The Nation Newspaper

Category: Infotech

  • 3D Shapify technology enters Nigeria

    3D Shapify technology enters Nigeria


    No doubt that developed economies were transformed as soon as they embraced technology, Africa, though way behind, is set for transformation as more Africa focused technological driven innovations are bathed by Africans in Diaspora. Recently, a Nigerian serial entrepreneur, Israel Ovirih, introduced Africa’s first 3 dimension scanning and printing services, adding a new dimension to selfies in Nigeria. Speaking at the launch of the ‘disruptive technology’, Ovirih described the technology as one that will outshine every other technology availing youths employment through self dependence in Nigeria. 3D printing, also known as Additive Manufacturing (AM), refers to various processes used to synthesize a three-dimensional object. In 3D printing, successive layers of material are formed under computer control to create an object. These objects can be of almost any shape or geometry, and are produced from a 3D model or other electronic data source. According to the Nigeria Chairman and Founder, 3D Makery, Ovirih, 3D scanning and printing service is the “ultimate selfie technology” in Nigeria and Africa. It can be for you, your spouse, child, or pet, anything that can be scanned inside the Shapify booth preserve the most memorable moments with the ultimate selfie. The introduction of this service marks the first in Africa and one of the numerous few that are available around the world. Ovirih disclosed to Journalist at the launch in Lagos that the innovation, about 30 years old now, started only 2 years ago for commercial purposes. Referring to initial technological innovations that were introduced to Africa and the aftermath effect, Ovirih said: “This is a very disruptive technology. You can imagine what happened to the post office, the way we buy things and the way we live our lives using Smartphones. “But technology in its self is not just disruptive. The purpose of every technology is to bring abundance to the world, make life easy for everyone and to deliver good life to everyone. “Every technology must pass through six stages. Every business that fails to embrace technology is bound to die, because the younger generations will over run such businesses with new ideas. “3D technology is opening up a whole new world of possibilities and the reward of 3D printing technology is that the scan can be used to produce a full color figurine known as a ‘Shapie’. “So, rather than a half cocked snapshot you can have a 3D printed sculpture to either keep as your own or give as a gift. “The so-called shapies use 3D printing technology and designed to bring joy and happiness each time a person gazes upon the "Mini-Me". “We’re thrilled bringing this advanced 3D tools and knowledgeable support team to help grow Nigeria’s technology business. We have had success and satisfaction with this technology and, upon experiencing the technology ourselves, knew it would be a benefit for Nigerians. We are confident customers will embrace this technology. While it’s still wonderful to have collections of photos, this 3D technology offers a new way to revisit a memory with a 3D portrait.” On the mechanics of the 3D Technology, the Chief Operating Officer, 3D Makery Nigeria, Damola Kolawole explained that the booth where all the magic happens contains four wide-view, high-resolution scanners that rotate around the person inside in order to capture the person or object from all angles. “The level of detail that can be captured by these scanners is such that it will even pick up things like a logo on a shirt or the jersey of your favorite sports team. “The hundreds of images that are generated in this way are then automatically stitched together with special software and a 3D model is generated from that composite. After the digital model is created, the figurine can then be produced,” Kolawole noted. The event, which took place at the popular Ikeja City Mall at Alausa, was strategic as shoppers and passers-by turned out massively with notable faces in Nigeria entertainment industry like former Mr. Nigeria Bryan Okwara, Sound Sultan, Ghanian Actress Juliet Ibrahim and many more having their pictures taken.

  • Dialing into information communications super highway

    Dialing into information communications super highway

    In spite of the hiccups that occasion telephony in the country and the hundreds of urban and rural communities still ‘disenfranchised’, Nigeria marches on, dialing her way into the super highway of information communications technology, LUCAS AJANAKU reports.

    Over the past 55 years, Nigeria has made phenomenal strides in the telecoms industry. But most of the significant milestones achieved in the sector only came after the liberalisation of the sector by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001.

