Airtel launches new global brand across its operations in Africa

Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa, has officially launched the Airtel brand and unveiled the new brand identity across its operations in 16 countries in Africa.  The new Airtel brand was unveiled in the presence of His Excellency Dr Goodluck Jonathan, the President of Nigeria, along with Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Group CEO, Bharti Enterprises in the capital, Abuja.

With the unveiling of the new brand identity Airtel becomes the master brand for all the group’s 19 operations in Asia and Africa covering over 200 million customers.  In Africa, Airtel replaces the Zain brand and comes with the promise of delivering high quality customer benefits through the power of global Airtel brand.  Going forward all future new products and services will follow the Airtel brand structure.  The ZAP mobile money service will be re-branded Airtel Money with immediate effect.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti, said:  "Bharti began its African journey by promising to deliver world-class and affordable mobile services to customers and delighting them with innovative products.  I believe we are taking a major step towards delivering on this by introducing the heart of our business - the Airtel brand - across our operations in Africa.  Our African customers will now be able to enjoy the same best-in-class brand experience as our customers across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

He further added:  “We remain committed to taking our network deeper into Africa, ensuring our services touch the common man and bridge the digital divide in the continent.  I am confident that over the coming years Airtel will win the hearts of customers across Africa and emerge as one of most admired brands of the continent.”

The new brand identity

The new Airtel brand comes with a promise to meet the emerging needs of customers with innovative, affordable and relevant solutions to empower consumers, giving them the freedom to do what they choose and provide them with the tools to meet life’s daily challenges.

The red primary colour of the logo reflects the warmth and vibrancy of the African continent.  It is the colour of life and of the African sun at dusk.  These qualities are reflected in Airtel’s brand personality of being brave and bold, sensitive and empathetic.  The new curved addition to the logo is a symbol which will help ensure instant recognition across our diverse international markets.

As part of the celebration of unveiling the new brand, Airtel also announced the launch of a new ultra low cost handset package which effectively provides a mobile phone free of charge to all new subscribers.  The package, launched in conjunction with Nokia, will be priced at approx NGN 3,500 (USD $23) and includes a brand new Nokia 1280 mobile phone, a free SIM card and the equivalent value in free Airtel talk time and SMS text messages.

Over the next couple of months Airtel will launch a number of world leading product innovations which focus on delivering relevant information for customers to enhance their quality of life and provide tools that will help them overcome their daily challenges.

In the past four months Airtel has already made tariff interventions in 11 of its 16 markets in Africa for the benefit of its customers.  It has also signed agreements to extend its networks to the most remote areas which are still not connected with the outside world.

iPhone beats Blackberry, others in Latest Satisfaction Survey

Apple's iPhone is one of the most sought-after devices on the market, and according to a new survey, it also has the highest customer satisfaction rating among smartphone buyers. The survey, conducted by market research firm ChangeWave, asked 1,212 consumers who had purchased a smartphone in the last six months how satisfied they were with their purchase.

Apple's iPhone topped the list of customers who said they were very satisfied, with a 77 percent approval rating. Motorola came in second with 71 percent, followed by HTC (63 percent), Samsung (45 percent), and RIM (44 percent). All four models of iPhones surveyed received high marks. In fact, even the lowest-scoring iPhone model had higher customer approval ratings than the highest-rated phones from competing manufacturers.

The iPhone 4 (32GB) had a satisfaction rating of 84 percent, while the iPhone 4 (16GB) came in at 78 percent. The iPhone 3GS (32GB) was the second highest rated iPhone with 81 percent satisfaction, followed by the iPhone 3GS (16GB) with 77 percent.

Just as interesting were the low satisfaction ratings among consumers for a few of RIM's recent releases. The highest rated BlackBerry, the Torch, had a "very satisfied" rating of 64 percent. Other RIM phones didn't fare as well. The BlackBerry Bold garnered a 48 percent satisfaction rating, followed by the Curve at 40 percent.

Of course, the iPhone reviewed is only the ones available from AT&T in the U.S., and ChangeWave wanted to see how hardware choices might be affected by what carrier people are on. What of the iPhone available from other carriers around the world? Would that affect the decisions people make about what smartphone they buy? According to the survey it would--at least for some.

ChangeWave asked non-AT&T customers whether they would still buy their current smartphone if the iPhone had been a choice on their current carrier. Overall, 46 percent said they would keep their current phones, while 34 percent said they would have bought an iPhone if it were available.

Getting a bit more specific, HTC customers were least likely to give up their current smartphone for an iPhone, with 54 percent of HTC customers saying they would keep their current model. Fifty percent of Samsung users said they'd keep their current phone. Things got a bit closer with the BlackBerry. Overall, 45 percent of BlackBerry buyers would have kept their devices. Motorola fared the worst among respondents. Thirty-nine percent would have kept their Motorola devices, but 37 percent would have chosen an iPhone instead.

ChangeWave's findings match those of J.D. Power and Associates released in September, which put Apple on the top of its smartphone satisfaction list. In October, a new report from Strategy Analytics showed that Apple had shipped more smartphones than RIM in the third quarter. According to the report, Apple shipped 15.4 million smartphones compared to RIM's 12.3 million. Perhaps customer satisfaction is affecting sales figures more than some companies would like to admit.

