Imperatives for relevance in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

By Austin Okere

The popular saying used to be that big fish would eat small fish. This has since changed significantly in the light of recent happenings in the global economy; UBER, until recently a relatively unknown company out of Silicon Valley in California employs 160,000 drivers today, and is adding an average of 20,000 drivers every month.

This transport services disrupter is now valued at $41b. Another previously obscure company with similar roots, AirBnB, has over 1.5m accommodation on her platform, and is now valued at $25b. Upwork, a platform that connects businesses with freelancers have gone from zero to $1b revenues in just five years and projects to reach $10b in the next 5 years.

The new disrupters are not confined to just North America and Europe. China’s foremost e-commerce business, Alibaba’s recent listing on the New York Stock Exchange broke all records with a valuation of $170b. DiDi Kuaidi, a Chinese transport platform is pooling over 8m drivers and serving 10m commuters every day, in a consumer to consumer model.

Africa leapfrogs the trend

Here in Nigeria, our own Company, CWG Plc (www.cwlgroup.com), has seen a record uptake of 6m new Accounts on the Diamond Y’ellow Account platform; a mobile banking product that she white labels, and recently launched in conjunction with MTN (the largest Mobile Operator in Africa)

Amazon Announces New AWS IoT Button

Push buttons can make your life a lot easier and also help you spend more than you probably would otherwise. This week, Amazon has added one more push button to its collection, and it might be the best of them all.

Listed for sale on its site, the customizable AWS IoT Buttons is one of the latest and most useful additions to the network of Internet of Things, according to latest report on lighthousenewsdaily.com.

It was launched as part of the Dash buttons product line that allows customers to order products such as toilet paper, pet food, or tampons by simply pressing an internet-connected physical button.

The concept behind the Dash buttons was to provide customers with an easier refill option. All you have to do is buy the little buttons and you stick them wherever you store the product – inside the cupboard, on the washing machine.

Whenever you run low on supplies, you simply tap the button and— voilà—your order has been placed. At the moment, Amazon offers more than 100 different buttons, but the new addition

Vodacom Nigeria Trains 25 Pupils on IoT

As part of its support for the ‘Girls in ICT’ programme, Vodacom Business Nigeria has trained 25 female pupils of Clemmy High School, Agodo-Egbe, Lagos, on Internet of Things.

The beneficiaries, who were pupils from Senior Secondary School 1 and 2, learned how the IoT was used in ensuring people’s safety and in securing property in today’s world.

They also toured the company’s facilities, exposing them to the importance of connectivity and data security to individuals and businesses in this milieu.

Clemmy High School emerged as winners of the app development and quiz competition, which was part of the ‘Girls in ICT Day’ celebration last month, organised by E-Business Life.

Vodacom said its aim of training female students in particular was to debunk the myth that ICT was for males, predominantly; encouraging more female students to choose ICT as their course of

Airtel Reviews Data Tariff

*Segun Ogunsanya, Airtel Nigeria CEO

In its commitment to becoming the mobile Internet services provider of first choice for telecoms consumers in Nigeria, leading telecoms operator, Airtel Nigeria has announced a review of its data tariff plans in a strategic move to offer more value to customers.

Under the new data plans, customers can now enjoy up to 30MB with just N100, and 7GB at just N3,500 for a 30 day period. Customers can activate the new tariff plan by dialling *141#

In a statement, Airtel said that with the review, telecoms consumers will be further empowered to connect to their dreams as well as fulfill their professional and personal endeavours at an amazingly discounted rate.

Speaking on the revised data plans, Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Ahmed Mokhles, said the data offering is designed specifically to cater to the needs as well as empower the different segments of mobile Internet consumers.

According to him, Airtel Nigeria has a key objective of delivering innovative, bespoke and quality data offerings to telecoms consumers in line with its commitment to empowering more Nigerians

Worldwide App Revenue Touches $34.2B- Report

Mobile device users installed nearly 156 billion mobile applications worldwide in 2015, generating $34.2 billion in direct (non-advertising) revenue.

A new forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that these figures will grow to more than 210 billion installs and nearly $57 billion in direct revenue in 2020, according to TOI report.

While the market will continue to grow throughout the forecast period, IDC expects to see slower growth in both application install volumes and direct revenue over time. This trend, which is largely driven by market maturation, will see annual install growth fall into the single digits over the second half of the forecast.

