Intercontinental unveils Visa Hajj Card

Leader in electronic banking, the Intercontinental Bank Plc (IBplc), has unveiled its Visa Hajj card to boost the financial freedom of Nigerians who are going for this year’s annual hajj in Saudi Arabia and online shopping.

Unveiling the Visa Hajj card promo in Lagos, the Group Managing Director, Mr. Mahmoud Lai Alabi, represented by the Executive Director, North, Mr. Danlami Sule, said that as a leading electronic transaction bank in the country, the Visa Hajj Card, is the latest e-banking product from the stable of bank.

He explained that the Hajj Card is a product of several months of research work on Muslim customers who seriously desire a financial product that assures easy access to foreign currency accounts and financial freedom while on Holy Pilgrimage.

This desire, he said, encouraged the bank to develop the nation’s first Visa Hajj card designed to meet the aspirations of not only customers but also prospective ones who are embarking on the annual pilgrimage (main hajj) or visiting the Holy Land for the lesser hajj.

He noted that the cardholders could use the Visa Hajj Card anywhere in the world where Visa Cards are accepted to withdraw cash on the ATM, shop using the Point of Sale (POS) terminals as well as use for online shopping. “The use of this card is therefore not restricted to only Saudi Arabia but also anywhere in the world and in any currency of choice,” he clarified.

He stressed that with the card, cardholders could easily pay for goods and services while performing both Lesser Hajj (Umrah) and Hajj.

According to him, the feedback from customers who are already using the card showed that travelling with the card eliminates the risks associated with fake currencies, cash theft and difficulties associated with sourcing foreign currencies while embarking on the pilgrimage.

“The Hajj Card is valid for two years, and can be used during, after the hajj or Umrah and anywhere Visa Cards are acceptable during the two-year validity. It is also renewable after the validity period,” he said.

In addition, he said that all cardholders benefit from available favourable exchange rates when making purchases or withdrawing cash abroad.

“They need not visit any bank while performing the holy pilgrimage as they have 24-hour access to their funds, without any need to carry cash or cheques,” he said, just as the cards could be purchased over the counter at any of the bank’s 360 branches nationwide with or without necessarily having an account with Intercontinental Bank Plc.

“It comes with a unique benefit of availability of multi-currency transaction support feature,” he said.

He underlined the fact that with this product, Visa Hajj cardholders have access to other services from over 1.4 million Visa automated teller machines (ATMs) and 10million Point of Sale (POS) in more than 200 countries and territories.

He assured of the security of the card, saying that the Hajj Card is very secure since it is a Chip and PIN card based on the functionality of Europay, Mastercard and Visa (EMV) security standard which is adjudged the best globally with almost zero level of card cloning.

All cardholders, he said, are eligible to participate in the on-going promo, noting that to qualify, “just load your card 3 times within a month and spend $500 in the same month. Then Intercontinental Bank gives the customer a cash reward of $10.”

He pointed out that in consideration of the financial security of customers, the bank blazed the trail in deploying the Verve Card, another Chip and PIN compliant debit card to secure customers’ debit card on ATM, POS and online transactions, thereby expanding the frontiers of e-banking through products like EMV (Chip and PIN) Visa and Master Cards, internet Banking, IMobile and ICash among others.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Nigeria @ 50: Omatek powers 22 Ekiti schools on solar

Still in the euphoria of the nation’s 50th Independence anniversary, Omatek Computers Plc has announced its successful powering of 22 schools on solar alternative in Ekiti State.

Omatek, a reputed Nigeria’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) said it has scored another first by effectively deploying 24-hour alternative solar-powered hybrid solution combined with Light-Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs in 22 schools across Ekiti.

The Group Managing Director, Omatek Ventures Plc, Mrs. Florence Seriki, made this disclosure, weekend, saying that the current deployment is a special gift to Nigeria on this auspicious occasion of its 50th anniversary celebrations.

Nigerians, she said, could now heave a sigh of relief with the introduction of the first of its kind Omatek 24-hour alternative Solar- Powered hybrid Solution, which could be deployed in schools, homes, offices, industrial areas, critical mission areas and the telecommunications sector.

