Gartner Inc. believes that the consummation of IT and business bring your own device (BYOD) programs have resulted in potential security problems for IT leaders.
People tend to be more concerned with simplicity and clarity of the phone rather than the security, and the same valuable data guarded by complex passwords and security measures on PCs can be left vulnerable on mobile devices.
Gartner predicts that, by 2016, 30 percent of organizations will use biometric authentication on mobile devices, up from five percent today.
“Mobile users staunchly resist authentication methods that were tolerable on PCs and are still needed to bolster secure access on mobile devices. Security leaders must manage users’ expectations and take into account the user experience without comprising security,” said Ant Allan, research vice president at Gartner.
The increased number of devices in play also exacerbates the exposure of critical information. Implementing standard power-on password policies is made much more complex by the acceptance of BYOD practices, with the inevitable clash over user rights and privacy.
While complex passwords can be especially problematic for users to type on mobile devices, if these devices hold corporate data or provide access to corporate systems such as email without further login, even a default four-digit password is inappropriate.
“An eight-digit numeric password will require hours to recover, and that will discourage casual hackers with toolkits,” said John Girard, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “However, even a six-character lowercase alphanumeric password can provide billions of values. For most practical purposes, hackers are not prepared to pursue this large a set of combinations due to the relatively slow speeds involved in brute force attacks against smartphones and tablets.”
Gartner recommends that a password policy requiring use of at least six alphanumeric characters, and prohibiting dictionary words, is enforced on devices with access to corporate information via mobile device management (MDM) tools.
“The best practice is to use encryption that is not tied to the primary power-on authentication, meaning the key cannot be recovered from the device after a soft wipe operation has been performed.”
In addition, Gartner recommends that a further authentication method, at a minimum, another password — should be used for access to sensitive corporate applications and data.
In some cases, higher-assurance authentication is required. In PCs (traditionally), a standalone device may be used to provide a hardware token that might be used to provide additional authentication.
“Traditional authentication of this kind is often spurned in mobile use cases, because of the poor user experience with most kinds of hardware tokens,” said Allan.
Software tokens, such as X.509 credentials on the endpoint, provide options in this case, but often need MDM tools to be implemented properly and still require additional controls to provide the higher-assurance authentication necessary in some organizations.
Nigeria’s telecommunications service provider, Etisalat, and ThistlePraxis Consulting have come together for the fourth edition of the thought leadership session, Sustainable Conversations which will take place on February 8.
Sustainable Conversations is a quarterly thought leadership breakfast series that focuses on policy formation, and private/public synergies in the attainment of development for Nigeria.
This quarter’s theme discussion is “Education: Building Viable Frameworks for Sustainability,” and would feature Prof Pai Obanya as Lead Discussant.
Enitan Denloye, director, Brands and Communications, Etisalat Nigeria, said the company is pleased to support this initiative because as it addresses critical sectors that require urgent attention and intervention.
“Etisalat is throwing its weight behind this initiative because it would help address the critical needs of education via intellectual and analytical discussions that would point the way forward, assisting those who can and would want to intervene to know where to channel their resources to the benefit of the education sector,” he said.
Ini Onuk, lead consultant/CEO of ThistlePraxis Consulting Limited, said the quarterly thought leadership is focusing on education because economies across Africa recorded weak investment in education in the 1980s and this has had a negative impacted on the quality of education and the infrastructure needed to sustain knowledge.
“Reversing this trend and investing in Africa’s people point to a central nexus: redevelopment in Africa’s higher education sector. If Nigeria must move out of its current situation, the private sector must support through the funding of intellectual research and inventions, and be a source for collaboration and sustainable partnerships.” She said.
The renowned international education strategist is currently Chairman of Council of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). Dr. Modupe Olateju, CEO, The Education Partnership Centre (TEP Centre) will be moderating the discussion, while other discussants include: Chrystina Russell, Chief Academic Officer, Kepler; Prof. Ngozi Osarenren, Professor of Counseling and Psychology, University of Lagos and Misan Rewane, Chief Executive, West Africa Vocational Education.
Ado Bayero Mall is now under India’s first mall management company, Beyond Squarefeet. The ultra modern mall is the biggest in the country situated in Kano, Northern Nigeria.
Alpine Investment Services, through Beverly Development & Realties Limited is developing the mall, named after the city’s longest serving monarch, His Royal Highness Alhaji (Dr). The developer has created and implemented the best international infrastructure, systems and equipment.
The mall is still under construction and on opening which will come very soon will house big names like Shoprite and Game. it will also have an entertainment centre and well as multiplex and many more. The upcoming mall will offer international shopping experience and international cuisines to its customers.
“In our goal to create a mall of international stature, we have put in the best available resources and service providers to ensure that this would become a benchmark for all upcoming malls not only in Nigeria, but in West Africa,” said Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Siddharth Sahgal, mall mechanic and chief managing officer at Beyond Squarefeet, said: “Having worked with more than 20 malls in Asia, we are now establishing ourselves in developing markets of North and Western Africa. Our international exposure in mall management will help us in creating landmark and successful malls in these markets. Our intention is to create maximum returns for both the stake holders and retailers, while keeping in mind the socio-economic factors too.”
Three-play pay TV firm Zuku will in March launch its Zuku Fibre services in Kenya’s coastal towns in a bid to strengthen the firm’s data provision services in other cities across the country.
According to Richard Bell, Non-Executive Vice Chairman of the Board, Wananchi Group, “Given the great reception and progress Zuku is experiencing in our local markets, we are keen on increasing investment in expanding our fibre services to residents across the country. Parts of Mombasa will now access Zuku internet services and plans are underway to cover the rest of Nairobi and Mombasa and eventually the rest of the region.”
The firm says it March launch at the coast is due to increasing demand of similar services in the region, and Zuku’s readiness to meet the demands.The move by the Kenyan government to set timelines for digital migration has also paid off for the firm as TV viewers seek the best of content and broadband internet speeds.
The imminent switch has contributed to growth in the local Pay TV industry, to tap into the season, Zuku has invested in Digital Migration Educational Centres in Nairobi, to provide the public with necessary information relating to the switch even as the firm aims to popularize its provisions of satellite TVand cable services.
“The digital switch is a reality for Kenyans and as a home-grown company, we are keen to provide the public with much needed information on the importance of the exercise such as better picture and sound quality, opportunities for increased local content among other notable benefits,” Bell said.
