OnMobile, Airtel Africa partner on football services

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Leading Value Added Service (VAS), OnMobile Global Limited has partnered Airtel Africa to power a service called Airtel Football across the continent.

Reports gathered by DigitalSENSE Business News noted that as part of this engagement, OnMobile has partnered with Goal.com, and holds the official rights to English Premier League live match alerts in Africa. Airtel subscribers will benefit from updates on their favorite football clubs and live match alerts.

The partnership, DigitalSENSE Business News reports, evolved incredibly achieving an adoption rate of 11.6 million subscribers across 11 countries in Africa since its launch in August, 2012 making Airtel Football one of the most all-encompassing operator-branded mobile football subscription services.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that this service is an offshoot of OnMobile’s and Airtel’s vision to reach out across subscriber segments from the bottom of the pyramid users to smartphone users as well as high-value customers. This also supports Airtel’s objective of adapting to the enormous proliferation of Mobile Internet users across the continent.

Vice President, Africa, OnMobile, Biswajit Nandi, said that football in Africa is a television phenomenon, especially on paid channels.

“A lot of subscribers across the continent do not have access to television but love Football nonetheless. OnMobile is excited to power this service, through our partnership with Airtel, a leading global operator. Our aim is to directly touch the lives of millions of sport lovers and offer our consumers the best possible user experience,” he said.

Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Africa said, “Football is the greatest passion in Africa. Our vision is to enable and take the game to all fans, even those without access to television. Combining Airtel’s customer reach and knowledge with OnMobile’s strong technology, we believe that we can take the world of football closer to the fans.” 

The football service which is accessible through SMS, IVR, USSD, WAP, Web and very shortly a handset app, is currently available in English, French, Swahili and Hausa. More languages are in the process of being added to ensure all subscribers receive official, authentic and the latest football news in their preferred language.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE

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PACCI’13 to link up regional economies

ITRealms:

Taking front row at this year’s Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI’13) is the goal to link up the Regional Economic Communities (REC) across the continent of Africa, who are already actively engaged in the process of supporting investments at sub-regional levels.

ITRealms gathered that though the private sector supports the Continental Free Trade Area (C-FTA) initiative, PACCI lamented that the RECs are yet to take ‘ownership’ and ‘invest’ into the process as part of its own regional and continental agenda.

PACCI opined that until the aforementioned happen, the prospects for complete public-private sector participation in these continental liberalisation processes will be limited.

Also, PACCI plans to serve as a forum in which private sector positions are developed and presented to the various working groups, international conferences, and ministerial and heads of State sessions of the Africa Union (AU).

Meanwhile, ITRealms recalls that at the forthcoming 2013 Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI) conference top on its agenda is the implementing efficient trade policies.

Further investigations by ITRealms showed that PACCI’13 conference being organized by African Chambers of Commerce and Industry on November 28^th and 29^th 2013, and is also expected to advance the Continental Free Trade Area (C-FTA).

This, PACCI affirmed in a press statement made available to ITRealms that despite the unease with free trade in many corners of the world, just as PACCI considers free trade to be good for development.

“Free trade can increase income levels, jobs, and bring in growth and prosperity. In all likelihood, PACCI believes that the discomfort with free trade lies not in the notion of free trade itself but how trade liberalization is pursued worldwide, too often linked with hypocrisy, guilt by association, democratic deficit and disregard for inequality,” official told ITRealms.

In addition, the conference is expected to address relevant issues to a modern trade and investment environment, from ambitious new market access opportunities to clear rules for African businesses and investors.

These include mainstreaming and implementing coherent and efficient trade policies; reducing costs and time for moving goods to destinations; creating regional and continental value chains, increasing local production and trade in goods produced in Africa; developing innovative mechanisms for multi-country infrastructure projects, such as energy, transport, telecom etc; developing African Financial institutions/mechanisms to support intra-African trade and investment; and promoting intraregional harmonisation of regulations and factor mobility. 

Remmy Nweke

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

First Bank launches Platinum MasterCard

ITRealms:  

The undisputed largest bank First Bank and MasterCard on Wednesday in Lagos launched a new platinum MasterCard debit card exclusively for members of the bank’s premier loyalty club.

ITRealms reports that use of the Platinum MasterCard debit card across the country will give cardholders access to redeemable benefits for transactions used at various thresholds.

First Bank, ITRealms gathered would issue the new MasterCard Platinum debit card to its premier customers in the bank’s private banking segment as well as at selected high street branches.

Daniel Monehin, Division President, Sub-Saharan Africa, MasterCard said: “MasterCard aims to see a world beyond cash in Nigeria and across Africa. The launch of the Platinum MasterCard card by First Bank is a commendable step in Nigeria’s transition to a cashless society and as more consumers find differentiated payment options to suit their varying needs, this increases their adoption of and affinity for electronic payments.”

