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WEEKLY PUBLICATION DEADLINE: 12 pm GMT Sunday. ISSUE NO 287 Apple makes a comeback in Africa with the halo effect of the iPodAlthough Apple is an established niche brand of computers in the developed world, it has been almost invisible in Africa. Now you can spot Apple laptops in the hands of a number of ISP "movers and shakers" and of course the ubiquitous iPod has done much to raise the brand's profile. One sign of this growing presence has been the opening of an Apple Centre in Morocco's capital Rabat recently. This week Isabelle Gross talks to Apple's main African distributor, Jihad Bou Samra of Micro Conseil International. With more than 20 million units sold worldwide in 2005, the iPod symbolises Apple's ability to recast itself. Few companies have been so successful at turning their businesses around through a single successful new product offering. About 40% of Apple's net sales in 2005 originated from the sale of iPods and other music related products and services. This represents around $5.5 billion, and there is no sign of demand abating. Although the company recognises that competition will intensify in the future as hardware, software and content providers increasingly work together to offer competing products, so far Apple has maintained its competitive advantage by more effectively integrating an entire solution including the iPod hardware, the iTunes software, and the distribution of third-party content via its iTunes music stores. So far this business strategy has paid off, and enabled the company to capitalise on the convergence of digital consumer electronics and the computer. So, how does the company perform on the computer side, its core business? According to Jihad Bou Samra, Head of Sales at Micro Conseil International, the Independent Marketing company in charge of distributing Apple products and services in emerging markets, sales of Apple desktops and laptops have increased by around 30 to 50% in the last two years. He further explains that the increase of computer sales is linked to the success of the iPod which has generated a renewal of interest of customers towards all Apple/Mac products, and in particular, its computer range. This “halo effect”, as he calls it, has attracted new customers which are primarily looking for stability and quality. The “switchers” as he labelled them are customers that no longer wish to have to deal with viruses and bugs designed to cripple Microsoft-based systems. Besides reliability, Apple’s computer range has always relied on innovative designs aimed at appealing to creative professional customers and the education sector alike. It is probably for this reason that the Apple stand attracted so much interest at the recent World Summit for the Information Society in Tunis. As Jihad Bou Samra explained, customers were interested by the design peripherals like the mouse, but were also seduced by the quality of the iMac’s screen. The magnetic quality of Apple's designs also provides the perfect opportunity to introduce potential customers to the company’s wide range of creative and educational software, comprising desktop publishing, video editing, wireless networking and student information system software. Despite the obvious allure of Apple's quality and design, one of the main criticisms levelled at the company’s products has always been price. In this area too, explained Jihad Bou Samra, the firm has taken steps to be more competitive, and current Apple computer prices are now in line with those of mainstream manufacturers. If one compares equipment with similar characteristics from Apple and Dell for instance, the former is no longer so much pricier than the latter. The firm is also diversifying its product range to target the low end of the computer market. In January 2005 it introduced the Mac mini, a desktop personal computer with a starting price of $499, and in July it went on to update its Mac mini line-up by expanding it to three models and by increasing the memory to 512 MB. The Mac mini had a very positive impact on the market, explained Jihad Bou Samra, and as the eMac is exclusively sold to schools, the Mac mini has become the entry-level computer in the Apple computer range. To maintain this double-digit growth in Africa, Apple relies on two independent marketing companies to shift its hardware and software, dividing the Continent between them. Micro Conseil International distributes Apple in North Africa, West Africa and some East African countries, while South Africa and the neighbouring countries like Namibia and Malawi for example are covered by CORE, a company based in South Africa. In each country, selected local resellers ensure the availability of Apple products and services. The size and the number of distribution channels vary according to the size of the market in question. According to Jihad Bou Samra, finding the right distribution channel is not always easy, and also takes time. An Apple-appointed reseller in Africa has roughly the same obligations as a similar firm in Europe. The agent needs a team well-trained in Apple solutions, so as to ensure accurate advice and high quality customer support. The retailing of Apple products and services also requires specific IT knowledge, and a certain level of marketing input is also needed to promote the hardware and software. On the other hand, Apple provides the marketing material and training support via its website and corporate training program and has a hotline dedicated to resellers. For the moment, Apple’s African network appears relatively sparse when seen in the light of its retail strategy of rolling out stores across the USA and some European countries. But this is perhaps only to be expected, given that in 2005 supplies in its home country still accounted for 60% of its total net sales. It is still questionable whether Apple’s flexible distribution structure and attractive product range will be sufficient to compete with Microsoft's efforts to push its products on the African market (the translation of its operating system into Swahili is one of many examples of Microsoft’s initiatives on the Continent). A new Apple product with a “halo effect” as great as the iPod’s would undoubtedly be welcome bonus in the next few years.