    Before the liberalisation, the country had about 400,000 analogue lines issued by former state-run but now privatised telco, the Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and its mobile arm, MTel.

    The liberalisation ushered in the issuance of digital telecommunications licences to MTN, Airtel, Globacom and later, Etisalat.  MTN fired the first salvo while Airtel followed suit before Globacom, the only indigenous carrier, joined the fray. Etisalat came last. The earlier carriers got mouth-watering incentives from the Federal Government which was informed by the high-risk nature of the country that was just coming out of decades of military rule.

    The liberalisation has paid off. According to the latest data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country’s telephone penetration as at January reached 140,822,483, indicating the active lines/phone numbers on the operators’ networks

    Teledensity stands at 100.59 per cent at the end of January and expanded to 107.67 per cent by the end of July. Globally, Nigeria has been acclaimed the fastest growing telecoms market while the service providers have brought foreign direct investments (FDIs) to the sector to the tune of $35billion, according to the NCC.

    But in spite of these landmark achievements, there are still challenges facing the industry.

     

    Quality of service

     

    Call drops, unsuccessful calls, cross-talking and so many irregularities still pervade the industry over one decade after the introduction the global system for mobile communication (GSM) in the country. This led to the regulator rolling out what it called its minimum key performance indicators (KPIs). It got the telcos to sign onto these KPIs.

    Worried by this development, a tripartite agreement was struck by the Ministry of Communications Technology, NCC and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) on the way forward. While the CPC said it had the powers within the law establishing to commit erring telcos to jail, the Federal Government said it will institute legal proceedings against erring operators. NCC too promised not to spare any operator.

    At the peak of its frustration over the issue, the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), on behalf of the subscribers, filed a matter in court demanding compensation of N5000 each to the subscribers.

    The tecos have consistently blamed attacks on base transmission stations (BTS), bureaucracy in the grant of right of way (RoW), multiple regulation/taxation, vandalism of optic fiber cables (OFC), insecurity and huge operating expenditure (Opex) incurred on generating electricity remain obstacles to quality service provision. The new NCC chief, Prof Umar Danbatta has inaugurated a QoS committee to tackle the challenges headlong. He has also made it one of the problems he will direct his energy to address.

     

    Auction of 2.3gigahertz (GHz) spectrum

     

    Pursuant to the Open Access Broadband Plan of the NCC, it auctioned one of the 30megahertz (MHz) slots of the 2.3GHz spectrum band. The slot was won by an indigenous firm, Bitflux. It defeated Globacom to clinch the spectrum.

    The auction came two days after the launch of the sensitisation programme under the National Broadband Roadmap, aimed at mobilising the industry, the governments and the general public to become aware and receptive of the various broadband initiatives in our Broadband Roadmap.

    Former Minister, Communications Technology, Dr. (Mrs.) Omobola Johnson said the Broadband Council is already tracking the implementation of the National Broadband Roadmap. “We have also established very critical collaborations and even signed some agreements at the various levels between governments at all levels and the telecom operators,” she said, adding that the emergence of a wholesale wireless broadband service provider will key into that aspiration of the Federal Government, the Ministry of Communication Technology and indeed the industry, to accelerate and optimise broadband potentials for the socio-economic development of the country.

    “We are indeed encouraged by empirical statistics that broadband can transform lives and can transform nation as is already doing in countries where they are optimally deployed. We will continue to make reference to the often quoted statistic of a 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration delivering a 1.3 per cent increase in gross domestic product (GDP). Those in simple explanation mean that broadband can increase business productivity, can lead to the creation of new businesses and jobs, can save lives, can deliver much needed skills in a developing nation, can provide security, can improve social engagement, and enrich governance.

    “The fact that the ICT sector contributes over eight per cent to GDP- means that broadband will accelerate the contribution to GDP in many folds,” she added.

     

    Licensing of Infracos

     

    The NCC has two infrastructure service providers (Infracos) in the country. The regulator said it will license seven Infracos one each in the six geo-political zones in the country while Lagos will have one. Five more are expected to join.

