TECH - itbusinessdirect

5G will support more than 10% mobile connections

February 20, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

According to the new Cisco Annual Internet Report, 5G will support more than 10% of the world’s mobile connections by 2023. The average 5G speed will be 575 megabits per second, or 13 times faster than the average mobile connection. With advanced performance capabilities, 5G will deliver more dynamic mobile infrastructures for AI and emerging IoT applications including autonomous cars, smart cities, connected health, immersive video and more. For the past 50 years, each decade introduced a new mobile technology with cutting-edge innovations. Mobile bandwidth requirements have evolved from voice…

Google Launched first Developers Space in Lagos

February 14, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

Google launched its first Google Developers Space in Lagos, Nigeria last month. Previously referred to as the Google Launchpad Space, the Google Developers Space is a hub for African developers, entrepreneurs and startups. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, made a commitment to African entrepreneurs In July 2017, to start the Launchpad Accelerator Africa program and launch a space to house these efforts in Nigeria. Google launched the Google Developers Space in Lagos to provide that home, and a space where entrepreneurs, developers, VCs and investors can connect and collaborate with each other.…

Kibanda Online: Grocery shopping made easier

January 28, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

A new online platform, “Kibanda Online” has now made buying groceries a task that can be done at the comfort of your home. The platform is a departure from many online shops whether on Instagram, Facebook or websites which mainly trade on home appliances, cosmetics and clothes. The platform is the brainchild of 29-year-old Laurriette Rota. ‘Kibanda’ is a Swahili word meaning stall. Ms Rota says the idea initially was to help deliver groceries and other items needed regularly by the sick, elderly and physically challenged people who have a…

Compulynx retail software to cut costs for its clients

January 28, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

Software developer, Compulynx has completed installation of its latest cloud-based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) retail solution for its Dubai-based customer, One Vasco in 120 locations in 30 countries. Compulynx’s Next Generation Retail Suite(NEXX) will see One Vasco’s clients enjoy access to a cloud-based managed and maintained IT platform, thereby helping them defray costs usually spent on data security as well as maintenance of own servers. The new deployment marks a shift in Compulynx’s operations where it is replacing the CORE Retail Solution that ran on the older client server technology…

AI revolutionizes the contact center in Africa

January 22, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

The contact centre is changing. In the past, call centre agents had to process a large volume of standard calls, really quickly But with the deployment of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) these agents no longer have to carry out incredibly repetitive tasks and can rather focus their attention on tackling more complex customer concerns. For call agents, RPA makes it possible to complete simple tasks across back-end systems, which reduces the amount of time spent on admin, says Adriaan van Staden, senior sales…

Orange opens new Digital center in Senegal

January 13, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

In Dakar, Senegal, Orange has inaugurated its new concept of a place entirely dedicated to innovation, an “Orange Digital Center”. Several personalities attended the launch, including: Ms Ndèye Tické Ndiaye Diop, Minister for the Digital Economy and Telecommunications; Mr Dame Diop, Minister for Employment, Professional Training and Craftsmanship; Mr Alioune Ndiaye, CEO of Orange Africa and Middle-East; Ms Christine Albanel, Head of CSR, Diversity, Partnerships and Philanthropy for Orange, Deputy Chair of the Orange Foundation and former Minister; and Mr Sékou Dramé, CEO of Sonatel. Following on from Tunisia, Senegal will…

Uganda new Electric Buses to run on electric batteries

January 10, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

Uganda has moved closer to domestic vehicle manufacturing with the shipping in of a fully built unit and the assembling of a 90-seater bus by Kiira Motors Corporation in Nakasongola, 150 kilometres north of Kampala. According to officials at Kiira, technicians started building the Kayoola Electric Buses, which came as a semi-knocked down unit, on October 30, and hope to be done by end of December 2019. The bus’s components were supplied by Kiira Motor’s technology transfer partner, CHTC Motors of China. It is one of two market validation vehicles,…

Airlines acquire new aircraft with latest technology

January 10, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

Airlines are acquiring new aircraft with the latest technology to operate more efficiently and economically as well as more environmentally. The majority of players in Africa’s growing aviation industry have signed agreements to prioritise the protection of the environment. Rolls-Royce, which powers all Airbus A350s and A330neos aircraft, and whose customers in Africa include Ethiopian Airlines, SAA, Air Mauritius, EgyptAir, Air Senegal, Uganda, Rwandair, and Air Tanzania, will be a key partner on this journey. The Business Daily spoke to Paul Stein, Rolls-Royce’s chief technology officer, on how Africa’s aviation…

Innovators create App to assist with Cancer awareness

January 9, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

Late cancer diagnosis due to lack of adequate information has been cited as some of the drawbacks in the fight against the disease. However this may now become a thing of the past thanks to a new innovation. A group of three youths in Eldoret have developed a mobile platform to assist cancer patients obtain proper and correct information on the disease. Salim Bakari, one of the developers of the app dubbed Cancer and Chronic Diseases Focus, says they found that there is a widespread lack of information on cancer…

Voice App makes life easy for throat cancer patients

January 8, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

Vlastimil Gular’s life took an unwelcome turn a year ago: minor surgery on his vocal cords revealed throat cancer, which led to the loss of his larynx and with it, his voice. But the 51-year-old father of four is still chatting away using his own voice rather than the tinny timbre of a robot, thanks to an innovative app developed by two Czech universities. “I find this very useful,” Gular told AFP, using the app to type in what he wanted to say, in his own voice, via a mobile phone.…