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Exclusive: Able Wireless to Enter the Kenyan Voice Market

Sam Wakoba
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1
Exclusive: Able Wireless to Enter the Kenyan Voice Market
Kamunyu
Kamunyu (IMG Credits-SmartMonkeyTV)

Kenya’s Able Wireless, an on-demand wireless streaming service provider is set to enter Kenya’s voice industry by harnessing VoIP services exclusively for its subscribers.

Speaking to TechMoran about the development, Able Wireless co-founder and CEO Kahenya Kamunyu said, “We are looking at switching voice calls such as GoogleTalk, Facebook calls and others to link our users who are connected to a Wi-Fi network. We are not building an app. We want to have enhanced service for Facebook calling and routing it locally to our network instead of how it’s being done.”

Kamunyu told TechMoran the Able Wireless device (which is being built in China) will come with an in-built microphone and camera to allow users  call their friends via their TV screens.

“It’s routed through a special channel. I want them to try and swtich locally so users cannot burn so much money. With that we can also do numbered calling for our users. Our intertnal network will have an internal numbered network and our users can call their friends over TV.”

Able Wireless, which was supposed to have launched earlier blames its woes on regulators. it even had to close its Kenyan assembly plant and sale its machinery after the government forced it to relocate the manufacture and assembly to China insead of doing them here.

“The regulator said they were falling internal processes and the new board was just kickstarting its affairs. I will believe them even though it was a long and expensive wait. Government is the greatest stumbling block to local innovations. There’s no way we’re going to set up an assembly plant in Ruaraka then the govt tells us to move it away. Government gets more money from us than our investors. We pay more for taxes than for bandwidth. The govt is just talking but doesn’t help locals build anything,” Kamunyu told TechMoran.

Angered at the recent Sh15 billion security tender awarded to Safaricom, the entrepreneur pointed out why governments need to pull out of business and only deliver public services as mandated by the electorate and not meddle into private businesses or even invest in them.

“The government has no businesses doing business. I’ts hard for the government to regulate itself and should let the private sector do businesses. We have so much conflict of interest as Safaricom is set to do security. It’s one huge conflict of interest as Safaricom can access your records without just cause and label you  terrorist,” he added.

Safaricom, Kenya’s leading mobile network operator by subscribers and revenue was launched in 1997 by Telkom Kenya. In 2000, UK’s Vodafone Group Plc acquired a 40% stake while the Kenyan government and individual investors own the rest. The Kenyan government also owns stakes in firms such as Multichoice Kenya (GOtv) and Startimes.

According to the entreprenuer, Safaricom is a mobile operator not a security provider and Kenya should be moving be moving away from such deals and not moving towards. He wonders how the government will regulate Safaricom, a company it owns and tenders security bids to it.

“The govt needs to pull out of Orange, Safaricom and only run parastatals. The market will not be independent as long as the govt has shares in them,” he said.

Able Wireless, a delivery service and not a content retailer says it’s not afraid of others and has done it’s best best to provide a platform other content providers to deliver their content. Through it’s partner AIB Capital the firm says it has raised enough money to do business in Kenya and is willing to go all the way.

With over 38,000 people knocking on its door for services, Able Wireless says its ready to roll out. It’s target is the middle and low income earners, students and everyone who wants premium content at an affordable at just Shs 500 a month. Able Wireless has signed a deal with 3 ISPs to supply them with internet and has a growing number of content providers.

“Mobile phones have taught us we are not a wired market. The firms laying fiber will only take them to banks, hospitals and a majority will be left out. They will need Able Wireless. We are not a content provider. People knock in seeking us to distribute their content, some of these guys have prepared content already and also county TV stations are going to be many. There’s massive content that will need to be distributed. I was doubtful of that earlier but already we are near the quota of exceeding our content,” said Kamunyu.

Able Wireless says it’s network design is radically different from ordinary operator and is ready to provide an infrastructure for guys who can afford it. The platform aims to take content from it’s partners to everyone. The firm now has a member in China working with the manufactures for its latest device and is already signing up content disributors.

As everyone talks of hype and replicating in Africa. Kamunyu says Able Wireless started the device long before everyone else and the firm didn’t start because so and so had started but wanted to solve a probem which no one else was solving.

Able Wireless is no longer the Rasperry Pi it once was but has been modified and custom-build and appears more like an Apple TV device. Kamunyu also says the device has been tested in several countries and it works perfectly. Able Wireless says it’s a complimentary service to TV and will never replace or compete TV but will help the firms to reach more users.  The firm will make money via monthly susbcription plus operator billing, ads localised to a user’s language or region among others.

“We did our best, on a shoe-string budget and burned alot of money of our own. The government has no hand in helping us built it. We shall pay taxes and move on. Our business is a volumes business, if we have 500 customers we are losing money. Were trying to cut out the whole bundle nonsense. Our internet policy in Kenya is skewed against the poor who end up paying more. We are solving these,” Kamunyu concluded.

 

 

Jumia Introduces Express Delivery to customers in Lagos

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
Jumia Introduces Express Delivery to customers in Lagos

Jumia express delivery

 

Jumia, Nigeria’s Largest Online retailer with operations covering every part of Nigeria introduces Express delivery to customers in Lagos.

Jumia Nigeria introduced this great service to give customers the best shopping experience and Convenience with Online Shopping. In More recent times, Jumia has expanded to creating new categories with more assortments available for customers to shop from.

The exclusive delivery expansion offered as Express delivery gives all Jumia Customers in Lagos the opportunity to receive their order the same day they place the order. It is same day delivery that is not being offered by any other retailer in Nigeria.

Managing Director of Jumia Nigeria Nicolas Martin speaking on the Delivery innovation stated ‘‘this level of convenience is what we aim to provide for our customers. We always make sure we are giving our customer the best of online retail experience with our service delivery, Express delivery is a gamer changer for Ecommerce operations in Nigeria”

Jumia customers in Lagos can enjoy same delivery on most of the items listed on Jumia’s website, if they place their order before 1pm during the day.

Click Here to Shop from Jumia to enjoy the Express delivery on your order in Lagos.

Making All Voices Count Launches The Global Innovation Competition

Caroline Vutagwa
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Making All Voices Count Launches The Global Innovation Competition

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This year on the International Day of Democracy, September 15, Making All Voices Count will be launching its second annual Global Innovation Competition (GIC).

Making All Voices Count is aiming to foster and support new ideas to enable citizen engagement and government responsiveness.

This competition is looking to tackle a different governance and accountability problem each year and invites the public to identify and vote on entries.

“We’re looking for bold ideas to boost citizen engagement and government responsiveness. The GIC is open to applicants with ideas for: Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia, the Philippines, Liberia, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mozambique, Uganda and Nigeria,” said Innovation Director Daudi Were.

This year’s themes include:

  1. Legislative Openness – Inclusive and Participatory Lawmaking
  2. Sub-national Governance
  3. Gender Equality
  4. Building Resilience and Response to Humanitarian Crisis

Successful participants will be walking away with up to £300,000 in grants to support their projects plus mentorship; also finalists will attend the Global Innovation Week in Jakarta, Indonesia; a programme of intensive mentoring and networking.

Applications for the GIC open on September 15, 2014 and close on October 15, 2014.

To get more information on this competition you can visit. http://www.makingallvoicescount.org/news/launch-global-innovation-competition-to-make-all-voices-count/

 

Easy Taxi Nigeria Rolls Out Referral Program to Sign Up More Users

Sam Wakoba
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0
Easy Taxi Nigeria Rolls Out Referral Program to Sign Up More Users

lagos taxiLaunched in Nigeria in July 2013, on-demand taxi hailing company Easy Taxi today kicked-off of its Refer & Earn program to reward customer loyalty and expand their reach.

According to the firm users will earn points every time they refer their friends and family to download and use the mobile application.

“Each time an existing user of the Easy Taxi app refers the requesting service to a family or friend and have them download the app, both the referrer and the referee get an Easy Taxi Voucher worth N1, 000 in value. The user is required to fill in the referrer’s Easy Taxi username in the promo/reference box while signing up/placing a request,” the firm announced adding that there’s no limit to the number of friends or family a user can refer.

The more referrals a user makes, the more vouchers they get and this rewards program is applicable across Lagos and Abuja. Easy Taxi’s major competition in Nigeria is the recently launched Uber and a proliferation of local apps in the market. If successful, these program will help the Rocket Internet-backed firm sign up more users and gain market share.

Q&A: This Is What You Need To Know About South Africa’s Millbug

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
Q&A: This Is What You Need To Know About South Africa’s Millbug

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Millbug, a start-up based in Port Elizabeth in South Africa, is making it big in the eCommerce and now the tablet manufacturing industry. TechMoran came in contact with Sabelo Sibanda, one of the founders of this fast growing IT Company and told us a lot about the company, but first things first, who exactly is Millbug.

