Industry News

Microsoft president Brad Smith (pictured) outlined the importance for technology companies in delivering privacy protections to address new challenges raised by the digital era.

He said with a new wave of technology there must also be a “new wave of privacy protection, security protection”, along with measures to safeguard ethics. “We need to recognise as technology moves forward, we need to stop leaving people behind”.

“Today cloud computing is ubiquitous all around the world. It reduced the cost of access to technology, it has led to an explosion in data. We will start the next decade with 25-times as much digital data as we had in 2010”, Smith predicted.

Other trends the executive expects over the next decade include a combination of traditional computing with emerging quantum efforts, and a rise in the number of data centres along with innovations in how data is stored and processed.

“We are going to see 5G become 6G and computing will become ambient, it will be in every device, every corner, every part of our homes”.

Role of AI
In a keynote, Smith addressed concerns around AI, predicting the conversation would move on to address more general deployments of the technology.

He noted “any tool can also become a weapon”, including AI, therefore, companies need to “think as never before about what it means in terms of broader societies”.

“We need to ask what computers shouldn’t do. We are the first generation in the history of humanity who will empower machines to make decisions…If we get it wrong, every generation that follows us will pay a price”, he said.

Smith appealed for technology companies to work more closely with governments to address new challenges around accessibility and environmental sustainability and show the industry is “committed to use technology to solve the world’s problems”.

He cited the use of AI to gather and analyse data to prevent illegal fishing as an example.

Smith also called for the reach of technology to be broadened, noting that more than 20 million Americans still lack broadband access.

Source: mobileworldlive

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued formal approval for T-Mobile US and Sprint’s proposed merger, confirming it would green light the deal despite opposition from two of its five members.

In a statement, chairman Ajit Pai said the regulator had concluded the deal offered several benefits following a review lasting more than a year. Specifically, the FCC expects the merger to advance US leadership in 5G, help close the broadband gap in rural areas and increase competition.

He noted structural remedies put in place by the FCC would address competitive and pricing concerns.

The announcement of its formal approval followed a vote last month in which commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks objected to the deal.

In a fresh statement, Rosenworcel again blasted the decision, branding the merger “blatantly anticompetitive” and claiming it will “end a golden age in wireless that helped bring to market lower prices and more innovative services”.

Rosenworcel and Starks were among a number of politicians and critics which pressed the FCC to delay its vote to give the public time to comment on conditions imposed by the regulator and the Department of Justice in exchange for approval.

Sprint and T-Mobile still face a lawsuit from 16 attorney generals aiming to block the deal: a court case is due to begin on 9 December.

Source: mobileworldlive

Vodafone Ghana has appointed Haytham Ammar and Tawa Bolarian to its Senior Management team in line with a company strategy of charting a leadership path in innovation and creativity.

According to a statement issued in Accra on Monday, the appointments will provide leadership for the Enterprise and Finance functions of the business.

Haytham Ammar has been appointed Finance Director, and Tawa Bolarin has been appointed Director for the enterprise unit, Vodafone Business.

Haytham joins from Vodafone Egypt, where he held various leadership roles in Decision Support, Planning, Costing and Investor Relations. As Head of Decision Support, he drove key strategic projects including Egypt’s 4G rollout, infrastructure agreements and cost efficiency programmes. Haytham is a Certified Management Accountant (CIMA) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Accounting and Finance from Helwan University, Egypt.

Tawa Bolarian joins with 15-years’ experience in the telecommunications industry, having previously held leadership roles in multinational companies including Bharti Airtel Nigeria, British Telecom, MTN and Virgin Media (UK). She is a Chartered Marketer and has an MBA from the University of Westminster.

Commenting, Patricia Obo-Nai, Chief Executive of Vodafone Ghana said, “We are privileged to have Haytham and Tawa join our Senior Management team. Their extensive experience and deep knowledge will be very critical in the further growth of the Ghana business.

“I am without doubt that they will support in taking the company to the next level as we pursue a strategy that will ensure an exciting digital future for our customers,” she added.

Source: www.biztechafrica.com

Mobile and IoT solutions provider Workz Group and Econet Zimbabwe have announced a deal that will see them offer Zimbabwean subscribers network connectivity via embedded SIM devices such as the iPhone XS/XR/11 and Microsoft Surface Pro X. Users will now be able to connect to Econet’s network without a physical SIM. The announcement follows the completion of successful network trials using Workz technology with a market launch expected in the coming months.

Markets and Markets has estimated that the eSIM market will grow from nearly $300 million in 2018 to over $1 billion by 2023 with hyper-adoption expected following the launch of several new consumer eSIM devices from the likes of Apple and Samsung and several more manufacturers planning to follow suit. The collaboration between Workz and Econet is expected to make Zimbabwe only the second country in Africa to adopt the next-generation SIM technology.

Workz, which was recently recognised by a market report from Counterpoint as one of the world’s leaders in eSIM technology, has launched similar projects across North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East in the past 12 months. The company is the first GSMA-certified full eSIM provider in the Middle East and Africa and one of only six in the world to carry such an accreditation.

