Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

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Our connectivity solutions are shaped by you.

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CONTENTS Bulletin

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Events

8

Agenda

10

Equipment

40

FEATURES A note from the Editor THE INTERESTS OF telecommunications operators seeking to deliver advanced mobile broadband services are represented in theis issue of Communications Africa/Afrique, with coverage of the implementation of LTE architecture, and market developments with respect to capacity issues. This issue addresses, also, commercial and financial initiatives adopted and developed by operators.

Key events covered include Capacity Africa, Nigeria Com, and MED-IT. Main Cover Image: Arne Hoel/ World Bank Inset: Capacity Conferences

LTE

22

Dealing with demand for Internet connectivity in Tanzania; and measures to ensure delivery of bandwidth, speed and quality of service

Wholesale

28

How the capacity market is moving in favour of smaller, regional players; and how submarine cables are delivering much of the extra capacity required

Commerce

32

The deployment of technology enabling utilisation of secure payment documents in Nigeria

Finance

34

A guide to best security practices for the implementation of mobile finance

Markets

38

The plethora of options and price points now available to broadband users as a consequence of increasing competition in South Africa

ARTICLES MED-IT Une note du rédacteur LES INTÉRÊTS DES opérateurs de télécommunications qui offriraient mobile à large bande sont représentés dans ces pages, avec couverture de l‘Internet et des projets innovantes. Cette revue s'adresse, également, des initiatives commerciales et financières adopté et développé par les opérateurs.

Principaux événements couverts sont Capacity Africa, Nigeria Com et MED-IT.

25

Une vitrine des technologies innovantes à disposition des entreprises et des professionnels du secteur des Technologies de l'Information

Internet

31

L’acquisuition d’un opérateur VSAT en Afrique francophone, afin de continuer à offrir à ses clients un service de haute qualité; et Des aspects pratiques du déploiement du cryptage

Innovation

37

Des projets communautaires qui sont destiné à encourager des idées innovantes

Messagerie

39

Des solutions de nouvelle génération orientées vers les consommateurs

Managing Editor: Andrew Croft - andrew.croft@alaincharles.com

Audit Bureau of Circulations Business Magazines

Editorial and Design team: Bob Adams, Lizzie Carroll, David Clancy, Ranganath GS, Prashant AP, Genaro Santos, Zsa Tebbit, Nicky Valsamakis, Julian Walker and Ben Watts Publisher: Nick Fordham Advertising Sales Director: Pallavi Pandey Magazine Sales Manager: Steve Thomas - Tel: +44 (0) 20 7834 7676, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7973 0076, Email: stephen.thomas@alaincharles.com Country China India Italy Nigeria Russia South Africa Qatar UAE USA

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Production: Donatella Moranelli, Nasima Osman, Devolina Pal, Nick Salt, Jeremy Walters, and Sophia White - Email: production@alaincharles.com Subscriptions: circulation@alaincharles.com Chairman: Derek Fordham Printed by: Wyndeham Grange Ltd Communications Africa/Afrique is bi-monthly magazine ISSN: 0962 3841

Serving the world of business

Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

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BULLETIN SES-5 provides high performance satellite capacity following launch THE SES-5 SATELLITE launched in July 2012 was designed and built for SES

by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) to operate, at an orbital slot 5 degrees East, 36 active Ku-band transponders and up to 24 active C-band transponders; SES-5 has two Ku-band The new satellite enters the global SES fleet beams (one serving as Number 51 customers in the Nordic and Baltic countries and one serving Sub-Saharan Africa), as well as two Cband beams (one with global coverage and one with hemispheric coverage over Europe, Africa and the Middle East) - with provision of Kaband uplink capability, allowing for flexible operations between Europe and Africa, to deliver high performance and extensive coverage for Directto-Home (DTH) services, broadband, maritime communications, GSM backhaul, and VSAT applications in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The Government of The Gambia helps ACE move closer to commercial service IT HAS BEEN confirmed that the ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) submarine communications cable system is expected to be ready for provisional acceptance (RFPA) by 13 October 2012, and is scheduled to be ready for commercial service (RFCS) in December 2012 - with the commissioning and operational launch for segments 1-3 (from France to Sao Tome & Principe) to take place in The Gambia; ACE has recently launched its second phase, which is Segment 4 (from Sao Tome & Principe to South Africa) for interested investors - and negotiations are underway with potential investors to support the construction of Segment 4.

Alcatel-Lucent delivers on 4G LTE network deployment and operation in Tanzania AFRICAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR Smile Telecom Holdings Ltd (Smile) has launched a service in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, enabling the delivery of lightning-fast mobile broadband services including live video chat and TV streaming, following the deployment of 4G LTE technology by Alcatel-Lucent; the network is the first in Africa to provide 4G LTE service in the 800 MHz frequency band, providing businesses and consumers with super-fast, high-quality Internet access, initially in the principal commercial city and major seaport of Tanzania - with nationwide coverage in prospect.

NIGCOMSAT deploys iDirect service to meet growing demand for broadband across West Africa VT IDIRECT, INC. (iDirect) has supplied Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) with a new iDirect Series 15100 Universal Satellite hub to deploy a service based on the iDirect Evolution platform, to capture the growing broadband market in Nigeria, enhancing NIGCOMSAT’s existing VSAT solutions for military and government customers while enabling the company to pursue new opportunities in the enterprise and education markets; “We believe that high-speed Internet has the potential to transform the Nigerian economy, hence our partnership with iDirect to deploy a satellite network that affordably supports increasing broadband penetration in the region - iDirect’s solutions enable us to offer a broadband service that meets the diverse requirements of multiple end users, and can grow to meet future connectivity challenges,” said Engr T Ahmed-Rufai, Managing Director/Chief Executive of NIGCOMSAT.

Nigerian point-of-presence connects media hotspots TATA COMMUNICATIONS’ VIDEO Connect Network has been extended into Nigeria through a partnership with Main One Cable Company, to

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Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

allow broadcast and production companies in Nigeria to distribute their live video content worldwide as well as enhance international broadcasters’ reach into West Africa; Funke Opeke, CEO of Main One, says, “Our high quality fibre network, coupled with Tata Communication’s international expertise and global network will open up a new world of opportunities for video coming in and out of the African region, as well as create new business opportunities for studios, broadcasters, production and pre-production companies throughout Nigeria.”

Mercy Corps offers ‘toolkit’ of mobile banking and agricultural services for farmers HUMANITARIAN AGENCY MERCY Corps work with a network of local financial institutions, mobile operators and other agricultural industry stakeholders to implement Agri-Fin - a multi-country programme that will use mobile technologies to give farmers a package of services to increase their harvests; the Agri-Fin Mobile initiative, developed in partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), identifies and connects financial institutions, agricultural specialists and mobile network operators and provides mobile-enabled, bundled packages of financial, training and information services to more than 180,000 small-scale farmers around the world - but initially in Indonesia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, with the aim to expand to an additional five countries after three-years.

Tanzanian Government utilises communications technology to broaden trade IBM IS WORKING with the Tanzanian Government to help achieve the goal of the country’s National ICT Commission of becoming a hub for trade in the wider East Africa region and to enhance sustainable economic development as outlined in the Tanzania National ICT Policy, to use innovative technologies and approaches to transform infrastructures, build national data centres, increase cyber-security and invest in IT talent development; Honourable Prof Makame M. Mbarawa, the Minister for Communication, Science and Technology, said, “Working with IBM will help to ensure that our initiatives are in line with international standards while positioning us to become competitive regionally and internationally.”

European firms offer broadcast and IPTV Solutions for African markets EUROPEAN COMMUNICATION SERVICES and OH TV have joined forces to offer joint solutions providing broadcast and IPTV access to the African continent and around the world, including a turn-key satellite broadcast service across Africa and an IPTV service via OH BoX's IPTV platform for the UK, European and international markets; taking advantage of emerging technology opportunities in both regular broadcast and new media IPTV, ECS and OH TV are supplying a two for one service whereby Africa-based broadcasters and Africa-centric content channel operators seeking to increase their audience size can utilise a strategically located satellite over Africa, full downlink facilities in the UK and complete access to OH BoX’s IPTV platform to extend distribution over the African continent and add content to OH BoX's IPTV service reaching Europe and across the globe.

Eaton Towers selects Eltek to supply power solutions, consultancy and training MOBILE TOWER CO-LOCATION and services company Eaton Towers Africa has signed a three-year contract with power systems firm Eltek MEA, for Eltek to provide DC power solutions and associated equipment to Eaton Towers subsidiaries and partners in Uganda, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa - and to provide power consultation and training to enable Eaton Towers to provide power solutions to operators who utilise the company’s services; “This contract is an important step forward for Eltek in Africa and proves our ability to provide products and services across the African continent,” said Bob Hurley, Regional Director for MEA in Eltek.

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BULLETIN Comviva’s electronic recharge solution succeeds with prepaid subscribers in Egypt

Un solution d'extraction physique de données pour les appareils Nokia BB5

MOBILE FINANCIAL AND VAS solutions specialist Comviva has developed a strong market position in the electronic top-up market in Egypt with its PreTUPS electronic recharge solution, which is used now by over 67mn subscribers out of the total 81.5mn prepaid subscribers in the country; at Comviva Middle East and North Africa vice president Sabri Amireh said, “Comviva’s PreTUPS has proved to be a real success across Egypt, where 96 per cent of the mobile subscribers are prepaid - the solution has added a new dimension to operators’ prepaid top-up capabilities by bringing affordable, easily accessible mobile top-up to prepaid subscribers in the region.”

CELLEBRITE, FOURNISSEUR MONDIAL de solutions d’investigation judiciaire pour appareils mobiles, offre le seul fabriquant de son industrie à permettre l’extraction physique des données sur des appareils Nokia BB5, verrouillés ou déverrouillés; utilisant les chargeurs de boot propriétaires de Cellebrite, la méthode d’extraction physique pour les Nokia BB5 est effectuée avec UFED Ultimate et UFED Touch Ultimate - cette fonctionnalité est disponible immédiatement pour tous les clients disposant d’une licence valide Ultimate.

Orange Business Services provides global network to shipping industry specialist

L’AUTORITÉ NATIONALE DE Régulation des Technologies de l'information et de la communication (ANRTIC)-Union des Comores- et l’Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications (ANRT)-Maroc, ont signé un mémorandum d’entente portant sur le domaine de la régulation des télécommunications, avec la participation d’une importante délégation de l’ANRTIC; il vise la promotion d’une coopération entre les deux autorités de régulation et le partage des visions et des expériences dans les domaines de la régulation des télécommunications et du développement des services et réseaux de télécommunications.

ZIM, ONE OF the world’s largest shipping container companies, has selected Orange Business Services to rationalise further its global MPLS network through a multiple-year contract committing to optimised routing, guaranteed business continuity and backup solutions, as well as a unified communications and cloud computing services-ready platform, underpinned by service-level agreements (SLAs) adapted by site; “We were looking for a reliable, transparent business communications partner, not simply a network services provider,” said Mr. Dudi Avni, CIO, ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, Ltd.

Jasco and Seoketso Africa Technologies brings mobile data capture to Africa with WorkMobile JASCO ENTERPRISE HAS recently entered into an agreement with eSAY Solutions in the UK to become an accredited reseller for Africa of their innovative WorkMobile mobile data capture solution, which allows organisations to create forms and to capture business data on smartphones and tablets, regardless of platform, effectively transforming the data capturing process from an inefficient paper-based system to a dynamic, mobile solution; the technology was introduced to Jasco by Seoketso Africa Technologies, a strategic partner of the Jasco Group.

Base station deployment to serve six nations continent-wide ITU AND NEXPEDIENCE, which supplies proprietary point-to-multipoint broadband infrastructure, have begun work to bring broadband access to Africa; 180 Nexpedience base stations, worth US$1mn, are enabling broadband connectivity in Burundi, Djibouti, Burkina Faso, Mali, Rwanda and Swaziland.

Etisalat works with Opera Software to improve the mobile browsing experience ETISALAT AND OPERA Software are providing a superior mobile web experience to consumers in Nigeria, with Etisalat offering a co-branded Opera Mini browser; the bundles come in two options - Sport and Social - available to all of Etisalat’s 13mn Nigerian customers.

L’ANRT et l’ANRTIC renforcent leur coopération sur la réglementation

Des nouvelles offres de jeux mobiles ORANGE, EN PARTENARIAT avec Gameloft, propose à ses clients une offre de jeux sur terminaux mobiles compatibles java et sur smartphones. A travers ce nouveau partenariat, Orange renforce ainsi son offre de services de divertissement et accompagne le développement des usages multimédia de ses clients; à travers ce partenariat, Orange et Gameloft proposent plus de 300 jeux, disponibles dans une rubrique dédiée, accessible depuis le portail mobile Orange. Après avoir été lancé chez Orange en Côte d’Ivoire, à l’Ile Maurice, à Madagascar, en Jordanie, cette offre de jeux sur mobile a également été proposée le 26 juin dernier aux 32 millions de clients de Mobinil en Egypte.

