<![CDATA[NEC AFRICA

<![CDATA[NEC AFRICA - News]]>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:14:42 +0200Weebly<![CDATA[AI's forgotten hero]]>Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:21:03 GMThttps://www.nec.africa/news/ais-forgotten-hero

Without the network, there is no AI

Artificial intelligence dominates almost every technology conversation. Organisations are racing to deploy AI, vendors are competing to launch ever more powerful models, and data centres have become symbols of digital ambition. But amid the excitement, one of the technologies enabling the AI revolution has quietly slipped from the spotlight: networking.

It may no longer command the attention it did during the internet boom of the late 1990s, but without robust, intelligent and resilient networks, AI simply doesn't exist. That's a reality the industry is beginning to acknowledge.

A timely reality check
After attending HPE Discover Las Vegas 2026, I came away encouraged by a clear message repeated throughout the conference: AI is impossible without the network. From the opening keynote through the networking sessions, speakers reinforced the point that networking has become a critical enabler, and often a defining constraint, of the AI era.

For those of us who have spent our careers building networks, it was a welcome acknowledgement of something we've been saying for years. Networking has been the invisible foundation beneath every major technology wave: first enterprise connectivity, then cloud, mobile, streaming and now AI.

Each innovation captures the headlines while the network evolves behind the scenes, expanding its capacity and intelligence to support growing demands. It rarely receives credit because, when networking works well, people simply expect everything else to work.

AI changes everything
AI changes the scale of that challenge dramatically. Every AI interaction generates data. Large language models process billions of parameters, while training requires vast clusters of GPUs exchanging information continuously at extraordinary speeds. Inference workloads must retrieve, analyse and deliver information almost instantaneously. Organisations deploying private AI environments must also move huge datasets securely between users, applications, storage and cloud environments. None of this happens without networks.
AI places greater demands on networks than many previous technology shifts. Inside the data centre, GPU clusters demand lossless fabrics running at 400 and 800 gigabits per second. A congested link or dropped packet can stall an entire training job, leaving millions of Rands of computing power idle.

Basic connectivity is no longer enough. Networks must deliver ultra-low latency, massive bandwidth, resilience, security and intelligent traffic management simultaneously. They have become active participants in AI performance rather than passive infrastructure carrying data from one place to another.

Even asking an AI assistant a question illustrates the point. If the connection is unreliable, the AI experience deteriorates. Once AI is embedded in everyday business processes, connectivity becomes business critical. Organisations investing millions in AI platforms while overlooking networking risk creating expensive bottlenecks. The fastest GPUs and most advanced AI models cannot compensate for congested, unreliable or poorly architected networks.

A lesson three decades in the making
For more than three decades, each major shift in enterprise technology has increased demands on the networks connecting systems, users and data. High-capacity optical networks expanded the scale and speed of information exchange. Cloud shifted workloads beyond the traditional corporate data centre, while streaming and mobile drove further increases in traffic and changed expectations around availability and responsiveness.
The current shift to AI is different mainly in scale. In 2023, NEC XON deployed Africa's first live 400G optical transponder. In 2025, its engineering work received the first TIP Gold Badge awarded for a network operating system. These developments form part of a broader industry trend towards higher-capacity, more programmable and increasingly automated networks.

The lesson is less about any particular technology than infrastructure. New applications attract attention first, while the networks required to make them practical evolve largely out of sight. AI is bringing that dependency into sharper focus because of the volume of data moving between processors, storage, applications and users. As AI workloads become more widespread, network architecture will increasingly influence how effectively organisations can deploy and use them.

The African Dimension
For African organisations, the stakes are arguably higher than elsewhere. Much of the AI capacity businesses consume today sits in cloud regions thousands of kilometres away, meaning latency, resilience and connectivity costs shape the AI experience before a model ever runs.

At the same time, data sovereignty requirements and the economics of moving large datasets are driving interest in private and sovereign AI environments hosted on the continent. Both paths lead to the same conclusion: the network is either a constraint on African AI ambitions or the foundation that makes them possible. Getting it right is not simply a technical detail. It's a competitive question for the continent.

Make the network the first conversation
As enterprises accelerate AI adoption, networking should no longer be treated as background infrastructure or considered only after strategic decisions have been made. Network architecture directly influences AI performance, scalability, security and user experience.

The organisations that extract the greatest value from AI won't necessarily be those with the biggest models or most powerful hardware. They'll be those with infrastructure capable of supporting AI reliably, securely and at scale.

Technology trends will continue to evolve. After AI, another breakthrough will capture the industry's imagination, perhaps quantum computing or something we haven't yet anticipated. Whatever comes next will depend on the technology carrying the world's data.
For leadership teams planning their AI journey, the advice is simple: make the network the first conversation, not the last.

About NEC XON
NEC XON Systems is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a global Japanese firm. The company has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, energy, safety, security, and digital solutions. It co-creates social value through innovation to help overcome serious societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African countries and has a footprint in 16 of them. Regional headquarters are located in South, East, and West Africa. NEC XON Systems is a level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business.

