Nokia Unveils 1st Dual SIM Phones

By ROMMY IMAH

Like the saying goes in local parlance, “when the big masquerade emerges, the smaller ones take cover”. This seems to be the story in the mobile phone market as giants, Nokia with a reputation for churning out innovative products and services for its respective customer segments recently excited the popular Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos with the unveiling of a set of dual SIM phones.

Known as the Nokia C2-03, Nokia C2-00 and the X1-01, the devices are the most affordable amongst its competitive peers across brands.

Lead of Marketing, Nokia West Africa, Mr. Reuben Onwubiko said the move validates the fact that Nokia is a listening brand that will continually seek ways to surpass the expectations of its customers.

Described as a “Touch and Type” phone, (meaning it combines a physical keypad with a touchscreen), the C2-03 is designed with people with multiple SIM needs in mind. It can take two at a time but it also has the capacity to remember the settings for five SIMs in total.

The phone has an “Easy Swap” feature, meaning that you can simply pop a new SIM in, using the side slot, and you won't even have to reboot.

With 400 hours of standby, 5 hours of talk-time and 35 hours of music playback and an on-board memory of 10MB, you are thinking of adding some tunes, you'll need to expand using the microSD option of up to 32GB. It comes with Nokia Maps among other features.

The C2-00 phone has an external SIM slot for multiple SIMs. Other features include microSD support up to 32GB, media player, 3.5mm AV connector, GPRS, VGA camera as well as web browser and micro USB connector slot. The C1-00 is also a messaging device which means users can stay in touch with their loved ones real with the chat applications of yahoo, facebook and other social media platforms.

The X1-01 on its part is an affordable dual-SIM music phone. It allows users to give each SIM card a name and a dedicated logo as well as MP3 dedicated ring tone. Other features include an MP3 music player, FM Radio, built-in flashlight, extra long battery life and pre-loaded games.

Onwubiko also noted that the phones come with Nokia’s proprietary personalized service, the Nokia Life Tools (NLT). The NLT enables users to benefit from personalized information on health, agriculture, sports and entertainment.

He explained that these features and benefits are only available in genuine Nokia devices and advised Nigerians to avoid being conned into buying counterfeit devices under any guise.

Nokia is the world’s number one manufacturer of mobile devices by market share. Beyond its leadership status as a manufacturer of devices, Nokia is fast becoming a leading solutions provider in the converging Internet and communications industries providing Internet services that enable users to experience media, messaging, maps and games.
 

SkyVision Is Starcomm’s Broadband Fibre Connectivity Provider

SkyVision CEO, Mr. Doron Ben Sira

Starcomms CEO, Maher Qubain

By ROMMY IMAH

SkyVision Global Networks Ltd., leading global provider of IP connectivity over satellite and fibre optic systems, has announced that it has been chosen as broadband fibre connectivity solution provider for Starcomms, Nigeria’s leading telecommunications company and provider of 3G services and triple-play.

SkyVision’s end-to-end solution is based on the SkyVision PoP located in Lagos and connected to international submarine cables on the coasts of Nigeria.  SkyVision provided connectivity solutions for a range of Starcomms’ PoPs across Nigeria, using international submarine cables, enabling hundreds of Mbps high quality connectivity to Tier-1 Internet Service Providers.

“SkyVision is pleased to be able to respond to Starcomms’ demand for high quality international fiber connectivity for its major PoPs across Nigeria. Additionally, we are honoured to support Starcomms’ vision to become a premier provider of world-class, fixed and wireless communications solutions throughout Nigeria,” stated SkyVision CEO, Mr. Doron Ben Sira.

“Through our fully customized, independent and scalable solution, Starcomms is able to provide its customers with high quality Internet connectivity and support the increasing demand for superior service in the Nigerian market.

Logan Pather, Chief Commercial Officer at Starcomms Plc said, “As a proven high quality Broadband communication provider over satellite for the past three years, SkyVision’s continuous commitment, close attention to company needs and first-class customer service made them the natural choice of provider for this exciting new venture. With SkyVision’s international fibre connectivity to Starcomms’ PoPs across Nigeria, we can now provide our customers with top of the line Tier-1 Internet service.”

Main One Celebrates First Year of Operations …..Seeks National Broadband Policy

By ROMMY IMAH

Main One Cable Company, West Africa’s first wholesale and leading broadband provider, has called for the formulation of a national policy on broadband to accelerate rapid penetration of broadband, lower cost of telecommunications and to speed up economic and social development. The call comes on the heels of the company’s celebration of its first year of commencing operations in Nigeria and delivering unmatched broadband service to Nigerians and West Africa.

Chief Executive Officer of Main One Cable Company, Ms. Funke Opeke, observed that a national broadband policy will establish the strategic framework for the industry operators and stakeholders.

