WebNow Online Solutions Simplified

The World Cup that took place in our country over the last 4 weeks has been so exciting and has brought together South Africans from all walks of life.  We have made use of public transport that we previously may never have used, we have rubbed shoulders with tens of thousands of people on the various Fan walks across the country and even those that never previously followed football, have found themselves glued to their TV for the last 4 weeks.  Some of us have also been fortunate enough to attend a match at one of the magnificent stadiums around the country.  We have shown the world that South Africa can deliver and in doing so have silenced the sceptics – both locally and around the world.

For one month we forgot about our differences, we stopped worrying about the “what if”, politics seemed to disappear off the radar and we all walked around with our heads held high – For my part I was truly proud to be a South African.  In the Sunday Times newspaper last Sunday I came across a wonderful full page advert by FNB to celebrate the last day of the World Cup – these words were captured on top of a South African flag and read:

“TODAY WE ARE THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD”

How very true.

But why only “Today”.  What about going forward...Many of us are now pondering life without the World Cup and some are already talking doom and gloom.    The flags that we were all so proud to fly do not need to be packed away now that the World Cup is over.  Now more than ever is the time for us to stand together, to build on what we as a nation have achieved and to reach new heights.  

One of our partners, design agency DraftFCB, have been so inspired by the World Cup that they have launched a campaign called “Keep Flying”.  The campaign has been endorsed by Brand SA and encourages individuals and businesses not to pack their flags away but to fly the flag proudly and to keep it flying.

WebNow supports this campaign and I encourage you all as individuals to do so as well.  Please visit www.keepflying.co.za for more information and share this initiative with your friends and family.

An email signature showing our support for the campaign will be automatically embedded to the footer of all email messages and other collateral will be made available to show our support.

 

Online businesses should consider using integrated technologies to attract a broader customer base, says WebNow.

While the reflected increase in internet connectivity is a very positive sign, just 10% percent of the population is connected to the internet. By contrast, some reports show that up to 90% have cell phones. Of those, around 65% have browsing capability. One Cape Town CEO urges online businesses to integrate both platforms into their marketing and operational plans.
Internet usage and broadband trend reports issued by World Wide Worx and Cisco have shown a dramatic increase in connectivity and use patterns compared with last year. Research data released in January revealed that 10% of South Africans are connected to the internet. Broadband usage data in March showed that internet access from a broadband connection has increased by 50%, with wireless access growing nearly three times faster than fixed line access.

Many businesses are migrating their operations to the internet environment, using online technologies such as cloud computing, ecommerce functionality and payment gateways such as PayPal. There are many reasons for doing so. Companies can reduce costs, enhance operational flexibility and expand their customer base to broader markets.

This is undoubtedly good news, reflecting increased confidence in the internet as an ecommerce medium. The Seacom cable, more reliable, cheaper connections and reducing hardware costs are clear influencing factors. But what of the remaining population and particularly small businesses who are not yet connected as a result of cost or lack of knowledge? Many may be alienated from commercial opportunities and possibly denied the chance to expand their own small businesses as a result of their lack of access.

Jean-Pierre Dumont, CEO of full service ISP and web development consultants WebNow, is asking the same questions, saying: “The usage statistics show some fantastic growth from last year. But the connectivity gap may alienate a large proportion of potential customers.” Dumont expresses the view that with just 10% of the population actively connected, businesses should consider how to integrate other tools to connect with the remaining 90% and broaden their customer base on their own doorstep.

Mobile internet and SMS platforms are the answer. With such significant cell phone penetration and over 60% of that penetration allowing mobile browsing, it is becoming much easier to expand a business’s customer base, and also to allow smaller traders to compete in a wider market.

Dumont continues: “Clearly, South Africa’s socio-economic structure has a great impact on the connectivity gap which will in turn influence the size of a business’s economically active market. But the point is that there are technologies available that enable a two-prong approach to help online businesses interact directly with their customers without relying on a customer’s own connectivity.”

In one example, WebNow is currently developing a platform for a web-based business seeking to attract users who lie at both ends of the connectivity scale. The system’s end users lie within the connected demographic. But the vast majority of the business’s service providers do not have internet connections. As a result, a large proportion of the marketing and development budget is being allocated to two-way SMS functionality.

By integrating different platforms into the development architecture, it allows the internet to be used as a pull mechanism to help customers find service providers. At the same time, the system leverages South Africa’s widespread cell phone coverage to push service providers towards their customer base.

