Innovative technology, such as robotics and drones, can help cut costs in the mining sector, says the IDC.
We round up trends from around the world that had us scratching our heads this week.
A new feature in Google Maps will allow users to see exactly where they have been in a day and what they did.
PowerOptimal says its power demand management technology can solve SA's energy woes much faster than building new coal-fired power stations, and at a fraction of the cost.
For drones to be commercially viable, national and international aviation laws may need to be overhauled, says Marsh.
More smart city initiatives will come to life in SA as network connectivity improves, says Gemalto.
A tender to install 250MW of wind-generating capacity has been awarded to Ireland-based Mainstream Renewable Power.
Partially autonomous vehicles are likely to hit the road in large numbers by 2017, says the Boston Consulting Group.
Mellowcabs is among 12 initial finalists who will test their tech in a UK smart city development.
The third platform is described as the convergence of four technology trends on business, says Keith Fenner, senior vice-president, sales for Sage ERP X3 AAMEA.
More than R1 trillion will be injected into projects aimed at using brain-to-computer dialogue to assist physically-impaired people.
Organisations face IT infrastructure challenges around the growth of cloud, analytics social and mobile.