“We think that with increasing demand for broadband accessibility by Nigerians, the time has come for the government and key players in the sector to articulate and develop a policy framework which regulates broadband service delivery and lays out a pragmatic roadmap on how we can get the capacity which is now available across the shoreline to the hinterlands”, she said.

Ms. Opeke stated further that there are some key issues impeding broadband penetration which should form the thrust of the national broadband policy. “We have identified issues such as a review of the national backbone, network availability, access and interconnection. In addition, NCC needs to look at matters of spectrum, frequency and distribution and try to review how they are allocated and utilized to improve telecommunications in the country”, she added.

Opeke while reviewing Main One’s performance in the last one year following its successful commencement of operations in July, 2010, said the company was proud to be West Africa’s first wholesale broadband company and driving the broadband revolution across the sub region.

According to her, “Main One has transformed the telecommunication landscape of Nigeria and West Africa. We have done a great job of maintaining an extremely reliable network; a network which has remained 100% available to our customers since we launched a year ago”.

She said Main One has created footprints on the telecommunications industry and will continue to do its best to satisfy the yearnings of its customers. “We brought a big cable with a lot of capacity to the market which has seen a reduction in price points. We have seen call rates drop, Internet costs reduced while access to broadband and speed has increased. This is part of the impact we have created as we continue to develop the broadband market”, she added. 

Ms. Opeke also said Main One places a high premium on service quality adding that the company signed partnership agreements with Cisco, Seacom, Global Crossing among others in its quest to ensure that the customers enjoy access to quality telecommunication at cheaper rates.

She said Main One is focused on finding ways to service the majority of the population still yearning for more broadband, higher speed and low prices and added that the company is pursuing this with emphasis on another landing point in the South South region of Nigeria as well as extending its cables to other countries down the West African coast.

It would be recalled that Main One Cable commenced broadband operations in Nigeria and Ghana in July 2010 following the successful completion of its multimillion dollar undersea fibre cables from Portugal down to the West coast of Africa.  

MAMO, Airtel’s Solution to Consumers’ Dilemma of Choice

Deepak Srivastava (COO), George Andah (CMO), Tanmoiy Saha (Head, Usage & Retention), Mr. Wole Abu (Director of Regional Operations, Lagos region), Mrs. Wangi Mba-Uzuokwu (Head, Brand Communications)

Have you ever been confused by the myriad of telecom offers competing for your attention? Ever been perplexed by what service offer to subscribe to for your phone? Does remembering the numerous telecom packages available challenge you and you wonder which is best for you?

One year after it entered the market and in the 10^th year of GSM service in Nigeria, the first network to offer GSM calls in Nigeria has come up with an ingenious product that helps consumers out of the dilemma of choice. From there being hardly a phone service 10 years ago, telecom subscribers in Nigeria are not only spoilt for choice but also hitherto had a challenging time following the various packages and offers.

Airtel Networks rose to the rescue of subscribers Tuesday, June 21 with the launch of My Airtel, My Offer, an innovative service that enables customers customize the service that they receive from Airtel. A bespoke service, My Airtel, My Offer, otherwise known as MAMO, is customized for the unique needs of every subscriber taking into account that every individual has different communication needs.

Airtel introduced MAMO to a large gathering of representatives from the media and the consumer trade at the Banquet Hall of Lagos Sheraton Hotel and Towers. Mr. Deepak Srivastava, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Airtel Nigeria, said “My Airtel, My Offer is a segmented offer that is uniquely designed based on a clear understanding of our customers’ usage, changing behaviour and preferences. It is designed to give customers access to the latest value enhancing offers that suit their specific needs.”

Strivastava said the introduction of MAMO “is yet another proof of Airtel’s unwavering commitment to introducing to the market innovative, relevant, and customer-centric solutions.” MAMO complements the existing offers of the network and aids customers.

The operation of MAMO is very simple, according to Mr. George Andah, Marketing Director of Airtel. Customers access MAMO by simply dialing 141. The service is free, so new as well as existing customers only need to dial 141 and listen to the voice prompt that leads the customer to make his choice. There are neither short codes nor any technical terms.

What does MAMO offer? Andah said, “My Airtel, My Offer is a service that gives you the freedom to choose. It caters for SMS offers, special rates, Internet bundles, bonus on recharges as well as weekend offers.”

Airtel Nigeria officials said the idea behind MAMO is the recognition that “different customers have different needs”. MAMO seeks to help every customer seek the best offering for his specific needs at any given period within the array of offerings on the Airtel Network. It offers instant fulfillment with each dial of 141 to make or change the offering.

As the Airtel Marketing Director put it, “MAMO gives the most exciting, most relevant and exclusive value offers for each customer based on your unique needs across voice, data, and SMS”. He said the offers to customers would keep changing periodically to make MAMO even more exciting.

A key benefit is that MAMO would help make choice easier. The customer experience with the bouquet of services from telecoms operators is similar to that with the average laptop or even the television console in most homes. Most customers only use a very small fraction of what is on offer even while paying for the full service. With MAMO, Airtel hopes to help the customer optimize his expenditure as well as his experiencing of the brand.