     

    Auction for

    2.6GHz  spectrum

     

    The NCC has also started consultative fora preparatory to the auctioning of another spectrum. Its Director, Public Affairs, Tony Ojobo said the consultation will see another auctioning of spectrum in the 2.6GHz band to complement the one issued earlier in the year in which Bitflux, a relatively unknown IT firm beat Globacom to clinch.

    He said: “Participation at the last bid round for spectrum was very low because people knew that this particular one is coming. This is a question of choice and it is purely a business decision of the organisation. You have of two options and you ask yourself- Should I go for this one? If I go for this one am I going to have enough money to participate at the next one when it comes? Or should I just wait for this one because they don’t deliver the same kind of value? The 2.3GHz is for bulk that is wholesale. This one coming soon is different. So the point is that this one is different and people did their business plan and looked at the numbers. If the numbers added up for them to go ahead, they will go but if the numbers do not add up, they will keep their funds.”

     

    Digital switch-over

     

    Nigeria missed the digital switch over (DSO) June 17 timeline set by the International Telecoms Union (ITU) for member-countries. National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) said it is making efforts to realise a fresh timeline it set for itself.

    Its Director-General, Emeka Mba said: “We have now coordinated another agreement with our West African neighbours and have agreed on a new deadline of June 20, 2017 to complete the digital switchover and achieve analogue switch off.”

    He blamed the failure of the country to meet the global deadline on expensive political campaign which made the government not to fund the N70 billion required to prosecute DSO. The Commission is now looking at ingenuous ways of sourcing for the funding.

    One of this is the digital licence it has issued MTN for digital pay TV broadcasting services. “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 N34 billion, slightly less than 50 per cent of our budget,” Mba said.

     

    MNP/SIM reg

     

    The implementation of the mobile number portability (MNP) scheme flagged off last year remains in force. In a country where subscribers are already used to multisimming (use of multiple subscriber identity module (SIM) cards), the scheme is attracting slow uptake.

    NCC  said the introduction of MNP was in furtherance of the commission’s vision of providing not only access to telecoms services  at affordable cost but also to continue to provide the required stimulus and appropriate environment for the introduction of innovative services that will impact on quality of telecommunication service delivery.

    The registration of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards which began about three years ago recently became a source of agony for subscribers. No fewer than 10million got their numbers ‘rudely’ deactivated on the directive of the regulator which argued that it had shipped some improperly registered SIM cards to the telcos for correction since 2012.

     

    Broadband Plan launch

     

    Amid pomp and celebration, the Federal Government launched its roadmap for deepening broadband penetration in the country.

    Christened Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2013-2018, the 105-page document set ambitious targets for broadband growth in the country because of the multiplier effects affordable, fast and ubiquitous internet access could impact on the various segments of the economy.

    The NNBP defines Broadband as an Internet experience where the user can access the most demanding content in real time at a minimum speed of 1.5 megabytes per second (MBPS).

    Director, Regulatory Affairs, Airtel Nigeria, Osondu Nwokoro, said at six per cent broadband penetration presently, there is both a challenge and an opportunity to meet the goal of realising a five-fold increase in broadband penetration by 2017.

    The Broadband Commission for Digital Development said: “Access to broadband infrastructure and services must therefore be a top policy priority for countries around the globe, developed and developing alike as well as least developed countries.” It therefore urged “governments and business to work together to develop innovative policy frameworks, business models and financing arrangements needed to facilitate growth in access to broadband worldwide.”

    According to NBP, fixed broadband targets for cities (which is standing at 1.5per cent) expected to go up to 10 per cent in 2015 in the short term, 16 per cent medium term of 2018 and long term target of 25 per cent by 2020. Penetration level which stands at 0.5per cent, will move up gradually to 3.3 per cent, 5.3 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively

    For national broadband targets, current level is 35 per cent while short term target is 60 per cent (2015). For medium term (2018), 80 per cent is targeted while 95 per cent is targeted by 2020 as long term target.

