Information and Communications Technology (ICT) enthusiast and chairman, The Guardian, Dr. Reuben Abati, has refuted the recent electronic mail which circulated last weekend that he was in dare need of N250,000 to save the life of his daughter.
According to an email from Dr. Abati, hackers broke into his email account and used it to solicit for financial assistance to take care of a so-called emergency situation.
“Friends and associates of Dr. Abati are advised to disregard the mail,” another email made available to ITRealms Online stated.
“It is not from me and I am in Lagos, not India, as alleged,” he said, insisting that there is nothing wrong with him or any member of his family.
ITRealms Online recalls that the purported mail from hackers indicated that Dr. Abati had an emergency.
“I seriously consider you to help me with sum of 250,000 Naira which I will pay immediately I get back, I am on a conference in India, I will be back on the 15th of January 2009.”
The hackers mail also read “My Daughter is seriously in need of medical attention after he was involved in an accident in Lagos , she is now at a private hospital waiting for medical solution and she has been asked to make payment the same above amount before further medical treatment will be continue, I don’t want to loss her.
Hope to hear a positive news from you. I don’t want other to know about this, do keep it to yourself, all I need at the moment is 250,000 as a loan for her medical deposit so that the Doctor can save her life, I can not send money from where I am now.”
Additionally, the fake mail read, “I am very confused and desperate and I don’t seem to understand why this thing is happening to me, I promise to refund you your money immediately I get back home.
“Please kindly contact the doctor via email dr.ojolowoonline@googlemail.com or call 070411505005 to know who and where to send the money. I am trusting you that you will do the needful immediately.”
When ITRealms Online contacted the number in the mail, the individual concerned did not even know that his number has been used for such dirty deal.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Siemens Profile awards-09 draws closer
The 2009 Siemens Africa Profile Awards competition is drawing nearer to the deadline as it seeks entries to honour African journalists who excel in science and technology journalism, according to the Manager Media Relations at Siemens Southern Africa, Ms Sithembile Mokaeane, reports CHARLES OKOH.
A press statement from her office in Midrad, South Africa showed that the Siemens Profile Awards, now in its eighth year, is the only pan-African awards that exclusively promote science and technology journalism.
“African journalists are invited to submit entries before 31 January 2009 for any work published in print, online or broadcast media,” she said.
She also announced that the annual awards have become a leading item on the continent’s journalism calendar.
“We are impressed by the increased number of entries from all media platforms, and the general improvement in the quality of submissions,” she said. “The African media are continually prioritizing science and technology coverage.”
Mokaeane further said the 2007 Siemens Profile Awards attracted a record 264 entries from 17 African countries.
“The entries were in four languages: English, French, Portuguese and Arabic. The heightened media interest in science and technology issues during this year is expected to boost entries,” she said.
Issues such as the surge in technology uptake and increased science research across the continent are already emerging as prominent themes in media coverage, she noted.
Equally, Mokaeane said that award categories have been changed.
“The 2009 entries may be submitted in six categories, namely, industry, energy, healthcare, information technology (with emphasis on business process and outsourcing), technology-related corporate social responsibility and the student category,” she outlined.
In addition, Mokaeane said the new categories are expected to simplify the entry submission process, resulting in increased number of entries.
Pointing out that online submissions are welcome at www.profileawards.co.za or by post or courier to Siemens country offices around African continent.
ITRealms Online recalls that the Siemens Profile Awards aim to advance quality science and technology reporting. Journalists are encouraged to identify country specific technology issues and by addressing them bring about change in social-economic conditions.
The awards encourage African science journalists to anchor their reporting in sound research, quality reporting and individual journalistic flair.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
A press statement from her office in Midrad, South Africa showed that the Siemens Profile Awards, now in its eighth year, is the only pan-African awards that exclusively promote science and technology journalism.
“African journalists are invited to submit entries before 31 January 2009 for any work published in print, online or broadcast media,” she said.
She also announced that the annual awards have become a leading item on the continent’s journalism calendar.
“We are impressed by the increased number of entries from all media platforms, and the general improvement in the quality of submissions,” she said. “The African media are continually prioritizing science and technology coverage.”
Mokaeane further said the 2007 Siemens Profile Awards attracted a record 264 entries from 17 African countries.
“The entries were in four languages: English, French, Portuguese and Arabic. The heightened media interest in science and technology issues during this year is expected to boost entries,” she said.
Issues such as the surge in technology uptake and increased science research across the continent are already emerging as prominent themes in media coverage, she noted.
Equally, Mokaeane said that award categories have been changed.
“The 2009 entries may be submitted in six categories, namely, industry, energy, healthcare, information technology (with emphasis on business process and outsourcing), technology-related corporate social responsibility and the student category,” she outlined.
In addition, Mokaeane said the new categories are expected to simplify the entry submission process, resulting in increased number of entries.
Pointing out that online submissions are welcome at www.profileawards.co.za or by post or courier to Siemens country offices around African continent.
ITRealms Online recalls that the Siemens Profile Awards aim to advance quality science and technology reporting. Journalists are encouraged to identify country specific technology issues and by addressing them bring about change in social-economic conditions.
The awards encourage African science journalists to anchor their reporting in sound research, quality reporting and individual journalistic flair.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
NCC must brief minister properly ATCON
Umbrella body of registered telecommunications companies in the country, the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has advised the industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure that the newly appointed Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. (Mrs) Dora Akunyili, is more properly briefed.
Reviewing the industry in a chat with newsmen in Lagos, at the weekend, the National President, ATCON, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, said that should as matter of urgency ensure it briefs the Minister more properly, so as to position her for the challenges ahead.
Welcoming the minister on behalf of ATCON, Ekuwem, who also is the group chief executive of Teledom International Group, noted that they are excited on her enthusiasm and keen interest to move the industry forward.
He was quick to remind her that the tide has now changed since she assumed office as the Federal Minister in charge of Information and Communication, advising her to play according to the game by being aware of her limits.
That way, he said, there would be harmony and peaceful co-existence among the industry players including between her ministry and NCC as well as the larger stakeholders.
“At NAFDAC, she was a regulator and now, she is a honourable minister. Presently, she is not a regulator as far as telecommunications is concerned,” he declared.
