tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24978118732985066592024-03-13T04:46:25.129+00:00Com World Series: Global Telecoms, ICT & MediaCom World Series is a series of telecoms, media and ICT events taking place in Africa, Eurasia and the Middle East. Focusing on global trends including Cloud, convergence, Social Media, OTT providers, customer loyalty, customer experience management, mobile money, mobile education, mobile government, applications and roaming.Craig Lumsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00874208197250208555noreply@blogger.comBlogger659125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-63325885115123046012016-11-07T11:11:00.001+00:002016-11-07T11:12:23.925+00:00Connecting Africa is here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.connectingafrica.com/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-connecting-africa&utm_term=read-more&utm_content=connecting-africa-homepage" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSty4F1REw4H2ianlQqhvQB9sfqJZnFKNyEf2ShYrK2SVjHI3ZfTB4CtGswQ0-qocZJnEclzyBbc90Pcy-bXOSCW7a5y8PkMeiCEc2j_6zerjrSXHLglcYj_uvK-03TjZa1k-WkONVjDW/s400/Connecting+Africa+New.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've got some big news:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've just launched the first ever online community dedicated to tackling the immense scope of the African digital landscape. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The community will provide in-depth coverage of all the latest news, updates and thought-leadership from the African tech and telco ecosystem.<br /></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.connectingafrica.com/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-connecting-africa&utm_term=read-more&utm_content=connecting-africa-homepage" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgM32yIUPhTTzPN3yIBxJZN9Rx4TlEUzDEVJV_7os-JpXqZQMVoT02JsWaf5QRJevPfhi-PzQAbAVu6dhQZ0ZaA84EB6i0dfYNFSItwvK1B5BkZAOrU5GywPbZJ636sWNbbOdR5FUgI3V/s400/Connecting+Africa+homepage.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.connectingafrica.com/register.asp?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-connecting-africa&utm_term=register&utm_content=connecting-africa-sign-up" target="_blank">Register now</a> to get exclusive access to:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- News and updates</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Videos</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Webinars</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Radio shows</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Case studies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Message boards </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This bigger and better community platform will now take the place of the comworldseries blog as we look to to provide our readers and event attendees with a more agile and comprehensive news source.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See you over at <a href="http://www.connectingafrica.com/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-connecting-africa&utm_term=read-more&utm_content=connecting-africa-homepage" target="_blank">Connecting Africa</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Find out more <a href="http://www.connectingafrica.com/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-connecting-africa&utm_term=read-more&utm_content=connecting-africa-homepage" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can register <a href="http://www.connectingafrica.com/register.asp?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-connecting-africa&utm_term=register&utm_content=connecting-africa-sign-up" target="_blank">here</a>.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-59759202981798535062016-11-06T14:44:00.000+00:002016-11-06T22:30:38.897+00:00The Countdown to AfricaCom 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://secure11.eventadv.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=register&utm_content=free-pass" target="_blank">Register for a free AfricaCom visitors' pass</a></span></h3>
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKJoNDnvl1g-ZsgI_jgRaG1SOm4uML1OjpEj96JING8lqsM2clUbDtFSDX8T5bWH3OX3pq9IIil_Q2MOOPx85md7By53eE9ha5xeR_9diC7PvXMuRO6ZBJ7jNj3s4ldDSs_Ib_3KjRHZm/s400/Cape+Town.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/amy-turner-594b2663" target="_blank">Amy Turner</a> – Community Managing Editor, Connecting Africa<br /><br /><b>There’s just one week to go until Africa’s largest technology and telecommunications event kicks off in the Silicon Cape.</b><br /><br />Like the region and sectors it serves, <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> has gone through a massive transformation in recent years, looking to remain at the forefront of the most unique and dynamic markets and trends in the world. <br /><br />Africa has seen a multitude of home-grown innovations flourish in recent years, which have sown the seeds to transform Africa into a truly digital continent. Already termed the ‘Mobile Continent’, Africa has developed in leaps and bounds in the areas of mobile money, m-Health initiatives, apps and local digital entertainment, and in the process has grabbed the attention of the world’s greatest tech leaders - from Zuckerberg to Gates.<br /><br />Africa is proving to be fertile ground where opportunity, investment and innovation are concerned, with the African telco sector alone projected to be worth $65bn by 2018. AfricaCom is looking to elevate these sectors further, showcase successes and growth, debate solutions and best practice and enable a more cohesive ecosystem for collaboration between both private and public entities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Event</span></b><br /><br />To this end, AfricaCom has been extended and revolutionised from the usual two-day model, to a week-long festival of informative sessions, immersive satellite events and unique networking opportunities, which the African tech space has never seen before.</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=10&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-agenda&utm_content=leadersin-agenda" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iIC8jtPQURF5P3jXEI4KnfyJlLpxZDycYos2ermIW5zXzLG8ivWU8EjrRG6HSiVoZ86rGUlTEQpTIahxwkp7jV_azA8Jwk8Ir6gHDkNEtB_rV_PATumo69GKhfmMXKpyWPechJUHQOVF/s400/Leaders+in+Africa+Keynotes.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The setting for this year’s AfricaCom is The Telegraph’s <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africa/south-africa/galleries/reasons-why-cape-town-is-the-best-city-in-the-world/" target="_blank">Best City in the World</a>, Cape Town, South Africa - it’s the African Mother City with the international reputation, which is also home to the continent’s highest number of tech hubs. <br /><br />Taking place between the 14th-18th of November 2016 at the world-renowned <a href="http://www.cticc.co.za/" target="_blank">Cape Town International Convention Centre</a>, the focus of this year’s event is the economic development and social empowerment of Africa through digital connectivity, and seeks to be a bolder event that encompasses the entire tech ecosystem. <br /><br />The event will see over 10,000 attendees walk through its doors to hear over 350 visionary speakers deliver their keynote addresses, insights, discussions and showcases centering around Africa’s most pressing topics, challenges and trends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's On</span></b><br /><br />The <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/1?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=agenda" target="_blank">agenda</a> is a thorough exploration of all the sector has to offer the region, from embracing <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/iot-smart-cities-africa?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=iot-smart-cities" target="_blank">IoT and Smart Cities</a> in an African context, to the potentials of <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/3?stream=4&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=big-data-agenda" target="_blank">monetising data</a> through analytics and customer insights. The event will also serve to shine a light on greater <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/mobile-finance-commerce?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=mobile-finance-commerce" target="_blank">financial inclusion</a> through mobile innovations and digital transformation, as well as agile <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/enterprise-ict?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=enterprise-ict" target="_blank">IT for enterprises</a>. The development of engaging <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=digital-entertainment-agenda" target="_blank">digital entertainment</a> content in an African context, from television to music, gaming and apps, will also be discussed through a host of case studies and keynote panels. AfricaCom also sees a dedicated <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=12&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=SDN-NFV-agenda" target="_blank">SDN and NFV Proof of Concept</a> stream focussing on key solutions for African connectivity service providers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom-ahub/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=ahub-homepage" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKdqNhag1uF2lr_t2A0CYryAOY6AoMbRl3hvPcMpBsO7cvQgNLMIcZO1oXEaJYWkrKnGI3iWBXDCUXO4Dl7fyZRkBxmGcXF5wUmy0XWTnlVsfxOSt5LzRBDJlUNJh2zCKFx7ijGxaIP-J/s400/AHUB+info.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />AfricaCom’s <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom-ahub/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=ahub-homepage" target="_blank">AHUB powered by Ericsson</a> has doubled in size this year with over 50 influential speakers. It is the meeting place for Africa's start-up community; linking business-ready entrepreneurs, developers and start-ups with accelerators, investors, VCs and business mentors. The AHUB will serve as a platform for a number of key innovative start-ups and disruptors, as well as bringing together hundreds of entrepreneurs - allowing delegates to position themselves at the forefront of the technology changing tomorrow and understand how the African investor community operates. What is more, the AHUB is free to attend for all start-ups and investors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The People</span></b><br /><br />The biggest names in telco and tech will be descending on AfricaCom to deliver their <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=10&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-agenda&utm_content=leadersin-agenda" target="_blank">LeadersIn Africa keynote addresses</a>, take part in leaders’ panel discussions, showcases and roundtables, all while looking to elevate the African tech scene and provide in-depth insights and analysis on some of the region’s biggest topics, challenges and opportunities. Some of the leading figures attending AfricaCom 2016 include: <br /><br /><b>Headline Speakers:</b><br /> <br /><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/thione-niang?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-speakers&utm_content=niang" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRATt4FZtJ9dZtANUm2Kx6Zq5_MLS_gDkO-NA868rqZAHh1WkFX-DbIpr3BxTqKKM2DIzo0bb_lKeVR51N42pJww8mFALrNGZJb7yEZsNqM1TYqhkvMzFeE5QDy5G0MyUbw2lLscdFqrcq/s200/Thione+Niang.png" width="200" /></a><br /><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/thione-niang?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-speakers&utm_content=niang" target="_blank">Thione Niang</a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Co-Founder of Akon Lighting Africa and appointed by president Obama as the ambassador at the US Ministry of Energy</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/bisila-bokoko?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-speakers&utm_content=bokoko" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPrFLY1qr_RP2oTNANcQ3Fu3nBVcRTvRwczpiQgI2UmYTkKEjdalNyAWdkwzObutOquBG-xQUP9cSbOfl7CSBFIHlapsZwyp5sLjM1V42FIC9nnxf7NeOra5pSi-gjr_EWw7gWzmzdYPf/s200/Basila+Bokoko.png" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/bisila-bokoko?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-speakers&utm_content=bokoko" target="_blank">Bisila Bokoko</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Leading figure of the UN’s EMPRETEC programme – fostering entrepreneurship skills for women in Africa</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/deshun-deysel?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-speakers&utm_content=deysel" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieF_daBy37388LSBl2X2tTgPltt_tZymARRt2ZnRCCff_Su2eKRlEnSkEzQcTi9AwDYxgUuUNyO8TUHQ0cCFJwtfmWm4LB0LhWObS9VEPoXfp32sc6ASpzmEcZjdvG2Gbnibz0V-6urtcW/s200/Deshun+Deysel.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/deshun-deysel?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-speakers&utm_content=deysel" target="_blank">Deshun Deysel</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mountaineer and Businesswoman - the first black woman to climb Mount Everest</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/chris-daniels?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-speakers&utm_content=daniels" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqfPPXyXPDK3T-fTtJwho1pcLn6XKWEux_ja8fU2SuCPJMbqBc5PPuFEJHvZGLV_G_fHbug9UzzJ43QiMaUcZO37T460NDRPI83O7IdjJmNP1PGVSIrjHNMFlHX2VYzPS_1_WjoXmE0SG/s200/Chris+Daniels+New.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/chris-daniels?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-speakers&utm_content=daniels" target="_blank">Chris Daniels</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vice President at Internet.org at Facebook<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/bruno-mettling?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-speakers&utm_content=mettling" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbNRby60DJbyZFsMKrr4w2s2OKQPgf5IamoWiTJ1GnfI5D76EOJkvhsAykYlYWTMN7-JNPAYsaYjoYSRbrVgj86Xz2dlXxUzoMV-NXs3FExgjJ61gmeCX4bQSzVhkopeB5f4RP7eJVSW8/s200/Bruno+Mettling+New.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/bruno-mettling?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-speakers&utm_content=mettling" target="_blank">Bruno Mettling</a><br /> CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa<br /><b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The AfricaCom agenda at a glance:</span></b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/visions-for-africa?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=visions-of-africa" target="_blank">Visions for Africa</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=10&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=view-agenda&utm_content=leadersin-agenda" target="_blank">LeaderIn Africa Headline Keynotes</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/leadersin-africa-summit?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=leadersin" target="_blank">LeadersIn Africa Summit</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/iot-smart-cities-africa?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=iot-smart-cities" target="_blank">IoT and Smart Cities Africa</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/mobile-finance-commerce?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=mobile-finance-commerce" target="_blank">Mobile Finance and Commerce</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/enterprise-ict?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=enterprise-ict" target="_blank">Enterprise ICT Africa</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=digital-entertainment-agenda" target="_blank">Digital Entertainment</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/3?stream=4&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=big-data-agenda" target="_blank">Big Data</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=12&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=SDN-NFV-agenda" target="_blank">SDN and NFV Proof of Concept</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/tv-connect-africa/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=tv-connect" target="_blank">TV Connect Africa</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/lte-africa/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=lte" target="_blank">LTE Africa</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom-ahub/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=ahub-homepage" target="_blank">AHUB powered by Ericsson</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/1?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=astars" target="_blank">ASTARS</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/afest?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=afest-homepage" target="_blank">The AFEST</a></span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A Celebration of Africa Tech</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the most exciting additions to this year’s event is the <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/afest?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=afest-homepage" target="_blank">AFEST</a>, an evening festival with performances by Africa’s most prominent musicians and bands. Taking place at <a href="http://www.shimmybeachclub.com/" target="_blank">Shimmy Beach Club</a> on Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront on the Tuesday 15 November 2016, the AFEST is an evening of networking and a celebration of African technology. The all-African line-up includes the jazz and house trio Mi Casa and the indie, kwela cross-over band Freshlyground. The night will end with the internationally-renowned DJ and producer Black Coffee, sending home-brewed tunes across the Mother City.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Attending AfricaCom 2016</u>:</b><br />It’s not too late to grab your free delegate pass to the AfricaCom exhibition <a href="https://secure11.eventadv.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=register&utm_content=free-pass" target="_blank">here</a>. To take advantage of all that AfricaCom has to offer, such as: the full conference, LeadersIn Africa Headliners, the AFEST and much more, take a look at our delegate packages <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=purchase-ticket&utm_content=select-package" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />If you are a free pass holder you can purchase your AFEST ticket as an add-on <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=purchase-ticket&utm_content=select-package" target="_blank">here</a>. Don't forget to bring your passes with to gain entrance to the AFEST.</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sCWxnfLreVdkcRD-GTyhyrSznlE6tVwV4OiQ8Wz7NE8WCjqkbgWRW8JePg92FYXF7BZ4Lcd9_SCYXylZnxNWS4Ol40ZLsHA8sLp09P6g7qGuV9B7oxaeEpHZgBlLfG5iAKxb6NPHEQm/s1600/Africa-COM-300x250.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Dates:</b><br />Festival: 14 – 18 November 2016<br /> Exhibition: 15 – 17 November 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Venue:</b><br /> Cape Town International Convention Centre<br /> Cape Town <br /> South Africa<br /> <br /> More info: <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">tmt.knect365.com/africacom</a><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">#AfricaCom<br /> #AFEST</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-40791592475424582192016-11-04T14:35:00.000+00:002016-11-06T11:02:16.022+00:00Data Centre Solutions for the Angolan IT and Telco Sectors - A Flexenclosure Case Study <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is set to be a 10 fold increase in mobile data traffic and around 540 million smart phones on the African continent by 2020. The lowering cost of smartphone handsets, coupled with the rise in new mobile innovations and offerings centering around the African consumer is leading to a data boom in 'Digital Africa'. IT and Telecommunication operators on the continent are looking to cost effective and swiftly built data centre solutions to cope with this surge.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enter <a href="http://www.flexenclosure.com/" target="_blank">Flexenclosure</a>, the designer and manufacturer of prefabricated modular data centres and intelligent power management solutions. Their data centres have been successfully deployed in a number of key regions, stretching from Mozambique to the Cote d'Ivoire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this case study, we take a look at one of their most recent projects, a Flexenclosure eCentre for Angola Comunicações e Sistemas (ACS) in Luanda, which has recently been announced as a finalist for the <a href="http://www.flexenclosure.com/flexenclosures-ecentre-for-acs-in-angola-announced-as-finalist-for-dcd-emea-modular-data-centre-award/" target="_blank">DCD EMEA Modular Data Centre Award</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Background</b><br /><br />Angola Comunicações e Sistemas (ACS) is one of Angola’s leading providers of IT solutions and corporate network connectivity. Its core business is the provision of private networks and hosted data and Internet services – via both satellite and broadband wireless technologies – for public sector and enterprise customers, with a key focus on the banking sector.<br /><br />With its business rapidly expanding, ACS was fast outgrowing its main data centre facility in the centre of the Angolan capital Luanda. But not only was it too small, its antiquated construction made it unsuitable to house highly sensitive ICT equipment.<br />Further, the construction of many larger buildings around it was causing line of sight problems for their VSAT antennae – a significant issue with many of ACS’ corporate banking clients relying on ACS for mission critical VSAT services.