Ben Uzor Jr
In the face of the worst economic depression of our generation, an Information Technology (IT) expert has advised Nigerian enterprises to adopt virtualisation solutions as they could tremendously improve an organisations ability to respond to new business challenges by providing the foundation for a more dynamic IT environment.
Virtualisation refers to the creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as an operating system, a server, storage device or network resources. It allows enterprises run multiple virtual machines on a single physical machine, sharing the resources of that single computer across multiple environments. Chrystabel Davis, vice president, DBH Solution Limited, a indigenous IT solutions and services provider made this revelation while speaking to Business Day in Lagos recently.
According to her, the number of transactions and volume of information puts huge demands on IT infrastructure. To this effect, decision makers are seeking flexible IT infrastructure that can keep pace with demands and improve their business agility. But more importantly, by lowering organisations total cost of ownership (TCO) which includes cost associated with hardware purchases, maintenance and facilities, the novel technology concept can free up budgets for new initiatives, Davis explained.
In citing a recent IDC survey, she noted that customers that have deployed virtualisation were able to reduce their hardware costs by 20 percent. This reduction, Davis further revealed resulted in a savings of, on average, 23 percent over the past 12 months due to lower hardware costs, power and cooling savings, and real estate expense savings.
“Virtualisation is not a simple technology to deploy throughout an enterprise data centre but if implemented properly it can have spectacular results and reduce IT costs and improve flexibility. It can also enable organisation to simplify and optimise their infrastructure. This would assist business respond to new IT demands in a cost effective way while improving service and managing risk.
On the contrary, industry experts have advised enterprises to improve virtualisation deployment methods. In a recent report, Gartner warned that two-thirds of virtual servers will be less secure than physical equivalents over the next three years. The research company said that too many virtualised deployment projects are been undertaken without adequate involvement of security experts in the initial architecture and planning stages.
Gartner further reveals that the figure will drop to 30 per cent by the end of 2015, but urged businesses to take additional precautions when implementing the technology. With more firms set to adopt on-demand technology over the next few years, the need to address the security issues associated with virtualisation will become more critical to address, the company added.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
CBN’s directive on off-site ATMs dips banks’ fortunes
…As banks pass burden to customers
John Omachonu & Ben Uzor Jr
Revenues to banks’ vaults have continued to nosedive following withdrawal of Automated Teller machines (ATMs) from off-site locations, as directed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Besides, the hope of some industry operators that CBN would extend again the deadline for withdrawal which expired March 31, has been dashed as the apex bank said there is no going back.
But, the development is impacting negatively on the finances of banks, which have decided to resort to commissions from the self service machines following their aversion to credit as a result of clean up which has heightened major flaws in their risk management.
In fact revenues from the transactions have been experiencing improvement despite complaints from customers who have lost their life savings to fraudsters. However, some of the affected customers have always alleged insider information. For instance, from a total of revenue of N99.6 million in November last year, moved to N108.3 million in December, but nosedived to N90 million in January this year. Unconfirmed source put the revenue in March to about N100 million
As a way out, some banks have decided to pass the burden to their customers. For instance, last week, one of the banks sent a text message to its customers saying, “Dear customers, CBN mandated non branch ATMs to be handed to a Trust. So all transactions outside …branch ATMs will cost N100 from 9/4/10”). Before now, card users, whose accounts are domiciled with the banks were not charged for using off-site ATMs, but customers only paid when they used other banks ATMs.
But situations have changed as banks are now exploring survival means in the face of depleting revenue, occasioned by lack of intermediation businesses. But, CBN insisted last week that it will not rescind its directive that all off-site located ATMs be withdrawn or handed over to independent handlers, saying that its action is based on the need to protect the customers and also maintain sanity in the system. According to Mohammed Abdullahi, CBN spokesperson, “CBN is not considering a rethink as this is the best practice worldwide. The essence is to ensure checks and balances in the operations of the ATMs”.
According to him there were occasions in the past where some fraudulent practices involving customers losing thousands of cash through ATMs were allegedly linked to insider information or collusion with staff of banks. Mitchell Elegbe, chief executive officer, Interswitch Limited pointed out last week that the management of off-site ATMs was not the responsibility of banks, adding that CBN’s directive on offsite ATMs was laudable. He however added that improper execution on the part of the newly licensed IADs could discredit the policy and further create disorder in the e-payment industry.
“You don’t need anybody to tell you that it is wrong to see 15 ATMs in one location at the airport, that’s waste. So, the question is how did we get to a situation bank would put 15 ATMs in one location when at any point in time not more than one or two are been used, that’s unnecessary waste. I still can’t understand the logic of putting a bank of ATMs at the Hilton in Abuja when there are PoS terminals that accept card payments”, Elegbe said.
But banks have resolved to make up for the money spinning project, but which is supposed to be managed by the three independent ATM deployer s (IAD). Before the end of last month, out of a total of 10, 284 ATMs that were deployed by financial sector, 3, 485 (49 percent) were located outside the banks’ premises, with only 1,500 of the off-site figure, from UBA, First Bank, Diamond Bank, Wema and Ecobank, now being managed by ATM-C, the only independent ATM deployer (IAD) and operator of the quick cash ATM network.
CBN recently granted two Consortiums, Chams Access and CSS approval-in-principle to operate as ATM consortium in Nigeria, but are yet to commence operations despites CBN’s promise of conducting a post-approval-in-principle visit to the firms last month to ensure their readiness and compliance with the requirements.