She also said the Solar-Powered hybrid solution is also available in smaller compact sizes for use by Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in kiosks.

Excited Mrs. Seriki said that this innovation heartwarming, mostly after seeing the whole school and the dormitories well lit for 24 hours.

“Gone are the days when we were reading with lantern and candle lights,” she said.

Seriki noted that Omatek 24-hour Solar –Powered hybrid solution helps to reduce power consumption by 85 per cent, hence making it cost efficient.

“The solution combines the benefits of the solar system and those of the LED technology to proffer solutions that reduce energy consumption while saving costs,” she said.

She pointed out that with the 24-hour solar hybrid solution, Omatek solar panel generates power for domestic and industrial use as the output passes through a solar charge controller which facilitates the load directly during the day while also charging a bank of deep cell lead-acid batteries back-up system for use at night sunset.

“The energy is then supplied via the Omatek brand of solar inverters,” she explained.

In addition, Mrs. Seriki said Omatek is also changing the face of household and office lighting with the LED bulbs which generates less heat and could last 6-10 times longer than incandescent bulbs with an approximately 3 - 5 year life span and consumes 80-90 per cents less energy than incandescent bulbs.

“These bulbs are maintenance free for 3 – 5 years,” she said.

Equally commenting on the progress, the General Manager, Technical, Mr. Musa Igbo confirmed that with the LED technology, a typical 60 watts bulb will be converted to 3.8 watts.

Similarly, he said, a typical 42 watts 4ft fluorescent bulb will be reduced to 13-17 watts while this is the same for a 2ft 42 watts fluorescent bulb. LED bulbs are also eco-friendly as they generate less carbon emissions (co2) thus contributing towards the global warming solution.

“The output of led Bulb is directional, ensuring uniform illumination and brightness and they come in a variety of forms and shapes,” he said.

Igbo noted that Omatek was awarded these set of 21 schools after the successful completion and deployment of the first pilot school- Baptist High School Ijede Ekiti.

Other schools and States are also taking advantage of this unique innovation as Omatek kick starts other projects like provision of 24 hour power solution to Police Stations and hospitals.

In his remarks, the Head of Marketing, Mr. Kayode Yeku said that Omatek will continue to professionally provide ICT products and solutions that confer unsurpassed value to its customers.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

... As Etisalat roams Nigerians to Hajj

Etisalat has taken roaming of its network to Hajj with the introduction of low tariffs for Nigerians on the network that are going for the special moment.

Etisalat Chief Commercial Officer, Wael Ammar said that the operator in its relentless move to continue satisfying subscribers with cost effective services, has announced the introduction of special Hajj offer that will afford its subscribers the opportunity to enjoy low cost roaming during the Hajj.

“Hajj pilgrims will enjoy over 85 per cent discount on the current roaming rates while roaming in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.

The offer, he said, has been designed to reward new and existing customers on the post paid and pre-paid package will ensure that customers enjoy the best rate (N45) to call back to Nigeria while roaming.

“Customers will also spend only N30 per minute to call any local number in Saudi Arabia and spend only N12 per text message to Nigeria and any country in the world,” he said.

According to Ammar the hajj offer is to appreciate Etisalat’s customers who are embarking on the pilgrimage and offer them a cost-effective manner to stay in touch with loved ones back home.

“This offer is one of the numerous ways we at Etisalat consistently reward customers for their loyalty and patronage in a cost-effective manner regardless of their location because our customers are at the centre of our business,” he said.

This offer, he said, would ensure that subscribers on Etisalat are not limited by location in bonding with their family and loved ones while they are on hajj.

He noted that the hajj offer will also be enjoyed by subscribers on the Elite world Prepaid and post-paid packages.

“Elite world post-paid subscribers can enable their roaming service by visiting any of the Etisalat customer experience centres, pay a roaming deposit and roam on mobile network in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

ITRealms Online recalls that Etisalat, the acclaimed largest provider of telecommunication services in Africa and the Middle East serves an ever increasing subscriber base of 100 million people across Africa, Middle East and Asia.

