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Flex your science and tech muscle to help win SKA bid

September 1, 2010 in Science and Technology, South Africa | No comments

South Africans have been urged to help the country win the bid to host the world largest radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), by highlighting their science and technology strengths.

Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor made this plea at the CSIR Biennial Conference on Tuesday in Pretoria.

Science and Technology Minister, Naledi Pandor

“In the run-up to the vital decision about who will host the SKA, all of us must make an effort to showcase our strong science and production capabilities across all of the areas that are required for the SKA to run successfully. We need to highlight that such a project has the power to strengthen science, technology, and innovation in Africa,” she said.

The minister added that all had a role to play in strengthening the bid, including researchers, the media and local industry.


South Africa and Australia are the only two countries shortlisted to host the SKA – poised to be by far the largest radio telescope in the world. SKA funders are expected to announce the host country in March 2012.

If South Africa wins the bid it would consolidate Africa as a major hub for astronomy in the world.


The core of the telescope will be located in Carnarvon in the Northern Cape, with about three antenna stations in Namibia, four in Botswana and one each in Mozambique, Mauritius, Madagascar, Ghana, Kenya and Zambia. Each antenna station will consist of about 30 to 40 individual antennae.


The minister said the SKA was a science project that offered immense opportunities for advancing technology development, engineering and innovation in areas that range from computing and information and communication technology, as well as the development of new materials to construct the satellite dishes, right through to innovative energy solutions to power the SKA.

Source: BuaNews, futuretimeline.net, salt.ac.za,

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SA business gets tech-savvy

August 13, 2010 in Telecommunications | No comments

Smartphones have made a dramatic entry into corporate South Africa, far surpassing general consumer use or small business use.

This is a surprise finding from a new research study released today by World Wide Worx. The Mobile Corporation in South Africa 2010 report reveals that three-quarters of South African companies have deployed smartphones in their organisations, compared to almost none two years ago.

The study, backed by First National Bank and Research In Motion (RIM), shows that saturation point has almost been reached by large South African companies in the use of fixed landlines (96%) and ordinary cellphones (92%). And, as forecast in 2007, 3G data card penetration has also reached near saturation, with 94% of large companies deploying it. Now the focus has turned to integration of smartphones with business processes.

“These results show that enterprise mobility solutions are no longer just nice to have,” says Deon Liebenberg, RIM’s regional director for sub-Saharan Africa. “They’re essential for businesses that want to be competitive, responsive and efficient in a world where a customer won’t wait for a salesperson who is visiting customers and where project flow can’t stop because a manager is at a full-day meeting.

“Not only does mobility allow companies to improve internal efficiencies and communications, it also enables them to interact more effectively with their increasingly mobile customers.”

The study also showed that corporate South Africa expects to embrace the new world of online services to an extent that was not even anticipated as recently as one year ago.

“Until last year, concepts like software as a service (Saas) and cloud computing were regarded as little more than buzzwords,” says Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx.

Yet, in the next 24 months, 84% of South African corporations expect to have a Saas strategy in place, and 60% expect to have adopted a cloud computing strategy.

“These aren’t technologies as such,” says Goldstuck. “They are strategies that make the organisation’s use of new technology more efficient. From storage systems to software deployment, from hardware upgrades to network capacity to bandwidth, the focus is on cost-effectiveness, flexibility and mobility.”

Among the technologies expected to take off as a result of the Saas and cloud computing revolution are:

* Fixed-mobile convergence, with 72% of companies expecting to adopt systems that allow seamless connectivity between fixed and mobile networks.
* Virtualisation, with 65% expected to embrace this flexible and cost-effective approach to network and server technology.
* Outsourced storage and archiving systems, with half of large South African companies predicting they will be using it in the next 24 months.

The combined effect of these technologies is that, while the organisation’s buildings and infrastructure may still be confined to a specific site, its people, activities, information, documentation and data have been freed from location.


“We are literally seeing the foundations being laid for the company of the future,” says Goldstuck.

Liebenberg adds: “Smartphones are now mainstream devices within South African businesses, but the smartphone revolution has only just begun. Enterprises should now be looking at what smartphones mean for their businesses in a more strategic and holistic fashion. They need to work towards mobilising their core internal and customer-facing processes so that their employees can use ubiquitous connectivity to be productive and responsive wherever they are.”

The Mobile Corporation in South Africa 2010 forms part of the Mobility 2009 project, which included research among 1 000 consumers, 1 000 small and medium enterprisese and 240 large enterprises in South Africa.