FirstBest Announces Front Office Suite for Insurance

FirstBest® Systems, Inc., provider of insurance software solutions that help commercial- and specialty-lines insurance carriers drive premium growth, scale their business and achieve high service levels with agents, has announced its next-generation software suite, the FirstBest Front Office Suite™. The Suite brings together agents and underwriters in a collaborative underwriting process that helps them to rapidly quote and close business. It enables carriers and their distribution channels to increase efficiencies, grow their books of business and cast a wider net to bring in new business.

“With the Suite’s modular applications, shared Web services, and proven deployment methodology, FirstBest and our partners can rapidly deploy the Suite at a much lower TCO.” “In today’s challenging environment, insurers are demanding a new approach that not only increases efficiency for the carrier, but also creates a stronger connection with the distribution channel in a way that’s optimal for both,” said John Belizaire, co-founder and CEO of FirstBest Systems, Inc. “Insurers want to go beyond the back office to drive greater revenue from the distribution channel. The only way to do that is to weave a seamless collaborative process from agent to underwriting to back-end systems. We know of only one solution that delivers on this promise, and that is the FirstBest Front Office Suite.”

The FirstBest Front Office Suite brings agents, brokers, MGAs, MGUs, and underwriters together in a collaborative underwriting process that incorporates business rules, collaboration and knowledge management tools, activities, predictive analytics, and all of the information needed to rapidly submit, evaluate, quote and close business. In addition, the applications enable carriers to:

•Increase efficiency – With straight-through processing (STP), automated workflow, business rules and more.

•Become the “carrier of choice” – And grow the book of business by providing agents with true ease of doing business (EODB), faster and more efficient quoting, and real-time collaboration between agents, brokers, MGAs, MGUs, and underwriters.

•Cast a wider net and bring in new business – By broadening market appeal and supporting different distribution and process models for different market segments (e.g., STP for lower-margin business).

•Lower the loss ratio with greater underwriting discipline – Foster underwriting discipline and best practices by automating underwriting rules, workflows, letters of authority, and referrals to streamline and drive consistency throughout the process.

•Scale the business with greater agility – Increase business without a corresponding increase in expense, bring products to market faster and gain real-time visibility.

Built on a modern architecture with common Web services, security, workflows, and integration toolkit, the modular applications of the FirstBest Front Office Suite work together seamlessly, enabling rapid deployment in different configurations. Carriers can pick and choose the Suite’s applications with the peace of mind that they work together today and in the future, as additional capabilities are required. “We’ve designed the new FirstBest Front Office Suite to meet and exceed the needs of carriers and agents,” said Joseph Pilkerton, co-founder and COO of FirstBest Systems, Inc. “With the Suite’s modular applications, shared Web services, and proven deployment methodology, FirstBest and our partners can rapidly deploy the Suite at a much lower TCO.”

The Suite includes three collaborative underwriting applications:

•FirstBest Underwriting Management System (UMS)™ – FirstBest’s flagship solution combines a next-generation underwriting workstation and a business analyst workstation with a Web 2.0 agent portal for comprehensive underwriting workflow and real-time carrier-agency collaboration.

•FirstBest Agent™ – A complete transactional agent portal that facilitates new business and renewals, and provides rich functionality for increased carrier-agency communication, including dynamic supplemental data, shared documents, notes, and email notifications.

•FirstBest AppReader™ – An agency connectivity application for agent and underwriter form/image conversion to ACORD XML and instant upload to carrier systems, regardless of agency management system, and without proprietary networks or transaction fees.

Infosys launches Finacle Mobile Banking 2.0

One of the first mobile banking solutions in the world to offer mobile financial management and advisory services, Infosys Technologies Ltd., has announced the launch of Finacle mobile banking 2.0 . This comprehensive solution enables retail and corporate consumers to access banking services through mobile SMS, GPRS, 3G and USSD-enabled handsets.

The solution supports multi-host, multilingual, multi-channel, multi-currency banking. It facilitates interactive financial management encompassing product selection, proximity payments, remote deposit capture, new account opening, ATM/branch locating based on GPS and value added services like mobile ticketing, mobile top-up and mobile marketing.

The solution’s robust integration framework enables seamless integration with disparate host systems, facilitating a unified, rich and intuitive user experience. Two factor authentication and encryption ensure fidelity of transactions. The device-agnostic solution supports over 8000+ mobile handsets including basic handsets and smart devices like iPhone, BlackBerry® smartphones1 and iPad. Customers can avail banking services through SMS messaging, browser-based mobile banking, rich client/download-based mobile banking or USSD messaging. In addition, the solution is channel agnostic and can be leveraged to fulfil transactions initiated across any other channel.

Banks can also leverage Finacle mobile bank-in-a-box , which is a pre-configured and pre-integrated solution for easy and rapid mobile banking deployment in lesser than 30 days.

According to Haragopal Mangipudi, Global Head - Finacle, Infosys Technologies, “As channel innovation continues to be a strategic priority for progressive banks, mobile banking has truly come of age. Finacle mobile banking 2.0 enables banks to create and leverage game-changing opportunities, through the mobile channel, to build, deepen and institutionalize relationships with both customers and new emerging consumer segments.” 

2011 CES Gaming Showcase Features Latest In Gaming Technologies

The 2011 International CES®, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, will feature the hottest innovations in gaming hardware and software. More than 35 exhibitors will display the latest gaming technology advancements in the 2011 CES Gaming Showcase. The International CES will return to Las Vegas from January 6-9, 2011. Exhibitors will present their products across 9,800 square feet within the Gaming Showcase.