<br /><br />The solution would require ACS to move its entire operation to an entirely new facility that would serve as a high-redundancy hub for both fibre and satellite communication; that would bring enhanced security for banking transactions and data traffic; and that would enable ACS to plan for long-term business and data colocation service expansion without the need to relocate again in the foreseeable future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br />The Challenge</b><br /><br />ACS identified a large green-field site in Benfica – the rapidly expanding new business and commercial area of Luanda – at which to establish their new data centre facility.<br /><br />However, while ideal in terms of space, the site had absolutely no existing infrastructure – water, power, telecoms connectivity, not even a road to get to it. In fact, before any building could begin, the soil itself would need to be improved in order to give it adequate load bearing capability.<br /><br />These challenges were compounded by the fact that high quality materials, tools and expertise were all in very short supply locally. And the site’s somewhat remote location meant that security would be a major concern – both during construction of the facility and on-going once it was complete and fully operational.<br /><br />And ACS wanted the facility to be manned 24/7, therefore requiring not only the data centre white space but also a full network operations centre (NOC), office space and associated facilities to be available for its staff.<br /><br /><b>The Solution</b><br /><br />Flexenclosure’s prefabricated eCentre data centre was selected as the ideal solution.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A detailed design study was first carried out to make sure that the facility would meet ACS’ needs both immediately and for the future. Flexenclosure then took on ownership of the project as a full turnkey operation including not only the data centre but also the entire site, including the civil works, telecom tower, VSAT farm, NOC, office space, personnel facilities and site infrastructure.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Security is state-of-the-art, with a guardhouse and perimeter laser detection system securing entry to the site. Active PTZ CCTV cameras monitor the entire facility while entry to the data centre, NOC and office space is controlled by an advanced biometric access system.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The DCIM system provides real-time monitoring of all critical systems including generators, fuel, cooling, UPS, switchgear, fire suppression and alarm systems, enabling early detection and fast resolution of any technical issues. And the racks are also fully monitored with sensors on their front and rear doors logging every time the servers are accessed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The tiered NOC includes a video wall allowing all systems to be visually monitored simultaneously. Office space, a reception area, kitchen and bathroom facilities allow the site to be staffed in comfort 24/7.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is no single point of failure with fully redundant and highly energy efficient power systems securing network uptime for mission critical financial services.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And with the 880sqm floor space 1.25MW data centre designed to sit effortlessly within a beautifully landscaped site, the result is a facility that will secure ACS’s future as a leading player in the Angolan ICT services market.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can download the full case study <a href="http://www.flexenclosure.com/wp-content/uploads/Flexenclosure-eCentre-Case-Study-ACS-Angola-1.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>If you're interested in the rise Big Data in Africa, why not attend the continent's largest tech and telco event - <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-flexenclosure&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>AfricaCom is taking place between the 14th - 18th November at the Cape Town ICC, find out more <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-flexenclosure&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />You can sign up for a free visitor pass to the event <a href="https://secure11.eventadv.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-flexenclosure&utm_term=register&utm_content=free-pass" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a> or can book your silver, gold and platinum AfricaCom tickets to all sessions <a href="https://secure11.eventadv.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-flexenclosure&utm_term=register&utm_content=free-pass" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><u>Flexenclosure</u>:</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flexenclosure.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrSk7IXLDaxgZU-yZOcht_UwoIawE4tEapyvRRnfMa6ZPuGIyk8qNNKzReEKOrUYeh8KxpOokhtiktBLlg8kXx4eCkfsLo16E0yYGBbAGt-SB396eKXdcsR29zf4EGEK3dJKA3Tf3qZLp/s320/flex.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Flexenclosure will be exhibiting at this year's event and you can find out more about their eCentres and eSites at exhibition stand D30.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>They will also be delivering a major announcement at the <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-flexenclosure&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> press conference to the continent's media on Tuesday 15th November at 12pm. </b></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-62521471954798447462016-11-01T17:14:00.001+00:002016-11-02T14:40:50.807+00:00Convenience 2.0 - The Platform for Life<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/X8vJBRuDdw3Di8?domain=www2.deloitte.com" target="_blank">Mark Casey</a> - </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Deloitte Global Media & Entertainment Leader</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Recently, I’ve been thinking about the apps ecosystem—good, bad and ugly. For many countries with consistent access to internet connectivity, access to the digital world via smartphones and other screens has, ironically, created an enormous amount of fragmentation. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The online world, via apps, should be as easy for us as breathing in and out, but in reality, there’s a clunkiness to the internet. Despite a few isolated (and largely unsuccessful) efforts, there are no apps that aggregate the most common activities we engage in via smartphone, including: navigation, casual communication, dining out, ride-sharing services, payment, filmed entertainment, and the like. <br /><br />Across companies in many countries, we’ve had a race for dominance; a land grab for a single service (or small set of closely related services). And although there’s significant investment in these types of companies, especially at the startup level, I fear that in the long run, customers simply will not care enough to become loyal to any particular app or service. In effect, companies are asking, “Are there enough nails to hold this building together?” while customers instead are thinking at a different level: “Does this building have all the comforts that would make me want to live here?”</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-deloitte&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1DnN9lYOsymA2xyRLm5w3VVHa77prT20-alhgUPcYsG4DeoLGsaTynDdf-TxUbONgSyZWIPJB7D8YgL3vtqblYu8c3RiF9q6RXXUX-L0u6I-ukHPEvnWKVt1IVijeUvyNcAEUSDRDwGq/s320/Africa-COM-800x320.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I’ve been particularly interested lately in a major service/app from China, which is detailed beautifully in a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/video/technology/100000004574648/china-internet-wechat.html" target="_blank">New York Times video</a>. Clearly, the closed nature of the internet in China has offered certain advantages, but it’s entirely possible for companies in other countries to mimic this model, assuming they stop thinking about individual services and about a holistic customer experience - a “platform for life.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />In short, I predict that companies that are one-trick ponies won’t survive on their own. With strong investments and patience, companies that will succeed in the long term will focus on a seamless convenience for customers. This extends even beyond apps and to the larger content and service ecosystem, for example: customers want to sit in front of any screen (smartphone, tablet, TV) and access whatever entertainment content they want from a single interface. As another example, many of us have experienced the frustration of wanting to see a particular TV series or film, only to discover that it’s not available on the set of individual services to which we’ve subscribed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />So, take this as a wake-up call to media companies of all stripes: make strong alliances and smart moves that offer customers a single interface for everything they do. If you’re going to own the customer of the future, you’ll have to create superaggregation. Become the platform for life. It’s not easy, but as the example from China has shown us, it’s possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>About Deloitte:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/za/en.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0hIjor0FB-tM6ghfMwiR8vgmNtT0LW69hz2nbsVLL3uEi95IpbJj4aiCyhci_1FWKFf9I9TKyOusQWPM5xQJZiaLNXdlWBxuv3Tn-a04U4FUY4DT99eas2Pnz8lzgDg0-R7EKaORKDr3/s200/DEL_PRI_RGB_aw.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/za/en.html" target="_blank">Deloitte</a> is a proud sponsor of the <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/leadersin-africa-summit?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-deloitte&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-agenda" target="_blank">LeadersIn Africa Summit</a> at AfricaCom 2016 – a meeting place for those driving Africa’s digital transformation. At LeadersIn Africa, Deloitte Global Media & Entertainment leader, <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/NV68BwubmLemCz?domain=www2.deloitte.com">Mark Casey</a>, will be facilitating a Think Tank session on New Business Models – engaging with leaders in the telco sector on how to innovate business models to remain relevant and compete in digital Africa. Deloitte Africa Telecommunications Leader, <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/bAlrB1UVlbnltR?domain=www2.deloitte.com">Arun Babu</a> will be moderating a discussion at 9am on 16 November, on new opportunities in Africa’s vibrant and rapidly converging telecoms, media and technology industries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you would like to find out more about AfricaCom 2016, taking place between the 14th - 18th November 2016, please click <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-deloitte&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />You can sign up for a free visitor pass to the event <a href="https://secure11.eventadv.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-deloitte&utm_term=register&utm_content=free-pass" target="_blank">here</a> or can book your silver, gold and platinum AfricaCom tickets to all sessions <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-deloitte&utm_term=purchase-ticket&utm_content=select-package" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>About the author:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Mark Casey<br />Deloitte Global Media & Entertainment Leader<br />Email: mcasey@deloitte.co.za <br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/markcasey3" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-54526458686545273982016-10-31T14:56:00.001+00:002016-11-06T16:50:10.476+00:00African LTE adoption will quickly be followed by soaring IoT applications – is your network ready?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/inna-ott-4a3b14" target="_blank">Inna Ott</a> - Director of Marketing, <a href="http://www.polystar.com/" target="_blank">Polystar</a></span><br />
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Across Africa, LTE subscriptions are surging ahead, bringing the benefits of mobile broadband access to millions of new customers each year. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to Ericsson’s forecast for Sub-Saharan Africa, LTE subscriptions are expected to reach 20% of the total user base – which is itself growing rapidly, driven by new subscriptions, as well as uptake of other technologies, including WCDMA <a href="file:///C:/Users/TurnerA/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/UGGG8TYR/AfricaCom%2016_Blog%20post%20v.2.docx#_ftn1" target="_blank">[1]</a>.<br /><br />This is great news for the continent – and the situation is likely to evolve considerably, as operators extend their investments through the additional deployment of VoLTE services. Already, as Ericsson reports, more than 30 operators have launched LTE in the region, with many more expected to come. As a result, we can expect that VoLTE will swiftly follow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"Higher speed access will unlock a range of new services that differ from the core template"</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />This creates an interesting situation. On the one hand, the classical mix of voice, data and messaging services can be expected to thrive, with more users, more subscriptions and more devices. On the other, new, higher speed access will unlock a range of new services that differ from the core template. Such services will include a growing range of IoT and M2M applications, enabled by high speed mobile connectivity and better overall coverage. Operators need to be able to ensure that existing services perform as the user expects, while also preparing to support a host of unknown new services. <br /><br />As a result, operators need to consider two key points. First, how will they obtain the service visibility they need to deliver the right level of customer experience, across a diverse network base (combining legacy and LTE technologies) that will evolve further as VoLTE is added to the mix? Second, how will they simultaneously obtain the same level of visibility for new services which may have very different performance benchmarks and requirements from those to which they are accustomed?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"IoT applications offer the promise of new revenue streams and an expanded addressable market"</b></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />IoT applications offer the promise of new revenue streams and an expanded addressable market but present new challenges. While KPIs and benchmarks for classical services, such as voice are well understood, those for new IoT services and applications may, as yet, be unknown. Some services will have minimal network demands – for example, the transfer of simple sensor measurements or location positioning from remote devices – while others, for which LTE provides the requisite infrastructure, will be more complex. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />These will include new applications to address key verticals, such as remote healthcare monitoring, or will enable the delivery of extended educational programmes, for example. At the moment, we don’t know what all of these services will be, but we can safely say that there will be many of them and that there will be a burst of innovation, as people both bring existing services to the region from elsewhere and also as people within the region find local solutions for their unique needs and challenges. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"How do you deliver and maintain the network uptime and service quality that a wide - and growing - range of IoT applications will require?"</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />All of which takes us back to the second point we noted. How do you deliver and maintain the network uptime and service quality that a wide - and growing - range of IoT applications will require? Can mobile networks handle the volume of devices that may be deployed by each customer? Can operators ensure that their networks meet highly variable or even volatile quality of service demands? <br /><br />So, LTE both adds to the existing network complexity while, at the same time, providing a platform for future innovation, particularly for IoT applications. In this context, it’s essential that operators take the necessary steps to prepare for a flood of new traffic, from a wide range of different sources. They need to adapt, so that they can obtain the visibility of service performance necessary to ensure that they deliver the right customer experiences, whether to a person or whether for a device servicing an application. In short, they need a continuous, real-time stream of insights derived from all network data in order to assure both overall and application-level performance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"As Africa moves to embrace LTE and to embark on the IoT revolution, operators need to be sure that they have the appropriate tools in place"</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This means that there will be a wide range of internal users of such information. It’s no longer sufficient to provide rich data only to network operations teams. Other departments and groups must be able to view and act on insights gathered from the network. This means that operators need systems and solution in place to both collect and then filter data in a way that is appropriate to the needs of each relevant user. <br /><br />That’s quite a challenge, but there are already solutions available that can meet this goal, serving both classical services, irrespective of the network on which they are delivered, as well as new and emerging IoT services. As Africa moves to embrace LTE and to embark on the IoT revolution, operators need to be sure that they have the appropriate tools in place to support both this transition as well as the next phase of network evolution. Are you ready?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>About Polystar:</b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN646NpgCjqFJiMHYEoZRhD-tydCoQ5YpnJ2mtacJO0ccRhwNC6uyaZ5uy_zi7xErCylcJ9STbDFAsq_k8XOXJUytsnyYyDE1tZrgF5rEBq7dRijCAnOiUFCfIxWBPskL7fiplTc7ievQD/s1600/PolystarGroup_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN646NpgCjqFJiMHYEoZRhD-tydCoQ5YpnJ2mtacJO0ccRhwNC6uyaZ5uy_zi7xErCylcJ9STbDFAsq_k8XOXJUytsnyYyDE1tZrgF5rEBq7dRijCAnOiUFCfIxWBPskL7fiplTc7ievQD/s1600/PolystarGroup_logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meet <a href="http://www.polystar.com/">POLYSTAR</a> at AfricaCom, Stand B37, to discuss how we can help you solve your operational challenges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Book your meeting with the Polystar team, by contacting us at marketing@polystar.com </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>About the writer:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2vPF8fs8g8IOnZIEv_y6vhFJMbm5TFYNPnI0yN_AILAT4n7fprRCHB82ScSLKd0yEf5UDq7ReD137I8M0Zlkq92eZwo3zcTp78OAAsNikX5EFsM3-_BP4Bs2I_UuMTs1zhkQRPxIcyw-/s1600/Inna+Ott+Polystar_2015_0715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2vPF8fs8g8IOnZIEv_y6vhFJMbm5TFYNPnI0yN_AILAT4n7fprRCHB82ScSLKd0yEf5UDq7ReD137I8M0Zlkq92eZwo3zcTp78OAAsNikX5EFsM3-_BP4Bs2I_UuMTs1zhkQRPxIcyw-/s200/Inna+Ott+Polystar_2015_0715.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Inna Ott has more than 15 year's experience in the communications industry. Prior to joining Polystar, she held a number of sales and marketing positions in leading organisations. Since 2013 Inna has been leading Polystar’s marketing department, with responsibility for Global Marketing and Corporate Communications. Inna’s primary focus is to drive increased global demand for Polystar’s solutions, by growing the visibility, recognition and awareness of Polystar’s brand.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<b style="color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><b style="font-size: 13.2px;">If you are interested in how LTE technology is evolving telecommunications on the African continent, why not attend <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-polystar&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> 2016?</b></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><br />Africa's biggest tech and telco event is taking place between the 14th - 18th November at the Cape Town ICC, find out more <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-polystar&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />You can sign up for a free visitor pass to the event <a href="https://secure11.eventadv.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-polystar&utm_term=register&utm_content=free-pass" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a> or can book your silver, gold and platinum AfricaCom tickets to all sessions <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-polystar&utm_term=purchase-ticket&utm_content=select-package" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2015/mobility-report/emr-nov-2015-regional-report-sub-saharan-africa.pdf" target="_blank">[1] Ericsson Mobility Report, Sub-Saharan Africa, November 2015</a></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-15110607410614240972016-10-28T12:27:00.002+01:002016-11-06T16:39:56.661+00:00AfricaCom Speaker Spotlight - Uber's Timothy Willis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLavZUYE65OOgSwf-8MIiEVa-Dvx5-kEUZJr4LU8WY_TGloaQsu9PPJX6ko6Bies3kOVPbsQJ5zub7pC5DFS3pTA_akEWoZGr2r6tUbmSLZcsgDawsLkbroz9cQkdmRR58LAOjbZ01LhZ/s1600/Uber_Logo_Black_Background.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLavZUYE65OOgSwf-8MIiEVa-Dvx5-kEUZJr4LU8WY_TGloaQsu9PPJX6ko6Bies3kOVPbsQJ5zub7pC5DFS3pTA_akEWoZGr2r6tUbmSLZcsgDawsLkbroz9cQkdmRR58LAOjbZ01LhZ/s400/Uber_Logo_Black_Background.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-turner-594b2663" target="_blank">Amy Turner</a>, <a href="https://knect365.com/" target="_blank">KNect365</a> staff Writer</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>With <a href="https://www.uber.com/en-GB/cities/johannesburg/" target="_blank">Uber</a> racking up over 2 million trips on South African roads in the first six months of last year, in stark comparison to the 1 million trips taken throughout the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa in 2014, the digital giant's popularity has skyrocketed on the continent.