Learn more at https://www.nec.africa/
Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact details: 083-636-1766, michelle@scarletletter.co.za

]]><![CDATA[AI Is Reshaping Cybersecurity]]>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 17:47:15 GMThttps://www.nec.africa/news/ai-is-reshaping-cybersecurity

NEC Africa responds, expands cryptographic capabilities with Utimaco

As digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging quantum computing threats reshape the security landscape, NEC Africa has expanded its cybersecurity portfolio through a strategic partnership with German cryptography specialist Utimaco. The partnership adds specialist cryptographic security capabilities to NEC Africa's existing cybersecurity portfolio, complementing its expertise in networking, AI security, endpoint protection, security operations and data centre infrastructure.

Anthony Laing, General Manager of the Networking Business Unit at NEC XON, says cryptography has become one of the most critical, yet often overlooked, components of modern cybersecurity. "Every digital interaction depends on trust," said Laing. "Whether it's a banking transaction, a mobile payment, digital identity or sensitive government data, cryptography is what protects that information. As organisations become more digital, protecting cryptographic keys and ensuring those environments remain resilient has become a strategic business priority."

Preparing for the next generation of cyber threats
The need for stronger cryptographic security is being driven not only by increasing cybercrime but also by the rapid growth of AI and the emergence of quantum computing. Although practical quantum attacks remain some years away, organisations are increasingly adopting crypto-agility strategies that allow cryptographic algorithms and key management systems to evolve as new threats emerge.

"Organisations shouldn't wait until quantum computing becomes an immediate threat," said Laing. "Building cryptographic agility today ensures security investments remain resilient tomorrow. This is about future-proofing critical infrastructure."

Completing the cybersecurity picture
The partnership enables NEC Africa to support organisations as they modernise cryptographic environments, protect digital transactions and prepare for evolving regulatory and security requirements. It forms part of NEC Africa's strategy of building a best-of-breed cybersecurity ecosystem through partnerships with leading global technology providers. While NEC already offers comprehensive capabilities spanning network security, endpoint protection, security operations centres (SOCs), AI security and modern data centre infrastructure, the addition of Utimaco fills what the company regards as a critical gap in its cybersecurity portfolio.

Utimaco is internationally recognised for its expertise in hardware security modules (HSMs), key management and cryptographic security technologies that underpin secure digital services across banking, telecommunications, government and enterprise environments.

"Cybersecurity isn't one technology," says Laing. "It requires multiple layers working together. Cryptography is the foundation that protects digital trust, and adding Utimaco enables us to deliver a far more comprehensive cybersecurity offering to our customers."

Expanding cryptographic expertise across Africa
The relationship between NEC Africa and Utimaco began approximately two years ago following discussions at Mobile World Congress, where both organisations recognised a growing need for specialist cryptographic expertise across African markets.

Since then, NEC has invested in dedicated capability, appointing cryptography specialist George Okech to support customer engagements across East Africa and the broader continent. The companies have also begun joint market engagement activities, including a customer event in Kenya introducing organisations to the role of cryptographic security in protecting critical digital infrastructure.

NEC believes the partnership creates significant opportunities within financial services, telecommunications, government and other highly regulated industries where secure digital transactions and data protection are business-critical.

Historically, much of Africa's cryptographic infrastructure has been supplied by incumbent vendors. As many of those environments approach technology refresh cycles, NEC sees growing demand for modern cryptographic platforms that provide stronger security, greater flexibility and improved long-term value.

Supporting Africa's digital future
"The success of digital transformation depends on trust," says Laing. "By combining our networking, cybersecurity and infrastructure expertise with Utimaco's leadership in cryptography, we're helping customers build secure digital foundations that will support innovation for years to come."

About NEC XON
NEC XON Systems is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a global Japanese firm. The company has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, energy, safety, security, and digital solutions. It co-creates social value through innovation to help overcome serious societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African countries and has a footprint in 16 of them. Regional headquarters are located in South, East, and West Africa. NEC XON Systems is a level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business.
Learn more at https://www.nec.africa/

Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact details: 083-636-1766, michelle@scarletletter.co.za

]]><![CDATA[NEC XON named HPE Networking Service Provider Global Alliance of the Year 2026]]>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:42:51 GMThttps://www.nec.africa/news/nec-xon-named-hpe-networking-service-provider-global-alliance-of-the-year-2026

A sixth consecutive year of global alliance recognition — and a zero-risk AI acceleration programme for the customers who have trusted NEC XON longes

NEC XON has been named HPE Networking Service Provider Global Alliance of the Year 2026 at HPE Discover 2026. It is the sixth consecutive year NEC has earned this global alliance recognition — back-to-back from 2021 through 2025, and again in 2026, now under HPE following its acquisition of Juniper Networks. The award is specified for the service-provider networking category as HPE’s portfolio spans both Aruba and Juniper, and it confirms NEC XON as the partner trusted to deliver carrier-grade networking outcomes across Africa, year after year.

The message from the Discover stage was unambiguous: AI is the future of the industry, but it is built on a foundation of networking — and that foundation has to be strong for AI to succeed at scale. For NEC XON, that has been the operating principle for two decades.

“For twenty years we’ve been told the network no longer matters — first the cloud, then the over-the-top giants, now AI,” said Anthony Laing, General Manager of the Networking Business Unit at NEC XON. “Every time, the opposite proved true. None of it reaches a customer without connectivity underneath it. With AI there are only two choices — be disrupted, or be the disruptor. We’ve helped African operators be the disruptor for twenty years, and we intend to do exactly that with AI.”

