Security skills top wanted list

The international world of ICT was quiet last week, while at home Altech's investment in Kenya stole much of the local ICT headline space.

* Satisfactory interim numbers from CompuClearing, with revenue up 8% and profit up over 35%.
* Very good year-end figures from Dialogue Group, with revenue up over 90% and profit up over 30% despite several acquisitions/investments.
* Positive trading updates from EOH and Vox Telecom.
* The 21% investment in Integrat, a wireless application service provider aggregator, by Convergence Partners, a BEE investment company focusing on the telecommunications, media and technology sectors.
* The 25.1% investment by Ummango Investment Holdings, a broad-based BEE consortium of women financed by Mvelaphanda Holdings, in the ITWeb Group.
* The merger of Quantum Solutions and Datafinity into Reashumo Technologies, which will still trade as Quantum Solutions. The deal will make the new entity a key player in the forms processing and automated data and document capture solution market.
* The launch of Stable-Net, a subsidiary of MICROmega, which focuses on networking.
* Adobe officially opened its local subsidiary, which will look after the MEA region.
* The formal name change of Infoware Holdings to AdaptIT Holdings.
* Mustek was appointed as the distributor for NEC's server and storage products in SA.

* Altech's $75 million+ (51%) acquisition of Kenya Data Networks, Swift Global and Infocom, all subsidiaries of Kenya's Sameer Group. This now makes Altech the leading broadband network operator in east and central Africa.
* The resignation of Abubakar Nahuche, CEO of Nitel.

According to Taiwan's Market Intelligence Centre, the number of global mobile phone subscribers will reach 4.5 billion by 2012, from 3.1 billion in 2007.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

* Acer's $289 million acquisition of E-Ten Information Systems, a Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer whose products are marketed under the Glofiish brand.
* Brocade purchased Strategic Business Systems, an IT services provider.
* Eastman Kodak bought Design2Launch, a digital workflow solutions provider.
* France Telecom acquired French leisure Web site, Cityvox.
* A group of private investors known as Joma purchased Siemens AG's wireless modules business.
* Mitsubishi is abandoning its mobile phone business.
* T-Systems has formed a systems integration alliance with Cognizant, an IT services provider.
* Ziff Davis Media has applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
* SCO filed a formal reorganisation plan with the bankruptcy court.
* Mediocre quarterly results from Telecom Italia.

* The possible $2.63 billion acquisition of Diebold by United Technologies, a company that owns Chubb, Otis Elevators and Pratt & Whitney jet engines.
* The possible purchase of Packeteer by Elliott Associates and Elliott International.

* The worldwide external disk storage market grew 9.7% in Q407 as compared to Q406, and totalled $5.3 billion, says IDC.
* Ringback tones will be the single largest source of mobile entertainment revenue by 2010, predicts IDC.
* According to Taiwan's Market Intelligence Centre, the number of global mobile phone subscribers will reach 4.5 billion by 2012, from 3.1 billion in 2007. The 2007 figure represents a 46.8% penetration.

* JSE All share index: Up 0.1%
* Nasdaq: Down 2.6%
* Top SA share movements: Beget Holdings (+25%), Dialogue Group (-17.6%), Ifca Technologies (+31.8%), Jasco (-10%), Silverbridge (-9.4%), TeliMatrix (-11.3%) and Zaptronix (-13.3%)

Following a recent US survey, eWeek recently published the results detailing the 10 most wanted IT skills. At the top of the list were those with security, firewall and data privacy skills; followed by those with general networking and network infrastructure skills. At number three were those with operating systems skills such as Linux, Windows XP and Vista.