VODACOM Business Nigeria has said that technology can help small and
medium enterprises adapt to market changes, increase productivity, and
improve competitive advantage.
Sharing insights on this possibility recently at the NigeriaCom 2015,
CIO Forum, Vodacom’s Executive Head of products and services, Wale
Odeyemi, said that one of the most important benefits of unified
communications for SMEs is that customers can access the network from
multiple devices at the same time.
This makes it easy to manage contacts, send and receive voice over
internet protocol (VoIP) calls and carry out multiple communications at
the same time, which enables video conferencing to take place on a
laptop while a voice call takes place on a worker’s mobile phone.
Business employees
Odeyemi revealed that 75% of small business employees say that
flexible working has made them more productive. According to Odeyemi,
productivity gains are one of the many reasons for SMEs to take
advantage of unified communications. Other gains include cost reduction,
increased customer service and improved competitive advantage.
He explained that from instant messaging features to using the
internet for voice calls unified communications improves profit
margins by boosting overall operational efficiency; this is especially
true for businesses that have mobile employees.
Friday 25 September 2015
Samsung raises bar in home experience with Activ dualwash
While technology evolves,Samsung has continued to excite consumers
with something new particularly at the upper end of its ‘washing machine
line-up’.
This development has earned Samsung a reputation in the Nigerian market for its wide range of top quality home appliances and hand-held devices, including, smartphones and Ultra High Definition televisions.
This year, the company has again raised the bar in home experience with the introduction of more traditional and professionally-inspired Activ dualwash, with smart built-in sink, water jet, magic filter and dispenser, with a warranty of 10 years.
Understanding consumer constraints in washing, the Activ dualwash cares for not only the clothes, but also the homemaker.
The product, a first of its kind with a built-in sink is designed to elevate the everyday home experience for consumers, making laundry at home easier and even providing health benefits.
The Activ dualwash is a result of years of research to improve the time and energy spent doing laundry.
Unique attraction
The Activ dualwash is uniquely and innovatively designed with a built-in sink with water jet and a gentle scrubbing surface. This all-in-one solution saves time, reduces effort and avoids mess by enabling consumers to presoak, scrub and auto wash the entire wash process in the washing machine, instead of having to spread the process over multiple locations, giving users more time to do other important things.
Benefits
The Activ dualwash system comes with a dedicated sink that provides a convenient space to soak and/or hand-wash delicate items and comfortably pre-treat heavily stained areas of clothes before starting a normal wash cycle. The water jet, which starts and stops at the push of a button, provides access to water, thus allowing for easy soaking and scrubbing. Once that is done, the laundry and water can easily be poured into the machine by simply lifting the sink. This drops the items into the tub below for a spotless wash that completes the effortless, all-in-one washing process.
Magic dispenser
The magic dispenser eliminates residual detergent on fabric, leaving users with clean and fresh clothes. It achieves this by creating a powerful water vortex that dissolves detergent and disperses it completely, thoroughly and evenly before the wash cycle starts. Washing has never been better!
Magic filter
The Magic Filter is a long and wide filter, located at the tub’s water level. It takes care of the details that make clothes look fresh and clean. It keeps unwelcome specks off whites and darks by gathering lint, fluff and particles, so you can look good without having to inspect and tidy the little things. It does all this while protecting your drain from getting clogged.
Wobble technology
The product utilises Samsung’s revolutionary Wobble technology, which helps to protect delicate fabrics from friction damage without compromising the washing performance. State-of-the-art wobble pulsators generate a dynamic, multi-directional washing flow that prevents tangles, twists and knots while thoroughly cleaning your clothes with increased washing power that requires less water consumption. Ironing has been made easy for users as the fabric comes out with less tangling.
Rear control panel
Located at the back of the machine, the Rear Control Panel provides better visibility and ease of use while also being protected from water splashes during hand and pre-washing. The panel’s dual cluster design clearly separates the control buttons so that they are much simpler to learn and use.
With the Smart Check automatic error-monitoring system, there is absolutely no need to refer to paper manuals any more as it can detect and diagnose problems, using a smartphone app.
Design
The Samsung Activ dualwash is uniquely designed, with a naturally rounded and elegant curves, an LED display, a strong and durable tempered glass door and a smart functionality with remote monitoring system.
Bottom-line
The Samsung Activ dualwash washing machine is synonymous with innovation and sleek design, making it the first and the best digital washing technology available without compromising on style.
Not only does it deliver incredible speed and accuracy through advanced washing features, it is durable, works smart and users can trust it.
The Activ dualwash has been engineered to offer superior washing experience while maximizing simplicity and ensuring that users are just one click away from seamless laundry – definitely a must-have for the homemaker concerned with optimising her time.
This development has earned Samsung a reputation in the Nigerian market for its wide range of top quality home appliances and hand-held devices, including, smartphones and Ultra High Definition televisions.
This year, the company has again raised the bar in home experience with the introduction of more traditional and professionally-inspired Activ dualwash, with smart built-in sink, water jet, magic filter and dispenser, with a warranty of 10 years.
Understanding consumer constraints in washing, the Activ dualwash cares for not only the clothes, but also the homemaker.
The product, a first of its kind with a built-in sink is designed to elevate the everyday home experience for consumers, making laundry at home easier and even providing health benefits.
The Activ dualwash is a result of years of research to improve the time and energy spent doing laundry.
Unique attraction
The Activ dualwash is uniquely and innovatively designed with a built-in sink with water jet and a gentle scrubbing surface. This all-in-one solution saves time, reduces effort and avoids mess by enabling consumers to presoak, scrub and auto wash the entire wash process in the washing machine, instead of having to spread the process over multiple locations, giving users more time to do other important things.
Benefits
The Activ dualwash system comes with a dedicated sink that provides a convenient space to soak and/or hand-wash delicate items and comfortably pre-treat heavily stained areas of clothes before starting a normal wash cycle. The water jet, which starts and stops at the push of a button, provides access to water, thus allowing for easy soaking and scrubbing. Once that is done, the laundry and water can easily be poured into the machine by simply lifting the sink. This drops the items into the tub below for a spotless wash that completes the effortless, all-in-one washing process.
Magic dispenser
The magic dispenser eliminates residual detergent on fabric, leaving users with clean and fresh clothes. It achieves this by creating a powerful water vortex that dissolves detergent and disperses it completely, thoroughly and evenly before the wash cycle starts. Washing has never been better!
Magic filter
The Magic Filter is a long and wide filter, located at the tub’s water level. It takes care of the details that make clothes look fresh and clean. It keeps unwelcome specks off whites and darks by gathering lint, fluff and particles, so you can look good without having to inspect and tidy the little things. It does all this while protecting your drain from getting clogged.
Wobble technology
The product utilises Samsung’s revolutionary Wobble technology, which helps to protect delicate fabrics from friction damage without compromising the washing performance. State-of-the-art wobble pulsators generate a dynamic, multi-directional washing flow that prevents tangles, twists and knots while thoroughly cleaning your clothes with increased washing power that requires less water consumption. Ironing has been made easy for users as the fabric comes out with less tangling.
Rear control panel
Located at the back of the machine, the Rear Control Panel provides better visibility and ease of use while also being protected from water splashes during hand and pre-washing. The panel’s dual cluster design clearly separates the control buttons so that they are much simpler to learn and use.
With the Smart Check automatic error-monitoring system, there is absolutely no need to refer to paper manuals any more as it can detect and diagnose problems, using a smartphone app.
Design
The Samsung Activ dualwash is uniquely designed, with a naturally rounded and elegant curves, an LED display, a strong and durable tempered glass door and a smart functionality with remote monitoring system.
Bottom-line
The Samsung Activ dualwash washing machine is synonymous with innovation and sleek design, making it the first and the best digital washing technology available without compromising on style.
Not only does it deliver incredible speed and accuracy through advanced washing features, it is durable, works smart and users can trust it.
The Activ dualwash has been engineered to offer superior washing experience while maximizing simplicity and ensuring that users are just one click away from seamless laundry – definitely a must-have for the homemaker concerned with optimising her time.
4bn people lack internet access as global broadband grows slowly
The United Nation Broadband Commission, Monday disclosed that four
billion people globally, especially people living in the developing
world lack internet access, just as broadband grows slowly.
The UN, in its 2015 report stated that the new country by country data on state of broadband access worldwide is published by the UN Broadband Commission.
Released just ahead of the forthcoming SDG Summit in New York and the parallel meeting of the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development on September 26, the report further revealed that 57% of the world’s people remain offline and unable to take advantage of the enormous economic and social benefits the Internet can offer.
The lowest levels of Internet access, according to the report are mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa, with internet available to less than 2% of the population in Guinea (1.7%), Somalia (1.6%), Burundi (1.4%), Timor Leste (1.1%) and Eritrea (1.0).
New figures in the report confirmed that 3.2 billion people are now connected, up from 2.9 billion last year and equating to 43% of the global population.
But while access to the internet is approaching saturation levels in the developed world, the net, according the study is only accessible to 35% of people in developing countries.
The situation in the 48 UN-designated Least Developed Countries is particularly critical, with over 90% of people without any kind of internet connectivity.
Accordingly, the report showed that the top ten countries for household Internet penetration are all located in Asia or the Middle East.
While the Republic of Korea continues to have the world’s highest household broadband penetration, with 98.5% of homes connected; Qatar (98%) and Saudi Arabia (94%) are ranked second and third respectively.
Iceland, according to the report has the highest percentage of individuals using the Internet (98.2%), just ahead of near-neighbours Norway (96.3%) and Denmark (96%).
