Nokia Lumia 1020 Pre-order Promotion Announced

L-R: Chris Brown; Kelechi Amadi-Obi; Timi Dakolo; Fola Akinboro; Deborah Shepard & Layi Onafowokan at the event....

Global phone manufacturer, Nokia in partnership with Etisalat Nigeria and Etihad Airways, has announced a pre-order promo for its latest Windows smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 1020 which will be available in Nigeria as from October 2013.

A statement by the device manufacturing firm stated that the pre-order promotion announced at the TEDxLagos conference will take place from 10:20am of the 1^st of October 2013 to the 15^th of October 2013.

Nokia West Africa, General Manager, Chris Brown said the pre-order promo will give customers the opportunity to purchase the device online before it finally arrives in Nigeria in October.

Brown added that all customers who pre-order and pay for the device from Etisalat's website will be entitled to special discounts on airfares to several destinations on Etihad Airways.

According to Brown, “The Lumia 1020 is an improved version of the Nokia 808 smartphone launched in 2012. The Nokia Lumia 1020, running on Windows 8 operating system is the ultimate camera phone. It boasts a whopping 41-megapixel camera sensor combined with a Xenon flash, focus

Nokia Announced as Platinum Sponsor of DEMO Africa

Nokia has confirmed its participation and support once again as the platinum sponsor for this year’s DEMO Africa to be hosted in Nairobi in October, according to a release by the device manufacturers.

The newest addition to DEMO's Global Launch Program, DEMO Africa in its second year will provide the most innovative new and established companies from across Africa the opportunity to launch their products on stage at this high profile event.

“Nokia has a long and rich history on the African continent,” says Nick Imudia, managing director for Nokia West Africa. “Our core strength comes from our local presence, deep consumer understanding and the ability to ignite and enable the local innovation ecosystem. DEMO Africa is the perfect showcase for this innovation, and we are extremely proud of our association with this flagship event and with our ongoing support for local developers”.

Forty of Africa’s most innovative technology products will be launched at Demo Africa, including six from West Africa. Nigeria boasts four finalists: ChopUP from Bayo Puddicombe is a social platform that connects mobile device gamers across Africa and allows them to interact based on in-game achievements

SIM Box Fraud: Glo Ghana Given Ultimatum

*Dr. Mike Adenuga, Globacom chairman

Glo Ghana has been given a two-week ultimatum by the National Communications Authority to address or bring to book the perpetrators of its international SIM box fraud, according to latest reports by Biztechafrica.

Biztechafrica is reporting from Accra that the NCA warned that it would be forced to identify all these fraudsters and block all the numbers should Glo fail to comply with its directive.

It could be recalled that on the 23 of September this year, the National Communications Authority (NCA) said Glo Mobile Network was increasingly being used for international SIM box fraud in Ghana. Statistics from the NCA indicate that there has been a dramatic increase in fraudulent SIMs, from around 2,500 in January, 2013, to nearly 30,000 in August, 2013.

This has put Glo in the lead with the highest number of fraudulent bypass activities, terminating international call traffic on other mobile operators’ platforms, thereby causing huge financial

Ailing Blackberry Agrees to go Private in a $4.7B Deal

Smartphone maker BlackBerry has agreed to go private in a $4.7 billion deal led by its biggest shareholder, allowing the on-the-go email pioneer to regroup away from public scrutiny after years of falling fortunes and slumping market share, according to reports by Reuters.

The $9 a share tentative offer, from a consortium led by property and casualty insurer Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd, will set a floor for any counteroffers that might emerge for Blackberry, which has been on the block since August.

As an investor, Fairfax Chief Executive Prem Watsa is often described as the Canadian Warren Buffett because he also takes the long view.

Blackberry shares peaked above $148 in June 2008 when the company's devices were still the top choice for bankers, politicians and lawyers.

The stock, halted pending the announcement on Monday, closed below the offer price

Ekeh, Zinox Boss Calls For Another Look At Nigeria’s National Education Policy

L-R: Adesuwa Igho Orere, ED, Task Systems, Emomine Mukoro, 

MD-Buyright Africa Dotcom, Prof. David Adewunmi, President NCS, 

Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman Zinox Group, Stanley Okpaleke, MD,Task Systems, 

Emmanuel Onyeje, COO,  Zinox Group, & Funke Oduntan, ED, Task Systems 

Chairman of Zinox Group, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh has warned that unless the Nigerian nation makes critical decisions that will bring about a break from the analogue past where all photography were still and in black and white, it may not be able to explore the opportunities offered by the digital era to excel as a nation.

