From the 25th to the 28th of October, the 10th instalment of the government technology conference will be held at the Durban ICC, hosted by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA).

This year's conference

GovTech is an excellent platform for reputable local and international speakers to share their thoughts on their ongoing search for practical and progressive ICT (information communication technology) solutions for our developing nation.

The theme for this year’s conference is Partnering for Service Delivery: Connecting Communities for Development and Growth. Speakers, sponsors and delegates will reflect on the journey South Africans have travelled in both the public and private sectors to transform the ICT landscape so that it responds to social challenges. GovTech is an opportunity to celebrate the breakthroughs that technology can make in people’s daily lives.

Vodacom's Next Generation Health

One of the areas in which technology can really make a difference to people’s wellbeing is in the health sector.

As a thought leader in innovative solutions, Vodacom will demonstrate its unique position to offer and expand service offerings in Health by launching its Telemedicine Solution at GovTech.

Healthcare has evolved, and at the forefront of this evolution is Vodacom Business, which has developed partnerships with a range of healthcare solution providers that enable screening, monitoring and reporting using Connected Health Devices.

The connected devices enable remote clinics, community health workers and patients themselves to collect data on their illness or condition, and then to send this data to remote qualified practitioners, who can assess the data and decide on a way forward for the patient.

Vodacom enables these exchanges through its vast fixed and mobile infrastructure, which are seamlessly managed through its secure cloud-based platforms.

The six healthcare solutions to be showcased at GovTech are:

• Sense 4 Baby
• HearScreen
• Mezzanine
• SensiCardi
• Vula
• Techmedic

These products aim to improve the delivery of healthcare, reducing cost and ensuring that citizens from all walks of life receive the best care available. Early detection of symptoms can be resolved in the early stages, reducing the burden placed on an already challenged healthcare infrastructure.

All of this is achieved through strong partnerships between government, technology providers and the power of a Vodacom fixed and mobile network.

'Mobile technology can address some of the biggest healthcare challenges in Africa. Our job is to continue to develop relevant and innovative solutions that will meet the continent’s growing need for quality healthcare services,' says Vuyani Jarana, Chief Operating Officer: Enterprise Business Unit.

Look out for Vuyani’s talk at GovTech, which will go into more depth about Next Generation Health, showcase Vodacom’s capabilities to bring innovative solutions to life, and share some great success stories in the health industry thanks to Connected Health Devices.