Standard Bank Partners With GAIN Capital to Launch its Standard FX Trader Retail Forex Trading Service

10 Jun 2010 13:30 Africa/Lagos



Standard Bank Partners With GAIN Capital to Launch its Standard FX Trader Retail Forex Trading Service

NEW YORK and JOHANNESBURG, June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Bank Group Limited ("SBSA"), the largest South African banking group ranked by assets and earnings, and GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc., a leading global provider of online trading services, have partnered to launch a collateralized foreign exchange trading service, Standard FX Trader. Based on GAIN's award-winning retail trading technology, Standard FX Trader marks the first time a broad based retail forex offering will be made available by a South African bank.


Richard de Roos, Director & Head of Foreign Exchange, Global Markets, Standard Bank said:


"For over 140 years Standard Bank has played a key role in the development of the South African economy by providing banking and financial services for the community. We are delighted to be able to work with GAIN Capital to extend our existing suite of electronic forex offerings by providing a new offering to our retail customers - greater access to trade forex, the most liquid and actively traded market in the world."


Glenn Stevens, CEO at GAIN Capital added:


"We are especially pleased to announce our partnership with Standard Bank, which represents GAIN's first white label partnership with a major financial institution in the region. Together, we have brought to market what we feel is an exceptionally compelling offering, combining GAIN's proven trading technology and experience in retail FX with Standard Bank's leading position and expertise in trading in global markets as well as their solid reputation serving clients in South Africa, the African continent and other key emerging markets."


SBSA's offering is designed to offer forex traders in its countries of representation with a differentiating service from a trusted provider. It will provide 24-hour trading in 38 of the world's major currencies as well as spot gold and silver, advanced trading tools, and access to daily and weekly research from a global team of economists and technical analysts. For traders new to the forex market, Standard Bark will host complimentary educational seminars and will have online tutorials and other educational resources available on its new website.


For access to the new service go to: www.standardbank.co.za/standardfxtrader


About Standard Bank Group


Standard Bank Group is a global emerging markets bank with African roots, headquartered in South Africa with a December year-end. Ranked the largest bank in Africa by assets of approximately $181 billion at 31 December 2009 and employing more than 50 000 employees worldwide.


A full service bank established 147 years ago, with extensive operations in 17 African countries and 16 countries outside the African continent. Providing banking services in Personal & Business Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking and Wealth.


In recent years, Standard Bank has concluded a number of key acquisitions in Argentina, Kenya, Nigeria and Turkey and most recently a minority stake in Troika Dialog in Russia, to further consolidate our position in targeted geographic markets that are strategically important to our growth strategy.


The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) bought a 20% strategic shareholding in Standard Bank Group in March 2008 for $5,5 billion. The cooperation between Standard Bank and ICBC established a gateway between Africa and China, accelerating the Bank's International strategy and providing support for the bank's next phase of growth.


The bank's long-term ratings are: Moody's A3, Standard & Poor's BBBpi, Fitch Ratings BBB+. The South African sovereign ratings are: Moody's A3, Standard & Poor's BBB+, Fitch Ratings BBB+.


Standard Bank's growing global presence, strong capital base and client franchise in key emerging markets position the bank well for sustainable growth and returns.


About GAIN Capital


GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc. is a global provider of online trading services, specializing in foreign exchange (forex or FX) and contracts for difference (CFDs). Customers and trading partners in more than 140 countries have utilized the company's award-winning trading platform which transacts nearly $250 billion per month.


A pioneer in online trading services, GAIN Capital provides execution, clearing, custody and technology products and services to an institutional client base including asset managers, broker/dealers and other financial services firms. GAIN also operates FOREX.com, one of the largest and best-known brands in the retail forex industry.


With offices in New York City; Bedminster, New Jersey; London; Sydney; Hong Kong; Tokyo; and Seoul, GAIN Capital and its affiliates are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the United States, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the United Kingdom, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in Japan, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in Australia.