The ministry, ATCON said, should concentrate in making relevant policies that would improve the state of things in the country.
“The ministry should not co-regulate telecom. The turf of regulation is on NCC, while policy making rests on the ministry,” he explained, stressing that this points needed to be clarified because of what ATCON observed at the just concluded stakeholders’ forum held in Abuja.
Dr. Ekuwem maintained that he believes that NCC did not brief the minister appropriately, otherwise, things could not have tilted toward only consumerism-based discussion at the stakeholders forum, rather than how to improve the industry holistically.
Describing Akunyili as one Nigerian that is intellectually sound, ATCON called for understanding among stakeholders, while urging her to use her good offices in ensuring that Nigeria invest its oil money in the development of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT).
Ekuwem further said that ATCON’s annual repackaged conference and exhibition, ComBIT, which made its debut last year was a success story, revealing that in the near future, it could be rebranded CeBIT Africa, if the current clamour by some stakeholders is anything to go by.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government last weekend told telecom service providers to ease the pains of subscribers by insisting on an immediate reduction on the tariff.
The government also said that a lot of the challenges presently confronting the operators on the poor quality of service would become a thing of the past as soon as they take to the option of infrastructure sharing.
Information and Communication Minister, Prof. Dora Akunyili, gave this indication in Abuja at the Stakeholders’ forum, and said government stance is informed by the incessant cry of the citizens against the poor quality of service delivery level when they pay so much for the services.
“The cost of mobile telephone services in Nigeria may not be the most expensive in Africa, but it ought to be amongst the cheapest, considering our large population, and huge demand for communications. At present, there are only very few liberalized countries in Africa with higher tariffs than what obtains within Nigeria,” she said.
Emphasising that Nigeria’s government want to show concern that operators are empathetic to their subscribers.
“By the time we have the next meeting; I want us to start congratulating you. If you reduce tariff, then you will encourage us to say these people are out to help us,” she said.
The Ministry, she pointed, is aware of the huge maintenance and operational cost of their Base Stations and the reported problems of infrastructure vandalization, and had made efforts to put this into context, and can safely say that tariffs can and should be reduced.
“To this end, it is our resolve to pursue strategies that can lead to the creation of an efficient telecommunications sector based on fair competition, service quality and low tariffs,” she said.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Reviewing the industry in a chat with newsmen in Lagos, at the weekend, the National President, ATCON, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, said that should as matter of urgency ensure it briefs the Minister more properly, so as to position her for the challenges ahead.
Welcoming the minister on behalf of ATCON, Ekuwem, who also is the group chief executive of Teledom International Group, noted that they are excited on her enthusiasm and keen interest to move the industry forward.
He was quick to remind her that the tide has now changed since she assumed office as the Federal Minister in charge of Information and Communication, advising her to play according to the game by being aware of her limits.
That way, he said, there would be harmony and peaceful co-existence among the industry players including between her ministry and NCC as well as the larger stakeholders.
“At NAFDAC, she was a regulator and now, she is a honourable minister. Presently, she is not a regulator as far as telecommunications is concerned,” he declared.
The ministry, ATCON said, should concentrate in making relevant policies that would improve the state of things in the country.
“The ministry should not co-regulate telecom. The turf of regulation is on NCC, while policy making rests on the ministry,” he explained, stressing that this points needed to be clarified because of what ATCON observed at the just concluded stakeholders’ forum held in Abuja.
Dr. Ekuwem maintained that he believes that NCC did not brief the minister appropriately, otherwise, things could not have tilted toward only consumerism-based discussion at the stakeholders forum, rather than how to improve the industry holistically.
Describing Akunyili as one Nigerian that is intellectually sound, ATCON called for understanding among stakeholders, while urging her to use her good offices in ensuring that Nigeria invest its oil money in the development of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT).
Ekuwem further said that ATCON’s annual repackaged conference and exhibition, ComBIT, which made its debut last year was a success story, revealing that in the near future, it could be rebranded CeBIT Africa, if the current clamour by some stakeholders is anything to go by.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government last weekend told telecom service providers to ease the pains of subscribers by insisting on an immediate reduction on the tariff.
The government also said that a lot of the challenges presently confronting the operators on the poor quality of service would become a thing of the past as soon as they take to the option of infrastructure sharing.
Information and Communication Minister, Prof. Dora Akunyili, gave this indication in Abuja at the Stakeholders’ forum, and said government stance is informed by the incessant cry of the citizens against the poor quality of service delivery level when they pay so much for the services.
“The cost of mobile telephone services in Nigeria may not be the most expensive in Africa, but it ought to be amongst the cheapest, considering our large population, and huge demand for communications. At present, there are only very few liberalized countries in Africa with higher tariffs than what obtains within Nigeria,” she said.
Emphasising that Nigeria’s government want to show concern that operators are empathetic to their subscribers.
“By the time we have the next meeting; I want us to start congratulating you. If you reduce tariff, then you will encourage us to say these people are out to help us,” she said.
The Ministry, she pointed, is aware of the huge maintenance and operational cost of their Base Stations and the reported problems of infrastructure vandalization, and had made efforts to put this into context, and can safely say that tariffs can and should be reduced.
“To this end, it is our resolve to pursue strategies that can lead to the creation of an efficient telecommunications sector based on fair competition, service quality and low tariffs,” she said.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Lagos drags ALTON to Supreme Court
In its bid to ensure that the Lagos State Government (LSG) Mast and Tower Edict sees the light of the day, the Babatunde Fashola-led government has advanced plans to drag telecom operators to the apex court in the land, the Supreme Court.
ITRealms Online recalls that telecommunications regulation is among the exclusive list of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN).
Even as a Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Joseph Auta, had on February 25, 2007, delivered a landmark judgment in favour of ALTON in the suit No. FHC/L/CS/517/06, which was on registered trustees of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) & Ors versus Lagos State Government & Ors.
Also, Lagos State appealed the judgment which ITRealms Online gathered was not favourable either, hence the choice for the apex court, the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
ITRealms Online investigations further showed that filing of papers have reached advanced stage to facilitate the case getting first hearing before the end of this quarter.
Commenting on this, the publicity secretary, ALTON, Mr. Damian Udeh, told ITRealms Online on phone that they also heard about the Supreme Court plan from the media, and has not received official papers to that effect, but, expressed the believe that in the coming weeks, they intend to consult with their lawyers.