Millbug was founded in 2012 by Thulsile Volwana and Sabelo Sibanda. It began life as an eCommerce firm that sold millennial women’s clothing and was nominated for a South African eCommerce Award in its first year of existence. After learning as much as we could about our clients, the founders found it necessary to pivot in order to solve a bigger problem and that is how we ended up developing the solar powered Millbug Vuya Tablet PC.

  • What was the inspiration behind Millbug, how it began as well as how it works and what did it take for you to get where you are now?

When our company was still in the eCommerce space, we conducted some research and found that our target client accessed the internet primarily through their mobile phone and was more inclined to purchase digital products as opposed to tactictile products on the small screen. We decided to develop a product that would address this and as we were doing so, discovered more important problems our solution could address and decided to pivot and devote all our time, energy and resources into the Millbug Vuya Tablet PC. The device is a solar powered tablet running on the Android 4.4 Operating System and is powerful enough to run the most demanding apps very comfortably.

  • What were you doing before Millbug?

Before Millbug, Thulisile was a student and I was working in the Advertising industry.

  • Did you know you were going to be an Entrepreneur all along or did it happen by chance?

Thulisile and I both always admired entrepreneurs and felt that we would eventually be them ourselves and, thus, read extensively. Our previous entrepreneurial experience was limited so I can safely say that the opportunities we became aware of really kick started our entrepreneurial ambitions.

  • How successful are you in the business? Is there competition? And how do you face them

I believe that Millbug hasn’t begun to realize its potential. We are growing unbelievably fast but the needs we address need much faster growth. Our success isn’t fully quantified in financial statements but rather on our impact on society and it is there that we are working tirelessly to improve as many lives as possible. There is plenty of competition but we found that each competitor has unique strengths so we tend to work together with a lot of our competitors to leverage this effectively.

  • In how many countries can we find your services or company and which countries are you?

Currently we are doing work in South Africa but have been in very advanced talks with resellers in Kenya, Angola, Mozambique, Argentina, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. It is our goal to have our products available throughout Africa, South America and the Middle East by this time next year and welcome any parties who would like to work with us on achieving this.

  • How is the response in your markets, and who is your most important client?

The response in the market has been absolutely phoenomenal. The product really sells itself and have found wonderful partners in the ICT for education space. There has been significant interest as well from private and public sector entities in the finance, retail, agriculture, health and government process industries.

 

Millbug-Vuya-640

  • Tell us about the tablet Millbug designed?

The Millbug Vuya Tablet started off as a basic idea, which progressed to a 23 page schematic and thereafter a detailed gerber file that we sent to a contract manufacturer to make.

  • How is the market responding to this tablet? And which markets in Africa can we find them? And at how much can we buy them?

The market is responding extremely positively to the tablet and is currently only available in South Africa for a retail price of R1499.00. We will soon be available throughout the continent and will make announcements closer to the time with regards to outlets where the device may be purchased.

  • Comparing the markets that you have worked with and the different African countries you have explored, how would you rate Africa’s adaptability of your product?

Africa is an amazingly innovative continent and we have found that one cannot have a blanket approach when rolling out a product of this nature. Each and every region of our continent has its own culture, expectations, problems and solutions to those problems. We have found that one cannot impose a solution on an everybody but rather, we should collaborate with partners around the continent to create highly tailoredd solutions leveraging on our technology.

  • Where could you place Africa compared to the world in terms of ICT development?

Sadly, Africa is lagging behind in terms of ICT development. There are some standout countries such as Kenya, Morocco and Senegal as far as internet contribution to GDP is concerned but we need greater adoption of technological solutions to be catalysts for the continents growth.

  • Which are some of the major partnerships you have done and how has it influenced you business?

We have been very fortunate to work with some of the most innovative organizations in the world. We are part of Shanduka Black Umbrellas, participated in the SAB KickStart Program, participated in the Brightest Young Minds Summit and are part of the SEDA ICT Incubator. Each of the organizations above have created some unbelievable opportunities for our our company through opening doors to public and private sector partners to numerous to mention here.

  • What do you love most about your business and your life as an Entrepreneur?

We love the adventure that comes with entrepreneurship. The lifestyle is quite intense what with the 80 + hour work weeks, but the results sure are worth the effort.

  • What keeps you and your team motivated?

Our team stays motivated by the greater purpose Millbug has to serve. The statistics on literacy, unemployment and poverty in Africa are just unacceptable and we all feel compelled to get Africa to where it should be.

  • What can your team not live without?

A Millbug Vuya Tablet and an internet connection.

TrustedCompany.com Secures US$1M Series A Round to Expand into Africa & LatAm

Sam Wakoba
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0
TrustedCompany.com Secures US$1M Series A Round to Expand into Africa & LatAm

money-322514_640 money South East Asia’s and India’s review authority TrustedCompany, has raised $1M Series A round to expand in emerging markets and expand into Africa and Brazil.

The round was led by German TENGELMANN ventures and co-invested by 500 Startups and Asia Venture Group (AVG), just ten months after the initial seed investment from AVG.

TrustedCompany.com Co-Founder and Managing Director Frederik Krass said the firm will use the financing to continue expanding its presence as review platform in SEA and India, accelerate product innovation, grow sales and marketing resources across the region and start into Africa and Brazil.

“We have seen great adaptation to write and use reviews in the markets, but will further increase our efforts in educating consumers about the power of online reviews”, Knuth, Co-Founder and MD, adds. TrustedCompany.com aims to become the leading consumer review platform for online consumers in emerging markets. “We want to increase the transparency in the market and help consumers differentiate between the good merchants and the bad merchants. This also helps good merchant to differentiate themselves and is a powerful word-of-mouth marketing tool, increasing revenues for online businesses” states Knuth.

The Hong Kong and Malaysia based firm serves clients such as Lenskart in India, iMoney.my or myiMart in Malaysia, Pricearea in Indonesia or Printi and HTS Latarias in Brazil.

TrustedCompany.com is an open, review-driven community that connects consumers to their counterparts to help them benefit from authentic customer reviews and make sure they know about a company’s reliability before they purchase a new computer, book, their next holiday, or take out an insurance among others. This raise will help TrustedCompany.com do reviews for the everyone on the internet.

“There’s nothing more exciting than seeing a team this capable go after a market opportunity this huge”, said Khailee Ng from 500 Startups. “Amazon, Trip Advisor, Agoda, eBay, Yelp… Some of the most prevalent internet companies of our time were built on providing reviews to online shoppers.”

TENGELMANN ventures will help the firm execute its vision even more rapidly and globally.

East Africa leads In Internet access & connectivity In Africa, Says Liquid Telecom

Caroline Vutagwa
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East Africa leads In Internet access & connectivity In Africa, Says Liquid Telecom

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Kenya currently leads in African connectivity with the highest bandwidth per person on the continent, the fastest speeds, and some of the lowest internet costs, well this is according to Internet provider Liquid Telecom Kenya CEO Ben Roberts, at the EastAfrica.com.

“Investment in the continent’s connectivity is creating multiple benefits that Kenya demonstrates as a clear example of a virtuous circle, where each investment accelerates the next, with an ever increasing footprint of beneficiaries,” said Roberts.

Following on from the connection of the continent’s most concentrated cluster of undersea cables; the galloping development of the Kenyan Internet Exchange Point; the creation of thousands of Points of Presence by international and national service and content providers – delivering speedier content; and the achievement of the second cheapest internet costs on the continent, Kenya has now emerged in the top position in Africa for internet access.

“Kenya has achieved a confluence of infrastructure and provision that has positioned it with the highest growth in internet take-up compared to income per capita in Africa,” said Mr Roberts. “It has effectively become an outlier in its internet take-up, and seen Nairobi join Johannesburg as one of Africa’s two regional internet hubs.”

Research commissioned by the Internet Society and published in May last year further found that East Africa offers the lowest internet costs on the continent, with Kenya the cheapest in the region.

In its report on ‘Lifting Barriers to Internet Development in Africa”, the Internet Society found that Kenya had outperformed in surmounting a series of infrastructure barriers to arrive at its now emerging internet leadership.

The country has more undersea cables than any other nation on the East African coast, with government support having been directed at increasing access and participation by more carriers. The landing of the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy), The East African Marine System (TEAMS), SEACOM and LION high-capacity submarine cables brought a 20-fold increase in international bandwidth in the country to 20Gbit per second.

Kenya also has more licensed international gateways than any other country in sub-Saharan Africa, now at 13, in total, according to the Internet Society.

The localization of internet connections through the Kenya Internet Exchange Point (KIXP) has also been critical to Kenya’s emerging internet leadership. KIXP allows local internet users to interconnect locally, without traffic being pointed back to the US or Europe. The Kenyan exchange is now localizing more than 1Gbit/s of peak traffic, dramatically reducing latency from 200-600ms to 2-10ms on average, while allowing ISPs to save almost $1.5m per year on international connectivity, and to make revenue gains on increased internet usage – on faster speeds – of as much as $6m a year per operator.