Left to right, Rob Horner, Senior Director Global Alliances at HPE and Anthony Laing, General Manager Networking Business Unit at NEC XON

NEC XON’s credibility is evidence-based: 266 active vendor certifications across more than 60 engineers; advanced multi-vendor laboratories in South Africa and Kenya alongside the NEC XON Experience Centre in Midrand; Africa’s first TIP Phoenix deployment (2022); the continent’s first live 400G optical transponder (2023); and the world’s first TIP Gold Badge for network operating systems (2025). Operator-scale references include MTN, Airtel Africa, Herotel, MetroFibre Networx, TeraCo, Emtel and Telecom Namibia.

“We don’t sell boxes,” said Laing. “We know our clients so well, and have built our operations so tightly around them, that we have become a trusted advisor — the partner that accelerates adoption of game-changing technology while understanding, from day one, what makes commercial sense. Start small, prove it, and scale on the revenue the platform generates — not on multi-million-rand upfront risk, and not on tender processes so long the opportunity is gone before they conclude.”

NEC XON is now applying that principle directly to AI. The company is launching a zero-risk AI acceleration programme, offered first and on its most generous terms to a small number of customers who have trusted NEC XON with their network infrastructure for years. The programme pairs a GPU-equipped HPE server with custom software developed by NEC XON, leading AI software, and NEC XON’s own business consultants to deliver a working, in-house AI solution within two weeks. Crucially, it puts tangible tools in employees’ hands — making their jobs easier, lifting productivity, and empowering teams across support, order management, commercial, contract management, governance and cybersecurity from day one. The same programme is available to new customers at promotional pricing, with no upfront capital and no risk.

With Juniper now part of HPE, NEC XON brings a unified stack to the African AI opportunity — networking, compute, storage, GPU, cloud, software, GreenLake consumption financing and AI-factory infrastructure — wrapped in the capability that actually unlocks adoption: go-to-market, commercial modelling, full managed services, compliance and governance, and automation. “This is the joint-business model that worked for twenty years with Juniper,” said Laing. “It is what will work for the next twenty with HPE, into the new world of AI.”

About NEC XON
NEC XON Systems is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a global Japanese firm. The company has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, energy, safety, security, and digital solutions. It co-creates social value through innovation to help overcome serious societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African countries and has a footprint in 16 of them. Regional headquarters are located in South, East, and West Africa. NEC XON Systems is a level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business.
Learn more at https://www.nec.africa/ [nec.africa]

Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact details: 083-636-1766, michelle@scarletletter.co.za

]]><![CDATA[Intelligent Telco Tower Optimisation: NEC XON and PowerX Join Forces Across Africa]]>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 08:22:16 GMThttps://www.nec.africa/news/intelligent-telco-tower-optimisation-nec-xon-and-powerx-join-forces-across-africa

Partnership Combines NEC XON's ICT Integration Expertise with PowerX's AI-Driven Energy Management Platform to Deliver Integrated Solutions for Africa's Telecommunications Sector

NEC Africa and PowerX have announced a strategic partnership to deliver intelligent remote management system (RMS) and energy efficiency solutions for large, distributed telecommunications networks across Africa. The partnership combines NEC's proven track record of large-scale ICT delivery across Africa with PowerX's market-leading machine learning and AI analytics platform. The result is a single, accountable technology partner able to proactively manage the full cell site infrastructure lifecycle - from design and deployment through to ongoing operations and optimisation.

Says Chris Duvenage, Business Unit Manager: Digital, NEC XON: "We've spent the last two years evaluating platforms that could genuinely meet the needs of Africa's telecommunications operators. What impressed us about PowerX is that it goes well beyond power monitoring. It combines AI-driven predictive analytics, asset lifecycle optimisation, proactive maintenance and remote operational control into a single platform that enables NEC Africa to deliver a far more intelligent, end-to-end solution. Together, we will help operators reduce costs, improve network resilience and gain the visibility they need to manage critical infrastructure at scale across Africa."

Addressing Africa's critical infrastructure challenges
Africa's telecommunications sector faces significant operational pressures, including energy inefficiency, remote site management complexity, generator and power asset degradation, and infrastructure vulnerability - as well as vandalism and theft at Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites. These challenges increase operational expenditure, reduce network uptime, and undermine the delivery of digital services to millions of subscribers.

"Partnering with NEC Africa gives PowerX the on-the-ground integration capability and pan-African reach to deploy our platform at scale across some of the continent's most demanding environments. Together, we are putting data intelligence at the heart of tower and site management decisions - driving down costs, improving performance and sustainability outcomes, and giving operators the visibility they need to perform,” says PowerX CEO, Andrew Schafer.

Andrew Schafer, CEO, PowerX

Plans go beyond the telco industry
The partnership isn’t limited to the telecommunications sector either. The solution holds significant cross-industry potential for commercial, retail, public sector, and industrial clients across Africa facing similar challenges with their critical infrastructure. Both companies see a clear opportunity to combine NEC Africa's system integration expertise with PowerX's AI-driven energy management platform to yield key end-to-end efficiency benefits across commercial and industrial solar, smart city deployments, and energy-intensive enterprise infrastructure.