But some bankers told Business Day last week that their expectation was that CBN will again extend the deadline to allow them choice of IAD to hand over their ATMs, which they spent millions of naira to acquire. Furthermore, some of the banks insisted that those that are handing over their ATMs to these IADs would have to conduct some level of due diligence to ensure that the right kind of companies are selected.
Business Day investigations have revealed that customers are paying for the short fall through excess charges. From the popular cost on transactions (COT) to commission on Automated Teller machines (ATMs), banks now send alert to customers indicating charges, sometimes for no transactions on regular basis. The customers’ woes are heightened by the current perceived excess liquidity in the system typified by the banks ‘ reluctance to expand their loan portfolio, and the attendant uncertainty which is making consumers to hold on to cash. Immediate implication is rising cases of defaults among individuals and corporate organizations, whose livelihood is being threatened by the charges.
But, Garba Mohammed, a customer of one of the banks said yesterday that the banks’ action amounts to transfer of aggression as these charges will further impoverish the investing public. Rasheed Shonubi, a bank customer said: “Every time I conduct ATM transactions outside ATMs, N100 is removed. I think that is outrageous for low income earners. This is one of the consequences of the removal of off-site ATMs. Let us be realistic, banks would have incurred a lot of costs in the process. Of course, they would definitely pass that cost to the end users.”
John Omachonu & Ben Uzor Jr
Revenues to banks’ vaults have continued to nosedive following withdrawal of Automated Teller machines (ATMs) from off-site locations, as directed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Besides, the hope of some industry operators that CBN would extend again the deadline for withdrawal which expired March 31, has been dashed as the apex bank said there is no going back.
But, the development is impacting negatively on the finances of banks, which have decided to resort to commissions from the self service machines following their aversion to credit as a result of clean up which has heightened major flaws in their risk management.
In fact revenues from the transactions have been experiencing improvement despite complaints from customers who have lost their life savings to fraudsters. However, some of the affected customers have always alleged insider information. For instance, from a total of revenue of N99.6 million in November last year, moved to N108.3 million in December, but nosedived to N90 million in January this year. Unconfirmed source put the revenue in March to about N100 million
As a way out, some banks have decided to pass the burden to their customers. For instance, last week, one of the banks sent a text message to its customers saying, “Dear customers, CBN mandated non branch ATMs to be handed to a Trust. So all transactions outside …branch ATMs will cost N100 from 9/4/10”). Before now, card users, whose accounts are domiciled with the banks were not charged for using off-site ATMs, but customers only paid when they used other banks ATMs.
But situations have changed as banks are now exploring survival means in the face of depleting revenue, occasioned by lack of intermediation businesses. But, CBN insisted last week that it will not rescind its directive that all off-site located ATMs be withdrawn or handed over to independent handlers, saying that its action is based on the need to protect the customers and also maintain sanity in the system. According to Mohammed Abdullahi, CBN spokesperson, “CBN is not considering a rethink as this is the best practice worldwide. The essence is to ensure checks and balances in the operations of the ATMs”.
According to him there were occasions in the past where some fraudulent practices involving customers losing thousands of cash through ATMs were allegedly linked to insider information or collusion with staff of banks. Mitchell Elegbe, chief executive officer, Interswitch Limited pointed out last week that the management of off-site ATMs was not the responsibility of banks, adding that CBN’s directive on offsite ATMs was laudable. He however added that improper execution on the part of the newly licensed IADs could discredit the policy and further create disorder in the e-payment industry.
“You don’t need anybody to tell you that it is wrong to see 15 ATMs in one location at the airport, that’s waste. So, the question is how did we get to a situation bank would put 15 ATMs in one location when at any point in time not more than one or two are been used, that’s unnecessary waste. I still can’t understand the logic of putting a bank of ATMs at the Hilton in Abuja when there are PoS terminals that accept card payments”, Elegbe said.
But banks have resolved to make up for the money spinning project, but which is supposed to be managed by the three independent ATM deployer s (IAD). Before the end of last month, out of a total of 10, 284 ATMs that were deployed by financial sector, 3, 485 (49 percent) were located outside the banks’ premises, with only 1,500 of the off-site figure, from UBA, First Bank, Diamond Bank, Wema and Ecobank, now being managed by ATM-C, the only independent ATM deployer (IAD) and operator of the quick cash ATM network.
CBN recently granted two Consortiums, Chams Access and CSS approval-in-principle to operate as ATM consortium in Nigeria, but are yet to commence operations despites CBN’s promise of conducting a post-approval-in-principle visit to the firms last month to ensure their readiness and compliance with the requirements.
But some bankers told Business Day last week that their expectation was that CBN will again extend the deadline to allow them choice of IAD to hand over their ATMs, which they spent millions of naira to acquire. Furthermore, some of the banks insisted that those that are handing over their ATMs to these IADs would have to conduct some level of due diligence to ensure that the right kind of companies are selected.
Business Day investigations have revealed that customers are paying for the short fall through excess charges. From the popular cost on transactions (COT) to commission on Automated Teller machines (ATMs), banks now send alert to customers indicating charges, sometimes for no transactions on regular basis. The customers’ woes are heightened by the current perceived excess liquidity in the system typified by the banks ‘ reluctance to expand their loan portfolio, and the attendant uncertainty which is making consumers to hold on to cash. Immediate implication is rising cases of defaults among individuals and corporate organizations, whose livelihood is being threatened by the charges.