TANZANIA'S TTCL AND ZANTEL TO ADOPT NEW CDMATanzania Telecommunications Company Ltd (TTCL) and Zanzibar Telecommunications Ltd (Zantel) will soon start using CDMA. According to TTCL's Communications Manager Issa Semtawa, it will start using CDMA from April, a move he says will help expand his firm's customer base. He said last week that the new technology would give Dar es Salaam's suburbs a better quality service. Chinese firm is the main contractor for the project. Pilot projects in the use of CDMA have been successful in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Zanzibar. Zantel marketing manager George Chimalilo said CDMA would be used in the fixed line, data and Internet services. Cellular network providers in Tanzania have limits in some areas and need booster stations. (SOURCE: The East African) NITEL/ORASCOM DEAL NOT YET CONCLUDED, SAYS NCP'S EL-RUFAIChairman of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), and member, National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, said last week that the negotiations for the sale of NITEL to Orascom were inconclusive "because the company offered far below the reserved price." Last week, Orascom Telecom Holding SAE was declared winner in the bid for Federal Government's 51 per cent shareholding in Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) with a price of US$256.53 million. But el-Rufai in an interview with THISDAY last week explained that as a member of the NCP and as the former Director General of the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE), he was satisfied with the bidding process, even though Orascom's offer was below the reserved price.He, however, added that the NCP could still cancel the transaction if the government felt that Orascom was not averse to a renegotiation of the sale price to meet up with the reserved price. In his words, "I think that the process went very well. I think NITEL should be sold. The price is a little disappointing, but that is a matter for negotiation and I think there is room for negotiations." Newtel Consortium, which was the only other contender in the attempt to sell off NITEL, had made a dramatic pull-out after the first round of bidding. The consortium had in the first round bided US$154.961 million for the national carrier, which was higher than the price of ORASCOM Telecom at $127.5 million. Those in the race initially included MTN Group Ltd; Newtel International Ltd; Telkom SA Ltd; Orascom Telecom Holding; Celtel International BV and; Jazuc Group/Huawei Technologies. (SOURCE: This Day) SOMALI PHONE FIRMS REJECT US COMPANY'S GATEWAY OFFERA storm is brewing among mobile telephone operators in Somaliland after the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications entered into a deal with an American firm to install a gateway system. The business community is opposed to a move by the government to have them interconnect through a gateway system that has been installed at the Ministry of Telecommunications in the capital, Hargeisa. A US-based company, Transcom Digital Inc (TDI), registered in Virginia as a global or limited resale service, is behind the installation of the controversial gateway system. According to records seen by to The Standard in Hargeisa, under the five-year agreement signed with TDI, the Somaliland government will receive capacity-building assistance that includes technical skills and management training. The central exchange system that is a complete package of hardware, software services and solutions, has been provided at a cost of US$3 million including costs of staff training and management support of the Telecommunication ministry. Under the arrangement, TDI will recoup its capital investment from accruing profits. Technically, the deal allows TDI to become the sole international provider of telecommunication traffic, a highly lucrative business. But the deal with the American firm has elicited sharp reactions from phone operators who have dismissed it as a disguised attempt to undermine telecom business owned by Somaliland nationals. They have even questioned the credibility of TDI to be trusted and asked why the concerned ministry did not invite bids from other interested parties. However, the Telcoms minister, Hassan Khayre, dismissed the claims. "In the last eight years we have been asking local operators to interconnect but they have refused. In any case we couldn't invited bidders since we did not have the required money in the first place," he said. Khayre said the quality of telecom services would substantially improve, as congestion will be resolved through interconnection link in the gateway system. He also predicted a large expansion to rural Somaliland. "With the lack of inter-connectivity, it is expensive for locals to engage in telecom business, but once the gateway becomes operational, you won't need a huge start-up capital for renting satellite service, setting up towers, etc as all these will be provided by the gateway." (SOURCE: The East African Standard) SOUTH AFRICA: MERILL LYNCH SAYS SNO NEEDS R9BN TO SET UPThe second national telephone operator licensed earlier this month requires a capital investment of about R9bn ahead of its commercial launch due in the third quarter of next year, says a recent study by investment bank Merrill Lynch. Although details of the funding are still being discussed, the second operator's 26% strategic equity partner, Tata Holdings, has committed R1,5bn to the project while parastatals Eskom Telecommunications and Transtel, which own 15% each in the second operator, have already spent R2bn between them on network capital expenditure. This means that (on the basis of the Merill Lynch calculations) black economic empowerment firm Nexus, which at 19% holds the second-biggest stake in the second operator, would have to fund all or part of the remaining R5,5bn. The Merrill Lynch study says the completion of technical work, implementation and integration of network, negotiation agreements and the finalisation of funding were expected to take about six months to complete. The second operator's steering committee chairman, Karl Socikwa, said the company would gradually build its own backbone infrastructure to enable it to compete directly with Telkom and to offer services at reduced prices. The second operator will roam on Telkom's network for a period of two years after its launch.Telkom will also have monopoly of the local loop for at least two more years after the launch of the second operator. A company that owns or controls the local loop can charge others for access to its network. But whereas Telkom's operating licence requires it to provide a service to "every person in SA who requests it", the second operator is obliged only to make services available to the 14 network service areas. These are the municipalities of Johannesburg, Tshwane, Mangaung, Cape Town, Mogale City, Ethekwini, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan, Buffalo City, Mafikeng, Mbombela, Polokwane, Sol Plaatjie, Msunduzi, and Ekurhuleni. Merrill Lynch forecasts that due to the delays in the launch of the second operator it would take only 2,5% of Telkom's market share by 2007. This was down from the bank's initial estimate of 4%. Telkom had projected that it might lose 10%-15% of its market share to the second operator in the next five years. (SOURCE: Business Day) UGANDA: WORKS MINISTRY, MTN SIGN US$6M UNIVERSAL ACCESS DEALThe Government and the MTN have signed a $6m (about sh10.8b) agreement to connect information and communications technologies (ICTs) in 154 sub-counties. Works minister John Nasasira, MTN CEO Noel Meier and the UCC's chairman, Abel Katahoire, inked the deal last week. According to the agreement, MTN will implement the universal access telephony project in 44 under-served districts in eastern and northeastern where 390 public pay phones would be deployed. "The second universal access area will comprise of 50 under-served sub-counties. These will get 521 public pay phones in the central region and central north while the third access will cover 60 under-served sub-counties in the west and west-north that will have 618 public access phones," said Katahoire.MTN will only handle the first and third areas. The second region would be re-advertised, Katahoire said. (SOURCE: New Vision) LIBERIA - MINISTRY INVESTIGATES ILLEGAL GSM SERVICEThe Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Lenn Eugene Nagbe has disclosed that the Government through his Ministry has begun an investigation into an illegal GSM operation in the country. Minister Nagbe said the investigation was prompted by complaints from other GSM companies in the country. At present, the four legally registered GSM companies operating in the country include LoneStar Communication, Cellcom, Liber Cell and Comium. He did not say, which of