The organisers of SA’s upcoming DevConf developer conference believe the future depends on innovation in technology. And South African developers have what it takes to impact both business and consumer markets with exciting new tools to revolutionise life as we know it.
DevConf is a major technical conference for software developers, database-focused professionals, software deployment teams, team leads and solution architects. The one day conference will take place at Vodaworld in Midrand on 9 March.
Sponsors promise surprises, ‘epic swag’ at DevConf2017
The sponsors behind DevConf, the only major independent developer conference in SA, promise a memorable presence at this year’s developer community gathering.
DevConf 2017 to be staged at Vodaworld in Midrand on 9 March, has attracted sponsorships from leading software firms and enterprises invested in supporting SA software development.
Platinum sponsors BBD, Derivco and DVT see DevConf as a prime opportunity to bring developers together from across all disciplines, across the country, and offer them new insights and opportunities to network.
DVT CEO Jaco van der Merwe says DevConf’s sponsorship dovetails with his company’s focus on skills development, economic empowerment and global services. “Regardless of the industry segment or even business size, many local companies recognise that to remain competitive in the market they need custom software solutions of high quality that add business value earlier and are delivered into production faster. Even those companies equipped with the best tools, Agile processes and skills still struggle to get software into production faster, and often this is because they lack an understanding of their teams’ unique strengths,” he says. “An event like DevConf is the ideal forum at which these and other issues can start to be addressed by networking, sharing practical experiences and bringing the software development and business communities together.”
DVT will have an exhibitor’s stand at the event, offering ‘a few surprises’ for delegates, while van der Merwe will also speak at the conference.
Derivco brand and communications manager Sarah Brand is equally enthusiastic: “We attended the event last year and had the opportunity to connect with many developers. As we are recruiting for all our South African offices, we felt it was a great opportunity for us to connect with top technical talent. For developers, it’s a fantastic networking and learning opportunity. We knew that this conference was going to grow in strength – something we want to be a part of!”
During the event, Derivco will showcase exciting new technology and give attendees a chance to have fun with its VR product.
Silver sponsor Google says it is backing the event because “DevConf’s aim of inspiring software developers and providing them with a buffet of tools, practices and principles applicable to tackling current and future challenges in the South African software development environment are in line with Google’s Developer Ecosystem team goals.”
Meanwhile, OfferZen co-founder and silver sponsor Philip Joubert says: “South Africa has managed to build a world-class developer community, and that’s partly due to meetups and events like DevConf. The primary reason we sponsor events like DevConf is to give back to the developer community.”
The OfferZen team will be out in force to answer any questions about the software development marketplace, and will have some ‘epic swag’ to give away, says Joubert.
Anujah Bosman, CEO of bronze sponsor Chillisoft, says DevConf gives developers a great opportunity to engage with each-other and get to grips with issues beyond just the technology. “DevConf gives people insight into issues that are relevant to them, including people skills and new trends. We send our own developers to DevConf, because it motivates them. They enjoy the opportunity to network and learn, plus they bring useful information back into the business!”
EOH, who will sponsor a cocktail party at the end of the day, believes developers shouldn’t work in isolation. Pieter Kruger, BU Head: Software Development & Integration at EOH, says: “It is impossible for software developers to stay on top of all the changes happening in their world if they work in isolation. This is why events like DevConf are so important. It is crucial for developers to spend time with like-minded people that are driven by their passion for what they do, to remind them that software development is a creative endeavour and is actually fun – regardless of the customer shouting at you about deadlines and scope changes.”
Speakers Dinner sponsor Entelect agrees. “At Entelect, we believe that communities can be a powerful place to keep learning and stay ahead of the curve. The stronger and more diverse a community network, the greater chance we engineers and developers have to remain relevant in such a fast-paced sector,” says Sheldon Lyne, Entelect General Manager.
“The reality is that communities are popping up in all areas of our lives. Finding a good community is like finding your perfect match; when it’s good, the most amazing innovations can emerge from your collaborations with like-minded people.”
Other sponsors showing their support for the developer community at DevConf 2017 will be gold sponsors Microsoft and ABSA, silver sponsor AllanGray and coffee sponsor Driven Software.
DevConf 2017 will be staged at Vodaworld in Midrand on 9 March 2017. For more information, please visit http://www.devconf.co.za/.
