GE Africa honoured at UN’13 global Leadership award

DigitalSENSE Business News:

General Electric Africa has been honored at the United Nations 2013 Global Leadership Awards Dinner in New York, USA, in recognition of GE’s commitment to the “Every Women Every Child” (EWEC) initiative championed by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, as well as its partnerships in innovation, healthcare development, and advancement of country-owned solutions across Africa.

DigitalSENSE Business News reports that the dinner hosted a gathering of UN supporters who came together to recognize top corporate leaders such as GE Africa who have done incredible work to create a better world for everyone.

The President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation, Kathy Calvin, was quoted as commending GE and other awardees for their remarkable contributions to humanity.

She said GE and the other awardees represent the best examples of a global network working to reduce poverty, improve health, and empower girls and women around the world.

“We live in a time of great change when we are all challenged to think differently, act innovatively, and come up with new solutions to complex and evolving problems” Calvin said.

President and CEO, GE Africa, Jay Ireland who received the award on behalf of the company, said the UN’s focus on supporting the development of Africa makes the global organization natural partners of GE. 

Stressing that GE remains committed to meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), through its healthy magination strategy which is directed at affordable and quality access to healthcare for all.

On her part Janeen Uzzell, Director, Healthcare Programs for GE Africa said over the past four years, GE has partnered with Every Woman Every Child and presented its commitment in support of appropriate medical devices for low resource settings. She said the outcomes have proven successful in many ways: through innovative products, leadership on the Innovative Workers Group; our partnership with Nigeria and the Save One Million Lives initiative.

Over the past 56 years, the Global Leadership Awards Dinner has called attention to the vital role the UN plays in helping the global community advance peace, prosperity and justice. It recognizes individuals and organizations for their outstanding leadership in furthering the purposes of the United Nations Charter and advancing UN causes — from global health and economic development, to human rights, education, and environmental sustainability.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Telecoms: Nigeria still lags behind many African countries - Report

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Despite the much proclaimed successes of the Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, the nation still lags behind many other African countries with respect to a number of market indicators, DigitalSENSE Business News can authoritatively reports.

A study entitled “Understanding what is happening in ICT in Nigeria” authored by Fola Odufuwa in an evidence for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy Action, Paper 6, made available to DigitalSENSE Business News.

According to Odufuwa in the Executive Summary of the report, noted that the Nigerian telecommunications market has been fully liberalised, highly competitive, and evolving with time.

This, the report traced to 1992, a wide range of regulatory initiatives which has been undertaken to open up the market to private operators to provide products and services across the entire spectrum of ICT market segments.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that these initiatives, particularly in relation to market entry, have resulted in an impressive 53 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in overall fixed and mobile subscriptions since 2001.

Quarterly telecommunications sectoral growth, the report says is up to 35 per cent, and the sector’s annual contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was estimated at 6.73 per cent in 2012.

However, in spite of the widely publicised successes, DigitalSENSE Business News was told that Nigeria, as highlighted in this recent RIA Sector Performance Review (SPR), lags behind many other African countries with respect to a number of market indicators.

Using nationally representative household survey samples, the report by Odufuwa quoted RIA’s 2012 ICT Access and Usage Surveys in 12 African countries focused on household, individual and informal business ICT access and usage.

Among RIA ICT Survey countries, Nigeria ranked 5th with respect to mobile penetration and 5th in terms of industry perception of the effectiveness of domestic telecommunications regulation.

Equally in terms of RIA’s broader Pricing Transparency Index: Prepaid Mobile for 2012, he said, Nigeria was ranked 17th out of 46 countries in terms of the affordability of the cheapest prepaid mobile product from a dominant operator, and 13th out of 46 for affordability of the cheapest mobile prepaid product from any operator.

The report further quoted the 2012 RIA Nigeria ICT Access and Usage Survey as founding out that there is a general paradox in Nigeria’s telecommunications market; of performance on the one hand and deficiency on the other and that this paradox exists across all the subsectors of the market.