By taking this approach, it will be possible to open up many more commercial opportunities for businesses working from grassroots level right up to well entrenched major corporates.”

We have had many enquiries about ADSL in the past, we have found a very good article written on myBroadband, that explains the terms in detail and keep it quite simple for anyone to understand. We hope that this enlightens you all!

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/adsl/12343-ADSL-jargon-What-you-should-know.html

In the words of Lewis Carroll, then, "let's begin at the beginning"...

 

ADSL

The abbreviation for asymmetric digital subscriber line. It's sometimes commonly referred to as "DSL" or digital subscriber line. The technology allows for data to be transmitted over conventional copper phone lines at a faster rate than a dialup/voice modem. To do so, it uses frequencies that are not used by a voice call. A splitter (micro-filter) allows users a single telephone connection to be used for an ADSL service as well as voice calls at the same time.
Self-install
"Self-install" is the most popular way of provisioning ADSL. This means you do not have to wait for a Telkom technician to come to your house (this could take weeks), and you save the R543 installation fee. Self-install is a simple process. You order ADSL online, at a Telkom Direct shop, or by calling 10219. Telkom then informs you that you may proceed with the self-installation. You collect your modem at a Telkom store, or have it delivered. Then, it's as simple as connecting the micro-filter to your phone line, connect the cable labelled "line" to the box on your wall and the other end to your ADSL modem. You will then need to verify your DSL connection, and should be up and running within 30 minutes.
Router/modem
A router or modem will allow your computer to transmit data over a standard telephone line. ADSL routers are slightly larger than the old dial-up modems and generally allow for at least four connections (via Ethernet local area network cables). Some routers also offer wireless connectivity, so you're able to connect to it wirelessly in your home.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is simply the data transfer rate: the amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given time (usually in one second). Telkom offers ADSL in three speed options: (up to) 384Kbps (kilobits per second), (up to) 512Kbps or (up to) 4 096Kbps (also known as a "4 meg" line, ie, 4 megabits per second). It is also trialling faster ADSL, with speeds of up to 10Mbps reported. Telkom helpfully points out that the "speed indicators are line synchronisation speeds which are dependent on the distance from the exchange and other factors".
Shaped
Shaping refers to the moderation of data on your broadband connection. In other words, certain content is given priority over others. Websites, for example, will be given priority over e-mail being downloaded. If a shaping policy like this is in place, explains MWEB, if you are downloading your e-mail, and surfing the web, you will get to the web page first before your e-mails have completed downloading. Shaping is used to prevent abusers of the service from destroying the experience for others. Traffic using protocols such as proprietary video chat or peer-to-peer file downloads will be "de-prioritised".
Unshaped
An unshaped service has no prioritisation of any traffic. It simply operates on a "first come, first served" basis regardless of which protocol is used.
Contention ratio
A contention ratio is how Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are able to deal with a large amount of users on limited bandwidth. It's described as a measurement of the number of other subscribers you are "contending" with for your share of ADSL bandwidth leading to your local exchange. "For example, the contention ratio as published by Telkom is 20:1, this means that you would share your bandwidth with no more than 20 subscribers on the Telkom Network."
All-inclusive
To use ADSL you need an ISP for data and Telkom for the rental of an ADSL line. Normally you'll pay Telkom and your ISP separately, but many ISPs offer an "all-inclusive" option where you pay a single fee to them. The ISPs are basically "reselling" ADSL connections, and this works out cheaper than paying each separately. However, you will still have to pay for your analogue telephone line rental.
WIMAX
Telkom has confused matters by offering Wimax as an "ADSL replacement" in areas where it does not have copper infrastructure, or where cable theft is rampant.
Wimax is a high-speed wireless access technology, and Telkom offers fixed wireless broadband, which means you are not able to be mobile in the same way you would be with a 3G USB modem. The Telkom offering is an (up to) 512Kbps product, similar to the equivalent ADSL connection.

An online presence, whether personal or business, has become an almost every day necessity. Such demand has seen a growth in web hosting companies, large and small, competing to host websites, mail and online applications.

WebNow might be able to help...

Multi-Platform Hosting
WebNow can offer hosting across Linux or Microsoft Windows Server to ensure you web applications run in the most optimal environment.

Multi-Application Hosting
Our hosting environment allows the provisioning of multiple website languages to run across multiple database engines; whether it is PHP and MySQL or ASP.Net and Microsoft SQL Server.