“We have not been served papers officially,” he asserted.
Encouraged by the executive, the Lagos State House Assembly reportedly passed a law ‘The Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency Law, 2004’ which both the High Court and Appeal Court have ruled out of order, maintaining that telecommunications regulation is an exclusive of the federal government responsibility as contained in the Constitution.
Although Lagos State claims it is seeking the validation of the law in protection of environment within its domain, but telcos and allied operators see that step as deceitful attempt to boost its revenue base, even as efforts at settling out of court failed in the past.
Meanwhile, Gov. Fashola said at Channels TV recently that Lagos State has the powers to regulate the urban planning element of its environment, noting that it is saddening to see about four mast towers mounted at a location ordinarily where it could have been just one.
He also pointed out that some mast towers were located too close to residence and public centres such as schools and expressed dismay over a recent incident that involved a fallen mast tower and a school building.
Advising telecommunications operators to co-locate, he reiterated the state’s resolve to pursue the case up to the Supreme Court, since the operators have gone to court in the first place.
Fashola equally said that the state is not keen in contesting the powers of the Federal Government (FG) or the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the regulation of telecommunications in the country, but maintained that host states of these companies should be entitled to some incentives.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
ITRealms Online recalls that telecommunications regulation is among the exclusive list of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN).
Even as a Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Joseph Auta, had on February 25, 2007, delivered a landmark judgment in favour of ALTON in the suit No. FHC/L/CS/517/06, which was on registered trustees of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) & Ors versus Lagos State Government & Ors.
Also, Lagos State appealed the judgment which ITRealms Online gathered was not favourable either, hence the choice for the apex court, the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
ITRealms Online investigations further showed that filing of papers have reached advanced stage to facilitate the case getting first hearing before the end of this quarter.
Commenting on this, the publicity secretary, ALTON, Mr. Damian Udeh, told ITRealms Online on phone that they also heard about the Supreme Court plan from the media, and has not received official papers to that effect, but, expressed the believe that in the coming weeks, they intend to consult with their lawyers.
“We have not been served papers officially,” he asserted.
Encouraged by the executive, the Lagos State House Assembly reportedly passed a law ‘The Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency Law, 2004’ which both the High Court and Appeal Court have ruled out of order, maintaining that telecommunications regulation is an exclusive of the federal government responsibility as contained in the Constitution.
Although Lagos State claims it is seeking the validation of the law in protection of environment within its domain, but telcos and allied operators see that step as deceitful attempt to boost its revenue base, even as efforts at settling out of court failed in the past.
Meanwhile, Gov. Fashola said at Channels TV recently that Lagos State has the powers to regulate the urban planning element of its environment, noting that it is saddening to see about four mast towers mounted at a location ordinarily where it could have been just one.
He also pointed out that some mast towers were located too close to residence and public centres such as schools and expressed dismay over a recent incident that involved a fallen mast tower and a school building.
Advising telecommunications operators to co-locate, he reiterated the state’s resolve to pursue the case up to the Supreme Court, since the operators have gone to court in the first place.
Fashola equally said that the state is not keen in contesting the powers of the Federal Government (FG) or the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the regulation of telecommunications in the country, but maintained that host states of these companies should be entitled to some incentives.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
ICT: Of shackled strides, missed opportunities (1)
You have heard that the Internet, mobile phones and other ICT tools are changing the world. Please add ‘truly’ between ‘are’ and ‘changing’.
Dateline: Lagos, Sallah Day. It is usual for various neighbourhoods to find which ‘malam’ would help slaughter their rams. Those who have had to do the business themselves know how frustrating it can be when no ‘malam’ shows up by 12 noon on Sallah day.
This last one was a different one. One neighbourhood’s resident mentioned the need for a ‘malam’ to a ‘maiguard’ and the chap turned in a piece of paper, photocopy of a slip on which there was a crude drawing of a ram, a knife, some Arabic inscription, a phone number and a name.
Apparently, one Suleiman had turned in the piece of paper to all the ‘maiguards’ in the vicinity in anticipation of Sallah day – indicating anyone could use the mobile phone number to their advantage. This number dialled, Suleiman showed up in a jiffy.
He slaughtered the ram, left the details for his subordinates and moved on to other places where his services were needed. Suleiman took advantage of ‘access’ to boost his business. He didn’t need to be told to do so. He needed no campaign by anybody as to what he could do with his phone.
All he needed was the phone and access on it and the remaining could be left for him. For his services, he charged N2,000 instead of the traditional N1,000 and his clients were glad to have got a good and fast solution. Give broadband access to Suleiman and wait to be amazed what he is capable of doing with it.
And the coming of Barrack Hussein Obama! Visit www.change.gov and see how a young man is changing the world using access to the web. The rest needs not be told. How about his almost impossible story of grassroot campaign, fundraising and eventual victory all fuelled by the power of the web and mobile applications.
Like no one else before now, he used social networking websites (isn’t almost everyone now on FaceBook?) and other web tools such as YouTube to build an army of young people whose excitement – and driven action – played not just a small part in giving him a much-deserved victory seeing he livened up the floor of even American presidential politics with his promise (and delivery) of a 21st century campaign.
His choice of a running mate was made using SMS broadcast, (mark the word ‘broadcast’), he was always on his phone cracking away at eMail, and he kept the world following his every step with up-to-the-minute updates through his campaign website. In 2008, politics and governance were redefined through new technologies!
Lesson: It is leadership, not followership – especially as the Nigerian case has shown in 2008 – that needs a campaign on what is achievable with broadband access.
The good: Access improved considerably during the year, with efforts of providers who introduced products such as iZAP, for instance, to bring fast internet access to individual phone level. In Ijebu-Ode, where the first leg of this review was fine-tuned, Izap did all the trick. But in Igbara-Oke where the second leg was to be firmed up, Starcomms is yet to show up.
Maybe in 2009! Other vendors – mobile and fixed wireless service providers – have stepped up the game by providing access options that have kept many Nigerians online more than before.
The performance review table of operators who ever played in the industry shows that as at close of business on December 31 2008, 9 operators are running full stream, eight are ailing, one was bought substantially into while six were bought over 100 per cent.
