The Nation Newspaper

Category: e-Business

  • Smile, Interswitch: collaboration key to deepening financial inclusion

    Smile, the 4G LTE broadband telecoms service provider,  and Interswitch Financial Inclusion Services Limited (IFIS) have stressed the need for collaboration among stakeholders to deepen financial inclusion in the country.

    The two firms have collaborated to make Smile’s products and services easily accessible via Quickteller Paypoint agent locations spread across the country.

    This unique collaboration provides ease and flexibility of payment for everyone to have access to the superFast, quality, reliable and affordable internet and voice services from Smile.

    Smile’s General Manager, Sales and Distribution, Onamari Horsfall, said the firm was happy to sign the collaboration to expand its retail footprint across the country, which has a combination of making the firm’s products and services available and address customer’s travel time to purchase a device or airtime. He added that the collaboration offers thousands of Smile’s customers’ another means of making purchases.

    Speaking on the development, the Divisional Chief Executive Officer of IFIS, Titilola Shogaolu, said: “At Interswitch Financial Inclusion Service, we are not only committed to reducing the financial exclusion gap, we are continuously working to provide convenient services and this latest collaboration is just one of the many ways through which we are achieving this.”

    This latest collaboration with IFIS further underscores Smile’s unending quest to best serve its customers. Smile launched the first 4G LTE network in West Africa in Nigeria in 2014 revolutionising the way people access the internet. Customers in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Benin City, Kaduna, Onitsha and Asaba, can experience the country’s most reliable, SuperFast 4G LTE mobile broadband services, and also enjoy SuperClear voice calls, video calls and SMSs from their one SmileData bundle.

    Smile was the first to launch VoLTE on its network and has continued with its innovation, having introduced SmileVoice, which is a free mobile app that enables customers with any Android or Apple handset, including those which are not VoLTE-enabled, to make supper clear voice calls over Smile’s 4G LTE networks.

    Interswitch Financial Inclusion Services Limited, trading as Quickteller Paypoint, has been positioned by Interswitch Group to serve as the interconnect point and infrastructure for integrating and delivering financial, non-financial, retail and social services to the unbanked, under-banked and banked. IFIS collaborates with financial service providers, merchants, billers and other organisations that aim to increase their efficiency and outreach through our network of human service interfaces nationwide.

  • ‘Glo committed to Africa’s economic prosperity’

    National telecoms giant, Globacom, has restated its commitment to the transformation of Africa’s huge potential to economic prosperity.

    Speaking ahead of 2019 Africa CEO Forum, with the themed Open Africa: from continental treaties to business realities, of which the company is the lead sponsor, Globacom said its desire to help Africa fast-track  its development underscored the company’s sponsorship of the forum which  comes up in Kigali, Rwanda, on March 25.

    The company said that the growth and development of the continent will be the major focus of chief executives of African businesses, international investors and policymakers that will participate in the forum.

    “We share Africa CEO Forum’s objective of using regional integration to drive private sector growth and create more African champions,” Globacom said in a statement issued in Lagos last week.

    At the forum, in which the telecommunication company is the Apex Diamond partner, Mrs. Bella Disu, Globacom’s Executive Vice Chairman, will chair the ‘Women in Business Initiative’ session, in addition to her contribution to other syndicate sessions.

    The company  said: “This is part of our efforts to empower African businesses and spur economic growth in the region. Since we started operations in 2003, we have been the forefront of promoting economic growth. We have continuously invested heavily in building reliable communication infrastructure to support economic freedom.

    “We became the first company to single-handedly build an international submarine cable, Glo 1, to provide sufficient bandwidth to drive internet penetration. The 9,800-km-long cable has landing points in Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal; Nouakchott, Mauritania; Casablanca, Morocco; Sesimbra, Portugal; Vigo, Spain, and Bude in England.”

    Over 40 panel discussions, public-private workshops and case studies by business leaders, shareholders, investors, heads of state and ministers will feature during the event where  issues to be discussed are challenges facing Africa’s private sector, including the “representation of top women executives in the boardroom and the modernisation of family business governance”.

