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Uber and Waymo face off in court over stolen self-driving tech

Accusations of theft, conspiracies and withholding evidence were flying during a contentious hearing between Uber and Alphabet's Waymo in San Francisco on Wednesday. Waymo, formerly Google's "self-driving car" company, is suing Uber for using technology stolen by former Waymo employee Anthony Levandowski. It's asked the judge to put a halt on Uber's self-driving R&D until the case is settled.

Uber is free to continue working on its self-driving cars for the moment, while federal judge William Alsup wrangles with a lack of evidence, either damning Uber or vindicating it.

Levandowski left Waymo in January 2016 to start autonomous truck company Otto, which Uber bought for $680 million in August 2016. Waymo claims he absconded with 14,000 top secret documents, an allegation that Judge Alsup said was not in question.

Waymo believes Uber used details about its LiDAR technology, which uses lasers and radar to collect information about the surrounding environment.

It's not just accusing Uber of using proprietary information. According to Waymo, Uber collaborated with Levandowski while he was still at Google. As part of the plan, Waymo's attorney's say Levandowski left Waymo specifically to build an independent company using the stolen technical information that Uber could then buy.

"There's this clandestine plan all along that Uber and Levandowski had a deal," said Waymo council Charles Verhoeven in court Wednesday. Waymo pointed to documents that show Levandowski received 5 million Uber shares on January 28, 2016, the day after he quit Google without notice.

An Uber spokesperson said the shares were actually granted in August 2016 when the deal closed. Backdating gives Levandowski credit for the time he was at Otto. Because his vesting is tied to meeting certain milestones, he actually has zero Uber shares that are vested at this time.

However, Uber maintains it did not use any trade secrets from the documents in its own technology, and that no Uber employees even knew they existed until the lawsuit.

Judge Alsup agreed it was not clear that Uber had used that information or had even known that Levandowski possessed it. That made Alsup wary of issuing an injunction.

"You didn't sue him. You sued Uber. So what if it turns out Uber was totally innocent?," Alsup asked Verhoeven. "Let's say they are totally innocent and the worst thing they did was pay a lot of money to hire away a brilliant guy from another competitor?"

Levandowski refused to answer questions during his deposition, taking the fifth amendment. Last week, Uber said Levandowski would step down as head of the self-driving team until the suit was settled.

Uber is refusing to turn over 3,500 documents, claiming they contain privileged information about the Otto acquisition. However, its defense team tried to downplay the amount by showing how many documents and data they had provided.

Lawyers and researchers collected over 229 terabytes of data, reviewed more than 300,000 documents, interviewed 85 employees and imaged the workstations of 131 workers, according to Uber. They only found one Google email, and it was unrelated to the case.

Judge Alsup said that didn't prove the stolen information wasn't used, as Levandowski could have brought his own personal laptop into the office and worked off that. More depositions might be required to rule out similar scenarios. That could mean an assistant who saw Levandowski use the documents or even CEO Travis Kalanick.

"We'll produce our CEO for deposition," said Gonzalez. "Nobody's hiding at Uber."

Judge Alsup is expected to rule on the injunction this week, or he could ask Waymo to provide more evidence first.

Via: CNNTech

Zomato hacking: Security breach results in 17 million user data stolen

Zomato, a restaurant search and discovery service founded in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah, has suffered a security breach with over 17 million user records stolen from the food-tech company's database. The stolen information has email addresses and hashed passwords of customers.

According to Hackeread.com, a user by the name of "nclay" claimed to have hacked Zomato and was willing to sell data pertaining to 17 million registered users on a popular Dark Web marketplace.

This included emails and password hashes of registered Zomato users with the price set for the whole package at $1,001.43 (BTC 0.5587) - BTC here stands for Bitcoins. Hackeread adds the vendor also published data and evidence to prove it was genuine.

Hashing turns an original password into an incoherent set of characters, bringing down the possibility of it being easily converted back to plain text. Furthermore, passwords of Zomato's 120 million users are reportedly salted as well, whereby characters are added at random before the password hashed, rendering it unintelligible even if the hash is translated.

Although in theory the password may still be safe, Zomato is encouraging its users to change that password if used for any other services.

