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The World Cyber Games (WCG) Nigeria has entered the qualifying series, according to its President, Mr. Ogunlola Olusegun, last weekend in Lagos, reports UGO NKWOCHA.
Speaking at a press briefing which held at the Chams City Center in Ikeja GRA, he said WCG is one of the biggest international computing games globally.
He also said that the world cyber games is to empower youth to use their self skills to work and is held annually.
Mr. Ogunlola added that the last year’s edition had South Africa as the only African country, but Nigeria would be the second at this year’s version, stressing that the event is to promote such ideas in Nigeria to sensitize the people.
Equally, he said the preliminaries would be held in cybercafes, gaming centers and recreational clubs around the country.
“The gamers would have to beat the computers at their chosen games in order to qualify for the next round, where they would face the best gamers in their region before moving to the national finals in Lagos to compete for a total price of $5 million (about N588.6m),” Ogunlola said.
He noted that the WCG is working to identify and recruit the best gamers in the country and sponsor them as national representatives to the World Cyber Games grand finale in Cologne, Germany this November.
The qualifying series, he said, kicked off on Monday, August 25, 2008 at various locations nationwide and is expected to end by September 16, 2008.
Mr. Ogunlola expressed appreciation to all the sponsors from private, local and international community.
A representative of the government and Director, Software Research, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Emeka Ezekwesili, said that his agency is interested in any avenue that would draw early interest of Nigerian youths to the use of technology positively.
“We prefer to catch them young instead of youth getting involved in what is now known as Yahoo, Yahoo also called online 419ers,” he said.
The Account Manager, Intel Corporation Nigeria, Mr. Robinson Babatunde and Head, Corporate Affairs, Chams Plc, Mr. Idowu Logile, were also at the briefing.
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
JDPC launches IT training
AS part of efforts to empower the youths with the Information Technology (IT) skills, the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) in the Catholic diocese of Lagos, has put together a computer and IT training programme, reports STELLA EDMUND.
According to the Coordinator of the programme, Mrs. Rose-Mary Onyeukwu, the skills acquisition is a refresher course for students aimed at developing them for the challenges ahead.
Mrs. Onyeukwu also said that about 360 students have been registered already and are currently undergoing the training from different public and private schools across the state.
Also speaking, the assistant parish priest, St Agnes Catholic, Maryland, Rev. Fr. Augustine Nnemeka, noted that several children were idle during the recent strike and this leads to all sort of evil acts, adding that the programme was aimed at keeping them busy and also to teach them computer as means of communication and information dissemination locally and globally.
The training, he said, was sponsored by Microsoft Corporation Nigeria, in collaboration with the parish council for its youths, adding that the idea behind it is to build the youths with the required skills and keep them away from danger.
He called on parents to pay attention to the needs of their children to make them responsible citizens of the nation.
A participant, Miss Joan Ofondu told ITRealms Online that the computer training has been so rich and educative and has afforded her the opportunity of being computer literate.
JDPC is the official response of the Catholic Church to the socio-economic challenges facing various levels of the society.
In line with the church guidelines setting it up, JDPC is to help and support deprived people of all races, religion and gender as well as an outreach programme of the church, coordinated under the Church and Society department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN).
With presence in almost all the Catholic dioceses and archdioceses nationwide, each JDPC discharges its responsibility according to its local situation.
Most JDPC at their levels target groups for these programmes which basically need not be Catholics but members of all other churches and religions working in collaboration with human rights cum access to justice groups, good governance enhancement programme, micro-credit and small business development, peace building and conflict management in addition to environmental, HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support.
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According to the Coordinator of the programme, Mrs. Rose-Mary Onyeukwu, the skills acquisition is a refresher course for students aimed at developing them for the challenges ahead.
Mrs. Onyeukwu also said that about 360 students have been registered already and are currently undergoing the training from different public and private schools across the state.
Also speaking, the assistant parish priest, St Agnes Catholic, Maryland, Rev. Fr. Augustine Nnemeka, noted that several children were idle during the recent strike and this leads to all sort of evil acts, adding that the programme was aimed at keeping them busy and also to teach them computer as means of communication and information dissemination locally and globally.
The training, he said, was sponsored by Microsoft Corporation Nigeria, in collaboration with the parish council for its youths, adding that the idea behind it is to build the youths with the required skills and keep them away from danger.
He called on parents to pay attention to the needs of their children to make them responsible citizens of the nation.
A participant, Miss Joan Ofondu told ITRealms Online that the computer training has been so rich and educative and has afforded her the opportunity of being computer literate.
JDPC is the official response of the Catholic Church to the socio-economic challenges facing various levels of the society.
In line with the church guidelines setting it up, JDPC is to help and support deprived people of all races, religion and gender as well as an outreach programme of the church, coordinated under the Church and Society department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN).
With presence in almost all the Catholic dioceses and archdioceses nationwide, each JDPC discharges its responsibility according to its local situation.
Most JDPC at their levels target groups for these programmes which basically need not be Catholics but members of all other churches and religions working in collaboration with human rights cum access to justice groups, good governance enhancement programme, micro-credit and small business development, peace building and conflict management in addition to environmental, HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support.
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Niger State teams up with Galaxy Plc on NICEP
In line with the commitment of the Niger State government, the executive governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu has endorsed a teaming up of the state with the federal government infrastructure backbone company, the Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Plc through the National Information, Communication and Education Programme (NICEP) projects.
NICEP is an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy intervention by the Federal Government targeted at the realization of its e-governance and Millennium Development Goals’ objectives.
Equally NICEP project is designed to deploy about 5000 Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT) nodes all around the country including Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA), the 36 state capitals and 774 local government areas.