  • NSPM seeks NCC’s partnership on sensitive documents

    The Managing Director, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting (NSPM) Plc, Alhaji Abbas Masanawa, has sought the partnership of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in printing of sensitive documents in the country.

    Speaking when he led top management staff of the organisation on a courtesy visit to the NCC head office in Abuja, he said the partnership was necessary to boost the economy. Masanawa said like NCC, the firm was aiming to become a world class organisation that can attract business from outside the shores of the country.

    Responding, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, extolled the performance of the regulatory body, which he said is now aiming at beating  the record platinum rating it received from a sister agency, the Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR) two years ago.

    He expressed delight that NCC is now globally acclaimed for regulatory excellence and operational efficiency, helping it to achieve great success in the key areas of its mandate.

    “The verdict is out there on the performance of the commission as a word class regulatory agency. We didn’t pass this verdict by ourselves. But it took a lot of hard work and commitment by both management and the entire staff of the Commission for us to achieve the enviable position we are today,” he said.

    He said despite inheriting a world class organisation he has not left any stone unturned in his efforts to add to the success story.

  • Huawei unveils Y7 Prime phone with AI camera

    Huawei Technologies has unveiled its latest Y series device that combines quality technology and stylish design at an affordable price to help Nigerians realise their true potential . The phone has major features of 6.26 inch Huawei Dewdrop display, 13MP Al Camera with a f/1.8 wide aperture lens, two-day battery power and an octa-core Quaicomm SoC Snapdragon 450.

    Huawei added that the phone supports master Artificial Intelligence (AI) that recognises 22 categories of objects and scenes. “Whether the user wants to take a portrait with clear separation between the primary object and background, or a landscape photo where every object in its field of view is clean and crisp, the Y7 Prime 2019 delivers with great efficacy,” the firm said.

    According to the firm, the HUAWEI Y7 Prime 2019 is made for today’s dynamic Nigerians that have imbibed the video-centric social media culture. It added that the HUAWEI Dewdrop Display debuted its top class screen-to-body ratio of 86.7 per cent with the flagship HUAWEI Mate 20 Series in October. Huawei said it will boost video viewing experiences.

    “With a vertically aligned camera system, HUAWEI Y7 Prime 2019 shares a striking resemblance with a compact digital camera. It was designed to offer the best smartphone photography experience among devices of its class.

    “At the back, enclosed in a durable ceramic-Iike back cover and metallic chassis is a 13+2MP Al Camera.

    “The primary 13MP camera has a wide aperture of f/1.8 with 16 virtual f-stops (supporting f/1.8-6) to provide granular controls over depth of field effects,” the firm noted.

    The improved camera in the new HUAWEI Y7  Prime 2019 captures 50 per cent more light information compared to its predecessor.

    In night mode, HUAWEI Y7 Prime 2019 combines the light information of four photos taken in quick succession to produce a final image that is bright, clean, and full of details.

    Similarly, in HDR mode, it puts together three images taken at different exposures to create a final image with better dynamic range.

    One of the scenarios HDR mode excels in is taking photos of objects lit by backlight-the digital combination allows the camera to capture the details of objects that are placed in darker parts of an image.

    HUAWEI Y7 Prime 2019 comes with EMUI 8.2. Alongside background optimisations that enhance system operational smoothness, EMUI 8.2 features a range of battery saving measures that help the users make the most out of their device.

    HUAWEI Y7 Prime 2019 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octa-core SOC. The 14nm SOC features eight ARM Cortex-A53 high efficiency cores clocked at 1.86Hz to deliver great muitimre performance at superb battery efficiency.

  • Cisco: dearth of cyber security personnel hits Nigeria, others

    Twenty-five per cent of organisations in Nigeria, Middle East and other African countries lack cyber security personnel, one of the biggest obstacles to cyber security, a new Cisco cyber security report has said.

    According to the report, 23 per cent of companies in the Middle East and Africa manage more than 21 vendors, while only 58 per cent of cyber security alerts in the Middle East and Africa are investigated. Of those, 39 per cent are legitimate, but only 53 per cent of legitimate alerts are remediated.

