Low code is proving its value, not just as a trendy concept but as a practical solution. According to statistics, 60% of businesses using low-code platforms report increased revenues and the replacement of outdated systems. In a world where agility is crucial, low code allows companies to innovate quickly and cost-effectively.

Understanding low code and its role in development

Low code simplifies app development. Instead of deep coding knowledge, it uses visual tools and ready-made components, making it simpler for all users to develop effective software. This approach reduces the intricacies of coding, letting organizations concentrate on strategic solutions. Low code also lowers the entry barrier for innovation, allowing businesses to turn ideas into applications without waiting for extensive IT involvement. By focusing on functionality over technical hurdles, it empowers teams to solve problems faster and with fewer bottlenecks.

But what is low code exactly? It’s a feature that makes software development more inclusive. By enabling a broader range of people to build apps, low code speeds up processes and enhances productivity, helping businesses keep up with market evolution. It acts as a bridge between creativity and execution, turning visions into workable tools in record time. Companies can evolve their operations without needing an army of developers.

Accelerating development timelines

Traditional software development is a drawn-out, resource-heavy procedure. Low code changes this by drastically cutting down the time from idea to launch. With intuitive interfaces and modular components, developers can skip slower coding processes. Teams can prototype, test, and deploy applications faster, which is crucial in industries where delays mean lost opportunities. By removing the typical development bottlenecks, low code ensures that businesses stay ahead of competitors.

Speeding up development with low code doesn’t sacrifice quality. Teams can build solid, scalable applications that meet specific business needs quickly, allowing businesses to adapt to market shifts and solve problems faster. This approach not only supports short-term goals but also positions organizations for long-term adaptability. In a market where quick responses are crucial, this is a key benefit. Agile development means businesses can pivot when necessary without excessive downtime or expense.

Bridging the IT and business gap

Historically, IT and business teams have worked separately, with IT managing tech aspects and business handling strategy. Low-code platforms remove this barrier by letting business users help in application development. This shared responsibility fosters stronger alignment between technical capabilities and business priorities, ensuring that solutions are both practical and impactful.

Low code allows even those without tech skills to build or prototype applications, lightening the load on IT and accelerating development. This teamwork ensures products meet business needs, as those familiar with business challenges are involved in crafting solutions. By breaking down silos, low code creates a collaborative environment where ideas and execution meet seamlessly. This collaboration reduces miscommunication and improves the overall efficiency of projects.

Also read:

• • Top 10 in-demand coding job roles for 2024 and beyond
  • 4 great ways to introduce your child to the world of coding
  • Create an app for your business with zero coding experience

Driving cost efficiency

Traditionally, creating custom applications is costly, requires skilled developers, and takes time. Low-code platforms cut these expenses by making the development process easier and reducing the need for specialized staff. This allows organizations to save on big-budget tech projects. Smaller businesses, in particular, can benefit by gaining access to development capabilities previously limited to larger enterprises.

With low code, maintaining software is also easier and cheaper. Updates and fixes can be done swiftly without deep coding, allowing businesses to use their resources for innovation and expansion instead of routine tech maintenance. These savings extend to long-term operations, as low-code solutions often require fewer resources to scale and adapt. This efficiency gives organizations the freedom to allocate budgets toward strategic growth.

Flexibility across industries

The advantage of low-code platforms is their flexibility. They cater to the specific demands of different industries, enhancing capabilities across sectors. For example, in healthcare, low code helps manage patient data and streamline appointments and telemedicine services. Banks use these platforms for secure customer onboarding and fraud monitoring, while logistics companies optimize supply chains and deliveries. Low-code platforms’ ability to address unique challenges makes them a valuable tool in industries with complex workflows.

These cases underline the adaptability of low-code solutions in various settings. They aid in upgrading customer service, streamlining internal processes, or meeting regulatory demands. Low code also enables businesses to experiment with new ideas without the risk of significant upfront investment. Any industry can utilize low code to tackle obstacles and boost efficiency. It’s not just about solving problems; it’s about unlocking potential in ways that were previously out of reach.

