Challenges before Olufuye @ ITAN

Features of the week:

The Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria (ITAN) recently elected new executive members led by Chief Jimson Olufuye, to steer its ship in the next two years. REMMY NWEKE, outlines some challenges awaiting the leadership.

Fortnight ago, ITAN had its Annul General Meeting (AGM) cum one-day consultative forum on ‘Enhancing Information Technology (IT) Penetration in Nigeria (EITPiN 2007): Imperative for the success of PC instalmental payment schemes, ” in Lagos.

Welcoming participants to the forum which addressed the importance of IT in the nation’s life, the immediate past national president of ITAN, Chief Will Anyaegbunam of Beta Computers Limited, stressed that for a meaningful sustainable development, core IT diffusion is no longer debatable.

Chief Anyaegbunam also noted that this has become evident of late with an embrace by the banks through provision of facility for local Personal Computers (PCs) manufacturers to distribute computers nationwide, emphasizing that in the banking and telecoms sectors, all the laudable developments as well as products currently are made clearer through deployment of core IT.

While lauding participants for gracing the forum, Chief Anyaegbunam, pointed out that the challenge remains on how to drive the penetration of core IT through hardware deployment which is expected to give boost to massive use of PCs; at homes, offices, educational institutions, government and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

“For us in ITAN, that represents the hardware sector of the ICT industry, this is a challenge that we’re determined to play a pivotal role in addressing as a successful combat of this will impact positively on the fortunes of our members and advance the growth and development of our dear country,” he said, adding that finance has always been a challenge to acquiring of PCs, hence the theme of the forum was described as very apt and timely.

What is ITAN?
ITAN was established in 1991 as Microcomputer Vendors Association of Nigeria (MiVAN) and five years later transformed into Computer Vendors Association of Nigeria (CoVAN), yet in year 2000, following what some stakeholders described as dynamics of its membership and growing larger Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), the group was further transformed into today’s ITAN.

Two years later, consequent upon the need to have a standardised umbrella body, ITAN was part of the formation of the now Nigeria Computer Society (NCS).

ITAN prides itself as having played pivotal role in the coming on stream of locally manufactured computer systems in the country, including Zinox, Omatek, Speedstar through NACASET; successful mitigation of the Millennium Bug 1999-2000 in association with the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology; drafting and adoption of the National IT Policy 2001, which paved the way for the establishment of the National IT Development Agency (NITDA), as well as reduction on Custom duty on IT components to zero from hitherto 32.1 per cent down to 5.35 per cent and finally zero.

Emergence of Jimson Olufuye’s presidency
Top of highlights at the AGM was the election of new executive members, which saw the immediate national first vice president of ITAN, Chief Jimson Olufuye, emerging as the new president of the group at its general election.

The chairman of ITAN electoral committee and chief executive of Innovative Systems Limited, Chief Ernest Aghanenu, pronounced Chief Olufuye, who is the chief executive of Kontemporary Komputers Limited, the winner.

According to the electoral committee, Chief Olufuye’s emergence was unopposed while the chief executive of Gafunk Computers, Mr. Ganiyu Alimi and Mrs. Bunmi Badru of Termex Limited equally became the first and second vice national president’s respectively.

Equally elected into the new executive of ITAN were Mr. Olu Joseph from Sephix Limited, Abuja as the National Publicity Secretary, Ms Akinyola Akinyemi of Omar Ventures, National Treasurer, Mr. Olumide Akinmutimu of Omatek Computers emerged the Assistant National Secretary, while the office of the National Secretary remain vacant, Mr. Tunji Balogun of Brain was elected as council member of ITAN.

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected president, Chief Olufuye traced his interest in the group to the visionary leadership of former ITAN president, Chief Chris Uwaje.

Chief Olufuye also promised to take ITAN to the next level of development, saying, “the next level would be to move ITAN from its hitherto position to its expected leadership position in the IT Industry.”

He recalled that ITAN was well known for aggressive but sound industry initiatives like the local production of Personal Computers (PC) initiative of 1996, that which resulted in the likes of Zinox, Omatek, Beta, Brian among others, noting that the very successful IT Policy drive of 1999 by ITAN resulted in the adoption of the National IT Policy by the Federal Executive Council in March 2001, stressing that all this eluded ITAN in the past few years.

He promised to make ‘Next Level’ the focal points of his administration through which he intends to resuscitate ITAN brand and membership with the goal of adding critical values to their businesses.
“In this regard, ITAN would organize quarterly capacity/policy/development forums like EITPiN, to stimulate the industry,” he said.

In addition, he said his regime would promote top-level synergy with other sister associations in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry in order to amass and drive critical developmental mass.

“I would be interested in strengthening the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) accord and working assiduously to ensure its success in all ramifications,” he said.

Further, Chief Olufuye assured that his era would be work toward full compliance with the Computer for Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) Acts by ITAN members for the professionalism of the industry.

He pointed out that ITAN would endorse any presidential candidate disposed of creating the Ministry of Information Technology and pursue the passage of critical IT developmental bills on assumption of power on May 29, 2007.

Chief Olufuye, therefore extended hands of fellowship to other associations of similar objectives in Africa and globally.