But, Garba Mohammed, a customer of one of the banks said yesterday that the banks’ action amounts to transfer of aggression as these charges will further impoverish the investing public. Rasheed Shonubi, a bank customer said: “Every time I conduct ATM transactions outside ATMs, N100 is removed. I think that is outrageous for low income earners. This is one of the consequences of the removal of off-site ATMs. Let us be realistic, banks would have incurred a lot of costs in the process. Of course, they would definitely pass that cost to the end users.”
Social agitation grows on Facebook as 1.14 million Nigerians connect
Ben Uzor Jr
In greater depth, the potential of Facebook as an online tool for social agitation has become prevalent in Nigeria by way of the increasing number of protest community groups springing up and the complex socio-political issues debated on the social networking site, Business Day can now reveal.
With the population of Nigerians on Facebook surpassing the 1.14 million mark as at March 2010, there are burly indications that the social media platform could eventually become a strong meeting point for social protest going by its growing popularity amongst Nigerians and strong participatory elements through comments, ratings or other mechanisms.
But more importantly, it offers a great platform to reach million of Nigerians with amazing targeting possibilities including age, gender, interest and behavioral markings, experts have argued. BusinessDay has also learnt that youths, civil and human rights groups are already engaging the platform for constructive social criticism.
Only recently, the issue of the practice of Islamic law in northern states sparked off heated debates on Facebook. The Civil Rights Congress (CRC) of Nigeria, a Kaduna based human rights organisation began the debate on Facebook and Twitter asking members their opinion over the amputation of a peasant farmer’s hand in March 2000 after he was convicted by the Islamic court for stealing a cow.
To this effect, an Islamic court order was issued to CRC ordering them to shut down its chat forums on Facebook. Another good example of social agitation online is the ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign on Facebook originally designed to inquire about ailing president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua whereabouts.
As regards demographics, latest statistics derived from Facebook show that globally the most popular age demographics on the social media platform was 35-49. The report further revealed that the platform was amongst the top three most visited sites by Nigerians. Conversely, women still represent the majority of users (51 percent to 45 percent) and whilst younger users still represent the majority of active users on the service, users over 55 are driving most of Facebook’s current growth.
On the global scene, countries like China, Syria and Iran have banned the use of Facebook from their web sphere at one point or the other by their government. On the contrary, the United States has embraced this technology. The social networking platform was instrumental to the victory of Barack Obama as great support was mobilised via Facebook during his campaign.
In Nigeria, it is also evident that some governors, public office holders and prominent Nigerians use the social media platform to connect with their friends, family and associates. Also, some politicians have already started using Facebook to declare their interests in the forthcoming 2011 general elections.
Kenneth Omeruo, founder of TechTrends Nigeria, a leading ICT empowerment blog who spoke to Business Day in a telephone chat said: “If you understand the dynamics of Facebook, you will know that the potentials are limitless. Facebook is indeed a tool for social change; it was instrumental to Obama’s victory at the polls. A lot of individuals were mobilised online.
“Coming back home, the opportunities are rife as lots of youths are already engaging the social media platform for constructive social criticism. For example, the ‘enough is enough campaign’. Though, it is going to take some time to be very effective, we will definitely get there. We still need to get a lot of people to use the tool. We need to get more people connected to the internet because our internet penetration is still very low. The way we can achieve this is to continually encourage investment in broadband infrastructure”, the internet marketing expert stated.
In the same vein, Lanre Ajayi, president, Nigerian Internet Group (NIG) also agrees that Facebook could foster social change because of its interactive and participatory elements, adding that socio-economic development would be dictated by the level of broadband internet connectivity in the country. “The future outlook of broadband infrastructure deployment in Nigeria looks good, if the right environment is created for investment in this area”, he posited.
In greater depth, the potential of Facebook as an online tool for social agitation has become prevalent in Nigeria by way of the increasing number of protest community groups springing up and the complex socio-political issues debated on the social networking site, Business Day can now reveal.
With the population of Nigerians on Facebook surpassing the 1.14 million mark as at March 2010, there are burly indications that the social media platform could eventually become a strong meeting point for social protest going by its growing popularity amongst Nigerians and strong participatory elements through comments, ratings or other mechanisms.
But more importantly, it offers a great platform to reach million of Nigerians with amazing targeting possibilities including age, gender, interest and behavioral markings, experts have argued. BusinessDay has also learnt that youths, civil and human rights groups are already engaging the platform for constructive social criticism.
Only recently, the issue of the practice of Islamic law in northern states sparked off heated debates on Facebook. The Civil Rights Congress (CRC) of Nigeria, a Kaduna based human rights organisation began the debate on Facebook and Twitter asking members their opinion over the amputation of a peasant farmer’s hand in March 2000 after he was convicted by the Islamic court for stealing a cow.
To this effect, an Islamic court order was issued to CRC ordering them to shut down its chat forums on Facebook. Another good example of social agitation online is the ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign on Facebook originally designed to inquire about ailing president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua whereabouts.