Therefore, low-code platforms are revolutionizing industries by allowing businesses to quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively innovate. They remove obstacles that have historically impeded conventional software development, encouraging cooperation between technical and non-technical groups. As the need for digital transformation expands, the influence of low code will also rise.

Companies that adopt low-code solutions set themselves up for success in a world that is becoming more digital. By utilizing these tools, they remain competitive and secure their operations for the future, allowing them to be flexible and take advantage of opportunities. Low-code development has become a strategic necessity for organizations looking to succeed in today’s era, rather than just a choice.

The post How Low Code is Driving Digital Transformation Across Industries appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Many SMEs are increasingly investing in technological solutions to remain competitive and scale their businesses. These include HR management systems, digital payment platforms, automated payroll software, and data collection tools, all aimed at better serving diverse customer needs and streamlining operations.

Despite these advancements, many SMEs are still in the early stages of adopting technology.

Barriers such as high costs, inadequate infrastructure, and limited technical skills hinder SMEs’ ability to leverage the benefits of digital transformation. These challenges slow the widespread adoption of business automation and innovation that when mature as technologies are represented as machine learning and artificial intelligence, thus preventing Ugandan SMEs from reaching their full competitive advantage potential.

Tier 3 data centres like Raxio Data Centre fill a critical gap by providing the foundational infrastructure needed for optimal digital technology performance. This allows industries, particularly SMEs, to focus more on navigating higher-level challenges such as selecting the right IT tools and addressing regulatory issues. By offering cutting-edge infrastructure, Raxio enables businesses to drive innovation and facilitate seamless digital transformation—essential for economic growth and long-term sustainability. This technological backbone supports unrestricted scalability, empowering businesses to grow without the limitations of inadequate infrastructure.

See also: Godfrey Sserwamukoko urges educational and research institutions to harness tier III certified data centres

A key milestone in building a robust digital transformation ecosystem has been Liquid Intelligent Technologies’ deployment of the first local instance of Microsoft Azure Stack in the Raxio Uganda Data Hall. This partnership unlocks new opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by providing affordable access to advanced cloud solutions. In the past, many SMEs found these solutions inaccessible due to high costs or inadequate infrastructure. This development now brings powerful cloud capabilities within reach, enabling SMEs to scale and innovate more effectively.

Also read:

• • OP-ED: Microsoft Azure Stack, a game changer for Ugandan businesses and enterprises
  • Godfrey Sserwamukoko: we’re well equipped to host Microsoft Azure Stack

The integration of Azure Stack into Raxio’s infrastructure eliminates technical constraints such as slow access, poor support, and data residency issues —and also addresses key concerns around cost and deployment complexity—critical factors in today’s digital economy. This empowers Ugandan SMEs to confidently expand their operations while ensuring their data remains secure and compliant. With access to high-performance cloud services, SMEs can optimize their processes, enhance efficiency, and drive innovation like never before. This technological leap also positions them to compete on a global scale, fostering sustainable growth in an increasingly digital world.

Hosting the Microsoft Azure Stack aligns perfectly with Raxio’s vision of driving economic growth and oiling the varied phases of digital transformation in Uganda. Our secure and reliable services allow SMEs to focus on their core activities, knowing that their data and operations are supported by world-class infrastructure.

At Raxio Data Centre, we do more than just provide a service; we actively invest in your business’s strategic innovation journey, working towards the future success of SMEs in Uganda. Technology is no longer simply a tool—it has evolved into an ecosystem that captures, stores, and processes data, ultimately producing insights through machine learning. The result is artificial intelligence, which will be the driving force behind SME growth, innovation, and the overall prosperity of Uganda.