In 2011, Google installed a Google Global Cache (GGC) in Kenya, retaining static content, such as YouTube videos, after it has been downloaded in Kenya, which has also had a significant impact on ISP traffic levels. For example, the Internet Society reported that the educational network, KENET, experienced a roughly ten-fold increase in Google usage, from 20Megabits per second to 200Megabits per second, after the cache was established, attributing the rise to better speeds.

Shifting content and routing to the local exchange has similarly impacted the mobile operators. According to an ‘Assessment of the Impact of Internet Exchange Points – Empirical Study of Kenya and Nigeria by the Internet Society’, one operator alone is seeing a revenue increase of just under $6,000,000 a year from the rise in locally routed Internet traffic.

The country has benefited in much broader ways again from its rapid embrace of local internet infrastructure. The Kenya Revenue Authority used local routing that saw 160,524 citizens file their income taxes online in the first half of fiscal year 2011, and 5,000 users register for the customs, system, representing 95 per cent of the industry. Technology, according to the taxman, has been key in assisting it meet its tax collection targets.

The benefits of the KIXP are also beginning to extend beyond Kenya’s borders. As of January 2012, 56 per cent of the Autonomous System numbers routed through the KIXP in the previous six months were from 16 foreign countries, ranging from Botswana to Zimbabwe, and as far away as the United States.

Cross-border terrestrial networks are also expanding rapidly in Africa. Carriers still largely use intra-African capacity to connect with submarine cable stations for onward transit to Europe, rather than to facilitate the exchange of African traffic, but this is beginning to change.

“The investment in this key national and local infrastructure is absolutely key to further increasing African internet speeds and reducing the cost of internet use to all users,” said Mr Roberts.

Liquid Telecom’s fibre network now stretches over 17,000kms across country borders, including the first ever regional fibre ring connecting the east African countries to each other and the rest of the world.

Ericsson’s new indoor picocell to boost broadband coverage in smaller sites

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
Ericsson’s new indoor picocell to boost broadband coverage in smaller sites

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Ericsson has launched the RBS6402, the first indoor picocell that is set to deliver 300 Mbps LTE speeds with carrier aggregation that addresses the performance requirements and economic imperatives of smaller building and venues on a future-proof platform with a compact, tablet-sized footprint.

Patrick Weibel, responsible for Mobile Data Networks, Swisscom, said: “In our efforts to meet the increasing demand for access to mobile data within buildings, brought about by new mobile enterprises and M2M opportunities, our focus is on cost-effective offerings for smaller buildings. With the all-in-one small cell RBS 6402 from Ericsson we can reduce our costs without compromising performance and remain competitive.”

In today’s mobile workplace the tenfold growth of mobile data traffic by 2019, increasing enterprise adoption of Network-as-a-Service models, and new device-to-device and M2M applications, present both opportunities and challenges for mobile operators. To satisfy their consumer and business customers, grow in mobile enterprise and expand into new industries, mobile operators must deliver consistently high performance indoor app coverage deep into buildings of all sizes and then back out onto the street again.

Principal Analyst of Wireless Infrastructure of Ovum, Daryl Schoolar, said: “The indoor area, especially serving enterprise users, has started to heat up when it comes to small cells. It is the area where Ovum has seen the highest level of activity for small cell solutions. Unfortunately, many of those solutions create another network silo for the mobile operator as they aren’t fully integrated or coordinated with the rest of the network. By deploying small cells as an almost separate network the mobile operator cannot fully leverage the overall network performance. Ericsson has addressed this with its new small cell that offers feature parity and tight coordination with the macro cell.  At the same time the RBS6402 is a very strong small cell product on its own, with a combined feature set I don’t see any other small cell offering at this time.”

As the first picocell to support LTE speeds of up to 300 Mbps with carrier aggregation, the RBS 6402 delivers twice the capacity and speed. Flexible and future proof, it’s the only multi-carrier, concurrent multi-standard (LTE, WCDMA and Wi-Fi), and mixed-mode small cell to support 10 different bands, with two 3GPP standards (LTE and WCDMA) plus 802.11ac Wi-Fi operating simultaneously to deliver higher peak rates and capacity. It integrates LTE and 3G radio access with Wi-Fi using Ericsson’s industry-first Real-Time Traffic Steering to dynamically and seamlessly shift the mobile device connection between networks, delivering the best user experience and optimizing network resources. It also leverages LTE-Advanced and supports VoLTE.

Plug-and-play installation using existing ethernet for power and connectivity and fast remote commissioning means the cells fully install and are network-live within 10 minutes. Cloud-based aggregation and gateway functionality reduce onsite equipment requirements and associated capex, while enabling consistent management across both indoor and outdoor network.

Ericsson’s comprehensive range of small cell and carrier Wi-Fi solutions – including the new RBS 6402 — ensures that mobile operators can address any mobile broadband coverage and capacity requirement today and in the future. Optimized for indoor environments up to 5,000 square meters (roughly 54,000 square feet), the RBS 6402 packages four 250 milliwatt radios in a sleek 2.8 liter form factor that installs and auto-integrates in minutes.

New satellite extends Yahsat’s commercial Ka-band coverage to 17 countries & 600m users across Africa & Brazil

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
New satellite extends Yahsat’s commercial Ka-band coverage to 17 countries & 600m users across Africa & Brazil

 

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Yahsat, the UAE-based satellite operator, has announced the manufacturing and launch partners for the Company’s recently announced third satellite, Al Yah 3, set to be launched in Q4 2016. This third satellite, within a decade of operation by Yahsat, extends the company’s commercial Ka-band coverage to an additional 17 countries and 600 million users across Africa and Brazil.

In line with Yahsat’s strategy of working,Yahsat has announced a partnership – with Orbital Sciences Corporation (“Orbital”), which will manufacture Al Yah 3, and Arianespace which will launch the new satellite into orbit from French Guiana. The agreements supplement Yahsat’s world-class partnership model and knowledge-sharing vision which aims at bringing UAE technology and home-grown services to some of the world’s most unconnected and underserved regions. The selection also supports Yahsat’s objective of finding the right balance between cost, innovation and reliability for this crucial next step in the execution of the company’s growth strategy.

Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO, Yahsat, said: “After a rigorous selection process, Yahsat has chosen two industry-leading organisations that will manufacture and launch our third satellite in late 2016. Having worked with Arianespace for the launch of Y1A, one of the world’s most advanced satellites currently in orbit, and with Orbital’s impressive track record of building over 150 satellites that have amassed over 1,000 years of in-orbit experience, both companies have proven their ability to meet and exceed our expectations for world class connectivity in Africa and Brazil.”

Both partnerships support Yahsat’s objective of supporting the UAE national development agenda by providing a unique on the job training platform for Yahsat’s employees and UAE students throughout the build and launch process.

David W. Thompson, Orbital’s Chairman and CEO said: “We are honored to have been selected as Yahsat’s partner to design, build, test and deliver the Al Yah 3 satellite for launch in late 2016.  Being a part of this program is very important to our team because it enables us to contribute to the development of the advanced technology industry in the UAE.  We look forward to working with the Yahsat team on this high-throughput/light-weight GEOStar satellite.”

Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël, added: “On behalf of Arianespace, I feel honored of Yahsat’s renewed trust in Arianespace’s tailor made launch solutions, after the successful launch in April 2011 of its first satellite, Yahsat-1A, by Ariane 5. Al Yah 3 launch contract marks the continuation of a long-term partnership between Yahsat and Arianespace in support of Yahsat’s growth as a global operator based in the Middle East. Being selected by Yahsat is also a true recognition of the quality and competitiveness of Arianespace’s offer. Besides, Al Yah 3 will be the 28th satellite manufactured by Orbital and launched by Arianespace: we are eager to work with Orbital again for mission integration and launch.”

Al Yah 3 will be an all Ka-band high throughput satellite, with a unique design that optimizes cost, capacity, coverage and flexibility. It will enable delivery of affordable broadband, directly or indirectly to over 600 million users in both continents, specifically covering more than 95% of the population in Brazil and 60% of the population in Africa. This is in line with Yahsat’s goal to encourage social and economic development by providing people with a platform to access information, enabling them to enter the digital sharing stage as well as facilitate businesses to expand their network and help create jobs.

Airtel Kenya unveils Airtel Money Premier VISA card

Sam Wakoba
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Airtel Kenya unveils Airtel Money Premier VISA card

A worker cleans a Bharti Airtel logo inside its shop in KolkataAirtel Kenya last week unveiled an Airtel Money Premier VISA card aimed at enhancing Premier customers experience and convenience on the company’s mobile money and banking services and ensure that they get added value.

The new card will allow Airtel money Premier customers to shop and pay for goods and services using Airtel Money at Visa accepted merchants wherever they live or travel to and withdraw money from their Airtel Money accounts from Visa ATMs. The card can be used in supermarkets, petrol stations and restaurants locally and internationally.

While unveiling the card, Airtel Kenya CEO Adil El Youssefi reaffirmed that Airtel is committed to provide innovative solutions that meet the ever changing needs of Airtel Money users in the country. He noted that, “Our Premier customers have busy lifestyles and with this we have decided to focus on quick turnaround solutions that respond to their ever-changing needs; they must address convenience, flexibility, real-time and above all offer value for money. The unveiling of the Airtel Money Premier VISA card is truly a key milestone as the company continues to offer its products and services to customers.”

