ICT sector to meet with Eskom

By Christelle du Toit, ITWeb senior journalist

Johannesburg, 19 Feb 2008

The who's-who of the ICT sector will meet with Eskom tomorrow to determine how the industry can help ease the national energy crisis.

In a closed meeting, to be hosted by the Johannesburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) and the Information Technology Association (ITA), solutions for the power utility's communications strategy will top the agenda.

"Eskom has the challenge of deciding which target groups to communicate with about reducing the strain on the national grid," says professor Barry Dwolatzky, JCSE director.

"The ICT sector can play a vital role in communicating to everybody, from large corporates right down to individuals, because technology is used by most electricity consumers. The sector is, therefore, ideally positioned to assist in combating the current power crisis," he notes.

Adrian Schofield, manager at the JCSE's applied research unit, explains that power generation and distribution will, therefore, not be a focus.

"We are looking for a better plan to get the relevant information out. For example, if Eskom says consumers have to save 20% electricity, how do they go about doing that?

"The workshop will be limited to 40 people and will take the format of a round table discussion. Attendees will be briefed on the current status of the power crisis and the range of potential solutions that are on the table. Attendees will then table their ideas around the current solutions and any possible new initiatives, and will then discuss how solutions can be evaluated, prioritised and implemented," explains Dwolatzky.

Those attending will include multinationals Microsoft and IBM, as well as GijimaAst, Dimension Data, Wits University, and smaller ICT players.

"The focus will be on the role the ICT industry can and should play in enabling the power producers, distributors and regulators to make SA an energy-efficient country," adds Keith Anderson, president of the ITA.