the entities is being investigated, but added, "this is a technical matter and we have to use Spectrum Analysis Equipment to conduct the investigation." Minister Nagbe said following the probe, his Ministry would submit the report to NTGL Chairman, Gyude Bryant for action. He did not say what the penalty of such illegal operation would be.Minister Nagbe pointed out that the investigation is being conducted by technicians from the Post and Telecom Ministry along with colleagues at the dormant Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LTC). Although the Postal Affairs boss did not name the suspected entity, a credible source has hinted The NEWS that a major international organization (name withheld) is linked to the act. According to our source, several months ago, the former head of this body made an inquiry to the Ministry about the possible use of a GSM service. "I can't tell you what the Ministry's response was at the time." (SOURCE: The News) KENYA - CELTEL LAYS OFF STAFF AS BONDS START TRADINGCeltel Kenya's US$60 million) bond started trading at the Nairobi Stock Exchange last Thursday, just a day after the mobile telephone operator announced plans to lay off 72 employees in what it said was "part of the efforts to reposition the company for future growth." The company chief executive officer Gerhard May, said the restructuring was in line with the firm's push to accelerate the pace of transformation into a leading cellular mobile phone operator. The firm has a workforce of 613 people. (SOURCE: The East African) AIRTEL SEYCHELLES INVESTS US$8.5M IN WCDMAAirtel Seychelles says that it will shortly launch WCDMA mobile services in the country. Telecom Seychelles, which has been providing mobile and basic telephone services in Seychelles for the last 7 years under the Airtel brand, will invest US$8.5 million Seychelles Rupees for rolling out the services. Besides the upgrade Airtel is adding new Base Stations to expand its coverage to more islands. According to Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman & Group Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises, "This is a major landmark for us and underlines our commitment to provide the latest technology and world-class services to our customers. It also highlights that when it comes to technology, we are up there with the best in the world." Telecom Seychelles is promoted by Bharti Global, and Emtel, a GSM operator in Mauritius. MTML SOFT-LAUNCHES MOBILE NETWORK AND LONG-DISTANCE SERVICESMahanagar Telephone (Mauritius) (MTML), a wholly owned subsidiary of Indian telecoms group MTNL, has successfully soft-launched a mobile network and international long-distance services in Mauritius, with its parent saying the unit is already generating INR4 million (USD89,000) a month from its ILD operations. The newcomer plans to launch commercial fixed line and cellular (pre-paid and contract) services from March 2006, but says its initial soft launch has already garnered a lot of interest, particularly for its ILD offering which is provided via an agreement with Tatas-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL). MTML was licensed in January 2005 and soon after announced plans to launch a CDMA-based nationwide network using dual-mode GSM/CDMA handsets in order to roam over its rivals' GSM infrastructure. It aims for between 50,000 and 100,000 subscribers by 2008 and is rolling out a network with 55 base stations in two phases; work on stage one (28 base stations) is already well under way. Its parent says it is investing USD25 million to get its fixed and mobile operations off the ground. IN BRIEF- Kenya Telkom's fibre optic link from Nairobi to Mombasa is expected to be commissioned by March this year. - What appears to be another setback for hundreds of employees of the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation is said to be unfolding as reports emanating from the Corporation have it that the Ministry of Finance is yet to release the US$48,000 earmarked to pay them. Last week, angry LTC employees stormed the Corporation's compound on Lynch Street in demand of their salary. They accused the Management of doing nothing to get their checks from the Ministry of Finance for the season. - After its success in the East African market, leading South African payphone maker Psitek Ltd is headed for Ethiopia and Sudan. Psitek will start operating in the two countries by June next year. All the company is waiting for is clearance by telecommunications regulators in the two countries who must certify that our phones are up to standard. TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE- Liberia's COMIUM mobile phone company has once again reduced its rates. COMIUM announced to its prepaid customers the new reduced rates as of January 6, 2006. COMIUM subscribers calling other COMIUM subscribers will pay US 10 cents; 27 cents to COMIUM in Sierra Leone, and 40 cents elsewhere in the world. - Nigeria's Multi-Links Limited, a national fixed wireless operator, has announced the launch of various value added services and call management services for its subscribers. The new collection of services is tagged "options". The Executive Director of the company, Chief Ezekiel Fatoye, said "Now our subscribers can SMS other Multi-Links phones for just N5.00 per message. Moreover, the subscriber can send SMS internationally to subscribers on 349 networks in nearly 150 countries all over the world for just N15 per message. In addition, he can also send e-mails from his phone for just N20 per e-mail and receive e-mail messages on his handset for free." - Four out of 100 Ugandans own phones, MTN's chief executive officer Noel Meier has said. "A few years ago, the telephone was for the privileged few with teledensity at 0.2%," Meier said. - Ghana Telecom's Onetouch GSM mobile network has again recently extended its GSM coverage and is now available in the following towns: Donkorkrom, Apeabra, Sewua, Adeambra, Agotime, Aboase. With new base stations being built across Ghana, Onetouch GSM reaching more places and has extended coverage to over 250 cities, towns and villages in Ghana. - South African mobile phone company Vodacom says it finished 2005 with 17.5 million mobile subscribers, having signed up a record number of users in December. ‘We signed up just under 1.1 million subscribers in December - a new record in a month since Vodacom was formed,’ a spokesman for the firm told Reuters; the previous record was 750,000 achieved in September.
CAMEROON - DOUALA TO GET INTERNET SERVICES WITH WI-FI LAMPPOSTSA Singapore company has devised a way to provide Internet services through lampposts, the company said Wednesday. The company, Nex-G Systems, was originally hired to provide streetlights for the largest city in Cameroon. When the lights go on, the company will also be providing technology to connect people to the Internet, said chief executive officer Ronnie Persad, a 55-year-old Singapore-based Briton. The company won a US$29 million deal earlier this month to provide "smart" solar powered lampposts to Cameroon. "Initially, the idea was to install street lamps that could be remotely controlled from a central point," Persad said. "We thought, why not put in telecoms infrastructure as well so people can go online and make telephone calls too," The Straits Times quoted him as saying. The company plans to install WiFi, a short-range wireless technology, on about 4,000 lamps in Douala, providing Internet access even to some of the city's remote areas. The project will bring the Internet to sparsely populated places where it is not profitable for telecommunications operators to lay telephone cables, Persad told the newspaper. (SOURCE: http://www.netindia123.com) IMPLEMENT PRESIDENT OBASANJO'S DIRECTIVE ON IXP IN NIGERIA, SAYS SENATORWorried by Nigeria's continued dependence on other countries for its Internet traffic, Senator Chris Adighije has called on Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to implement President Olusegun Obasanjo's directive for the operation of an Internet exchange point in the country. Adighije stressed that a quick compliance with the presidential directive would give the country a befitting security cover in cyberspace. According to him, "the Internet is increasingly becoming a way of life for Nigeria and its citizens. Its applications to leisure, business and politics are increasingly obvious to us all and hence all hands must be on deck to ensure that Nigeria gets maximum benefit from the system. "I, however, note the country's disadvantaged standing in the cyber world with the absence of an Internet exchange point in the country. It is becoming ridiculous that all Internet traffic emanating from Nigeria to within Nigeria even within one office building must have to go through London. "It is on this basis that I commend