Nokia and Kaltura Partner to Provide Next Generation TV Viewing Experience

Kaltura, the leading video technology provider, has announced that it has entered into partnership with Nokia. Kaltura's TV Platform provides a flexible solution for content and service providers who want to launch an OTT TV service quickly and cost-effectively. Nokia, in addition to being a leader in the telecommunications space, provides market leading IP video delivery and storage platforms in addition to a deep systems integration practice. Kaltura and Nokia have joined forces to facilitate a more personalized and monetized viewing experience for customers worldwide.

Together, Nokia and Kaltura, with a wide array of live deployments for tier-1 operators and media companies worldwide, offer a comprehensive and modular solution that enables customers to benefit from Nokia's Velocix product family and vast experience and capabilities together with Kaltura's proven TV Platform. Nokia will bring Kaltura's expertise to their global customers, enabling them to meet their business goals better while providing a personalized experience to their own consumers and Kaltura will integrate Nokia's IP Video products and use Nokia's systems integration experience to further enhance their customers solutions.

The offering includes some of the industry's most advanced technology and capabilities, including Cloud DVR, CDN, flexible monetization models, social media integration and more.

"Today's TV landscape is constantly evolving into a personal experience for each and every user on their preferred devices," stated Paul Larbey, Head of Nokia's IP Video Business Division,. "Joining forces with Kaltura allows us to ensure that our customers keep pace, and enjoy new revenue streams from advanced OTT services."

"Media companies, content owners, operators and service providers are all delving into the OTT TV world, looking to reach their audiences and keep their attention," said Ron Yekutiel, Kaltura Co-founder, Chairman and CEO. "Key considerations for any current TV offering include monetization flexibility, excellent cross-device user experiences, and the ability to scale quickly and cost effectively -- Kaltura's TV platform addresses exactly these main elements, which is even further enhanced by the great products and impeccable services provided by Nokia."

Kaltura's new partnership with Nokia comes on the heels of numerous successful deployments around the world where Nokia and Kaltura had been chosen and sourced separately by the Telcos. This partnership will bring about tighter integration, increased synergy, and a more streamlined engagement for customers with both Nokia and Kaltura.

Kaltura's mission is to power any video experience. A recognized leader in the OTT TV (Over the Top TV), OVP (Online Video Platform), EdVP (Education Video Platform) and EVP (Enterprise Video Platform) markets, Kaltura has emerged as the fastest growing video platform, and as the one with the widest use-case and appeal. Kaltura is deployed globally in thousands of enterprises, media companies, service providers and educational institutions and engages hundreds of millions of viewers at home, in work, and at school. 

BBN sponsor, PayPorte Suspends Pay-On-Delivery Option

Fresh from taking the continent by storm via its unexpected sponsorship of the Big Brother Naija television reality show, one of the latest online e-commerce store in Nigeria, Payporte may have become the first online shop in the country to ditch the ubiquitous Pay-On-Delivery (PoD) option.

Payporte became the first Nigerian online shopping store to suspend the “necessary evil” that online shops believe to be detrimental to the growth of e-commerce in Nigeria.

It looks like the customer may soon stop being king, because Nigerian e-commerce companies have started to suspend the Pay-On-Delivery (PoD) option.

According to Payporte, only online payments and bank transfers will be accepted as means of payment, "in its bid to better serve customers better and to re-position its business for profitability." Instead of the PoD option, the company promises 48 hours returns on deposited funds in the event of any arising liability.

According to information from the the company’s MD/CEO of PayPorte, Mr. Eyo, the decision was to reduce the risk of security challenges posed by PoD option, to improve customer satisfaction:

“We have suspended the Payment On Delivery option on our website effective immediately. Our decision was necessitated by the increasing risk and security challenges posed by this payment option. Also, to reduce the amount of cash carried from one location to another by our delivery staff."

“We encourage our customers to make use of our other secured electronic payment options such as online payment or bank transfer for payments. We believe this will also play an active role in the growth of e-commerce business in Nigeria, as well as give a new dimension to the business.”