Etisalat prides itself as the innovative GSM provider currently has unique products such as Easy Starter, Easy Cliq, Easy Net and Elite World in the Nigerian market, as well as offering a wide array of creative and exciting features designed to satisfy all communications needs of its subscribers.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Operators’ strategies and SIM cards registration

As concern over the need to register individual’s Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) card in the on-going exercise, continues, REMMY NWEKE reports that various telecom operators are diversing separate strategies to ensure its success, including going to big corporate entities and worship centers.

Following the introduction of the registration of Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) cards in the country, subscribers and operators are now keen in making certain that they are part of the exercise.

From the churches, mosques and even markets have now turned to venues for SIM registration across the country.

Apparently, in line with the public notice of the telecommunications regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the operators and subscribers alike are now enthusiastic to engage in the act of SIM cards registration.

Part of the notice stipulated that with the commencement of registration of SIM cards, new SIMs must not be activated until the subscriber is duly registered, while those already existing would have a limited period within which to get their SIM cards registered or face some sanctions of being denied access to their lines to a given extent, which may include turning their lines into a receiver only, with the likelihood of reaching a cut-off, if the user is adamant to a certain period.

“All SIM-based telephone subscribers are required to register their personal data as well as biometrics; finger prints and facial photographs, before they can be allowed to make calls and/or send messages,” NCC warned through its Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Dave Imoko, recently.

Investigations carried out by ITRealms Online since the commencement of the exercise on May 1, indicated that telecom operators, mostly those on mobile platforms have introduced various strategies to achieve this, in spite of the six months deadline marshaled out by the House Committee on Communications to complete the registration of over 78 million SIM cards in circulation as at July, 2010.

This means that by end of October 2010, an estimated 78 million should have been registered. This development came as some Information and Communication Technology (ICT) experts argued that it is not visible, maintaining that even if all the operators have to register a total record of 1m per week, it could still not be viable.

Noticeable now is that when a new SIM is inserted into a new mobile phone, a prompt is seen demanding that such a SIM card be registered.

According to the president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu, based on the aforementioned mathematics of registering at least 1m per week, it means that the registration of 78m subscribers will be completed in approximated 19.5 months; equals to about a year and seven months to accomplish.

He urged telecom consumers in the country to ensure they register their SIMs and called on NCC to adhere to the directive given by the House Committee on Communications, that six months is enough for the exercise.

The intervention of the Green chambers of the legislature by way of proposing a parliamentary Bill on SIM registration, he said, is a welcome development, stressing that ATCON, as an interested party made input too. “We have already made contribution to the draft,” he said, but insisted that the campaign for SIM registration was started by ATCON members’ who are already making efforts to ensure its success.

ATCON also wants NCC to engage Nigerians on the public enlightenment campaign, saying that it’s only NCC that could persuade subscribers in the country to adhere to SIM registration which is ongoing.

They noted that the campaign should not be left alone to the telecom operators, because Nigerians would perceive it as another means of ‘milking’ them, moreso, given the rise in kidnapping, which most people said is induced by the advent of the Global System for Mobile communications.

For the chairman, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, the registration of SIM cards of such magnitude entails huge investment, thus the operators are demanding logistic support from the government, especially the industry regulator.

He stressed that even if nothing else, the exercise is of utmost important to aid security agencies in curbing crimes in the country.

Although the NCC said it was considering some of kind of support, it has mandate the operators to set up machineries in place to accomplish this exercise, without outlining the kind of support it would offer them in return yet.

But, based on the workings of the government and its agencies, the cost of engaging some staff for this purpose and procurement of equipment could be absorbed eventually, but for when remain unknown, especially with the slowness in engaging stakeholders by the latest leadership of apex telecom regulator in the country is unassuming.

ITRealms Online discovered that the operators are now engaging dealers in order to extend the exercise to the crannies by taking actions to big corporate organisations and churches with good number of staff and members, especially those who may not have the opportunity to visit customer care centres for the exercise, with some centres located at popular bus-stops like Oshodi-underbridge in Lagos.

Operators, it was revealed have appointed series of partners to drive this exercise down to subscribers and near too. This the dealer do by engaging temporary staff to ensure that this exercise is a success.