Commenting on the partnership, Tor Malmros, Managing Director of the Middle East and Africa for Workz Group said: “We are proud to work with our long-term partners Econet on another highly innovative project. We expect eSIM technology will make a significantly positive impact on people’s lives, and we hope Econet Zimbabwe subscribers can start enjoying this enhanced experience very soon.”

Rufaro Nelson, the project lead for Econet Zimbabwe added: “This is yet another ground-breaking initiative which serves to enhance the Econet customer experience. For this project, we have had the benefit of working with a strong local partner in Workz, which with the support of their incredible technical team has allowed us to complete comprehensive development and testing in a highly efficient timeframe. Together, we look forward to being the first to bring this new technology to Zimbabwe and Econet subscribers in the very near future.”

Source: www.biztechafrica.com

Employees of one of the world leading telecoms and technology service providers, Vodafone Group will now be enjoying 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave following the introduction of a new global policy, designed to support families by giving every parent the opportunity to have more time with children new to their family.

This means that any employee whose partner is having a baby, adopts a child or becomes a parent through surrogacy will have the flexibility to take up to 16 weeks’ paid leave at any time during the first 18 months.

With the introduction of this new global policy, Vodafone workers globally will also be able to phase their return from parental leave by working the equivalent of a 30-hour week at full pay for a further six months.

According to a statement released by the group on it official website, the new global parental leave policy further underlines Vodafone’s strong commitment to diversity and gender equality and will make a significant difference to thousands of Vodafone employees, particularly in countries where there is little or no legal requirement to give equal support for both parents.

“In March 2015, Vodafone pioneered a global maternity policy, offering women across Vodafone’s markets and operations a minimum of 16 weeks fully paid maternity leave and a 30-hour week at full pay for the first six months after their return to work,” it stated.

In 2017, Vodafone launched the ReConnect programme to attract talented women who have left the workplace for several years – often to raise a family – who want to return to work but are struggling to make the professional connections needed or refresh the skills required.

“Vodafone believes that the opportunities and promise of a better digital future should be accessible to all, and is committed to ensuring that the more vulnerable are not left behind on the journey to that future. Through our technology, we are working to bridge the divides that exist and help people to contribute equally and fully to society,” the statement said.

“By becoming the world’s best employer for women by 2025 – we will help thousands of women to progress their careers, stimulating lost economic activity for the benefit of all,” it added.

Source: www.biztechafrica.com

Huawei deputy chairman Guo Ping (pictured) went to great lengths to highlight the vendor’s credentials as an outlet for app developers, arguing 5G offers a chance to build a whole new ecosystem.

The vendor is seeking to build its own suite of apps and software for its HarmonyOS and Huawei Mobile Services app store platform, as it seeks to mitigate the impact of losing access to Google’s Android platform due to a US trade ban implemented in May.

Devices which were already in development prior to the block were largely omitted from the restriction due to temporary reprieves, however Huawei stepped up development of its platform to offset the future impact.

Its Mate 30 flagship, launched in September, was the first model not to have access to the full suite of Google apps and services, and there are doubts over Huawei’s ability to attract enough developers to challenge the dominance of Google or Apple with its home-grown platform and so maintain its leading position in the global smartphone market.

Advantages
While not referencing this directly, Guo used his keynote to highlight the benefits of partnering with Huawei to develop a new ecosystem in the 5G era. Historically, he noted, app developers typically gained the lion’s share of the profits from a market worth trillions of US dollars, adding 5G is “a golden opportunity for our entire industry”.

Guo claimed that applications and software are what generate true value and the biggest winners will be Huawei’s partners.

The executive emphasised Huawei had worked closely with developers over the last five years, stating it already had 1.3 million on board and planned to pump $1.5 billion into its developer programme in a bid to increase the number to 5 million.

It is also investing $1 billion in its Shining-Star developer engagement programme to attract a wider range of high-quality apps to its mobile services ecosystem.

“Huawei looks forward to working with industry developers and start-ups to create more applications”, he noted.

Operator opportunity
Guo played up Huawei’s 30-year working relationship with global operators, noting this enabled app and software developers to “fully unleash their potential”.

In the age of 5G, the vendor will “continue to enable app developers and drive the entire industry forward, he said, noting the combination of the next-generation mobile networks with other technologies represents the “new electricity”, which can be applied to all industries. “It will be the key enabler of the smart world.”

Commercial network deployments are going much faster than expected, he said, with 40 networks in more than 20 countries already launched and an additional 20 networks scheduled to be deployed by the end of the year.

Source: mobileworldlive

Vodafone’s award-winning Healthline programme got off to a great start this weekend on national television.

The first of the thirteen episodes focused on diseases of the prostate and sought to disabuse the minds of the general public on certain myths to do with masturbation.

The medical team, led by practitioners Aba Folson and Kwekuma Yalley, showed great insight and confidence in tackling the issues with the hostess Frema Asiedu.

“Technically, masturbation does not cause stroke. The downside could be that it can affect your overall relationship with others and also your religious position,” said Dr. Aba Folson in response to a query from the Hostess.

