The Nation Newspaper

Category: e-Business

  • Apple, Android app makers snub Microsoft’s overtures

    Apple, Android app makers snub Microsoft’s overtures

    Microsoft’s plan to make its new version of Windows a mobile hit by letting it accept tweaked Apple and Android apps has met an obstacle: some of the software developers the company needs to woo just aren’t interested.

    Windows phones accounted for just three per cent of global smartphone sales last year, compared with about 81 per cent for devices with Google’s Android system and 15 percent for Apple and its iOS system, according to research firm IDC. One reason is that Windows doesn’t run as many or as attractive apps as its rivals.

    To boost sales of its phones and new operating system, Microsoft said last month that it would provide tools to software developers to make it easier to design apps for Windows based on apps that run on Android or Apple. But because so few people use a Windows phone, most developers remain focused on the more popular systems and don’t see a need to develop apps for Windows. They also said they doubt how easy the new tools will be to use.

    “Windows phone will have to gain a significant share of the market before this becomes something that saves us time and/or money,” said Sean Orelli, a director at app development firm Fuzz Productions in New York, which makes apps related to Citibank, the New York Post, and Conde Nast, among others.

    For Microsoft, the world’s biggest software company, there’s a lot at stake this summer as it rolls out Windows 10, the first operating system designed to run on PCs, tablets and phones. If developers don’t embrace the new platform, it will seriously damage the prospects of the new operating system, which Microsoft hopes will power one billion devices in two or three years.

    Interviews with more than a dozen developers found just one planning to move an app from Apple or Android to Microsoft MSFT.O. That’s King.com, which ported its popular Candy Crush Saga game from iOS to Windows 10 “with very few code modifications” and will be installed automatically with upgrades to Windows 10, according to Microsoft. King.com confirmed the move but declined to comment further.

    Eight developers said they aren’t planning to develop for Windows 10 at all. Four who already have Windows apps said they would continue to do so.

    Because Microsoft hasn’t actually unveiled its new set of tools to turn apps into a Windows format, developers did not rule out any move, and a Microsoft spokesman said that “it is still early” and many software companies want to explore the tools over the coming months.

    More and better apps might attract more people to buy a Windows phone or tablet, Microsoft reasons. Only six of the top 10 free apps on iPhone are available for Windows phone, and of those, two are made by Microsoft itself. In the past Microsoft has paid developers to create Windows apps.

    Failure to attract the apps would not be fatal for Microsoft, which is growing more reliant on its Office, server software and cloud computing services, but it would be a sign that Microsoft is losing its hold on personal computing, in a world where phones are expected to outsell PCs by more than six to one by 2017.

    Because of that trend, “it’s going to be hard for developers to prioritize building for Microsoft,” said John Milinovich, Chief Executive of URX, a mobile ad service that creates links between apps.

    Windows, closely tied to the stagnant PC market, is a big but static business for Microsoft. It’s likely worth $20 billion in revenue this fiscal year, analysts say, compared with almost $30 billion for its Office business, out of total expected annual revenue of $93 billion. The company’s server software and cloud-computing businesses are growing much faster, with cloud-computing revenue forecast to triple to $20 billion by 2018.

  • Bharti Airtel secures $22b credit line

    Bharti Airtel secures $22b credit line

    Chinese banks have granted $2.5billion in credit lines to Bharti Airtel, the Indian telecoms group, in one of the biggest Beijing-backed financings for an Indian group to date.

    The $22billion in business deals was signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China.

    In meetings with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders, Mr Modi sought to strengthen commercial ties between India and its more prosperous neighbour as well as ease tensions over their disputed 4,000km Himalayan border. China had already promised $20billion of infrastructure during Mr Xi’s visit to India last year.

    “We are very keen to develop the sectors where China is strong, We need your involvement. The scope and potential, the breadth and length of infrastructure and related developments is very huge in India,” Mr Modi told Indian and Chinese business executives in Shanghai.

    According to Financial Times, Airtel said it had agreed a $2billion credit line from China Development Bank (CDB)— which it called the single largest bilateral commitment by CDB to any telecoms operator globally and the largest to a private Indian company — and a further $500million from Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. Loan maturities extend up to nine years.

    “These financings further complement the strong collaboration with Chinese partners,” said Bharti Airtel, which announced a “strategic collaboration” with China Mobile in March. Bharti is already sourcing equipment from Chinese equipment makers Huawei and ZTE, putting the new lines of credit squarely within China’s existing practice of financing projects overseas that enable business for Chinese companies.

    The deal is one of the first since CDB’s capital injection last month, with a mandate to finance projects under Mr Xi’s “one belt, one road” initiative to promote Chinese industry overseas.