Monaco remains very slightly ahead of Switzerland as the world leader in fixed broadband penetration, at over 46.8% of the population compared with the Swiss figure of 46%.
According to the report, there are now six economies including Monaco, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, Liechtenstein and France where fixed broadband penetration exceeds 40%, up from just one (Switzerland) in 2013.
The Asia-Pacific region, the report indicated now accounts for half of all active mobile broadband subscriptions, with Macao, China easily taking top place with 322 active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 people or just over 3 subscriptions per inhabitant followed by second-ranked Singapore (156 subscriptions per 100 people) and Kuwait (140 subscriptions per 100 people).
In total, there are now 79 countries where over 50% of the population is online, up from 77 in 2014. The top ten countries for Internet use are all located in Europe.
With the 17 goals now firmly on the global agenda, governments and private industry both have a strong interest in finding ways to get people online, the report argues, the report added.
“The UN Sustainable Development Goals remind us that we need to measure global development by the number of those being left behind,” ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao, who serves as co-Vice Chair of the Commission with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova., said, adding that, “The market has done its work connecting the world’s wealthier nations, where a strong business case for network roll-out can easily be made. Our important challenge now is to find ways of getting online the four billion people who still lack the benefits of Internet connectivity, and this will be a primary focus of the Broadband Commission going forward.”
“The 2030 Agenda recognizes the power of new technologies to accelerate human progress, to bridge the digital divide, to develop knowledge societies – we must do everything to support States in reaching these goals, especially developing States,” , the UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, said, adding that, “This calls for stronger efforts by governments and all actors, in ensuring access, use and affordability – it requires also greater work to build the capacities of all women and men to make the most of all new opportunities.”
Produced annually by the Broadband Commission, the State of Broadband is a unique global snapshot of broadband network access and affordability, with country-by country data measuring broadband access against key advocacy targets set by the Commission in 2011.
Broadband Internet, according to the new report is failing to reach those who could benefit most, with Internet access reaching near-saturation in the world’s rich nations but not advancing fast enough to benefit the billions of people living in the developing world.
The State of Broadband 2015 is the fourth edition of the Commission’s broadband connectivity report. Released annually, it is the only report that features country-by-country rankings based on access and affordability for over 160 economies worldwide.
The Broadband Commission comprises more than 50 leaders from across a range of government and industry sectors who are committed to actively assisting countries, UN experts and NGO teams to fully leverage the huge potential of ICTs to drive new national SDG strategies in key areas like education, healthcare and environmental management.
The UN, in its 2015 report stated that the new country by country data on state of broadband access worldwide is published by the UN Broadband Commission.
Released just ahead of the forthcoming SDG Summit in New York and the parallel meeting of the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development on September 26, the report further revealed that 57% of the world’s people remain offline and unable to take advantage of the enormous economic and social benefits the Internet can offer.
The lowest levels of Internet access, according to the report are mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa, with internet available to less than 2% of the population in Guinea (1.7%), Somalia (1.6%), Burundi (1.4%), Timor Leste (1.1%) and Eritrea (1.0).
New figures in the report confirmed that 3.2 billion people are now connected, up from 2.9 billion last year and equating to 43% of the global population.
But while access to the internet is approaching saturation levels in the developed world, the net, according the study is only accessible to 35% of people in developing countries.
The situation in the 48 UN-designated Least Developed Countries is particularly critical, with over 90% of people without any kind of internet connectivity.
Accordingly, the report showed that the top ten countries for household Internet penetration are all located in Asia or the Middle East.
While the Republic of Korea continues to have the world’s highest household broadband penetration, with 98.5% of homes connected; Qatar (98%) and Saudi Arabia (94%) are ranked second and third respectively.
Iceland, according to the report has the highest percentage of individuals using the Internet (98.2%), just ahead of near-neighbours Norway (96.3%) and Denmark (96%).
Monaco remains very slightly ahead of Switzerland as the world leader in fixed broadband penetration, at over 46.8% of the population compared with the Swiss figure of 46%.
According to the report, there are now six economies including Monaco, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, Liechtenstein and France where fixed broadband penetration exceeds 40%, up from just one (Switzerland) in 2013.
The Asia-Pacific region, the report indicated now accounts for half of all active mobile broadband subscriptions, with Macao, China easily taking top place with 322 active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 people or just over 3 subscriptions per inhabitant followed by second-ranked Singapore (156 subscriptions per 100 people) and Kuwait (140 subscriptions per 100 people).
In total, there are now 79 countries where over 50% of the population is online, up from 77 in 2014. The top ten countries for Internet use are all located in Europe.
With the 17 goals now firmly on the global agenda, governments and private industry both have a strong interest in finding ways to get people online, the report argues, the report added.
“The UN Sustainable Development Goals remind us that we need to measure global development by the number of those being left behind,” ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao, who serves as co-Vice Chair of the Commission with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova., said, adding that, “The market has done its work connecting the world’s wealthier nations, where a strong business case for network roll-out can easily be made. Our important challenge now is to find ways of getting online the four billion people who still lack the benefits of Internet connectivity, and this will be a primary focus of the Broadband Commission going forward.”
“The 2030 Agenda recognizes the power of new technologies to accelerate human progress, to bridge the digital divide, to develop knowledge societies – we must do everything to support States in reaching these goals, especially developing States,” , the UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, said, adding that, “This calls for stronger efforts by governments and all actors, in ensuring access, use and affordability – it requires also greater work to build the capacities of all women and men to make the most of all new opportunities.”
Produced annually by the Broadband Commission, the State of Broadband is a unique global snapshot of broadband network access and affordability, with country-by country data measuring broadband access against key advocacy targets set by the Commission in 2011.
Broadband Internet, according to the new report is failing to reach those who could benefit most, with Internet access reaching near-saturation in the world’s rich nations but not advancing fast enough to benefit the billions of people living in the developing world.
The State of Broadband 2015 is the fourth edition of the Commission’s broadband connectivity report. Released annually, it is the only report that features country-by-country rankings based on access and affordability for over 160 economies worldwide.
The Broadband Commission comprises more than 50 leaders from across a range of government and industry sectors who are committed to actively assisting countries, UN experts and NGO teams to fully leverage the huge potential of ICTs to drive new national SDG strategies in key areas like education, healthcare and environmental management.
Phase3 to increase investment on infrastructure for network services
Independent fibre optic infrastructure and telecommunications
services provider, Phase3 Telecom has said it will deepen investment on
infrastructure to extend its reach, increase efficiency, scale up
resilience and adaptability for efficient network services while
offering solutions that will amplify the operations of its clients
across the West African sub-region.
The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Stanley Jegede said the firm will continue invest on robust network to enable the firm extend its reach as the IT world migrates to the new era of internet of things (IoT).
“As more clients that ride on Phase3 network take advantage of the Internet of Things to deliver efficiency in their areas of business; it is very important for us to continue to extend reach as well as adopt the best technology and resource to make our network more secure, resilient and adaptive. Without this, the network will be largely exposed to incessant point of failure with fatal impact on the client and huge cost in millions on downtime.”, he said.
Jegede added that the focus of Phase3 in the coming months; is not just to drive a network infrastructure that connects people but to be the frontrunner in scaling a network that helps grow economies and effectively support technological innovations that expand the world and make it better in all sectors.
This is essential to accelerating the social development, growth in gross domestic product (GDP) and productivity the sub-region has been clamoring for.
The firm which is set to mark its 12th year anniversary next month, said because of its capacity to deliver homegrown solutions deliver significant long term value and as part of its wider West Africa roll out plan to deliver regional connectivity through a single network, it has commenced the deployment of a 228 km long aerial fiber optic infrastructure from Kano to Gazaoua in the Republic of Niger, a landlocked country that borders six other countries of Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya and Mali.
The project is under the Niger-Nigeria fiber-optic cable project being facilitated by the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) through the extension of the Backbone Transmission Infrastructure Programme (BTRAIN) programme.
Being an indigenous firm, Phase 3 has been at the forefront of increasing backbone infrastructure that will boost digital market viability and minimise the challenges of accessibility and reliability across sectors and layered connectivity needs
The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Stanley Jegede said the firm will continue invest on robust network to enable the firm extend its reach as the IT world migrates to the new era of internet of things (IoT).
“As more clients that ride on Phase3 network take advantage of the Internet of Things to deliver efficiency in their areas of business; it is very important for us to continue to extend reach as well as adopt the best technology and resource to make our network more secure, resilient and adaptive. Without this, the network will be largely exposed to incessant point of failure with fatal impact on the client and huge cost in millions on downtime.”, he said.
Jegede added that the focus of Phase3 in the coming months; is not just to drive a network infrastructure that connects people but to be the frontrunner in scaling a network that helps grow economies and effectively support technological innovations that expand the world and make it better in all sectors.
This is essential to accelerating the social development, growth in gross domestic product (GDP) and productivity the sub-region has been clamoring for.
The firm which is set to mark its 12th year anniversary next month, said because of its capacity to deliver homegrown solutions deliver significant long term value and as part of its wider West Africa roll out plan to deliver regional connectivity through a single network, it has commenced the deployment of a 228 km long aerial fiber optic infrastructure from Kano to Gazaoua in the Republic of Niger, a landlocked country that borders six other countries of Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya and Mali.
The project is under the Niger-Nigeria fiber-optic cable project being facilitated by the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) through the extension of the Backbone Transmission Infrastructure Programme (BTRAIN) programme.