According to Ekeh, “Nigeria today finds herself in times that are as difficult as 1969, the peak of the civil war, when nationalists and stakeholders in education came together in a bid to salvage the ship of state from the vicious grip of ethnicity, religious bigotry and corruption.

“The situation has been compounded by kidnapping, terrorism, our inability to fund education, and the inability of Nigerian graduates to fit into existing vacancies in the industry. There is a need for another look at the national policy on education by people compliant with 21st Century technology.”

Ekeh who was speaking during a courtesy visit by the new executive of the Nigeria Computer Society, NCS, led by Prof. David Adewunmi, noted that the new NCS President was assuming office at the right time, and urged him to focus on restructuring the country’s education sector, using the tools of information technology.

The Zinox boss further explained that with technology, the objectives of teaching and learning can be achieved at a lower cost with more competitive outcome, adding that electronic

MTN Hits 10,000 Base Station Milestone

*Mike Ikpoki, MTN Nigeria CEO

MTN Nigeria has rolled out a record 10,000 base stations across the country, reinforcing its position as the largest telecom network in Africa.

The additional base stations are expected to contribute to significant improvements to quality of service. They are a major component of the company’s infrastructure and they have direct impact on network capacity and the experience of customers.

MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Michael Ikpoki, said the company is focused on three major areas, one of them being significant improvement of customer experience. He said that MTN would be building on a track record of aggressive investment in the network to ramp up capacity and ultimately improve service quality.

Ikpoki said MTN has led the industry in terms of rapid network rollout, adding that the company’s aggressive drive to significantly improve customer experience on the network in the last few months has led to record deployment of base stations across the country.

“In the last few months, we have ramped up our rollout. Last month we had a record rollout figure and we are currently rolling out up to 300 sites a month to make sure that we have enough capacity. We are getting more head-room, more dormant capacity in the network. That way, we can carry more traffic and give our customers a decent quality of service on a consistent basis. Indeed, there has been noticeable improvement and this will continue,” Ikpoki said.

The first indigenous CEO of MTN Nigeria noted that apart from crossing the 10,000 base station deployment mark, the company has also installed additional switching centres,

Report: Africa Enterprise Hardware Market Declines

The Middle East and Africa (MEA) enterprise hardware market, comprising servers and external storage, continues to stagnate, with year-on-year growth of just 2.8% recorded for Q2 2013, according to the latest insights from International Data Corporation (IDC).

Referencing its 'EMEA Quarterly Server and Disk Storage Systems Tracker', the research firm today announced that enterprise revenue in MEA totalled $663.4 million for the quarter, with infrastructure deals in the oil and gas, telecommunications, and banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) verticals accounting for much of that figure.

Continuing social and political unrest across much of the region acted as a severe inhibitor to enterprise investment, according to Zeeshan Gaya, research manager for systems and infrastructure solutions at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey: "Ongoing instability in several parts of the Middle East and Africa region caused enterprise spending to slow down, while large projects within the government sector, traditionally one of the major investors in servers and storage, were put on hold."

The MEA region’s x86 server market witnessed a 5.2% year-on-year increase in

Incredible! Fewer Women Online Than Men- UN Study

A recent UN report shows that there are currently 200 million fewer women online than men, and the gap could grow to 350 million within the next three years if action is not taken.

According to a report released by the UN Broadband Commission Working Group on Broadband and Gender, around the world, women are coming online later and more slowly than men. Of the world’s 2.8 billion internet users, 1.3 billion are women, compared with 1.5 billion men.

While the gap between male and female users is relatively small in OECD nations, it widens rapidly in the developing world, where expensive, ‘high status’ ICTs like computers are often reserved for use by men. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the report’s authors estimate that there is only half the number of women connected as men.

Worldwide, women are also on average 21 percent less likely to own a mobile phone – representing a mobile gender gap of 300 million, equating to USD 13 billion in potential

Airtel Calls for Speedy Implementation of National Broadband Plan

CEO/MD, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya and Governor of Osun State, 

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the event in Lagos

Airtel Nigeria has thrown its full weight behind the immediate implementation of the recently approved National Broadband Plan (NNBP), saying speedy execution of the strategy document can contribute about N190bn to the country’s GDP in 2015.

Segun Ogunsanya, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria made this call today in Lagos, while speaking at the Nigerian Telecoms Development Lecture (NITDEL).

Ogunsanya said Airtel is committed to partnering with the Federal Government to deliver excellent broadband services and also develop the Nigerian economy.