Mobile application install volume will still experience a five year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3%. Meanwhile, direct revenue from mobile applications will also experience slower growth by the end of the forecast period, although the five year CAGR will remain in the

Oracle Accuses Google of Stealing to Become Smartphone Powerhouse

Oracle Corp and Google faced off on Tuesday in a $9 billion copyright retrial, with Oracle accusing Google of stealing programming to become the world's leading smartphone player and Google saying it acted legally as a true innovator. 

Reuters latest report says Oracle claims Google's Android smartphone operating system violated its copyright on parts of the Java programming language, while Alphabet Inc's Google says it should be able to use Java without paying a fee under the fair-use provision of copyright law.

The dispute previously went to trial in 2012, but a jury deadlocked. If the new jury in San Francisco federal court rules against Google on fair use, then it will consider Oracle's $9 billion damages request.

The case has been closely watched by software developers who fear an Oracle victory could spur more software copyright lawsuits. However, investors see little risk for Google because the company could afford to pay a one-off fine, and the possibility of an injunction that would force

WhatsApp Launches Desktop Apps For Mac And Windows

It’s goodnews as Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp is coming to desktops. The company has announced that its apps are now available on PCs running on Windows 8 and above and for Mac OS 10.9 and above, according to reports by ettelecoms.com.

Similar to 'WhatsApp Web', the desktop app is synced with WhatsApp on your mobile device. According to the company, "The app mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device."

Since the app will run natively on users' desktops, they will have "support for native desktop notifications, better keyboard shortcuts, and more".

To download the app, users need to visit 'https://www.whatsapp.com/download' from their desktop browser. Then, open the app and scan the QR code using the WhatsApp app on their smartphones. The company also advises users to connect their phones to Wi-Fi.

The desktop app is in addition to the existing apps for Android, iOS, Blackberry, and Windows Phone, among others. The desktop app comes 16 months after WhatsApp made its messaging service available on the web.

WHO IS SPEAKING AT THIS YEAR CONFERENCE

Keynotes and panel discussions by 20 corporate speakers from different industries, professionals and leading innovation experts.

Presentations are short and mostly take place in tracks. This enables attendees to stay focused on their key interests and challenges. Each day includes more time for interaction than presentation in order to ensure high levels of energy and networking.

All Speakers


Juliet Ehimuan Chiazor, 
Country Manager, Google, Nigeria.
Keynote: “Internet of Things and Its impact on Africa”


Andrew Chen,
President & CEO, Catronic Enterprise
Keynote: “Smart Cities A Step Into The Future”


Dr. Kemafor Anyanwu (Ogan), 
Ph.D. Ass. Prof., Dept. of Comp Science, NCSU, USA
Keynote: “Unlocking the IoT promise in Africa”


Russell Southwood,
Balancing Act, UK.
Keynote: “Building a smarter Africa”


Ademola Aladekomo
CEO and MD of Chams Nigeria Limited
Presentation: Success Story / Demo Presentation-SMART CITY


Robin Raskin, 
Living in Digital Times, USA.
Presentation: Success Story Demo Presentation: The 5 Fingers of Digital Africa.


Chika Nwobi,
L5Lab, Lagos, Nigeria.
Keynote: Online Portals: What’s the fuss?


Steven Ibaraki,
Founder/CEO, Global Industry Council, Canada.
Keynote: “Where and how to Start? Investments, Startups, Megatrends”


Daniel Asare-Kyei, 
Esoko, Ghana.
Keynote: “IoT and the future of Agriculture in Africa”.


Dr.Matunda Nyanchama,
Agano Consulting, Kenya.
Keynote: “IoT the security game changer”


Mr.Raymond Ayonote,
Securitium Limited, UK
Workshop: “Creating Billion Dollar Mobile Apps”

More Speakers to be announced....

WhatsApp Ban Ends in Brazil

A Brazilian court on Tuesday agreed to end its blockage of the smartphone messaging service WhatsApp after suspending it for failing to surrender user data, the company said.
 

WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, appealed against the shutdown imposed on the company on Monday for not handing over information requested in a drug trafficking investigation.

The court rejected an initial appeal, but a second appeal was upheld, a spokesman for WhatsApp told AFP early on Tuesday afternoon.

"WhatsApp is now back online in Brazil!" Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on his page at the leading online social network.