the presidential directive to the NCC on the need to establish an Internet exchange point in the country. Establishing an Internet exchange point in the country would confer improved confidentiality to communication by businesses and indeed information traffic by Nigeria's security agencies". President Obasanjo had in Tunis, Tunisia during the World Summit on the Information Society, directed the NCC and other telecommunication industry stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria gets its own Internet exchange point. Currently, Internet communication within and outside the country is channelled through the London Internet Exchange (LINX), though an attempt by the NCC through a licence to Interstellar Communications Limited to operate Internet exchange points has not been worked out because of disagreements. (SOURCE: The Guardian) SOUTH AFRICA - TIFF OVER DATING WEB SITES LEADS TO BITTER CLAIMSA new player in the online dating industry has denied allegations that it is sending fake replies to lonely hearts to woo them into paying a subscription fee. Suspicion that the website Two2Meet was misleading potential customers began when internet researcher Ramon Thomas posted a very scanty description of himself on the website. Over the next three days he received three e-mails from a woman called "Febe", who claimed: "I did my perfect match search and you were on the top of the list." Yet Thomas says he gave so little detail that there was no way his profile would interest a genuine potential partner. To test his suspicions, Thomas asked a colleague to enrol as well. "He received exactly the same e-mails," Thomas said. Donovan Hoare, whose company InfoFinder created the Two2Meet website, denied that any replies were fake. "The allegations are completely false," he said. "We are not going to mail people just to get them interested. We only have two full-time staff so we don't have time." If the replies had not seemed genuine, it was because a female subscriber had sent several e-mails to every single man on the database, he said. SA's lucrative online dating industry generated R20m last year, according to research. About 250000 people used the services last year, up 24% from 2003. That made it very tempting for unscrupulous sites, or those with very few users, to generate false replies to fool lonely hearts into signing up, Thomas said. Two2Meet has also been threatened with legal action for copyright infringement by DatingBuzz, which runs several established dating sites. "They are a new entrant and they copied our site," said DatingBuzz founder Duncan Forrest. A solicitor's letter persuaded Two2Meet to redesign the site. But Forrest also claims that the new rival is trying to poach his customers. Some DatingBuzz users received a message from a potential date called Kari, who suggested that they use the Two2Meet site instead. When Forrest investigated, he found the subscription allowing Kari to contact DatingBuzz users was paid for with Donovan Hoare's credit card. To test the new rival, a DatingBuzz employee then posted his profile on Two2Meet, giving so few details that it would not set any hearts aflutter, Forrest said. "The next day he started getting e-mails from a person absolutely raving about how wonderful he sounded. Over a couple of days three people were being super-enthusiastic, when he hadn't actually said anything about himself," said Forrest. Hoare said the allegations were inspired by jealousy. "DatingBuzz is just getting upset because we only launched in October and we have a bunch of features they don't have," he said. (SOURCE: Business Day) NIGERIA - ABUJA GETS N670M FIRST WIRELESS INTERNET NETWORKMinister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mallam Ahmed Nasir el-Rufai last weekend in Abuja launched the first citywide wireless Internet Network project in Nigeria in conjunction with Suburban Broadband Limited. The project is valued at N670 million. Speaking at the event, El-Rufai who noted the role of technology in modern development said that Suburban would invest an estimated N670million ($5m) in the project representing 80 per cent of the total investment to help it provide access coverage for the entire city and suburbs while the FCT authority will through the Abuja Investment and Property Development Corporation (AIPDC) bring in the remaining 20 per cent through Rights of Ways, access to land and co-location sites to build Base Transceiver Stations. He said there were already 20 hotspots from which the residents and visitors can now enjoy broadband internet access has been rolled with a projection of up to 60 hotspots in the first half of 2006 and that "residents and visitors have been encouraged to enjoy internet access at any of the locations where the hotspots are available at no cost whatsoever though not indefinitely." As the CT Access is a business venture with the aim of making profit, the free access will be replaced with affordable scratch cards to be sold by designated vendors from early next year and the scratch cards will be provided for mobile users for as low as N500 airtime. (SOURCE: The Daily Champion) IN BRIEF- News lost in the Christmas break was the closure of one of Ghana's leading ISPs NCS. It was unable to resolve its dispute with its landlord.
ETHIOPIA - AAU TO UNDERTAKE FURTHER NETWORK EXPANSIONThe Addis Ababa University Signed On Saturday Agreements With Two Business Consortiums for the Third Phase AAU Net expansion.The expansion includes the supply, installation, configuration, testing and documentation of ICT infrastructure and services at the AAU. The tender was floated in September 2005 and three consortia had participated. Of the three, the Symphony Group/Neuronet Plc/CoreNet Technologies Plc consortium won three components of the tender, that is the supply and installation of active devices at eight campuses of the university, supply of equipment and providing advanced technical training for AAU ICT department staff. The Kenya-based Symphony Group, which is the prime bidder, together with its two local partners, Neuronet and CoreNet Technologies is expected to complete the project within six months at a cost of over a million dollars. The existing network covers only three campuses (Main Campus, Technology Campus and Science Campus) providing network infrastructure service to the staff and students. The second phase of the project already under way will cover three more campuses namely Tikur Anbessa, Lideta and Debrezeit campuses and is going to be completed within two months time. The third phase expansion project will add value to the existing net services at the university. The third phase expansion will have video conferencing features, state-of-the-art network and data center, IP telephony capability between campuses, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), enhanced bandwidth management, improved security and enhanced helpdesk services. The project will cover eight operation centers, including main campus (Sidist Kilo), business campus, technology (North) campus, science campus, Tikur Ambessa (Medical School) Campus, Senga Tera campus (Commercial College), Debrezeit Campus (Veternary Medicine School) and Lideta campus (Technology South and Institute of Pathology). The other component of the project, the supply and installation of Local Area Network (LAN) was awarded to the Business Connection/GCS-NCR consortium worth close to four million birr. In addition to the eight campuses mentioned above, the LAN project will cover the Dental Health Center, Mass Media Institute, Yared School of Music, School of Fine Arts and Design, Zewditu Nursing School, Paulos Nursing School and Medical Laboratory School. According to Dr. Ahmed Kelo, general manager of the NCR, his company is working with a South Africa based Business Connection for a long time. He said that the consortium had undertaken many projects before such as the woreda network project by Ministry of Capacity Building, Inland Revenue Authority and with Ethiopian Telecommunications. The third phase AAU Net expansion project is expected to help the university to automate its services and operations such as enterprise resource planning automation services which include finance, human resource management, inventory and procurement. Other services like library automation, registrar automation and E-learning will greatly benefit from the expansion of the AAU Net services. (SOURCE: The Reporter) UGANDA HOSTS OPEN SOURCE IIUganda will next week host Information Communication Technologies (ICT) experts and support staff working with Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on the continent in a hands-on workshop aimed at building the technical skills of those working within NGOs, writes Balancing Act's Uganda correspondent Esther Nakkazi. The workshop Open Source II will focus