“For example, mobile telephony is experiencing huge growth simultaneous with a fixed sector in a downward spiral. The penetration of fixed telephony is a meagre 65,914 households, or 0.3 per cent of total households in the country, in spite of the fact that the RIA ICT Survey found ample demand for both fixed and mobile telephony products,” the report submits.

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: cover of the report - Understanding what is happening in ICT in Nigeria

Technical education deserves better attention in Nigeria

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The issue of technical skill acquisition in Nigeria has not received considerable attention says a technology teacher, Prof. Abdullahi Shehu Ma’aji of industrial and technology education, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State.

DigitalSENSE Business News reports that while presenting a paper at the 2013 national conference of the German Alumni Association of Nigeria (GAAN) in Abuja on Saturday, on ‘Technical Skill Acquisition in Nigeria, the need for entrepreneurial industrial Development, Prof. Ma’aji decried the attention currently being received by technical education in the country.

“It has not been given the attention it deserved unlike the other sector of the economy,” he lamented.

Ma’aji also noted that emphasis in Nigerian educational institutions has been an academic qualification instead of skill acquisition and problem solving activities.

According to him, there is a wide gap between the curriculum content being taught in the tertiary institutions that is the theoretical aspect and the practical skills needed by the employees of labour and the world of work.

Lack of resources, poor funding or vocational and technical education, he said, have resulted in the problems such as inadequate teachers, low quality of students, epileptic power supply in addition to short supply of knowledgeable and competitive workforce.

He recalled that the United Nation’s Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) had concluded as far back as 2009 that the aims of various governments to combat poverty through establishment of different programme aimed at job creation and poverty reduction have failed and many continued to fail because graduates of previous higher institutions lack the requisite practical skills.

Prof. Ma’aji further said that value re-orientation, poverty reduction, wealth creation and employment generation commonly known in Nigeria as NEEDS – National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy, could hardly be accomplished without developing technical and vocational education.

He highlighted that technical education as entrenched in the Nigerian National Policy on Education is concerned with qualitative technological human resources development directed towards a national pool of skilled and self-reliant craftsmen, technicians and technologists in technical and vocational fields.

Ma’aji maintained that two key phrases which readily come to mind in this type of education are competency-based skill acquisition and sound scientific knowledge.       

Remmy Nweke in Abuja
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: Prof. Abdullahi Shehu Ma’aji clinching his copy of DigitalSENSE Business News

AU, EU forum on Internet/ICT gathers momentum

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The 2013 Africa-EU Cooperation Forum on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) slated for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between December 2 and 3, just as the African Union Commission (AUC) Internet/ICT Week holds from 2 through 6 December are gathering momentum.

Sources close to the organizers, the EuroAfrica-P8 Partnership informed DigitalSENSE Business News, disclosed that the event would hold at the African Union Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that the event has been designed for anyone with an interest in Euro-African collaborative projects on ICT and it is organised in the framework of the AUC Internet/ICT Week, which holds between December 2 and 6, 2013 at the AUC Centre.

The forum is part of the celebration for the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) before it’s renaming to African Union (AU).

DigitalSENSE Business News learnt that the forum is aimed at strengthening and supporting the development of cooperation on ICT research and ICT4D between Africa and Europe.

The '2013 Africa-EU Cooperation Forum on ICT' is the sixth of a series of very successful conferences organised by the EuroAfrica-ICT Initiative under the aegis of the European Commission (EC, DG CONNECT) and the African Union Commissions (AUC, Information Society Division) and in the framework of the Joint Africa-EU Strategic Partnership (JAES). 

Nenye Dom/GEE

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Rabobank pioneers commercial mobile payment, partners G&D in Netherlands

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Utrecht-Munich based Rabobank, one of the largest financial institutions in the Netherlands, is collaborating with Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) in the launch of a commercial mobile payment solution.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that the cooperation between Rabobank and G&D will enable consumers to have contactless payment products available in smartphones that support Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The launch of the mobile payment solution is targeted in the Netherlands for 2014.

Director Payments and Savings at Rabobank Nederland, Jeroen Verrijdt, confirmed that for the first time in the Netherlands, consumers could use their smartphones in this commercial mobile payment project based on NFC technology.

