CAPCOM to Invest $210 million In Starcomms

Starcomms Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading CDMA operators has announced that it has reached an agreement with CAPCOM Limited to provide it with a capital investment of cash and assets independently valued at $210 million.

Founded by MBC, CAPCOM is a trust of 20 years standing whose portfolio companies manage over $1.25 billion in the asset management and commercial banking sectors focused on emerging markets. It has attracted a group of family offices and funds committed to investing in the Nigerian telecommunications industry and participating in the development of the sector. 

It is backed by a number of African and emerging market funds including Pan-African Capital’s asset management division (PAC Asset Management) and two private family offices with long experience of investing in Africa, Bridgehouse Capital and OldonyoLaro Estates.

A statement made available to onlinerommy.blogspot.com said that with this investment, CAPCOM aims to create a national Broadband Internet champion capable of significantly contributing to the government’s ambition to overcome the digital divide between Nigeria as an emerging market and other developed markets internationally.

The statement reads in part: “CAPCOM has agreed to cause the contribution to Starcomms, of certain CDMA assets over which it intends to acquire control in separate but related transactions. These include the spectrum licence of MTS and the CDMA mobile telecoms business of Multi-Links.

“In addition to facilitating the CDMA consolidation, CAPCOM will provide $98 million in cash to finance the post-acquisition integration of these assets, to meet on-going short-term losses in the business and to deliver the combined company’s new business plan.

“In return for its investment into Starcomms, Capcom will receive new Starcomms shares which will result in CAPCOM owning 90.5% of Starcomms restructured issued share capital. In consideration of their proposed sales of certain assets to CAPCOM, both Helios Towers Mauritius Holdings Limited and Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) will own stakes in Starcomms (together representing less than 12% of CAPCOM’s equity following CAPCOM’s investment) derived

Samsung Brings Intel-Powered ATIV Smart PC to Nigeria

*Mark Ihimoyan, Consumer Channels Group Director, Microsoft Nigeria, 

Mr Raja Ko, General Manager, IT, Samsung Electronics West Africa, 

Mr Matthew Iwundu, Samsung Manager, Mrs Sade Oyelayo, Head IT, 

Samsung Electronics West Africa and Mr. Olubunmi Ekundare, Country 

Manager, Intel Nigeria during the unveiling of 

Samsung/Intel ATIV smart devices in Lagos

Samsung Electronics West Africa, acclaimed global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, has announced its new Intel-powered ATIV Smart PC and ATIV Smart PC Pro based on Windows 8.

These new products according to a release, can easily transform from a traditional clamshell notebook PC to a tablet PC device with just the click of a button, maximizing both productivity and mobility.

The Samsung ATIV Smart PC runs on an Intel Atom Clover Trail chip, much like the Asus Vivo Tab. The 32nm chip offers x86 performance and compatibility, but the smaller DI size offers better performance and improved power management, with Samsung promising up to 14 hours of battery life.

Designed for Windows 8 with Samsung’s advanced engineering and a ten-point touch screen, users can easily stay connected and productive from everywhere.

Executive Vice President of IT Solutions Business at Samsung Electronics, Seongwoo Nam said of the Smart PC: “We are delighted to launch our new Windows 8 based ATIV Smart PC and ATIV Smart PC Pro. With our leadership in design and technology and Microsoft’s leadership in operating systems, together we are able to provide customers the most beautiful design, powerful performance and ease of use.”

Combining revolutionary design, the power of a notebook PC and the convenience of a tablet PC, the 11.6-inch Samsung ATIV Smart PC is Samsung’s next smart device. This provides computing power with Windows 8 functionality as well as full Windows 7 compatibility. The device features a detachable keyboard-docking system that allows users to easily switch between a clamshell notebook PC and a tablet PC form factor. This device allows for great mobility with maximum productivity.