At the end of 2013, the firm embarked on a countrywide promotion that saw drastic cuts in prices that served as a welcome reprieve for consumers at a time when the country was rushing to beat the digital migration deadline then for December. The move has resulted in the growth of subscriber base and increased Zuku’s footprint across the country. The firm also cut installation fees, previously at Kshs. 8500 to Kshs. 5600 for the full Zuku kit, installation and one month subscription to the Zuku Classic package.
Launched in March 2007 by Kenya’s Safaricom, M-PESA has over 17 million customers and over 60,000 Agent outlets countrywide and is the most successful such service anywhere in the world. However, questions have been raised over its origin, and to date, several of the questions remain unanswered, even to us. This is set to end.
A new tell-all book about M-PESA titled “Money, Real Quick- The story of M-PESA” co-authored by Tonny Omwansa, a lecturer at the university of Nairobi and Nicholas Sullivan, a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Emerging Market Enterprises with funding from Rockefeller wants to tell it all.
Using case studies, the book chronicles the evolution of M-PESA from its original concept as a micro finance tool to a complex financial transactions platform that is leading Kenya’s cash-lite agenda. The book features the accounts of those who worked on the service and how it grew to become the most successful mobile money solution in the world.
“M-PESA has earned its place as the most disruptive mobile money innovation and to date none other has come close. M-PESA has changed people’s lives in ways that could not have been envisaged by the people who created it and that is what we have captured in this book,” said Dr. Omwansa.
With 18.2 million customers, M-PESA is the world’s first and indeed, most successful mobile money transfer service. The platform moves KES 77.3 billion a month in peer to peer transactions. A further KES 9.9 billion is moved in person to business transactions while person to business transactions account for KES 7.6 billion a month.
Dr. Tonny Omwansa signing the book for ICT Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i
Launched as a simple money transfer service, M-PESA has evolved to a full payment service which now includes payment services and the Lipa na M-PESA service which is targeted at SMEs. Since launch last year, Lipa na M-PESA has so far recruited 36, 749 merchants.
“M-PESA has put Kenya and Africa at the forefront of ICT innovation and is a reference for many other countries that plan to implement a mobile money payment platform.M-PESA is indeed one of the ways that we have been able to fulfil our aspiration to Transform Lives,” said Safaricom’s GM of Financial Services, Betty Mwangi-Thuo.
Launched last evening in Nairobi and available to the public via Amazon and Kindle, the book brings to light challenges which include the regulatory environment. Despite the banks’ reservations about the scheme, once it was successful banks were able to use it to offer financial services to a new customer base. It also follows the impact of M-PESA on the poor, and the dynamics in the Kibera slum, For instance: the average M-PESA balance has gone up fivefold since 2008. The poor are clearly using the service as an alternative to the mattress or the tin under the bed.
It features use of M-PESA in ways that had not been part of the original business model. These include the national airline, the power utility and insurance companies. How Michael Joseph drove the team on to scale as well as building the agent network.
Kenya’s ICT Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i also highlighted the pivotal role M-PESA continues to play in supporting the financial inclusion agenda.
“By crystallising the M-PESA journey, this book will allow us to share with the rest of the world, this phenomenal innovation which has redefined the local financial landscape. M-PESA is a case study in the key roles that relevance and access have in resolving societal problems. Indeed, M-PESA has propelled Kenya to the pinnacle of global innovation and we as a country are proud of this landmark product,”he explained.
UpEnergy distributes household energy products throughout Uganda. They generate revenues not only from the sale of the product, but also from the sale of carbon credits associated with the use of those products, which enables them to deliver high quality products at affordable prices.
This start-up has a founding team of five people, Erik Wurster being the CEO of the company. The strong team has deep experience in social entrepreneurship, improved cookstoves, carbon finance and more traditional finance.
In an interview with Erik Wurster this is what he said about this fast growing start-up:
1.What was the inspiration behind the UpEnergy, how it began and what did it take for you to get where you are now?
Most of us were already involved in the cleantech / carbon finance sector in Africa. The goal of UpEnergy was to incorporate all of our collective lessons learned into one company that could attract private sector capital (many of us did our previous work under the auspices of non-profit organizations) and thus redouble our efforts towards maximizing impact among the households we serve.
2. What were you doing before UpEnergy
Prior to co-founding UpEnergy I co-founded a company called E+Carbon, which was a subsidiary of the non-profit cleantech investor E+Co. We developed some of the first carbon finance / cookstove projects in Africa, starting in 2007.
Nicole Ballin, Chief Operating Officer, UpEnergy
3.Did you know you were going to be an Entrepreneur all along or did it happen by chance?
It was really by chance. Entrepreneurship was a way to accomplish our goals of generating financially sustainable, scalable change in Africa among those most in need. There are very few groups doing exactly what we do, so there weren’t many places we could go if we chose a path other than entrepreneurship.
4.How successful are you in the business? Is there competition? And how do you face them
UpEnergy already has a significant track record of success, a mature distribution channel and we boast a market leading management team. We’ve proven to be able to execute more effectively and at lower cost than many of our competitors. Our branded distribution channel (we use the brand name SmartHome locally in Uganda) garners customer loyalty, while our growing list of exclusive arrangements with suppliers and distributors increases the barrier to entry for our competitors.
5.How is the response in your market, and who is your most important client?
Our response among our clients has been exceedingly positive. Not only do our Ugandan customers value our products, but we have garnered significant support within the international community for selling carbon credits from our Ugandan operations. This is best exemplified by our contract to sell 500,000 carbon credits to the Swedish government from now through 2021. This gives us full price security in a volatile commodities market, which guarantees us a reliable income stream for the duration of the contract. You can read more about this here
6.Does ICT play a big role in you organization?
We use mobile money for some of our transactions. We’ve also piloted a mobile platform to track sales in the field, so this has at this stage not gotten past the pilot phase.
7.What do you love most about your business and your life as an Entrepreneur?
The company’s ability to impact the lives of our customers is the most compelling aspect of UpEnergy to me.
Mark Mutaahi, Uganda Country Director, UpEnergy
8.What keeps you and your team motivated?
Our ability to impact the lives of our customers and partners in a positive way is what motivates us most. Since our founding, UpEnergy has served over 125,000 Ugandans through the sale high efficiency cookstoves. The environmental impact is considerable, with 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided and over 120,000 trees saved thus far.
