VConnect says ‘Get Suppliers’ makes life easy

Acclaimed Nigeria’s largest local search engine, VConnect Global Services, has introduced a new feature on its website tagged ‘Get Suppliers’ which allows users to get instant and specific quotes of products and services from various suppliers thereby reducing the cost and time spent to receive  desired information.

The General Manager, VConnect Global Services, Mr. Deepanker Rustagi, said this new web feature is beneficial to consumers in personal and professional life.

“It provides the consumers and users a platform to easily access over 500,000 businesses listed on its website while also creating massive opportunities for SME’S to generate voluminous business transactions thus creating a win-win situation,” he said.

Rustagi also said, this feature is to support millions of people who want to buy thousands of things on a daily basis, stressing that making their lives simpler and convenient.

“They need to post their requirement and VConnect comes back to them with multiple options,” he said.

Further, Rustagi said that through this initiative, consumers would enjoy the luxury of sitting back and getting genuine suppliers to work for them or get their desired products, adding that VConnect does this with the power of its over 500,000 business database.

“VConnect Global Services is well aware of the need for its consumers to maximize time, hence they can now leave the task of looking for products/services suppliers to VConnect, while they use the time for other gainful ventures. All the consumer needs to do is logon to VConnect.com and use the feature called ‘Get Supplier.’

Rustagi emphasised that using the ‘Get Suppliers’ feature on VConnect would give consumers access to thousands of businesses on its database which is powered by their search technology that automatically finds out the most relevant businesses from more than 500,000 businesses listed on its website.

DigitalSENSE Business News also gathered that equally speaking, the Marketing Coordinator, VConnect Global Services, Mr.  Ogunmola Albert, said that one of the numerous benefits of the ‘Get Suppliers’ feature is the speed of response at which the user receives quotations or the required information on their mobile device or e-mail from suppliers immediately after submitting a request.

“Through this feature, users will get the best price while suppliers get the business. The ‘Get Suppliers’ feature gives the best of both worlds as it also enables businesses to get real time information of users looking for products and services. With ‘Get Suppliers’, everybody wins” he said.

The whole idea is to get multiple price options for your desire product rather than relying on price from single supplier or website.

 

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2.3GHz operators insist licensing new operator is anti-competition

The three licensees on the 2.3 Gega Hertz (GHz) in Nigeria have said that licensing new operator based on proposed plan by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is anti-competition.

Lolia Emorpkore with Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Engagement Okey Itanyi

and Head Spectrum at NCC Austin Nwawunne

These operators are namely Mobitel, Direct-On Pc and SpectraNet and made their position known at the one-day stakeholders’ forum on 2.3GHz band organized by NCC with the theme: Best Option for Licensing the remaining slots in the 2.3GH band.

Speaking on behalf of the trio in a joint paper presented by the chief operating officer of SpectraNet, Mr. Atul Ojha, at the forum, they objected to licensing new operator on this band with 30 Mega Hertz (MHz), while the existing operators wallow in 20 MHz.

They also described the proposed plan as not advisable for enthronement of competitive market.

The paper entitled ‘Operators View Point on 2.3GHz Spectrum Allocations and Challenges’ they also said that in their views “fresh auction of 30 MHz is not advisable.”

They postulated that using 10 MHz to provide for 5 Guard bands has no meaning as each Guard band would be 2 MHz, adding that end of 2.3 GHz band would require larger Guard band due to uncontrolled emissions in 2.4 GHz.

In addition, they argued that globally wireline networks provide primary network reach and wireless as secondary reach, lamenting that in Nigeria, no significant primary wireline network exist, and hence, wireless becomes the primary network with extra capacity requirement.

“In Nigeria, to roll out advance Wireless Network larger spectrum is basic need,” they pointed out.

They maintained that by increasing the number of operators in last mile access network, that is 2.3GHz, would not enhance the data penetration, unless other dominant cost head are addressed or else last mile operator failure remains inevitable.

For the chief executive officer, Mobitel, Mr. Johnson Salako, told DigitalSENSE Business News all they were asking for is a level playing ground to enable existing operators on that band to survive, adding that its unfair for existing operators to have 20 MHz while the new one now has 30 MHz, hence such proposition is ill-advised.

In his welcome remark, the Head, Spectrum Management at NCC, Engr. Augustine Nwawunne, said the essence is truly engage stakeholders on the way forward devoid of technicalities and urged participants to open the floor for better discussions.

In his keynote to the occasion, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Engagement, Hon. Okey Itanyi, said the objective of the forum was in line with the Commission’s policy of participatory regulation amongst other things to provide an avenue for stakeholders and users of the 2.3 GHz band to discuss, technically criticize, exchange ideas and proffer options that will help the Commission in arriving at a decision on the further licensing of the remaining 40 MHz bandwidth in the band for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“This forum is very remarkable as we have in our midst highly respected presenters with decades of practical experience at their disposal to deliberate on options and challenges as it relates to further licensing of the band,” he said.