The post OP-ED: Digital Transformation as a Catalyst for Growth in the Ugandan SME Sector appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Not only is Africa suffering from thousands of cyberattacks, but it is also the region with the highest weekly average on earth. The global average is 1,636 attacks per week.

Cyberattacks are now part and parcel of the business landscape —and Africa is a major target. Given the sheer scale of the problem, cybersecurity is a fundamental requirement for any business, NGO, or government entity trying to operate on the continent.

Cyber vulnerabilities

What makes Africa particularly vulnerable is the continent’s lack of infrastructure and resources due to budget limitations; a lack of awareness of the truly critical nature of the problem; legislative and policy lethargy; and a continuing shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals.

Another vulnerability is the continent’s youthful population. While an enormous asset, having a young population also comes with risks.  According to the United Nations, 70% of Africa’s population is under 30, and that youth component is growing. The youth often lack financial resources and become accustomed to compromising their cybersecurity to access connectivity through sharing devices, connecting to wi-fi in public places, or using unencrypted connections.

Another risk is that the youth-focused education sector has become the industry suffering the most cyberattacks. This is partly due to the rise in online education since the Covid-19 pandemic. Education and research institutions are also often prime targets for cybercriminals, due to the sensitive information they hold and the fact that remote education involves multiple groups of online users.

Also read:

• • Liquid Intelligent Technologies is strengthening cybersecurity for East African businesses
  • OP-ED: Getting a hold of cybersecurity
  • The top 10 digital vulnerabilities and cybersecurity solutions

Content piracy

Young people are also enthusiastic users of entertainment content. This may make them more willing to seek out pirated content, which comes with significant risks —malware, ransomware, fraud, and identity theft, to name just a few. These risks have seen the rise of the Partners Against Piracy initiative, with entertainment group MultiChoice Africa and cybersecurity firm Irdeto —a pan-African coalition to fight content piracy.

This anti-piracy initiative has made significant strides, with Irdeto and other key stakeholders conducting around 155 raids across Africa this year; and 4,351 pirate-content networks having been closed down.

Africa’s Police and court systems are also combating content piracy. Cybercrime legislation has been updated in Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania, and 107 arrests have been made across Africa this year.

Despite the risk of piracy in youth-culture channels, Africa’s youth dividend is a significant advantage as the world embraces connected, digital economies. The GSMA predicts that by 2030, Africa will have 438 million mobile internet users —a cohort of savvy, digital natives, ready to work and do business online.

This rapid digital transformation increases the need for robust cybersecurity in African economies. The threat is real. In 2023, Checkpoint found only seven African countries ranked among the top 50 for cybersecurity readiness.

See also: ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin applauds Uganda’s digital transformation roadmap

Boosting resilience

Increasing Africa’s resilience against cyber threats will require initiatives on several fronts.

• Awareness and education: It’s critical to build cybersecurity education into school curriculums corporate training programs and public awareness campaigns.
• Investment: Cybersecurity is a sophisticated, specialized area, best managed by experts with relevant, up-to-the-minute skills. Organizations must budget to enlist these experts to build robust cybersecurity frameworks.
• Legislation: Cybersecurity considerations must be integrated into policies to ensure that cyber-resilience is legislated, and cyber criminals are prosecuted and jailed. This requires international, cross-sectoral cooperation.
• Infrastructure protection: Cybersecurity requires information security infrastructure, a massive weakness in Africa. Reports show that 90% of African businesses operate without comprehensive cybersecurity protocols. Inadequate or outdated infrastructure limits their ability to detect, prevent, and respond effectively to cyberattacks.
• Public-private partnerships: The private sector has cybersecurity expertise and agile industry knowledge. Governments have budgets and policy strengths to get things done. A co-ordinated, partnership approach is the ideal way to unlock these respective competencies for everyone’s benefit.

National functions like health, education, social services, and justice depend on digital platforms. Neglecting cybersecurity places the delivery of all these services at risk. On the upside, future careers will increasingly rely on digital skills and platforms. These platforms must be secured if Africa’s people are going to be able to build businesses, campaigns, and other initiatives in the digital space.