In the last one year, Airtel Networks has been pushing the envelope of customer service, innovation, and value offering in the telecoms market. MAMO adds an icing to the huge innovation cake as it makes it easier to understand and take advantage of the various offers. 

Game changing offers on the Airtel Network include 2Good, with award winning artiste Tuface Idibia as poster boy. 2Good changed the dynamics of pricing in favour of the subscriber and caused a massive reordering in the market. Airtel also removed the fixed denomination bar on airtime recharge cards with its Wazobia recharge. Thus instead of waiting until he has exactly N200, N500  or N1000, a subscriber with N120 or N350, for instance, only needs to walk up to a retailer and get an electronic recharge.

Recognizing that communication by telephone is a family affair, Airtel also introduced its Big Family package as well as the 2SIM pack that enables sharing at reduced call rates. 

Symantec Warning: SMBs, Favourite Target For Cybercriminals

A hacker doing what he knows how to do best

By ROMMY IMAH (With Agency Report)

News coverage on Internet security breaches is dominated by large companies and government, but SMBs are a favourite target for cybercriminals. According to Symantec, hackers and cybercriminals do target SMBs as they tend to have more money in the bank than an end-user, and few cyberdefenses than a larger company.

David Ribeiro, Small Business Development Manager for Symantec, explains, “Many SMBs throughout the GCC still haven’t recognized the tremendous impact a disaster such as hacking can have on their businesses.  Despite warnings, it seems like many still think it can’t happen to them.”

Symantec’s recent 2011 SMB Disaster Preparedness Survey found that although SMBs are at risk, they are still not making disaster preparedness a priority until they experience a disaster or data loss. The findings show that many SMBs do not understand the importance of disaster preparedness. Half of the respondents do not have a plan in place and 41 percent said that it never occurred to them to put together a plan. The remaining respondents stating that disaster preparedness is not a priority for them.

SMBs may consider themselves a small target, but any company that is vulnerable is worth attacking, according to cybercriminals. Similarly, senior executives are not the only employees being targeted. In most cases, a successful compromise only requires victimizing a user with access to even just limited network or administrative resources. A single negligent user or unpatched computer is enough to give attackers a beachhead into an organization from which to mount additional attacks on the business from within, often using the credentials of the compromised user.

Attackers can construct plausible deceptions using publicly available information from company websites, social networks, and other sources. Malicious files or links to malicious websites can then be attached to or embedded in email messages directed at certain employees using information gathered through this research to make them seem legitimate. This tactic is commonly called spear phishing.

Businesses also have employees using smart phones and tablets to access corporate data but have not yet implemented security policies for these devices. The most serious current risk is that users will download applications – such as the ever-popular social networking sites – that may include malicious code, giving hackers access to user information or even control over the device. As mobile devices continue to become more critical to business in the coming years, Symantec anticipate a sharp increase in destructive software developed specifically for these devices.

Ribeiro confirms, “Hackers are already taking note of this opportunity to exploit a new market, with Symantec’s latest Internet Security Threat Report XVI reporting that the number of vulnerabilities for mobile devices rose by 42 percent in 2010. Employees who download applications are providing cybercriminals with the ideal opportunity to use such sites and infect the individuals devise with malware. The viral nature of these social networking services means that the right messages can be spread for little expense.”

Symantec is a global leader in providing security; storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world.

Nokia Reiterates Support For Local App Developers

By ROMMY IMAH

Nokia said it is committed to supporting local developers in building innovative applications on its proprietary platform – the Ovi store. Nokia Head of Solutions Sales, Mr. Praveen Shetty who disclosed this at the monthly Mobile Monday (MoMo) meeting held in Lagos stated that the decision to support developers is based on the need to have a rich ecosystem of exciting locally-built applications to suit the needs of Nigerians. Nokia had two months ago organized free three-day training for over 200 Nigerian developers.

The Solutions Sales Manager denied speculations that Nokia was on the verge of facing out phones built on the symbian platform. According to him, Nokia has actually developed new symbian updates, which have greatly improved the user-interface of most Nokia phones. He disclosed that the much awaited windows phone will hit some markets in the last quarter of this year.

Most of the participants at the Mobile Monday session (MoMo) expressed delight at Nokia’s willingness to avail developers of their platform to build applications for phone users. They believe this will go a long way in reducing the level of unemployment in the country as young creative developers stand a chance of earning revenue from downloads on Ovi store.

Nokia’s new monetization opportunities for developers are tailored for local markets and include integrated operator billing with 112 operators in 36 markets, more than 25 times more operator billing integrations than Nokia’s nearest competitor.

Ovi Store has seen integrated operator billing increase consumer transactions by up to four times and this, coupled with Nokia’s beta programs for in-app billing and in-app advertising, means more revenue opportunities for developers on Symbian.