Business and academia have joined forces to create the South African Laboratory for Network Security Products and Services (SALNSPS).
The initiative, announced at the T-Systems offices in Midrand this morning, will be run in collaboration with T-Systems` partners - IBM, Cisco Systems, the University of Johannesburg and the University of Cape Town (UCT).
SALNSPS will focus on innovations, high-technology trends and extreme network security that will accelerate post-graduate research in the security network environment, said Dr Valentin Kisimov, of the solution crafting division at T-Systems.
The major criteria for selection of the lab`s annual programme will be industrial and market needs and future trends. Master`s degree and PhD students will participate in the testing, prototyping and developing the proof of concepts.
[VIDEO]"The laboratory will conduct theoretical research and development, practical testing, prototyping and practical development to the level of proof of concept of security products and services," said Andrew Hutchinson, business manager of the telecommunication services division at T-Systems SA.
"An additional goal of the laboratory is to improve the research skills of leading South African postgraduate students, to enhance their professional and research capabilities and to prepare them for highly-efficient involvement in the industry," he added.
UCT is excited about the initiative as it will expose the industry to academic research and will conversely expose postgraduates to new software and hardware technology, said Daya Reddy, dean of the Faculty of Science at the university.
The relationship is not merely commercial, as it has the potential to relieve the catastrophic shortage of senior IT professionals in SA, added Reddy.
The programme will use academic research capabilities and knowledge from the blue chip vendors that are dedicated to security, said Kisimov.
"T-Systems will provide office space to run the laboratory at its Johannesburg and Cape Town offices. Together with Cisco and IBM, the necessary hardware and software to test run the products and services under investigation will be ensured," said Hutchinson.
The programme will also be used to accelerate social education through the CIDA ICT academy.
"The CIDA ICT academy will benefit from the laboratory. Through the laboratory, students will be exposed to high-technology international network security projects," said Hutchinson.
Research and development will not be exclusively on network security and will extend to other security-related areas, said Kisimov.
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