The combined solution delivers the PowerX hardware-agnostic AI SaaS platform integrated with proven IoT hardware, providing telecommunications operators with a single end-to-end fulfilment and implementation service enabling:

Full site visibility and remote monitoring across BTS, power systems, and environmental conditions
AI-driven energy optimisation, including generator, solar, batteries and hybrid power monitoring and fuel consumption tracking
Embedded security and tamper-detection capabilities to combat infrastructure vandalism and theft
Predictive and prescriptive maintenance to reduce unplanned downtime and operational expenditure
Seamless interoperability with existing operator systems and third-party platforms
SLA-backed support from local NEC Africa engineering teams, ensuring rapid response and continuous optimisation
End-to-end field services capability spanning design, build, implementation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance - delivered by NEC Africa's established engineering teams across Sub-Saharan Africa.

"Our customers are looking for more than monitoring - they need actionable intelligence," Duvenage says. "By combining PowerX's advanced analytics with NEC Africa's engineering capability and pan-African delivery footprint, we're giving customers a single accountable partner that can implement, integrate and optimise complex infrastructure throughout its operational lifecycle."

About NEC XON
NEC XON Systems is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a global Japanese firm. The company has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, energy, safety, security, and digital solutions. It co-creates social value through innovation to help overcome serious societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African countries and has a footprint in 16 of them. Regional headquarters are located in South, East, and West Africa. NEC XON Systems is a level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business.
Learn more at https://www.nec.africa/

About PowerX
PowerX is an AI-driven SaaS platform that optimises energy-related infrastructure at scale for telecommunications operators and tower companies globally. Combining domain expertise with advanced predictive and prescriptive analytics, PowerX enables operators to reduce operational and capital expenditure, improve energy efficiency, drive proactive maintenance, and meet sustainability targets. PowerX has partnered with leading tower companies and mobile network operators across multiple African markets.
PowerX press enquiries: Richard Topping (rtopping@powerx.ai). Website: www.powerx.ai

Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact details: 083-636-1766, michelle@scarletletter.co.za

]]><![CDATA[NEC XON Strengthens Customer Data Protection Through Expanded ISO 27701:2025 Alignment]]>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 08:19:56 GMThttps://www.nec.africa/news/nec-xon-strengthens-customer-data-protection-through-expanded-iso-277012025-alignment

As organisations face growing regulatory scrutiny and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, confidence in how technology partners manage personal data has become a critical business consideration. Recognising this shift, NEC XON has aligned its data protection (privacy) management framework with the latest requirements of ISO 27701:2025, strengthening the company's ability to protect customer data and support evolving governance expectations.

It’s about customers’ peace of mind
"Privacy expectations have evolved significantly," says Durandt Eksteen, Chief Information, Technology and Data Protection Officer (Africa) at NEC XON. "Our alignment with ISO 27701:2025 reflects a deliberate shift from a compliance-focused approach to one that embeds privacy into the way we manage risk, protect information and deliver services. Ultimately, this enables our customers to work with a partner that is committed to protecting personal data through accountable, continuously improving processes."

For customers, the alignment provides tangible assurance that NEC XON manages personal information according to internationally recognised best practices. It demonstrates that privacy is integrated into the organisation's broader security and governance framework, reducing risk while strengthening trust.

"Customers are increasingly looking beyond certifications alone," says Eksteen. "They want evidence that privacy, governance and cybersecurity are built into every aspect of service delivery. By aligning with ISO 27701:2025, we're demonstrating that our privacy practices evolve alongside changing threats, regulations and customer expectations."

Beyond regulatory compliance towards resilient, trusted digital environments
The latest version of the standard places greater emphasis on protecting the rights of data subjects, integrating privacy into enterprise-wide risk management, and aligning privacy controls more closely with cybersecurity and incident response practices. This enables organisations to move beyond regulatory compliance towards building resilient, trusted digital environments.

Our transition from ISO 27701:2019 reflects NEC XON's commitment to continuously improving its privacy and data protection capabilities, ensuring customers benefit from a more integrated, risk-based approach to managing personal information.

Rather than viewing privacy as a compliance exercise, the updated framework embeds privacy into enterprise risk management, cybersecurity, operational processes and governance. It also strengthens oversight of third-party data processing, cross-border data transfers and incident response, helping customers navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

While NEC XON is not yet formally certified against ISO 27701:2025, the organisation has already aligned its operations with the updated clauses and controls. Certification represents the next stage of independently validating this maturity, but customers can already benefit from the enhanced privacy governance embedded throughout the organisation.

As organisations continue their digital transformation journeys, trust is becoming a key competitive differentiator. International privacy standards such as ISO 27701:2025 are raising expectations across industries, with customers seeking partners that can demonstrate accountability, transparency and robust protection of personal information.