The households we serve save several hours per day through reduced time needed for cooking and fuel collection. These impacts are significant in aggregate, but perhaps the most compelling impact on the individual level comes from the income generating opportunities we offer our retailers and sales agents.
For example, Aaron Okello is a motorcycle taxi driver turned stove salesman whose life was completely transformed due to income from working with UpEnergy. Aaron was able to relocate his wife and three children from northern Uganda to the city, rent suitable housing for the entire family, pay school fees for all of his children and pay 50 percent of the dowry for his wife, an important step towards recognition and respect in his culture. None of this was possible for him as a taxi driver.
9.What can your team not live without?
I’d have to say Ugandan Groundnut sauce. We spend a lot of time in rural Uganda selling our products, and there’s nothing better after a full day out in the field than settling down to a Ugandan meal that includes Groundnut sauce.
10.Is there a specific skill one needs to join you, if yes what is it
The skill sets we require depend very much on the specific role for which we are recruiting. However, the common theme is that we seek people who think and can work independently, and who can grab a project and run with it. We are still a small, entrepreneurial organization, which requires our employees to be flexible and self-motivated.
11.What does UpEnergy have in store for the future?
UpEnergy is aiming to serve 1 million end users in Uganda by 2015 with life-improving products. This will require investing and innovating in distribution and logistics, after-sales service, consumer and retailer finance, marketing and carbon finance. With these milestones achieved we will have created the foundation to not only become the primary distributor of clean energy products throughout Uganda, but also to replicate our model in other countries.
12.Who was the most influential person or mentor in your life?
My father; he is a successful environmental activist and academic and co-founder of the Environmental Defense Fund, a leading environmental advocacy group in the US. Many of his principles have influenced my career and my desire to create lasting change.
13.What advice would you give to any person who wants to follow your example
I think the most useful advice I ever received was to follow your passion and what interests you most rather than seeking out lucrative jobs. If you are passionate about your work and you are good at it, the money will follow, and in the end you will be far more successful in your career.
Only one out of 20 graduates from Kenya’s universities and middle-level colleges will luckily land a job after completion. The dwindling employment prospects have made Kenyan students simply ingenious.
Serah Kanyua, who features on CNN International’s ‘African Start-Up’ segment this week, was one such student. Her idea for an online fashion site, called Closet49, started in her room in the university where fellow students would stop by and select what they liked.
“I began selling clothes to friends while at University. My friends and I merged ideas to sell affordable fashion to people that didn’t want to pay too much and also give opportunity for people to sell clothes they do not want in their closet, that are still in good condition. They were able to get extra cash for their old clothes and find new cloths through this system,” Kanyua explains.
After graduating with a marketing degree Kanyua started her business, Closet49 with a friend. Together they work from Kanyua’s living room to save money and now their website connects buyers and sellers 24-7.
Kanyua launched the Closet 49 website, http://shop.closet49.com), just over a year ago.In the next two to three years, Closet 49’s goal is to make a million shillings in annual profits.
Tears, laughter, high-fives and passionate speeches were the stories at Facebook HQ yesterday as the Social media giants celebrated its tenth year anniversary.
Looking back at Facebook’s journey from a small time fun school project to its IPO, the journey to its over 1 billion user’s status has definitely been an amazing one to watch.
Yesterday, Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg in a really emotional post on his page reflected on how the journey began, asking questions like this one–>
“When I reflect on the last 10 years, one question I ask myself is: why were we the ones to build this? We were just students. We had way fewer resources than big companies. If they had focused on this problem, they could have done it”
Mark and the Facebook team want you to also reflect on your time with Facebook so far with the launch of an amazing “Look Back” video series where every user gets a video compilation that contains 15 or so of their most-liked photos, statuses, and life events set to a catchy tune. The videos are sweet(a bit cheesy), but will definitely remind you of many of your fun moments on Facebook.
Check out my own video below and create you’re here-à https://www.facebook.com/lookback/
It has been launched recently and it will open a new avenue for access to government information, this is the Federal Government which is highly supported by Omobola Johnson, the Minister of Communication Technology.
The minister said that the beginning of this process makes Nigeria the world’s first Federal Open Data initiative to collectively unveil inclusive and continuing consultations with both government and non-government communities on their Open Data priorities to develop the country’s national Open Data implementation plan.
The Nigeria Federal Open Data Initiative, supported by the World Bank and Department for International Development (DFID), aims to highlight the potential efficiency, innovations and public value that can be achieved when government uses technology to open its data.
Government expects the impact on economic growth to be colossal as analysis by global consulting firm McKinsey indicates that Open Data generates more than $3 trillion of new economic value for the U.S. economy alone. Also the weather data of the US is worth $30 billion annually, while the total worth of Global Positioning System GPS data is worth $90 billion.
The launch of the Open Data Initiative heralded by an Open Data Stakeholder Engagement Workshop brought together more than 120 representatives from across MDAs, and the private and nonprofit sectors to identify priorities and actions to inform the implementation of the Nigeria Federal Open Data.
The Workshop was designed to explore the role of Open Data in organisational innovation; highlight the public value that can be created by opening government data, as well as challenges and mitigation strategies associated with these efforts; discussing best practices and lessons learned in opening up government data from across regions and enable data user communities to identify valuable datasets that can drive innovation, investment and job creation.
Initial stakeholder consultations commenced on January 23 with a kickoff meeting hosted by the Ministry of Communication Technology, which was attended by 63 representatives from across MDAs, followed by deeper brainstorming with individual MDAs.
The governor of Nigeria’s Ekiti State will host a four-day event this week with social media influencers to connect Internet community to encourage participatory governance.
Kayode Fayemi, the governor, will be having a major interaction with social media actors such as activists, factivists, bloggers and influencers in continuation of the tradition of participatory governance.
The event will take place through February 6th to 9th this year at Ikogosi Warm Resort, Ikogosi-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
“This foremost, open and frank interactive discussion forum will look at the advancements, scorecard, challenges and shortcomings of the government under Kayode Fayemi over the past forty months”, according to the announcement.
Under the plan, the forum offers a rare opportunity for Governor Fayemi to interface with the blogosphere.
The session will feature over 100 participants both physically and virtually through the following platforms; Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Google Plus.