Located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Gaming Showcase will feature advancements in online gaming and gaming-related product debuts in both hardware and software – from online PC and HD gaming, plasma HDTV to surround sound and power conditioning hardware. Nintendo returns as an exhibitor to CES for the first time in 16 years.

"With the gaming market expected to generate $20.3 million in 2010, the International CES is the must-stop hub for innovative gaming products, and will allow CES attendees to experience the future of gaming from an amazing range of innovative companies," said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, events and conferences, CEA. "The Gaming Showcase at CES will feature the hottest gaming trends for the coming year."

Major gaming exhibitors include: AMD, HP, Intel, Lenovo, LevelUp, Logitech, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nokia, Sony and more. Publishers and developers will also be in attendance, including: Alcazar Entertainment, Cosmi, DC Comics/Warner and DreamWorks Animation. Furthermore, key retailers like Amazon.com, Best Buy and GameStop will also attend the 2011 CES.

For more news about the 2011 International CES before, during and after the show, including the Gaming Showcase, exhibitor information, conference sessions and TechZones, please visit CESweb.org. Journalists are encourages to arrive in Las Vegas by Tuesday, January 4, to take advantage of all the CES press events, including CES Unveiled from 4-7 p.m. on January 4.

Challenges of The Nigerian Technology Brand…Top 10 in 2010

According to the egg heads in the branding and marketing communications arena, the term ‘Brand’ is not just an expression or even a vague description but a living thing. It is believed that the concept of a brand goes way beyond slogans and creative artistry to become the very live-wire of a corporate entity. In fact an elementary definition of a brand is that it is “the promise you make to your publics (internal and external)”.

According to a popular Wikipedia definition, a brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business. The word brand has continued to evolve to encompass identity as it affects the personality of a product, company or service. Brand is the personality that identifies a product, service or company (name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or combination of them) and how it relates to key constituencies: Customers, Staff, Partners, and Investors etc.

Some people distinguish the psychological aspect, brand associations like thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and so on that become linked to the brand, of a brand from the experiential aspect. Enough said, but a big ‘but…’ sticks out whenever one wants to examine the ideology along the lines of Nigerian brands (?) within the technology sphere. Basing the thrust of this commentary on this 'promise' analogy, it is obvious that most so-called technology brands in Nigeria do not qualify to be called brands. Aside the usual 'mission and vision' claims, it is obvious that our tech companies are a long way to metamorphosing into real brands.

Perhaps branding is easier within the realm of retailing and consumer products. The nature of consumer products is basic and simple, and the target of the branding exercise is a single, individual consumer. Effective branding derives its power from the multiplier effect, i.e., an individual purchase of N10 standing on its own doesn’t amount to much but multiply that purchase by millions of consumers and you are talking about a huge amount of money.

In the technology sector, classic branding is somewhat at odds with the nature of the product – the intellectual content is high and not easily understood, and the buying audience comprises a select group of people, small in number but high in buying power. When looked at from a volume perspective, high-tech sales are small compared to the consumer products market. But from a price per unit perspective, high-tech sales generally have a huge money value. Being able to measure the impact and, therefore, the value of marketing activities, has always been a major problem, according to Verstand's Price. Beyond the problems with measurability, positioning and the brand have to be on the same page, Price maintains. "If the brand and the positioning being used to support it are out of alignment, it will have a negative impact on the brand," she says.

Price cites the Intel Inside campaign as "a very good example of positioning being very much in sync with the brand." The Intel Inside campaign – geared toward advancing the proposition that a personal computer is not much use without an Intel microprocessor – has helped the company gain traction over the last few years. Other tech brands have had varying success in connecting with consumers and establishing a position in their minds.

IBM’s US campaign takes the form of an e-business message squarely targeted at CEOs and corporate presidents who must make multi-million dollar decisions about the use of information technology. IBM speaks directly to the acid-reflux-inducing situation where the decision maker is faced with conflicting advice from various internal teams. The pitch within this context is simple – you can trust us to solve your problem; after all, we’re IBM – we understand all this complicated stuff.

Both Oracle and Microsoft are concentrating on their respective corporate brands. Oracle’s branding effort has focused on casting itself as the database software provider of choice. Microsoft’s branding strategy has been more diffuse and designed to strengthen its grip on the PC market.

So to what extent does Nigerian indigenous brands like Chams, Zinox, Computer Warehouse, Resourcery, Omatek, Progenics, Beta, Signal Alliance, Weco, Telnet, Teledom, etc, connect with consumers and establish a position in their minds? Better still, is it possible to expect a branding message from someone that does not produce anything? Can a company make a promise that is not theirs to give in the first place? How can a branding/PR expert tell the story of a company without any real or that has a chameleonic identity? These are the questions that must be tackled before we can be sure that there can be any sense in branding for the Nigerian technology brands.

Taking the submissions above literally, the only technology companies in Nigeria that satisfies the attributes of a real brand are those with the following qualities:

• Ownership of some distinctive properties - companies that “own” nothing usually are not good candidates for brand classification. Being well known is not enough to be called a brand, so that disqualifies majority of the trading technology companies that resell other companies’ products.
• The property owned by the brand is important and provides a competitive edge – when companies state ‘mission and vision’ and spice it up with ‘excellent service delivery’ and other difficult-to-measure indices, it still shows the fact that what they really own is not that important that it can be a tangible competitive advantage. Its just words, nothing more!
• When there’s a relationship between fit and leverage – according to Brand Extension Research, if a brand brings little strength other than recognition and a general good feeling, it may have little leverage. So the fact that your IT firm has ‘signed-up’ to represent Microsoft, Oracle, Dell, Cisco, etcetera, doesn’t do your own brand much good because there’s still no realistic leverage you are bringing into the equation other than just name recognition.
• Avoidance of ‘Great Reputation’ trap – when most technology service firms tout the reputation mantra, they seem to forget that the reputation you bring in one area of technology services is bound to be different from the one in another business region. In fact, when it comes to technology branding having a great reputation for quality is not enough.