    For more than a decade, Cisco’s cyber security reports have been a definitive source of intelligence for cyber security professionals interested in the state of the global industry. These comprehensive reports provide detailed accounts of the threat landscape and organisational implications.

    “In February, the Cisco 2019 Threat Report was published. Our cyber security experts analysed prominent threats of 2018 for clues to new attack strategies and targets. It’s as close as we can get to anticipating future trends without a crystal ball.

    “Cisco has picked out five key stories from the last year or so, not just because they were big events, but because the company thinks these threats, or something similar, could very well appear again in the near future. They include: Emotet, a Trojan involved in malware distribution; VPNFilter, a modular internet of things (IoT) threat; unauthorised mobile device management; cryptomining and Olympic Destroyer, as an example of destructive cyber-attack campaigns,” the firm explained.

    It said Olympic Destroyer was created with the pure intention to watch the world burn. “We saw a number of threats like this in the last year, but none grabbed the headlines like an a ttack whose sole purpose appears to have been to disrupt the Winter Olympics while VPNFilter was an IoT-specific attack, hitting a vast number of routers and devices riddled with known vulnerabilities.

    E-mail remains a key delivery method for attackers and users continue to be the weakest link; education is therefore, paramount.

    “Revenue generation is the key motivation for attackers: malware follows the money. Crypto-mining threats are laser-focused on this goal. They have grown to become the most common threat in this category, due to the repeat revenue they offer and the low risk if caught spreading it.

    “As we prepare for major events across the region and as businesses continue to digitally transform, adopt the cloud and Internet of things (IoT), we’re prioritising cyber security above everything.

    “It’s impossible to predict everything that will occur, but the safest bets are usually the ones you most often come up against. Addressing those early can free up time to deal with the unexpected and zero-day attacks,” Cisco said in the report.

    Since coming onboard, Cisco has become a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Firewall. “Gartner specifically recognised the strength of our threat intelligence team, Talos, the largest threat research team in the world.” In addition, Cisco said it continues to enhance its integrated portfolio via acquisition.

  • ‘Mobile phones type-approval by NCC inadequate’

    Telecoms subscribers have urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) not restrict its consumer protection in  mobile devices to only type-approvals.

    They lamented spending so much on buying fake mobile phone and blamed security and regulatory bodies for the influx of counterfeit mobile phones, which could be dangerous to their health.

    A subscriber, who gave his name simply as Pius, said he had fallen victim of fake phones, which did not last. According to him, when he bought the smart phone, it worked for about three months after which it parked up. “I paid a fleeting visit to Lagos and decided to shop somewhere in Ikeja. I saw the phone, very beautiful and I fell for it. Three months after getting back to my station, the phone stopped working,” he said.

    Another victim, Mrs Esther, a civil servant, said she had a horrible experience with counterfeited phone. “The phone was beautiful, but I didn’t buy it from a shop but by the roadside. I took the phone home, charged it for about four hours before I inserted my subscriber identity module (SIM) card. It worked well for about four months, after which it started misbehaving. The NCC could disconnect fake mobile phones from the network like Tanzania did some years ago. The Tanzania Communication and Regulatory Authority said the switch-off was also designed to protect users’ health. These fake handsets are not subjected to safety tests, emit more radiation and contain harmful elements, such as lead,” she said.

    President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Olushola Teniola, said the NCC has a responsibility for consumer protection and service providers’ network protection from use of sub-standard equipment in the telecoms industry.

    “Type-approval provides a degree of certainty that equipment involved in providing consumer services are likely to provide a superior quality of service (QoS). So to this end, it is absolutely imperative for NCC to set standards that will ensure that compliance is adhered to by handset providers, equipment supplier and network operators.

    “So, since a correlation exists in between equipment type approved by NCC and the level of QoS rendered, it is only logical that NCC focuses on reducing the number of fake/counterfeit phones that exists in the market. Currently, NCC should aim for less than 99 per cent of all phones to be type approved before they are allowed into the market,” he said in an emailed response.

    The NCC has, however, advised telecom consumers to eschew patronage and usage of counterfeit handsets and other substandard mobile devices in the country.