"Your voices have been heard once again. That said, the idea that everyone in Brazil can be denied the freedom to communicate the way they want is very scary in a democracy."

The shutdown angered users reliant on the free app in Brazil, where cell phone fees for texting and calls are among the highest in the world.

Zuckerberg encouraged WhatsApp users to make their voices heard at an Internet Freedom Caucus event in Brasilia on Wednesday that will focus on introducing laws to prevent such internet

Mobile Operator Artilium Eyes Africa Expansion

London-registered mobile operator Artilium has announced a new deal which will see it significantly strengthen its foothold in Africa, according to bdaily.co.uk.

Artilium has partnered with Tritente Global Energy Group to launch Artilium-Africa, which will see the firm bring its 3G and 4G mobile data service, along with cloud and telecom services to the African market.

The telecoms company already provides micro-data center services to 50 telecoms companies, including T-Mobile, and hopes its low-cost, energy efficient data centres will help it gain a foothold across Africa.

Artilium has also announced that it is in the process of obtaining a value added services license for Ethiopia, and is looking to have a presence in 20 to 40 different countries within five years.

Washington DC-based Tritente Global Energy Group will support the growth of Artilium-Africa thanks to its extensive network of connections and ongoing infrastructure and renewable

Facebook Rewards 10-year Old With $10,000

Zukerberg, Facebook founder

Social networking giant, Facebook has paid $10,000 to a 10-year-old boy for spotting a bug in Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram.

According to a report in technology website VentureBeat.com, Jani from Finland discovered the security flaw in Instagram on his own.

He found a bug in Instagram which requires you to be at least 13 before even signing up, that let him delete any comment on the social network.

“He reported the bug by email, offered proof by deleting a message on one of Facebook's test Instagram accounts and it was fixed in February. Facebook paid him the bug bounty in March,” the report added.

“I would have been able to remove anyone, even Justin Bieber,” the report quoted Jani as saying.

The Finnish boy wishes to become a security researcher. “It would be my dream job. Security is

Samsung Launches IoT Cloud Platform

Samsung has launched its Artik Cloud Platform, an open data exchange platform designed to connect any data set from any connected device or cloud service, according to iotworldnews.com.

Speaking at Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco, the company has launched the service in direct competition with established platforms such as Microsoft’s Azure and IBM’s Bluemix, to capitalize on growing momentum in the IoT market.

“Our vision for the Artik platform is an end-to-end experience that reduces the obstacles, challenges, and time-to-market for IoT solutions,” said Young Sohn, Chief Strategy Officer at Samsung Electronics.

“We’re excited to announce the Samsung Artik Cloud after three years of development and feedback from hundreds of developers. Unlike many other IoT cloud platforms, Artik Cloud breaks down data siloes between devices and enables a new class of IoT applications and services.

“The launch of this exciting new platform not only signals Samsung’s foray into the cloud services market but reinforces our belief that, by creating powerful open platforms, we can harness the information generated by IoT to develop new insights and new approaches to address the

Microsoft Acquires Internet of Things Platform, Solair

Microsoft today announced that it has acquired Solair, a company that provides software companies can use to work with all of their Internet-connected devices. The software can run as a cloud service or on companies’ infrastructure. Solair also offers a hardware gateway that companies can use on their premises to interface between their devices and the cloud.

The technology will become part of Microsoft’s expanding Azure IoT Suite,  Microsoft Azure IoT partner director Sam George wrote in a blog post. 

“Solair’s IoT customization and deployment solutions, built on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, are engineered to help businesses in any industry utilize IoT to run more efficiently and profitably,” George wrote.

“For example, Solair has brought the power of IoT to the Rancilio Group’s full line of espresso machines, allowing the Italian manufacturer to remotely monitor machines, resulting in greater efficiency across the supply chain. Using the power of cloud-based data and analytics, Solair has helped the Rancilio Group reduce costs and increase revenue.”

The acquisition comes as other big technology companies strive to build out their own cloud services for the Internet of Things (IoT) devices — there’s Amazon Web Services’ AWS IoT service,

WHO IS ATTENDING THIS YEAR CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

It’s almost time for the Digital Africa Conference & Exhibition. So here is everything you need to know about this year’s innovative ceremony.