Four have since closed shops, seven are begging for buy-over and two are fit for merger while the performance of one is indeterminate as its subscribers are largely unknown. Today, 19 are trudging on in the market.
Etisalat finally executed the Mubadala mono-selection license of 2006 and rolled out services in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan and Ogbomosho, several months after the promised date. It does not matter when, point is that it came at last.
It is still in search of the joker that could repeat what Globacom did when it arrived in 2003 with the per-second rate of charging, a feat which one operator had said was impossible -- as if anything is impossible in engineering. 2008 was indeed full of action, slowed down by executive slow motion right from the top.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), nation’s regulator must have had a busy year. For long, it conceived the ideas of the Wire-Nigeria Initiative (WIN), State-Accelerated Broadband Initiative (SABI) and so on, certainly for the purpose of connecting Nigerians to such possibilities as 2008 demonstrated.
Now, Nigerians cannot wait to see it happen. The telecom regulator came up with a code and practice regime on standard three-digit code number which shall serve the purpose of emergency services in Nigeria. Ditto for pre-registration of phone subscribers and number portability except that the matter spent the entire year being on the drawing board.
A ban was announced on products’ promotion of GSM mobile telephone service providers in Nigeria as the regulatory authorities hinted that measurement of phone quality revealed unsatisfactory performance of all GSM operating networks. The regulator discouraged operators even from placing advertisements that are capable of adding more subscribers or result in additional airtime usage on their networks in the face of un-abating congestion.
Two mobile operators, which instituted a court case against a directive of NCC to compensate consumers for poor service, had the case thrown out by the Court and they have gone on appeal, although they paid the fines under various degrees of insubordination to the directive. Chances are that the National Assembly has taken notice of this and gone working, not to rest after the unnecessary battle some of those in the lower House went into with the regulator the previous year.
Nigeria’s Globacom made its way into Benin Republic, towards the fulfilment of the promise of building a truly African network. Transnational Corporation, Transcorp, which bought into Nigeria’s ailing national carrier, the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) in 2006 was threatened with withdrawal of license if no remarkable improvement was recorded in NITEL’s and Mtel’s, services. There was no improvement but the license was not withdrawn either. There was also the rebranding of two major players.
Amidst all the good news, there was a threat of a probe of the Rural Telephony Project (RTP) which was never to be. The threat gave way to a solution which is neither here nor there as government handed over RTP’s remnants to five telephone service provider upstarts which it said are the ‘operators’. The RTP is a $200 million telecommunications loan packaged by a consortium of Chinese investors in 2002 for provision of telephone service in 96 rural communities in Nigeria. It finally stalled after several months of inaction.
There was encouraging activity with Nigeria’s Top Level Domain, .ng, as the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) finally announced institutional structures and major framework under which the association would operate.
Namely four institutional elements: The Secretariat, Policies & Procedures, Technical Infrastructure and Service Provider Partners. Several draft documents, which sought to map the way forward were reviewed and pioneer registrars came alive.
Then the bad. The big disappointment for Nigeria’s ICT space in 2008 was the fact that the Federal Ministry for ICT did not emerge. Very senior IT practitioners expressed serious concern about the direction, or lack of it, that government trudged in the year under review.
It was widely believed that just as many were clamouring that IT be raised to the level of a Ministry in a converged regime for regulation and project implementation, the IT sections of Federal Ministries were about being merged with the Departments of Planning and Statistics!
Government in 2006 commenced a desire to restructure the information and communications industries when it set up a Committee to examine the wherewithal of a converged industry. It, however, impulsively went ahead to create the Ministry of Information and Communications ahead of the work of the Committee only to realise that restructuring in a true sense was more than mere name-changing and merging of Ministerial portfolios.
It is understood that the Committee completed its work and advised government on the amount of work required to effect a true change that will take advantage of the march of science and technology in the years ahead.
Work has since stalled on the project and the Yar’ Adua government, since take-over in 2007, has operated as if the issue never mattered.
Proponents of a restructured industry argued that because of the radical changes that Internet Protocol (IP) has offered, it will be contentious if not totally difficult to determine what is telecommunications, broadcasting or IT service, and especially to distinguish between where one stops and the other commences. A clear view and sharp industry management shall resolve this and enhance smooth management, reduce cost of doing business and ultimately cost and options of service provision.
On the other hand, a continuous application of legacy systems and management of new systems using the old methods will create confusion, increase cost of doing business and ultimately impose severe cost on consumers.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Dateline: Lagos, Sallah Day. It is usual for various neighbourhoods to find which ‘malam’ would help slaughter their rams. Those who have had to do the business themselves know how frustrating it can be when no ‘malam’ shows up by 12 noon on Sallah day.
This last one was a different one. One neighbourhood’s resident mentioned the need for a ‘malam’ to a ‘maiguard’ and the chap turned in a piece of paper, photocopy of a slip on which there was a crude drawing of a ram, a knife, some Arabic inscription, a phone number and a name.
Apparently, one Suleiman had turned in the piece of paper to all the ‘maiguards’ in the vicinity in anticipation of Sallah day – indicating anyone could use the mobile phone number to their advantage. This number dialled, Suleiman showed up in a jiffy.
He slaughtered the ram, left the details for his subordinates and moved on to other places where his services were needed. Suleiman took advantage of ‘access’ to boost his business. He didn’t need to be told to do so. He needed no campaign by anybody as to what he could do with his phone.
All he needed was the phone and access on it and the remaining could be left for him. For his services, he charged N2,000 instead of the traditional N1,000 and his clients were glad to have got a good and fast solution. Give broadband access to Suleiman and wait to be amazed what he is capable of doing with it.
And the coming of Barrack Hussein Obama! Visit www.change.gov and see how a young man is changing the world using access to the web. The rest needs not be told. How about his almost impossible story of grassroot campaign, fundraising and eventual victory all fuelled by the power of the web and mobile applications.
Like no one else before now, he used social networking websites (isn’t almost everyone now on FaceBook?) and other web tools such as YouTube to build an army of young people whose excitement – and driven action – played not just a small part in giving him a much-deserved victory seeing he livened up the floor of even American presidential politics with his promise (and delivery) of a 21st century campaign.