Being an indigenous firm, Phase 3 has been at the forefront of increasing backbone infrastructure that will boost digital market viability and minimise the challenges of accessibility and reliability across sectors and layered connectivity needs
Truemessenger: Tackling spam SMS menace to make SIM smarter
The penetration of mobile instant messaging platforms such as
Whatsapp, Black Berry Messenger (BBM), Palmchat, 2go, among others in
Nigeria’s social media ecosystem has no doubt increased appreciably.
But despite this deep penetration, Short Message Service (SMS), also known as ‘text message’ and the oldest instant messaging platform, still remains relevant.
Reasons: While the other instant messaging platforms run only on smart phones and are internet-enabled, SMS requires no internet and as such it runs on both smart and non-smart phones.
While smart phone usage in Nigeria is on the increase by April, 2015, global Personal Computer (PC) firm, Lenovo revealed that the Smartphone penetration in Nigeria had reached the 30 percent mark, thus making Nigeria one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the world, with Android being the most widely used operating system in Nigeria.
Data available from StatCounter appears to support Lenovo’s finding. According to the data, Android usage increased by about 19 per cent within a year from 10.95% in August 2013 to 29.94% in August 2014; and it is still growing.
Similarly, statistics from the Monthly Subscriber Data of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country’s telecom regulatory authority, puts Nigeria’s tele-density at 100.59 per cent as of the end of January 2015, with active lines/phone numbers on the telecommunications operators’ networks reaching 140,822,483 and 146 million as at April 2015.
With such a massive subscription base, coupled with the increasing usage of Android smart phones, and directive by the NCC that all mobile network operators should charge a flat rate of N4 per SMS to other Nigerian networks, one can conclude that SMS no doubt, a viable and effective medium for reaching a large number of Nigerians with various messages at a cheap rate.
However available statistics show that, spam messages account for 15 per cent of all SMS messages sent globally, representing 1.2 trillion spam messages each year.
The implication of this is that vast majority of mobile subscribers, most of who fall within the category of smart phone users, are now at the mercies of marketing outfits and even fraudsters who reach out to their targets via the SMS.
This development has continued to worry both the subscribers and the regulatory agencies. Every second for instance, mobile subscribers in Nigeria are bombarded with text messages that are of little or no interest to them from their network provider.
Thus spam SMS has become a matter of serious concern to subscribers looking for possible solution to get a way with it.
But with the latest app from Truecaller, a leading search technology company, there are positive signals that telecoms subscriber will have a relief .
In what seems like a response to these yearnings, recently launched Truemessenger, a revolutionary app which aims to take care of spam and make the SMS experience smarter and more social.
Speaking about the new App and its unique functions, Alan Mamedi, CEO& Co-founder of Truecaller explained that the introduction was necessitated by the urgent need to tackle the menace which spam messages have become to mobile network subscribers not just in Nigeria but all over the world.
Mamedi said, “We are at a crossroads of sorts, in terms of spam messages we receive on our mobile phones, and despite the evolution of services in other areas, little has been done to curb the number of spam messages we receive on a daily basis. Truemessenger aims to attacks this problem head-on by using a combined power of our global community with information from your own personal networks so you’ll never again have to worry about anonymous numbers.”
One of the unique features of the Truemessenger App is its ability to filter and block spam SMS by tapping into a vibrant community of more than 150 million members who help protect one another from annoying intrusions.
Explaining how the App functions, Mamedi said that Truemessenger organizes the inbox, puts a name to a number, and seamlessly blocks and filters spam SMS messages. It automatically checks incoming messages against the user’s contact list for pre-existing contact information and adds the name of the sender instead of showing the phone number. Thus mobile phone users now have the option of avoiding messages from unwanted numbers and contacts.
Another unique feature of the Truemessenger app is its ability to enable mobile phone users to establish SMS spam rules, a function that was only available on the email and filters spam out of inbox or totally block it thereby keeping the inbox clean. It also has the ability to pull information from social networks and automatically assigns photos, nicknames and other contact information to incoming text messages.
Interested mobile users can now download the Truemessenger on their Android, the only platform where it can run at the moment, from the Google App store for free. According to the owners Truemessenger is complementary to the Truecaller and Truedialer apps. But while the Truedialer is available for free on Android and Windows Phone, the Truecaller can be downloaded for free on popular platforms including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Tizen and Nokia feature phones.
But despite this deep penetration, Short Message Service (SMS), also known as ‘text message’ and the oldest instant messaging platform, still remains relevant.
Reasons: While the other instant messaging platforms run only on smart phones and are internet-enabled, SMS requires no internet and as such it runs on both smart and non-smart phones.
While smart phone usage in Nigeria is on the increase by April, 2015, global Personal Computer (PC) firm, Lenovo revealed that the Smartphone penetration in Nigeria had reached the 30 percent mark, thus making Nigeria one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the world, with Android being the most widely used operating system in Nigeria.
Data available from StatCounter appears to support Lenovo’s finding. According to the data, Android usage increased by about 19 per cent within a year from 10.95% in August 2013 to 29.94% in August 2014; and it is still growing.
Similarly, statistics from the Monthly Subscriber Data of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country’s telecom regulatory authority, puts Nigeria’s tele-density at 100.59 per cent as of the end of January 2015, with active lines/phone numbers on the telecommunications operators’ networks reaching 140,822,483 and 146 million as at April 2015.
With such a massive subscription base, coupled with the increasing usage of Android smart phones, and directive by the NCC that all mobile network operators should charge a flat rate of N4 per SMS to other Nigerian networks, one can conclude that SMS no doubt, a viable and effective medium for reaching a large number of Nigerians with various messages at a cheap rate.
However available statistics show that, spam messages account for 15 per cent of all SMS messages sent globally, representing 1.2 trillion spam messages each year.
The implication of this is that vast majority of mobile subscribers, most of who fall within the category of smart phone users, are now at the mercies of marketing outfits and even fraudsters who reach out to their targets via the SMS.
This development has continued to worry both the subscribers and the regulatory agencies. Every second for instance, mobile subscribers in Nigeria are bombarded with text messages that are of little or no interest to them from their network provider.
Thus spam SMS has become a matter of serious concern to subscribers looking for possible solution to get a way with it.
But with the latest app from Truecaller, a leading search technology company, there are positive signals that telecoms subscriber will have a relief .
In what seems like a response to these yearnings, recently launched Truemessenger, a revolutionary app which aims to take care of spam and make the SMS experience smarter and more social.
Speaking about the new App and its unique functions, Alan Mamedi, CEO& Co-founder of Truecaller explained that the introduction was necessitated by the urgent need to tackle the menace which spam messages have become to mobile network subscribers not just in Nigeria but all over the world.
Mamedi said, “We are at a crossroads of sorts, in terms of spam messages we receive on our mobile phones, and despite the evolution of services in other areas, little has been done to curb the number of spam messages we receive on a daily basis. Truemessenger aims to attacks this problem head-on by using a combined power of our global community with information from your own personal networks so you’ll never again have to worry about anonymous numbers.”
One of the unique features of the Truemessenger App is its ability to filter and block spam SMS by tapping into a vibrant community of more than 150 million members who help protect one another from annoying intrusions.
Explaining how the App functions, Mamedi said that Truemessenger organizes the inbox, puts a name to a number, and seamlessly blocks and filters spam SMS messages. It automatically checks incoming messages against the user’s contact list for pre-existing contact information and adds the name of the sender instead of showing the phone number. Thus mobile phone users now have the option of avoiding messages from unwanted numbers and contacts.
Another unique feature of the Truemessenger app is its ability to enable mobile phone users to establish SMS spam rules, a function that was only available on the email and filters spam out of inbox or totally block it thereby keeping the inbox clean. It also has the ability to pull information from social networks and automatically assigns photos, nicknames and other contact information to incoming text messages.
Interested mobile users can now download the Truemessenger on their Android, the only platform where it can run at the moment, from the Google App store for free. According to the owners Truemessenger is complementary to the Truecaller and Truedialer apps. But while the Truedialer is available for free on Android and Windows Phone, the Truecaller can be downloaded for free on popular platforms including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Tizen and Nokia feature phones.
Microsoft Corp, Monday, began the worldwide release of Office 2016,
delivering new versions of the Office desktop apps for Windows,
including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Project, Visio and
Access. The apps are the latest addition to Office 365, Microsoft’s
cloud-based subscription service that help people do their best work,
together. Also launched were the new and enhanced Office 365 services
built for team productivity.
“The way people work has changed dramatically, and that’s why
Microsoft is focused on reinventing productivity and business processes
for the mobile-first, cloud-first world,” Satya Nadella, chief executive
officer of Microsoft, said, adding that, “These latest innovations take
another big step forward in transforming Office from a familiar set of
individual productivity apps to a connected set of apps and services
designed for modern working, collaboration and teamwork.”
Nadella wrote about the new Office on the Official Microsoft Blog. Corporate vice president for the Office Client Applications and Services team, Kirk Koenigsbauer provided more insights into Office 2016 on the Office Blog.
By subscribing to Office 365, customers can get always-up-to-date, fully installed apps for use across their devices, combined with a continually evolving set of consumer and commercial services, such as OneDrive online storage, Skype for Business, Delve, Yammer and enterprise-grade security features.
Together, the new Office and Windows 10 are the most complete solution for doing work. The Office 2016 apps run beautifully on the best Windows ever, including the new Sway for Windows 10 to create shareable, interactive stories that look great on any screen.
Features of the app includes: Windows Hello which logs you into Windows and Office 365 in one simple step.1 Office Mobile apps on Windows 10 empower on-the-go productivity, and work with Continuum2 so you can use your phone like a PC. Cortana3 connects with Office 365 to help with tasks such as meeting preparation, with Outlook integration coming in November.