Optimised Infrastructure
All our servers run on the latest enterprise-class Dell PowerEdge servers; each designed for its specific role, whether its serving web content or hosting web application databases. Our servers are hosted in the Teraco Data Centre, in the heart of Cape Town. This vendor neutral Data Centre allows us to run across of a number of upstream providers, all housed in an N+1 environment. Such an environment offers complete redundancy across all hosting variables such as power, cooling, security. and connectivity.

Web Security
Each hosting environment is protected by external hardware firewalls, protecting your applications from malicious attacks. This ensures each environment is running optimally from a systems and connectivity point of view.

E-mail Anti-Virus and SPAM Protection
MailCleaner offers professional protection against viruses and eliminates up to 99% of spam. MailCleaner is installed between the Internet and your mail server. It blocks all intrusive messages before they reach their destination mail server, ensuring your mailbox stays clean and safe.

Custom Designed Packages
WebNow has refined, and continues to refine, its hosting packages to ensure we constantly offer the best value for money and aid in the upgrade process of your web applications as they grow. We can help you choose the best plan to suit your current needs and advise as your needs grow.

Control Panel
Each hosting environment runs WebNow’s Control Panel, allowing you to take complete control of every feature of your domain. Users can edit DNS records, configure mail accounts, set website file/folder permissions, backup websites, schedule tasks, inegrate with Google, define programming language compatibility and create databases.

Value Add
We believe in offering a wider range of features over offering extensive disk space and mail accounts. This allows us to offer better value for money, by providing services such as a Site Builder, Webmail, and a variety of web statistics and analysis tools.

Dedicated Support team
Experienced support members with web application experience, are available via E-mail, telephone, Instant Messenger or our advanced ticketing system, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

South Africa recently received news of the first uncapped ADSL package launched on the market to much acclaim.

On the face of it, these deals are exactly what the bandwidth-strapped South African market has been crying out for. With increasing commercial competition from a global market and a more sophisticated desire for more flexible internet access, there clearly is a need for a shake up in the market. The move will be welcomed by the man in the street who will be lapping up the chance to surf the web for as long as they want for an accessible price.

But one industry professional is urging caution.

Jean-Pierre Dumont, CEO of WebNow, feels that while uncapped ADSL is generally a good thing in principle; consumers should look more carefully at what they are getting before they jump ship from their existing provider.

He explains his concerns: “Uncapped accounts are ideal for some users but very bad for others. The packages announced recently do look very good to the uninitiated. But they are laced with conditions and caveats that may catch the average user unawares.” Cost, reliability and conditions are the main concerns, as Dumont elaborates.

The uncapped deals are structured to appeal to consumers who are fairly light internet users. In some cases a user with a 3 GB capped account may feel they will get better value by switching to an uncapped account. In doing so, they may forego a very reliable service that meets their needs for R99 a month, for one that costs an average of R200 per month. Their costs go up but it is unlikely that their user profile will change. Where’s the benefit in that?

Furthermore, uncapped accounts are new to the South African market. With many accounts using one network provider the backhaul capacity to serve all of these uncapped users is unknown and untested. This, combined with potentially high contention ratios, is likely to result in performance problems for users. The service may be uncapped but it could be less reliable.

To counteract that, the uncapped accounts are heavily shaped and in some cases throttled, giving priority to general web browsing. In addition, line speed restrictions of up to 384 kpbs will be designed to reduce users’ ability to download a lot of data. Although ISPs will have the ability to cap or disconnect users that are deemed heavy users, light users will subsidise the heavier users. This imbalance in turn threatens the system’s reliability.

There could also be restrictions on VOIP and multimedia downloads. Dumont asks: “How do these restrictions make the service uncapped? Because these terms are buried in the fine print, these seemingly amazing deals could be seen as misleading for the average consumer. And it is the average consumer that these deals are targeted at.”

The uncapped offerings are further restricted in the terms and conditions. In particular, the cheaper accounts are available to personal users only. Businesses are traditionally heavier users and these restrictions make it difficult for cash-strapped small businesses to take advantage of the web now said to be free.

Having said that, Dumont acknowledges that the South African market is ripe for uncapped offerings. His firm WebNow launched an uncapped package this week. But Dumont is clear that the market is also ripe for alternatives that meet the needs of everyone, whether they are connecting with buddies on Facebook, Skyping their grandchildren in London, building an e-commerce based home business, or linking to video conferences with global clients in multiple time zones.

March has been a crazy action packed month...