His choice of a running mate was made using SMS broadcast, (mark the word ‘broadcast’), he was always on his phone cracking away at eMail, and he kept the world following his every step with up-to-the-minute updates through his campaign website. In 2008, politics and governance were redefined through new technologies!
Lesson: It is leadership, not followership – especially as the Nigerian case has shown in 2008 – that needs a campaign on what is achievable with broadband access.
The good: Access improved considerably during the year, with efforts of providers who introduced products such as iZAP, for instance, to bring fast internet access to individual phone level. In Ijebu-Ode, where the first leg of this review was fine-tuned, Izap did all the trick. But in Igbara-Oke where the second leg was to be firmed up, Starcomms is yet to show up.
Maybe in 2009! Other vendors – mobile and fixed wireless service providers – have stepped up the game by providing access options that have kept many Nigerians online more than before.
The performance review table of operators who ever played in the industry shows that as at close of business on December 31 2008, 9 operators are running full stream, eight are ailing, one was bought substantially into while six were bought over 100 per cent.
Four have since closed shops, seven are begging for buy-over and two are fit for merger while the performance of one is indeterminate as its subscribers are largely unknown. Today, 19 are trudging on in the market.
Etisalat finally executed the Mubadala mono-selection license of 2006 and rolled out services in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan and Ogbomosho, several months after the promised date. It does not matter when, point is that it came at last.
It is still in search of the joker that could repeat what Globacom did when it arrived in 2003 with the per-second rate of charging, a feat which one operator had said was impossible -- as if anything is impossible in engineering. 2008 was indeed full of action, slowed down by executive slow motion right from the top.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), nation’s regulator must have had a busy year. For long, it conceived the ideas of the Wire-Nigeria Initiative (WIN), State-Accelerated Broadband Initiative (SABI) and so on, certainly for the purpose of connecting Nigerians to such possibilities as 2008 demonstrated.
Now, Nigerians cannot wait to see it happen. The telecom regulator came up with a code and practice regime on standard three-digit code number which shall serve the purpose of emergency services in Nigeria. Ditto for pre-registration of phone subscribers and number portability except that the matter spent the entire year being on the drawing board.
A ban was announced on products’ promotion of GSM mobile telephone service providers in Nigeria as the regulatory authorities hinted that measurement of phone quality revealed unsatisfactory performance of all GSM operating networks. The regulator discouraged operators even from placing advertisements that are capable of adding more subscribers or result in additional airtime usage on their networks in the face of un-abating congestion.
Two mobile operators, which instituted a court case against a directive of NCC to compensate consumers for poor service, had the case thrown out by the Court and they have gone on appeal, although they paid the fines under various degrees of insubordination to the directive. Chances are that the National Assembly has taken notice of this and gone working, not to rest after the unnecessary battle some of those in the lower House went into with the regulator the previous year.
Nigeria’s Globacom made its way into Benin Republic, towards the fulfilment of the promise of building a truly African network. Transnational Corporation, Transcorp, which bought into Nigeria’s ailing national carrier, the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) in 2006 was threatened with withdrawal of license if no remarkable improvement was recorded in NITEL’s and Mtel’s, services. There was no improvement but the license was not withdrawn either. There was also the rebranding of two major players.
Amidst all the good news, there was a threat of a probe of the Rural Telephony Project (RTP) which was never to be. The threat gave way to a solution which is neither here nor there as government handed over RTP’s remnants to five telephone service provider upstarts which it said are the ‘operators’. The RTP is a $200 million telecommunications loan packaged by a consortium of Chinese investors in 2002 for provision of telephone service in 96 rural communities in Nigeria. It finally stalled after several months of inaction.
There was encouraging activity with Nigeria’s Top Level Domain, .ng, as the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) finally announced institutional structures and major framework under which the association would operate.
Namely four institutional elements: The Secretariat, Policies & Procedures, Technical Infrastructure and Service Provider Partners. Several draft documents, which sought to map the way forward were reviewed and pioneer registrars came alive.
Then the bad. The big disappointment for Nigeria’s ICT space in 2008 was the fact that the Federal Ministry for ICT did not emerge. Very senior IT practitioners expressed serious concern about the direction, or lack of it, that government trudged in the year under review.
It was widely believed that just as many were clamouring that IT be raised to the level of a Ministry in a converged regime for regulation and project implementation, the IT sections of Federal Ministries were about being merged with the Departments of Planning and Statistics!
Government in 2006 commenced a desire to restructure the information and communications industries when it set up a Committee to examine the wherewithal of a converged industry. It, however, impulsively went ahead to create the Ministry of Information and Communications ahead of the work of the Committee only to realise that restructuring in a true sense was more than mere name-changing and merging of Ministerial portfolios.
It is understood that the Committee completed its work and advised government on the amount of work required to effect a true change that will take advantage of the march of science and technology in the years ahead.
Work has since stalled on the project and the Yar’ Adua government, since take-over in 2007, has operated as if the issue never mattered.
Proponents of a restructured industry argued that because of the radical changes that Internet Protocol (IP) has offered, it will be contentious if not totally difficult to determine what is telecommunications, broadcasting or IT service, and especially to distinguish between where one stops and the other commences. A clear view and sharp industry management shall resolve this and enhance smooth management, reduce cost of doing business and ultimately cost and options of service provision.
On the other hand, a continuous application of legacy systems and management of new systems using the old methods will create confusion, increase cost of doing business and ultimately impose severe cost on consumers.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Monday, January 12, 2009
Etisalat extends promos till Jan. 31st
Fifth Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) operator, Etisalat Nigeria, has extended the duration of its Free Airtime and Gift redemption promotions by 10 and 21 days respectively.
A press statement from Etisalat Nigeria, weekend, indicated that its ‘Recharge ‘n’ Receive’ and ‘Gift Redemption’ promotions, which started December last year, have both been extended.
While the ‘Recharge ‘n’ Receive’ promo has been extended till January 31, the Gift Redemption promo has been extended to January 20, 2009.
The ‘Recharge ‘n’ Receive promo was introduced during the yuletide season to reward customers with 20 per cent extra credit on any recharge of N500 and above on the Etisalat network.
Acting Chief Commercial Officer (CMO), Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Wael Amar said the bonus airtime, which could be used anytime on any network, is instantly credited to the customer as soon as they load their phones with required denomination.