    Other big Indian groups that have benefited from Chinese bank credit include Essar Oil and the Reliance group of Anil Ambani, which secured a $1.2billion loan from three Chinese banks, including CDB, in 2012.

    Among other agreements signed during Mr Modi’s visit, India’s Adani Group and China’s Golden Concord Holdings said they would set up an integrated solar photovoltaic industrial park, while Welspun Energy of India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China’s Trina Solar for the production of photovoltaic cells and panels.

    Mr Modi’s government, elected a year ago, has announced ambitious plans to install 100 gigawatts of solar electricity capacity by 2022.

    “India is ready for business,” Mr Modi said in China before heading to its northern neighbour Mongolia. “I strongly believe that this century belongs to Asia.”

    In Mongolia, he announced a $1billion line of credit for the country, upgraded bilateral relations to a “strategic partnership” and called Mongolia “the new bright light of democracy in our world”.

    Mongolia is an active democracy and has had several peaceful transfers of power between parties since the fall of the Soviet Union, which is unusual among soviet satellite states.

    Trade and other ties between India and China have been surprisingly thin since Silk Road traffic slowed 1,000 years ago but have quickened in recent years as India taps Chinese financing and engineering for its infrastructure needs.

    The two countries also signed a joint accord on climate change, reminiscent of the agreement signed between the US and China in November. India and China called for developing countries to fulfil pledges of financing and technology transfer. Neither China nor India has yet submitted its detailed commitments ahead of an international climate change meeting in Paris in December.

  • Zinox chief urges Buhari on knowledge economy, others

    Zinox chief urges Buhari on knowledge economy, others

    The Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo-Stan Ekeh has urged the incoming government of Muhammadu Buhari to build a knowledge-driven economy, invest in infrastructure and rebuild the ailing national economy to boost development and economic prosperity of the people.

    Ekeh, who spoke in Lagos during the official unveiling of the partnership between Technology Distributions (TD), a subsidiary of Zinox Technologies and EMC, global players in the data storage field, said the nation will witness technological explosion soon. According to him, with a population of 180million people without birth control, he said the nation is now breeding kids that are “digital from birth.”

    He assured the partners that the worst is over for the country as the new leadership will do the needful to oil the engine of the  economy, adding that the strategic initiative will go a long way in enhancing the profile of technology distribution and penetration on the continent for the benefit of all.

    Managing Director, EMC, Levant and Emerging Africa Region, Mr. Nazim Fraijat, said the addition of TD to EMC’s Global Business Partner Programme is in line with the organisation’s desire to deepen the pace of technological innovation in the West African sub-region and on the continent as a whole.

    He said: “We are happy to officially welcome Technology Distributions into our Business Partner Programme. Our delight further stems from TD’s status as one of the biggest and most structured ICT distributors in Nigeria and the West African region as a whole.

    “In view of our desire to make further in-roads into sub-Saharan Africa, we are confident that this partnership with TD will undoubtedly accelerate the rate of access to the wide range of innovative solutions that EMC is known for world-wide.”

    General Manager, EMC West Africa, Mr. Nicholas Travers, who delivered the keynote presentation, traced the organisation’s global trajectory and competence in the areas of storage, cloud computing, data security, content management and Big Data. According to him, EMC which is already a renowned global leader in the storage and information technology (IT) field, also has key interest in West Africa and Nigeria in particular.

    In his view, this interest is justified by the short space of time in which EMC has expanded its operations in Nigeria, going from having a single employee in 1999 to employing about 45 workers at present, while maintaining offices in Nigeria and Accra, Ghana.

    Ekeh said the pact with EMC serves to reaffirm TD’s prime position as the major driver of technological revolution in Africa. Ekeh, who commended EMC’s growth after just six years of operations in the country, also encouraged solution providers and resellers to take advantage of the unique opportunity offered by the partnership to grow their businesses.

    He said: “TD has maintained its position as the leader of the ICT distributor space over the years despite strong competition in the market place. This is why we see this partnership with EMC as strategic as it will go a long way to expand access to technology on the continent, especially considering the status of EMC as a major player in the global IT scene.

    “I wish to encourage all of our solution providers and resellers to take advantage of the unique partnership being officially unveiled, especially in view of the sheer scale of TD’s wide reach and after-sales support infrastructure which is unmatched in the sector as well as the innovative solutions in storage and data which EMC brings to the table.

    “Despite the current state of pessimism in the economy due to falling oil prices and the fluid state of the naira, I must reassure you that there is much to be hopeful about in Nigeria’s business space. We are Africa’s biggest economy and we have the right calibre of people in the incoming administration who will build on the gains recorded by the outgoing administration.”