For instance, at St. Jude’s Catholic parish, Mafoluku-Oshodi in Lagos, recently, staff of telco’s dealers, especially from Apple Tree mounted two tables at the two entrance gates of the church during most masses in order to register MTN subscribers who lined up for the exercise en-masse. Though they claim to have the mandate of other operators as well, but of particular reference were made for MTN customers, even as they used MTN’s branded tables and plastic chairs, for about two Sun days, the team visited the church.

The two operators of the Digital Data Capturing machines allocated to the parish for the Sunday-Sunday registration options who identified themselves as Messrs Kayode and Yomi, confirmed that they were from Apple Tree Nigeria Limited and have been around since the second mass which ended at about 8.30am and would usually stay through to the last mass, which ended at about 1pm, while the exercise lasted at the church compound.

They also said that the exercise went well as the turn-out have been encouraging, while members of the church trooped to these two centres after each mass session to register their SIMs. Confirming their engagement by some operators, mostly MTN, a lady who described herself as the Managing Director, Apple Tree, who refused her name in prints, said they have staff well equipped to do the registration across networks.

She explained that corporate organisations as well as churches and mosques, since the exercise started invite them to occasionally enable their members to register their SIM cards.

The AppleTree lady also said her company and employees were empowered to register across the networks, namely MTN, Zain, Etisalat, and Glo, to name a few.

ITRealms Online recalls that soon after the commencement of SIM card registration, confusion crept in based on the kind of questions asked by various operators via their dealers are yet to be cohesively structured. Even as it was initially gathered that some touts took advantage of lack of awareness on the SIM registration to charge unassuming telecom subscribers between N50 and N500, collecting two passport photos and filling of manual forms with the intention to register them later.

In particular, the operators were discovered to be missing a key question for tracking individuals as they stopped at asking for local government areas without home towns, or place of birth, just as it was gathered that most communities are very far away from their local government headquarters.

Further investigations revealed that at MTN Friendship centres, there are usually two personnel manning each box and capturing data both manually and electronically via filling of form which contains phone lines from the network, alternative phone line, full names, next of kin and phone line, date of birth, local government area, state of origin, residential address, ID, photo capture and two fingers’ biometric scan from each hand in addition to a free gift for those who complete their registration successfully.

Except for the manual recording, Zain also insisted in showing of SIM cards by customers, while Etisalat accepts registration on proxy by spouse only, even as the number kept rising of subscribers who register their SIMs. At Glo World, it was more of an ‘academic exercise’ with all your fingers scanned, mothers’ maiden name, average income per month, average airtime usage per month, office and residential addresses, religion, preferred language, concluding with webcam photo capture.

Equally, experts have warned telecom consumers over the use of touts for registration, saying that anybody without the registration box is ‘fake’.

While telecom consumers are enjoined to key into the exercise, industry observers urged operators to beef-up their commitment to the consumers by taking the exercise further nearer to them across the networks, which is currently being done by MTN, according to our investigations.

This, the predicted could be of help to the operators because most of their subscribers may not eventually be affected when the deadline is presumably reached, therefore sustaining their investment.

Industry observers equally pointed out that if in the long run subscribers are cut off a network, they could be forced to migrate to another network, at which time they would now be literally forced to register before acquiring the new lines.

And for them, most importantly is that the government through the NCC may decide to share or provide incentives for the operators based on their financial and logistic commitment to the exercise, which may not favour those who are foot-dragging at the movement.

Until then, ask yourself, neighbours and relatives if they have registered their SIMs and encourage them to do so, today, especially those at the rural areas.
So, to be forewarned, is to be forearmed.
 
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Entrepreneurship:‘Knowledge economy, perfect for 21st century’

The chief executive officer of e-Books Library, Mr. Walter Kny, has identified knowledge economy as a perfect setting for the 21st century entrepreneurs, just as he tasked Nigerians to dream dreams, noting that the likes of Facebook could have been created by a Nigerian.

He stated this at a one-day seminar tagged the Spirit of the True Nigerian Entrepreneur (SoTNE) at the Abuja International Conference Centre, with the theme ‘Creating Wealth with integrity in 21st Century’ as part of the Computerize Nigeria Project (CNP) contribution to Nigeria at 50 independence celebration.