Head IT, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Folasade Oyelayo, had noted at a media briefing in Lagos that Windows 8 Operating System is best experienced using the touch technology. To this end, the advanced 10-finger multi-touch screen of the new ATIV Smart PC, provides a technological leap in interactivity, surpassing the traditional two-finger touch features. Its enhanced sensitivity allows users to pinch-to-zoom, rotate images and scroll through pages with ease to enjoy the full

Microsoft Announces Windows 8 Global Availability

Microsoft has announced the global availability of the next version of its best-selling Windows operating system, Windows 8. Offering customers a no compromise computing solution that best fits their needs, on the device that works for them and with the features they want, Windows 8 is now available for purchase.

Windows 8 will be available for consumers in more than 140 markets and 37 languages in two primary versions—Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro, as well as Windows 8 Enterprise for large organizations. Also available is a new member of the Windows family —Windows RT, including Surface for Windows RT.

Designed for ARM-based tablets, Windows RT will be available pre-installed on new devices. In addition to the wide range of new Windows devices, existing Windows 7 customers can also upgrade their current devices in more than 140 markets available at www.windowsupgradeoffer.com.

MTN Brings Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 Devices to Nigeria

*Windows Phone 8

Telecommunications giant, MTN said it will be a key operator in Africa to deliver the recently introduced Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 devices to its customers in South Africa in November, with Ghana and Nigeria following in December.

Following the entry into a strategic alliance with Microsoft, acclaimed global software leaders, MTN customers in Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana will be among the first users in the world to experience the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 operating systems. Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices will be available in other MTN markets soon afterwards.

Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 provide users with a unified experience across the PC, phone and tablet.

Microsoft had on June 20, 2012 unveiled Windows Phone 8, announcing a new generation of the operating system for release later in 2012. Windows Phone 8 will replace Microsoft’s previously Windows CE-based architecture with one based off the Windows NT kernel with many components shared with Windows 8, allowing applications to be easily ported between the two platforms.

But Brett Goschen, CEO, MTN Nigeria, said the launch of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices in MTN markets is integral to the telecom giant’s aim to offer

Nokia Launches Portable Solar Charger In Nigeria

It may perhaps, be the end to dependence on electricity for the charging of cellphone batteries in Nigeria as mobile phone giants, Nokia has announced the availability of a new portable solar charger in the country.

The new Nokia Portable Solar Charger, DC-40 is a pilot product designed and marketed by Nokia to test the viability of solar charging as an alternative mobile phone charging system.

The technical solution is said to be a thin film panel, measuring 165mm x 237mm with a long cable and 2mm Nokia plug interface and weighing only 93 grams, the solar charger is highly portable. The solution is incredibly simple and efficient. With one minute of charging, consumers will get approximately two minutes of talk time.

According to Nokia, the solar charger is most efficient when used in direct sunlight where the average charging time for full charge on a 1000mAh battery would be under four hours. However, the solar panel can also be used behind a glass window, but is less efficient in these conditions.

The mobile phone leader noted that Kenya and Nigeria provide the perfect opportunity for testing this solution, with recent World Bank reports indicating that only 16 and 51 percent of Kenyans

Microsoft Nigeria Intensifies Fight Against Pirated Software

.........Inaugurates ‘Clean Dealers’

*Emma Onyeje, Microsoft Nigeria GM

By ROMMY IMAH

Microsoft Nigeria has once more reiterated its desire to flush out pirated software from the Nigerian market following the recognition of some of its trade partners as Clean Dealers.

With this development, prospective Microsoft software buyers are guaranteed original Microsoft software products from any of the certified clean dealers.

In 2010, the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an international association representing the global software industry, in conjunction with the market research firm IDC, revealed that software piracy rate in Nigeria was 83% and that the Nigerian economy lost over US$156 million to software piracy in 2009 alone.

In fact, the IDC estimated then that the commercial value of software lost between 2005 and 2009 was approximately US$584 million. Counterfeit software is often sold at a much cheaper price, but can end up costing users hundreds or thousands of dollars.

But at a press conference held recently at its corporate office in Lagos, Microsoft Nigeria general manager, Mr. Emmanuel Onyeje said the company has been unrelenting in its fight against piracy adding that the inauguration of the Clean Dealer programme was in continuation of this fight.

The Microsoft Clean Dealer initiative allows partners and retailers of Microsoft products to enter into an agreement to sell, as well as promote the sales of only genuine Microsoft products. Such dealers are prohibited by the agreement from selling pirated and counterfeit Microsoft products.

