Latest news with #WernerJoubert
Zawya
03-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
As the years go by, when should your business replace its PC hardware?
Common sense dictates that South African businesses hold onto their technology for as long as possible. In the face of turbulent market conditions and economic uncertainty, as well as the fact that they can represent a significant upfront capital investment, PC hardware needs to deliver as much value as possible and be capable of supporting modern business operations in the long term. Werner Joubert, Commercial SYS business director (South Africa and SADC) at Asus But what happens when that hardware starts to show its age? Telltale signs and helpful tips Upgrading hardware may feel like a grudge purchase in the moment, but the fact is that upgrading comes as a result of a company's technology stack no longer being able to fully meet its digital and IT needs or is hurting its business activities or operations in an optimised manner. Some of the signs that it's time to upgrade your PC include: - Outdated platforms: If your device is unable to run the latest versions of essential business platforms and applications, then it's time to upgrade. A prime example of this is the upcoming end-of-life deadline for Windows 10, which is prompting many users to upgrade to devices that can run Windows 11. - Application performance: As application workloads become more hardware-intensive, users may discover their older hardware cannot run them optimally. Apps may be slow to start up and run, negatively impacting business and users' productivity. - Multitasking: With businesses relying more and more on digital-first functions and processes, users may find themselves unable to carry out multiple tasks on their PCs at the same time, further impacting productivity and performance. - Noise and heat: Constant noise from a PC's fan signals the PC is generating a lot of heat, which can indicate that it is working overtime to carry out computational tasks. That all said, businesses can also take steps to prolong the lifespan of their devices without having to outright replace them. This includes keeping the devices clean and free of dust, which can lead to overheating, regularly defragmenting and reformatting hard drives, keeping them in cool, dry working environments. Users should also adhere to optimised power and battery life management practices, while businesses can also upgrade components (if possible) such as Ram and storage. A lifecycle well spent With the help of a formal PC lifecycle policy, South African businesses can better manage the lifespan of their devices, starting with the initial purchase planning and ending with their decommissioning and ethical disposal. This includes several important practices. For example, businesses should base the length of PC lifecycles on workloads and users' needs. Not every organisation or user is equally reliant on their hardware, so businesses should deploy a uniform distribution system where possible, meaning they should procure and allocate devices based on groups' and departments' individual use cases (e.g. a programmer requires a PC with high advanced computational capabilities while a salesperson needs a PC with levels of portability and good battery life). By doing so, businesses can also track device warranties and oversee support options, ensuring everyone in the organisation remains connected and capable of fulfilling their digital responsibilities. A lifecycle policy also creates the opportunity for businesses to integrate their technology into their organisation's greater sustainability goals and objectives. Knowing when and how to replace PC hardware (i.e. e-waste) can align with businesses' initiatives to lower their carbon footprints and minimise the impact of their operations on the environment. Upgrade strategically to stay competitive, innovative, and agile Never underestimate the impact of old or outdated hardware on business continuity, with devices unable to fully leverage the latest generation of enterprise applications (and that includes new technologies such as AI, which marks a turning point in multiple industries across South Africa) or process-intensive workloads. The result is not just a rig that's slow to boot up, but a liability that hinders overall productivity and performance. By keeping up to date and investing in capable, up-to-date hardware, local businesses can remain competitive in their respective industries, reinforce their ability to innovate using digital platforms and solutions, and be agile towards shifting consumer and market needs and expectations.
Zawya
20-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
AI is all about doing more with less and opens the door to new possibilities
In 2025 and the second half of this decade, artificial intelligence (AI) will become a defining measure of South African businesses' success. Today, the technology touches every corner of the modern enterprise, from sales and marketing to administration and finance. According to a survey conducted by Ipsos for Google, AI usage is up in South Africa compared to 2024, with excitement about its potential now outweighing concern. Over half of the surveyed South Africans report they've used generative AI (GenAI) in the last year. Author: Werner Joubert, commercial SYS director (South Africa & SADC) at Asus This level of adoption reflects the impact of AI not only in large multinational enterprises, but also in small-to-medium businesses, fledgling entrepreneurs and lone professionals who see the technology's potential at any scale. Technology vendors have responded to this by creating an ecosystem of systems and solutions that help businesses leverage AI to unlock new value. With the right strategic implementation, enterprises can turn potential into performance. AI at any scale for any business So, how is AI all about doing more with less? At its core, AI is an exercise in automation. It eliminates the need for employees and professionals to carry out manual, repetitive and time-consuming tasks. Some of the most common AI uses in the enterprise today, regardless of the size or scale, include: - Schedule optimisation: Companies can use AI tools to optimise scheduling by consolidating factors such as employee availability, skills, preferences and customer traffic. For example, a business like a coffee shop can determine who and how many employees they need available to meet demand levels throughout the day. - Customer service: Chatbots and other conversational AI tools can provide business customers with additional support and serve as a dedicated portal for addressing queries. - Finance: GenAI platforms, backed by large language models (LLMs) that specialise in accounting, cash flow and taxes, can help employees process transactions and invoices more quickly, while also reducing the potential for data entry errors. - Personalisation and content creation: Every business has the potential to be unique. Using GenAI tools to create tailor-made content and promotional material, businesses can put their stamp on the landscape while offering high levels of customisation based on customer preferences, behaviours and market trends. From there, the potential applications of AI expand to cover all enterprise functions, across every industry vertical, from education to healthcare. As a business driver, AI has proven to be incredibly versatile and scalable, with businesses integrating it into their organisations in whatever way, shape or form they see fit. They're able to do that with the help of state-of-the-art hardware and digital resources that make AI accessible like never before. The right kind of tech? For many businesses in South Africa, AI adoption does not involve investing large sums of money in training their own models or running expansive cloud computing environments. Not every enterprise requires the same level of digital infrastructure to run and evolve. For many, the value of AI lies in simple integrations and the use of cutting-edge products that are readily available. We see this with the likes of Gemini and Midjourney, but the AI revolution has also given rise to innovative platforms and services that blend seamlessly and are work with existing enterprise hardware. One such example is Copilot, an AI-powered chat service from Microsoft that generates content and automates tasks, while also supporting users of other Microsoft technologies such as Windows, Microsoft 365 and GitHub. It is accessible via web browsers on multiple operating systems, including Windows and macOS, and is also integrated into tools like Windows and Microsoft 365. It offers general AI assistant capabilities that can help enterprise users significantly improve and enhance their workflows. Through services such as Copilot, technology vendors have begun to refine their value offerings and provide customers with solutions that are designed, built and optimised for AI in the enterprise. Laptops are now available with dedicated AI chips and OEM platforms and applications that further empower businesses and professionals. This is AI made accessible, and it has the power to transform enterprises of all shapes and sizes. AI is how we do more with less. It's also how we do more with what we have. By evaluating the value proposition of AI features and understanding the gains they offer, enterprises can not only make their organisations more intelligent, but also help employees and professionals get the most out of their hardware, adopt the latest practices and take their ideas and businesses into the future.