  • COSON to NCC: stop theft of our intellectual property

    COSON to NCC: stop theft of our intellectual property

    Stakeholders in the music industry have urged the regulator of the telecoms industry, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to end the rift of intellectual property theft going on in the digital space.

    Specifically, they want the regulator to ensure that the telcos do the needful before their music become accessible to their customers through the network so that it will be a win-win situation for all.

    According to the Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) Chief Tony Okoroji, who spoke in Lagos during the Nigerian Digital Music Summit, organised by COSON in collaboration with The World Bank, Growth and Employment Projects (GEM), UKAid  and Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment said, there is need to deliberate on the rules of engagement of the music industry in the digital environment in an effort to ensure that practitioners who are involved in the value chain get a fair deal to ensure sustainable growth of the music industry.

    Speaking on Establishing the Basic Rules of Engagement in the Digital Environment, Okoroji noted that the music industry has become remarkable with the evolution of digital revolution, saying rather than buying physical products such vinyl, music cassettes, CDs or DVDs, most consumers store music on their cell phones, iPads, iPods, Mp3s, Mp4s, memory chips, memory sticks and other similar digital devices.

    He noted that while some of these means of getting music are paid for, a lot of it is free.

    “The method of distributing music is changing rapidly with the telephone companies and internet aggregators who are providing the means through which music moves from the producers to the consumers.

    “In Nigeria, all the cell phone companies have set up digital music distribution platforms including MTN, Airtel, Globacom, Etisalat and even several internet platforms have been set up to distribute entertainment products. New organisations such as Spinlet and Iroking are becoming important players in entertainment product distribution. Phone manufacturing companies are loading their new handsets with a large amount of music. All of these have rules which must be followed,” he said.

    Okoroji called on telcos and other digital platforms to be more circumspect in their promotional activities of the music industry, in order not to devalue or adversely affect the sustainable growth of the Nigerian music industry.

    He said the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) would take cognizance of the emerging platforms and the challenges of music exploitation in the digital environment, adding that the commission will also provide a clear, simple and functional licensing regime on these platforms and would speed up ongoing reform process to address the protection, administration and enforcement of rights in the digital environment.

    He said the increasing menace of illegal offline downloads which leads to infringement of copyright in music would also be addressed.

    NCC Director-General, Mr. Afam Ezekude, said it is important for users of creative contents including the telcos to leverage on the facilities of copyright system to ensure the sustenance of seamless availability of creative content and enhance their value added services. He said the use of creative content should be on the basis of license legitimately issued by those who own rights to the creative content.

    Mr Ezekude noted that most operators appear not to be engaging the right platforms to secure appropriate license for creative contents deployed on some networks, saying they continually witness some avoidable copyright disputes, which do not only impact negatively on the image of the service providers, but also distract authors from pursuing their creative endeavours.

    Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Peter Jack said much is still needed to be done to sustain the digital revolution in the music industry since the world is now driven by IT.

    He said IT is an enabler in all sectors, saying recent reports from National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicate that IT contribution to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose from 5.7 per cent in 2011 to 12.6 per cent this year, growing at an annual rate of 6.4 per cent.

    He said the statistics implies that for any sector to achieve remarkable contribution to the growth of Nigeria’s economy, and be part of Federal Government’s cardinal goal of wealth creation, it must exploit the opportunities in ICT of which the music industry is a major one.

    He said NITDA will ensure improved framework for digital monitoring of music played by broadcast stations across Nigeria.

    He said NITDA is willing to partner with COSON to achieve its goals which are expected to ensure efficiency, transparency and maintain an accurate database.

     

  • Smartphone users disagree over accessories’ use

    Smartphone users disagree over accessories’ use

    Smartphone users have disagreed over the necessity of the use of mobile phone accessories. While some say it amounted to frivolity and waste of funds, others say the advantages are too obvious to be ignored.