Rabobank and Giesecke & Devrient also have already started their collaboration, and in 2014 customers will be able to pay using their smartphones via NFC in all stores equipped with contactless point-of-sales terminals.

Rabobank customers can apply for the mobile payment cards online and will receive their mobile payment card directly to their smartphone conveniently and securely, thanks to a fully integrated service infrastructure between Rabobank and G&D.

G&D is supplying Rabobank with its Trusted Service Manager (TSM) solution as a managed service, which enables the secure provision of payment card information to consumers’ smartphones Over-the-Air (OTA), as well as complete and versatile life-cycle management of the payment card.

“As Rabobank we see a steep increase in the use of smartphones for payments in the Netherlands. We already have more daily users of mobile banking than we have for internet banking. We plan to follow our customers in these developments and want to focus on smartphone developments as in mobile NFC payments,” Jeroen Verrijdt said.

Stressing that momentum for the NFC-based mobile payment solution is growing fast now that the contactless payment infrastructure is being deployed globally as well as within the Netherlands.

Florian Reithmeier, Group Senior Vice President Mobile Security at Giesecke & Devrient nted that Rabobank is spearheading this evolution, and is very proud to support them on this project.

“What makes the approach at Rabobank exceptionally interesting is their clear commitment to a broad market introduction in the Netherlands, combined with advanced online processes that guarantee a user-friendly experience,” Reithmeier explained.

Ayo Omidele/GEE
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

MTN driver killed in Enugu by robbers

DigitalSENSE Business News:

An unnamed driver cum sales man with MTN Nigeria was murdered in a cold blood by a team of four armed robbers in the capital of Enugu, Enugu State in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria on Monday, November 11, 2013.

Reports available to DigitalSENSE Business News confirmed that the staffer was shot dead with another fellow, suspected to be a tricycle driver, while another two persons were critically wounded in the cause of the armed robbery attack.

The robbers made away with money suspected to be the victim's daily return for that day, leaving him in his own blood in a delivery van painted in MTN colours.

Also, reports have it that the dead man was a driver distributing MTN recharge cards.

News Express further reports that an witness confirmed that “The MTN driver was intercepted close to Mbanugo Bus Stop by the robbers, after which they opened fire from close range, instantly shooting dead the driver before making away with the money in his possession believed to be the day’s proceeds.”

The four-man armed gang was also reported to be operating in a yellow taxi car, whose plate number could be ascertained as at press time.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE with additional reports from NewsExpress.com.

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
*Pix courtesy of News Express

Digital entrepreneurs need protection – Teniola

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The chief executive officer (CEO) of internet Solutions, Mr. Olusola Teniola has called for adequate protection for digital business ecosystems in the country, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

Delivering a paper on “The challenges posed by legal and regulatory framework” in Lagos last weekend at the 5^th annual West Africa ICT Congress and Exhibition, Mr. Teniola said that in order for digital businesses to thrive in the country and grow to their potentials, such businesses must be protected.

This, he told DigitalSENSE Business News, could be effective done through assurances of due process comprising the entrepreneurs civil and economic rights which must be protected against abuses of monopoly power.

He also charged policy makers to focus on their traditional responsibility so as to spur competitive environment and access to networks.

He stressed that at Internet Solutions and sister company Dimension Data, they strongly believe this theme of discuss is relevant to the current state of the industry in order to develop and fully enjoy the dividends of the digital ecosystem in the West Africa region.

All developing countries of the world, he noted, desire to establish policies that regard the digital ecosystem as critical national infrastructure, thus qualifying for a special government protection.

“We must move away from the ideology of government for development of the digital ecosystem as digital entrepreneurs in the private sector arise to take on the challenges of bringing digital dividends to West Africa,” he said.

Pointing out that in countries without a strong rule of law, Teniola said, digital entrepreneurs could be oppressed through withholding of licenses, spurious charges lodged and interconnection with the monopoly telco disrupted.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: Mr. Teniola and Ndukwe, Uwaje and Glo Tech Director at WAFICT’13

MTN raises alarm over fraudulent SIM swap

DigitalSENSE Business News:

MTN Nigeria has raised alarm over fraudulent SIM swap activities in the country and warned subscribers on its mobile network to beware.