    Managing Director, TD Solution, Mr. Etiene Etukudoh, who spoke about TD’s strong market presence and brand portfolio, also expressed delight at the partnership,  affirming its strategic importance as the company enters its 16th year of operations.

  • How to delete your Facebook account

    Signing on to social media platforms such as Faceboook, Superchat, Vine, Tumblr, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Linkedln, Instagram, Pinterest, Badoo and others could be very easy. Most times, people sign on to some of these platforms only to discover they are no longer catching the fun that initially goaded them to sign on.

    While some married men and women have complained about being harassed on the platform, some people have consummated their marriages through the platform. Others yet say they have met people that have changed their life stories for good.

    Cybercrooks and bullies are also not too far from these platforms, intimidating both the old and young while some people are contended with posting goofy pictures on these platforms.

    According to PC PRO, an online ICT platform, if you’re yearning for a Facebook-free lifestyle, these simple guide to deleting your Facebook account will help you.

    Before it begins,  please be sure you want to delete your account, not just temporarily remove it. Following these steps will lead to permanent removal of your account and all its data, which cannot be undone.

    If you just want to take a break without deleting your account, you can follow Facebook’s instructions for deactivating your account here.

     Log into Facebook

    First, for security reasons, you will need to log into Facebook. If you’re deleting an account you haven’t used in a while and have forgotten your password, you will need to reset it. You can find instructions for how to do that here.

    Download your Facebook data

    As this deletion process is permanent, you may wish to save your data first. You can do this by clicking on the down arrow in the top right hand corner of the screen and select Settings.

    You will be presented with a list of general account settings, at the bottom of which is a link to “download a copy of your Facebook data”, where you can do exactly that.

     Contact Facebook

     Facebook doesn’t make it easy to delete your account, and has buried the request form deep in its help pages. To make it easier for you, we’ve linked to it here – you will need to be logged in to continue.

     The final step

    You will now get a pop-up window warning you, once again, that this is a permanent decision and asking you to re-enter your password. You will also need to enter a CAPTCHA, then click “OK”.

  • How to achieve connectivity, by Huawei

    Chinese multinational, Huawei Technologies Company Limited has identified factors that will promote better connectivity in Nigeria and other developing countries, arguing that effective connectivity will improve the living standards of the people across board.

    In its Global Connectivity Index (GCI) on West Africa 2015 unveiled at Huawei Cloud Congress (HCC) West Africa in Lagos, the tech firm lamented that Nigeria ranked  47th in GCI, adding that the country  is nonetheless among top three emerging broadband markets.

    Huawei therefore said an increase in datacenter investment and developing economies need to move from investing in supply to building demand. It said these are the factors that will enhance better connectivity, arguing that learning from developing countries’ success will also help the country to become Global GCI leaders.

    Speaking on the GCI, President, Huawei Western Africa Region, Mr. Peng Song said: “The Global Connectivity Index is not merely a ranking of countries. We see it as a platform to partner with policymakers and enterprise leaders to identify, harness, and create new digital economy opportunities with the aim of building a Better Connected West Africa.”

    According to the firm, Nigeria has a small fixed base but huge potential in the uptake of mobile products as it is one of the world’s largest mobile subscriber markets and offers impressive opportunities primarily in the mobile broadband space, where rapid m-Commerce uptake is driving market growth. Nigerian’s are the highest number of internet users in Africa all of which accumulates to an improved potential within the country.

    Covering 50 countries including Nigeria among others and 90per cent of the world’s population, the GCI shed light on the growing opportunities around the world.

    While majority of developed countries are “Leaders” in the index, the United States ranked the highest among surveyed countries with Sweden, Singapore and Switzerland leading the GCI.

    Chile, China, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) led the developing markets, with all three ranking in the high teens to low 20s overall. Developing market leaders are characterised by strong mobile adoption and overall access that is often comparable to developed markets, while typically lagging behind in terms of data center investment and other core elements of ICT infrastructure. Datacenter investment by developed countries is three times that of developing countries, which is the major catalyst of cloud proliferation as “the edge does not exist without the core.”

    Overall, the 2015 GCI showed that 20 per cent growth in ICT investment will increase a country’s GDP by one per cent. It also identified five enablers of digital transformation – data centers, cloud services, Big Data, broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies represent the targets that stakeholders should focus their investments on in order to most efficiently transform their economies for the digital age.

    According to the GCI, all economies are digitising, and the GCI provides a guide of who’s ahead, who’s behind, why, and who is poised to move up or back.