Based on the above submissions, it can be adduced that there is a wide gap when it comes to the probability of most Nigerian ICT firms progressing into real brands. Take for instance a case of a technology service provider, otherwise called a ‘Systems Integrator’ (another name for: I-don’t-have-any-product-or-service-but-I-can-do-all-things) that hopes for an identity as an authentic technology brand in Nigeria, one of the most challenging aspects of this quest is what is commonly termed as ‘identity confusion’.

A situation whereby Nigerian IT Company ‘A’ is affiliated as a trade partner to a global IT brand like Cisco or IBM, the brand aspirations of ‘A’ is invariably tied to the apron strings of their global partner. And it is referred to as a state of confusion because should there be any change in the relationship between both parties, it will surely necessitate a change in the identity of our Systems Integrator. A typical example being a Cisco partner that has a falling-out and decides to partner a Huawei – they can no longer use ‘Premium Cisco partner’ to leverage on their ability to execute a networking project. Therefore their inability to have their own product or solution has limited their ability to be a viable technology brand.

At the moment, TBR® can only identify the following as possessing the traits that are in consonance with real technology brands around the world. Part of the criteria for selecting these Nigerian Technology brands include, but are not limited to, efforts made to promote their cooperate traits, marketing and branding activities as well as publicity management of their brand messages. Thus we present the following as the Top 10 Nigerian technology brands:

• Chams
• Zinox
• Omatek
• Veda
• Telnet
• Progenics
• Anabel
• Direct On PC
• Interswitch
• Swift Networks

Panasonic's 103-inch 3D plasma a mere N15m

Panasonic has started accepting preorders in Japan for a herculean 103-inch 3D-capable plasma HDTV.

The droolworthy TH-P103MT2 costs 8.5 million yen (about $101,767) and features full 1080p, 5,000,000:1 native contrast ratio, and shorter decay time in the plasma display for less 3D cross talk. It weighs in at 706 pounds (and even tried out for "The Biggest Loser" once). With its weight, plus measurements of about 7.9 feet by 4.6 feet, you have to wonder how much shipping will cost. Just don't drop it.

Panasonic isn't really trying to pitch this TV to consumers, but instead is aiming it for commercial use. The company has been selling 103-inch plasma TVs for years. This 103-incher is merely a sibling to the 152-inch, 4K-capable plasma TV the company announced earlier this year that costs around $500,000.

Several months ago during the CEDIA Expo, I was able to spend about five minutes watching "Avatar" on a giant Panasonic TV in 3D and it was nothing short of spectacular. I was nearly about to climb into the screen and hang out with the Na'vi in the trees of Pandora. Large plasma screens seem to truly shine in 3D, and in some cases have provided a better experience for me than 3D-capable LCD TVs/projectors.

Panasonic is kind enough to throw in one pair of active shutter 3D glasses and a very simple remote with the purchase of the TH-P103MT2. Seems anti-climatic. For $100K, I would hope my 103-inch TV came with a remote that appeared to be from the future and at least five 3D glasses.

New 'Audi A8 Experience' App for iPad Debuts

Audi has debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show an innovative App for iPad called the "Audi A8 Experience" that allows enthusiasts to experience the all new Audi A8 luxury sedan like never before.  The "Audi A8 Experience" features virtual 'test drives' that allow consumers to experience safety elements, like pre sense pedestrian motion detection, and engineering features, like Audi's LED technology, engine efficiency, Audi Quattro AWD technology, demos of Audi night vision assistant, the MMI® touch pad and the 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.  The "Audi A8 Experience" App for iPad is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

"Shopping for a car in today's tech-savvy environment should seamlessly integrate into the way buyers shop for luxury items.  With the level of technology in an Audi, a traditional walk around or test drive could not fully demonstrate the extent of the vehicle's attributes. The A8 App showcases the technology under the skin – night vision assistant, the pioneering Audi Aluminum Space Frame, and more," said Audi of America Chief Marketing Officer Scott Keogh.  

The A8 App for iPad is part of the interactive "product theater" rolling out in select Audi dealers across the country.  The product theater is a comprehensive product demonstration showroom environment consisting of iPad, the A8 vehicle and a custom-built sample table containing a variety of leather, wood and paint samples available for order in the A8.  The "Audi A8 Experience" App allows consumers to preview the A8 in advance of a dealer visit, like full panoramic views of the stunning new interior and exterior.  The App offers an interactive look at the engineering deep inside the vehicle and features a virtual product customization tool that allows buyers to outfit their Audi with choice of fabric and exterior color and then connect to audiusa.com to see what their vehicle would look like as a finished product. The interactive product theater and App for iPad is an ideal blend of tactile and virtual product experiences to demonstrate the high technology, performance, safety, design and hand craftsmanship of the new A8.