GAIN's investor group includes private equity firms 3i, VantagePoint Venture Partners, Tudor Ventures, Edison Venture Fund and Cross Atlantic Capital Partners.


For company information, visit www.gaincapital.com or www.forex.com.


Source: GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc.

CONTACT: STANDARD BANK GROUP: John Beynon, Standard Bank Director &
Head, e-Channels, Foreign Exchange, Office: +27 (0)11 378 8922,
john.beynon@standardbank.co.za, or Ross Linstrom, Standard Bank Media
Relations, Office: +27 (0)11 636 3629, Mobile: +27 (0)83 262 1882,
ross.linstrom@standardbank.co.za; or GAIN CAPITAL: Alicia Brown, GAIN Capital,
Office: +1-908-731-0731, albrown@gaincapital.com, or Christa Conte, Feintuch
Communications, Office: +1-212-808-4902, christa@feintuchpr.com


Web Site: http://www.gaincapital.com/

MTN Partners With IMImobile in a Major Deal to Bring Mobile and Online Content to 103 Million Users

1 Oct 2009 14:08 Africa/Lagos


MTN Partners With IMImobile in a Major Deal to Bring Mobile and Online Content to 103 Million Users

JOHANNESBURG, October 1/PRNewswire/ -- Millions of mobile and online content users across Africa and the Middle East will reap the benefits of a landmark tie-up between MTN and IMImobile - an India-based software and managed services provider linked to 350 content providers worldwide.


The two companies have teamed up in a bold move to address the growing demand for content in emerging markets. This strategic partnership will entail providing MTN's 21 markets access to a repository of current and globally popular content through enhanced delivery platforms. Content categories will include music (with local and international flavour), sports, games, entertainment, news and much more.


It will also enable MTN to launch new income-generating voice and data services across its global footprint, with revenues from mobile content and services estimated at around US$150.2 billion in 2011, up from US$89.3 billion in 2006, worldwide.


One of MTN's new content streams will be the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) of which the mobile operator has exclusive global mobile content rights. Accordingly, MTN will leverage its IMImobile partnership to deliver exclusive 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) content on subscribers' handsets, including soccer match news, fixtures, match results as well as team and group profiles.


The appointment of IMImobile as a strategic managed services and hosting partner follows an extensive review of MTN's mobile content and media services landscape across its global footprint.


MTN is now aligning its mobile content and media services strategy across its 21 markets in Africa and the Middle East to standardize and enhance its media content offerings to its subscribers.


MTN also wants to capitalize on the rapidly converging data content and voice market, with Africa, the Middle East and Latin America poised to witness the highest growth in revenue as additional mobile data services are being deployed in these regions.


Nozipho January-Bardill, MTN Group Corporate Affairs Executive, says IMImobile was selected from a group of major global telecom software and service providers because of the scalability of its technology platforms and proven managed services business model.


"IMImobile's value proposition and technology solutions will enable MTN to reduce the time-to-market for new services, boost Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and keep MTN at the forefront of innovative services.


"We have found a partner in IMImobile that has the insight and expertise of the appropriate managed service business model and technology solution necessary to continue to deliver premium content and services to our customers," said January-Bardill.


MTN has already introduced a number of exciting products and services on its portal and on www.mtnfootball.com during the FIFA Confederations Cup in June this year. This content is currently being archived to allow football fans to re-live the moment long after the games.


IMI mobile will deploy its Service Delivery Platform (SDP), including its industry leading DaVinci Content Management System (CMS). The content strategy includes tailoring content for local consumer preferences, including French and Arabic as well as exploiting MTN's sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) through http://www.mtnfootball.com.


Vishwanath Alluri, Founder and CEO of IMImobile said: "This is a major commercial milestone for IMImobile as we continue to build our offering to support leading operators worldwide. To be chosen by MTN as their strategic partner ahead of a strong list of competitors is testament to our unique service which is based on industry leading technology platforms, content management expertise, a managed services and SaaS business model combined with 24/7 technical support and strict SLA compliance. We are excited by the opportunity and are looking forward to helping MTN achieve its objectives of creating substantial additional revenue streams."