Built for teamwork
*The Office 2016 apps simplify collaboration and remove barriers to team success. Co-authoring4 is now provided in Word, PowerPoint and OneNote desktop software, including real-time typing in Word that lets you see other peoples’ edits as they make them.
*Skype in-app integration across the rich client apps allows you to IM, screen share, talk or video chat right in your docs.
*Office 365 Groups are now an integrated part of the Outlook 2016 client app and available on your favorite mobile device through the Outlook Groups app, delivering a consistent team experience across the suite. In addition, a new Office 365 solutions that combine the power of apps and services for better collaboration are coming soon.
Introduced yesterday, Office 365 Planner helps teams organize their work, with the ability to create new plans, organize and assign tasks, set due dates, and update status with visual dashboards and email notifications. Planner will be available in preview to Office 365 First Release customers starting next quarter.
Significant new updates to OneDrive for Business are coming later this month, including a new sync client for Windows and Mac, which will deliver selective sync and enhanced reliability. Updates also include increased file size and volume limits per user, a new user interface in the browser, mobile enhancements, and new IT and developer features.
Unveiled earlier this year, GigJam is available Tuesday in private preview and will become part of Office 365 in 2016. GigJam is an unprecedented new way for teams to accomplish tasks and transform business processes by breaking down the barriers between devices, apps and people.
Availability and requirements
The new Office 2016 apps, according Microsoft are available in 40 languages and require Windows 7 or later. Starting yesterday, Office 365 subscribers can choose to download the new Office 2016 apps as part of their subscription. Automatic updates will begin rolling out to consumer and small-business subscribers next month, and to commercial customers early next year. Office 2016 is also available today as a one-time purchase for both PCs and Macs.
File:
Skype Chief Executive Tony Bates, left, Microsoft Chief Executive,Steve
Ballmer, at a news conference in San Francisco on the
acquisition:Reuters
Nadella wrote about the new Office on the Official Microsoft Blog. Corporate vice president for the Office Client Applications and Services team, Kirk Koenigsbauer provided more insights into Office 2016 on the Office Blog.
By subscribing to Office 365, customers can get always-up-to-date, fully installed apps for use across their devices, combined with a continually evolving set of consumer and commercial services, such as OneDrive online storage, Skype for Business, Delve, Yammer and enterprise-grade security features.
Together, the new Office and Windows 10 are the most complete solution for doing work. The Office 2016 apps run beautifully on the best Windows ever, including the new Sway for Windows 10 to create shareable, interactive stories that look great on any screen.
Features of the app includes: Windows Hello which logs you into Windows and Office 365 in one simple step.1 Office Mobile apps on Windows 10 empower on-the-go productivity, and work with Continuum2 so you can use your phone like a PC. Cortana3 connects with Office 365 to help with tasks such as meeting preparation, with Outlook integration coming in November.
Built for teamwork
*The Office 2016 apps simplify collaboration and remove barriers to team success. Co-authoring4 is now provided in Word, PowerPoint and OneNote desktop software, including real-time typing in Word that lets you see other peoples’ edits as they make them.
*Skype in-app integration across the rich client apps allows you to IM, screen share, talk or video chat right in your docs.
*Office 365 Groups are now an integrated part of the Outlook 2016 client app and available on your favorite mobile device through the Outlook Groups app, delivering a consistent team experience across the suite. In addition, a new Office 365 solutions that combine the power of apps and services for better collaboration are coming soon.
Introduced yesterday, Office 365 Planner helps teams organize their work, with the ability to create new plans, organize and assign tasks, set due dates, and update status with visual dashboards and email notifications. Planner will be available in preview to Office 365 First Release customers starting next quarter.
Significant new updates to OneDrive for Business are coming later this month, including a new sync client for Windows and Mac, which will deliver selective sync and enhanced reliability. Updates also include increased file size and volume limits per user, a new user interface in the browser, mobile enhancements, and new IT and developer features.
Unveiled earlier this year, GigJam is available Tuesday in private preview and will become part of Office 365 in 2016. GigJam is an unprecedented new way for teams to accomplish tasks and transform business processes by breaking down the barriers between devices, apps and people.
Availability and requirements
The new Office 2016 apps, according Microsoft are available in 40 languages and require Windows 7 or later. Starting yesterday, Office 365 subscribers can choose to download the new Office 2016 apps as part of their subscription. Automatic updates will begin rolling out to consumer and small-business subscribers next month, and to commercial customers early next year. Office 2016 is also available today as a one-time purchase for both PCs and Macs.
More Nigerians watch videos on smartphone, tablet, laptop – Ericsson report
Following the changing consumer needs in TV and video landscape in
Nigeria, latest report by Ericsson’s ConsumerLab released yesterday has
indicated that 64 percent of time is spent by Nigerians watching videos
on a mobile device like smartphone, tablet and laptop.
According to the report, 36 percent of the time spent watching TV and video content is done on television screens making it the single most popular platform for TV and video consumption in Nigeria.
51 percent of consumers, the report further indicated that want to choose when they watch TV and video content rather than follow a set schedule
Similarly, only 27 percent of Nigerians stream videos. Inflexible data plans and slow download speeds flagged as reason for low video streaming uptake.
The Ericsson’s ConsumerLab published is its first ever TV and Media report for Nigeria, representative of the views and habits of over 24 million people across the country.
A key finding of the report is that TV and video content consumption is no longer tied to the traditional TV screen.
Though television screens remain the single most popular platform for TV and video consumption, it only accounts for one third of the total time spent watching videos.
Today’s viewers of TV and video content in Nigeria , the report said do not want to adhere to a specific device or schedule, and seek the freedom and flexibility to choose what they watch, when to watch it and on which device.
Out of the regular TV viewers in Nigeria in the survey, only 37 percent are satisfied with the choice and variety of available content. They prefer to choose and pay for the channels that they want. Current pay TV services offer limited customization capabilities.
Speaking on the report, Johan Jemdahl, Managing Director, Ericsson Nigeria said that, “The proliferation of mobile devices and availability of mobile broadband has significantly altered the consumption patterns of TV and video content in Nigeria. With the ownership of smartphones significantly higher than that of television and PCs (which include desktops and laptops) and more Nigerians demanding flexibility in their viewing schedules, the opportunities for mobile television cannot be overstated.”
The study also revealed that only 27 percent of Nigerian consumers stream videos more than weekly, compared with the global average of 76 percent. Respondents identified connectivity issues and restrictive data charges on mobile data as factors affecting their online streaming experience.
Furthermore, the study showed that the same factors have an impact on piracy.
Though global research has shown a decline in file sharing and illegal streaming services when easy-to-use and reasonably priced legal video-on-demand (VOD) services are available, limitations in connectivity and restrictive data charges drive the purchase of pirated content on DVDs. With TV and media services accounting for 43 percent of Nigerian consumers’ entertainment expenses, as much as 16 percent is spent on pirated material and the remaining 27 percent on pay TV.
According to the report, 36 percent of the time spent watching TV and video content is done on television screens making it the single most popular platform for TV and video consumption in Nigeria.
51 percent of consumers, the report further indicated that want to choose when they watch TV and video content rather than follow a set schedule
Similarly, only 27 percent of Nigerians stream videos. Inflexible data plans and slow download speeds flagged as reason for low video streaming uptake.
The Ericsson’s ConsumerLab published is its first ever TV and Media report for Nigeria, representative of the views and habits of over 24 million people across the country.
A key finding of the report is that TV and video content consumption is no longer tied to the traditional TV screen.
Though television screens remain the single most popular platform for TV and video consumption, it only accounts for one third of the total time spent watching videos.
Today’s viewers of TV and video content in Nigeria , the report said do not want to adhere to a specific device or schedule, and seek the freedom and flexibility to choose what they watch, when to watch it and on which device.
Out of the regular TV viewers in Nigeria in the survey, only 37 percent are satisfied with the choice and variety of available content. They prefer to choose and pay for the channels that they want. Current pay TV services offer limited customization capabilities.
Speaking on the report, Johan Jemdahl, Managing Director, Ericsson Nigeria said that, “The proliferation of mobile devices and availability of mobile broadband has significantly altered the consumption patterns of TV and video content in Nigeria. With the ownership of smartphones significantly higher than that of television and PCs (which include desktops and laptops) and more Nigerians demanding flexibility in their viewing schedules, the opportunities for mobile television cannot be overstated.”
The study also revealed that only 27 percent of Nigerian consumers stream videos more than weekly, compared with the global average of 76 percent. Respondents identified connectivity issues and restrictive data charges on mobile data as factors affecting their online streaming experience.
Furthermore, the study showed that the same factors have an impact on piracy.
Though global research has shown a decline in file sharing and illegal streaming services when easy-to-use and reasonably priced legal video-on-demand (VOD) services are available, limitations in connectivity and restrictive data charges drive the purchase of pirated content on DVDs. With TV and media services accounting for 43 percent of Nigerian consumers’ entertainment expenses, as much as 16 percent is spent on pirated material and the remaining 27 percent on pay TV.
5 Social media networking techniques for beginners
The rapid strides that has been made lately due to recent
technologies has helped in making the world become more of a global
village. You can now reach almost anyone on planet earth that has access
to the internet via social networking websites. As we embrace these
technologies, it is important to maximize its potential by placing more
emphasis on the networking potential of social media websites.
You don’t have to sweat the small stuff trying to meet people in
person because you can meet them online. Join me as we explore how to
make friends and prospective clients on the second most visited place on
earth – social media.