Amid the news of the leak, no payment information or credit card data has been stolen, the company said in a note released to the press. 'In our security investigation, we have found no evidence of unauthorized access to financial information,' it states. 'Payment related information on Zomato is stored separately from this (stolen) data in a highly secure PCI Data Security Standard (DSS) compliant vault,' it further added.

Despite assurances that increased levels of precautions were made to safeguard users' data, the company, as a preventive measure, has reset the passwords for all affected users and logged them out of its app and website. 'Since we have reset the passwords, affected users' Zomato account as well as credit card information is secure, so there is nothing to worry about there.'

In the blogpost, Zomato has attributed human error as the cause of the security breach where an employee’s development account got compromised. 'Our team is actively scanning all possible breach vectors and closing any gaps in our environment,' the blog stated.

Over the next couple of weeks, the company will reportedly work towards plugging further security gaps - if any - in its systems. This will include adding a layer of authorisation for internal teams having access to such data to avoid the possibility of any human breach.

Zomato, which provides information and reviews on restaurants, including images of menus where the restaurant does not have its own website, currently operates in 23 countries, including India, Australia and the United States.

Microsoft launch a powerful brand new Surface Pro

Microsoft has announced a new version of its Surface Pro Windows tablet that is thinner, lighter and has a longer battery life. At a special event held in Shanghai on Tuesday, it unveiled its newest laptop. It looks like the rumors were accurate, Microsoft does have a new Surface Pro, but it’s not called Surface Pro 5 as expected. Meet the Surface Pro.

The company, on a roll from a previous announcement of the new Surface Laptop and Windows 10 S, launched the updated hybrid computer, which can turn from a tablet into a laptop with the addition of a keyboard.

Even though the Surface Pro was usually advertised as a tablet, it looks like Microsoft has changed its tune. The new Surface Pro is now the “most versatile laptop,” the company said in the first video promo for the tablet.

As expected, the Surface Pro does resemble its predecessors but comes with a few tricks of its own, including Intel 7th-gen processors under the hood, and a new Studio mechanism that makes it behave more like the Surface Studio desktop when it comes to adjusting the screen’s tilt. The laptop weighs just 1.7 pounds, and it’s just 8.5mm thin.

“People’s expectations for what their devices should help them accomplish are high – and the Surface team works to exceed those expectations,” said Panos Panay, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Devices. “People want beautiful and powerful devices, with all-day battery life and amazing digital inking experiences. They want to better express their ideas creatively while being able to work whenever, wherever and however they choose. The new Surface Pro delivers all that and more.”

The new Windows 10 tablet will have the latest, seventh generation Intel Core processors – something rivals such as Apple’s MacBook Pro line lack – and up to 13.5 hours of battery life and a smoother, as well as a more rounded design than its predecessor. A new version of the Surface Pen stylus was also released, which supports tilt recognition for sketching on the 12.3in high resolution touch display. Speaking of the screen, the device has a 12.3-inch display with PixelSense technology and 3:2 aspect ratio.

The 2017 Surface Pro also boasts 13.5-hours of battery life, and Microsoft says it’s the quietest laptop. It ships with a new Surface Pen and comes with new Alcantara keyboards. Yes, it’s also compatible with the Surface Dial that Microsoft launched alongside the Studio desktop.

The Surface Pro is available for preorder starting this May at $799, but the price will go up depending on processor and SSD choice. LTE Advanced versions of the new Surface Pro will also be available to order. The new Type Cover costs $129, while the new Surface Pen is priced at $99.

A version will be available with a built-in 4G modem, while a new kickstand hinge on the back will allow the tablet to adjust to an angle of 165 degrees to make writing or drawing on the screen with the stylus easier. The Surface Dial accessory, which was launched alongside the Surface Studio all-in-one PC in October 2016, will also work with the new tablet.

The Surface Pro should start shipping in June to some 26 countries.

The all new KEYone proves that BlackBerry still got a chance!

Over the past seven years, BlackBerry’s market share has slipped away, lost to Apple and Android. The company made multiple attempts to revive its own fortunes, from its oft-delayed BB 10 operating system to devices like the Z10 and Passport. Nothing stuck, including the company’s first attempt to combine a hardware keyboard and the Android operating system, the BlackBerry Priv.

After first being revealed at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, the new device was officially put up for sale in the UK earlier this week. London’s Selfridges is the only place you can currently buy the BlackBerry KEYone, with the famous old department store having an exclusive until May 5th, when Carphone Warehouse will also start selling the device.