As regards demographics, latest statistics derived from Facebook show that globally the most popular age demographics on the social media platform was 35-49. The report further revealed that the platform was amongst the top three most visited sites by Nigerians. Conversely, women still represent the majority of users (51 percent to 45 percent) and whilst younger users still represent the majority of active users on the service, users over 55 are driving most of Facebook’s current growth.
On the global scene, countries like China, Syria and Iran have banned the use of Facebook from their web sphere at one point or the other by their government. On the contrary, the United States has embraced this technology. The social networking platform was instrumental to the victory of Barack Obama as great support was mobilised via Facebook during his campaign.
In Nigeria, it is also evident that some governors, public office holders and prominent Nigerians use the social media platform to connect with their friends, family and associates. Also, some politicians have already started using Facebook to declare their interests in the forthcoming 2011 general elections.
Kenneth Omeruo, founder of TechTrends Nigeria, a leading ICT empowerment blog who spoke to Business Day in a telephone chat said: “If you understand the dynamics of Facebook, you will know that the potentials are limitless. Facebook is indeed a tool for social change; it was instrumental to Obama’s victory at the polls. A lot of individuals were mobilised online.
“Coming back home, the opportunities are rife as lots of youths are already engaging the social media platform for constructive social criticism. For example, the ‘enough is enough campaign’. Though, it is going to take some time to be very effective, we will definitely get there. We still need to get a lot of people to use the tool. We need to get more people connected to the internet because our internet penetration is still very low. The way we can achieve this is to continually encourage investment in broadband infrastructure”, the internet marketing expert stated.
In the same vein, Lanre Ajayi, president, Nigerian Internet Group (NIG) also agrees that Facebook could foster social change because of its interactive and participatory elements, adding that socio-economic development would be dictated by the level of broadband internet connectivity in the country. “The future outlook of broadband infrastructure deployment in Nigeria looks good, if the right environment is created for investment in this area”, he posited.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
NCC refutes existence of collective dominance in Nigeria’s telecoms market
. . . Small operators groan, claim it could drive them out of business
Ben Uzor Jr
Despite the fervent clamour from smaller and new operators about the realities of collective dominance alleged to be prevalent in Nigeria’s telecommunications market and the possibilities of it driving them out of business, the Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC) has downplayed the issue accusing the concerned parties of misinterpreting the basic proposition surrounding the subject.
Collective dominance refers to a situation whereby the dominant players in a particular industry agree to deliberately conduct their business in a manner that lessens competition from smaller operators by way of entry barriers, structural links and cooperation agreements amongst firms etc.
Contrary to the views of these concerned parties especially Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators that willful conspiracy and collusion amongst big operators would be necessary for such dominance to be established, the telecom regulator argued that tacit collusion may occur without any conscious strategic decisions among dominant players in the telecoms industry.
Furthermore, the evidence of collective dominance could exist without any direct confirmation of deliberate anti-competitive behaviour by any one or more players if market conditions led the leading firms to make certain business decisions that had the effect of diminishing the opportunities of smaller competitors. To this effect, such decisions would not necessarily be illegal by prevailing competition law standards in many countries, nor contrary to acceptable business practices.
But more importantly, if market conditions led to collective, non-coordinated behaviour by some operators which lessened the competitive viability of smaller operators, it might be possible to conclude that there is a degree of tacit collusion due to joint dominance, the commission added.
According to a new report released by the NCC and accessed by BusinessDay yesterday, “the commission has determined that no group of two or more licensees currently holds a position of joint or collective dominance in that market. The commission has not found conclusive evidence that any of the mobile licensees are engaging in conduct which has the purpose or effect of substantially lessening competition.” Moreover, MTN, Zain, Globacom as well as beleaguered NITEL who are opponents of the finding of collective dominance maintained that collectively the three largest operators have steadily lost market share recently, particularly with the emergence of the CDMA carriers.
On their argument, there are currently 11 licensees in the market, including CDMA, as well as Unified Access Service Licenses (USL) that allow operators offer extensive array of mobile services, indicating a robust level of competition with little opportunity for tacit collusion. “The newer operators may even have an advantage over established GSM providers; vigorous competition is leading to innovation, lower prices, and network investment; tariffs have come down significantly and there are a variety of choices. Also, average revenue per minute is also declining”, they claimed in the report.
On the other hand, Etisalat, ZoomMobile and Smile submitted that collective dominance was present, laying claims to artificially high pricing of leased circuits, refusal to collocate on reasonable terms, predatory pricing of off-net calls and termination rights, and unwillingness to support number portability as symptoms of collective dominance. According to them, this could invariably impair smaller operators’ ability to compete, further asserting that the regulatory framework for CDMA and GSM entrants had not been symmetrical and as a result, CDMA player had been placed at a disadvantage.
In response to these claims the telecom regulator stated: “The most direct way to determine the possibility of collective dominance is to observe the market behaviour of the accused firms. The commission would expect to find such trends as uniform and increasing tariffs for Mobile Telephone Services, leading to comparable revenue-per-minute for all companies.
“The commission would expect declining quality of service throughout the networks as a result of shared decision-making not to invest in costly network improvements The Commission might also expect to find evidence that barriers erected to prevent competitors from utilizing and sharing active network support infrastructure resulted in slow build out, lack of service differentiation, and piecemeal growth”, the commission concluded.
