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Tag: africa

  • Speedflow now supports VoIP in Africa

    Speedflow now supports VoIP in Africa

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    Speedflow announced that it now supports and develops businesses in Africa.

    To contribute to VoIP development in the region, Speedflow is offering  its hosted IP PBX, Calling Card and Call Shop solutions at an “unprecedented low price” especially for African companies.

    The company invites African VoIP providers looking to optimize their business and migrate to a more reliable software platform, to join Speedflow’s program.

    Get maximum benefit from minimum input by choosing the most convenient SaaS solution for your business, and get a high-quality hosted IP PBX, Call Shop or Calling Card Platform for only $200 per month.

    The CallMax is a reliable Linux-based platform for VoIP retail. The flexible turn key solution comes with integrated VoIP billing, supports an unlimited number of subscribers, has a user-friendly interface, convenient report generation tools, and a whole host of other effective features.

    Besides our high-class software platform, the low price also includes hosting at our data-centre, 24/7 technical support, free installation and trainings.

    You can learn more details by contacting Speedflow here.

  • Forum Nokia Hails African Developers

    Mobile Developers have been hailed for their creativity and urged to develop more localized applications for them to benefit from massive opportunities brought about by mobile phones.

    Speaking to Smartphone.Biz-news.com, Head of Marketing Services, Middle East & Africa, Woon Peng, urged them to tap in their local environments to be successful.

    “When it comes to creativity developers here are at par with the rest. We are sharing tools, show them the optimized ways and giving them guidelines to develop the best applications,” Peng said

    She emphasized that Nokia was working with African mobile developers to deliver the best mobile user experience through home grown applications.

    Woon Peng

    “They know the local market and we’ll show them how to package it and deliver it, we are saying lets share knowledge, build up the energy make it happen,” she said

    Creativity aside, Peng said that developers in South Africa and Africa in general still face challenges for them to successfully launch usable applications.

    “What is lacking is the access to infrastructure and community groups were they can share ideas. Yes there is internet but a vibrant group of people sharing ideas is much better, so I think they need to establish a hub were they can freely express themselves,” Peng explained.

    Mobile Internet Growth

    It is estimated that mobile internet penetration will reach 50% of subscribers in Africa by the end of 2010, there is a huge potential for developers in using mobile phones as services platforms.

    In South Africa alone it is estimated that there are now at least 9, 5-million mobile wap users in the country. These are combined user figures on all the local cellphone networks. In comparison, Online Publisher Association statistics of traditional desktop web SA users puts the local-only usership figure at around 5,7 million users.

    This set up translate to the fact that South Africa has double the number of mobile internet users as opposed to the traditional PC users.

    Indication are that the gap will grow bigger, given the reach and penetration rates of mobile phones, and the paradoxical situation whereby mobile internet access is amongst the world’s cheapest here, yet traditional desktop internet access among the world’s most expensive.

    Given this scenario Peng said developers need to be work with academia and other institutions to develop more practical applications that will service this growing market.

    “Universities and other stakeholders must provide the platform for developers to share ideas in order to come up with applications that will satisfy this growing market,” she explained.

    According to the workshop organizers, future application scenarios involving mobile phones are plenty, making remote health monitoring possible, accessing personal health records, providing education opportunities worldwide, enhancing mobile banking and payment services.

    This however, has its challenges which developers need to address urgently to enhance development; the current mobile applications are limited in scope, relevance and number.

  • Mobile Internet in Africa: Interview with Jose Henriques, Vodacom

    Mobile internet is no longer luxury in Africa as it has become a valuable tool of global development, this according to Jose Henriques, Vodacom executive head of internet services.

    Henriques was speaking to Biz-News.com in Johannesburg last week during the Mobile Web Africa conference whose focus was looking at ways of harnessing the potential of internet and applications on mobile devices.

    “It is amazing how such a luxury item has quickly become a valuable tool of global development, shifting from being held to the ears to being held by hand, and becoming an instrument of promoting economic growth,” Henriques said.

    “Mobile phones are the advance guard for mobile broadband networks and at the same time they are promoting economic benefits and providing a basic tool of education, for instance helping parents to afford to educate their children.”

    Jose Henriques

    The conference, organised by All Amber and which was attended by over 150 local and international delegates, heard that Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa (fourth position), Sudan, Algeria, Kenya, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe are the top 10 countries in terms of internet penetration on PC,
    while only 3.3% of Africans have access to internet via their mobile phones.

    These top 10 countries make up of 85% of all internet users market in Africa, according to recent statistics.

    South Africa has over 4.5 million PC internet users and close to 10 million mobile internet users expectation is to have at least 15 million mobile internet users by 2013.

    Mobile penetration

    Henriques explained that despite the limitations of opportunities of fixed-line internet in Africa and the unstoppable rise of mobile revolution and its socio-economic advantages, countries such as Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria are working hard to push for mobile penetration, especially in rural areas.