See also: OP-ED: Time to empower Gen Z for the burgeoning tech and digital careers

As a continent, we cannot afford to ignore the importance of building cyber-resilience to secure the future of Africa’s people.

Editor’s Note: Frikkie Jonker, a Broadcasting Cybersecurity Anti-Piracy Director at Irdeto, writes the article

The post OP-ED: Building a Robust Cybersecurity Readiness For Africa’s Digital Future appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The book excellently presents fourteen (14) strategies that serve as the North Star for enterprise technology leaders to navigate the hidden complexities of digital transformation, avoid expensive mistakes, and also thrive in the unavoidable dynamic landscape of the digital age.

The book further brings to light the issues that many a time, leaders do not prepare for. The authors address relevant core aspects of digital transformation that can only come by experience. Business and technology leaders will learn which issues to avoid and best practices to adopt as they navigate paths for leading digital transformation for their organizations.

Mr. Peter Kahiigi, the keynote speaker at the book launch, said, in unveiling this book, the authors raise the business value proposition of getting digital transformation done right to new heights. “This book is a perfect guide that enterprise technology leaders can use to lead the implementation of successful sustainable digital transformation initiatives.”

The book focuses on overcoming common pitfalls and challenges in digital transformation.

This is under the auspices of the Transformation Diary — an initiative created to provide solutions and drive awareness amongst enterprise technology leaders so that they confidently achieve the successful transformation of their organizations and businesses.

The authors have a proven track record of guiding organizations through complex technological change which enabled them to use their unique blend of expertise in technology, business strategy, and leadership to the pages of “Digital Transformation — the Northstar you need”

The event closed with a commitment from the attendees to integrate the principles and strategies discussed into their organizational ethos, ensuring that digital transformation becomes a sustainable and value-driven effort in their respective domains.

‘Digital Transformation: The Northstar You Need’ thus sets forth not just as a guidebook for the digital age but as a beacon for those ready to lead their organizations into a future where digital is not just an option but a necessity for growth and success.

The book can be purchased from the Mahiri Bookshop.

Authors comment;

Emmanuel Mugabi: “In the realm of digital transformation, it’s imperative to view technology not just as a tool but as an enabler of broader societal and organizational change. Our book aims to equip leaders with the mindset and methodologies to harness this potential responsibly and effectively.”

Rowena Turinawe: “Digital transformation should be seen as a journey of continuous evolution, not a one-time project. It’s about creating a culture where innovation thrives, ensuring that every step taken is a stride towards inclusivity, sustainability, and empowerment.”

Osbert Osamai: “The success of digital initiatives hinges on aligning technology with business strategy and ensuring robust governance. Our guide provides a compass for leaders to navigate the digital landscape, ensuring that technology investments deliver tangible value and drive forward the organizational mission.”

The post Charting New Horizons: ‘Digital Transformation: The Northstar You Need’ Book Launched appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The authors, Emmanuel Mugabi, Rowena Turinawe, and Osbert Osamai, each bring extensive experience in leading digital initiatives across various sectors. Their collective expertise spans ICT Governance, Cybersecurity, Digital Transformation consulting, and Regulatory Compliance, making their book a vital source of insights and strategies for navigating the digital landscape.

Emmanuel Mugabi is renowned for his work in guiding organizations through secure and strategic digital technology implementations. Rowena Turinawe, an influential figure in technology in Africa, has a rich background in business transformation and digital strategy execution. Osbert Osamai, known for his expertise in software engineering and ICT consulting, focuses on aligning technology investments with business goals to optimize value.

‘Digital Transformation: The Northstar You Need’ comes as a result of their concerted effort to provide a clear and actionable guide for digital transformation. The book addresses the challenges and strategies essential for successful digital evolution, equipping leaders with the knowledge to drive their organizations forward in the digital age.