We are very excited

The line – up for the ceremony, will hold once again at the Abuja International Conference Centre in June 1^st-3^rd, 2016. Sounds as the best yet with Jim Ovia(Chairman Zenith Bank), Adebayo Shittu (Minister of Communication), opening the ceremony by 9:00 a.m. . . .


Extra activities have also been lined up, like Demo Presentations on the Internet of Things (IoT), Exhibition, Job Fair, Workshop, Digital Faceoff and many more.

Who will be speaking?
The question is who is not speaking really! This year Conference will see industry experts, professionals, Technology Directors and CEO’s take the stage to engage the audience in energetic and innovative sessions.

What excitement can we expect?
Digital Africa is proud to welcome attendees, professionals, delegates, exhibitors, retailers, volunteers, tech startups, students to network, meet and discuss with over 100 corporate innovation executives from large multinational firms.

Every programme lined up for 2016 Digital Africa Conference and Exhibition are innovative with practical sessions. The Internet of Things is the topic on everyone’s lips, the buzzword of the year. It promises to transform the way we live and work, to free us from mundane tasks, and create entirely new jobs in entirely new industries. It has gone from a small and interesting topic of conversation to an industry with the potential to change the way the world functions.

This year Conference & Exhibition will focus more on the challenges and also, proffer solutions for accelerating development for Africa with Internet of Everything (IoE)

Ericsson Launches IoT Accelerator As a Service

Ericsson said that it has launched the IoT Accelerator, which combines horizontal, feature-rich IoT platforms with the gear maker's services and a marketplace where customers from sectors such as public safety, utilities, transport and smart cities can connect with partners and monetize their solutions. 

Available at the end of Q3 to customers globally, the IoT Accelerator will be offered as a service to enable customers to overcome the barriers of cost and complexity and rapidly develop and deploy new IoT solutions.

“We will initially focus on public safety, utilities, transport and smart cities customers, continuously adjusting to their needs and feedback, and improving ease of use and delivery speed through a DevOps approach to software development. We deliver these capabilities to our customers via the IoT Accelerator,” Orvar Hurtig, Head of Industry & Society at Ericsson, said in a statement.

The IoT platforms' capabilities include data management, billing, device management, connectivity services and analytics. Planned expansion modules include a self-service portal, developer environment and software development kit, the gear maker said.

IoT Accelerator will leverage the Ericsson Cloud System to support hybrid cloud deployments

Vodafone, Huawei Partner For World's First Narrowband IoT Open Lab

Huawei and Vodafone Group have joined hands to establish an IoT Open Lab in Newbury, UK to work on the development of products and applications relating to Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology.

Huawei and Vodafone are already working with a number of companies to develop NB-IoT applications. The first devices connected by NB-IoT technologies are expected in late 2016 or early 2017.

The lab will provide a pre-integration testing environment for application developers and device, module and chip manufacturers. The facility, which is the first of seven that Huawei plans to open, will also offer support to developers and partners.

Both the companies will work with both companies to explore cutting edge developments including network solution verification, new application innovation, device integration, and product compliance certification.

"As one of the founding members of the GSMA NB-IoT forum, we're delighted that the first lab is up and running. Over the past twelve months we've made significant progress establishing industry standards for the technology and the new labs will be critical to the next phase of development,

Nokia to Buy Connected Health Gadgets Firm Withings For $191M

Nokia is paying 170 million euros (U.S. $191 million) to acquire French fitness gadgets company Withings in a bid to get into the digital health market, according to a report by pcworld.com.

For the Espoo, Finland company, which sold its handset business to Microsoft two years ago, and has been since mainly in the area of selling telecom equipment, the acquisition marks a strong push into connected healthcare and home products, ranging from activity trackers, weighing scales, thermometers, blood pressure monitors, and home and baby monitors.

Nokia’s brand, which is still well-regarded in many consumer markets, may aid the company as it enters new segments and starts what it describes as a “new chapter.”

“With this acquisition, Nokia is strengthening its position in the Internet of Things in a way that leverages the power of our trusted brand, fits with our company purpose of expanding the human possibilities of the connected world, and puts us at the heart of a very large addressable market where we can make a meaningful difference in peoples’ lives,” Nokia President and CEO Rajeev Suri

From an Internet of Things to an Internet of Everything

By Atul Jain

In 1926, soon after radio transmission advanced from a series of Morse code-esque dots and dashes to modern frequency waves, mastermind inventor Nikola Tesla was already thinking bigger – he had prophesized that “when wireless is perfectly applied, the whole world will be converted into a huge brain . . . which in fact it is, all things being particles of a real and rhythmic whole.” Tesla’s gestalt theory of the unified, hyper-connected world came decades before its time, but the future would prove the mind behind radar, x-rays and the remote control true. A decade short of a century later, a Gartner report from last November forecasted that by 2020, 20.8 billion connected things will be in sync worldwide, more than double the projected human population for the time.

