Twitter has yet again announced a new API (Application programming interface) tier, Twitter API Pro for startups at $5,000 per month, which gives developers the ability to fetch 1 million tweets per month, post 300,000 tweets per month, and access the full archive search end-point.
Addressing startups looking to scale their businesses on Thursday, 25th, May, 2023, Twitter dev tweeted, “Experiment, build, and scale your business with 1M Tweets per month, including our powerful real-time Filtered/Stream and Full Archive Search endpoints. We look forward to seeing what you build next.”
This came weeks after the company announced that it would be shutting down access to its free API tier. However, it somewhat backtracked on that decision by providing free access to 1,500 tweets per month for content provider bots.
In terms of the new API, startups would pay between the $100 per month Basic tier and the $42,000 per month Enterprise tier.
Although many users consider this a welcome development, they registered their dissatisfaction at the cost, which they explained as highly expensive for most startups who the program was aimed to serve.
When Twitter announced the new pricing, many developers and founders argued that the company should introduce a middle tier between Basic and Enterprise for startups that can’t afford the roughly half a million dollars a year.
The new Pro API tier will cater to some of those people, but won’t be a solution for businesses that run on a tight budget as they still have to pay $60,000 per year. For example, this new posting limit on the Pro tier may be sufficient for some bots, but it will be harder for developers to raise funds through subscriptions or donations to keep the service going long-term.
As a boy growing up in an average African home, Daniel Oseni was exposed to various African dishes prepared with tomatoes.
Baskets of tomatoes…fresh from the farm
In his words, “Purchasing these tomatoes was a nightmare because they easily got spoilt because the sellers didn’t have a proper preservation and storage system.”
Interestingly, Nigeria is the 14th largest tomato producer in the world, and the 2nd in Africa; producing more than 2.3 million tonnes every year.
Unfortunately, the country spends more than $9.8 billion on importing tomatoes because it doesn’t meet the demand for fresh produce.
In previous years, Nigeria has experienced more than 56 percent of waste due to a lack of proper storage and preservation facilities.
To solve this problem, Daniel Oseni founded PeriPES, a natural cooling system that preserves and stores tomatoes for up to 3 to 4 months without getting spoilt. PeriPES is made out of clay bricks, sand water, and air. It works by reducing the room temperature of the tomatoes to less than 15°C at 90 percent humidity, in order to stop the production of ethylene, which is the major chemical component that causes ripening and spoilage in all agricultural products.
In his words, “Our technological input is harnessing the power of nature to preserve. This science is known as evaporative cooling. It is a circular movement of moist air from a cooler region to a hotter region, by passing through a damp sand medium. It is a very viable and stable means of preservation because it creates a conducive humidity for the tomatoes, which helps to retain the nutritional value.”
Daniel believes that tomato farmers, wholesalers, and retailers in Nigeria will benefit from his solution. His primary target is those in the “Shasha” market located in the Ondo state of Western Nigeria. This market is one of the biggest markets for tomatoes in the Southwestern region of the country.
Daniel believes that if he is successful, the world will be better off because “PeriPES will reduce the carbon footprint being released into the atmosphere every day. It will reduce post-harvest loss by over 50 percent, and reduce the scarcity of tomatoes, which usually leads to the inflation of the tomato prices.”
He believes that PeriPES will ensure the availability of tomatoes all year round, and will subsequently increase the GDP of the Nigerian economy.
Recently, Daniel Oseni emerged as the grand prize winner of the 2023 Savvy Prize for Impact-Driven Entrepreneurs.
When asked how the Savvy Prize will help his project become successful, he said,
“With our passion and resilience, we will replicate our solution to 8 other Nigerian states that are major producers of tomatoes. We will ensure that PeriPES will reach other crop farmers that are vegetable and fruit farming, such as pepper, onion, okra, carrot, cucumber, and cabbage. In the long run, we will save the agricultural sector of the Nigerian economy by reducing the waste coming out by over 50 percent.”
Daniel and his team will also focus on increasing their visibility by 45 to 80 percent, for more productivity and profitability. After receiving the Savvy Prize, he is looking for more investment opportunities in order to expand.
Daniel’s vision is a Nigeria where “the prize of tomatoes is normalized, and when PeriPES reaches the hands of over 75 percent of tomato farmers in the country.” He envisioned a country where tomatoes are available all year round without abnormal increase in prices, and when the tomato market becomes well saturated.”
Daniel’s team is made up of Robinson Osas, Ogunlade Busayo, and Omoniyi Joshua. Osas is an agriculturist with a specialization in crop, soil, and pest management. Busayo is a bio-medical scientist with experience in crop health services and waste management, while Joshua is an Architect with experience in social media management.
Daniel believes his team is the right fit to solve this problem because they’re innovative and creative individuals with experience and knowledge in preservation, storage, and food handling.