The fraudulent SIM swap, MTN official confirmed to DigitalSENSE Business News was noticed outside Nigeria which is similar to ‘phishing’ and could be extend by the perpetrators into Nigeria, stressing that the main reason for this particular fraud is to mislead subscribers into divulging personal information that could later be used to against them.

MTN alleged that the antics of the fraudsters includes to initiate calls to subscribers, claiming to  employees of a telecom service provider, hence requesting sensitive personal information from the telephone subscribers, noting those who volunteer information would afterwards become victims of illegal SIM swaps, paving the way for online banking fraud and international calling theft.

According to Akinwale Goodluck, Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, MTN as a responsible corporate citizen is always on its toes.

"We are obliged to alert our customers of all the possible ways in which their personal or financial security can be compromised by unscrupulous elements, through the fraudulent use of our platform,” he said.

Goodluck explained that whereas it is not unusual for some customers to occasionally receive calls from MTN Customer Care, to verify information on SIM registration, such calls would only be made from one dedicated number.
"That number is 180. Anything short of that is suspect, and customers should be careful. Also, we will never call, send emails or text messages asking anyone to divulge sensitive security information such as their MTN Security Number, bank details or ATM PINs," he cautioned.

He enjoined customers to utilize their unique MTN Security Number which he said was designed to prevent identity theft and further safeguard the confidentiality of all MTN customers.

Further he explained that the security number comprises a 12-digit Customer Identification Number as well as a four-digit Security Key, all of which are totally unique and personal to each customer.

"These numbers were dispatched to customers via SMS. Customers who did not receive theirs or those who don’t remember theirs are advised to visit any of the MTN Walk-in Centers," he said.

Customers, he advised should keep their security numbers secret and never divulge them to anyone.

"Because beyond securing customers’ confidentiality, the MTN Security Number also enables customers on the MTN network to resolve by themselves, basic issues they may have with their MTN lines. Customers may do so by calling the MTN Customer Care line - 180 or through the internet at mtnonline.com," he said.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

GAAN seeks improved collaboration between Germany, Nigeria

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The German Alumni Association of Nigeria (GAAN) has appealed for improved collaboration between Germany and Nigeria in efforts to improve the technical and vocational education in the country.

DigitalSENSE Business News exclusively reports that this appeal was made by GAAN National President, Sir Anthony Uko-Akpulu at the second national conference of GAAN, which held at the conference centre, National Bureau of Statistics, Abuja on Saturday, November 11, 2013, presided over by Dr. Boniface Amobi, President, Nigeria Statistics Association.

As said by Sir Akpulu, Nigeria needs badly vocational education, which he is certain that with collaboration between the German government and federal government, the state government could establish vocational schools in all the states of the federation.

“Such schools are doing wonders in Germany and Nigeria will benefit greatly from such help,” he said, stressing that about 10 per cent of Nigerian youths are admitted into higher institutions annually and wondered as the remaining 90 per cent are left unattended to.

Akpulu cited for instance, that the Metallurgical Training Institute (MTI) in Onitsha which was built with the help of the German Government over 20 years ago is doing well in Nigeria.

“We need more of such schools all over Nigeria,” he appealed.

He specifically appealed to GIZ and other affiliate German organization in Nigeria to assist GAAN by sponsoring some five members to Germany on facility tour of technical institution in order to boost the desired upgrade of GAAN proposals to the national assembly recently on the establishment of Vocational Education as the bedrock of the economy in Nigeria.

GAAN he explained are made up of Nigerians who have graduated from German universities, vocational schools or worked in Germany so as collectively synergise on how to help Nigeria to improve positively, economically, socially and politically among others.

He applauded German embassy in Nigeria and GIZ for their aid and corporation so far, while soliciting for continued support for GAAN to enable it show the German literary light in Nigeria.

In his remarks, a representative of GIZ SEDIN Abuja, sponsors of the conference, Mr. Raymond Dangana commended GAAN for the conference, mostly on the theme for this year:  Nigeria’s industrialization and vocational training: the impact on youths.