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Uber has become a firm part of the South African transportation ecosystem </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and the term "I'm going to just Uber it" is a widely heard phrase while out and about in the nation's major cities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I chatted with Uber's Central Operations Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-willis-1a719278" target="_blank">Timothy Willis</a>, ahead of his <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/timothy-willis?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-uber&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-agenda" target="_blank">presentation</a> at this year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-uber&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africa-com-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a>, about data insights, the unique operating challenges Africa presents and what he's most looking forward to at this year's event.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br />1. We look forward to welcoming you to AfricaCom next month, you will be delivering the presentation: ‘Uber – the big data company’, what kinds of data and insight is most meaningful to Uber and in your capacity as, more specifically?</b><br /><br />In my role as Central Operations Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa, my team focuses on three key areas: (1) Supply Operations, (2) Analytics and (3) Process. <br /><br />From a Supply Operations perspective, we’re continually monitoring the number of driver-partners that are online and considering whether we need to encourage more to go online, or move to busier areas. We’re always looking at how best Driver-Partners are using our technology and how we can improve that experience. An example of this is Forward Dispatch, which allows drivers who are already on a trip to get another one if their drop-off location and a rider’s pick-up location are at the same place. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"In any start-up, scaling your processes is really important. The decision on which process to build out and scale is always based on data"</b></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />On the analytics and process side, we’re always trying to identify the major challenges of the business and improve our processes to deal with them. In any start-up, scaling your processes is really important. The decision on which process to build out and scale is always based on data. We’re are always analysing data to best understand our business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"We’re customer obsessed at Uber"</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2. How has Uber been able to leverage its data and analytics to improve customer experience? What has the practical application looked like?</b><br /><br />We’re customer obsessed at Uber and that means we are looking through at how we can improve the experience for all riders and drivers on the platform. For instance, a lot of riders requested scheduled rides. We realised there was a business case to scale this product and so today you’re able to schedule a ride with Uber.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"Road networks are not as developed and congestion is a challenge in most of our markets"</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>3. Uber has seen a meteoric rise in popularity in South Africa which has subsequently spread through Kenya and Nigeria, how does operating in Sub-Saharan Africa differ from that of say the UK and North America?</b><br /><br />There are unique challenges to operating in Sub-Saharan Africa compared to the UK and North America. For example, road networks are not as developed and congestion is a challenge in most of our markets. It is our job to overcome these challenges and ensure riders and drivers have a seamless Uber experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"I’m looking forward to seeing how AfricaCom will become a powerful vehicle for digital transformation"</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>4. What are you looking to gain from attending and speaking at AfricaCom 2016?</b><br /><br />I’m excited to see what the audience will think of using data and analytics as a tool to improve the customer experience. <br /><br /><b>5. What are you most looking forward to at this year’s event?</b><br /><br />I’m looking forward to seeing how AfricaCom will become a powerful vehicle for digital transformation, economic development and social empowerment. I’m also you looking forward to interacting with leaders in the industry.</span></div>
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/timothy-willis?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-uber&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-agenda" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh176hPN_vYs6SLnEan11tcicrXzAD4tj7AbqzVmpperrVvPhGshdOUnGxQJ2Ja-8ijpiIF6PILKqsPfE6gF5SOouoEdNaKp4m1aEXArDPMheoQYU6nkv5GgI3pOlcvhUV3tXdd_52dUYtB/s200/tIMOTHY+WILLIS.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Timothy Willis will be speaking on: <i><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/timothy-willis?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-uber&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-agenda" target="_blank">Uber - the big data company</a></i> at this year's AfricaCom, on 16th November 2016. Find out more here.<br /><br />If you are interested in how tech and telco is enabling socioeconomic development and and innovation on the African continent, why not attend <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-uber&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africa-com-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> 2016?<br /><br />Africa's biggest tech and telco event is taking place between the 14th - 18th November at the Cape Town ICC, find out more <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-uber&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africa-com-homepage" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />You can sign up for a free visitor pass to the event <a href="https://secure11.eventadv.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-uber&utm_term=register&utm_content=free-pass" target="_blank">here</a> or can book your silver, gold and platinum AfricaCom tickets to all sessions <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-africacom-uber&utm_term=purchase-ticket&utm_content=select-package" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-81910084839116075332016-10-25T12:33:00.001+01:002016-11-06T16:42:06.327+00:00Finance and Commerce on the ‘Mobile Continent’<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Com Series staff writer Kamau Mbote, @<a href="http://atfirst.co.ke/first-communications-2/">First Communications</a><br /><br /><b>Over the past few years, mobile money in Africa has largely played the role usually filled by Western traditional banking institutions, with just 20% of the African population having access to mainstream financial systems in 2010. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sub-Saharan Africa is rated as having the lowest deposit institution penetration in the world according to a paper by the <a href="http://www.afdb.org/en/" target="_blank">African Development Bank</a>, <a href="http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/John%20brief%201_John%20brief%201.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Mobile Banking in Africa: Taking the Bank to the People</i></a>.<br /><br />Over the years, mobile money has connected millions of people with banking services especially in East Africa, where mobile money is leading other regions of the world and which initially had among the lowest financial inclusion rates globally. <br /><br />In the early days of mobile money in 2007, only 30% of Kenyans had access to banking services. In other East African countries such as Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania AfDB showed that one branch served more than 100,000 people. In Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana a branch served 25,000, 33,000 and 25,000 customers respectively. During the same period in the West African nation of Gabon, only 35 branches were in place countrywide.<br /><br />With the introduction of mobile money, the populace in these regions embraced this innovation much faster in comparison to areas where the mainstream or traditional financial and banking insitutions were evident.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"Sub-Saharan Africa transfers more money domestically via mobile money than any other region in the world"</span></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />More recently, the <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/globalfindex" target="_blank">Global Findex</a> 2015 edition estimates that the number of unbanked individuals globally dropped by 20% in the period 2011 to 2014. In Sub-Saharan Africa to be precise, where 17% remains unbanked, 13 countries have more than 10% of their adult population using mobile money and more people are using mobile accounts than bank accounts in Cote d’Ivoire, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. In other countries mobile subscribers can now open bank accounts using the mobile money platform.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to the report, Sub-Saharan Africa transfers more money domestically via mobile money than any other region in the world, with up to 28% of the population receiving a domestic remittance in 2014.<br /><br />The Ericsson <a href="http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2015/mobility-report/emr-nov-2015-regional-report-sub-saharan-africa.pdf" target="_blank">Regional Sub-Saharan Africa Report</a> noted that mobile money has allowed the 70% of the unbanked and marginalized segments to start to see the promise of financial inclusion across Africa, with mobile operators becoming beneficiaries of this revolution. <br /><br />The report sites that the leading operators in the region are deriving up to 20% of their revenue from mobile commerce services, improving business prospects even as voice revenue growth slows.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"63% of the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa is unbanked"</span></b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Nigeria has the largest share of unbanked currently (53%) followed by Ghana, Angola and Uganda, according to another report by Ericsson, <a href="https://www.ericsson.com/assets/local/networked-society/reports/ericsson-consumerlab-financial-services-for-everyone-sub-saharan-africa.pdf" target="_blank">Financial Services For Everyone</a> . In these countries, the report identifies that the level of awareness remains low while only 33% of all respondents said they know how to use mobile money on their mobile phones. <br /><br />Among consumers who were aware of the services yet chose not to use them, a large proportion commented that they didn’t think the service was necessary or that it seemed too complicated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />According to the report, mobile money services are bridging the gap between the unbanked and banked as more have access to mobile money compared to banking services. The report further shows that 63% of the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa is unbanked and 52% of the total population uses mobile money through an agent.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Connecting the financially excluded through new mobile solutions</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some of the reasons why the majority of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa has been financially excluded or that have led led to low financial inclusion include deficient infrastructure, inaccessibility or physical-geographical isolation and financial illiteracy that ultimately led to high cost of financial services, which out of reach for many potential customers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These problems can be solved by using mobile money as devices are now more than ever affordable and do not necessarily require smart devices to deliver these products.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This said there, other challenges still exist that will require more of education than technology as the reasons for individuals lacking banking accounts include: lack of documentation, lack of trust, family member has an account, religious reasons among others.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Building an interconnected and transparent financial ecosystem</span></b><br /><br />There is a consensus that building an interconnected and transparent financial ecosystem involves telecommunication providers and banks ensuring their mobile payment services are: secure, stable, scalable, flexible and above all trustworthy. <br /><br />A secure, stable, scalable, flexible and trustworthy ecosystem entices quick uptake by customers and ensures business innovation.<br /><br />In this case, telcos should look to develop systems that allow mobile subscribers to access their bank accounts securely, in a timely manner in a platform that's scalable to include other services financial institutions offer, other than merely cash deposits and withdrawals. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"M-PESA, the largest mobile money platform globally, has connected more than 20 million Kenyans"</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Telcos and banks also need to enable the customer to understand fully all the charges that result from mobile money transactions between the two institutions, as well as challenges or deficiencies that the platform has that could lead to delays, fraud, hacking among other vulnerabilities.<br /><br />A case in point is <a href="http://www.safaricom.co.ke/personal/m-pesa" target="_blank">M-PESA</a>, the largest mobile money platform globally, which has connected more than 20 million Kenyans and there are more than 100,000 agents and over 44,0000 merchants who accept M-PESA payments. There are more than 40 financial institutions that interconnect with M-PESA and other partners such as government payments, M-KOPA in energy and mTiba in Health.<br /><br />According to Head of Strategy at Safaricom, <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/speakers/ken-okwero" target="_blank">Ken Okwero</a>, by linking into M-PESA, each of these partners can tap into the more than 23 million M-PESA customers.<br /><br />“The larger benefit is however on the customer’s side, where customers benefit from the convenience of different use cases, from person-to-person transfers, cashless payment of bills, or even access to new services that they did not have before, such as: instant loans, micro savings products, affordable health and crop insurance,” Ken Okwero adds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Achieving interoperability among mobile network operators, banks, merchants and government</span></b><br /><br />Pundits say the benefit of an inter-operable financial services to operators is that it can lead to a mobile money service without limits. According to Ericsson, a leading provider of mobile money solutions software, the key success of mobile money lies in a partnership between telcos and banks, as well as the right infrastructure and financial services portfolios.<br /><br />“We are driving this change to make money more open by orchestrating collaboration between banks and operators and developing secure, flexible mobile commerce platforms, that help build an interconnected and transparent financial ecosystem,” says <a href="https://www.juniperresearch.com/clients/peter-heuman" target="_blank">Peter Heuman</a>, VP Deputy Head of Business Unit Support Solutions at Ericsson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"The key success of mobile money lies in a partnership between telcos and banks, as well as the right infrastructure and financial services portfolios"</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Telcos and banks must also adjoin their services and products to the needs of government and merchants to support payments, with the public and private sector reliant on each other either for supply of liquidity, goods and services, or even in the line of licensing and regulation. <br /><br />Some of the ways telcos and banks could enable better and streamlined interaction between government and the private sector, as well as members of the public, is by enabling payments to various agencies by mobile money eliminating the need for cash transactions in government offices.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />According to the Global Findex 2015 edition, 1.3 billion adults with an account in developing countries pay their waste removal, water, and electricity bills in cash, and over half a billion adults with an account in developing countries pay school fees in cash, thus access to digital payments through a mobile phone could create opportunities to provide more convenient and affordable payment options.<br /><br /> In a few other countries, the government has already teamed up with various telecommunication service providers to enable payments of licenses and other documents such as birth and death certificates, eliminating the physical need for citizens to physically go to offices.<br /><br />“The benefit here has been in sealing the revenue leakage, convenience for taxpayers in the form of alternate channels and the ability to pay for services anytime. The capacity to accept electronic payments also enables the government to offer services through digital channels, as we have seen with the roll-out of the <a href="https://www.ecitizen.go.ke/" target="_blank">eCitizen</a> platform in Kenya,” says Okwero.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">How OTT players can collaborate with operators to refine business models</span></b><br /><br />“A balanced co-operation between mobile network operators and Over-the-Top (OTT) players is required to develop a win-win ecosystem as operators cannot be in complete control of the internet ecosystem, while a broadband pipeline that lacks appealing content and applications means little to end users,” said <a href="https://www.mtn.com/MTNGROUP/Leadership/MTNExecutiveMembers/Pages/AFarroukh.aspx" target="_blank">Ahmad Farroukh</a>, Chief Executive Officer at <a href="https://www.mtn.co.za/Pages/Home.aspx" target="_blank">MTN South Africa</a>, while addressing delegates at AfricaCom 2014.<br /><br />This shows that while telco operators may have control of the mobile money platforms through their huge customer base and financial position, the broad scope of services they provide inhibits them from coming up with new innovative products, a part that can be played by OTT players. Telco operators can then provide the platform at a cost while allowing OTT app providers to own the customer and make money.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />For this collaboration to work, mobile network operators and OTT players need to define access and structure a fair deal for both parties. This however does not mean exposing their customer base or revenue streams for OTT players. Such deals can be refined through forums that clearly define rules of engagement.<br /><br />To this end, a number of telcos in Sub-Saharan Africa have partnered with a number of Value Added Services players that offer content around games, video and music to enable them to tap into operator billing, which facilitates service delivery in a convenient and seamless way to customers.<br /><br />Above all, Farroukh thinks there can be immense benefits for both OTT players and telcos where the latter continues to invest in technology to provide best customer experience for OTT users.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b><u>Mobile Finance and Commerce at AfricaCom 2016:</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><b>This year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a>, taking place between the 14-18 November 2016, will be showcasing all the latest innovations in African mobile finance and digital commerce. The Mobile Finance and Commerce stream taking place over the 15 - 16 November will comprise of Key Note Panels and discussions around the latest FinTech solutions and connecting the financially excluded..<br /><br />Some of the key speakers include Safaricom's Ken Okwero, Telkom's Floris Buys, African Development Bank's Maimouna Gueye, MTN's Hanlie Smuts and Equity Bank's John Staley.</b><br /><br />To find out more about the largest tech and telco event in Africa and book you tickets, click <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-85943607280608123552016-10-24T09:46:00.000+01:002016-10-24T11:02:28.107+01:00Smarter mobile money through big data analytics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Approximately 2.5 quintillion bytes, or 2.3 trillion gigabytes, of data is generated every day around the world. The full potential of all this information is yet to be discovered with estimates that only <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/514346/the-data-made-me-do-it/">0.5%</a> undergoes analysis, while <a href="http://www-05.ibm.com/de/services/bao/pdf/gbe03211-usen-00.pdf">one in three</a> business leaders make decisions based on insufficient data. </b><br />
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The volume of data available to service providers today is an enormous resource for better understanding the customer base. Data analytics helps overcome potential issues, promotes faster adoption of new services and increases transactions. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Big data and mobile money</span></b><br />
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The mobile service provider’s access to big data offers a huge advantage over formal financial institutions, who cannot easily tap into their client’s daily life. In defining patterns, trends and links occurring over time, the mobile money ecosystem can unlock hidden value, such as fraud management and credit scoring for financial services. <br />
