Vodafone and Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday (today) announced a new, far-reaching 10-year strategic partnership that leverages their respective strengths in offering scaled digital platforms to more than 300 million businesses, public sector organizations, and consumers across Europe and Africa. Through the partnership, the companies will collaborate to transform Vodafone’s customer experience using Microsoft’s generative AI; hyperscale Vodafone’s leading managed IoT connectivity platform; develop new digital and financial services for businesses, particularly SMEs across Europe and Africa; and overhaul its global data center cloud strategy. Vodafone will invest $1.5 billion over the next 10 years in cloud and customer-focused AI services…
Author: DigitalTimesNG
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that Artificial intelligence will affect up to 40% of jobs worldwide. It added that this could rise to 60% of roles in advanced economies like the UK – but it is believed that, in half of these cases, AI will benefit the workforce. The IMF warned in a new report, that AI’s consequences for society remain difficult to foresee, but the technology is likely to exacerbate income and wealth inequality. Developing economies are much less likely to “seize” AI’s advantages, fuelling a digital divide and increasing income disparity between countries. “The world is…
By Louis AVENANT Industry projections estimate the African telco sector will grow by $ 2,24 billion between 2020 and 2024, with longer-term growth expected to be powered by the rollout of high-speed 5G connectivity and a growing suite of complementary services, specifically in the financial services sector. In conversations with telco executives throughout East, West and Southern Africa over the past few weeks, a number of common challenges have emerged. Telcos are seeking to safeguard current revenue streams through improved downstream visibility, especially over their B2B partners. At the same time, a slew of new customer-facing services and innovations hold…
Google has laid off hundreds of employees working on its hardware, voice assistance and engineering teams as part of cost-cutting measures, according to a report by ABC News. The cuts come as Google looks towards “responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead,” the company said in a statement. “Some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally,” it said. Google earlier said it was eliminating a few hundred roles, with most of the impact on its augmented reality hardware team. The cuts follow pledges by executives of…
TECNO is unleashing an exciting promo for its users and customers across Nigeria to herald a thrilling start to the year. TECNO said in a statement that this promo promises many fantastic prizes, including cashback, fabulous gifts, and the coveted SPARK 20 phones throughout January 2024. The mobile phone brand is offering its customers and fans an opportunity to win cashback, gifts, and SPARK 20 phones in a promo that will run throughout January 2024. With a promise to be one of the most thrilling promotions of the year, TECNO is running this promotion in partnership with PalmPay, Nigeria’s leading…
Parallel Wireless, a player in Open RAN technology, has partnered with Hotspot Network Ltd, a Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) provider, to extend coverage to previously unconnected rural sites throughout Nigeria. This collaboration which aims to connect residents of rural regions to essential services, such as health, education, and financial services, will ultimately improve their quality of life. Hotspot Network Ltd offers its services to leading mobile networks in Nigeria, providing a comprehensive portfolio of products and services through collaboration with a network of global partners, making them a single point of contact for all rural connectivity and telecommunication needs. The technology gap…
By FRED BONGANI E-commerce, despite its potential as a goldmine, remains one of the most challenging business sectors in Nigeria and indeed, the African continent. The obstacles that lie in the path of businesses intent on cracking e-commerce on the continent are well-documented, among which infrastructural deficiencies, logistical hiccups, skepticism for online shopping and predilection for offline retail, slow adoption of digital payment, among others, figure prominently. Nevertheless, Africa is widely regarded by experts as the next frontier for bullish e-commerce growth. Compelling insights from recent research by the International Trade Administration (ITA) shows that Africa represents a smart gamble…
Africa is rapidly carving out its place as a dynamic force in the global techspace, defying outdated perceptions with a surge of innovation fueled by a thriving network of creators and solution-builders. The continent’s digital evolution is gaining momentum, driven by products that rival the world’s best. Driving the revolution are result-driven marketing professionals. They are Visionary professionals who leverage advanced technologies to captivate broader audiences with precision and creativity. From nimble startups to major corporations and purpose-driven organisations, these marketing strategists are entrusted with turning goals into reality. Whether fueling exponential growth, sharpening product appeal, or driving performance metrics,…
Winners have begun to emerge in the ongoing PalmPay Purple Christmas campaign featuring Nigerian singer-songwriter and pop star, Teni. Mary Gbemisola, one of the lucky winners of a hamper and other Christmas gifts delivered to her house by Teni, said she was “happy receiving a Christmas gift from Teni,” adding, “Now my Christmas is made and I have my rice and other gifts that Teni gave me.” Ms Gbemisola further said, “I have been using PalmPay for close to two years now and it has been a wonderful experience. I love PalmPay because the company is always in the habit…
-Becomes first African Brand to win the Award MTN Nigeria has emerged as the winner of the Airship Altitude Awards held at the Mobile Leaders Forum in London. The company won the award for its mobile app, ‘myMTN NG,’ a free application designed to simplify the mobile experience of its subscribers. Airship, acknowledged as the leading mobile engagement platform for enterprise brands worldwide, celebrates brands delivering personalised and effective in-app experiences. Annually, Airship customers globally submit their best mobile strategies, app experiences and cross-channel campaigns for consideration in the Altitude Awards. Judges assess each submission against defined criteria, including performance,…