Issued by MTN Group Corporate Affairs


ABOUT THE MTN GROUP


Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 21 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: "MTN". As at 30 June 2009, MTN recorded 103,2 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. The MTN Group is a global sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa(TM) and has exclusive mobile content rights for Africa and the Middle East. Visit http://www.mtn.com and http://www.mtnfootball.com.


ABOUT IMImobile


IMImobile is a leading provider of converged mobile and online technology platforms and content services to mobile operators and media companies around the world. The IMImobile product portfolio includes a core service delivery platform (DaVinci SDP), mobile advertising platform (Ad-Ring(TM)), carrier grade messaging platforms and gateways, applications for data services, full track music download services and voice platforms. Customers include leading operators and media companies such as Airtel, Vodafone, Virgin Mobile, Google, Reuters and Yahoo!. IMImobile is a profitable fast growing company with operations in 40 countries and offices in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. For more information, visit http://www.imimobile.com


Note to Editors:


The 16 countries IMImobile will be deploying its full CMS across are: Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Benin, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic Conakry, Liberia, Afghanistan, Syria, Cyprus and Yemen.


IMImobile will directly connect its central platform in London to the existing CMS platforms of the following 5 countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Iran and Sudan


Source: IMImobile

IMImobile contacts: Eleanor Filgate or K Simon at Babel PR, T. +44(0)20-7434-5550, M. +44-7500-038-458, E. imimobile@babelpr.com, W. http://www.babelpr.com. MTN Group contacts: Maphamola Lebelo, MTN Group Communications, Mobile: +27-83-212-9918, Email: Lebelo_m@mtn.co.za

Zain Nigeria Partners with Harris Stratex Networks to Build State-of-the-Art Network Operations Center in Lagos

1 Sep 2009 13:30 Africa/Lagos

Zain Nigeria Partners with Harris Stratex Networks to Build State-of-the-Art Network Operations Center in Lagos

Harris Stratex' managed network services expertise and service assurance technology allows operator to reduce operational costs and deliver an enhanced customer experience

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris Stratex Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSTX) , a leading provider of wireless solutions that enable the evolution of next-generation fixed and mobile broadband networks, today announced it partnered with Zain Nigeria, a leading mobile operator serving 24 countries in the Middle East and Africa, to launch a new network operations center (NOC) in Lagos. The NOC, which Zain commissioned in July, is part of a full, turnkey project completed by Harris Stratex, which includes NOC design and buildout -- supported by Harris Stratex' NetBoss integrated services assurance technology -- and network process re-engineering and optimization. The new facility is designed to boost the resilience and robustness of Zain's network, enhancing the customer experience while drastically reducing the amount of operational downtime.


"Our customers are our number one priority, and we have an ongoing commitment to offer an increasingly compelling experience, particularly as our customer base and network traffic grows," said Khaled Khorshid, Zain Nigeria's chief operating officer.


According to Mr. Khorshi, "Harris Stratex is a long-standing partner, and we knew they had the right mix of expertise in the managed network services business to deliver a world-class NOC and integrate all our network equipment under one manager-of-manager system. The end result will drive toward our goal of achieving 100 percent network visibility, so we can proactively maintain quality of service and improve our overall operational efficiency."


The state-of-the-art NOC is designed to monitor and manage multi-vendor, multi-protocol network infrastructure, including subscriber access, 4G/WiMax access, IP backhaul and core network technologies, as well as network elements providing energy, security and surveillance controls. It provides around-the-clock network surveillance, performance monitoring and trouble ticket management for voice, video and data networks. The center monitors Zain Nigeria's networks to identify network problems before they can impact business functions or productivity, and seeks to resolve issues remotely from the NOC or by dispatching technicians to network infrastructure sites.