Un exercice transfrontière de cybersécurité dans la région des Etats arabes L'UIT ET SON partenaire en matière de cybersécurité, IMPACT (Partenariat multilatéral international contre les cybermenaces), ont organisé le premier cyberexercice transfrontière à bénéficier de l'appui de l'ONU, qui a été conçu pour tester la capacité des pays de la région des Etats arabes à réagir aux cyberincidents et pour améliorer leur état de préparation et leur capacité de réaction face à l'éventualité d'une future cyberattaque; "La cybersécurité est devenue une priorité mondiale et aucune nation, quel que soit son état d'avancement technologique, ne peut échapper aux menaces actuelles qui sont de plus en plus sophistiquées", a déclaré le Secrétaire général de l'UIT, Dr Hamadoun Touré.

Des expériences, stratégies de migration et dividende numérique en Afrique LE 13ÈME FORUM sur la Régulation des Télécommunications/TIC et le Partenariat en Afrique (FTRA-2011) s’est tenu au Palais des conférences de la cité de la Démocratie de Libreville (République Gabonaise) du 18 au 20 juin 2012, sur le thème : «La migration de la télévision analogique vers la télévision numérique: partage d’expériences, stratégies de migration et dividende numérique»; le forum est organisé par l’Union internationale des télécommunications (UIT) en collaboration avec l’Agence de régulation des communications électroniques et de la poste (ARCEP) de la République Gabonaise en partenariat avec le réseau des régulateurs des télécommunications Africains et le groupe de travail régional africain sur le secteur privé.

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Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

L'UIT et IMPACT ont organisé le premier cyberexercice transfrontière pour tester la capacité des pays de la région des Etats arabes

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AGENDA

Events / Évènements 2012 OCTOBER 2-3

eCommerce Expo

London, UK

2-3

MVNOs Industry Summit Africa

Cape Town, South Africa

3-4

Self Organising Networks

Cannes, France

14-18

GITEX Technology Week

Dubai, UAE

www.gitex.com

14-18

ITU Telecom World

Dubai, UAE

world2012.itu.int

16-18

Broadband World Forum

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

22-25

GSMA NFC & Mobile Money Summit

Milan, Italy

23-26

Big Data World Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa

24-25

AITEC East Africa ICT Summit

Nairobi, Kenya

www.aitecafrica.com

29-30

FTTx MEGNA Summit

Dubai, UAE

www.fttxevents.com

30-31

IP&TV Forum Middle East & North Africa

Dubai, UAE

www.iptv-mea.com

13

WiMAX Africa

Cape Town, South Africa

www.WiMAXForum.org

13-15

AfricaCom

Cape Town, South Africa

africa.comworldseries.com

14-15

AfricaCast

Cape Town, South Africa

www.africacast-event.com

19-22

Connected World Forum

Dubai, UAE

20-21

Mobile Network Optimisation

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

27-29

Global MilSatCom

London, UK

www.globalmilsatcom.com

28-29

Global Broadcast Summit

London, UK

globalbroadcastsummit.com

www.ecommerceexpo.co.uk africa.mvnoindustrysummit.com son-conference.com

www.broadbandworldforum.com www.nfcmobilemoneysummit.com www.terrapinn.com

NOVEMBER

www.connectedworldforum.com mnoevent.com

How mobile advertising drives conversion rates MOBILE ADVERTISING NETWORK Twinpine celebrated its first commercial year of operation recently by highlighting achievements made. At launch, the company set a target of reaching 100mn monthly impressions within a year. It has far surpassed this, now handling over 500mn, and anticipating that number to reach one billion by January 2013.

Based in Nigeria, Twinpine’s founders identified that the scattergun or ‘blind’ approach to mobile advertising taken by the majority of African mobile ad networks was failing to deliver real value for brands and mobile subscribers. Hence, Twinpine was built around delivering a premium approach to advertising, creating customised mobile ad campaigns to help brands and publishers reach the right audience and deliver higher conversion rates.

Twinpine has developed a portfolio of more than 30 ad

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agency partners, along with international brand customers such as Nokia, MTN, Pepsi, Autodesk, Guinness and local industry enterprises like Nigerian Breweries, Interswitch and Enterprise Bank, helping them to achieve their marketing goals.

Notably, the company was awarded a grant of US$60,000 from Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria, an organisation supporting entrepreneurial youth in the west African nation, encouraging the development and execution of business ideas that lead to job creation.

“With over 84mn Web-enabled mobile devices in Africa, there’s a major opportunity for brands to engage more effectively with target audiences around the continent.

However, what we saw initially were campaigns failing to reach the right audience because there was no strategy to the development and placement of the ads. They could appear on any

site which may, or may not, match the target audience,” said Elo Umeh, CEO at Twinpine. “Our successes in our first year of operation are testament to our bespoke approach to mobile ad campaigns - delivering true ROI to brands and publishers and enabling them to increase conversion rates and, ultimately, make the most of mobile.”

In addition to developing its own business in the last 12 months, Twinpine has been committed to growing the local mobile ecosystem, which saw the mobile ad network kick-start the mobile presence of local leading premium publishers by supporting them with the development of their own mobile sites, for free.

“The African mobile market is on the cusp of a period of unprecedented growth, beyond anything we’ve seen so far. In Nigeria alone, more than 50 per cent of the population is under 20 years old, which means that

Twinpine CEO Elo Umeh

shortly more than half the country’s population will be in the most desirable target audience segment for brands around the world,” adds Umeh. “As a result, we have no doubt that there will be an explosion in premium advertising, driven by this new tech savvy youth market. We aim to be at the forefront of this and our goal in the next 12 months is to ready the local market for this period of rapid growth through education of brands, publishers and mobile subscribers alike, to ensure the whole ecosystem is able to make the most of mobile.”

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S02 CAF 5 2012 Agenda A-B_Layout 1 23/08/2012 10:33 Page 10

AGENDA

Harmonised calling rates from Uganda AIRTEL UGANDA RECENTLY introduced new harmonised calling rates to all African destinations, cutting costs for Ugandans who communicate with family, friends and business associates across the continent. Airtel customers can call any destination in Africa for 10/- per second. Calls within East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC) as well as calls to Nigeria and South Africa will cost even less, at 6/per second.

Previously, customers were paying between 450/- to 1500/- per minute to call many of the African destinations.

Mr. Somasekhar VG., Managing Director, Airtel Uganda, said, “The lower rates will not only allow Ugandans to talk more, the increased communication will also play a role in promoting trade and commerce across Africa.”

A snapshot of mobile Web trends AFRICA IS IN the midst of a mobile web browsing transformation. With less legacy fixed-line infrastructure, not only do more people have mobile phones, but mobile phones are the most popular means for Africans across the continent to access the web.

In a rceent State of the Mobile Web report, Opera offers an examination of African Internet connectivity - with a concise guide to more than 1,000 data points, including top sites, handsets, mobile penetration and other metrics. Of the 53 countries surveyed, 25 (47 per cent) have international news sites as the most popular news source.

These countries include: Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Libya and Côte d’Ivoire. In 18 of those 25 countries, the BBC is the most-used source.

An increasingly connected continent The report indicates, also, that 36 countries have more than doubled their Opera Mini user bases in one year.

Geographies that have made particularly significant progress include Libya - which, since the revolution, has grown the most in every category of Opera Mini usage, including users, page views and data consumption.

Côte d’Ivoire also showed spectacular growth. The number of Opera Mini users there rose 600 per cent in one year.

Page views grew 744 per cent, meaning people are browsing more pages than they did the year before. Data use grew 760 per cent, outpacing the growth in page views.

Across Africa, data growth seems to outpace page-view

www.opera.com/smw

growth. This fact suggests that Africans are browsing larger pages and most likely, using richer, more advanced websites.

“Two hundred million people use Opera Mini and Opera Mobile to connect to the world around them,” said Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera. “For many of them, a browser is more than a tool to ‘browse the Web’. Sometimes, it’s a school when you can afford none, sometimes it’s the only line to an outside world shut off by an oppressive regime. Providing a service that reliably and cheaply delivers critical information to just about everyone with a phone is the reason Opera makes browsers. We want to make a difference in the world, not only on the Web.”

Wireless innovations for West Africa at Nigeria Com OFFERING UNIQUE MARKET perspectives and insights from a 40-strong speaker-line up, Nigeria Com’s two-day conference agenda equips attendees to capitalise on developments in networks and services.

Speakers at Nigeria Com, which takes place 18-19 September 2012, include: Deepak Srivastavam, Chief Operating Officer at Airtel Nigeria; Taiwo KolaOgunlade, Communications and Public Affairs Manager - Anglophone West Africa at Google; Peter Lockhart, Business development at 2go; Dr Eugene Ikemefuna Juwah, EVC/CEO at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); and Steven Evans, CEO of Etisalat Nigeria. The last is a particularly interesting entity, when considered in context, with reference to this West African event and when loking for an example of innovation and sustainable and dynamic growth. Since it commenced commercial operations in October 2008, Etisalat Nigeria has seen unprecedented growth in the Nigerian telecommunications industry - with a current subscriber base of over 13mn in less than four years.

Offering voice and broadband services, Etisalat’s business is built on the principles of innovation, customer-focus and quality of services provided. Since its inception, Etisalat Nigeria has focused on innovation, being the first to launch several innovative services including the deployment of a 3.75G/HSPA+ network.

Showcasing corporate interests for communications communities With 40 stands, the networking environment and exhibition spaces showcase the advanced technology and solutions available for business.

With more than 600 attendees, anyone doing business in the region’s telecommunications will value this event.

Exhibitors at Nigeria Com include Altobridge, Aviat Networks, Ceragon, Coollink, Dragon Wave, Eltek, Emerson, F5, Panamax Infotech Ltd, SAF, and Yahsat.

10 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

Deepak Srivastava, COO of Airtel Nigeria, describes Nigeria Com as "very good for helping industry leaders to get together, to talk about what's happening in the market and to develop a strategy for the country".

Sponsors at Nigeria Com include BlackBerry, Corning, Rancard and Veltri.

Wireless innovator Research In Motion (RIM), which introduced the BlackBerry solution in 1999, now offers a product portfolio including the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, numerous versions of the BlackBerry smartphone, a wide range of software for businesses and a plethora of accessories.

Corning fibre is the most widely deployed globally. The company offers a full line of single-mode and multimode optical fibres for all network applications.

Corning’s entire family of optical fibre boasts geometrical properties for low splice loss and high splice yields, supported by a proprietary manufacturing process designed to produce the highest quality products.

Software company Rancard Solutions Limited is focused on delivering brands to mobile audiences across Africa. Its main offering, rancardmobility.com, is a reliable and scalable multi-channel, cloud delivery platform. The rancardmobility.com cloud processes millions of mobile transactions across several networks, connecting mobile subscribers to the content and services they desire from brands.

Mobile marketing and advertising technology provider Velti enables brands, advertising agencies, mobile operators and media to implement highly targeted, interactive and measurable campaigns by communicating with and engaging consumers via their mobile devices. Velti has conducted campaigns in over 68 countries and reaches more than 4.3bn customers.

Visit nigeria.comworldseries.com to learn more

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AGENDA

Moroccan radio broadcaster improves automation MEDI 1 RADIO IN Morocco is set to go live by the end of 2012 with NETIA's Air-DDO, a broadcasting module within the Radio-Assist 8 automation system. Medi 1 replaces its existing CartStack on-air system for broadcast operations with an optimised workflow and increased automation using Air-DDO. Medi 1, a NETIA user for almost 15 years, has been using Radio-Assist for production and scheduling since the station moved from analog to digital in 1998. The Tangier, Morocco-based station was the first Radio-Assist customer outside Europe, and its adoption of Radio-Assist 8 and the Air-DDO broadcast module is the latest milestone in its continuing quest to deliver high-quality multilingual radio services to audiences across the region.

"After our long and successful relationship with NETIA, Medi 1's move to Radio-Assist 8 last year is a logical progression, and one that we were confident would bring us yet another step up in the efficiency and quality of our operation," said Ahmed Abakkali, IT manager at Medi 1 Radio. "Our staff is now completely familiar with the system, so the switch to Air-DDO will be an easy upgrade that will streamline our service even more."

The Radio-Assist 8 Air-DDO broadcast module is the result of several years of research and reflection, and focuses as much on the ergonomics as on the technology. Spread over two monitor screens, AirDDO's GUI simultaneously displays the four broadcast channels, as well as access to numerous

NETIA Radio Assist 8

help and preparation tools — including on-air monitoring, playlist modification, track editing, recording sounds, and more.

Boosting broadband for vehicles in motion RADWIN, A GLOBAL provider of backhaul and broadband wireless solutions, has launched RADWIN 5000 Mobility, which boosts broadband connectivity for vehicles in motion, delivering high capacity of 100 Mbps at speeds of up to 200 Km/h for video and Internet connectivity. The solution comes with powerful base stations that enable connectivity to ruggedised mobile units that can be mounted on vehicles, trains and vessels. RADWIN 5000 Mobility provides widearea coverage and ease-of-deployment, making it the optimal choice for public and private organisations such as public transportation authorities, oil & gas companies and mines that are looking to improve security and operational efficiency.

RADWIN 5000 Mobility solution is commercially deployed in large-scale projects worldwide and serves multiple applications. This includes perimeter security via video connectivity between patrol cars in the field to control centers, Internet connectivity for public transport systems and more.