 

To those that completed this years Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour well done!  While the wind was bad it was thankfully a little better than last year and made all the easier by the fantastic supporters that lined the route.  WebNow continues to support this fantastic event and we have a lot of great ideas which we hope will make it to the website in months to come.  More on that through the year.

 
WebNow launched a special March Month of Madness promotion where we slashed ContactNow email credits by up to 40%.  This promotion was very well received and we trust that it will assist our clients in reaching their clients much more cost effectively.  

 

We also announced the launch of our new semi-shaped ADSL plans at an unbelievable R33 per GB per month – Keep in mind that our previous price for 1GB was R69.  March also saw the advent of cost effective uncapped ADSL in South Africa for the first time.  MWEB started the ball rolling by announcing an uncapped offering from R219 per month and within a few days it started a price war with other ISP’s coming to market with competing products.  While we welcome MWEB’s move as a significant milestone in SA we are concerned that consumers are not necessarily getting all the information they need to make an informed purchase.  The cheaper uncapped offerings are ideal for home users that do a lot of web browsing and require a lot of bandwidth without getting capped.  
But there are conditions that you need to be aware of – the terms and conditions allow some ISP’s to heavily shape the connection, restrict the line speed and even throttle users that reach a certain threshold.  Users that make excessive use of the service could also face being disconnected or blacklisted by their provider.  Always read the fine print.  For home users uncapped is an ideal value proposition but for businesses that require a high speed, stable and unshaped connection rather go for a conventional ADSL capped offering.

 
Of course WebNow can provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision.  Not to be outdone we have also launched a new Uncapped ADSL offering called Uncapped Home which is available for R205 per month.  

 

March also saw the launch of our brand new website and upgraded Blog.  Remember to bookmark the site and keep visiting us for updates , promotions and exciting new product launches.

 
The final feather in our cap is the launch of our new Website Builder tool.  This tool allows any user to build a template based website in 5 easy steps – no design experience is required.  The good news is this tool is available free of charge to all our hosting customers with an upgrade enabling other features such as building your own online eCommerce site.  Check it out!

A few years ago I was thrown into the deep end and was put in charge of some really large systems. Up until then I had primarily been working in development teams on very large systems that required teams of up to 50 people across all boards. Realising how large and technically complicated those systems were and how incredibly stressed most of the stakeholder and team leaders were I began to think was this really the job for me. Being the incredibly chilled person that I am I started to realise that this enterprise software world was not as chilled as I am and for a while wondered if it ever would be.

Until somebody gave me a book to read  “Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture” by Martin Fowler this book save my life and it instilled a belief in me that large enterprise applications development need not to be a difficult and stressful process and by following some basic values , methodologies, principles and with the help some very clever tools we could tame this beast called enterprise applications and together the beast and I could sit back and CHILL and develop something special and at the same time keep the stakeholders happy.

Martin Fowlers laid back style of writing and his constant re-iteration of a “KEEP IT SIMPLE” approach and together with a “BEST OF BREED” methodology made me realise that application architecture need not be the stressful part of application development.

In this book his recommended architectural design pattern for an ASP.NET Web application development was the Table Module Architectural design pattern.
This statement causes quite a stir in the development community between the DDD (Domain Driven Development) /nhibernate followers and the MDD followers.
Personally I feel that MDD is the only architecture to go with when developing web applications.

Being predominantly a web application developer and a Microsoft junkie I began using the Table Module Architectural design pattern and started adopting a MDD (Model driven development) approach to architecture. Then a natural progressions lead me to an AMDD style of development. And by adding a little fun to it I developed the AGILE DISCO BALL methodology. I will go into more detail about the AGILE DISCO BALL in future blogs.
After adopting these methodologies I notice an immediate result, I began enjoying the world of software again and notice a huge success rate when delivering large scale applications.
My world was CHILLED once again.

But at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference. I believe if you are going to be using agile methodologies in your development environment apply some of the same values when choosing your architecture.

1. Simplicity. “KEEP IT SIMPLE.80% of web applications outlive the developers working on the project .A simple architecture allows for easier handover, future scalability and ease of use. I will go into a lot more detail about simplifying architectures and tools that can be used in the development process in future blogs.
2. Courage. Choosing an architecture for a large enterprise is a huge responsibility. And by sticking to what you know and by playing on your strengths you will have the confidence to choose the best architecture to suite your style, personality and skill.
3. Humility. “DON’T BE A SMART ALEC” The best developers today are not afraid to say that they are wrong nor are they afraid to ask for help. However smart you think you are there are people out there that are smarter and no matter what problem you have there are people out there that have solved it. Another thing that Architects must realise that the people that are going to be doing the development on your project are not as experienced as they are and the people that might be taking over from you might also not be as experienced. So when developing an architecture, develop it in a way that you are NOT going to be the only person in the world that is going to understand it.