He described the issuance of the Broadband Plan as a right step in the right direction and assured of Airtel’s deep commitment to partnering with the Government to implement the plan and facilitate Broadband realization for Nigeria, in support of the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government.

Beyond policy direction, Ogunsanya also called on the Government to focus on driving broadband adoption and utilization, noting that Government’s patronage of readily available local applications and solutions will be a great boost just as partnerships with telecoms operators, ICT players and development partners will also help drive utilization.

“As it concerns broadband adoption and utilization, there should be Government’s affirmative action targeting the delivery of social and public services over broadband. The zeal applied by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Federal Government in E-Payment and Cashless Policy initiatives should also be replicated in driving adoption and utilization by the populace,” he said.

Ogunsanya also noted that the implementation requires long-term commitment and significant

Etisalat Proffers Strategies For Quality of Service Improvement

Director, Network Engineering, Etisalat Nigeria, Temi Ogunbambi; 

Head Competition & Tariff,  NCC, Inatimi Spiff and Director, 

Government and Regulatory Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko, 

at the Etisalat sponsored NigeriaCom 2013 held at Oriental Hotel, Lagos

Etisalat Nigeria had at this year’s NigeriaCom Conference and Exhibition, highlighted strategies for improving quality of service in the industry.

Speaking at the Conference held recently at Oriental Hotel, Lagos, the company’s Director Network Engineering, Temi Ogunbambi stated that Etisalat takes quality of service seriously and as such works tirelessly to ensure that this is maintained across the country, knowing that it is the only way customers can enjoy value for their money. 

In his contribution to a panel debate on the topic “Quality of Service on the Network: Challenges & Opportunities for Telecoms Operators in Nigeria,” Ogunbambi who was the keynote speaker on the first day of the conference said Nigeria

Digital Africa Partners CEA for CES 2014

*Dr. Evans Woherem
Chairman, Digital Africa Global Consult

Digital Africa Global Consult (DAGC), organisers of Digital Africa Conference & Exhibitions (DACE) have entered into partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association, CEA of the United States of America to mobilize African innovators and investors for the 2014 edition Consumer Electronics Show.

DACE is a flagship annual assembly of the leading companies and government agencies involved in promoting and developing the Information and Communication Technology(ICT) sector throughout Africa. The maiden edition of the annual conference and exhibitions took place at the prestigious Abuja NICON Luxury in April, this year.

Under the partnership with CEA, DAGC is additionally authorized to organize a delegation of qualified business professionals from Africa to CEA’s annual tradeshow, namely- the 2014 International CES to be held from January 7^th-9^th, 2014 in Las Vegas, USA. This will be the first time Africa will be exhibiting at the event.

In a letter to DAGC,CEA noted that “the International Consumer Electronics Show –CES, is the world’s largest annual trade show for the broad-based consumer electronics market. This premier event brings together consumer electronics product manufacturers and service suppliers with the highest concentration of buyers, press and decision-makers in the retail distribution channel.”

Signed by John T. Kelley, Director, International Programs of USA-based Consumer Electronics Association, the letter further noted that the purpose of the International CES is for industry affiliates to meet with manufacturers of consumer electronics products for potential business opportunities.

According to Kelley, “We value our relationship with Digital Africa and understand the value they bring by promoting CES within the African business community.”

While acknowledging the letter of partnership, Dr. Evans Woherem, chairman ofDAGC, expressed delight with the partnership and assured CEA of Digital Africa’s readiness to

BBM Available In Android From September 21

Blackberry Messenger, the iconic mobile social network will be live on Android and iPhone customers around the world from September 21, according to a statement by Blackberry.

Previously exclusive to BlackBerry smartphones, BBM will be available as a free download in Google Play and the App Store. Customers will also be able to download BBM by visiting www.BBM.com from their smartphone browser.

BBM gives you a private social network for active, real conversations. 

“BBM is a very engaging messaging service that is simple to use, easy to personalize and has an immediacy that is necessary for mobile communications,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President for BBM at BlackBerry.

He added, “With more than a billion Android, iOS, and BlackBerry smartphones

CWG Picks U.S. International Partner Awards

U.S. Consul General Lagos, Jeffrey J. Hawkins (L) presenting an
award plaque tothe Associate VP, CWG, Dayo Abegunde at the event...

Computer Warehouse Group has received the International award for outstanding achievement in supporting American-Nigerian trade. This was announced at the recent United States International partner Forum and Awards held in Lagos.