Roni Weinberg, RADWIN’s Executive VP and COO, said, “We are excited to launch the RADWIN 5000 Mobility solution which empowers public and private organizations to provide high-quality video and Internet access for moving vehicles. Mobile connectivity is the way of the future as organisations seek to provide ubiquitous coverage any place, any time. Our versatile Mobility solutions enable delivering high-capacity and long-range coverage on the go.”

Direct on PC selects Shyam Networks P2P radio to enable enterprise services DIRECT ON PC (DoPC), an Internet service provider (ISP) based in Lagos, Nigeria, has deployed point to point (P2P) radios from Shyam Networks Limited (SNL), in order to deliver Internet-based services for its enterprise customers.

“Driven by a strong need to incorporate reliable services, enterprise customers are always demanding to have better Internet related services. This is where we have decided to go with Shyam’s P2P radio products. We are very happy to have partnered with Shyam and it has surely brought a new sense of reliability and resiliency to our P2P links,” commented Mr Anurag Garg, MD of DoPC.

SNL RM24/58 Series radio

12 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

“Today’s enterprise customers demand for the best communication services which can deliver high speed Broadband, Bandwidth on Demand and QoS. This is where SNL partnered with DoPC, where our carrier grade wireless broadband IP Radio is being used to enable true next generation communication infrastructure. Our P2P radios are time tested and provide seamless connectivity between places and deliver high capacity bandwidth, clubbed with long range IP backhaul capabilities,” explained Mr Nafis Kazim, COO of Shyam Networks Ltd. The SNL radios - RM24/58 Series P2P and P2MP - represent a platform to deploy reliable and secure high-speed wireless IP connections

Mr Nafis Kazim, COO of Shyam Networks Ltd

between multiple remote locations through highcapacity point to point and point to multipoint links. Available in multiple frequency bands and configurations, it covers a distance of up to 40km.

Shyam’s Wireless Broadband IP Radio Unit incorporates the latest technologies - such as MIMO, OFDM and Diversity - bundled with its proprietary protocols.

The carrier grade solution ensures always-on connectivity with zero network downtime. The solution can also be installed in a multiple point to point architecture; multiple units are deployed on the same tower, where they provide a dedicated high-capacity connection to each remote site.

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AGENDA

Video collaboration unites athletes in UK with Rwandan children POLYCOM, INC., WHICH specialises in open standards-based unified communications (UC), recently undertook a series of charity events with humanitarian organisation Right To Play, including hosting a face-to-face live video conversation between Rwandan children and world-class athletes held in London, in the United Kingdom, early in August 2012.

As an extension to its existing philanthropic relationship with Right To Play, Polycom connected Right To Play Athlete Ambassadors in the UK with children in Rwanda.

Geri Mitchell-Brown, director of Philanthropy and Community Relations, Polycom., has said of the company’s work with the humanitarian concern, "Our partnership with Right To Play reflects Polycom's commitment to bringing people together through the power of visual communication and aligns with our vision to make video collaboration ubiquitous in a more connected world. Right To Play is positively affecting the lives of children who need our help the most and we are honoured to be able to contribute to this worthy cause."

Using Polycom video solutions, athletes including

Canadian cyclist Clara Hughes, an Olympic gold medalist, talked to children affected by war, poverty, and disease to share their passion for sport and to serve as an inspiration for children in challenging surroundings. The purpose of the dialogue was to inspire and encourage the potential of each child by having them see and hear directly from world-class professional athletes about their successes, and learn how they overcame obstacles and what they are doing today to support fairness and team play.

“Besides just the enjoyment sports can give, and even the distraction it can provide in areas that are marked by war and other adverse conditions, sports can help develop leadership skills and teamwork,” said Johann Olav Koss, Right To Play founder and a four-time Olympic gold medalist.

“Video collaboration significantly amplifies the impact of Right To Play programmes and provides an option that simply didn’t exist before,” says Gary Rider, President EMEA, Polycom. “Our partnership with Right To Play reflects Polycom’s commitment to bringing people together through the power of visual collaboration and aligns with our vision to make video collaboration ubiquitous in a more connected world. "

Acision improves text messaging capabilities in Algeria MOBILE MESSAGING SPECIALIST Acision has been selected to deploy an advanced messaging platform with real-time mediation and reporting at Mobilis Algeria Telecom, which has 30 per cent market share in Algeria. To ensure a competitive-edge in a fast moving mobile services market, Acision’s enhanced messaging solution includes personalised features such as SMS forwarding and auto-reply, and be underpinned by a simplified,

centralised management system with superior reporting and analysis tools.

With over 11mn subscribers, Mobilis’ strategy is to lead the market while driving customer acquisition and retention by providing premium services that can be enhanced as customer demands change but also supports growth as uptake increases.

As the most efficient, scalable and highest performing messaging solutions available today, the Acision

messaging platform will enable Mobilis’ customers to enjoy a superior messaging service with innovative and personalised features.

“Acision provides us with a future-proof technical architecture with enhanced messaging features which will allow us to enrich the user experience and enable us to seize current opportunities as well as remain ahead of the game in today’s competitive market,” said Samir Bouzekri, CTO at Mobilis.

Flexible, capable and reliable communications MOBILE SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS services provider Inmarsat has introduced promotional initiatives for its BGAN Link service, tailored to meet the needs of customers in subSaharan Africa. BGAN Link meets the needs of organisations requiring high monthly volumes of broadband data for sustained periods of operation in remote sites.

Inmarsat is targeting BGAN Link at organisations operating in the construction, oil and gas, mining, humanitarian aid and banking and finance sectors that require resilient and reliable real-time IP-based broadband connectivity.

The aim of promotion is to meet the need for a predictably-priced service that can be relied upon day-to-day, over an extended usage period.

Ronald Spithout, President of the Enterprise business unit at Inmarsat, said, “Our goal is to help BGAN be the highly flexible, capable and reliable communications network customers turn to every day, over an extended time period, not just in times of emergency or crisis.”

Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

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S03 CAF 5 2012 Agenda C-D_Layout 1 23/08/2012 10:59 Page 16

AGENDA

Reaching farmers in Ghana’s remote cocoa growing villages GHANAIAN COCOA FARMERS have received more than 100,000 messages related to better farming and family well-being during the first year of CocoaLink, a mobile phones outreach programme sponsored by The Hershey Company, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF).

CocoaLink, a programme that uses mobile voice and SMS text messages delivered in the local language or English, connects cocoa farmers with important information about improving farming practices, farm safety, child labour, health, crop disease prevention, post-harvest production and crop marketing. The programme

launched with its first message to Ghanaian farmers in July 2011 is now the largest mobile farmer technology programme of its kind.

Working with many on-the-ground partners, CocoaLink is on track to reach 25,000 farmers by the end of 2012.

“CocoaLink has proved to be an innovative and effective way to reach farmers in the remote cocoa growing villages and make a meaningful impact on their livelihoods and their families,” said Tawiah AgyarkoKwarteng, Project Director of CocoaLink & ECHOES for World Education who has implemented the programme in 15 villages in Western Ghana.

“CocoaLink helps agriculture agents reach many more farmers than they could through face to face visits and we are also excited by the progress in literacy training and reducing the technology gap for rural women.”

CocoaLink enables farmers to ask specific cocoa growing questions and share learnings with other farmers about critical agricultural and social information, benefiting farmers, their families and entire cocoagrowing communities. The mobile technology programme is managed through a partnership between Hershey, COCOBOD and WCF, and is funded entirely by Hershey.

South Africa offers example of cashless benefits MASTERCARD HAS REPORTED a growing global trend toward governments adopting electronic payments as an alternative to cash and check-based benefit programmes - including a recent example in South Africa. The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has distributed more than 2.5mn debit cards to social grant recipients across th e country with a target of 10mn cards by March 2013. South Africa joins the United States, Italy, Canada, United Arab Emirates and Romania as the latest examples of governments going paperless as a costsavings opportunity and a method of addressing the almost 2.5bn people worldwide that lack access to financial services.

“By supporting governments around the world with electronic payment programs we are helping save money and improve efficiencies, but more importantly, together we are opening up a world of inclusion for those who have

16 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

previously not had access to traditional financial services,” said Tim Murphy, Chief Products Officer of MasterCard Worldwide.

SASSA recipients are now able to use debit cards, issued by Net1 and Grindrod Bank, to pay for goods and to check their account balances free of charge. A key feature of the card is biometric functionality used to identify grant recipients using unique identifiers such as fingerprints, facial and voice recognition to prevent stolen card usage. The new system is already dramatically reducing SASSA’s operating costs and is expected to save the government more than ZAR3bn (US$360mn) over the next five years.

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S04 CAF 5 2012 Agenda E-F_Layout 1 23/08/2012 14:55 Page 18

AGENDA

Video collaboration helps students raise support Through video collaboration, the Congolese and North American students discuss opportunities to create handcrafted items such as necklaces, earrings, and bags in the DRC that North American students can sell. The profits are invested back into the Goma community, located in the Eastern part of the country on the border with Rwanda.

“Through the Students Rebuild Students collaborating to make a program, we enable students difference around the world to engage in The project, Students Rebuild, is live problem-solving and an initiative led by the Bezos knowledge-sharing discussions,” Family Foundation, and said Chris Plutte, Executive supported by GNG among other Director at Global Nomads Group. partners to mobilise students worldwide to connect, learn, and Polycom CMA Desktop, an all-in-one video collaboration software designed to “Polycom video solutions and improve productivity cost-effectively, enables Congolese students to platform allow students to take action to address critical communicate with students in North America via a laptop computer develop viable business plans, global issues. This year, the challenge focuses on creating awareness Goma, DRC. Many of the students at the collaborate to accomplish common goals, about humanitarian crises in Somalia and ETN school have been through tremendous and help to improve the lives of those living the DRC. The programme has brought suffering in their war-torn country. Most of in the DRC. Video collaboration eliminates together 150 students from eight schools in the male students are former child soldiers, the barriers of time and distance separating the U.S. and two in Canada to work with 50 while most of the female students are the countries, and helps to enhance trust and understanding.” youths at the ETN Vocational School in survivors of gender-based violence.

GLOBAL NOMADS GROUP (GNG) has been using Polycom RealPresence solutions to provide video collaboration for a project that unites students in North America and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to create and implement business plans that support community rebuilding projects in eastern DRC.

New facility promises enhanced research into base station antennas CELLMAX, WHICH PROVIDES advanced ultra-high efficiency base station antennas, is now working at a new indoor antenna laboratory, measuring range and research facility in Sweden. to research and test ‘next generation’ base station antennas as a key ingredient in mobile network performance. ”We will now have a world class research facility for our world The new CellMax measurement range in Kista, class research team”, said Einar just north of Stockholm, Sweden - which is home, also, to many ICT-related companies Ahlström, CEO, CellMax (including mobile telecommunications Technologies. “This will boost equipment vendor Ericsson the research capacity of CellMax enormously, to the ultimate benefit of our customers. Of course, we are most happy that Swedish royalty and global industry leaders alike chose to visit us for this memorable occasion.”

Known as a near-field antenna measuring range, the new 1,200 square meter facility includes a 550 cubic metre shielded anechoic near-field antenna measuring chamber along with a fully equipped state-of-the-art antenna design laboratory.

The low reflectivity and high isolation anechoic chamber is equipped with a fully automated spherical near field BTS antenna measurement system which supports multiple testing configurations for maximum flexibility and throughput.

The research centre offers very high accuracy and repeatability of antenna parameter measurement throughout its 690MHz to 2,8GHZ operating range. It supports characterisation and testing of all types of cellular base station antennas. It is further enabled by sophisticated software which allows for very accurate analysis of the measured results.

18 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

A compact satellite communication solution for unmanned aerial vehicles GILAT SATELLITE NETWORKS Ltd, which offers satellite networking technology, solutions and services, displayed its integrated Ku-band airborne satellite communication solution for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) recently, at AUVSI 2012 in Las Vegas, in the USA. Weighing only 22lb (10.5 kg) and capable of transmitting 1Mbps of IP-based data, Gilat's UAV solution is comprised of a ruggedized spread spectrum satellite modem; a two-way, on-the-move, flat panel tracking antenna; and a compact 40W Ku-band block up-converter (BUC) and power amplifier. The tightly integrated solution provides a lightweight, compact and low-power terminal that is ideal for airborne applications and can be tailored to meet varied end-user specifications and requirements. The miniature dimensions of the solution allow Beyond Line of Sight (BLoS) operations for very small UAV platforms.

Compact and effective "Gilat's UAV solution addresses the defense and military market's critical need to exploit the full capabilities of the airframe's operational range," said Brigadier General (Res.) Moshe Tamir, Gilat's Vice President of Defense and Security Division. "Featuring what we believe is the industry's smallest and most compact aerial solution in its category, the solution can dramatically increase mission effectiveness."

In developing the airborne solution, Gilat set out to reduce both its cost and weight while safeguarding its high performance capabilities.

“The UAV system was developed in-house and allowed us to find the optimal balance of overall performance versus cost,” stated Tamir.

“Having all critical technologies in-house enabled us to address the critical need of our customers for reduced size and weight, all while offering an affordable, tightly integrated solution with very short customization time.”