The upcoming launch event is not only an opportunity to discover an essential guide for digital leadership but also a platform to engage with the minds behind the book. This event is crucial for business and technology leaders keen on mastering the complexities of digital transformation and seeking to implement effective, sustainable changes in their organizations.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, ‘Digital Transformation: The Northstar You Need’ is poised to be an indispensable resource, offering a well-rounded perspective on the practicalities and nuances of steering digital transformation initiatives successfully.

The post Digital Transformation Experts Set to Unveil Their Collaborative Work appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

This strategic partnership will see the creation of an innovation technology lab at MTN Group’s headquarters in South Africa. The lab will serve as a neutral platform for collaboration within Africa’s digital ecosystem, accelerating the development, deployment, and adoption of innovative digital solutions driven across Africa.

The two companies will leverage this initiative to focus their research and development efforts on key areas such as 5G and beyond, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data analytics, cloud computing, and digital financial services. The partnership aims to accelerate the time-to-market of MTN’s products and services while addressing the unique challenges faced in Africa, including improving network coverage in rural areas and enhancing energy efficiency, and affordability.

Additionally, MTN’s operational teams will actively participate in the innovation process, ensuring the solutions developed directly address real-world challenges and drive meaningful digital transformation and sustainable development in Africa.

MTN Group Chief Technology and Information Officer; Mazen Mroue expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership. “The Joint Innovation Technology Lab is more than a partnership between two companies, it’s an investment in the growth of Africa’s digital ecosystem,” he said. “We believe that collaboration is essential for developing solutions that truly meet Africa’s needs, and this Lab will pave the way for a more inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous future for Africa.”

Li Peng, Huawei’s Corporate Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Services, said Huawei will continue innovating with MTN to ensure they have the products and solutions required to best serve Africa’s unique market.

“This will not only give MTN a competitive edge in terms of network quality, user experience, and rapid deployment, but also help MTN achieve their business objectives,” said Peng. “We believe that this newly-established lab will help supercharge both MTN’s R&D as well as Africa’s digital economy, bringing more prosperity to the African continent.”

This partnership further demonstrates MTN and Huawei’s shared commitment to shaping Africa’s digital landscape, opening new pathways for innovation, digital inclusion, and economic growth.

MWC Barcelona 2024 started on February 26 and will end on February 29. At the event, Huawei Technologies has taken the opportunity to showcase its latest products and solutions.

With the 2024 commercial launch of 5.5G, Huawei is collaborating with operators and partners around the world to pursue exciting new innovations in networks, cloud, and intelligence. Together, we will drive 5G business and foster a thriving industry ecosystem, creating a new era for intelligent digital transformation.

The post MTN, Huawei Sign an MoU For a Joint Innovation Technology Lab appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

An empowered SME sector is a critical growth engine for the economic development of a country. As such, the rise of the digital era is propelling excitement and anticipation in this market sector, in that digitization makes it easy for these smaller businesses to broaden their scope and expand their operations.

The adoption of digital payment solutions is also evidently on the rise in countries like South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and even in Uganda significantly enhancing business operations. According to the 2023 SME Confidence Index, approximately 64% of local SMEs say that they believe e-commerce will have a positive impact on their business. This reflects a growing trend towards digital solutions in the business landscape. The survey highlights the top areas where SMEs in Africa require support, with some 88% suggesting they need help digitalizing their businesses.

This is a key reason Tarsus launched its Digital on Demand (DOD) unit, which aims to assist with the education and acceleration of the digitalization process for SMB businesses throughout Africa. DOD has created a platform, the Digital Business Hub, which features cloud-based solutions designed to solve challenges experienced by typical businesses using technology and cloud-based solutions.

A digital transformation vision

One of the foremost challenges SMEs face lies in identifying a starting point for their digital transformation journey. DOD understands this problem, providing a roadmap specifically tailored to both the unique needs, and the future aspirations, of each business.

