Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
THE Data Centre Africa Expo conference, which ends today in Victoria Falls, has generated a lot of interest towards the need for collaboration among service providers worldwide.

The expo, the first of its kind in Zimbabwe, began on Wednesday where delegates from companies in the local and regional Information Communication Technology (ICT) as well as other countries outside Africa are attending.

During the deliberations, participants corroborated on the need for ICT players to establish their own data centres and cloud system as a way of feeding into the digital hub.

A data centre is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems.

However, there were mixed feelings over whether the continent should set up a data certification body.

Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Data Centre Africa chairman Dr Dunny Derera said:

“The take home message from this important meeting is that we need to improve our infrastructure as players while governments should start implementing e-governance in its day- to-day activities.”

“Consumers need access to cheaper internet services while above all there is a need for certification of data centres.

“Having said this, it is clear that there is also a need for collaboration among all the industry players going forward.”

Commenting on the need for a certification body, Dr Derera said the issue needs to be debated on.

“The objective of DCA is to set up an association to meet any players. A regional certification body is tricky because certification has to be universal,” he said.

In an earlier presentation, Mr Mustapha Louni, the managing director of Uptime Institute in the Middle East and Africa, challenged the ICT sector in Africa to “stop thinking of the continent in isolation as it is part of the world hence there is no exceptionalism for it.”

Local telecommunications company, Tel-One chief executive officer Mrs Chipo Mtasa, who spoke about transforming the ICT sector’s landscape, challenged other players to embrace digitalisation as a game changer.

She said Tel-One had set the ball rolling with a number of digital projects aimed at improving connectivity, adding that the parastatal was open to partnerships.

“Digitalisation is affecting us and we really have to embrace it as it is revolutionalising enterprises.

“As Tel-One we have commercialised and embraced a new brand that is set to go global and we welcome any players to come and partner us,” Mrs Mtasa said.

Tel-One has positioned itself as a carrier of careers and is in the game to establish a data centre which is already in place to improve connectivity.

The conference is being held under the theme: “The road to Africa digital transformation”.

A number of local companies that also include Econet, Tendo and Nyaradzo, which have interests in ICT, are participating. -@ncubeleon

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