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Tag: market-data

  • ADVERTORIAL: Record-breaking Attendance Expected At East Africa Com


    More than 600 telco leaders are due to attend East Africa’s premier learning and networking event which gets underway on Wednesday.

    East Africa Com is a two-day, multi-streamed conference with a 40+ stand networking exhibition.

    The conference is the only event to represent the East African region and evolved from the highly successful GSM>3G World Series.

    Any biz-news subscribers taking the opportunity to reserve last-minute tickets will receive a 25 per cent discount (details below).

    Among the speaker panel of 37 are 19 operator CxOs and ministers, including:

    • Raed Haddidin, Commercial Director, East Africa Region, Zain Group
    • Michael Joseph, CEO, Safaricom, Kenya Peter Reinartz, Deputy-CEO,
    • Orange Telkom Kenya Tushar Maheshwari, CCO, Warid Telecom Uganda Ali
    • Bin Jarsh, CEO, Canar Telecom Sudan Noel Herrity, Director General,
    • Zantel, Tanzania Nkateko Nyoka, Chief Officer: Regulatory and
    • Government Relations, Vodacom Group Shiletsi Makhofane, Acting Chief
    • Executive Officer, Africa Online Holdings Deng Malok, Managing
    • Director, Bilpam Telecommunications Co. Ltd, Sudan Charles J.K
    • Njoroge, Director-General, Communications Commission of Kenya Joe
    • Kimani, CEO, Flashcom, Kenya

    Part of the Com World Series, the conference reflects the changing mobile communications market, where previously well defined boundaries between wireless and fixed technologies and providers are becoming increasingly blurred.

    The organisers, Informa Telecoms & Media, say that broadening the remit allowed attendees to benefit from a more all-encompassing prospective whilst still delivering focused, actionable and incisive intelligence.

    "Moreover, our technology agnostic stance embraces the global nature of the changes the market is experiencing but is careful to apply it specifically to our markets to allow a 360 degree view of the future landscape within the distinct territories in which we operate," according to the organisers.

    Among the innovations this year are:

    • New Keynote sessions, by popular demand, extra plenary speakers on the
    • morning and closing afternoon – your chance to hear directly from even more C-
    • level speakers
    • More interactive sessions: more engaging panels, Q+A and industry debate to
    • ensure the most productive use of your time
    • New topics: convergence, broadband strategies, value-added services backed
    • by our in-depth analysis
    • More of the region’s telecommunications ecosystem represented; more ISPs,
    • more fixed and wireless operators, more CxOs, all under one roof for you to
    • meet and do business with

    To take advantage of the biz-news subscriber discount, email [email protected] and quote "Biz News" for your 25 per cent discount off the ticket price.

    Conference details:
    East Africa Com
    1 – 2 April 2009
    Nairobi, Kenya
    www.comworldseries.com/eafrica

    View the very latest agenda

    Join our group on Linked-In

    —————————
    Other dates for your diary:
    —————————

    West & Central Africa Com 17-18 June 2009 – Abuja, Nigeria

    North Africa Com 27-28 October 2009 – Cairo, Egypt

    Africa Com – 18-19 November 2009 – Cape Town, South Africa

    View all ComWorldSeries 2008 events

  • Storage Market Slows, Modest Growth Forecast


    Well, it was only a matter of time. The data storage market has slowed down – and much more than anticipated, writes Samantha Sai for storage.biz-news.

    IDC revealed last week that global external disk storage systems’ factory revenues dropped by a half per cent in the fourth quarter.
    This is the first quarterly drop for data storage in more than 5 years.

    According to IDC, EMC, HP, Dell and Hitachi did grow a little in the last quarter, as expected.

    However, IBM, NetApp and Sun Microsystems all posted year-over-year sales declines.

    In the 4th quarter, external system revenues dropped slightly to USD $5.3 billion, while the total disk storage system market dropped 5.9 per cent to USD $7.3 billion chiefly due to limitations in server system sales.

    The other big decline was seen in the total disc storage system capacity, which peaked at 2,460 petabytes, a growth of only 27.3 per cent, but this was down by 50 per cent compared to the growth rate in the past.

    Natalya Yezkhova, IDC research manager for storage systems, said: "Because of the global economic crisis, the last quarter of 2008 was tough for the disk storage systems market, resulting in a market decline from the same quarter last year."

    She said that high-end storage sales were upset by a chill in the end-user expenditures and longer acquisition cycles.

    But some low-end and midrange storage sectors have continued to sale well, "as end users broadened their search for storage solutions in these lower-cost segments to satisfy their increasing storage needs while optimizing investments in storage infrastructure."