The KeyOne runs Android Nougat 7.1.1 and uses a Snapdragon 625 SoC. That’s an eight-core CPU clocked at 2GHz (all eight cores are based on the Cortex-A53). Performance when running single-threaded code will not be particularly strong, since the Cortex-A53 is intended for low power consumption, but eight cores should give it reasonable juice with multithreaded code. The KeyOne has 3GB of RAM, a 3505mAh battery, a 12MP back camera capable of 4K capture with digital image stabilization, and an 8MP, 1080p front camera. It offers 32GB of storage and can be expanded with up to 2TB from a microSD card, if and when such voluminous capacities become available.

As the name and photos imply, the KeyOne also features a physical keyboard — BlackBerry’s last farewell to the stalwart fans that have stuck by the company through thick and thin. According to all three sites, the KeyOne feels more like a BlackBerry than any of the DTEK rebrands it launched last year. Everyone complimented the fit and finish of the device and compared it positively with the Priv, whose form factor and overall size profile were not well-regarded (that’s the opinion of the various reviewers, not myself). PCMag notes that the physical keyboard is “full of cool tricks,” with a fingerprint scanner built into the spacebar and the ability to assign shortcuts to custom keys. The speaker and earpiece audio quality also got top marks, and the KeyOne supports Bluetooth 4.2, the most current version of the standard.

For starters, it seems that the BlackBerry KEYone is setting itself up to be something truly different from everything else around today. “We're very proud of the BlackBerry brand,” Johnathan Young, BlackBerry’s Mobile’s UK Country Manager, told Express.co.uk at the KEYone launch event.

The KEYone is certainly a visual departure from past BlackBerry devices, with a glamorous new all-metal build. The front of the device also now combines the company’s iconic QWERTY keyboard with a touchscreen, meaning users get the best of both worlds.

BlackBerry is also keen to highlight the software included in its new device, particularly the DTEK security tools. The company says that the KEYone is right up there with the most secure smartphones available today, with the advanced DTEK software combined with encryption built in to the device’s hardware itself.

So if you’ve long hoped the company would deliver one last solid product before its hardware designers exited stage left, your patience has been rewarded.

DEAD! Cherish your Windows Phone NOW as none will come again!

If you've been expecting Microsoft to issue a press release formally announcing the end of its Windows phone business, you're probably hoping for a bit too much. But make no mistake: its phone hardware business is dead.

Some fans, and even some in the media, have consistently refused to acknowledge this, despite the clear signs in recent quarters. Now, Microsoft's own figures, and its statements regarding its phone division, should make it irrefutably clear that there is no life left in its Windows phone business.

For anyone who's been paying attention, this shouldn't be a surprise. All of Microsoft's 'latest' Lumia Windows phones are now well over a year old, with no sign of direct replacements. In many markets, these devices have been out of stock for weeks - or even months, in some cases. Meanwhile, the new Windows 10 Mobile Creators Update supports only a handful of devices, and delivers only a small number of relatively minor improvements, despite some more significant additions being promised.

During the quarter ending in December, Microsoft's phone revenue dropped to just $200 million, which included some sales of feature phones, before the company completed its sale of that business unit to Foxconn in November. That figure has now dropped to virtually nothing.

According to the company's 10-Q filing to the SEC for Q3 FY2015, its phone hardware revenue for that quarter totalled $1.397 billion. One year later, in its 10-Q for Q3 FY2016, Microsoft said that phone revenue had fallen by $662 million, reducing it to $735 million.

As Microsoft published its earnings report for Q3 FY2017, it revealed that its "Phone revenue declined $730 million". Based on its earlier financial disclosures, that means the company's phone hardware revenue fell to just $5 million for the entire quarter ending March 31, 2017.

A few days ago, it was pointed out how the latest version of Microsoft's 10Q document filed with the SEC appeared to call "time of death" for Windows Phone. In a section of the document listing current business activities, Windows Phone no longer appeared after it had showed up in the previous quarter's 10Q. With a microscopic market share and no new Microsoft branded Lumia phones released since 2015, it has been left to third party manufacturers like HP and Alcatel to keep Windows 10 Mobile alive.