The U.S. International Partner Forum and Awards is an annual event organized by the United States Commercial Service (CS), the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration with an objective to honour Nigerian business people who promote U.S. products and services and who have contributed significantly to the achievement of the goals and objectives of the U.S. Commercial Service Nigeria (CS Nigeria). 

CWG was identified as the foremost Information and Technology Company in Nigeria in the first award category at this year’s International Partner Award. It was confirmed that the founder and Group Chief Executive of CWG, Mr Austin Okere is one of the most proactive promoters of U.S. exports and commercial interests in Nigeria. He was one of the pioneers of the NUSA (Networking with the United States of America) program.

CWG being an aggregate ICT company enables businesses using the three facets of ICT; Hardware, communication and Software. Consequently, CWG has three divisions; CWL Systems, DCC Networks and ExpertEdge respectively handling the business needs of the

Dell Networking Introduces S6000 Data Centre Switching Platform

Michael Dell, CEO, Dell Group

Dell Networking has expanded its S-series portfolio with the new S6000, the industry’s highest-density 1RU 10/40GbE switching platform for highly-virtualized data centres.  

A fixed form factor design, the S6000 doubles the density and through-put while consuming up to 50 percent less power than previous generation top-of-rack switches.

Built-in advanced virtualization and automation features help customers scale larger virtual deployments in a smaller physical footprint, and helps solve the challenge of bridging virtualized and non-virtualized aspects of the infrastructure.

According to Tom Burns, vice president and general manager, Dell Networking, “Virtual environments are expanding while physical footprints remain constant, resulting in massive density increases in servers and storage. Networks need to keep up. That’s what inspired the S6000.”

“The S6000 platform can help customers unify virtualized and non-virtualized IT elements, providing a gateway to a software-defined enterprise,” he added

Bob Laliberte, senior analyst, Enterprise

Airtel Promotes Oladimeji, Anand Vice Presidents

.....Elevates 79 Others

Olusegun Ogunsanya, Airtel Nigeria CEO

In line with its corporate philosophy of remaining the employer of choice and empowering more Nigerians with leadership positions, Airtel Nigeria has elevated 81 employees, across its various business functions.

The promotions are a direct result of the company’s 2012/2013 Reward and Performance Evaluation Exercise, which ended in June.

Two employees were promoted Vice Presidents; three elevated from Senior Managers to General Managers, 32 promoted Senior Managers while 44 others were promoted to positions ranging from Senior Officer to Manager.

Top on the list of those promoted were Tayo Oladimeji, formerly General Manager, Revenue Assurance and Fraud Management, and Nitin Anand, who was formerly Head, New Products Development and 3G, who were both promoted Vice Presidents.

Speaking on the Reward and Performance Evaluation Exercise, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Olusegun Ogunsanya, said the company is committed to empowering Nigerian professionals and providing the right environment for employee development and career growth.

“Airtel Nigeria is committed to building the most admired company in Nigeria. We are passionate about creating an environment where hardwork, excellence and exceptional performance are recognized and rewarded. It is our corporate culture to celebrate and reward excellence and we will stop at nothing to ensure that exceptional Nigerians occupy leadership positions.

“Since Airtel acquired the operations of Zain in 2010, the company has promoted over 200 employees and more Nigerians have been empowered to take senior leadership roles. Indeed,

TD, OEM Partners Excite Enugu Market

Technology Distributions (TD) Limited has given the ICT market in Enugu a positive push towards structure, productivity and profit.

Determined to drive the ICT revolution in Enugu and ably supported by its OEM partners – Microsoft, IBM, Samsung, and Dell – TD recently organized a one-day resellers’ forum at which many of the problematic marketing issues in the market were resolved. The forum was preceded by visits to the shops of the resellers by TD and the partnering OEMs the day before.

Chioma Chimere, Managing Director, TD, who discussed the relevance of the channel at the forum said the channel as opposed to the grey market was the best assurance for genuine and original products direct from the manufacturers.

She explained that pricing in the channel is more affordable in real terms, short and long run, adding that the manufacturer’s warranty can only be delivered through the channel. She urged participants not to be carried away by the apparent cheap pricing of the fake products in the grey

Nokia: Going...Going...Going.....

....As Microsoft Acquires Nokia’s Mobile Phone Business

Just as the football world was stunned at Arsenal Football Club of England’s record signing of Metsu Ozil at transfer deadline day, the technology world woke up this morning to hear that Microsoft has agreed to acquire the mobile phone business of Nokia for EUR 3.79 billion. In addition it will pay EUR 1.65 billion to license Nokia's patents, bringing the total value of the deal to EUR 5.44 billion in cash. 