Onyeje observed that though efforts by the software giant in the past to fight piracy may not have yielded the required result, he expressed hope that the new initiative would go

Nigeria’s Endless Search For Broadband

*President Goodluck Jonathan

With the berthing of three international links in Nigeria, broadband users expect nothing short of quality, affordable and seamless access to broadband Internet services. But the reverse seems to be the case as claims by Internet Service Providers in the country of offering affordable and genuine broadband services to consumers are everything but true.

ROMMY IMAH in the following reports looks at the need for seamless broadband infrastructure in Nigeria and why broadband providers abound yet, the service seems elusive as well as the panacea to guaranteeing uninterrupted availability.......

 

*Fibre Optic cable.....broadband enabler

Where Is The Broadband?

If there is any topical issue that has consistently engaged the information and communications technology industry in Nigeria, it is broadband – how to ensure the availability of broadband service in the country. Ever since the Nigerian Communications Commission under erstwhile Executive Vice Chairman, Ernest Ndukwe declared 2008 as the ‘Year of the Broadband,’ several fora organised by both the public and private sectors, have all focused on how to make broadband available and accessible to Nigerians.

The case of broadband in Nigeria has become that of the proverbial water which appears to be everywhere yet, there seems to be no water to drink. Close followers of developments in the country’s ICT sector had heaved sighs of relief following the historic landing of three major submarine cables in Nigeria namely, Main One, Glo 1 and WACS, driven by telecommunications giant, MTN. They all join the existing SAT-3. However, even with the successful landing of all of these, broadband users are still lamenting the elusiveness of this economic driver.

Experts had argued that the submarine cables combined, are sufficient enough to provide highly improved service availability and penetration in the country, and significantly reduce consumer and end user subscription prices yet, they have not been able to impact on the end user or the consumer market.

Broadband according to Wikipedia is a “telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device; the broader the band, the greater the capacity for traffic.”

Expectations were high that with the avalanche of undersea cables landing on the shores of Nigeria, access to broadband services would have become a thing enjoyed by every Nigerian irrespective of where the person resides. Cost of bandwidth too would have drastically dropped. But all these seem to be mere wishes that have refused to translate into reality.

Engineer Gbenga Adebayo is the chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, ALTON. He believes that the country can only begin to enjoy these recent developments following the landings of the submarine cables when proper investment opportunities are created.

According to him, “broadband services are anchored on availability of bandwidth and with excess capacity of it at Nigeria’s shore, investment is needed to be encouraged to distribute this capacity to various geographical areas of the country for broadband revolution to be experienced as is the case with voice service.”

For a country desirous of becoming one of the 20 leading economies of the world in less than 10 years from now, the availability and seamless access to broadband cannot be overemphasized. And good enough, government seems to have underscored the importance

Nigeria Must Retool Her National Workforce With IT -----Uwaje

Gradually, governments all over the world are waking from their slumber resulting to a paradigm shift in the style and system of governance. Many countries are now adopting e-government strategies in readiness for the new emerging global economy- the Knowledge Economy.

In this exclusive interview, president of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) and chief executive officer of Connect Technologies Limited, Chris Uwaje diagnoses and re-examines the country’s e-Readiness within the context of the emerging knowledge society and seeks the application of strategies for the retooling of the nation’s workforce through e-Government’s initiatives. Excerpts……….

*Chris Uwaje

What do you think is the place of IT in the present administration’s public service reform programme?

Several existing research works have revealed that as the human population index surges on (now 7.1billion), no nation can govern its people effectively, equitably and transparently nor protect and defend their life and property adequately, without a well articulated retooling strategy and Government e-Readiness Framework.

In clear terms, it has become not only mandatory but indeed a time-sensitive national priority and strategic imperative that Nigerian Government at all infinitesimal levels, must ensure the establishment of digital ‘Retooling’ models for the actualization of effective e-readiness for the automation of all government processes, functions and operations, which must be sustained by highly skilled and IT literate work force.