He urged Nigerians to engage their minds beginning with dreaming which is freely given by the creator of the world.

“Dreaming is for free, so dream,” he declared, saying that the possibility of potential entrepreneurs starts with the engagement of the mind by thinking.

Mr. Kny, who dwelt on ‘Entrepreneurship 101 and opportunities for Nigerians in the knowledge economy,’ said that ideas must be simple, stressing that any idea that cannot be written down in a sentence may not be feasible.

He cited the instance with Facebook, saying that it could have been created by a Nigerian, stressing that Facebook was not just an innovation but a social entrepreneurial intervention.

“Facebook was not a technological breakthrough and the same are Twitter, Yahoo, Funband, among others,” he said, warning that these social enterprise are not locally driven but global.

He noted that all the aforementioned social entrepreneurial interventions are within the top 15 most visited websites in Nigeria.

Pointing out that an budding entrepreneur to be different, he or she must be strategic in nurturing the enterprise, stressing that self discipline is a pre-requisite in business.

“Discipline helps you to move and there is no silly idea,” he said, insisting that those born into the 21st century are very fortunate and are all born equally based on the nomenclature of the Internet, saying that all the people of this century requires is their brain.

He described intellectual capital as a sea of possibilities, beginning with the information available to an individual, especially the intellectual capabilities that one can turn into money.

“Everybody has intellectual capital,” he asserted, stressing that the top 20 knowledge countries made up 60 per cent of the world’s wealth with high-tech industries representing 50 per cent of their wealth.

Knowledge workers in the United States, he said, earn over 200 per cent of the unskilled one.

Mr. Kny said that most knowledge countries are making good use of their population, maintaining that more knowledge equals to more money.

“Why most of the entrepreneurship succeed is because they took actions,” he said,
He defined entrepreneurs as those extra-ordinary people who do extra-ordinary things, advising anybody who has a dream and the courage to go for it.

According to him, entrepreneurs must be change agents, pointing out that the first 100 per cent of the top 100 richest persons in the United States are self-starter entrepreneurs.

On the startup success rates, Mr. Kny said, “18 per cent first time startup are successful, 30 per cent second times startups are successful.

Further, he outlined some of the factors why most entrepreneurs fail, attributing this to lack of character, indiscipline, separating self from business, not knowing what they want, non-resilience, extravagant and bad management.

Kny advised that when a startup begins to grow, it is important to the owner cum entrepreneur to bring-in a management team to sustain that dream

“You must hire management team before you need them,” he said, stressing that it takes between two and three years for any startup t make money, noting that for every entrepreneur, everything is an opportunity.

Additionally, he said that why most entrepreneurs fail is because of poor fundamentals, leadership gap, lack of capital, planning, vision gap as well as lack of flexibility, which makes such enterprise obsessed with their dreams.

He maintained that entrepreneurs must diverse within their area of strength in order to make their economic power stronger.

“Once a while stop to ask if you are to start anew your business, would you take the same route,” he counseled, adding that entrepreneurs should not under-estimate their competitors, even as God always find a way to talk to man on earth.

Mr. Kny drew-up five keys to success which comprised of the fact that entrepreneurs must learn how to handle frustration, reject incoherent ideas, learn how to handle financial pressures, complacency and eventually ensure that they give back more than they expect to receive to the society where they operate.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Emeagwali says democracy without technology is void

Nigerian-born digital giant, Dr. Phillip Emeagwali has predicted that technology would enable the entrenchment of press and democracy on the continent of Africa, saying that democracy without technology is void.

Emeagwali bared his mind in Paris, while presenting a paper on Nigeria’s 50 independence anniversary recently.

He noted that the late Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana once said “Socialism without science is void,” but for at this era, “Democracy without technology is void.”

According to him, a scientist could be famous yet remain unknown, stressing that the grand challenge for scientists is to focus on discoveries that reduce poverty rather than on winning prizes.

“To focus on the prizes we have won, instead of the discoveries we have made, would be akin to dwelling on a hero’s medal and ignoring his heroism,” he said.

