning inference. The tool enables developers to develop and prototype artificial intelligence (AI) applications to a broad range of devices at the edge in a convenient USB form factor. 

Targeting developers, corporate R&D and academic researchers working in machine-learning and data-science applications, the Neural Compute Stick integrates the Movidius™ Vision Processing Unit (VPU), which offers best-in-class power efficiency and is capable of running high-performance floating-point Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs).  Supporting the popular Caffe Deep Neural Network (DNN) framework, the Neural Compute Stick is ideal for use as a development tool for neural network prototyping and acceleration.

The USB-form-factor inference engine enables developers and researchers to free their projects from the Cloud and allow them to learn quickly about the performance and accuracy of their neural network applications running in the real world. Neural network projects can be quickly ported via the Movidius™ Neural Compute Compiler to run real-time deep-learning inference on the compact USB stick. Enabling the acceleration of existing compute-constrained platforms, the NCS enables deep-learning R&D and prototyping on a Linux laptop or any x86-based host device.

In addition, the Neural Compute Platform API allows user applications to run on an embedded host, which can initialise the target platform, load a graph file and offload inferences. Support for the NCS will also be extended in the future to include other platforms such as the Raspberry Pi. The complete list of software tools available in the Movidius™ Neural Compute Software Development Kit includes the Movidius™ Neural Compute toolkit and the Movidius™ Neural Compute API. These tools are available online on the developer.movidius.com website.  

The Intel Movidius™ Neural Compute Stick is now available from RS Components.

 -Ends-  

About RS Components 

RS Components is the market leader in the high service level distribution of electrical, electronic, mechanical, tools and industrial products. Operating in 26 countries whilst serving a further 100 through third-party distributors, RS serves every sector of industry in the procurement of their products relating to maintenance, repair, operations, low volume production, research and development.   

With over 500 000 products across 2500 leading brands, the company is committed to ensuring that their 1,5 million customers have fast access to a broad, as well as deep range, of products and technologies, all under one roof. RS’s customers, whether ordering single or multiple items, experience a quick, easy, secure, painless and cost effective process. 

The RS catalogue, available at za.rs-online.com, offers full colour pictures with extensive clear product specifications.  Free access to thousands of datasheets ensures the correct product choice.  Order placement is easily facilitated through za.rs-online.com, the call centre, e-mail, fax and trade counter. 

Locally held stock is delivered to customers within 24 hours, and products held internationally, within four to six working days.    

It is proven that departments traditionally spend 80% of their time sourcing products that account for only 20% of their total procurement spend. RS is focussed on reducing the customers “total cost of product ownership” by reducing the need to make multiple calls to various companies to source products, reducing supplier related administration and allowing for the amalgamation as well as consolidation of supplier bases. 

Through this process, procurement efficiency is improved and time is freed up to concentrate on the more important business decisions. 

For more information, please visit the website at za.rs-online.com  

Press Office
Le-andra Olivier
PR and Communications Specialist
RS Components South Africa
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+27 11 691 9345 

Further information is available via these links:

• Twitter: @rsonline_SA; @DesignSparkRS
• Facebook: facebook.com/rssouthafrica/RS Components on
• LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/company/rscoms 

Relevant Links
RSPro
RS Components South Africa
www.electrocomponents.com
DesignSpark Magazine - http://www.designspark.com