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<a href="https://datameer-wp-production-origin.datameer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/State_of_the_Industry.pdf">Graph</a>: How is big data used?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihn7iddiys14WKOnUmwIY48TQXievZqInoGhOV1YkAcibrFuotrENBmuE8VQJeX66TS6MaFS-xChZeCf6aJGs6ndj-UcxmRyb2Coqx0LQ4vxiUzFrlFhUcqLJmQYy63A4WGqy1LtPtX8vy/s1600/graph+one.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihn7iddiys14WKOnUmwIY48TQXievZqInoGhOV1YkAcibrFuotrENBmuE8VQJeX66TS6MaFS-xChZeCf6aJGs6ndj-UcxmRyb2Coqx0LQ4vxiUzFrlFhUcqLJmQYy63A4WGqy1LtPtX8vy/s400/graph+one.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Fraud management </span></b><br />
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Suspicious behaviour manifests in different ways. Big data analytics link heterogeneous information from transaction data, which enables the service provider to pick up on this behaviour. For example, a series of cash-in transactions to the same account, from different locations, might be an attempt to avoid paying for domestic transfers, or several cash-ins immediately followed by a cash-out could indicate money laundering. There are two methods of reporting for suspicious behaviour. The first is system generated in real time upon anomaly detection, which is then approved or rejected by the fraud analyst. The second requires the fraud analyst to generate a daily report for post-analysis. Best practice states that no actions are purely automated, the fraud analyst always has the final say. This prevents unjustified automatic rejection cases. <br />
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Machine learning further complements fraud management processes. In using the past to predict the future, fraud analysts define detection parameters based on normal behavioural patterns from transaction history. As a population’s behaviour evolves over time, the parameters must adapt to remain optimal. In response to this, machine learning predicts a natural evolution of behaviour based on historical data as well as previous actions taken by fraud managers in decision making. It then proposes modifications to the detection model for future anomaly detection. <br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smarter-mobile-money&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIGi3MYeNHJXHG5eD0X_hwSNj8DvV9-kAHHMXcsig0vLb-LhpnivV8AuzKBDSUEnIiVle_7dQGDajizV1QSH3ZrbFS0sIwzq_wfRIVRtYRQQHuOES_pTqL_0SArHoh-AUgi-1S7p0zkI7/s1600/Africa-COM-600x75.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Credit scoring </span></b><br />
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Limited access to financial services in emerging countries means that some people aren’t able to generate a financial diary to produce a credit score. This is problematic for a lender needing to rate an individual’s loan repayment capacity. Big data supports credit scoring technology for mobile financial services through in-depth analysis of a subscriber’s records. Here, credit scoring is employed in two ways.<br />
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<ol>
<li>A subscriber wants to receive a loan. Once approached, the agent uses transaction data to decide whether to accept or decline the request.</li>
<li>A service provider wants to offer a credit lending service to a broad section of society. The population’s data is scanned, and categorised according to a given credit score used to evaluate the viability of offering this service to certain categories.</li>
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For example, a local farmer needs to invest in crop fertiliser to increase his income, but has insufficient funds to make the purchase. The service provider identifies this common problem as an opportunity to provide a mobile loan service tied to the provision of a product. Before targeting farmers for a new campaign, the service provider uses credit scoring analytics extracted from several sources to determine lending eligibility. <br />
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Firstly, the service provider looks at their own data for indicators of trustworthiness, starting with a subscriber’s mobile money transactions and electronic recharge records as these may demonstrate behavioural similarities to a bank account. <a href="http://dan.bjorkegren.com/files/danbjork_creditscoring.pdf">A responsible borrower</a> may keep their phone topped up to a minimum threshold so they have credit in case of emergency. They may also search information previously provided to comply with customer due diligence. Know Your Customer (KYC) details a subscriber’s age range, noteworthy as those between 30-50 years old are considered mature and healthy enough for responsible lending. When this information is not available, the service provider can obtain additional data from third parties such as financial institutions to complete a thorough assessment. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">About eServGlobal </span></b><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smarter-mobile-money&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sCWxnfLreVdkcRD-GTyhyrSznlE6tVwV4OiQ8Wz7NE8WCjqkbgWRW8JePg92FYXF7BZ4Lcd9_SCYXylZnxNWS4Ol40ZLsHA8sLp09P6g7qGuV9B7oxaeEpHZgBlLfG5iAKxb6NPHEQm/s1600/Africa-COM-300x250.jpg" /></a></div>
eServGlobal offers mobile money solutions which put feature-rich services at the fingertips of users worldwide, covering the full spectrum of mobile financial services, consulting, mobile wallet, recharge, promotions and agent management. In addition, eServGlobal’s Apeiron tool facilitates data analytics and machine learning for business and liquidity management, including fraud management and credit scoring. For more information please go to <a href="http://eservglobal.com/contact-us/">eservglobal.com</a> to organise a meeting at Africa Com in hall 4, stand 4G. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">If you are interested in the opportunities for big data in Africa why not attend </span></span><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smarter-mobile-money&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" style="color: #9a9a9a; font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><span style="color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"> 2016? AfricaCom has a dedicated <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/3?stream=4&utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smarter-mobile-money&utm_term=view-agenda&utm_content=big-data-agenda" target="_blank">big data stream</a> looking at data analytics, how data can spur better customer insights and financial inclusion, as well as how data can continue to build Africa's digital future. Find out what's on the agenda <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/3?stream=4&utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smarter-mobile-money&utm_term=view-agenda&utm_content=big-data-agenda" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><b>Africa's biggest tech and telco event is taking place between the 14th - 18th November at the Cape Town ICC, find out more <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smarter-mobile-money&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><b>You can sign up for a free visitor pass to the event <a href="https://secure11.eventadv.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smarter-mobile-money&utm_term=register&utm_content=free-pass" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />You can book your silver, gold and platinum AfricaCom tickets to all sessions <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smarter-mobile-money&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=select-package" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smarter-mobile-money&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">YouTube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-9350474313415775592016-10-21T15:20:00.003+01:002016-10-21T15:34:39.105+01:00The AFEST | AfricaCom News - Episode 3 <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>In this latest episode of AfricaCom TV, we take a look at the AfricaCom's newest feature - The AFEST.</b><br /><br />The <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/afest?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-afest-africacom-tv&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=afest-homepage" target="_blank">AFEST</a> is a night celebrating African tech and innovation, an unmissable live music event at one of South Africa's most spectacular beach-side venues.<br /><br />On the bill is a selection of world-renowned, chart topping musicians - all hailing from the African continent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LCZL5ccXrVQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LCZL5ccXrVQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Find out more about the AFEST <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/afest?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-afest-africacom-tv&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=afest-homepage" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The all-African line-up includes:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mi Casa</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Freshlyground</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black Coffee</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Date:</b> 15 November 2016</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Time:</b> 7:30pm - Midnight</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Place: </b>Shimmy Beach Club, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Free entrance:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are one of the lucky people below, you gain automatic access to the AFEST: </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Silver, gold or platinum delegates to AfricaCom</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AfricaCom VIPs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AfricaCom Speakers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AfricaCom sponsors and exhibitors with delegate passes</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Special offer for delegates and exhibition staff:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tickets are also available for purchase by visitors with a free pass, as well as all exhibition stand staff - the first 100 people to grab tickets to the AFEST get theirs for £30.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To register for your pass, click <a href="https://secure11.eventadv.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-afest-africacom-tv&utm_term=sign-up&utm_content=free-pass" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can purchase your AFEST tickets <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-afest-africacom-tv&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=select-package" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The AFEST is part of this year's AfricaCom, the biggest tech and telco event on the continent. AfricaCom is taking place between the 14-18 November at the Cape Town ICC. Find out more about the event <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-afest-africacom-tv&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-afest-africacom-tv&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sCWxnfLreVdkcRD-GTyhyrSznlE6tVwV4OiQ8Wz7NE8WCjqkbgWRW8JePg92FYXF7BZ4Lcd9_SCYXylZnxNWS4Ol40ZLsHA8sLp09P6g7qGuV9B7oxaeEpHZgBlLfG5iAKxb6NPHEQm/s1600/Africa-COM-300x250.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-afest-africacom-tv&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">YouTube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-33558990318579879992016-10-21T13:36:00.001+01:002016-10-21T16:13:35.741+01:00"Smart cities in Africa are inevitable" - Full interview with Nigel Bruin, Huawei <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-size: 13.2px;">By </span><a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/amy-turner-594b2663" style="background-color: white; color: #9a9a9a; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;">Amy Turner</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-size: 13.2px;"> - KNect354 Staff Writer </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here it is, the full interview with Huawei's Principal Consultant, Nigel Bruin.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We held an exclusive interview with Nigel following his Industry Keynote Address at this year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/eastafricacom/?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smart-cities-huawei&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=east-africa-com-homepage" target="_blank">East Africa Com</a> in Nairobi, Kenya.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spoke about how National Broadband Networks are going to be the major linchpin for connectivity development on the African continent, including access to Cloud and IoT services.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nigel discussed some international examples of National Broadband Network roll outs, in the continents of Asia and Australasia and how they have been successful in delivering ultra-fast broadband at affordable prices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We went on to discuss whether a fully-realised, African smart city would arise in the near future. Nigel explained that this is almost a certainty as all cities will naturally become smart as they all face very similar challenges with regards to traffic congestion, as well as security and environmental concerns.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>If you are interested in how tech and telco is enabling socioeconomic development and and innovation on the African continent, from the major players like Huawei, why not attend <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smart-cities-huawei&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> 2016?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Africa's biggest tech and telco event is taking place between the 14th - 18th November at the Cape Town ICC, find out more <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smart-cities-huawei&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>You can sign up for a free visitor pass to the event <a href="https://secure11.eventadv.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smart-cities-huawei&utm_term=sign-up&utm_content=free-pass" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />You can book your silver, gold and platinum AfricaCom tickets to all sessions <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smart-cities-huawei&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=select-package" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom?utm_source=comworldseries&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-smart-cities-huawei&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">YouTube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-32672286892919553702016-10-19T16:43:00.000+01:002016-10-19T17:52:29.716+01:00Mission Afrique - SES Industry Days<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Business leaders and professionals from all over Africa and the globe are headed to Cape Town for a week-long festival of tech and telco events, as part of this year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ses&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">World-leading satellite operator and AfricaCom 2016 gold sponsors <a href="http://www.sesafricaconnected.com/africacom-2016/?dm_t=0,0,0,0,0" target="_blank">SES</a>, will be holding their hugely popular, one-of-a-kind Africa Industry Day on Monday 14th November. <br /></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> "G</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">et inspired to take your business to new levels"</span></span></b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The SES Industry Days is an exciting opportunity to network with other leaders in the industry, get inspired to take your business to new levels and also build your business.<span style="background-color: #f5f8fa; color: #787b80; font-size: 16px;"> </span>This SES event provides the industry with a neutral platform to discuss and debate the latest in technological and communication development.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last year’s event, brought together many business leaders from various spheres, and sparked many interesting and thought provoking conversations in the form of panel discussions and speaker sessions, which were both informative and entertaining.<br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgl_5nGrYVARRHT8QvXSWWlQHFzkLtW3sofp0Bh_H_GywAbZ5qPTSbQ6Kk1IjZbRPdhrW0MsIOaWwmryZmrDgb-3cYcgaLuKkhxi_cBKFEyRO_8YRqah3v8mLcZKI7VzjnXMnm-8eQq61/s1600/Jordaan+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgl_5nGrYVARRHT8QvXSWWlQHFzkLtW3sofp0Bh_H_GywAbZ5qPTSbQ6Kk1IjZbRPdhrW0MsIOaWwmryZmrDgb-3cYcgaLuKkhxi_cBKFEyRO_8YRqah3v8mLcZKI7VzjnXMnm-8eQq61/s1600/Jordaan+1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year, SES will showcase all the latest in satellite technology, so you’ll be the first to experience the latest trends and innovations. This year, SES welcomes two thought-leaders in their respective fields as key speakers: Michael Jordaan and Chris Wilson. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfcy90L-61N3d4CIfppexolg0rlwcvPoyQRrgbNOynOsax96XvQ893rpvFwtMfoWoxTRHdUk-l_eGvaH9GYoTQezIiq5vXR764QzR2r7gI3hAL5a49wTQ45_spt5w0Y6JiyeSzZtNOsAY/s1600/Wilson+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfcy90L-61N3d4CIfppexolg0rlwcvPoyQRrgbNOynOsax96XvQ893rpvFwtMfoWoxTRHdUk-l_eGvaH9GYoTQezIiq5vXR764QzR2r7gI3hAL5a49wTQ45_spt5w0Y6JiyeSzZtNOsAY/s1600/Wilson+1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Banking stalwart Michael Jordaan now heads up a private investment company, Montegray Capital, and gives strategic insights to other businesses while also holding the position of director at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Craig Wilson is the editor of Stuff Magazine and all-round tech-spert. Both will be giving thought-provoking talks to inspire and enlighten you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">SES looks forward to welcoming you to this one-of-a-kind event. </span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SES Industry Day Africa:</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Date: 14 November 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Venue: The Lookout, V& A Waterfront, Cape Town</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Register for the SES Industry Day Africa <a href="http://www.sesafricaconnected.com/africacom-2016/?dm_t=0,0,0,0,0" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.sesafricaconnected.com/africacom-2016/?dm_t=0,0,0,0,0" target="_blank">SES</a> are gold sponsors and exhibitors at this year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ses&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> - the continent's largest tech and telco event. AfricaCom will be taking place between the 14-18th November at the Cape Town ICC and will be host three key speakers from SES. These satellite and telco thought-leaders will be taking part in the following sessions:</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=14&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ses&utm_term=view-agenda&utm_content=africacom-agenda" target="_blank">Connecting the unconnected: developing actionable solutions to internet connectivity barriers in Africa</a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/3?stream=5&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ses&utm_term=view-agenda&utm_content=africacom-agenda" target="_blank">How is satellite connectivity evolution enabling rural communities to participate in Africa's digital economy?</a></b></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>To find out more about AfricaCom click <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ses&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />You can book your tickets to AfricaCom <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ses&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=select-package" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ses&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=select-package" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sCWxnfLreVdkcRD-GTyhyrSznlE6tVwV4OiQ8Wz7NE8WCjqkbgWRW8JePg92FYXF7BZ4Lcd9_SCYXylZnxNWS4Ol40ZLsHA8sLp09P6g7qGuV9B7oxaeEpHZgBlLfG5iAKxb6NPHEQm/s1600/Africa-COM-300x250.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ses&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Youtube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-19718847152521817542016-10-17T15:49:00.001+01:002016-10-23T11:28:55.092+01:00"There's going to be a digital revolution in the coming years" - Nigel Bruin, Huawei <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/amy-turner-594b2663">Amy Turner</a> - KNect354 Staff Writer </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Coming soon to the Com Series blog and YouTube channel...</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is a sneak preview of our interview with <a href="http://www.huawei.com/za/" target="_blank">Huawei's</a> Principal Consultant, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelbruin" target="_blank">Nigel Bruin</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We sat down with Nigel following his Industry Keynote Address at <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/eastafricacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-theres-going-to-be-a-digital-revolution-huawei&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=east-africa-com-homepage" target="_blank">East Africa Com</a> to discuss the socioeconomic benefits of the National Broadband Network in the region, as well as how this will enable Cloud and IoT industries to thrive on the continent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We also spoke about the key challenges which are still to be overcome on the continent, as well as Huawei's key priorities in Africa in the coming years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>If you are interested in how tech and telco is enabling socioeconomic development and social empowerment on the African continent, from the major players like Huawei, why not attend <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-theres-going-to-be-a-digital-revolution-huawei&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">AfricaCom 2016</a>?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Africa's biggest tech and telco event is taking place between the 14th - 18th November at the Cape Town ICC, find out more <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-theres-going-to-be-a-digital-revolution-huawei&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-homepage" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>You can book your AfricaCom tickets <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=content-theres-going-to-be-a-digital-revolution-huawei&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=select-package" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-66521602240898868302016-10-12T11:35:00.002+01:002016-10-23T10:32:34.565+01:00An AFEST shout-out from Freshlyground<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/amy-turner-594b2663">Amy Turner</a> - KNect354 Staff Writer <br /><br /><b>Freshlyground frontwoman Zolani Mahola has a message for all attendees of this year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-afest-shout-out-from-freshlyground&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=freshlyground-video" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> and the <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/afest?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-afest-shout-out-from-freshlyground&utm_term=afest-find-out-more&utm_content=freshlyground-video" target="_blank">AFEST</a>.</b><br /><br />Brand new for 2016, the AFEST will be taking place at Shimmy Beach Club, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town as part of this year’s AfricaCom on the 15 November.<br /><br />The all-African lineup for this year's event includes:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.micasamusic.com/" target="_blank">Mi Casa</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://freshlyground.com/" target="_blank">Freshlyground</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blackcoffee.dj/" target="_blank">Black Coffee</a></span></li>