In a published interview with MarketPlace, Microsoft CEO Satya Nardella says that Microsoft will return to the hardware business when it comes to smartphones. But he added that these would be devices that break the mold, like the Surface line did. (Hmm, Surface Phone anybody?). The executive explained that Microsoft is still in the smartphone business with its iOS and Android apps. And of course, there is that portfolio of Android patents that brings home the bacon.

When it comes to hardware, Nadella makes it clear that Microsoft is looking for something new. "So in some sense when you say will we’ll (sic) make more phones, I’m sure we’ll make more phones, but they may not look like phones that are there today," the CEO said.

"We make phones today, we have OEMs like HP making phones and others and we picked a very specific area to focus on which is management, security, and this one particular feature that we have called Continuum, which is a phone that can even be a desktop...and at this point, we’re making sure that all of our software is available on iOS and Android and it’s first class, and we’re looking for what’s the next change in form and function. What we’ve done with Surface is a good example. No one before us thought of 2-in-1s and we created that category and made it a successful category to the point where there are more 2-in-1s coming. And that’s what we want to do."-Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft.

UAE’s Thuraya partners ELSE to expand satellite services

Thuraya Telecommunications Company, a leading mobile satellite service operator and ELSE SA, a Swiss NewSpace startup, has announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) paving the way for a strategic alliance between the two companies. The strategic alliance will enable the companies to expand satellite services to customers with machine-to-machine (M2M) and internet of things (IoT) communication, enabled by the Astrocast satellite constellation.

They will benefit from each other’s capabilities on multiple fronts including technical and regulatory. They can extend their product and service portfolios considerably besides facilitating expedited access to the market. “This agreement forms the foundation of an extensive framework and an exciting long-term collaboration towards providing a progressive platform for our partners to offer services beyond basic satellite connectivity,” said Jassem Nasser, Thuraya’s chief strategy officer.

 “FUTURA, our future plan encompasses three main pillars, one of which is “New Wave” services for M2M and IoT applications. Our alliance with ELSE serves as a building block for the development of this component of FUTURA and further reaffirms our commitment in building value through partnerships.

The ELSE team has supported more than ten European Space Agency (ESA) missions, seven nanosatellite missions and is building a network of low-earth-orbit (LEO) nanosatellites named Astrocast that will provide cost effective IoT and M2M services to global enterprises. This mission is also supported by ESA through their ARTES programme.

Fabien Jordan, co-founder and CEO of ELSE, added: “As an established company, Thuraya brings experience, skill and reputable legacy to the table. ELSE shall benefit greatly from their technology and distribution reach and we are very excited about the possibilities this alliance will create.” The first satellites are scheduled for launch by 2018, as a demonstration mission, with a plan to have a total of 64 satellites in orbit by 2021. Once fully operational, the constellation will provide remote monitoring, geolocation services, predictive maintenance and intelligent data gathering.

From a commercial perspective, the agreement between Thuraya and ELSE extends their product and service portfolios considerably besides facilitating expedited access to the market.

Thuraya’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jassem Nasser, said that “This agreement forms the foundation of an extensive framework and an exciting long term collaboration towards providing a progressive platform for our partners to offer services beyond basic satellite connectivity.  FUTURA, our future plan encompasses three main pillars, one of which is “New Wave” services for M2M and IoT applications. Our alliance with ELSE serves as a building block for the development of this component of FUTURA and further reaffirms our commitment in building value through partnerships.”

The ELSE team has supported more than ten European Space Agency (ESA) missions, seven nanosatellite missions, and is building a network of low-earth-orbit (LEO) nanosatellites named Astrocast that will provide cost effective Internet-of-Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine services to global enterprises. This mission is also supported by ESA through their ARTES program.

The first satellites are scheduled for launch by 2018, as a demonstration mission, with a plan to have a total of 64 satellites in orbit by 2021. Once fully operational, the constellation will provide remote monitoring, geolocation services, predictive maintenance, and intelligent data gathering. The full scope of markets that will benefit from these capabilities will include retail, agriculture, automotive, utilities, maritime, oil, and gas among others.