The card is exclusively available for Airtel’s Premier pre-paid and post-paid customers.

The unveiling of the card will also increase accessibility of Airtel Money to Premier customers wherever they live or travel to. Airtel ventured into the local mobile commerce business four years ago and also provides e-commerce solutions including online payments, online banking, utility bill payments for electricity, DSTV, and water. Airtel Money currently has a vast dealer network of more than 10,000 active agents which include banks, bank agents, supermarket chains and Posta outlets.

 

#OccupyJamboJet Reponds to the Sudden Change of Terms & Conditions

Sam Wakoba
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0
#OccupyJamboJet Reponds to the Sudden Change of Terms & Conditions
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This weekend, Jambojet changed the competitions terms and conditions suddenly and quietly without informing participants who went on Twitter shitstorm claiming the firm was rigging in favour of its own teams.
The#Occupyjambojet had launched simply as a campaign to see the best team gang up 100 people as first as possible for an all expense paid trip down to the coast. The firm however encountered some hitches leading it to change some of the terms and conditions, to make the sign up process easier for everyone, participants thought otherwise though.
In a statement to TechMoran, Jambojet said,”On Friday night, we encountered numerous timeouts on the app caused by a variety of factors i.e. app to website integration as well as some Twitter API complications. Participants had to constantly refresh their browser to get past every step, right from registration. Consequently, we decided to move the app onto a new domain (occupyjambojet.com) with an independent server.”
 
The firm added, that it also discovered that the Twitter Authorization rate had been a limit to the application and a huge number of those who could have entered the competition on Friday could not get on board. The app limit had also caused some manifests to register some crew accounts multiple times and the firm cleaned out the duplicates.
 
To avoid similar situations, #OccupyJamboJet spread out the maximum number of users participants could add per day while still remaining within the time limits of the campaign. Thus allowing only users to add up to 25 people on Friday, up to 35 on Saturday, up to 45 on Sunday, up to 65 on Monday, up to 85 on Tuesday and up to 99 on Wednesday.
 
Due to this changes, the firm elaborated the terms and conditions to reflect the adjustments.
All manifests were also standardized to reflect the new daily limits. This combination of actions resulted in a complete elimination of the previously reported session time outs that had initially impeded mass user participation. Nothing is/has been manipulated and no participant has received any preferential advantage as a result of this. All users that registered are still on the system. All captains can still view all the users who are pending on their manifests at all times.  

Why the Global Payments Industry is Abolishing Transaction Fees

Brian Wafula
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Why the Global Payments Industry is Abolishing Transaction Fees
Transaction-fees-By Ben Lyon, Director at Kopo Kopo, Inc.
This post was originally published on Kopo Kopo’s blog here.
If you ever run into someone from the payments industry at a party, you should probably try to find a better party. If you can’t, ask them what transaction fees will look like in the next 3-5 years. Chances are they’ll pull you aside, look around cautiously and then whisper: They’re going away.

Why?

Because the payments industry, like countless industries before it, is being disrupted – and commoditized – by the internet. Intermediaries are being cut out. Margins are being depressed. And transaction fees are being converted to loss leaders.

How is that possible?

Because we’ve hit an inflection point. Today, money is little more than “bits of light assembled in secure packets” (to quote a mentor) and issued by fiat. I value $1 because you value $1 and we trust each other because that dollar is backed by the “full faith and credit” of some government somewhere.*

Money stopped taking the form of gold bullion decades ago. Its modern form more closely resembles an email, SMS or WhatsApp message. Likewise, a payment is now little more than a secure communication that updates a ledger somewhere. That’s why startups like Dwolla are able to build their own payment networks on the cheap (relatively speaking). It’s also why Google added a send money option to Gmail and why Facebook poached David Marcus from PayPal to run their messaging strategy.

Google's Eric Scmidt at Kopo Kopo
Google’s Eric Scmidt at Kopo Kopo

Okay, but how does that affect traditional players?

Securing a communication and updating a ledger isn’t that difficult, so entering the payments industry isn’t as daunting as it used to be. As new players enter the arena, their first task is to differentiate themselves from the competition, which can take the form of lower fees, faster access to funds, better user experience, customer relationship management, access to finance, etc.

Most players enter the market by competing on price (see Amazon Local Register vs. Square). In turn, existing players respond by upping their service quality, increasing their service options, or lowering their prices (some don’t respond at all, but this isn’t a viable long-term strategy). This continues until the players reach some sort of market equilibrium, which increasingly results in a free or at-cost transaction fee.

Some new entrants launch their businesses assuming a 0% transaction fee from day one. Take LevelUp, for instance, which calls for “interchange zero” in the United States. LevelUp’s bet is that it can make more money on transaction data than it can on transaction fees, so it removed transaction fees entirely for eligible merchants. If you accepted Visa via Wells Fargo for 2-3% per transaction and LevelUp offered to let you accept Visa for 0%, what would you do?

The awesome Kopo Kopo team
The awesome Kopo Kopo team

Fair enough, but how do any of these companies survive?

That’s precisely the question, and it’s why your friend at the party had to whisper. The industry may be at an inflection point, but it’s not entirely sure where it’s going. One direction, which we’ll discuss in a subsequent post, is what we like to call the “lending layer” – a financial services layer that sits on top of the payment rails. But that’s only one of many – and I do mean many – potential directions.

The answer may be uncertain, but the question filling board rooms from London to Lagos is: What do we do once transaction revenue disappears? How do we survive?

– Ben Lyon (@bmlyon)

* Or because we’ve verified it against some public ledger.

 

UPDATE – September 12th, 2014 – As a clarification to the above, LevelUp has offered select merchants a 0% transaction fee in the past, but normally charges 1.95% today. For the purposes of this piece, Airtel Money in Kenya (internal P2P transfers) and Square Cash in the US are likely better examples. 

Zimbabwe introduces 25% mobile phone tax

Sam Wakoba
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Zimbabwe introduces 25% mobile phone tax

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe gives a speech during the burial of Sunny Ntombiyelanga TakawiraIt has happened before in Ghana  and Kenya and now it’s happening in Zimbabwe. The country’s finance minister has announced that the government will put a 25% tax on all mobile phones imported to the country in a move to help boost government revenues following a slowdown  in the mining, tourism and manufacturing sectors.

Due to a lack of foreign investment, power shortages and several company closures, the country forecasts its economy to rgow by 3.1% as there have been reduced revenue collections, low exports and imports.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the 25% tax on mobile phones and 5% on airtime and data will help the government raise money to fund its budget-70% of which is spent on salaries. TechMoran believes this will hinder mobile phone and internet penetration in the country as a whole and will even hinder the startup ecosystem which has been steadily growing due to the uptake of affordable smartphones in the country.

Just recently, President Robert Mugabe was in China in a bid to bail out his country’s bankrupt economy but was said to have returned home without any money but was reported to have signed expensive deals to support ongoing infrastructural repairs and power generation in Zimbabwe.

Here’s How You Can Help Resurrect Naspers Struggling WhosWho.co.ke

Sam Wakoba
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Here’s How You Can Help Resurrect Naspers Struggling WhosWho.co.ke

Naspers_Building,_Cape_TownWith big companies to its belt such as Tencent, Flipkart, OLX, Konga, Buscape, Media24, Multichoice, Allegro, Kalahari and thousands others Naspers is without doubt the biggest company builder this side of the world, beating Rocket Internet by far-in revenues not websites.

However, it’s linked clone WhosWho.co.ke, which it calls a reputation and professional networking site is as good as dead in Kenya. Who’sWho, like the name is a LinkedIn for professionals in the country, carrying their biographies and news mentions just LinkedIn does. Though the intention of the site is great, the local team seems to have got so busy doing other things than pushing it to every would-be profesional in the country. TechMoran bookmarked the site two years ago but is since to see any significant progress. New gossip sites like E! News Kenya and Mpasho have been launched and taken over Who’sWho’s ranking magically. Those two years, Naspers who have better launched a property portal than waste time and money on a professional network or even do an online travel site or even news. That was the time Naspers who have fueled its Careers24 and Property24 or probabaly invested more into its other struggling News24. Everyone thinks there’s masses of opportunity in Kenya, so true but not in just any online property. On the contrary, the free for all site is doing faily in Southern Africa, maybe because it was launched earlier before the popularity of LinkedIn or maybe users have a sense of ownership. We are not sure what happened to the planned launch in Ghana and Nigeria but we think it was a huge mistake for the media giant to pour money on it but here’s what you can do to help salvage it.
Sign up for an account now. Tweet and share it to your followers. Tell them why it’s better for them as it’s only shows Kenyan professionals you might have met in person. It also has jobs from local firms and news about your networks. And it makes much more sense for you to meet your high school friends than LinkedIn contacts you’ve never met.