On April-07 polls
Speaking on April 2007 general elections, the newly elected ITAN President Chief Olufuye, tasked Nigerians and members of the group precisely to ensure that they vote for IT-inclined candidates.

He stressed that what the nation needs now are leaders that would leverage on the gains made in the last eight years of democratic dispensation, which equally witnessed its boom in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

“I encourage Nigerians to vote only in the Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates that are ICT compliant in the forthcoming elections,” he said, advising that professionals in the country and specifically ITAN members should take the general elections seriously.

“IT industry stakeholders must take the forthcoming elections serious and vote only for candidates that have ICT agenda in their manifestos,” he said, emphasising that by voting for ICT inclined candidates, Nigerians would be advocating for more benefits from ICT sector.

“Now is the time for the new government to move Nigeria to the next level of ICT penetration in the country,” he said.

Chief Olufuye, stressed that the next level is the creation of ICT ministry, adding that the quickest way to transform Nigeria would be through an ICT-driven society.

“With its attendant accelerated development, ICT is to address issues bordering on Information Society (IS) at the highest level possible,” he said.

He cited examples from the creation of the petroleum, agriculture and solid minerals development ministries among others to address those specific and critical developmental issues.

“If Nigeria truly wants ICT to be a major foreign exchange earner then the next government must address IT at the highest level. Ministry of Information Technology Development is different from the Ministry of Information and Communications, he said.

He commended the outgoing president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, during whose tenure Nigeria has witnessed series of development in various aspects of ICT.

He also cited that Obasanjo administration created NITDA, Computer for All Nigerian Initiative (CANi), Galaxy Backbone Ltd, the Directorate of Cybercrime and liberalized the trail blazing telecom industry.
Chief Olufuye further described Obasanjo as the only ICT President the country has ever known, just as he regretted that uptil date, the government was unable to pass the NITDA bill.

Challenges before Olufuye
The new leadership must have emerged in ITAN but the challenges before them could be gamut in nature though surmountable, including the need to resuscitate the quarterly CEO’s meeting announced in 2004 by the immediate past administration, which as matter of fact did not go beyond that announcement because of non-challant attitude of CEO’s in its membership to make out time to be part of the industry evolutions.

Second, there is need for ITAN at this point in time to have its administrative arm strengthened by instituting a novel revenue drive mechanism to encourage its membership to pay their dues as at when due and eventually clear all the salary arrears owe its staff which is currently only two as at the time of filing this report.

The issue of employing Executive Secretary to run the secretariat is long overdue, therefore, it has become of necessity and the earlier it is done the better for the organisation, to be well positioned even as nothing stops ITAN from encouraging growth in its workforce by supporting a professional training for the employees and eventually elevate one of them to that Executive Secretary position, in order to ensure that somebody who knows and understands ITAN assumes that position with relevant responsibilities.

Also, the media quarterly briefing of the out-gone executive must as a matter of urgency be put back on track to not only make its voice to be heard but to enable members of the public represented by the media to add value to its projects.

Equally, instead of waiting for media outcry before waking up from its slumber as it could be recalled that it took the previous executive almost 11 months to have its first media outing, after which it was described as having gone into oblivion.

Noteworthy too is that this is the first time its president is emerging from outside Lagos, the nerve centre of the nation’s economy, hence it could be a trying moment for Chief Olufuye to be traversing between Lagos and his base in Abuja.

The traversing could be good at this initial stage of entrance, but as today’s leadership evolves, he should employ delegation, especially since his first and second vice presidents are based in Lagos.

In addition the issue of using committee to face leadership challenges has been gaining currency in the country and should be optimised, just as the ITAN website and electronic mail (email) should be refocused with immediate effect with the believe that www.itan-ng.org is still kicking without undergoing another melodrama that ITAN went through before now.

The dream of having ITAN regional chapters can only manifest when the central and only national chapter is strong.

Maybe, Olufuye has some answers to what has been achieved in the last four years at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where he is coming from and from here the success story can now begin, among others.But as posited by one of the stakeholders, even if it means organising a fund raising for the sustainability of ITAN, Chief Olufuye-led executive should embark on that initiative as soon as possible, to give ITAN a new breadth, whether in the short or long-term phases, just as convergence of ICT has made IT industry issues obsolete.

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GSMA disagrees with NCC over IMEIDB

Umbrella body of the global mobile telecommunications and Third Generation (3G) operators, the Global System for Mobile Association (GSMA), has disagreed with the nation’s telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the management of the International Mobile Equipment Identify DataBase (IMEI-DB) in the country.

It would be recalled that recently NCC began tinkering on involving private entities outside the telecom operators in the management of IMEI-DB, and the commission has started to receive expression of interests, including some United States-based IDSV International, led by a Nigerian telecommunications specialist, Mr. Prince Uchendu, among others.

Equally confirming this move, Executive Vice Chairman, NCC boss, Dr. Ndukwe was recently quoted as saying, “a common platform would ensure that interoperability issues were easily overcome and stolen phones could be tracked and blocked easily across the networks of operators.”

