ABSOLUTE DATA EXCELLENCE
ABSOLUTE DATA EXCELLENCE
The agents arriving in South African estates this year are not a new kind of risk. They are the oldest one – a login with more permission than anyone approved – running at machine speed.Key Takeaways An agent is a login - Strip away the vocabulary and an AI agent...
Every extract, warehouse load, import and vendor feed is another copy of the same data – stored again, secured differently, and billed monthly under a name nobody has given it yet.Key Takeaways The numbers disagree because the data was copied - When three reports from...
Every extract, warehouse load, import and vendor feed is another copy of the same data – stored again, secured differently, and billed monthly under a name nobody has given it yet.Key Takeaways The numbers disagree because the data was copied - When three reports from...
The agents arriving in South African estates this year are not a new kind of risk. They are the oldest one – a login with more permission than anyone approved – running at machine speed.Key Takeaways An agent is a login - Strip away the vocabulary and an AI agent...
Every extract, warehouse load, import and vendor feed is another copy of the same data – stored again, secured differently, and billed monthly under a name nobody has given it yet.Key Takeaways The numbers disagree because the data was copied - When three reports from...
The country is debating where its data should live. The organisations inside it are losing control of theirs one copy at a time – mostly to suppliers down the road.Key Takeaways Residency answers where. Sovereignty answers who - A data centre inside the border settles...
Four Microsoft dates between July and February decide what your estate will cost next year. None of them will say so on the invoice. The calendar is public – the question is who is reading yours.Key Takeaways Nothing will say price increase - Between July and...
Still paying Microsoft for Azure by credit card? Discover why finance and IT leaders prefer the CSP model for predictable billing, built-in partner support, cost optimisation, and long-term value.Key Takeways Credit card billing creates risk - Failed or expired...
On July 9, 2024, support for SQL Server 2014 ended. That means the end of regular security updates. Don't let your infrastructure and applications go unprotected. We're here to help you migrate to current versions for greater security, performance and innovation.We've...
On July 12, 2022, support for SQL Server 2012 ended. That means the end of regular security updates. Don't let your infrastructure and applications go unprotected. We're here to help you migrate to current versions for greater security, performance and...
Still paying Microsoft for Azure by credit card? Discover why finance and IT leaders prefer the CSP model for predictable billing, built-in partner support, cost optimisation, and long-term value.Key Takeways Credit card billing creates risk - Failed or expired...
On July 9, 2024, support for SQL Server 2014 ended. That means the end of regular security updates. Don't let your infrastructure and applications go unprotected. We're here to help you migrate to current versions for greater security, performance and innovation.We've...
On October 10, 2023, support for Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 ended. That means the end of regular security updates. Don't let your infrastructure and applications go unprotected. We're here to help you migrate to current versions for greater security, performance...
On July 9, 2019, support for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 will end. That means the end of regular security updates. Don't let your infrastructure and applications go unprotected. We're here to help you migrate to current versions for greater security, performance and...
Extended support for SQL Server 2016 ended on 14 July 2026. Without ESUs there are no more security updates – and this cycle, Microsoft has repriced the exit routes.The facts On 14 July 2026, SQL Server 2016 reached end of support. Mainstream support ended in July...
As the year draws to a close, we would like to express our appreciation to our clients, partners, and colleagues for the trust and collaboration that have defined the year. We wish you and your teams a restful festive season and a successful year ahead, and we look...
Microsoft SQL Server 2025 marks an important shift in how organisations modernise, optimise, and protect their data platforms. As data estates become more hybrid, more intelligent, and more tightly governed, SQL Server 2025 is no longer just another upgrade cycle. It...
Extended support for SQL Server 2016 ended on 14 July 2026. Without ESUs there are no more security updates – and this cycle, Microsoft has repriced the exit routes.The facts On 14 July 2026, SQL Server 2016 reached end of support. Mainstream support ended in July...
As the year draws to a close, we would like to express our appreciation to our clients, partners, and colleagues for the trust and collaboration that have defined the year. We wish you and your teams a restful festive season and a successful year ahead, and we look...
Standardised pricing will replace Microsoft’s long-standing tiered discount model - prompting many organisations to review the CSP programme for its cost savings, licensing flexibility, and simplified management.Microsoft Tiered EA/MPSA Pricing Ends Microsoft will...
