Netcom bags double honour @ Nigeria Telecom awards

Netcom Africa has bagged double honours at this year’s Nigeria Telecom Awards held in Lagos, at the weekend.

The marketing manager at Netcom, Mrs. Lolade Shonubi, who disclosed this said that the company emerged the “Best Internet Service Provider (ISP) of the year” and “Best broadband company of the year” at the awards ceremony.

The Nigeria Telecoms awards tend to recognize leadership, innovation and excellence as well as services in administering judgement on which company emerges the most unique to the telecommunications industry, just as prominent individuals in the society were also been honoured.

Reacting to the double awards, Mrs. Shonubi said that her company is delighted to be recognized by the industry and receive not one, “but two additional prestigious awards this year.”

She also said that as an Internet Protocol (IP) communications provider based on satellite and wireless products, Netcom is determined to continue to lead the market with innovative solutions that meet the challenging criteria of its customers and the public at large.

Mrs. Shonubi described the awards as a great honour to Netcom’s customers and employees whose dedication, loyalty, hard work and expertise are the main reason the company excels.

“To emerge as the winners of the ISP and broadband company of the year awards is a great feat that reflects Netcom’s commitment to quality, as the company continues to strive to deliver world class service,” she said.

She recalled that last year, Netcom won the Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT) company of the year at the telecoms awards ceremony.

She stressed that winning two awards this year is an indication that the company has broadened the products and services, enhanced the strength of value added products with the ability to reach more consumers in the last one year.

Netcom Africa Limited prides itself as a leading communication infrastructure provider of satellite and wireless broadband solutions in the West Africa region with world-class communications product suite that uses the latest generation technologies, just as its supported by 24/7 by some of the most experienced customer support and technical engineers in the industry.

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HiRest offers broadband solution to corporates

Growing Internet Service Provider (ISP), HiRest Africa Limited, has said its offering specific innovative broadband solutions for corporate organisations in the country.

Chief Executive, HiRest Africa, Mr. Igho Mrakpor, while disclosing this, informed that the offer is coming with sophisticated solutions for corporate organizations using its state-of-the-art technology.

He also said that the solutions would ensure seamless integration within and between organizations, thereby providing an all round robust Internet access to customers.

“We have unique corporate Internet access solutions tailored towards the needs of corporate institutions that will help them maximize the advantages inherent in the use of the Internet,” he declared.

He equally reiterated HiRest readiness to confront the market with cutting edge technologies that offers incomparable services at a reduced cost.

“Many companies already recognize the importance of conducting their businesses using the Internet because of its cost effectiveness,” Mrakpor said, adding that what is missing presently is a way to make the Internet work for them.

“A way to turn the Internet into a truly competitive advantage, a way to add value that provides the organizations with solutions and not just access,” he said.

Mr. Mrakpor further said that it was in order to help these companies use the Internet effectively, that HiRest has decided to go the extra mile to bring satisfaction to the day to day business activities of its existing and prospective corporate customers.

He explained that as a wholly indigenous owned ISP providing first class Internet services to its customers, HiRest which is barely 12 months old has spread its tentacles to Abuja, where it has its international office and Port Harcourt, its West and Central Africa office; from this location the company tackles the African market.

“Within the short time of existence we already have a significant customer base spread all over the nation made up of Federal and State government institutions, multinationals, educational institutions, corporate organizations as well as Small Office and Home offices. We also have customers in other African countries,” he added.

Speaking on the challenges currently facing the industry, Mrakpor observed that there has been a lull in the data segment of the telecoms industry, which has led to the closure of some ISPs.

However, he said, that in the daunting face of competition, which has stirred and led to the closure of some Internet service companies in the country, “HiRest stands out and is not only waxing stronger but expanding beyond comprehension.”

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UNICEF partners OLPC in Nigeria

Nigerian chapter of the One Lap Top Per Child (OLPC) initiative has been given a boost with the support from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and some members of the corporate organisations the country.

Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), OLPC Nigeria, Mr. Tomi Davies informed that the non-for-profit initiative is

building an all inclusive and broad-based organization that will promote and propagate the idea in Nigeria.

He also said that OLPC team in Nigeria has opened discussion with the Universal Basic Education (UBE), NUT, NCC, IBM, EFCC and other relevant bodies to ensure the project is successful while corporate Nigeria such as First Bank, Zenith Bank, UBA, MTN, Celtel, Globacom, Oando, Shell, Chevron, Agip, Total, and the World Bank are ready to partner witth the project.

“We have opened discussions with some corporate organizations and some are ready to join us. The aim is to start a national debate on digital literacy for Nigerian children so the country can be an active participant in the emerging global knowledge economy for which the use of computers is taken for granted much like access to television and telephones have become fundamentals of today’s information age.

“Mr. M.K Ibrahim, Director IT of EFCC has joined the board of EFCC while we are working with UBE and NUT being the two primary school stakeholders.