S04 CAF 5 2012 Agenda E-F_Layout 1 23/08/2012 11:05 Page 19

caable iss a 17,000 17,0 7,000 The Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) optical fiber submarinee cable ou triess fr om kilometre long high bandwidth system that will connectt 21 ccountries from France to South Africa.

ACE will be operational Q4 2012 Will connect 21 territories, including 18 African countries

France e France

7 countries in Africa will be served for the first time by a high bandwidth international cable system

Portugal Portugal

ACE connectivity will be extended to landlocked countries : Mali and Niger

Canaar a y Islands Islands l d Canary

Senegal Gambia

M Mali Mau uritaania Mauritania

N Niger

Guin G u nea uin ne Guinea

Benin G Ghana Gh haan h naa Benin Nige igeriaa Nigeria LLiberia Li iberiiaa Caamerroon C Cameroon Sierra Leone Equatorial Guinea Equa q tor qu o ial G uinea Côte d’Ivoire Gabon n Gabon Sao Tome & Principe Democratic D em mocraticc Will secure and diversify the international Republic R epublic of Congo Con ngo broadband traffic routing gola ola Ang Angola

Will provide seamless interconnection with existing high bandwidth cable systems connecting Europe, Asia, North and South America Designed to provide 5,12 Tbps , will benefit from state-of-the-art submarine technology

Namibia Namibia

South Africa South

ACE, with its large bandwidth and high quality transmission technology, will support the present and future growth in telecommunications traffic between Africa and the rest of the world, reduce digital divide and drive economic and social growth.

Contact : Mr. Lamin Camara - Tel : +220 9974077 - Email : mlcamara@moici.gov.gm

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AGENDA

Un partenariat pédagogique et culturel POUR FACILITER L’ACCÈS des plus jeunes aux TIC et stimuler l’innovation, Sonatel accompagne « Connecting Classrooms ».

Dans le cadre de l’exécution de sa politique RSE, Sonatel accompagne le British Council dans la mise en œuvre du programme « Connecting Classrooms » au niveau des écoles et lycées du Sénégal.

Connecting Classrooms est un partenariat entre écoles basé sur l’apprentissage, l’échange pédagogique et culturel ainsi que le respect mutuel. Il fournit ainsi des formations sur les TIC aux élèves, enseignants et chefs d’établissements.

L’objectif de Connecting Classrooms est de contribuer à la nouvelle politique éducative initiée par l’Etat du Sénégal dans le cadre de partenariats public/privé, à travers l’introduction de l’enseignement des TIC dès le jeune âge. Une telle initiative facilite l’accès des jeunes élèves aux TIC et répond aux attentes de nos parties prenantes.

Connecting Classrooms permet en outre aux jeunes et à leurs encadreurs d’améliorer leurs expériences et de les confronter à celles de leurs correspondants des autres pays partenaires de ce programme du British Council.

Des élèves enthousiastes

Les élèves connectés à un cours d’anglais en ligne

A cet effet, Sonatel a doté l’école élémentaire Ahmadou Bamba Mbakhane Diop 2 (Zone B Dakar) d’une salle informatique IT HUB équipée d’un parc de 20 ordinateurs interconnectés (avec la solution « client léger NComputing» développée par Atlantic Computing) et d’une connexion Internet.

Cet IT HUB, implémenté au sein dudit établissement et capitalisant sur celui des autres établissements voisins de la zone, se veut une plateforme internationale permettant de nouer des partenariats. Il constitue un appui considérable pour les professeurs dans

l’utilisation des contenus et supports pédagogiques tout en permettant aux élèves d’apprendre en utilisant les TIC de façon interactive et ludique.

L’inauguration officielle de cet IT HUB High –Tech a été faite par M. Eric LAWRIE, Directeur du British Council et Mme Nafissatou Dia Diouf, Directeur du département Communication Institutionnelle et Responsabilité Sociale d’Entreprise, au début Juin 2012 en présence du Conseiller Technique TIC du Ministre de l’Education Nationale, Chargé des TIC et des représentants de Microsoft, d’Atlantic Computing, d’OPTIC, de la presse, etc.

Un nouveau satellite à bande Ka

Une étape décisive de réception satellitaire

LE SATELLITE HYLAS 2 va fournir une capacité de transmission de données à grande vitesse dans l'Afrique méridionale et orientale, le Moyen-Orient, et le Caucase. Ceci constitue un grand changement pour le marché des données dans ces régions, où le service était jusque-là médiocre pour les entreprises, les gouvernements et les consommateurs. Les marchés desservis aujourd'hui par HYLAS 2 sont la preuve d'une fantastique combinaison de forte macroéconomie, d'importantes demandes en termes de télécommunications et d’une faible concurrence dans le domaine des services par satellite.

SES A ANNONCÉ la certification du premier convertisseur SAT-IP de l’industrie mis au point par Inverto Digital Labs, développeur et distributeur luxembourgeois de produits de réception de contenus pour les professionnels et les particuliers.

SAT-IP est à la fois un nouveau standard et une nouvelle marque développée et soutenue par SES. Il permet de convertir au standard IP (Internet Protocol) les programmes du satellite au point de réception du domicile. Les foyers peuvent ainsi recevoir, via leur système de distribution domestique avec ou sans fil, le bouquet satellite complet non seulement sur leur télévision, mais également sur une large gamme d’appareils IP, tels que Smartphones, tablettes et télévisions connectées (Smart TV), à raison de différents programmes sur plusieurs appareils simultanément. Le convertisseur SAT-IP d’Inverto est le premier du genre à être certifié au nouveau standard. « SAT-IP représente une étape décisive en matière de réception satellitaire qui sera ainsi encore plus compétitive par rapport à d’autres modes de réception », déclare Thomas Wrede, Vice-Président Reception Systems de SES. « Avec SAT-IP, nous sommes en mesure de satisfaire les besoins des consommateurs et de desservir une multitude de plates-formes domestiques avec une excellente qualité de signal satellite et une grande variété de contenus. La télévision par satellite absolument partout dans la maison : sur tablette, smartphone, PC ou Smart TV. C’est ça, la révolution SAT-IP ». « Le vif intérêt de l’industrie à l’égard du protocole SAT-IP atteste qu’il s’agit d’un bond considérable en avant vers l’interopérabilité des appareils. Il permet la convergence de la télévision sur une multitude de plates-formes et s’adapte ainsi à l’évolution des habitudes des téléspectateurs, en particulier des plus jeunes. SES propose la certification des appareils SAT-IP à tous les fabricants et les invite, en tant que partenaires, à participer à la création de ce nouveau mode de réception », a ajouté Thomas Wrede.

La flexibilité et la vitesse HYLAS 2 va déployer 24 faisceaux fixes et un faisceau orientable à l'aide de la technologie révolutionnaire de la bande Ka, proposant ainsi aux clients une flexibilité accrue et une augmentation impressionnante de la vitesse et du débit de données tout en réduisant sensiblement les prix.

L'utilisation de la technologie par satellite transforme aujourd'hui la façon dont les entreprises et les gouvernements accèdent aux services de télécommunications. Les infrastructures de télécommunications traditionnelles terrestres sont difficilement commercialisables dans la majeure partie des pays émergents en raison des obstacles géographiques, du terrain difficile, de la sécurité et de l'accès au financement.

Les communications satellites jouent donc un rôle de plus en plus important dans la volonté de combler le gouffre numérique de ces économies, en fournissant un accès aux télécommunications à un nombre impressionnant d'utilisateurs potentiels, précédemment privés de cet accès.

David Williams, administrateur général d'Avanti Communications, a commenté : « Nous avons toujours été convaincus de l'immense opportunité que représentent les marchés émergents pour les services de communication satellite, étant donné la forte augmentation de la demande en matière de données et de services téléphoniques face au faible niveau de l'offre en termes de capacité de réseaux de télécommunication. »

20 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

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NETWORK

LTE

Superfast mobile broadband service delivered with a Smile Africa’s first 4G LTE network in the 800MHz frequency band delivers video conferencing and multi-user Internet gaming in Dar es Salaam

T

ELECOMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR Smile Telecom Holdings Ltd (Smile) launched a new service in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, recently, to enable and support the delivery of mobile broadband services including live video chat and television streaming.

Smile has made this possible through acquisition and deployment of long term evolution (LTE-Adavnced, or 4G LTE) technology supplied by Alcatel-Lucent, the

As global demand for Internet services continues to rise, operators such as Smile require a clear, efficient broadband evolution path

lightRadio delivers ubiquitous broadband in Tanzania

telecommunications equipment enterprise.

The Smile network is the first in Africa to provide 4G LTE service in the 800MHz frequency band, providing businesses and consumers with super-fast, highquality Internet access, initially in the principal commercial city and major seaport of Tanzania.

livelihood of Tanzanians. There is huge demand for Internet connectivity in Tanzania and working with Alcatel-Lucent we are able to provide our customers with faster, better quality connections, resulting in ever more compelling services to satisfy their demands.”

Ubiquitous deployment

Corporate requirements and consumer needs

Smile’s intention is to offer ubiquitous coverage as soon as possible.

Following a limited pilot launch in April 2012, 4G LTE services have been rolled out by Smile in several districts of Dar es Salaam, including Mikocheni, Massani Peninsula, Oysterbay and Sinza. Businesses and consumers there can now enjoy mobile broadband speeds of up to four times as fast as 3G, which can support video conferencing and other business applications, streaming television programs and films without interruption and accessing other content-rich social media services.

Broadband routers are used to access the services and have been installed in homes, offices and public places, such as shopping malls and Internet cafes. Smile extension of coverage through Tanzania is expected to be followed by the launch of similar services in the other three countries where Smile currently operates.

Tom Allen, Chief Operating Officer of Smile, said, “Smile is constantly introducing new innovations to expand the range of services we can offer our customers. Broadband has a significant impact on socioeconomic development and through our presence in the country we hope to play an important role in improving the

Daniel Jaeger, vice-president of Alcatel-Lucent activities in Africa said, “Alcatel-Lucent has extensive expertise in delivering comprehensive mobile broadband services to meet the needs of many communities. We have a solid understanding of Smile’s needs and those of their customers.

Our 4G LTE technology brings broadband services to many people that haven’t had access to such services in the past, helping drive economic growth in Tanzania and unlocking new revenue streams for Smile.”

As global demand for Internet services continues to rise, AlcatelLucent is providing operators such as Smile with a clear, efficient broadband evolution path. Alcatel-Lucent’s innovative lightRadio portfolio is designed with this in mind, and provides a framework for wireless networks that offer lightning fast data speeds while reducing operating costs and power consumption.

Smile’s core platform is to be integrated with Alcatel-Lucent’s network equipment operating in the 800MHz frequency, which will result in lower capital costs to rollout because it is already in commercial service in Europe. As a result, it is capable of supporting a wide and growing variety of LTE devices, including routers, dongles, handsets and tablets already on the market. ✆

22 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

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NETWORK

LTE

Enhancing the cell site to accelerate evolution Infrastructure enhancement and controlling interference will provide much of the coverage and capacity needed to support a bandwidth-hungry future

I

NDUSTRY IS FAMILIAR with the potential for Long Term Evolution (LTE) to offer wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals, its origins in GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, and the returns on investment that may be gained by increasing capacity and speed using new modulation techniques.

“Specialised base station enhancement infrastructure and antenna solutions, together with effective infrastructure optimisation strategies, offer mobile operators a quick and effective path to achieving the capacity and coverage they will need to deliver LTE services and meet customer experience expectations,” says Peter Jackson, director at Communication Components Inc (CCI) in Europe, a leader in base station enhancement solutions and strategies.

“While there is considerable and understandable focus by operators on developing increasingly sophisticated network planning and optimisation software to meet the demands of ever more complex, heterogeneous networks,” Jackson continues, “by complementing these advances with enhancements to existing cell site infrastructure we can actually enable operators to achieve coverage and capacity results well beyond the scope of those that will be achieved through the use of software and radio network planning alone.”

Industry is familiar with the potential of LTE to increase the capacity and speed of wireless data networks, and to enable simplification of network architecture Cell site innovation While developments in network planning and optimisation software, as well as the emergence of SONs and HetNets, small cells and femtocells, are helping towards meeting LTE capacity and coverage targets, innovative

24 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

cell site enhancement solutions will complement these developments and help operators reach the same goals by optimising their existing infrastructure resources, but without further, major capex.

“At a time when LTE and 4G service rollouts and demands are forcing MNOs to look hard at how they can extract more from existing hardware infrastructure, RF enhancement solutions, including antennas and antenna-sharing combiners, splitters, cell extenders and other site-sharing equipment, will be instrumental in delivering solutions and strategies to maximise coverage and capacity of LTE and 4G infrastructure without increasing capex and opex,” says Jackson.

“Latest state-of-the-art Bi-Sector Array antennas, for example, will more than double the capacity of a cell site and maximise the use of existing spectrum.

Used independently, or in conjunction with other cell site extension products, such antennas are designed to dramatically improve network service capacity and quality by addressing spectral LTE serves the market with highefficiency, link quality, and speed data for the latest devices - but the traffic associated with it requires coverage constraints. innovative management by operators “Including such equipment in an overall optimisation strategy will be the best way of reaching the highest achievable coverage and capacity targets, in turn helping mobile operators across the world to handle today’s mobile data explosion,” he adds.