Emeagwali also said that discoveries and inventions that increase wealth and reduce poverty are the “heroes” of science and technology and one hundred nations have printed their revered scientists’ likenesses on their currency, which has elevated those scientists as exalted bearers of their people’s best vision of themselves.

For him, his contribution traverses science and technology, culminating in reformulated and solved nine partial differential equations listed in the 20 Grand Challenges of computing.

The equations, he said, was invented akin to the iconic Navier-Stokes equations listed in the Seven Millennium Problems of mathematics.

“Those Seven Millennium Problems are to mathematics what the Seven Wonders of the World are to history. To be accurate, the equations I solved were not exactly solvable, but were computably solvable. That is, I digitally solved the grand challenge version, not the millennium one that must be solved logically,” he said.

He buttressed his point by saying that a novelist is a storyteller, and a scientist is a history maker; while a novelist creates a fictional world, a scientist discovers factual stories about our universe.

“I am an internet scientist who discovered factual stories. I reprogrammed and reinvented an internet to tell 65,000 factual stories to as many sub-computers,” he said.

As said by him, the internet meets humanity’s fundamental need to compute and communicate as well as spreads like bush fire, and resonates decade after decade capable of being relevant several centuries to come.

“The internet is a technology that both connects people and connect with people in a way that will forever remain deep and enduring,” he asserted, saying that as the artist that told stories about how the Laws of Motion gave rise to the eternal truths of calculus; timeless truths that will outlast the changing opinions of all times.

“My restated Second Law of Motion became my footprints; my reformulated partial differential equations became my handprints; and my reinvented algorithms became my fingerprints on the sands of time,” he said, emphasizing that told a story in which a new technology came alive through three boards, namely the storyboard, blackboard, and motherboard.

“My story has been retold from boardrooms to newsrooms, from classrooms to living rooms. It all began as a dialogue between a supercomputer programmer and his 65,000 sub-computers, which he reprogrammed as an internet,” Emeagwali said.

He elaborated his position saying that during a conversation conducted in the languages of physics and mathematics between him and his machines, in 1989, “I performed a world record of 3.1 billion calculations per second. This occurred when my keyboard replaced the handwriting on my blackboard and bridged the gap between man and motherboard. I became known for my discovery that a supercomputer is an internet and vice versa, and I, the storyteller, became both the story and the witness.”

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

IT Edge ranks top 50 ICT companies in W/Africa

IT Edge News.Com has announced plans to unveil its ranking of top 50 Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) companies in West Africa during a luncheon in Lagos.

Head of IT Edge’s Intelligence Unit, Mr. Segun Oruame, made this known at the weekend, saying that this year’s edition of the West Africa Top 50 Technology Business ceremony has been scheduled to hold on November , 26, this year.

According to him, this year’s Top 50 would be the fourth since 2007 and has been incorporated as part of the IT Edge West Africa 4th Convergence Forum; the annual interactive Forum since 2006 that focuses on Convergence Trends in West Africa, just as the forum has enjoyed the support the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) since 2007 among others.

“This year’s event equally gets the support from the regulatory authorities from Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone,” he said. Oruame noted that the two events are organized by the IT Edge Intelligence Unit (ITE-IU) while the 2010 Convergence Forum has the theme: ‘Driving Convergence through Connectivity Infrastructure’.

This, he said, would underscore the significant entry of Glo-1 and Main One undersea cables in what should radically change broadband connectivity access across West Africa.

“The top 50 rating is an aggregate of companies across West Africa in the technology business sector whose performance in 2006 made the mark on service excellence. The companies were rated on market spread and technical competence, functionality and relevance in terms of customers’ service and contribution to national economy in their respective areas of operation among other factors,” he said.

The survey, he explained, is annually conducted by IT Edge Intelligence Unit based on detailed analysis of available data on the ICT, technology business sector in 10 of the 14 ECOWAS countries.