Define your value proposition: many people want to meet influential people but few have a clear cut definition of the value they will add to the relationship. Business people want to connect with those people who have something to offer. The offering could be a contact or a contract. It has to be something that will make them improve their profit margin directly or indirectly. It is sensible to seek to become the kind of person you want to attract.
Respect people’s time: In the business world, time is money. if you are connecting with a business person, respect his/her time. Business people, often times are busy, so save them the time of unnecessary conversations. Always go straight to the point. Reach them only when it is necessary.
Build strategic alliance: you may not achieve much by assuming your end users will find you. Go to where they are and strategically positions. Join groups your target audience belong to and provide some free services to bait them into becoming loyal customers. Connect with your target audience:
Choose the right channel: LinkedIn is designed for professional interactions. Facebook is best for connecting with family, friends and personal contacts. Twitter is the best channel for broadcasting short messages and building thought leadership. Blogs are best for sharing long intellectual thought with your audience.
SW SW SW SW: this means some will, some won’t, so what, someone is waiting. When you are trying to connect with someone who does not know you in person, there’s no guarantee he or she will connect with you. Don’t bug them. If they don’t add, accept or follow you, just move on to the next person on your list. It is not every person you want to to connect with that will be willing to connect with you. So when they reject your offer, don’t take it personal.
SocialMedia
Define your value proposition: many people want to meet influential people but few have a clear cut definition of the value they will add to the relationship. Business people want to connect with those people who have something to offer. The offering could be a contact or a contract. It has to be something that will make them improve their profit margin directly or indirectly. It is sensible to seek to become the kind of person you want to attract.
Respect people’s time: In the business world, time is money. if you are connecting with a business person, respect his/her time. Business people, often times are busy, so save them the time of unnecessary conversations. Always go straight to the point. Reach them only when it is necessary.
Build strategic alliance: you may not achieve much by assuming your end users will find you. Go to where they are and strategically positions. Join groups your target audience belong to and provide some free services to bait them into becoming loyal customers. Connect with your target audience:
Choose the right channel: LinkedIn is designed for professional interactions. Facebook is best for connecting with family, friends and personal contacts. Twitter is the best channel for broadcasting short messages and building thought leadership. Blogs are best for sharing long intellectual thought with your audience.
SW SW SW SW: this means some will, some won’t, so what, someone is waiting. When you are trying to connect with someone who does not know you in person, there’s no guarantee he or she will connect with you. Don’t bug them. If they don’t add, accept or follow you, just move on to the next person on your list. It is not every person you want to to connect with that will be willing to connect with you. So when they reject your offer, don’t take it personal.
The 54-member nations of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) rose from its yearly Forum and Council meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, last week to announce Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta as the new Chairman. Danbatta is the Acting Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Danbatta &Taylor Danbatta &Taylor Chairmanship of the CTO by its rules is usually country specific and the position is held by that country’s Chief telecoms regulator. Nigeria won the position in 2014 and by this election, the first tenure ended and another began. Side by side with the election of Danbatta was the resumption of Engr. Shola Taylor as the Secretary General and Chief Executive of CTO. Taylor was named Secretary General on June 16, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. Danbatta who assumed office immediately after the election thanked the member nations for the honour done to Nigeria and promised to provide visionary leadership that will take CTO to the next level. With the re-election of Nigeria to the Chairmanship and Secretary General positions the country has effectively taken control of the affairs of the close-knit CTO. Danbatta was also full of praises for the immediate past Secretary General Prof. Tim Unwin for his dedication to duty and wished him well in his future endeavors. Island of Fiji was also yesterday named as the next host of the CTO Forum in 2016. Taylor’s appointment and assumption of duty comes a little over two weeks after another Nigerian, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina took over as President of the African Development Bank (ADDB) in Abidjan, Cote D ‘Ivoire. He said that Taylor’s 35 years’ experience as a consummate and well groomed engineer will be put to bear on the activities of CTO and it is hoped that he will translate many of those pending decisions to actions in the days ahead “thereby taking the CTO to the next level, providing visionary leadership in the process.” Before his appointment as the Secretary General of CTO, Taylor has been the Chief Executive of Kemilinks International, a global ICT Consultancy firm based in Lagos, Nigeria. A telecommunications engineer by training, he brings his over 35 years of global telecommunications experience in ICTs with government and the private sector to CTO. He has consulted for several blue chip companies in Nigeria and the global ICT communities. From 1994 – 1999, Taylor served as Regional Director of Inmarsat. He also served as Space Technology coordinator for developing countries at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) from 1993 to1994. He had earlier served as Project Director at ITU (1987 – 1993). “His very rich experience will certainly impact positively on the CTO,” Danbatta added.
I n the
developed worlds, technology enables people to carry their whole world
in a plastic card called the digital wallet. This wallet will identify,
aid bills payment of individual carriers among other things. Having
attained a relatively greater height in technology, the Nigerian
government felt Nigerians are due for this and started a process of
electronic Identity management which has seen Nigerians and legal
residents in the country issued a National Identification Number NIN.
Recently, President Buhari directed all ministries, directorates and Agencies to harmonies their databases with that of the Identity management commission so that one NIN can identify a card carrier in all databases, sequel to commencement of adoption January 2016
Hi-Tech engaged the man at helm of affairs, Director General,
Chief National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Chris Onyemenam, to
ascertain how far this order is being carried out.
Can you highlight on what has been done since President Muhammadu Buhari, directed all Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to harmonize their biometric databases?
First, let me acknowledge that the President’s directive is timely and in our own opinion, the kind of support we need to make the harmonization a reality. The National Identity Management Commission had provided for the harmonisation of biometric databases in government agencies and there has been a conscious effort on the part of the management to make this happen.
The workability of the whole exercise is still hazy to many Nigerians even with the postponement of the exercise to January 2016. Can you make it a bit clearer?
Once an individual has been issued a National Identification Number, NIN, this number becomes that particular item in the database of every other agency that creates that common denominator by which if you want to confirm the identity of anybody, maybe in Federal Road Safety Commission’s (FRSCs)drivers license database, you are likely to reach the same conclusion as someone who is trying to confirm the data using the Independent National Electoral Commission (INECs) database, because there is the use of the universal identification infrastructure.
This means two things; while these other government agencies are talking about your identity in relation to their database, which is a function specific or service based database, the National Identity Management Commission is talking of a database where who you are is first and foremost established and given a label. The label we give is the National Identification Number, NIN. Therefore, in the coming month, that is January 9, 2016, it is expected that all agencies should request for the NIN as required by Law, before any transaction can be carried out.
What is the level of commitment from other agencies of government so far?
The commitment we had before now from other agencies to harmonize data was not quite total. However, the agencies are much more committed because of the new presidential directive. So I am indeed grateful to the President for the directive because it is currently making things happen and very soon, in a period of one month to two months, or three months maximum this harmonization will be done for most of the existing MDAs with legacy databases, and we will announce the first success story.
For the MDAs who have not gone to the field, and do not have biometric databases yet, what we are doing now is to give them technical specifications that they must adhere to for the purpose of ensuring that they comply with the integration that is required in the long run. There are also those who do not need to bother about procuring data capture devices or having database infrastructure.
These ones will simply access our system and because we have given them the permission to download, they will be in position to download and verify the identities they want to work with and that will be it.
If you are promising to be through in three months, that means there may be some agencies that have completed harmonization with you already?
The agencies we have reached advanced stage in terms of harmonization are five. They are; the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Pension Commission, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and of course, the Federal Road Safety Corps. This level of collaboration reached has given us reason to be hopeful that within a few months, we will be announcing success stories in these areas.
You are beating your chest that Nigerians having to carry numerous identity cards will no longer be, with the advent of the National Identity Management System?
My expectation is that in about five to ten years from now, Nigerians will now begin to hold just one or fewer cards. There will be fewer cards in the banking sector because the National Identity Card is also a payment card and in no distant time, we will be the largest payment card in circulation from a single source and this will help break many barriers, extend financial inclusion and services beyond the current frontiers and give a more robust meaning and relevance to this whole concept of cashless economy.
From the financial point of view, I think we have spent a lot. The duplication of efforts is not helping anyone, and this is avoidable. Besides, this system will also check crime. If we do not have a biometric linked database that is unique, it means we do not have a unique identification scheme and if we do not have a unique identification scheme, then, it means we do not know who is who.
If we do not know who is who, it then becomes difficult to determine the eligibility or benefit status. So, people will always take advantage of it to commit crime, it becomes easy for an individual to claim who he is not because there is no central biometric linked database that can be cross-referenced each time an identity is claimed”
What is the level of collaboration the commission had enjoyed from state governments so far?
We have enjoyed collaboration from state government so far for two reasons; I know for instance, that we have signed an agreement with Ekiti State Government and the idea is to enable them partner NIMC, and leverage on our own expertise, presence and experience to capture data on the basis that it is compatible and can be used for national identity database population, even while they create their own database for some of the various social programs that the government had announced.
In the case of Kaduna State, the Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has directed the civil servants to obtain their National Identification Number, NIN, as it will help ensure that ghost workers in the state are reduced to the barest minimum. Kaduna State is also one of the states that would be covered in this first phase of farmers’ database build-up.
These states we are partnering with are supporting us by ensuring that what NIMC is not able to provide to reach the rural people can be provided by the States, thus this collaboration will help not just the federal government, but also the state government ts because it will help ensure minimum cost in building state owned databases to actualize most of their campaign promises because social and economic development are best enabled when you plan with reliable statistics and facts and this is where the government will benefit from our work.