Another issue to affect capacity and coverage that, according to Jackson, is likely to increase as LTE and 4G networks roll out, particularly as MNOs increasingly share RF infrastructure at the cell site, is the problem of interference through passive intermodulation.

“LTE operators will need effective PIM management strategies to ensure no losses or compromise on performance occur to ensure good customer experience.

Mitigating PIM effectively is a win-win of capex and opex savings for any operator,” Jackson concluded. ✆

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RÉSEAUX

Med- IT

Un salon incontournable pour les professionnels du secteur TIC ORGANISÉ DEPUIS 2004, le Salon Med IT est devenu au fil des années un rendez vous incontournable pour les professionnels du secteur des Technologies de l'Information (TIC).

L'événement, qui se tient dans l'un des plus beaux sites d'Alger, le Palais de la Culture, accueille chaque année plus de 5.000 visiteurs professionnels et 150 exposants dont lesprincipaux acteurs algériens du secteur des Technologies de l'Information ainsi que 30% d'entreprises étrangères parmi lesquelles les grandes multinationales.

Med IT est une vitrine des technologies innovantes à disposition des entreprises et des professionnels du secteur. Les décideurs des entreprises publiques et privées y viennent régulièrement pour s’informer sur les grandes tendances du marché et découvrir de nouveaux matériels et solutions IT. Med IT permet aussi de nouer des partenariats entre entreprises du secteur IT. Un outil gratuit accessible sur le site web du salon permet aux visiteurs et exposants de programmer à l'avance leur rendez vous.

Enfin, au delà des outils et des solutions présentés, Med IT s'affirme aussi comme une plate forme de réflexion sur l'actualité et l'évolution des TIC. 50 conférences et ateliers sont organisés sur trois jours suscitant un vif intérêt du public.

Cette année, le thème de l'innovation IT sera à l'honneur avec l'organisation des Trophées MED IT 2012 qui portera sur les "Meilleures Start up" IT. Ce concours sera un véritable accélérateur pour propulser

Le Palais de la Culture, l'un des plus beaux sites d'Alger

MED-IT est l'occasion pour les partenariats stratégiques et les entreprises étrangères de nouvelles sociétés à fort potentiel dans le domaine IT. L'événement permettra de découvrir et de mettre en lumière de jeunes talents ayant lancé une start up particulièrement innovante dans le domaine IT. ✆

www.med-it.com

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PROFILE

Qualcomm bolsters operator support with technology partnerships With 3G migration all set to give Africa its big leap towards sustainable connectivity, Qualcomm is reinstating its position as an engineering and technology powerhouse by transforming operator engagements in a way that will change the user experience

I

T’S A WIN-WIN situation for operators and device manufacturers across the African region as device penetration and connectivity access grow in parallel.

With an estimated 700 million cellular connections, close to 45 per cent of the market today is dominated by WCDMA HSPA based networks, according to analyst firm Wireless Intelligence. Many expect that Africa’s telecom revolution may well see much of the population get their first Internet experience through 3G enabled devices and networks.

“Qualcomm sees this as a perfect time to be involved in enabling and powering the entire 3G value chain given the company’s multi-layered engagements

with operators and a growing partner ecosystem at the device end,” says James Munn, Qualcomm’s vice president of business operations in Sub-Sahara Africa.

At the same time, the forward march towards HSPA+ technology at both the network and device level will also up the ante when it comes to delivering speed, experience and efficiency with all three major networks in South Africa now enhanced for HSPA+ and 42 mbps. Other regions within Sub-Sahara are also moving quickly down the same technology evolution path.

Weaving the partnership fabric While Qualcomm puts its weight behind the fact that the strong emergence of 3G technologies offers endless possibilities for new business, technology advancements also make it a far more complicated access technology to come to grips with.

“We want to support operators with their network evolution because we understand that operators make technology choices for many reasons, including competitive differentiation,” Munn says.

Empowering operators to manage their networks The central piece of Qualcomm’s operator initiative will engage them across three phases – Early Engagement; Testing and Early Feature Validation, and the Deployment Phase for emerging 3G technologies.

“We want to provide technical support and aid the transfer of knowledge to 3G operators across Africa,” Munn says. Backed by a wealth of system studies, assessments, and knowJames Munn, VP Business Development, how on optimisation of Qualcomm International Inc South Africa UMTS/ HSPA networks, and supported by the team of subject matter experts, Qualcomm expects to help operators make the 26 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

Qualcomm will support operators through network adoption, growth, upgrade and evolution best network decisions that will back them through their adoption, growth, upgrade and evolution paths.

In support of this, Qualcomm has also set up teams spread across three locations – Johannesburg (for South Africa), Lagos (to manage Nigeria and West Africa) and Nairobi, Kenya (for East Africa) – to work with mobile operators and help improve efficiency and accelerate their strategy towards 3G.

Three key strengths From a roadmap perspective, all three levels of engagement are critical to success.

“In the early stages of engagement, we focus on providing operators technical education on 3G networks, drilling down to analyse the impact of their investments on the services and devices, and building commercial perspectives to monetise features,” Munn shares.

Following this, Testing and Early Feature Validation will offer operators a test bed environment leading into Final Deployment Phase.

“If you consider the evolution in 3G networks with technologies like HSPA+ and Dual-Carrier HSPA, you have to factor in components like network speeds, latency and signaling on the network as more users access applications on their phones. Optimising the network can deliver commercial advantage, offering improved performance and user experience,” Munn explains.

Qualcomm also wants to steer away from taking the cookie cutter approach and will continue working individually with each operator in alignment with their business projections.

This strategy would be incomplete if it does not dovetail back to the consumer. The operator-to-user chain will therefore continue to see increased peripheral activities to drive 3G adoption, Munn emphasises. ✆

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NETWORK

Wholesale

Driving African connectivity – the wholesale story The advent of new submarine cables bringing capacity to the coast of Africa has meant that the capacity challenge is now one of intra-regional connectivity

M

ORE AND MORE service providers and carriers are travelling in-land to seek out higher margins and untapped or underserved markets. The time has come to sit up and take notice of the burgeoning telecommunications market in Africa.

Increasing numbers of players are entering new markets and using their experience to become competitive and effective challengers to the often government-run incumbents.

You need look no further than Bharti Airtel’s acquisition of Zain Telecom, Tata’s acquisition of Neotel or the various Etisalat and Millicom/Tigo operations across Africa for evidence of the trend.

Newer companies specialising in connecting hard-to-reach markets have also emerged. Liquid Telecom is one of the best and most successful

The Vice President of Tanzania, His Excellency Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal, will open Capacity Africa 2012

Lower costs, better connections

The landing of the WACS and ACE subsea cables in West Africa is expected to dramatically reduce costs and improve connectivity. Paul Brodsky, a senior analyst at Telegeography said, “If the experience in East Africa is any indicator, the sudden appearance of multiple new cable systems will result in a huge increase in purchased capacity and a subsequent rapid drop in wholesale pricing in countries where access was limited to SAT-3.”

You cannot draw direct comparisons between East and West Africa but as Kenya and Tanzania “...saw CAGR in international bandwidth of 164 per cent and 191 per cent, respectively, from 2008 to 2011...and wholesale capacity prices have fallen sharply in the wake of new submarine cables in East Africa there is little reason to believe this experience won’t be repeated on the west coast.”

However, without a collaborative approach to network expansion (Seacom for example has a partnership network to deliver access to Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa and EASSy is a consortium-led cable with a ready-made customer base) and regulatory support to provide open access to the new cables the situation could plausibly arise in African communications where subsea transit becomes affordable whilst inland backhaul and local access pricing remain stubbornly high.

“Cooperation” and “teamwork” are buzzwords often applied to development ideals but for African communications the need to expand footprints, connectivity and form those all-important partnerships is ever more pressing.

At this year’s 6th annual Capacity Africa, taking place for the first time in Dar es Salaam (13 & 14 September), partnerships and regional cooperation are taking centre stage.

As the only meeting place for the wholesale industry in Africa we have worked to ensure that Network collaboration, expansion and partnership will take centre stage at Capacity Africa 2012 each Sub-Saharan region has a voice and a examples of a company focussed on terrestrial connectivity with an platform by introducing regional roundtables – each boasting at least six host operators guiding proceedings. aggressive fibre and satellite strategy.

More than 380 executive delegates are expected to gather in Dar es For Nic Rudnick, the CEO of Liquid Telecom, the challenge and opportunity of each African market depends on progressive regulatory Salaam to listen to opening remarks by His Excellency Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal, the Vice President of Tanzania and by the Honourable Mr momentum.

Mr Rudnick says, “Telecoms is all about entrepreneurs and small January Makamba who is the Deputy Minister of Communications, companies developing products and services which they can sell and turn Science and Technology in Tanzania.

These prestigious speakers will be followed by a range of 40+ top Cinto something great. I think the question for every regulator in the continent should be: is there a regulatory environment in place that allows level leaders discussing all of the topics mentioned in this article and small companies to innovate? That is the question that needs to be more in an exciting array of interviews, panel sessions, roundtables and presentations. answered.”

If you would like to view the agenda and speaker line-up, find out more “The big focus of our build-out is not only making sure we offer reliable high speed and long haul terrestrial connectivity but also access networks information or register please visit www.capacityconferences.com ✆ so people can use the networks we have built – no use in offering this high capacity into various cities and towns without access.”

Annabel Helm, Capacity Media 28 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

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Connecting Africa to the World Revolutionising wholesale connectivity to the internet and global markets

With an international network reach that extends to 100 cities in 29 countries across Europe and more than 700 cities in 70 countries globally, WIOCC is the ideal partner for extending your network. Together with our investment in multiple submarine cable systems (including EASSy, EIG and WACS) and access to the largest terrestrial footprint in sub-Saharan Africa, this enables us to offer unique, flexible wholesale bandwidth packages combining reach, diversity and affordability.

Connecting to WIOCC delivers improved access to the global internet and better connectivity to international markets through a seamless service - managed end-to-end 24/7 by our Africa-based service desk - that simplifies the procurement of international connectivity.

To find out more about our high-quality, high-capacity international connectivity, visit

or contact us at info@wiocc.net

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NETWORK

Wholesale

Increasingly regional, on the brink of change The wholesale connectivity business, once dominated by giants such as Tata and global connectivity providers like Cogent, is moving into the focus of smaller regional players, as domestic retail markets reach saturation levels

T

HE MARKET FOR international data wholesale has evolved into and been underpinned by a business model that has been centred around scaled operations managing volume traffic. Smaller players have been co-opted into this business model - but without the capabilities to generate true market presence, revenues and profitability from it.

Diversification of demand, allied to a fresh focus on the development and implementation of regional connectivity solutions, translates into a pattern of change, with new players, particularly from emerging markets, joining the competition

and seeking to build international connectivity, regional point of presence (PoP) infrastructure, offering cost-efficient international private leased circuit (IPLC) solutions or becoming regionspecific Internet protocol (IP) transit providers - even as global enterprises provide the core of international Internet infrastructure. Regional players have found important revenue streams built on efficiency, quality, intelligent pricing, or positioning international provision in service of a national network proposition to secure market share.

Global connectivity ventures may continue to dominate in global terms.

However, actual and potential

Commercial interests in wholesale capacity are moving towards regional connectivity

International connectivity is one of few remaining growth areas in telecoms (SOURCE: Steve Song)

30 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

business prospects become increasingly diversified as operations become more regional.

Demand, propositions and provision Research published earlier this year by Detecon International, entited ‘Increasingly Regional, On the Brink of Change’, indicates that regional connectivity business is growing, and existing submarine cable systems are providing more capacity through technical upgrades and the deployment of new, more efficient cables. There are issues, however, in the form of exposure to cable cuts that can knock out entire operators, markets and even regions.

Operators maintain options on alternative routes to back existing networks. For example, operators in the Middle East - in the UAE, or in Saudi Arabia - can ensure protected connections to Europe using consortia infrastructure crossing a land bridge from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf via Turkey, enabling use of redundancy solutions to sea cable systems, bypassing bottlenecks in Greece and Italy.

Ensuring protected routes from redundancy solutions to Western Europe allows significant traffic and revenues, undercutting premium pricing options by operating in market niches with relatively little competition.

Increasingly, business-critical data transport solutions are being deployed for global business along such modes, utilising redundancy solutions. Moreover, new submarine cable systems are enabling new routes for companies looking to cross the Southern Atlantic - think of SAEx and WASACE as examples of this trend – to allow for yet more new

propositions along alternative routes, with new players in dynamic economies in South America and Africa.

What does this mean for established global players?

Demonstrably, market share is shrinking as alternative routes provide attractive niches for regional players.

Commercial decisions affecting cloud provision and utilisation do have their basis in geographies. A major consideration with respect to Internet growth in African markets remains cost. Internet sourcing always has been cheapest at the core of the Internet cloud - which is, and has been, North America and Europe - where price levels have now reached levels of down to US$1 per Mbps/month. Every IP Transit offering outside North America and Europe has to factor in the distance to the Internet core on top of the local offering. Consequently, in Africa, IP transit pricing can easily reach prices exceeding US$100 per Mbps/month – even for larger capacities.