The NICEP project promises to provide the benefits of ICT to all areas of the country, particularly hard-to-reach areas and underserved communities, connected directly to the NICEP national operations centre in Abuja.
Corporate Communications, Manager at Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mr. Franklyn Ginger-Eke, said in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online that the partnership would centre on the vision to make Niger State one of the three best economies in Nigeria, especially in the areas of education, science and technology as well as agriculture by 2020.
Commenting, Gov. Aliyu expressed willingness to partner with Galaxy Backbone Plc towards the achievement of the socio-economic development of the state.
Speaking through the State Commissioner for Science & Technology, Alhaji Muhammad Yusuf Gunu, during a courtesy visit to Galaxy Plc in Abuja, said that the Niger State Government would form a credible partnership with GBB on the NICEP based on its belief that the adoption of ICTs and its benefits is the only way the state could remain relevant and a key player in support of the national efforts of making Nigeria one of the 20 top economies in the world by 2020.
According to him, the partnership is part of the overall vision of becoming an e-compliant society by leveraging opportunities represented in the 5,000 VSAT-nodes NICEP Project currently being rolled out nationwide by Galaxy.
Welcoming the guest, Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe, said that the visit is a confirmation that the Dr. Aliyu’s administration is a government that matches words with deeds.
He recalled that Aliyu as the Special Guest of Honour at the 1st Public Sector ICT Infrastructure Forum organized by Galaxy Backbone Plc recently was represented by the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Science & Technology and had pledged that the resolutions of the forum would form a major platform for the implementation of the ICT policy initiatives of the state government.
Ilukwe also said that Galaxy Backbone’s business objectives are focused in four main areas namely Technology 4 Governance which deals with Government to Government interactions at the federal or state levels; Technology 4 Revenue which concerns using ICTs for revenue generation, payment of taxes, budget performance monitoring, reliable statistics for planning and so on; Technology 4 Education which involves delivering qualitative education especially at Tertiary and Secondary levels and Technology 4 Development which focuses on community development.
He pledged his company’s readiness to work with the government of Niger State for the attainment of the socio-economic development of the state and its people.
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NICEP is an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy intervention by the Federal Government targeted at the realization of its e-governance and Millennium Development Goals’ objectives.
Equally NICEP project is designed to deploy about 5000 Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT) nodes all around the country including Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA), the 36 state capitals and 774 local government areas.
The NICEP project promises to provide the benefits of ICT to all areas of the country, particularly hard-to-reach areas and underserved communities, connected directly to the NICEP national operations centre in Abuja.
Corporate Communications, Manager at Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mr. Franklyn Ginger-Eke, said in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online that the partnership would centre on the vision to make Niger State one of the three best economies in Nigeria, especially in the areas of education, science and technology as well as agriculture by 2020.
Commenting, Gov. Aliyu expressed willingness to partner with Galaxy Backbone Plc towards the achievement of the socio-economic development of the state.
Speaking through the State Commissioner for Science & Technology, Alhaji Muhammad Yusuf Gunu, during a courtesy visit to Galaxy Plc in Abuja, said that the Niger State Government would form a credible partnership with GBB on the NICEP based on its belief that the adoption of ICTs and its benefits is the only way the state could remain relevant and a key player in support of the national efforts of making Nigeria one of the 20 top economies in the world by 2020.
According to him, the partnership is part of the overall vision of becoming an e-compliant society by leveraging opportunities represented in the 5,000 VSAT-nodes NICEP Project currently being rolled out nationwide by Galaxy.
Welcoming the guest, Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe, said that the visit is a confirmation that the Dr. Aliyu’s administration is a government that matches words with deeds.
He recalled that Aliyu as the Special Guest of Honour at the 1st Public Sector ICT Infrastructure Forum organized by Galaxy Backbone Plc recently was represented by the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Science & Technology and had pledged that the resolutions of the forum would form a major platform for the implementation of the ICT policy initiatives of the state government.
Ilukwe also said that Galaxy Backbone’s business objectives are focused in four main areas namely Technology 4 Governance which deals with Government to Government interactions at the federal or state levels; Technology 4 Revenue which concerns using ICTs for revenue generation, payment of taxes, budget performance monitoring, reliable statistics for planning and so on; Technology 4 Education which involves delivering qualitative education especially at Tertiary and Secondary levels and Technology 4 Development which focuses on community development.
He pledged his company’s readiness to work with the government of Niger State for the attainment of the socio-economic development of the state and its people.
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Etisalat engages 150 care centre staff
The nation’s fifth Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) operator Etisalat Nigeria, has intensified training for its customer-facing staff numbering 150 in preparation for the commercial roll-out of the network.
“Over 150 Nigerians in customer care services have been trained and deployed to the state-of-the-art Call Centre facility in Lagos,” a press statement endorsed by the Head, Communications at Etisalat Nigeria, Mrs. Nwugo Nwoke.
According to her, among these latest staff are graduates of the prestigious Etisalat Academy in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) with expertise in customer care and quality management.
Vice President Marketing, Mr. Wael Ammar was quoted as saying that the telco keeps its customers at heart.
“Etisalat’s business has not only been the hallmark of our global quality but has been key to our latest ranking as the largest telecommunications company in both the Middle East and Africa. We, therefore, place a high premium on training our staff as well as on the quality of services we offer our customers,” Ammar said.
In addition Etisalat official said it has confirmed several readiness indicators including the completion of core network implementation as well as full integration of its switching systems cum intelligent network online charging system (OCS).
The milestones reached by Etisalat also include interconnectivity to other major GSM and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators.
