Clive Simpkins

Clive Simpkins : Latest Posts

29 October 2009 15:12

Standard Bank needs a disaster recovery plan

First FNB was down, now Standard Bank is down.

JOHANNESBURG - I'm left in awe that a commercial giant like Standard Bank can exhibit such utter incompetence when there's an IT problem.

Evidently as a result of some sort of attack, their Internet Banking service went down yesterday. They claim it was for a very brief period. However, over an 18 hour period (only during office hours) I still got answers from their Internet Banking call centre conceding that there were problems.

Yesterday afternoon I called into Talk Radio 702's Eyewitness News Desk to report the problem and was told they'd look into it but there was only one person at Standard Bank permitted to talk to the media - Erik Larsen - and he 'w...

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27 March 2007 00:00

'Re-evolutionising' your business

In a rapidly changing world, ‘re-evolutionising’ your business is essential.

I mulled a potential topic for this article on a flight from Jo'burg to Cape Town. No inspiration. In Cape Town I addressed a group of pharmacists - both ‘chain' and private - who are all affected by mad Manto's legislation. That got me thinking about the insurance brokerage business. Which is also under siege from a number of quarters and which will also require what I call a ‘re-evolution'. Both the revolution part and the re-evolving part.

Here are some thoughts:

The more highly ‘specialised' you are, the greater the hazards for you when macro, micro or market ‘environmental' conditions change. You can easily join the ‘endangered species' list if you're not proactive.

When there's a ‘seismic shift' in conditions, we need to ...

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20 March 2007 00:00

When does an 'internal' Investec issue stop being a 'private matter'?

If you think something’s an ‘internal’ or ‘private’ corporate matter in today’s media environment, think again!

I've been intrigued by Investec (feisty, in your face and usually media savvy) floundering whilst trying to damage-control allegations by the disaffected young Bonga Bangani, of racially biased favouritism. Among many media reports, you'll find online detail of the story at http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&ArticleID=1518-24_2084068 It's a short and worthwhile read and a lesson in ineptitude.

This brief posting is not about the merits or otherwise of whether Investec does indeed favour white male Italians with laptops, flat screen computers and overseas trips. It's about the startling comment by Stephen Koseff...

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