    EMC continues to hold the leadership with its external systems market share lead of nearly 23.3 per cent of revenue in the fourth quarter, followed by IBM and HP, with 15.7 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.

    Dell did not fare well and ended the quarter in the fourth position with a 9.3 per cent share.

    Hitachi and NetApp followed with 7 per cent growth, while Sun had 5.2 per cent.

    In the Open SAN market, which only grew 2.2 per cent, EMC was again in the lead with 24.2 per cent of the market.

    IBM followed next with 16.5 per cent.

    The NAS market has grown steadily and recorded a 8.6 per cent rise.

    Again, EMC led the pack with 43.8 per cent, followed by NetApp at 24.1 per cent.

    The sum network disk storage market (NAS combined with Open SAN) grew a modest 3.6 pe cent to USD $4.1 billion in revenues.

    EMC again claimed a 28.6 per cent revenue share, followed by IBM at 14.5 per cent.

    So what are the expectations for the rest of 2009?

    Enterprise Strategy Group and IDC both speculate a modest growth of 2-3 per cent for both the data storage industry overall IT spending.

    In an industry, which has always seen green, adjustment to single digit profits may not sit well for many people.

  • Kroll Survey: Employees Are "Wildcard" In Data Storage Practices


    While implementing data storage policies that mandate where company files are to be stored is a popular data-protection measure, employees are not necessarily complying.

    This is leaving organizations vulnerable to data loss, according to a survey.

    Kroll Ontrack found that 40 per cent of individuals surveyed said their companies had a policy regarding where data should be stored.

    However, the survey results also revealed that 61 per cent of respondents "usually" save to a local drive instead of a company network.

    While the risks associated with saving to a local drive could be minimized with an external backup drive or backup software, 44 per cent of respondents said that their preferred storage location was not backed up.

    Jeff Pederson, manager of operations for Ontrack Data Recovery, said saving to a local hard drive on a desktop or laptop more often than not contradicts data storage policies.

    He said regulations usually require employees to save to a network folder.

    "With the majority of employees saving to unprotected, local drives, companies could be at risk for losing anything from project plans and spreadsheets to customer data and financial information," he said.

    Pederson added that having guidelines to save documents to a network better ensures employee data is regularly backed up in accordance with company data retention procedures – and reduces the chance of data loss.

    Brian Lapidus, chief operating officer of Kroll’s Fraud Solutions, a practice of the Background Screening division, said the survey results confirmed its findings.

    "Employees are the wild cards in policies and procedures, he said.

    "Companies must ensure that employees receive ongoing education to understand the risk of actions that do not follow the plan."

    To help businesses avoid losing critical data, Ontrack Data Recovery specialists recommend that companies have a clear, well communicated data storage policy in place for their employees.

    Companies should also ensure that data recovery is included in their overall disaster recovery or business continuity plan.

    To this end, they should identify and partner with a data recovery provider that is able to quickly respond to any type of data loss scenario.

    Pederson said the survey showed that data storage polices do not necessarily safeguard a vast quantity of critical company data.

    "This fact, coupled with the vast number of information-oriented regulations that have been enacted reinforces that companies need to be prepared to respond to data loss at the individual-employee level," he said.

  • IP Players Create Recession Strategies As 2008 Revenues Fall


    Customer spending on new IP lines and desktop gear declined significantly last year in North America compared with 2007.

    Much of the downturn during 2H08 can be attributed to fewer orders from three key verticals devastated by the recession: financial services, manufacturing and retail, according to research from T3i Group LLC.

    The report confirms all sectors of the telecommunications manufacturing industry have been affected negatively by the global economic situation.

    However, it says the major North American networking suppliers – Cisco, Avaya, Nortel, Mitel and NEC – have crafted ways to survive the downturn.

    According to report "InfoTrack for Enterprise Communications Full Year 2008 Report", the decline led to US manufacturer revenues in 2008 totalling USD $3.7 billion, down 11 per cent from 2007, while Canadian revenues for 2008 totaled USD $289 million, down 8 per cent from 2007.

    The InfoTrack report also found total average selling prices (ASP) were down 1 per cent in 2008, with IP platform prices dropping 4 per cent due to reduced demand resulting from capex cutbacks and the shutdowns of unprofitable business locations.

    IP revenues in total fell 7 per cent during the 12-month period, although smaller key system pricing remained stable (down less than 1 per cent) due to the addition of embedded IP, wireless and applications functionality.

    Bob Olson, Voice Technologies Analyst at T3i Group, said there could be a near-term solution to slowed IP telephony spending: monies promised in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the stimulus package).

    "Fortuitously, the biggest winner for the telecom sector in the appropriations portion of the final 2009 stimulus bill is infrastructure, with nearly USD $137 billion targeted for miscellaneous improvements, including USD $9 billion to expand broadband Internet access," he said.