#Occupyjambojet Causes Wrangles Online After Firm Silently Changes Terms & Conditions

Sam Wakoba
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#Occupyjambojet Causes Wrangles Online After Firm Silently Changes Terms & Conditions
10600488_1532956220274176_4376589480921662678_nAll is not well with Jambojet and Scanad after the firms changed the competitions terms and conditions suddenly and quietly without informing participants who claim were close to winning.
The campaign dubbed#Occupyjambojet aimed at helping the firm get more followers on Twitter and get more people flying,and was a great social media makerting strategy but just poorly executed.The one-week campaign launched yesterday aims to see participants compete to get a group of 100 people including their friends and relatives, to fly on a one-day, all expenses  paid trip to Mombasa.
According to the firm, the first person to mobilise 99 passengers will be declared the campaign winner. The winning team will get to enjoy the free trip on September 27th and will be hosted by the Voyager Beach Resort ,with refreshments courtesy of Absolute Vodka and on-ground transport by Destination Connect.
It was so easy for anyone to fill up the 100 slots according to some team members that talked to TechMoran. However, after a few hours participating, they realized that new conditions had been introduced quietly requiring participant pilots to only add a specified number of crew per day i.e.
    • Friday – up to 25
    • Saturday – up to 35
    • Sunday – up to 45
    • Monday – up to 65
    • Tuesday – up to 85
    • Wednesday – up to 99.

    Which some of the participants think it’s still cumbersome.

10699204_10152743534774533_833237597_n
Original terms and conditions

The original terms and conditions as below just wanted someone to join, form a team or join one and the first to hit 100 will be winners. Some of the participants were wondering why that should take anyone more than an hour to win. Other claim they were nearly winning but woke up to realize their numbers different.This competition rules had to be subject to the Betting Control and Licensing Board which was established by an Act of Parliament Chapter 131 Laws of Kenya of 1966 and it plays a big role in changing the notion that gaming is a vice. The Betting Control and Licensing Board is charged with the responsibility of controlling and licensing of Betting and Gaming premises, facilitation of tax collection, authorization of public lotteries and prize competitions, inspection and elimination of illegal gambling and we are sure JamboJet’s OccupyJambojet met the board’s requirements. However, adding clauses to the competiton rules is clearly a fraud and illegal.

terms2
Updated terms and conditions

Here are some of the Tweets;

 

 

 

 

Apple Watch to be the biggest driver behind wearable band shipments in 2015

Sam Wakoba
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Apple Watch to be the biggest driver behind wearable band shipments in 2015

twitter-apple-watch-keynoteA new report by industry analyst firm Canalys projects that wearable band shipments will grow 129% year on year to reach 43.2 million units in 2015, of which 28.2 million will be smart bands and 15.0 million will be basic bands, all driven by Apple.

According to Canalys Apple will be the biggest driver behind wearable band shipments in 2015 with its entry into the market with Apple Watch.

‘By creating a new user interface tailored to its tiny display, Apple has produced a smart watch that mass-market consumers will actually want to wear,’ said Canalys Analyst Daniel Matte. ‘The sleek software, variety of designs and reasonable entry price make for a compelling new product. Apple must still prove, however, that the final product will deliver adequate battery life for consumers.’

The Apple Watch provides an innovative way to scroll, zoom, and navigate and will enable users to SMS, Email or call their friends and as well follow their health with comprehensive health and fitness apps. Coming in three distinct collections — Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition, the watch will be available in early 2015.

Many market observers have questioned why consumers would want a smart band, justifiably demanding compelling use cases. Hoping to address these concerns with its new wearable, Apple has demonstrated a variety of use cases across health and fitness, personal communication and other areas, including mapping for walking navigation, workout and activity tracking and mobile payments. Meanwhile, low-cost Chinese vendors are increasingly playing a role in the market for wearable bands. Xiaomi has attempted to dramatically lower the price of basic bands with its Mi Band. Android Wear is growing a viable ecosystem, though it cannot be used in China. Google must greatly improve its wearable platform over the coming years to better compete with Apple’s new offering. Long-term, wearable bands from all vendors must provide clear value to consumers beyond the existing capabilities of smart phones in order to justify the purchase of an additional device.

‘The basic band vendors, such as Fitbit and Jawbone, will enjoy the advantages of their lower pricing for the immediate future,’ according to Canalys VP and Principal Analyst Chris Jones. ‘Eventually, however, stronger smart band competitors to the Apple Watch will likely emerge and push smart band pricing down, threatening the basic bands. This market will undergo disruption similar to that suffered by feature phones when smart phone prices fell.’

IMG:qz.com

 

Will You #Occupyjambojet?

Sam Wakoba
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Will You #Occupyjambojet?

10600488_1532956220274176_4376589480921662678_nLow-cost airline Jambojet, has launched a campaign dubbed #Occupyjambojet to get everyone on a plane to Mombasa. The one-week campaign launched yesterday aims to see participants compete to get a group of 100 people including their friends and relatives, to fly on a one-day, all expenses  paid trip to Mombasa.

The first person to mobilise 99 passengers will be declared the campaign winner. The winning team will get to enjoy the free trip on September 27th and will be hosted by the Voyager Beach Resort ,with refreshments courtesy of Absolute Vodka and on-ground transport by Destination Connect.

“The campaign endorses the ease of travel in the Kenyan market by reaching out to people who have never flown before. The airline also supports the country’s domestic tourism hence the choice of Mombasa as the destination for #Occupyjambojet,” said Jambojet Director of Operations and Chief Pilot,Captain Aquinas Birika.

Since it was launched in April, Jambojet sees an avarage 45,000 passengers monthly and last month introduced a price comparison tool for customers to find the lowest fares available. The Low-fare finder makes it possible for travellers to see which days during the month of travel have the best rates.

Jambojet has managed to significantly bring down the barriers of flying, making it affordable for almost anyone to fly at just Ksh 2,950 for a one way ticket.

Vacant Boards Wants to Disrupt Nigeria’s $177m Outdoor Advertising Industry

Sam Wakoba
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Vacant Boards Wants to Disrupt Nigeria’s $177m Outdoor Advertising Industry
vacantboardsVacantBoards, an Online Outdoor Advertising Marketplace that maintains an inventory of billboards and leverages analytics, mobile and big data technology aims to connect agencies, brands and businesses to available, low-cost and result-oriented outdoor advertising opportunities via the internet.
Launched this year in Nigeria, the firm has just released an android mobile app to enable people become part of an active OOH audience by taking pictures of billboards around them and earning rewards in the process. The points earned can be converted into rewards at any time.
The inspiration behind the business is simple.

“There are a lot of vacant billboard spaces in Nigeria and Africa as a whole,” Tunji Alao, VacantBoards founder and CEO told TechMoran. “Many of these boards are left unused for months, most times due to buyer-seller disconnect. Usually what you see on these boards is “Vacant”. So the name VacantBoards was adopted to depict this situation and aims to address it by reducing the number of vacant outdoor advertising spaces.”

As the name goes, VacantBoards addresses the issue of vacant outdoor advertising spaces in Nigeria and also aims to make the process of booking outdoor advert spaces less cumbersome due to the bureaucracies involved. VacantBoards aims to address this continuum by providing an easy and seamless way to book outdoor media spaces. With just a click, users can book outdoor advert spaces across Nigeria. Alao also adds that the firm aims to help advertisers find cheap outdoor advertising options from the platform.

VacantBoards solves the problem of wrong targeting by featuring audience data, this helps advertisers to match their product/services to their target audience.

And though advertising is going digital, outdoor advertising is here to stay as firms still combine both media to make their advertising campaigns more effective in terms of reach, frequency and brand engagement cum interactivity.

“Outdoor is one advertising medium that is showing no signs of going into extinction rather we see it growing daily and expanding, benefitting from the immense potentials offered by digital advertising,” Alao says adding that the birth of VacantBoards couldn’t be timelier as the industry is becoming more digital.

Targeting business owners, media buyers, advertisers, non-profits, brands, outdoor vendors and board operators, VacantBoards estimates that the outdoor advertising industry in Nigeria is worth over $177m and is part of a marketing strategy that has proven over the years to be very effective. Apart from wide reach, outdoor advertising meets firms target audience on-the-go, giving advertisers the opportunity to influence consumer’s buying decisions.

1497601_584458601609008_1348769155_n In Nigeria, the Advertisers Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) is the regulatory body responsible for vetting advert copies before they are aired or published. So when an advertising agency finishes working on a creative and is ready to execute, the advert copy is submitted to APCON for vetting after which it is licensed to go up on a billboard. Failure to vet an advert attracts a fine from the regulatory body.

VacantBoards has a growing list of 32 operators with over 1,000 outdoor sites in Nigeria with 3 key partnerships and hopes to scale its services across Africa and ultimately become a go-to platform for outdoor advertising spaces all over the world.

“Our feat as the winner of IBM SmartCamp, Lagos validates the scalability of our business,” concludes Alao.