Hyperbole aside, the Internet of Things (IoT) is snowballing across the material world and leaving its impression upon everything in its wake. From televisions to watches to cars and trains, a constellation of connected devices through WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, and RFID sub-systems is making human life even more intelligent and becoming the mainstream expectation of today’s consumer tech. In data-driven world where information is at our fingertips, the Internet of Things is enabling us to make insights into ourselves, with the power of embedded sensors that are revolutionizing the

How The Internet of Things Helps Build Brands

Brands are poised to benefit greatly from the Internet of Things (IoT) over the next several years, as companies are being connected with their consumers in ways they never could before.

Engagement is at the heart of IoT. It isn’t a dusty server sitting in a back office, it isn’t your laptop or even your smartphone. It is a concept built around connecting the various items we interact and engage with throughout the day in a way previously only reserved for what we would describe as computers.

This means that brands have a variety of new methods by which they can connect with and deliver value to the consumer, and to create a lifestyle around interacting with their brand and the environment around consumers.

In much the same way that Michelin generated brand awareness and encouraged use of its tires by creating the Michelin Travel Guide, brands like Under Armour are becoming all-in-one solutions for customers that want to live a healthier and more active lifestyle.

Amazon and Under Armour taking a swing

Customers are buying Under Armour apparel, fitness trackers, and in return providing a ton of

Innovation and Smart Cities in Africa

Africa it has been the mother of innovation. While the continent is huge, the level of innovation has been interesting to watch, largely fueled by the equalizing nature of technology and mobile telephony. Mauritius , the smallest country in the African country is playing a major role willing to finance startup in the Fintech, IOT and Mobile App by private initiative like the Mauritius Startup Incubator runned by Nicolas Goldstein

The Smart City Scheme is an ambitious economic development program aimed at consolidating the Mauritian international business and financial hub by creating ideal conditions for working, living and spurring investment through the development of smart cities across the island.

The development of smart cities in Mauritius & Africa is opening up a plethora of investment opportunities.
The smart city project is a new initiative to stimulate innovative scientific and technological activities, provide technology-driven facilities to the business community and create a vibrant city lifestyle.

The smart-city concept is about providing investors, nationals and foreigners, with options for living in sustainable, convenient and enjoyable urban surroundings.

Etisalat Nigeria Appoints New VP, 2 New Directors

Olawole Obasunloye, VP, Fin/Fin Controller

Etisalat Nigeria has announced the appointment of a new Vice President and two new Directors within its Senior Management team.

In the latest appointments, Olawole Obasunloye has been promoted to the position of Vice President-Finance/Financial Controller, whilst Ikenna Ikeme and Olalekan Bankole were recently promoted to the positions of Director-Regulatory & Corporate Social Responsibility and Director-Finance Operations & Support respectively.

As VP-Finance/Financial Controller, ‘Wole assumes responsibility for overseeing the evolution and integration of the company’s accounting and financial reporting functions.

Ikenna with over 20 years of  legal, regulatory and marketing experience in the banking and telecoms sectors will be responsible for ensuring that Etisalat’s regulatory and CSR interventions continue to translate into positive socio-economic outcomes in different communities across the country.

As Director, Finance Operations & Support, ‘Lekan assumes leadership for all activities related to the company’s financial systems.

Matthew Willsher, Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria reacting to the appointments said: “Etisalat remains fully committed to executing its business strategies with the help of a high-performing team of dedicated, hardworking employees.

“The collective knowledge, expertise and experience that ‘Wole, Ikenna and ‘Lekan bring to the Organisation further strengthens our business and reinforces our position at the forefront of delivering excellent products and services to our over 23 million customers. These promotions continue to consolidate the leadership of our organisation and are evidence of the great career opportunities that employment with Etisalat offers”.

IoT: Intel Cuts 12,000 Jobs

Intel said it is cutting 11 percent of its workforce, or 12,000 jobs, as it revamps to focus on areas such as data center and the Internet of things.