    Huawei forecasts that by 2025, as many as 100 billion connections will be generated globally, 90 per cent of which will come from intelligent sensors. This increase will be attributed to enterprises becoming enabled by the internet.

    By leveraging connectivity to streamline business processes, reduce costs and improve efficiency, enterprises will drive innovation and move the focus from a consumer

  • Consumption is Nigeria’s power problem, says Omatek’s CEO

    Indigenous computer manufacturing firm, Omatek Ventures has said the problem with Nigeria’s power sector is not essentially in the area of generation and distribution but consumption, adding that so much energy that should have been freed into the manufacturing sector is wasted.

    The Group Chief Executive Officer, Omatek Ventures, Mrs Florence Seriki said the new hybrid of power solutions of the firm will reduce power consumption by between 70-90 per cent and save substantial money.

    She said the hybrid solution of battery, inverter and solar matched with light emitting diode (LED) bulbs will reduce power consumption and waste.

    The Omatek chief said the solutions are the most cost efficient solar power solutions that could be deployed to schools, small businesses and big organisations in the country.

    “Our problem is not generation or distribution of power. It is our wasteful habit of power consumption. The use of our solar/LED solution can result in provision of power and in significant operational and maintenance cost savings for factories, schools, public offices, hospitals, hotels and SMEs in the country,” she said, adding that power is usually wasted when people switch on security lights and go to work.

    Already, the company has commissioned its 50KVA 3-phase off-grid solar solution factory that will represent the solar solution for factories, banks, telecommunications firms, government and other organisations that require big power installations.

    Off-grid solutions, on-grid solutions as well as LED bulbs are available for customers at affordable prices. Omatek Solar Solution is a hybrid solution that provides 24 hours lighting/power solution, while providing 70 – 90 per cent cut/deduction in power consumption and drastically reducing power consumption by an average of 90 per cent on the overall, grid, thus enhancing growth in the real sector and general economic development.

    Mrs Seriki, who spoke in Lagos, listed some of the benefits of Omatek Solar Powered Solution to include noise free, zero heat emission, brighter lighting, zero contribution to global warming, eco-friendly solution, no maintenance costs, local content, health and safety benefits, long-life LED Bulbs (three to five years) and cost saving.

    “We have installed these solutions in schools, homes, offices and factories and we are proud to inform you that the education sector welcomed the initiative since it supports the provision of power and green energy that powers school hostels and all reading areas with 24 hours lighting,” she said, adding that the initiative bridges the digital gap in the schooling system, as students cannot read in darkness.

    The benefits of commercial-scale solar energy extend far beyond the revenue you’ll generate each month. Solar benefits the world economically, environmentally and socially.

    Seriki said Omatek’s solution can be installed faster than other traditional or renewable power plants. It produces local, on-site energy, which reduces the need for extensive high-voltage transmission lines or a complex infrastructure. “It is particularly reliable over the long term. With no moving parts, fixed photovoltaic systems last longer than other energy sources.

  • Cyber insurance scepticism exposes firms to attacks

    Distrust of insurers is leaving businesses vulnerable to the effects of cyber attacks, a KPMG survey has revealed.

    Nearly 80 per cent of organisations belonging to KPMG’s International Information Integrity Institute (I-4) do not have cyber insurance in place.

    Belief that insurers will not pay out on a claim is the top reason information security heads are not buying cyber insurance, the survey revealed.

    This is despite 79 per cent believing that cyber security threats are likely to increase over the next year and 74 per cent regarding organised crime and state-sponsored activity as the biggest threats.

    For those I-4 members whose businesses have purchased cyber insurance, 48 per cent think the policies may not pay out if they need it.

    “It is worrying to see that so many businesses would rather risk having no insurance in place to protect themselves against a threat they believe is very real,” said I-4 head Mark Waghorne.

    “It is also disappointing that cyber insurance is viewed as providing little comfort to those who have it, as almost half don’t believe they would be compensated properly if push came to shove.”

    According to the survey, about a third of respondents believe the market for cyber insurance is not yet mature enough.

    Waghorne said insurers will need to deliver more comprehensive packages to convince the business community that they can and will protect against losses on cyber crime.

    However, he said discussions during a later debate at the most recent I-4 Forum showed that the availability of specialist, focused cyber-related insurance has much improved during the past year with clear evidence that carriers do pay out.

    “This indicates that those organisations which have avoided cyber insurance in the past should perhaps revisit their positions,” said Waghorne.

     In February 2015, a study by The Corporate Executive Programme (CEP) revealed that United Kingdom (UK) companies are lagging behind US companies in taking out insurance to cushion the financial impact of cyber attacks.

