FG to SetTop Box Manufacturers: Give Nigerians multi-purpose TV

ITRealms:

The Federal Government (FG) has urged the SetTop Box manufacturers to give Nigerians multi-purpose television, reports ITRealms.

 Making this call on behalf of Federal Government, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, challenged the manufacturers of Set Top Boxes/Decoders in the country to produce a multi-purpose television set that will help in transforming the TV experience of Nigerians.

Speaking in Calabar on Thursday during the commissioning of the ultra-modern Digital Set Top Box manufacturing plant, owned by the Gospell Digital Technology.

Also, he said the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting in the country is aimed at giving Nigerians a total television viewing experience that will transform their lives and change TV viewing forever.

''I have continued to reiterate, and the quality of the service we launched goes to confirm, that our objective is not to just move Nigerians from analogue to digital in a simple technical sense, but to improve the viewing experience and give them increased variety of channels and services.

''The average home today - in order to have access to the various types of entertainment - will require a television, a Set Top Box and a VCD/DVD player. This era is about to end. I am challenging the industry to move to one device in the home - the television. Give us a TV with a built-in decoder and the requisite middle-ware inside it, being able to access Nollywood releases with or without the internet, and with a remote control that can convert the TV into a computer.

''And please not for the rich, but for every Nigerian home. With that we will have succeeded in the reduction of the cost of access to television, information and education,'' he said.

The Minister hailed Gospell Digital Technology for building the country's largest electronic manufacturing and assembly plant, saying the investors and the managers of the manufacturing plant have exhibited absolute confidence, ''first in the future and economy prosperity of our beloved country, and of course in the Digital Switch Over (DSO) programme.

The plant, situated in the Calabar Export Free Trade Zone, has the capacity to produce 2.4 million Set Top Boxes annually, and has already provided 500 jobs.

''Going by its achievements in so short a time, the company's vision of becoming the leading manufacturer of household electronic video, home entertainment and electrical appliances in Africa is very much within its reach,'' Alhaji Mohammed said.

Also present at the commissioning were the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade; the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information, Senator Suleiman Adokwe; Senator Shehu Sani, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; Senator Mao Ohuabunwa and the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mala, Is'haq Modibo Kawu.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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Pix: From left - Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade (left); Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (middle) and the Group Managing Director of Gospell Digital Technology Electronics Manufacturing and Assembly Company, Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa, at the commissioning of the production plant of the company in Calabar on Thursday.

Patronise local manufacturers, NCS tells FG

ITRealms:

The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has admonished the Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies to lead the way in patronize local manufacturers of Information Technology products, reports ITRealms.

NCS, President, Professor Sola Aderounmu made this call at the just concluded national conference of the society in Abuja, noting that it is an indisputable fact that the present economic downturn of the nation can no longer sustain the capital flight that the country is known for in time past.

“Outsourcing our ICT needs to foreign organizations cannot be supported by the scarce foreign exchange,” he said.

ITRealms recalls that one of the subthemes at the conference was ‘’Enhancing Security using software systems’’ with panelists maintaining that there is need to have home grown technology instead of relying on the foreign technology to solve our domestic security challenges especially at this time of unstable economy.

They also unanimously agreed that government should look inwards and patronize made in Nigeria goods to save the economy from total collapse. Pointing out that with the Local Content Policy and working with NITDA, as well as office for Nigerian Content in Information Technology, the ICT needs of government MDAs must be localized.

According to the acting executive secretary, NCS, Mr. Iyiola Ayola, the society has some corporate members including Sidmach Technologies Ltd, Dataflex Plc, Computer Warehouse Group Plc, Data Sciences Ltd, Chams PLC,VEDA Technologies, Zinox Technologies Ltd, OMATEK Computers, BETA Computers, RLG Communications, BRIAN Integrated Systems, MainOne Cables, CBC emea, Systemspecs Ltd  and many others.

“We therefore advice the Federal Government to patronize our local certified computer manufacturer organizations in their quest to buy 500,000 computer for the 500,000 unemployed graduates it is in the process of recruiting and deploying to schools and other sectors of the economy. For once, this would shame doubting ‘’Thomas’’ of Government sincerity of purpose,” NCS president was quoted as advocating in a press statement made available to ITRealms.

Insisting that full implementation of the local content policy will definitely create more wealth, resolve the problems of unemployment and build capacity of our youths.

Nenye Dom/GEE
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EM Microelectronic unveils world’s first RFID circuit

ITRealms:

Semiconductor, company of the Swatch Group EM Microelectronic, has announced the release of its EM4423, the world’s first Radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit featuring a UHF EPC Gen2V2 RF and an NFC Type 2interface, reports ITRealms.

ITRealms gathered that the EM4423 is uniquely suited for manufacturers/brands which are compelled to support the Electronic Product Code (EPC) functionality for retail logistics and inventory control, but who also want to communicate directly with the consumer for marketing and advertising, product authenticity, and product registration on a per-item level.

As ITRealms learnt, the (EPC) Gen 2v2 RF is an update to GS1's air-interface protocol standard for passive, Ultra High frequency (UHF) RFID tags, while the Near Field Communication (NFC) Type 2 interface service allows users to attach a card, sticker or hangtag to a gift, invitation or any physical object, in order to deliver an audio or video greeting.

The features of the invention as gathered by ITRealms, comes with common rewritable memory areas, a common Unique Identifier (UID) and value-added privacy and security features.

Furthermore, the EM4423 also simplifies adoption of EPC inventory control procedures by smaller retailers who are not willing or able to make the substantial investment required for specialized RFID equipment and software and similar functionality can be achieved through the use of mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets and applications.

Speaking further on the features, Michel Willemin, CEO of EM Microelectronic has said the EPC Gen2 logistics capabilities with the customer-focused benefits of NFC would create excitement with the RFID customers. As ITRealms gathered, he said, “By enabling a low-cost, unified solution for logistics and marketing, EM brings value to and simplifies the lives of both small retailers and product manufacturers looking to differentiate their products.”

EM Microelectronic ITRealms learnt is a Swiss semiconductor manufacturer, designs and produces ultra-low-power, low-voltage, digital, analog, and mixed-signal integrated circuits for battery-operated and field-powered devices in wearable, consumer, automotive and industrial applications.

Daniel Nsolibe/Ed, Ops.

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