    Its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the menace of counterfeit and substandard handsets has assumed a global dimension, which requires a lot of consumer education and collaboration with other government agencies. He advised telecoms consumers to check the Commission’s official website to find the list of type-approved phones from which they can make their choices of handsets to purchase.

    He said: “Cases of influx and patronage of counterfeit handsets are more rampant in developing countries, such as Nigerians, where importers bring in substandard phones without recourse to regulatory type-approval process aimed at certifying such devices as fit for the market.”

    He said the Commission, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other government agencies, has inaugurated two committees to design modalities towards curbing the proliferation of substandard handsets in the country.

     

  • Rack Centre chief makes Data Economy power list

    Rack Centre Managing Director, Dr Ayotunde Coker, has been selected as one of Data Economy 200 “Power List” individuals transforming the world of data.

    It is one of the world’s most prestigious publications devoted to global data centre based in the United Kingdom (UK). It showcases the personalities and executives around the world, who are leading the global data economy through charting innovations, technological breakthroughs and exceptional entrepreneurial skills sets and leadership. Coker, who is Africa Data Association Secretary-General, was also identified in the Global Top 50 executives by the respected publication two years ago.

    The choice of Coker among the 200 as one of the most powerful drivers of Data Centres transformers demonstrates that data centres based in Africa and their executives have not only come of age, but are contributing immensely to the world’s digital transformation.

    According  to a recent study by Xalam Analytics, a research firm, the demand for data centre colocation services in Africa has been strong, driven by improving connectivity and rising data traffic volumes. As African digitalisation has quickened, Xalam Analytics said , drivers of demand have been plentiful and going digital at a frenetic pace.

    Coker has steered Rack Centre in the last four years and it is the first and only truly carrier neutral state-of-the-art Tier III Constructed Facility Certified data centre in Africa, offering colocation, interconnect and cloud services.  It is the most connected Tier III certified facility in Africa with connection to over 30 of the major carriers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Nigeria and direct connection to all five undersea cables serving the South Atlantic Coast of Africa. Every country on the Atlantic coast of Africa is directly connected to Rack Centre.

    In 2018, Rack Centre had a remarkable year of achievements at global international awards, being runners up in two categories of the Data Centre Solutions Awards in the UK, winner of the Geographical Location, representing Nigeria at the Datacloud Awards in Monaco.

  • MTN Nigeria Launches First Smart-feature-phone

    MTN Nigeria has launched 3G smart-feature-phone into the mobile market in the bid to aid internet penetration in the country ar affordable rate

    The newly launched 3G phone has Kai Operating System “KaiOS” and has been deemed okay for rural communities yearning for devices with access to mobile internet.

    Speaking at the launch of the phone at the MTN office in Lagos, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Rahul De described the device as the first smart-feature-phone meant to enhance connectivity to a large number of people.

    “We want to bring connectivity to everybody. We believe that connectivity leads to growth in the nation’s economy.

    “It is so exciting to us, because in the couple of years Nigeria has changed a lot. We are the telecom company that has been able to provide connectivity to a large number of people. Our aim is to provide service to everybody.  But high cost of some smartphones has become impediment to some people, especially those in the rural areas.

    “One of the ways to tackle the challenge is through this cost-effective phone. You may have the cheapest network, but without the right phone you may not get connected.

    Specifications

    This first of its kind 3G KaiOS smart feature phone, allows customers to upgrade from a typical feature phone with only voice and text capabilities, to a fully connected device with a fast 3G internet connection, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, dual SIM 3G capabilities.

    GM, Data & Devices, Abiodun Ajayi, during a demo on the phone’s functionality

    It has an App Store and comes pre-loaded with the most popular Apps available in the market, including but not limited to WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google Maps.

    The phone which boasts of two cameras, a 2-day battery life with 2000mAh battery, is powered by the SC7731EF processor, has a 2.4-inch screen, 256MB RAM and 512MB of storage and runs on the increasingly popular KaiOS operating system

    Suitable for individuals who are digital savvy and desire affordable smartphones, the MTN Smart is available in all MTN stores across Nigeria for just N8,000 and comes with free 500MB monthly data for the first six (6) months.