On the second promo, tagged ‘Gift Redemption,’ he explained it gives subscribers an opportunity to win an instant gift at any Etisalat shop they visit with their used recharge cards.
“Prizes on offer include mobile phones, t-shirts, face caps and Plasma TVs,” he said.
Amar also revealed that the new development on both promotions, was as a result of reactions of subscribers.
“These promotions have been quite impressive, which indicate that we are achieving our core business strategy of delighting our valued customers. Both promotions revolve around every one of our customers and we have taken the step to extend them because we are keen to make even more of our customers’ winners for an extended period of time,” he said.
The CMO reiterated Etisalat’s commitment of placing the customer at the heart of its business, saying “the bonus credit can be used to make calls or send texts to any network at anytime of the day. Usage of it is not tied solely to the Etisalat network. We are conscious of our customers’ need to communicate widely and reach out to their families, friends and loved ones across networks, across the country and across the world.”
Champion Infotel recalled that Etisalat Nigeria launched commercial operations in October with its Easy Starter package.
Apart from the regular features available on all Subscriber Identification Module (SIMs) at the moment, Etisalat has other unique and innovative features such as Receiver Pays, Missed Calls Notification, Homezone and Recharge Others. These unique features are all firsts in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria and set the latest entrant into the GSM market clearly apart.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
A press statement from Etisalat Nigeria, weekend, indicated that its ‘Recharge ‘n’ Receive’ and ‘Gift Redemption’ promotions, which started December last year, have both been extended.
While the ‘Recharge ‘n’ Receive’ promo has been extended till January 31, the Gift Redemption promo has been extended to January 20, 2009.
The ‘Recharge ‘n’ Receive promo was introduced during the yuletide season to reward customers with 20 per cent extra credit on any recharge of N500 and above on the Etisalat network.
Acting Chief Commercial Officer (CMO), Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Wael Amar said the bonus airtime, which could be used anytime on any network, is instantly credited to the customer as soon as they load their phones with required denomination.
On the second promo, tagged ‘Gift Redemption,’ he explained it gives subscribers an opportunity to win an instant gift at any Etisalat shop they visit with their used recharge cards.
“Prizes on offer include mobile phones, t-shirts, face caps and Plasma TVs,” he said.
Amar also revealed that the new development on both promotions, was as a result of reactions of subscribers.
“These promotions have been quite impressive, which indicate that we are achieving our core business strategy of delighting our valued customers. Both promotions revolve around every one of our customers and we have taken the step to extend them because we are keen to make even more of our customers’ winners for an extended period of time,” he said.
The CMO reiterated Etisalat’s commitment of placing the customer at the heart of its business, saying “the bonus credit can be used to make calls or send texts to any network at anytime of the day. Usage of it is not tied solely to the Etisalat network. We are conscious of our customers’ need to communicate widely and reach out to their families, friends and loved ones across networks, across the country and across the world.”
Champion Infotel recalled that Etisalat Nigeria launched commercial operations in October with its Easy Starter package.
Apart from the regular features available on all Subscriber Identification Module (SIMs) at the moment, Etisalat has other unique and innovative features such as Receiver Pays, Missed Calls Notification, Homezone and Recharge Others. These unique features are all firsts in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria and set the latest entrant into the GSM market clearly apart.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Microsoft unveils Windows 7 beta
Software giant, Microsoft Corporation, has unveiled its latest Windows 7 beta, thereby on trial.
Chief executive, Microsoft, Mr. Steve Ballmer made this announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, last week.
According to him, the first beta version of the successor to Windows Vista is immediately available as a downloadable disk image to MSDN, TechBeta and TechNet subscribers, while the general public will get to test drive the new operating system (OS) from January, Friday 9.
He said, that Windows 7 is expected to hit shelves towards the end of this year or the first quarter of 2010.
Stressing that Microsoft’s broad roadmap for operating system releases, specified a three-year gap between releases.
The new OS first made an appearance in October, when a ‘pre-beta’ version was given to attendees of Microsoft’s Professional Developer Conference (PDC) 2008.
ZDNet reports that before Mr. Ballmer’s pronouncement, head, Microsoft United Kingdom (UK), on Windows, Mr. John Curran, had called the beta release the “feature-complete.”
He said, Windows 7 would appeal to business users and Information Technology (IT) professionals because of its enhanced security which entails that the new OS does not require new hardware investments above those required by Vista.
“[The encryption feature] BitLocker was a key enhancement in Vista, but Windows 7 takes that a step further,” Curran said, noting that BitLocker To Go is the new feature.
“If you take a traditional Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive and then turn on BitLocker, you can either put in a password or lock [the USB drive] using a smartcard,” he said.
A USB drive encrypted using BitLocker To Go, he explained would be usable on a PC running Windows 7, Vista or XP, although an XP machine will only be able to read the drive after downloading software to allow this.
“Any hardware that runs Vista, you can have confidence it will run Windows 7 the same or better without a hardware upgrade,” Curran said, claiming that the new OS is fundamentally built on Vista.
“Most Vista-compatible applications will also be compatible with Windows 7. The exceptions would be applications that are highly operating-system-specific, such as antivirus or file-management software,” he said.
As said by him, Windows 7 is “designed and optimised for the mobile PC, whether it is a netbook or a laptop”, and claimed the new OS would work even on current netbooks such as those using a1.6GHz Intel Atom Central Processing Unit (CPU).
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Chief executive, Microsoft, Mr. Steve Ballmer made this announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, last week.
According to him, the first beta version of the successor to Windows Vista is immediately available as a downloadable disk image to MSDN, TechBeta and TechNet subscribers, while the general public will get to test drive the new operating system (OS) from January, Friday 9.
He said, that Windows 7 is expected to hit shelves towards the end of this year or the first quarter of 2010.
Stressing that Microsoft’s broad roadmap for operating system releases, specified a three-year gap between releases.
The new OS first made an appearance in October, when a ‘pre-beta’ version was given to attendees of Microsoft’s Professional Developer Conference (PDC) 2008.
ZDNet reports that before Mr. Ballmer’s pronouncement, head, Microsoft United Kingdom (UK), on Windows, Mr. John Curran, had called the beta release the “feature-complete.”