By following some of these basic values when designing and choosing a web application architecture, I believe that you will have a better success rate when developing systems and will more have time to argue with stakeholders whether the font should be pink or blue.

Please join me for my future blogs where I will be discussing why I think projects fail, Agile modelling, MDD and some of the fundamentals of building a successful web application. I will also be going into more detail about my AGILE DISCO BALL THEORY.

Hi there my name is Stanton Roux. I have 12 years experience in developing web applications. I have my MCSE and MCSD.NET and I am currently working as senior software engineer for WebNow.

There is a buzz around the office and an air of excitement. Something is looming....

Identifying that "something" is the challenge. There are winds of change blowing over the industry. Many experts predict that 2010 will be the year that defines our Connected Futures.
So how do one approach such a time? By coming up with new and improved ways of doing business. Innovation will be the order of the day, new products should come to the forefront, new levels of customer service will required in order to differentiate yourself from your competitors. This is an exciting time to be a client.  

It seems clear that SaaS (software as a service) offerings will be the definitive answer to the question, What happens now? Faster and more reliable broadband connections ensures that South Africa is ready for this movement. Although be it, a few years behind our 1st world compatriots, we are gearing up to explore this untouched landscape.

What does this mean for everyday South Africans? Gone are the days that you need to install a program or application with a cd or dvd on every computer in your office. Things will run more securely and much faster. All you will need is an internet connection to  access and utilise your Accounting Programs.

WebNow is spending quite a lot of time researching and developing these "services" and we are preparing the release of some fantastic concepts. These services will change the way we do business from now on. 

If all this post did, was to intrigue you, then I succeeded. The time is right to get online and be part of something big. As mentioned, all you need is an internet connection!

What has happened in the IT world this past month?

Latest rating on ISP’s  -
The lowest rated ISPs were Telkom Internet with an average score of 5.59 out of 10 and MTN Business with 5.67.  Telkom Internet was also rated the worst ADSL ISP in 2007 and 2008.
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/ADSL/9599.html

Winston the pigeon  -
New satirical website aims to shed light on data transfer speeds in South Africa
A new project called Pigeon Race 2009 aims to highlight the inadequate data transfer speeds over fixed lines in South Africa.  The website http://pigeonrace2009.co.za/ states that “The Unlimited faces great challenges in getting data from its locations across KZN back to its central location for storage. These are large files, and it was postulated that a pigeon could do this faster than a normal landline could.”
The company behind the Pigeon Race 2009 is The Unlimited World describing themselves as a “dynamic company that is Making a Difference in South Africa.”  The company offers insurance and lifestyle products including 911Assist, Motor Assist and SOS Assist.
The Pigeon Race project could be viewed as a viral campaign which is mainly aimed at promoting The Unlimited World brand and giving the company additional exposure through an innovative online advertising campaign.  
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/ADSL/9510.html

Warning to all  -
A warning to people thinking of buying soccer World Cup tickets on the Internet was circulated on Thursday by Project 2010, a web-site promoting the competition.
The warning originates with Symantec, the Internet security firm, which said it expects a huge rise in World Cup-related spam and phishing attacks in the run-up to and during the football finals.
Symantec urged web users to purchase tickets only from FIFA registered sellers and avoid deals that sound too good to be true, as they probably are.
 http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Internet/9665.html

While I was on my travels in the USA I came across some very interesting technological advances that has not yet  reached the shores of South Africa.
The first noticeable difference is the transport system.

They have buses running continuously on specified routes from key points in the city.
The routes varies from the airport to key tourist attractions, for example from Washington Airport to the Smithsonian Air and Space museum.
You pay an x amount for a day-pass, but always try to give the correct amount, as you will not receive change.
Next up , the train system.

The Metro Train system runs from early hours in the morning to late in the evening.
They have five active lines running, Blue line , Yellow line , Orange Line , Green Line and the Red Line.
These trains run from underground subway stations, over bridges and even in between traffic on the highway.
You can jump on and off these trains at any time to get to your desired destination.
The Metro bus service which I took while I was in Washington, also stops at these subway stations which are very convenient when trying to get to your required destination on time.
More...