So far, how many people have enrolled?
Right now in the database, we have about 7million which is quite poor because there have been a deliberate effort by NIMC through third parties to do better than this record. These third parties have not been able to deliver in four years as a result of which we followed a due process, from August 1, the board of NIMC decided that it was no longer something we could manage and by February this year, those contracts were terminated.
They were actually concessions given to concessionaires and their job included collecting data on our behalf but they were not able to do that. So, if we did not do what we had done and were waiting for them, then NIMC will have nothing in the database. We now have a database infrastructure that cost us billions of naira to put in place and the expected data is not there yet. It is from the harmonization that we hope if concluded soon, that NMC will get the volume of data to make up for the gap that had been created by these concessioners.
Recently, President Buhari directed all ministries, directorates and Agencies to harmonies their databases with that of the Identity management commission so that one NIN can identify a card carrier in all databases, sequel to commencement of adoption January 2016
Chris-Onyemenam
Can you highlight on what has been done since President Muhammadu Buhari, directed all Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to harmonize their biometric databases?
First, let me acknowledge that the President’s directive is timely and in our own opinion, the kind of support we need to make the harmonization a reality. The National Identity Management Commission had provided for the harmonisation of biometric databases in government agencies and there has been a conscious effort on the part of the management to make this happen.
The workability of the whole exercise is still hazy to many Nigerians even with the postponement of the exercise to January 2016. Can you make it a bit clearer?
Once an individual has been issued a National Identification Number, NIN, this number becomes that particular item in the database of every other agency that creates that common denominator by which if you want to confirm the identity of anybody, maybe in Federal Road Safety Commission’s (FRSCs)drivers license database, you are likely to reach the same conclusion as someone who is trying to confirm the data using the Independent National Electoral Commission (INECs) database, because there is the use of the universal identification infrastructure.
This means two things; while these other government agencies are talking about your identity in relation to their database, which is a function specific or service based database, the National Identity Management Commission is talking of a database where who you are is first and foremost established and given a label. The label we give is the National Identification Number, NIN. Therefore, in the coming month, that is January 9, 2016, it is expected that all agencies should request for the NIN as required by Law, before any transaction can be carried out.
What is the level of commitment from other agencies of government so far?
The commitment we had before now from other agencies to harmonize data was not quite total. However, the agencies are much more committed because of the new presidential directive. So I am indeed grateful to the President for the directive because it is currently making things happen and very soon, in a period of one month to two months, or three months maximum this harmonization will be done for most of the existing MDAs with legacy databases, and we will announce the first success story.
For the MDAs who have not gone to the field, and do not have biometric databases yet, what we are doing now is to give them technical specifications that they must adhere to for the purpose of ensuring that they comply with the integration that is required in the long run. There are also those who do not need to bother about procuring data capture devices or having database infrastructure.
These ones will simply access our system and because we have given them the permission to download, they will be in position to download and verify the identities they want to work with and that will be it.
If you are promising to be through in three months, that means there may be some agencies that have completed harmonization with you already?
The agencies we have reached advanced stage in terms of harmonization are five. They are; the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Pension Commission, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and of course, the Federal Road Safety Corps. This level of collaboration reached has given us reason to be hopeful that within a few months, we will be announcing success stories in these areas.
You are beating your chest that Nigerians having to carry numerous identity cards will no longer be, with the advent of the National Identity Management System?
My expectation is that in about five to ten years from now, Nigerians will now begin to hold just one or fewer cards. There will be fewer cards in the banking sector because the National Identity Card is also a payment card and in no distant time, we will be the largest payment card in circulation from a single source and this will help break many barriers, extend financial inclusion and services beyond the current frontiers and give a more robust meaning and relevance to this whole concept of cashless economy.
From the financial point of view, I think we have spent a lot. The duplication of efforts is not helping anyone, and this is avoidable. Besides, this system will also check crime. If we do not have a biometric linked database that is unique, it means we do not have a unique identification scheme and if we do not have a unique identification scheme, then, it means we do not know who is who.
If we do not know who is who, it then becomes difficult to determine the eligibility or benefit status. So, people will always take advantage of it to commit crime, it becomes easy for an individual to claim who he is not because there is no central biometric linked database that can be cross-referenced each time an identity is claimed”
What is the level of collaboration the commission had enjoyed from state governments so far?
We have enjoyed collaboration from state government so far for two reasons; I know for instance, that we have signed an agreement with Ekiti State Government and the idea is to enable them partner NIMC, and leverage on our own expertise, presence and experience to capture data on the basis that it is compatible and can be used for national identity database population, even while they create their own database for some of the various social programs that the government had announced.
In the case of Kaduna State, the Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has directed the civil servants to obtain their National Identification Number, NIN, as it will help ensure that ghost workers in the state are reduced to the barest minimum. Kaduna State is also one of the states that would be covered in this first phase of farmers’ database build-up.
These states we are partnering with are supporting us by ensuring that what NIMC is not able to provide to reach the rural people can be provided by the States, thus this collaboration will help not just the federal government, but also the state government ts because it will help ensure minimum cost in building state owned databases to actualize most of their campaign promises because social and economic development are best enabled when you plan with reliable statistics and facts and this is where the government will benefit from our work.
So far, how many people have enrolled?
Right now in the database, we have about 7million which is quite poor because there have been a deliberate effort by NIMC through third parties to do better than this record. These third parties have not been able to deliver in four years as a result of which we followed a due process, from August 1, the board of NIMC decided that it was no longer something we could manage and by February this year, those contracts were terminated.
They were actually concessions given to concessionaires and their job included collecting data on our behalf but they were not able to do that. So, if we did not do what we had done and were waiting for them, then NIMC will have nothing in the database. We now have a database infrastructure that cost us billions of naira to put in place and the expected data is not there yet. It is from the harmonization that we hope if concluded soon, that NMC will get the volume of data to make up for the gap that had been created by these concessioners.
Commonwealth telecom organisation: Double honours as Nigeria occupies Chairmanship, Sec. Gen. positions
The 54-member nations of the Commonwealth Telecommunications
Organisation (CTO) rose from its yearly Forum and Council meeting in
Nairobi, Kenya, last week to announce Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta as the
new Chairman. Danbatta is the Acting Executive Vice Chairman of the
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Chairmanship of the CTO by its rules is usually country specific and
the position is held by that country’s Chief telecoms regulator. Nigeria
won the position in 2014 and by this election, the first tenure ended
and another began.
Side by side with the election of Danbatta was the resumption of Engr. Shola Taylor as the Secretary General and Chief Executive of CTO. Taylor was named Secretary General on June 16, 2015 in London, United Kingdom.
Danbatta who assumed office immediately after the election thanked the member nations for the honour done to Nigeria and promised to provide visionary leadership that will take CTO to the next level.
With the re-election of Nigeria to the Chairmanship and Secretary General positions the country has effectively taken control of the affairs of the close-knit CTO. Danbatta was also full of praises for the immediate past Secretary General Prof. Tim Unwin for his dedication to duty and wished him well in his future endeavors. Island of Fiji was also yesterday named as the next host of the CTO Forum in 2016.
Taylor’s appointment and assumption of duty comes a little over two weeks after another Nigerian, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina took over as President of the African Development Bank (ADDB) in Abidjan, Cote D ‘Ivoire.
He said that Taylor’s 35 years’ experience as a consummate and well groomed engineer will be put to bear on the activities of CTO and it is hoped that he will translate many of those pending decisions to actions in the days ahead “thereby taking the CTO to the next level, providing visionary leadership in the process.”
Before his appointment as the Secretary General of CTO, Taylor has been the Chief Executive of Kemilinks International, a global ICT Consultancy firm based in Lagos, Nigeria.
A telecommunications engineer by training, he brings his over 35 years of global telecommunications experience in ICTs with government and the private sector to CTO. He has consulted for several blue chip companies in Nigeria and the global ICT communities. From 1994 – 1999, Taylor served as Regional Director of Inmarsat.
He also served as Space Technology coordinator for developing countries at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) from 1993 to1994. He had earlier served as Project Director at ITU (1987 – 1993). “His very rich experience will certainly impact positively on the CTO,” Danbatta added.
Danbatta &Taylor
Side by side with the election of Danbatta was the resumption of Engr. Shola Taylor as the Secretary General and Chief Executive of CTO. Taylor was named Secretary General on June 16, 2015 in London, United Kingdom.
Danbatta who assumed office immediately after the election thanked the member nations for the honour done to Nigeria and promised to provide visionary leadership that will take CTO to the next level.
With the re-election of Nigeria to the Chairmanship and Secretary General positions the country has effectively taken control of the affairs of the close-knit CTO. Danbatta was also full of praises for the immediate past Secretary General Prof. Tim Unwin for his dedication to duty and wished him well in his future endeavors. Island of Fiji was also yesterday named as the next host of the CTO Forum in 2016.
Taylor’s appointment and assumption of duty comes a little over two weeks after another Nigerian, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina took over as President of the African Development Bank (ADDB) in Abidjan, Cote D ‘Ivoire.
He said that Taylor’s 35 years’ experience as a consummate and well groomed engineer will be put to bear on the activities of CTO and it is hoped that he will translate many of those pending decisions to actions in the days ahead “thereby taking the CTO to the next level, providing visionary leadership in the process.”
Before his appointment as the Secretary General of CTO, Taylor has been the Chief Executive of Kemilinks International, a global ICT Consultancy firm based in Lagos, Nigeria.