    Mr. Ugochukwu Nwanchukwu says he uses the Samsung S5300 smartphone, adding that the only accessory he uses is its ear piece.

    He said: “My phone is very small and it enters my breast pocket perfectly. The only accessory I use on my phone is my earpiece. This is because I use it to listen to the radio. I don’t use bluetooth that is why I don’t have a bluetooth. I don’t have a phone casing because it makes my phone to look bigger. I don’t have a screen guard because the phone is portable and would hardly fall off my hands. The earpiece is the only accessory that is useful to me.

    One of the most delicate parts of the smartphones is its screen. The screen which now doubles as the keyboard for most smartphones needs to be protected. A Sales Representative at Slot, Surulere, Vivian said the screen protector is a necessity for smartphone users.

    She said: “Whenever a customer buys a phone, I always advise him to buy a screen protector which has tempered glass. The tempered glass is dust prove, scratch prove, as well as anti-break. If you have a tempered glass on your expensive smartphone and it falls off, the tempered glass will serve as an external screen which would break instead of your smartphone screen”.

    Adebisi Ajayi who uses a Samsung Galaxy S5 describes her tempered glass as her “phone saver”. She said: “When my little cousin threw my phone down the staircase, the tempered glass protected my phone’s screen. Instead of spending precious time and money looking for the screen that would suit my Samsung Galaxy, I only had to go for a new tempered glass.”

    Mrs Esther Kokumo said she uses accessories to preserve the beauty of her devices and prevent them from going bad. She said: “Smartphones are devices that you take everywhere you go. Sometimes you keep them in your pocket with the car keys, place them on the dining table or on the dashboard of the car Overtime, it starts to lose its sleek colour and may take up a dull and unattractive look. But with accessories, you can make your smartphone look almost as new as when you just bought it.”

    Vivian agrees no less. She said accessories give mobile phones an added aesthetic value.

    “A lot people buy accessories because they don’t want to buy a new phone. It makes smartphones look more beautiful. In fact, you can also add tones and colours to your smartphones with the various phones shell. For those that like trendy things, especially ladies, the pink phones shell are beautiful with various back case that gives your phone a customised look,” she added.

    For picture freaks, the selfie stick is an accessory which is enticing. Ifeoluwa Bidemi, a student described the selfie stick as her favourite smartphone accessory. She said: “It is best for snapping a big crowd especially when nobody in the crowd wants to be left out of the picture. I also use it to take my selfies when nobody is around to snap me.”

    Like Bidemi, Vivian said that the selfie stick is best for personal shots.  “It is compatible with almost every smartphone because it uses a bluetooth connection. It comes with a control button that allows you to connect with your smartphone.  So when you take a shot with it, you take great shots but without it, your phone might slip off,” she said.

    Another accessory you may just need if you don’t want to ever run out of battery on your smartphone could be the multi-kit charger, power bank or the car charger or even a desktop charger for your spare battery. A commercial bus driver who simply introduced himself as Mr Sule said: “The car charger has now become an important accessory for drivers. Even passengers that sit beside me usually ask me if I have a car charger even if they still have power on their battery. Besides I also use the multi-kit charger to charge both my phone as well as that of my passengers on the go.”

    For Nnena, a cashier at PhoneAce Stores, the bluetooth is a very good accessory especially when while driving. “You do not have to hold your smarphones to pick calls while driving. And when you have two incoming calls at a time, you can use your bluetooth prompter to choose among the two calls. Like Ugochukwu said, she added that the hands-free also serve as an antenna that allows her to listen the radio while the headset is best to listen to music without disturbing others.

     

  • Oracle sees future in Nigeria

    Oracle sees future in Nigeria

    •Pledges more investment in human capital  

    A tech firm, Oracle, has said with the level of uptake in technology in Nigeria, the future is  bright.