On sale this month, the all-new 2011 Audi A8 luxury performance sedan is the most technologically-advanced vehicle in its segment.  Audi's flagship sedan includes a broad range of advanced features, such as the next-generation of the Audi MMI system with industry-exclusive handwriting recognition. The most luxurious Audi sedan comes with the brand's signature quattro all-wheel-drive technology and aluminum ASF® construction, standard LED daytime running lights, a Driver Assistance Package, 22-way comfort/climate seats, a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system and business-class level rear seat entertainment with dual 10" screens, separate MMI, media jukebox, Audi music interface and Bluetooth® headphones.  Audi's flagship model boasts a V8 engine with 372 horsepower and an ample 328 lb-ft. of torque, all while achieving industry-topping fuel economy (17 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway and 21 mpg combined, according to the Environmental Protection Agency), better than leading luxury hybrids.  For more information on the all-new 2011 Audi A8, please visit http://models.audiusa.com/a8.

Introducing CioTv by Winegard at 2011 CES

Winegard Company, innovator in television antenna and mobile satellite television systems, introduces Cio Mobile Digital TV, a10.2-inch touch-screen multi-standard media player that supports a wide range of A/V content and formats and through mobile digital TV signals. Its sleek, self-contained design makes CioTv perfect for home and mobile applications.  Powered by a 12-volt automotive system, an AC power adapter, or a rechargeable battery back, CioTv can be viewed anywhere.

The patents-pending CioTv comes equipped with a universal, clamp-style headrest mount that fits 90 percent of new vehicle models without professional installation.  In addition to providing a complete automotive mobile entertainment solution, CioTv is fully portable for in-home and handheld use.

CioTv's 10.2-inch diagonal LCD touch-screen is the largest of any headrest-mounted screen in the world.  The PCAP touch-screen technology is hi-bright and provides a super fast, super clear and intuitive user-interface.

Designed to receive live mobile digital television (DTV) signals, this MDTV™ certified receiver is equipped with Winegard's touch-screen technology and plays a wide range of other formats, including 3G Internet, DVD video with Dolby audio decoding, CD, iPod music and video, MP3, SD card photo and video files, USB audio and video storage and game devices.   CioTv offers A/153 ATSC-MH mobile digital television with its fully enclosed MDTV antenna.  Users can enjoy real-time network simulcast combined with local content, such as broadcast news/weather and other locally produced broadcast formats like trailers and clips.

CioTv is made for iPod and works with your iPhone. Watch iTunes music videos and movies on the clear CioTv big screen.  It supports high-quality, true digital iPod music audio output. Browse the Web with CioTv's Wi-Fi capabilities enabled by Opera and enjoy streaming video and wireless music applications. 

"Perhaps the most exciting aspect of CioTV is its ability to receive live mobile DTV signals, which is the most cutting-edge technology available today," said Aaron Engberg, director of the Mobile Entertainment Division, Winegard.  "CioTv can provide everything consumers want, all in a small, portable device.  It's truly the most comprehensive portable entertainment device on the market today."

Mobile DTV enhances the existing "terrestrial" digital television system by allowing a high-quality digital broadcast signal to be received by a moving receiver - either at walking or driving speeds - and is being transmitted by broadcasters across the country. 

Mobile DTV systems from current television broadcasters use the existing digital television spectrum and the existing, nationwide digital television infrastructure. As such, the broadcast industry has a substantial amount of spectrum available and has already invested and built the majority of the infrastructure needed to enable mobile DTV.

The unique QuickLink mating connector allows CioTv to plug into either an optional CioTv home-counter stand or CioTv battery pack for handheld use.   CioTv also comes standard with dual-channel wireless headphones, a multi-channel FM modulator for audio playback through a vehicle's factory sound system and a remote IR control.  A five-hour battery pack is optional.

Cio Tv meets all OEM automotive electronics, environmental and materials standards and is safety compliant with all U.S. government NHTSA Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. CioTv will be available in the first quarter of 2011 ($799 MSRP - includes auto mount, wiring harness, wireless headphones and remote control) at mobile electronics outlets and Winegard dealers across the country.

CioTv will be on display at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics show in the Las Vegas Convention Center's North Hall, Booth #9461, Jan. 6 through 9.  For more information about CioTv, visit www.ciomobiletv.com. 

Africa ISP Deploys Aviat WiMAX

Direct On PC Ltd., an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Nigeria and serving the African Sub-Saharan region, has deployed Aviat Networks’ StarMAX WiMAX Broadband system including base stations, Wireless Services Gateway (WSG) and end-user devices. This deal allows Aviat Networks, a wireless expert in advanced IP migration solutions, to provide broadband services to underserved areas of Nigeria.

Service providers can leverage Aviat Networks' high-performance WiMAX system to offer a range of configuration options and services including pre-paid or post-paid accounts and secure VLAN services for enterprise and small business customers all from the same wireless network.

Each network component can be fully utilized with these capabilities, which not only maximize revenue but also maintain the flexibility to scale up capacity and coverage as required.

Aviat Networks notes that the wireless infrastructure equipment and services contract includes about 200 base station locations. This equipment will first be deployed throughout Lagos and once this phase is successful subsequent installations will occur in Abuja and Port Harcourt.

"We have developed a strong reputation delivering the best broadband experience for our personal and business customers," said Mahesh Sadhwani, vice chairman of Direct On PC, in a statement. "With Aviat Networks' comprehensive worldwide experience in deploying wireless solutions and substantial local presence in Nigeria, we know the company will be a strong partner to help rapidly meet the demands of our growing market."

"Aviat Networks is very excited to work with Direct On PC," said Trevor Burchell, Aviat Networks vice president sales and service for the Africa Region, in a statement. "As Nigeria is one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world, together our two companies have designed a solution that not only fulfills all current end customer expectations but also scales to meet capacity needs for future growth and applications."