A telecommunications engineer by training, he brings his over 35 years of global telecommunications experience in ICTs with government and the private sector to CTO. He has consulted for several blue chip companies in Nigeria and the global ICT communities. From 1994 – 1999, Taylor served as Regional Director of Inmarsat.
He also served as Space Technology coordinator for developing countries at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) from 1993 to1994. He had earlier served as Project Director at ITU (1987 – 1993). “His very rich experience will certainly impact positively on the CTO,” Danbatta added.
Women planning to pip men on the net
….as global internet gender gap pitches at meagre 200m
By Funmi Olasupo
The Gender equality war is not only gaining ground physically. The war is even ongoing, online. At the moment,the United Nations, UN Women has entered into a strategic partnership with Intel Corporation on the lntel “She Will Connect” program which seeks to reduce the digital gender gap through a combination of digital literacy training, online peer networks, and gender-relevant content.
The partnership is said to be premised on UN Women’s recognition of
the critical role that Intel has played in re-defining business
perspectives, practices and strategies, to promote the rights and
freedoms of women and girls. Meanwhile the UN Women, said they will on
the other hand, bring expertise as lead actors in the area of gender
equality and women’s empowerment.
As a global organization, UN Women will also leverage its global presence, networks and operations towards the longer term agenda of this proWomen Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS. All these strategies, meant to pip their men counterpart on the net, was following a recent survey which saw that only 200 million men globally, made the difference between the number of men and women on the net.
While the survey found men on the net globally to be 1.5 billion, women were just closely following suit with a total number of 1.3 billion, leaving only 200 million as the difference. The revelation came from the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS Dr. Grace Ongile, at the 5-Day training of women entrepreneurs on access to ICTs and Internet in Abuja recently.
According to Ongile, the number of women Internet users globally has been estimated at 1.3 billion accounting for 37 percent of all women worldwide. This is in comparison to the number of male Internet users which is estimated at 1.5 billion -putting the total global Internet gender gap at 200 million.
She explained that the digital gender gap was found to be more pronounced in the developing world, where an estimated 16 percent fewer women than men, used the Internet “compared to only 2 percent fewer women than men in the developed world”.
She said that “in view of the forgoing, the UN Women has entered into a strategic partnership with Intel Corporation on the lntel “She Will Connect” program which seeks to reduce the digital gender gap through a combination of digital literacy training, online peer networks, and gender-relevant content.
“This partnership with Intel is premised on UN Women’s recognition of the critical role that Intel has played in re-defining business perspectives, practices and strategies, to promote the rights and freedoms of women and girls.
“UN Women will on the other hand, bring its expertise as a lead actor in the area of gender equality and women’s empowerment. As a global organization, UN Women will also leverage its global presence, networks and operations towards the longer term agenda of this programme.”
Also speaking, the Director General, National Centre for Women Developemnt, NCWD, Lady Onyeka Onwenu stated that the training known as Technology and Entrepreneurship Training for Women in Nigeria (TETWIN) is aimed at accelerating gender equality and women empowerment.
For her, the UN women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the UN character, among other issues works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls, empowerment of women and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, peace and security.
“As partners, we are making efforts to strongly push for a wider narrative and vision of where ‘African Women’ issue should go and we believe that when you empower a woman, you empower a nation, you empower the world,” she averred.
By Funmi Olasupo
The Gender equality war is not only gaining ground physically. The war is even ongoing, online. At the moment,the United Nations, UN Women has entered into a strategic partnership with Intel Corporation on the lntel “She Will Connect” program which seeks to reduce the digital gender gap through a combination of digital literacy training, online peer networks, and gender-relevant content.
ICT and women
As a global organization, UN Women will also leverage its global presence, networks and operations towards the longer term agenda of this proWomen Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS. All these strategies, meant to pip their men counterpart on the net, was following a recent survey which saw that only 200 million men globally, made the difference between the number of men and women on the net.
While the survey found men on the net globally to be 1.5 billion, women were just closely following suit with a total number of 1.3 billion, leaving only 200 million as the difference. The revelation came from the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS Dr. Grace Ongile, at the 5-Day training of women entrepreneurs on access to ICTs and Internet in Abuja recently.
According to Ongile, the number of women Internet users globally has been estimated at 1.3 billion accounting for 37 percent of all women worldwide. This is in comparison to the number of male Internet users which is estimated at 1.5 billion -putting the total global Internet gender gap at 200 million.
She explained that the digital gender gap was found to be more pronounced in the developing world, where an estimated 16 percent fewer women than men, used the Internet “compared to only 2 percent fewer women than men in the developed world”.
She said that “in view of the forgoing, the UN Women has entered into a strategic partnership with Intel Corporation on the lntel “She Will Connect” program which seeks to reduce the digital gender gap through a combination of digital literacy training, online peer networks, and gender-relevant content.
“This partnership with Intel is premised on UN Women’s recognition of the critical role that Intel has played in re-defining business perspectives, practices and strategies, to promote the rights and freedoms of women and girls.
“UN Women will on the other hand, bring its expertise as a lead actor in the area of gender equality and women’s empowerment. As a global organization, UN Women will also leverage its global presence, networks and operations towards the longer term agenda of this programme.”
Also speaking, the Director General, National Centre for Women Developemnt, NCWD, Lady Onyeka Onwenu stated that the training known as Technology and Entrepreneurship Training for Women in Nigeria (TETWIN) is aimed at accelerating gender equality and women empowerment.
For her, the UN women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the UN character, among other issues works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls, empowerment of women and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, peace and security.
“As partners, we are making efforts to strongly push for a wider narrative and vision of where ‘African Women’ issue should go and we believe that when you empower a woman, you empower a nation, you empower the world,” she averred.
2017 Digital Switch Over: Fresh breath of hope as NBC unfolds new strategy, direction
By Emeka Aginam
There appears to be fresh breath of hope for the June 20, 2017 deadline for Nigeria to complete the digital switchover and achieve analogue switch off. It would be recalled that Nigeria could not meet the June 17, 2015 deadline of transiting to digital terrestrial broadcasting set by the International Telecommunications Union as a result of poor funding.
Meanwhile, the June 20, 2017 deadline for the switchover from analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) heralded the development of ‘all-digital’ terrestrial broadcast services for sound and television for 119 countries belonging to ITU Region-1 (Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia) and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
But with the new direction and thirty billion fund already secured by the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, there are positive signals that Nigeria will meet the high expense elements of the transition. One thing is clear. With the fresh fund secured by NBC through licensing of MTN Nigeria Ltd to use a part of the 700 MHz to provide digital pay TV broadcasting services, Nigeria is in for good thing for DSO.
African countries to benefit
Through this singular move, Nigeria has also pointed the way for other African countries struggling with the effort of finding financing for their own digital switchover programmes. It would be recalled that Nigeria and 51 other African countries could not meet the ITU deadline. The implication is that analogue signals from Nigerian broadcasting stations will not receive protection in the event of interference with or from digital signals from neighbouring countries.
Only four African countries, including Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique and Rwanda, according to data from ITU completed the switchover to digital terrestrial broadcasting.
NBC new direction
Pointing the way forward, the NBC Director General Emeka Mba in a press conference last week in Lagos told newsmen that when it became obvious that government could not spare the money, and in order to avoid missing another deadline, Commission began to consider other options.
‘’Our broadcast frequency, which is to eventually form part of the
digital dividend after the DSO, had portions of it laying fallow while
our broadcasters were still using parts of it. We therefore proposed and
got proper permission from government to license part of our spectrum
laying fallow and to use the proceeds to finance the DSO.
“We have successfully licensed MTN Nigeria Ltd to use a part of the 700 MHz to provide digital pay TV broadcasting services. We have thus raised 34 Billion Naira, slightly less than 50% of our budget”, he explained.
NBC’s new DSO critical milestones, planned timelines
Set top boxes
According to Mba, off-shore mass production and delivery of initial subvented boxes for Jos pilot project is envisaged to be completed by end of October, while the local manufacture of the set top boxes is expected to begin in April 2016.
Signal transmission infrastructure
The critical activities for this segment, he said included publishing the RFP, concluding the national signal mapping, awarding the transmission MDAs, designating the ITS for Jos and beginning live digital transmission. We plan to be done with these by the end of December, 2015, he added.
Pay TV DAF cash
As part of efforts to ensure the sustainable funding of the national digital terrestrial infrastructure, the government, according to the NBC boss approved a fixed annual service charge payable on all DTT set top boxes and TV sets, this fee known as the Digital Access Fee (DAF) shall also be paid by all current operators on the DTT spectrum.
Channels RFP
By the end of December 2015, he said that NBC intended to have, through due process allocated the Freeviewlicences and launch the Jos pilot channels.
CAS/data centre
“This is part of the brain box of the nation’s digital operations. In this segment we plan to have the building works, the commissioning of the data centre mother integration of the headed and the live deployment of the Central Authentication Service by the first week of November”, he explained.
Contact centre set up
By the end of November 2015, Mba said that NBC plans plan to complete the process of setting up the Contact Centre, which becomes available for all enquiries from members of the public regarding the implementation of the DSO
DSO long term economic impact
When fully completed, Nigeria’s self funding of DSO programme is expected to creates three hundred and twenty billion pa win-win-win for, consumers, receive over 30 new free to air channels per annum for the price of a N1,500 STB and a host of value added services such as news, information and video on demand.
With optimism, he said that a new leading digital economy will be established from the development of a whole TV and content ecosystem, two hundred billion per annum boost from additional advertising, content and Nollywood income streams and development of of high tech STB manufacturing industry.
