LEADING Fixed Wireless Operator (FW) Starcomms Limited, has officially announced the take off of its services in the Garden City of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The launch was formally held on Thursday, September 15, 2005 brings the number of Starcomms coverage areas to four. Previously, the operator has presence in three core locations nationwide, namely in Lagos, Kano and Maiduguri.
Marketing Director, Starcomms, Mr. Omar Lababidi, said that a series of activities were lined up to commemorate the event, as the firm made a bold show in the Garden City.
He also said that already the company has put in place the necessary structures and facilities to ensure a smooth deployment of the excellent quality of services for which Starcomms is reputed.
Mr. Lababidi further said that Starcomms has deployed its full range of services in Port Harcourt, using the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA 2000 1X) Intelligent Network (IN) platform, which he stressed is among the most sophisticated in the world.
He equally stated that Starcomms is pushing hard to attain its vision of being a major telecoms operator in the world in the immediate future, emphasising that there are plans to launch in two other major cities in Nigeria, namely Ibadan and Abuja soon.
The director, however, did not disclose the dates for the anticipated launch in two cities.
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Friday, September 09, 2005
IT education must match with practicals – Alao
EXECUTIVE Director, Nigeria Online Limited, Mr. Olaleye Alao, has said that theoretical aspect of Information Technology (IT) education in the country must be matched with adequate hands-on practicals to properly empower the nation’s teeming undergraduates for the evolving 21st century.
Mr. Alao who also is the Treasurer of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), made the statement while delivering a paper on ‘Nigeria IT Industry: Undergraduate Empowerment’ to mark the firstNorth Central zonal workshop organized by the National Association of Computer Science Students (NACOSS) in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The theme of the two-day workshop was Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for National Economic Empowerment Development (ICT4NEED).
Mr. Alao advised members of the NACOSS to ensure they are well empowered for the labour world and called for a change in the nation’s education system towards making this a reality, especially in marrying theories with adequate practicals.
“Practical aspect is very essential in order to complement theory,” he declared.
According to him, the university authorities could help empower undergraduates by collaborating with international bodies responsible for IT certifications through incorporating professional courses in the nation’s school curriculum.
He stressed that the university education programme needs to be revived to meet up with the global standard so as to suit the current trend in the IT industry, adding there should be upgrading of hardware and software within the school environment to enable the students to be current.
Good environment and computer laboratory, probably devoid of strike and disruption of any sort, he said, would help in achieving this goal of empowering undergraduates appropriately.
He also called on students to remain courageous in developing their own software initiatives to suit their area of interest thereby creating self-employed atmosphere, despite the state of the country.
Industrial training on their area of specialization, Mr. Alao said, is very vital and could be facilitated by the existing regulatory bodies being involved on how the undergraduates could be absorbed for IT training in their specific programmes.
For him, Internet facilities should also be provided alongside IT training to make the nation’s undergraduates competitive at the global circle while competitions would help in identifying the best brains locally.
“Blue-chip companies should employ some of the best brains in other to encourage them,” he said.
Opportunities, Mr. Alao said, abound in the IT industry for undergraduates including specialization on networking and telecommunications, systems administration, development and maintenance, website administration, database administration, and software development.
Mr. Alao who also is the Treasurer of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), made the statement while delivering a paper on ‘Nigeria IT Industry: Undergraduate Empowerment’ to mark the firstNorth Central zonal workshop organized by the National Association of Computer Science Students (NACOSS) in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The theme of the two-day workshop was Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for National Economic Empowerment Development (ICT4NEED).
Mr. Alao advised members of the NACOSS to ensure they are well empowered for the labour world and called for a change in the nation’s education system towards making this a reality, especially in marrying theories with adequate practicals.
“Practical aspect is very essential in order to complement theory,” he declared.
According to him, the university authorities could help empower undergraduates by collaborating with international bodies responsible for IT certifications through incorporating professional courses in the nation’s school curriculum.
He stressed that the university education programme needs to be revived to meet up with the global standard so as to suit the current trend in the IT industry, adding there should be upgrading of hardware and software within the school environment to enable the students to be current.
Good environment and computer laboratory, probably devoid of strike and disruption of any sort, he said, would help in achieving this goal of empowering undergraduates appropriately.
He also called on students to remain courageous in developing their own software initiatives to suit their area of interest thereby creating self-employed atmosphere, despite the state of the country.
Industrial training on their area of specialization, Mr. Alao said, is very vital and could be facilitated by the existing regulatory bodies being involved on how the undergraduates could be absorbed for IT training in their specific programmes.
For him, Internet facilities should also be provided alongside IT training to make the nation’s undergraduates competitive at the global circle while competitions would help in identifying the best brains locally.