Etisalat Seeking Majority Stake in Zain

UAE based Etisalat is reported to have offered US$10.5 billion to take a majority stake in Kuwait based Zain. The deal is reported to be for Zain assets controlled by shareholders who own about 46 percent of the company, including operations in Saudi Arabia. As some 10 percent of Zain shares are held as treasury stock, the 46% holding would give Etisalat effective control of the company.

The National Bank of Kuwait, the country's biggest lender, is brokering the deal, two people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News.

A purchase would extend Etisalat's reach in the Middle East, where Zain operates in countries from Kuwait and Iraq to Bahrain, plus a couple of networks left in Africa after it sold most of its African assets to Bharti Airtel earlier this year.

"Etisalat has submitted a preliminary conditional offer to buy a stake in Zain," Ahmed bin Ali, Etisalat Group senior vice president said in an e-mailed statement. "Concluding this offer depends on the fulfillment of certain requirements and conditions necessary to finalize the deal."

Only a couple of months ago though, Etisalat denied that it is had submitted either a proposal or formal bid to take a stake in Zain. There had been reports in the middle of June that the two companies have been in talks over a majority stake sale.

A bid by Etisalat for control of Zain would also probably kill off its apparently ongoing talks to take a 26% stake in India's Reliance Communications.

BigBand Advances Converged Edge Architecture with New Ultra Dense QAM

BigBand Networks, Inc., a leader in digital video networking, has the announced the introduction its ultra dense 40:1 QAM for the company’s Media Services Platform (MSP). The breakthrough solution is designed to enable service providers to cost effectively scale and optimize the edge with dynamic bandwidth agility on the entire 50MHz to 1GHz RF spectrum using a platform that supports highly reliable multi-application video services delivery.

“With the advent of more narrowcast services, CMAP-class platforms will be needed to increase QAM-per-port density without using additional powering or rack space,” said Jorge Salinger, Vice President of Access Architecture at Comcast.  “BigBand is addressing the demanding access requirements facing MSOs to enable an easier migration towards next-generation converged service delivery at the edge.”

An Ultra Dense QAM Platform Enables More Efficient Architecture

Today’s standalone QAM products do not deliver the required operational performance, including redundancy and management capabilities to support thousands of QAMs, and dozens of service groups per hub in a single platform.  BigBand’s new ultra dense QAM platform is designed to deliver attractive economics with power and space savings, high availability service delivery, and efficient operating tools to provision and monitor multiple services.  

“The industry needs a more platform-based QAM approach, with a management system if it is to respond efficiently to how the marketplace is evolving. Put another way, MSOs need a more agile and resilient QAM with full redundancy if they are to support multi-application services and future architectures such as CMAP and IP delivered video,” said Jeff Heynen, Directing Analyst of Broadband and Video, Infonetics Research. “To simply add more and more dense, single purpose QAMs poses challenges within the existing and relatively limited, headend space that operators are working with today. With more QAMs per service group (port), including supporting more unicast services such as VOD and IPTV, this could also result in large service disruptions in the event of a failure or outage.”

BigBand’s platform-based approach ushers in a new paradigm in QAM technology, combining high density with a high availability multi-service platform that offers the ability to quickly add new applications and share bandwidth efficiently across multiple applications.   This includes enabling services such as advanced advertising, and personalized services such as IPTV and timeshift TV.  The chassis is designed to support in excess of 3,800 QAMs or as many as 40 QAMs per port to meet the access needs of even the most demanding hub locations.

“The industry is moving towards a converged platform architecture to prepare for the coming wave of personalized services and the continued explosive growth of video services to both traditional set top boxes and an increasing set of IP-enabled consumer devices. Single purpose QAMs are no longer sufficient, and the new architecture demands a platform that streamlines operations, provides the flexibility to share bandwidth between services, and ensures the ability to quickly add new services,” said Ilan Kaftan, Vice President of QAM Product Line Management, BigBand Networks. “BigBand’s MSP leverages our QAM leadership and advanced media processing capabilities to enable service providers to expand new services in a highly cost effective and reliable manner.”

Multiservice Platform

BigBand’s new ultra dense QAM is a blade or plug-in to the BigBand MSP platform including both the MSP1200 compact chassis platform and the higher capacity MSP2800.  The MSP1200 offers support for an excess of 1,200 QAMs per chassis and the higher capacity MSP2800 will support more than 3,800 QAMs per chassis with a software upgrade.  The range of chassis sizes offers service providers a choice in meeting service demands across different locations, resulting in attractive operating and capital economics.

Advanced Management Solution

With the adoption of ultra dense QAM solutions, cable service providers are faced with the challenge of managing many channels per service group shared across multiple applications.  BigBand’s CVEx™ (Converged Video Exchange) control plane helps to manage multiple services efficiently while BigBand’s VMS (Video Management System) tool offers simple and efficient network operations.  These advanced management systems enable rapid deployment, lower cost operations and higher performance with improved service quality.

The BigBand MSP QAM offers industry leading capabilities, including:

• Platform approach for operational simplicity. High density QAMs in a multiservice platform are designed to yield efficient networking and greater reliability, lowering costs through simplified operations.

• Advanced video processing. Offering cable service providers maximum flexibility in their service growth trajectory and capacity to enable advanced media processing in combination dense QAM deployments for services such as advanced advertising, and personalized services such as IPTV and timeshift TV.