About NEC XON
NEC XON Systems is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a global Japanese firm. The company has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, energy, safety, security, and digital solutions. It co-creates social value through innovation to help overcome serious societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African countries and has a footprint in 16 of them. Regional headquarters are located in South, East, and West Africa. NEC XON Systems is a level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business.
Learn more at https://www.nec.africa/

Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact details: 083-636-1766, michelle@scarletletter.co.za

]]><![CDATA[Why Every Cybersecurity Team Needs a Hacker Mindset]]>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:30:00 GMThttps://www.nec.africa/news/why-every-cybersecurity-team-needs-a-hacker-mindset

By Armand Kruger Head of Cybersecurity at NEC XON

Cybersecurity is seen as a “patch fast, block traffic, monitor alerts, respond to incidents” kind of function. But that framing misses the point. Breaches don’t generally begin with brute force. They begin with curiosity. Someone asking a system a question it was never designed to answer and seeing what happens. Thinking about what the system could do, rather than only what it’s meant to do.

This is the space a “hacker mindset” occupies. Not the Hollywood version of hooded figures running huge computers from abandoned warehouses while stealing millions, but a disciplined, methodical way of thinking about systems under stress. It means treating every architecture decision as something that will eventually be tested by an adversary who is not bound by assumptions, policies, or intended use cases.

Hackers are individuals with an intense curiosity for how systems and networks behave - people who can’t encounter a locked door without wondering how the lock works.

Armand Kruger Head of Cybersecurity at NEC XON

Reframing what “hacker” actually means
The term “hacker” is often misunderstood as synonymous with intrusion. In practice, it’s been closer to “experimentation”. Early computing communities built much of the foundation of modern software precisely by pushing systems beyond their intended boundaries. Open-source development, cryptographic research, and vulnerability discovery all emerged from this instinct to interrogate how systems behave when stressed, misused, or intentionally broken.
That same mindset now sits at the core of modern security research. The difference isn’t intent - it’s direction. One side builds systems; the other studies how they fail.

Security begins with assuming you are already being tested
One of the most persistent mistakes in cybersecurity strategy is equating “no alerts” with “no risk.” In reality, most mature adversaries operate quietly long before detection thresholds are triggered. They enumerate infrastructure, map dependencies, and test weak assumptions at scale.

A hacker-minded defender works from a different premise: that the system is already being examined.

That changes how Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) are used. Instead of being a post-incident analysis tool, they become a predictive model. If attackers typically escalate privileges via misconfigured identity roles or exposed APIs, then those are not abstract risks - they are active design constraints. The mindset shift is subtle but significant: cybersecurity becomes less about reacting to alerts and more about anticipating the logic of exploitation.

Complexity is where systems fail quietly
Modern enterprise environments accumulate complexity by default: overlapping tools, legacy services, inconsistent identity models, and sprawling cloud configurations. Each layer may be defensible in isolation, but together they create ambiguity - and ambiguity is what attackers exploit.

A hacker mindset tends to resist unnecessary complexity for exactly this reason. It asks uncomfortable but practical questions:

Does this service need to be internet-facing
Why does this account retain elevated privileges?
Is this legacy protocol still justified, or simply forgotten?

This isn’t about being difficult, or applying minimalism for its own sake. It’s a security principle: reduce the number of places where assumptions can break.
It also reframes how teams build systems. Security is embedded at the design stage. That includes thinking in “abuse cases,” not just user stories. If a product requirement states, “A user should be able to reset their password,” a hacker-minded design question is immediate: “How could someone reset another user’s password?”

That single shift often surfaces entire classes of authentication, rate-limiting, and identity design flaws before implementation begins.

The business case: Four measurable consequences of the hacker mindset
This mindset isn’t just a technical preference - it has measurable operational consequences.

It reduces structural complexity. Fewer redundant tools, tighter access control, and clearer system boundaries lower both cost and risk. Complexity is not just an engineering burden; it is a security liability.
It affects talent retention. Skilled security professionals are rarely motivated by dashboard maintenance or repetitive alert triage. They are motivated by problem-solving - by understanding systems deeply enough to anticipate failure modes. Organisations that allow space for that kind of thinking tend to retain expertise longer and avoid the gradual erosion of capability that comes with burnout and turnover.
It improves incident outcomes. No system is breach-proof. The differentiator is containment. Teams that think adversarially from the outset are more likely to have segmented architectures, rehearsed response plans, and clear recovery pathways. When incidents occur, the difference between disruption and crisis often comes down to whether those assumptions were built in advance.
It enables proactive defence. Threat hunting is not a reactive cleanup exercise; it is a continuous attempt to see your own environment the way an attacker would. That includes searching for exposed APIs, misconfigured storage, forgotten assets, dormant credentials, and privilege paths that no one intended but still exist.

The real shift: from protection to anticipation
The hacker mindset isn’t reckless. It’s about discipline: assuming systems will be tested, and designing them to fail safely when they are. Cybersecurity teams that adopt this perspective stop treating attackers as anomalies. They treat them as a design constraint.

Once that shift happens, security stops being a perimeter to defend and becomes a way of thinking about every system as something that will eventually be questioned, probed, and pushed beyond its intended limits.

About NEC XON
NEC XON Systems is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a global Japanese firm. The company has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, energy, safety, security, and digital solutions. It co-creates social value through innovation to help overcome serious societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African countries and has a footprint in 16 of them. Regional headquarters are located in South, East, and West Africa. NEC XON Systems is a level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business.