    "The justification for the USD $9 billion is based on building a level playing field for rural programs, including schools, libraries and hospitals. All that translates into new software and hardware sales."

  • Skype Taking Larger Share of International Voice Traffic


    International voice traffic continues to rise – despite the availability of an ever-broader range of substitutes for standard telephone calls.

    Cross-border telephone traffic grew 14 per cent in 2007 and is estimated to have grown 12 per cent in 2008, to 384 billion minutes, according to data from TeleGeography.

    Due to declining call prices, however, revenues have largely been flat.

    But if international telephone traffic is increasing at a modest pace, Skype’s international traffic has soared.

    TeleGeography estimates that Skype’s cross-border traffic grew approximately 41 per cent in 2008, to 33 billion minutes.

    This is equivalent to 8 per cent of combined international telephone plus Skype traffic.

    TeleGeography analyst Stephan Beckert said Skype’s traffic growth has been remarkable.

    "Only five years after its launch, Skype has emerged as the largest provider of cross-border voice communications in the world," he said.

    Not all of Skype’s traffic is a net loss for international carriers.

    Skype’s paid-for ‘Skype Out’ service, which lets users make calls to standard telephones, generated 8.4 billion minutes of calls in 2008.

    Skype relies on wholesale carriers, such as iBasis and Level 3, to connect this traffic to the telephone network.

  • Europe's HDTVs "Starved of HD Content"


    FutureSource Consulting has produced an interesting chart (see below) that highlights the gulf between HDTV ownership and the penetration of Blu-ray disc players in Europe.

    It shows that there are 69 million HD-ready TV sets but just 8 million Blu-ray players,including PS3 consoles – prompting the title: "61 million TVs starved of HD content".

    While HD content is obviously available from other sources – such as VOD and HD broadcasting TV stations – the chart clearly shows how much work remains for backers of Blu-ray to get the high-def format into the mainstream.

    The UK tops the chart with 42 per cent of households owning a HDTV and 9 per cent a Blu-ray player.

    Germany comes bottom with 24 per cent with HDTVs and 3 per cent with a Blu-ray player.

    FutureSource is bullish that the numbers of HDTVs seemingly devoid of HD content will soon be reduced.

    It forecasts a strong rise in Blu-ray Player sales – up to 19 million in Western Europe for 2009 and 45 million players by the end of 2011.

  • Boom in Mobile App Store Users Creates Opportunities for Marketers


    App stores are offering marketers and advertisers a new way to reach mobile audiences, according to In-Stat.

    The researchers forecast more than 100 million app store-compatible mobile phones from multiple manufacturers will be shipping within five years.

    Much of the credit for this emerging market trend is given to the iPhone.

    In-Stat says Apple’s debut of the iPhone Apps Store has provided a platform for branded applications.

    In-Stat analyst David Chamberlain said that with greater capabilities in both running native applications and viewing ‘real Internet’ websites, smartphones have increased usage and user expectations for mobile content.

    He said that along with the expanding handset base, users are downloading more applications.

    "Reach for marketing applications is growing rapidly and those applications can provide prolonged engagement with the user and keep the advertiser’s brand in focus," he said.

    Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

    • Smartphones having a strong app store orientation will reach 30 per cent of the global smartphone market by 2013, approaching nearly 100 million units.
    • Survey respondents show iPhone users are by far the most active apps store users, significantly outpacing users of Blackberry, Palm OS or Windows Mobile phones.
    • Application marketing, like all new advertising media, lacks consistent, accepted analytics many advertisers are accustomed to

  • Business Mobile Use Revenue To Grow To $284 billion by 2014


    The increasing use of smartphones as the sole business phone will drive revenues from mobile enterprise users to USD $284 billion by 2014.

    Yet while the "unwired enterprise" is becoming a reality, hurdles remain in persuading significant numbers of businesses to "go mobile", according to Juniper Research.

    The report found that many enterprises are seeing the benefits of cost reductions and increased profitability won via efficiency and productivity improvements.

    It forecasts that greater use of mobile broadband will increase enterprise mobile devices by 56 per cent between 2008 And 2014.

    Companies such as GoHello – which offers an ALLmobile, virtual phone system – and OnRelay – with its Unified MBX solution that delivers complete IP PBX functionality to the mobile phone – are already offering viable alternatives to the deskphone.

    But the report also highlights specific barriers to adoption, including:

    • limited functionality resulting from the small size and form of devices
    • problems in adapting applications for mobiles while not compromising on usability
    • the thorny issue of ensuring device security

    The report’s author, Andrew Kitson, believes that device management and security are critical issues that businesses need to address when going mobile.