As said by him, each of the operators would have the software for monitoring mobile phones installed in the networks, the theft monitor cum administrator would keep a database of stolen phones, which would be made available to the networks whenever a phone is reported stolen.

But reacting to the proposal in a chat with Champion Infotel, Director, Fraud and Security at GSMA, Mr. James Moran, said, “GSMA discourages operators from developing their own national databases for a number of reasons.”

He noted that though GSMA welcomes any initiatives that are designed to combat handset theft and is willing to work with the operators in any country to ensure the most effective and cost efficient solution is put in place, it does not believe it makes sense for operators to set up their own applications as one already exists that is free-of-charge.

“We do not believe it makes sense for operators to set up their own application as one already exists that is free to use and is capable of hosting any national or regional database requirements they may have. GSMA’s overriding objective is to help support operators to establish solutions that operate at maximum efficiency and minimum cost,” he said, stressing that the IMEI Database (IMEIDB) provides the best facility to allow the Nigerian operators to exchange stolen handset data.

“It does not make sense for them to set up their own application as the IMEIDB already exists for this and it is free to use,” he insisted, emphasising that IMEIDB provides operators with the functionality they required as it was designed by operators for operators.

“Avoids duplication of effort that the development of a local database involves by preserving the concept of a global database of stolen phones and avoids fragmentation as well as saves the Nigerian industry the significant costs associated with developing and maintaining a duplicate database,” Mr. Moran declared.

He pointed out that by deploying GSMA-based IMEIDB, operators would ensure hat handsets stolen in Nigeria are also barred on the networks of other operators connected to IMEIDB.

“This ensures more effective barring than would be the case if the data were simply shared on a Nigerian database only,” he said.

Many operators around the world, he said, have already implemented initiatives to combat handsets theft that revolve around the IMEI database and having worked with those operators we would also like to offer our assistance and support to the Nigerian operators should they require it.

He explained that it does not make sense for the Nigerian operators community to set up a national database as IMEIDB, stressing that GSMA is of the view that by setting up a national database as IMEIDB outside GSMA would not be helpful to the Nigerian telecom subscribers.

“We’re of the firm view that it makes no sense for the Nigerian operator community to set up a national database as our IMEIDB is available to them free of charge and it is capable of hosting any national or regional database requirements they may have,” he said.

Mr. Moran also advised the telecom operators and NCC not to proceed with the proposed plan to have a private entity manage the IMEIDB outside GSMA.

“It is my fervent hope that the Nigerian operators agree not to proceed with any project to develop a local solution, as this will only duplicate what already exists but at significant additional cost for the industry,” he said, reiterating that GSMA is willing to support the Nigerian operators should they wish to establish a solution to combat handset theft and believes the IMEIDB provides the perfect platform.

Mr. Moran further warned, “It is important that the Nigerian operators avoid the fragmentation that would result if they embarked on a senseless and expensive project to duplicate what already exists within IMEIDB.”

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Fraud alert: www.interswitchnig.com is fake, says InterSwitch

Premier electronic payment switching solutions providers in the country, InterSwitch Nigeria, has disassociated itself from www.interswitchnig.com, saying it’s a fake website that does not have anything in relation with it as a company.

The company, therefore, warned its cardholders to shun the request being made through the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) Short Messaging Service (SMS).

Cardholders of InterSwitch Nigeria, the company said, “Should not disclose their cards’ Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to anyone under any guise.”

A fraud alert jointly issued by the management of InterSwitch and 23 member-banks as well as endorsed by the Managing Director of InterSwitch, Mr. Mitchel Elegbe, said it has become imperative for the company to draw attention of its customers.

“The company’s attention has been drawn to an SMS purported to have originated from InterSwitch, and asking millions of ATM card holders to register their cards online at www.interswitchnig.com,” the statement read.

According to InterSwitch’s management, the fake site was specifically developed by some fraudsters to defraud unsuspecting debit cardholders.

“The website address www.interswitchnig.com is fake. InterSwitch’s registered web address is www.interswitchng.com”, the statement added.

However, the fraudulent website has since been shut down after InterSwitch contacted the hosting company of the fake website in the United States.

Investigations revealed that the hosting company of the fake website, has since sent an apology to InterSwitch.

“In the interim, we have reported the case of the fraudulent website to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for investigation,” the hosting company stated.

Whereas assuring numerous cardholders in the country that cards issued on InterSwitch platform remain valid, the statement read: “We are reassuring all ATM card holders that all Automated Teller Machines (ATM) cards and other cards with the InterSwitch logo remain valid on all our channels such as ATMs, Point of Sales (POS), Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), mobile phones and web.”

InterSwitch member banks include Access Bank Plc, Afribank Nigeria Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Ecobank Plc, Equitorial Trust Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, First Inland Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc.

Also in the InterSwitch consortium are IBTC Chartered Bank Plc, Intercontinental Bank Plc, Nigeria International Bank (Citibank) Plc, Oceanic Bank Plc, PlatinumHabib Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Wema Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc.

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Telecom lessons for FRSC

Driving along the late Pa Alfred Ruwane Road, former Kings Way Road, Ikoyi penultimate Wednesday, there was a traffic hold-up and members of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) were on duty just before the AP filing station.