Ben Uzor Jr
Despite the fervent clamour from smaller and new operators about the realities of collective dominance alleged to be prevalent in Nigeria’s telecommunications market and the possibilities of it driving them out of business, the Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC) has downplayed the issue accusing the concerned parties of misinterpreting the basic proposition surrounding the subject.
Collective dominance refers to a situation whereby the dominant players in a particular industry agree to deliberately conduct their business in a manner that lessens competition from smaller operators by way of entry barriers, structural links and cooperation agreements amongst firms etc.
Contrary to the views of these concerned parties especially Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators that willful conspiracy and collusion amongst big operators would be necessary for such dominance to be established, the telecom regulator argued that tacit collusion may occur without any conscious strategic decisions among dominant players in the telecoms industry.
Furthermore, the evidence of collective dominance could exist without any direct confirmation of deliberate anti-competitive behaviour by any one or more players if market conditions led the leading firms to make certain business decisions that had the effect of diminishing the opportunities of smaller competitors. To this effect, such decisions would not necessarily be illegal by prevailing competition law standards in many countries, nor contrary to acceptable business practices.
But more importantly, if market conditions led to collective, non-coordinated behaviour by some operators which lessened the competitive viability of smaller operators, it might be possible to conclude that there is a degree of tacit collusion due to joint dominance, the commission added.
According to a new report released by the NCC and accessed by BusinessDay yesterday, “the commission has determined that no group of two or more licensees currently holds a position of joint or collective dominance in that market. The commission has not found conclusive evidence that any of the mobile licensees are engaging in conduct which has the purpose or effect of substantially lessening competition.” Moreover, MTN, Zain, Globacom as well as beleaguered NITEL who are opponents of the finding of collective dominance maintained that collectively the three largest operators have steadily lost market share recently, particularly with the emergence of the CDMA carriers.
On their argument, there are currently 11 licensees in the market, including CDMA, as well as Unified Access Service Licenses (USL) that allow operators offer extensive array of mobile services, indicating a robust level of competition with little opportunity for tacit collusion. “The newer operators may even have an advantage over established GSM providers; vigorous competition is leading to innovation, lower prices, and network investment; tariffs have come down significantly and there are a variety of choices. Also, average revenue per minute is also declining”, they claimed in the report.
On the other hand, Etisalat, ZoomMobile and Smile submitted that collective dominance was present, laying claims to artificially high pricing of leased circuits, refusal to collocate on reasonable terms, predatory pricing of off-net calls and termination rights, and unwillingness to support number portability as symptoms of collective dominance. According to them, this could invariably impair smaller operators’ ability to compete, further asserting that the regulatory framework for CDMA and GSM entrants had not been symmetrical and as a result, CDMA player had been placed at a disadvantage.
In response to these claims the telecom regulator stated: “The most direct way to determine the possibility of collective dominance is to observe the market behaviour of the accused firms. The commission would expect to find such trends as uniform and increasing tariffs for Mobile Telephone Services, leading to comparable revenue-per-minute for all companies.
“The commission would expect declining quality of service throughout the networks as a result of shared decision-making not to invest in costly network improvements The Commission might also expect to find evidence that barriers erected to prevent competitors from utilizing and sharing active network support infrastructure resulted in slow build out, lack of service differentiation, and piecemeal growth”, the commission concluded.
Nokia enhances social networking, messaging with new mobile devices
Ben Uzor Jr
World mobility leader, Nokia has announced three new handsets designed primarily to put better messaging and social networking tools in the hands of more people across the globe, at affordable prices. Expected to be available in Nigeria soon, the C3, C6 and E5 come with full QWERTY keyboards, and enable access to a range of different e-mail accounts, IM communities and social networks.
Phillip de la Vega, general manager, Nokia West Africa who spoke to newsmen at the launch of the device in Lagos recently noted, “Nigerians want the best messaging and social networking experience on an affordable device, whether it’s sending a simple text or instant message, an email, or a direct message from their Twitter account; we are proud to bring these new devices - the Nokia C3, Nokia C6 and Nokia E5 because they are made for just that.
“Services that provide easy access to the world’s consumer and corporate email and instant messaging are really popular on our QWERTY smartphones such as the Nokia E71 and Nokia E63. Our messaging device range is very successful in Nigeria and globally”, he posited.
De la Vega pointed out that the Nokia C3 was the first device to bring a full QWERTY keyboard to the world’s most popular mobile phone platform – Series 40 – and was also the first in the range to enable access to social networks directly on the home screen. With this device, “people can view, comment, update their status and share pictures to their favourite social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.”
In addition, the device comes with Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat, meaning first time users can set up email and chat accounts straight from the device, without the need for a Personal Computer (PC). Other notable features are the Wi-Fi connectivity, a two megapixel camera, rich color 2.4 inch screen and support for up to an 8GB memory card.
The Nokia C6 is a Symbian-based smartphone combining the benefits of a 3.2 inch touch screen with a full slide out keyboard. The large screen provides a great Internet experience, as well as offering access to Facebook feeds directly on the home screen. A full suite of email and social networking capabilities means the Nokia C6 is perfect for people who want to stay up to date while on the go.
It has an impressive feature set including a high quality five megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, and Ovi Maps with free walk and drive navigation. In addition, thousands of apps – from games and videos to news aggregators and web services – are available in the Ovi Store.
