Blackberry Service Blackout Reasons

Engineers at its European headquarters in Slough, Berkshire, as well as its corporate base in Waterloo, Ontario, are still investigating what went so badly wrong. According to industry sources, however, a picture is beginning to emerge.


While Slough is the site of RIM’s European headquarters, and is also in charge of operations in the Middle East and Africa, it is not the physical location of the stacks of networking equipment that actually serve the tens of millions of BlackBerry users in these regions.
The firm is famously tight-lipped on such matters, but it is widely known within the mobile industry that the machines are actually maintained at its site in Egham, Surrey.


The problems began on Monday at around 10AM BST. Mobile networks noticed that BlackBerry internet traffic had fallen away completely. Senior RIM executives confirmed to them that there was a problem, and that an urgent investigation had been launched.

Blackberry OS7 Phones

Brief outages are reasonably common in the internet industry and at this stage there was no indication that this one would lead so many customers to vow to abandon their BlackBerry in favour of rival smartphones.


RIM’s investigation revealed the apparent cause of the outage to be a failed Cisco switch in its core network. Switches are basic components of Internet Protocol networks. They are specialised computers that direct communications within networks; in this case the emails, web browsing and instant messages of millions BlackBerry Internet Service users.


On day three of the crisis, RIM publicly admitted it had suffered a “core switch failure”.


If everything had worked to plan, the failure would not have mattered. A backup system also failed, however, for reasons that remain obscure and will surely be among the top priorities of RIM’s own post-mortem investigation.
Ironically, suspicion has fallen on a network upgrade programme specifically designed to prevent outages. 


Involving “fundamental” changes, it was initiated after a North American BlackBerry outage in December 2009. Work in Britain was completed only two months ago, sources said.


After Monday’s morning’s collapse, RIM’s engineers decided to revert the software running the switching infrastructure to the pre-upgrade version. This meant the Internet Protocol backbone of the BlackBerry network in Europe, the Middle East and Africa had to be rebuilt from scratch. Effectively reset, the switches and routers had to learn where they were within the network and how to talk to each other again.


Yet this is normally relatively simple job, perhaps taking a few hours, experienced network engineers have told The Telegraph. The core switch and backup switch failure, and the software rollback, need not have caused a 72-hour-plus disaster.


But an unknown point following the switch failure, the Egham data centre’s Oracle database, a bespoke and heavy-duty communications data storage application, was corrupted. This database is effectively the “brain” of the BlackBerry Internet Service, handling messages and forwarding data to users.


With saving the Oracle database the top priority, RIM was forced to repair software while it was still running – a difficult and fraught process known as a “hotfix”.
“Working with a live database like that is the stuff of nightmares,” explained one network engineer..
This database corruption problem, according to industry sources, is thought to be the reason the outage lasted well into Thursday for many users.


The period of message delays and patchy browsing that marked the end of the outage, and spread to North America and Asia, was caused by the backlog of data that built up. RIM’s global systems had to grind through huge quantities of data on as its European systems were gradually fixed.


The firm had prematurely declared victory on Tuesday morning, when it said services had been “restored”. But the database problems prompted a second collapse before users received any data. Of all the public relations mistakes commentators have said RIM made this week, this act of optimism annoyed its network partners the most.


“They should have just asked us - we weren’t seeing any BlackBerry traffic,” said a source at a British network.
"They were being far too positive. It didn't help."
Britain’s mobile network chiefs are said to be “absolutely furious” with RIM, but they know that the must continue to work with it, as BlackBerry users’ internet service will always depend on the firm.


In a press conference at 3PM on Thursday, Mike Lazaridis, RIM's founder and co-CEO, having already apologised profusely, finally announced systems were returning to normal. This time he was backed up by the mobile networks, who saw their BlackBerry subscribers data connections flicker back to life.


Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk
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Douglas Ramaphosa assisting NHI plan success

DOUGLAS RAMAPHOSA: Working together to make the NHI succeed

THE African National Congress (ANC) has announced plans to take its National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme forward and has given us a hint of what the health industry will look like from 2012.

THE African National Congress (ANC) has announced plans to take its National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme forward and has given us a hint of what the health industry will look like from 2012. Responses to the scheme range from guarded optimism to outright rejection.

In the spirit of Lead SA (pioneered by Radio 702,) and the ANC’s Batho Pele (People First) campaign, we have a responsibility to make the plan work, identify areas of concern and put workable proposals on the table.