“Blue-chip companies should employ some of the best brains in other to encourage them,” he said.
Opportunities, Mr. Alao said, abound in the IT industry for undergraduates including specialization on networking and telecommunications, systems administration, development and maintenance, website administration, database administration, and software development.
InfraStruXure with cell technology @ APC
Global supplier of end-to-end power solutions, the American Power Conversion (APC), has announced the release of its InfraStruXure with integrated fuel cell technology.
This product is expected to offer several hours of extended runtime of high availability systems for Network-Critical Physical Infrastructure (NCPI).
This solution, according to the Country General Manager, APC for Africa, Mr. Carl Kleynhans, offers hours of extended runtime for Information Technology (IT) applications with high availability requirements.
The award-winning InfraStruXure architecture, which integrates power, cooling, management and services in a rack-optimized design, now offers IT professionals the ability to power their IT systems using fuel cell technology, an alternative to traditional extended-run options.
APC’s official also said the new 30 kilowatt (KW) solution incorporates modular Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells.
IT project managers could stack up to three 10kw modules per rack to create a scalable solution, as energy is stored and supplied to the system via bottled hydrogen.
Small to medium data centers, he said, are ideal applications for the early-adopter phase of this system.
InfraStruXure with integrated fuel cells, the manager said, is the best for environments that may have limitations due to building code, emission requirements or physical constraints.
He gave the insight that the future phases of this programme would include further integrated management via InfraStruXure manager.
“APC is constantly developing innovative systems to dramatically increase availability in all aspects of the NCPI,” he said, just as the product offers the first practical fuel cell solution for data center extended-run applications.
He pointed out that this new system, supported by APC’s global services network, also improves availability by minimizing points of failure with the system installed close to the load; lowers the total cost of ownership with a design life of 10 years; reduces the total cost of ownership with a more compact footprint; and improves agility by allowing power generation in more locations that could have emissions restrictions.
This product is expected to offer several hours of extended runtime of high availability systems for Network-Critical Physical Infrastructure (NCPI).
This solution, according to the Country General Manager, APC for Africa, Mr. Carl Kleynhans, offers hours of extended runtime for Information Technology (IT) applications with high availability requirements.
The award-winning InfraStruXure architecture, which integrates power, cooling, management and services in a rack-optimized design, now offers IT professionals the ability to power their IT systems using fuel cell technology, an alternative to traditional extended-run options.
APC’s official also said the new 30 kilowatt (KW) solution incorporates modular Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells.
IT project managers could stack up to three 10kw modules per rack to create a scalable solution, as energy is stored and supplied to the system via bottled hydrogen.
Small to medium data centers, he said, are ideal applications for the early-adopter phase of this system.
InfraStruXure with integrated fuel cells, the manager said, is the best for environments that may have limitations due to building code, emission requirements or physical constraints.
He gave the insight that the future phases of this programme would include further integrated management via InfraStruXure manager.
“APC is constantly developing innovative systems to dramatically increase availability in all aspects of the NCPI,” he said, just as the product offers the first practical fuel cell solution for data center extended-run applications.
He pointed out that this new system, supported by APC’s global services network, also improves availability by minimizing points of failure with the system installed close to the load; lowers the total cost of ownership with a design life of 10 years; reduces the total cost of ownership with a more compact footprint; and improves agility by allowing power generation in more locations that could have emissions restrictions.
VIA Tech, Juniper deal to crash PC prices
TAIWAN-based innovative developers of silicon chip and Personal Computer (PC) solutions, VIA Technologies Incorporated, has concluded plan to further crash the price of new PCs in the country, to as low as N35,000.This plan was the outcome of the recent partnership deal between Nigeria’s Juniper Solutions Limited and VIA Technologies in Lagos, to offer affordable PCs and Internet access using broadband.
Manager, Marketing Division at VIA Technologies Inc, Mr. Werner Du Plessis, disclosed theseto newsmen, saying that prices of new PCs from the firm’s stable would crash PC prices drastically and would continue to come down as time progresses.
VIA Technologies, he said, focuses on emerging market with low cost PCs, which has been very helpful in growing PC availability in developing nations like Nigeria.
Mr. Werner noted that emerging markets are the major forces to reckon with PC usage and his office has encouraged this in China, India, Brazil and Russia, even as PC penetration rate is less than 10 per cent of the global population.
With inexpensive and accessible broadband connectivity, computing and entertainment capabilities through high scalable system platform, the partnership would “enable innovative new individual and community-based broadband connectivity and computing scenarios,” he said.
The manager, who was accompanied by the chief executive of Juniper, Mr. Gboyenga Ojuri, also said VIA Technologies has various solutions platform, citing for example the VIA PC-1 initiative.
