FEATURE: 2017 IN REVIEW
see a rise in the use of AI or machine
learning to introduce attacks that can
morph faster. While this is a frightening
thought, AI will also play a crucial
role in managing threats. Threats are
evolving rapidly and are too varied for
the industry to handle them manually.
For example, spear-phishing and
impersonation attacks will become
ever more insidious and we will need
smarter algorithms to cope with them.
Artificial intelligence and data science
are not miracle cures, but are an
increasingly important weapon in the
arsenal of cybersecurity. “Artificial
intelligence and
data science are not
miracle cures, but
are an increasingly
important weapon
in the arsenal of
cybersecurity.”
“Another major development will be
around the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR). This will be one
of the first major news stories for
the year, with deadline at the end of
May 2018. There will be a scramble
to get GDPR programmes in place
and examples will be made of bigger
companies who have not made an
adequate effort. After the deadline
has been missed, the first major GDPR
fines will be issued and executives will
act shocked and surprised.” situations that could lead to customer
dissatisfaction. AI can also help
businesses and governments instantly
organise vast amounts of available
data input using predictive analytics to
deliver optimal information in real time,
where it can help impact an ongoing
customer interaction.”
SAVIO TOVAR DIAS:
“The cloud and the
as a Service market
is increasingly
taking a front seat
among IT decision
makers. On-premise
communications solutions have started
to change towards more data- and
outcome-centric solutions, while cloud-
based unified communications are
growing 20% year-on-year globally,
due to simplification of delivery, user
adoption and business models. Contact
Centre as a Service offerings are also
reaching maturity and growth in sector
should accelerate in 2018.
“Avaya will be centred on speeding
the development and application of
AI technologies in contact centres
and unified communications. AI offers
significant opportunities to address
many of the complexities and issues
faced by companies in delivering an
optimal customer experience. For
example, it can enable companies to
capture and utilise real time customer
sentiment to defuse or reposition
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CHERIAN VARGHESE:
“Businesses around
the world are poised
to take advantage
of the ABCD of new
technology – AI and
machine learning;
blockchain; cloud and digitalisation. The
difference between 2017 and 2018 is
the paradigm shift that is about to take
place between all four technologies.
two years. This is almost as high as
the 85% international average in our
survey. This has driven a significant
increase in IT security spend in South
Africa – predicted to top R7 billion this
year, which is more than double the
spend only two years ago.
“The POPI Act and Cybercrimes and
Cybersecurity Bill will catalyse change
in the way organisations protect
information and build security into every
aspect of their operations. The move
to cloud and the associated increased
focus on securing the cloud will continue
throughout 2018.”
WHAT WILL YOUR FOCUS
BE FOR 2018?
SAVIO TOVAR DIAS:
“Avaya is creating a
new growth story.
Today we act very
much like a start-up,
focused on growth and
execution, but with
unique differentiators such as a large
customer base, technology leadership
and a strong vertical presence.
“The challenge for African businesses
is to become early adopters of these
important technological advancements.
However, they have leapfrogged across
technologies before to transform
industries and can definitely do it again.” “In 2018, we are simplifying our
organisational structure with the
goal of remaining a customer-driven
company – and making it easier for
customers and partners to do business
with us. As one example, Avaya is
giving customers and partners the
same capabilities our R&D team has
and the complete freedom to define
and build their own user experience.
PAUL WILLIAMS:
“2018 will see
more sophisticated
arming of security
technology. The
threat landscape
is becoming more
complex, and new legislation will make
the board more accountable. On top
of this, cybercrime is starting to hit
home in South Africa. In fact, Fortinet’s
2017 Global Enterprise Security Survey
recently found that 82% of South
African enterprises surveyed have been
victims of a security breach in the past “The challenge for
African businesses
is to become
early adopters of
these important
technological
advancements.”
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