Signal Alliance showcase cutting edge IT solutions at Edo Technology Day 2013

The overall advantage of deploying best-in-class technology systems in the public sector as a means of achieving transparent governance and administration formed the basis for the participation of Signal Alliance in the just concluded Edo Technology Day 2013 held penultimate week in Benin City.
This edition of the Edo State Technology Day 2013, which is a two-day annual event that started in 2010, had as theme “Fostering Governance with Technology” and attracted a plethora of IT Consultants, Vendors, and Solution experts from across the country. It was chaired by Omobola Johnson, the Communication Technology Minister and hosted by the Edo State governor Adams Aliu Oshiomhole.
The event was conceptualized to analyze, diagnose and proffer solutions to IT challenges with particular attention being paid to Broadband Delivery and Management in Nigeria, Advancing Education with Technology, Security Implications of Big Data and Actualizing a Workable National IT Policy.
Commenting on the value proposition of the solutions presented by the award winning IT firm during the event, the Marketing and Communications manager of Signal Alliance and the leader of the team to the event, Michael Chinwuba, explained that apart from showcasing cutting-edge IT solutions that would benefit both the public and private sector enterprise customers, the SA team was very much interested in meeting with and getting feedbacks from its numerous existing public sector customers as well as potential customers. According to him, “it goes beyond showing what we have, but mostly to engage delegates especially from the public sector that were there to get their IT problems solved, because ours is much more than a company that sells technology. We listen and try to come up with unique technology solutions for all manner of challenges our customers can face” he said.
For Signal Alliance, the Edo Technology Day event has become a reference point on how government on any level, can engage technology solution providers in the formation of a synergy with that critical market in order to proffer solutions. In a bid to ensure that the target is achieved, Signal Alliance also showcased high-end solutions in Business Optimization, Networks & Monitoring, Service Management, Data Centre & Collaboration, Software Advisory Services, Business Applications and Cloud Computing.
Founded in 1996, Signal Alliance, which has won several partner awards as well as other industry awards such as System Integrator Company of the Year, Top 50 Fastest Growing (Nonlisted) Companies In Nigeria, Country Partner of the Year for both Cisco and Microsoft, is an end-to-end IT Company that specializes in systems integration and enterprise solutions with offices in Lagos and Abuja FCT. The company boasts of highly skilled and certified consultants as well as major strategic partnerships with World industry giants such as Microsoft, Cisco, SAP and CA Technologies.

HP Launches Envy Recline…All-in-One Touchscreen Desktop with Beats Audio

HP has announced the HP ENVY Recline All-in-One PC series, offering the best, most immersive touch experience available on an All-in-One PC. With an innovative product design, HP's new All-in-One PCs allow users to pivot the touch screen lower and closer, making the interaction more accessible and comfortable.

"Customers have told us that they want touch on their PCs, and at HP we're always looking for ways to improve the experience," said Mike Nash, vice president, Product Management, Consumer PCs and Consumer Solutions, HP. "HP's family of reclining all-in-one PCs offer new ways to stay productive and enjoy immersive experiences such as movies and games with the most natural touch experience available."

The design of the Recline allows users to pivot the touch screen lower and closer, making the interaction more accessible and comfortable, according to HP.

An HP study revealed that while using touch screens, an overwhelming majority of people preferred their screen in a low and close position for 100 percent of touch-related tasks. The HP ENVY Recline series has a touch screen (23 or 27 inches large) that responds to all 10 fingers at once. The desktops are also equipped with Intel Core i-series processors.

The HP ENVY Recline23 TouchSmart All-in-One PC and HP ENVY Recline27 TouchSmart All-in-One PC, feature 10-point touch and a revolutionary adjustable design that allows for a more comfortable experience and greater control than ever before. The HP ENVY Recline series meets the needs of touch users with a full high-definition (HD) IPS touch screen that responds to all 10 fingers at once, and a unique hinge that allows the screen to be repositioned with ease. The hinge enables the screen to seamlessly move below the table and closer to the lap for a natural touch navigation position, or it can be adjusted upright for traditional use and to watch movies.

Both the HP ENVY Recline23 and HP ENVY Recline27 TouchSmart All-in-One PCs are equipped with 4th-generation Intel® Core™ i-series processors and NVIDIA discrete graphics to help users with the most demanding tasks. The HP ENVY Recline27 also features Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to let users share photos, contacts and URLs with a simple tap.

Additionally, HP is offering a new All-in-One PC with a bold design and premium sound for entertainment and music enthusiasts. The HP ENVY Recline23 TouchSmart All-in-One PC Beats Edition features black and red accents with Beats Audio™ driven dual speakers for the best-sounding, richest audio experience available on a PC.