Confirming these developments, the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Oladamoye Oyesiku said that the operator as the fastest growing telco in the world, “is committed to providing world-class telecommunications services to prospective customers in fulfillment of our mandate in Nigeria and in line with our operating standards in over 15 other countries.”
He added that already Etisalat value added services network platform has been installed and integrated with basic services which are up and running.
Etisalat has also concluded roaming agreements to a host of countries, while its first-class call and data centres in Lagos are fully operational.
Etisalat, which has been ranked as the largest telecommunications company in both the Middle East and Africa , ahead of all other regional and international operators in the two regions, serves an aggregate of 63 million customers across 16 countries.
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“Over 150 Nigerians in customer care services have been trained and deployed to the state-of-the-art Call Centre facility in Lagos,” a press statement endorsed by the Head, Communications at Etisalat Nigeria, Mrs. Nwugo Nwoke.
According to her, among these latest staff are graduates of the prestigious Etisalat Academy in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) with expertise in customer care and quality management.
Vice President Marketing, Mr. Wael Ammar was quoted as saying that the telco keeps its customers at heart.
“Etisalat’s business has not only been the hallmark of our global quality but has been key to our latest ranking as the largest telecommunications company in both the Middle East and Africa. We, therefore, place a high premium on training our staff as well as on the quality of services we offer our customers,” Ammar said.
In addition Etisalat official said it has confirmed several readiness indicators including the completion of core network implementation as well as full integration of its switching systems cum intelligent network online charging system (OCS).
The milestones reached by Etisalat also include interconnectivity to other major GSM and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators.
Confirming these developments, the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Oladamoye Oyesiku said that the operator as the fastest growing telco in the world, “is committed to providing world-class telecommunications services to prospective customers in fulfillment of our mandate in Nigeria and in line with our operating standards in over 15 other countries.”
He added that already Etisalat value added services network platform has been installed and integrated with basic services which are up and running.
Etisalat has also concluded roaming agreements to a host of countries, while its first-class call and data centres in Lagos are fully operational.
Etisalat, which has been ranked as the largest telecommunications company in both the Middle East and Africa , ahead of all other regional and international operators in the two regions, serves an aggregate of 63 million customers across 16 countries.
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Ndukwe bags telecom Icon award
Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, has bagged the Icon award of the Nigerian Telecom Revolution at the Nigerian Telecoms Awards 2008.
Organizers of the award which held in Lagos, last weekend, said it is a recognition which encapsulates the contributions of Dr. Ndukwe, in putting Nigeria in the world map of telecom delivery through his outstanding management of the telecom regulations in the country that brought about the revolution that Nigeria has enjoyed in the area of telecom services.
Dr. Ndukwe was also noted to have contributed to the growth of the Nigerian economy through a very transparent regulatory process that brought huge investments to the country and created direct and indirect jobs and businesses in a manner that has never been witnessed in any sector in Nigeria’s history.
ITRealms Online recalled that Dr. Ndukwe was earlier in the year in South Africa, voted the Best Regulatory Personality of the year in Africa, a testimony of how his efforts in Nigeria has been recognized abroad, with some African countries visiting Nigeria on study tours about the best regulatory practices and processes.
The presentation of Icon of the Nigerian Telecom Award to the NCC boss, coincided with the commemoration of the 7th year anniversary of the launch of Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) services in the country since August 2001, with Nigeria topping the African continent with the highest number of active lines at about 54 million connected lines by end of June, 2008.
The organizers noted also that Nigeria is now occupying a place among the top 10 countries in the world in telecommunications growth, which has been breathtaking development achieved within seven years.
Nigeria had about 400,000 fixed lines and 20,000 mobile lines as at year 2000 when the telecom and electronic engineer was appointed for the first time in office.
Dr. Ndukwe’s second tenure at the NCC is expected to end in 2010, and he was quoted recently as saying that in the remaining months of his tenure he tends to strengthen the regulatory body and ensure robust coverage of the country with telecom infrastructure and services.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Organizers of the award which held in Lagos, last weekend, said it is a recognition which encapsulates the contributions of Dr. Ndukwe, in putting Nigeria in the world map of telecom delivery through his outstanding management of the telecom regulations in the country that brought about the revolution that Nigeria has enjoyed in the area of telecom services.
Dr. Ndukwe was also noted to have contributed to the growth of the Nigerian economy through a very transparent regulatory process that brought huge investments to the country and created direct and indirect jobs and businesses in a manner that has never been witnessed in any sector in Nigeria’s history.
ITRealms Online recalled that Dr. Ndukwe was earlier in the year in South Africa, voted the Best Regulatory Personality of the year in Africa, a testimony of how his efforts in Nigeria has been recognized abroad, with some African countries visiting Nigeria on study tours about the best regulatory practices and processes.
The presentation of Icon of the Nigerian Telecom Award to the NCC boss, coincided with the commemoration of the 7th year anniversary of the launch of Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) services in the country since August 2001, with Nigeria topping the African continent with the highest number of active lines at about 54 million connected lines by end of June, 2008.
The organizers noted also that Nigeria is now occupying a place among the top 10 countries in the world in telecommunications growth, which has been breathtaking development achieved within seven years.
Nigeria had about 400,000 fixed lines and 20,000 mobile lines as at year 2000 when the telecom and electronic engineer was appointed for the first time in office.
Dr. Ndukwe’s second tenure at the NCC is expected to end in 2010, and he was quoted recently as saying that in the remaining months of his tenure he tends to strengthen the regulatory body and ensure robust coverage of the country with telecom infrastructure and services.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Nokia launches E66, E71 in Lagos
Leader in mobility and driver of converging Internet and communications, Nokia launched two Eseries mobile devices namely the slim, stylish Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 otherwise known as ‘multimedia computers’.
