Ericsson Pioneers 5G, Business Transformation at MWC

Emma Okonji

Ericsson opened the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 in Barcelona, Spain, with three stand-out announcements featuring partners and major customers. These include network evolution towards 5G, an innovative new business model between content owners and operators to bring media to people more conveniently; and industry transformation in the transport sector.

During the media and analyst briefing at the congress, President and CEO, Ericsson, Börje Ekholm said: “We are currently working to set the future direction of Ericsson. It takes grit and grace – and team spirit – to succeed on the digital frontier. We will relentlessly push the technology frontier – and always ask ourselves how we can make our customers more successful. We know that it is what our customers expect from us, what they need from us in order for us to be their best partner also in the future.”

According to him, “At Mobile World Congress 2017, we are showing that our capabilities in 5G and those within media and transport industries, for example, are out front and market-leading. We are ready today. We have the full ecosystem of partners and customers selecting us to deliver high-performance networks, media solutions, and business models in industries such as transport.”

Following up Ericsson’s launch of a suite of 5G products and services coming to market in 2017, Ekholm announced new 5G New Radio trials in partnership with Qualcomm: NTT DoCoMo, Vodafone, and Telstra Australia.

Ekholm said: “5G will transform all industries, and our customers are already gearing up for the future by evolving their current 4G networks. This is the key foundation to enable the automation and business transformation needed for the Internet of Things, as well as data-hungry services like Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.”

In a new study, Ericsson foresees a $1.23 trillion market in 2026 to be addressed by 5G, and Ekholm is of the view that industries will see the value of 5G and the world will be there to grasp the opportunity.
Ekholm was joined onstage by CEO, Telstra, Andy Penn, who said 5G was an essential enabler for future services, and focused especially on the new media solution announced in collaboration with Ericsson and Fox Innovation Lab.

CTO of 21st Century Fox and Managing Director of Fox Innovation Lab, Hanno Basse, also said the solution would set the industry trend by bringing new content to subscribers in a fast, convenient way.
Ekholm invited visitors to try out all of the 70+ demonstrations that Ericsson is showing in its Hall 2 at Fira Gran Via, including the tactile internet and virtual reality experiences.

Ventures Platform Hosts Demo Day for Investors

Ventures Platform (VP), an incubation hub, has hosted its first demo day, where six companies made presentations in front of investors after sixteen weeks of incubation as part of the early stage accelerator programme. The six tech start-ups were selected from hundreds of companies that applied for the accelerator programme, to gain the interest and financial backing of top African investors and entrepreneurs who attended the event to observe and engage with the upcoming companies
The presentation which was preceded by a welcome address by the founder of VP, Mr. Kola Aina, was witnessed by experts from various disciplines.

The first batch of cohorts from the accelerator program include; Jalo, an on-demand logistics company that has set out to empower small businesses by offering affordable delivery services, it was founded in April 2016 by Nkiru Amadi-Emina. Payconnect the financial technology brain child of Victor Jibro, is an online lending platform that provides quick collateral-free micro loans to people within just twenty-four hours of applying.
Protech redefines education in Africa by using technology to determine learning patterns of students to match them with the perfect tutors.

The experienced team members behind ProTeach are Obasolape Abiola, Ibrahim Lawal and Abdulrazaq Iwashokun. Lizzie’s Creations is using technology to teach kids about Africa, its languages and rich culture through fun interactive mobile apps like Teseem – First Words. The duo behind the company are Elizabeth Kperrun and Dams Eremie.

Tomi Ayorinde and Dami Ayorinde head Mobile Forms Africa, a data collection platform that connects mobile agents to organizations who need data, enabling the easy collection and analysis of online and offline data. WeSabi allows people find skilled, reliable and affordable workers for domestic and commercial work. The team members are Sanni Murtala, Zainab Oyewo, John Ojebode, and Shawn

Dulux Names ‘Steel Symphony 2’ as Colour of the Year

Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Plc, a subsidiary of UAC of Nigeria Plc. (UACN), manufacturers of Dulux premium brand of paints and the technological licensee of AkzoNobel, world’s largest paints and coatings company has named ‘Steel Symphony 2’ as the 2017 Dulux Colour of the Year.
According to a global team of expert, ‘Steel Symphony 2’ is the colour of the moment that reflects the signs of the times and a fresh look at life. It’s a beautiful colour palette, which is simple to understand and yet so new, sophisticated and versatile.