“The vision is for the Nigeria of the future to be a leader in the contribution of digitally based intellectual property as a means of capital value creation and competitive advantage in the world. Our children are the future and they are here now!

We cannot wait until everything from the past ( i.e. Classrooms, Teachers, Books, Pens etc) is in place and available to all before we start addressing the future (i.e. Laptops, Connectivity, Content, Security etc) or else the digital divide may become a digital chasm that is too wide for the next generation of Nigerians to bridge,” he said.

Recently the OLPC Association Inc test run the project with the distribution of OLPC XO machines to primary school children at Galadima Village, Abuja.

In the same vein the Legal Counsel to OLPNC, Mr. Ayo Kusamotu said that Growing Business Foundation led by Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien who is also Director of Strategy at NCC financed power generation at the Galadima L.ASchool so that the pupils will have constant power to

use their OLPC XO machines.

Kusamotu explained that other members of the board of the organization include Khalifa Galadanchi of IBM, Biola Ige (Education Specialist) and other prominent Nigerians that will soon be part of the Nigeria team is a crop of volunteers headed by Tomi Davies.

“OLPC PROJECT in Nigeria is a reality. A not for profit company OLPC LTD/GTE is being formed by Tomi Davies to take over the role of TEAM Nigeria and implement the OLPNC project in Nigeria. Discussions are on going about structure, form and membership. The guiding philosophy of OLPC ( Nigeria) is digital literacy for every Nigerian Child,” Kusamotu explained.

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... Nokia Siemens too

The Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), was weekend nominated in the category of Best Hardware Vendor at the just concluded Nigerian Telecom Awards.

Confirming this, External Communications Officer at Nokia Siemens Networks, Nada Chammas, noted that as a network infrastructure provider operating in over 150 countries globally with over 600 customers, NSN brings an innovative and differentiated offering to Nigerian operators called Village Connection.

This, Chammas said, provides an easy and affordable concept of building rural connectivity village by village, to enable an innovative franchise-based business model between an operator and local village entrepreneurs.

“The solution helps provide affordable telecommunications services in rural communities, thus boosting economic development. It is capturing the attention of operators as it allows them to reduce their Operational Expenditure (OPEX) and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and also to achieve their end goal of reaching Nigerians far and wide with the best and most affordable access to mobile telecommunications,” the officer said.

The current focus on telecommunications in Lagos, for instance, Chammas said, highlighted how this industry is contributing to driving economic empowerment in Africa as more and more people’s lives are impacted positively once they gain access to mobile communication.

Chammas also said that the event presented a perfect platform for business such as Nokia Siemens Networks to dialogue with government and leading socio-economic thinkers, to continue boosting the socio-economic impact of their corporate activities in the development and lives of Africans.

Delivering a lecture at the event on “Telecommunications Development as a tool to good governance in Africa” Head, Marketing, Middle East and Africa region, Nokia Siemens Networks, Mr. Shahzad Abid, was quoted in a press statement made available to Daily Champion, as saying that NSN is actively committed to driving innovation in Nigerian telecommunications and to connecting the Nigerian people.

“Telecommunications infrastructure plays a crucial role in the overall economic development of nations. Further developing telecommunications systems not only helps grow businesses, but also has great potential to help improve basic life needs such as health care and education,” he declared, adding that it could also ease access to banking services including micro-payments, and makes access to information easier, thus enabling people to take part in decision-making and development of the communities.

He pointed out that the NSN commitment is to enable communications in communities across the world.

“Advanced and energy-efficient communications technology can play a significant role in creating a sustainable future, maintain opportunities for economic welfare and growth, and reduce adverse environmental impacts. Nokia Siemens Networks’ environmentally sustainable business approach has a key role in its network products and solutions,” he said.

Mr. Abid further said that NSN believes that the future of the communications industry lies in understanding and uniting communities.

“By 2015 we expect five billion people will be connected by wire and wirelessly from one end of the planet to the other, and the clear majority of these people will come from new growth markets in Asia and Africa, “ he asserted.

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eNNOVATE-07 begins tomorrow in Lagos

The three-day annual edition of eNNOVATE expo, beginning tomorrow in Lagos, would have music and entertainment via technologies at its centre stage.

eNNOVATE Project Manager, Adewole Ojo, who disclosed this, said that the annual expo and conference series dedicated to stimulating greater public awareness of technology and its applications, would commence tomorrow through Saturday, at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

According to him, music and entertainment will be a vibrant sub-theme for the expo and participants will be examining the impact of technology on the music and entertainment industries, within the context of priming industry practitioners and entrepreneurs cum investors with the wherewithal to continue to thrive in the fast-changing industry.

Mr. Ojo also said that the conference would examine such key issues as why the music recording industry is shrinking in size whereas the music industry as a whole, globally, is fast growing.