Outline of events includes:
• Bloggers media state tour
• #JKFeedback with Kayode Fayemi (Social media hype featuring questions and answers – Twitter, Facebook questions) & Google Hangout
To watch the live streaming event online, log on to
Master Data Management (MDM) has partnered with eLearningCurve in order to give high quality education and certification in information management skills to local resources.
This complementary solution augments MDM’s data management offering, enabling the company to deliver consulting, tools, implementation, training and certification for data and information management.
eLearningCurve gives comprehensive online education and industry certifications in various information management disciplines. The organisation features an expert faculty of consultants, who provide practical insights on how to successfully deliver core information management solutions.
“We will be acting as agents of eLearningCurve in the Southern African region, offering a direct presence to corporate clients needing access to internationally recognised expertise, training and certifications,” said Gary Allemann, Managing Director of MDM.
“We are pleased to have Master Data Management on board as a reseller of eLearningCurve courses in South and southern Africa. This arrangement blends perfectly with our vision of bringing convenient, flexible, high-quality information management education and certification to data professionals around the world,” sais Michelle Johnson, Marketing Director for eLearningCurve.
The curriculum covers a variety of areas including Business Intelligence (BI), Master Data Management, Data Quality and Data Governance.
These courses leverage the power of eLearning to address the skills shortage, by providing access to the knowledge and experience of a range of specialists at an affordable cost and a time and place that is convenient for participants.
Courses will run online which include examinations and one can further their certificate by adding more courses to the certificate level along with relevant work experience.
Lybia’s is about to join the super fast internet connection club, as Alcatel-Lucent and Libyan International Company (LITC) have signed a contract to build a new 1000 km undersea cable system which will connect Tripoli to Benghazi.
Based on Alcatel-Lucent‘s 100G technology and a cable optimized with coherent submarine fiber, the system will ultimately carry capacity of up to 10Tbps per fiber pair and is expected to be ready for completion mid of 2015.
“Broadband connectivity is a major growth opportunity for the foreseeable future and the development of a robust telecommunication infrastructure is vital. With the help of Alcatel-Lucent, our newsubmarine cable system promises a significant contribution the overall developments that are being undertaken to improve standard of living for Libyans,” said Dr Mohmoud Aujali, chairman of LITC.
This development will see the country’s network provide broadband connectivity to support the Libyan economy. The LITC expects the cable system to play a critical role in the reconstruction Libya’s telecom infrastructure improving the levels of connectivity and communication reliability needed for business, public sector and consumer applications.
Philippe Dumont, president of Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks, said: “Strengthening connection with the global digital community, Alcatel-Lucent’s innovative solution will help LITC promote growth opportunities for economic, cultural and educational activities.”
Grid-scale electrical energy storage firm, Primus Power has secured $20 million in the first close of its Series C financing led by South Africa-based platinum producer Anglo American Platinum Limited (Anglo American Platinum) with a major contribution from its PGM Development Fund.
Existing investors also participated alongside PGM Development Fund. Richard Willis of the PGM Development Fund joins Primus’ Board of Directors.
“Anglo American Platinum’s support is a welcome endorsement of our strategy, products and team,” said Primus Power’s CEO, Tom Stepien. “Beyond the investment, Anglo American Platinum is a valued partner and, as Primus expands internationally, they will provide a beachhead on the African continent. The new funds from Anglo American Platinum and other investors will help us accelerate our customer deliveries, grow our internal team and expand our product offerings.”
The latest round of funding supports 2014 customer shipments, transitioning the Company’s manufacturing to a contract manufacturer, and expanding its sales and customer support organizations and it brings the firm’s total funds raised to $35 million in equity funding and government grants of $20 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), and the California Energy Commission (CEC).
The firm’s safe, low-cost, grid-scale electrical energy-storage solutions such as the zinc-based flow battery systems decouple instantaneous electricity demand from supply, bolstering the stability and security of the electric grid, and helping accelerate the penetration of wind and solar energy with superior economics compared to conventional solutions.
Primus’ EnergyPod(R) containerized storage arrays is already underway and the firm will ship systems to investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities and microgrids at military bases by the end of the year.
Andrew Hinkly, Anglo American Platinum’s Executive Head of Marketing, called Primus Power’s solutions a game changer. “The EnergyPod(R) is a safe, low cost, power dense and ultra-reliable energy storage solution that installs rapidly. It is a differentiated product for mass deployment that integrates thoughtful design and utility-grade construction into a product that adds value at numerous locations along the electrical grid. This is a strategic investment for Anglo American Platinum. It is both good for business and for the environment.”
Established in 1988, AMEX Auto & Industrial Hardware Limited, an auto and industrial spare parts shop has launched an online store to reach the growing online population in the country.
The family-owned shop deals in quality genuine and aftermarket Japanese spare parts such as side mirrors, head lights, tail lights, corner lights, body parts, suspension parts and accessories and engine parts and automotive bearings. It’s also known for vehicle spare parts such as suspension arms, body parts, side mirrors, headlamps, service parts, the one-stop auto and industrial parts shop was founded and is still run by Patel Devesh and his dad and other family members.
Amex’s Physical warehouse in Kisumu
Devesh told TechMoran,”We didn’t want to be left behind as the young generation goes online. We wanted to be part of the movement, be found online and on mobile phones just as everyone else, than just at our shop here.”
“We have had calls from as far as Cyprus and otehr regions of Europe and US, but when buyers here how much we shall charge them for shipping they shy away from placing orders. In Kenya, we deliver across the country, even as far as Mombasa and Meru. This could not have happened if we weren’t online,” Devesh added.
Staff inside the warehouse
Launched late last year, the platform allows buyers to make orders and securely pay for them online using Mpesa, Airtel Money, Master Card and Visa Credit cards. The firm provide free delivery countrywide for orders above KSh 2,000/-
Though it has a warehouse in Kisumu, Kenya’s third largest city, the family-run business says it has recorded increasing sales after it launched the e-commerce platform and it now plans to open a physical warehouse in Nairobi to act as its business centre for its online orders.
e-commerce is not new in Kenya as bakeries, fashion portals and and almost everything can be found online, to serve the doubling number of demand of goods and services by metropolitan consumers in Kenya’s growing middle-class consumers.
Wetin be love sef? Trip to Bahamas? Dinner in bed with Iyanya/Yvonne Nelsonor a Tecno Phantom A3??