 

 

New Facebook Page Exposes Irresponsible Parents in Kenya

Sam Wakoba
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New Facebook Page Exposes Irresponsible Parents in Kenya
10644915_1504325196480270_9079066331830402084_nAm so afraid. I know a few friends who are dead beat parents and I hate this new Facebook page a new Facebook page dubbed Dead Beat Kenya aims to expose parents who make women pregnant and fail to provide for them.
Following in the footsteps of Crappydads.com.
Dead Beat Kenya exposes irresponsible fathers and mothers who fail to provide for their kids and stay as if they are single. The new group has over 95,740 in just a few days after its launch and seesks to expose those parents who don’t support their kids, whteher they are women or men.

Impact Amplifier, Growth Africa, VC4Africa & Hivos launch the Green Pioneer Acceleration Program

Sam Wakoba
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Impact Amplifier, Growth Africa, VC4Africa & Hivos launch the Green Pioneer Acceleration Program

EntrepreneursA new acceleration program was launched at the Seed Africa Symposium 2014 in Nairobi, Kenya to help green entrepreneurs looking to take their innovations to scale in Africa.

The 2015 Green Pioneer Acceleration Program is open to startups in Kenya or South Africa and aims at startups who have a working prototype with clear market demand and/or already be generating revenue. This program is designed to support entrepreneurs who have ambitions to take the next step in growing their business to a national and regional scale.

According to Ben White of VC4Africa, ‘We have a lot of entrepreneurs and are constantly looking at ways to offer them better support. This is really a focused effort to boost those entrepreneurs working on scaling green innovations. With this program we are able to help position these companies for growth and prepare them for raising outside capital. We are looking for the top entrepreneurs from across the continent to step forward and take advantage of our combined knowledge and network.’

The three partners Impact Amplifier, Growth Africa, VC4Africa and Hivos will offer a comprehensive program that will take businesses from ‘market proof’ to ‘ready for investment’. The program seeks to position companies for scale by getting their financials and pitch deck in shape, and preparing them for fundraising conversations with investors. This program combines a rigorous curriculum with practical experience shared by successful entrepreneurs, mentors and investors. Fundraise with over 600 private sector investors and tap into the combined networks and knowledge of Impact Amplifier, Growth Africa, VC4Africa and Hivos.

Asked about why Hivos took the initiative to initiate this program, Program Manager Leo Soldaat explained, ‘Hivos is very concerned about the environment. We see many problems such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and degradation of soils. In order to address these issues, Hivos wants to co-create and support private sector driven green innovation. We continue to support green pioneers seeking to address these constraints, by positioning them for growth and improving their access to capital. We see the Green Pioneer Accelerator Program as an important next step in developing ventures in these markets, further extending our work into these areas.’

Johnni Kjelsgaard, the Founder and Director of the Nairobi based accelerator Growth Africa adds, ‘The curriculum we have put together looks at a company in a holistic way, and we take a non linear approach to the entrepreneurial process. What does this mean? We recognize that each company is unique in its formation. Our program looks at the strengths and weaknesses of each participant and then adapts the program to fit their needs. This is a different approach that shows results.’ Maximilian Pichulik, Partner of South African based Impact Amplifier adds, ‘This program is about taking promising green entrepreneurs and getting them ready for investment, with fundable business plans. We have a long track record of successful deal making and this is the next step to accelerating innovation in the green space. Really we are breaking open a new era for green innovation and entrepreneurship. ‘

GrowthHub Upon successful graduation, the 10 enterprises in each program will be showcased to a group of investors including impact-focused as well as impact-agnostic angel investors and early stage VC funds. The showcase will be done through VC4Africa’s online platform and culminates with interested parties participating in a physical 1-day meeting in both the East Africa and Southern Africa locations.

Key Dates:

– Application process runs to the 1st of December 2014;

– Selection will be made 15th of December 2014;

– Initial diagnostics and program prep will take place between December 15th, 2014 and January 15th, 2015;

– The Acceleration program begins January 15th, 2015;

– Graduation is in April, 2015.

– Selected participants receive deal-making support the rest of 2015.

VC4Africa will be running the applications process for both accelerators. This is another way the online community platform VC4Africa seeks to connect entrepreneurs with quality programs and investment opportunities.

 

Uganda to officially launch digital migration next month

Susan Mwenesi
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Uganda to officially launch digital migration next month

9431433-satellite-dish-and-earth-in-digital-abstract-backgroundUganda is now officially set to embark on digital migration with the Uganda Communications Commission saying the project will kick next month ahead of the global deadline set for June year.

According to the Daily Monitor all digital equipment has been procured and is ready for the switch with the Greater Kampala (Kampala city and the surrounding districts of Entebbe, Mukono, Bombo, Mityana) being the first places for the roll out while the rest of the country will follow suit by December this year.

“We are behind schedule; time is running out. So, the earlier we get everyone on board the better. Our target is to switch off the entire country by December,” said Eng Godfrey Mutabazi, the Commission’s executive director.

UCC wants to have an early headstart so as to be able to deal with any challenges that may arise before the deadline.

UCC statistics reveal that Uganda had five million TV sets as of December 2012with analogue accounting for more than 90 per cent and with this new development households that form this number will have to migrate within three months.

BlackBerry Acquires Movirtu to allow multiple numbers to be active on a single device

Sam Wakoba
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BlackBerry Acquires Movirtu to allow multiple numbers to be active on a single device

Blackberry-Logo

BlackBerry has acquired Movirtu, a virtual SIM platform to allows multiple numbers to be active on a single device for an undisclosed amount in a move expected to improve device management in bring-your-own device (BYOD) and corporate owned personally enabled (COPE) environments.

With Movirtu’s Virtual SIM platform, both a business number and a personal number can be used on a single mobile device, with separate billing for voice, data and messaging usage on each number.  As a result, employees can switch between business and personal profiles easily without carrying multiple devices or SIM cards, and charges are appropriately billed to the company and the employee. Additionally, in conjunction with the BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) platform, enterprise customers will be able to apply IT policies to the business number without impacting the usability of the device for personal use.

“In a BYOD and COPE world, there remain a number of efficiency and convenience challenges facing enterprises, employees and mobile operators alike,” said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry. “The acquisition of Movirtu complements our core strategy of providing additional value added services, and it will leverage our key assets, including our BES platform, along with our existing global infrastructure which is connected to a large number of mobile operators around the world.”

The acquisition complements BlackBerry’s Secure Work Space, BlackBerry Balance and other partitioning technologies, which give employees the freedom and privacy they want for their personal use while delivering the security and management needed for business use. With Movirtu, employees can switch between profiles for calls, data and messages, while on their home network and in roaming situations.

“BlackBerry is the best partner to help us carry forward our vision of redefining the mobile experience by introducing virtual identities,” said Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO, Movirtu. “We address the challenges of BYOD and COPE by providing our unique and innovative technology solution through BlackBerry’s existing relationships with mobile operators and customers around the world.”

​The new Virtual SIM capabilities will be offered by BlackBerry through mobile operators to provide customers with multiple identity based service offerings. BlackBerry will support the deployment of Movirtu technology by mobile operators on all major smartphone operating systems.

Ericsson enhances TV experience with New Solutions Extending to New Markets

Susan Mwenesi
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Ericsson enhances TV experience with New Solutions Extending to New Markets

Ericsson has announced a number of solutions that deliver new television experiences for consumers while providing operators with the tools to increase revenue, build customer loyalty and drive new business

The latest release of the industry-leading IPTV platform, Ericsson Mediaroom elevates the TV viewing experience, delivering a host of new consumer-oriented capabilities that empower operators to deliver the highest qualitylive, video on demand (VOD) and time-shifted television experiences.

New features include making “Restart TV” a core experience; unified search functionality that offers consumers unparalleled levels of simplicity when discovering content; an enhanced user interface that maximizes full-screen viewing; and a new, more visual channel guide.

(FILES) A picture taken on October 16, 2Recognizing 4K and HEVC as the next major consumer experience expectation, Ericsson is bringing 4K and HEVC capabilities to the Ericsson Mediaroom platform. The new Ericsson Mediaroom client for ARM-based System-on-a-Chip (SoC) set top boxes will be available in the second half of 2015, equipping operators to deliver the best video quality on TV screens.

To extend the Ericsson Mediaroom platform to all screens.

 

Ericsson is also introducing Ericsson Mediaroom Reach, a highly scalable solution born out of the company’s acquisition of Azuki Systems earlier this year that quickly, easily and cost-effectively enables the deployment of over-the-top video to any device. With Ericsson Mediaroom Reach, operators can securely deploy Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) video streams, servicing more customers and more devices and greatly increasing market footprints.

 

Per Borgklint, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Support Solutions at Ericsson says: “Ericsson continues to build upon our position as the leading IPTV platform provider. Through the introduction of integrated software and solutions across the entire TV and media value chain, Ericsson is helping our customers create new, compelling entertainment experiences that span multiple screens and have significant business impact.”