    Only 13 per cent of large and mid-sized companies in the UK with annual turnover of $1million to $1billion have dedicated cyber insurance, the study showed.

    Some 40 per cent of United States (U.S.) companies polled said they had dedicated cyber insurance, indicating greater familiarity with cyber security product offerings than their UK counterparts.

    Overall, only 20 per cent of respondents said their organisation had dedicated cyber cover – an equal number had no cover at all.

    In November 2014, the UK government joined forces with the insurance industry to improve how UK businesses manage cyber security risk.

    The initiative builds on the government’s 10 Steps to Cyber Security and the Cyber Essentials Scheme as part of the UK Cyber Security Strategy.

    The UK government believes working with the insurance industry to develop a comprehensive cyber security insurance model will encourage private sector firms to manage cyber risk.

    However, the government has emphasised that cyber insurance does not replace the need for good cyber security practice.

  • Phone: Huawei P8

    Phone: Huawei P8

    The Huawei P8 takes the Chinese smartphone manufacturer up a level, but can it really challenge Samsung, HTC and Apple?

    Huawei Ascend P7 smartphone impressed with its slimline good looks and top-quality camera, but it was undermined by sluggish performance and an over-fussy UI. This year, the company is aiming to improve on that with its latest flagship device, the Huawei P8

    It certainly seems to have achieved that from a design perspective. The P8 is super-slim, measuring a mere 6.9mm from front to back, it weighs only 144g, and it looks great. The curved edges contrast pleasingly with the dead flat front and matte-finish rear, and the bevelled edges give it an expensive look that’s not too dissimilar to the Samsung Galaxy S6 – impressive considering the P8 is considerably cheaper.

    There are a couple of areas where the Huawei P8 trumps the S6, too. Although there’s no removable battery, the P8 has a microSD slot for storage expansion, it’s water- and dust-resistant – so it should survive an encounter with a hot cup of tea, or a soaking in a rain shower – and the camera doesn’t protrude at the rear of the handset.

    The only major downside is a lack of Gorilla Glass on the front, so in time one may find it picks up scuffs and scratches more easily than its pricier rivals. So far, there no evidence of that.

      Camera

    A smartphone is about more than looks, and Huawei has done plenty to boost the phone’s credentials in other areas as well. In particular, the 13-megapixel camera sees a couple of innovations. First on the list is the “world’s first” four-colour imaging sensor: instead of merely three sub-pixels, the sensor has an extra white pixel. Huawei claims this RGBW arrangement is able to capture more accurate colours than a traditional RGB sensor.

    Second is that the camera has its own image processor, which is supposed to deliver improved scene recognition and more balanced exposures. The above innovations are accompanied by optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a dual-LED flash, plus an 8-megapixel camera on the front.

    The results are impressive. The camera is quick to launch and take pictures, plus it focuses quickly and confidently. The quality is fantastic, particularly in low light, where the OIS and a wide-angle f/2.0 lens mean the user can take handheld shots at shutter speeds as low as 1/4sec.

    In good light, the camera dealt well with even tricky scenes, retaining detail in bright skies without losing detail in shadowy areas. Video looks just as good – crisp and rock-steady in all but the most extreme situations.

    The only gripes are that in some conditions, pictures can look slightly washed out. That’s easily fixed by bumping up the saturation in a photo editor. There’s no 4K video capture, however.

    There are also a number of gimmicky software functions that you’ll probably use only once or twice: a light-painting mode, aimed at making it easy to capture tail-light streaks, misty water and star trail photographs; and Director Mode, which allows you to combine four videos captured on different phones into the same project for multi-angle videos. More usefully, the camera’s macro mode can capture subjects from as close as 4cm.

     Performance

    Core components comprise a Hisilicon Kirin 930/935 octa-core processor with twin quad-core CPUs running at frequencies of 2GHz and 1.5GHz respectively. There’s 3GB of RAM, a Mali T624 GPU, and either 16GB or 64GB of storage, depending on the model you choose.

    It feels nippy – much more so than last year’s P7 – but benchmarks reveal that despite the impressive-sounding statistics, the P8 isn’t in the same league as top-end phones such as the HTC One M9 and Samsung Galaxy S6, with the GPU particularly letting the side down.

    Pure number crunching is, in fact, pretty strong, with Geekbench 3 results only a touch behind the HTC One M9, but a frame rate of 18fps in the GFXBench T-Rex HD test is a long way behind the M9’s 49fps.