Source: mediaclubsouthafrica.com, mobilemarketingwatch.com, apple.com, nokia,com, blackberry.com

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South Africa needs to train more young scientists

August 3, 2010 in Education, Science and Technology, South Africa | No comments

Science and Technology Minister, Naledi Pandor

Science and Technology Minister, Naledi Pandor says South Africa needs to produce young scientists.

Speaking at the launch of Gauteng Science Week at the University of Pretoria on Monday, Pandor said public awareness about science, engineering and technology is her department’s key priority.

“South Africa needs to train young scientists and the best place to find them is in our schools. Promoting public awareness is also important.


“For the youth of today to become the scientists of tomorrow we need to foster awareness among learners of the various careers that are available in the world of science, engineering, technology and innovation,” she said.

Pandor believes that science centres have a crucial role to play not just in facilitating partnerships, but also in strengthening grass-roots science awareness campaigns.

“This is particularly important for provinces such as the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga that unlike Gauteng and the Western Cape who do not have the benefit of housing some of our country’s leading universities and research facilities,” she said.

She said the task of taking science to all corners of the country is a huge one that no single individual or organisation can carry out alone.

The minister said if the country is to sustain a national effort and achieve the desired results; the nation should deliberately forge quality strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, both within and outside the government innovation system.


“The cooperation between the University of Pretoria, the staff of the science centre, the South African Air Force, the Air Force Museum, students, parents and private companies involved in engineering and the servicing of jet fighters is a positive development from which we can all learn valuable lessons.

“The task of nurturing a passion for science, engineering and technology is huge,” she said.

National Science Week is an opportunity for young people to explore science, engineering and technology.


To help young people make informed study choices, the department distributes thousands of booklets on science, engineering and technology careers annually.

This year, Pandor said they will distribute 50 000, while a further 20 000 will be distributed during the National Science Week.

Source: BuaNews, cs4fn.org, campusaccess.com, allvoices.com, stu.edu, cnq.ca

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Computer Programmers

September 14, 2009 in ..Career Focus, Information Technology | No comments

Computer programmers write, test, and maintain the detailed instructions, called programs, that computers follow to perform their functions. Programmers also conceive, design, and test logical structures for solving problems by computer. With the help of other computer specialists, they figure out which instructions to use to make computers do specific tasks. Many technical innovations in programming—advanced computing technologies and sophisticated new languages and programming tools, for example—have redefined the role of a programmer and elevated much of the programming work done today.

Job titles and descriptions may vary, depending on the organization, but computer programmers are individuals whose main job function is programming. Programmers usually write programs according to the specifications given by computer software engineers and systems analysts. After engineers and analysts design software—describing how it will work—the programmer converts that design into a logical series of instructions that the computer can follow. The programmer codes these instructions in a conventional programming language such as COBOL; an artificial intelligence language such as Prolog; or one of the more advanced object-oriented languages, such as Java, C++, or ACTOR.

Different programming languages are used depending on the purpose of the program. Programmers generally know more than one programming language, and because many languages are similar, they often can learn new languages relatively easily. In practice, programmers often are referred to by the language they know, such as Java programmers, or by the type of function they perform or environment in which they work—for example, database programmers, mainframe programmers, or Web programmers.

Programmers also update, repair, modify, and expand existing programs. Some, especially those working on large projects that involve many programmers, use computer-assisted software engineering (CASE) tools to automate much of the coding process. These tools enable a programmer to concentrate on writing the unique parts of a program. Programmers working on smaller projects often use “programmer environments,” applications that increase productivity by combining compiling, code walk through, code generation, test data generation, and debugging functions. Programmers also use libraries of basic code that can be modified or customized for a specific application. This approach yields more reliable and consistent programs and increases programmers’ productivity by eliminating some routine steps.

Programs vary widely depending on the type of information they will access or generate. For example, the instructions involved in updating financial records are very different from those required to simulate flight for pilot training. Simple programs can be written in a few hours, but some programs draw data from many existing systems or use complex mathematical formulas. These programs may take more than a year to create. In most cases, several programmers work together as a team under a senior programmer’s supervision.

Programmers test a program by running it to ensure that the instructions are correct and that the program produces the desired outcome. If errors do occur, the programmer must make the appropriate change and recheck the program until it produces the correct results. This process is called testing and debugging. Programmers may continue to fix problems for as long as a program is used.

Programmers working on a mainframe, a large centralized computer, may prepare instructions for a computer operator who will run the program.  Programmers also may contribute to the instruction manual for a program.