• High performance and reliability. Carrier-class five nines platform will, in the future, offer full redundancy with no single point of failure, including full RF and input level redundancy.  BigBand also delivers industry leading performance, including low power consumption per QAM and the lowest return rates in the industry.

• Agile bandwidth allocation. In conjunction with BigBand’s CVEx, the MSP QAM hardware is designed to support dynamic bandwidth agility across the entire RF spectrum for each of the 40 QAMs.  This will provide the frequency and spectrum agility required to support the expansion of video services with reduced costs and improved operations since QAM channels can be placed anywhere in the spectrum.

• Complete solution for managing high density QAMs. BigBand’s sophisticated VMS platform and network planning tools help operators efficiently manage the volume of QAMs required in the network.  

BigBand is an industry-leading QAM supplier with more than 820,000 QAMs shipped to over 60 customers worldwide to date. The company’s edge QAM platforms are designed to provide combined support for broadcast, SDV, VOD, IP video, modular CMTS, and DOCSIS®  applications, including 3.0-compatible video delivery service.

Western Union, MTN Group Introduce Mobile Money Transfer

MTN Group and global payment provider Western Union, have announced a commercial agreement to introduce international mobile remittance services in the 21 countries where MTN operates.

Once introduced, the service will allow MTN subscribers to conveniently send and receive Western Union Money Transfer transactions using their MTN MobileMoney accounts.

The service will first be introduced in Uganda, where MTN’s MobileMoney service already boasts over 1 million registered users, making it one of the most successful mobile wallet deployments in the world. According to the World Bank, Uganda receives nearly US$500 million in remittances every year, making up 3% of the country’s GDP.

Once the new international remittance service is activated, MTN subscribers registered for MobileMoney will be able to receive Western Union Money Transfer transactions in their mobile accounts. In addition, MobileMoney users in certain countries will be able to send Western Union Money Transfer transactions directly from their mobile phones for payout at one of Western Union’s 386,000 Agent locations in 200 countries and territories around the world.

An MTN subscriber who receives a Western Union Money Transfer transaction in his MobileMoney account will be able to use the funds to pay bills, top-up airtime, send money domestically and internationally, or withdraw cash at MobileMoney Agents or any participating ATM.

“The Western Union Mobile Money Transfer service is a key part of our multi-channel strategy to offer our consumers numerous ways to send and receive money,” said Khalid Fellahi, Western Union’s Head of Mobile Transaction Services. “This alliance with MTN – one of the world’s most successful mobile operators – will introduce cross-border remittances to an entirely new segment of customers by allowing them to send and receive money using just their mobile phones.” 

Pieter Verkade, MTN Executive of MobileMoney, said, “After bringing domestic financial services to many of our customers, we will now enable customers to receive money from abroad on their mobile phones to take out at their convenience with their local merchant, send it to family or pay a bill.”

MTN’s MobileMoney service is currently available in Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda, with pilots underway in several other markets. The service offers consumers a convenient, secure and affordable way to send money within the same country (domestically), buy airtime and make basic utility payments using their MTN mobile phones. MTN offers the service in partnership with local banks.

Western Union offers the Mobile Money Transfer service in the Philippines with Smart Communications and Globe Telecom; in Kenya with Safaricom; and in Malaysia with Maxis. The company also recently announced an agreement with EnStream in Canada and State Bank of India in India and has other agreements for Mobile Money Transfer with banks in Tunisia, Libya and South Africa.

Edifier ‘Sound To Go’ Named As CES Innovations 2011 Design Awards Honoree

Offering design excellence, uncompromised sound and affordability, Edifier International Ltd., has announced that it has been named an International CES Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree for it’s ‘Sound To Go.’ Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to honor outstanding design and engineering in  cutting-edge consumer electronics products across 35 product categories.

Despite its ultra-compact shape, the Edifier ‘Sound To Go’ delivers powerful stereo sound. It features two 3-inch woofers and two 1-inch tweeters, along with a built-in amplifier and a handy volume control.  Although it measures just 10-1/2 inches wide by 1-1/2 inches high by  1-3/4 inches deep, the ‘Sound To Go’ delivers clear, immersive stereo  sound, thanks to its precision high-quality magnetically shielded  drivers and efficient bass-reflex design. The speaker’s rich, brushed- aluminum finish is accented by its black front grille and sidepieces, for a look that complements any laptop.

“To receive such a prestigious honor in a time when consumer electronics products are competing with countless goods in the same target market helps Edifier make significant progress towards strengthening the brand recognition,” said Anthony Wilkinson, Managing Director, Edifier International Ltd.

The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976.  It is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the producer of the International CES, the world’s largest consumer  technology tradeshow.

Edifier’s ‘Sound To Go’ will be displayed at the 2011 International CES, which runs January 6-9, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase will feature honorees by product category in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center  and will also be featured at CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of  the International CES on Tuesday, January 4.

The Innovations entries are judged based on the following criteria:

·        Engineering qualities, based on technical specs and materials  used

·        Aesthetic and design qualities

·        The product’s intended use/function and user value

·        Unique/novel features that consumers would find attractive

·        How the design and innovation of the product compares to other  products in the marketplace

Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering honoree products are featured on www.CESweb.org/Innovations, which lists product categories, as well as each product name, manufacturer information, designer, description,  photo and URL.

