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Episode two – featuring Bertus Jacobs

02 March 2021 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath

Bertus_web read more — Francois van Schalkwyk, Keenan Carelse, UFS Alumni, Bertus Jacobs, UFS, University of the Free State, alumni relations, IoT.nxt.

We are pleased to host Bertus Jacobs in our second episode of the Voices of the Free State podcast series. As Chief Technology Officer at IoT.nxt. (Internet of Things), Bertus’ mind is constantly searching for new techniques, and imparting these to his team of developers. Evident from his ‘always on’ approach, Jacobs has optimised his passion for turning ideas into mainstream realities. He co-founded a successful software company, CSS Software, which saw its humble beginnings grow from Bloemfontein-based to an international-footprinted company. CSS Software is regarded as having some of the most innovative products in its market segment and was acquired by a JSE-listed group.

François van Schalkwyk and Keenan Carelse, UFS alumni leading the university’s United Kingdom Alumni Chapter, have put their voices together to produce and direct the podcast series. Intended to reconnect alumni with the university and their university experience, the podcasts will be featured on the first Monday of every month, ending in November 2021. Our featured alumni share and reflect on their experiences at the UFS, how it has shaped their lives, and relate why their ongoing association with the UFS is still relevant and important. The podcasts are authentic conversations – they provide an opportunity for the university to understand and learn about the experiences of its alumni and to celebrate the diversity and touchpoints that unite them.

Listen to the podcast:

University of the Free State · Voices from the Free State - Episode 2 Bertus Jacobs

Our podcast guest

While studying towards his BScHons (Computer Science) at the University of the Free State, Bertus developed an SDK (Software Development Kit) with low-level integration into various graphics hardware.

Bertus has researched many ways of contributing to the growing IT industry – from developing point-of-sale systems that still run today, qualifying as MCP and MCSE, engineering telematic and biometric solutions for clients (UFS was one of them). After being approached to consult in developing a solution for the government, his search for a certain hardware problem and his expertise in the IT realm resulted in his invention of a controller and the birth of the RAPTOR. Reports that took eight weeks to compile previously, are now at the fingertips of those who need it – all through data harvesting and dashboarding that combines software and hardware. The world-changing RAPTOR delivers a complete IoT solution, which has been internationally validated as being at the forefront of the emerging IoT wave. IoT.nxt was named Best Commercial and Best Overall Winner at the MTN Business M2M Awards in 2017.

Stay tuned for episode three to be released on 5 April 2021.

For further information regarding the podcast series, or to propose other alumni guests, please email us at alumnipodcast@ufs.ac.za

News Archive

Relief for baby and child care at the UFS with donation from Fuchs Foundation

2007-11-17

At the launch of the Beds of Hope campaign were, from the left: Dr Riaan Els, Chief Executive Officer of the Carl en Emily Fuchs Foundation, Prof. André Venter (Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Care), Ms Corné Booyens (National Grants Manager at the Carl en Emily Fuchs Foundation), Dr Nick van Zyl (Clinical Head at Universitas Hospital), and Prof. Niel Viljoen (Chief Director: Operations).
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Relief for baby and child care at the UFS with donation from Fuchs Foundation

The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of the Free State (UFS) has received relief for their need of specialised healthcare for babies and children with a donation of R1,5 million from the Carl and Emily Fuchs Foundation.

As a result of this, the Beds of Hope campaign was launched today on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein. With the campaign, the department wants to address the serious need for specialised healthcare for babies and children in the central regions of South Africa.

The department is one of four out of 19 children hospitals in South Africa to receive such a donation. .

“We take care of babies and children in the Universitas and Pelonomi Hospitals in Bloemfontein who have a serious need for specialised healthcare. We are, however, the only supplier of this kind of care in the Free State, North West, Eastern Cape and Lesotho and are responsible for the specialised healthcare of more than 100 000 children. Many of our equipment are outdated and must be urgently repaired or replaced,” said Prof. André Venter, Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Care at the UFS.

“Because we are concerned about our patients, the department launched the Beds of Hope campaign with the help of the donation we received from the Fuchs Foundation. With the campaign, we aim to raise some R15 million in the space of two years to purchase beds and specialised equipment for the intensive care and high care units for both hospitals,” said Prof. Venter.
According to Prof. Venter, this includes babies and children with needs for specialised healthcare in the fields of intensive care, oncology, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, gastro-enterology, neonatology and infectious diseases.

“About ten children are currently not receiving the care they need due to the lack of beds in the intensive care unit. Much more neonates can annually receive critical care if we can supply adequate facilities,” said Prof. Venter.

The other hospitals that are also supported by the Fuchs Foundation’s donation are: Healing Jozi Kids, Boikanyo Foundation and the Groote Schuur Hospital’s neonatal department.

The donation is the beginning of the first phase of the national Fuchs Healing Kids Project, which aims to improve the quality of paediatric care in South Africa.

The aim of this phase is to assist the hospitals to develop the systems and skills needed to collect more money. The research part of phase two and the building up of the hospitals’ children trust funds to be self self-supporting, will happen simultaneously. This phase will be launched early in 2008.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
16 November 2007

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