The main reason for the critical state and poor status of government IT development programme is perhaps “Technophibia” on the one hand, and limited involvement of core IT Professionals in Government on the other. Contractors have taken over professional IT projects.

The concept of fear and/or ignorance of Technology and Information Technology in particular in top government policy makers, have become a critical factor to the actualization of e-readiness of government domain. There is therefore, an urgent need for the implementation of Government-to-Government Automation.

Government-to-Government (G2G) process automation is fundamental to the actualization of the following: Objectives set forth in our National Economic Empowerment Development Plans; Vision 20-2020 and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These plans are focused on how Government-to-Citizen (G2C) interface can grossly benefit the citizenry.

Above all, G2G is critically essential to facilitate and accelerate the transformation and enhancement of the vital component of Government-to-Business (G2B) processes. This is perhaps the most logical and cost-effective way to leapfrog global competitiveness

As the world transits into the information age and knowledge society, new conditions are being created for future economic/industrial direction and creation of wealth.

Can existing structures in Nigeria within the context of Civil Service and governance processes sustain the 21^st century global and critically rapid development competitiveness?

Today, government officers all over the world are confronted by the challenge of making the right decision from the bulky files in their possession. Reliable studies have shown that indeed, only 10% of the available content in those bulky files are humanly accessible at a given timeframe for making those decisions.

Therefore, the first priority of government in this 21^st century knowledge economy is a mandatory function to retool its workforce, automate government content and processes and build robust, secured and sustainable computer-communication networks to establish IT connectivity backbone across all government departments, all over the country.

Once the networks are established, Integrated Information Systems have to be implemented and they have to be updated religiously.

The key problem seems to be that, once they complete ICT studies, not enough ICT graduates stay in ICT career paths. The first point to make in relation to this observation is that it is not uncommon for employees starting a career with particular skills set to move outside their skills-specific occupations.

Conditions in the ICT sector that contribute to this phenomenon

Mobile Money: GTB’s Robust Banking Pedigree Is An Edge

*Segun Agbaje, GTBank MD/CEO

BY ROMMY IMAH

It is no longer speculation but has become a reality that the cashless society regime proposed by the apex financial institution in the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has come to stay. It is a revolution that will involve about 11 mobile money operators for a start, telecoms operators as well as the commercial banks in Nigeria.

The Central Bank of Nigeria says Mobile Money Service is aimed at promoting savings in addition to enabling people carry out financial transactions, including sending and receiving monies from phone. The service will also enable a subscriber to buy airtime both for self and others, pay bills, pay for goods and services in shops and on the Internet.

This revolution may not have come the right time than now if a research compiled last year by Microfinance Information Exchange, MIX is anything to go by. MIX had reported that Nigeria ingloriously lies in the first position in Africa as the country with the largest number of people with little or no access to financial services. The country is said to have the largest gap between populations living in poverty and those with access to financial services.

Promoters of this new regime argue that the benefits derivable from mobile money service are enormous. They include financial empowerment, job creation, increase in income of rural dwellers and the absence of Cost of Transaction, CoT often charged when one is doing direct transaction with the bank. It will also increase the tempo of business activities as well as move cash to the hands of people.

Nigeria is following the footsteps of Kenya where M-PESA has changed the face of banking and financial transactions. As a branchless banking service, M-PESA is designed to enable users to complete basic banking transactions without the need to physically visit a branch of a bank. M-PESA is today a huge success story.

Some banks have already embraced this new regime and leading the pack is Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB Plc known for its pacesetting position in banking and financial services in not only in Nigeria but countries where it has operational licenses. The bank in line with the revolution sweeping across the financial sector of the nation’s economy has launched a mobile

How Zinox Group Is Taking Corporate Social Responsibility To Next Level

Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Executive Governor of Imo State holds up the keys of 

the 4 fully fitted Security Vans presented to him by the 

Chairman of the Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, FNCS, OFR.

Governor Babatunde Fashola SAN (2^nd right), Chairman, Zinox Technologies Limited, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh 

(3^rd right), Deputy Governor, Hon. (Mrs) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (right), Commissioner for Science and 

Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje (3^rd left), his Education and Physical Planning and Urban 

Development counterparts, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye (2^nd left) and Mr. Olutoyin  Ayinde (left)

BY ROMMY IMAH

The global norm is that a corporate organization can only be considered to be performing corporate social responsibility when it identifies and is involved in the overall development of its area of operation.