Woo-hoo! The love bug is in the air, it’s that time of the year again, the book of February 14 is about to be opened! Yesss, Valentine’s Day is almost here AGAIN!
Now is the time to spice up your love story. You just have to make it Memorable! What’s your plan for your loved ones? Or Are you a learner?? Are you still thinking???!!
Relax! In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Nigeria’s Largest Online Mall,Konga.com are opening their Valentines store with plenty of special treats for everyone.
From sweet daily timed deals to discount codes to help you enjoy amazing discounts to E-Gift vouchers your loved ones can use to pick gifts for themselves to amazing competitions to guarantee special surprises for you and your loved ones, Konga certainly knows how to show love. With the numerous discounts, giveaways…Valentine’s Day this year is definitely going to be special! No hassles! The perfect gift for your Val is just a click away.
@Shopkonga on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter will come alive this valentine’s period with daily cash and gifts giveaway for friends and lovers in a special “Wetin be love” questions and answers competition with the hashtag #Wetinbelove.
All our website readers will get a special discount by using the codeà AFKONGA.
Trust me, you DO not want to miss these deals. Hurry now, login to Konga.com and start your shopping. That is http://www.konga.com/valentines_day
Microsoft Board of Directors has appointed Satya Nadella as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors effective immediately while Bill Gates, previously Chairman of the Board of Directors, will assume a new role on the Board as Founder and Technology Advisor, and will devote more time to the company, supporting Nadella in shaping technology and product direction.
Nadella previously held the position of Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise group.
“During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella,” said Bill Gates, Microsoft’s Founder and Member of the Board of Directors. “Satya is a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together. His vision for how technology will be used and experienced around the world is exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded product innovation and growth.”
Since joining the company in 1992, Nadella has spearheaded major strategy and technical shifts across the company’s portfolio of products and services, most notably the company’s move to the cloud and the development of one of the largest cloud infrastructures in the world supporting Bing, Xbox, Office and other services. During his tenure overseeing Microsoft’s Server and Tools Business, the division outperformed the market and took share from competitors.
“Microsoft is one of those rare companies to have truly revolutionized the world through technology, and I couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen to lead the company,” Nadella said. “The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly.”
“Having worked with him for more than 20 years, I know that Satya is the right leader at the right time for Microsoft,” said Steve Ballmer, who announced on Aug. 23, 2013 that he would retire once a successor was named. “I’ve had the distinct privilege of working with the most talented employees and senior leadership team in the industry, and I know their passion and hunger for greatness will only grow stronger under Satya’s leadership.”
John Thompson, lead independent director for the Board of Directors, will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors and remain an independent director on the Board.
“Satya is clearly the best person to lead Microsoft, and he has the unanimous support of our Board,” Thompson said. “The Board took the thoughtful approach that our shareholders, customers, partners and employees expected and deserved.”
With the addition of Nadella, Microsoft’s Board of Directors consists of Ballmer; Dina Dublon, former Chief Financial Officer of JPMorgan Chase; Gates; Maria M. Klawe, President of Harvey Mudd College; Stephen J. Luczo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Seagate Technology PLC; David F. Marquardt, General Partner at August Capital; Nadella; Charles H. Noski, former Vice Chairman of Bank of America Corp.; Dr. Helmut Panke, former Chairman of the Board of Management at BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG; and Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Virtual Instruments. Seven of the 10 board members are independent of Microsoft, which is consistent with the requirement in the company’s governance guidelines that a substantial majority be independent.
And it is hard to argue with his top four, though you will probably want to register a Life+Times comment name just to yell at him about “Empire State of Mind.” (“Sorry critics, it’s good.”)
But that is the point — you are supposed to yell at Jay Z in this circumstance. It is the reason for the List Season.
Anyway, here are his rankings. (The notations are Jay’s. Forgive him for not following the traditional countdown-list format; he is new to this.)
1. Reasonable Doubt (Classic)
2. The Blueprint (Classic)
3. The Black Album (Classic)
4. Vol. 2 (Classic)
5. American Gangster (4 1/2, cohesive)
6. Magna Carta (Fuckwit, Tom Ford, Oceans, Beach, On the Run, Grail)
7. Vol. 1 (Sunshine kills this album … fuck … Streets, Where I’m from, You Must Love Me…)
8. BP3 (Sorry critics, it’s good. Empire (Gave Frank a run for his money))
9. Dynasty (Intro alone …)
10. Vol. 3 (Pimp C verse alone… oh, So Ghetto)
11. BP2 (Too many songs. Fucking Guru and Hip Hop, ha)
12. Kingdom Come (First game back, don’t shoot me)
At least he knows how bad Kingdom Come was. What’s your opinion on this…
Rocket Internet-backed foodpanda and its affiliate hellofood have received another $20 million in funding from a group of investors including Phenomen Ventures in a move to continue its global ambitions and roll out to over 40 markets by the end of Q1.
Today foodpanda has launched in Tanzania and Uganda completing its East African coverage after it launched in Kenya earlier and then Rwanda late last year. It has also expanded its services into Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovenia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
According to Ralf Wenzel, Co-Founder and Global Managing Director foodpanda/hellofood, the firm is currently the most globally prominent online marketplace for food delivery, active and rising in Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
“Having acquired the trust from experienced investors we will be able to continue our growth strategy to become a truly global internet brand. Further to this, we will push our expansion within our existing markets, to gain presence at every corner of every country we are active in. We continue to invest in customer service, creating the most convenient way to order food – no matter where you are,” added Wenzel.
The online marketplace helps restaurants to increase delivery sales through online and mobile platforms and provides them with constantly evolving technology and analytics. Customers can choose their favorite meal online and foodpanda processes the order directly to the restaurant, which delivers the meal to the customer. foodpanda is partners with over 22.000 restaurants worldwide.
Last year, foodpanda expanded into 20 more countries and launched a mobile app for iOS and Android, which is currently one of the leading food delivery apps worldwide after it had secured more than USD 20 million funding from Phenomen Ventures and Investment AB Kinnevik and USD 8 million from iMENA Holdings.
Tunisian I watch, an anti-corruption watchdog has unveiled Jomaa Meter, an initiative aimed at exposing the performance of the newly appointed government of Mehdi.