There is a security risk posed by the PoD option, no doubt; a Jumia dispatch rider was allegedly murdered while delivering items to Port Harcourt, presumably over wanting to collect the cash payment.

PoD has played to the advantage of a number of eCommerce players, especially in fueling adoption - it's the reason many people currently shop online. So the suppliers may have PoD trust issues, we get it, but Nigerians have upfront payment trust issues too! So let's find a balance, because this isn't it.

Via: konbini.com

Amazon advertising threatens Google, facebook

Amazon's advertising business is growing fast enough that it threatens the dominance of Google and Facebook, according to BMO Capital Markets.

The company's ad business is "gaining significant momentum" and will take market share from Google, Facebook, and others, BMO's Daniel Salmon said in a note out Tuesday morning. Salmon upped his price target on Amazon to $1,200 from $900. Amazon closed Monday at $891.51. 

The advertising segment of e-commerce giant Amazon's business model has the potential to grow sales by 65 percent in 2017, reaching $3.5 billion, Salmon added. "A key point of differentiation for Amazon [from competitors] is the massive amount of consumer purchase data it possesses."

"While Google knows what people are searching for and Facebook knows what people are interested in and who they are connected to, Amazon knows the specific products that customers are purchasing and how frequently they are purchasing these products."

BMO also downgraded Google's parent company — Alphabet — to market perform from outperform on Monday. Those shares dropped more than one percent in premarket trade.

Amazon was little changed in premarket trade on Tuesday's news, after hitting an all-time intraday high of $893.49 on Monday. BMO Capital maintains an outperform rating on the stock.

So it’s obvious Jeff Bezos’ e-commerce giant will grow its share of overall digital ad spending as it increases its number of Web searches. More and more, shoppers are taking to Amazon to search for deals on everything from Cinnamon Toast cereal to toasters — and ad dollars are following those consumers.

Salmon’s report helped send Amazon shares up 1.7 percent on Tuesday, to $906.83. Google-owner Alphabet saw its shares slip nearly $4, to $834.57.

Amazon’s ad business will generate $3.5 billion this year, and will grow 63 percent, to $5.7 billion, next year, Salmon predicted. By comparison, the entire TV industry books around $70 billion per year.

Salmon cites ad holding company WPP Group’s decision to open an office in Amazon’s hometown of Seattle as evidence that spending will grow. WPP Chief Executive Martin Sorrell said in early March at a mobile conference, “The threat to Google, in my view, is Amazon. It’s Amazon and search on Amazon that is potentially the biggest threat . . . Amazon’s tentacles are spreading rapidly into all areas.”

Salmon put a new price target of $1,200 on Amazon shares — while he downgraded Alphabet in a separate report. A stunning 55 percent of US consumers begin searching for products on Amazon, noted Salmon.

Amazon’s voice-activated Alexa home assistant could provide yet more growth in the long term as advertisers pay to have their products touted when customers request searches, Salmon said.

Amazon is “the biggest competitive headwind [for Google] since Facebook,” he said.

HP officially launches Z2 mini workstation...targets designers

HP South Africa announced this week that the Z2 Mini Workstation is available in South Africa. This technology, created for the design community, is hot on both the aesthetics and functionality.

HP Z2 Mini Workstation is three times more powerful than a business-class PC mini, the height of an espresso cup and the epitome of elegance. This device has a RRP from ZAR16 599.

“Style over substance is detested, substance over style is scorned upon. However, like many other industries, designers can fall into the trap of using sub-standard technology”, says Fulvio Donà, Value Computing Area Country Manager for HP Africa.

Donà says that sometimes, it’s easier to stick with what you know than branch out and experiment with something new, only to be disappointed. In part, this could be the reason why some 2.9 million CAD users are still not using workstations – turbo-charged, professional grade computers, with rapid microprocessors, large amounts of RAM and special features, such as professional graphics.