The programme also showcased a medical success story involving a little girl with a strange eye disease. This little girl, Sarah Botchway, was abandoned by her mother at an early age due to the condition. The stigma associated with her disease became unbearable for the little child and her foster parents. When the Vodafone Healthline team got wind of the information, they wasted no time in coming to her rescue. Sarah eventually got the medical attention she needed, through surgery by Dr. James Clark and the team, to correct the anomaly.

An Urologist, Dr. Paul Yegbe also educated the general public on the male prostate, advising middle-aged men to engage in regular screening to enable early detection and treatment.

This year’s edition has been well packaged and improved with other interesting segments to take healthcare information to a different level. The programme has significantly contributed to changing the lives of Ghanaians since its debut some ten years ago. It has gone about its business by providing expert health information and advice that have encouraged and empowered them to take control of their lives.

Source: ghanaweb

Mr Peter Bimpeh, the Senior Manager of General Trade, South East, MTN Ghana has called on Ghanaians to use the Company’s new app, MTN Heritage App to showcase the country’s beautiful culture to the world.

MTN Ghana in conjunction with Facebook has organized a day’s training workshop for young (student) entrepreneurs from various tertiary institutions dubbed “Boost Your Business with Facebook” to equip them with skills and tools that will help them to market their goods and services on digital platforms.

This is second in a series of training workshops organized for members of the MTN ‘Side Hustle’ program after the first edition with Google Ghana. Participants at the workshop were taken through topics such as Business Transformation with a competitive Edge, Getting started with Facebook and Instagram for business, Content rules, Managing your page ,Growing your audience with insights, Growing your business internationally, and getting creative with your mobile phone.

A trainer at Facebook, Edache Obe who facilitated the session shared tips on how to identify target customers on Facebook, how to pick a niche and how to use engaging content to attract and retain your audience.

In his welcome remarks, the Sales & Distribution Executive of MTN, Mr. Eric Nsarkoh, congratulated participants for identifying the advantages of using digital tools to advance their businesses. He noted that as a technology enabler, MTN is committed to support young entrepreneurs to grow their businesses using technology solutions.

Some student entrepreneurs who attended the workshop expressed their appreciation to MTN for organizing such a program to boost their knowledge in digital marketing and general tips on how to grow their businesses. They requested for more of such eye opening engagements to enable them develop their businessese to global levels.

Adam Mohammed Miftaahu a student from the Islamic University College Ghana said, “Personally, I think the training was very impactful. Boosting products on social media lingers on the minds of every young entrepreneur but how to do this has always been the question.” “Thanks to MTN for this wonderful training program” he added.

The ‘Boost Your Business ‘training workshop was organized for members of the ‘MTN Side Hustle’ program, a youth innovation program developed by MTN to support student entrepreneurs. It is aimed at empowering members with skills and tools that will help grow their business in the digital age. MTN also create platforms to enable members to ideate and innovate, network and collaborate with institutions and persons with astute experience in business development.

Source: GNA

Communicating for the common good is communicating for the benefit of your fellow man. If we truly follow the teaching of love thy neighbour as thyself and love God with all your soul, heart and mind, communicating for the common good should come very easily to us.

This was the general view held by panellists at a talk on the theme “Communicating for the Common Good: Challenges and Prospects in Ghana Today at the British Council on Tuesday, 29th October, 2019.

Engineer Kenneth Ashigbey, the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications who was also on the panel, advised that we stop trying to win the argument and concentrate on the common good. He said that if Christians would live what they preached and emulate Christ in all they did, the common good would be taken care of.

He observed that if everyone stopped complaining and contributed to solving the problems, the world would be a better place. He said that Christians must demonstrate integrity and accountability in every aspect of life and apologise when they go wrong.

He admonished Christians to communicate through their actions and speak up for the common good wherever they find themselves and in whatever situation they find themselves. He called on Christians to speak up against the wrongs in society irrespective of political affiliation.

Mr Ashigbey also called on the media to be descent in their communication and promote togetherness instead of divisiveness in all their programmes.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast, the Most Reverend Gabriel Palmer Buckle, one of the panellists, pointed out that as children of God, we must consider the common good before taking any action.
He gave the examples of people embarking on strike actions and asked if those embarking on such actions had considered the effects of their actions. He noted that when lecturers/teachers go on strike, the students bear the brunt of these actions.
He said that the time for teaching is cut down and the students now have to try and learn in a shorter period of time. He said that when health workers also go on strike, it is the patients who suffer. He asked if those who take such actions consider the moral and ethical justification of their actions and the effects it would have on society.
The former member of Parliament for the Ablekuma South constituency in Accra, Mr Fritz Baffour, posited that there was a need for public education and awareness and a collective will to work together.

Another panellist, Mrs Mawuena Trebarh, a Business professional and first female underground exploration geologist amidst a 10,000 strong male workforce at a mine site in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, noted that mindset can change if we are consistent with communication as well as the requirement for a certain expected outcome.

The discussion was moderated by Bernard Avle of the Citi News breakfast show.

Source: Businessghana.com