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/afest?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-afest-shout-out-from-freshlyground&utm_term=afest-find-out-more&utm_content=freshlyground-video" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiN0hY63N9kQ87mdYt9knveXsWUoUffvlcJDSKCJVkB6FHKvA4djbnnFtu8oA9B5fVKisMXjanMalqyL0ZKO7WUU8BEB432ZpwwBH7yTEbW4rV8uYyzKUFPIGv-6_P3gMgMiaAswI4V6RR/s320/AFEST+Yellow.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/afest?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-afest-shout-out-from-freshlyground&utm_term=afest-find-out-more&utm_content=freshlyground-video" target="_blank">AFEST</a> is an unmissable African live music event at one of Cape Town's most spectacular beach-side venues - a night which is set to spread AfricaCom vibes across the city.<br /><br />To grab your tickets to the AFEST click <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-afest-shout-out-from-freshlyground&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=freshlyground-video" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />All silver, gold and platinum tickets to this year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-afest-shout-out-from-freshlyground&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=freshlyground-video" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> includes entrance to the AFEST.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Africa's biggest tech and telco event is taking place between the 14th - 18th November at the Cape Town ICC, find out more <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=Blog%20&utm_medium=Blog%20&utm_campaign=AFEST%20shout-out%20from%20Freshlyground&utm_term=Find%20out%20more&utm_content=Freshlyground%20Video" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">You can book your AfricaCom tickets </span><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-afest-shout-out-from-freshlyground&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=freshlyground-video" style="color: #9a9a9a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-afest-shout-out-from-freshlyground&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=freshlyground-video" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sCWxnfLreVdkcRD-GTyhyrSznlE6tVwV4OiQ8Wz7NE8WCjqkbgWRW8JePg92FYXF7BZ4Lcd9_SCYXylZnxNWS4Ol40ZLsHA8sLp09P6g7qGuV9B7oxaeEpHZgBlLfG5iAKxb6NPHEQm/s320/Africa-COM-300x250.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-afest-shout-out-from-freshlyground&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=freshlyground-video" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Youtube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-36325881659778388872016-10-11T11:24:00.004+01:002016-10-23T10:39:07.715+01:00Infographic: The Digital Entertainment Explosion in Sub-Saharan Africa<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Last week, we published an <a href="http://comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/the-african-digital-entertainment.html" target="_blank">in-depth piece on the digital entertainment boom</a> gaining momentum on the continent. Africa has over 300 million internet users and counting and with the decreasing price of smartphones, the increase in data consumption has been immense - enter the digital entertainment explosion.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>From gaming and social media to music and video streaming, we take a look at the digital entertainment boom in Africa and the local content and unique applications that have arisen as a result:</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0SA6Wo5Tin0cJnNA0UBovqiB1ShHb-fFDtI36Yn7mobZynPWS7syChOWaJAepT6ICsyuza9f7uctY4aJHKJ7ycdX0-EHNf7gfgvo9OjMY4Ya-ESgU7KGcl8uFuSwp92awU4EIOPz-cqa/s1600/AfricaCom+Infograph+JPEG.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Digital Entertainment at AfricaCom 2016:</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>This year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a>, taking place between the 14-18 November 2016, will be showcasing all the latest trends in African digital entertainment. The <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" target="_blank">Digital Entertainment stream</a> on the 15 November will comprise of Key Note Panels and discussions around the explosion in digital entertainment services, looking at the sectors of gaming, music and video streaming. <br /><br />Some of the key speakers include MTN's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" target="_blank">Vikash Barath</a>, PWC's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" target="_blank">Vicki Myburgh</a>, Deezer's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" target="_blank">Gillian Ezra</a>, Tuluntulu's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" target="_blank">Pierre van der Hoven</a> and Nichestreem's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" target="_blank">Catherine Luckhoff</a>.</b><br /><br />To find out more about the largest tech and telco event in Africa and book you tickets, click <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sCWxnfLreVdkcRD-GTyhyrSznlE6tVwV4OiQ8Wz7NE8WCjqkbgWRW8JePg92FYXF7BZ4Lcd9_SCYXylZnxNWS4Ol40ZLsHA8sLp09P6g7qGuV9B7oxaeEpHZgBlLfG5iAKxb6NPHEQm/s1600/Africa-COM-300x250.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:<br /><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-digital-entertainment-info&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=digital-entertainment-inforgraphic" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw">Youtube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/">Instagram</a></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-43359846786947626572016-10-10T11:31:00.000+01:002016-10-23T10:45:02.259+01:00The power of OSS/BSS integration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Richard Pappalardo - VP Business Development, <a href="http://enghousenetworks.com/" target="_blank">Enghouse Networks</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>The rapid growth of today’s data-centric mobile market is driving forward-looking operators to improve the user experience of their customers by taking a more integrated approach to their <a href="http://www.ossline.com/2010/12/definition-oss-bss.html" target="_blank">Operational Support Systems and Business Support Systems</a> platforms. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the telecoms industry evolves, operators have begun to pursue integrated OSS/BSS solutions. These provide them with a real-time understanding and end-to-end visibility of their networks and associated services, enabling them to optimise networks and rapidly deliver new services, while enhancing service quality and customer experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, operators are not just in business to provide services to their customers, they also need to increase profitability and effectively manage revenue streams. Operators’ billing and charging functions need to ensure that customers pay correctly for the various services they have used in different locations, at different times, and with optimised interconnect agreements. <br /><br />The more efficiently network and customer data can be represented in real-time, the more effective network planning and operations processes become. A service provider using an integrated OSS/BSS will have access to real time network events, combined with an accurate network model for highly automated service quality management and network resource planning. This not only improves profitability, but it also plays a large part in keeping customers satisfied. </span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-power-of-oss/bss-integration&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=oss/bss-blog" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIGi3MYeNHJXHG5eD0X_hwSNj8DvV9-kAHHMXcsig0vLb-LhpnivV8AuzKBDSUEnIiVle_7dQGDajizV1QSH3ZrbFS0sIwzq_wfRIVRtYRQQHuOES_pTqL_0SArHoh-AUgi-1S7p0zkI7/s1600/Africa-COM-600x75.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Transformation through OSS/BSS automation</span></b><br /><br />The sheer scale and complexity of today’s multi-vendor networks and their service offerings is astonishing. The handling and processing of data that needs to be analysed and converted into business intelligence that improves customer satisfaction levels and business performance crosses the expanse of both OSS and BSS for operators. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Five to ten years ago, network operations and engineering centers were manned by a large number of staff who used extensive manual processes to undertake network management and planning functions. Today, advanced software applications have enabled the automation of many of these processes and substantially reduced the number of staff required. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This has resulted in organisational change, so staff now focus on the services delivered by the network. Network operations centres have evolved into service operations centres and this transformation has enabled service providers to become much more customer-centric, with free flow of service and customer information throughout the relevant departments of their companies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For example, customer care agents are now able to be fully informed of service issues, anticipate customer enquiries before they happen, and be armed with the right answers to ensure customer satisfaction and reduction in the propensity of customers to churn. In fact, the merger of real-time OSS/BSS intelligence enables network operators to be much more proactive in their customer care initiatives. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_AprzxAKssb4lHtJ8PEwHJgOLCYuO31iDwLhJzjT9bNUKl_moxx_qePZR3wiTfYScAtf_4JA3nMmaCYsupb4a6maB3khfZc67glc5vBb56gJmrOwG0t8dpMB9vgsrUpVXRwtKgb0GNk6/s1600/The+Power+of+OSS+BSS+Integration.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_AprzxAKssb4lHtJ8PEwHJgOLCYuO31iDwLhJzjT9bNUKl_moxx_qePZR3wiTfYScAtf_4JA3nMmaCYsupb4a6maB3khfZc67glc5vBb56gJmrOwG0t8dpMB9vgsrUpVXRwtKgb0GNk6/s320/The+Power+of+OSS+BSS+Integration.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Choosing a well-planned OSS-to-BSS integration strategy is worth serious consideration. Contemporary architectures can include: </span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Network discovery by fault management systems</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Delivery of discovered elements and links into an asset/inventory management system</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Holding customer and service information from the customer relationship management (CRM) system</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Network planning tools that are tightly integrated with the inventory database, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_information_system" target="_blank">GIS system</a> holding service coverage</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Usage and event information</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Correlation tools that overlay these systems and pinpoint real time service and customer impacts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interfaces to billing systems to issue credits for SLA violations</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dashboards to display KPIs that let executives know how well the business is running</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>Expected benefits to be realized by service providers include:</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reduced costs to operate and maintain the network</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Improved service quality & customer experience</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Increased profitability</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>About </b><b>Enghouse Networks:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-power-of-oss/bss-integration&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=oss/bss-blog" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Xuv6wkUC-6qbp8ApO4IM1Oy9ekKBwn-4A8QmgE3ngT6Aqgbv3aMlGpaleNE9Snyt1AKiHw90Pq4CFJTueheLrEtIfOKB6I2WaPTauCryHSloliP8Isy7X1dj8bAEEIbihQqCAhKJQ0y/s320/Africa-COM-300x600.jpg" width="160" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://enghousenetworks.com/" target="_blank">Enghouse Networks</a> integrated OSS/BSS solutions enable a complete and highly automated approach for service providers, helping them to meet today’s business challenges through the implementation of agile and tailored solutions that focus on a customer-centric and inherently profitable approach to building their business.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With analysts predicting that we will see over 50 billion connected devices around the world by 2020, now is the perfect time for operators to seek out solutions that will help them build their business using a customer centric model.<br /><br />The Enghouse Networks OSS/BSS portfolio has been delivering these improved services to operators for more than 20 years.<br /><br />Download the OSS/BSS integration whitepaper <a href="http://enghousenetworks.com/events/oss-bss-whitepaper/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><b><br /></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Enghouse Networks is exhibiting at this year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-power-of-oss/bss-integration&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=oss/bss-blog" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> between 15 - 17 November at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. You can visit them at stand P14B.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>AfricaCom is Africa's biggest tech and telco event with a week long festival of events running from the 14th - 18th November, with the conference and exhibition taking place between the 15th - 17th November at the Cape Town ICC. Book your tickets <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the%20power-of-oss/bss-integration&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=oss/bss-blog" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <b>About the author:</b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWphcGWZTNhVQO-VCO3V6WOQgbmb6VCL0tNJgjjlaZ8N9VSlxaW6gyM8bTrBLjvSJp6wujJhyphenhyphenKMo4yaxQYXiwrH07AKHxfOFyHAJlVM71U470m84eakRPJh9in49-PcjABsTRsQ1Nymb6m/s1600/Rich+Pappalardo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "times new roman"; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWphcGWZTNhVQO-VCO3V6WOQgbmb6VCL0tNJgjjlaZ8N9VSlxaW6gyM8bTrBLjvSJp6wujJhyphenhyphenKMo4yaxQYXiwrH07AKHxfOFyHAJlVM71U470m84eakRPJh9in49-PcjABsTRsQ1Nymb6m/s1600/Rich+Pappalardo.png" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Richard has a breadth of knowledge and deep understanding of OSS/BSS systems. During his time with NetBoss (now an Enghouse Networks company) he was involved with the successful deployment of hundreds of OSS/BSS projects in over 70 countries, using the most experienced engineering teams in the industry.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-7094859768837813772016-10-06T14:58:00.003+01:002016-10-23T10:42:51.155+01:00 The African digital entertainment explosion <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Com Series staff writer <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentine-gachambi-52466631">Valentine Gachambi</a>, @<a href="http://atfirst.co.ke/first-communications-2/">First Communications</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Mirroring that of other regions in the world, there has been a digital entertainment explosion on the African continent. This has largely been due to the increase in smartphone ownership, expansion of 3G/4G networks and WiFi, as well as unlimited data plans by various operators in order to spur increased data usage.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPlaTIU2dei8vRDXbrw581KbNc-4auRQ6SWfuTxlKR_d2h_zqNwlMfBTaEH6WeU0H2qCsIvOoj9lEaDSfaRkI6jnnIT75csHFdlKQx_SE3s4QCr_6KIwFDubu0Wyns36I7Zs4PwFP4Y23/s1600/iStock_81618771_SMALL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPlaTIU2dei8vRDXbrw581KbNc-4auRQ6SWfuTxlKR_d2h_zqNwlMfBTaEH6WeU0H2qCsIvOoj9lEaDSfaRkI6jnnIT75csHFdlKQx_SE3s4QCr_6KIwFDubu0Wyns36I7Zs4PwFP4Y23/s400/iStock_81618771_SMALL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To date, Africa has over 334 million internet users representing 28% of the population and 9.4% of the global internet community, according to the <a href="http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm" target="_blank">Africa Internet Usage and 2016 Population Stats</a>. Nigeria, Egypt and Kenya lead by the number of internet users, while the Western Sahara and Comoros have the fewest. By country, Kenya has the highest internet penetration at 69.9%, followed by Morocco at 60.6% and Mauritania at 60%, while Niger and Eritrea have the lowest penetration at 2% and 1% respectively.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This big bang data usage of recent years is largely due to the soar in popularity of online television, video streaming, gaming and social media. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Smartphone Ownership</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sharp increase in internet use on the continent is down to the rise in popularity of the smartphone. Smartphone uptake is gaining further momentum as the average selling price of handsets continue to decrease, improving the affordability of mobile services for Africans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"Cheaper smartphone devices and increased access to more affordable broadband internet access is fueling the digital entertainment explosion in Africa"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sub $100 smartphones have meant that many Africans, who could otherwise not afford other devices such as desktop computers, laptops and tablets to access the internet, can now access data through smartphones, resulting in their mass market adoption.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This affordability is expected to lead to a three-fold growth in smartphone devices available on the continent to 540 million devices in 2020. Mobile broadband connections in Sub-Saharan Africa are also set to increase from 24% in 2015 to 57% by 2020.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Cheaper smartphone devices and increased access to more affordable broadband internet access is undeniably fueling the digital entertainment explosion not only in Africa, but across the world,” says Founder and CEO of <a href="http://nichestreem.com/" target="_blank">Nichestreem</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineluckhoff" target="_blank">Catherine Lückhoff</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Internet Access</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqliqYdkC0SiH-oGKBTerLlLQz7oFPCpGkXMOunrNttnvnrug2T7WCzDXQmP65sYN_rISatkzxwCVE53b0-Hxjydz-rVBMseSggcZlJp7EUjfye_MU0qA1s7uj8wRGQ6T9OigK1CvPf7N/s1600/iStock_100490231_SMALL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqliqYdkC0SiH-oGKBTerLlLQz7oFPCpGkXMOunrNttnvnrug2T7WCzDXQmP65sYN_rISatkzxwCVE53b0-Hxjydz-rVBMseSggcZlJp7EUjfye_MU0qA1s7uj8wRGQ6T9OigK1CvPf7N/s400/iStock_100490231_SMALL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the increase in smartphones comes the demand for fast and accessible data by consumers, with telecommunication operators and other internet service providers having had to enhance their networks through provision of mobile broadband and WiFi access. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Africa, countries have been continuously developing high performance networks with at least 41 countries already using commercial 3G networks, and 23 countries having access to 4G networks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> “By 2020, about three-quarters of all mobile connections will be on 3G or 4G, and thereafter the focus for operators will be on making use of released spectrum to expand the reach of LTE networks beyond the major cities,” cites the <a href="https://www.budde.com.au/Research/2014-Africa-Mobile-Broadband-Market" target="_blank">2014 Africa Mobile Broadband Market</a> research report.