Rounding off the trio is the latest addition to the Nokia E-series range, the Nokia E5. Designed for those that want to be productive in both their professional and personal lives, the Symbian-based Nokia E5 follows the successful blueprint of devices such as the Nokia E72 and Nokia E63.
The Nokia E5 combines high quality business features with all of the personal networking and entertainment capabilities that a busy professional expects from a smartphone. This device is perfect for managing busy schedules with a variety of productivity applications available in the Ovi Store. And with direct access to over 90 percent of the world’s corporate email through Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes Traveler, it’s easy to keep in contact from anywhere.
World mobility leader, Nokia has announced three new handsets designed primarily to put better messaging and social networking tools in the hands of more people across the globe, at affordable prices. Expected to be available in Nigeria soon, the C3, C6 and E5 come with full QWERTY keyboards, and enable access to a range of different e-mail accounts, IM communities and social networks.
Phillip de la Vega, general manager, Nokia West Africa who spoke to newsmen at the launch of the device in Lagos recently noted, “Nigerians want the best messaging and social networking experience on an affordable device, whether it’s sending a simple text or instant message, an email, or a direct message from their Twitter account; we are proud to bring these new devices - the Nokia C3, Nokia C6 and Nokia E5 because they are made for just that.
“Services that provide easy access to the world’s consumer and corporate email and instant messaging are really popular on our QWERTY smartphones such as the Nokia E71 and Nokia E63. Our messaging device range is very successful in Nigeria and globally”, he posited.
De la Vega pointed out that the Nokia C3 was the first device to bring a full QWERTY keyboard to the world’s most popular mobile phone platform – Series 40 – and was also the first in the range to enable access to social networks directly on the home screen. With this device, “people can view, comment, update their status and share pictures to their favourite social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.”
In addition, the device comes with Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat, meaning first time users can set up email and chat accounts straight from the device, without the need for a Personal Computer (PC). Other notable features are the Wi-Fi connectivity, a two megapixel camera, rich color 2.4 inch screen and support for up to an 8GB memory card.
The Nokia C6 is a Symbian-based smartphone combining the benefits of a 3.2 inch touch screen with a full slide out keyboard. The large screen provides a great Internet experience, as well as offering access to Facebook feeds directly on the home screen. A full suite of email and social networking capabilities means the Nokia C6 is perfect for people who want to stay up to date while on the go.
It has an impressive feature set including a high quality five megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, and Ovi Maps with free walk and drive navigation. In addition, thousands of apps – from games and videos to news aggregators and web services – are available in the Ovi Store.
Rounding off the trio is the latest addition to the Nokia E-series range, the Nokia E5. Designed for those that want to be productive in both their professional and personal lives, the Symbian-based Nokia E5 follows the successful blueprint of devices such as the Nokia E72 and Nokia E63.
The Nokia E5 combines high quality business features with all of the personal networking and entertainment capabilities that a busy professional expects from a smartphone. This device is perfect for managing busy schedules with a variety of productivity applications available in the Ovi Store. And with direct access to over 90 percent of the world’s corporate email through Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes Traveler, it’s easy to keep in contact from anywhere.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
New technology platform eliminates merger barriers of CDMA, GSM networks
Ben Uzor Jr
Indications have emerged that the sprouting of LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology could eliminate the barriers to consolidation via mergers and acquisition in Nigeria’s telecommunication industry. This is because both CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and GSM networks can co-exist simultaneously on this new radio platform, Business Day can now reveal.
Business Day had earlier reported that a wave of hushed mergers and acquisition moves was already going on in Nigeria’s telecom space, as small operators struggle to acquire the critical mass necessary for survival and bigger ones strive to acquire the small and move to positions of greater strength.
Conversely, issues revolving around the interoperability of networks may have impeded the consolidation process especially between GSM and CDMA operators, industry watchers have argued. In providing the needed pedestal for CDMA and GSM to coexist, LTE assumes a full Internet Protocol (IP) network architecture designed strategically to support voice in the packet domain.
It was also learnt that LTE would open up new revenue generating streams for operators in the face of harsh economic conditions by enabling new capabilities well beyond traditional voice and data services. This is even as Nigeria’s telecom market remains dominated by pre-paid 2G services.
But more importantly, there are also claims that LTE if deployed could assist operators to potentially get ahead of many markets thus putting Nigeria on the front foot rather than playing catch-up. Furthermore, operators may look upon LTE as been a better investment than 3G because they already recognize that 3G will not be the definitive solution to broadband access in the country.
Business Day investigations reveal that operating companies such as Starcomms, ZoomMobile and Multilinks-Telkom have already started making various levels of commitment in a future with LTE by developing strategies and making considerable investment in that regard. Globally, over 100 telecom operators as of Q1 2009 had indicated interest and actually made commitments to LTE adoption.
“GSM and CDMA are going to end up on a new technology called LTE. Right now, there are trials of LTE in the United States of America (USA), Japan and China has just adopted LTE, China Telecom. In a couple of years, maybe maximum next three years, we would see full scale commercial implementation of LTE.
“So, if you are going to have a convergence, we are gradually moving to technology neutrality or if you like interoperability of devices, networks, and so on. This is the time for a major GSM operator to begin to look at consolidating the CDMA sphere because it just adds value”, Ken Aigbinode, executive vice chairman, ZoomMobile had revealed to BusinessDay in an exclusive interview.