on how technology particularly Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) can be integrated in the project work of NGOs, bringing together over 140 NGO support professionals, staff and software experts. A handful of field leaders from Europe, Africa, North America and Asia will also attend. Mark Shuttleworth, from South Africa, the first African to go to space and a leading entrepreneur will attend the function. Shuttleworth a respected philanthropist is an African entrepreneur and loves technology. He is the brain behind many ICT initiatives in South Africa including Ubuntu open source software for schools. “Participants will have an opportunity to develop their understanding of open source software that is relevant to their needs-is more main stream and explore how technology can best serve the non-profit sector in Africa both in terms of access and content “ said James Wire Lunghabo, the Managing Director, Linux Solutions, a data network company. FOSS is affordable, free of cost, versatile and it is a kind of software that can be developed by communities with collaborative efforts using the internet. The participants will examine how ICTs and FOSS can strategically impact and build civil society organizations on the continent, said Lunghabo. The workshop will take place in one of the most beautiful parts of the Kalangala Island on Victoria Lake during the beginning of January 2006. Besides new ideas, skills and contacts that participants will gain, they will also leave the workshop equipped with an event specific version of NGO-in-a-box, a toolkit of FOSS and materials specific to the NGO sector, said Marek Tuszynski an official from the Netherlands Tactical Technology during a press conference held in Kampala last week. However, officials said access to hardware, connectivity, lack of human resource and support from some african governments are some of the challenges they face in implementing FOSS in the African context. “We are also faced with a belief that something free which is not developed in the West is not good. We are trying to overcome that supersition among FOSS developers in Africa,” said Tuszynski. Africa Source II will build on the previous Africa Source event held in Namibia last year which brought together African FOSS developers working in the social sector. It will in contrast work at a different level, concentrating on bringing together those working with NGOs and technology at the practitioner and intermediary level. Participants will have experience working with computers and the internet and a project or initiative planned in the future incorporating technology for the non-profit sector. Open Source II is sponsored by the Association for Progressive Communication APC (regional network), Fantsuam Foundation (Nigeria), Schoolnet Africa (regional network), Translate.org.za (South Africa), Women of Uganda Network-WOUGNET (Uganda), Creative Commons South Africa, Aspiration (US) and The Tactical Technology Collective (the Netherlands) will collaborate to organise the content of the workshop and to build strong relationships between the participants. The project partners are committed to examining the challenges of implementing FOSS in the African context, stretching its potential to fit the needs on the ground, and building local capacities to realise this. Our local partners and hosts are the East African Center for Open Source (EACOSS), Linux Solutions and WOUGNET. Previous source events have taken place in Croatia - September 2003, Namibia - March 2004, India - February 2005, and Tajikistan October 2005. In 2006 an event will be held in the Middle East. GAMBIA COMPUTER FACTORY IN THE OFFINGSing-Chi Cynthia Chow, who led a group of IT experts from the Institute for Information Industry in Taiwan (IIIT), has disclosed to the Daily Observer that plans are underway for the establishment of a computer assembling factory in The Gambia. The team has already held consultations with Gamtel and Quantum Associates with a view to getting Taiwanese partners who will assist both organisations to set up a computer assembling factory in The Gambia in order to bring down computer prices for Gambians.She said: "The Gambia is ideal for a computer assembling factory which will help to develop the country's information technology and bridge the digital divide as well as reduce the cost of computer on Gambians." But more significantly, she noted, a memorandum of understanding has already been signed between the Department of State for Communication, Information and Technology and the Institute for Information Industry in Taiwan on how to assist The Gambia develop her IT industry and bridge the digital divide in the country. Accordingly, she promised that IIIT would take up the issue with Taiwanese computer manufacturers and ask them to visit The Gambia and see things for themselves. "This is a nice country with friendly and intelligent people who have shown willingness to learn from the experiences of Taiwan and therefore, we are obliged to assist them for the country to realize its IT dream," she said. "Our one week trip to The Gambia has been successful and we want to thank the DoSICT and the Taiwanese Embassy in The Gambia for their role in promoting IT in this country," she added. (SOURCE: Daily Observer) NEPAD LAUNCHES TECHNOFUTURE TO BRIDGE DIGITAL DIVIDETechnoFuture, an innovative computerized educational tool, was launched last week by the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) at a roundtable chaired by President Olusegun Obasanjo. The project is with a view to bridging the digital divide that currently exists between Africa and the developed world. A tool that teaches learners from the age of four to adults a combination of computer and entrepreneurship skills, TechnoFuture empowers individuals by equipping them with skills that enable them set up their own businesses; operate optimally at the workplace; and compete more effectively in an increasingly technology-driven world while making them self-sufficient upon retirement. TechnoFuture Nigeria has already developed a robust business model for complementing the Federal Government's ongoing economic reform programme. The replication of the business model, under the umbrella of NEPAD Africa, is expected to catalyze human capacity building and strengthen poverty eradication programmes continent-wide. Speaking at the launch inside Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja , Senior Special Assistant to the President (NEPAD) and Head of NEPAD Nigeria Chief (Mrs.) Chinyere Asika, said, "It is important for NEPAD to be involved in such an initiative which we believe will go a long way in facilitating the realization of the objectives of the NEPAD ICT programmes and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria." TechnoFuture is essentially a well targeted human capacity building tool that teaches a unique combination of technology and business skills - or "life skills" - to individuals of all ages, starting from the age of four. This works by using age-appropriate, theme- based, CD-ROM that take into consideration the fact that the way one teaches spreadsheet applications to a 10 year old differs from the way the same skill would be taught to a beneficiary of a poverty eradication programme. Mr. Victor Olusegun Adeniji, CEO of TechnoFuture Nigeria said, "These are exciting times for Nigeria and we cannot wait to see TechnoFuture in use in schools and universities across the country." (SOURCE: http://allafrica.com/stories/200512290256.html) MOZAMBIQUE - ITALIAN FUNDING FOR COMPUTER PROJECTSThe Italian government has disbursed over 1.1 million euros (about 1.3 million US dollars) in the first tranches for two projects intended to speed up technological development in Mozambique. A project on the development of human resources in information and communication technologies has received 636,750 euros - the first instalment of what will be a total sum of 1,273,500 euros. Italian Cooperation is funding this project while the United National Development Programme (UNDP) is the implementing agency. The project "seeks to promote computer literacy through setting up three computer training centres in the centre, south and north of the country". Italian Cooperation also provided 560,000 euros as the first instalment for the extension phase of the government's own electronic network. The already concluded pilot phase, which cost US$434,000 dollars, set up an electronic network linking ministries and other government institutions in Maputo. The extension phase will extend this network to all the provincial capitals, and will cost a total of 1.4 million euros. The Mozambican agency involved in both projects is the government's Technical Unit for Computer Policy Implementation (UTICT). (SOURCE: Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique) ZIMBABWE - ZABG SIGNS LEASE AGREEMENT FOR SOFTWAREThe Zimbabwe Allied Banking Group (ZABG) has signed a U$3 billion lease agreement with a Kenyan company, FinTech International, for a financial instalments management software (information technology) system, LeasePac. The software system caters for a wide range of asset financing products such as leasing, loans, hire purchase, insurance premiums, order finance or invoice discounting, treasury and stock plans. In addition, LeasePac has in-built general ledger, budgeting and a host of other accounting functions with the necessary credit rating and risk management modules. The lease agreement would initially run for six months during which ZABG would evaluate its suitability and if satisfied with its operation the two parties would enter into a long-term agreement. Implementation of the new software system would take six months while its installation would take only a month and during implementation FinTech would station its technical representative in Zimbabwe to oversee the implementation process. LeasePac is currently running at 16 financial institutions, five of them in Zimbabwe. FinTech is an IT Africa group of companies specialising in providing integrated, turnkey technology solutions to financial and blue-chip institutions operating in Africa. The group has strategic partnerships with international financial technology vendors that include I-flex, Mosaic, Microsoft and HP. It is also a technology partner in ZimSwitch, the local interbank electronic cash transfer and collection system. FinTech is also a technology partner in the electronic funds transfer systems, the Zamlink in Zambia and Kenswitch in Kenya. (SOURCE: The Herald) IN BRIEF- The National Institute of Statistics for Rwanda (NISR) is set to develop an organized central system of data storage for all the country surveys between 1996 and the subsequent years, to assist researchers, planners, private entities and government ministries plan effectively using evidence-based information. This was disclosed by the Director General of NISR, Dr. Louis Munyakazi, while addressing representatives from the ministries during a brain-storming seminar on the activities and future prospects of the newly formed NISR. - The Nigerian National Assembly conducted a public hearing on the proposed Information Technology Bill currently before the National Assembly. The Bill which was submitted by the Executive is to give legal power to the National IT Policy. Contained in it also are several laws dealing with various aspects of ICTs including cyber crime, e_commerce regulation and the establishment of the National Information Development Agency (NITDA). The National IT Policy was approved by the President in March 2001 but its implementation has been hampered by lack of legislative backing. Various stakeholders including state governments, private sector players and civil society groups turned for the hearing and made submissions to the National Assembly. - The Mozambican government and the computer giant Microsoft on Thursday adopted a plan of action under which Mozambique will benefit from funding and computer products from Microsoft in order to implement the government's computerisation programme. Implementation of the Plan of Action for the 2006-07 period, covering the areas of education, electronic government, and the computer industry, will cost about 500,000 US dollars. - The Netherlands government recently provided 4m Euros (about sh8b) to four public universities for training women in Information and communication Technology (ICT), the Netherlands ambassador has said. "Our objective is to promote gender balance, women empowerment and to contribute to the Government's plan to increase the number of women participating in science," said Ambassador Brandt Yoka.
16 NIGERIAN, FOREIGN BANKS RAISE US$1.1BN FOR V-MOBILEHistory was made in Nigeria's financial sector last week as V-Mobile Nigeria announced the completion of a US$1.1 billion medium-term debt financing agreement with leading international banks and a consortium of 16 top Nigerian banks led by Zenith International Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and First Bank of Nigeria Plc. Other financiers in the deal include Export Credit Agencies, multilateral institutions and equipment vendors and while the foreign banks raised $650 million, the local banks supported Vmobile with US$450 million. The debt financing will be used to drive Vmobile's aggressive network rollout and support the ongoing coverage expansion programme tagged, Project ROSE, across the country. Commenting on the deal, Chief Executive Officer of Vmobile, Willem Swart, said the financing is a major feat in the company's rollout plans, and confirms international and local financiers' confidence in the company's operations.He added that the agreement also gives Vmobile access to finance to fund its five-year business plan adding that "In addition, the deal further reaffirms the increasing international confidence in Nigeria as a fast growing investment destination, and boosts foreign direct investment by more than US$650 million". The financing deal, which is in two phases, is being provided by leading financial institutions in Nigeria, international financial institutions and reputable global GSM equipment vendors. During Phase 1, the company is to access over US$700 million, with about $250 million provided by offshore banks and equipment vendors while in Phase 2 of the deal, offshore lenders will provide over US$400 million. Already, about $200 million has been drawn down. Providing a breakdown of the funding agreement, Chief Treasury Officer, Vmobile, Ayo Gbeleyi, said "Vmobile concluded the negotiations and execution of its Global Finance Documents on September 16, 2005. "Offshore lenders include African Export and Import Bank (Afrex-Im), Standard Chartered Bank, Rand Merchant Bank, Barclays Bank, Nordea Bank AB and Ericsson Credit AB. "The consortium of 16 leading Nigerian banks/institution includes First Bank, Zenith Bank, GTBank, Afribank, Wema Bank, National Bank, Intercontinental Bank, UBA, Ecobank, Lead Bank, Access Bank and Oceanic International Bank. "Others are MBC International Bank, First City Monument Bank, EIB International Bank and Kakawa Discount House". According to him, "Nordea Bank AB and Ericsson Credit AB facilities enjoy political risk insurance coverage from Swedish Export Credits Guarantee Board (EKN) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), respectively. This is in addition to the Security Trust Deed which gives pari-passu interest in the assets of the company to existing and future senior lenders. (SOURCE: This Day) TROUBLED KENYA TELKOM SUBSIDIARY ON THE VERGE OF BANKRUPTCYGilgil Telecommunication Industries (GTI) will soon collapse unless the Government acts quickly to solve its financial woes.A subsidiary of Telkom Kenya, the firm is indebted to the tune of Sh200 million and it is appealing to the Government to put in new funding to rescue it.This was the gloomy picture the managers painted to Information and Communication minister Mutahi Kagwe when toured the firm last week. General manager Albert Onyango pointed out that unless the Government intervenes the firm would be forced to shut at least some of its production lines. He added that the company, which has 335 staff, urgently required some Sh6 million to upgrade some of the lines. The woes of this subsidiary also reflect the wider financial troubles of its parent company. The company needs to make 12,000 staff redundant but the Government has failed to make a decision on this issue and has yet to announce where the financing for the redundancy package will come from. (SOURCE: The Nation) ZIMBABWE - CELSYS SHAREHOLDERS BLOCK SHAYNE BIDShareholders in Celsys Limited have rejected a debt-for-equity swap that would have handed founder Gary Shayne a larger stake of the technology company, while drastically cutting minority interests. Shayne had proposed that shareholders issue 624 million shares to six percent shareholder Peak Mine, a company he owns, in exchange for debt of $93.6 billion. Shareholders had also been asked to surrender their pre-emptive rights in respect of the new stock. However, shareholders blocked the proposals at an extraordinary general meeting held on New Year's Eve. A shareholders' meeting has been scheduled for Monday, where Shayne hopes to convince them to back a new set of resolutions. ZABG is the largest shareholder in Celsys with 24 percent, having taken over control from Shayne after taking stock as payment for Celsys' debt to Trust Bank. Shayne currently controls 19 percent. Shayne's defeat was unexpected given his extensive influence in Celsys through stock held by family and close associates. Had shareholders backed the original proposal, Shayne