MainOne Cable restates support for local software innovation

Group pix of representatives of sponsors at the just concluded Microsoft Imagine Cup 2013 in Lagos.

The first private undersea fiber optic cable into Nigeria and Ghana, MainOne Cable Company, has restated its support for local software innovation, hence it partnered Microsoft in the Imagine Cup competition 2013.

ITRealms gathered that Imagine Cup contest is a premier student technology challenge on innovative production of various applications deployable on computers and mobile devices that are original in concept to marketplace with Microsoft resources.

And as part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark initiative, it is a way for young entrepreneurs, innovators and developers to have the opportunity to develop an idea, create a product, set a clear business plan and eventually take their product to market.

ITRealms also gathered that all Imagine Cup Worldwide Finalist teams are eligible to apply for Imagine Cup Grants, a three year USD3-million investment by Microsoft to help students turn their ideas into reality. Microsoft BizSpark, another YouthSpark initiative, enables Imagine Cup participants to launch startup businesses in their communities and across the web.

As part of the sponsorship, Main One was the sole bandwidth sponsor, providing 20 MEG of broadband capacity to the event for live-streaming.

The National finals of the competition, and the Stakeholders’ Forum, which held at a prestigious location in Victoria Island, had in attendance over 80 students with participants competing for a place in the worldwide finals, previously hosted in Spain, Brazil, Japan, India, Korea, France, Egypt, Poland, USA and Australia, now to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia from July 8 to 11, 2013.

In total, 12 teams from Nigeria competed during a challenging day of presentations, which brought together students from universities across the country with Team Life Saver emerging winner, which interestingly, cut across two of Nigeria’s foremost tertiary institutions, Obafemi Awolowo University and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.

The team will represent Nigeria at the global finals where the lucky winner stands the opportunity to win $300,000 prize.

Speaking to ITRealms at the event, Head, Marketing at Main One Cable, Mrs. Jumoke Akande, noted that new technologies have rapidly changed businesses, socio-political landscapes and the lives of consumers in Nigeria, Africa as a whole, and other parts of the world, and the speed of adoption is inspiring.

“Main One has consistently recognized the opportunities software development, especially indigenous, will play in this critical phase of Nigeria’s human development, and supported the equipping of young people with necessary technology competencies, to put the future of our nation in their hands” she said.

In his remarks, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mr. Yinka Oni,  said “Each team that competed in the regional finals is deserving of the highest recognition for the creativity and imagination applied to some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re proud to honour these young students who we believe truly exemplify the spirit of the Imagine Cup competition, and we’ll be cheering Team Life Saver on as they compete on the world stage in St Petersburg”.

As said by him, Imagine Cup is directly aligned with the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative that was launched earlier this year as it drives access to technology, innovation and world-class skills.

“We believe deeply that technology can accelerate growth for Africa, and Africa can also accelerate technology for the world, and we are honoured to engage with these young people to help bring their innovative ideas to fruition,” he said.

 

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Broadband Commission petitions UN Eminent Persons on MDGs

*Today begins 1000-day mark to 2015

 

The United Nations (UN) Broadband Commission for Digital Development has petitioned the Eminent Persons through of the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, on the due date for delivery of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

A copy of the letter made available to ITRealms and sent to the Panel of Eminent Persons, the high-level body of leaders from the public and private sectors, tasked with brainstorming ideas for a Post-2015 development agenda, the Commission called on members to recognize the promise of broadband.

“We call on the members of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel to recognize the power and promise of broadband applications and services to expand people’s horizons and opportunities, enhance their freedom of expression and civic participation, better share their culture and hence foster understanding, enable people to engage freely in self-expression and the exchange of ideas, and sow the seeds of genuine learning, as well as quality education for all,” part of the letter read.

Also, it stated “That is why, in particular, any set of measurable goals and targets agreed upon as part of the Post-2015 development agenda should explicitly include broadband.”

In his video address to mark the 1000-day countdown to the MDGs, Mr. Ban noted the progress in what he termed “the most successful global anti-poverty push in history”. World poverty has halved, child mortality is dropping and more girls are now in school than ever before. But the challenges are on-going, and Mr. Ban called for 1000% effort in the final push towards 2015.

The Commission enjoined people to join the conversation at #MDGmomentum and help by Tweeting photos that illustrate the impact that broadband and ICTs have on the MDGs and for communities around the world.