This, he said, offers VIA PC 1000/1500 processor, which is beneficial due to its affordability, stressing that this is usually optimized for entry-level PC price points based on its Low Total Cost of Ownership (LTCO) and low power consumption, which is good for the nation’s environment.
Also, with increased reliability and durability because of the minimal cooling requirement, Mr. Werner said, VIA PCs minimize burden on electricity generation infrastructure.
He further said the platform offers rich functionality and performance between 1.0 and 1.5 GigaHertz equivalent, while the advanced digital media capabilities comes with three dimensional (3D) graphics, Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG-2) decoding and six-channel audio.
MPEG is the 1994 designation for a group of audio and video coding standards agreed upon by MPEG and published by the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 13818 international standard.
On the connectivity features, he said, the PCs on this platform come along with enhanced connectivity options of 10/100 fast Ethernet and Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, even as it is fully x86 compatible.
“This solution has the ability to run all the most popular computing, internet and entertainment applications,” he said, in addition to optimized security based on integrated VIA padlock co-processor 1.
Mr. Ojuri said his firm is into the partnership to optimize it for the sake of connecting Nigerians to the world through affordable PCs and internet access.
This interest was what motivated Juniper into this deal with VIA, saying his firm is ready for the physical take off of the partnership, hinting however, that the VIA laptop series would soon make a debut in the country, courtesy of the new firm, in whose name the PCs would be marketed, which he is yet to be made public.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
MTel appoints ICL interconnet partner
GLOBAL System for Mobile communications (GSM) operator, MTel, has appointed the Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria Limited (ICL) its interconnect exchange and clearing house as well as settlement partner.
This development came as the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), may be routing for a dual rate regime as the unified licensing scheme draws nearer, even as ICL has obtained 500 E1 lines.
A digital E1 line also called T1 in the Americas is equivalent to 24 normal external analog phone lines and affords businesses to make 24 simultaneous external calls, have high speed internet, or combination of phone lines and internet. This is dominantly deployed by service providers.
Champion Infotel gathered that ICL’s appointment as MTel’s partner for interconnect exchange and settlement, puts to rest the issue of how ready is ICL.
MTel in a letter to ICL endorsed by its chief executive, Mr. Edwin Moore Momife, dated August 25, 2005, and entitled ‘Application for Direct Interconnection with MTel’ said he was pleased to inform ICL management of the decision.
MTel, therefore requested telcos in the country to provide ICL access to terminate MTel traffic to and from their networks.
“Kindly note that our partnership with ICL would not in any way impede the quality of our service to your organization,” he said, stressing that telcos should liaise with ICL at its registered office at Marina, Lagos.
Meanwhile, the indication that ALTON is routing for dual rate was given by the chairman, ALTON, Chief Adebayo Akande, in a chat with Champion Infotel.
He said there is need to introduce dual rate into the nation’s telecom industry to enable local operators break even.
Dual rate involves the payment of the domestic equivalent on international calls that end within the shores of the country with a local operator.
“Which means, whatever is paid domestically should be paid for international calls ending in Nigeria, among the operators,” he said.On how this dual rate would be made a success, Chief Akande, who also is the chief executive of the Independent Telephone Network (ITN), said, there is need for every telco concerned to ensure adherence to corporate governance guidelines in order to make the dream a success.
This development came as the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), may be routing for a dual rate regime as the unified licensing scheme draws nearer, even as ICL has obtained 500 E1 lines.
A digital E1 line also called T1 in the Americas is equivalent to 24 normal external analog phone lines and affords businesses to make 24 simultaneous external calls, have high speed internet, or combination of phone lines and internet. This is dominantly deployed by service providers.
Champion Infotel gathered that ICL’s appointment as MTel’s partner for interconnect exchange and settlement, puts to rest the issue of how ready is ICL.
MTel in a letter to ICL endorsed by its chief executive, Mr. Edwin Moore Momife, dated August 25, 2005, and entitled ‘Application for Direct Interconnection with MTel’ said he was pleased to inform ICL management of the decision.
MTel, therefore requested telcos in the country to provide ICL access to terminate MTel traffic to and from their networks.
“Kindly note that our partnership with ICL would not in any way impede the quality of our service to your organization,” he said, stressing that telcos should liaise with ICL at its registered office at Marina, Lagos.
Meanwhile, the indication that ALTON is routing for dual rate was given by the chairman, ALTON, Chief Adebayo Akande, in a chat with Champion Infotel.
He said there is need to introduce dual rate into the nation’s telecom industry to enable local operators break even.
Dual rate involves the payment of the domestic equivalent on international calls that end within the shores of the country with a local operator.
“Which means, whatever is paid domestically should be paid for international calls ending in Nigeria, among the operators,” he said.On how this dual rate would be made a success, Chief Akande, who also is the chief executive of the Independent Telephone Network (ITN), said, there is need for every telco concerned to ensure adherence to corporate governance guidelines in order to make the dream a success.