This initiative has made 29 assurances which are made by Jomaa, which includes things like organizing free and fair elections, issuing a complementary budget law, guaranteeing the neutrality of public administration, and job creation.
Mehdi Jomaa’s government took office last week, after its approval by the National Constituent Assembly. It came to replace the Ennahdha-led government of Ali Laarayedh, and it will lead the country until new elections expected to occur this year.
Jomaa listed the economy, the security situation, elections, and the appointment of neutral and competent local governors among the priorities of his government.
The initiative was warmly welcomed by Tunisians on various social media sites.
Kenya will be the host of the African Institute Remittance (AIR), a decision made by the African Union (AU) Executive Council.
The AIR Project was launched with funding from the European Commission while the World Bank was responsible for overall implementation and execution of the project, in collaboration with the African Development Bank and the International Organization for Migration.
The Council asked the African Union Commission to conclude the Host Agreement with the Republic of Kenya so as to ensure the formal take-off of the Institute this year. It also asked the World Bank and other development partners to support the Institute. The Institute is scheduled to be fully operational by 2015.
“I am delighted that the Executive Council has decided that the Republic of Kenya will host the AIR. The establishment of AIR, the first of its kind in the world, is a cornerstone in harnessing Diaspora resources for social and economic development in Africa”, said Dr. Mustapha S. Kaloko, Commissioner of Social Affairs of the African Union Commission.
The decision to select Kenya was determined in the 24th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council which met 7 to 28 January 2014 at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Kenya was one of the member countries that showed interest in hosting the AIR secretariat.
Senegal Airlines has considered Sage FRP 1000 as its choice of information service provider system management.
Their decision was based on its flexibility and interfacing capabilities with other business management solutions which are very important for airlines.
As accounting and turnover calculation for airlines are quite specific tasks, Sénégal Airlines chose to outsource management of its turnover to a specialist service provider.
“Our accounting processes are automatically transferred in a fully secure manner to Sage FRP 1000 general accounting. Only an open information system such as Sage FRP 1000 allowed us to build interfaces between applications”, stated Abdoul Aziz NDAO, manager of the Sénégal Airlines information system.
For this project, Sénégal Airlines was looking for a Sage-approved information system partner, able to commit over the long term.
“We chose Itech Solutions due to the fact that their working methods are best suited to our project vision as well as for their technical expertise regarding Sage solutions”, continued Abdoul Aziz NDAO.
Itech Solutions produced a model of the information system and its roll-out, user training and change management training. Today, it is responsible for managing maintenance contracts and software updates.
With Sage FRP 1000, Sénégal Airlines is achieving productivity gains and enhancing management of its business processes.
A modern re-imagining of the classic romantic comedy, this contemporary version closely follows new love for two couples as they journey from the bar to the bedroom and are eventually put to the test in the real world.
Release date: February 14, 2014 (USA)
Director: Steve Pink
MPAA rating: R
RoboCop
The year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Their drones are winning American wars around the globe and now they want to bring this technology to the home front. Alex Murphy is a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit. After he is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp utilizes their remarkable science of robotics to save Alex’s life. He returns to the streets of his beloved city with amazing new abilities, but with issues a regular man has never had to face before.
Release date: February 12, 2014 (USA)
Director: José Padilha
MPAA rating: PG-13
Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters
This is the legend of Rose Hathaway and Lissa Dragomir, two 17-year-old girls who attend a hidden boarding school for Moroi (mortal, peaceful Vampires) and Dhampirs (half-vampire/half-human guardians). Rose, a rebellious Guardian-in-training and her best friend, Lissa – a royal vampire Princess – have been on the run when they are captured and returned to St.Vladamirs Academy, the very place where they believe their lives may be in most jeopardy. Thrust back into the perils of Moroi Society and high school, Lissa struggles to reclaim her status while Rose trains with her mentor and love-interest, Dimitri , to guarantee her place as Lissa’s guardian. Rose will sacrifice everything to protect Lissa from those who intend to exploit her from within the Academy walls and the Strigoi (immortal, evil vampires) who hunt her kind from outside its sanctuary.
Release date: February 7, 2014 (USA)
Director: Mark Waters
Adapted from: Vampire Academy
Winter’s Tale
Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, the film is a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil.
Release date: February 14, 2014 (USA)
Director: Akiva Goldsman
MPAA rating: PG-13
Endless Love
This film is the story of a privileged girl and a charismatic boy whose instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them apart.
Release date: February 14, 2014 (USA)
Director: Shana Feste
MPAA rating: PG-13
Non-Stop
Bill Marks is a burned-out veteran of the Air Marshals service. He views the assignment not as a life-saving duty, but as a desk job in the sky. However, today’s flight will be no routine trip. Shortly into the transatlantic journey from New York to London, he receives a series of mysterious text messages ordering him to have the government transfer $150 million into a secret account, or a passenger will die every 20 minutes.
MTN South Africa subscribers will further enjoy the Telco’s promotion,’ Lowest International Call Rates’ promotion.
The promotion offers calls to key African, Asian and European countries from 75c a minute, this, MTN says, has been extended up to the end of February.
It will also extend competitive rates to more than 200 countries for the same period.
“MTN launched this promotion in September last year as a way to offer our customers some of the most affordable international call rates in the South African market. The positive response we received has led the company to extend the promotion for another month,” says Brian Gouldie, chief marketing officer at MTN South Africa.
“The Lowest International Call Rates promotion will provide customers wanting to talk to loved ones or for business purposes in more than 200 international calling destinations with the most value for their money. As a customer-centric organization, MTN is happy to be able to provide them with a cost-effective way to stay in touch,” he added.
MTN international call rates seem to be the most competitive in South Africa. When making calls to China, India, France, United States, Germany and Nigeria one will pay 75c a minute and pay 99c per minute when one calls to Angola, Spain, New Zealand, Greece and Thailand.
Africell Sierra Leone has today announced it has crossed the two million mark with over 2,250,000 active subscribers and is expecting to end 2014 with over 11 million in total active subscriber base for its African operations.
Apart from Sierra Leone, Africell Holding runs Africell Gambia, Africell Sierra Leone, and Africell RDC and ended 2013 with over 7 million active subscribers. This year the firm is projected to cross the 11 million active subscribers mark. The firm is expanding steadily across Africa after its 2012 launch in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012.