Optimized for touch navigation, the new HP Pavilion 23tm Touch Monitor provides a comfortable and clear visual experience at a price that is more affordable than many Windows® 8-certified (3) touch monitors. Featuring a 23-inch vivid full-HD touch screen with five-point touch technology, wide viewing angles and an adjustable stand that allows users to tilt the monitor to a 70-degree deep recline position, the HP Pavilion 23tm enriches the computing experience.

The HP Pavilion 23tm Touch Monitor can pair with the HP ENVY Phoenix 810 Desktop PC for outstanding gaming, photo editing, productivity and comfort. The HP ENVY Phoenix 810 Desktop PC includes a lightning-fast Intel Core i7 Extreme Processor, NVIDIA discrete graphics or AMD ultra-high-performance graphics, and Beats Audio.

HP also announced the HP ENVY 23 IPS Monitor, a sleek, ultrathin monitor with two HDMI ports for connectivity across a variety of devices, including mobile phones and tablets. The monitor also enhances the listening experience with an integrated Beats Audio headphone jack.

HP and VMware Enable Customers to Unify Data Centre Networks

HP and VMware, Inc. has announced plans to collaborate to deliver the industry’s first federated network solution, designed to  provide customers unified automation of, and visibility into, their physical and virtual data centre networks, enabling business agility and improving business continuity.

As companies embrace cloud and mobility, manual network configuration has proven time and resource intensive, as well as error prone. Network virtualisation offers a centralised control plane, but does not automate configuration and provisioning of physical network devices.

The new HP-VMware networking solution will federate the HP Virtual Application Networks SDN Controller with the VMware NSX™ network virtualisation platform to provide customers with an integrated approach to automating their physical and virtual network infrastructure. The networking solution will provide a centralised view, unified automation, visibility and control of the complete data centre network, improving agility, monitoring and troubleshooting.

According to Gartner analyst Joe Skorupa, “A hybrid model blends the device-based and the overlay models, transparently mixing physical and virtual devices under a common control plane. This approach promises a rapid time to value, support for bare-metal endpoints (servers, networking, security appliances and so forth) and a smooth migration to an optimal mix of endpoints.”

“Networks must be agile enough to enable the adoption of cloud and mobility while ensuring continuity,” said Raymond Maisano, country manager, HP Networking, Enterprise Group, HP South Pacific. “Building upon our SDN leadership, the HP-VMware networking solution unifies visibility and automation of the physical and virtual network with a common control plane, enabling new application and service delivery in minutes rather than months.”

A typical cloud data centre network may require 10,000 provisions per day, each requiring at least 20 network command line changes. These 200,000 command line changes would require 3,333 man hours to complete, assuming 1 minute per command.(3) The HP-VMware networking solution promises to eliminate manual configuration of both the physical and virtual data centre networks through interoperable automated orchestration of policies. It also will create a single view of the network—both physical and virtual.

The HP Virtual Application Networks SDN Controller also will include support for VMware Open vSwitch Database (OVSDB) management protocol. This enables HP FlexFabric top-of-rack switches to participate in the automated provisioning of the virtual network, which will be delivered by VMware NSX network virtualisation platform.

“Customers are adopting network virtualisation to gain the necessary agility needed to realise the promise of virtualised and cloud data centres. To be successful, IT organisations need solutions to deliver common management of services and operations across the physical and virtual domains,” said Stephen Mullaney, senior vice president and general manager, networking and security business unit, VMware. “By collaborating with HP on a federated networking solution, we will help our joint customers create a unified network operations model that will radically simplify IT in the software-defined data centre.”

HP also introduced the HP 5930 top-of-rack switch with built-in intelligence based on VXLAN technology, extending network virtualisation to the servers, and allowing customers to leverage their virtual and physical networks to work together as one entity.

HP offers clients a single point of contact to help support and evolve complex data centre networks while incorporating the benefits of software-defined networking (SDN). The new HP Datacentre Care for Networking provides clients with a single, environment-based relationship that can incorporate the HP-VMware networking solution into existing and future environments. 

HP also helps clients determine where SDN can deliver optimal benefits to their organisation with the SDN Connectivity Transformation Experience Workshop, which builds organisational alignment and an initiative roadmap for the client, taking into consideration SDN-enabled business benefits and risks. The service also helps clients explore architectural options that consider their current state and best path to the future, both from a technology and investment point of view. As a result of the workshop, clients can determine their pragmatic path for their unique SDN journey, incorporating people, process and technology.