Learn more at https://www.nec.africa/

Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact details: 083-636-1766, michelle@scarletletter.co.za

]]><![CDATA[The real bottleneck in enterprise networks is skills, not speed]]>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:15:09 GMThttps://www.nec.africa/news/the-real-bottleneck-in-enterprise-networks-is-skills-not-speed

There’s a clear message for companies considering enterprise connectivity strategy: networks are entering a new phase defined less by raw capacity alone, and more by how effectively organisations can manage accelerating data growth, rising complexity and persistent skills shortages.

Brett van Rooyen, NEC XON Adtran Product Manager, says the enterprise landscape is being reshaped by the rapid expansion of cloud and AI-driven workloads.

Brett van Rooyen, Adtran Product Manager | NEC XON

“We’re seeing a major shift driven by data growth,” says van Rooyen. “Enterprises are dealing with much larger volumes of data, especially with cloud and AI workloads becoming more common. That’s creating demand for higher capacity, lower latency and more predictable performance.”

Technology not the only challenge
But van Rooyen cautioned that the challenge is no longer purely technological. In his view, many organisations are struggling to keep pace operationally as environments become more complex. “Many customers don’t have the internal expertise to manage these increasingly complex environments, so we act as a partner to simplify that process and make it scalable,” he says.

That shift, he added, is driving a growing reliance on integration-led approaches and managed service models, particularly as skills gaps widen in both emerging and mature markets.

Byren Meintjes, Senior Manager of Global Business Development at Adtran, says the underlying driver is the evolution of applications themselves, which are placing fundamentally new demands on network infrastructure. “We’re seeing more distributed workloads, more real-time requirements and much heavier data flows,” says Meintjes. “That’s pushing demand toward higher-capacity optical solutions and more efficient transport architectures.”

Byren Meintjes, Senior Manager of Global Business Development | Adtran

Operational simplicity more important than capacity
However, both men emphasise that capacity alone is not enough. Operational simplicity is becoming a decisive factor in how organisations design next-generation networks.

One area gaining traction is IP over DWDM (IPoDWDM), which integrates IP and optical layers to reduce complexity in the network stack. Meintjes says this approach is increasingly being used to simplify operations while improving scalability. “By combining IP and optical layers, you reduce the number of elements that need to be deployed and managed,” Meintjes says. “That lowers complexity, improves efficiency and makes it easier to scale.”

Pragmatism, a listening ear required for real-world execution
Beyond technology design, Meintjes highlighted the importance of execution in real-world environments. “We need high-performance technology that is also flexible and easy to integrate into different environments,” he says. Looking ahead, both organisations expect continued growth in data demand, but believe the defining shift will be in how networks are built and operated to support that growth.

Van Rooyen says future networks will need to prioritise flexibility, scalability and operational efficiency, with integration playing a central role as skills shortages continue to constrain enterprise capability. “We’ll see continued growth in data demand, but the real shift will be in how that demand is delivered,” he says. “Networks will need to be more flexible, more scalable, and much easier to operate.”

Meintjes added that the industry is moving toward simpler, more automated architectures, with tighter integration across network layers and increased use of automation in network management.

Ultimately, reality necessitates a shared conclusion: while bandwidth demands continue to rise, the real competitive differentiator for enterprises will be their ability to manage complexity.

About NEC XON
NEC XON Systems is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a global Japanese firm. The company has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, energy, safety, security, and digital solutions. It co-creates social value through innovation to help overcome serious societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African countries and has a footprint in 16 of them. Regional headquarters are located in South, East, and West Africa. NEC XON Systems is a level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business.
Learn more at https://www.nec.africa/

Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact details: 083-636-1766, michelle@scarletletter.co.za

]]><![CDATA[NEC XON named Fortinet’s Most Certified Partner of the Year]]>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 07:48:43 GMThttps://www.nec.africa/news/nec-xon-named-fortinets-most-certified-partner-of-the-year

The recognition caps a deliberate, multi-year strategy of investing in engineering depth, lab capability and customer relationships well ahead of demand - the same long-game discipline that has earned NEC global Partner of the Year recognition, year after year.

NEC XON has been named Fortinet's Most Certified Partner of the Year, recognising one of the most highly skilled Fortinet practices in the market. The accolade is based on 83 Fortinet certifications held by 24 engineers, spanning the full Fortinet Security Fabric portfolio. That includes skills from foundational accreditation through to expert, architect-level qualifications in enterprise firewall, SD-WAN, public cloud security, OT security and Zero Trust access.

The more revealing part of the story is when that capability was built. NEC XON didn’t assemble its Fortinet bench to service a contract already won - it invested first: in certifications, in lab infrastructure where engineers prove solutions before they reach a live network. The company has built an engineering bench deep enough to be ready before customers need to call on it.

Ian Kruger Presales and Engineering Manager at NEC XON, Julie Noizeux Channel Manager at Fortinet and André Barnard Strategic Business Development Manager at NEC XON

Not just a badge
“We’re genuinely proud of this one,” says Ian Kruger, Presales and Engineering Manager at NEC XON. “An award like this isn’t a marketing badge - it’s independent proof from Fortinet that our engineers, our methodologies and our delivery meet global best practice. For a customer deciding who to trust with their security, that’s the difference between a promise and a proven track record.”
That discipline of investing ahead of demand is neither new nor confined to a single technology. The same approach has earned NEC recognition as a global networking technology vendor’s Worldwide Partner of the Year for six consecutive years - the product of a partnership built up over nearly two decades - and has made NEC XON one of the most decorated technology partners across Africa.