He said, Windows 7 would appeal to business users and Information Technology (IT) professionals because of its enhanced security which entails that the new OS does not require new hardware investments above those required by Vista.
“[The encryption feature] BitLocker was a key enhancement in Vista, but Windows 7 takes that a step further,” Curran said, noting that BitLocker To Go is the new feature.
“If you take a traditional Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive and then turn on BitLocker, you can either put in a password or lock [the USB drive] using a smartcard,” he said.
A USB drive encrypted using BitLocker To Go, he explained would be usable on a PC running Windows 7, Vista or XP, although an XP machine will only be able to read the drive after downloading software to allow this.
“Any hardware that runs Vista, you can have confidence it will run Windows 7 the same or better without a hardware upgrade,” Curran said, claiming that the new OS is fundamentally built on Vista.
“Most Vista-compatible applications will also be compatible with Windows 7. The exceptions would be applications that are highly operating-system-specific, such as antivirus or file-management software,” he said.
As said by him, Windows 7 is “designed and optimised for the mobile PC, whether it is a netbook or a laptop”, and claimed the new OS would work even on current netbooks such as those using a1.6GHz Intel Atom Central Processing Unit (CPU).
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
OLPC suffers set back, cuts jobs
The popular One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, has suffered another setback as it announced intention to cut workforce by 50 per cent, reducing salaries for the remaining staff, and restructuring its operations.
CNET News.com reports that the founder of OLPC, Dr. Nicholas Negroponte, made this announcement last week Wednesday and said that the organisation which aims at providing low-cost laptops to children in developing countries, announced the cuts in a company blog post.
“Like many other nonprofits that are facing tough economic times, One Laptop Per Child must downsize in order to keep costs in line with fewer financial resources... While we are saddened by this development, we remain firmly committed to our mission of getting laptops to children in developing countries.”
Negroponte expressed gratitude for the work contributed by staff being let go.
“The fact that there are 500,000 children around the world who have laptops is testament to their extraordinary work and is already a key part of OLPC’s legacy,” he said.
Also he wrote that the company will focus on development of its second-generation device, but will hands-off development of the sugar operating system to the open-source community.
The project recently revived its two-for-one deal on its low-cost laptop. Amazon.com was tapped to handle its Give One, Get One programme, launched initially in 2007. Through the program, anyone can pay for two XO laptops; one is shipped to the buyer, and the other is sent to a schoolchild in a developing nation.
The device comes loaded with both Windows XP and the Linux-based Sugar operating system created for the XO. The inclusion of XP stemmed from concerns that developing nations wouldn’t buy the laptops for its classrooms without the world’s dominant OS on it.
However, the group has faced its share of challenges in the three years since it was formed. Its XO laptops initially cost $188 (£125) each, instead of the anticipated $100, and some countries are scaling back their deployment plans. Intel, which was briefly part of the project, quit in January 2008, claiming OLPC was pressuring it not to compete with its own laptops.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
CNET News.com reports that the founder of OLPC, Dr. Nicholas Negroponte, made this announcement last week Wednesday and said that the organisation which aims at providing low-cost laptops to children in developing countries, announced the cuts in a company blog post.
“Like many other nonprofits that are facing tough economic times, One Laptop Per Child must downsize in order to keep costs in line with fewer financial resources... While we are saddened by this development, we remain firmly committed to our mission of getting laptops to children in developing countries.”
Negroponte expressed gratitude for the work contributed by staff being let go.
“The fact that there are 500,000 children around the world who have laptops is testament to their extraordinary work and is already a key part of OLPC’s legacy,” he said.
Also he wrote that the company will focus on development of its second-generation device, but will hands-off development of the sugar operating system to the open-source community.
The project recently revived its two-for-one deal on its low-cost laptop. Amazon.com was tapped to handle its Give One, Get One programme, launched initially in 2007. Through the program, anyone can pay for two XO laptops; one is shipped to the buyer, and the other is sent to a schoolchild in a developing nation.
The device comes loaded with both Windows XP and the Linux-based Sugar operating system created for the XO. The inclusion of XP stemmed from concerns that developing nations wouldn’t buy the laptops for its classrooms without the world’s dominant OS on it.
However, the group has faced its share of challenges in the three years since it was formed. Its XO laptops initially cost $188 (£125) each, instead of the anticipated $100, and some countries are scaling back their deployment plans. Intel, which was briefly part of the project, quit in January 2008, claiming OLPC was pressuring it not to compete with its own laptops.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Broadcasters, NCC spoil for war over 2.5G
Broadcasters under the aegis of Microwave Multi-channels Distribution Systems (MMDS) operators in the country are spoiling for war with the telecommunications regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), over the declaration of commercial frequency bands available for licensing by NCC, especially on 2.5G spectrum.
Even as NCC has announced plans to audit the frequency spectrum already occupied in the 2.5-2.7 Gega Hertz (GHz) and 2.3 GHz bands.
This is coming as MMDS operators, penultimate week raised alarm over NCC’s plans to auction the Enhanced Second Generation (2.5G) spectrum being occupied by most of its members nationwide.
According to the Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Dave Imoko, the commission intends to assign portions of the 2.5 – 2.7 and 2.3 GHz bands for commercial telecommunications use in the near future, following the formal release of the bands to the commission by the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC).
Consequently, he said, this authorization paves the way for authentication and obtaining of an accurate data on all service providers or users already licensed by both the NCC, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) or any other competent authority empowered by NFMC.
He, therefore, implored every operator on the affected frequency to provide details of their authorization to the commission for authentication and update.
“All operators or users of spectrum in the frequency range 2500-2690 MHz and 2300-2400 MHz are hereby directed to supply the following information in respect of their authorizations,” he stated in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online.
Mr. Imoko, also outlined relevant documents required for the current authentication exercise to include a photocopy of the letter of assignment, of which the originals could be sighted on demand; photocopy of receipts for payment of spectrum renewal fees for the past three years.
“Photocopy of receipts for payment of spectrum renewal fees for 2006, 2007 and 2008 or from the date of assignment if less than 3 years,” he declared, which could be sighted on demand as well.
Current occupants are further required to provide information on their operational status and states in operation in addition to the detailed contact address of head office or operational base.