Watch Daniel Oseni explain how the cooling system works:
Oando Clean Energy Limited, a subsidiary of Oando, and the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) have formed a partnership to officially launch Oando’s electric mass transit buses at the Lagos Bus Services Limited Head Office in Ilupeju, Lagos.
In a statement, Oando explained that the objective of this initiative is to transition the public transport system in Lagos State towards a carbon-free mobility ecosystem.
Abinbola Akinajo, the Managing Director of LAMATA, emphasized the significance of public-private partnerships, stating, “This initiative is a crucial part of our vision for transportation in Lagos State. We aim to establish a clean and efficient transportation system.”
He further expressed the desire to involve the private sector in meeting the mobility needs of the average Lagosian. LAMATA, as a regulatory agency for transport in Lagos, has partnered with Oando Clean Energy to utilize electric buses in passenger operations.
Akinajo highlighted LAMATA’s openness to engaging with the private sector while ensuring alignment with the vision of Lagos state.
He expressed satisfaction that within just over a year of Oando Clean Energy approaching them to discuss the possibility of deploying electric buses, they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the key goal of implementing a Proof of Concept (PoC) to incorporate electric buses into their ecosystem.
Recognizing the urgent need to address transportation’s significant contribution to Nigeria’s Greenhouse Gas emissions (62%), Dr. Ainojie Irune, President of OCEL, said, “This presents an opportunity to revolutionize mobility in our country and develop local capacity in the renewable and clean energy sector.”
Irune envisioned a future where these buses would be manufactured in Nigeria and a multitude of locally trained engineers would operate, maintain, and service these buses and other renewable energy assets.
He regarded the introduction of these buses as the first step towards this goal.
He emphasized that the PoC would facilitate the collection of initial data points crucial for the development and deployment of electric vehicles for municipal and public transport across the continent.
Irune expressed confidence in the progress made, acknowledging the invaluable support of Lagos state and LAMATA in making this endeavor possible
The Arewa Youth Advocacy for Good Governance (AYAGG), a renowned organization committed to promoting peace, unity, and combatting social vices, proudly announces that Tobi Badmus, the esteemed CEO and Founder of 8BM, a leading logistics company in Nigeria, has been honored with the prestigious “Icon of Youth Inspiration” award.
The award was accepted on behalf of Tobi Badmus by Foluseke Olujimi, representing the CEO and Founder.
AYAGG, a renowned organization dedicated to promoting peace, unity, and combating social vices, expresses its sincere appreciation to Tobi Badmus for his outstanding work and exemplary leadership in service of the people of Nigeria.
Mr. Badmus’ unwavering commitment to the collective welfare of his constituents has earned him the admiration of AYAGG, who recognizes him as a true role model and a beacon of hope for the nation’s youth.
During the award ceremony, Foluseke Olujimi delivered a poignant acceptance speech on behalf of Tobi Badmus, expressing deep gratitude for receiving the “Icon of Youth Inspiration” award. Mr. Badmus extended his heartfelt appreciation to AYAGG for recognizing his efforts and contributions.
In his speech, he imparted valuable advice to the youth:
I am deeply honored and humbled to be recognized as an ‘Icon of Youth Inspiration’ by the esteemed Arewa Youth Advocacy for Good Governance. This award serves as a testament to the power of dedication, perseverance, and unwavering belief in the potential of our youth. Today, I stand not only as an individual but as a representative of a generation that holds the power to shape our future.
To my fellow youth, I want to remind you that each of us possesses the ability to create positive change. Embrace your passions, pursue your dreams, and never underestimate the impact you can make. Success may not always come easily, but with determination, resilience, and a commitment to service, we can overcome any obstacle.
Let us unite in our pursuit of a better future—a future where peace, unity, and good governance prevail. Together, we can build a nation we are proud of, nurturing and empowering our youth. I encourage you all to seize opportunities, continue to learn and grow, and always remember the power that lies within you.
Once again, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to AYAGG for this esteemed recognition. Inspired by this honor, let us forge ahead and work together to create a brighter tomorrow for ourselves, our communities, and our beloved Nigeria. Thank you.”
Aliyu Muhammed(L), Foluseke Olujimi(M) and Abdulaziz Adamu ibrahim(R) posing for a picture after the award presentation
Tobi Badmus’ inspiring words resonated deeply with the audience, igniting a renewed sense of motivation and hope among the youth in attendance.
AYAGG, a prominent youth-led organization, remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting peace, unity, and combatting social vices in Nigeria. Through their diverse initiatives and collaborations, AYAGG empowers the youth, advocates for good governance, and contributes to the overall development of the nation.
Carol Monaghan, a member of the United Kingdom parliament, has expressed strong criticism of the UK’s new immigration policy, which prohibits international students (Nigerians) from bringing their families with them starting in 2024.
The decision, announced by the UK Home Office, also includes a restriction on foreign students switching from a student visa to a work visa until they have completed their studies. This policy has raised concerns among various stakeholders, including MPs and universities.
Monaghan, in her address at parliament, emphasized the significant contributions made by international students and their families to the UK economy.