    The battery looks competitive at a capacity of 2,680mAh, but it, too, lags behind. With moderate use, hardly any gaming and only a modicum of web browsing and photography, we found it would make it through a day, but it needed recharging every evening. Competitors such as the Sony Xperia Z3 and Samsung Galaxy S6 would comfortably last into the second day under such use. This was very much reflected in our battery tests, with video playback depleting capacity at a rate of 14.9% per hour and audio streaming using it up at 6.9 per cent per hour – both results are well below average.

    The P8’s 1080p screen is better. Brightness is fine, reaching 419cd/m2 at maximum settings, and viewing angles are excellent. The IPS-Neo technology helps it to achieve a contrast ration of 1,461:1 – higher than normal for IPS panels. However, its colour accuracy isn’t all that great, and as a result it lacks the visual impact that phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 possess.

     Other features, software

    Elsewhere, as with most Huawei devices, the P8 is packed with novelty features. There’s a crazy feature called “Knuckle sense” that allows you to capture a screenshot with a tap of your knuckle; utterly pointless unless you’re an IT journalist. In fact, we could do entirely without Huawei’s rather heavy-handed Emotion UI, which in our view doesn’t improve a jot on the underlying Android 5.02.

    Still, Huawei has added some more useful features, including improvements to call quality via wind-noise reduction, automatic microphone sensitivity and earpiece volume control. We had no complaints about call quality whether indoors or outdoors, although during speakerphone calls, the speaker had an unpleasant scratchy quality when we turned up the volume

    You can also wake up the phone with a customisable key phrase, then say, “where are you?” to help you find the unit if it’s lost down the side of the sofa. Huawei has also introduced a number of features aimed at improving the phone’s ability to hold a strong signal. In the absence of an anechoic chamber in which to scientifically test this, however, it’s impossible to say definitively whether the P8 is better or worse than the average smartphone.There’s even a dual-SIM version of the phone, where the micro SD slot can cleverly double as a second nano SIM slot. A simple idea, and one that could prove useful to frequent travellers.

     Verdict

    The Huawei P8 finds itself in an awkward position. On the one hand, it isn’t a match for the very best smartphones we’ve seen. The S6 is secure on its throne at the very top, and the HTC One M9, Sony Xperia Z3, Nexus 6 and iPhone 6 are all better phones, with superior battery life and graphics performance in particular.

    On the other hand, it isn’t quite cheap enough to get our wholehearted recommendation, especially with its disappointing battery life. The P8 is certainly an interesting proposition, especially if you value great camera quality above all else, but we recommend you investigate options such as Samsung Galaxy S5, which is cheaper SIM-free, or the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which can be had for around 420 pounds, before you take the plunge.

     

    •Culled from PC PRO

  • Digital migration blues

    Digital migration blues

    On June 17 , Nigeria is expected to join other members of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to migrate from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT). A digital television service provider, StarTimes, says it has prepared for the switchover. But there fears that this country may miss the global timeline because of tardy preparation, LUCAS AJANAKU reports.

    Sometime in 2005, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in Geneva, announced to its 193 members consisting of 70 private members, that June 17, this year is the final switch off date from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT).

    TechTarget, an online search networking platform, defines DTT “as digital television (DTV) broadcast entirely over earthbound circuits. A satellite is not used for any part of the link between the broadcaster and the end user. DTT provides a clearer picture and superior sound quality when compared to analogue TV, with less interference. DTT offers far more channels, thus providing the viewer with a greater variety of programmes to choose from. DTTV can be viewed on personal computers. Using a split-screen format, a computer user can surf the Web while watching TV.”

    According to ITU, digital television allows for better picture and sound quality, as well as more choice of channels and programmes.

    Former ITU Secretary General, Dr Hamadoun Toure, said the migration exercise will lead to freeing up of about one-third of frequencies which can then be used for the provision of other services.

    Over the past years, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has been giving assurances that the country will meet the June deadline.

    Its Director General, Emeka Mba said after the ITU deadline, there would be no more international support for analogue spectrum as any operator still operating on the platform would have been technically edged out.

    He said in pursuit of meeting the ITU deadline, the Federal Government has finalised and harmonised discussions over the transmission network parameters with all Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states.

    According to him, specifications for the set-top-box and Digital Television Receivers (DTR) had also been finalised with other countries in the sub-region to ensure a seamless transition.

    According to him, broadcasters would be responsible for content while a Signal Distributor or Carrier would be saddled with Transmission of the signals to viewers.

    Aside the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the NBC chief said the Federal Government would licence two other signal carriers for optimum benefit for viewers across the country, adding that the Federal Government has begun the process of licensing the second Signal Distributor.

    Mr. Mba said the focus of the NBC now is ensuring more broadcasting services are created such that the current gaps in the industry are effectively addressed.