These two also offer easy access to range of electronic mail (email) solutions, including Microsoft Exchange.
These phones are regarded as the new interface of the Nokia Eseries business smart phones which makes it easy for both individual and professionals to manage their schedules and contacts as it does to making calls.
Marketing Manager, Nokia Nigeria, Ms. Beatrice Olumhense said at the launch which took place weekend in Ikeja-Lagos that these phones were produced as commitment of the mobile company to solve the need of the email enthusiasts through mobile device.
She added that the device has inbuilt Yahoo!, Google mail (Gmail) and Hotmail facilities as well as Microsoft Exchange, 3 Giga bytes of memory card.
She noted that the sleek Nokia E71 comes with full QWERTY keyboard and the stylish, slide-to-open Nokia E66 easily mobilizes a broad range of personal or professional messaging needs, including Microsoft Exchange.
Both devices which hit the global market since July this year, she were designed for people who lead a mobile lifestyle and want quick and easy access to their personal and work email.
“We have responded to consumer feedback by making calendar and contacts available at the touch of a button,” she said.
Equally, the Senior Vice President, Devices Nokia, Søren Petersen, was quoted in an accompanying press statement by the Communications Manager, Nokia Nigeria, Ms Ngozi Anene, that people want well-crafted devices that are as beautiful to use as they are to behold.
“Stainless steel was chosen as the core material for these devices, giving them additional strength and a touch of class. Furthermore, the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 offer all the latest multimedia features that people desire,” Soren said.
Explaining further, the product manager for Nokia Nigeria, Mr. Jude Omozegie, said, that the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 come fully equipped for easy-to-install and easy-to-use professional and personal email.
According to him, people who use Microsoft Exchange at work could access their email using the mail for exchange mobile email client, which comes pre-loaded with the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66.
“With these Nokia Eseries devices, people can get reliable real-time access to their email, calendar, contacts and tasks, as well as download attachments like Word, Excel, Powerpoint or Product Document File (PDF) files directly to their devices,” he said.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
These two also offer easy access to range of electronic mail (email) solutions, including Microsoft Exchange.
These phones are regarded as the new interface of the Nokia Eseries business smart phones which makes it easy for both individual and professionals to manage their schedules and contacts as it does to making calls.
Marketing Manager, Nokia Nigeria, Ms. Beatrice Olumhense said at the launch which took place weekend in Ikeja-Lagos that these phones were produced as commitment of the mobile company to solve the need of the email enthusiasts through mobile device.
She added that the device has inbuilt Yahoo!, Google mail (Gmail) and Hotmail facilities as well as Microsoft Exchange, 3 Giga bytes of memory card.
She noted that the sleek Nokia E71 comes with full QWERTY keyboard and the stylish, slide-to-open Nokia E66 easily mobilizes a broad range of personal or professional messaging needs, including Microsoft Exchange.
Both devices which hit the global market since July this year, she were designed for people who lead a mobile lifestyle and want quick and easy access to their personal and work email.
“We have responded to consumer feedback by making calendar and contacts available at the touch of a button,” she said.
Equally, the Senior Vice President, Devices Nokia, Søren Petersen, was quoted in an accompanying press statement by the Communications Manager, Nokia Nigeria, Ms Ngozi Anene, that people want well-crafted devices that are as beautiful to use as they are to behold.
“Stainless steel was chosen as the core material for these devices, giving them additional strength and a touch of class. Furthermore, the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 offer all the latest multimedia features that people desire,” Soren said.
Explaining further, the product manager for Nokia Nigeria, Mr. Jude Omozegie, said, that the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 come fully equipped for easy-to-install and easy-to-use professional and personal email.
According to him, people who use Microsoft Exchange at work could access their email using the mail for exchange mobile email client, which comes pre-loaded with the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66.
“With these Nokia Eseries devices, people can get reliable real-time access to their email, calendar, contacts and tasks, as well as download attachments like Word, Excel, Powerpoint or Product Document File (PDF) files directly to their devices,” he said.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Samsung launches flat penal TV series
Samsung Electronics has launched a new brand of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Television (TV) into the Nigerian market.
Speaking at the launch which took place on Monday in Lagos , the President, Samsung Electronics Nigeria, Mr. Woosang Cho, said the product has been the toast of the elites and all who matter in the world of consumer electronics everywhere it has been launched around the world, adding that he expect the same enthusiasm for the product in Nigeria.
“As you will get to know, the products we are about unveiling is a unique one that blends top performance with art to the extent that you can hardly tell whether it is a TV or a piece of art,” he said.
Stressing that after a global launch in selected countries of the world, that Samsung decided to have a formal launched of its 2008 Flat Panel TV in Nigeria .
The event witnessed by leading Samsung distributors, wholesalers and retailers in the country excited the President, Samsung Electronics Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Woosang Cho, who declared, “Today marks a unique turning point in the life of the Samsung brand of televisions here in Nigeria owing to the fact of the august unveiling and launch of our new brand of LCD TV series into the Nigerian market.”
Cho also said that the product has been applauded from other parts of the world where it had hitherto been launched.
He anticipated that the 2008 flat panel TV would receive the same acclaim it had enjoyed worldwide, just as he said, the unveiled Samsung Plasma TV is simply unique as it blends top performance with art; making it difficult to differentiate the television from a piece of art.