She highlighted that in 2022 alone, these students added a substantial £40 billion to the country’s economy.
She stressed that international students bring valuable skills that are beneficial across various sectors, such as healthcare, STEM, and IT.
The MP questioned the potential negative consequences of this policy, particularly in exacerbating labor shortages in critical areas. She also called for an assessment of the economic impact on the university sector.
Monaghan further emphasized that many students who choose to study in the UK also seek to involve their families in their educational experience. Without the option to bring their families, it is anticipated that many students may opt to study elsewhere. Such a decline in international student numbers could further harm universities already facing financial difficulties.
The concerns expressed by Monaghan are echoed by UK universities. Universities UK International (UUK), an organization representing universities, has raised objections to the new immigration rules. They view the policy as a threat to the UK’s global success as a top destination for international talent.
Jamie Arrowsmith, the Director of UUK, emphasized the invaluable contribution of international students to UK universities and the country’s economy.
He highlighted the significant growth witnessed since 2019 and urged the government to consider its explicit commitments and ambitions outlined in the international education strategy.
The decision to ban families of Nigerian students, and its potential economic consequences, has sparked a larger conversation about the impact of immigration policies on the UK’s higher education sector and its reputation as a welcoming destination for international students.
Experts at Kaspersky recently analysed what digital superstitions Internet users believe in nowadays and investigated whether there are grounds for these beliefs.
According to the global Kaspersky Digital Superstitions survey, the most popular misbelief is that one should not pronounce “Yes” or “No” when speaking on the phone with strangers.
Allegedly, the conversation can be recorded and used to steal money from banking accounts: the majority of respondents surveyed from the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region (84%) agree with this. In fact, voice identification systems are used in some banks, but only as an additional authentication tool which is not enough for carrying out a transaction, in particular to withdraw or transfer money.
Another common misconception that 85% of respondents in the META region believe in is that the HTTPS protocol of a website guarantees its authenticity. While in fact, the HTTPS certificate means that personal data can’t be reached from outside of the website, however this data can still be stolen by the site itself if it is a phishing resource.
More than half (57%) of respondents believe that it’s possible to delete all information on a smartphone by rolling it back to factory settings. In reality, the data can often be recovered after a factory reset and formatting.
Specifics of the storage space on gadgets implies that the data is deleted only in case it’s overwritten, which is not happening during a reset.
About 57% of respondents from the META region think that if the device is not connected to the Internet, it is impossible to infect it with malware. In fact, it’s possible to infect a device even if it is not connected to the Internet, for example, using a flash drive or other removable media.
Four in five (82%) users think that the “Incognito” mode in the browser provides complete anonymity on the Internet. Though “Incognito” mode doesn’t guarantee absolute privacy. In this mode, the browser is not saving the history of visiting websites, cookies, download history and authorisation data which is not equal to complete anonymity.
“For over 25 years already we’ve been fighting not only various cyberthreats, but also digital superstitions. However, many of them are extremely durable. For example, it is interesting that more than a third of the users surveyed still believe that cactus plants absorb radiation from a monitor that may be harmful. That is why it is important to constantly improve digital literacy, as well as use reliable security solutions. There is nothing to be ashamed of not knowing something – and it is never too late to learn something new,”
– says Brandon Muller, technology expert and consultant for the MEA region at Kaspersky.
To protect against various cyberthreats, Kaspersky experts recommend following the below tips:
Pay attention to privacy settings in social networks and on popular platforms.
Use strong and unique passwords for all your accounts (at least 12 characters with letters in different case, numbers and special characters), store them in password managers.
In those services that allow it, set up two-factor authorisation.
Download applications only from official stores and periodically check which programs are installed on the device.
Do not follow suspicious links in mail, instant messengers or social networks (even if they were sent by friends).
Carefully check the name of the site in the address bar before entering your personal or payment data on it.
Do not believe the myths and constantly improve your digital literacy, and in order not to worry about the safety of your data, install a reliable security solution on all your gadgets, including mobile devices.
While the air transport recovery trajectory continuespost-COVID-19 and with the headwinds arising from other geopolitical-related developments, it is critical for the air transport ecosystem stakeholders put their weight behind concerted actions for air transport business to thrive and contribute to the continent’s sustainable rapid development.
It is timely to redefine the narrative of Africa’s air transport industry to that of interconnectedness, affordability, profitability, efficiency, and sustainability.
This was the impetus of the much-awaited Convention, held under the theme “Changing the African Aviation Narrative”.
The Convention was held at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 07 – 09 May 2023 under the patronage of the Government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and was graced by two Ethiopian Ministers – Nasise Chali, Ethiopia Minister of Tourism and Dr. Alemu Sime, Ethiopia Minister of Transport and Logistics- who was the Guest of Honor.
Speaking at the CConvention on the importance to change the future of our industry with transformative ideas and actions, Mr. Abdérahmane Berthé emphasized that African Airlines face many challenges that the industry needs to contemplate and find lasting solutions with serious consideration.