East Africa Utilities Conference told to use IT to achieve savings, improve services

Utility companies that use the information locked in their computer systems more effectively can realise significant cost savings and ease the pressure on them to deliver more and better services on static budgets. Today delegates at the Applications in Utilities conference in Nairobi, Kenya, were told by Oracle, the largest enterprise software company in the world, that utility customers are able to divert more funding into expansion and service enhancement because of the success they have achieved in streamlining their operations and cutting costs.

“ Without accurate, complete and timely information companies cannot even begin to make changes that will save them money and improve their service ,” said Samir Eid, Industry Leader , Utilities, Oracle African Operations. “ Details of an unplanned outage, the number of customers affected, t he duration of interruptions and even customer account numbers – in many utility companies the information to answer these questions is to be found in these different applications, each possibly with its own database.”

Planning for extending service delivery to remote and underdeveloped communities can be made easier with reliable information. In addition, planning for asset replacement and infrastructure refurbishment are activities, which rely on accurate and complete historical data. “Utility companies, perhaps more than other businesses, understand the importance of integrating business systems to gain a proper understanding of where the costs lie,” said Mr Eid. “Manpower, money, plant and machinery, infrastructure – the more integrated the information systems that run these operations, the better the control and the greater the ability to change the processes to achieve greater efficiency.”

Utility companies were some of the earlier adopters of information technology, and those systems are now ageing and are not fully integrated with newer systems. “Lack of integration, multiple databases and the inability to apply standards to software characterise organisations running different software applications,” Eid said, “especially software which is ageing. Couple these problems with utility companies experiencing decreasing IT budgets and an increasing demand for information, and the problem of achieving greater operational efficiency rests squarely with the IT department.”

Oracle provides what it terms a “Fusion” approach to application development and application integration. Oracle Fusion Middleware simplifies the development, deployment, integration and management of applications. Oracle Fusion Middleware will also serve as the infrastructure that powers the next generation of Oracle Applications.

“Oracle Fusion Middleware presents a non-intrusive solution to application integration,” said Eid. “It extends the life of older applications. It provides the ability to create a single database rather than many, thus effectively dealing with the problem of information accessibility. Finally, it allows applications to work together to support business operations, thereby helping companies streamline and integrate their operations more effectively.”

MasterCard Launches MoneySend for BlackBerry Smartphones

MasterCard Worldwide has announced the availability of the MasterCard MoneySend™ service for Blackberry® Smartphones, a convenient way to transfer money from person-to-person easily and securely by combining the power of a mobile device with a banking relationship. MasterCard MoneySend which is available for free download on BlackBerry App World™ (www.blackberry.com/appworld), allows users to ‘Send,’ ‘Pay’ or ‘Request Funds’ for a wide range of reasons including the everyday ‘IOU,’ informal services purchased from friends and family, or payments to a personal trainer, roommate, babysitter, gardener, housekeeper or repairman,” said Andrew Ong, Group Head, P2P, MasterCard Worldwide. “We are excited to extend MasterCard MoneySend to the Blackberry Smartphone platform so that we can continue to provide consumers with innovative ways to make their lives easier.”

With this new platform, MasterCard participating bank customers will be able to offer Mobile MasterCard MoneySend™ P2P payments to their customers. Mobile MoneySend is the breakthrough consumer payment platform that provides a better way to send and receive funds via SMS-text, mobile browser, mobile applet or an Internet PC. Initially, consumers will be able to use MoneySend with a MasterCard prepaid card issued by The Bancorp Bank and then link it to their mobile phone number to send or receive money.

As additional issuers enroll for the platform, their customers will be able to use MoneySend with their everyday accounts, including MasterCard debit, credit, prepaid or checking, as determined by their issuer. Once registered for MoneySend, consumers have the flexibility of directly, easily and securely transferring funds to and from family and friends through their mobile phone, eliminating the need to write or cash checks, visit ATMs, or wire money domestically.

Senders initiate transfers to any domestic mobile phone number via SMS message, mobile web browser or a downloadable MoneySend application. Upon initiation of the transfer, the sender approves the request by entering the MoneySend mobile PIN which only the accountholder knows. Then the recipient receives a text message confirmation of the transfer (for pre-registered users) or that the transfer is pending (for yet to be registered users). The funds can then be accessed by the recipient through an account designated during the registration process. Initially, this will be a prepaid account with The Bancorp Bank. These funds are then available for access through the mobile phone. If the consumer has a MasterCard card associated with the account the funds can also be accessed at traditional points of interaction, including ATMs, over-the-counter at a bank branch, or at the point-of-sale.

At the time being, this service will allow users in the U.S. to send or request money via their BlackBerry through participating banks and credit unions or when they create a virtual prepaid account through Bancorp Bank. Users can then link their existing debit or credit cards or bank checking account to the new virtual prepaid account and begin sending money via their Blackberry Smartphone. The designated account funds the MoneySend transaction, and users can manage and trigger the exchanges through the app. Personal and financial information is never stored on the Blackberry. Certain Bancorp Bank fees will apply.

“Our existing MoneySend platform and Obopay’s connectivity to mobile networks has allowed us to bring a simple solution for mobile P2P payments to consumers in the U.S. in partnership with our customer banks,” said Art Kranzley, Chief Emerging Technology Officer, MasterCard Worldwide. “We know that consumers are now constantly connected, whether in front of their computer screens or on the go with their mobile phones that are always there and always on. Since the MoneySend platform supports P2P payments through any PC or mobile device, we are able to offer a consistent transaction experience in both online and mobile channels for consumers in the U.S.” The application will soon extend to all Blackberry deploying telcos worldwide.