Also speaking at the launch, the General Manager, Far East Mercantile Company Limited, major distributors of Samsung in the country, Mr. Praveen Meduri said the new product is a blend of good looks, performance and adaptability stating that Samsung is the leader in the industry.
According to him, the fact that the product was a Samsung brand was a first sign of endorsement; given that Samsung’s leadership in television manufacturing is unrivalled. Mr. Meduri explained that the latest products from Samsung embodies beauty, performance and adaptability, pointing out that creative ingenuity of the aesthetic department of Samsung Electronics culminated in the beautiful design of the 2008 flat panel TVs, which he often described as a work of art.
“The beauty of this television is not skin deep. Other televisions have their colours painted on them. This is not a painted television. The colours on this television come from inside. They call it dual-injection technology. This has never been used on televisions before. This is the first time, this is a beautiful television,” he said.
He further stated that no television currently possesses “a better and sharper colour quality than the 2008 Samsung Flat panel TV.”
Noting that the contrast ratio of the Samsung flat panel TV is currently at 50,000: 1 “And the best that Sony can throw at us is 18,000:1,” adding that it has Bluetooth technology infused and the provision of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port as “killer applications” among others.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Speaking at the launch which took place on Monday in Lagos , the President, Samsung Electronics Nigeria, Mr. Woosang Cho, said the product has been the toast of the elites and all who matter in the world of consumer electronics everywhere it has been launched around the world, adding that he expect the same enthusiasm for the product in Nigeria.
“As you will get to know, the products we are about unveiling is a unique one that blends top performance with art to the extent that you can hardly tell whether it is a TV or a piece of art,” he said.
Stressing that after a global launch in selected countries of the world, that Samsung decided to have a formal launched of its 2008 Flat Panel TV in Nigeria .
The event witnessed by leading Samsung distributors, wholesalers and retailers in the country excited the President, Samsung Electronics Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Woosang Cho, who declared, “Today marks a unique turning point in the life of the Samsung brand of televisions here in Nigeria owing to the fact of the august unveiling and launch of our new brand of LCD TV series into the Nigerian market.”
Cho also said that the product has been applauded from other parts of the world where it had hitherto been launched.
He anticipated that the 2008 flat panel TV would receive the same acclaim it had enjoyed worldwide, just as he said, the unveiled Samsung Plasma TV is simply unique as it blends top performance with art; making it difficult to differentiate the television from a piece of art.
Also speaking at the launch, the General Manager, Far East Mercantile Company Limited, major distributors of Samsung in the country, Mr. Praveen Meduri said the new product is a blend of good looks, performance and adaptability stating that Samsung is the leader in the industry.
According to him, the fact that the product was a Samsung brand was a first sign of endorsement; given that Samsung’s leadership in television manufacturing is unrivalled. Mr. Meduri explained that the latest products from Samsung embodies beauty, performance and adaptability, pointing out that creative ingenuity of the aesthetic department of Samsung Electronics culminated in the beautiful design of the 2008 flat panel TVs, which he often described as a work of art.
“The beauty of this television is not skin deep. Other televisions have their colours painted on them. This is not a painted television. The colours on this television come from inside. They call it dual-injection technology. This has never been used on televisions before. This is the first time, this is a beautiful television,” he said.
He further stated that no television currently possesses “a better and sharper colour quality than the 2008 Samsung Flat panel TV.”
Noting that the contrast ratio of the Samsung flat panel TV is currently at 50,000: 1 “And the best that Sony can throw at us is 18,000:1,” adding that it has Bluetooth technology infused and the provision of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port as “killer applications” among others.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Glo empowers call centre operators with ProfitMax Extra
The Second National Operator (SNO), Globacom has empowered some commercial phone operators otherwise known as call centre operators with the introduction fo the ProfitMax Extra.
This, the operator said, would enable them to make bigger profits with the introduction of what it called, “the best ever business centre package in the country.”
Group Chief Operating Officer at Globacom, Mr. Mr Mohamed Jameel, said in a press statement made available to Champion Infotel that the scheme is available as ProfitMax Extra.
“The beauty of this offering from Glo is its lowest market call rates which enables commercial phone operators across the country reap bountifully from their investments in the business,” he said, adding that the underlining philosophy behind the package is to give a vast majority of young Nigerians who have the drive the opportunity to make some good returns on investment in the commercial phone business.
Jameel also said that Globacom has always been traditionally interested in empowering Nigerians and with this scheme, the telco would radically change the business of many commercial phone operators who take advantage of it.
“ProfitMax Extra will boost the revenue capacity of the commercial telephone operators. Since a lot of Nigerians patronize commercial call centres, the commercial telephone operators will through ProftMax Extra be able to earn more from their investments”, Mr Jameel said.
He further explained that ProfitMax Extra is a robust prepaid product deal for the operators with guarantee of bigger returns. It comes with the lowest daily rental fee of N60 for products in its category across the telecoms market in the country. Apart from this, it has the lowest on-network and off-network call rates in the market of 26 kobo per second, ensuring that the commercial phone operators who opt for it will truly rule the market.
Jameel added that ProfitMax Extra has also been designed to help address growing unemployment among Nigerian youths by encouraging them to set up their own commercial telephone operations with little investment.
The package is available in all Globacom retail and customer care shops and also from select dealers nationwide.
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This, the operator said, would enable them to make bigger profits with the introduction of what it called, “the best ever business centre package in the country.”
Group Chief Operating Officer at Globacom, Mr. Mr Mohamed Jameel, said in a press statement made available to Champion Infotel that the scheme is available as ProfitMax Extra.