Suddenly, a senior road safety official approached an air conditioned car having seen the driver adorning a bluetooth headset, obviously on the left ear equally with his left hand on the jaw, which happens to be the side of the officer and waiting for the traffic to move.

It was baffling to see the officer initially tapped on the driver’s side and as a law-abiding citizen, the driver wind-down the car window in obedience, only to be confronted with the question, “Are you making a call?”

Definitely the officer thought that the driver was covering his mouth so as to avoid his being seen while making a call and driving.

However, the driver was apt in responding in the negative that he was not making a call, but wondered why the officer has to make the move in the first place having seen his kit of mobile communications headset.

So, one thing that came to mind with this incident is that the officer who approached the driver was not a junior officer and secondly, he is ignorant of what the bluetooth headset was all about, let alone the mere wired headset.

But come to think of it, it means that FRSC has a lot to do in terms of educating its men and women to avoid such embarrassing situation, because not every motorist who knows his or her rights would take such a ridiculous question calmly as this driver, moreso, when he had some international observers for the April election in the car and a journalist.

In addition, what the driving code of most countries said about the use of mobile phone while driving, is that it’s forbidden, hence headsets were introduced alongside to ensure that people or drivers precisely could use their two hands on steering instead of using one hand to drive and another on steering.

The question now is that if such a senior officer is ignorant of what the stipulations of the driving code and law of the land said on mobile phone usage behind the wheels, how much less would a junior officer under his control?

The definite answer to the aforementioned is the need to engage FRSC workforce on some telecommunications lessons focusing on the fundamentals and various headset models available in the market both locally and globally as well as reminding them that the usage of headsets is not an offence in the first instance.

Also, this kind of lessons could be formulated to be quarterly or twice a year as the case maybe, due to evolutions on various headsets models and invariably how these headsets look and work.

Therefore, it is a wake up call for the Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and FRSC to team up and come up with a programme to tackle this kind of issues before it becomes a heightened embarrassment.

As declared by one of the vehicle occupants, it could be annoying especially if the driver had been a temperamental individual and given the kind of hardship people go through daily, coupled with the tropical situation in the country, many Nigerians are known to be very hot-tempered.

He also advised that in order to avoid a similar incident, somebody should advocate for a telecom lessons for FRSC please.

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CSO demands inclusion of paragraph 72 in Rio agenda

Members of the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Caucus of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) have called for more focused discussion centred on the paragraph 72 of the Tunis agenda.

Presenting the report of the February meeting to members of the group recently, coordinator of the caucus, Mr. Adam Peake, made this call and said that they would cherish future consultations like the forthcoming Rio meeting come November this year, to have ample time to specifically deal with the aspects of this paragraph that were not treated in Athens due to time factor.

He said that comments, for instance on paragraph F and I needed the IGF to discuss the good principles of Internet governance as agreed in Tunis in 2005.

In addition, he said that the Tunis document outlined how to fully implement them inside all existing governance processes, including how to facilitate participation by disadvantaged stakeholders such as developing countries, civil society, and individual users.

“We expect this to be an additional theme for Rio,” he declared, stressing that about the themes for Rio, CSOs are generally satisfied with the areas of work as defined for Athens, but noted that some of them are much bigger than others, and thus many issues falling into them were not given adequate attention.

“We would like to propose to break the openness group of items in two; one about human rights and freedom of expression and the other on intellectual property rights and access to knowledge,” the group suggested.

Mr. Peake also called for raised attention on the importance of access not just in terms of physical connections for developing countries, but also in terms of accessibility of technologies to the disabled and to other disadvantaged groups, which could equally become another group of issues.

He further said that as noted above, CSO also felt the need for what he described as ‘a meta governance’ theme.

“We are aware of the complex discussion on whether the narrow Internet governance themes, such as the oversight of the Internet addressing and naming system, should be part of the agenda in Rio,” he said.

According to him, inside the civil society group, there are different points of view about this matter, including that all agreed in the deep dissatisfaction for the lack of transparency and inclusion in the so-called enhanced cooperation process, which, had earlier been agreed in Tunis, hence demands that this should be discussed in a multi-stakeholder fashion.

“We ask that prompt communication be given to all stakeholders about the status and nature of this process and that independently from the venue chosen to host it, steps are taken to ensure the full inclusion of all stakeholders in this process,” he said in the report.

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Intel unveils efficient laptop university challenge

Intel Corporation has unveiled a challenge initiative for efficient laptop university at the European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) aimed at finding creative ways to‘re-fuel’ laptops on sustainable energy.

Vice President and General Manager, Intel in the EMEA, Mr. Christian Morales, said that the time is right to focus on environmental challenges and to utilize available resources in an efficient manner.

Europe, he said, has been driving the environmental agenda worldwide, campaigning in favour of responsible environmental policies, noting that European leaders agreed in March 2007 to have 20 per cent of their overall energy needs covered by renewables such as biomass, hydro, wind and solar by 2020.

According to him, the Intel’s challenge is in the spirit of innovation, which has been a driving force for the company since it sold the first commercial microprocessor back in 1971, so as to encourage young generations of Europeans to take an interest in technology and its positive applications.