Speaking during a briefing session with professional stakeholders, the Managing Director, Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Plc, Mrs. Omolara Elemide stated that Dulux has taken the leadership role of sensitizing Nigerians about the annual global trends, overriding mood and dominant colour. These annual trends and colour predictions have been globally accepted by the generality of stakeholders in the sector

Elemide described the 2017 Colour of the Year -‘Steel Symphony 2’ as the colour of the moment and a must-have colour that is relevant to bring out the aesthetics of homes as well as offices. She stressed further that the theme for the 2017 Colour of the Year ‘Life in a new light’ resonates with the colour which is truly adaptable and friendly, fitting into all life and interior styles and has the ability to combine and contrast with other colours, thereby making it the perfect choice.

“Apart from leading in colour mastery, Dulux is renowned for its superior functional performance, beautiful finishes and emotional appeal. The brand has been able to achieve this through knowledge and understanding of the functional, aesthetics and emotional needs of its target customers. These qualities give us competitive advantage and we will continue to work hard to sustain and enhance these brand credentials” she said.

The professional bodies present at the briefing includes; Interior Design Association of Nigeria (IDAN), Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Nigerian Institute of Architects, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Real Estates Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) and Dulux Decorators Club.

Also speaking on the 2017 Colour of the Year, the Marketing Manager, CAP Plc. Mr. Dominic Oladeji noted that the 2017 Dulux Colour of the Year is a calming and soothing colour, which mirrors the calm yearning of hope. He noted that the colour is symbolic especially at this present time of economic decline, by creating a space for calm reflection that would engender hope and positivity.

He disclosed that the Dulux Colour of the Year is chosen based on a constant monitoring of emerging social, economic and design trends happening around the world by a panel of independent design experts from different fields of architecture, design and fashion.

Airtel Touching Lives Tackles Homelessness in Lagos

The next episode of Airtel Touching Lives will target juvenile homelessness in Lagos, the leading telecommunications services company has revealed. The coming instalment of the charity-focused programme, which will be the third episode of the third season, will debut on Saturday February 25 on TV networks across the African continent.

The Lagos metropolis is packed with minors. Some of these children are either runaways or unavoidably destitute. “Anyone who volunteers to provide relief to these disadvantaged young people deserves our support,” Airtel has said.

Airtel Touching Lives would not only examine the devastating effects of vagrancy on the poor and hopeless, but also bring attention to a non-governmental organisation, the Street Child Care and Welfare Initiative (SCCWI).

According to Airtel, the aid organisation, led by Comfort Alli, has made a commitment to rehabilitating and reintegrating some of the “250,000 street children” founding Nigeria’s commercial capital and most populated city.

One of the children rescued by SCCWI is Azeez Rotimi. Before his encounter with the shelter, he had roamed the streets of Mushin for five months. A staff of SCCWI described him at the time as “very wild, shattered, and malnourished.”

Having lost his father and with no one else to care for him, he left his home in Osun State for Lagos. Six months after his arrival, more adversity pushed him to give the street a try. He took this desperate option “with the aim of gathering some money so that I would go to school, be it public or private,” he said.

However, for a homeless person, braving the elements is no child’s play, said Azeez. “You never know when it’s going to rain on you all night because you can never predict the rain,” he said. Now, Azeez goes to school and speaks decent English.

Hosted by Wana Udobang, Airtel Touching Lives returns this weekend to its usual slots on local and international television, according to a timetable released by the telecom giant.

On Saturday, it will premiere on Africa Magic Urban at 6:30pm and on Africa Magic Family at 7pm. Later, from 9-9:30pm, it will air on Rave TV.

The following day, reruns of the episode will be on Africa Magic World from 6-6:30pm, on NTA Network from 6:00-6.30pm, and on Arewa TV from 7-7:30pm.