Nokia’s takeover follows its decision in early 2011 to adopt Microsoft's Windows software for its smartphones. Microsoft said the takeover will allow it to accelerate the growth in Windows and expand its share of the mobile phone market, through faster innovation, increased synergies, and unified branding and marketing. It will continue to license Windows Phone to third parties as well. 

Pending approval by Nokia's shareholders and regulators, the deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014. Microsoft will finance the takeover from its existing cash. 

The acquisition includes all of Nokia's Devices and Services business, including the Mobile Phones and Smart Devices business units and their design teams, production facilities, sales and marketing activities, and related support functions. Approximately 32,000 employees are expected to transfer to Microsoft, including 4,700 people in Finland and 18,300 employees directly involved in manufacturing products worldwide. The operations generate around EUR 14.9 billion in revenues, or almost 50 percent of Nokia's sales for 2012. 

Microsoft will take over Nokia's long-term patent licensing agreement

Etisalat, Brimass Bring Brian Tracy to Lecture on Remarkable Leaders

L-R: COO, Brimass, Mr. Stephen Ojji; Leadership Expert and Business 

Coach, Mr. Brian Tracy; Head, Business Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, 

Mr. Bidemi Ladipo; and Head, High Value Event and Sponsorship, 

Etisalat Nigeria, Ms. Ebi Atawodi at the event

Etisalat Nigeria has in partnership with Brimass Limited hosted a section of entrepreneurs, executives, business owners and other decision makers to an interactive leadership seminar with Leadership Expert and Business Coach, Mr. Brian Tracy in Lagos.

L-R: Leadership Expert and Business Coach, Mr. Brian Tracy with Head, Business 

Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Bidemi Ladipo; and Head, High Value Event and 

Sponsorship, Etisalat Nigeria, Ms. Ebi Atawodi at the event 

The telecoms company said in a statement that this is a way of reiterating its support for the growth of emerging businesses as well as providing businesses with the right platform to communicate ideas and grow their business enterprise.

Tagged “The Remarkable Leaders’ Conclave with Brian Tracy” and with the theme- ‘The Making of Innovative Leaders: Winning Leadership Strategies for Building World Class Organizations and Societies’ was designed to expose delegates to Tracy’s best productivity secrets to help them maximize their leadership positions and ultimately produce excellent results in their businesses and other spheres of life.

The three part seminar which started with the Entrepreneurs’ Breakfast Conclave, followed by the Executives’ Lunch Conclave and climaxed with an exclusive Executives’ Dinner, delivered tips and keys for growing a successful business as well as the role of management in building effective leaders.

Dwelling on the seven responsibilities of a leader, Tracy, a top selling author of over 45 books said that an effective leader is one who can provide customer satisfaction and this can happen by offering innovative products and services. He added that businesses should continually seek better

MTN Nigeria Hails Ikpoki’s Appointment

......Describes It As Triumph For Company’s Talent Development Programme

*Ikpoki

MTN Nigeria has said that the appointment of Michael Ikpoki as the first Nigerian CEO of the company demonstrates its strength in talent development programme.

An experienced lawyer, seasoned business executive and golf enthusiast, Ikpoki was until his recent appointment, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Ghana. He replaces Brett Goschen, who has since been appointed MTN Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director on the Group Board.

According to Akinwale Goodluck, Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, “Michael Ikpoki’s appointment lends credence to the company’s principle of building local talent and underscores the strength of our leadership development strategy and leadership succession pool.

“This is indeed a strong reflection of the MTN talent management creed; Management’s commitment to it and the quality and abundance of talent in MTN Nigeria, having regard to the status of MTN Nigeria as the biggest operating company within the MTN Group.”

Goodluck revealed that the new CEO started his career in telecoms with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). After six years with the NCC, he joined MTN Nigeria as a Regulatory Advisor in 2001, rising steadily through the ranks and receiving the quality of training, capacity building and exposure that are inherent in the company’s employee value proposition.

Michael Ikpoki became General Manager, Regulatory Affairs in 2004. Two years later, in 2006, he was appointed General Manager, Sales and Distribution and in 2007, the Sales and Distribution Executive for MTN Nigeria.  His appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana in April 2011 made him the First Nigerian in the MTN Group to attain this height.

He is however, not the only one.  Indeed, only a few months after Ikpoki was appointed CEO of MTN Ghana, another Nigerian, Karl Toriola, was also appointed CEO of MTN Cameroun.   

Several other Nigerians have since gone on to hold strategic positions across various MTN operations.