Pre-emptive, sustained investment in people and infrastructure
Underpinning that record is sustained investment in people and infrastructure. NEC XON runs a dedicated engineering lab where its teams architect and stress-test designs, rehearse complex migrations and validate solutions against real-world conditions before a single change reaches a customer’s production environment. It’ s also where engineers build and renew the certifications that sit behind recognitions like this one. The result is capability that is proven in advance - not improvised once a project is already under way.
That long-term mindset extends to the customers NEC XON serves. Across telecommunications operators, service providers and enterprises, many of its relationships span more than a decade - retained not through lock-in, but by consistently delivering and by investing in the skills each customer’s environment will need next.
“We don’t wait to win the business and then build the capability - we build it first, and we prove it over years, not quarters,” says Anthony Laing, General Manager of Networking at NEC XON. “That shows up in customer relationships that, in many cases, run beyond ten years - organisations don’t stay with you that long unless you keep earning it. When customers choose NEC XON, they get a genuine track record. That record includes a lab and an engineering bench that span design, architecture, implementation, migration, support and managed services, and people on the ground right across the continent. That combination is what gives them peace of mind.”

Confirming NEC XON's long-standing Fortinet expertise
The Fortinet recognition reinforces NEC XON’s standing as one of Fortinet’s most highly accredited partners in Africa. It follows the company’s 2025 Fortinet Global System Integrator (GSI) Partner of the Year- EMEA award, which recognised its success in integrating Fortinet’s Security Fabric into large-scale enterprise transformation programmes across the continent. NEC XON also holds the highest-tier Fortinet Engage Preferred Services Partner (EPSP) and Engage Technical Support Partner (ETSP) accreditations in Africa:

EPS (Engage Preferred Services Partner): recognises NEC XON’s ability to independently design, deploy and maintain complex, end-to-end Fortinet Security Fabric solutions, with privileged access to Fortinet’s professional services experts.
ETSP (Engage Technical Support Partner): awarded to expert-level partners with highly skilled support engineers, giving NEC XON direct, prioritised escalation pathways to Fortinet’s advanced support teams for rapid troubleshooting and custom configurations.
Full specialisation coverage: In addition to EPSP and ETSP, NEC XON holds all available Fortinet partner specialisations - spanning cloud security, SASE, SD-WAN and OT security - across its operations in markets including South Africa, Kenya, Namibia and Nigeria.

“As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, organisations need partners with deep technical capability and proven experience - not just product to sell,” Kruger adds. “This award reinforces our position as a trusted Fortinet partner, and our long-term commitment to helping customers across Africa build secure, resilient digital environments.”

About NEC XON

NEC XON Systems is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a global Japanese firm. The company has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, energy, safety, security and digital solutions. It co-creates social value through innovation to help overcome serious societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African countries and has a footprint in 16 of them, with regional headquarters in South, East and West Africa. NEC XON Systems is a Level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business.
Learn more at https://www.nec.africa/
Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact 083 636 1766 | michelle@scarletletter.co.za

]]><![CDATA[NEC XON Detects & Stops Ransomware Attack with Cortex XDR]]>Mon, 25 May 2026 08:31:30 GMThttps://www.nec.africa/news/nec-xon-detects-stops-ransomware-attack-with-cortex-xdr

Ransomware attacks rarely begin with chaos. More often, they start quietly - with probing, mapping, and patient reconnaissance inside a target’s network.

That was the situation facing a global recruitment firm when cybercriminals attempted to navigate through the company’s systems. What followed became a real-world demonstration of how modern AI-driven cybersecurity, combined with skilled human intervention, can stop an attack before it escalates into a business crisis. At the centre of the response was NEC XON and its Managed XDR service powered by Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR.

A High-Value Target for Cybercriminals
“International recruitment firms are particularly attractive targets for ransomware operators,” says Armand Kruger, NEC XON head of Cyber Security. “Their systems contain highly sensitive candidate data, employment records, client agreements, and workforce intelligence spanning multiple countries and jurisdictions. For attackers, disrupting those operations can create enormous pressure to pay a ransom quickly.”

Armand Kruger, NEC XON head of Cyber Security.

In this case, the attacker had already established an initial foothold through a public-facing segment of the company’s network. “From there began what we call ‘enumeration activity’ - systematically probing internal systems, identifying routes deeper into the environment, and searching for opportunities to move laterally across the network,” Kruger explains. “Had the activity gone undetected, the attacker could have escalated privileges, stolen credentials, and ultimately deployed ransomware capable of crippling the organisation’s operations.”

Instead, the intrusion was identified in real time.

AI-Driven Detection in Real Time
Continuously monitoring the customer’s environment, Cortex XDR detected unusual activity originating from the organisation’s DMZ - the public-facing boundary separating external traffic from critical internal business systems. The behaviour matched known patterns associated with attackers mapping environments ahead of a ransomware deployment. Without waiting for manual intervention, Cortex XDR automatically blocked the remote IP address responsible for the activity, effectively severing the attacker’s access before they could advance further into sensitive systems.

