King Fahd Palace
Dakar, Senegal
Website: www.comworldseries.com/wcafrica
After two days of intensive learning, debate and networking, yesterday saw the close of the 9th annual West & Central Africa Com in Dakar, Senegal. After enjoying drinks and music, sponsored by Alcatel-Lucent, at the Sea View Networking Reception on the Day 1, attendees gathered yesterday, for an engaging second day, to address the issue of relevant service innovation.
Delegates benefitted from a strong speaker line up taken from the region’s digital ecosystem, with a focus on innovation in the value added services space. VIP speakers included Orange Technocentre’s Arnauld Blondet, Director of AMEA, Constant Nemale, President & Founder of leading digital news broadcaster, Africa24, Lola Masha, Google’s New Business Dev elopement lead in West Africa, John Ndego, CEO of Airtel Burkina Faso, to name a few.
There was further consensus, as during day 1, that the customer should be at the centre of all innovation, and that hearing their needs, understanding the market and responding in an innovative way should be key areas of focus for service providers. The panel discussing how to generate new revenues elaborated on this, further pressing the point that all players (service providers, OTT players, content providers, app developers, etc.) need to play their part, but there also must be fair revenue generation for all. Also, the operators requested further local action in the challenge of developing local content, saying that successful partners are needed to ensure better content for the region. It remains to be seen who will take the leading role, or emerge on top, in this scuffle in the shifting ecosystem, but what is clear is that forums like West & Central Africa Com are key meeting places for this expanded ecosystem, and an important platform for the discussion and debate of issues like this one.
The afternoon of Day 2 further segmented approaches to delighting the customer, with a focus on services for enterprise clients, including the potential of cloud, as well as reaching rural segments with the right services, and reliable access.
Finally, delegates attended the ICT Entrepreneurs’ Hub – a brand new session dedicated to the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit in West & Central Africa. Chaired by the CTIC of Dakar, discussions centred on how to promote existing ICT innovation taking place in the region, as well as what young, emerging entrepreneurs need from the rest of the ICT industry in order to successfully overcome hurdles facing their progress and profitable start-up ideas.
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Don't forget to share your thoughts on this year's West & Central Africa Com
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Tweet about your experience using #WCACOM @allaboutcom on twitter!
https://twitter.com/#!/allaboutcom
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Take a look at the photos from the packed busy conference
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Click here: http://yfrog.com/ny6mleej
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Click here to see what our attendees are saying on twitter: https://twitter.com/search/%23wcacom
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What are delegates saying about West & Central Africa Com?
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- "I love the event, the quality of the speakers, the quality of the panels and the good networking environment. For me it was a good experience and I want to be here again next year!"
Verone Mankou, Chairman and CEO, VMK, Congo
"The opportunity provided by this conference was invaluable. Meeting the decision makers in the telecoms industry in Africa"
Ajibola Aiyedogbon, Software Developer, MobileXcetera, Nigeria
"I am truly satisfied on the quality and organisation of the event. Great opportunity for solutions and problems in the telecoms Industry."
Sako Yaya, Head of IP/Wimax, Orange Bissau, Guinee
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Thank you to all the Sponsors of West & Central Africa Com:
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- Alcatel-Lucent
- ACE Consortium
- Telecom Italia Sparkle
- Sonatel
- Comviva
- BICS
- Corning
- Tellabs
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See You Next Year!
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West & Central Africa Com 2013
18-19 June 2013
Radisson Blu Hotel
Dakar, Senegal
Website: www.comworldseries.com/wcafrica
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