    Its Senior Vice President, Eastern Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Middle East and Africa, Alfonso Di Ianni, who spoke during the official opening of the firm’s new office on Victoria Island, Lagos at the weekend, said the demand for Oracle’s products in the country has outpaced that of South Africa, adding that the firm will keep on investing in the country; building local capacities and competences.

    Ianni said the demand for the firm’s services have moved from the telecoms sector to oil and gas, adding that it now runs a versatile cloud service for customers.

    According to him, Oracle has built partnership with states such as Lagos and Edo, adding that the National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) is not left out. He said in all these partnerships, it has been a win-win situation as the firm’s solutions have improved service delivery at minimal costs.

    “Demand for our products and services in Nigeria have been the best in Africa. It is higher than that of South Africa. Our cloud services enable customers to maximise productivity. Our hybrid infrastructure allows customers to focus on where they have core competence while we provide the platform for them,” he said, adding that Oracle has over 100 business partners in the country.

    He said the opening of new office in Nigeria underscores the fact that the firm has huge customers base in the country, adding that with the new structure commissioned, it will begin to run its local and West African businesses from Nigeria.

    The new office, according to him, is however, a starting point for the firm in its future operations in the country and the sub-region, adding that funding was needed to meet the growing demand of the market.

    “We need more resources to meet the huge demand from the customers. The profile of Oracle is changing from only sales to having professionals such as accountants, experts and other professionals on ground in a fully functional office. This will help our customers to move their businesses from one premise to the cloud,” Ianni said.

    Oracle’s revenue in the region has grown over the years, along with its partner ecosystem that has increased in size by 30 per cent over the past three years.

    Its Country Leader, Adebayo Sanni said Oracle customers are rapidly adopting mobile, social and cloud technologies to transform their businesses.

    He said: “They are delivering services that weren’t possible before and they are finding very smart ways to bring their products to market; throughout Africa we have seen remarkable innovation and transformation.

    “With cloud adoption rates accelerating, this ability becomes even more prevalent. Software as a Service (SaaS) is becoming ingrained in the sector’s consciousness and Platform as a Service (PaaS) is also gaining traction. IT systems have to be fast and simple to be able to be agile.

    “We’re very excited by the opening of Oracle’s latest state-of-the-art facility here in Nigeria and look forward to continuing to provide world-class solutions to help our customers and partners innovate and grow in the region.”

     

  • NITDA seeks global collaboration to fight cybercrimes

    NITDA seeks global collaboration to fight cybercrimes

    The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is seeking global collaboration to tackle the menace of cybercrimes. It said since cybercrimes is a global phenomenon, the whole world must sit together and find a way of collaborating to fight them.

    Its Head, Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships and Inter-Agency, Mr John Kennedy Chime, who spoke in Lagos, said since information communication technology (ICT) has taken the centre stage, creating efficiency and wealth in many forms in all sphere of human endeavours, there is a need to maintain a minimum standard of security.

    The NITDA as a Federal Government agency, he said, is mandated to regulate Information Technology (IT) in Nigeria, adding that it does that through policy, standards, enforcement and multi-stakeholders’ engagements.

    He said it is not easy to do away with cybercrime totally, but stressed the need for continuous stakeholder’s engagement with the private sector, security agencies and other agencies globally so as to monitor developments and follow up.

    According to him, the people engaged in cybercrimes are also working ahead of regulators, adding that NITDA has developed means of checking and tracking the criminals so that the system does not get damaged.

    He called for multi-stakeholders collaboration, urging the private sector to key into what the Federal Government has done with a view to coming out with solutions to the challenge.

    Chime said the Cybercrime Act, which was signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan, is the beginning of the fight against cybercrime, but noted that there is more to be done in the area of enforcement and information monitoring aspect. “This is because, as the law is being enforced, the criminals are also looking for better ways to perpetrate their crime and are coming up with new apps,” he said.

    He continued: “The private and public sectors have so much idea and this is why we call for stakeholders’ relationship, which is the best approach to proffer solutions to the problems.