That rapid automated action bought valuable time for NEC XON’s security operations team to mobilise. Security specialists quickly moved to contain the broader threat, shutting down all command-and-control communications to ensure the attacker could no longer issue instructions or attempt data exfiltration. Investigators identified compromised user credentials believed to have been used as the initial access point and disabled them immediately. The team then conducted a full forensic investigation to trace the source of the intrusion and provide the client with a clear understanding of how the attack unfolded - and how it had been stopped.

Confidence Beyond the Crisis
For the recruitment firm, the result was more than simply avoiding operational disruption. The incident reinforced the value of having around-the-clock protection backed by both intelligent automation and experienced cybersecurity professionals. In an environment where attacks are becoming faster, more sophisticated, and increasingly automated themselves, early detection and rapid response can mean the difference between a contained incident and a major business disaster.

The case also highlights a growing reality for organisations across every sector: cyber resilience is no longer just about preventing attacks, but about detecting and neutralising threats before they can cause lasting harm.

Don’t leave your business exposed. Click here to see how NEC XON can help.

About NEC XON
NEC XON Systems is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a global Japanese firm. The company has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, energy, safety, security, and digital solutions. It co-creates social value through innovation to help overcome serious societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African countries and has a footprint in 16 of them. Regional headquarters are located in South, East, and West Africa. NEC XON Systems is a level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business.
Learn more at https://www.nec.africa/

Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact details: 083-636-1766, michelle@scarletletter.co.za

]]><![CDATA[NEC XON strengthens Africa wireless portfolio]]>Wed, 20 May 2026 13:24:10 GMThttps://www.nec.africa/news/nec-xon-strengthens-africa-wireless-portfolio

Strategic Mimosa Networks distribution partnership across Africa

NEC XON has reinforced its position in the wireless connectivity market through a strategic distribution partnership with Mimosa Networks, enabling the delivery of high-performance fixed wireless access and backhaul solutions across Africa.

The partnership positions NEC XON as a key distributor and solutions provider for Mimosa’s carrier-grade wireless technology, supporting operators, service providers and enterprises that require rapid, scalable connectivity in environments where fibre deployment is limited, impractical or cost prohibitive.

Wally Beelders, Executive: Communication Solutions at NEC XON.

“Mimosa has become a key part of our wireless strategy,” says Wally Beelders, Executive: Communication Solutions at NEC XON. “We now have the technology, the commercial model and the technical capability to deliver high-speed connectivity using unlicensed spectrum, both for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint applications across the continent.”

Addressing infrastructure gaps with wireless alternatives
Mimosa’s portfolio is designed to deliver fibre-like performance using advanced wireless technologies, including TDMA scheduling, MU-MIMO and beamforming. Operating in unlicensed 5 GHz and 6 GHz spectrum, the solutions enable rapid deployment with significantly reduced cost and complexity compared to traditional infrastructure.

This approach is particularly relevant in markets where connectivity demand is growing but infrastructure rollout remains constrained. With deployment times measured in days rather than months, service providers can extend coverage quickly to underserved areas, multi-dwelling units and enterprise environments.

Jim Nevelle, SVP & General Manager at Mimosa

“Across the Middle East and Africa, operators are under pressure to expand broadband access efficiently,” says Jim Nevelle, SVP & General Manager at Mimosa. “Our technology enables partners like NEC XON to deliver reliable, high-capacity wireless networks that scale rapidly while maintaining strong price-to-performance advantages.”

Early traction across Sub-Saharan Africa
NEC XON has already begun deploying Mimosa solutions across multiple markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, with active customer engagements in South Africa, Namibia and Malawi, and ongoing proof-of-concept projects in Ethiopia and Lesotho.

The company expects to roll out between 2,000 and 5,000 devices over the next 12 months, reflecting growing demand for flexible wireless connectivity solutions that can complement or replace traditional fixed infrastructure.

Beyond initial deployments, the partnership is expected to play a key role in enabling broader connectivity initiatives, including rural broadband expansion, enterprise connectivity and the restoration of connectivity in regions where network infrastructure has been affected by environmental or logistical challenges.

“As connectivity needs evolve, wireless is no longer a stopgap - it is a key access technology,” Beelders adds. “Our focus is on delivering solutions that are fast to deploy, reliable in performance and commercially viable for operators across Africa.”

About NEC XON
NEC XON is a leading African integrator of ICT solutions and part of NEC, a Japanese global company. The holding company has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, energy, safety, security, and digital solutions. It co-creates social value through innovation to help overcome serious societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African countries and has a footprint in 16 of them. Regional headquarters are located in South, East, and West Africa. NEC XON is a level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business. Discover more at www.nec.africa.

About Mimosa Networks
Mimosa Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Radisys (Reliance Jio Platforms), is a leader in next-generation fixed wireless broadband solutions, delivering fiber-fast speeds at a fraction of the cost. Mimosa’s robust, carrier-grade radios are deployed by service providers worldwide to connect communities, businesses, and homes—bridging the digital divide with reliable and cost-effective solutions.
Mimosa® is a registered trademark of Mimosa Networks, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Radisys ® is a registered trademark of Radisys Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All rights reserved.

Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact details: 083-636-1766, michelle@scarletletter.co.za

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