The data used for the survey, he said, include basic information on each organisations directly from some of companies or third party information source including leading analyst firms such as Gartner Group and IDC, local newspapers and magazines, news websites and international news publications including Technology Times (Nigeria), IT Weekly (Dubai), Balancing Act, the Financial Times, ITRealms Online and the Economist in the UK, the Forbes Rich List, the Fortune 500, the Wall Street Journal and Reuters. Among the top 50 for 2010 are Globacom, Systemspecs, Unique Solutions (Gambia), PPC, DOPC, NIIT, and MTN. Others are Interswitch, Computer Warehouse Group, DCC, Zinox, Nokia, Cisco, HP, Aviat and Helios, among others.

“They represent the best of technology and business efforts in terms of corporate excellence, service delivery, transparency and strict adherence to the tenets of best international practice,” he said. Pointing out that the rating would be the fourth for the ECOWAS sub-region, and include companies from French and English speaking West Africa. Rating covered all sub-sectoral players ranging from international vendors, software companies, infrastructure providers, telcos, handset manufacturers, and distribution companies to PC makers.

“We have witnessed tremendous market growth in the last few years helped by liberalisation and deregulation. We have also seen a hash of service delivery and opportunistic products making appearance on the shelf without any concern for whether they meet customer’s expectations or not. This rating is an expansion of our editorial vision at helping to create a market of accurate ‘facts and figures’” he said.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Ayo-Fisher lifts CWG with HRLeadership award

The group head, Human Resource for Computer Warehouse Group, Mrs. Olapeju Ayo-Fisher, has been honoured at the just concluded Asia Pacific Human Resources Managers Congress, with a global award for HRLeadership for excellence.

Corporate Communications Manager, CWG, Mr. Chidi Okpala, confirmed this at the weekend, saying that the award is an international prize in recognition of exemplary leadership and contributions made in the field of Human Resources.

A press statement made available by Okpala to ITRealms Online indicated that a letter sent to Mrs. Ayo-Fisher by the chairman of the congress, Mr. Tom Hilton, explained that the award is to recognise the best of the best, organized for a professional cause.

“The objective being benchmarking talent and HR practices,” he said, stressing that with this award, Olapeju has placed her name in the international field of professionalism and more importantly too, the name of Computer Warehouse Group, which she has served as Group head Human resource for close to a decade.

Commenting on the prize, the Group Managing Director, CWG, Mr. Austin Okere, while presenting the award to Mrs. Fisher, congratulated her on this achievement and expressed appreciation on her loyalty which has brought elevation to CWG in the international world of professionalism in business.

“I take this opportunity to congratulate you on this achievement on behalf of the management and staff of CWG. Thank you for consolidating CWG’s brand on the global map,” he said.

ITRealms Online recalls that the HR Leadership award is conferred on individuals who have displayed skills in performance management, risk management, team orientation, people management, achieving excellence and business goal management.

According to Okpala, CWG is proud to be associated with these skills in its people which it holds pricelessly, whereas it’s Fisher’s function to ensure that these values are imbibed in over 450 members of staff at CWG across Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda.

Mrs. Ayo-Fisher is a graduate of the University of Lagos and holds a Masters in Industrial Relations, just as she has attended a number of training within and out of the country.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

UNESCO,ICANN back multilingualism in cyberspace

The leadership of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and global coordinator of internet protocol, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) have entered a deal by signing a letter of intent to support multi-lingualism in cyberspace.

This deal was consummated between ICANN president, Mr. Rod Beckstrom and UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Mr. Janis Karklins during the recently concluded 5th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Vilnius, Lithuania.

With this, UNESCO and ICANN agreed to work together to further strengthen multilingualism in cyberspace and facilitate the successful implementation of internationalized country code top-level domains (IDN ccTLDs).

The signing officials said, sets the tone for a common front and interest regarding the internationalization of the Internet Domain Name System (DNS).

“The Letter of Intent aims at the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement signed in December 2009. Both organizations agreed to collaborate in the development and internationalization of the Internet DNS and to undertake a variety of activities,” a press statement made available to ITRealms Online disclosed.

The major objective of this joint effort, UNESCO official, said, is to provide assistance to its Member States by creating a reference table of country names and abbreviations for countries whose official languages are based on Cyrillic script.
Other languages and scripts are expected to follow.

At the UNESCO Open Forum organized in the framework of IGF 2010, Rod Beckstrom, ICANN President said, “ICANN welcomes UNESCO’s plan to provide linguistic support to those who want to participate in the fast track process but need linguistic help in preparing their request.”