    He said: “Our focus at the NBC is promoting more broadcasting services to fill current gaps in content and services such as themed channels, special interest channels, educational and children’s channels, regional channels as well as new HD services.”

    But an Executive Director, Pinnacle Communications, Mr. Dipo Onifade, has said it is wishful thinking that Nigeria will be there. Pinnacle is a leading broadcasting firm that won a bid to distribute signals to homes in the DTT programme.

    He said the June digital switch-over was a hoax, designed to hoodwink the government and give it the impression that it was working.

    According to him, it will be impossible for the country to distribute 26 million set-top-boxes to households with less than 40 days to go, adding that there is a pending legal action before the law court which could also hamper the country’s switch-over plan before the deadline date.

    Onifade insisted that the NBC was not prepared for DTT as more than 95 per cent of television boxes in Nigeria are analogue while 26 million households are yet to get the set-top-boxes, accusing that the NBC conniving with a South African-based firm to shut out indigenous firms from participating in the process.

    He said every household may be compelled to pay over N6,000  to secure the set-top-boxes to enjoy the dividends of the digital migration.

    “We are talking about digital switchover. Nigeria is nowhere near being ready to switchover. This takes time. About 95 per cent of television boxes in Nigeria are analogue. How are you going to distribute 26 million boxes to households in Nigeria before the deadline? These issues have not been ironed out. So, we are not ready to migrate yet,” he said.

    But despite the pall of doubts hanging over digital migration, StarTimes said it has put its house in order for the programme.

    “Creativity and innovation are keys to success. Having adopted these keys, StarTimes, foremost digital TV service provider, reassures its existing and potential subscribers of its determination to offer more innovative and affordable sought-after channels across its bouquets in line with its vision,” the firm explained.

    It added that having broken the barrier hindering Nigerians from owning a Pay TV, StarTimes links several homes across social status to digital television (DTV), which is a global phenomenon, with its four-television bouquet fully loaded, sought-after channels. Now, StarTimes makes digital TV affordable and enjoyable for Nigerians, including those who are yet to get a decoder. Getting a decoder and recharging regularly has been made very easy and convenient.

    Its Public Relations Manager, StarTimes, NTA Star-TV Network, Mr. Israel Bolaji, said DTV is for all; and as such, it should be affordable to all Nigerians. He said: “The increase in the number of relevant channels on the bouquet was done in a bid to continue to satisfy Nigerians. We are working hard and smart to prepare Nigerians towards digital migration by offering our customers affordable bundle that makes a convenient switch over from analogue to digital television and promote inspirational television experience that creates values.”

    He explained that the company introduced new channels to break the barrier and offer more affordable and efficient services to both existing and potential subscribers, adding that DTV is not meant for the high and mighty in the society but for all; and as such, affordable service should not be a barrier for all Nigerians. “The increase in the number of relevant channels on our bouquets was done in a bid to continue to satisfy Nigerians. We work smart to improve the quality and quantity of our services and also wet the appetite of Nigerians towards digital migration with our priceless bundle. We are determined to ensure no Nigerian home is left behind in the DTV migration expected to happen by middle of next month,” he said.

    The firm also launched StarTimes Light, a new stylish and compact DVB-T2 decoder which Bolaji said is smaller, lighter and handy set-top-box designed to suit the fashionable, classy and trendy lifestyle of subscribers without paying anything extra. “It is fully DVB-T2 and DVB-T compliant with digital picture quality, simple remote control and friendly user interface. It also comes with automatic software upgrade, allows users edit favourite channels and enjoy parental control,” he added.

    With an array of interesting channels for sports, music, movies, news, kids and teens’ entertainment, documentary, religion and gadget, Bolaji said: “ StarTimes is set to support Nigerians towards digital migration by offering them valuable family entertainment at an affordable rate that makes a convenient switch over from analogue to digital television and promote inspirational television experience that creates values.”

    He said the channels are aimed at offering the company’s countless subscribers more robust and improved DTV experience as the country approaches the full DTV switch-over. He said: “With this help of StarTimes, Nigerians now enjoy a refreshing digital television experience with N600 subscription on Nova, N1,200 for Basic, Classic for N2,400 and Unique goes for N3,600 every month.  With focus on ensuring that DTV becomes affordable and enjoyable to all, StarTimes decoder now goes for N990 with N2,400 minimum subscription.”

    Apart from the affordable bouquets, the indigenous service provider also recorded a milestone recently when it signed an exclusive deal with iROKOtv, an online movie platform in France. StarTimes formed a formidable partnership with the company  to offer its over 4.6 million subscribers two new sought-after channels, which are iROKO PLAY and iROKO PLUS, on the leading African Pay TV platform in 14 countries across the globe.