“Critical among the challenges facing our industry is sustainability. Only 10% of African citizens can afford air transport, meaning there is a huge room for growth. Reducing the cost of operation, cooperation among airlines, partnerships, and consolidation are part of AFRAA’s initiatives and advocacy to make air transport affordable for Africans,” he said.
The main objective of the Convention was to convene stakeholders to dialogue and deliberate on subject matters to pave the way for the air transport industry’s development and change the narrative of African Aviation.
This CConvention also aimed at establishing lasting interactions and partnerships among aviation players and airlines in the aviation value chain for win-win relationships that will benefit African aviation.
Event Highlights
A total of 31 African airlines attended the conference, out of which 14 were represented at the CEO level. Overall, the event was attended by 455 participants from 42 countries.
Aviation ecosystem stakeholders at the Convention deliberated on the following key subjects that were lined up in the programme:
The Pillars for African Aviation Sustainability
Roadmap to Fast-Track the Implementation of SAATM
Enhancing Cargo Operations, E-Commerce Networks, and Logistics
Keeping Track of Abuja Safety Targets for Africa
How to Remarket Aviation
Training the Next-Gen Aviation professionals for the Sustainability of Africa’s Air Transport Industry
Accelerating Intra-Africa Tourism for Sustainable Growth
Digitalization: Enhancing the Digital Customer Journey
i. Masterclasses
There were master classes where cutting-edge ideas, industry best practices, new opportunities, and practical solutions were presented and discussed. The following masterclasses took take place:
Class 1: The journey towards more efficient and sustainable flights by: SITA
Class 2: The Digital Twin by Star Navigation
Class 3: Showcase of AFRAA Data intelligence tool and AviAnalysis solution.
ii. Meeting of the Air Transport Sustainability Steering Committee
The Steering Committee of the Laboratory on Air Transport Sustainability in Africa held a meeting at the Convention to take stock of achievements made since 2022 and deliverables for 2023 and beyond.
The laboratory brings together air transport, trade, and tourism stakeholders under a roadmap structured into five projects for the sustainability of the industry, namely:
Project 4: Implementation of the Single Air Transport Market (SAATM)
Project 5: Partnerships – Airlines and Tourism Bodies to improve intra-African Tourism
In the discussions, stakeholders took note of the following achievements made under the roadmap of the laboratory outcomes, among others:
On the development of a new model of sharing critical infrastructure to reduce investment costs, a data gathering process has been launched in the field of technology used by Air Navigation Service providers (ANSPs), procurement, and investment practices. This will be used for comparison and best practices to guide all the ANSPs.
Regarding the FRA progress, two member airlines volunteered participation in a total of 5 city pairs in the FRA trials. FRA implementation on these routes is estimated to avoid burning 3,200 metric tons of fuel, emitting 10,100 metric tons of CO2, and yield savings of US$ 2,784,000 annually. The FRA trials are planned to start in 2023.
On SAATM, a total of 20 States have committed to the Pilot Implementation Programme (PIP) as of April 2023. For each of the States lined up for the PIP roadshows, States are being engaged to sign MoUs to carry out the gap analysis of the BASAs.
iii. CSR event for youth development in aviation
After the conclusion of the Convention, AFRAA, in collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines and Collins Aerospace, staged a 1-day youth event on 10 May 2023 as part of CSR activities aimed at empowering and motivating the next generation of aviators at the Ethiopian Aviation University.
The event was sponsored by Ethiopian Airlines and Collins Aerospace. A total of 130 high school students from 10 schools in Ethiopia benefited from the initiative, which is aimed at supporting youth development in aviation.
iv. Exhibition
A total of 21 aviation-related companies showcased their products and solutions through an exhibition at the Convention.
The current exhibitors include: ACI Africa, Aeroplay Entertainment Pte Ltd, African Airlines Association, African Civil Aviation Commission, ATNS, Aviators Africa, Boeing, Collins Aerospace, East African Aviation, EgyptAir Holding Company, Embraer, Ethiopia Ministry of Tourism, Ethiopian Airlines Group, Fokker Services Group, Lufthansa Systems, Rolls Royce, Silks of Sheba, SITA, South African Airways Technical, Star Navigation Systems Group, and Turkish Airlines Aviation Academy.
The Stakeholders Convention was sponsored by: Ethiopian Airlines, ASECNA, ATNS, Boeing, Collins Aerospace, Rolls Royce, and South Africa Tourism.
Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed has officially taken over as the Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
This follows his appointment by the Federal Government of Nigeria after the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past MD/CE, Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu on the 19th May, 2023.
At a brief handover ceremony held at the Authority’s headquarters in Abuja today, Tuesday, May 23, 2023, the new MD/CE commended Captain Yadudu for his immense innovative contributions and leadership to the aviation industry in Nigeria and beyond.
The MD/CE, until the new appointment was the Regional General Manager, North Central Airports, as well as the Chairman, Aviation Roadmap Implementation Committee.