would have lifted his total shareholding possibly closer to the 70 percent regulatory threshold for a single investor. But ahead of the meeting, the company had sought to allay shareholder concern over the proposals. Responding to a Financial Gazette report that the deal could be part of a plan to take the company off the stock exchange, Celsys said it had "no intentions now or in the future to de-list from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange". "The major shareholder (Shayne) has agreed to assist the company in this regard which will see the business well placed to continue operations in 2006. Once the debt is transferred the business will be in a position to utilise its free cash flows to grow its business model. No further debt will be taken on by the business in the foreseeable future," Celsys said. The debt burden is a result of Celsys' surging growth over the past few years, driven mostly by leveraged acquisitions. When the company was in desperate need of cash in 2004, Celsys failed to raise funding through equity. Growth was therefore funded by expensive borrowings, and finance income failed to repair the damage caused to earnings by interest charges. Celsys makes security documents such as cheques, and also cellular recharge cards. However, its most profitable division has been payphone business C-phone. At the 2004 half year, C-phone carried Celsys to an 8 486 percent growth in earnings, numbers which surprised the market and sent its stock rising. C-phone now accounts for an estimated 70 percent of Celsys' business. (SOURCE: The Financial Gazette) OIL MAGNATE CHIEF JIMOH IBRAHIM FAILS IN BID TO BUY VGC COMMUNICATIONSThe attempt by Lagos oil magnate, Chief Jimoh Ibrahim to buy over wireline operator, VGC Communications has collapsed. VGC Comm sources told that the deal was called off by the owners of VGC when Ibrahim did not fulfil his obligations under the terms of the agreement. According to a VGC Comm source, the deal which had a lifetime of December 31, 2005, was considered dead when Ibrahim chose not to make full payment for the telecommunications company by that date. He had offered earlier offered to buy the company for US$100 million. The Group Deputy Managing Director (Legal) for Globe International Holdings, the owner of VGC Comm, Mr. Dele Martins confirmed that the company had given Ibrahim a deadline to come up with full payment which he was unable to do. According to Martins, the proposed buyer, Ibrahim, would not come up with full payment at at December 31, 2005 when the deadline for payment expired. As a result, the deal was called off. "The deal collapsed. It is completely off," Martins told. No VGC Comm source would volunteer any information on why Ibrahim did not make the required payment in stipulated time. Martins told, "there is no obligation for us to sell to him. There is no obligation for him to buy from us either. The deal is completely off. It is as simple as that." He however did not rule out any possibility of selling to Ibrahim in the future if he was interested and if the company was still available for sale and if the management was still eager to sell. However in his own reaction, Ibrahim told THISDAY that it was not true that Globe International called off the deal because he was unable to pay. According to him, he already paid the full amount into an escrow account in an Israeli bank according to the requirements of the agreement. He said that going by the agreement, each party had till March 31, 2006, to opt out of the deal if he so chooses. The former ANPP governorship candidate in Ondo state insisted that money was paid into the said account in time adding that the first deadline was 30 days, then another 60 days, and that he chose to withdraw because along the line, he found out that the company was too expensive for that price. He also claimed the operator did not have some of the facilities it claimed to have before he entered into the deal. In fact, Ibrahim made reference to a news report of November 17, 2005 with the title: "VGC Overpriced at US$100 Million" in his assertion that the company was overpriced. But asked if he did not do his due diligence before offering that much for the company, moreso since business decisions are not taken based on newspapers write-ups, Ibrahim said he did, but added that the earlier due diligence was done based on the information supplied by the company. On entering the company after the sale however, he said his team conducted another due diligence where it was found that the VGC did not have all the infrastructures it claimed it had. Ibrahim also pointed out that he then reasoned that it would make much sense to buy NITEL than to buy VGC for that amount. Asked if he was aware that NITEL has now been sold, the oil magnate said, he also learnt that the NITEL bid had been cancelled. The cancellation of the deal would mean a little setback for VGC Comm and its management since it had been inactive for sometime while negotiations and the wait for payment to be effected lasted. All these while, its decision making body had been inactive. Staff had been disillusioned uncertain of what may happen next. With the collapse of the deal, the management of the company had to go back to where it left off and would in the process of that had dropped some vital points to the competitors which did not have the kind of interregnum VGC had. (SOURCE: This Day) IN BRIEF- Egyptian operator Orascom Telecom announced that it is to acquire a 19.3% interest in Hutchison Whampoa's emerging markets spin off, Hutchison Telecoms International (HTIL) for a total of HK$10.1 billion (US$1.3 billion). - The Tunisian government is delaying the deadline for bids in its auction of a 35% stake in state-owned telco Tunisie Télécom. Reuters reports that interested bidders will now have an extra six weeks beyond the original cut-off date of 31 January. It now seems unlikely that a sale will be completed by mid-2006. Of the 13 firms which initially registered their interest in bidding for the stake it is expected that just four or five will actually enter final bids. Bouygues Telecom of France became the latest potential suitor to walk away this week. - Africa's largest mobile phone operator MTN may bid for Egypt's third mobile phone licence as part of a consortium with Cairo-based telecoms firm Raya Holding, a statement from Raya said. Egypt has said it planned to accept bids in early 2006 for the licence, which will be for both second generation (2G) and 3G mobile services. The new network is expected to start operating by the end of 2006 or early 2007. Vodafone Egypt and the Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (Mobinil) currently operate the only two mobile phone networks in Egypt, which has a population of more than 70 million. Both companies provide a 2G mobile service. "The MTN Group brings to the consortium its wide experience in establishing and running world-class cellular networks," the statement continued. The other members of the consortium are Egyptian developers Golden Pyramids Plaza and Stars Communications. - The privatisation of Algerie Telecom will start as soon as the Government Council reached a decision. The Council will fix the ceiling and percentage of capital that Algerie Telecom will offer to potential bidders. There are already about 40 private companies that have shown some interest. Boudjemaa Haïchour, the Minister of the Post and ICT explained during a TV interview that Algerie Telecom is financially sound with a profit of over $2,5 billions. Although the company is about to loose its monopoly on fixed lines as the Consortium Telecom Egypt & Orascom Telecom Holding will start operating this month. The consortium was granted a licence in March 05 to roll out a fixed telecommunication network for local and international calls under the provision of the unbundling of the local loop in Algeria. - The R15,6bn bid by UK cellular company Vodafone to take over VenFin has won approval from the Competition Commission. The commission has recommended unconditionally that the Competition Tribunal should approve the acquisition and allow Vodafone to sell the surplus assets acquired in the deal to a new entity, Newco. Those "surplus assets" are all the shares that VenFin holds in other companies, since Vodafone is interested only in obtaining the 15% stake that VenFin holds in cellular operator Vodacom. - Bytes' quest for Business Connexion fails. Bytes Technology CEO Dave Redshaw said at the weekend that negotiations for his company to take over Business Connexion failed because he was not prepared to pay the amount the firm thought its operations were worth. Telkom was another bidder for black-empowered Business Connexion, but also failed to meet the asking price, resulting in the collapse of talks with both high-profile suitors.