Programmers in software development companies may work directly with experts from various fields to create specialized software—either programs designed for specific clients or packaged software for general use—ranging from games and educational software to programs for desktop publishing and financial planning. Programming of packaged software constitutes one of the most rapidly growing segments of the computer services industry.

Increasingly, advanced software platforms are bridging the gap between computer programmers and computer users. New platforms, such as spreadsheet, accounting, and enterprise resource planning applications, have created demand for computer specialists who have first-hand knowledge of a user-base. These workers use such platforms to develop programs that meet the specific needs of this base. Computer programmers often are responsible for creating the software platform, and then fine-tuning the final program after it has been made.

Computer programmers often are grouped into two broad types—applications programmers and systems programmers. Applications programmers write programs to handle a specific job, such as a program to track inventory within an organization. They also may revise existing packaged software or customize generic applications purchased from vendors. Systems programmers, in contrast, write programs to maintain and control computer systems software for operating systems, networked systems, and database systems. These workers make changes in the instructions that determine how the network, workstations, and central processing unit of a system handle the various jobs they have been given, and how they communicate with peripheral equipment such as terminals, printers, and disk drives. Because of their knowledge of the entire computer system, systems programmers often help applications programmers determine the source of problems that may occur with their programs.

In some organizations, workers known as programmer-analysts are responsible for both the systems analysis and programming.

Source: bls.gov, mediaclubsouthafrica.com, samirkamble.com, ignaga.wordpress.com, mattresspolice.com, greenwich.lk, blog.rmdstudio.com

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Academy of Learning

August 25, 2009 in .Promotions and Specials, Business, Information Technology, Management, Secretarial, Tourism and Travel | No comments

Academy of learning logo

YOU HAVE FINISHED SCHOOL. NOW WHAT?

You have finished school, partied and enjoyed a couple of months holiday. What now?

You look for a job, but few employers want to employ you without experience, but you cannot get experience without a job. It’s a lose-lose situation.

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One option is to further your studies in the occupational field of your choice. However, after sitting in lecture rooms for 6 or 12 months twiddling your thumbs, you still don’t have actual experience in the subjects for which you have studied.

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One solution is to study at Academy of Learning where most courses are “hands on” or theory and practical. This means that you acquire “experience” from day one. It means that you have to actually do that which you are studying. For example, if you are studying word processing level 1, you will actually be using the word processing computer program at the start of your course (courses are also known as “programs” nowadays – confusing?).

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Our unique Integrated LearningTM System is an exercise-based method in which each new step builds upon those already mastered.

Audio instructions are used to explain concepts, guide students through some initial skill-based applications, and provide an opportunity to practise additional applications that are featured in the course workbook. CD’s are customised to keep pace with each book.

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Lessons are presented in two-hour modules, which build level-by-level, so that students achieve competence and confidence as each one is mastered.

As students are not reliant on lecturers or set timetables or classes, they can commence with their qualifications at any time during the year.

At this stage, it might be advisable to clarify the difference between studying at school, adult training and development:

Education is the range of activities aimed at developing moral values and understanding.  The purpose of education is to develop students intellectually and to provide them with the base for further learning.  Education is the basic knowledge rather than the applied skills and it has little implication to a specific job.  Education is received at schools and universities and it is of value throughout life. A couple of important aspects of education are that it is generally one-way communication, from teacher to student. This means that you merely sit and listen, with little feedback to the teacher. Secondly, there is no motivation for the student—you go to school, or else!

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Training is a deliberate effort to teach specific skills, knowledge and attitudes to serve a specific purpose.  The purpose of training is to enable the learner to apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes (“competency”) in order to achieve the objectives of the organisation.  Training should result in the trainee’s ability to do the job better. You will notice the words “deliberate” and “specific skills”. This is different to education. In training, you are trained “specifically” in a certain skill required for an occupation. Another reason why training is different to education is that the communication is two-way (lecturer or computer/audio-visual to student and vice versa). Training differs from education as motivation already exists, as the student decided which course (program) to study and paid for it (or was it the parents?).

Development is more specific than education.  It is the process whereby people gain experience/knowledge, skills and attitudes (“competency”) to become (or remain) successful within their organisations.  It refers more to the development of the whole person rather than the training of specific skills to perform a single task. Development also entails two-way communication between employee and lecturer/senior staff member and vice-versa.

To summarise, education is usually carried out at school, training at a college after high school and development during employment.

Career courses offered include Information Technology, General Business, Secretarial, Tourism and Management.

Academy of Learning

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