Mr. Kabir Yusuf Muhammed, a seasoned administrator and an astute aviator with stints in both the public and private sectors brings to board his wealth of experience in aviation safety and security. He is expected to consolidate on the lofty achievements of the immediate past Managing Director/CE, Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu.
Mr. Kabir Mohammed is an alumnus of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the United States Government, and he holds a diploma in Airport Executive Leadership from ACI/Concordia University.
He is an International Airport Professional (IAP).
Prior to his appointment as the MD/CE, FAAN, he had served the organization in various capacities including; Special Assistant to the Managing Director, Head of Servicom, MAKIA, Kano, Chief Liaison Officer, FAAN Liaison Office, Abuja, Chief of Staff to the MD/CE, General Manager, Special Duties, and Regional General Manager, North Central/Airport Manager, Abuja Airport.
“While congratulating Mr. Kabir Mohammed, the newly appointed MD/CE and welcoming him as he takes the mantle of leadership, we thank Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu for his innovativeness and hard work while his tenure lasted. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours”, Faithful Hope-Ivbaze (Mrs.), the acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs.
…Turnkey package to accelerate organisations’ use of digital technology to enhance customer experience and productivity
BT this week announced a new era in its partnership with ServiceNow, the leading digital workflow company that makes the world work better for everyone, with plans to launch a turnkey, contact-centre-as-a-service (CCaaS) package integrating digital workflows, global communications and a cloud-hosted contact centre platform.
It is being developed in response to demand from customers to simplify and accelerate digitalisation of their contact centres and workflows.
Digitalisation, including the move of contact centre systems into the cloud, offers more flexible and responsive user experiences for both customers and agents.
It also helps reduce costs, boost productivity and enables new service innovations and compliance tools.
It will be delivered and managed by BT and ServiceNow to help customers create fully digital, comms-enabled workflows without having to engage multiple partners.
It combines ServiceNow’s powerful Now Platform capabilities with BT’s Global Voice network, integrated into a choice of tools, such as call recording, and a leading CCaaS platform.
The partners have already deployed this with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, with the support of the United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC).
They will now offer it to organisations around the world, including domestic business and public sector customers in the UK.
It marks the latest step in the BT and ServiceNow ongoing partnership. Announced in 2022, the collaboration will allow ServiceNow to partner with BT Group’s Digital unit to modernise service management Group-wide. This will help BT Group create an AI-powered, self-healing digital infrastructure for its business operations.
“Integrating comms into the workflow and case management simplifies compliance processes, makes colleagues more efficient and gives a better experience to everyone,” said Andrew Small, director of voice and digital work, Business, BT. “Our new package in partnership with ServiceNow will create a compelling pathway for customers looking to move to the cloud and achieve all the benefits digital transformation has to offer.”
Chris Bedi, chief digital information officer, ServiceNow, added:
“Customers are increasingly looking for turnkey options to remove complexity from cloud migration and workflows. The combination of our cloud‑based platform, with BT’s global network and communication expertise, will offer customers a unique opportunity to digitise and unify their organisations to be smarter and faster.”
Before being wooed by features and stickers, get to grips with whether the foundation will keep the house standing, writes Andrew King, Head of Division: Voice and Visual Comms and Natalie van der Merwe, Head of Product: Telephony at Vox
While energy security is a hot topic around the world, South Africa is in the unenviable position of having endured power cuts every single day so far in 2023.
No one needs to go into exactly what this means for the economy at large, but one thing it most certainly does is force businesses to look into the most effective ways to ensure business continuity, not least in communications – both internally and externally.
Business communications are far too big a consideration to leave to chance, and it is with this in mind that the unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) solutions are increasingly in business C-suite plans, with voice, or more specifically voice over internet protocol (VoIP) front and centre.
After all, who wouldn’t want to be protected from the legacy of copper and the unreliability of physical infrastructure such as power? And so, it is no surprise that VoIP providers, specifically, and UC&C providers more broadly, wish to position themselves uniquely in a market desperate for communications reliability.
Andrew King, Head of Division Voice and Visual Comms, Vox
However, it is vital for businesses to understand the fundamentals of how to measure and assess voice, and UC&C, solutions. It’s not uncommon to find checklists that speak to features as people try and figure out how and where they should be investing.
These features include things such as: cloud-based, affordable, flexible and scalable. This is all good and well, but choosing the right provider or solution needs to consider things that are far more fundamental.
Look for partners not providers
As mentioned, business communication is far too important and crucial to be reduced to a transactional supplier-customer relationship.
The very nature of communications is that it is ongoing, and businesses should seek out partners who are prepared to walk the long-term journey and create continuous value.
This includes things such as ongoing fraud monitoring, highly specialised local R&D teams, and 24/7, 365 monitoring of the provider’s infrastructure, including all points of interconnect and long-distance backhaul between them for failover and redundancy.