    The African mobile internet market continues to grow dramatically, staying slightly behind the Middle East (fastest-growing region), with pages viewed having increased by 422% between April 2008 to April 2009, and Google being the number one and Yahoo in third in each of the top 12 countries striving intensively on software development.

    The top 12 countries include SA, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Zambia and Tanzania.

    However, Henriques warned that he said the only way companies will succeed to advance the mobile internet cause is to give a decent access experience to the user, get their price right and affordable and provide content adaptation.

    “One must ensure that the internet is accessed in any phone with cost-effective rates and the possibility to get any big website into a small screen,” he explained.

  • Thumbs Up For SA's "Call Me Back" Technology

    South African mobile cellular phone companies have been praised for implementing a free “Call Me Back” short messages (SMS) information technology.

    Speaking at the inauguration of Mobile Web Africa conference in Sandton, Johannesburg on Wednesday, executive chairman for Krazyboyz Digital, Zibusiso Mkhwananzi, said the innovative information technology was simple and a popular way of communication for those who may not have airtime to send billed SMSes or make a call.

    “Voice and data messages are very expensive in this country (South Africa) thereby discouraging telephone calls by most local communities.

    “I would suggest that our local communities (in townships) utilize such technologies by packaging the mobile cellphones (Call Me Back) with contents that are sustained by advertising,” said Mkhwananzi.

    The two-day Mobile Web Africa conference was mainly focusing on harnessing the potential of the internet and applications on mobile devices aimed at improving people’s standards of life through affordable and readily accessible technology.

    Mkhwananzi was one of the panelists during the discussing on “Creating Africa’s New Generation of Mobile Designers, Entrepreneur and Success”.

    However, programme manager for Web Foundation/W3C, Stephane Boyera, said SMSes were not made for people who could neither read nor write.

    “It has to be appreciated that SMSes are not for people who can’t read or write. Voice message is the answer to those that can’t read or write.

    “They simply talk. They have voices,” said Boyera.

    The conference drew information communication technology (ICT) experts from as far as Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Algeria.

    Other issues discussed during the conference included topics on how to enhance the development of the technology ecosystem, reaching out to communities that may not be easy to touch base with, seizing the opportunity of the potential of mobile services and content, contributing towards bridging the digital divide by informing, involving and empowering.

    The Mobile Web Africa conference is the first of its kind in Africa and it is expected to be conducted annually on a rotational basis around the continent.

  • West & Central African Com: “Customer Relationship Management is at the heart of the operator’s activities"

    VIDEO INTERVIEW: Abdoulaye Sarre, Chairman and co founder of PCCI Group, was interviewed at the recent West & Central African Com conference held in Abuja, Nigeria.

    He talks about the importance of customer relationship management and he thinks that in the near future more and more operators will outsource their CRM operations.

  • West & Central African Com: Market "Hungry" for Internet and Access to Real-Time Information


    VIDEO INTERVIEW: Robert Aouad, CEO of Isocel Telecom, was interviewed at the recent West & Central African Com conference held in Abuja, Nigeria. He talks about the prospects for, and handicaps to, growth of the broadband market in Benin, where Isocel forecasts it will be providing Internet connections to 50% of the population by 2010.

  • Tadiran Telecom Eyes VoIP market in Africa, Partners Teledata


    Tadiran Telecom has signed a distribution agreement with Teledata Technologies in a collaboration aimed at targeting "vast" VoIP opportunities in the African telecom market.

    The IP business telephony and communications supplier has also announced the appointment of Zeev Aviv as acting President and CEO.

    Until recently, he served as VP Sales and Marketing.

    He will be replacing Eitan Livneh, who served as President and CEO since early 2007.

    Aviv said Africa is one of the most valuable emerging markets, with opportunities abounding in Kenya and by extension the wider East and Central Africa region.

    "It is a fertile market that has great opportunities for telecom growth," he said.

    Aviv said numerous tenders are currently advertised for corporate telephony solutions that specify IP-PBX platforms.

    He said the demand for VoIP telephony services in the region has drastically increased due to improved cost-benefit awareness.

    Many corporate organizations are decentralizing regionally (with Nairobi as the region’s hub) and are looking for converged solutions with maximum ROI.

    In many organizations, the older-generation, traditional PABXs are now being phased out due to the emerging technological trends and the related cost benefits.

    Requirements are expected to increase drastically with the advent of the TEAMS undersea fiber optic cable project (linking the East Africa region) and due to the increase of Internet bandwidth IP converged solutions.

    Duke Onkundi, of Teledata, said his company’s knowledge of the Kenyan evolving market, enabled it to determine Tadiran Telecom’s solution as the most suitable fit.

    "It will facilitate a seamless move to VOIP with no loss of investment in legacy systems and combining the best aspects of both quality and financial feasibility," he said.