With this, government , he said is expected to receive one hundred billion income from spectrum sales as well as a thriving digital economy generating at least fifty five thousand highly skilled jobs.
Digital TV broadcasting advantages
Digital TV broadcasting offers many advantages over analogue systems for end-users, operators and regulators. Apart from increasing the number of programmes, digital systems have capacity to provide new innovative services, such as interactive TV, electronic programme guides and mobile TV as well as transmit image and sound in high-definition (HDTV) and ultra-high definition (UHDTV). Digital TV requires less energy to ensure the same coverage as for analogue while decreasing overall costs of transmission.
There appears to be fresh breath of hope for the June 20, 2017 deadline for Nigeria to complete the digital switchover and achieve analogue switch off. It would be recalled that Nigeria could not meet the June 17, 2015 deadline of transiting to digital terrestrial broadcasting set by the International Telecommunications Union as a result of poor funding.
Meanwhile, the June 20, 2017 deadline for the switchover from analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) heralded the development of ‘all-digital’ terrestrial broadcast services for sound and television for 119 countries belonging to ITU Region-1 (Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia) and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
But with the new direction and thirty billion fund already secured by the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, there are positive signals that Nigeria will meet the high expense elements of the transition. One thing is clear. With the fresh fund secured by NBC through licensing of MTN Nigeria Ltd to use a part of the 700 MHz to provide digital pay TV broadcasting services, Nigeria is in for good thing for DSO.
African countries to benefit
Through this singular move, Nigeria has also pointed the way for other African countries struggling with the effort of finding financing for their own digital switchover programmes. It would be recalled that Nigeria and 51 other African countries could not meet the ITU deadline. The implication is that analogue signals from Nigerian broadcasting stations will not receive protection in the event of interference with or from digital signals from neighbouring countries.
Only four African countries, including Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique and Rwanda, according to data from ITU completed the switchover to digital terrestrial broadcasting.
NBC new direction
Pointing the way forward, the NBC Director General Emeka Mba in a press conference last week in Lagos told newsmen that when it became obvious that government could not spare the money, and in order to avoid missing another deadline, Commission began to consider other options.
A digital broadcast studio
“We have successfully licensed MTN Nigeria Ltd to use a part of the 700 MHz to provide digital pay TV broadcasting services. We have thus raised 34 Billion Naira, slightly less than 50% of our budget”, he explained.
NBC’s new DSO critical milestones, planned timelines
Set top boxes
According to Mba, off-shore mass production and delivery of initial subvented boxes for Jos pilot project is envisaged to be completed by end of October, while the local manufacture of the set top boxes is expected to begin in April 2016.
Signal transmission infrastructure
The critical activities for this segment, he said included publishing the RFP, concluding the national signal mapping, awarding the transmission MDAs, designating the ITS for Jos and beginning live digital transmission. We plan to be done with these by the end of December, 2015, he added.
Pay TV DAF cash
As part of efforts to ensure the sustainable funding of the national digital terrestrial infrastructure, the government, according to the NBC boss approved a fixed annual service charge payable on all DTT set top boxes and TV sets, this fee known as the Digital Access Fee (DAF) shall also be paid by all current operators on the DTT spectrum.
Channels RFP
By the end of December 2015, he said that NBC intended to have, through due process allocated the Freeviewlicences and launch the Jos pilot channels.
CAS/data centre
“This is part of the brain box of the nation’s digital operations. In this segment we plan to have the building works, the commissioning of the data centre mother integration of the headed and the live deployment of the Central Authentication Service by the first week of November”, he explained.
Contact centre set up
By the end of November 2015, Mba said that NBC plans plan to complete the process of setting up the Contact Centre, which becomes available for all enquiries from members of the public regarding the implementation of the DSO
DSO long term economic impact
When fully completed, Nigeria’s self funding of DSO programme is expected to creates three hundred and twenty billion pa win-win-win for, consumers, receive over 30 new free to air channels per annum for the price of a N1,500 STB and a host of value added services such as news, information and video on demand.
With optimism, he said that a new leading digital economy will be established from the development of a whole TV and content ecosystem, two hundred billion per annum boost from additional advertising, content and Nollywood income streams and development of of high tech STB manufacturing industry.
With this, government , he said is expected to receive one hundred billion income from spectrum sales as well as a thriving digital economy generating at least fifty five thousand highly skilled jobs.
Digital TV broadcasting advantages
Digital TV broadcasting offers many advantages over analogue systems for end-users, operators and regulators. Apart from increasing the number of programmes, digital systems have capacity to provide new innovative services, such as interactive TV, electronic programme guides and mobile TV as well as transmit image and sound in high-definition (HDTV) and ultra-high definition (UHDTV). Digital TV requires less energy to ensure the same coverage as for analogue while decreasing overall costs of transmission.
‘Socio-economic challenges, pushing Africa’s PC market to new lows’
The African personal computer (PC) market sank to
new lows in the second quarter of this year amid a slowdown in GDP
growth, the global IT intelligence analyst International Data
Corporation (IDC) has revealed. The report said this development
triggered an increase in unemployment rate, and strengthened the dollar
against many of the continent’s currencies.
This seems to be the manifestation of IDC’s prediction, March this
year, which said the MEA PC market will suffer an overall decline of
3.9% year on year in 2015, with a total of 17.48 million units to be
shipped over the 12-month period.
It said that some country markets, including Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia were expected to suffer due to currency fluctuations. “At the same time, the market’s performance will be hindered by uncertainty over the outcome of general elections in both Nigeria and Turkey. And the recent rapid decline in global oil and gas prices will have an impact on almost all parts of the region, although the extent of this will vary from country to country.
Nigeria and Ghana are expected to suffer the most, with PC shipments to these countries set to shrink around 40% year on year in 2015.” The prediction added Figures released by IDC show that the market followed up its first-quarter decline of 11.8 per cent with a 26.7 per cent year-on-year downturn in shipments during the Q2 2015 season, the highest crash the market has ever suffered.
While IDC believes that the PC market will continue on its downward curve into Q3 2015, growth is expected to pick up from the last quarter of the year onward.
According to a research analyst at IDC, Sub-Saharan Africa, Joseph Hlongwane, “Kenya suffered the continent’s biggest fall of the quarter, with shipments to the country down 54.5 per cent year on year, with Ghana and Algeria following with declines of 40.9 per cent and 40.2 per cent, respectively.”
The significant decrease in PC demand seen in Kenya, he said can be attributed to sluggish economic growth brought about by falling exports and a declining production sector that is characterized by slow job creation. The poor performances of the markets in Ghana and Algeria were also traced to a slowdown in economic growth arising from severe energy constraints and unsustainable levels of domestic and external debt.
South Africa remains the biggest PC market on the continent, accounting for 35.5 per cent of total shipments, but the country followed up its 4.2 per cent year-on-year decline in Q1 2015 with a decrease of 12.8 per cent in Q2 2015. This the report indicated was largely due to continuing cannibalization of the market by smartphones and tablets as well as shrinking consumer disposable incomes due to the rising prices of necessities such as petrol and food.
South Africa’s PC market is expected to continue declining since the current economic challenges are set to remain throughout 2015. Neighboring Botswana performed better than expected to post the highest year-on-year growth rate across the whole continent. This growth follows the successful democratic elections that took place in the country in October 2014 and was driven primarily by the commercial sector, which accounted for 87.6 per cent of the total market. Botswana is expected to see ongoing year-on-year growth in the final two quarters of the year.
CPU
It said that some country markets, including Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia were expected to suffer due to currency fluctuations. “At the same time, the market’s performance will be hindered by uncertainty over the outcome of general elections in both Nigeria and Turkey. And the recent rapid decline in global oil and gas prices will have an impact on almost all parts of the region, although the extent of this will vary from country to country.
Nigeria and Ghana are expected to suffer the most, with PC shipments to these countries set to shrink around 40% year on year in 2015.” The prediction added Figures released by IDC show that the market followed up its first-quarter decline of 11.8 per cent with a 26.7 per cent year-on-year downturn in shipments during the Q2 2015 season, the highest crash the market has ever suffered.
While IDC believes that the PC market will continue on its downward curve into Q3 2015, growth is expected to pick up from the last quarter of the year onward.
According to a research analyst at IDC, Sub-Saharan Africa, Joseph Hlongwane, “Kenya suffered the continent’s biggest fall of the quarter, with shipments to the country down 54.5 per cent year on year, with Ghana and Algeria following with declines of 40.9 per cent and 40.2 per cent, respectively.”
The significant decrease in PC demand seen in Kenya, he said can be attributed to sluggish economic growth brought about by falling exports and a declining production sector that is characterized by slow job creation. The poor performances of the markets in Ghana and Algeria were also traced to a slowdown in economic growth arising from severe energy constraints and unsustainable levels of domestic and external debt.
South Africa remains the biggest PC market on the continent, accounting for 35.5 per cent of total shipments, but the country followed up its 4.2 per cent year-on-year decline in Q1 2015 with a decrease of 12.8 per cent in Q2 2015. This the report indicated was largely due to continuing cannibalization of the market by smartphones and tablets as well as shrinking consumer disposable incomes due to the rising prices of necessities such as petrol and food.
South Africa’s PC market is expected to continue declining since the current economic challenges are set to remain throughout 2015. Neighboring Botswana performed better than expected to post the highest year-on-year growth rate across the whole continent. This growth follows the successful democratic elections that took place in the country in October 2014 and was driven primarily by the commercial sector, which accounted for 87.6 per cent of the total market. Botswana is expected to see ongoing year-on-year growth in the final two quarters of the year.
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