Mr Bogoshi lectured the students on the challenges and changes that are taking place in the IT industry and that are likely to have an impact on their lives in future. He mentioned three forces which pose a serious threat in the IT field. These are:

• Globalisation: The world has become a single global village and the fact that the world is interconnected has accelerated a huge change within the IT industry. This means that companies are no longer operating the way they used to ten years ago, and they need to update their operating methods to avoid being irrelevant.
• Commoditisation and Consumerisation: Commoditisation refers to the state reached when a product becomes a commodity because it has reached its maturity stage and no longer attracts new interest. IT products and services are fast becoming commodities, simply because so many companies are competing to deliver the same products at cheaper prices. Consumerisation is a term used to describe a growing tendency for new information technology to emerge first in the consumer market to satisfy personal needs before it spreads into business and government organizations.
• Mobility and Cloud Computing: Cloud computing relies on sharing computing resources and accessing data anywhere, rather than having local servers or personal devices to manage the data and applications. Mobility has resulted in being able to process almost anything from anywhere, making it possible for previously excluded individuals from the developing world to now also be part of the global village.

Mr Bogoshi said that, after obtaining their qualifications, students will compete with the best - not only in South Africa but also in the world. They will need to be on top of their game. He also encouraged them not to focus on making money when they leave University but rather to be driven by goals and passion to succeed in the IT industry. Most important of all, they require a determination to use IT to change the world for the better.

Third-year Informatics student Simphiwe Mahlangu says the lecture by Mr Bogoshi has opened her eyes to the way the IT industry is changing the world and how the world is developing in relation to it. “The lecture challenged me as a student as to how do I stay relevant to the ever changing world of IT”, said Mahlangu.

Ms Lizette Weilbach, a senior Lecturer at the Department of Informatics said student exposure to the IT industry is nothing new to third-year Informatics students, as they are regularly invited to attend guest lectures presented by leading companies and gurus from the industry. She said all this is all part of an attempt to better prepare them for the workplace.
 

Gijima CEO Jonas Bogoshi presenting a lecture to Third-year Informatics students in preparation for the real IT industry world, following their graduation.


Gijima CEO Mr Jonas Bogoshi congratulating third-year Informatics student Jaco Silvis, who won an i-pod after a quizz competition.