    He said that enterprises need to be assured of total control over the devices their employees use.

    "To do this, they need to limit the types and numbers of devices connecting to their networks, deactivate or restrict devices that are lost or stolen, minimising functionality and access, and employing user authentication, content encryption, and other security solutions as appropriate," he said.

    "There are upfront cost issues involved, but the greater cost lies in compromising on security features."

    Other findings include:

    • Enterprise-grade applications and services require advanced devices and rely on high-capacity networks: the proportion of devices connected to 3.5G/3.9G networks will rise from 13 per cent in 2008 to almost 80 per cent in 2014
    • Usage of wireless dongles is losing ground to usage of plug-in datacards and devices with embedded wireless modems and will peak in 2010/2011

  • eBay Bets on Skype's Entry Into SIP-based PBX To Boost Revenue


    Skype has launched Skype for SIP, a beta program that allows companies to make domestic and international VoIP calls from an office PBX rather than PC.

    The move comes the week after eBay announced that it expects Skype to more than double its revenue to over USD $1 billion by 2011 – with hopes high that the new business service will be a compelling proposition.

    Skype For SIP allows SIP PBX owners to make Skype calls to fixed phones and mobiles around the world, and to receive calls from Skype users directly into their PBX system.

    The service will also allow businesses to be contacted by Skype’s 405 million registered users through click-to-call from their Web sites.

    The calls will be received through their existing office system at no cost to the customer.

    At the same time, businesses can purchase online Skype numbers available in over 20 countries to receive calls from business contacts and customers who are using traditional fixed lines or mobile phones.

    Stefan Oberg, VP and general manager of Skype for Business, described the introduction of Skype for SIP as a significant move for Skype and for any communication intensive business around the world.

    "It effectively combines the obvious cost savings and reach of Skype with its large user base, with the call handling functionality, statistics and integration capabilities of traditional office PBX systems, providing great economical savings and increased productivity for the modern business," he said.

    The initial beta is available to a limited number of participants: SIP users, phone system administrators, developers and service partners are invited to apply.

    Applicants need to be businesses, have an installed SIP based IP-PBX system, as well as a level of technical competency to configure their own SIP-enabled PBX.

    The Skype for SIP beta program is open today to a limited number of participants; SIP users, phone system administrators, service partners, and developers can get in on the beta. Beta users will need to be businesses, have a SIP-based IP-PBX phone system, and in-house expertise to configure their SIP-enabled PBX.

    The SIP software will be available for free, but Skype plans to charge about 2.1 cents per minute for calls to landlines and cell phones. Calls from computers to phone systems using Skype will be free.

    Key Features of the Skype for SIP Beta include:

    • Receive and manage inbound calls from Skype users worldwide on SIP-enabled PBX systems; connecting the company Web site to the PBX system via click-to-call
    • Place calls with Skype to landlines and mobile phones worldwide from any connected SIP-enabled PBX; reducing costs with Skype’s low-cost global rates
    • Purchase Skype’s online numbers, to receive calls to the corporate PBX from landlines or mobile phones
    • Manage Skype calls using their existing hardware and system applications such as call routing, conferencing, phone menus and voicemail; no additional downloads or training are required

  • LaCie Merges With Swiss Online-Storage Start-up Wuala


    LaCie has announced that it is to merge with Caleido, the Swiss creator of online storage service Wuala.

    The move signals the French external storage device manufacturer’s entry into the cloud storage service market.

    A statement from the newly merged enterprise said it plans to revolutionize the storage industry by building a unique and sustainable cloud storage service.

    With just 11 staff, Wuala has built up a sizeable user base, mostly in Europe, since its launch in August 2008.

    Its service include innovative online storage that allows its users to store, back up, access, and share files with one another from anywhere in the world.

    Users start with 1GB of storage but can get as much as they want, either by trading idle disk space or by buying additional storage.

    Dominik Grolimund, co-founder and CEO of Caleido AG, said the merger was a major leap forward for Wuala and would take it to the next level.
    He described LaCie as the perfect match for the start-up.

    "Together we will realize the vision we embarked on more than four years ago while researching the basics of Wuala at the ETH Zurich: to build a reliable and secure cloud storage by integrating millions of devices around the world," he said.

    Philippe Spruch, founder and CEO of LaCie, said it had a strong vision for where the future of storage is headed.

    He said the merger had allowed it to acquire a very innovative online storage solution that will transform the business from a leading hardware manufacturer to a comprehensive digital storage provider.

    "LaCie believes storage versatility will influence the industry, and we look forward to providing our customers with new, cutting-edge ways to store their valuable data through our upcoming product offerings," he said.