It is important for customers to know that their VOIP partner’s network is certified by the respective OEM products that they offer, for example 3CX and Operator Connect. In our case, this involves rigorous testing with each partner to ensure compatibility of our network with their platforms to deliver a seamless service that is guaranteed to work. It also means the customer is guaranteed support.
Network quality, resilience and transparency are non-negotiable
It doesn’t matter which feature you stick on, what colour you make the box, or how you position a product, it means little if the network across which the VoIP traffic will travel is not of consistently high quality.
It is a foundation, a non-negotiable requirement. Unless the partner owns and controls its own network it simply cannot be in control of every element of the network and ensure end-to-end redundancy.
If users are on a call – voice or video – and something goes down along any point of the infrastructure network, users must be oblivious. In other words, they should not even notice that anything occurred – be sure to include this on any checklist. What’s the alternative? It’s a bit like going to an ice cream parlour and being served milkshakes because the fridges couldn’t stay cold.
Natalie van der Merwe, Head of Product Telephony at Vox
VoIP call quality is measured by means of a MOS rating (Mean Opinion Score).MOS testing for VoIP networks is defined in the ITU-T PESQ P.862 standard. A MOS rating measures call quality on a 1-5 exponential rating, with 0 being unintelligible voice and 5 being excellent voice quality.
Vox’s MOS score is an impressive 4.2, for example. When shopping around, request this information. This is where transparency goes a long way towards building trust, which in turn, is a key component of building partnerships as opposed to transactional relationships.
Taking the transparency and quality theme further, businesses must ask about codec practices. The maximum MOS rating for a G.711 VoIP call is 4.4/5.
The G.711 codec – used to convert speech to digital packets for transmission over Internet Protocol [IP] networks and decode the packets into intelligible speech on the other end of the call – is an uncompressed codec that provides the best possible call quality.
Vox’s VoIP network uses the G.711 codec. Make sure to ask this question of all providers, because if a business uses an operator that runs on a G.729 codec – a highly compressed codec- then the voice quality is going to suffer from the outset.
You will also typically find that the provider is compressing their voice packets to utilise less bandwidth on their network. And so when businesses ask the right questions and work through their checklist, they must understand that a network that hasn’t been designed with enough bandwidth or capacity to deliver a reliable, uncongested service to multiple customers, necessitates using compressed codec.
Something everyone reading this will have experienced at some point in their lives is latency, jitter and packet loss. Latency is the delay between when data is sent and received and is mainly caused by too little bandwidth or too many hops between networks. Jitter, simply, is the variation in latency and packet loss is the dropping of data packets when network congestion occurs.
Why does this matter? Latency causes noticeable delays and lags in a conversation, jitter results in uneven speech and delays and packet loss is where bits of speech become garbled or disappear. Hardly the kind of thing a business would want when communicating with customers or when teams are collaborating on important tasks.
As a business, it is your right to know what a provider has done to mitigate these problems, such as: does it own and manage its own tier-one network?
Latency, jitter and packet loss will impact the MOS rating of a communication provider’s network. Ask them for proof of their average MOS score and which codec they run their voice network on as standard before you commit your money and your customer’s perception of your business to any contract term.
Lean on the global giants while looking for local innovation
We all experienced how Microsoft Teams evolved during the pandemic. The innovation curve of global giants with large R&D teams is a sight to behold.
Whether it is a platform like 3CX or Microsoft Operator Connect, these tried and trusted global businesses are at the bleeding edge of communications technology, while providing the peace of mind that they will still be here tomorrow, next week, and next decade.
Look for solutions that don’t rely on small local teams for their very existence, but are provided by partners who instead deploy their dedicated, certified local teams to innovate and advise on how to leverage these global solutions best in the uniquely South African context. That’s the golden ticket to a win-win scenario.
In summary, before looking at generic terms such as fibre-powered, cloud-based, cost-effective and scalable, peer through the windows of the house, analyse the walls, and ask to see the foundations – that’s the checklist that will bring you closer to choosing a UC&C partner that can deliver the best voice and communication service for your specific business needs.
Telecommunication companies have transformed the way we connect with people around the globe. But what does it take for telcos to deliver innovative solutions that will meet the ever-changing needs of customers? How far will operators go before the world feels the environmental reverberations of their tech developments?
The ecological impact and costs of technological advancements made by the telco industry might be more sinister than we think.
Impact on environment
As the world emerges from the aftermath of Covid-19, the unprecedented demand for digital communications has compelled telco infrastructures into greater energy consumption.
According to GSMA Intelligence, energy consumption accounted for 15 – 40 percent of telcos operating expenditure in 2021. And with global data traffic expected to grow around 60 percent per year, the industry’s share will grow further unless investments in energy efficiencies can offset the effect.
Telco operators are significant contributors to both carbon emissions and waste. The energy-hungry infrastructure adopted by telcos required to cope with skyrocketing data traffic and the energy exigencies of broadband customers’ routers account for a majority of telcos’ carbon emissions.