Mr. Morales explained that by taking heed from Europe’s forward stance on environmental issues, Intel is inviting the EMEA seats of learning to devise ingenious and eco-friendly ways to recharge laptop batteries, stressing that the target will be to fuel a laptop for a full hour by using renewable energy sources.

“The laptops used in the experiment will be high-performance ones based on the leading-edge dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo processor, specifically designed to use energy efficiently,” he said.

The vice president also said that the university teams are sharpening their wits for the creative phase ahead, which will unfold over the next six months with the final submissions expected in October.

“The university with the winning solution will be awarded funding, in terms of assets, to support scientific research,” he said, added that the contending universities from all over Europe are invited to participate.

“Already, prestigious Universities have enrolled in the challenge to represent European grey matter in action,” he asserted, noting that Germany, for instance, would be represented by the Faculty of Informatics at
the Technical University of Munich, Ireland by the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Italy by Milan’s ‘Politecnico,’ the Netherlands by the Faculty of Industrial Engineering Design at Delft University of Technology.

He emphasised that others have expressed their interest and are likely to join the competition over the coming weeks, explaining that the type of solutions they are considering in teams mentioned an array of energy sources; from simple ones like wind, water, solar power, biomass, human, to more sophisticated ones like photovoltaic, fuel cells and sterling machines.

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Zinox delivers Divine Notebook to CANi beneficators

In living up to its promise, the management of Zinox Technologies Limited, has announced the commencement of delivery of its latest in stock, Zinox Divine Notebook to the beneficiaries of the Computer for All Nigerians Initiative (CANi) at all levels.

Disclosing this, the Chief Executive, Computerize Nigeria Project (CNP), Mrs. Vivian Abii, informed that the decision to supply its latest premium quality Divine Notebook, was in fulfillment of the Zinox pledge to offer world-class quality systems to Nigerians at all times.

She also said that as a strategic partner in the CANi project CNP considered it a patriotic responsibility to ensure that Nigerians got durable systems from the initiative and not the low quality systems that were ordered.

Mrs. Abii added that as usual, profit was not a major consideration for Zinox Computers, stressing that the Personal Computer (PC) giant, is more interested in supplying systems that work year after year in order to grow the industry and develop the nation.

She explained that this systems which are flexible and upgradeable Notebooks, are the latest in the global laptop market and are Microsoft Vista compliant, just as the series come with standard 512 Mega Bytes (MB) Random Access Memory (RAM), 15.4 ultra-wide Thin Film Transistor (TFT), Digital Video Display cum Compact Disc (DVD/CD) Writer, Fax Modem, Net Trace – theft tracking device, Executive drop proof leather bag, and a 13-month comprehensive No-Story-Warranty.

Mrs. Abii also said that Zinox would be supplying the high quality notebook because of the belief that only high quality systems would make the CANi project meaningful.

“Zinox Divine Notebook would compliment the quality desktop, the Zinox Power PC, which Zinox Computers is supplying to CANi,” she said, noting that the Power PC is a product designed and manufactured in association with Intel and certified by Microsoft.

“This high quality PC is a sleek and elegant personal computer with full features,” she said, adding that Intel Corporation’s team of engineers supervised the production; hence the Power PC has Intel’s seal of authority and guarantee.

According to her, the Power PC runs on Intel mobile processor 1.2 Gega Hertz (GHz), 256MB RAM, 40 Hard Disk Drive (HDD), 10/100 NIC, Fax Modem, CD Random Only Memory x 56, international keyboard and mouse.

She emphasized that Microsoft Window XP Starter Edition and 15” CRT Monitor or 15” TFT screen are optional for those who want Power PC.

“The Zinox Power PC runs on optimal power consumption and faster bus, and has anti-shock device. It comes standard with unparalleled 12 months comprehensive no-story-warranty by Intel and Zinox,” Mrs. Abii said.

She further said that both high quality systems represent not just the Zinox Computers commitment to the CANi project but the company’s undivided faith in the Nigerian enterprise.

“The Zinox Divine Notebook and the Zinox Power PC consolidate the quality vision of Zinox Computers and our understanding that there is only one standard – the world-class quality standard. Therefore, even the systems supplied to CANi must be world-class in spite of the concept to extend computer ownership to the masses, most of them being first time users,” she said.

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SpeedStar is PC brand of the year @ Titans of Tech

SpeedStar, one of the evolving locally made Personal Computer (PC) brand from Beta Computers was named the ‘PC Brand of the Year 2007’ at the just ended ‘Titans of Tech’ nite in Lagos.

The awards nite, organized by the ICT Africa to mark its 10th year anniversary was graced by stakeholders, even as the PC brand of year 2007 was presented to the chief executive of Beta Computers Limited, Mr. Will Anyaegbunam by the chairman of the occasion, Admiral Alison Madueke (retd).

Commenting after receiving the award, Mr. Anyaegbunam, expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their vote of confidence on SpeedStar as the PC brand of the year 2007.

He noted that the brand has stringent quality tests that ensures the user gets the very best in performance, stability and compatibility while providing excellent scalability and practical functionality for both home and enterprise computing demands.