Data Kit From Fixed Wireless Operator
Features of the week
Leading telecom operator, Starcomms, recently introduced ‘Mobile Data Card’ into the nation’s market. REMMY NWEKE examines the product in this report.
TO every Information and Communications Technology (ICT) enthusiast, data is a critical factor in the exchange of information, moreso in this 21st century.
Data role, therefore, in the information society means a lot to different people and at different times, but it matters most during emergencies in order to facilitate next line of action.
Defined as information or facts in a form that could be stored and used, according to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, data is regarded as catalyst for development policies in any given society, as said by the chief executive of Connect Technologies Limited, Mr. Chris Uwaje, adding that Nigeria cannot afford to be seen as lagging behind.
As a result, being online through the Internet affords anybody the advantage of having a huge data bank available 24 hours by seven days and 365 days in a year, as long as one is connected.
To achieve this critical dream of being accessible anytime, anywhere, a leading fixed wireless operator in the country, Starcomms Limited, recently came up with mobile data card for the public who are on the move and still want to keep in touch with the world of today.
Starcomms' mobile data card otherwise known as wireless internet card, fits into the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) - approved type two standard card slot which is available on most notebook PCs and functions as a wireless network card, a modem, and a mobile phone.
This card allows users to connect to the Internet, send and receive electronic messages and connect to corporate network as well as avails voice calls without the need for a network cable or phone line. PCMCIA is a non-profit trade association and standards body based in San Jose, California, with over 85 member companies globally, promoting PC card technology along with Miniature Card and Smart-Media cards by defining technical standards and educating the market.
Before now, cards were known as "PCMCIA Cards", but the industry now refers to products based on the technology as "PC Cards," "PC Card Hosts" and "PC Card Software," and refers to the association as PCMCIA.
This PC card comes in 85.6 millimeter (mm), 54.0 mm, 3.3 mm, with SRAM and flash memory.
SRAM is the industry abbreviation of Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), which in Computer Science is a form of semiconductor memory (RAM).
Static RAM storage is based on the logic circuit known as a flip-flop, which retains the information stored in it as long as there is enough power to run the device, while flash memory is another type of storage media that traps small amounts of electric charge in "wells" on the surface of a chip.
Speaking at the launch held at the 10th Nigerian International Telecommunications (NICOMM) exhibition in Lagos, Public Relations Manager, Starcomms, Ms Laura Johnson, informed that the product is a unique one that allows highly mobile and busy executives to browse the Internet, access their electronic mails (e-mails) and also receive and send text messages with their laptop and handheld Personal Computers (PCs), while on the go.
For the Marketing Director at Starcomms, Mr. Omar Lababidi, the new product has an average download speed of 80 kilo bits per second (kbps), which has capability to achieve most favorable speeds of about 140 kbps in a wireless environment and is compatible with Windows 98, NT4 (with SPA), 2000 and XP.
The 140 kbps is based on Starcomms' deployment of the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA 2000 1X), which is suitable multimedia content.
In addition, the Starcomms' boss enumerated two most important advantages derivable from the mobile data card as speed and convenience, stressing that the organization would not give up in its efforts at changing the face of telecoms in the country for good.
According to him, the Mobile Data Card does not require any special activation cost as the subscriber only needs to pay a one-off acquisition cost and subsequently a fixed monthly access charge that guarantees unlimited 24-hour access to the internet from any location within Starcomms' network coverage areas of Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri and soon the garden city of Port Harcourt and Ibadan.
He further said the introduction was consistent with the firm's leadership in product and service innovation, and was yet another indication of the company's resolve to deliver real value to its customers.
Inevitably, the product is for busy executives who could afford a laptop and who are constantly on the move but need to stay in touch, do some vital business research on the internet and send an e-mail urgently.
The director also said the features of the firm's mobile data card include the instant and reliable solution which enables users to be on top of their work and stay connected, just as users could access desirable information always at their disposal, thus adding mobile data capability to user's laptop or handheld PC.
On how it works, Mr. Lababidi explained it is easy to install as it has been structured into software compact disc and a mobile data card. "Slot the CD into your laptop and you are on," he declared, emphasizing that by this way, Starcomms' customers would get uninterrupted access to all the information they need, because there is no major connecting procedures, no need for dial up, and "just slot in and connect."
ITRealms gathered that in effect, the product being the first of its kind from any Private Telecom Operator (PTO) has other benefits including automatic set up, high speed connection, toll free, that is, no call charges, compatibility with most modern laptops, fast downloads, virus protection of which the telco promises attack update every 24 hours to avoid any system breakdown.