On the other hand, Karklins of UNESCO confirmed that his organisation with its mandate, is well placed to invite, encourage and assist its Member States to participate in the development of an IDN ccTLD country names cum abbreviations reference table.

“Both organizations recognize the importance of the Internet for building inclusive knowledge societies, and strengthening and promoting cultural diversity and multilingualism in cyberspace,” he said.

The exact scope of the project is yet to be defined, but the concrete joint activity would already facilitate the introduction of internationalized domain names at the top level, helping UNESCO Member States to prepare their IDN ccTLD applications.
 
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Ghana to leverage mobile health Africa

Ghana is planning to leverage on Mobile Health Africa summit to boost its health services to the citizens, through an event being organised by the Mobile World magazine and Anadach Group, based in the United States.

Chief executive officer, Mobile World, Mr. Akin Napthal said in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online that Africa is seeking better health solutions through mobile technologies.

The event slated for December this year, he said, would be a gathering of African’s best brains in adoption of technologies for mobile health services.

He said that global mobile communication and health experts are set to meet in Ghana to debate on appropriate and timely solutions for Africa’s pressing health challenges.

He also said that delegates are expected from across Africa, Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East.

Mr. Napthal, who doubles as the conference co-director, hinted that it would to take place between December 2 and 3, at the Labadi Hotel, in Accra.

“This summit will explore the use of mobile technologies to improve access to quality health care, particularly in underserved populations; and in health research, training, and education
applications in Africa,” he said.

Mobile phones, he said, have the ability to revolutionize several components of the health delivery system, including collecting clinical and community health data, monitoring patient vital signs in real-time, augmenting the direct provision of care by linking health care workers to patients, delivering healthcare information to practitioners, researchers, and patients as well as addressing supply chain management problems.

Equally, he said, Mobile phones could play a significant role in health financing systems, including authentication of health insurance subscribers, monitoring of health benefits and paying for health services and products.

He underscored the fact that mHealth Africa summit presents an opportunity to bring together interested parties from around the world working in the health care and associated sectors to exchange ideas, discuss innovative solutions, explore scalability and sustainability of successful pilots, and develop collaborations in Africa.

Founding partner Anadach Group, Dr. Egbe Osifo-Dawodu, urged stakeholders to jointly channel key implementation of mHealth deployment in Africa.

The conference, he said, would become an annual event to come at a time when mobile penetration rates on the African continent are rising at a high rate.

In 2009, he noted that Africa was estimated to have more than 379 million mobile phone users compared to 246 million in 2008.

“It is the precise time to put more focus on the growth of mHealth in Africa. With that fact mobile is perhaps the fastest and cost effective and interactive way to reach the rural areas in term of health delivery,” he said.

For health and ICT entrepreneurs, the new platform creates an opportunity to develop innovative ideas that address existing problems or create new solutions to improve healthcare.

“Most African countries are not on track to meet the UN’s Millennium Development Goals so the need for innovation has never been greater,” Dr. Alade, the conference co-director asserted.

He further said, this summit poses a great opportunity in discussing and learning more on the future of mhealth in Africa. Through the forum, mobile and health experts will review the mHealth opportunities and challenges in Africa. In addition, experts will discuss and understand the role regulators in developing mHealth on the continent drawing comparisons with the developed world.

“This is an opportunity for participants to gain insight into case studies of various mhealth deployments and initiatives, deeper understanding on the business model of mhealth, networking,” Mr. Napthal added.

Speakers at the conference, he said, would include Prof. Peter Nyongo, the Kenya Minister for Medical Services who will also be the special guest, Brooke Partridge, CEO and founder, Vital Wave Consulting, USA, Bas Hoefman, Founder and Director, Text to Change, Holland Dr Ashifi Gogo, Sproxil, Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Fafunwa, Senior Partner Kitskoo, Phillipines, Mr. Piers Bocock, Senior Director, Management Sciences for Health, USA,, Ruchi Dass, Wireless Healthcare, E-health and Healthcare IT Champion, Bright Simons, CEO, mPedigree, Ghana among others.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D