    He said its subscribers now have the choice of viewing several entertaining and educating channels like iROKO PLAY, which is available on the StarTimes Classic Bouquet, with classic Nollywood movies from 2007 onwards, with a brand new exclusive movie added to the schedule each month or iROKO PLUS that is on the StarTimes Unique Bouquet offering premium Nollywood movies from 2011 till date, with the addition of an exclusive brand new movie every week. Others are AMC Series, Star Zone, Child Smile, Star Kungfu, Star Dadin Kowa, CCTV News, Star Music, IQRAA and TBN, and Star Sport Focus.

    He said the Star Sport Focus, an exclusive sports news bulletin channel, can be viewed on both StarTimes (channel 250) and on StarSat (channel 240). This new channel is available on all StarTimes and StarSat bouquets. The channel offers subscribers a dynamic fast-paced overview of sports as a whole, and brings to viewers a 90-minutes sports news content block daily and content for magazine shows. Viewers can also watch the best action of top leagues in Africa, La Liga, Bundesliga and many more on Goalissimo.

    It promotes African Sports via Sports News Africa and shows exciting news and information on wrestling, Bundesliga, Top football leagues and other favourite sports actions. Viewers can follow choice legendary sports stars from Africa and all over the world on the new channel.

    Bolaji emphasised that StarTimes provides door-to-door services, which unveils the originality and selfless service of the brand as its major concern is not just to provide digital television experience. “We show care and give needed support to our customers; our door to door after sales duties includes: outdoor antennal installation to subscribers on purchase of the decoder, product usage, technical assistance and other services required to be delivered,” he said.

  • Smartphone penetration in Nigeria hits 30%

    Global leader in personal computer (PCs, Lenovo, has said smartphone penetration in the country has reached 30 per cent mark, adding that there are still more rooms for growth in the smartphone segment considering the population of the country and huge youth population.

    Its Executive Director, Mobile Business Group, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Shashank Sharma, who spoke during the unveiling of three smartphones into the market, said Nigeria remains strategic to the firm in its African operations.

    He said: “Nigeria is one of the fastest growing smartphone markets globally. With about 30 per cent smartphone penetration, the country represents huge growth potential for Lenovo.

    “In the past one year, Lenovo has made strong progress with its Nigerian consumers. We consider the region as a principal destination for investment, even as we continue to record robust growth in sales.  Sustaining a solid in-country presence is very important to us from both social and economic standpoints. We will continue to expand our business and invest heavily in this market.”

    “We are building on the strong relationships that we have with Nigerians by meeting their demand for smartphones with first-class design, smarter features and improved functionality, with special focus on our latest range of mobile devices. Our continued organic growth and expansion puts us in a great position to maintain our momentum.  We have tremendous balance between our core business, especially a profitable PC business, and growth engines in tablets, enterprise, ecosystem and smartphones.  We expect to continue to build on these strong results.”

    At the event, the firm unveiled its new entrants into the market; the Lenovo P70 with an epic 4000mAh battery which can lasts up to three days, the Lenovo S90, a perfect selfie companion with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera and front light emitting diode (LED) flash and the ergonomically designed Lenovo S60 that showcases users’ fun and social sides.

    The dual-SIM 4G LTE Lenovo P70 smartphone packs an epic 4000mAh battery that could last up to three days for an always-on life. It comes with a 5-inch display, high definition resolution of 720×1280 pixels, a 1.7 GHz quad-core processor, Mediatek MT6752 64-bit chip, 2 GB of RAM as well as 16 GB of internal memory which can be expanded to up to 32 GB using the device’s microSD card slot. The P70 also features a 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera. The device is powered by the latest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system.

    Also powered by Android’s 4.4 KitKat operating system,  the dual-SIM 4G LTE Lenovo S90 smartphone comes  with a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8916 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad Core processor, a five-inch Super AMOLED high definition display, a 13-megapixel rear auto-focus with LED Flash and PureCel Sensor as well as a front eight-megapixel fixed-focus with LED Flash and back-illuminated (BSI) Sensor. It boasts 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory

    On its part, the dual-SIM and light (128 gram) Lenovo S60 4G LTE smartphone comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel f2.2 wide-angle selfie camera, 2GB RAM, 8GB ROM and 32GB of expandable storage for a large library. Photos, videos, and web content can be viewed in vibrant high definition on the device’s crisp five-inch high definition screen. The combination of an Android 4.4 KitKat operating system and a  superb Qualcomm  Snapdragon 1.2GHz 64-bit Quad Core processor ensures that  the Lenovo S60 is primed to provide users with unlimited fun.