He also assured GAAN of GIZ continued support as part of the partnership to develop Nigeria in line with the international corporation agenda of the German government and its affiliates.

Remmy Nweke in Abuja

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Pix: Raymond, Amobi and Akpulu

Maximizing digital dividends begins with .NG – NIRA boss

DigitalSENSE Business News:

To maximize the benefits of digital dividends emanating from the call by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for digital migration from analogue to digital broadcasting, local content must be embedded on nation’s country code Top Level Domains (ccTLD), says the President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Mrs. Mary Nma Uduma.

This position was made known to DigitalSENSE Business News at a two-day West Africa ICT Congress (WAFICT) and exhibition 2013 by Mrs. Uduma, who was represented by the chairman, Communications and Publicity at NIRA, Mr. Remmy Nweke, last weekend in Lagos, in her paper entitled ‘Maximising the Benefit of Digital Dividend.’

She pointed out that in order to maximize the benefits of digital dividend, the expectations are that revenue of mobile services will soar, coupled with blossom social economic activities, increasing creativity, affordability, availability of local contents hinged on development of ccTLD like .NG for Nigeria and rural development.

According to her, social, educational and cultural values would be given a boost because there will be educated citizens, informed democracy, cultural understanding, belonging to a community, access and inclusion of broadband services as well as enhanced quality of life.

Mrs. Uduma further advocated that to maximize the benefits of today subject of Analogue Switch Over (ASO), the committee set up for such implementation before the deadline, which is June 2015, hence must be allowed to do their work based on the terms of reference setting up such a committee.

In addition, this must be matched by walking the talk through leveraging on the mobile broadband environment.

She expects that the affordability of services should surpass the anticipated government revenue, while ECOWAS countries must wake up to ensure not to miss the date, while enforcing harmonized West African policies, regulations and  legal framework must be adhered to.

This, she pointed out to DigitalSENSE Business News, has to begin by individuals and corporate getting their .NG domain names, which she described as Nigerians identity for the digital dividend.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

ISPON demands creation of software board

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) is demanding the creation of a national software board.

President, ISPON, Chief Chris Uwaje told DigitalSENSE Business News at post-2013 annual conference media chat in Lagos, Thursday, that this call has become imperative to spell doubts over the efficacy of Nigerian software.

Uwaje who was accompanied by some directors of ISPON including Mr. James Emadoye of BSSL Technologies Ltd, Michael Chinwuba of Signal Alliance, and Moses Briamah, said that Nigeria software industry has come a long way and proved itself over time.

According to him, the national software board being canvassed by ISPON would strengthen the software industry in Nigeria through adequate certifications, in order to make local software from Nigeria globally acceptable.

Although he agreed to the fact that there is no software that is error free, which give rise to various versions and patches, Uwaje stressed that why ISPON is demanding for a national software board, is to be a clearing house for locally Nigerian software.

“We are demanding for a national software board, so that whoever is claiming he or she has developed this or that, they will be approved with relevant specifications,” he said.

Uwaje pointed out that any software to be implemented locally must pass through this board when eventually its set up.

ISPON, therefore urged the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Communications Technology to create the board and give them the international best practices as reference points and they will work with it.

He insisted that Nigerian software is not substandard to any software within a given category globally.

“We challenge whoever says Nigerian software is not working to a television debate,” he declared, underscoring that the national software board when in place, will oversee software within the operating systems, application and database software.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that ISPON national software conference and competition held at Tinapa Knowledge City, Tinapa, Calabar Cross-Rivers State, with the theme “Software Strategies for Retooling the Workforce” with focus on the character of ICT innovation, skill and national development.

Remmy Nweke
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: Chris Uwaje, James Emadoye, Michael Chinwuba Moses Briamah

2013 Africa-EU forum on ICT

DigitalSENSE Business News:

All is now set for the 2013 Africa-EU Cooperation Forum on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) slated for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between December 2 and 3.