Remmy Nweke 
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ISOC to host AfPIF 2013 @ Morocco

Plans have been advanced for the hosting of the fourth annual African Peering and Interconnection Forum in Casablanca, Morocco in September.

ISOC announced to ITRealms that the forum would focus on Policy Aspects of Internet eXchange Points (IXPs), content, and cross-border Interconnections in Africa.
 

AfPIF 2013 will attract high patronage by the Minister of Industry, Trade, and New Technologies across the continent.
 

The three-dayforum billed for September 3 through 5, 2013 in Casablanca, Morocco is a unique regional forum, which facilitates discussions on African Internet infrastructure challenges, including terrestrial capacity issues, national and regional Internet Exchange Point (IXP) development, local content development, measures to lower connectivity costs, and international peering.
 

It also serves to gather key stakeholders, including Internet service and content providers, IXP operators, research and education networks, government network managers, regulators and policymakers to share experiences and advance peering and interconnection arrangements.

The theme of AfPIF 2013 is “Policy Implementation and the Regional Content Factor,” and the forum will address region-to-region policy, tapping into terrestrial cable potential and traffic management needs, as well as content issues that are critical components of transit deficits.
 

Dawit Bekele, the Internet Society Regional Bureau Director for Africa, says that nearly all peering and interconnection agreements are forged at regional and global peering forums such as AfPIF.

“We are pleased to offer this important event for the fourth consecutive year and provide an opportunity for the business and operational community to work together to augment Internet infrastructure and services in Africa,” he said, stressing that it offers the ideal venue for discussions and ideas on how to implement more efficient and cost effective local, regional, and international interconnection and peering strategies.

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Technology, biggest driver of change for African continent – Etisalat boss

Steven Evans, Etisalat CEO                       courtesy: Tonero photos

Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Steve Evans, has described technology as the biggest driver of change for developing nations of the world, most in Africa.

Evans gave this description at the just-concluded Economist Conference sponsored by the network operator and held at the Expo Centre of Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, through a representative by the Director, Network Engineering, Mr. Temi Ogunbambi, on “Leveraging Technology to enable inclusive, private-sector led growth.”

Mr. Evans said that technology has been instrumental in Africa’s transformation over the past decade and could not be over-emphasised at this stage of development for the continent and developing world at large.

Most developing nations around the world, he said, have come to realize this fact, hence investment is encouraged in this sector.

He highlighted some of the obstacles to the growth of the telecoms sector, which include that tough regulatory and policy situations were faced on both federal and state levels, especially when applying for right of way or bringing in infrastructure.

“There needs to be some form of national integration. Etisalat Nigeria invests a significant sum in base stations. There needs to be public education and inclusion, to develop a sense of purpose and ownership so that subscribers become aware that if base stations are destroyed, the community will be deprived. Until the environment and policies are friendly, we cannot fully unleash the potential of investments,” he said.

ITRealms recalls that earlier, President Goodluck Jonathan in his keynote address tagged ‘Nigeria Summit 2013: Enabling and Implementing Change,’ said Africa is one of the world’s most rapidly growing economies.

He outlined an outlook for Nigeria in the next decade, saying that government’s commitment was to ensure a clean electoral process, economic inclusion, industrialize the country, especially through the oil and agricultural sectors for the purpose of job and wealth creation.

Remmy Nweke 
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Zenith Bank warns customers on fraudulent emails

Concerned with the avalanche of enquiries on electronic mails demanding some changes in Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) of customers, Zenith Bank plc, Thursday raised an alarm, warning customers to be wary of such emails.

ITRealms, learnt that Zenith Bank was overwhelmed by the number of customers reporting on these fraudulent mails to customers.

In an alert to customers, made available to ITRealms Thursday, 28 March, 2013, Zenith refuted the purported emails coming from them.

These emails, Zenith officials said, usually ask the customers to provide information such as Internet banking code, password, email address, email password, phone number, Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) Card PIN among others.

“Please note that Zenith Bank will NEVER request any update and/or personal banking details via email. Consequently, please DISREGARD all such emails as these are 'phishing' mails that may be used to defraud you,” part of the alert read.

And to help keep customers’ online banking experience completely worry free, Zenith advised them not to trust links in an email and as such DO NOT CLICK on them; Never give out personal information upon email request and personally type the web address for any site you want to visit on the web browser rather than clicking on a link sent through an email.

 

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