Austin from NCC speaking, while Mr Atul Ojha behind ready for the forum. Photo DSBN

With global development centred on availability of broadband services, the Commission, he said, is on a regular basis inundated with several requests for frequencies to deliver the services.

“This has posed severe challenges as the frequencies sought for are scarce,” he said,

According to him, in no distant future, the industry predicts the development and indeed deployment of more spectral efficient technologies that would be able to deliver more with less frequency spectrum.

Also, he said that improvement on interference mitigation techniques would pave way for a harmonious and interference free coexistence, as they look forward to being part of the future in the management and utilization of this resource in line with global best practices.

Remmy Nweke/DSBNews
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Ekhomu suggests N25m reward for info on CP Asadu, urges security consciousness

IGP Abubakar

Chairman of School of Management and Security, Dr. Ona Ekhomu has urged chief executives and leaders in government, security and industry to imbibe security awareness in order to safeguard themselves from assassins and killers.

He also suggested immediate announcement of a reward of not less than N25million for information leading to the detection and capture of the assassins and their principals.

He made this call while reacting to the assassination of the Kwara State
Commissioner of Police Mr. Chinweike Asadu outside his country home in Enugu City.

Ekhomu expressed sorrow over the violent death of the security chief, adding that the murder was regrettable and it was a warning that leaders at all levels needed to reevaluate their security profile and practices.

Ekhomu, who is also President of he Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON) commiserated with the family of the Police Chief on the "sad loss." 

He also sympathized with the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar and the entire police family on the untimely exit of the police executive.

He pointed out that the killing of CP Asadu was a strong indication that the security situation in the country was getting worse. Emphasising that from available reports, it appeared that the CP was relaxed since he was at home hence he went out without his escorts.

"That created a vulnerability that was exploited by his assailants," he added.

Ekhomu who is the first chartered security professional in West Africa urged the police authorities to do all within their powers to unravel the authorship of the crime.

He suggested the immediate announcement of a reward of not less than N25million for information leading to the detection and capture of the assassins and their principals.

He urged the police agency to set up a tips hot-line where it may receive tips on the incident.

“All tips should be computer-logged in order to enable review by police managers,” he said.

Ekhomu advised top executives and leaders in government, banking and finance, oil and gas, manufacturing, politics, security sectors to urgently undergo security consciousness training in order to harden themselves against assassins, armed robbers, kidnappers and terrorists.

“Security awareness training will make executives more pro-active about their security as it will increase their readiness, responsiveness and decisiveness in personal security issues. Security awareness will enable chief executives imbibe a culture of responsibility for their personal security. It will open their eyes to security risks, security threats, security vulnerabilities and decision options to stay safe and alive,” he said.

 

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2.3 GHz: Stakeholders set to tackle NCC on licensing options for 2 slots

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) stakeholders in the country are set to tackle the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) at today’s one-day stakeholders engagement forum on further licensing options for two 20 Mega Hertz (MHz) slots in the 2.3 Gega Hertz (GHz) band.

NCC through the department of public affairs, confirms to DigitalSENSE Business News that the stakeholders meeting would hold in Sheraton Lagos beginning by 9am, with the Executive Commissioner in-charge of Stakeholders Engagement, Hon. Okey Itanyi and Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah leading members of the commission.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that the Commission had licensed part of the 2.3 GHz frequency band on Time Division Duplex (TDD) in slots of 20 MHz per operator in the year 2009.

Also noteworthy is that the band now has three operators with 20 MHz each, out of the planned five slots of 20 MHz each.

This, NCC said, makes two slots of 20 MHz, nationwide, available for licensing.

According to sources at the Commission, it’s considering licensing the two remaining slots and has received memoranda from the three existing operators, requesting the Commission to issue the slots to them instead of putting it out for public licensing, which was attributed to mutual interference experienced between them.

NCC, therefore calls for input to facilitate the Commission’s decision, and in line with its policy of participatory regulation, via the planned stakeholder engagement forum.

This forum, which holds today, Monday, March 4, 2013, NCC said would discuss the options available for licensing the remaining slots.

Pointing out that the major option for consideration amongst others that Stakeholders may propose include public auction one license with 30 MHz (1 X 30) to one new operator and use the remaining 10 MHz as Guard Band between adjacent slots and at the edges of the band.

“A call for memos on proposed licensing options, which should be technically justified, is canvassed. This

should not however exclude further views which Stakeholders believe are relevant,” NCC said.

Stakeholders, also have duration for the inputs, which says that those interested in submitting inputs have until February 28, 2013 to respond to this call for input and addressed to the EVC of NCC with attention of Head Spectrum Administration (2.3 GHz).

 

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