“Your uptime will be at least 98 per cent guaranteed on all PCs,” he said, stressing that SpeedStar brands are the first, and most likely today the only one still, in Nigeria to come with a full and comprehensive three-year warranty.

He explained that this warranty covers both labour and parts for the monitor and Central Processing Unit (CPU), adding that other brands offer full warranty mainly in the first year, requiring customers to pay for labour and parts thereafter for monitors as well as CPU.

Mr. Anyaegbunam also said that this is a clear financial advantage for Speedstar which offers users what he described as conferment of a total cost of ownership (TCO) over a three-year period that is fixed, certain and at least, 42 per cent lower than all other brand-offering currently in the country limited warranty programmes.

As said by him, this means that for the three years that most corporations depreciate their PCs, a user of SpeedStar does not need to incur any additional costs.

Mr. Anyaegbunam, who is the immediate past president of Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) further informed that Beta Computers has entered into an a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two of the major banks and a leading leasing company to finance the purchase of SpeedStar brand of computers and relevant industry specific software solutions that would provide users, mostly for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well as educational institutions, on instalment payment terms over varying periods of up to 24 months.

“Thus allowing them access to much needed IT productivity solutions they need to transform their businesses for increased performance and profitability,” he said.

He emphasised that whatever the business of the customers, “Beta Computers can provide you the relevant IT solution specific to your industry that will help you through timely and accurate information, to gain critical insight and control of your business,” noting that all this added up to the brand’s listing in the Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) website alongside all the International major brands.

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NCC to unveil nationwide broadband plan

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has concluded arrangements to unveil its nationwide broadband Internet access plan at the forthcoming second stakeholders forum in Lagos.

A press statement from the organisers, NCC in collaboration with IT & Telecom Digest, said that the event would form platform for promotion of broadband technology in the country.

Head, Public Affairs and Government at NCC, Mr. Dave Imoko, informed that the commission is embarking on a groundbreaking nationwide road show during which it intends to educate Nigerians on a variety of issues with special emphasis on the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and broadband internet.

The commission, he said, is taking this step in order to fully implement the federal government’s desire to provide access for all Nigerians to ICT tools and products.

“NCC would use the road show to prepare Nigerians and wake them up to what has been aptly termed the second phase of the ICT revolution in Nigeria,” the press statement read.

He disclosed that in order to give the road show a proper structure, NCC has finalised plans to begin with a seminar in Lagos, scheduled to hold on Friday, May 4, 2007.

The forum, which is the second in the series, the organisers said is to broaden the vision of stakeholders, stressing that apart from Lagos, the seminar would also be held in Abuja, Enugu and Calabar.

“Broadband Internet is the next critical stage in our telecom revolution, and we intend to use the road show and all activities embedded in it, including specifically the one-day seminar in Lagos, to educate the Nigerian public on the potential benefits of broadband internet and the commission’s plans to ensure that all Nigerians have access to the internet through broadband,” he said.

NCC, he noted, have also chosen to use the opportunity that the second stakeholders’ forum organised by IT & Telecom Digest because of the high profile nature of the magazine in the global sphere as well its focused initiatives to position the Nigerian telecom sector.

“It is the Commission’s plan to get Nigerians in every nook and cranny to become aware and to have access to the Internet using broadband, which is obviously a useful tool for connectivity today, and using the second stakeholders’ forum the commission is embarking on this road show to create awareness and educate the people, because just as the commission has made mobile telephone a useful tool for work and social life, so can we make the internet via broadband,” he said.

He pointed out that after one year of the successful introduction of the Unified Licensing Regime (ULR), NCC is taking the growth in the ICT sector to a new level with broadband internet, which is largely believed, will give access to most homes and offices in the country in a much faster rate and lower cost within the shortest possible time.

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ITU, APT outline NGN implementation

The United Nations agency in-charge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) concluded its workshop in Bangkok, Thailand with an outline for the implementation and development of Next-Generation Networks (NGN) in the region.

Champion Infotel gathered that the workshop attended by over 180 experts from 24 countries representing APT and ITU member-nations, international organizations and the private sector, was inaugurated by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Royal Government of Thailand, Mr Kraisorn Pornsutee.

NGN is a catch phrase for the network infrastructure that will enable advanced new services offered by mobile and fixed network operators in the future, while continuing to support all existing services.

This architecture also will help leverage new technologies to dramatically reduce the cost of market entry, increase flexibility and accommodate seamlessly in a single multiservice network for both voice and data.

A joint statement from ITU and APT, showed that the workshop made some key recommendations, including that regulators and policy makers should provide clear and consistent enabling environments for NGN and be involved in the NGN planning, implementation and educational process; develop standardized planning tools to assist developing countries to migrate from traditional telecommunication networks to NGN and regulate to ensure that service providers meet agreed quality of service standards equivalent to traditional circuit switched voice networks.

Additionally, the workshop recommended that NGN required security levels that meet the needs of end users and provide confidence in the use of applications and services in NGN-compliant networks, establish NGN standards to make emergency and location-based services available seamlessly and reliably across the entire network, while raising greater awareness on the various issues related to NGN planning.