Africell Sierra Leone is the market leader in the country with 65% market share and is forecasted to cross the 3 million active subscribers by the end of 2014 in the country. Other mobile operators in the country include Airtel, Comium Sierra Leone and Sierra Leone Telecommunications Company.
The dotAfrica domain is expected to begin September this year; this comes after the expiry of the Sunrise and Rush periods which were to begin in May 2014.
Neil Dundas, ZA Central Registry (ZACR) Chief Operating Officer, said: “dotAfrica (.africa) domains will be available for registration on a first-come-first-served basis from September 2014 once the rights of trade mark holders have been processed during the designated Sunrise period.”
Dundas explained that the Registry has received a formal invitation from ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers) to commence contracting in its capacity as the selected dotAfrica registry operator who has successfully completed initial evaluation.
“There are two items that have delayed the conclusion of contracting, namely the provision of a Continuing Operating Instrument (COI) according to ICANN’s revised criteria and the fact that our company name has changed from UniForum SA to the ZA Central Registry,” said Lucky Masilela ZACR’s new CEO.
He added that South Africa’s foreign exchange controls have presented challenges in terms of getting the contract process underway.
In addition, the issue of the name change has initiated a contract change request and this process is currently under review by ICANN. Other than the mandatory 30-day application comment period, the ZACR does not anticipate that this will lead to anyfurther delays in the contracting process.
In the context of the above, the ZACR is confident that it will be in a position to execute the Registry Agreement (RA) during the course of March 2014. This will then enable the organization to complete Pre-Delegation Testing (PDT) and the submission and approval of its launch program. “All things being equal we anticipate that we will be able to commence our Sunrise process in either April or May this year,” said Mr Dundas.
Upon receiving the final go-ahead from ICANN, the ZACR will commence the dotAfrica launch process by running both Sunrise and Land Rush applications in parallel for a period of 90-days.
The priority ranking system will allocate domain name applications, submitted during the 90-day application window, in order of highest priority to lowest priority. Domain name applications based on trademarks registered in Africa will receive the highest priority, followed by trademarks registered in other jurisdictions. Applications that are not based on any validated priority right, such as generic Land Rush applications, will receive the lowest priority.
Emerging Markets Payments (EMP), a leading pan-African and Middle Eastern payments firm has appointed Murat Ozulku as CEO of its Bank Processing Division, replacing Hoda Shoukry who has retired after an illustrious career.
Murat has had a stellar career at Citibank covering two decades and has worked in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in a variety of senior roles. Most recently, while based in Nairobi, Murat led Citi’s Transactional Banking business across East Africa, providing products and services to Financial Institution, Corporate and Public Sector clients. He has extensive experience of building and operating payments platforms and a deep familiarity with the wider region.”
As CEO EMP, Murat will be responsible for all of EMP’s Bank Processing operations which include payments platforms in Egypt, Jordan and Nigeria, as well as sales and service operations in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and UAE.
Paul Edwards, Executive Chairman of EMP, stated “EMP is delighted to welcome Murat Ozulku as the new CEO of Bank Processing.”
He also paid tribute to Hoda Shoukry, who is retiring as CEO of EMP’s Bank Processing Division, having been with the company since its inception, first as a Director and then as the Chief Executive.
“Hoda led the business as it grew rapidly and established its reputation for world-class payments services to banks across Africa and the Middle East. Her fierce determination and passion for the business helped overcome many challenges over the years. She will be greatly missed by staff and clients alike”, said Edwards.
EMP has a Processing Division for outsourced payments solutions such as card procurement and personalisation and card hosting through to ATM and POS driving, mobile payments and advisory services to 130 banks in 35 countries. The Group hosts over 11 million accounts and processes more than 100 million transactions per annum.
According to the firm, the barriers of EMV migration are technology, time and cost. To take away these barriers EMP will be offering the Kenyan Banks an extremely attractive proposal to migrate and process for any interested Bank on the very lastest technology. The proposal includes free migration from Magnetic Stripe Cards to EMV Chip, and if the bank is ready a commitment to meet the EMV deadline. EMP has 130 banks across africa and has signed 2 banks in Kenya now. Murat will help drive its uptake in Kenya.
“I am very excited to be joining EMP and look forward to building on the excellent platform that Hoda Shoukry has developed. The Middle East and Africa region has the youngest age profile in the world and is becoming increasingly tech savvy. There is huge demand for access to financial services. Growth in the payments sector will be sustained at very high rates for at least the next 5 to 10 years and I am determined that EMP will remain the leading, the most dynamic and the most trusted payments processor and solutions provider in the region”, said Murat Ozulku.
Mass roll out of the smart ID cards in South Africa officially stated in the weekend last. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA)is still inviting first-time applicants and pensioners to apply at 28 offices across SA.
As preciously stated, the deployment for senior citizens will go according to the birth month, with the DHA set to cater for those born in January and February first.
Naledi Pandor, the home affairs minister, 100 000 smart ID cards are expected to be issued by the end of March and applicants can expect a paperless process using biometric technology to record card details.
“The rollout of the smart ID cards to all eligible South Africans will take a few years and the department, accordingly, makes an appeal for the public to exercise patience,” said the minister
Green ID books – which Pandor said have “been open to fraud and abuse” – will be phased out as more citizens are invited to apply for the new cards in the coming months.
The following offices have been earmarked for the roll-out process:
Gauteng: Soweto; Akasia and Byron Place, in Pretoria; Harrison Street in Johannesburg
Limpopo: Jane Furse, Polokwane and Tzaneen
North West: Potchefstroom, Rustenburg and Klerksdorp
Mpumalanga: Nelspruit, Middleburg and Emalahleni
Free State: Bloemfontein, Kroonstad and Welkom
Northern Cape: Kimberley, Kuruman and Upington
KwaZulu-Natal: Mtubatuba, Durban-commercial and Pietermaritzburg
Eastern Cape: Port Elizabeth, Mthatha and King William’s Town
Nigeria’s National Lottery Regulatory Commission(NLRC) has issued a temporary ban to all Mobile service providers to postponed any SMS based lotteries they are running as the government gears up to mark 100 years of Independence later this year.
The Nigeria government plans to carry out Centenary games lottery courtesy of Mobile phones as part of the celebration since 1914 through SMS based promotion across all operating networks MTN, Airtel, Globacom, Etisalat and Visafone.