Various Internet economies have been characterised by crippled IP transit markets with IP transit prices at a multiple of alternative routing via IPLCs to fully competitive Internet hubs.

Hence, regional players can bring efficient IP Transit markets to the periphery to benefit from the same scaling effects global players did before at major Internet hubs. An example of this phenomena is Neotel, a South African fixed line operator challenging Telkom, the incumbent, by offering not only fully redundant IPLC solutions via eastbound (Seacom) and westbound (WACS) cable systems, but also by bringing real IP Transit to the Southern African region for the first time. ✆

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RÉSEAUX

Internet

L’acquisuition d’un opérateur VSAT africain SkyVision acquiert un acteur majeur en Afrique francophone, afin de continuer à offrir à ses clients un service de haute qualité

S

kyVision Global Networks Ltd, spécialiste des services de connectivité IP par satellite et fibre optique, a annoncé récemment le rachat d’Afinis Communication SA à Monaco Telecom SAM, une filiale de Cable & Wireless Communications Plc.

Vers un réseau d’Internet SkyVision est un fournisseur en matière de télécommunications IP destinées aux marchés émergents, offrant des solutions qui allient plateformes de services satellites et connexions par fibres optiques à haut débit. Par le biais de ses points de présence en Europe, en Amérique du Nord, en Afrique et au Moyen-Orient, la société fournit une connectivité IP avec accès au réseau mondial d’Internet, ainsi qu’une vaste gamme de solutions globales personnalisées et de services conformes aux normes industrielles. Les solutions de SkyVision associent une envergure mondiale, une présence locale effective et des services de support. Les clients faisant appel aux services de SkyVision sont notamment les opérateurs historiques, les fournisseurs d’accès Internet, les opérateurs de téléphonie mobile, les sociétés multinationales et locales, les entités gouvernementales et autres ONG.

L'acquisition d’Afinis est en ligne avec la stratégie de SkyVision, qui vise à développer sa couverture locale

Ben-Sira, le PDG, SkyVision Global Networks

« Afinis est un acteur majeur en Afrique francophone où elle a largement consolidé sa position en comprenant parfaitement les exigences de nombreux segments d’activité. Nous chercherons à exploiter les vastes connaissances d’Afinis, en particulier dans les domaines de l’énergie, des mines et des services financiers. Nous sommes impatients d’accueillir l’équipe d’Afinis au sein de SkyVision et de continuer à offrir à nos clients l’excellente qualité de service à laquelle ils sont habitués », a déclaré Doron Ben-Sira, le PDG de SkyVision Global Networks. « Après la récente création de notre filiale SkyVision South Africa et l’investissement continu que nous faisons au Nigeria, cette acquisition vient conforter l’objectif de SkyVision : faire de notre entreprise l’un des plus grands opérateurs de services satellite sur les marchés émergents. » Denis Martin, le PDG de CWC Monaco & Island Business, a dit « Je suis ravi de l’arrivée d’Afinis dans le groupe Skyvision. Skyvision s’est construit une bonne réputation sur le marché des communications satellites en Afrique. Les clients d’Afinis bénéficieront également du panel de solutions offert par SkyVision sur tout le continent. » ✆

Keep Your Network Running with Spectrum Communications DMR-IP

Des solutions de gestion Afinis est un fournisseur majeur de solutions de connectivité en Afrique francophone, spécialisé dans la vente directe aux entreprises dans des secteurs tels que l’énergie, les mines, la finance, ainsi que les opérateurs telecom et les institutions internationales.

Cet est une société qui fournit des services de communications hors pair aux grandes entreprises africaines. Ces services regroupent des solutions de gestion complètes sur un réseau MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) et des services à valeur ajoutée, comme la liaison de réseaux cellulaires, la connectivité Voix sur IP et la sécurité. À travers ses filiales, il détient des licences et opère au Burkina Faso, en Guinée et au Sénégal. Chacune de ces entités appartiendra désormais à SkyVision et portera sa marque.

Afinis élargira la couverture de SkyVision, complètera sa base de clients et étendra son périmètre d’activité commerciale. La vaste présence d’Afinis dans les pays francophones africains renforce la position de SkyVision sur les marchés du Nigeria, de l’Afrique de l’est, de l’Afrique centrale du sud et du Moyen-Orient. L'acquisition d’Afinis est en ligne avec la stratégie de SkyVision, qui vise à développer continuellement sa couverture locale sur ce continent. Grace aux bureaux locaux, aux licences et au support local d’Afinis, SkyVision sera en mesure de devenir le leader sur ces marchés et dans les régions environnantes.

Spectrum Communications is a leading Solution Supplier to Telecom Industry, in the Middle East and Africa Regions, providing Transmission Solutions to Network and GSM mobile Operators and ISP Service Providers and Oil & Gas Industry.

DMR IP

• Wideband wireless access, wireless local loop (WLL) and access market • Mobile cellular network, which require higher capacity due to an increase in subscriber, cell sites and data application • Back up network for fiber optic trunk links • Private and Enterprises network such as educational institutions, financial institution and utility companies providing voice ATM & IP private networks

Ideal solution for 3rd and 4th generation network.

Suits mobile, fixed line and ISP operator A4 42 Saif Zone, Sharjah – UAE POBox: 8983 Sharjah – UAE Tel: 971-6-557 2592, Email: sales@spectrummea.com Website: www.spectrummea.com

Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

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SECURITY

Commerce

Requirements for growth and for change How developments in Nigeria for secure payment documents reflect change in other dynamic growth markets across the continent

W

ITH A CONSTANT stream of elections and referendums taking place within Africa there is a growing demand for ballot papers. However, there are many challenges to consider and overcome for any business looking to fulfill these opportunities.

At TALL Security Print Ltd, part of the TALL Group of companies, we recognise the changes taking place in our traditional UK market for secure payment documents, and have paid close attention to emerging markets such as Africa.

For example, Nigeria has a cheque market that is growing annually by 15 per cent, not least because the telecoms infrastructure to support electronic payments within the African continent is not as strong as it is elsewhere. Exploring these opportunities helped us identify other secure document requirements in the region such as the printing and shipment of ballot papers.

As a result, in 2007 we produced more than 15 million ballot cards for five different elections taking place within Nigeria. Since then a significant proportion of our export growth has come from contracts to supply ballot papers for a range of elections and referendums held in Africa, most notably Liberia and South Sudan.

Typically, this business has resulted from tender processes with local governments and in some cases the involvement of the United Nations Development Programme. Therefore, it has been necessary to consider the added bureaucracy involved when dealing with these organisations, as well as the potential impact of cultural differences and language barriers.

The printing requirements for ballot papers are relatively straightforward but the volume and the extremely fast turnaround make it very different to any normal security printing process.

The recent historic South Sudan referendum needed 7.5mn ballot papers to be produced and delivered within just 12 days. Likewise, the nature of parliamentary elections, such as those in Liberia and Nigeria, often means that last minute orders and then subsequent amendments are not uncommon.

With this in mind we have found it is essential to work closely with each customer to ensure that any solution not only meets their requirements but also is achievable within the required timeframes.

It’s no use using a type of security paper that needs six weeks to source if the ballot papers are needed in four, so clear communication is needed at all times with some flexibility on both sides.

The shipment of the ballot papers to Africa creates its own set of challenges, especially when transporting important documents to remote or difficult to access countries and regions with often unstable political situations.

The required logistics must be considered upfront to ensure transport links and security does not pose any significant difficulties.

With such tight delivery deadlines and the nature of the cargo, airfreight has been the only effective means of shipping the ballot papers. However, the scale of each order has often meant traditional airfreight services do not have the capacity to handle the 32 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

In 2007 TALL Security Print Ltd produced more than 15mn ballot cards for five different elections taking place within Nigeria

Markets for secure payment documents are growing rapidly - not least because telecoms infrastructure to support electronic payments remains undeveloped cargo that weighs several tonnes. This has meant arranging our own charter flights, which adds extra cost to any solution.

What TALL Security Print has learnt is that a company may have the best products available, but if they are unable to meet customer requirements in terms of delivery they will miss out on valuable business. Furthermore, unforeseen supply chain expenses will eat into profit margins, so forward planning is essential.

Special security requirements are needed to ensure the entire procedure is monitored. This has sometimes meant providing full transparency to independent and government observers throughout the printing and delivery processes. The finished items also must be secure at all times, which has on occasions required guards throughout the transfer of ballot papers from the factory all the way to the final destination and handover.

By taking a flexible, open-minded and responsive approach we have been able to take advantage of the opportunities that exist, whilst supporting the democratic process by printing and transporting millions of ballot papers each year. ✆

Martin Ruda, Managing Director, TALL Group of companies

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SÉCURITÉ

Internet

La protection et la façon dont le cryptage Une étude mondiale réalisée par Thales et l'institut Ponemon s’intéresse pour la première fois à la protection et au cryptage des données dans le cloud

T

HALES, SPÉCIALISTE EN systèmes d'information et sécurité des communications, ont annoncé récemment que 82 % des entreprises transfèrent d’ores et déjà - ou prévoient de le faire - des données à caractère sensible ou confidentiel dans le cloud. Cette conclusion découle de l’étude mondiale Encryption in the Cloud réalisée par l’institut Ponemon, pour le compte de Thales, auprès de 4 000 entreprises et responsables informatiques.

L'étude examine les perceptions que ces entreprises ont des menaces et des enjeux qui entourent la problématique de la protection des données sensibles et confidentielles dans le cloud, ainsi que les pratiques actuellement adoptées à cet égard. A la question de savoir qui est responsable de la protection de ces types de données – le fournisseur ou le consommateur de services dans le cloud - elle révèle des comportements pour le moins surprenants.

L’étude offre également un bon éclairage concernant l’endroit où se fait le cryptage des données – à l’intérieur ou à l’extérieur du cloud – posant par ailleurs la question primordiale de savoir qui gère les clés de cryptage associées.

L'étude examine ensuite quelques-uns des aspects pratiques du déploiement du cryptage. Elle pose plus particulièrement la question de savoir si les entreprises appliquent le cryptage elles-mêmes avant que les données ne quittent l'environnement de l’entreprise ou si elles s’attendent à ce que le cryptage soit une composante des services de cloud computing qu'elles utilisent. Dans le cas du cryptage au sein du cloud, le rapport examine le rôle du cryptage dans la protection des données stockées ainsi que celui du cryptage au niveau applicatif, lequel assure généralement une protection plus sélective, capable de protéger des données individuelles.

Richard Moulds, vice-président Stratégie chez Thales eSecurity, explique : « Conserver la maîtrise des données sensibles ou confidentielles est de nos jours un enjeu primordial pour la plupart des entreprises. Pour celles qui aujourd’hui encore en sont à peser les avantages de l’utilisation du cloud et les risques que cette utilisation représente en termes de sécurité, il est important de savoir que le cryptage est l’un des outils les plus précieux actuellement disponibles pour la protection des données. Cependant, cet outil n’a de véritable valeur que s’il est déployé correctement et que les clés de cryptage associées sont gérées elles aussi correctement. Une gestion efficace des clés est un élément emblématique de la maîtrise des données. La mise en place d’une gestion centralisée et automatique des clés au sein même des processus informatiques de l’entreprise représente une nécessité absolue. Même si vos données sont cryptées dans le cloud, il est important de savoir que vous pouvez tout de même conserver le contrôle de vos clés. Or, contrôler les clés, c’est contrôler les données. » ✆

Soukna Comnet Power Management System (PMS) Compatible with Multiple Mobile Platform

Le posture de sécurité Larry Ponemon, président et fondateur de l’institut Ponemon, déclare : « Près de la moitié des personnes interrogées affirment que leur entreprise transfère déjà des données sensibles ou confidentielles vers le cloud alors que 39 % d’entre elles admettent que leur posture de sécurité s’en trouve réduite donne de quoi réfléchir. Cela montre clairement que pour beaucoup d’entreprises l’avantage économique que procure l’utilisation du cloud l’emporte sur la sécurité. Toutefois, il est particulièrement intéressant de noter que ce sont les entreprises qui ont une posture de sécurité globale forte qui semblent les plus susceptibles de transférer ce type d’informations vers le cloud – probablement parce qu’elles savent mieux comment et où utiliser les outils tels que le cryptage pour protéger leurs données et garder ainsi le contrôle. Ce qui est en revanche plus surprenant, c’est que près des deux tiers des entreprises qui transfèrent des données sensibles vers le cloud considèrent leurs fournisseurs de services comme étant le principal responsable de la protection de ces données, même si un nombre similaire d’entre elles ont peu de connaissance – voire aucune – des mesures mises en place par leur fournisseur pour protéger les données. On voit qu’il y a là une excellente opportunité à saisir pour les fournisseurs de services cloud, une occasion unique de se distinguer de la concurrence en expliquant clairement aux clients comment ils assurent la sécurité de leurs données dans le cloud. »

Comnet Power provides an integrated and remotely managed fully power solution combining the existing power sources like: Gel batteries, fuel generators and commercial power with new power source technologies like: Wind Turbine, Solar Panels, Fuel Cells, and more advanced technology which is the Fuel Enrichment System used to reduce the fuel consumption of generators.