    Why MTN launched the phone

    “What we have seen is that growth of connectivity gets faster when the rural areas are connected. So, we are committed to the country and continent by offering the right handset; first Smart-Feature-Phone

    “We are launching it at N8000 because affordability is a big challenge to the people.  It is our duty to sell at that rate because we have the interest of the people at heart”, Rahul De said.

    Demo session

    He stressed that the quality of the phone meets the parameter of any other smart phone.

    According to research by the GSMA, the $100-$200 price tag of a smartphone is preventing 64% of people in Africa from upgrading their phones to 3G/4G devices that can access the internet.

  • NIMC begins Diaspora enrolment in South Africa

    THE National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is to begin enrolment of Nigerian adults and children in South Africa into the National Identity Database (NIDB) for the issuance of the National Identification Number (NIN).

    The enrolment in South Africa is in collaboration with its licensed partner, Messrs Thebez Global Resources Limited (TGR). The company is in the business of providing similar services in partnership with other similar companies in the Diaspora.

    TGR is working in collaboration with Cox & Kings Global Services Limited (CKGS), a premium outsourcing partner for government and businesses across the globe, to enrol Nigerians in Diaspora by setting up enrolment centres in different countries.

    CKGS’ comprehensive range of services include consular services, identity management solutions, document processing services and an extensive suite of technology-enabled business process accelerators.

    The South Africa NIN enrolment centre, located at 205 Rivonia Road, Morningside, Sandton, Johannesburg 2057, will open for enrolment from tomorrow and  appointments can be made via the TGR website, nin.thebezglobalresource.com as from  tomorrow.

    It is expected that other countries will come onboard on TGR ‘s platform after the South African pilot experience.

    NIMC Director General/CEO ,  Aliyu Aziz, said the Diaspora exercise is in a bid to ensure that Nigerians living outside the country are not left out.

    According to him, six Nigerian companies have been licensed to  work with their respective partners across  all countries in Africa, Asia, Europe  and America to carry out the enrolment of Nigerian adults and children in the Diaspora into the National Identity Database (NIDB).

    “They will be issued with the National Identification Number (NIN) upon enrolment and subsequently the General Multipurpose Card (GMPC),” he said.

    He also assured that requisite standard guidelines and regulations have been put in place to ensure the effective implementation of the National Identity Management Systems (NIMS) as well as provide the right platform for providing digital identity for Nigerians and legal residents as well as Nigerians in Diaspora.

  • Customers get cash, gifts in 9mobile Magic Hour promo

    Telecoms firm, 9mobile, has splashed its customers with gifts during the first prize redemption of its ongoing customer reward scheme, Magic Hour Promo.

    Through this promo, millions of its customers stand a chance of winning fantastic prizes, including free airtime, smartphones and cash prizes running into millions of naira. The promo runs from February to May.

    At the first prize redemption at the Ikeja City Mall, winners were presented with prizes, including smartphones and N50,000 cash.

    Friends of the winners were also beneficiaries of 9mobile’s generosity as they participated in a surprise Shopping Dash where they were able to pick items valued at N200,000 free of charge from popular retail store, Shoprite.

    Explaining reasons for showering its customers and their friends with the gifts, cash and shopping bonanza, its Vice President, Marketing, Adebisi Idowu, said it was an affirmation of the telco’s commitment to its subscribers.

    He said: “As a caring brand, we always look for innovative ways to wow our customers. We have been here for 10 years and believe these offerings to be a great way to put smiles on the faces of our new and existing subscribers. Personally, as the chief marketing executive, I’m delighted that we can do this; kudos to 9mobile as a business. But the biggest thanks go to our customers. Without them, we won’t be doing this. So, for the support and loyalty to our brand, we are extending this token of appreciation to our numerous subscribers.”

    Idowu said the shopping dash would not be a one-off because customers across the country would also benefit from it.

    “This Shopping Dash is going to continue. We decided to surprise our promo winners here today, they didn’t know this was going to happen. They just came to pick up their prizes accompanied by their friends, and they got this bumper package. We would do this in other locations as we continue to delight Nigerians. Kano is the next location, our subscribers there should get ready to be truly delighted,” he said.