It is reported that the government had appointed Secure Electronic Technology Plc. (SET) as its centenary lottery operator. However the impact may be severe to telecom operators, according to personnel in the mobile industry all companies are set to lose billions of Naira since the sector has attracted many goodies in terms of rewards to loyal subscribers such as, luxury cars, aircraft and overseas trips.
The chairman, Association of Licenced Telecommunications Operators (ALTON), Engineer Gbenga Adebayo, told Leadership that the suspension imposed to telecom industry is commercial.
“If the federal government says that no operator should conduct SMS promos simply because they want to make money for the centenary celebrations, it is an avenue to deny subscribers of the various networks opportunities to communicate.”
He further noted that, “ In today’s advanced telecommunications world, mobile subscribers have freedom of association and freedom of choice. They have the freedom to communicate from the promotional lotteries offered them by mobile operators. What government is simply doing is to deny them those rights to choice and associate. The federal government’s decision goes beyond commercial decision. It is denying the operators one of their means of livelihood.’’
According to last year Nigeria-Mobile-Market-Overview-Statistics-and-Forecasts research Nigeria is Africa’s largest mobile market with more than 110 million subscribers, and yet market penetration stands at only around 70%. The number of subscribers hastened again in 2012 as a result of lower prices and a growing demand for mobile broadband services.
However the rapid growth has led to problems with network congestion and quality of service, prompting the regulatory authority NCC to impose fines and sanctions. Every year the network operators are investing billions of US$ into additional base stations and fibre optic transmission to support the ever increasing demand for bandwidth. According to estimates, the number of cell sites in the country – currently around 20,000 – could more than triple in the coming years.
A technology City worth $50 million will soon be in existence in West Africa’s Ilesha, Osun estate; thanks to the biggest ICT and phone manufacturer in the region, RLG. The city will be called RLG/Adulawo Technology City.
Adulawo will be involved in the training of youth to assemble and repair various electronic devices and the production of the items form its facility, this project will help in decreasing the number of jobless youth by providing 10,000 jobs both directly as directly.
Roland Agambire, Group Chairman of RLG, pointed out that ICT was the new money spinner and the RLG/Adulawo Technology City was an ambitious project that would play a major role in the technology revolution that is sure to come to Nigeria.
“The dream of setting up such a facility was propelled by the leadership and vision of the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, who supported the idea from the outset, especially because it has as its main goal the creation of jobs and the transfer of technology,” he said. “RLG, as a Pan-African company, has the ambitious dream of creating wealth for African youths and leading them out of poverty through technology.”
Agambire disclosed that the company’s initial investment of $50 million was an expression of its commitment to the vision, adding that it would spend more because there was the need to expand into fabrication which would enable the facility handle more complicated electronic devices.
The chairman said that so far, 5,000 indigenes have been trained from RLG’s facility in Ghana and the remaining 15,000 indigenes will be trained and equipped at the new technology city.
“While in full production capacity, it will directly employ 800 people while over 15,000 indirect jobs will be created round the state through the enterprise from sales and repair points. It will impact the state’s economy through taxes, rates and levies, add to the state’s GDP, create wealth and bring development to the community where it operates,” said Aregbesola, Governor.
He added that the City was also a demonstration of the government’s resolve to partner with the private sector through the creation of an enabling environment and providing adequate infrastructure for rapid industrialisation and job creation.
The RLG/Adulawo Technology City has a capacity to assemble 5,000 mobile phones, and 2,500 computers daily. It has fully equipped training centre called the RLG Institute of Technology, a Research & Development Laboratory complete with a Green Technology Bio-mass plant which will provide cooking gas for the staff quarters and generate 3KVA electricity
Due to their massive processes and procedures, the travel/ tourism and hospitality industries have been at the forefront of the adoption and application of ICT. The sector’s operations needs technology to make a meaningful difference in the lives of consumers. It is a mega-trend that local managed ICT service provider, Integr8, has been quick to recognise and leverage off.
Given that tourism and hospitality are high-growth areas of commerce and contribute substantially to the economy, they represent a natural and logical target for technology manufacturers, service providers and suppliers.
Reports suggest that the South African tourism sector is well on its way in achieving its goal of becoming one of the top twenty destinations in the world. South African President Jacob Zuma announced a 10.2% growth in international tourist visitors to the Country in 2012.
The Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, has been quoted as saying, “With the recent launch of our Nothing’s More Fun than a Short Left campaign, we anticipate positive domestic tourist growth ratings as South Africans hit the road and explore the country.”
Stakeholders have witnessed how businesses from tourism agencies to hotels to car rental companies have eagerly sought to invest in mobility, social networking and automated, converged frontline service systems to remain competitive.
Major operators like Club Travel, a member of the Thebe Tourism Group, the Ambassador Hotel Group and Amadeus Southern Africa, have all invested in infrastructure upgrades and convergence on systems to maintain dominant positions in the market.
“From my side it is all about staff having the best tools to operate at the best speeds with no downtime. Managing your IT service provider to deliver on these and then accept responsibility and hence penalties when they don’t deliver. Without these speeds and uptime our business is affected which means our income,” explains Gary Mulder, Financial Director, Club Travel.
“Process efficiency is critical. Our clients expect it in their businesses and we need to prove that through efficiencies we can reduce our costs and hence charges to them. We must embrace systems to reduce the reliance on paper generation where we can and streamline internal processes from bookings right through to back office invoicing and audit processes,” he adds.
Being the preferred ICT services provider to these high profile clients has helped to raise Integr8’s general profile in this competitive space.
The company’s joint CEO, Lance Fanaroff, suggests that part of the reason why technology continues to have such a profound impact on these industries is because of the immediate value derived by consumer.
“Like ICT, tourism and hospitality is dependent on the buy-in of consumers. Technology is constantly being used to deliver services to the consumer, to make the user experience exceptional – from having reliable wireless connectivity in hotel rooms right through to mobile apps and digital applications to enhance travel situations,” says Fanaroff.
According to Fanaroff, operators in these industries are compelled to adapt and adopt technology for the sake of client service. “Otherwise, it is simply a matter of time before they become obsolete.”
Renewed and continuous global interest in this rapidly developing sector is at least one reason for service providers to remain ahead of market developments and technology uptake Fanaroff adds.
As an example, he refers to an online article 52 Places to Go in 2014,, published by the New York Times, which ranks Cape Town as the number one destination on the list.