“The beauty of this offering from Glo is its lowest market call rates which enables commercial phone operators across the country reap bountifully from their investments in the business,” he said, adding that the underlining philosophy behind the package is to give a vast majority of young Nigerians who have the drive the opportunity to make some good returns on investment in the commercial phone business.
Jameel also said that Globacom has always been traditionally interested in empowering Nigerians and with this scheme, the telco would radically change the business of many commercial phone operators who take advantage of it.
“ProfitMax Extra will boost the revenue capacity of the commercial telephone operators. Since a lot of Nigerians patronize commercial call centres, the commercial telephone operators will through ProftMax Extra be able to earn more from their investments”, Mr Jameel said.
He further explained that ProfitMax Extra is a robust prepaid product deal for the operators with guarantee of bigger returns. It comes with the lowest daily rental fee of N60 for products in its category across the telecoms market in the country. Apart from this, it has the lowest on-network and off-network call rates in the market of 26 kobo per second, ensuring that the commercial phone operators who opt for it will truly rule the market.
Jameel added that ProfitMax Extra has also been designed to help address growing unemployment among Nigerian youths by encouraging them to set up their own commercial telephone operations with little investment.
The package is available in all Globacom retail and customer care shops and also from select dealers nationwide.
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APC introduces web-based data centre
Global leader in integrated critical power and cooling services, APC by Schneider Electric, has simplified data centre decision making process by introducing web-based applications.
The vice president of APC’s Data Center Science Center, Carl Cottuli, announced the debut of APC TradeOff Tools, is a new web-based applications with easy-to-use interfaces designed for use in the early stages of data centre concept and design development.
According to Cottuli, by enabling data centre professionals to experiment with various scenarios regarding virtualization, efficiency, power sizing, capital costs, and other key design issues, APC TradeOff Tools break down major data centre planning decisions into a series of smaller, more manageable decisions. Use of these tools helps validate, through modeling, the overall design of a data centre.
“Customers need to make many key decisions during any data centre project, and they do not always have the necessary information to guide them,” Cottuli said, adding that many of their concerns are not addressed by configuration tools because they occur early in the concept selection process.
“With the introduction of APC’s TradeOff Tools, when a roadblock arises, the data centre decision maker can easily find a tool to deal with their specific issue, get a quick answer, and continue on in the concept selection process,” the VP said.
The seven tools, Cottuli said, are currently available on the http://tools.apc.com section of the APC Web site, carbon calculator, energy efficiency calculator, capital cost calculator, virtualization energy cost calculator, power sizing calculator, InRow containment selector, and AC vs. DC calculator.
Cottuli stressed that on the carbon calculator, illustrates how changes to a data centre’s location, efficiency, and power load could impact carbon dioxide emissions and the electric bill.
“This provides management with a general indication of how “green” their data centre is today and how “green” it could be,” Carl said.
The energy efficiency calculator, is profiled as a data centre and calculates the resulting efficiency and electrical cost based on data centre characteristics.
Users can then understand the impact each key data centre decision has on the data centre’s efficiency.
For the capital cost calculator, the identified key data centre physical infrastructure parameters and calculates capital costs based on those parameters.
“This allows data centre users to judge how changes to data centre location, IT load, and cooling and power infrastructure can impact overall capital costs,” Cottuli added.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
The vice president of APC’s Data Center Science Center, Carl Cottuli, announced the debut of APC TradeOff Tools, is a new web-based applications with easy-to-use interfaces designed for use in the early stages of data centre concept and design development.
According to Cottuli, by enabling data centre professionals to experiment with various scenarios regarding virtualization, efficiency, power sizing, capital costs, and other key design issues, APC TradeOff Tools break down major data centre planning decisions into a series of smaller, more manageable decisions. Use of these tools helps validate, through modeling, the overall design of a data centre.
“Customers need to make many key decisions during any data centre project, and they do not always have the necessary information to guide them,” Cottuli said, adding that many of their concerns are not addressed by configuration tools because they occur early in the concept selection process.
“With the introduction of APC’s TradeOff Tools, when a roadblock arises, the data centre decision maker can easily find a tool to deal with their specific issue, get a quick answer, and continue on in the concept selection process,” the VP said.
The seven tools, Cottuli said, are currently available on the http://tools.apc.com section of the APC Web site, carbon calculator, energy efficiency calculator, capital cost calculator, virtualization energy cost calculator, power sizing calculator, InRow containment selector, and AC vs. DC calculator.
Cottuli stressed that on the carbon calculator, illustrates how changes to a data centre’s location, efficiency, and power load could impact carbon dioxide emissions and the electric bill.
“This provides management with a general indication of how “green” their data centre is today and how “green” it could be,” Carl said.
The energy efficiency calculator, is profiled as a data centre and calculates the resulting efficiency and electrical cost based on data centre characteristics.
Users can then understand the impact each key data centre decision has on the data centre’s efficiency.
For the capital cost calculator, the identified key data centre physical infrastructure parameters and calculates capital costs based on those parameters.
“This allows data centre users to judge how changes to data centre location, IT load, and cooling and power infrastructure can impact overall capital costs,” Cottuli added.
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MTN’s balancing act for Okada riders
The Volkswagen bus stop end of the Lagos-Badagary Expressway was as chaotic as always one Saturday morning sometime last year. The gridlock began from Okokomaiko and stretched as far as the International Trade Fair Complex. Dozens of impatient motorists had broken the one-way traffic rule and had complicated the crisis, ensuring that there was no movement of motor vehicles on either side of the very busy expressway.
There was ‘absolutely nothing wrong’ with this for the people who live along this route as such scenes are common occurrence. What was not common was the sight of a bride in her full white gown pacing up and down with her best lady in tow beside a gaily decorated Toyota Avensis marked To The Alter.
