Technology in Africa

[Andy Rabagliati <andyr@wizzy.com>]

Folks,

  Another busy couple of weeks at work ..
  
  I had the opportunity to visit Vodacom's machine room here in Cape Town.
  
  This is a large airconditioned room the size of a football field, with
  row upon row of DEC 8400s - maybe 40 or more. These are big computers.
  They have several fast CPUs, a few Gig of RAM apiece, and hot-swap
  RAID disks.
  
  What do they do ?
  
  Billing. You could argue that they are what make Vodacom all their
  money - since they enable them to send bills.
  
  They have already run out of room, and are building another building
  out at Bellville, with four floors of computers and 2 28 Ton UPSs.
  
  There may be a perception that Africa is "behind" - and in certain
  areas like education for the masses it is. However, when there is
  money to be made, the South Africans think like everybody else, and
  spend on the best. Components may be a little more expensive, cars
  as well, but it does not mean that anyone settles for second best
  if they can afford the top tier.
  
  Individual parking meters in Cape Town take cashcards. ATM machines
  will dispense cashiers checks. You can dial up a service from a fax
  machine and have your bank statement faxed to you. You can buy more
  time for your cellphone with a credit card and the phone itself.
  Cellphones are a way of life.
  
  Engineers dream of working in the USA. They are short of high-tech
  workers in the States, and loud noises are made there about reducing
  the immigration requirements for skilled workers. Spare a thought
  for the developing world, which finds it hard enough to train local
  doctors and engineers, without contending with the inevitable brain
  drain to the USA. Speaking from experience ..
  
  Last week and this all the programmers went on a Java course here in
  Cape Town. I was ecstatic - Java is the new, darling, language, and
  I went through my education before many of todays programming principles
  were laid down. It is always good to be learning.
  
  Over the weekend we moved Vodacom's internet service from our machines
  in Johannesburg to their machines here in Cape Town, from sendmail
  to Post.Office, with some messy historical issues to deal with, and
  some custom Mail notification to phone software to port. And the folks
  from the USA who write the software call me on my cellphone .. long
  distance tech support - and a part of the clout Vodacom pulls.
  
  The last day of the Java course was my birthday - so some of us went
  out to try (again) to find some good beer in Cape Town. My roommate
  Corrina then took me out for some more ..
  
  Thank all of you who wished me well for my birthday - I hope to get
  around to writing individually. My mailbox overfloweth, and my days
  are long ..
  
  The weather is great, and I have not had enough time to really get
  out on my bike. I went up to Stellenbosch last weekend.
  
Cheers,     Andy!

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