Sources close to the organizers, the EuroAfrica-P8 Partnership informed DigitalSENSE Business News, disclosed that the event would hold at the African Union Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that the event has been designed for anyone with an interest in Euro-African collaborative projects on ICT and it is organised in the framework of the AUC Internet/ICT Week.

The forum is part of the celebration for the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) before it’s renaming to African Union (AU).

DigitalSENSE Business News learnt that the forum is aimed at strengthening and supporting the development of cooperation on ICT research and ICT4D between Africa and Europe.

The '2013 Africa-EU Cooperation Forum on ICT' is the sixth of a series of very successful conferences organised by the EuroAfrica-ICT Initiative under the aegis of the European Commission (EC, DG CONNECT) and the African Union Commissions (AUC, Information Society Division) and in the framework of the Joint Africa-EU Strategic Partnership (JAES). 

Chuks Egbuna/GEE

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Inaguration: FG names Tosin Ajayi chairman new NITDA board

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The Federal Government through Honourable Minister of Communications Technology Mrs Omobola Johnson has inaugurated the newly constituted board of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), with Dr. Tosin Ajayi as board chairman.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered from the Special Adviser to Mrs. Johnson on Media, Mrs. Efem Nkanga that the ceremony which took place at the Federal Secretariat Complex on Tuesday, November 5th, 2013 was witnessed by stakeholders in the industry.

In her opening remarks, Johnson was quoted as saying that the Ministry is committed to leveraging on the tools of ICT for the socio  economic development of the country and described the  inauguration of the Board as a quantum leap in that direction.

She also urged the members of the board to work with NITDA and quickly identify how indigenous Information Technology (IT) companies could grow, and come up with strategies on how to better achieve the objectives for which the agency was established.

She decried the very low inclusion of women in ICTs, noting that only one female member was on the board.


Other members of the board include Sen Musa Bello, Alhaji Saidu Gwadabe, Hon  Ben Bako, Engr. Wilson, Chinedu Agu, Mr Harami.B. Balami, Barr Segun Ilori,  Haj.Sa'adatu Ayitogo, Mr Emmanuel Ighomena and representatives of FMST, FMCT, FMEduc, SON, NSE, CPN,ASUU, ASUP and DG NITDA.

Responding, the new chairman of the board, Dr. Tosin Ajayi restated the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in global development, stressing, “ICT is a tool that will completely change the world.”

He also said that the Ministry of Communications Technology  is the most important ministry in the country because, without a knowledge-based economy, Nigeria will be retrogressive.

“IT is the most important tool ever created by mankind and together with the able Management of  NITDA; we will leave no stone unturned in exploiting the benefits of IT for the greater good of the country” he said.

Welcoming the new board, the acting Director General of NITDA, Dr. Ashiru Sani Daura, assured them of the agency’s full support in taking the IT industry to greater heights.

Remmy Nweke

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix. Dr. Tosin Ajayi, new NITDA board chairman

Google announces end-support for Internet Explorer 9

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Google has announced its discontinued support for Internet Explorer (IE) version 9 in Google Apps store, including its business, education and government editions.

Equally, Google disclosed it has stopped all testing and engineering work related to IE9, given that IE11 was released on October 17 along with Windows 8.1 by Microsoft Corporation.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that this means IE9 users who access Gmail and other Google Apps services will be notified “within the next few weeks” that they need to upgrade to a more modern browser. Google says this will either happen through an in-product notification message or an interstitial page.

Official statement sighted by DigitalSENSE Business News read in part “We would like to remind you of the Google Apps browser support policy, the set of guidelines for Google Apps services interoperability support. We support the latest version of Google Chrome (which automatically updates whenever it detects that a new version of the browser is available) as well as the current and prior major release of Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari on a rolling basis. Each time a new version of one of these browsers is released, we begin supporting the update and stop supporting the third-oldest version.”

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that IE9 was released on March 14, 2011, although it was not tied to a specific Windows release as most IE versions are, but Microsoft only made it available for Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

MTN automates airtime top-up

DigitalSENSE Business News:

MTN Nigeria has launched another innovative service called MTN Auto Top-Up to enable customers conveniently and routinely top the airtime on their phones.