A seasoned business executive, Ikpoki is well read, with an academic profile that includes General Management Programme at Harvard Business School; Sales, from INSEAD Business School; Finance and Analytics, from Lagos Business School and LLB from Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

Nokia Tutors African App Developers On Its New Asha OS

L-R: Ogunwale Olalekan, Deployment and Integration Manager, Nokia; Jarmo Rintamaki, Head of Training Services, Nokia Developer Experience; Kesiena Ogbemi, Marketing Manager, Nokia West Africa and Adetunji Eleso, Director, Business Advisory, Co-Creation Hub Nigeria , at the media chat

L-R: Jarmo Rintamaki, Head of Training Services, Nokia Developer Experience; Kesiena Ogbemi, Marketing Manager, Nokia West Africa and Adetunji Eleso, Director, Business Advisory, Co-Creation Hub Nigeria ,

Nokia has organized a 2-day developer boot camp with the aim of training application developers on the functionality and unique features of the new Asha operating system. The training also equipped them with the necessary tools to build applications for the Asha devices using the new operating system, like the recently launched Nokia Asha 501.

The training which took place from 27-28 June was attended by 34 developers from various African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Kenya. During the course of the training, developers were taken through the features of the operating system and were introduced to new functionality through which they can create exciting mobile applications.

The new Asha OS will be available on the Nokia Asha 501 which arrives in local markets shortly. 

Partner Manager, Developer Experience for Nokia West Africa, Olumide Balogun, stated that the new Asha platform represents a fresh opportunity for Java and web developers across the globe to expand their creative prowess and build more locally relevant apps to delight customers.

“Since its launch in 2012, the Nokia Asha brand has witnessed strong growth in Africa, with great consumer adoption also in Nigeria. As technology evolves, we strive to constantly update the Nokia Asha experience and provide value for our customers,” he added.

In addition to great line up of global applications currently available on the new Asha OS, developers who participated in the boot camp were able to create 25 new local apps for the platform. These will shortly join other favourites such as CNN, WhatsApp, Facebook, Line, LinkedIn, Nimbuzz, Pictelligent, The Weather Channel, Twitter, WeChat, eBuddy, ESPN, Electronic Arts, Gameloft, Indiagames, Namco-Bandai and Reliance Games

Etisalat Unveils Revamped EasyCliq Platform

Etisalat Nigeria has unveiled its revamped EasyCliq for more value. By this development, Etisalat customers on the EasyCliq platform would now be enjoying 10k/sec tariffs to the biggest and coolest community of EasyCliq subscribers in addition to bonus on incoming calls, free 90MB data monthly, and free midnight intra network calls from 12.30am to 4.30am.

Speaking on the repackaged service, Chief Commercial Officer at Etisalat Nigeria, Wael Ammar, explained that the new offering is to enable customers enjoy more value from the network.

“The revamped EasyCliq gives customers access to lower tariffs based on their daily spends. This unique tariff plan is such that when a customer has used N25 in a day, his/her tariff to all networks drops instantly.” 

He pointed out that this lowered tariff is in addition to all the benefits that EasyCliq customers are used to.

“The threshold daily spend is N25 before which calls would be at 40k per second to all networks. Upon attaining the N25 threshold, tariffs drop automatically to 10k per second for EasyCliq to EasyCliq calls, 20k per second for intra network calls, and 30k to other networks. All these in addition to bonus free minutes on incoming calls, 90MB of free data monthly, unlimited free SMS intra network and N4 SMS to other networks.”

The EasyCliq package is tailored to support the communication needs of Etisalat’s youth customers.

Samsung Unveils Galaxy S4 mini with 4.3” Screen and Dual-core Processor

By ROMMY IMAH with agency reports

Samsung Electronics announced the Galaxy S4 mini smartphone, which has a larger screen and a better camera than its predecessor, the Galaxy S III mini.

IDG News reports that the introduction of a pared down version of the Galaxy S4 is in line with Samsung's tradition of trying to take advantage of the hype its flagship products have received. The compact version of the Galaxy S4 comes less than a year after the company announced the Galaxy S III mini in October.

The Galaxy S4 mini has a 4.3-inch screen with 960 x 540 pixels and is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor. There is also an 8-megapixel camera, 8GB of integrated storage and 1.5GB of RAM.

The Galaxy S III mini, in comparison, has a 4-inch screen with 800 x 480 pixels and is powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor. The Galaxy S III mini takes pictures with a 5-megapixel camera and stores them on either 8 or 16GB of storage.

