Microsoft Nigeria appoints Mba-Uzoukwu country manager

Microsoft Nigeria, has named the managing director of Infographics, a Lagos-based software company and partner of Microsoft, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzo-ukwu as its new country manager.

His emergence follows the resignation and subsequent appoint of immediate past country manager of Microsoft Nigeria, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe as the Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone last September.

Confirming this development, Public Relations & Events Manager at Microsoft Nigeria, Ms Ndidiamaka Victoria Uwadoka, said that they were excited over the completion of the selection process of which Mr. Mba-Uzoukwu came top.

According to her, plans are underway for a formal media introduction when he resumes expectedly on February 1, 2007.

“We have finally selected a Country Manager. Indeed we’re really excited to have Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu of Infographics. We will formally introduce him to you as soon as he resumes,” she said.

Mr. Mba-Uzoukwu, who was until his appointment the chief executive/managing director of InfoGraphics Nigeria Limited, which was incorporated in 1992 as a multimedia company to pioneer first-rate multimedia authoring, development and allied services.

He led the company into re-positioning as a leading edge creative design firm using state-of-the-art technology to develop integrated communications programmes.

Microsoft entered into the Nigeria’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) market six years ago following its local incorporation.

Currently having about 20 employees, Microsoft Nigeria’s functions focuses on driving sales of software solution by developing and managing the channel alongside improved customers and partners experience in Nigeria and Ghana.

It has some key partners in the country including :Infosoft/Infographics, CIS Ghana, IPMC Ghana, ATDS, DCK, Bitrax-Axxent among others, while its customers cut across the Federal Government of Nigeria, MTN Communications Nigeria, Ghana Telecoms, ADB Bank Ghana, UBA Plc, Vmobile Nigeria, NLNG Limited, Zinox Technologies, Omatek Computers Limited to name a few.

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Davis becomes VP-CMO @ APC

Global leader in power management solution, the Rhodes Island-based American Power Conversion (APC), has appointed Mr. Aaron L. Davis as the Vice President to head its newly created Communications and Marketing Office (CMO).

Revealing this development, APC president and chief executive officer, Mr. Rob Johnson, said that in this role, Mr. Davis is expected to direct the overall branding and demand creation strategies for the company's global go-to-market teams.

According to him, APC's strengths include its broad presence across multiple product categories, apart from depth in multiple sales channels, and a strong, recognizable brand in all major geographies.

He said, “However, optimizing the solutions presented to our customers and ensuring that global brand communications enforce our competitive positioning has become more of a challenge as our success has grown in both transactional and relational sales segments.”

He expressed believe this organizational change will ensure continued excellence in global brand building and more efficient demand creation.

Mr. Johnson also said that a recent survey by Ogilvy Research of IT and Facilities professionals demonstrated the tremendous success the company has had positioning its innovative InfraStruXure architecture, with respondents from companies with greater than 1000 employees.

He noted that the study showed APC as a "trusted and reliable partner" for data centre solutions at twice the rate of the leading incumbent supplier of cooling products.

Describing Mr. Davis as an active speaker and commentator in the high-tech marketing community, Mr. Johnson further said that Davis has more than 17 years of experience at APC, during which he has held a variety of marketing, channel management and sales positions at the company, including worldwide vice president of sales and marketing for the Small Systems Segment (1999-2003), and most recently serving as vice president, worldwide marketing and communications.

In 2003, Computer Reseller News named him a Top 25 Executive and he has received nominations for Marketer of the Year from Marketing Computers.

Mr. Davis holds a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master's degree from Columbia University Journalism School.

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Alcatel-Lucent, Glo enters N78b network expansion pact

Telecommunications solution provider, Alcatel-Lucent and the Second National Operator (SNO), Globacom Limited, has entered into a network expansion deal worth over $600 million, about N78 billion.

Announcing this development in a joint press statement by the two companies, they said that the deal involves a series of network expansion projects.

It was also gathered that under the terms of the deal, Alcatel will deploy nationwide fixed and mobile networks as well as next generation IP/MPLS and optical network solutions.

This, the chief operating officer at Globacom, Mr. Mohammed Jameel, said, would expand Globacom’s national mobile network capacity from its current 12 million subscribers to 35 million by December 2007.

In addition, this covers the Alcatel-Lucent multi-standard Evolium radio access and core network solutions as well as transmission solutions.

According to the telcos, the project will boost network performance and support delivery of advanced multimedia, converged services such as triple play, a service that allows provisioning of high-speed Internet, television; video or regular broadcasts and telephony over a single broadband connection.

It would be recalled that Globacom was the first Nigerian operator to offer 2.5 high-speed network data transmission, mobile Internet, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) as well as Blackberry services.

Additionally, Alcatel-Lucent is expected to 292,000 multi-service access lines covering thirteen of the country’s major cities, even as the fixed network solution will facilitate Globacom’s ability to offer voice, high-speed internet access and broadband multimedia services such as video-on-demand, video conferencing and broadcast video to its customers.

Further, the deal affords Alcatel-Lucent to deploy a new DWDM optical transport network to boost Globacom capacity and extend the reach of its existing infrastructure, broadening its service offering to new areas.

“The optical network will cover 40 cities in Nigeria and will be the largest DWDM and IP/MPLS nationwide fibre backbone network to be rolled out in Africa,” the press statement indicated.

Hitherto, Globacom had invested over $3 billion on network expansion and with the new contract the telco brings its investment within the last three years to $4 billion, the biggest in the industry so far.

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MDC meets NCC deadline, pays N51.4 bn

The latest licensee in the Unified Licensing Regime (ULR), the Mubadala Development Company (MDC) of the United Arab Emirate (UAE), has met the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), requirement to pay the full licensing fee of $400 million within eight days of acquiring the license.

Confirming this development, Head, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Dave Imoko, said that MDC adhered to time by completing payment before the close of business last Friday, January 19, 2007.

According to him, NCC is pleased to announce the award of a Unified Access Service Licence to Mubadala Development Company of the United Arab Emirates.

This, he said, followed the confirmation of the payment of the full licence fee of $400million, about N51.4 billion.

He also said that the license includes a mobile license and spectrum in the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) on 1800 and 900 Mega Hertz (MHz) bands.

He equally said that the latest license would increase telecommunications offerings nationwide through the award of radio spectrum to MDC.

Mr. Imoko explained that license was as a result of a bilateral agreement between UAE and Nigeria.

He recalled that the terms of offer specified that Mubadala pay the full license fee on or before 19th January 2007 and failing which, the offer shall automatically lapse.

Mubadala has accepted the terms of the offer made on January 11, in full and in accordance last Friday, made full payment to that effect.

In a related development, the board of NCC announced its resolve to continue with the licensing of radio spectrum in the Third Generation (3G) and 450 MHz bands.

Mr. Imoko further said that these new licenses would encourage the deployment of advanced technology to build on the positive development of the telecommunications sector in the country.

Importantly, the release of more spectrum supports the government's policy of improving access to communication services and extending coverage, especially into rural areas. Just as subscribers could also expect to receive an increased range of services, improved quality of service and better value for money,

The process for awarding new licenses has incorporated the appointment of PA Consulting Group, a leading firm of international management and telecommunications consultants with operation in over 35 countries globally.

MDC is a wholly owned investment chain of the government of Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in the UAE.

Mubadala invests in a wide range of strategic sectors including energy, utilities, real estate, public-private partnerships, basic industries and services so as to diversify and further develop the rapidly growing economy of Abu Dhabi , while achieving superior returns on its investments.

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