“Now, CDMA as at today is the best technology for data service. GSM as a basic technology is very good for voice however GSM has to upgrade to GPRS, EDGE to begin to do data. CDMA in its basic form, CDMA 20001X, it already does internet very well. “So, if you take the entire spectrum that we have on the CDMA area in Nigeria and dedicate it to data then leave your GSM spectrum to voice only, I think you will see a lot of efficiency in that, he added.
On the other hand, Maher Qubain, chief executive officer, Starcomms Plc who also spoke to BusinessDay recently noted to migrate to LTE would however require more spectrums. “So, if part of my LTE growth strategy means that I have to acquire spectrum from other operators then that’s something we would definitely look at. However, to go to the 4G technology, by the way 4G means both GSM and CDMA coming together, no more differential, and one handset in the world. To achieve the speed and the benefit of LTE, you need 20 MEGs of spectrum”, he revealed.
Moreover, for the first time, leading GSM and CDMA operators are building towards global consensus on their planned deployment of LTE which had begun with trials in 2009 and hopefully initial deployment in 2010 and 2011. Some telecom operators in Nigeria share the view that LTE will enable them offer better value to their customers. In addition, facilities such as broadband internet access and streamed multimedia would be provided to users on an ‘anytime, anywhere’ basis and at much higher data speeds compared to previous generations.
Indications have emerged that the sprouting of LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology could eliminate the barriers to consolidation via mergers and acquisition in Nigeria’s telecommunication industry. This is because both CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and GSM networks can co-exist simultaneously on this new radio platform, Business Day can now reveal.
Business Day had earlier reported that a wave of hushed mergers and acquisition moves was already going on in Nigeria’s telecom space, as small operators struggle to acquire the critical mass necessary for survival and bigger ones strive to acquire the small and move to positions of greater strength.
Conversely, issues revolving around the interoperability of networks may have impeded the consolidation process especially between GSM and CDMA operators, industry watchers have argued. In providing the needed pedestal for CDMA and GSM to coexist, LTE assumes a full Internet Protocol (IP) network architecture designed strategically to support voice in the packet domain.
It was also learnt that LTE would open up new revenue generating streams for operators in the face of harsh economic conditions by enabling new capabilities well beyond traditional voice and data services. This is even as Nigeria’s telecom market remains dominated by pre-paid 2G services.
But more importantly, there are also claims that LTE if deployed could assist operators to potentially get ahead of many markets thus putting Nigeria on the front foot rather than playing catch-up. Furthermore, operators may look upon LTE as been a better investment than 3G because they already recognize that 3G will not be the definitive solution to broadband access in the country.
Business Day investigations reveal that operating companies such as Starcomms, ZoomMobile and Multilinks-Telkom have already started making various levels of commitment in a future with LTE by developing strategies and making considerable investment in that regard. Globally, over 100 telecom operators as of Q1 2009 had indicated interest and actually made commitments to LTE adoption.
“GSM and CDMA are going to end up on a new technology called LTE. Right now, there are trials of LTE in the United States of America (USA), Japan and China has just adopted LTE, China Telecom. In a couple of years, maybe maximum next three years, we would see full scale commercial implementation of LTE.
“So, if you are going to have a convergence, we are gradually moving to technology neutrality or if you like interoperability of devices, networks, and so on. This is the time for a major GSM operator to begin to look at consolidating the CDMA sphere because it just adds value”, Ken Aigbinode, executive vice chairman, ZoomMobile had revealed to BusinessDay in an exclusive interview.
“Now, CDMA as at today is the best technology for data service. GSM as a basic technology is very good for voice however GSM has to upgrade to GPRS, EDGE to begin to do data. CDMA in its basic form, CDMA 20001X, it already does internet very well. “So, if you take the entire spectrum that we have on the CDMA area in Nigeria and dedicate it to data then leave your GSM spectrum to voice only, I think you will see a lot of efficiency in that, he added.
On the other hand, Maher Qubain, chief executive officer, Starcomms Plc who also spoke to BusinessDay recently noted to migrate to LTE would however require more spectrums. “So, if part of my LTE growth strategy means that I have to acquire spectrum from other operators then that’s something we would definitely look at. However, to go to the 4G technology, by the way 4G means both GSM and CDMA coming together, no more differential, and one handset in the world. To achieve the speed and the benefit of LTE, you need 20 MEGs of spectrum”, he revealed.
Moreover, for the first time, leading GSM and CDMA operators are building towards global consensus on their planned deployment of LTE which had begun with trials in 2009 and hopefully initial deployment in 2010 and 2011. Some telecom operators in Nigeria share the view that LTE will enable them offer better value to their customers. In addition, facilities such as broadband internet access and streamed multimedia would be provided to users on an ‘anytime, anywhere’ basis and at much higher data speeds compared to previous generations.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Linkserve addresses cost, latency with wireless broadband solution
Ben Uzor Jr
Strategically designed to address latency and cost issues associated with internet service delivery in the country, Linkserve Limited, Nigeria’s pioneering Internet Service Provider (ISP) has introduced a novel broadband solution aimed primarily at meeting the connection needs of homes, small and medium sized businesses (SMEs).
Blast Broadband, is an integration of the widely-used terrestrial wireless industry technology with the latest in advanced and proven satellite technology. In addition, the solution is based on Viasat’s Surfbeam Broadband System, a totally new kind of satellite based system designed expressly for building broadband access networks but very unlike Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) systems.