After the controversy in the U.K. over how much storage users have left on the Galaxy S4, Samsung has said about 5GB of the storage on the S4 mini can be accessed by users.

That Samsung skimps on storage should raise a few eyebrows among users since the company makes memory products. On the other hand, Sony recently released the Xperia ZR, and that too has only 8GB. Both smartphones have a microSD card slot for expanding the storage capacity.

The Galaxy S4 mini runs Android version 4.2.2 like its bigger sibling. Like the Galaxy S4, it can also use the S Health app, which allows users to keep track of steps and monitor sleeping patterns. The phone can also control TVs, set-top boxes, and DVD players with WatchON's IR remote.

Availability of the Galaxy S4 mini supporting either LTE, HSPA+ or 3G with two SIM cards, will be determined by market, according to Samsung. The company didn't reveal what the phone will cost.

Three Reasons Why Tablets Thrive While PCs Dive

As the PC desktop and laptop market slumps and the tablet market grows, it might seem obvious to tablet users why that's so. However, details shared by analysts dramatically highlight three reasons behind robust tablet growth.

Tablets are growing so much in popularity that they will outstrip laptops shipped in 2013, IDC said, while tablets will exceed both laptops and desktops by 2015. There are three key reasons for the tablet's success.

First, tablets, on average, cost less than laptops or desktops -- about 60% as much.

Second, tablets are lighter and smaller, on average, and, therefore, more mobile, than laptops. Tablets with screen sizes that are less than 8 inches will make up 55% of the market in 2013, IDC said this week.

Third, tablets function differently from laptops and desktops and are regarded as easier to use. They have instant-on capabilities, longer battery life and touchscreens that users, so far, don't seem to want on desktops or laptops.

The big picture

Overall, IDC said tablet shipments will grow by 58.7% in 2013, reaching 229.3 million tablets, an increase from 144.5 million last year.

Meanwhile, PC shipments in 2013 will fall by 7.8%, the second consecutive year of negative growth, IDC said, as users delay PC purchases and turn to tablets and smartphones for more of their computing needs. The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend in workplaces is adding to the PC decline.

In its forecast, IDC said there will be 187.4 million laptops shipped in 2013. Desktop PCs will account for 134.4 million shipments in 2013. IDC expectstablets to outpace the entire

Google Invests $12m in South Africa Solar Project

By ROMMY IMAH with agency reports

Google has invested about $12 million in South Africa’s Jasper Power Solar Project. Celebrating Progress Africa reports that Rick Needham, Director of Energy & Sustainability at Google, said the project will power about 30,000 South African homes and will be one of the largest solar installations on the continent.

The project which is developed and funded by SolarReserve, Intikon Energy and the Kensani Group, is also backed by Rand Merchant Bank, the Public Investment Corporation, Development Bank of South Africa and the PEACE Humansrus Trust.

South Africa has a goal of achieving a rate of 18GW in renewable energy by 2030 compared to about 44GW being produced by all its resources at present.

The total cost of the Jasper solar farm is estimated at about $260 million.

The investment is a significant win for South Africa given its heavily coal dependent energy system.

Google is confident it can make a reasonable return on its investment in the project by helping spur more growth in the broader sector.

“There’s a clear need for more power in South Africa,” said Needham. “In the meantime, we can make some returns on our investments, so it’s a win-win,” he said.

The project is one of many projects kickstarted by South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program and is expected to create 300 jobs for construction and 50 permanent jobs.

Speaking on Google’s recent investment, Ompi Aphane, a Deputy Director-General at the South African department of energy said, “It’s very good that the likes of Google see value and have expressed an interest in our programme. Over and above that we would like to also have solid investors participating in the programme. You have the confidence that those kind of brand-conscious companies are not going to do a quick and nasty.”

Cisco Drags Microsoft to Court

Cisco and Italian VoIP provider Messagenet have challenged the European Commission's 2011 approval of Microsoft's USD 8.5 billion acquisition of Skype, saying the EC should not have allowed the creation of a monopoly.

Reuters reports that Cisco's attorney, Luis Ortiz Blanco, told judges that the takeover “marked a tipping point in the video communications market”.

The plaintiffs are arguing that the EC should have forced Microsoft to make concessions for the deal to be approved.

Microsoft said in March that its one-third of the world’s voice calls are on Skype and over 280 million people use the service for more than 100 minutes each month.

EC lawyer Corneliu Hoedlmayr pointed to Skype rivals such as Google Talk and Viber as evidence that there is no competitive harm, adding that emerging technologies “could render Skype a relic”.

