|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Moderated by: Saida.M, safetyblitz, Raven, Miss Brighter Days, LadyDay, Kunjufu, Kibibi, Happiness, Dillinger, Breadfruit, Backatya |
|
|
| Author | |
|---|
COLTRANE
Villager
| Joined: | Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 |
| Location: | Virtualcity |
| Posts: | 5737 |
| Photo: | [Download] |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: |    |
Click here for your Black Profile
Search for Black Sites
|
Posted: Thursday September 30th, 2004 21:26 |
|
Nigeria:
Cisco Evolves Distribution Model for Africa
Vanguard (Lagos)
September 22, 2004
Posted to the web September 22, 2004
CISCO Systems, has announced that it has evolved its solution
distribution model for sub-Saharan Africa, bringing cost, time-to-
market and support benefits to distributors, resellers and customers
alike.
"With the selection of these qualified distribution partners we have
reached another milestone in Cisco's distribution strategy for EMEA,"
said Haico Meijerink, senior director, EMEA Distribution Operations
at Cisco Systems. "After conducting a thorough RFI/RFP process for
the sub-Saharan Africa region, we have reached our objective to
optimise our distribution landscape in this region. Together with
these local organisations, we see a great opportunity to expand the
Cisco distribution footprint in Africa still further."
With the new distribution model, the sub-Saharan Africa region has
been structured as follows: two master distributors will service a
network of authorised distributors, each of which has been assigned
specific countries they can operate. These authorised distributors
will sell to in-country VARs that will, in turn, deliver point or
integrated solutions to end-user customers. Cisco"s first-tier, pan-
African systems integrator partners - such as Business Connexion and
Dimension Data - will continue to source products directly from Cisco.
"Our technology often forms the very fabric of our customers'
businesses. The networks that we build are relied upon for every
facet of a company's operations, whether concentrated in one country
or spanning a sub-region or the continent," explains George Atrash,
channel manager, sub-Saharan Africa at Cisco Systems. "One of our
highest priorities when creating our network of distributors was to
find companies with the right logistics infrastructure, product and
solution knowledge, and the ability to provide training and add
value."
Cisco's VARs and customers are set to benefit from this distribution
evolution. VARs will have access to the distributors" large stock
holding and will therefore be able to source products in even shorter
time frames. Customers will also benefit from this faster time-to-
market, as well as the ability to interface more closely with their
Cisco solution providers.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200409220689.html
******************
VoiP: How Will Nigeria React?
Vanguard (Lagos)
September 22, 2004
Posted to the web September 22, 2004
Godfrey Ikhemuemhe
AS the world embraces VoiP for cheaper telecommunications services,
Nigeria appears to be lagging behind as the country's regulatory
agencies and even the operators are not yet decided on which way to
go.
The story of Nigeria's success in the telecommunications business,
any time it is related, is a source of inspiration to many people.
From a few thousand lines some three years ago, the country's
telephone population has hit about five million lines.
However, with the recent movement globally towards Voip, it is
doubtful whether Nigeria is moving fast enough to do something about
this modern technology which appears to be making communications
cheaper all over the world, in places where the various authorities
have decided to act fast by legalising it. Some months ago, the
Nigerian Communications Commission {NCC) organised a stakeholders
meeting on VoiP but the Commission at the moment is yet to take a
position.
Industry opinions last week was that the Commission is not moving
fast enough in this very important industry issue.
South Africa for instance, has just passed a regulation on VoiP
forcing the incubent National Operator to announce that it would soon
slash its tariff in reaction to the new competition environment.
British Telecom is also saying that by 2009, it will migrate its
network to VoiP. It means that VoiP would be the underlying
technology on which the network would ride.
VoiP is originally a data technology but in recent times, successful
attempts have been made to transport voice over it which earlier
resulted in poor quality of calls, delay and echo. But with the
advancement of technology, this shortcoming has been overcome,
bringing together voice and data on the same platform.
Titi Omo Ettu, CEO of Cyberschuul and telecommunications engineer,
describes VoiP thus:
"Ordinarily, telephone communication is the movement of 'voice
electrons' through the PSTN. We thought voice electrons could not
transmit in an IP communication channel until research proved
otherwise. Namely that in an IP Communication channel everything is
transmitted as data. An IP 'pipe" is an Ethernet-data-only pipe.
Hence the carrying of voice over an IP pipe (VoIP) or the carrying of
video over an IP pipe (ViIP). Wherever there is an IP inlet/outlet,
voice communication is possible, and so the breakthrough of Voice
over Internet Protocol, VoIP"
The successful deployment of voice over the Internet has brought
tremendous advantages to those who use it, resulting in cheaper
tariff and easy access to the population.
However, at the stakeholders forum called by the NCC on the issue,
the NCC made it clear that it had not taken a position on whether to
regulate VoiP services in the country or just let it be. Ernest
Ndukwe, the NCC Vice-Chairman had only indicated that the result of
the deliberations at the seminar would inform the commission's
position on the way forward for VoiP in the country. But, since the
seminar, nothing has been heard from the NCC on the issue.
But while Nigeria is yet to take a clear decision in this direction,
South Africa is one of such countries that has stated clearly the
direction it wants to go.. Earlier this month, the communications
ministry in South Africa announced a liberalisation of the telecom
market in the country, resulting in the legalisation of VoiP
services. That singular incident has resulted to a shift in the
telecommunications business in South Africa with the country's sole
monopoly, Telcom planning a massive reduction in call rates.