Microsoft to acquire Nokia’s devices & services business, patents and mapping services

Microsoft Corporation and Nokia Corporation has announced that the Boards of Directors for both companies have decided to enter into a transaction whereby Microsoft will purchase substantially all of Nokia’s Devices & Services business, license Nokia’s patents, and license and use Nokia’s mapping services.

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will pay EUR 3.79 billion to purchase substantially all of Nokia’s Devices & Services business, and EUR 1.65 billion to license Nokia’s patents, for a total transaction price of EUR 5.44 billion in cash. Microsoft will draw upon its overseas cash resources to fund the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014, subject to approval by Nokia’s shareholders, regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

Building on the partnership with Nokia announced in February 2011 and the increasing success of Nokia’s Lumia smartphones, Microsoft aims to accelerate the growth of its share and profit in mobile devices through faster innovation, increased synergies, and unified branding and marketing. For Nokia, this transaction is expected to be significantly accretive to earnings, strengthen its financial position, and provide a solid basis for future investment in its continuing businesses.

“It’s a bold step into the future – a win-win for employees, shareholders and consumers of both companies. Bringing these great teams together will accelerate Microsoft’s share and profits in phones, and strengthen the overall opportunities for both Microsoft and our partners across our entire family of devices and services,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft chief executive officer. “In addition to their innovation and strength in phones at all price points, Nokia brings proven capability and talent in critical areas such as hardware design and engineering, supply chain and manufacturing management, and hardware sales, marketing and distribution.”

“We are excited and honored to be bringing Nokia’s incredible people, technologies and assets into our Microsoft family. Given our long partnership with Nokia and the many key Nokia leaders that are joining Microsoft, we anticipate a smooth transition and great execution,” Ballmer said. “With ongoing share growth and the synergies across marketing, branding and advertising, we expect this acquisition to be accretive to our adjusted earnings per share starting in FY15, and we see significant long-term revenue and profit opportunities for our shareholders.”

“For Nokia, this is an important moment of reinvention and from a position of financial strength, we can build our next chapter,” said Risto Siilasmaa, Chairman of the Nokia Board of Directors and, following today’s announcement, Nokia Interim CEO. “After a thorough assessment of how to maximize shareholder value, including consideration of a variety of alternatives, we believe this transaction is the best path forward for Nokia and its shareholders. Additionally, the deal offers future opportunities for many Nokia employees as part of a company with the strategy, financial resources and determination to succeed in the mobile space.”

“Building on our successful partnership, we can now bring together the best of Microsoft’s software engineering with the best of Nokia’s product engineering, award-winning design, and global sales, marketing and manufacturing,” said Stephen Elop, who following today’s announcement is stepping aside as Nokia President and CEO to become Nokia Executive Vice President of Devices & Services. “With this combination of talented people, we have the opportunity to accelerate the current momentum and cutting-edge innovation of both our smart devices and mobile phone products.”

Nokia has outlined its expected focus upon the closing of the transaction in a separate press release published today.

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will acquire substantially all of Nokia’s Devices and Services business, including the Mobile Phones and Smart Devices business units as well as an industry-leading design team, operations including all Nokia Devices & Services-related production facilities, Devices & Services-related sales and marketing activities, and related support functions.

At closing, approximately 32,000 people are expected to transfer to Microsoft, including 4,700 people in Finland and 18,300 employees directly involved in manufacturing, assembly and packaging of products worldwide. The operations that are planned to be transferred to Microsoft generated an estimated EUR 14.9 billion, or almost 50 percent of Nokia’s net sales for the full year 2012.

Microsoft is acquiring Nokia’s Smart Devices business unit, including the Lumia brand and products. Lumia handsets have won numerous awards and have grown in sales in each of the last three quarters, with sales reaching 7.4 million units in the second quarter of 2013.

As part of the transaction, Nokia is assigning to Microsoft its long-term patent licensing agreement with Qualcomm, as well as other licensing agreements. Microsoft is also acquiring Nokia’s Mobile Phones business unit, which serves hundreds of millions of customers worldwide, and had sales of 53.7 million units in the second quarter of 2013. Microsoft will acquire the Asha brand and will license the Nokia brand for use with current Nokia mobile phone products. Nokia will continue to own and manage the Nokia brand. This element provides Microsoft with the opportunity to extend its service offerings to a far wider group around the world while allowing Nokia’s mobile phones to serve as an on-ramp to Windows Phone.

Nokia will retain its patent portfolio and will grant Microsoft a 10-year license to its patents at the time of the closing. Microsoft will grant Nokia reciprocal rights to use Microsoft patents in its HERE services. In addition, Nokia will grant Microsoft an option to extend this mutual patent agreement in perpetuity. In addition, Microsoft will become a strategic licensee of the HERE platform, and will separately pay Nokia for a four-year license.