It is critical that SMEs begin this journey posthaste, as digital transformation itself is no longer a competitive edge, so much as it is merely a ticket to the game. Today, many companies will only work with you if your processes align with their business — meaning a lack of digitalization creates the risk of losing clients instead.

Those SMEs that have not begun digitalizing, or that plan to in the new year, focus on building a brand new business, to ensure they are digitally native. This includes creating automated processes, so the business can start gathering data — the lifeblood of the digital world — from the word go.

There are many reasons to digitalize your business, not the least of which are the near-future implications of the latest technologies. For example, in 2024 the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will be a key focus for many businesses in the SME arena.

Looking to the future

By implementing AI and machine learning, SMEs can reduce the load on limited personnel resources, enabling the business to scale without having to increase headcounts or overheads. SMEs should not view AI as a threat to business, but rather as an opportunity to scale their business at a reduced cost.

There are two other big opportunities for growth in 2024 — the first is by fostering a strong focus on micro-learning, which is more about learning skill sets and knowledge bases, than obtaining formal certifications. Secondly, it is vital to embrace sustainability, as this will increasingly inform customers’ decisions, with the modern consumer wanting to do business with others who are equally focused on sustainability.

At Tarsus on Demand, they envision being at the forefront of the African digital narrative for SMEs, facilitating seamless transformation and promoting growth and innovation within this vital sector. This is because they recognize that the impact of SME digitalization is far-reaching, promoting sustainable economic growth, inclusivity, and resilience against economic headwinds.

Editor’s Note: This article is by Jessica Harvey, Business Unit Manager at Digital On Demand

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Airtel Africa’s Group CEO, Segun Ogunsanya remarked that a rapid increase in data center capacity is needed to support the growth potential of Africa’s digital economy.

Nxtra aims to build one of the largest networks of data centers in Africa with high-capacity data centers in major cities located strategically across Airtel Africa’s footprint, complementing its existing edge sites.

Nxtra’s ambition will allow it to serve the growing need of African enterprises and its data center infrastructure will be designed to host the next generation of computing while providing multi-MW capacity in a phased manner.

These facilities will meet stringent global security requirements and meet ‘five nines’ availability. Coupled with Airtel Africa’s extensive fiber footprint, Nxtra offers secure and scalable integrated solutions to global hyper-scalers, large African enterprises, startups, SMEs, and governments.

Through locally available data center capacity, speed to access digital services will improve and the cost of managing data will be reduced, thus helping power increase innovation while supporting a new generation of African tech talent. Furthermore, Nxtra is enabling customers to meet data sovereignty requirements while at the same time enabling more local cloud services to be offered in the countries where Airtel Africa operates.

The first major Nxtra facility in Lagos, Nigeria, will deliver 34 MW of total power. It is designed to host high-density racks and integrate the latest best practice construction to achieve 1.3 power usage effectiveness (PUE). It is expected to be live in mid-2025.

To deliver on Nxtra’s vision, Airtel Africa has appointed Yashnath Issur, the former head of Global Data Centre Portfolio Management at Amazon Web Services, as CEO of Nxtra by Airtel.

In his concluding remarks, Ogunsanya said, “We’re proud to drive the future of Africa’s digital infrastructure, unlocking opportunities for businesses to grow and fuelling economic prosperity.” Adding “Airtel Africa’s team has consistently shown our ability to deliver on infrastructure projects across Africa, and we are confident that our next-generation data centers will support our ambition to become the partner of choice for global customers and Africa’s newest tech unicorns alike.”

The post Nxtra by Airtel Africa Launched to Accelerate Africa’s Digital Transition appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

“In today’s fast-paced world, access to information and seamless communication is vital for personal and community development,” Airtel Uganda’s Legal and Regulatory Director, Mr. Dennis Kakonge told the press. “Airtel Uganda understands the transformative potential of smartphones, which is why we are proud to be at the forefront of providing affordable services.”