Telkom CEO Sizwe Nxasana said that as a result of the happenings in
the sector, the company would make reductions in its tariff ,
stressing: "Our domestic long-distance voice traffic and our
international voice traffic are areas where we may be vulnerable to
competition,"
"We will be looking at how we will best be able to compete with other
players in these fields and will definitely be seeking more
competitive tariffs in these areas." He said the company will adjust
its business plan in some areas to generate more savings, but that
the company will not alter the guidance it has given to its investors
and the market.
Ironically, while Telkom is thinking of reducing its tariff to be
able to cope with the impending competition, Nigeria's own NITEL is
increasing its tariff. Few months after NITEL raised its local call
charge from N4.30 to N6.50, - a more than 50% rise - it again raised
it up to N8.50 in September, in the milieu of a prepaid billing
platform which commenced on the 1st of September 2004. Some operators
say that such action is a symptom of ill-health by Nigeria's First
National Operator, with one asking how the company can compete with
other global telecom companies in the few years ahead.
While the NCC appears undecided about VoiP, the operators are not
helping matters either. Speakers at the NCC VoiP seminar had
suggested that beyond offering commercial VoiP services, the country
can actually adopt VoiP as its underlying technology as opposed to
the circuit switched technology which is now in use. Their argument
was that, that way Nigerians could better feel the impact of the
technology. But the GSM companies opposed such suggestions
vehemently, arguing that they have put in so much investments on
their networks.
Despite the arguments for and against VoiP, it is imperiative that
the country cannot run away from it as the technology continues to
sweep around the world. In Europe and the Middle East, Neil Kinder,
technical director for EMEA and Latin America at sofswitch vendor
Sonus Networks Inc notes that there are signs that operators are
preparing to replace existing Class 5 TDM switches with IP-based
access systems.
Already, British Telecom BT has announced that it was moving to the
implementation phase of its 21st Century Network (21CN) program. The
program envisions wholesale replacement of the U.K.'s traditional
telephone network by IP services provided over broadband access
networks and a converged MPLS backbone. It's expected to generate
hardware and software contracts worth $1 billion or more a year, for
the next five years.
A research report issued this week by Synergy Research Group concurs
that VoIP sales are on the rise. According to the report, the
worldwide enterprise IP telephony market grew about 75 per cent in
the second quarter of this year to $728 million, up from $414.7
million the same quarter last year.
The Russian market for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
technologies is the largest in Europe and the sixth largest in the
world, according to Probe Group LLC's latest forecast. At a recent
seminar on VoiP organized by the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Society
of Engineers, Lagos, Omo Ettu had argued that there were unlicensed
VOIP providers in the country who can be said to be a threat to
investment.
But he asked: What to do about them-Ban them? Regularize them?
Regulate them? Or Ignore them? These are the pertinent questions that
the NCC should be finding answers to now. Otherwise we will again see
ourselves in the backwaters of the telecom industry in some years to
come.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200409220600.html
*****************
Ministries to Get Internet Links
The Nation (Nairobi)
September 22, 2004
Posted to the web September 22, 2004
Geoffrey Irungu
Nairobi
The Kenyan and Canadian governments will jointly provide Sh3 billion
with which to link up ministries to the internet.
The linkage will enable the State to administer, transfer and use
data in a centralised fashion. Such data may include land titles, an
electronic voters roll and the companies register. Eventually the
voters roll could enable balloting on-line and eliminate the long
queues at polling centres.
In a "framework of intent" signed by the two governments, possible
areas of cooperation include acceleration of automation and
integration of information and records and the filing of electronic
returns and claims.
Further cooperation is expected in developing and implementing web-
based databases and achieving electronic administration of businesses.
At a news conference yesterday, Information and Communications
minister Raphael Tuju said he had led a delegation of senior
Government officials to Canada to learn that country's e-government
experience in the provincial state of New Brunswick and the federal
government in Ottawa.
The delegation wanted to learn best practices in implementing e-
government strategy in Kenya.
Other objectives were to identify areas of cooperation and
partnerships on e-government roll-out in Kenya and assistance in
implementing the strategy.
The Government intends to incorporate the private sector, as in the
model being used in Brunswick, where it has worked successfully. It
is being replicated in other countries, like Britain, Malaysia and
Mexico.
During the Press conference, Canadian e-government engineer Michael
Turner was introduced as among those who will be helping Kenya to
implement the strategy.
Already various Government ministries have acquired electronic mail
as part of the e-government strategy.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200409220189.html
******************
SA Joins Linuxworld
ITWeb (Johannesburg)
September 22, 2004
Posted to the web September 22, 2004
Warwick Ashford
Johannesburg
The LinuxWorld Conference and Expo comes to SA next year for the
first time and will be presented alongside Futurex by Exhibitions for
Africa, which has been granted the licence.
"LinuxWorld Conference and Expo and Futurex will be co-located, which
means they will take place at the same time and venue in both
Johannesburg and Cape Town," says Aldean Prior, Futurex director. "It
also means that ticket-holders for each event will automatically gain
entrance to the parallel event."
Nols de Wet, marketing director Obsidian Systems, says LinuxWorld
will be a good opportunity to expose the South African market to all
that Linux has offer.
"The event will also show the market that contrary to common
perceptions, there is sufficient Linux and open source support
available locally."
Futurex and LinuxWorld will take place at the Sandton Convention
Centre from 17 to 21 May and at the Cape Town International
Convention Centre from 14 to 17 September.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200409220681.html
____________________
“Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it.� -Malcolm X
____________________
Click here for your Black Profile
|
|
|
Current time is 16:12 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join the
Blacknet
mailing list
|
|