    “This is not a problem to be solved by one person, but people should come together to look for an agency like ours, that is in charge of IT regulation in Nigeria. We have so many information and relationship with other organisations, which they may not have. With a team work, we will have the ways to together, fight this cybercrime and get the best from it.”

    Dr Chime noted that in the banking sector, there has always been the application of new software that ensures that intruders are kept at bay.

    He encouraged the use of genuine apps that will fight fraud, warning that if criminals get access to a bank’s data, it could lead to the extinction of the bank and some of its customers whose life savings may have been affected.

     

  • AMPION, Microsoft support 200 SMEs

    Over 200 entrepreneurs across Africa are to receive the resources, networking opportunities and mentorship needed to start their own businesses.

    Microsoft 4Africa  has collaborated with AMPION to provide financial, technical, and mentorship support for the Venture Bus, fellowship and accelerator programmes which will last for between six and nine months.

    Microsoft is set to offer in-country and virtual mentorship through the MySkills4Africa volunteer programme using Microsoft cloud services, Skype for  business  and Yammer to stay connected, technical and business support and skill training , through BizSpark, and the Microsoft  Virtual Academy programes, to help them refine and take their business solutions to market.

    Director, Startup Engagement and Partnership, Microsoft4Afrika, Amrote Abdella, said Microsoft is keen on supporting an innovation ecosystem in Africa and is set to support entrepreneur create innovative solution for sustainable businesses on the continent.

    Abdella said: ”Through our collaboration with AMPION, we look forward to giving young talent the tools and resources needed to succeed –laying the foundation for the creation on globally competitive businesses.”

    He added that the  AMPION Venture bus Africa 5 tour will focus on East Africa (e-wealth), West Africa (fin-tech), Southern Africa (hardware & agriculture) and Tunisia(female empowerment).

    According to the Founder and Managing Director, AMPION Africa, Fabian – Carlos Guhl, the seven-day venture bus programme is designed to be intense, competitive and challenging –an ideal environment for innovation to thrive. He noted that the fellowship program is the designed to sharpen the entrepreneur s and business ideas with the highest potential.”

    Guhl said: “Microsoft‘s 4afrika initiative shares our vision of inspiring entrepreneur and cultivating innovation across the continent. We are excited to have them on board, as they understand the power of technology in empowering entrepreneur to become pan-Africa change agents.”

    The first venture bus has just completed the West African tour which started in Cote d’lvoire, passing through Togo, Ghana and Benin. Its final stop is at the annual DEMO Africa startup event in Nigeria, which Microsoft is sponsoring for the fourth consecutive year. The programme will start out with five buses of 40 entrepreneur travelling across 16 countries in Africa. On the venture bus tour, entrepreneurs will receive on -board mentorship and visit local tech hubs over seven days with the aim of helping them develop solution and business idea .

    Potential startups from the bus will be pitching their business ideas developed during the seven days journey.

    “The seven-day venture bus programme is design to be intense, competitive and challenging –an ideal environment for innovation to thrive. The fellowship programme is the designed to sharpen the entrepreneurs and business ideas with the highest potential.”

    “Microsoft‘s 4afrika initiative shares our vision of inspiring entrepreneur and cultivating innovation across the continent. We are excited to have them on board ,as they understand the power of technology in empowering entrepreneur to become pan-Africa change agents,” he said.

    Microsoft’s support will include in –country and virtual mentorship through the MySkills4Africa volunteer programme (using Microsoft cloud services, Skype for  business  and yammer to stay connected); technical &business support and skill training , though BizSpark and the Microsoft  Virtual Academy programs, to help them refine and take their business solutions to market of technology in empowering entrepreneur to become pan-Africa change agents.”

     

     

     

     

  • Intel, NCWD to bridge IT gender divide

    Intel Corporation and the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) is set to train 25 women in Information Communication Technology (ICT) use to boosting their skills in business.