 

Ericsson is also leveraging the technology that powers Ericsson Mediaroom Reach to deliver innovative experiences for digital terrestrial, cable and satellite operators via a connected set top box(STB) with bothABR and Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) hybrid delivery. Working with third party partners including iWedia, Marvell, Kaon and Arcadyan, Ericsson is combining the ABR capabilities of Ericsson Mediaroom Reach with traditional broadcast TV offerings to provide hybrid TV delivery platforms for IP/Terrestrial, IP/Cable and IP/Satellite, allowing consumers to access both broadcast and ABR content.

 

“Ericsson has established itself as a leader within the IPTV market with compelling end-to-end TV anywhere solutions,” says Hans-Jürgen Desor, CEO of iWedia. “We are eager to work with them to deploy the powerful IP technology behind Ericsson Mediaroom Reach to new markets in combination with iWedia’s Android4TV core technology and Comedia hybrid STB middleware.”

 

Ericsson Mediaroom and Mediaroom Reach are available to operators today. Ericsson will demonstrate its Mediaroom Reach hybrid offerings as a proof of concept at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) September 12-16 in Amsterdam. Together, all three solutions represent the significant investments Ericsson is continuing to make in the TV and media space.

CEO Weekends: Gamer Girls Set To ‘Rock’ At A MAZE.

Caroline Vutagwa
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CEO Weekends: Gamer Girls Set To ‘Rock’ At A MAZE.

A MAZE Sticker 2014-page-001

 

The 2014A MAZE, which has been on since 10th September and will end in the 13th, is the major highlight of the Fak’ugesi: Digital Africa Festival. This year’s event will also showcase the increasingly important role of women game creators, digital artists and designers.

Four women from France, Denmark and Germany will join the three day programme which includes talks, panel discussions, a selection of independent games, interactive installations, a market hack, workshops, and music.

Thorsten S. Wiedemann, Festival Director and A MAZE. Founder said: “A MAZE is an international label in the field of independent games, playful media and games culture. Interdisciplinary, game-centred events and productions transcending media channels and cultures are the signature feature of A MAZE.”

According to a U.S. study conducted in 2012, 47 percent of all game players are women, a number which grows substantially each year. Recent estimates suggest women over 18 are one of the fastest growing demographics in the gaming industry.

“Playfulness is a character trait most people tend to lose when they get an education” says Weidemann , “A MAZE gives the motivation to rethink established workarounds and concepts.”

Participating in this year’s exciting line-up, from France are digital artist Emilie Gervais and game designer Tatiana Vilela. Gervais uses the internet simultaneously as an online support tool and creative environment while Vilela creates playful installations and experimental games in game jams and artist residencies.

Hailing from Germany is Lea Schönfelder, game designer of the award winning Perfect Woman. She aims to spark public debate around questions of gender and ethics. Recently Russian Parliament debated whether her game ‘Ulitsa Dimi-trova’ should be banned.

Julie Heyde joins A MAZE. 2014 as game designer from Denmark. Founder of Bandello, she develops XTODIE and is one of the organizers of Nordic Game Jam.

Kenyatta University Issues First Year Students Tablets

Robin Okuthe
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Kenyatta University Issues First Year Students Tablets

Kenyatta University (KU) is the first higher learning institution to provide tablets to first year students in Kenya.

The China made tablets will benefit first year students enrolled in diploma, certificate, postgraduate and bachelors programs and will be distributed to students in satellite campuses throughout the country.

The move will cater for the various needs of students as they learn and interact with fellow lecturers, according to Prof Olive Mugenda, the Vice Chancellor of KU. It follows a recent launch of the university’s Digital School established out of its desire to raise access to higher education via innovative technology.

“Research shows that technology has the capability of changing learning radically within the country. In addition, mobile devices are quite helpful since they can be customized. This will promote learning beyond the confines of a teacher-managed classroom surrounding,” she added.

The tablets will promote self-paced learning for students by improving content with interactive features. Students will get a wider array of e-resources from the tablet in addition to acquiring collaborative learning and timely communication via on-line forum and chat platforms.

“The use of tablets will help save the institution money utilized in photocopying modules; something that has been taken over by unprincipled businessmen who sell them for their own benefit. This has seen lecturers who have been writing the modules lose out.

“The degree programs will run on a trimester cycle. This means that students enrolled for the undergraduate programs will finish their studies in three calendar years,” Mugenda said.

Making use of tablets means that students can study anywhere anytime without real-time Internet access, self evaluate and compare themselves with their peers as well as pro-actively interact through off line and on line forums and messages.

Mugenda also mentioned that the e-learning programs have the probability of delivering improved services and tools linked together with quality professional support. She also stated that the prices are affordable.

“The institution’s ICT model has been upgraded with the Internet bandwidth being increased to make it adequate. We have also trained a few officers who will fully engage with the students,” added Mugenda.

Oracle Academy, Equity Foundation partner for ICT growth in Kenya

Susan Mwenesi
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0
Oracle Academy, Equity Foundation partner for ICT growth in Kenya

Oracle Academy and the Equity Foundation Group have joined forces on their corporate citizenship programs to help develop and grow ICT skills in Kenya through the Oracle Academy Java Fundamentals training that will introduce world-class technology to Kenyan high school students from as early as Form 1.

Equity Group Foundation Managing Director Helen Gichohi and Oracle Kenya Country Manager shake hands after joining forces on their corporate citizenship programs to launch the Oracle Academy Java Fundamentals training to grow ICT skills in Kenya.
Equity Group Foundation Managing Director Helen Gichohi and Oracle Kenya Country Manager shake hands after joining forces on their corporate citizenship programs to launch the Oracle Academy Java Fundamentals training to grow ICT skills in Kenya.

The training targets the Equity Group Foundations’ Wings to Fly scholars and their classmates, giving them access to more advanced computer skills that have real-world application using a fun and exciting approach that involves use of basic draft-and-drop animations (Alice) and use of simple interactive games and simulations (Greenfoot) to learn Java programming.

Dr Helen Gichohi, the Managing Director of Equity Group Foundation said: “Because world economies are increasingly depending on technology, and technology itself has become an important sector globally, efforts must be made to enable Kenyan youth to become computer literate.”

Moreover, in the emerging economic order, basic computer literacy means the ability not only to use software, but also to modify or create; in other words, to program.”

“To compete internationally, ICT competencies of Kenyan youth need to rise to global standards and they need to be encouraged to draw on their intellectually curious, creative and be motivated to critically think about their surroundings.”

The initiative began with the training of thirteen Equity African Leaders Program scholars who participated in a week-long training-of-trainers to prepare them to in turn train upwards of 1,800 students across four high schools.

Gilbert Saggia, Country Leader of Oracle Kenya said that ICT skills are a key focus for government, business and industry alike. He added “With the rapid adoption of technology in Kenya, we need to help ensure that youth is equipped with the right skills to take advantage of career and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Jane Richardson, Director Oracle Academy, Europe Middle East and Africa went on to say that the Oracle Academy is excited to work with the Equity Group Foundation to help develop the Equity Scholars Wings to Fly scholars and other Kenyan high school students.

“Oracle is committed to help teachers impart technology skills to their students that will be of relevance to a broad spectrum of careers, and ultimately support economic growth in Kenya.

 

 

 

 

CEO Weekends: South Africa’s Zando Scoops Two Awards In The uAfrica eCommerce Awards 2014

Caroline Vutagwa
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CEO Weekends: South Africa’s Zando Scoops Two Awards In The uAfrica eCommerce Awards 2014

zando

 

Zando.co.za, South Africa’s fashion destination has been the most successful company in this year’s uAfrica eCommerce awards. It is the only company to win 2 categories, walking away with Best Shopping Process and Best Customer Service, as well as the 1st runner up for South Africa’s best eCommerce website. Being the only fashion eCommerce player to have made it to the last round of the awards, Zando has secured their position as the undisputed online Fashion Destination for South Africans.

Grant Brown, Zando’s co-MD and COO said: “Since I joined the company in early 2012 we have consistently focused on Customer Service and Customer centric logistics. We have been committed to invest significantly into our processes, team and in house logistics to ensure the best possible user experience.”

The recognition of Zando’s shopping process can be directly linked to the company’s recent re-launch of its website. Zando’s IT and design team emphasized on page loading speed, a fully responsive website and the improvement of the overall shopping experience.

The Annual South African eCommerce Awards, held at the eCommerce Conference 2014, recognises and rewards excellence in the field of eCommerce within South Africa.

“The eCommerce Conference has been a huge success, and we have been overwhelmed by the response to our survey. We are thrilled to be able to congratulate our entrants, finalists and winners. Zando.co.za, winning both the Best Customer Service and Best Shopping Process awards, is a reflection of the 116 000 respondents to our survey. The results, affirmed by the uAfrica eCommerce awards jury, felt that Zando set the highest benchmark in relation to Customer Service and end-to-end Shopping Process,” said Andy Higgins, MD of uAfrica.