Only recently, one of Nigeria’s foremost IT conglomerates, the Zinox Group donated items worth over N100million to both the Lagos and Imo state governments as one of the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives aimed at enhancing the efficiency and digital comfort of the Police Command and other security organizations in the states in line with what is currently obtainable the world over.

At the presentation of the items in Lagos, which included four units of fully equipped Security Vans, 150 units of Digital Radio, 150 units of Digital Solar Lamp and 150 units of Solar Torch, to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, chairman of the Zinox Group and leader of the group’s executive management team to the visit, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh noted that the state has done well to merit the ‘A’ list of the Zinox CSR portfolio.

In Imo State, the Zinox Group chair announced the donation of four fully fitted security vans, 150 Jonta flash lights, 150 self-charging digital lanterns, and 150 I-Max radio sets to support the security monitoring functions of Imo State. This is in addition to the donation of N10million to the Imo Foundation launched by the Governor a few months ago in support of structured overall social development of Imo state.

He said that as a group of companies primarily concerned with knowledge development and building a new generation of Nigerians, the Zinox Group would also donate digital knowledge content encapsulated in Zinox Whizkid Version 2 to four schools in the State.

This content according to Ekeh would make kids from privileged and exposed public schools better while enhancing the overall academic performance of the underserved. “We would also provide digital training sessions for teachers to improve

Airtel: Reclaiming Market Leadership With Innovative Products

Emeka Oparah, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR,Deepak Srivastava,Chief Operating Officer and ED and Bayo Osinowo, Lagos Regional Director, Airtel Nigeria at the launch of Airtel's Electronic Recharge Card Voucher in Lagos

BY ROMMY IMAH

The Nigerian telecommunications market is aggressively competitive such that any player, who fails to initiate offers that will retain its customers, is bound to suffer churn. Little wonder operators seem to be busy with how to satisfy subscribers to their network and consequently retain them. Consequently, the Nigerian telecoms market is awash with all manner of products aimed at retaining the subscriber especially at this period of unending complaints about poor quality of service.

A cursory look at the networks shows that almost all the operators have come up with offers aimed at making the subscriber have a sense of belonging. One network operator that has consistently come up with enticing products is Airtel Nigeria. This perhaps, could be as a result of the company’s customer-centric philosophy.

Just within a space of two weeks, Airtel Nigeria came up with two excitingly innovative products aimed at making communication easy for its teeming subscribers. In the words of the Chief Operating Officer of the company, Deepak Srivastava, “we are masters of innovation and we delight in changing the rules of the game positively. As true innovators, we always put the customer first in all that we do.”

Few weeks ago, Airtel Nigeria recorded another milestone with the successful unveiling of the first ever physical and electronic data recharge options in Nigeria aimed at expanding subscription options for data subscribers on its network. The same day, it announced a major reduction of its dongle price from N6,500 to N3,990 so as to give more Nigerians the opportunity to experience and enjoy its superfast Internet services now available in all Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT, Abuja.

With the new development, all new and existing Airtel data subscribers in the prepaid platform can now activate their desired data bundle using the physical recharge cards available from N99.00 to N7,999.00 denominations, for a corresponding data

Symantec: The Passion For Information And Business Protection

Symantec Channel Manager, Nigeria & Ghana at Symantec, Mr. Adeyemi Adeleke; Finance Director, JSP Communications Consultancy, Mr. Joseph Adeboyejo and Symantec Territory Manager, IWECA (Indian Islands, West, East and Central Africa), Sheldon Hand during the Company's Media Roundtable in Lagos

By ROMMY IMAH

Global businesses are under serious threat posed by malware proliferation and spam. Unfortunately, those businesses seem to be at a loss as to how to confront these challenges. In fact, research has shown that about 50 percent of Small and Medium businesses in the world does not have a disaster recovery plan yet, about 81 percent of the same business sector consider data their company’s most valuable asset. The most fatal is that about 71 percent of small businesses that suffered cyber attacks, never recovered to tell their story.