These, must include the name of the company, street address, city and state, telephone numbers (fixed & mobile) as well as the electronic mailing (e-mail) address.
Equally, NCC demanded for the name, contact address, e-mail and telephone number(s) of official representative or contact person.
As said by him, the above information should be forwarded to the chief executive officer of the commission in Abuja on or before January 16, 2009.
Additionally, NCC declared its intention to commercialize the frequency bands that are available to prospective companies and investors in the industry nationwide.
Imoko gave the list of some available frequency bands which NCC plans to offer for auction to qualified investors to include the core Third Generation (3G) Time Division Duplex (TDD) spectrum band, namely in block B: 1912.5-1917.5 Mega Hertz (MHz) TDD, block D: 2010-2025MHz TDD and block F: 2155-2175MHz TDD.
He pointed out that on 2.3 GHz band, NCC intends to offer 2300 – 2320 MHz bands available nationwide, except in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt.
The contentious 2.5-2.7GHz Band in TDD cum Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) would be offered in the 2500-2690 Mega Hertz (MHz) available nationwide and presently being re-farmed from other services to telecommunications.
Equally, the 5.4 GHz band, that is 5470-5725 TDD, that are available nationwide, would be auctioned alongside the 1800 MHz band in the 1785-1805 TDD spectrum.
Imoko pointed out that the announcement is, in the mean time, mainly for the information of the public as more details about the qualifying conditions for participation in the assignment process will soon be published.
ITRealms Online recalls that NCC had in the past auctioned some spectrum including three carriers in the 3.75 MHz within the 800 MHz spectrum band, 3G licensing, Digital Mobile Licensing (DML) popular known as the Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and Second National Operator (SNO)
However, preempting the possible conflict that may accompany the latest proposal by NCC, the MMDS operators, two weeks ago, warned on any attempt to recoup its members existing frequencies which are dominantly in the 2.5G.
Sounding the note of caution, MMDS operators, through the Vice president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and chief executive, Disc Communications Limited, Chief Bayo Banjo, said that 2.5G range of spectrum, have been designed for use of digital television broadcast as well as broadband provisioning, through deployment of various formats like the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) among other broadband deliveries.
MMDS operators who are predominantly providers of broadcasting services using the 2.5G licensed spectrum, also said relevant consultations were not carried out by NCC before the announcement, although ITRealms Online gathered that last weekend saw series of meetings in camera among stakeholders.
According to Banjo, non-consultation prior to the proclamation brings about illegality and detrimental to the growth of the nation, noting that 2.5G spectrum has been in use by them in the past 15 years, after dully licensed by NBC and approved by the National Frequency Management Commission.
He made it clear that same licenses were renewed early 2008 for another five years and fully paid for as required by law.
“We would like to take this seriously because some of us have seen officials of NCC snooping around licensed MMDS operators with their spectrum analyzers, to determine what spectrum is in use,” he said, stressing that over the years, MMDS operators had invested over $40 million on expansion programme and for ordering of equipment, explaining that the NBC had in the last two years, forced all operators to scrap their analogue systems and go digital.
“Across the nation, all MMDS operators have scraped their equipment, lost all subscribers and have had to start from scratch. We are presently building up our subscriber base and have ordered thousand of digital decoders which have been paid for. We have also ordered WIMAX equipment in order to migrate simultaneously to broadband Internet Protocol Tv (IPTV) broadcast,” Banjo noted.
The operators further wondered if MMDS operators are lesser Nigerians that they cannot provide bandwidth and do triple play to merit such action from NCC.
He explained that the 2.5G spectrum, is currently regarded as a medium that allows operators to bridge the gap among all the diverse ethnic groups in the country, insisting that it should not auctioned.
Noting that NCC has lots of telecommunication spectrums to play with including the 3.2G, 2.3G, which is the most developed WiMAX frequency with the highest penetration of broadband.
According to him, the MMDS operators find it strange that NCC is considering auctioning of the 2.5G spectrum.
He called on NCC to have a rethink, while calling on government to intervene as quickly as possible.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
What you should know about Twitter?
What You should know about Twitter (1)
Where did the idea for Twitter come from?
Jack Dorsey had grown interested in the simple idea of being able to know what his friends were doing.
Specifically, Jack wondered if there might be an opportunity to build something compelling around this simple status concept.
When he brought the idea up to his colleagues, it was decided that a prototype should be built.
Twitter was funded initially by Obvious, a creative environment in San Francisco, CA.
The first prototype was built in two weeks in March 2006 and launched publicly in August of 2006.
The service grew popular very quickly and it soon made sense for Twitter to move outside of Obvious. In May 2007, Twitter Incorporated was founded.
Why do so many people seem to like Twitter?
Simplicity has played an important role in Twitter’s success. People are eager to connect with other people and Twitter makes that simple.
Twitter asks one question, “What are you doing?”
Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web.
Twitter’s core technology is a device agnostic message routing system with rudimentary social networking features.
Simplicity has played an important role in Twitter’s success. People are eager to connect with other people and Twitter makes that simple.
Twitter asks one question, “What are you doing?”
Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web.
Twitter’s core technology is a device agnostic message routing system with rudimentary social networking features.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Where did the idea for Twitter come from?
Jack Dorsey had grown interested in the simple idea of being able to know what his friends were doing.
Specifically, Jack wondered if there might be an opportunity to build something compelling around this simple status concept.
When he brought the idea up to his colleagues, it was decided that a prototype should be built.
Twitter was funded initially by Obvious, a creative environment in San Francisco, CA.
The first prototype was built in two weeks in March 2006 and launched publicly in August of 2006.
The service grew popular very quickly and it soon made sense for Twitter to move outside of Obvious. In May 2007, Twitter Incorporated was founded.
Why do so many people seem to like Twitter?
Simplicity has played an important role in Twitter’s success. People are eager to connect with other people and Twitter makes that simple.
Twitter asks one question, “What are you doing?”
Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web.
Twitter’s core technology is a device agnostic message routing system with rudimentary social networking features.
Simplicity has played an important role in Twitter’s success. People are eager to connect with other people and Twitter makes that simple.
Twitter asks one question, “What are you doing?”
Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web.
Twitter’s core technology is a device agnostic message routing system with rudimentary social networking features.
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
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