Whether we like it or not, there will be an NHI in one form or an other. Now that we know the ANC’s intentions, we need to prepare proposals and engage with each other as businesses serving the healthcare sector and take our joint considered views to the ministerial task team for consideration. The ANC has committed itself to wide-ranging engagement and consultation on the issue.

One of the areas the ANC will focus on is the improvement and expansion of public healthcare infrastructure and services. This area, according to the ANC, is critical to realising the principle of universal access to quality care and reducing inequality of access. The quality of service, efficiencies, information technology (IT) infrastructure, project management and processes in a number of public healthcare facilities leave a lot to be desired.

The private healthcare sector has, over the years, invested a lot of resources and deployed world-class expertise in perfecting their systems and processes in a number of privately run clinics and hospitals. The government would be remiss not to enlist such expertise.

SA’s private health sector has arguably the best developed IT and administration systems, skills and capabilities in the world, and a successful track record. This includes the management of doctors’ debtor systems, electronic switching, price- file updates and the integration of the World Health Organisation’s International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems into doctors’ work routines, and so on. There is no need for the NHI to reinvent the wheel.

If it is true that we may see some medical scheme members opt out and rely on state services (Prof Di McIntyre of the University of Cape Town predicts as many as 40%), then the current patient-management administration systems in public medical facilities will not cope with the volumes.

Apart from just refurbishing or building new clinics and hospitals, the expertise of the private healthcare industry will have to be enlisted by the government to ensure these are world- class public facilities and the IT support infrastructure required to operate these effectively is in place. Not only will the management and administration of the new generation of public hospitals require this infrastructure, but the medical staff will need to use secure and proven technology to transfer patient records within and beyond hospitals, as well as clinical data and images, among other records.

It is in the interests of the private sector that public facilities are improved so that there are minimal adverse effects on productivity in the workplace. A number of employees, who currently belong to medical schemes and will in future also belong to the NHI and will be contributing towards it, will certainly visit public facilities to get their money’s worth. If the systems and processes are not improved in such places, this will elongate the already long queues and result in repeat visits, which will affect the ability to provide universal access to affordable, quality healthcare — the main aim of the NHI.

From a private sector point of view, the government will have to establish workable public-private partnerships.

It will be prudent to establish a few facilities run by public-private partnerships as pilot projects before attempting a huge roll-out.

Pilot facilities will give the government time to refine processes and systems and learn from mistakes. Believe me, there will be mistakes.

We are in this together and once there is better clarity on a number of issues, we should all get down to establishing one of the best public healthcare systems in the world, one that we can be proud of.

- Ramaphosa is CEO of Bytes Healthcare Solutions.

Source - Businessday.co.za

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Insurance companies consider people within this bracket to be of lower risk

Consumers who actively look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and make use of renewable energy products are set to be rewarded with lower insurance premiums.

According to Delouise Marias (Pictured right), Head of Personal Lines at Pinion Insurance Brokers - an Aon group Company; lower premiums is one way South African insurers are hoping to incentivise clients to invest in more environmentally friendly lifestyles.

"We are working with insurance companies to offer "green" products, and encouraging the uptake of these by rewarding savings and low priced coverage to customers willing to make environmentally friendly decisions about the way they live."

She says recent studies have shown that customers who are doing their part to reduce their impact on the environment and preserve the planet use fewer natural resources and also tend to be healthier and drive less.

"Insurance companies consider people within this bracket to be of lower risk and therefore are less likely to file a claim.  Motorists who drive hybrid vehicles in particular are viewed as low risk, so insurers are looking at offering special coverage for drivers of these vehicles going forward."

She says Pinion has now partnered with an insurer to offer clients the opportunity to replace a burst geyser with a new solar geyser.

"Clients who install a solar geyser can also take advantages of the electricity rebates from Eskom for using solar power," says Marais.

All paper work is taken care of on behalf of the client and pay-in amounts can be as low as R3000.00 for the first approved instalment of a brand new solar geyser.

According to Marais, this is not only to encourage environmentally friendly behaviour in clients, but also due to the insurance advantages of solar geysers.

"Solar geysers are generally placed outside the house. As such, they are less likely than normal geysers to cause major damage if they burst, resulting in smaller claims overall."

Currently, approximately 20% of the money spent on a solar geyser is returned by Eskom to the purchaser. Furthermore, Eskom provides an approximate saving figure of between 30% - 50% on the electricity portion of the water & electricity bill in the case of approved solar geyser replacements.

To give an example, if a monthly electricity portion equates to R1000.00 rand a month then by installing a solar geyser, clients could save R3600.00 per annum.

"The rebate for installing solar is a limited fund. When it is exhausted, there will be no more available. This is another reason why we are encouraging our clients to consider their energy situation now," explains Marais.