Brother PocketJet Mobile Printer Honored With Prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD 2017

Brother Mobile Solutions, Inc. (BMS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brother International Corporation and premier provider of mobile printing and labeling solutions, has announce that the Brother PocketJet 773 full-page mobile printer has been named a winner in iF International Forum’s “iF DESIGN AWARD 2017” in the Product Design category. Two portable industrial label printers in the BMS lineup – the PT-P950NW and PT-E800 series have also been honored with the prestigious award.

iF DESIGN AWARD is hosted and judged by the iF-International Forum Design, in Hannover, Germany. This is one of the most prestigious international design competitions and has been running since 1953. It is recognized around the world and judged not only on external appearance of the product, but also on criteria such as functionality and environmental performance.

Recognized as a symbol of design excellence around the world, this year’s iF DESIGN AWARD competition welcomed over 5,500 submissions from 59 countries. This is the 10th consecutive year Brother Industries, Ltd. has been named as an iF DESIGN AWARD winner and has now received a total of 62 awards, including the seven won this year.

David Crist, president of Brother Mobile Solutions, notes: “We are deeply gratified to be honored by the iF International Forum for our groundbreaking PocketJet 773 full-page mobile printer. We believed the 773 model would be a breakthrough when we released it in late 2016. It was engineered to offer new levels of freedom to mobile workers spanning any industry by printing virtually anywhere and from virtually any device, right out of the box, without special apps or drivers.”

He continues, “We continuously make efforts to pursue improvements in design quality and product innovation to provide superior value to customers, and our organization holds deep respect for this global competition.’’

The Brother PocketJet-7 Series of full-page mobile printers, including Model PJ-773, are the smallest, most advanced full-page mobile thermal printers on the market, and now feature higher print speeds, rugged reliability, and more versatile operating system compatibility and functionality. They are simple and easy to use ‒ users need only connect, select and print. With Brother’s innovative Freedom Architecture™, and the integration of AirPrint®, MFi, Mopria™ and Windows® 10, virtually any mobile professional can print from any popular smartphone, tablet or PC.

The PocketJet 7 is the full-page mobile printing solution that fits easily in a briefcase or shoulder bag for on-the-go professionals, such as home healthcare nurses and inspection service providers. Or, it can be conveniently mounted inside a vehicle or truck cab to serve the needs of a broad and diverse mobile workforce, including over-the-road transport drivers, field service technicians, route accounting and direct store delivery drivers, and public safety officers.

CNSG Partners Aryaka to Provide Global SD-WAN to its Enterprise Customers

Leading global software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) provider Aryaka®, has announced a partnership with Converged Network Services Group (CNSG) to deliver its global SD-WAN solution to enterprises looking to replace their legacy Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) connectivity worldwide. CNSG is the premier master distributor for connectivity services and cloud enablement solutions.

The alliance further expands Aryaka’s reach into the IT and telecom partner communities through targeted engagement with CNSG’s industry-leading partners, MSPs and VARs.

“Global businesses are actively looking for SD-WAN solutions to replace their MPLS and provide simplified connectivity and access to cloud/SaaS applications,” said Jim Hilbert, Chief Revenue Officer at Aryaka. “Aryaka offers a global SD-WAN solution that deploys in days, offers performance improvements for all applications, and is delivered as a complete managed service.

Our partnership with CNSG will help us further expand our market footprint and channel revenue.” Through dedicated support and industry expertise, the Aryaka and CNSG teams will work in tandem to support partners, providing insight, guidance and attractive customer solutions.

“CNSG partners are looking for leading technology and hybrid network solutions,” said Randy Friedberg, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at CNSG. “Our new partnership with Aryaka will give us a huge advantage, as they continue to embrace SD-WAN solutions. Aryaka offers the best global SD-WAN and optimization technology available and allows our partners to confidently deliver a solution to customer sites anywhere in the world.”

Its generally believed that Aryaka is transforming how global enterprises connect sites and users worldwide, and use mission-critical applications to support modern business execution demands. Aryaka’s Global SD-WAN combines a purpose-built private network, SD-WAN, optimization and acceleration techniques, connectivity to cloud platforms, and network visibility in a single solution that is delivered as a service.

Converged Network Services Group (CNSG) on the other hand, is the Premier Master Distributor for Connectivity, Cloud and Cloud Enablement. Led by form C-Level Carrier Executives and supported by the most experienced sales team in the industry, CNSG provides assistance with every aspect of Discovery, Design and Delivery. CNSG is committed to the core philosophy of earning business by building and maintaining true partnerships with every Customer, Partner and Supplier.