• Low OPEX => High revenues • Reduce Manpower, Maintenance and Fuel cost Dbayé Highway Dbayé , Lebanon Telefax: 00961-4-545175 Email: sales@souknacomnet.com

www.souknacomnet.com Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

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SECURITY

Finance

Setting standards for mobile money A practical guide for service providers looking to implement best security practices in mobile finance

Mobile payment at the point of sale with a Visa payWave-enabled Samsung Galaxy III

S

INCE THE INCEPTION of currency, criminals have devised methods of appropriating money for their own financial benefit. Today’s world of electronic payments provides a rich, global hunting ground for the dishonest. This is true for all electronic payment methods whether they be online, via an ATM, or at a Point of Sale. Today, as mobile financial services become more widely adopted, fraudsters are finding ways to exploit them. However, by following a set of best practices, it is possible to maintain high levels of mobile financial services security while minimising compromises.

The three pillars of maintaining consistently high levels of security are: • Technology – Technology systems that conform to regulations and industry standards are essential for ensuring high levels of security. Anti-money laundering (AML) systems and hardware security devices in particular are critical in the fight against fraud.

• Business process – Poor business processes design and implementation can lead to internal fraud, which has always been a significant security threat to service providers.

• Consumer education – Consumers need to be informed and understand that they are a key part of the security jigsaw puzzle.

34 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

All measures and procedures must mesh properly if they are to provide a robust security system - but no system is complete without an effective education programme Technology: Staying secure in a digital era In the rapidly evolving mobile money market, the provision of a wholly secure financial service is dependent on two things: the service provider’s business processes and the support of its technology partner.

The final responsibility for ensuring the security of money transacted via any financial service ultimately falls on the provider. Mobile financial service providers can take advantage of the security offered by SIM-card technology to both encrypt, and provide two-factor authentication for all transactions.

Beyond this, technology providers offer support via a number of solutions such as anti-money laundering (AML) software to ensure that security processes are more easily managed and less likely to be subject to human error.

S07 CAF 5 2012 Report BA - BB - BC - BD - C - E_Layout 1 23/08/2012 11:21 Page 35

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S07 CAF 5 2012 Report BA - BB - BC - BD - C - E_Layout 1 23/08/2012 11:21 Page 36

SECURITY

However, now more than ever, with rapidly increasing amounts of money passing through a series of digital networks, these AML solutions must be monitored by a third party with no vested interest in the company. It is critical that AML systems are continuously checked. By using a third party mobile financial service providers ensure that they have an audit trail of legitimate activity endorsed by a trusted source.

Finance

The provision of a wholly secure financial service is dependent on two things: the provider’s business processes and the support of its technology partner

Business process: The threat from inside According to a recent Global Fraud Survey by Kroll, the large majority of fraud, in any type of business, is committed by insiders. The study found that in 60 per cent of the cases where the identity of the guilty parties was known, the perpetrators were senior managers, junior employees, or third-party agents (Kroll Global Fraud Report, 2011).

Apply this evidence to an industry in which money is collected, stored, saved and shared digitally, and it becomes clear how much of a threat internal fraud can pose to financial institutions and mobile network operators involved in the delivery of mobile financial services. Not only can it result in financial loss, but it can also damage brand integrity and customer trust. Having detailed and robust business processes in place is vital to ensuring high levels of security.

The first requirement of this process is the appointment of a person or team responsible for risk management – to identify where systems could be compromised and to ensure that all possible safeguards and preventative measures are in place.

All potential employees’ records and references should be screened for any warning signs of dishonesty. Checks should become progressively more thorough, based on the hierarchy of access that the employee will enjoy to back-office systems and procedures. As an example, an employee with ‘super user’ backoffice access should be thoroughly vetted prior to confirmation of employment.

Access authentication should be robust and reinforced individuals should not be able to gain access to high-risk, highvalue or high-impact transactions on their own, but should require a second user to authorise such access. This ensures automatic cross-checks on all activity. The access credentials themselves should also follow best practice. Ideally employees should use a two-factor authentication process to log into the system with something they know, a user name for example, and something they have, a cell-phone one-time-password, smart card, or a biometric identifier.

Full audit trails should always be maintained for all activities on the system, with full details on each item to safeguard nonrepudiation. The knowledge that security has been compromised and fraud committed is of little use if the organisation is then unable to trace the source or culprit.

The most obvious loophole is often overlooked – that of physical security and access control. It is best practice to restrict system access via the company intranet to a predefined number of computer stations on a secured local area network. This means access can be tracked via an IP address and logged via an audit trail. And of course, the system infrastructure itself should be kept securely locked within an approved and data centre, and monitored on a 24/7 basis.

However, a system is only as secure as the peripherals in place. In other words, it’s no good buying a safe if you’re going to leave the door open. In the case of mobile financial services, this is about preventing employees from downloading, sharing and printing confidential information. Basic steps such as disabling printing or removing USB ports often make a significant difference.

36 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

It is impossible to prevent all fraud. So, if a security system is breached, it is imperative to have the processes in place to immediately identify unusual activity and stop the activity before any damage occurs.

Consumer education: Increasing awareness All the above measures and procedures must mesh properly if they are to provide a robust security system. But such a system is still incomplete without an effective consumer education programme. All methods of payment are vulnerable to security breaches, and the mobile channel, albeit more secure thanks to SIM security assurances, is no exception. Mobile money is also bringing financial services to previously unbanked individuals who may not yet have the knowledge or sophistication to be aware of how criminals can defraud consumers.

Great lessons can be learnt from the successful migration of UK and Ireland bank cards to “chip and PIN” in 2003. At the time, consumers would have been unaware of the best way to maintain the security of their identity when using this new technology.

Over time, however, consumers learnt never to disclose their PIN details and to take the appropriate measures to ensure the PIN they typed in at a point of sale could not be observed.

If customers are advised on basic security procedures such as never sharing their login details, never responding to requests to do so, and reacting quickly to abnormal account activity, they will help strengthen the security of mobile financial services.

Fraud is not about to disappear. However, when you deploy the right security technology, implement the right processes and procedures, restrict sensitive access to trusted people, and increase consumer awareness, you will limit fraud to a minimum.

There is no room for complacency, or for shortcuts. ✆

Johannes Badenhorst, Senior Product Architect at Fundamo

Visa showcases the future of payments DURING THE 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, held in London in the UK, Visa showcased payment innovations that are transforming the way people pay and manage their money. Among the new ways to pay, Visa demonstrated payments via mobile phone and chip-enabled payment cards that allow for faster, more convenient and secure retail transactions.

“Electronic payments play a crucial role in facilitating tourism and meeting the needs of consumers on the go during a world sporting event such as the Olympic Games, making this an unique opportunity to showcase how technology is changing the way people shop, pay and get paid around the world,” said Jim McCarthy, head of products at Visa Inc. During the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Visa and its partners have been enabling Visa-sponsored athletes, trialists, and visitors to experience Visa Mobile Payments and Services, with limited edition Samsung Galaxy S III handsets featuring an Olympic-branded version of Visa’s mobile payment application, Visa payWave. To make purchases, consumers simply select the Visa icon on the Samsung device and hold the phone to a contactless payment terminal to pay. The application also allows them to manage their spending by checking account history and balances real time.

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INTERNET

Innovation

Pour encourager les idées innovantes Des bourses communautaires attribuées à neuf programmes qui étendent l’utilisation d’Internet dans le monde

N

EUF INITIATIVES COMMUNAUTAIRES qui soutiennent l’accès, le leadership, l’éducation et le développement de l’Internet ont été sélectionnées récemment pour recevoir des bourses de l’Internet Society.

Les Bourses communautaires de l’Internet Society sont attribuées deux fois par an et les bénéficiaires reçoivent jusqu’à 10 000 USD pour mettre en œuvre leurs projets.

L’Internet Society est une source d’information et de leadership indépendante et fiable sur les questions liées à l’Internet.

Le programme de Bourses communautaires est destiné à encourager les idées innovantes en soutenant les efforts de sensibilisation dans les aspects humanitaires, éducatifs et sociétaux de la connectivité en ligne

Nombre de préfixes et d'AS IPv6 sur Internet, de 2003 à aujourd'hui. À titre de comparaison, il y a environ 40000 AS visibles dans la default-free zone en 2012

37 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

Il encourage un dialogue ouvert sur les questions politiques et technologiques liées à l’Internet et œuvre en faveur de son développement futur parmi les utilisateurs particuliers et au sein des entreprises, des gouvernements et d’autres organisations. En travaillant avec ses membres et ses chapitres du monde entier, l’Internet Society favorise l’évolution et la croissance continues de l’Internet pour tous. Les projets financés par les bourses cette fois ci visent à : • Permettre à des personnes aveugles et malvoyantes d’accéder à Internet en Arménie.

• Créer un cadre public pour la gouvernance mondiale des solutions de gestion des identités. Les principales priorités sont notamment la protection des renseignements personnels en ligne et la participation pluripartite.

• Créer une formation IPv6 au Zimbabwe pour les ingénieurs employés dans les universités et chez les fournisseurs de services.

• Mettre en place un vocabulaire informatique pour la préservation du niuéen.

• Rendre les jeunes autonomes en Somalie grâce à des compétences Internet acquises dans des centres de formation.

• Apporter à une école isolée de Chuuk (Micronésie) une connectivité Internet et une technologie informatique à énergie solaire.

• Mettre à jour et traduire en d’autres langues le livre sur l’IPv6 de l’Internet Society.

• Offrir l’accès à un système informatique à énergie solaire à des élèves d’une école primaire de Bamako, au Mali.

• Améliorer les infrastructures du

St. Louis College de Jos (Nigeria) afin d’étendre le programme Cisco Networking Academy aux 700 filles de l’école.

Des projets remarquables « Nous sommes très heureux de pouvoir soutenir ces neuf projets remarquables », affirme Walda Roseman, Directeur de l’exploitation de l’Internet Society. « L’Internet Society est un fervent défenseur de l’égalité d’accès à Internet pour tous. Le programme de Bourses communautaires est destiné à encourager les idées innovantes en soutenant les efforts de sensibilisation dans les aspects humanitaires, éducatifs et sociétaux de la connectivité en ligne. Ces neuf bénéficiaires reflètent les valeurs et les objectifs soutenus par le programme de Bourses communautaires depuis sa création. Nous applaudissons les chapitres et les membres de l’Internet Society qui donnent de leur temps et mettent à disposition leurs compétences pour aider les autres au travers de ces initiatives. » ✆

D'un espace d'adressage important DANS UNE PREMIÈRE phase, les fournisseurs d'accès à Internet utilisent des tunnels qui encapsulent les paquets IPv6 dans des paquets IPv4 (via 6in4 ou GRE) pour traverser les groupes de routeurs qui ne prennent pas en charge IPv6. Lorsque c'est possible, les échanges se font nativement, avec IPv4 et IPv6 qui coexistent sur les mêmes liaisons. Pour autant que les routeurs soient mis à jour pour la prise en charge d'IPv6, il n'est pas nécessaire de disposer d'une infrastructure séparée pour IPv6, les routeurs traitant à la fois le trafic IPv4 et IPv6.

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INTERNET

Markets

Increasing choices with consumer broadband South African consumers have more options than ever before in the broadband market, with fierce competition between telecom providers rapidly driving prices down

S

OUTH AFRICAN CONSUMERS have more options than ever before in the broadband market, with fierce competition between telecom providers rapidly driving prices down. But it is not always simple to find the right offering for your needs among given different pricing models and package structures available from the various telecommunications companies.

The most fundamental choice a consumer must make is between a wireless broadband solution or an ADSL fixed-line solution, says Tim Walter, executive head of marketing at independent telecommunications service provider, Nashua Mobile.

ADSL offers a lower cost per megabyte, coupled with superior performance, when compared to most mobile broadband packages. But ADSL is not as widely available as mobile broadband and the price/performance gap between the technologies is closing rapidly, says Walter.

Walter says that consumers need to remember that the total cost of a broadband service may include an access fee, bandwidth and Internet service provider costs, and possibly a flat fee, lease or monthly payment for access equipment such as routers, data cards or an antenna.

Consumers that need a highperformance connection with

38 Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

plenty of bandwidth for the home or the office will probably find ADSL to be their best option if is available in their area. For example, you might be better off with an ADSL line if you plan to download a lot of media from the Internet, watch streaming video or play a lot of online games.

Costing the consumer experience The true cost of an ADSL service includes the line rental fee (the access cost) as well as bandwidth costs. Some packages will include only the bandwidth costs - for example, you might pay the Internet service provider R299 (US$36) for 5GB of bandwidth, and then you will still need to pay Telkom a line rental fee and buy a router of your own.

Other packages will include the bandwidth, a monthly payment for a router and line rental cost as an all-inclusive package. Nashua Mobile, for example, offers an uncapped and unshaped basic 384kbps service at R179 for data only or for R329 including the line rental cost. An uncapped, unshaped 1024kbps line costs R239 for data only and R499 for line rental and data, while the 4096kbps service costs R549 for data only and R919 for line rental and data.