“As a bank committed to innovation in Nigeria’s financial sector, First Bank is very pleased to launch the Platinum MasterCard debit card to our esteemed Loyalty Club members as we understand that one size does not fit all. Our constant innovation is aimed at helping customers choose services that meet their unique needs. The launch of the Loyalty Club and the Platinum MasterCard debit card will help us achieve these objectives,”said Mr Bayo  Adelabu, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer for First Bank.

The Head of Products & Marketing Support for First Bank, Ezinne Obikile, noted that the launch of First Club by First Bank reflects the deep desire of the bank to reward all its customers, with no strings or raffles attached. With this new service, customers earn points just by carrying out their normal day to day banking.

The introduction of the Platinum MasterCard debit card for members of First Bank’s loyalty club follows the roll out of the MasterCard Priceless Africa platform in Nigeria which aims to reward consumers with various offers in passion categories such as dining, entertainment, sports, whenever they use their MasterCard prepaid, debit or credit card. Nigeria’s growing middle class has made the country attractive to many international investors looking to tap into the increased consumer spending and appetite for various luxury goods and services. The launch of the Platinum MasterCard debit card is recognition of the unique and dynamic needs of this segment of Nigeria’s consumer market and of the growing sophistication in electronic payment

ITRealms recalls that MasterCard pride itself as a technology company in the global payments industry. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. 

MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone.

Remmy Nweke

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Rajapakse inaugurates CHOGM’13, tweets on Airtel

ITRealms:

The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday, inaugurated the Business Forum of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at the Hotel Cinnamon Grand  and visited the Bharti Airtel experience booth from where he sent out tweets about the opening of the Commonwealth Business Forum to the world through the Bharti Airtel network.

ITRealms reports that as principal sponsor of the Commonwealth Business Forum 2013, Bharti Airtel through Suren Goonewardene, Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of Bharti Airtel Lanka reassured the company’s support to CHOGM.

“Airtel Lanka’s affiliation with the prestigious CHOGM 2013 summit opens new doors for the telecommunication industry and the country as a whole. The Airtel Lanka sponsorship of the CHOGM Business Forum is a historic event as is Sri Lanka hosting this global summit” he said.

Sri Lanka, he also observed, is a land emerging out of the shadows of the past, and the fact that Bharti Airtel is hosting the prestigious CHOGM summit opens new doors for the economy and a country as a whole.

“It gives us the chance to howcase to the world that we are a nation ready to go forth in to the world and that we possess the knowledge, resources and expertise required to take a more active role in implementing development initiatives. While this forum is the ideal occasion for Sri Lanka to send out a clear message that would encourage international investors, it will also provide a common 360 degree platform for sharing strategies and discussing opportunities for wealth creation and social development which would lead to making a better impact on the global economy.” Goonewardene said.

ITRealms recalls Bharti Airtel is a global telecommunications organization that has been a trend setter by introducing many innovative ideas and products to the local telecom market. Manoj Kohli CEO and Managing Director Bharti Airtel will also be a guest speaker at the forum, which will bring together many local and global business leaders. He will be speaking at sessions on the 13th of November at the Partnership Roundtables – on ‘Facilitating Asian investment into Africa forum’ and on the 14th Nov at the ‘Africa & Asia: Reshaping Partnerships for Sustainable Growth forum.’

Equally, ITRealms reports that earlier this month Bharti Airtel launched an exclusive, limited offer CHOGM 249 package which offered special International Direct Dial (IDD) and DATA rates to users connecting with the 53 member countries of the Commonwealth Association.

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PACCI’13: Implementing efficient trade policies top agenda

ITRealms:

At the forthcoming 2013 Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI) conference top on its agenda is the implementing efficient trade policies, ITRealms can authoritatively report.

The PACCI’13 conference, ITRealms investigations revealed is being organized by African Chambers of Commerce and Industry on November 28^th and 29^th 2013, and is expected to advance the Continental Free Trade Area (C-FTA).

Confirming this, PACCI in a press statement made available to ITRealms indicates that despite the unease with free trade in many corners of the world, PACCI considers free trade to be good for development.

“Free trade can increase income levels, jobs, and bring in growth and prosperity. In all likelihood, PACCI believes that the discomfort with free trade lies not in the notion of free trade itself but how trade liberalization is pursued worldwide, too often linked with hypocrisy, guilt by association, democratic deficit and disregard for inequality,” official told ITRealms.

Equally, the conference is expected to address relevant issues to a modern trade and investment environment, from ambitious new market access opportunities to clear rules for African businesses and investors.

These include mainstreaming and implementing coherent and efficient trade policies; reducing costs and time for moving goods to destinations; creating regional and continental value chains, increasing local production and trade in goods produced in Africa; developing innovative mechanisms for multi-country infrastructure projects, e.g. energy, transport, telecom et; developing African Financial institutions/mechanisms to support intra-African trade and investment; and promoting intraregional harmonisation of regulations and factor mobility. 

Remmy Nweke

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D