CNSG and Aryaka will both be present at the Channel Partners Expo, Las Vegas, April 10-13, 2017. During the networking and education event, Hilbert will be leading discussions on the innovations, challenges and opportunities around SD-WAN.

Tecno Is Most Popular Brand, As It Sells 25m Mobile Devices In Africa…launches new Phone

Leading Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Tecno Mobile sales has reached 25 million devices, including 9 million smartphones in 2015, helping it to sustain the most "popular" brand status in Africa.

Globally, it sold 60 million devices last year while the sale of smart phones manufactured by the company increased by 40 percent. In a statement was made by the firm while announcing the launching date of its newest smartphone Camon X, the company disclosed that it also produces tablets for the middle and high end market.  

The smartphone is being launched today with Tecno saying it will be made available to 41 countries across Africa, the Middle East and Latin America promising a brighter, clearer and faster selfies than before.

Mohammed Hasseni Marketing Manager of Tecno Mobile Ethiopia says with 25 percent share of Africa's phone market, it's confident its newest offering will attract the eyes of prospective customers.  Stephen Ha, General Manager of Tecno Mobile explains the launch of Camon X Smartphone is part of a plan to sustain its most popular brand status in Africa by utilizing easy-to-use new technology.

With Tecno already having two assembly lines in Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation at around 100 million people it already plans to expand its dominant share in Ethiopia's market. Mohammed Belay, a government employee who has been using Tecno for a year, says the affordable price of Tecno Smartphones is what attracted him to buy one initially.

"Since then I've seen that my smartphone has a good quality camera, is easy to receive and send applications, has long battery life and charges fast," he remarked.

InnJoo becomes the official sponsor for La Liga club, RCD Espanyol

InnJoo, the fastest growing smartphone brand in Middle East and Africa announced that they have reached an agreement for the Spain’s leading football club, RCD Espanyol de Barcelona to become the official sponsor of the club and appear on the back of the first team’s jersey starting from current season.

InnJoo is one of the fastest growing smartphone brands across Europe, Middle East and Africa. The Dubai headquartered company was established in the year 2014 and since then it has come a long way to become a choice of millions of consumers in 30 countries including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria, Spain, Portugal, Italy among others.

Currently, InnJoo is ranked among the ‘Top Smartphone Brands’ in several of the countries that it operates in and is gradually entering several new countries spread across EMEA region. While expressing his happiness to be associated with one of the top clubs in the country, the General Manager for InnJoo in Spain, Conrado Vázquez said "We are delighted with our agreement with the club and we are confident that this partnership will put our brand in the forefront football lovers in the country and even worldwide. We also hope this corporation between RCD Espanyol de Barcelona and InnJoo will help the club achieve its objectives".

Popularly known as Espanyol, RCD Espanyol de Barcelona is one of the oldest and most prominent football clubs in the Spanish league, La Liga. It was founded in the year 1900 by Ángel Rodríguez Ruiz as the Sociedad Española de Football and became the first club in Spain to be formed exclusively by Spanish fans of the game. The club has come a long way over years.

Tim Chen, co-founder and CEO for InnJoo said, “I am a great fan of football game specially La Liga. And, when we decided to associate our brand, InnJoo we could easily identify ourselves with the Espanyol for its passion and spirit, as we also deliver the similar virtues with all our products. This partnership compliments both of us for the simple reason that we are both leaders in our games and always believe in winning.”

InnJoo is a technical startup born with Internet DNA. Its Internet journey was started by joining hands with the largest e-commerce sites in the region. Based in Dubai, InnJoo became the fastest-growing company by providing smart devices as well as software services in the EMEA region.

End of the road for theft and stolen phone menace in Nigeria as CAPDAN endorse Fonreg

By: Obinna Ibeawuchi

The Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN) in collaboration with Mobilereg Nigeria has unveiled an anti-theft software solution called Fonreg.   In an event that which took place in Lagos recently, the market association’s leadership described the product as one of CAPDAN’s efforts to provide quality leadership and service delivery to the entire computer village and the general public by ensuring that devices purchased within the market, even as a used device, is authentic and from a trackable source. This development is coming on the heels of the incessant reports of cases of buying and selling of stolen devices within the market.