“Other issues such as digital broadcasting, and Internet Protocol-based Television (IPTV) among others would be analysed,” he said.

Mr. Ojo added that top industry practitioners have been lined up to discuss these issues, including the chairman, Storm Media and Entertainment Group, Mr. Obi Asika, Mena Ajakpovi of Abraham & Partners, Remi Ogunpitan of Storm Media and Entertainment Group and Charles O’tudor, CEO of Adstrat, a firm of brand consultants, while the session would be chaired by the chief executive, Channels Television, Mr. John Momoh,

He also informed that eNNOVATE-07 is expected to kick-off on Thursday, with a keynote presentation by the international research firm, International Data Corporation (IDC) of a Cisco-commissioned research report, Nigeria’s Broadband Barometer.

The report, he said, examined in detail, Internet penetration in Nigeria with the key contending broadband technologies, the penetration of each of these technologies, the pricing, the growth drivers of Internet penetration as well as the growth inhibitors.

“Very importantly, it also examines the key players in the broadband industry,” he said.

Mr. Ojo stressed that the expo, which is in its third year, targets a mass audience and consistently aims to demystify technology in all its ramifications and encourage mass adoption of technological tools and applications.

“It is the only expo that is promoted via a full web complement that includes a vibrant website, www.ennovate-expo.com and a blog as well.

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NSTB to hold inaugural meeting in Lagos

The Nigerian Software Testing Board (NSTB) would today, hold its inaugural session in Lagos, according to its President, Mr. Akinwale Akingbade.

He informed that the NSTB board of directors is determined to the local software applications to the next level of its developmental stage.

“The time has come for local applications to hold their place with their foreign rivals adding that this would be the policy that the organization would pursue,” he said.

Mr. Akingbade also said that the software testing board would facilitate a rapid development of local software experts and collaboration among industry products sooner than expected.

As said by him, the new board would have leading industry experts including the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Prof. Cleopas Angaye, Managing Director, United Bank for Africa, Mr. Tony Elumelu and Dean of Student at the University of Lagos, Prof. ABC Longe, as members.

He further said that software testing involves the process of certifying applications that meet the needs for which they are deployed.

He decried that several applications purported said to be good to have failed as a result of inadequate testing that they went through.

"The software testing industry holds a huge promise for Nigeria. The inaugural meeting of the board will mark a new era in the software industry as Nigeria would now begin to get proper classification of software products as is done in other countries," NSTB president declared.

Mr. Akingbade added that among the plans the board intend to put in place for the growth of software testing in Nigeria is the introduction of special courses on software testing in some higher institutions.

He equally said that University of Lagos would likely have a course on software testing for final year students in the next academic calendar.

“Software testing was a very lucrative aspect of computer science that required right skills and that Nigeria recently signed an agreement with the American Software Testing and Qualifications Board to help commence certification examinations on software testing,” he said.

Pointing out that the locally trained people who pass the board’s certification examinations would be awarded a certificate by the International Software Testing and Qualifications Board, the global body in charge of software testing.

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Mali leads West Africa in community radio development

Mali is leading the West African countries in the development of community radios, says the Global Information Society (GIS) Watch in its 2007 report.

The GISW 2007 report was launched for the continent at the just ended Third Annual SANGONeT "ICTs for Civil Society" conference and exhibition in Johannesburg, South Africa and was the first in a series of annual reports which examines the state of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy at local and global levels and particularly how policy impacts on the lives of people living in developing countries.

Out of a total of 238 community radios in the West Africa sub-region, the report said, that Mali has 120, Senegal 44, Burkina Faso 27, Niger Republic 24, Republic of Benin 22, Ghana8 and Nigeria 1.

ITRealms Online gathered that the report was drawn from 22 countries in four continents including Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe as well as one report from Western Europe – Spain, just as most of the countries under review have some similarities between the countries, apart from Spain.

According to the report, excluding Spain, 21 others each showed obvious evidence of the “digital divide” which impacts on the majority of people negatively.

For instance, the report also presented an overview of ongoing and planned ICT initiatives in Nigeria, bordering on three key regulatory bodies, namely, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the National Broadcasting
Commission (NBC).

In addition, the report decried the state of Nigeria as concerns community radio licensing and development in spite of achieving astronomical growth in telecommunications deployment.

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Globacom reiterates commitment to bigger, better products

The Second National Operator (SNO), Globacom Limited, has reiterated its commitment to make its future promotions and products bigger and better.

Chief Operations Officer (COO) Globacom, Mr Mohamed Jameel, gave this commitment at a party held for winners of its recent promo on N750 Recharge Card.

According to him, Globacom would introduce more sophisticated value added service and “mind-blowing promos” in the next twelve months.

Mr. Jameel added that the party coincided with the 4th anniversary celebrations of the network, stressing that Glo was not only keeping its promise to deliver a quality network, but was also demonstrating a commitment to Nigerians by keeping its promises to promo winners.