  • Wireless Broadband World Africa 2009: Neotel Showcases CDMA 2000


    Neotel showcased and demonstrated various telecommunication products for the African market at Wireless Broadband World Africa 2009, the continent’s flagship Wireless broadband event held recently.

    The key technology showcased at this event was the CDMA2000 1x-EvDO and is the most widely deployed of the global 3G standards today.

    According to Chief technology Officer at Neotel, Dr. Angus Hay, the new technology has been well received by the market and offer faster internet
    connection better than other technologies on the market in South Africa.

    "This technology is faster than the ADSL it’s reliable and offers total solutions to connectivity," he said.

    The CDMA 2000 1 offers a smooth migration path from basic voice to high-speed internet through EV-DO, offering peak data speeds of 2.4 megabits
    per second (average data speeds 400-600 kilobits per second).

    CDMA2000 1x-EvDO provides a satisfactory customer experience for all standard internet usage, including sending/receiving emails, browsing the internet,
    and downloading content as well as applications.

    According to Dr Hay, Neotel plans to continue delivering leading-edge technology to suit the editorneeds of its customers, and its choice of the CDMA2000 1x-EvDO technology reflects this principle.

    Evolutions of CDMA2000 1x-EvDO technology are already in the pipe-line, with EV-DO Rev A offering peak 3.1 megabits per second, EV-DO Rev B in the near future which will deliver peak speeds in the region of 15 megabits per second and EV-DO Rev C in the longer term, which will deliver peak speeds of over 70 megabits per second.

    Dr. Hay also emphasized that the laying of fibre cable which is set to cover a distance of 5 000km, connecting major centres across South Africa is proceeding earnestly will be complete by 2010.

    The optic fibre network will provide Neotel, Vodacom and MTN with almost infinite bandwidth capacity to carry more information – voice and data – at
    higher speeds over greater distances using far less power than copper cables.

    The deployment of high-speed, quality voice and data transmission is of importance for the industry to remain competitive.

    Neotel is South Africa’s first converged Telecommunications network operator that aims to reduce the cost of doing business by enhancing the operational
    efficiencies of companies through the optimal use of advanced communications technologies.

  • West&Central AfricaCOM'09: African Mobile Growth Opportunities Attract Record Numbers


    While the African teleco market may not capture the headlines as much as other parts of the world, that’s not to say it’s being overlooked by the industry.

    So it’s good to see the organisers of West & Central Africa’s largest telco event announcing record pre-registered attendance for the AfricaCOM event in Abuja, Nigeria.

    Ian Hemming, CEO of event organisers Informa Telecoms & Media, said the 554 companies from 53 countries that are attending represent a 44 per cent uplift from last year.

    Getting underway today, the two-day event caters for the region’s whole telecom ecosystem – fixed, mobile, wireless, satellite and integrated operators and service providers, investors, regulators, vendors and analysts.

    Among the companies attending for the first time is Movius, the Atlanta, Georgia-headquartered messaging, collaboration and mobile media solutions specialist.

    Michael Edgett, director of product marketing at Movius, said the company – formed in 2006 with the merger of IP Unity and the Messaging Division of Glenayre – has had a presence in Africa for a long time.

    Its most recent dealings have largely been through channel partners, such as Nortel and Nokia Siemens, and South Africa-based operator MTN, which works throughout the region.

    However, he told smartphone.biz-news they also did some direct sales and, as part of the drive to build on these, Movius representatives are attending the AfricaCOM event for the first time this year.

    "Most of what we have been doing in Africa has been very simple voicemail and a few off-shoots," he said. "But we are seeing more growth opportunities and doing more ourselves."

    Edgett said this meant the company has been able to extend its presence in the area and show off some of its other products.

    For instance, Movius’ Voice SMS enables a user to send and receive an audio message, with a text message alert – allowing longer messages to be left.

    "We are starting to see a lot of interest in Voice SMS in parts of the world where literacy is low or there are multiple languages," said Edgett.

    The Voice SMS suite consists of both clientless solutions as well as Fun Talk SMS, a client solution that includes avatars, ringtones and background music.

    Movius’ Visual Mail Suite includes MessageMe Plus, a clientless visual mail service that functions on any phone using SMS or MMS.

    "There has been a lot of interest in Visual Voice Mail as a clientless solution and Voice SMS in general," said Edgett.

    Another area receiving attention is Community Messaging – which provides a service to people without phones by giving them a personal phone number that can be checked from a public phone.

    Edgett said this was attracting a lot of interest, particularly in rural areas or where people had moved to cities but wanted to contact friends and family in rural areas.

    Edgett said focused shows such as West & Central AfricaCOM have proved to be of real value in developing new markets.

    "We have continued to see a lot of growth in Africa and do not expect that to change," he said.