It was obvious that the convoy, which was coming from Olojo Drive that connects the expressway to the famous Alaba International Market was church-bound. Word soon spread among bystanders and a crowd of other commuters and motorists that the convoy was going to a Catholic church in Festac for a wedding service that was to have commenced some 30 minutes earlier.
The convoy had spent considerable amount of time to proceed to the Volkswagen end of Olojo Drive but had come to a complete standstill, with no hope of being able to get out of the situation anytime soon.
The unthinkable happened. With loud protest from her best lady and some more elderly members of her entourage as the bride flagged down an okada, gathered up her gown and jumped on the passenger seat. Left with no choice, the best lady grabbed the next available one and chased after the anxious bride.
Some other members of her convoy, one after the other, chased after okada riders to ferry them to the church where, it was understood, the very strict officiating minister had already commenced the services as there were four other couples involved.
Despite the traffic jam, with an okada, the bride was guaranteed to get to the church service latest in 30 minutes. Therein lays the foremost value of an okada in the modern Nigerian society. With the appalling state of the roads, gross indiscipline on the part of motorists and a steady rise in number of vehicles using the roads, a very important role has been carved out for commercial motorcycles in the Nigerian transportation system.
This is so crucial that people who would rather not touch an okada with a long pole now on the increasing occasions have to hop on it to meet urgent appointments.
Okada riders would go against the normal flow of traffic, run on the kerb, the road median, the frontages of people’s residences and other such improvised thoroughfares to get their passengers to their destinations and sometimes, to the mortuary too.
Statistics released by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) recently indicated that 60,261 persons were killed through motorcycle accidents (okada) between 1989 and 2007. A total of 40,706 persons were maimed within the same period in a total of 73,766 incidents.
These figures, which the sector Commander, FRSC, Lagos described as Mr. Kayode Olagunju unacceptable, are indeed grossly understated. Only a few of the road accidents in Nigeria get reported to the police and yet only a few of the ones reported at the local stations get forwarded to a central information pool where the statistics are drawn.
The okada probably constitutes more peril to Nigerians today than any other means of transportation because of its sheer pervasiveness. And interestingly not only those who utilise it for transportation are at risk. Okadas have been known to run into commuters for buses or otherwise run down pedestrians.
Managing the menace of Okada in Nigeria has therefore become a major issue to the general public and their appointed leaders. Many of these stakeholders have come up with a lot of suggestions as to how to strip this now accepted means of transportation of its inherent evil for the benefit of the society.
A general consensus is that many of the motorcycle operators lack the necessary safety awareness to run commercial motorcycle operations on the roads. Invariably, this informed the decision of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications company, MTN, to build an extensive safety awareness programme for okada riders nationwide into its recently concluded month-long staff volunteerism campaign, dubbed 21 Days of Y’ello Care 2008.
The staff volunteerism scheme initiated last year by the MTN Group involved staff in its 21 operations across the world taking part in community-based activities.
In Nigeria, MTN employees this year were divided into two major groups, Business Transformers and Share ‘n’ Care, which organised dozens of activities aimed at improving the society. The safety awareness drill for okada riders and commercial drivers were championed by the Business Transformers group, whose activities centred around assisting small and medium scale enterprises acquire sound business practices that can take them to the top.
Working with the umbrella body of commercial vehicle operators known as the National Union of Road transport Workers (NURTW), the group organised informal workshops for commercial motorcyclists and drivers in some of the busiest terminuses in Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and many other parts of the country.
The workshops took the participants through a number of issues like accident prevention and control, first aid treatment, life saving tips and techniques, defensive driving, basic road signs and anger management among others.
In addition, the participants also benefited from free health screening for common ailments that could adversely affect safe operation of motorcycles, principal among which are eye problems. They also received counseling on how to use commercial motorcycling operation as a stepping stone to greater means of livelihood, especially when they become older and incapable of carrying on with the business.
“Our major concern is to ensure that accidents of okada and of course motor vehicles are reduced to the barest minimum” said Coordinator, Business Transformers Project, Okundola Bamgboye. “So we have the burning desire to inculcate the necessary safety awareness in the operators. And secondly, in the event that accidents occur, how do people deal with them? How a victim of accident is handled at the scene can make the difference between life and death or between total recovery and permanent disability. That informed our decision to include a few first aid treatments and serious emergency tips in the programme,” he said.
A number of beneficiaries also lauded MTN for the initiative including Mr. Sikiru Adesokan, an Ibadan-based participant.
“I am personally happy with this programme because I have learnt a lot. Even though I would have been able to make some money during the time I spent on this seminar, I still consider myself lucky to have benefited from the training because, the truth is that you cannot put a cost to what we have learnt, “ Adesokan, who participated at the Boundry/Ajegunle version of the workshop.
Other activities embarked upon by MTN staff during this programme included malaria awareness campaign, HIV/AIDS seminars, visits to orphanages and homes for the elderly, environment sanitation exercises and free eye-screening and blood pressure measurement exercises.
“It has been rewarding. Members of staff were so committed to this programme that they rush down from the mosques on Fridays and even come with their families on Sundays to take active part in the programmes”, said Idris Bello Eneye, MTN Regional Safety, Health and Environment Coordinator, Abuja Regional Office, while the MTN Safety, Health and Environment Supervisor, Ramatou Otini Isah, described the experience as highly enriching.
•Mimi Deke contributed this from XLR8, a public relations consultancy firm based in Lagos.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
There was ‘absolutely nothing wrong’ with this for the people who live along this route as such scenes are common occurrence. What was not common was the sight of a bride in her full white gown pacing up and down with her best lady in tow beside a gaily decorated Toyota Avensis marked To The Alter.
