TechCentral TCS+

TCS+ | iStore Business on why Apple makes sense for SMEs

Loading player...
For small and medium enterprises, technology must do one thing above all else: get out of the way. Unlike large corporations with dedicated IT departments, SMEs run lean – and every hour spent wrestling with systems is an hour not spent on the business itself.

In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, brought to you by iStore Business, Sudesh Pillay, executive head of iStore Business South Africa, and Tamia Nontsikelelo, founder and CEO of womenswear label Tol’Thema, explore how SMEs can make smarter technology decisions and why the Apple ecosystem is increasingly the answer.
They discuss:
The pressures SMEs face and why low-maintenance, cost-effective technology is critical to their survival and growth;
How Tol’Thema uses iPhone and Mac in the day-to-day running of the business, and the practical value they deliver to customers;
Why historically fragmented SME IT is giving way to integrated ecosystems, and what is driving the shift;
The total cost of ownership case for Apple hardware, and why the premium price tag isn’t the whole story for budget-conscious businesses;
How Apple’s on-device AI, built into its silicon, helps SMEs future-proof their hardware investment;
The support iStore Business provides to ease hardware transitions and reduce the disruption of moving staff onto a new operating system;
Why native security and data protection features matter enormously to small businesses with no dedicated IT or compliance function; and
Which software and AI subscription costs SMEs can avoid by making better use of tools built into the Apple ecosystem.
Pillay also explains what happens when an SME’s needs outgrow out-of-the-box solutions, and how iStore Business provides the specialist support to scale with them.
Don’t miss this practical conversation about technology that works for South Africa’s small businesses.
30 Jul English South Africa Technology · Business

Other recent episodes

Old Mutual's Celiwe Ross on leading people through AI

AI is the defining technology of our era. At one extreme, it fuels fears of job losses, robot wars and computers ruling over human beings. At the other, it holds out hope: curing diseases such as cancer, bolstering global food security and even freeing people from the need to work…
6 Nov 36 min

How the Apple ecosystem drives productivity for SMEs

Small and medium enterprises are under constant pressure to stay nimble and competitive in a tough economic climate, and technology that runs smoothly is a big part of how they manage it. In this second episode of the Mac for SME series, brought to you by iStore Business, Sudesh Pillay,…
6 Nov 33 min

Vox on AI, data rules and omnichannel communication for SMEs

Phone calls, e-mails and in-person conversations were once the only ways businesses could talk to their customers. Social media changed that. Marketing, customer acquisition, sales and support now happen across a growing number of channels. That brings clear benefits, but it can also leave businesses with a fragmented communication ecosystem…
26 Oct 14 min

Boards are underestimating the cost of a cyberattack, says Arctic Wolf

In this episode of TCS+, brought to you by Arctic Wolf, Jason Oehley, the company's country sales manager, and Andre Den Hond, senior systems engineer, talk about why South Africa is bearing the brunt of ransomware in Africa and what businesses can do about it. The pair unpack an Interpol…
22 Oct 23 min

Specops' Darren James on continuous trust in an AI world

Specops Software’s Darren James explains why identity checks alone no longer stop determined attackers. Traditional approaches to access security no longer hold up in hybrid, cloud-first environments – and AI is widening the gap. In this episode, host Kevin Smith speaks to Darren James, senior product manager at Specops Software,…
7 Aug 45 min
All episodes