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"There are at least 41 countries already using commercial 3G networks, and 23 countries having access to 4G networks"</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Globally 4G networks are now available in 151 countries with the global 4G connection base passing the 1 billion mark in late 2015.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition, WiFi has made the internet more accessible, with various cities and towns in Africa providing wireless internet as a way to increase attractiveness for businesses and visitors. In Africa, a number of towns and cities provide free WiFi including: Tshwane, Cape Town and Stellenbosch in South Africa; Nakuru in Kenya; Kigali in Rwanda and Lagos in Nigeria, to name but a few.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where internet is charged, various operators have diversified unlimited data plans that can also be bundled with other products such as airtime and SMS. These plans have allowed the internet to be more affordable and encouraged growth in traffic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Gaming</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CPdM5kvVodNjbjlwWIHB_zyVgoAcvqg_hBJCRvsOyFxm3811trvLnH1fgiEoe7fdYSVNxmJ5VqYclzek36hm3RZmMOAhJ91uFw_0bJAmEAzElxsOJjVP37ECA0R7NjHEYiNhJaLwPcjZ/s1600/iStock_33626528_SMALL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CPdM5kvVodNjbjlwWIHB_zyVgoAcvqg_hBJCRvsOyFxm3811trvLnH1fgiEoe7fdYSVNxmJ5VqYclzek36hm3RZmMOAhJ91uFw_0bJAmEAzElxsOJjVP37ECA0R7NjHEYiNhJaLwPcjZ/s400/iStock_33626528_SMALL.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whereas various forms of digital entertainment have been slow in adapting to the local market, the continent’s younger generation have adopted gaming on mobile phones first, due to the availability of games made in Africa that is both culturally relevant and available on both budget and high end devices.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to statista.com <a href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/211/106/mobile-games/africa-middle-east" target="_blank">mobile gaming in Africa and the Middle East</a> has seen double digit growth with 2015 figures standing at $228.6 million, which is expected to jump to $261 million in 2016.By age segmentation the 25-34 age group form the largest fragment of the 23.8 million global mobile gaming community, while the 45 years and over segment are the least.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These figures relate to similar numbers reported by PriceWaterHouseCoopers, who put the continent’s gaming market worth at about $217 million.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To gain more users, many developers have created games that ride on social media platforms, with a large percent of mobile internet usage in Africa coming from social media. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Among popular game creators on the continent are <a href="http://gamsole.com/" target="_blank">Gamsole</a>, founded by Nigerian developer Abiola Elijah Olaniran, <a href="http://www.letiarts.com/" target="_blank">Leti Arts</a> with offices in Ghana and Kenya, <a href="http://www.mobygames.com/company/i-imagine-interactive" target="_blank">I-Imagine Interactive</a> from South Africa and <a href="http://kolastudios.com/" target="_blank">Kola Studios</a> from Uganda.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other than local game developers there has been the emergence of smartphone games that were only previously available on consoles such as Playstation and Xbox. The new augmented realism embraced by creators of games such as Pokémon</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> is expected to attract more Africans to the gaming field.</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzYB1wzkcnBeH_XNb6qhSyKFP3rlfu4wVzKlm-wFRtEFD9MwsCQuKYODRehFx-_iVjRZy9UbOT0rBh7erjdVW35rmM5hiMFJG_bAF8HX6Qkca13-MZCt0tSQwEAfBIU2QsdiA2UM3Ql5x/s1600/logo+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Online Television Streaming</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this internet age, most traditional television stations have online channels which offers their content globally. This adaptation is to suit the market needs where more and more viewers are seeking content online in order to fight off new age television players such as Netflix and Amazon, that have led to a decrease in viewer ratings of traditional media, leading to falling revenues. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“As sales of physical media continues to decline, globally expanding services such as Spotify and Netflix are managing to build a sizeable paying audience for content delivered over the Internet,” states the <a href="http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/entertainment-media/outlook.html" target="_blank">Entertainment and Media Outlook Report</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"The availability of fibre to offices and the home can be attributed to the major developments that have led to the online television streaming boom in Africa"</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another exciting dimension witnessed this September is when <a href="http://www.supersport.com/" target="_blank">SuperSport</a> announced it would start its first live TV broadcast on Facebook by offering a live stream of the Varsity Football Final between </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tshwane University of Technology </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and the University of Johannesburg - an innovative way for online television streaming to utilise a popular social media platform.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“We hope this appeals to people on the move and unable to watch on the traditional television platform," said Gideon Khobane, Chief Executive of SuperSport.<br /><br />The availability of fibre to offices and the home can be attributed to the major developments that have led to the online television streaming boom in Africa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Video Streaming</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUULlVa_39OeB0s1Bzq0e7QQHY_FQ-Uw7fuIvybLqHV5Xhi4d8KEuoIdEg7qPwP-yJXHYwJpc_9Jsj-sJPBJBF8JkHXzufx-VkYVUx-C73ELzRU57N3WCbRUVpOigCQ8E3xc7diBHp5Mj/s1600/iStock_98937757_SMALL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUULlVa_39OeB0s1Bzq0e7QQHY_FQ-Uw7fuIvybLqHV5Xhi4d8KEuoIdEg7qPwP-yJXHYwJpc_9Jsj-sJPBJBF8JkHXzufx-VkYVUx-C73ELzRU57N3WCbRUVpOigCQ8E3xc7diBHp5Mj/s400/iStock_98937757_SMALL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The growth of African video streaming has been immense, especially since the rise in popularity of videos in social media such as Facebook, which has over 125 million users in Africa as per 2015 figures. Now with the introduction of Facebook streaming, African content creation is expected to erupt. The video explosion can also be attributed to the fact that most network operators have various data plans that allow free unlimited access to social media platforms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Facebook is also planning to provide <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/01/facebook-free-basics-internet-africa-mark-zuckerberg" target="_blank">free internet</a> to the continent through drones under the internet.org organisation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"The video explosion can also be attributed to the fact that most network operators have various data plans that allow free unlimited access to social media platforms"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other traditional video streaming platforms such as YouTube continue to play a dominant role in this segment, especially due to the continent’s vibrant music industry with a number of music videos channels having received a wide audience internationally. This platform has seen increased collaboration between local and international artists and made the African market an exporter of internationally adopted cultural practices from dancing to </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fashion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Music Streaming</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AovkDw4rwcaHXpE0-tL2PO_lJJLTfH7UfmXrGGxmOJ7X2F_fxoY44JdL8W_SSDjwWTYX-NYfacSp2p6dYMJ45nrvLVHAhnDTVAjowZpBpgDNvErESA57kU8B5RWyyzFhfUf057xwm9By/s1600/iStock_52977262_SMALL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AovkDw4rwcaHXpE0-tL2PO_lJJLTfH7UfmXrGGxmOJ7X2F_fxoY44JdL8W_SSDjwWTYX-NYfacSp2p6dYMJ45nrvLVHAhnDTVAjowZpBpgDNvErESA57kU8B5RWyyzFhfUf057xwm9By/s400/iStock_52977262_SMALL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whilst this form of digital entertainment is big in other regions of the world, Africa is one of the last frontiers in this front. <a href="http://nichestreem.com/" target="_blank">Nichstreem</a>’s Catherine </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lückhoff</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">attributes this to the diversity found in Africa that would require big companies to custom make content for various groups or that the players are too focused on winning the developed markets first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Streaming giants have either been too risk averse to enter such a complex and nuanced market and/or preoccupied with winning the streaming war in more established markets and or the one-size-fits-all model is simply not a good fit for a continent that is so diverse.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"The biggest barrier left is the perception of the cost of data"</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That being said, the opportunity and demand exists for a player willing to study and understand the continent and create content that is appealing to the cross section between music and culture, building for an emerging economy, adapting price points and localising not only in terms of catalogue, but also language.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Consumers don't really care about back office technology and anyway our video streams work on all networks, even EDGE. The biggest barrier left is the perception of the cost of data (not the actual cost of data). The market needs to be educated some more,” concludes Founder & CEO of <a href="http://www.tuluntulu.com/" target="_blank">Tuluntulu</a>, Pierre van der Hoven.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Digital Entertainment at AfricaCom 2016:</span></u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>This year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a>, taking place between the 14-18 November 2016, will be showcasing all the latest trends in African digital entertainment. The <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" target="_blank">Digital Entertainment stream</a> on the 15 November will comprise of Key Note Panels and discussions around the explosion in digital entertainment services, looking at the sectors of gaming, music and video streaming. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Some of the key speakers include MTN's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" target="_blank">Vikash Barath</a>, PWC's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" target="_blank">Vicki Myburgh</a>, Deezer's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" target="_blank">Gillian Ezra</a>, Tuluntulu's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" target="_blank">Pierre van der Hoven</a> and Nichestreem's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/agenda/2?stream=6&utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=digital-entertainment-agenda&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" target="_blank">Catherine Luckhoff</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To find out more about the largest tech and telco event in Africa and book you tickets, click <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sCWxnfLreVdkcRD-GTyhyrSznlE6tVwV4OiQ8Wz7NE8WCjqkbgWRW8JePg92FYXF7BZ4Lcd9_SCYXylZnxNWS4Ol40ZLsHA8sLp09P6g7qGuV9B7oxaeEpHZgBlLfG5iAKxb6NPHEQm/s1600/Africa-COM-300x250.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-african-digital-entertainment-explosion&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=digital-entertainment-blog" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Youtube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-78334153603905748372016-10-05T10:48:00.001+01:002016-10-05T15:04:33.850+01:00Tech SMEs divide opinion at Nigeria Com<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #555555; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6a6a6a; font-size: 13.2px;">By </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olufemiomotayo" style="color: #9a9a9a; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;">Olufemi Omotayo</a><span style="color: #6a6a6a; font-size: 13.2px;"> - Founder and Managing Editor, </span><a href="http://entrepre-news.com/" style="color: #9a9a9a; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">EntrepreNews</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With recent events putting Nigeria on the world map for it's positive contribution to technological innovation, there's a widely held assumption that everybody is in agreement that the industry has reached a turning point in its development.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, this is not the case, as tech and telco professionals have widely divergent perspectives on digital development in the region. While some believe it is a major boon for Nigeria, others have thrown in a cautious word or two.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During a heated panel discussion at this year's <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/" target="_blank">Nigeria Com</a> in Lagos, entrepreneurs and journalists explored strategies for creating a culture of digital innovation and a more inclusive business environment for online SMEs in Nigeria.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVBvYZ82U-XM7AIvuuBolEozk-5ZMhYewi4dQAKohFQ70IQhVx4T-wOW1Rq_mHUt2sxicnx3wRVmI8scsXx3s6ONUgA_Pja0LjgvrBO94onFfY_c7NW-5BhVjfLm6IrxC8duy9wNZlmUE/s1600/Oniru+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVBvYZ82U-XM7AIvuuBolEozk-5ZMhYewi4dQAKohFQ70IQhVx4T-wOW1Rq_mHUt2sxicnx3wRVmI8scsXx3s6ONUgA_Pja0LjgvrBO94onFfY_c7NW-5BhVjfLm6IrxC8duy9wNZlmUE/s400/Oniru+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The panel on: "How to create a culture for digital innovation and a more inclusive business environment for online SMEs in Nigeria"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moderated by <a href="http://techsmart.ng/about/meet-cfa/" target="_blank">Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata</a> of <a href="http://www.channelstv.com/programmes/tech-trends/" target="_blank">Tech Trends on Channels TV</a>, participants gave insights into the technology ecosystem in Nigeria.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While discussing the challenges Nigerian tech SMEs face, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/oluwole-odetayo-69277a2a" target="_blank">Wole Odetayo</a> of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wennovation_hub" target="_blank">Wennovation Hub</a> wants investors to look more at early stage start-ups.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“We need more local and global players,” he says in reference to the recent <a href="http://entrepre-news.com/zuckerberg-visited-because-lagos-is-the-silicon-valley-of-africa/" style="border: 0px; color: #4563a6; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">visit to Nigeria by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Innovation is a global concept and everyone is welcome to the Nigerian tech space.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJvgF4p9CrvF1hvgMIoHf4kgdjhWzshfAj6b7wsaIHl-0kYcuwkaLR28qbFlt4zoQt2iNDT2MItZDKwmXrPXlGclKpffqExGHbSyWsItf-P4aE4Hs7symzHbBm5zzl_ckBHPkJUe07N9q/s1600/Oniru+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJvgF4p9CrvF1hvgMIoHf4kgdjhWzshfAj6b7wsaIHl-0kYcuwkaLR28qbFlt4zoQt2iNDT2MItZDKwmXrPXlGclKpffqExGHbSyWsItf-P4aE4Hs7symzHbBm5zzl_ckBHPkJUe07N9q/s400/Oniru+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The panelists from left to right: Paul Adepoju, Olawale Rotimi, Olatorera Oniru, Opeyemi Okunoren and moderator Chukwuemeka Afred Agbata Jnr.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauladepoju" target="_blank">Paul Adepoju</a>, Executive Editor of <a href="http://www.entrepreneurmag.co.za/" target="_blank">African Entrepreneur Magazine</a> disagreed. He would rather Nigerians hold controlling stakes in their business ideas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also in the panel were <a href="http://comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/nigeria-com-speaker-spotlight.html" target="_blank">Olatorera Oniru</a> of <a href="http://www.dressmeoutlet.com/" target="_blank">Dressmeoutlet</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/opeyemi-okunoren-879a3819" target="_blank">Opeyemi Okunoren</a> of <a href="http://www.siliconharbourng.com/" target="_blank">Silicon Habour Investment</a> who gave experiential information as entrepreneurs.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About the author:</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olufemiomotayo" style="clear: left; color: #9a9a9a; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJDJTgKlbvaoP7j_7_bqC5C5LyJ-xMMOweFXk5EEffEWazaR_ugn9tSpk-Zj2dVeiz__IjXQHnzCgdC0RgJeKbdoIHw0-_JChsnIeT2Fpn7y5BuUf400xAy96NXn9xn1rtPE3i_Zw1zUB/s200/Olufemi+Omotayo.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olufemiomotayo" style="color: #ff4829;">Olufemi Omotayo</a> is a social entrepreneur and multiple award-winning journalist/blogger with expertise in technology and entrepreneurship writing. He is the founder and managing editor of EntrepreNEWS, Nigeria’s foremost entrepreneurship medium. He is a seasoned speaker, mentor, facilitator and coordinat</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">or for many youth initiatives in Nigeria.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-16694651355947394532016-10-03T16:19:00.002+01:002016-10-23T11:02:51.355+01:00Pan-African collaboration and the One Area Network - Tigo's Pierre Kayitana interview <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/amy-turner-594b2663" target="_blank">Amy Turner</a> - KNect354 Staff Writer <b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Here it is - the full interview with Tigo Rwanda's <a href="http://tmt.knect365.com/eastafricacom/speakers/pierre-kayitana">Pierre Kayitana</a>.</b><br /><br />Pierre is the Head of Regulatory Affairs, Corporate Responsibility and Regional Government Relations at <a href="http://www.tigo.co.rw/">Tigo</a> in Rwanda. <br /><br />We sat down with Pierre following his participation in the panel discussion: 'Intra-regional data roaming and creating the <a href="http://www.ca.go.ke/index.php/what-we-do/94-news/396-one-network-area-initiative-pays-off-as-traffic-in-eac-region-swells">One Network Area initiative</a>', at this year's East Africa Com. <br /><br />Pierre discussed the various benefits that have resulted from the One Area Network arrangement between the countries of Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Kenya - capping calling costs between these participating countries and allowing people travelling between these countries to pay the same rate, as if they were local customers.<br /><br />He also went on to talk about infrastructure and capacity in East Africa and whether intra-regional agreements such as these could be extended to include data roaming in the near future.<br /><br />Pierre also touched on ICT and and telco development and how the collaboration between companies, operators and government can bring about solutions to some of the region's more deeply ingrained challenges.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>If you are interested in how tech and telco is enabling socioeconomic development and social empowerment on the African continent, through initiatives such as the above, why not attend <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-pan-african-collaboration-and-the-one-area%20network&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=pierre-kayitana-video-full" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> 2016?</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Africa's biggest tech and telco event is taking place between the 14th - 18th November at the Cape Town ICC, find out more <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-pan-african-collaboration-and-the-one-area%20network&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=pierre-kayitana-video-full" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">You can book your AfricaCom tickets </span><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-pan-african-collaboration-and-the-one-area-network&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=pierre-kayitana-video-full" style="color: #9a9a9a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:</span></div>
