Cape Town, May 16: FuseForward, a provider of cloud and analytic solutions, is demonstrating the benefits real-time analytics can deliver to African utilities during the African Utility Week conference and exhibition.

Held from 14-16 May in Cape Town, South Africa, African Utility Week is the leading conference for African power, energy and water professionals. FuseForward’s Founder and CEO, Mark Damm, is excited about the opportunity to provide analytic solutions that shed light on the challenges faced by utilities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Utilities in Africa face a range of issues, many of which affect their ability to meet basic demands for water and electricity,” says Mark. “We know that the availability of reliable and complete data is critical in order for utilities to find solutions to their challenges.

Data from IoT devices and smart meters can help, but developing the technology required to ingest, store and make sense of this information is a barrier for many resource-strapped utilities.” FuseForward’s cloud platform provides a secure, reliable way for utilities to store, aggregate and analyze data from their IoT and smart devices, delivering the comprehensive performance information utilities need within a single interface.

Example utility challenges that FuseForward can address include:

• Demand management: Data from devices and external sources can be used to predict peak electricity or water usage times, enabling better management of resources.
• Preventative maintenance: Deteriorating infrastructure can often be the cause of outages in Sub-Saharan Africa.

By analyzing sensor data from equipment and infrastructure, utilities can obtain real-time maintenance alerts, preventing outages before they occur.

With the event set to close today, Mark is optimistic about the future for the industry, and the role FuseForward can play. “We’ve had a chance to hear first-hand about the challenges facing utilities and are looking forward to the opportunity to help solve them. Not only do analytic solutions in this sector have the ability to provide business improvements for utilities, they also play a role in improving the delivery of power and water across Sub-Saharan Africa—and that’s something our team is very enthusiastic about!”

About FuseForward
FuseForward is an AWS Advanced Technology Partner and Select Consulting Partner that provides secure cloud environments and analytic solutions for critical infrastructure providers and public agencies. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, we serve customers around the world from our offices in South Africa, Europe and North America.

For more information visit www.fuseforward.com

Media Contact: Wendy Scott at +27 83 270 7765 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

RubiBlue, intelligent business solutions provider, has developed and launched DataSight, a crowdsourcing data platform targeting consumers in LSMs 4-7.

DataSight is an easy to download application that rewards customers for providing insights into their brand preferences, lifestyle and education choices. The data, collated and secured in line with GDPR and POPIA compliance requirements, provides enterprises with relevant and rich insights into consumer behaviour and preferences.

“DataSight asks registered users to complete a series of surveys that are tailored to suit specific market requirements or interests,” says Chris Ogden, CEO, RubiBlue. “As they complete the surveys, they are rewarded with vouchers for airtime, food or entertainment – they can choose the reward they prefer. We ask around 10 questions per day that deliver substantial data insights around the behaviours, expenditure patterns and brand preferences across these LSM markets.”

The application is designed to not only develop surveys aligned with specific organisation or market research requirements, but to provide accessible analyses of the data. The information is kept anonymous but delivers the business with rich insight into spending patterns, airtime preferences, washing powder choices, travel times and so much more.

“We developed the application to be as accessible as possible, for both the business and the consumer,” says Ogden. “Corporates can run their own surveys with our white label offering or they can add questions into existing surveys. There is also the opportunity to send advertising to participants that is not only targeted but relevant thanks to the information provided by the application.” DataSight is currently building an impressive user base and is already heading towards more than 4000 surveys completed since its launch at the start of October 2018. Registration is simple – users download the DataSight app for Android devices, register their details, answer questions and receive instant rewards.

The more a user responds and recommends other users, the higher their rewards. Personal information is never shared with a third party and all aspects of data sharing and user awareness are in line with GDPR and POPIA requirements.  Since launch, DataSight has partnered with Spur, Vodacom, Cell C, KFC, MTN, Telkom Mobile, Pick n Pay and Takelot to provide a variety of rewards to the user base.

To find out more about DataSight and the value it can deliver to your organisation 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..

Trade Conferences International– South Africa’s leading financial conference organisers – is well positioned to bring potential delegates an event which will highlight the real issues concerning debt collection. The Debt Collection Conference aims to equip attendees with the correct knowledge and updated debt collection strategies, including information about analytical and technological aspects of debt collection, legal implications, risk assessment methods and consumer credit management.

Interest is high in TCi’s Debt Collection Conference with more than 20 delegates registered soon after registrations have opened.  Thus far, companies that have confirmed their attendance range from the banks, law firms and insurance sector, companies such as Nedbank, African Bank, Uni-Collect, The Workforce Group, Saya Recoveries, Pres Les and many more. TCI’s Debt Collection Conference 2016 will provide professionals in departments of collections, debt control, credit control, collection management and implementation, debt review, recovery and rehabilitation, call centres, loan processing operations, retail credit, vehicle finance, home loans, KYC & due diligence, customer relationship management, tax evasion & tax avoidance investigation, to list few, with information they need to be valuable contributors to their organisations’ strategy setting based on the latest valuable information from highly qualified industry leaders. Seats are selling fast, reserve yours today!

Attend this conference and gain valuable insights from key industry leaders such as:

Marina Short, Chief Executive Officer, Consumer Profile Bureau

Michael Shackleton, Partner: Specialising in Debt Collection, Shackleton & Mohapi Attorneys

Shikesh Lalbahadur, Snr. Product Manager,Ninzi-Connect

Arnoud Van Den Bout, Chief Operating Officer, Arnoud van den Bout Attorneys

Carl Knight, Chief Executive Officer, Credit Intel

Gerald Mwandiambira, Acting CEO, South African Savings Institute

Mark Essey, Director, Debt-In

Greg Brill, Managing Director, Octagon Business Solutions

Peter Rafferty, Chief Executive Officer, Futuresoft

Fokion Natsis, PureCloud Lead and Head of Sales – Africa, Interactive Intelligence

Philani Shandu, Analyst: Applied Behavioural Economics, Genesis Analytics

Boitshepo Gaitate, Researcher: Applied Behavioural Economics, Genesis Analytics  

Neil Roets, Chief Executive Officer, Debt Rescue

Adv. Andries Cornelius, Chief Executive Officer, Council for Debt Collectors

Paul Slot, Director, Octogen

Mark Heyink, Compuscan   

The conference will encompass top notch presentations addressing topics such as: Overview of market with all regulations impacting the industry Improving debt collection systems and maintaining brand wellbeing Keeping up with changing trends in the debt collection space Actions to consider when your debtor has fled The changing landscape of debt collection and customer engagement in an omni-channel environment Using technology to collect debt Developments in (legal) debt collections Analytical & technological aspects of debt collection Governance, compliance and legal framework Unlocking the value of using behavioural economics in increasing debt repayment rates The state, evolution and future of debt collection  

SECURE YOUR SEAT NOW! 

Contact the project manager - 011 803 1553

Normal Registration Fee: R8 250.00 + VAT = R9 405.00

12% Group registration (3 or more): R7 436.00 + VAT = R8 276.40 p.p

20% Group registration (5 or more): R6 600.00 + VAT = R7 524.00 p.p

Alternatively contact TCI on +27 (0) 11 803 1553 For sponsorship opportunities and exhibition enquiries, contact Jason Joseph: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.