The smartphones that were distributed to teachers, health workers, social workers, and local leaders come with 5GB of data every month for three months. This allocation aims to harness the life-changing power of affordable and seamless connectivity, enabling educators to access resources, healthcare providers to provide better services, and local leaders to coordinate community projects more efficiently.

Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance who honored the ceremony played a pivotal role in implementing policy reforms and direction to make connectivity more accessible and affordable — reflecting the country’s commitment to digital inclusivity and fostering innovation, making this initiative possible.

ALSO READ: VP, JESSICA ALUPO LAUNCHES THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ROADMAP

Airtel Uganda expressed gratitude to Huawei Technologies Uganda as its partner in this venture, for their unwavering support in making this initiative a reality. Together, they are not just providing smartphones; they are offering tools for progress and a brighter future for the people of Kanungu.

Kakonge urged the beneficiaries to use these devices responsibly and drive positive change in their lives and communities. The event marked a significant step in the telco’s mission to connect communities, enhance learning, and improve social service delivery.

Baryomunsi on behalf of the government thanked Airtel and Huawei for this initiative and urged them to extend the opportunity to other hard-to-reach areas across the country.

In a press statement, he said, “The government shall continue to explore partnerships that will accelerate the connectivity of everyone across the country.” “We are also exploring avenues for reducing tax rates on devices so that we can achieve this faster, as envisaged in the National Development Plan III,” Baryomunsi added.

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Back to the #MTNAPI. MTN is becoming a platform company, building solutions that are industry-agnostic. However, it is cognizant that where the solutions exist there is no need to re-invent the wheel but rather collaborate. MTN Uganda and the group are building a digital marketplace for solutions.

So, what is an API? API is an acronym that stands for Application Programming Interface. The API is a bridge or a software intermediary that allows two pieces of software to share data. In essence, they are an accessible way of extracting and sharing data across organizations. These are vital in the sense that they enable one company to leverage the efforts of another if the solutions are already in place. For example, when you go to the bank to open an account, as part of the process the bank will require you to present your original national ID. There is a verification process that takes place to validate that it is you. The bank does not have a copy of the NIRA database but relies on the API that connects the bank request to the NIRA database.

According to the IBM Institute for Business Value, APIs represent more than technical conduits for sharing data. Well-designed APIs provide organizations with a critical link to data and services that enable rapid innovation, open up markets for new goods and services, and serve as the basis for future partnerships. APIs have become a vital external representation of an organization; the digital “face” upon which companies base their brand impressions.

Why is MTN moving in this direction, one must be wondering

It is the way to go. As businesses undergo digital transformation, they realize that it is beyond just having a website and the cost of delivering a complete solution can be very expensive. In principle, the API enables the company to expedite the digital transformation journey. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel.

Secondly, as cyber-security continues to become a nightmare, companies are cautious not to expose their systems to third parties. Companies like MTN make significant investments in ensuring that they create a safe passage that does not expose your business. This service is offered at a cost and as such it is a business and not charity.

It is also important to note that there are both commercial APIs and Open APIs. The Open APIs are available for free and all one is required to possess include both the infrastructure and competence to integrate the API into their solution. For example, the MTN Mobile Money API is open. As a business, you can integrate mobile money payments into your digital solutions. Companies like MTN are aware that many of our businesses do not possess the capability and competence to fully deploy these tools and as such they work with aggregators like Iotec. The aggregators play a significant role in supporting businesses to fully execute and integrate digital solutions in the quest for digital transformation.

Digital transformation is a business agenda for many businesses and enterprises. It is critical to leverage the existing infrastructure and solutions to achieve your goals. It is important to note that as you embark on this journey many solutions have already been developed that you ought to leverage. Like many have come to realize, information technology is the business that drives your business!

Editor’s Note: This article was written and sent to PC Tech Magazine for publishing by Michael Niyitegeka, Executive Director of Refactory Limited.

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