Today, world business is confronted by new complexities and challenges represented by security risks and threats, level of consumerization of IT and the explosion in the information realm. A situation like this needs the deployment of reliable solutions from reliable providers to tackle.

For over a decade, Symantec, a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world have been helping businesses in Nigeria to remain afloat even in the face of growing cyber attacks resulting from boost in economic activities in the country.

Sheldon Hand, Territory Manager, West, East and Central Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands for Symantec recently at a media round-table in Lagos, identified four key trends that have emerged to increase fears surrounding cyber attacks on businesses. Those trends include the growth of malware attack by as much as 81 percent; expansion of targeted attacks; the expository impact of mobile attacks as well as the rise in data breaches.

“While profits remain lucrative in the Personal Computer space, mobile offers new opportunities to cybercriminals that potentially are more profitable. Mobile also creates an urgent concern to organisations around the possibility of breaches. Given the intertwining of work and personal information on mobile devices, the loss of confidential

Why MTN Nigeria Is Spending US$1.3Billion On Network Modernization

L-R: General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Funmi Omogbenigun; Chief Technical Officer, Mrs. Lynda Saint-Nwafor; and Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck; all of MTN Nigeria at a press conference announcing MTN’s nationwide network modernisation project in Lagos

By ROMMY IMAH

One issue that has repeatedly surfaced at telecommunications meets in this part of the world is that of poor quality of service by telecom service providers. Since the coming of the Global System on Mobile (GSM) communications in Nigeria, the phrase- ‘poor quality of service’ has stubbornly refused to disappear from the country’s telecoms dictionary.

In fact, consumers of telecommunications services especially those of GSM services have ceaselessly accused GSM operators of deliberately indulging in delivering poor quality of service to Nigerians. At the phenomenal Telecoms Consumers Parliament introduced by the country’s telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission, issue of poor quality of service has consistently dominated complaints by parliamentarians.

Only a couple of months ago, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC brought the sledge hammer on the four GSM operators in the country for not meeting with the industry’s Key Performance Indicators, KPIs especially that of quality of service. All the four GSM operators were cumulatively fined N1.7billion.

But the service providers have attributed the perceived poor quality of service to an avalanche of problems ravaging the industry. They have and rightly too, argued that they were in business to make profit and so, do not see the reason why they should revel in poor service delivery that would obviously affect their Return on Investment, RoI.

MTN for instance, had about a month before the imposition of the fine on it complained bitterly about the growing damage to its fibre optic network across the country, alleging that its network suffers more than 70 fibre cuts every month. MTN attributed this development to poor road construction practices which account for 42 percent of the incidents; damages by criminals and hoodlums which account for 25 percent; as well as other incidents including sabotage, accounting for 33 percent.  

MTN’s Corporate Services Executive, Wale Goodluck had in his reaction to the NCC fine stated that the leading GSM operator remained committed to ensuring the provision of the best quality of service for its teeming subscribers. “MTN continues to employ the greatest effort to overcome the infrastructural and environmental challenges that impede the delivery of consistently good quality of service”, he said.

Goodluck reiterated the challenges faced by operators in Nigeria including unavailability of regular power supply, insecurity of infrastructure, vandalization, and the menace of multiple taxation and regulation. He revealed that the company expends billions of naira annually on diesel, to power its generating sets across the country.

He cited as examples, the difficulties encountered by MTN in Abia State in 2011 when it was involved in a face-off with the State Government over infrastructure levy as well as the face- off between NESREA and NCC over jurisdiction to intervene in specific regulatory issues, leading to the closure of a number of MTN sites in Abuja, the FCT. In each case, as with numerous such incidents all over the country, MTN’s ability to service its customers has been severely impaired.