According to the Director, ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, Mr Malcolm Johnson, NGN has the potential to accelerate the deployment of telecommunication networks and services in developing countries.

“As cost and revenue are the drivers of this development, the capital cost of deploying NGN technology, both in the core of the network, and the operating costs are significantly lower than circuit switched technologies,” he said, stressing that this will enable rapid expansion of network capabilities.

Mr. Johnson noted that NGN would also enable a range of multimedia services to be provided more easily and with less cost, and so increase potential revenues.

“It offers the opportunity for developing countries to leapfrog several generations of technology,” he said, emphasising the importance of bridging the standardization gap by planning for NGN at regional levels.

Equally commenting, Executive Director, APT, Mr Amarendra Narayan pointed out that what is required urgently in order to address the needs of the Asia-Pacific region is for cost effective options of broadband access, while finalizing the international standardization framework for NGN.

“This is particularly important for developing countries and rural and remote areas. APT and ITU can play a key role in ascertaining Asia Pacific regional needs,” he said. Mr. Narayan added that a range of APT programmes are already heavily involved in NGN standardization as well as policy and regulatory issues, including the work being undertaken by the Asia Pacific Telecommunity Standardization Programme (ASTAP) and associated policy and regulatory forums.

Head, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Ms Kim Eun-Ju said, this is the first step towards meeting the main objectives of the Asia-Pacific Regional Initiative on NGN Planning, which was adopted at the World Telecommunication Development Conference in Doha in 2006.

“It aims to assist developing countries in our region to migrate smoothly from existing networks to NGN,” she said, and urged participating state and sector members to be more pro-active in implementing next-generation networks by building partnerships to satisfy the paradigm shifts in the NGN era.

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Alteq to manage W.Afri.Tel 2007

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) conference organisers, Alteq Limited, has been appointed to manage the seventh edition of West African International Telecommunications and Information Communications Technology Exhibition (W.Afri.Tel 2007) scheduled for Lagos in June.

Alteq (ICT) Limited, is a wholly indigenous Nigerian company with headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, won the appointment following certification by the sole agent of Exhibition Management Services (EMS), proprietors of W.Afri.Tel in the country, the IT & Telecom Digest.

Company sources informed that after a convincing presentation of how it will organise this year’s conference to complement the exhibition by Alteq led to the appointment.

The organisers noted that for seven years, the event has grown in reputation as the region’s most professionally organised and most widely attended exhibition, with exhibitors and visitors coming from the United States of America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

They also pointed out that although the event had always been staged with a conference, there was no conference attached to it during the last year’s event, leading to exhibitors and visitors who had become also used to conference appealing for the return of the conference to the show.

Sequel to this, it was gathered that both EMS and IT & Telecom Digest set about on how to bring back the leadership conference, according to the editor-in-chief of IT & Telecom Digest, Mr. Mkpe Abang.

“Last year, most exhibitors and visitors, including leading government officials like ministers and indeed, the chief telecom regulator, Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, made requests for the return of the conference as a regular part of the exhibition,” he said.

Consequently, he said, “we secured the right from EMS to organise the conference, because we want to maintain our central focus by overseeing both the conference and exhibition, we decided to appoint managers for the conference.”

He further explained the choice of Alteq, saying, “We took time to evaluate quite a number of companies that expressed interest to manage this year’s conference, and we were very satisfied with Alteq’s presentation.”

In addition, he said, his firm had quite a number of foreign companies, which also expressed interest in organising the conference as consulting managers, but they found favour with Alteq, having scored the highest points in the parameters set aside in search of a suitable partner.

Reacting to the appointment of his company, managing director of Alteq (ICT) Ltd, Dr. Armstrong Takang expressed appreciation to IT & Telecom Digest for the choice.

“We’re going to put in everything we’ve got to ensure that this conference comes out tops and remains indelible in the minds of those who would attend it,” he said, stressing that already his Alteq has advanced plans to bring in foreign and indigenous speakers.He pointed out that W.Afri.Tel-07 would be staged at its traditional venue, the Expo Centre, while the conference returns to the Grand Ball Room, all at the Eko Hotel, Lagos from June 5 to 7, 2007.

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DoCoMo launches Raku-Raku with Symbian OS

Japanese top telecommunications operator, NTT DoCoMo has launched its FOMA Raku-Raku phone in the city of Tokyo, based on Symbian Operating System (OS) for open mobile smartphones.

Reacting to this development, Symbian Limited described it as a welcome development, even as the firm has commenced shipping at the weekend.

Symbian OS is the global market-leading open mobile operating system for smartphones.

Marketing Officer at Symbian Company Ltd, Kyoko Horikawa, informed in a press statement that the FOMA Raku-Raku Phone basic, is the newest handset in the Raku-Raku Phone series for people interested primarily in user-friendly handsets equipped with basic functions, and is manufactured by Symbian customer Fujitsu Limited and includes the Mobile Oriented Applications Platform (MOAP) platform.

Horikawa also said that Symbian continues to focus on delivering a flexible, robust and open mobile operating system, which gives handset manufacturers and network operators the ability to develop differentiated phones, faster, more easily and at lower cost for different market segments and regions.