The court is due to give its verdict in the coming months.

MTN Group Names Former CEO Nhleko as Chairman

*Nhleko

MTN Group has named former CEO Phuthuma Nhleko as its chairman, replacing Cyril Ramaphosa, who has stepped down.

In a statement, MTN confirmed that Ramaphosa had retired from the board of MTN at the conclusion of its AGM. Ramaphosa has served as chairman of the MTN board since 2001.

MTN said his valuable contribution and strong leadership had been key drivers in the success of the group. 

Nhleko, one of South Africa's best known businessmen, retired as MTN's chief executive in 2011, after nine years at the head of the company.

MTN also noted that at the AGM, all the ordinary and special resolutions contained in the notice of the Annual General Meeting dated 19 April 2013 were passed, without modification, by the requisite majority votes.

MTN Eyes 200m Subscribers by Mid-2013

*Sifiso Dabengwa

MTN Group expects to have 200 million subscribers on its network by the middle of the year, according to Agency reports.

MTN Group CEO, Sifiso Dabengwa said at an MTN AGM that the telecom company had increased its subscriber base to 197.4 million in the four months ended 30 April.

Dabengwa said MTN expected to deliver improved organic growth in revenue and EBITDA during 2013. The group's revenues had grown by 5.6 percent year-on-year in the four months to end April. Rand-reported revenues were up 15 percent year-on-year and were driven by a weaker rand against the dollar, while local currency revenues were down marginally year-on-year.

Dabengwa said that, despite the larger-than-anticipated cut in termination rates in Nigeria, the group remained comfortable with its guidance on MTN Nigeria's revenue and EBITDA margin for the full year.

Meanwhile, MTN South Africa's performance was hit by weaker consumer demand and increased competition, but it maintained its relative revenue share in the first four months of the year.

The group's operations in Iran, Ghana, Sudan and Uganda showed healthy growth in both revenue and subscriber numbers for the period. Group data and SMS revenue continued to expand strongly in most markets, increasing their contribution to total group revenue to about 18 percent.

Dabengwa stated that the implementation of cost-optimisation initiatives would remain a key priority for the group in the year ahead.

Odusote to Preside Over Nigeria IPV6 Roundtable 2013

*Mrs. Odusote

Former Admin Contact for Nigeria’s country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), .ng, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, has been named the chairperson of the Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable 2013, which is on its fourth edition.

Organizers of the event, DigitalSENSE Africa Media, through its Executive Director, Operations, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke said the nomination of Mrs. Odusote to preside over the 2013 edition of the Roundtable was unanimously adopted by the management board of her company.

Mrs. Nweke noted that the one-day Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable is held annually in commemoration of the World Internet Protocol version Six (IPv6) in the country, every June 6, with this year’s theme as “IPv6 and Mobile Services in Nigeria.”

She added that several companies who intend to play in the IPv6 industry are gearing up for the commemoration by booking a space for exhibition of some products akin to IPv6.

The Executive Director pointed out that Mrs. Odusote’s pedigree in Nigeria’s Internet industry cannot be over-emphasised beginning from when she became the Admin contact for .ng and later grew to become director, IT at the Information and Communications ministry.

As the national coordinator of Digital Peers International, Mrs. Odusote has proven that Nigerian women can really play the role of champion in Internet evolution and as pioneer in several fronts in encouraging children to adapt to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

Mrs. Nweke revealed that the event would hold on Thursday, June 6, this year with a

Court Orders APCON to Vet Airtel Adverts

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) to perform its statutory obligation of vetting advertising materials submitted to it by leading telecommunications service provider Airtel Networks Limited.

A statement made available to onlinerommy.blogspot.com quoted Hon Justice M. N. Yunusa as giving an order of interim injunction on May 24, 2013 compelling APCON to carry out its functions regarding Airtel’s advertising materials and restraining it and its agents or officers “from refusing to vetting, approving or giving consideration to any advertisement whatsoever” from Airtel pending hearing of the motion on notice on June 13.

The statement further added that Justice Yunusa also granted Airtel “an order of certiorari to quash the ruling and proceedings of the Advertising Standards Panel of May 3, 2103”, an order to prevent APCON from effecting the decisions of the Advertising Standards Panel of May 3 as well as an order of mandamus compelling performance of its statutory function.

Justice Yunusa’s orders followed a motion exparte deposed to on behalf of Airtel by Tinuola T. Ogundipe-Alatise on May 23 seeking the court’s leave to quash the proceedings of the Advertising Standards Panel of May 3, 2013 which had refused to vet advertising