“Small is desirable but it shouldn’t come at the expense of functionality. By refusing to compromise on performance, we packed a wagon load of functionality into a sleek, silver grey octagonal powerhouse. We also added a discrete graphics card for blistering 3D design with the Performance model version, whisper-quiet acoustics and enough ports to support 4-6 displays,” says Donà.

Some of the key features of the HP Z2 Mini Workstation include:

* The device is obsessed with airflow and is innovated within size constraints;

* 3.3 X graphics performance of a business-class mini;

* 10 X smaller than HP’s most powerful business-class desktop PC;

* 368 hours of reliability testing;

* Connect to up to six displays out of the box; and

* Innovative design with no compromise on performance.

In the absence of workstations, designers could be competing with productivity bottlenecks, frustrating flexibility issues and challenges producing anything beyond 2D design. They may have hit the wall, inspiration-wise, no thanks to limited desk space, outdated technology and the sort of background noise that distracts rather than aids concentration.

HP’s latest incarnation, the Z2 Mini, pushes the boundaries at a mere 5,8cm tall, meaning professionals can fully immerse themselves in their creations, without cluttering their workspace and becoming overrun by cables and large, unpleasant black boxes.

“We similarly packed the Z2 Mini with cutting-edge cooling solutions, enabling us to cool an immense amount power in an unprecedentedly small space, including custom piping (ordinarily the preserve of ultrabook’s), a calibre of fans normally used in desktop tower PCs and discrete venting.”

The Surface Phone: Microsoft Prepares to Release the Beast!

Before the 2017 Mobile World Congress, the Microsoft Surface Phone has been speculated to show up in the said event. Regardless of no official announcements, many still hope that the said event is the best venue to introduce the new smartphone as the event is known for famous phone launches. Sadly, Microsoft did not make the anticipated launch of the new handset.

As of this moment, reports are stating the upcoming Microsoft Surface Phone will apparently defer until last quarter 2017. Clearly, the new handset will still need to wait for its powerful features, Windows 10 Creators Update. PCAdvisor predicts that the new handset will most likely come out in the forthcoming Microsoft's yearly event in October.

Supporters have been keeping a very close eye on Microsoft ever since the tech scene got word about the Surface Phone. The company’s Surface devices are never without rave reviews and the prospect of a smartphone joining the lineup has fans truly excited. Should it actually arrive, there is little doubt that the gadget will be Microsoft Corporation’s handset salvation. Surface devices are all shades of innovation and constantly build bridges between normal everyday products.

The smartphone market is truly immense and in this league of giants Microsoft is only a tiny player. If you are in possession of a smartphone, and who isn’t, chances are your device runs either Google’s Android or Apple iOS. Those in Eastern demographics and other developing regions could also be using Samsung’s Tizen OS or that of BlackBerry. Point is, Microsoft remains a distant runner up to all of these smartphone players. Although the Windows operating system is undeniably mature and widespread, it finds very little love when translated into phones.

The Lumia handsets that were taken off Nokia’s hands three years ago are thought to be on their way out. The acquisition is often referred to as multi-billion dollar write-off for Microsoft. The Windows operating system as a mobile platform is taking its time getting off the ground. Right now, analysts scarcely believe that it ever will.

The phone range continues to be held back by a lack of innovative services and popular apps. This renders the already struggling range of Windows Phones unfavorable among smartphone users. Microsoft’s phone business subsequently fell into the shadows, doomed to be taken back to the drawing board and re-approached.

Seeking to change all this is the widely talked about Surface Phone. Looking at the attraction of the Surface gadgets, adding a smartphone to the lineup could prove to be an excellent move for Microsoft. The products are all shades of innovations and seem to appeal to the world’s hunger for premium tech that defies ordinary conventions.

Microsoft Surface gadgets come as something fresh and new. They are renewed take on what personal and business gadgets should essentially offer. Whether buyers are in search of the ideal personal, creative or business PC, they needn’t look any further than the Surface Book, Surface Pro and Surface Studio to find a gadget that is capable of tasks beyond the capacity of conventional hardware.