With the growing interest in solar water heaters, most insurance companies insure solar water heaters like any other household item.

However, Marais warns that not all systems available on the South African market comply with the standards demanded by the insurance industry.

She advises homeowners to ensure that they understand their insurance company's policies on solar water heaters so that they can be assured of total cover in the event of needing to file a claim.

Marais comments that in the high net worth space, South African clients are actively looking for ways to go green and are increasingly choosing companies and brands that enable them to do so.

"A sense of social consciousness drives our clients and environmental sustainability has become a primary discussion point among them."

"We believe that companies who offer a green strategy and personalised green solutions for clients, are not only taking steps to combat climate change but also have a competitive advantage in the marketplace," concludes Marais.

Source -ITnews.co.za

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Clientele come to aid Nigerian subsidiary

Clientèle to boost ailing Nigerian subsidiary

This is a trend Clientèle wants to reverse by tightening up on collections in the same way it is doing in SA.

SURE KAMHUNGA

FINANCIAL services group Clientèle will use its simplified business model to breathe some life into its loss-making Nigerian unit, which MD Gavin Soll said on Friday has the potential to become a major contributor to group earnings.

Mr Soll said IFA Nigeria, which started selling life insurance policies in August 2008, has faced challenges, particularly regarding collecting premiums.

This is a trend Clientèle wants to reverse by tightening up on collections in the same way it is doing in SA.

“Nigeria is a huge market for us with a lot of potential but of course it has its own challenges,” he said. “The distribution model that we have been using successfully in SA can work in Nigeria.

“But, having said that, we are just building up (in that market) and we are not out to conquer the world, and if we do things right, like collections and the distribution model, it will work.”

Clientèle’s annual results to June show that the Nigerian operation posted a pretax loss of R23,3m, an increase of R2,3m compared with the previous comparative period.

In the past year the group has scaled down on expenses to ensure the development of the Nigerian operation does not strain group resources.

Mr Soll said he had hopes that in time the business will grow because of the potential in the Nigerian market. But he is not too keen on a frenetic Africa-wide expansion, saying it is better to consolidate in one market before venturing into other territories.

Insurance experts believe markets in sub-Saharan Africa are potentially lucrative in the long run despite inherent problems, such as the lack of sophisticated markets.

Mr Soll said Clientèle is preparing another onslaught to increase market share locally.

“I think the worst is behind us and, having realised good results for the past year, there is nothing that we are unaware of that will hold us back.

“We are more focused on what we are doing well,” he said.

Source - Businessday.co.za

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Tips on choosing insurance in South Africa

Thinking about insurance means thinking about loss and death, which is why many people prefer to put it off. But it's far better to choose an insurer who will help you meet your insurance needs than to run away from your responsibilities, says Pieter Du Toit, an insurance expert at FNB.

Here are seven tips to help you choose insurance:

1. Understand your needs. Your guide should be what those you leave behind will need. What will their financial obligations be? Funeral insurance is undoubtedly your most immediate concern as funeral costs can be steep.
2. Assess what you can afford. Finding the "perfect cover" and not being able to afford it is like owning a sports car and not having petrol, says Du Toit. Defaulting on payments can result in your losing the benefits of the policy, so be sure to compare quotes and decide what will suit your needs and your pocket.
3. Look at your purchasing options. You can go direct, use a financial planner or buy through an insurance agent. Ask about other fees that could affect your premium.
4. Find a reliable, established institution to insure with. Don't lose your money to a fly-by-night operator or a pyramid scheme -- insure with a company you can reasonably assume will be around in years to come.
5. Lead a healthy lifestyle. Many insurance companies either require that you undergo a medical examination or that you answer questions about your health truthfully. Steps like quitting smoking, reducing your cholesterol and leading a more active lifestyle can not only help you to get a cheaper premium, but will also mean a better quality of life.
6. Change your insurance as your lifestyle changes. As you grow older, your needs and the needs of your dependents will change. Make sure your insurance evolves and develops with you. Understand what insurance you currently own and study the terms and conditions of your policy to best make use of it.
   Through all this, ensure that all the details you provide your insurer with are correct -- incorrect information might lead to the termination of a contract or the loss of benefits.
7. Be careful that you are not over-insured. Over-insurance refers to owning an excess amount of insurance with the same insurer. If you have more than one of the same type of policy with an insurer, you could be over-insured and your second claim might be rejected. To avoid such situations, study the terms and conditions of your policy to gain an understanding of what your insurer regards as "over-insurance".

Source -mg.co.za

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