As we wrap up the year, we’d like to extend our sincere thanks to our clients, colleagues, and partners for your continued trust and support. We hope the festive season brings you the chance to slow down, recharge, and enjoy time with family and friends. Warm wishes...
First Distribution’s Database Administration, Security and Compliance needs lead it to trusted advisor, Ascent Technology. For any large organisation, Database Administration (DBA) is a vital part of maintaining their Data Platform Operations effectively. As it has...
When Bidfood SA chose to modernise and migrate its data platform to Microsoft Azure, it turned to Ascent Technology for help. In a world that is digitally transforming, it is more vital than ever to an organisation’s success to utilise the latest platforms to drive...
A Windows Server and SQL Server consolidation, optimisation and migration to Microsoft Azure enables the company to reduce costs, modernise its data platform and boost its innovation capabilities. As an operator running two distinct betting businesses, Phumelela...
First Distribution’s Database Administration, Security and Compliance needs lead it to trusted advisor, Ascent Technology. For any large organisation, Database Administration (DBA) is a vital part of maintaining their Data Platform Operations effectively. As it has...
When Bidfood SA chose to modernise and migrate its data platform to Microsoft Azure, it turned to Ascent Technology for help. In a world that is digitally transforming, it is more vital than ever to an organisation’s success to utilise the latest platforms to drive...
Microsoft Azure Data Platform Services not only boosts the company’s DR facilities, it also helps them deliver value-added services and innovative strategic solutions to its customers. In a digitising world, it comes as no surprise to learn that Compatible Automotive...
Ascent Technology assists Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA) with modernising its Windows Server and SQL Server, Azure Based Data Platform Architecture, ensuring Agility and Flexibility to cater for the company’s increased workloads. RMA is South Africa’s leading...
Ascent Technology continues its strong showing in the Microsoft Partner of the Year awards, as a finalist in the Data and Analytics Partner of the Year award.Finalist Data and Analytics Partner of the Year "It is always gratifying to be recognised by Microsoft as one...
Ascent Technology continues its strong showing in the Microsoft Partner of the Year awards, as a finalist in the Data and Analytics Partner of the Year award.Finalist Data and Analytics Partner of the Year "It is always gratifying to be recognised by Microsoft as one...
Ascent Technology continues its strong showing in the Microsoft Partner of the Year awards, as a finalist in the Data and Analytics Partner of the Year award.Finalist Data and Analytics Partner of the Year "It is always gratifying to be recognised by Microsoft as one...
Microsoft will spend Ignite week calling agents the newest insiders. Johan Lamberts argues that at the database an agent is something simpler – a login – and that the governance it needs has existed for thirty years and been applied to almost nothing. The nine-second deletion of a production database in April is what happens when a prompt is mistaken for a permission.
Copilot is powerful the moment it is switched on – but the value it returns is decided by the data underneath it. Readiness is a sequenced programme, not a switch. Here is how Ascent’s Data Platform Modernisation, delivered on Microsoft Fabric, prepares the foundation, and the Copilot licence, under one partner.
Across South Africa, leading organisations are enabling Microsoft Copilot for entire workforces. But the licence is the easy part. Whether an AI creates value or exposure is decided by the data foundation underneath it – how well it is governed, secured and prepared. On why AI readiness is really data readiness.
SQL Server 2025 is more than an upgrade cycle. This article explains how data-driven organisations can sequence modernisation, optimisation, and protection into a coherent strategy aligned with business priorities, operational readiness, and enterprise risk.
Explore how SQL Server 2025 strengthens enterprise security through enforced secure defaults, identity integration, encryption, and governance assurance across hybrid environments.
Explore how SQL Server 2025’s built-in intelligence helps organisations optimise performance, gain deeper insight, and reduce data-platform complexity.
Explore how SQL Server 2025 reshapes the modern data platform with AI-ready capabilities, developer-first enhancements, hybrid modernisation, and practical upgrade readiness guidance.
This four-part SQL Server 2025 series explores how organisations can modernise, optimise, and protect their data platforms while preparing for a broader platform era shaped by hybrid architecture, built-in intelligence, and stronger governance expectations.
Discover why Microsoft Fabric is central to Microsoft’s Data & AI strategy, and how Ascent Technology helps organisations unify data, simplify operations, and achieve AI-driven success.
Discover how Ascent Technology’s Modernise–Optimise–Protect framework, powered by Microsoft Fabric, OneLake, and Copilot, builds secure, AI-ready platforms that unlock business value.