Alternatively, customers who don't need a router and who are already paying the line rental fee directly to Telkom can buy packages from various ISPs on a

The most fundamental choice a consumer must make is between a wireless broadband solution or an ADSL fixed-line solution per gigabyte basis either on an adhoc or a per month basis.

Walter says that new cellular data technologies such as HSDPA mean that mobile broadband offers far better performance than it did in the past. It is a more attractive alternative to ADSL than it used to be. In addition, prices have tumbled over the past year, with in-bundle data rates of less than 20 cents per megabyte now available from all four operators (Cell C, 8ta, Vodacom and MTN). There is no separate line rental fee to be taken into account with cellular offerings.

Keeping it simple For some users, who want a decent Internet connection wherever they go, mobile broadband from one of the cellular operators might be a better option

than ADSL. Users who simply do some web browsing and email will find the pricing and performance acceptable, Walter says.

Another benefit of a cellular connection is that it will be available as soon as the SIM card is activated, whereas it might take Telkom a few days or a couple of weeks to install an ADSL line, says Walter.

Walter says that whether you opt for a mobile or ADSL package, you should ensure that you understand what it will cost you in total each month. It is important to ensure that you will not be paying an exorbitant rate per megabyte for cellular data or per gig for ADSL data on your package if you need more bandwidth during the month. ✆

Tim Walter, Executive Head of Marketing, Nashua Mobile

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MOBILE

Messagerie

La pénétration des nouveaux marchés Autour de l'acquisition d'une unité commerciale de messagerie mobile

D

ANS LE CADRE de son expansion mondiale dans de nouveaux marchés et offres de services, NewNet Communication Technologies LLC, une entreprise qui se spécialise dans la fourniture de technologies mobiles et des solutions et services de messagerie et de signalisation haut débit sans fil, ont annoncé une expansion importante de ses services dans l'espace de messagerie mobile avec la conclusion de l'acquisition de l'unité de messagerie mobile Tekelec. NewNet est une société de portefeuille de Skyview Capital, une firme d'investissement privée basée à Beverly Hills, aux États-Unis.

L'extension du portefeuille de produits de messagerie mobile de NewNet répond à des défis auxquels le secteur du mobile est confronté avec la maturation et l'évolution des services de messagerie texte. Les nouveaux développements dans les marchés actuels et supplémentaires offrent des améliorations que les opérateurs et les sociétés Internet grand public réclament à l'échelle mondiale.

développements actuels et futurs de la messagerie mobile, des transactions sécurisées et des applications mobiles de prochaine génération. Skyview et NewNet recherchent activement des acquisitions supplémentaires dans ces segments de marché ». ✆

L’efficace des services de messagerie Ajouter de la valeur au portefeuille actuel de produits de messagerie mobile de NewNet aidera à répondre à la demande du secteur mobile et à créer des synergies qui permettront aux clients de NewNet d'accélérer le temps d'accès au marché et de réaliser une monétarisation efficace des services de messagerie grâce à des solutions rentables et des applications qui optimisent les recettes.

Le président directeur-général de NewNet, PJ Louis, a déclaré : « Avec la croissance explosive du secteur mobile, notre société a besoin d'élargir et de développer de nouveaux produits et services pour nos clients actuels et futurs ».

M. Louis a continué : « NewNet s'engage à fournir des solutions de pointe à nos clients et cette acquisition nous permettra de pénétrer de nouveaux marchés verticaux et d'ouvrir la voie pour de nouveaux et passionnants services qui combineront le multimédia, la diffusion de contenus basés sur IP et la messagerie ». « Avec l'acquisition de l'unité commerciale de messagerie mobile Tekelec, NewNet se positionne parfaitement pour fournir, en matière de technologie mobile, des solutions de nouvelle génération orientées vers les consommateurs », a ajouté Alex Soltani, président et chef de la direction de Skyview Capital. « C'est avec vif intérêt que nous soutenons NewNet comme un leader dans les Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

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EQUIPMENT

Investrust launches InvestMobile ZAMBIA’S INVESTRUST BANK Plc has unveiled InvestMobile, a product which signals the beginning of a new chapter for the financial institution in banking the unbanked using mobile technology. Launching the product at the recently-held 86th Zambia Agriculture & Commercial Show (ZACS) in Lusaka, the bank’s managing director Friday Ndhlovu said there is a need to provide innovative financial products that allow customers to enjoy the convenience of controlling their bank accounts from the palm of their hands. It is a fact that many people in African markets have cell phones but have no bank accounts,’’ Ndhlovu elaborated. ‘’Many low-income people store and transfer money using informal networks, but these have high transaction costs and are prone to theft. Mobile money is beginning to fill this gap by offering financial services over mobile phones, from simple personto-person transfers to more than complex banking services. ’’To date, there have been more than 100 mobile money deployments in emerging markets; at least 84 of them originating in the past three years but only a handful of these deployments have reached a sustainable scale, hence Investrust will extend its financial services to tap the unbanked population through the use of mobile phone technology.’’

Account summary, which provides a list of the last seven transactions and viewing status on accounts such as term deposits, loan statement and position on cleared or uncleared cheques; fund transfers between own accounts within the bank and external accounts held with other banks via DDAC and making requests for cheque book, stop cheques issued and block card transaction on the VISA GreenCard or PayEasy.

The rest of the features include making of payments to various water and sewerage companies and pay television entities.

Investust Bank is a listed company on the Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE) and to demonstrate its responsiveness to fast-changing customer needs , the bank has so far launched products such as InvestNet – internet banking – and VISA GreenCard, email statement delivery, installation of offsite ATMs to bring banking services to the doorsteps of its customers.

It has also launched the InvestFlexi Account, which is a special deposit interest free account that has been specifically designed for customers from communities who do not solicit for interest on their deposits.

And Finance Bank Zambia (FBZ) has launched a ZMK2bn (US$408,000) mobile banking product that will enable customers to make payments using a mobile phone.

According to the bank’s managing director and chief executive officer Barkat Ali, the product is tailored to ease access to financial services and economic activity in rural and peri-urban areas. ‘’We recognise the banking needs of the people of Zambia, cutting across the mass market to high net worth individuals. The FBZ mobile product will serve customers in rural, peri-urban and urban areas of the country by easing financial services,’’ he said at the launch held at the University of Zambia (UNZA) in Lusaka recently.

With the FBZ mobile banking, a customer can check their balance, transfer funds within the bank, check mini statements, pay water and electricity bills and buy airtime from their phones. The facility is accessible to all personal savings holders

throughout the entire branch network which currently stands at 52.

Meanwhile, Ecobank Zambia has launched its new security-enhanced VISA Card to provide customers with world-class banking services and products.

The bank’s managing director Charity Lumpa says in a statement that the introduction of VISA card was in line with the bank’s policy of offering customers reliable, accessible and convenient products and services.

The development provides clients with access to accounts at all times for payments and withdrawals on VISA-branded devices. ’The Ecobank VISA Electronic Card also gives 24/7 access to Ecobank and its partner banks’ networks comprising 4,000 ATMs and more than 5,600 POS terminals throughout the African continent, as well as third party ATMs across the world.

Lumpa cautioned customers to be continuously vigilant when using their cards and to not reveal their pin code to anyone, even though the Chip and PIN are very secure.

The use of the technologically-advanced Chip and PIN was designed for a greater protection against fraud or identity theft, thus giving customers a great measure of comfort and relief.

Nawa Mutumweno

Flexi for mobile broadband management NOKIA SIEMENS NETWORKS offers a way to deliver mobile broadband across areas with a very high user density more efficiently than ever before. Multiple, locally managed access points are used to create a network of interconnected ‘small cells’ creating a ‘Flexi Zone’ of mobile broadband coverage with a single connection back to an operator’s network. Flexi Zones allow virtually unlimited scaling of capacity as each zone can have up to 100 access points and yet behave, from the network point of view, as a single base station. Building on Nokia Siemens Networks’ Liquid Radio architecture, Flexi Zone is aimed at areas of high density usage, such as business campuses, shopping malls, or sports stadia.

www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Industrial Indust trial Power G Generation eneration Ltd d 29 years y supporting African po power ower requirements with wi th generators, switchgear and transformers

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S09 CAF 5 2012 Equipment A-B-C_Layout 1 23/08/2012 11:45 Page 41

EQUIPMENT

Audio and data monitoring for broadcasters HARRIS BROADCAST COMMUNICATIONS is introducing new Videotek test and measurement products and enhancements that improve the way international broadcasters monitor programme audio and data in digital and HD terrestrial transmissions.

Harris has enhanced Dolby support to existing TVM waveform monitors and VTM Series rasterisers with support for the Dolby Digital Plus standard; and the addition of CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) detection and alarming for Dolby-encoded audio streams. CRC monitoring eliminates unexpected audio dropouts and enables a more stable and pleasurable viewing experience for the consumer.

Both enhancements are backward compatible to support the large global base of TVM and VTM products. www.broadcast.harris.com

Harris Broadcast Communications introduces Videotek test and measurement products and enhancements at IBC 2012

Exset moves market towards pay-TV THE ABN-EXSET CONSORTIUM launched Africa Page - an African initiative for the African digital TV industry - at the recently-held Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA) CEO Summit. Over two days in early August 2012, the SABA-CEO summit was organised to push the pay-TV digitisation process forwards and was attended by the CEOs of broadcasting associations, led by the President of SABA Mr Albertus Aochamub.

At the summit the ABN-Exset consortium revealed The Africa Page as precisely targeted at SABA nations to assist with their digital transition, be that DTT or DTH or both. The Africa Page is powered by Exset’s Digital Monetisation System (DMS), a new way of increasing operator revenues in value-based pay-TV systems for emerging markets. DMS bridges the divide between technology vendors and business services suppliers.

By providing new revenue streams through interactive public services and interactive advertising revenues, the Africa Page allows pay-TV operators to provide services at a lower price to populaces that have so far not been able to afford services. The model proposes to drive revenues to an extent that the digitisation process becomes selffinancing in three years.

The consortium represents a 360-degree approach to deployment: every element of digitisation is included, from technology through the business services required to manage and monetise, on to key content suppliers

Communications Africa Issue 5 2012

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EQUIPMENT

L’évolution de l’Office 365

Des applications pour soutenir la nouvelle génération de centres de contacts

STEVE BALLMER, CEO de Microsoft, a ouvert la nouvelle édition de la Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) avec des annonces majeures, qui incluait le lancement d’Office 365 Open - un évolution du produit qui permet aux partenaires de facturer leurs clients en direct. Il a également évoqué les nouvelles opportunités pour les partenaires de Microsoft qui contribuent ainsi à l’entrée de l’entreprise dans une nouvelle ère. La Conférence a célébré pendant quatre jours le succès de plus de 640 000 partenaires mondiaux et a offerte un aperçu des lancements les plus attendus de l’année. « 2012 sera l’année la plus importante en termes de lancements de produits et de services de toute l’histoire de Microsoft. Elle se traduira pour nos partenaires par de multiples opportunités de croissance », confie Steve Ballmer, CEO de Microsoft. « Avec Windows (Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Windows Server 2012 et Windows Azure) et Office 365, il n’a jamais été aussi intéressant d’être un partenaire de Microsoft. Les opportunités de réaliser de beaux projets au profit de nos clients communs sont plus nombreuses que jamais. » Office 365 Open est un nouveau mode de commercialisation d’Office 365 pour les partenaires. Il s’agit d’un modèle de vente traditionnel qui doit leur permettre de facturer leurs clients en direct, de proposer Office 365 au sein de packages à facturation unique et de conserver ainsi la relation client. « La division Office n’a jamais été aussi solide et nos incroyables partenaires sont indissociables de ce succès. Office est aujourd’hui utilisé par plus d’1 milliard de personnes et Office 365 est en voie de devenir l’une des offres à la croissance la plus rapide de notre histoire », a annoncé Kurt DelBene, président de la division Office de Microsoft.

AVAYA A ANNONCÉ de nouveaux produits et des améliorations pour son offre Customer Experience Interaction Management, qui représente la nouvelle évolution des systèmes de service client.

L'offre Customer Experience Interaction Management d'Avaya permet de gérer davantage de clients et plus de canaux, dans un contexte parfaitement rationalisé et optimisé pour les clients, les agents et les responsables.

L’offre Customer Experience Interaction Management est au cœur de la nouvelle stratégie d'Avaya pour centres de contacts de nouvelle génération. Elle va au-delà du centre traditionnel et inclut les filiales, les commerces, les employés travaillant à distance et l’environnement back-office. L’offre devient une approche complète au service de la satisfaction des clients.

Cette offre unique facilite la prise en compte des difficultés actuelles, à savoir le nombre croissant de méthodes et de dispositifs disponibles pour collaborer avec les clients, leur intolérance croissante envers un service insuffisant, et la nécessité de rationaliser les processus et de contrôler l'augmentation des coûts.

Les solutions Customer Experience Management d’Avaya sont bâties sur Avaya Aura. Cette architecture souple et centralisée permet de gérer au meilleur coût de nombreux sites avec des agents en local, à distance ou chez eux, dans le cadre d’une administration rationnelle et simple. Ces solutions sont compatibles avec Avaya CS1000 dans le cadre d’environnements autonomes, ou intégrées à l’aide d’Avaya Aura.

www.microsoft.com

www.avaya.com

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