Speaking at the event in his opening remarks, the president of the association Mr. Ahmed Ojikutu said the collaboration with the providers of Fonreg became necessary owing to the fact that the association has faced a lot of challenges in recent times dealing with cases of stolen electronic devices like phones and tablets, and the importation of such items as London used phones.

The solution, Fonereg, is from a British Polish company, called MobileReg. The company was launched in 2015 with the aim of providing a safe environment where members can buy, sell, check IMEI numbers, and report loss or stolen mobile phones.

Fonreg maintains a database of registered Stolen and Loss phones in different countries, whereby members can check IMEI numbers for free to determine the status of any mobile phone. This will make it harder to sell stolen mobile phones aboard. IMEI numbers can also be verified on our Fonreg IOS and Android Apps or via SMS checking services.

When finally adopted, Fonreg will reduce the cases of buying and selling of stolen phones within and outside Lagos, as efforts are in top gear to take the campaign nationwide. The product he said would be a great tool in the hands of major Mobile devices dealers, the security operatives and the user of the devices in general.

In his unveiling remarks, the CEO of MobileReg Nigeria Mr Ayodele Thomas, who described the product as a very unique solution that is already in use in Europe, explained that it is a peculiar product and possess unique functionalities. The product allows for buyers of used to be able to their IMEI numbers, using their portal buyers, sellers and users can report lost or stolen phones. Fonreg allows for mobile phone tracking through the use of GPS. It also allows for device registration from the point of purchase to authenticate their devices.

Another unique thing about Fonreg is that it provides a very secure marketplace where buyers and sellers can do authentic business. Mr. Thomas said plans were in place to collaborate with the major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to enhance the total functionality of Fonreg which requires mutual understanding. In the area of Sim Block, the MNOs would allow for Fonreg to carry out the duty of blocking registered Sims on their database making it easier for the MNOs to focus on other things. Another is the big data analyses; here the data are just simple names and contacts of members on the Fonreg platform.

This solution is coming at a very critical time especially with the recent incessant incidences of accusations of extortions leveled against security operatives in the computer village over complaints of stolen mobile devices traced to the market. 

Via: CAPDAN Gazette

CWG Plc release latest figures for 2016...returns to profitability

In a remarkable turn-around that is almost alien for public quoted technology companies in Nigeria, CWG Plc has pleasantly surprised its shareholders as it has returned to profitability, recording profit before tax of N142 million for the year ended December 31, 2016.

A clear departure from its drastic losses recorded since going public, a situation it attributed to exchange rate losses, reduction in margins in traditional reseller business and inability to transfer increased cost of doing business, CWG’s bottom-line in 2015 resulted in low numbers. Although the company recorded a gross profit of N2.443 billion in 2015, it ended with a loss after tax of N1.796 billion.

But with the latest figures released, the profit-before-tax margin represents 108 per cent increase from the loss before tax reported in the same period in 2015. Highlights of the audited report and accounts of the company released at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, showed that profit after tax stood at N127.68 million in 2016 against a net loss of N1.80 billion in 2015.

The company said in a note to the results that it drew on increasing operating efficiency, internal cost management and far-sighted foreign exchange risk management to reverse the loss position to profit. Further breakdown of the result showed that while turnover dropped by 34.8 per cent from N15.61 billion in 2015 to N10.17 billion in 2016, the management optimized cost of sales by reducing it by 41.6 per cent from N13.17 billion in 2015 to N7.69 billion in 2016. This resulted in N2.47 billion gross profit during the period from N2.44 billion in the previous year.

In an interview with CNBC Africa as monitored in Lagos, Mr. James Agada, Chief Executive Officer, CWG Plc, said the 2016 results reflected the continuing focus of the company on sustainable income streams, cost management and extraction of best value for the shareholders. According to him, “in the face of the tough operating environment, the Group made a strategic decision to focus on profitable IT solutions with less exposure to foreign exchange fluctuations and with predictable recurrent revenues”.

He noted that the decline in costs was as a result of several initiatives taken by the management to mitigate foreign exchange losses, reduce borrowings and improve receivable collections. Foreign exchange loss had stood at N600 million in 2015 while the company had also suffered inventory write-offs of N431 million and income reversals of N250 million in 2015.

CWG Plc is a pan-African technology company that is into systems integration, operating in Nigeria and other part of Africa.