<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-pan-african-collaboration-and-the-one-area%20network&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=pierre-kayitana-video-full" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sCWxnfLreVdkcRD-GTyhyrSznlE6tVwV4OiQ8Wz7NE8WCjqkbgWRW8JePg92FYXF7BZ4Lcd9_SCYXylZnxNWS4Ol40ZLsHA8sLp09P6g7qGuV9B7oxaeEpHZgBlLfG5iAKxb6NPHEQm/s1600/Africa-COM-300x250.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-pan-african-collaboration-and-the-one-area%20network&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=pierre-kayitana-video-full" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Youtube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-14998977892440858252016-09-30T11:18:00.000+01:002016-10-23T10:54:32.472+01:00"Intra-regional business has been a success due to the One Area Network" - Tigo's Pierre Kayitana<span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">By <a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/amy-turner-594b2663" target="_blank">Amy Turner </a>- Com Series Staff Writer, <a href="https://knect365.com/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;">KNect365</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Coming soon to the Com Series blog and YouTube channel...</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is a sneak preview of our interview with the Regional Government Relations Manager at <a href="http://www.tigo.co.rw/" target="_blank">Tigo Rwanda</a>, <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/eastafricacom/speakers/pierre-kayitana" target="_blank">Pierre Kayitana</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We sat down with Pierre following his panel discussion on the One Network Area Initiative at East Africa Com to talk about the harmonising of calling tariffs between the participating nations of the Northern Corridor, the socioeconomic impact of this initiative and what is still to be done to improve telco connectivity in the region.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">If you are interested in how tech and telco is enabling socioeconomic development and social empowerment on the African continent, through initiatives such as the above, you might be interested in attending <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-intra-regional-business-has-been-a-success&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=pierre-kayitana-video-short" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a>.</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Africa's biggest tech and telco event is taking place between the 14th - 18th November at the Cape Town ICC, find out more <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-intra-regional-business-has-been-a-success&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=pierre-kayitana-video-short" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-intra-regional-business-has-been-a-success&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=pierre-kayitana-video-short" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sCWxnfLreVdkcRD-GTyhyrSznlE6tVwV4OiQ8Wz7NE8WCjqkbgWRW8JePg92FYXF7BZ4Lcd9_SCYXylZnxNWS4Ol40ZLsHA8sLp09P6g7qGuV9B7oxaeEpHZgBlLfG5iAKxb6NPHEQm/s1600/Africa-COM-300x250.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">You can book your AfricaCom tickets </span><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-intra-regional-business-has-been%20a-success&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=pierre-kayitana-video-short" style="color: #9a9a9a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-intra-regional-business-has-been-a-success&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=pierre-kayitana-video-short" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Youtube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-52796384884021939702016-09-28T13:39:00.000+01:002016-09-29T09:41:52.988+01:00NigeriaCom: Deepening conversations in the ICT sector <div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/speakers/chukwuemeka-fred-agbata-jnr" target="_blank">Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr</a> - Co-Producer, Presenter and Columnist, <a href="http://punchng.com/" target="_blank">The Punch</a> and <a href="http://www.channelstv.com/programmes/tech-trends/" target="_blank">Tech Trends</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br />The 7th edition of the <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/" target="_blank">Nigeria Com</a> ICT Leaders Forum has ended, and I am looking forward to attending <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a>, Cape Town for yet another informative and exhilarating experience.</b><br /><br />One of the elements that makes Nigeria Com stand out is the quality of attendees and this year didn't disappointment. In fact, this year saw an increased number in start-up founders in attendance, which is a sign the ICT sector in Nigeria is growing in leaps and bounds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />One of the stand-out sessions was the panel discussion on: “<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/agenda/1#understanding-the-value-chain-of-connectivity-for-improving-healthier-lives-and-societies-in-nigeria" target="_blank">Understanding the Value-chain of Connectivity for Improving Healthier Lives and Societies in Nigeria</a>.”<br /><br />The session was just fascinating and highlighted the need for Nigeria to leverage technology in tackling health-related issues. The news here is that <a href="https://www.qualcomm.com/company/wireless-reach" target="_blank">Qualcomm Wireless</a> came up with their latest eHealth innovation - <a href="http://techsmart.ng/chimipak-tablet-the-latest-data-driven-technology-for-health-sector/" target="_blank">ChiniPAK360</a>.<br /><br />Panelist <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/speakers/deborah-theobald" target="_blank">Deborah Theobald</a>, primary grantee of Qualcomm Wireless,</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> explained that CliniPAK is a 3G enabled Point-of-Service data device designed to improve healthcare and reduce maternal and child mortality.<br /><br />According to World Bank records, there are on average less than two midwives per 1,000 people and less than one doctor per 1,000 people in Nigeria. That is to say without adequate access to health services and long-term patient records, the lives of Nigerians becomes threatened. However, this new technology will provide midwives and healthcare providers with flexibility to capture, analyse and diagnose clinical conditions that lead to maternal or infant mortality, and aims to decrease the number of deaths in these groups dramatically.<br /><br />“Electronic reporting gives us a faster and easier way of understanding what’s going on in the field, so Nigeria can achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 by 2015. Ondo State is now able to track and report on approximately 90% of its maternal births - the highest of any State in Nigeria,” noted Jamila Ibiye Bello-Malabu of the <a href="http://www.nphcda.gov.ng/" target="_blank">Nigerian National Primary Health Care Development Agency</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The panel discussing m-Health initiatives at Nigeria Com 2016</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Panelist Adeleke Balogun, Assistant Director of ICT at the <a href="http://www.health.gov.ng/" target="_blank">Federal Ministry of Health</a> explained that the thrust behind this innovation is to solve data access-related issues. “Having access to data when needed is a setback in some industries in Nigeria. Hence, that issue has been addressed by the invention of ChiniPAK. Besides having access to data, there are lots of health-related applications such as videos and ebooks, which helps to narrow the knowledge gap”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The truth is that the immediate availability of current medical data means clinicians and midwives can make informed, timely decisions that have life-saving potential. Considering the potentially enormous benefits of this technology, it is envisaged that other states would borrow the notion from Ondo State and leverage the power of technology to boost their health sectors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Connecting Nigeria</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />Secondly, the area that caught my attention at this year's event was the discussion around the country's connectivity, with statistics showing that internet penetration in Nigeria currently stands at 51 percent - ranking the country 6th in Africa. Ismaila Otolorin from <a href="http://www.africa.airtel.com/wps/wcm/connect/africarevamp/Nigeria/" target="_blank">Airtel Nigeria</a> revealed these statistics during his presentation on: <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/agenda/1#presentation-towards-universal-access-and-business-models-for-the-last-mile" target="_blank">'Towards Universal Access and Business Models for the last Mile'</a>. His presentation was quite informative and instructive.<br /><br />It is understood that the likes of South African MTN, Indian Airtel, Glo Nigeria, and UAE's Etisalat are reluctant to expand their network coverage in some areas because 20 percent of their network sites adds nothing to their revenue. This is what is the major issue associated with the low level of internet penetration in Nigeria.<br /><br />Meanwhile, if telco operators expand their networks and universal service, there would be more internet penetration in Nigeria. Does it mean that players are not ready to expand their networks? The answer is no.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Otolorin noted that: “There are a lot of issues ranging from policies, regulation, the current economic situation, security of fibre, power, multiple taxation and other impediments that are trailing the telecoms operators in Nigeria. Once the government starts addressing some bottlenecks within the ecosystem, telecoms operators would expand their universal service so as to deepen internet penetration.<br /><br />Additionally, the starting point is to effect the <a href="http://www.uspf.gov.ng/" target="_blank">Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF)</a>, through which smart subsidies would be provided to operators. This would induce them to extend their network services to rural areas, so as to deepen internet penetration in Nigeria”.<br /><br />The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to facilitate the achievement of national policy goals for universal access and service to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in rural, un-served and under-served areas in Nigeria.<br /><br />Otolorin suggested that to speed up the entire region it imperative that government, in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission, further team up with third-party companies so as to help introduce smart subsidies that would induce operators to expand their service in rural areas.<br /><br />Finally, one of the takeaways from the Nigeria Com event is that Nigeria is doing well with regards to in technology innovation, but still needs to improve in certain areas. Telecom operators need to expand universal access and service in uncovered areas; deepen Internet penetration; while the government needs to create an enabling environment for these operators.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tech Trends TV sits down with Nigeria Com speaker <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/speakers/tony-smallwood" target="_blank">Tony Smallwood</a> - Executive Head of IoT at Vodacom</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/cfagbata" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwi6Y8cv1VWVttbBZnpzF-CJYVQxi4sa7MAvis_-y8wjsnCZcQyilIInfjmvdZpEUZt7JIser0FEpxwBkULwZUcboobK1F3JxMiNbZGm5mobUSER577im8hcXkEIEGlwPHFCWhy8FlS3Q6/s1600/Chuk.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>About the author:</b><br />CFA co-produces and presents Tech Trends, a weekly tech show on <a href="http://www.cfa.ng/tv" target="_blank">Channels Television</a> as well as a weekly column in the Sunday Punch Newspaper known as <a href="http://www.cfa.ng/punch" target="_blank">ICT Clinic</a>. CFA is the Founder of <a href="http://www.techsmart.ng/" target="_blank">www.techSmart.ng</a>, a tech blog that covers everything tech.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-31714261564124284322016-09-28T12:08:00.001+01:002016-10-23T10:27:37.365+01:00AHUB powered by Ericsson | AfricaCom TV - Episode 2 <b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Welcome to AfricaCom TV - the home of all things African tech and telco.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom-ahub/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=ahub-find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank">AHUB</a> episode is dedicated to showcasing the start-ups who are actively shaping the African tech scene.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom-ahub/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=ahub-find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank">The AHUB powered by Ericsson</a> is part of this year’s <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> between the 15th and 17th November in Cape Town, South Africa and is the meeting place for Africa’s start-up community – linking business ready entrepreneurs, developers and start-ups with accelerators, investors, VCs and business mentors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s a spotlight look at some of the most impressive start-ups and innovations that have recently come out of Africa’s digital landscape:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Companies featured:</b></span><br />
<a href="http://bankymoon.co.za/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bankymoon</span></a><br />
<a href="http://maxicashapp.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">MaxiCash</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.wigroupinternational.com/" target="_blank">wiGroup</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom-ahub/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=ahub-find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs3WQUod92nGOSn5NePz3VZ8gy_UQM2KbrGUiai3OG0EBHDJ3rJ32jYeIWmX86jkkcL96wHyzaARFEWAb7ra_7C1kEaLzLh0hpD0sceur4Q7B2k933Tung15OyRmja1B2nx2_Mjp18efw/s400/Ahub-Ericsson-logo-RGB.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The AHUB is open to <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> visitors – however if you are a start-up, investor, operator, enterprise, broadcaster, government or regulator then you can get a FREE gold delegate pass, giving you access to all of AfricaCom’s conference tracks. Please apply for a pass <a href="http://get.knect365.com/ahub-free-pass/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=ahub-book-your-tickets&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank">here</a> or by clicking the link below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Find out more about the AHUB powered by Ericsson <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom-ahub/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=ahub-find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Register for your AHUB free pass <a href="http://get.knect365.com/ahub-free-pass/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=ahub-book-your-tickets&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIGi3MYeNHJXHG5eD0X_hwSNj8DvV9-kAHHMXcsig0vLb-LhpnivV8AuzKBDSUEnIiVle_7dQGDajizV1QSH3ZrbFS0sIwzq_wfRIVRtYRQQHuOES_pTqL_0SArHoh-AUgi-1S7p0zkI7/s1600/Africa-COM-600x75.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />To find out more about the largest tech and telco event in Africa and book you tickets, click <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-ahub-powered-by-ericsson&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=africacom-tv-ahub" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw">Youtube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/">Instagram</a></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-25826030732093133562016-09-27T11:22:00.002+01:002016-10-23T11:05:16.225+01:00The continuing evolution of the vCPE<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Dr. Yuri Gittik - Head of Strategic Developments and Innovation, <a href="http://www.rad.com/" target="_blank">RAD</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The emerging virtual customer premises equipment (vCPE) approach for business customers enables some of the functionality associated with conventional CPEs and other customer-located appliances to be virtualized and optionally relocated to other network locations. Most recently, a new understanding has evolved that broadens and widens its use cases and implementation options.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Firstly, there is now a consensus that vCPEs are not just deployable over a single architecture model but rather a suite of various implementation options, with and without virtualization at the customer site. The question currently being debated is how can virtualization be deployed most efficiently at the customer site.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Secondly, the telecoms industry now understands major vCPE use cases, which include IP VPNs, Ethernet services with virtualized capabilities and, somewhat surprisingly, SD-WAN as a carrier service. For many, the last of these three scenarios was unexpected, since the SD-WAN was originally designed for the enterprise alternative.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are three types of architecture that can be employed to introduce virtualization:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>With just a physical CPE (pCPE, without virtualization capabilities) at customer sites while all virtualization is located in the network/cloud.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>With a universal CPE (uCPE, that enables hosting virtualized functions) at customer sites while virtualization is distributed between the network/cloud and customer sites.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">C.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>With a universal CPE (uCPE) at customer sites while all virtualization sits at the customer sites.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is critical to grasp from these different architectures is that vCPE deployment is not a cookie cutter process. These three options serve different enterprise market segments, and can even co-exist within a single customer network.</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-continuing-evolution-of-the-vcpe&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=vcpe-blog" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIGi3MYeNHJXHG5eD0X_hwSNj8DvV9-kAHHMXcsig0vLb-LhpnivV8AuzKBDSUEnIiVle_7dQGDajizV1QSH3ZrbFS0sIwzq_wfRIVRtYRQQHuOES_pTqL_0SArHoh-AUgi-1S7p0zkI7/s1600/Africa-COM-600x75.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Start without virtualization at the customer site as the initial stage. This would be accomplished using a pCPE that provides tunneling and security. This option is tailored for the architecture type A. Then virtualization can be added using a stand-alone white box, or integrated with the pCPE (gray box).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Start with colocation of separate white box server and existing CPEs at the customer site, and then, as a next stage, collapse them into a single device to maximize performance and reduce costs. This scenario begins with a white box (basically a COTS), which runs the vendor’s operating system or the carrier’s own software to host VNFs. Later on, the white box can be enhanced with hardware-based functionality, such as performance acceleration, switching/routing, L2/L3 demarcation and other physical network functions (PNF), in addition to VNFs. This option is tailored for architectures B and C as the starting point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both these scenarios are equally valid. Technical and business drivers such as cost structure, target services, network architecture, use cases and other parameters will determine where VNFs will be situated. Some applications – end-to-end encryption, WAN optimization, testing, and monitoring, for example – must be located at the customer premises by definition. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Others are simply more effective at the customer premises. There are also operational and transport issues to consider, not to mention governmental regulations and policies related to data protection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The vCPE, therefore, has been evolving and continues to do so. Standardization by industry bodies, beginning first of all with the Broadband Forum, is yet another contributing factor in considering the vCPE as a work in progress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the year in which the vCPE has moved into its deployment stage. Not surprisingly, two alternative models reflecting the above two scenarios have been employed. The first – adopted, for example, by Orange and DTAG – begins with a pCPE, while virtualization at the customer site will be added later. The second – adopted other carriers, such as AT&T – begins with virtualization using a white box server.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Taken together, all of these developments provide African operators with a distinct advantage, since they will have the opportunity to carefully watch and assimilate the experience of their American and European counterparts before opting for one model over the other. In this way, they will be able to first the review the research, expertise and interoperability testing accumulated during U.S. and EU rollouts before charting their own path.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For service providers, vCPE’s sweet spot lies in agile service offering, while introducing advanced software-defined provisioning and customer self-configuration with ability to carry out shorter, and more flexible deployment cycles for new services. When implementing vCPE architecture, there are several options for VNF placement – in the data center, at the customer edge or a combination of both – each fitting a different scenario. When planning vCPE deployments, service providers need to consider how functionality placement affects bandwidth efficiency, security, survivability, performance, diagnostics, and last but not least, service quality-of-experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>About the author:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yuri Gittik is Head of Strategic Developments and Innovation at RAD. In this capacity, he is responsible for steering the innovation and leading strategic development of new RAD solutions and partnerships, with a particular focus on NFV and cloud solutions. Dr. Gittik also leads RAD’s strategic cooperation with key carrier accounts around the world, as well as R&D collaboration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>About RAD:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rad.com/" target="_blank">RAD</a> is a global vendor of solutions for telecom </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">service providers, power utilities, transportation systems, and government agencies. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.rad.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2Bw8-Xx4_6RMITi1Bet1GgEmCJzK3NyMmDdztpMk_EsDPYKlWKd6O6KtsfQPG1c-HJhGHCRZzBpTfD55nxRtyzSB1WK1kxV6UnOw7jewhO4QhdkSgbJAOeZiK-XIE-UxLSnwm_2yyq_B/s200/RAD_logo_with_tagline.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Their Service Assured Access solutions for mobile, business and wholesale service providers are designed to improve the way they compete: service agility to minimise time to revenue, complete visibility of network performance for greater operational efficiency, and better QoE to reduce churn.<br /><br />Founded in 1981, RAD has an installed base of more than 15 million units, and is a member of the $1.25 billion RAD Group of companies, a world leader in communications solutions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>If you are interested in topics such as these and others, that are evolving the world of tech and telco, why not attend <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-continuing-evolution-of-the-vcpe&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=vcpe-blog" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a> 2016?</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Africa's biggest tech and telco event is taking place between the 14th - 18th November at the Cape Town ICC, find out more <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-continuing-evolution-of-the-vcpe&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=vcpe-blog" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">You can book your AfricaCom tickets </span><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/purchase/select-package?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-continuing-evolution-of-the-vcpe&utm_term=book-your-tickets&utm_content=vcpe-blog" style="color: #9a9a9a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be part of the African tech and telco conversation, here:</span></div>