Though Surface Phone rumors have been circulating for some time now, no one has settled on the product’s appearance. There have been a few exciting renderings, even a number of sourced design filings by Microsoft, although consensus continues to be in the wind. Back in January, sources spotted a patent filing from Microsoft. The design showed a smartphone with a foldable display, leading many to believe that is how the upcoming smartphone will appear.

There is a newer patent recently uncovered, showing multiple small screens that fold to form a seemless display. Patents are never a guarantee, but they do hint at ideas that a company is considering. That being said, many patents never actually make it to production, although we can be sure the Surface will defy smartphone conventions like the rest of the Surface range.

The Surface Phone will no doubt be a Windows phone. It should offer the latest and most innovative use of the Windows 10 Mobile operating system. The Elite x3 from HP is thought to be a massive hint at where Microsoft plans to take its next handset. HP’s device is a Windows phone, too, and comes as a near-perfect example of a smartphone with a PC-like capacity. Devices produced by MSFT’s leading partners paint a good idea of Satya Nadella’s mobile ambitions.

Nadella believes the “key in any momentum [Microsoft has] is that you have to have some amount of boldness in taking risk, and knowing that you are not always going to get it right.”

Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how the company innovates on its approach to smartphones.

CWG Plc Celebrates CEO on Birthday

Felicitations has continued to pour in from both management, staff, friends, well-wishers and business partners of leading information communications company in Africa, Computer Warehouse Group Plc, as the day marked the birthday of their chief executive officer, Engr. James Agada.

Being only the second ever CEO of the leading technology firm, Engr. Agada has served as the Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer before taking over position as Chief Executive Officer in 2015. Mr. Agada served as an Executive Director overseeing the Company’s former software division, ExpertEdge.

He holds both a first class degree and a Master’s Degree in Electronic Engineering, with specialization in Digital Systems, from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also holds an MBA from the IESE Business School-Barcelona and Lagos Business School (LBS).

While expressing gratitude to God for good health and stamina, the celebrant used the occasion of his birthday to appreciate his family, friends, business partners, customers and staff of CWG Plc for their love and support all through the years.

Barely Out Huawei P10 and P10 Plus Smartphone, Already On Promo!

The Huawei P10 is undoubtedly one of the beautiful surprises of the year. Just launched on the market, the flagship of the third-leading manufacturer of smartphones in the world sends a lot of ink. And today, the new smartphone of the footballer Antoine Griezmann is already on promotion. Usually marketed at 599 euros, the Huawei P10 enjoys a nice reduction at Amazon.

Huawei’s new flagship devices are now available to buy in store in most parts of Asia and Europe having previously only been available to order. The new handsets see Huawei continue in its partnership camera maker Leica, which help create the dual camera setup the first appeared in last year’s excellent P9.

In addition to the rear facing Leica dual camera, the P10 also has front facing 8MP Leica camera that includes a brighter sensor and larger aperture lens which promises better selfies, especially in low light.

The rear facing cameras comprise of a 20MP monochrome lens alongside a 12MP colour lens, which enable user to take photos with a bokeh effect whereby the background is blurred, which is typically only possible with a DSLR camera.

The P10 and P10 also include a host of filters and additional camera features let users customise and tweak photos to help capture the perfect shot. Both phones are powered by Huawei’s new octa-core Kirin 960 chip and run the firms EMUI 5.1 software on top of Android 7.0 Nougat.

The P10 boasts a 5.1 inch display and includes a 3,200mAh battery, while the large P10 Plus has a 5.5 inch display with a 3,750mAh battery.

While it has just arrived in force in Paris, the new flagship of Huawei is available at only 555,16 euros on Amazon. At this price, it will be necessary to add 22 euros for the delivery which is carried out 2 to 3 days after the purchase. This represents a total of 577,16 euros. The Huawei P10 is extremely popular and obviously sells like hotcakes, though Huawei P10 Plus is not yet available in Nigeria.