In a report carried by zdnet.com, the chip giant said that the restructuring will be completed in mid-2017 and result in a $1.2 billion charge in the second quarter. Intel expects to save $750 million this year and $1.4 billion a year by mid-2017.

With the move, it's clear Intel is trying to become less dependent on PCs and focus more on enterprise infrastructure. Intel ended the first quarter with 112,000 employees.

In an email to employees, CEO Brian Krzanich said: “We expect that this initiative will result in the reduction of up to 12,000 positions globally. This will be achieved by voluntary and involuntary departures, global site consolidation, and efficiency initiatives. The majority of these actions will be communicated over the next 60 days, with some spanning into 2017.

“These are not changes I take lightly. We are saying goodbye to colleagues who have played an important role in Intel's success. We are deeply committed to helping our employees

How To Invest In The Internet of Things

By Ryan McQueeney

All around us, the world grows more intertwined every day. Thanks in part to our global web connections, we have the ability to interact with people and things on an incredible level. This online experience can be life-saving and important, or it can be as arbitrary as simplifying monotonous tasks.

There are many industries and companies that aim to advance this experience. One growing market, known as the Internet of Things (IoT), connects our household items to a wireless network by embedding them with electronic, software, or sensor technology. This network of devices allows us to take the next step into a wireless world that relies less and less on direct human-to-computer interaction.

You might actually be using products in the IoT without knowing it. Some common examples include the remote operation of a house’s security system, wearable motion and activity tacking products, and even public trash bins that automatically alert a municipality when it is full.

The Internet of Things is definitely present in our everyday lives right now, but there is a lot more room to grow. According to research firm IDC, via the Wall Street Journal, the IoT market could nearly triple in the coming years. In 2014, the global IoT market was worth $655.8 billion, but it could reach up to $1.7 trillion by the year 2020.

With the industry showing that much room for growth, investors need to start thinking about investing in the IoT now, and we’ve highlighted a few companies and strategies for those who would like get the IoT into their portfolios.

Big Name Patent Holders

One of the most important steps a company needs to take to capitalize on emerging technology is locking down patents at the earliest possible point. In regards to the Internet of Things market, we’ve seen a lot of companies filing for patents that put them in a good position to grow as the IoT grows.

One such company is technology behemoth Apple AAPL. Apple holds a patent named “Local Device Awareness”, which describes an automated relationship between multiple close-range devices. The technology could be used for position tracking, such as finding a lost remote control, or even proximity-based virtual reality, like a video game that depends on one’s actual position in a room.

Another major IoT patent holder is IBM IBM. Primarily an information technology-focused company, IBM figures to be a major player in the IoT. Currently, IBM holds a patent

The Psychology of the Smart City, Part 1: Meeting Human Needs

The ancient Greek Philosopher Democritus was the first to coin the notion that the individual can be considered the “social atom” of a society. Just like an individual, a society has myriad internal influences and diverse factors that make up its personality. Because these influences and factors are based on people, they heavily reflect the psychology of the people that reside there.

The Personal Needs Hierarchy

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is perhaps the most commonly used framework for understanding human psychology. It divides our needs into five levels:

1.      Physiological needs

2.      Safety and security

3.      Love and belonging

4.      Self-esteem

5.      Self-actualization

These needs are sometimes grouped into two types: hygiene and motivator factors.  Hygiene needs are often unnoticed when they are met, but cause dissatisfaction and suffering when they are absent. Motivator needs, however, elicit positive feelings and energize people the more they are present.

Psychology and Cities

Because cities and communities are made up of people, the social psychology of them can be understood in much the same way. People rarely notice that they have running water, sewage systems, and peaceful streets. But when these are missing, social unrest grows and society even destabilizes if they are missing for long enough. Governments are expected to provide for

Nokia, Accenture Agree Digital Transformation Partnership

Nokia and Accenture have announced a partnership to deliver network technology and management services for telcos looking at digital transformation, reports telecoms.com.

The Nokia Accenture Business Group will, Nokia says, help operators and enterprise users make the leap to digitally-focussed networks by combining Nokia’s IP networking software products with Accenture’s business services and consulting specialism. The agreement is focussed on five main solution areas, including next-gen enterprise service delivery, CEM and big data analytics, software defined networking and software defined data centre services powered by Nuage Networks – acquired as a result of the Alcatel-Lucent purchase.