<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-continuing-evolution-of-the-vcpe&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=vcpe-blog" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sCWxnfLreVdkcRD-GTyhyrSznlE6tVwV4OiQ8Wz7NE8WCjqkbgWRW8JePg92FYXF7BZ4Lcd9_SCYXylZnxNWS4Ol40ZLsHA8sLp09P6g7qGuV9B7oxaeEpHZgBlLfG5iAKxb6NPHEQm/s1600/Africa-COM-300x250.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/africacom/?utm_source=comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk&utm_medium=blog%20&utm_campaign=content-the-continuing-evolution-of-the-vcpe&utm_term=find-out-more&utm_content=vcpe-blog" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AfricaCom</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTZRiGEWWE2FKFhGuKjsUw" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Youtube</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/AllAboutCom" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutCom/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2456921" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/comworldseries/" style="color: #9a9a9a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-12301561305644521242016-09-26T17:06:00.000+01:002016-09-26T17:30:52.651+01:00On the cusp of a tech revolution: The Nigeria Com 2016 report<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrthompson" target="_blank">Adam Thompson</a> -</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Portfolio Manager, Africa, TMT</span>,<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://knect365.com/" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Knect365</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>On the edge of something big – Nigeria is in the formative stages of a technology led revolution that will change the socio-economic picture for the country.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuWl4iXgbxYnYfsXSPBgO-_vQAG69LSSbQLSa2my1TFobtvbSGprZPL4B_5HcT7Zl5Q7OZlX-h0xNzEj2x2hS7MqfDswOShQot0UJJMGxddv9PKL8O7Uwk9T4GKCvrN37Y5B1YYfxY0mI/s1600/Report+pic+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuWl4iXgbxYnYfsXSPBgO-_vQAG69LSSbQLSa2my1TFobtvbSGprZPL4B_5HcT7Zl5Q7OZlX-h0xNzEj2x2hS7MqfDswOShQot0UJJMGxddv9PKL8O7Uwk9T4GKCvrN37Y5B1YYfxY0mI/s400/Report+pic+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-04Wv5UbpbbzjvRuD6wmupw-U7uBj9r9O8lMyrn6yXYEvjb5o09EEv660ta4SS5FAwyRh1piBiHcK1K20vetcbncJLz-LPHgUmzit_3wv-zSW_kDE3SZmiAOaId5YwC4ArbG4dPRwVby/s1600/Report+pic+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The Naira has weakened immensely over the last six months yet in characteristically optimistic fashion Nigerians are pushing the digital sector to re-invigorate the economy. Even President Muhammadu Buhari championed Nigeria as one of the world's largest and fastest growing telecoms markets during the <a href="http://usafricabusinessforum.bloomberg.org/#/" target="_blank">US-Africa Business Forum</a> a fortnight ago.<br /><br />The 7th annual <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/" target="_blank">Nigeria Com</a> showed a clear ambition from all participants from the offset, to utilise technology and telecommunications to stimulate growth and development of a digitally-led, knowledge-based economy.<br /><br />While the macro-economic outlook in Nigeria is more challenging than ever, paradoxically this remains Africa’s largest economy in GDP terms and Africa’s most populous nation. With that in mind the opportunity for technology to scale quickly in Nigeria is still attractive for investors. The challenge lies in providing the level of connectivity and reliable broadband services to consumers and businesses to help develop the sector.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>NigeriaCom plenary panel: Enhancing content integration to bridge the digital revenue gap – the rise of data driven services through smart devices</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Nigerian Communications Commission (<a href="http://www.ncc.gov.ng/" target="_blank">NCC</a>) and Nigeria’s ITU Organising Committee gave an insight into the Smart Communities agenda for creating a digital Nigeria. While the sentiment for Smart Communities was felt among participants, the challenge of digital skills development was overlooked here and in later sessions it was highlighted as a critical area where more investment and attention is needed. <br /><br />The debate continued during a select panel of incubators, start-ups and those passionate about developing the bottom end of the pyramid including </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cfagbata" target="_blank">Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr</a> (CFA) of </span><a href="http://www.channelstv.com/programmes/tech-trends/" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Tech Trends</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> – </span><a href="http://www.channelstv.com/" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Channels TV</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/oluwole-odetayo-69277a2a" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Wole Odetayo</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> of </span><a href="https://twitter.com/wennovation" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Wennovation Hub</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olatoreramajekodunmi" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Olatorera Oniru</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> of </span><a href="http://dressmeoutlet.com/" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">DressMeOutlet.com</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> among others. The salient point was that more needed to be done on the policy front to protect and develop small Nigerian businesses in the wake of large multi-internationals taking prime position in the market.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/agenda/1#telecoms-leaders-roundtable-winning-global-investment-with-nigerias-broadband-potential" target="_blank">Telecoms Leader’s Roundtable</a> set the tone for development of more robust broadband networks as the catalyst for this digital economy growth. Leaders from <a href="http://www.africa.airtel.com/wps/wcm/connect/africarevamp/Nigeria/" target="_blank">Airtel</a>, <a href="http://www.ntel.com.ng/" target="_blank">ntel</a>, <a href="http://www.avantiplc.com/index.html" target="_blank">Avanti</a> and the NCC shared views on how spectrum transformation is key to unlocking the opportunity in this sector, creating faster and more affordable connectivity hinged on collaboration between telcos and the regulator.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Networking at Nigeria Com 2016</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />At the front end of the digital sector a stellar panel put the digital entertainment sector to rights, looking at how to bridge the gap between content and data uptake. Nigerian ARPU is still low considering the high levels of mobile penetration in the country. A fine selection of minds leading digital development from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adia-sowho-85282b" target="_blank">Adia Sowho</a>, Director of Digital Business at <a href="http://www.etisalat.com/en/index.jsp" target="_blank">Etisalat</a> Nigeria, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-price-245973" target="_blank">Daniel Price</a> at <a href="http://www.performgroup.com/brands/goal/" target="_blank">Perform Group & Goal.com</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/oyeakideinde" target="_blank">Oye Akideinde</a> of <a href="http://www.theboomplayer.com/" target="_blank">BOOM Player</a> at <a href="https://www.tecno-mobile.com/" target="_blank">Tecno Mobile</a> among others looked at the future of digital entertainment through the mobile. A key take away was the need to tap into local resources and local content production that would enable digital business growth.<br /><br />Collocated at Nigeria Com was the Enterprise ICT Leader’s Forum which facilitated the CIOs and CTOs of major enterprises for another year at the show. There was big focus on the fundamental impacts of IoT on Nigerian businesses and establishing what the future role of an ICT leader would look like with the continual convergence of CIO and CTO roles.</span>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-34941678848486862792016-09-26T12:37:00.000+01:002016-09-26T12:52:47.727+01:00Connection speeds still slow in Nigeria but the appetite for data is strong, says ntel boss<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://twitter.com/erhiawarien" target="_blank">Isaiah Erhiawarien</a> - Senior Correspondent, Infotech at the <a href="http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/category/business/infotech/" target="_blank">National Mirror</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>The growth in broadband penetration in the country has not been evidently clear in the speed of internet connection prompting the Managing Director of NATCOM, owners of </b><a href="http://www.ntel.com.ng/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">ntel</a><b>, </b><a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/speakers/kamar-abass" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Abass Kamar</a><b> to describe data connection in Nigeria to be slow.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRF-xhqOGFf-Pr2IVq-Oz94JxxwQ7d-phXaHTmFdfqoi8iKmmNwO9Ny2aJXrnJ0N4zXHiBmBvaoMnx4IhX2BGv_injmOuLGhUO8DAdli0bG3TBwDAahlQmF9C91GtGG2mRNbYwAl3dJgX/s1600/Being+broadband+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRF-xhqOGFf-Pr2IVq-Oz94JxxwQ7d-phXaHTmFdfqoi8iKmmNwO9Ny2aJXrnJ0N4zXHiBmBvaoMnx4IhX2BGv_injmOuLGhUO8DAdli0bG3TBwDAahlQmF9C91GtGG2mRNbYwAl3dJgX/s400/Being+broadband+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kamar (right) presented: 'Being Broadband: This is How We Do It' at <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/" target="_blank">Nigeria Com</a> 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kamar who made the remark while speaking at the <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/" target="_blank">Nigeria Com</a> 2016, said that despite the slow speed of data connections in the country, there is clear evidence that there is a hunger for reliable data connections in the country, noting that the industry is presently witnessing a fundamental and phenomenal shift from narrow band to broadband connection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He said that to meet the of the needs of consumers for high speed broadband connections it has become necessary to embrace 4G technology, and that the migration to 4G broadband in the next five years will be greater than the migration to mobile communication.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He disclosed that the 92 million internet subscribers are connected through the narrow band connection and as such active subscribers have to contend with a 2G connection, which is lower than one megabyte connection per second.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He observed that as a result, the average consumption under the 2G connection is lower than 200 megabytes per month, compared to a global standard of 800 megabytes monthly, stressing that there is urgent need to address this deficit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibY8JvpgL5_bt3Br1Qbs2lk3f1fi2M7Xh2Cgv9q55y3Rhpj6nKcIIJqVA-DKZT_pkce8-rObNp9u1xjY_AAZCw66dGg6d0H4wm8Ms2kRvzjiADlx9XkT0qaLzZ0gzcGTZXRqpUD8Cxz2qK/s1600/being+broadband+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibY8JvpgL5_bt3Br1Qbs2lk3f1fi2M7Xh2Cgv9q55y3Rhpj6nKcIIJqVA-DKZT_pkce8-rObNp9u1xjY_AAZCw66dGg6d0H4wm8Ms2kRvzjiADlx9XkT0qaLzZ0gzcGTZXRqpUD8Cxz2qK/s400/being+broadband+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauladepoju" target="_blank">Paul Adepoju</a> and Abass Kamar discussing Nigerian broadband potential</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to Kamar, the way out of the present trend of low speed data connections in Nigeria is 4G technology, if the industry must carter for the mass market needs, saying that the industry needs solutions that does not focus on cities but on the vast area of the country.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He said that the needs of the Nigerian internet community goes beyond city hotspots to mobile solutions that can carry a lot of capacity, noting that ntel has the ability to build Nigeria’s most constant efficient mass market mobile broadband network.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kamar explained that although it went out to acquire a company that has been out of fashion and business, it has has the fundamental requirement of being built on what is called the 'golden spectrum'.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeWfBoXDCiqrwlY_Us8Omh6uWfpZDCZ_SfRtticxgvNCUM7STyfWmMowwtTD75iJPkSc9qaTQqjA5FKZ_ouMFJuhtRarBriIRzqNTnQcwjFV6X0flv-Y6iv-gl-4afxglO_lYhc34AXI/s1600/Kamar-Abass.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He added that ntel is built on the 4G/LTE, advanced technology is built on the 900/1800MHz spectrum, which can deliver the unbeatable and game changing customer experience of high speed internet access up to 230Mbps,"thus enabling a world of full mobile broadband experiences that will transform both lives and livelihoods.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeWfBoXDCiqrwlY_Us8Omh6uWfpZDCZ_SfRtticxgvNCUM7STyfWmMowwtTD75iJPkSc9qaTQqjA5FKZ_ouMFJuhtRarBriIRzqNTnQcwjFV6X0flv-Y6iv-gl-4afxglO_lYhc34AXI/s1600/Kamar-Abass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeWfBoXDCiqrwlY_Us8Omh6uWfpZDCZ_SfRtticxgvNCUM7STyfWmMowwtTD75iJPkSc9qaTQqjA5FKZ_ouMFJuhtRarBriIRzqNTnQcwjFV6X0flv-Y6iv-gl-4afxglO_lYhc34AXI/s320/Kamar-Abass.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Abbas, an ex-Country Manager of <a href="https://www.ericsson.com/ng" target="_blank">Ericsson Nigeria</a>, said that ntel is the biggest 4G network in the country today but that the decision of the company to rollout to only Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt was strategic, saying that beyond its inherited infrastructure - it also has secondary sites from tower companies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In an address while declaring open the event, Portfolio Manager, Africa TMT KNects365, organisers of the event, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrthompson" target="_blank">Adam Thompson</a> observed that Nigeria requires the diversification away from a heavy dependence on the oil and gas sector, and expansion of the knowledge economy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He said that the development of ICTs marks a stronger prospect for social benefit and that this can only occur through convincing actions from the <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/" target="_blank">Nigeria Com</a> participants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This article originally appeared in </span><a href="http://ict-bizafrica.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/data-connection-still-slow-in-nigeria.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ICT & Biz Africa</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841076791356551427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2497811873298506659.post-42178615516461211922016-09-23T14:45:00.002+01:002016-09-26T10:58:37.622+01:00NigeriaCom: Knowing what works as a Nigerian tech entrepreneur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />By <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olufemiomotayo">Olufemi Omotayo</a> - Founder and Managing Editor, <a href="http://entrepre-news.com/" target="_blank">EntrepreNews</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Nigerian technology entrepreneurs can create and grow viable businesses if they have more access to, and utilise, local resources.</b><br /><br />The Oriental Hotel in Lagos recently played host to the 7th annual <a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/" target="_blank">Nigeria Com</a>, bringing together stakeholders in the telecoms and ICT sector to create discussion on deal flow around the nation’s digital future.<br /><br />For two days, experts shared market insights on creating a better environment for tech SMEs and startups to develop; case studies of public private collaborations in m-Health; focused sessions on digital entertainment and matching content with the data gap.<br /><br />For starters, did you know that the instant messaging market is currently witnessing another disruption besides WhatsApp?<br /><br />CEO of <a href="http://www.jongla.com/" target="_blank">Jongla</a>, <a href="https://fi.linkedin.com/in/rikusalminen" target="_blank">Riku Salminen</a>, wowed the audience with statistics of how are capturing market share in Africa, using Nigeria as a key entry point.<br /><br />Perhaps even more stunning is his announcement that Jongla has localised its offering to the Nigerian people, making it possible to communicate in the three major languages of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.</span><br />
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<a href="https://tmt.knect365.com/nigeria-com/"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxr3Fc_7blHmHGEg14f73maQcUbqH6JFvbT079NScY4wBvbOGZbIUwGBJVesGDggzXdhJPobUqNcTozfngO0lURfdeEXp9uHASypAyhrxKdbiV6gCjTZQFBi3o6U43qpzhRhYWH42Up27/s400/Nigeria+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>NigeriaCom plenary panel: Enhancing content integration to bridge the digital revenue gap – the rise of data driven services through smart devices</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The key statistics from their survey so far reveal that news and information are top needs of Nigerians, followed by social networking.<br /><br /><a href="http://comworldseries.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/nigeria-com-speaker-spotlight-jara.html" target="_blank">Emeka Akano</a>, the CEO of <a href="http://jara.ng/" target="_blank">Jara Mobile</a> corroborated this.<br /><br />When asked about the kind of contents Nigerians love; he listed music videos, comedy, football, tech reviews, fashion, and gaming. But entrepreneurs must also find how to make these user-generated as it would accelerate their growth.<br /><br />For Michael Ugwu, the GM West Africa of <a href="http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sony-music-opens-nigeria-office-as-it-expands-across-africa/" target="_blank">Sony Music</a>, the question was whether Nigerians buy music? Surprisingly, he confirmed that their experience has been great since they launch last year and the Nigerian market is the fastest in Sub-Saharan Africa.<br /><br />And, what is the secret of <a href="http://www.goal.com/en-ng">Goal.com</a>? Daniel Price, Mobile Distribution Director, Perform Group says the secret is to keep innovating and changing things where necessary. He also advises that adding local flavour and voice is important.<br /><br />Finally, he tells Nigerian entrepreneurs: “Don’t be afraid to fail.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This report was originally published on <a href="http://entrepre-news.com/nigeriacom-knowing-works-nigerian-tech-entrepreneur/" target="_blank">EntrepreNews</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>About the author:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olufemiomotayo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJDJTgKlbvaoP7j_7_bqC5C5LyJ-xMMOweFXk5EEffEWazaR_ugn9tSpk-Zj2dVeiz__IjXQHnzCgdC0RgJeKbdoIHw0-_JChsnIeT2Fpn7y5BuUf400xAy96NXn9xn1rtPE3i_Zw1zUB/s200/Olufemi+Omotayo.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olufemiomotayo">Olufemi Omotayo</a> is a social entrepreneur and multiple award-winning journalist/blogger with expertise in technology and entrepreneurship writing. He is the founder and managing editor of EntrepreNEWS, Nigeria’s foremost entrepreneurship medium. He is a seasoned speaker, mentor, facilitator and coordinator for many youth initiatives in Nigeria.</span></div>
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