The company has introduced specialized device to give users the required freedom with several usage plans, on the network, including always on, business time, evenings and chat.
Starcomms currently has over 130,000 subscribers on its network covering Lagos, Kano and Maiduguri, and is reported to have about 1500 subscribers on its Internet precisely, as the telco plans to expand to Ibadan.
It was not surprise then the company was voted "Best Telephone Company of the Year 2004 (Fixed Wireless)" at the last Nigerian Information Technology and Telecoms Awards (NITTA 2004).
As the industry continues to grow and get better, industry watchers lauded the Starcomms' data available option, while other PTOs are expected to come up with more innovative products.
TENET returns six IP addresses to AfriNIC
SIX Internet Protocol (IPv4) addresses have been returned to the African Internet Numbers Registry (AfriNIC) by the Tertiary Education Network (TENET).
IPv4 is version 4 of the Internet Protocol (IP) and was the first version of the IP to be widely deployed, and forms the basis for most of the current Internet as of 2004, according to Wikipedia.com.
On the other hand, AfriNIC was on April 8 at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) board meeting, adopted as the new and fifth Regional Internet Registry (RIR) to serve Africa and the Indian Ocean.
This followed a report presented by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) on AfriNIC’s application sent to ICANN in September 2004, which met stipulated requirements for the establishment of a new RIR.
AfriNIC which has since joined the Numbers Resource Organisation (NRO) recently announced that the three RIRs previously serving the AfriNIC region namely, American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the Réseaux IP Européens - Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC) and the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean Network Information Centre (APNIC); have transferred all RIR services to it with the latest coming from TENET, a Local Internet Registry (LIR).
Before now, TENET in playing its role as a LIR, has responsibility for six blocks of IPv4 address spaces, comprising 192.96.0.0/16; 196.6.0.0/16; 196.10.0.0/16; 196.11.0.0/16; 196.13.0.0/16 and 198.54.0.0/16.
Confirming this news, the chief executive of AfriNIC Limited, Adiel A. Akplogan said, the organization, a non-profit making entity has taken over the responsibility for these blocks from TENET and has updated its whois database accordingly.
He said that no current assignments from these blocks to any end user organisation would be affected by this change, acknowledging that AfriNIC would respect the portability of such assignments, if any.
“To perform its role as a registry, AfriNIC would contact holders of prefixes in the related blocks in order to get the correct contact information so that these assignments could be properly registered in the public whois database,” he explained.
TENET remains the Local Internet Registry responsible for the blocks 196.21.0.0/16 and 196.24.0.0/16.
Assignments from these blocks are not portable in the hands of assignee organisations, as route announcements to all addresses in these blocks are combined within TENET’s ASN 2018.
The CEO further explained that by way of background, the six blocks aforementioned were originally allocated by the then Internic to TENET’s predecessor organisation, the UNINET Project of the then Foundation for Research Development.
He pointed out that over the years many assignments, mostly small ones, were made to organisations throughout South Africa without regard to the type of organisation, locality or aggregatability of routes.
IPv4 is version 4 of the Internet Protocol (IP) and was the first version of the IP to be widely deployed, and forms the basis for most of the current Internet as of 2004, according to Wikipedia.com.
On the other hand, AfriNIC was on April 8 at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) board meeting, adopted as the new and fifth Regional Internet Registry (RIR) to serve Africa and the Indian Ocean.
This followed a report presented by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) on AfriNIC’s application sent to ICANN in September 2004, which met stipulated requirements for the establishment of a new RIR.
AfriNIC which has since joined the Numbers Resource Organisation (NRO) recently announced that the three RIRs previously serving the AfriNIC region namely, American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the Réseaux IP Européens - Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC) and the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean Network Information Centre (APNIC); have transferred all RIR services to it with the latest coming from TENET, a Local Internet Registry (LIR).
Before now, TENET in playing its role as a LIR, has responsibility for six blocks of IPv4 address spaces, comprising 192.96.0.0/16; 196.6.0.0/16; 196.10.0.0/16; 196.11.0.0/16; 196.13.0.0/16 and 198.54.0.0/16.
Confirming this news, the chief executive of AfriNIC Limited, Adiel A. Akplogan said, the organization, a non-profit making entity has taken over the responsibility for these blocks from TENET and has updated its whois database accordingly.
He said that no current assignments from these blocks to any end user organisation would be affected by this change, acknowledging that AfriNIC would respect the portability of such assignments, if any.
“To perform its role as a registry, AfriNIC would contact holders of prefixes in the related blocks in order to get the correct contact information so that these assignments could be properly registered in the public whois database,” he explained.
TENET remains the Local Internet Registry responsible for the blocks 196.21.0.0/16 and 196.24.0.0/16.