CEO Weekends: Kenya’s Strathmore University’s Centre of Excellence for Oracle opens at @iLabAfrica

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
CEO Weekends: Kenya’s Strathmore University’s Centre of Excellence for Oracle opens at @iLabAfrica
Photo of Cabinet Secretary launching Strathmore Centre of Excellence for Oracle
Kenya’s Cabinet Minister of ICT, Fred Matiang’i launching Strathmore Centre of Excellence For Oracle

 

Nairobi’s Strathmore University opened a Centre of Excellence for Oracle at the university’s research centre, @iLabAfrica.  The facility, funded by a grant from Oracle, will be used for a variety of Oracle training workshops and activities for university faculty and students, high school teachers and students, and technology entrepreneurs.

The Centre of Excellence at @iLabAfrica is bound to create opportunities for Kenyan youth to gain technology-related skills that can enable them to work across industries and borders. The IT skills gap represents a challenge for Kenya. The new Centre of Excellence @iLabAfrica provides a vital tool to expand technology education and help to close the gap.

“There are very few jobs today that don’t require some sort of ICT understanding, skill or experience,” said Dr. Gilbert Saggia, Country Leader, Oracle Kenya. “In a fast-growing economy like Kenya, investing in ICT skills is imperative for business and government alike. Oracle is proud to work alongside organizations like Strathmore University to introduce a world-class training facility to support skills development in the country.”

“Development of effective and collaborative innovation ecosystems like  @iLabAfrica can help drive African economies like Kenya’s,” said Dr. Joseph Sevilla, Director, @iLabAfrica Research Centre.

Oracle Academy completed its inaugural educator training event at @iLabAfrica for educators from Strathmore University, Equity Foundation, and iHub in July.  The five-day Oracle Academy Java Fundamentals course prepared teachers to cascade critical skills to nearly 2000 students in the coming year as part of ongoing relationships with Oracle Academy to develop IT skills in Kenya.

CEO Weekends: SAP encourages Kenya industries to take advantage of Big Data technology to help grow economy

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
CEO Weekends: SAP encourages Kenya industries to take advantage of Big Data technology to help grow economy

Estelle de Beer, Manager for Database Technology at SAP Africa

 

SAP East Africa, at a round table in Nairobi, informed the media of the value of big data for industries; and not only that, the company also highlighted how industries such as financial services, public sector and energy could gain value from new technologies, learn how to challenge old assumptions of doing things and spot new opportunities for economic growth.

Estelle de Beer, Manager for Database Technology at SAP Africa said: “SAP technology for Big Data is built on proven best practices across industries; this is an opportunity for companies to accelerate growth even faster using actionable insights that comes with such powerful technology. SAP HANA for Big Data gives companies the technology platform to make things happen, by helping solve business challenges inn real time using predictive analytics to uncover hidden opportunities”.

SAP’s strength lies in understanding the various industry dynamics and finding ways to help companies unlock opportunities. This was evident through the Big Data demonstrations showcasing how various industries are benefiting from using Big Data technology.

SAP was able to demonstrate how big data can access performance, maintenance reports and monitoring sites from anywhere using a single mobile device, as well as show where and how to replace worn out parts which is done seamlessly eliminating production downtime thus saving costs

“A person crossing a road is able to take real time input of the different vehicles and their speed on the road. From their life history, one can predict the speed and location of these vehicles at a certain time, thus making a decision when to cross the road – they do not have to go to a library to analyse what they see before crossing the road. Likewise, making business decisions should happen in real time without having to manually analyze data. Before, we could not make predictions because we did not have all that data – now, we do,“ added Estelle

In addition to real time decision making, SAP has designed its HANA Big Data platform to utilize natural user interfaces such as maps.

“We use maps as interface because that’s what people want to interact with. Using maps interface is a much more natural way to interact with information,” she concluded.

CEO Weekends: African CEOs are optimistic about growth despite challenges on the continent, says PwC

Caroline Vutagwa
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CEO Weekends: African CEOs are optimistic about growth despite challenges on the continent, says PwC

image002

 

CEOs in Africa are optimistic about their company’s prospects for revenue growth over the medium term, according to PwC’s ‘Africa Business Agenda, 2014’ report.

Suresh Kana, Senior Partner for PwC Africa, says: “CEOs in Africa feel more positive about their ability to generate revenue growth and about prospects for the economy now that they are emerging from the global financial recession.”

“It is interesting to note however that CEOs are slightly more anxious about their prospects for growth over the short-term,” adds Kana. Although 84% remain confident overall, only 40% say they are ‘very confident’. “CEOs acknowledge that a lot more needs to be done in terms of transforming the continent’s potential for exponential growth into tangible business opportunities,” he says. “CEOs are looking on multiple fronts for growth opportunities – for many, the search for growth will not be an easy task.”

‘The Agenda’ compiles results from 260 CEOs in Africa and includes insights from business and public sector leaders from 18 countries. The report shows that most CEOs in Africa feel confident about their approach to managing risk, despite some volatility and uncertainty.

The pace of change in the world is speeding up with a series of transitions, known as global megatrends that will transform business and society. African CEOs rank technological advances (69%), urbanisation (67%) and demographic shifts (63%) as the top three defining trends that will transform their businesses over the next five years. They are aware of the implications of these changes for their businesses, as well as the outlook for Africa. Many have recognised the need for change or are making changes to their businesses.

“Every day breakthroughs in frontiers of research and development are opening up new opportunities for businesses. As technologies progress, they will generate more improvements in efficiency and productivity. In turn, these advances are expected to trigger a strong acceleration in economic growth towards the end of the coming decade,” comments Kana.

CEOs in Africa say that their desire to create something is what drives their organisation’s strategic planning. They rank products/service innovation (31%), increased share in existing markets (27%), followed by new geographic markets (20%) as opportunities for growth but are equally concerned about shifts in consumer spending and behaviours.

Going forward, African CEOs say that they will be more actively looking for partners, while keeping an eye on costs. Almost half of them plan to initiate a new strategic alliance or joint venture in the next 12 months, and nearly a third are anticipating an acquisition, mainly in their home country or elsewhere in Africa. China is emerging as a key for consideration for growth prospects, followed by the US and South Africa, respectively. This is an indication of overall better economic prospects, higher availability of finance, and the growing presence of potential local and international partners attracted by the continent’s potential.

“We are also seeing more use of technological innovation and products, with no less than 91% of African CEOs either recognising the need to change their investments or in the process of doing so. Similarly, 85% said the same about data analytics,” says Kana. Following a decade of rapid urbanisation, Africa is undergoing a digital revolution. However, there are still many hurdles and obstacles to overcome to the development of digital economy on the continent – and many of these hurdles are related to the development of a stable political and legal environment for companies, citizens and investors.

Infrastructure is important in driving economic growth and employment on the continent. However, 45% of African CEOs believe that their governments have been ineffective in improving the country’s basic infrastructure, such as electricity, water supply, transport and housing.  CEOs also identified the creation of a skilled workforce (64%), the reduction of poverty and inequality (62%), and creating more jobs for young people (74%) as areas in which governments should be taking more decisive action and creating a business-friendly environment.

“In our view, one of the big challenges is for government to find new ways to form strategic collaborations and partnerships with people from other sectors, such as business. Tomorrow’s public body will need to act differently – governments of the future will need to embrace a lot of private-public partnerships.”

The report shows that for CEOs in Africa, government responses to over-regulation (80%), exchange rate volatility (79%) the fiscal deficit and debt burdens (78%) and adequate infrastructure are key areas of concern, and that governments have their work cut out for them. Other areas of concern are the increasing tax burden, slow or negative growth in developed economies (70%) and the lack of stability in capital markets (65%). But the report does show that 45% of CEOs say that governments have effectively achieved the outcome of ensuring financial sector stability and access to affordable capital.

Kana says that CEOs in South Africa share many of the concerns with their peers on the continent, with the survey showing that they have common worries about high or volatile energy costs (South Africa: 82%, Africa 76%); the availability of key skills (South Africa: 87%; Africa 83%); and new market entrants (South Africa: 63%; Africa: 58%).

Most companies in Africa have some degree of risk management in place. The report shows that 31% of respondents have implemented plans to manage risk more effectively and 37% are strengthening their corporate governance structure. To prevent fraud, many CEOs in Africa are focused on supply chain management. For 83% of CEOs in Africa, bribery and corruption is a significant and frustrating threat to business growth.

Kana adds: “An effective risk management approach requires organisations to think differently and the main challenge is good communication. By setting the tone from the top, boards and management can prioritise risk management and grow stronger, more resilient organisations.”

As governments make strides worldwide to improve their fiscal systems, more than half of African CEOs (53%) say the international tax system hasn’t changed to reflect the way multinationals do business today and is in need of reform. Just 32% of CEOs said their government had been effective in creating a more internationally competitive and efficient tax system.

CEOs globally remain concerned as ever about the availability of key skills. The survey shows that nowhere is the shortage of skills more acute than in fast-growing markets such as Africa, where CEOs are particularly concerned about skills shortages (83%). Most CEOs expect to maintain or increase their company’s headcount over the next 12 months.

African CEOs also report that they are using a range of leadership development programmes intended to develop and grow more diversity within the talent pool. 

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