The agreement is an extension of the Accenture Alcatel-Lucent alliance deal which was announced in September 2014. According to Accenture, the original alliance worked with operators like TIM, Telefónica and WIND, helping to enhance customer experience and optimise networking infrastructure.

Citing the holy trinity of 5G, IoT and cloud; Nokia’s Chief Strategy Officer, Kathrin Buvac

ARE YOU USING YOUR CYBER SENSE?

The hottest new trend on the Internet isn’t a new social network or app. It’s things. Dubbed “The Internet of Things” it refers to any object you can connect to with the Internet. These "things" include an array of devices and even systems. Home security systems, connected pill bottles that send you an alert when you haven’t taken your medication or need a refill, or they might be something as simple as a light you can turn on or off from your phone. Either way, the Internet of Things promises to connect more devices than ever before.

However, as with any new technological development, there are pitfalls that come along with the benefits. The Internet of Things can make your home more secure with a security system, but it can also open you up to identity theft and other cybercrimes. That’s because the Internet of Things is mostly uncharted waters. The security systems aren’t in place to protect many of the devices yet. Any time you get a new piece of technology on the Internet of Things, you’re taking new chances with your online security.

Why You Need to Secure the Internet of Things

There are a number of ways that criminals can leverage the Internet of Things to infiltrate your home. Skilled hackers could use your home’s power signature to figure out the best time for a burglary. If your car gets hacked, you could have identity thieves spying on everywhere you go and everything that you do. Webcams have been hacked on laptops, allowing criminals access to your most intimate moments. Even if there’s no property crimes or violent crimes committed, you don’t want to be violated in this way.

It’s simply a truism of Internet usage that your identity and computer activity is only as strong as its weakest link. The problem with the Internet of Things is that there are a lot of weak links for you to lock down. Theoretically speaking, it might not be the centerpiece of your new Wi-Fi home security system that’s your undoing, but the simple device that you use to tell whether or not a door has been opened. From there, hackers can work backward from that to your security system, to your wireless network, to every device on it. Everything is connected.

How to Secure Your Home in the Age of the Internet of Things

It’s true that there isn’t a lot of protection in the dawn of the Internet of Things. It’s also true that there aren’t a lot of dangers out there. Much of what has been described above are theoretical abilities, rather than tried-and-tested hacks. You’re in a brave new world of connectivity, but so are criminals looking to use the Internet to their advantage. While you’re in uncharted waters, there are still some ways to maximize your protection:

• Secure your home wireless network. Remember that almost all of these devices will run off of your wireless network. The more secure that is, the harder it will be to victimize you. Hackers tend to look for low-hanging fruit.
• Use several emails. If, for example, you have an email for your connected pill bottle, and another for your connected car, you’re not as vulnerable as someone who has all of their information associated with one account linked across several devices.
• Always update the firmware on your connected devices. This is as important as updating the operating system and Internet security suite on your computer and mobile devices. When hackers start to attack the Internet of Things, they’re almost always going to use known exploits to do it, the kind that are patched when firmware updates.
• Remember that your main laptop computer is part of your overall connection to the Internet of Things. So make sure to update your operating system and Internet security suite, as well as all the apps on your laptop. That’s the best way to ensure overall security on your system.

Digital Africa Conference and Exhibition 2016 edition is Themed “Accelerated Development for Africa with IoE (Internet of Everything)” holds from the 1st – 3rd of June, 2016 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The Internet of Things offers a lot of promise, but it also offers peril. Most of the perils can be avoided by using common cyber sense. 

IoT Market to Explode Within 5 Years

The IoT market size is estimated to grow from $157.05 billion in 2016 to $661.74 billion by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 33.3% from 2016 to 2021 driven by factors such as development of cheaper and smarter sensors, rising adoption of cloud computing, evolution of high speed networking technologies, and increasing penetration of connected devices.

According to whatech.com report, the Internet of Things (IoT) market size is estimated to grow from $157.05 billion in 2016 to $661.74 billion by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 33.3% from 2016 to 2021. This growth is driven by factors such as development of cheaper and smarter sensors, rising adoption of cloud computing, evolution of high speed networking technologies, and increasing penetration of connected devices.

Rising need for operational efficiency and increasing penetration of connected devices are driving the Internet of Things market.