Assignments from these blocks are not portable in the hands of assignee organisations, as route announcements to all addresses in these blocks are combined within TENET’s ASN 2018.
The CEO further explained that by way of background, the six blocks aforementioned were originally allocated by the then Internic to TENET’s predecessor organisation, the UNINET Project of the then Foundation for Research Development.
He pointed out that over the years many assignments, mostly small ones, were made to organisations throughout South Africa without regard to the type of organisation, locality or aggregatability of routes.
Linkserve relaunches turbo accelerator
Nigerian’s pioneer Internet Service Provider (ISP), Linkserve Limited has re-launched its turbo accelerator, even as the company has introduced a compact disc (CD) installer that facilitates subscribers and non-subscribers configuration of their systems easily.
This is coming as early subscribers would have the priveledge of enjoying two-week free trial version.
The turbo accelerator is used by both dial-up and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) customers, and has equally been enhanced such that non-subscribers to Linkserve could also use the product.
Corporate Affairs, Marketing and Development Manager at Linkserve, Mrs. Ufuoma ‘Daro, informed Champion Infotel, that Linkserve’s turbo accelerator increases browsing speed with no additional equipment, offering Digital Subscribers Line (DSL) range when browsing or downloading using dial-up with up to five to six times acceleration on wireless or low-end broadband.
She quoted the Chief Executive Officer, Linkserve Limited, Mr. Chima Onyekwere, as saying that turbo accelerator speeds up the delivery of web pages up to five times normal connection speeds through compression of text and graphics that make up web pages before they were sent over the Internet connection.
“The normal dial-up Internet access runs at 56 kilo bits per seconds (kbps), but with the turbo accelerator, it delivers speeds of up to 300 kbps,” he said.
Explaining that the product optimizes the communication between systems’ modem and Linkserve’s network while user is online, thus “shortening the amount of time it takes to connect you to the sites you visit. It also acts as a pop-up blocker, which means that you don’t have to wait for pop-up ads to load,” he stressed.
Speaking about the CD installer, Mr. Onyekwere noted that it took his firm three years to develop, and was to ensure that the CDs met very high standards.
Pointing out that although the product was introduced into the Nigerian market last December, the product has been enhanced, thereby making it more efficient.
Mrs. ‘Daro further said that a trial of the turbo accelerator would change a user’s browsing experience positively.
“It is always exhilarating surfing the Internet with the accelerator which has the capacity of increasing the browsing speed five times over. It is cheap, easy to install and early subscribers will enjoy a free 14-days trial version to assess the product,” she said.
She noted that the turbo accelerator enhances dial up, wireless, satellite and low-end DSL and speeds up graphics and Web pages, thereby allowing the user to get search results faster.
Currently having coverage nationwide and in some African countries including Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Cameroun and Gabon, Linkserve pioneered ISP service in 1997 in the country and has been consistent in introducing new process of reaching out to customers in the countries where it has operations.
ISOC appoints director public policy
The organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and other Internet-related bodies, the Internet Society (ISOC) has appointed Mr. Matthew Shears as its Director, Public Policy.
His appointment, ISOC said, is with immediate effect and is to further strengthen the society’s role as an independent and effective advocate for the core values of an open and accessible Internet.
ISOC said his appointment is expected to drive the society’s policy initiatives in support of the Strategic Operating Plan (SOP).
Champion Infotel recalls that ISOC at the end of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) last month in Paris, adopted SOP as a high-level framework outline for the society, including its vision, mission, values, goals, objectives, programmes and projects.
Communications Manager at ISOC, Mr. Peter Godwin, in a press statement made available to Champion Infotel, said the policy initiative in support of SOP would include broad outreach activities.
“Aimed at helping governments and policy makers design and maintain policies to ensure that the Internet remains an open and universally accessible platform for innovation, creativity, and economic opportunity,” ISOC said.
Mr. Shears has extensive experience in public policy, advocacy, communications, business development and strategy in both the public and private sectors.
After working as a standards and market entry adviser at the United States (US) Mission to the European Union (EU) in Brussels, he worked as AT&T’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Regional Director for Public Affairs, and drove public affairs in Europe for the Seattle-based satellite Internet start-up Teledesic, before moving to Cisco, where he created the EMEA Government Affairs team.
President of ISOC, Lynn St. Amour, said, “The public policy issues facing the Internet are now more complex and more visible than ever before. Matthew’s experience and insight will be invaluable as ISOC moves forward to develop new approaches to help policy makers meet these new challenges.”
Founded in 1992, ISOC is a dedicated non-profit organization striving to ensure open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world, with offices in Washington DC, and Geneva, Switzerland.
His appointment, ISOC said, is with immediate effect and is to further strengthen the society’s role as an independent and effective advocate for the core values of an open and accessible Internet.