“Symbian customers that have shipped Third Generation (3G) phones in Japan based on Symbian OS include Fujitsu, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola, Nokia, Sharp, and Sony Ericsson,” the official said.

Horikawa also disclosed that Symbian is a software licensing company that develops and licenses Symbian OS, the market leading open operating system for advanced, data-enabled mobile phones known as smartphones.

Symbian licenses Symbian OS to the world’s leading handset manufacturers and has built close co-operative business relationships with leading companies across the mobile industry.In 2006, estimated 51.7 million Symbian smartphones were sold worldwide to over 250 major network operators, bringing the total number of Symbian smartphones shipped as at December 31, 2006 to 110 million.

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Celebrities @ WWTBM, support charity homes

A new wave may have begun to creep into the burgeoning television show sponsored by the leading Global System for Mobile (GSM) operator, MTN Nigeria, also known as the Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (WWTBM).

This wave came with the special initiative to invite celebrates from various parts of the country to take part in the lively TV game show, all in the spirit of the season and for the upliftment of less privileges in the country.

So, the celebrities came to the show, playing like every other person could have with added humour as they played not for keeps like the ordinary folks who would enter the hot seat of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? with some anxieties.

And it came to pass that these were celebrities, men and women who nature has blessed with talents and kept in the full glare of the rest of the Nigerian society by virtue of their status or the success they have achieved in life endeavours.

As explained by the organisers, they were playing for that class of the community for whom celebrations could mean nothing; those who may not be too fortunate to see a TV and know what the celebrities do or manage a smile at Christmas or any other festivity at that.

They all came to the studio ready to play for others and in the process with predicated unusual entertainment at their back of minds, which turned the studio into a carnival of sought.

Equally, they would not be taking their money home as their wins would be for charity.

Coming from the eastern part of the country, was the popular Chief Chika Okpala re-enacted the images of Zebrudaya in the Masquerade, featuring along side football mathematician, Chief Segun Odegbami, on the hot seat.

Also, there was the pair of Kunle Hamilton and Joke Silva as well as Segun Arinze and Bola Adesola to name a few of the actors and actresses that formed the audience of the special edition.

Particularly, all the tension that usually attend the programme because of those who want to win being anxious about their chances was forgotten, even for home viewers as the serene beheld of these guests on the hot seat showed they were relaxed, cracking jokes as they attempted to respond to questions from the show presenter, Mr. Frank Edoho of the Franki do-do fame.

For Segun Arinze famous for his notorious ‘bad guy’ cross on screen, the tide shifted as he freely cracked jokes and searched for answers with Adesola, who obviously was very creative. For instance, in their search for answer to the number of squares in a Chess board.

And for the celebrity writer, Mr. Kunle Hamilton and one of the greatest Nollywood stars, a point of reference to most young actresses, Ms Joke Silva, was a creation of their own sparks to wrestle over N500,000.

Faced with a barrage of selected questions from Biology, Music, History and Geography, among others, the two made fun to answer questions and really knocked home the lesson of such a programme, even as they found it somewhat disguising when challenged with the question of how many countries surround China.

Sometimes, one thing with the host, Frank Edoho, is that he asks some questions, which often give the feeling that he doesn’t like parting with his money. And it makes the programme to be more interesting: to create a puzzle and fun and then knock off the guys.

But it was the pair of Segun Odegbami and Chika Okpala that really got knocked off. From a high earning of N1m, the duo tumbled to N250, 000 just because of one of the safeguards that if you supply a wrong answer outside the safe zone, your earnings will drop.

Known in his soccer playing days as Mathematical Odegbami because of the prolific way he scored goals, the ace goal poacher found a match in Okpala who, as Zebrudaya Okorigwe Nwogbo, amused TV audience across the country, as he felt at home doing what he knows best, while the time lasted.

On this special edition of the millionaire show, Okpala entertained by having hilarious rib-breaking times. But there was a part of him, a kind of pain that he was to reveal much later.

The Millionaire celebrity show held under the theme, ‘You Too Can Give Your Part to Charity’ also featured Hamilton and Silva, who decided to give their prize money to Hope Foundation and others. While the irrepressible comedian and master of the fun business, Zebrudaya remarked that part of their take would be given to Clarius who has gone blind.

Now that is playing the master in real life. Clarius and Gringory were Zebrudaya’s houseboys in the TV soap, Masquerade, one of the best ever-on Nigerian TV screens. But quite unfortunately, Clarius has become an endangered specie after spreading joy and laughter to a number of homes across the country. On the Millionaire show, Zebi, as he was fondly called by screen wife Ovuleria remembered his playmate.

Outside of this it was like a carnival in the studio. Both producers of the programme, GetTV officials and MTN led by Chief Marketing officer, Mr. Bola Akingbola, accompanied by the MTN Corporate Services Executive, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, and Executive Director, MTN Foundation and Mrs. Funmi Omogbenigun, Head Corporate Communications, were elated to see the result of their efforts, putting money and technology together to bring joy and hope to those who sometimes find them unaffordable.With this, it is another way of forming allied with celebrities in the country to uplift some souls like that of Clarius, which was described by some audience as Who Wants to be a Millionaire being on the right path.

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