A positive change is evident within the public sector

Technology in the public sector is challenging, yet poses many opportunities. There have been positive moves, with some departments having made key IT purchases for strategic initiatives in the last few months. 

Things have changed for South Africa’s public sector customers and although some remain quite risk-averse when it comes to the cloud and wary when it comes to data residing in the cloud, there is a positive shift, with a growing number of customers keen on looking at hybrid options and enthusiastic to look at other options. For example, from a data and analytics perspective, customers prefer that the data be kept on-premises, but are open to Power BI reports being in the cloud.

There has also been a lot of interest in security, relating to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), becoming top of mind for the customers to secure their environment, and making sure that everything they share or do is done in a POPIA-compliant way. Many customers are also purchasing more than just the basics to secure their data, which is a good sign.

The opportunity for companies like Altron Karabina to become trusted ICT partners within the public sector is a real one. We can assist public sector organisations to derive the maximum value and benefit from their ICT spend as well as draw business value from the Microsoft investments they have made. The opportunity to implement the services that they need to deliver a better experience for the citizens is one that will have a significant impact. 

Improving service delivery to the citizens of this country remains a key imperative in  the public sector. The last few months have demonstrated a positive change by government in addressing the strategic importance that IT has had and will continue to have on them. This, for us, is quite exciting with regards to what the future holds.