MOROCCO PUTS US CENSORSHIP BUSTING SITE ANONYMZER.COM ON ITS BLACK LISTThe Moroccan government has blocked the US website http://www.Anonymizer.com, which allows Internet users to get around censorship, days after Reporters Without Borders recommended its use to access Sahrawi websites. These websites, promoting independence for Western Sahara, have been censored since the beginning of December 2005. Reporters Without Borders released a handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents in September 2005, containing advice on a number of technical methods of circumventing Internet filtering. TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT BANS INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF JOURNALISTS WEB-SITEThe International Federation of Journalists today protested to the Tunisian government over the banning of the Federation?s web site. In recent weeks, following the World Summit on the Information Society in November when the IFJ sharply criticised restrictions on Internet use and harassment of human rights activists, the IFJ web site has been unobtainable. "The Tunisian authorities continue to show intolerance of independent opinion and free expression," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "But they are seriously mistaken if they think this will discourage journalists from expressing their solidarity with colleagues in Tunisia." In a letter to President Ben Ali, IFJ says that all obstacles on the use of Internet technology and access to information should be lifted, except where they are in line with international standards which may limit access to anti-social sites, covering, for instance, child pornography or incitement to violence. "The IFJ site is an information point for journalists around the world - including many in Tunisia and other Arab countries. Reporters want information about developments in the region and want to express their solidarity with colleagues," said White, pointing out that the IFJ site is available in French, Spanish and English and also has an extensive Arabic section. All of the content is uncontroversial, he said. "It is impossible not to conclude that the sole reason for this ban is a political act of spite to penalise the Federation for defending the rights of all journalists in Tunisia and for its criticism of the authorities," he said. In an address to governments at the World Summit in Tunis White had said that harassment of rights activists and Tunisian restrictions on access to the Internet cast a shadow over the whole summit process. He appealed to the President to lift the ban on access to the site immediately and reiterated demands that all restrictions on access to the Internet should be withdrawn. If not, Tunisia will be once again be seen to be setting a poor example to the Arab world where people who yearn for more freedom and democracy are pressing their demands for reform,? he said. The IFJ Executive Committee meeting in Sydney Australia at the beginning of December reiterated the Federation?s support for efforts by the Association of Tunisian Journalists and the Syndicate of Journalists, both members of the IFJ, who are striving to defend journalists? rights in difficult conditions. The IFJ has also called for a relaunching of a campaign for free speech in the country.
PEOPLE* MWEB Nigeria Limited, a premium Internet Service Provider, has announce the appointment of a new General Manager, Mr Chris Engelbrecht. Mr. Engelbrecht is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has worked in the telecommunications industry in South Africa. He was previously an executive director of South Africa's largest independent mobile service provider in the capacity of Executive Sales Director. * Zambia Telecommunications Company Limited (ZAMTEL) has appointed Simon Tembo, its former regional director for Southern region, as the new managing director. ZAMTEL board chairman Basil Sichali yesterday told the press that the company had also appointed two general managers Watson Tembo in charge of fixed lines and internet and Nicodemus Mwazya in charge of mobile services. * Orange Botswana has appointed Thapelo Lippe as its new Chief Executive Officer. The appointment was approved by the chairman of the board, Satar Dada and Brigitte Bourgoin, executive vice president, Orange International at a board meeting last November. Before ascending to the top post, Lippe was chief information officer for Orange in Botswana. In this role, he has been instrumental in delivering IT systems to support the continued growth of the company. * The Board of Botswana's RPC Data Ltd has appointed Mompati Darling Nwako as Executive Director. Nwako (48) retired from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning at the end of October 2005, after thirteen years in the Public Service. By the time he retired, he had reached the position of Director of Budget Administration, responsible for the national Development Budget. Prior to his stint in the Public Service, Nwako served in various capacities in numerous multi-nationals. His professional experience equips him to understand and control the business of RPC Data, particularly with respect to the financial, accounting and human resource aspects of the project implementation of computer systems in large organisations in the private and public sectors. EVENTS- International ICT Meeting on free and open software (FOSS), Kalangala on the Ssese Islands starting, Uganda, January 8-15th. - Telecoms conference 2006: Has Telecoms deregulation delivered on its promise? - National ICT Workforce Conference, Nairobi, Tuesday January 31st, 2006. - Corporate Network Management Forum: LANs, WANs, VPNs, Multimedia, VoIP, Security: Developing Strategies in Network Management and the Business Imperatives - Conference on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) - Second Annual SANGONeT "ICTs for Civil Society" Conference and Exhibition - AfNOG workshop on Network Technology - Telecoms and Investments 2006 JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES- ICT Advocacy Manager for SANGONet This position presents a vital opportunity for an individual passionate about shaping the role and application of ICTs for development through policy advocacy and sensitization. The incumbent will be responsible for informing the strategic ICT policy focus and activities of the organisation; networking and liaising with key government, private sector and civil society stakeholders; and developing, planning and hosting ICT forums in various Southern African countries. For further information visit the Vacancies section on the SANGONeT website (www.sangonet.org.za) for the requirements and qualifications related to this position.
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