    The Director-General of the NCWD Director-General, Onyeka Owenu, who spoke with reporters in Abuja, said other objectives of the training include increasing the utilisation of digital services and e-services to advance women’s economic empowerment.

    She explained that during the one week residential programme, the women would also be introduced to Web design and hosting, online marketing of products and services.

    Speaking on the theme of the training which is “Promoting women and girls’ access to ICT and the Internet to accelerate gender equality and women’s economic empowerment”, Onyeka said  the Centre is expected to network internationally and complement other players within the Sustainable development terrain” known as Technology and Entrepreneurship training for women in Nigeria (TETWIN).

    “We are making effort to strongly push for a wider narrative and vision of where African women issues should go and we believe that when you empower a woman, you empower a nation

    “ I am happy to introduce this training today, because it is about skills and because it is about empowering the woman to make her more economically independent, in a world of huge opportunities and challenge where the fast moving ICT sector is the backbone of every business,” she added.

     

  • How to improve WiFi experience

    How to improve WiFi experience

    Moving  WiFi router around  home or office with the aim of maximising signal coverage could be a challenge.

    Wi-Fi signals emitted from a router can be blocked or weakened by a variety of factors – which can leave users with weak signal and, ultimately, a poor internet connection on their Wi-Fi-enabled device.

    Wi-Fi signals are short radio waves, with a single Wi-Fi router generally having a range of around 50 metres.

    The Wi-Fi signals get weaker as they travel away from the router, and are blocked and absorbed by walls and other barriers.

    Experts have come out with solutions on how these limitations could be tackled. These are:

    • Place router in the open

    The first step to overcome this challenge is to position the router near the centre of the house or office so that signal strength is evenly distributed throughout the building.

    Make sure it is in the open, and not hidden behind walls or bookcases– use line of sight to determine the least-cluttered position for the router.

    • Keep router off the ground

    Since most routers are designed to broadcast waves slightly downwards, placing routers on an elevated surface aids in signal distribution.

    The signals Wi-Fi routers give off also can’t penetrate some of the materials that make up floors, like metal and concrete.

    • Keep router away from other electronics

    Electronic devices may interfere with the router’s signal. Therefore, television sets, computers, microwaves, and devices with a motor inside all hinder signal reception. Routers should not be placed near one of these devices if the best must come out of them.

    • Point router antennas in different directions

    Most routers have two antennas – you may want to position one vertically and one horizontally.

    Devices work best when their antennas are parallel with a router’s, and the vertical/horizontal antenna placement optimises the chance of this occurring.

    Antennas inside laptops are usually horizontal, and antennas in a smartphone or a tablet can be either horizontal or vertical, depending on how you hold the device.

    • Measure signal strength

    If there are problems connecting to the router, measure the Wi-Fi signal strength around your house/office or the location where the router is being used.

    There are a variety of apps available which can measure signal strength, and help to find weak spots.

     

  • Airtel, Liquid Telecom seal fibre deal

    Bharti Airtel’s mobile broadband subscribers in Africa will soon enjoy faster Internet access speeds on its networks. This follows an announcement that Airtel will use Liquid Telecom’s terrestrial fibre network to connect its mobile base stations and enterprises.

    The agreement enables Airtel operations to leverage Liquid Telecom’s existing 20,000km-long fibre network across East, Central and Southern Africa, as well as enjoy new purpose-built fibre infrastructure, to connect Airtel’s mobile base stations and enterprise customers with fibre.

    According to Liquid Telecom, the agreement answers the need for mobile operators to increase the Internet speed delivered over their mobile broadband networks.

    Liquid Telecom Group Chief Executive Officer CEO) Nic Rudnick said: “Mobile operators are relying on Internet access and data services to grow their revenues.”

    Airtel Africa CEO Christian de Faria, said the agreement is a milestone in providing fast broadband services to customers in a cost-effective way.

    “Airtel has invested significantly in mobile broadband technology across its African footprint and this agreement will deliver end-to-end fibre connectivity to our 3G and 4G base stations,” he said.