ISOC said his appointment is expected to drive the society’s policy initiatives in support of the Strategic Operating Plan (SOP).
Champion Infotel recalls that ISOC at the end of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) last month in Paris, adopted SOP as a high-level framework outline for the society, including its vision, mission, values, goals, objectives, programmes and projects.
Communications Manager at ISOC, Mr. Peter Godwin, in a press statement made available to Champion Infotel, said the policy initiative in support of SOP would include broad outreach activities.
“Aimed at helping governments and policy makers design and maintain policies to ensure that the Internet remains an open and universally accessible platform for innovation, creativity, and economic opportunity,” ISOC said.
Mr. Shears has extensive experience in public policy, advocacy, communications, business development and strategy in both the public and private sectors.
After working as a standards and market entry adviser at the United States (US) Mission to the European Union (EU) in Brussels, he worked as AT&T’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Regional Director for Public Affairs, and drove public affairs in Europe for the Seattle-based satellite Internet start-up Teledesic, before moving to Cisco, where he created the EMEA Government Affairs team.
President of ISOC, Lynn St. Amour, said, “The public policy issues facing the Internet are now more complex and more visible than ever before. Matthew’s experience and insight will be invaluable as ISOC moves forward to develop new approaches to help policy makers meet these new challenges.”
Founded in 1992, ISOC is a dedicated non-profit organization striving to ensure open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world, with offices in Washington DC, and Geneva, Switzerland.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Remmy Nweke bags AISI-05 award
First Nigerian continental Siemens Profile award winner, Mr. Remmy Nweke, has bagged another award at this year’s African Information Society Initiative (AISI) awards.
Organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) under its outreach programme, AISI awards tend to promote Information and Communications Technology (ICT) within the media, since 2003.
Mr. Nweke, a Senior Reporter with Daily Champion Newspapers, specializing on Information and Communications Technology (ICT), is also the Nigerian pioneer editorial nominee of the Highway Africa News Agency (HANA) based in Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
Mr. Nweke was earlier this year in Midrad, South Africa, at the inaugural African Siemens Profile awards, honoured for journalistic excellence in reporting science and technology in the Information Technology (IT) business solution category for 2004.
In a congratulatory letter on behalf of the organizers, ECA and their partners for the 2005 AISI media awards, the Officer-in-charge of Development Information Services Division (DISD) at ECA, Ms Aida Opoku-Mensah, said, she was delighted to inform Mr. Nweke of his selection.
She said that the selection was in the second prizewinner under the 2005 AISI and International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) category of the Local Content Applications.
“I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Second Prize winner under the 2005 AISI/IICD Local Content Applications Category. Congratulations!” she stated in the letter.
According to her, AISI media awards were introduced in 2003 to encourage more informed coverage of the information society and ICT for development issues in Africa as part of ECA’s Information Society Outreach and Communication Programme.
The awards are aimed at individual journalists and media institutions based in Africa that are promoting journalism which contributes to a better understanding of the information society in Africa.
She noted that the programme is currently supported by the International Development Research Center (IDRC), the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), the Open Society Initiative for Western Africa (OSIWA) and the Deutsche Deutsche Gesellschaft Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).
She also said the award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 13 September at the Highway Africa Conference scheduled to take place in Grahamstown, South Africa, from 12 to 19 September 2005.
Organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) under its outreach programme, AISI awards tend to promote Information and Communications Technology (ICT) within the media, since 2003.
Mr. Nweke, a Senior Reporter with Daily Champion Newspapers, specializing on Information and Communications Technology (ICT), is also the Nigerian pioneer editorial nominee of the Highway Africa News Agency (HANA) based in Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
Mr. Nweke was earlier this year in Midrad, South Africa, at the inaugural African Siemens Profile awards, honoured for journalistic excellence in reporting science and technology in the Information Technology (IT) business solution category for 2004.
In a congratulatory letter on behalf of the organizers, ECA and their partners for the 2005 AISI media awards, the Officer-in-charge of Development Information Services Division (DISD) at ECA, Ms Aida Opoku-Mensah, said, she was delighted to inform Mr. Nweke of his selection.
She said that the selection was in the second prizewinner under the 2005 AISI and International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) category of the Local Content Applications.
“I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Second Prize winner under the 2005 AISI/IICD Local Content Applications Category. Congratulations!” she stated in the letter.
According to her, AISI media awards were introduced in 2003 to encourage more informed coverage of the information society and ICT for development issues in Africa as part of ECA’s Information Society Outreach and Communication Programme.
The awards are aimed at individual journalists and media institutions based in Africa that are promoting journalism which contributes to a better understanding of the information society in Africa.