Apart from carbon emissions, digital waste is also a primary cause for a telco’s sizeable environmental footprint. A United Nations University study shows that Asia generated 24.9 million tons of e-waste in 2019, or 5.6 kg per capita, of which only 11.7% was documented to be collected and properly recycled.
About 80% of e-waste is discarded in landfills, burnt or illegally traded every year, according to Global E-waste Monitor.
Implementing sustainable practices into business decision-making
To limit the repercussions of their energy usage, telcos need to go above and beyond current capabilities to implement effective initiatives that will help them limit their environmental impact.
Remote equipment monitoring and diagnostics enabled by telco services can help businesses maintain their hardware more efficiently while reducing emissions.
By increasing the quality of these electronic devices, the amount of e-waste generated will also be reduced.
Incorporating digital carbon calculators into devices will help to measure, monitor and reduce power and carbon emissions across customers’ IT networks.
These carbon calculators can scan the customer’s network inventory to estimate its carbon footprint and tracks its responses to changes and upgrades over time. It includes lifecycle management, highlighting devices at the end of service to prioritise for replacement. Customers can also choose to use the calculator by uploading an inventory of their network equipment for analysis.
Digital twin technology can be used to test changes to a sample resources’ configuration, behaviour, and use in business processes in ways that are less destructive than their real-life physical equivalent. This concept can help to increase climate resilience, reduce emission intensity and improve efficiencies in IT networks. Such an optimisation enables enterprises to improve innovation and performance, particularly when it comes to monitoring and identifying ways to become more efficient, prevent downtimes and plan for future events.
Telcos need to educate other organisations on the consequences of inappropriate disposal of e-waste. Telcos can develop specialised programmes tailored to guide business customers towards repurposing old electronic equipment and recycling e-waste to leave minimal damage on the environment.
Telco operators should also consider pursuing opportunities to help other industries become more energy efficient. By offering solutions that can replacing high carbon physical products and activities with virtual low carbon equivalents, telcos can collaborate with other businesses to help customers and partners curb emissions and save energy.
Developing smart products and solutions can help other industries reduce their carbon emissions by an amount up to 10 times the telco industry’s own emissions.
Telcos can research the potential for tech to enable a lower carbon economy and scale up solutions to encourage businesses customers transition to net zero.
Sustainability at the forefront of the telco agenda
Tech corporations are taking charge of a digitally transformed generation by streamlining workflow processes, improving efficiency levels and changing the way we build relationships with people.
While such developments herald in an exciting digital era for the world, telcos and other high energy consumption organisations must find ways to harness the benefits of technology without harming the environment.
In launching company manifestos, telcos can track goals towards accelerating responsible, inclusive and sustainable growth. Such a commitment towards energy efficient and low emission practices sets the stage for telcos to contribute towards a future that is more climate resilient. Telco operators need to build their business decisions around the sustainability narrative – not only to reduce their environmental ramifications, but to enable their customers to better manage their ecological footprint as well.
Rodney Kinchington is the Regional Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (AMEA)
According to a report, foreign airlines operating in Nigeria generated approximately $1.1 billion in revenue in 2022, despite facing foreign exchange challenges.
The Chairman of the Airlines and Passengers Joint Committee of the International Air Transport Association, Bankole Bernard, stated that the demand for travel within Nigeria is high, indicating that the revenue from foreign airlines is expected to continue thriving, Punch reported.
He expressed confidence that the figures would remain steady in the near future.
However, there have been issues with trapped funds for foreign airlines in Nigeria. The Senate passed a resolution calling on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to release $717,478,606 of airline funds that were stuck in the country.
The Senate also urged the CBN to allocate $25 million to airlines operating in Nigeria at its fortnightly dollar auction.
Bankole Bernard commented that the Senate may not be able to intervene effectively, as the CBN has shown disregard for the law by only complying with a court order to release old notes.
Regarding the possibility of airlines withdrawing their services due to trapped funds, Bernard stated that it is unlikely because they did not acquire the aircraft to keep them parked.
However, he acknowledged that foreign airlines still face challenges and may consider redirecting their aircraft to more lucrative markets if available.
The spokesperson for foreign airlines in Nigeria, Kingsley Nwokoma, emphasized that the repatriation of funds has been a longstanding issue for foreign airlines.
The inability to access the funds has impacted their operations, profitability, and willingness to continue operating in Nigeria.
Nwokoma warned that if the Nigerian government does not take immediate action to repatriate the funds, more airlines may leave the country.
He mentioned that several airlines have either ceased operations or reduced flight frequencies due to this issue.
Nwokoma expressed skepticism about the CBN’s immediate disbursement of the funds following the Senate’s order.
He believed that there needs to be a willingness from the government to ensure that the funds are repatriated according to the BASA (Bilateral Air Services Agreement) regulations.
He also suggested that if any disbursement had been initiated, the airlines would have made a public statement regarding it
In a significant development, the United Kingdom has implemented a new law that will restrict Nigerian students and other international students studying in the UK from bringing their family as dependents, except in “specific circumstances.”