Chima Onyekwere, chairman, Linkserve Limited who spoke to newsmen in Lagos yesterday observed that downtime constitutes a major challenge in the Nigerian market, adding that the company intends to fully address the issue. This, he stated necessitated huge capital investment into the solution to ensure the highest uptime available in the market at 99.99 percent.
“Most Broadband users want their internet to work every time without failing for each other day or often as most users’ experience. This Hub has capacity to support concurrently over 2 million subscribers. This means more people can easily be served. Linkserve partnered with the two world leaders in Satellite communication, Viasat and Intelsat for the mass roll out of Blast Broadband VSAT solution. Intelsat 14 this has a 54.5db over the region”, Onyekwere posited.
Commenting on the cost effectiveness of the solution, the chairman stated that the launch of the internet solution which costs less than N100, 000 was a distinct way of supporting the local economy in the period of exigent financial limitations. “This is the first in the region, but we are taking this further. We are starting this deployment by making the equipment (CPE) even much lower at N55, 000 for the first 150 subscribers. We feel this is a unique way to support the economy during this period of challenging financial constraints. All these make the solution appealing to small home offices, small businesses, individual homes and lots more”, he added.
In the same vein, Victor Oisaghie, managing director, Linkserve said the solution employs bandwidth efficiency and frequency re-use which allows us to deploy additional customers on the same frequency without any additionally costs. This, he revealed immediately benefits the customers as the pricing of the solution was much lower than what obtains in the market.
“This solution is designed for Corporate, home users and educational institutions with multiple deployments. We have already secured a huge deployment of over 250 units’ pre launch sales programme. Today, Video has become a reality for it to be received through the internet.
“The streaming capacity will enable Churches, distance learning, Educational and institutional organization and religious organizations, reach multiple sites at a very affordable costs. Effectively reducing travelling cost. The solution also provides a platform for many other exciting features and services for the customers including Voice over IP (VoIP), Direct To Home (DTH), Advanced Quality of Service (QoS), Multicasting and accelerated IP/Web-centric applications”, Oisaghie concluded.
Linkserve, since its inception in 1996, has been at the forefront of providing quality connection. The company pioneered internet in Nigeria and has multiple satellite HUBs dedicated to serving the African market with broadband internet, data service and video streaming. The company’s data services are very popular among corporate organisations and its innovative approach to providing connection service is highly acclaimed in the industry being the winner of many awards.
Strategically designed to address latency and cost issues associated with internet service delivery in the country, Linkserve Limited, Nigeria’s pioneering Internet Service Provider (ISP) has introduced a novel broadband solution aimed primarily at meeting the connection needs of homes, small and medium sized businesses (SMEs).
Blast Broadband, is an integration of the widely-used terrestrial wireless industry technology with the latest in advanced and proven satellite technology. In addition, the solution is based on Viasat’s Surfbeam Broadband System, a totally new kind of satellite based system designed expressly for building broadband access networks but very unlike Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) systems.
Chima Onyekwere, chairman, Linkserve Limited who spoke to newsmen in Lagos yesterday observed that downtime constitutes a major challenge in the Nigerian market, adding that the company intends to fully address the issue. This, he stated necessitated huge capital investment into the solution to ensure the highest uptime available in the market at 99.99 percent.
“Most Broadband users want their internet to work every time without failing for each other day or often as most users’ experience. This Hub has capacity to support concurrently over 2 million subscribers. This means more people can easily be served. Linkserve partnered with the two world leaders in Satellite communication, Viasat and Intelsat for the mass roll out of Blast Broadband VSAT solution. Intelsat 14 this has a 54.5db over the region”, Onyekwere posited.
Commenting on the cost effectiveness of the solution, the chairman stated that the launch of the internet solution which costs less than N100, 000 was a distinct way of supporting the local economy in the period of exigent financial limitations. “This is the first in the region, but we are taking this further. We are starting this deployment by making the equipment (CPE) even much lower at N55, 000 for the first 150 subscribers. We feel this is a unique way to support the economy during this period of challenging financial constraints. All these make the solution appealing to small home offices, small businesses, individual homes and lots more”, he added.
In the same vein, Victor Oisaghie, managing director, Linkserve said the solution employs bandwidth efficiency and frequency re-use which allows us to deploy additional customers on the same frequency without any additionally costs. This, he revealed immediately benefits the customers as the pricing of the solution was much lower than what obtains in the market.
“This solution is designed for Corporate, home users and educational institutions with multiple deployments. We have already secured a huge deployment of over 250 units’ pre launch sales programme. Today, Video has become a reality for it to be received through the internet.
“The streaming capacity will enable Churches, distance learning, Educational and institutional organization and religious organizations, reach multiple sites at a very affordable costs. Effectively reducing travelling cost. The solution also provides a platform for many other exciting features and services for the customers including Voice over IP (VoIP), Direct To Home (DTH), Advanced Quality of Service (QoS), Multicasting and accelerated IP/Web-centric applications”, Oisaghie concluded.
Linkserve, since its inception in 1996, has been at the forefront of providing quality connection. The company pioneered internet in Nigeria and has multiple satellite HUBs dedicated to serving the African market with broadband internet, data service and video streaming. The company’s data services are very popular among corporate organisations and its innovative approach to providing connection service is highly acclaimed in the industry being the winner of many awards.
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