DigitalSENSE Business News reports that MTN is using this platform to ensure comfort for its high value customers through a partnership with Nigerian banks.

Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Larry Annetts, told DigitalSENSE Business News that MTN Auto Top-Up allows subscribers to recharge their mobile account or pay their bills from available deposits in their bank accounts with ease and convenience.

According to him, the service is yet another addition to the growing plethora of innovative ways by which MTN customers could replenish airtime credit.

“As always, our objective is to deliver better value to our customers than anyone else,” he said, emphasizing that the innovation is consistent with keeping with customers in tune with tools that enhance their productivity. This service brings a new level of convenience to our esteemed customers as it is designed to deliver speed and simplicity,” he asserted.

Equally speaking, the Executive Director, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Plc, Mrs. Christabel Onyejekwe told DigitalSENSE Business News that this service would give MTN’s subscribers an easy and very comfortable means of auto-recharging.

“The service leverages NIBSS interoperability capabilities that ensures smooth and seamless payment from subscribers’ account in any Nigerian bank with no Payment Card required,” she said.

The Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, Wale Goodluck explained that to make use of this service, subscribers need to log on to their bank internet platforms and perform a one-off recharge of  their airtime or set up a recurring standing order mandate for airtime top up on any date of their choice. Whatever option chosen, the equivalent amount of money is debited from the deposit account and the airtime value is credited to the phone.

He also said that this service uniqueness is based on the customers’ standing order, while the designated airtime value will be credited to the mobile accounts on a continuous basis until the customer wishes to discontinue.

It would be recalled that MTN also recently unveiled an enhanced version of its Virtual Top Up (VTU) service tagged MTN VTU Plus.  The service enables customers to buy airtime, MTN data services and logical PINs, as well as renew Blackberry subscription directly from any VTU terminal or vendor nationwide.

“This service is in line with our commitment to delivering a bold new digital world to our esteemed customers wherever they may be. We’ll continue to enrich the lives of our customers by providing them with a robust bouquet of innovative products and services,” Goodluck said.

Nenye Dom/GEE
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: Mike Ikpoki, CEO, MTN Nigeria

APEN commends Airtel over role in enterprise development

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The Association of Private Educators in Nigeria (APEN) has commended Airtel Nigeria, for its role in enterprise development in the country.

DigitalSENSE Business News reports that Airtel was singled out for creating an array of robust and innovative telecommunications solutions to enhance and develop Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises across the country.

Speaking recently during the 5^th Annual Conference of the Association, the Chairman, Dr. (Mrs) Olufemi Ogunsanya, said Airtel is leading innovation in the Enterprise Business as it has consistently created a bouquet of value offerings to empower entrepreneurs and enable them succeed in their business operations.

Dr. Ogunsanya who doubles as the Managing Director, Oxbridge Tutorial Colleges applauded Airtel for its Entreprise Packages including customized email solutions, website, Closed User Group (CUG), Cloud services and bespoke telecommunications platforms to enhance business performance.

“I am impressed by the products and services introduced to us by Airtel. I am excited and want to commend Airtel for leading innovation in the telecommunications sector and for creating specific offerings to boost enterprises,” she said.

The event with the theme: “Leap, Achieve, Succeed,” was a gathering of top-brow private schools across Nigeria and it provided a platform for school owners, parents, education experts from other countries and dealers in educational materials to brainstorm on effective teaching, ways to improve education and services rendered by private schools.

Unu Eke, Senior Manager, Small and Medium Enterprises (Sales) for Airtel Nigeria made a presentation on Airtel’s Enterprise solutions just as the conference also featured the exhibition of educational materials ranging from books, clothes, electronic teaching aids and other products. 

The event was attended by several top dignitaries including Lagos State Commissioner of Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye; Chairman/CEO Channels Television John Momoh; CEO, Sahara Group, Tonye Cole and Oladokun Oye, Zonal Business Manager, Corporate & Postpaid, Lagos Region, Airtel Nigeria.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that the fifth APEN annual conference was held from Thursday, 31 October to Saturday, 2^nd November, 2013 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!