Alcatel-Lucent sponsor West & Central Africa Com, Senegal, June 2012

Leading networking and communications technology company Alcatel-Lucent has confirmed its participation to the West & Central Africa Com event taking place in Dakar, Senegal in June. Eric Festraets, Director of Network & Business Strategy at the comany, and Member of the Board of Directors of the FTTH Council will join the group of expert speakers at the conference. He will give a presentation in the session on 'connecting users to broadband', with a focus on network transformation to address the traffic explosion. Alcatel-Lucent will also host the Networking Drinks at the end of the first day, an occasion for all participants to continue the day's discussions in an informal setting, by the poolside of the King Fahd Palace Soleil de Dakar hotel, with panoramic views on the ocean.

West & Central Africa Com will take place on 13-14 June and will gather senior representatives of the whole digital ecosystem: operators, regulators, investors, vendors, start-ups, consultants and more. Other sponsors and partners of the event are ACE Consortium, Sonatel, Telecom Italia Sparkle, BICS, Corning, Africa24, Mobile Monday Dakar and start-up incubator CTIC Dakar.

Friday News Round Up...

The Com World Series team live and breathe emerging markets, so we want to make sure we spread the news!

Hot Stories in Emerging Markets

MVNOs in KSA soon..but why limiting the market to 3 MVNO licences only? http://lnkd.in/8PuENi

Turkcell combines m-wallet and location services - http://telecoms.com – telecoms industry news, analysis and opinion
http://www.telecoms.com/42539/turkcell-combines-m-wallet-and-location-services/

Kenya sees increase in data usage
http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2012/04/kenya-sees-increase-in-data-usage

Kuwait eyes law to regulate social media sites
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/kuwait-eyes-law-regulate-social-media-sites-455194.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Webinar

Bringing Value to the Mobile: The Path Ahead for Mobile Money and Mobile Financial Services
http://webinars.telecoms.com/webinar/bringing-value-to-the-mobile/?token=MPU

The Com World Series team concentrates on emerging markets in Africa, the Middle East and Eurasia 24/7 – 365 days of the year. You can follow the news with us by joining our online communities.

2012 AfricaCom Awards categories announced...

The 5th Annual AfricaCom Awards Will Recognise the Best and Brightest in Telecoms, Media and ICT from the Continent. Will Your Company Be Amongst the Prize Winners? 

The most glamorous night in the African Digital Industry’s calendar is back for 2012, and it promises to be even bigger and better. Don’t miss your chance to enter your business for the fantastic categories, and the opportunity to stand up in front of your peers as a winner.

The categories have been freshened up to reflect Africa’s changing digital scene 

Best Network Improvement
This award recognises an eye-catching, successful initiative that has significantly improved a network in Africa, since the end of November 2011.

Most Innovative Service
This prize recognises a popular new offering which, from conception to execution, has been an innovation. It could be for the consumer or the enterprise markets, and could be messaging, m-commerce, video, etc. It will be in an African market, and should have offered significant new prospects for revenue & delighting customers since November 2011.

Best Quality User Experience NEW !
Customers in Africa are increasingly demanding cool and engaging products, and this category recognises offerings from all sectors – service providers, device manufacturers, broadcasters, app developers, etc. So this award recognises a successful initiative in Africa that’s offered a superior quality of user experience in the past year.

Best Cost Efficiency Initiative for Africa
Recognises an outstanding new initiative from a telecoms or ICT solution provider, or from an operator/ service provider (mobile, wireless, fixed or ISP), which has enabled greater cost-efficiency in the provision of telecoms, media and ICT services in Africa since November 2011.

Rural Telecoms Award
Recognises an exceptional vendor solution, or operator/service provider initiative or service, which has extended and/or improved telecommunications services in rural and under-served Africa since November 2011.

Best Backhaul Solution for Africa
This award recognises a fibre, satellite, or wireless solutions provider that has significantly improved backhaul capacity, with measurable improvements in quality and reliability of service, in Africa since November 2011.

Best Marketing Campaign
Recognises an inspiring and effective marketing campaign (can include new brand launch), advertising campaign, or innovative distribution strategy, launched by an operator/ service provider in Africa since November 2011.

Best Smart-Device for Africa  < NEW >
This category recognises the innovation and creativity taking place in the African device market since November 2011. Smart-phones, net-books, and other smart devices strive to cater to the continent’s particular challenges and opportunities at the right price – which has succeeded?

Best Pan African Initiative
Recognises an initiative taken by an organisation or a group of organisations to improve telecommunications services at a regional or continental level across Africa since November 2011.

The 2012 Mobile Data and Social Media Award  NEW !
This award recognises innovation and creativity in the world of mobile data and social media – whether it is a new app, a social networking platform, popular content/media or successful data services – this category highlights the latest and leading initiatives from digital Africa.

Industry Personality of the Year  NEW !
This illustrious award is in honour of the most upstanding and inspiring figures working in Africa’s telecoms, ICT and media industries – all nominations are free to make.

Changing Lives Award
This special award recognises an inspiring initiative that has significantly impacted African telecommunications in the community and contributed to economic and social development since November 2011.

AfricApps Awards NEW !

To celebrate the launch of AfricApps at AfricaCom this year, we will celebrate the winning entrants of the following App-focused awards:

Best Smart-Phone App in Africa  NEW !
This will be recognising the next African ‘Angry Birds’, the interactive smart-phone application which is showing the most innovation in engaging the content hungry consumer.

Best Feature-Phone App in Africa  NEW !
This category recognises innovation in feature phone native applications. These are the apps that are dominating the African market and providing entertainment, education or enterprise opportunities to the consumer

Deadline for entries is 7th September 2012 - so plenty of time to clear some space for the silverware and practice your acceptance speech...

For more information on how to enter: www.africacomawards.com