She noted that the programme is currently supported by the International Development Research Center (IDRC), the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), the Open Society Initiative for Western Africa (OSIWA) and the Deutsche Deutsche Gesellschaft Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).
She also said the award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 13 September at the Highway Africa Conference scheduled to take place in Grahamstown, South Africa, from 12 to 19 September 2005.
ITEdge wins AISI award
West Africa’s leading technology business magazine IT Edge has been
announced as one of the winners in the ‘2005 AISI Media Awards.’
The awards are a UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) sponsored award geared at encouraging ICT diffusion across the continent. It was first introduced in 2003.
“Congratulations! You have been selected as a winner in the 2005 AISI Media Awards,” the media organisation Knowledge Media International (KMI) Limited (publishers of IT Edge print and www.itedgenews.com) was officially notified in an email signed by Afework Temtime ICT Team, DISD/ECA.
IT Edge was selected for the ‘2005 AISI/IICD Local Content Category.’
Since it debuted about a year ago, IT Edge print and www.itedgenews.com have won critical acclaim as the sub-region’s major voice on ICT reporting.
The online publication www.itedgenews.com is updated every Monday morning with an increasingly growing global audience now in excess of 75, 000 every week.
Through building a formidable network of offices and reporters, KMI quietly has been able to news-content delivery on technology business as they affect the ECOWAS sub-region in its French and English print and online publications.
The organisation maintains agency offices in Freetown (Sierra Leone), Accra (Ghana), Germiston (South Africa) and another is due for Abidjan later in October.
The AISI Media Awards were introduced in 2003 to encourage more informed coverage of the information society and ICT for development issues in Africa as part of ECA’s Information Society Outreach and Communication Programme.
The programme is currently supported by the International Development Research Center (IDRC), the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), the Open Society Initiative for Western Africa (OSIWA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).
Meanwhile, IT Edge will be offering media support as Content Partner to
AITEC 2005 holding in Accra, Ghana from 21 - 23 September 2005 at the
La Palm Beach Hotel.
Themed “Computing & Communications for Business in West Africa,” this year’s event is targeting business executives and ICT professionals/users to assist CEOs have better understanding of the strategic relationship between their businesses and ICT resources. For
ICT professionals, it is aiming to help them expand their knowledge and skills as applied to best practices in business management.
ICT Procurement Management AITEC 2005 areas of Focus include Legal & Contractual considerations, e-Governance, ICT architecture, best practice in ICT standards, business process automation, leadership and business/ICT alignment, ICT security and outsourcing among others. Exhibitors include Spacefon, CWG (Ghana Limited) and GT.
announced as one of the winners in the ‘2005 AISI Media Awards.’
The awards are a UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) sponsored award geared at encouraging ICT diffusion across the continent. It was first introduced in 2003.
“Congratulations! You have been selected as a winner in the 2005 AISI Media Awards,” the media organisation Knowledge Media International (KMI) Limited (publishers of IT Edge print and www.itedgenews.com) was officially notified in an email signed by Afework Temtime ICT Team, DISD/ECA.
IT Edge was selected for the ‘2005 AISI/IICD Local Content Category.’
Since it debuted about a year ago, IT Edge print and www.itedgenews.com have won critical acclaim as the sub-region’s major voice on ICT reporting.
The online publication www.itedgenews.com is updated every Monday morning with an increasingly growing global audience now in excess of 75, 000 every week.
Through building a formidable network of offices and reporters, KMI quietly has been able to news-content delivery on technology business as they affect the ECOWAS sub-region in its French and English print and online publications.
The organisation maintains agency offices in Freetown (Sierra Leone), Accra (Ghana), Germiston (South Africa) and another is due for Abidjan later in October.
The AISI Media Awards were introduced in 2003 to encourage more informed coverage of the information society and ICT for development issues in Africa as part of ECA’s Information Society Outreach and Communication Programme.
The programme is currently supported by the International Development Research Center (IDRC), the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), the Open Society Initiative for Western Africa (OSIWA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).
Meanwhile, IT Edge will be offering media support as Content Partner to
AITEC 2005 holding in Accra, Ghana from 21 - 23 September 2005 at the
La Palm Beach Hotel.
Themed “Computing & Communications for Business in West Africa,” this year’s event is targeting business executives and ICT professionals/users to assist CEOs have better understanding of the strategic relationship between their businesses and ICT resources. For
ICT professionals, it is aiming to help them expand their knowledge and skills as applied to best practices in business management.
ICT Procurement Management AITEC 2005 areas of Focus include Legal & Contractual considerations, e-Governance, ICT architecture, best practice in ICT standards, business process automation, leadership and business/ICT alignment, ICT security and outsourcing among others. Exhibitors include Spacefon, CWG (Ghana Limited) and GT.
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