“In the past, we have lost network availability in over 1000 base stations cumulatively across the network as a result of these cuts. This has affected services predominantly in the South East, particularly, Onitsha and Port Harcourt, and also other

Microsoft Office 365: Introducing The Business Booster

Awawu Olumide-Sojinrin, Marketing Lead, Microsoft Nigeria, Emmanuel Onyeje, General Manager, Microsoft Nigeria, Marc Israel, Information Worker Business Group Lead, Microsoft Africa and Dele Akinsade, Developer Platform and Evangelism Lead, Microsoft West East and Central Africa at a press briefing to announce the availability of Microsoft Office 365 in Nigeria

 

There are some musings in some quarters especially amongst IT disciples that the sky is no longer the limit. Some IT freaks now see the Cloud as presenting every firm with a big and exciting opportunity to revolutionize their IT estate and realize ‘cloud economics’ by achieving more with less. Again, increasing simplicity yields greater productivity.

And if going by the features of a recent product introduced into Nigeria by leading global Software Company, Microsoft, then this thinking could well be true. Businesses in the country are in for rapid growth which experts argue could result to spontaneous national economic transformation.

Known as Office 365, the innovative product is a cloud productivity solution that simplifies IT management and provides virtually anywhere access to familiar Office tools, email, file sharing, conferencing, and many more services.

Businesses in Nigeria can now leverage on the good features of Office 365 to get their work done securely and communicate real-time from almost anywhere. In fact, when combined with office, Office 365 full potential is unlocked as the best solution for productivity, collaboration, communication, and worry-free IT.

Commercially made available in Nigeria about three months ago, businesses can try it for free for 30 days by signing up at the office website or from Microsoft’s 31 leading local Nigerian service providers. It will integrate Office 365 with other offerings and market the service to the hundreds of thousands of small and midsize business customers in Nigeria.

Office 365 for instance, helps professionals and small businesses to grow with Office Web Apps, Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Lync Online and an external website in just 15minutes.

Office 365 for enterprises has an array of choices for midsize and large businesses, as well as government organizations. It also includes the option to purchase Microsoft Office Professional Plus desktop software on a pay-as-you-go basis, for the first time.

These tools put email, voicemail, enterprise social networking, instant messaging, Web portals, extranets, video conferencing, web conferencing and more at everyone’s fingertips.

The new product is quite rich with varieties of business-boosting offerings. For instance, while Office offers all the familiar tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote on your computer, Office 365 comes with Cloud-based

Lagos CP Lauds Airtel For Support to Command

(L-R): Commissioner of Police (CP), Lagos State, Alhaji Umar A. Manko, Mni 

and CEO and MD, Airtel Nigeria, Rajan Swaroop 

during the CP’s Visit to Airtel Nigeria…

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Umar A. Manko has commended Airtel Nigeria for partnering with the Lagos State Police Command to maintain peace and orderliness in the state.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Rajan Swaroop at the Airtel Headquarters in Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, Manko thanked Airtel for its support and assistance to the Lagos State Police Force, saying the Command values its cordial relationship with the telecommunications operator.

“I value the relationship the Lagos State Police Command has with Airtel Nigeria. That is why I decided to make Airtel my first place of courtesy call. Indeed, this is a testimony to the shared relationship with Airtel and I want to thank them for their assistance, thus far,” he said.

He urged Airtel to render more help in terms of mobile telecommunications partnership, saying this will go a long way in assisting the police deal with crime and other vices plaguing the society.

In his response, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Rajan Swaroop described the courtesy visit as a confirmation of the cordial relationship Airtel enjoys with the Lagos State Police Command, saying that Airtel always looks for opportunities to impact positively on the society.

“I am sure you will agree with me that the art of policing is a collective responsibility. Airtel appreciates this fact that is why we proactively engage the Lagos State Police Command and we are always willing to collaborate with them to promote public good.

“In the past, we have done quite a lot to support the Nigerian Police. At present, we also have quite a few projects with the Nigerian Police. And since policing is an on-going concern, we will continue to partner with the police to protect lives and property in Lagos, he said.

The Lagos State Police Commissioner was accompanied by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations, Vincent Brown and Police DPO, Ikoyi, Aisha Haruna.

The Human Resources Director, Airtel Nigeria, Jubril Saba and Head, Security, Airtel Nigeria, Gbemileke Oladeni joined Swaroop to welcome the delegation from the Lagos State Police Command.