He also commended the subscribers for believing in the Globacom right from launch four years ago, standing by the network and being a part of the success story of the only totally Nigerian network. “As you know, we came at a time when no one gave us any chance since we were coming two years behind the earlier entrants. But for the huge support we received from our subscribers and Nigerians at large, we would not be where we are today as a market leader in the industry”, he said.

Mr. Jameel emphasised that for this, Globacom was encouraged to do even better, adding that in the coming year, “we promise to empower more Nigerians through our promotions and by rolling out more innovative products and Value Added Services. The best is yet to come.”

Some of the winners who spoke to newsmen, commended Globacom for organising what they called an overwhelming night of excitement.

It was “wonderful and full of fun,” one of the winners, Tope Agunsoye, declared.

For another winner, the package of that night, “Glo is truly ruling the world.”

The night featured a live band and an array of dancers and musicians that drew standing ovations from the guests.

The stars of the night were Face whose Kolomental hit sent the audience wild on the dance floor and world Guinness Book of Records dancer Kafi.

Daily Champion recalled that 42 lucky subscribers won brand new Honda Accord i-vtec saloon cars each in the celebrated N750 Recharge Card promo.

Winners included secondary school students, undergraduates, house wives, professionals, military officers and the disabled, who were presented with their prizes in ceremonies held in the different zones of the country.

It was also gathered that the winners, along with their spouses and family members, came for the party from all over the country, with all expenses paid by Globacom.

At the party, the last set of two winners received their prizes along with other winners who were not available to receive their prizes at the various presentation ceremonies. They all received the 2007 model Honda Accord i-vtec.

The N750 Recharge Card promo was organised to reward the network’s subscribers during the end of year season, but the duration of the promo was extended owing to high demand by subscribers.

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Nigeria enters deal with American software testing board

Nigeria has entered into an agreement with the American Software Testing and Qualifications Board (ASTQB) to reposition its software industry.

President of the newly inaugurated Nigerian Software Testing Board (NSTB), Mr. Akinwale Akingbade made this disclosure in Lagos, adding that some Nigerian higher institutions would soon introduce software-testing courses in their curricula.

“Nigeria recently signed an agreement with the American Software Testing and Qualifications Board to help commence certification examinations on software testing,” he disclosed.

Mr. Akingbade also said that software testing is a very lucrative aspect of computer science that required right skills and that is the reason behind Nigeria’s agreement with ASTQB to strengthen this process.

According to him, the International Software Testing and Qualifications Board, the global body in charge of software testing, would award locally trained people who pass the board’s certification examinations a certificate.

Mr. Akingbade equally said that among the plans the board intends to set up a system for the growth of software testing in Nigeria, stressing that the introduction of special courses on software testing in some higher institutions.

In addition, he said, that University of Lagos (UNILAG) would soon commence courses on software testing for final year students in the next academic calendar.

He emphasised that NST board is determined to raise the stake of the local software applications to the next level of its developmental stage.

“The time has come for local applications to hold their place with their foreign rivals adding that this would be the policy that the organization would pursue,” he said.

He assured that the software testing board would endeavour to introduce rapid development of local software and relevant experts.

Part of the responsibilities of the board, he said, would include improving of software testing which involves the process of certifying applications that meet international standard.

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Globacom goes to Benin Republic

Determined to storm the West African telecommunications market, the Nigeria’s Second National Operator (SNO) Globacom Limited, was last weekend Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications operational license in the Republic of Benin.

This is coming as the firm has promised to rollout services for the network in the next 60 days.

Confirming this to Daily Champion, the Globacom Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Mohammed Jameel, said the development is another major step in its quest to rule the continent telecommunications market in no distant future.

The company, he said, was granted the licence by the Beninoise government after it emerged top from among several telecommunications operators including Lab Green Networks of Libya.

Globacom, it was gathered was preferred ahead of the other bidders because of its technical superiority and ability to deliver.

Our sources also said the Beninoise government was greatly influenced by the company’s ability to commence services in the next 60 days, a key requirement of the country’s telecom authorities.

Daily Champion also gathered that Beninoise authorities recently suspended the licenses of two of the GSM operators, namely the MTN and Atlantique Telecom, over dispute on regulatory fees.

“The suspension of the licences prompted the government to hold a new round of bidding to award one more GSM licence in order to improve telecommunications services in the country,” the sources said.

Industry observers said the granting of licence to Globacom by the Beninoise government would boost the network’s efforts and dream to rule the African telecommunications market.

Globacom, which started operations in 2003, is today considered one or the fastest growing networks in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, with a subscriber base of over 13 million.

Glo also pride itself with a record of one million subscribers in less than nine months of operation in addition to covering over 40,000 towns, communities and villages in Nigeria.

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