This move comes as the UK government aims to reduce immigration numbers, which currently stand at approximately one million, according to Sky News.
Under the new rule, international students will no longer have the option to switch from the student route to work routes before completing their studies, in order to prevent misuse of the visa system.
Additionally, there will be a comprehensive review of the maintenance requirement for students and their dependents, as well as a crackdown on “unscrupulous” education agents who exploit immigration opportunities rather than focusing on education, as reported by Sky News.
These changes will come into effect in January 2024, allowing students who are starting their courses in the UK sufficient time to plan and adjust to the new regulations.
In a written ministerial statement released on Tuesday and obtained by Sky News, Home Secretary Suella Braverman highlighted the unexpected increase in the number of dependents accompanying international students, as revealed by recent immigration figures
Having raised $77.8 million in a pre-Series C round which takes its total investment raised so far to over $260 million, TymeBank, a South African digital banking firm, is set to strengthen and expand current reach.
Led by Norrsken22, an African-focused growth stage fund and Blue Earth Capital, a Swiss global impact investment firm, TymeBank will now broaden its South Africa and Philippines operations, while stepping into Southeast Asia.
Other investors backing TymeBank include Tencent, who is now the firm’s third-largest shareholder, African Rainbow Capital (ARC), British International Investment (BII), Apis Growth Fund II, JG Summit Holdings (JG Summit), African Fig Tree (AFT), and the Ethos AI Fund.
An arm of Tyme Group, headquartered in Singapore, TymeBank was launched in 2019 by Founder Coen Jocker. TymeBank embraces a unique banking approach that combines the benefits of both digital and physical services. It provides customers with a transactional bank account that incurs minimal or zero monthly fees, along with an appealing savings product.
The majority of its customer base is acquired through physical locations, which include renowned national retailers such as Pick n Pay and Boxer, as well as the esteemed fashion retailer, The Foschini Group (TFG), and the influential Zion Christian Church, one of South Africa’s largest religious institutions. However, TymeBank has also experienced a substantial influx of customers who have opened accounts online, reflecting a growing trend toward electronic transfers over traditional cash deposits.
TymeBank is making significant strides in its operations, demonstrating impressive growth across South Africa and the Philippines. With a remarkable influx of 300,000 new customers each month, the company is achieving a revenue run rate surpassing $100 million annually.
This exponential rise in customer numbers serves as a testament to TymeBank’s ability to effectively address consumers’ needs. Initially emerging as a disruptor in the banking industry, the company has now solidified its position as a reliable and viable alternative to traditional banks in the country.
TymeBank’s global presence extends beyond its core operations. It maintains a product development and engineering hub in Vietnam, where innovative solutions are crafted. Additionally, its headquarters in Singapore oversees strategic initiatives, business development, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) functions, further cementing its commitment to driving growth and leveraging cutting-edge technologies in the financial sector.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has categorically refuted the rumors circulating about a $100 increase in hajj fare.
In a statement issued by Mousa Ubandawaki, the Deputy Director of Information & Publications at NAHCON, the commission emphasized its commitment to ensuring a seamless airlift of pilgrims and providing them with excellent services throughout the Hajj process.
Ubandawaki clarified that the ongoing crisis in Sudan, which led to the closure of its airspace due to security concerns, has affected all Hajj airlift flights.
As a result, alternative routes with longer flight durations, ranging from 1 hour 40 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the departure points in Nigeria, had to be taken.
He explained, “These alternate routes require the carriers to fly through the airspace of Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, incurring additional costs for aviation fuel and over-flight charges.”
The commission thoroughly assessed various options to fund the additional $250 dollars for the airlines, engaging in multiple processes and meetings with the airlines, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, in order to find a prompt solution to the challenges.
In an effort to mitigate the impact of the additional airfare on pilgrims, NAHCON decided to appeal to the Federal Government to waive the remaining 35% of aviation charges for the airlines. This would result in a reduction of $55 from the negotiated $250 addition.
Ubandawaki stated, “The remaining liability of $195 will be shared among the 75,000 pilgrims, amounting to approximately $117 per pilgrim.
To offset this amount without imposing further financial burden on the pilgrims, NAHCON has decided to reduce the Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA) for 2023 Hajj Pilgrims to $700, compared to the originally paid amount of $800 included in the Hajj package.”
Regarding the remaining $17, NAHCON has also requested the understanding of the air carriers to offer that amount as an additional discount to the pilgrims, who are also affected by the closure of Sudan’s airspace.
Ubandawaki further clarified, “If the Sudanese airspace is cleared for normal flights either before the commencement of the airlift or at any point during the operation, appropriate refunds will be issued to the pilgrims.”
He emphasized that the trending news reports are misrepresenting the facts, stating that NAHCON will never engage in any practices that exploit the pilgrims.
The commission remains committed to supporting the media and pilgrims by providing accurate information and maximum cooperation.
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