It was obvious that the convoy, which was coming from Olojo Drive that connects the expressway to the famous Alaba International Market was church-bound. Word soon spread among bystanders and a crowd of other commuters and motorists that the convoy was going to a Catholic church in Festac for a wedding service that was to have commenced some 30 minutes earlier.
The convoy had spent considerable amount of time to proceed to the Volkswagen end of Olojo Drive but had come to a complete standstill, with no hope of being able to get out of the situation anytime soon.
The unthinkable happened. With loud protest from her best lady and some more elderly members of her entourage as the bride flagged down an okada, gathered up her gown and jumped on the passenger seat. Left with no choice, the best lady grabbed the next available one and chased after the anxious bride.
Some other members of her convoy, one after the other, chased after okada riders to ferry them to the church where, it was understood, the very strict officiating minister had already commenced the services as there were four other couples involved.
Despite the traffic jam, with an okada, the bride was guaranteed to get to the church service latest in 30 minutes. Therein lays the foremost value of an okada in the modern Nigerian society. With the appalling state of the roads, gross indiscipline on the part of motorists and a steady rise in number of vehicles using the roads, a very important role has been carved out for commercial motorcycles in the Nigerian transportation system.
This is so crucial that people who would rather not touch an okada with a long pole now on the increasing occasions have to hop on it to meet urgent appointments.
Okada riders would go against the normal flow of traffic, run on the kerb, the road median, the frontages of people’s residences and other such improvised thoroughfares to get their passengers to their destinations and sometimes, to the mortuary too.
Statistics released by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) recently indicated that 60,261 persons were killed through motorcycle accidents (okada) between 1989 and 2007. A total of 40,706 persons were maimed within the same period in a total of 73,766 incidents.
These figures, which the sector Commander, FRSC, Lagos described as Mr. Kayode Olagunju unacceptable, are indeed grossly understated. Only a few of the road accidents in Nigeria get reported to the police and yet only a few of the ones reported at the local stations get forwarded to a central information pool where the statistics are drawn.
The okada probably constitutes more peril to Nigerians today than any other means of transportation because of its sheer pervasiveness. And interestingly not only those who utilise it for transportation are at risk. Okadas have been known to run into commuters for buses or otherwise run down pedestrians.
Managing the menace of Okada in Nigeria has therefore become a major issue to the general public and their appointed leaders. Many of these stakeholders have come up with a lot of suggestions as to how to strip this now accepted means of transportation of its inherent evil for the benefit of the society.
A general consensus is that many of the motorcycle operators lack the necessary safety awareness to run commercial motorcycle operations on the roads. Invariably, this informed the decision of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications company, MTN, to build an extensive safety awareness programme for okada riders nationwide into its recently concluded month-long staff volunteerism campaign, dubbed 21 Days of Y’ello Care 2008.
The staff volunteerism scheme initiated last year by the MTN Group involved staff in its 21 operations across the world taking part in community-based activities.
In Nigeria, MTN employees this year were divided into two major groups, Business Transformers and Share ‘n’ Care, which organised dozens of activities aimed at improving the society. The safety awareness drill for okada riders and commercial drivers were championed by the Business Transformers group, whose activities centred around assisting small and medium scale enterprises acquire sound business practices that can take them to the top.
Working with the umbrella body of commercial vehicle operators known as the National Union of Road transport Workers (NURTW), the group organised informal workshops for commercial motorcyclists and drivers in some of the busiest terminuses in Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and many other parts of the country.
The workshops took the participants through a number of issues like accident prevention and control, first aid treatment, life saving tips and techniques, defensive driving, basic road signs and anger management among others.
In addition, the participants also benefited from free health screening for common ailments that could adversely affect safe operation of motorcycles, principal among which are eye problems. They also received counseling on how to use commercial motorcycling operation as a stepping stone to greater means of livelihood, especially when they become older and incapable of carrying on with the business.
“Our major concern is to ensure that accidents of okada and of course motor vehicles are reduced to the barest minimum” said Coordinator, Business Transformers Project, Okundola Bamgboye. “So we have the burning desire to inculcate the necessary safety awareness in the operators. And secondly, in the event that accidents occur, how do people deal with them? How a victim of accident is handled at the scene can make the difference between life and death or between total recovery and permanent disability. That informed our decision to include a few first aid treatments and serious emergency tips in the programme,” he said.
A number of beneficiaries also lauded MTN for the initiative including Mr. Sikiru Adesokan, an Ibadan-based participant.
“I am personally happy with this programme because I have learnt a lot. Even though I would have been able to make some money during the time I spent on this seminar, I still consider myself lucky to have benefited from the training because, the truth is that you cannot put a cost to what we have learnt, “ Adesokan, who participated at the Boundry/Ajegunle version of the workshop.
Other activities embarked upon by MTN staff during this programme included malaria awareness campaign, HIV/AIDS seminars, visits to orphanages and homes for the elderly, environment sanitation exercises and free eye-screening and blood pressure measurement exercises.
“It has been rewarding. Members of staff were so committed to this programme that they rush down from the mosques on Fridays and even come with their families on Sundays to take active part in the programmes”, said Idris Bello Eneye, MTN Regional Safety, Health and Environment Coordinator, Abuja Regional Office, while the MTN Safety, Health and Environment Supervisor, Ramatou Otini Isah, described the experience as highly enriching.
•Mimi Deke contributed this from XLR8, a public relations consultancy firm based in Lagos.
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