This NOC buildout project was implemented by Harris Stratex Networks in conjunction with Middle East Telecommunication Company (METCO), a communications solutions integrator that addresses customer applications and requirements.


"As an innovative telecom provider with a steadily growing presence in its region, Zain Nigeria needs to know that their network resources and subscriber traffic are functioning reliably on a constant basis," said Mike Pangia, senior vice president and chief sales officer, Harris Stratex. "Our system, which captures a wealth of information about the equipment and network traffic, and makes it easily available to those who need to know, is designed to give them this confidence, to maximize the value of their investment and to help them to provide the world-class services they are known for."


Harris Stratex Global Network Services (GNS) managed network solutions are built on two decades of managed network services expertise and field-proven technology. Harris Stratex offers an extensive managed network services portfolio that includes eTOM-compliant NOC managed services, integrated network management systems, process re-engineering and optimization, and a variety of other offerings designed to enhance the process maturity of an organization. With its suite of network management solutions, and hands-on experience in defining, implementing and improving network operations, Harris Stratex enables customers to focus on their core business with the peace of mind that their network is being managed and optimized around the clock according to their needs.


At the core of the NOC and the Harris Stratex managed network services business are its advanced NetBoss service assurance solutions. The technology platform features highly-sophisticated management features, such as high-volume event processing and advanced, flexible filtering and correlation, enabling operators to quickly find and focus on service-affecting network issues, determine root causes and isolate trouble spots. With more than 200 deployments in 35 countries, the Harris Stratex NetBoss portfolio offers customers field-proven, flexible solutions that scale from element management to geographically dispersed manager of managers. For more information on Harris Stratex' network management technology, please visit the overview webpage.


About Harris Stratex Networks, Inc.


Harris Stratex Networks, Inc. is a leading provider of wireless solutions that enable the evolution of next-generation fixed and mobile broadband networks. The company offers reliable, flexible and scalable wireless network solutions, backed by comprehensive professional services and support. Harris Stratex Networks serves all global markets, including mobile network operators, public safety agencies, private network operators, utility and transportation companies, government agencies and broadcasters. Customers in more than 135 countries depend on Harris Stratex Networks to build, expand and upgrade their voice, data and video solutions. Harris Stratex Networks is recognized around the world for innovative, best-in-class wireless networking solutions and services. For more information, visit http://www.harrisstratex.com/.


About Zain


Zain is a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to 69.5 million active customers as at 30 June 2009. In terms of country footprint, Zain is the 3rd largest mobile operator in the world with a commercial presence in 24 countries.


Zain operates in the following countries: Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine (currently known as Paltel Group), Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. In Lebanon, the company manages 'mtc-touch' on behalf of the government. In Morocco, Zain owns 31% of Wana Telecom through a joint venture.


Zain offers innovative services in its markets such as 'One Network', the world's first borderless mobile telecommunications network enabling customers when abroad to receive calls and sms without charge and to make voice and data calls at local rates throughout 20 countries in Africa and the Middle East. This service allows a customer to top up airtime in one's home country or from more than 1,000,000 outlets within Zain's One Network footprint.


The Zain brand is wholly owned by Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC, which is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (Stock ticker: ZAIN). Zain is listed in the Financial Times' Global 500 Index which ranks the world's largest companies based on market capitalization (http://www.ft.com/reports/ft5002008). Zain aims to become one of the top ten mobile operators in the world by end of the year 2011. For more, please visit www.zain.com or email info@zain.com.


Trademarks


NetBoss is a registered trademark of Harris Stratex Networks. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.


Source: Harris Stratex Networks, Inc.

CONTACT: Investors: Mary McGowan, Summit IR Group Inc., +1-408-404-5401,
mary@summitirgroup.com; Media: Jen Anderson, Harris Stratex Networks, Inc.,
+1-919-749-7240, jennifer.anderson@hstx.com; Emeka Oparah, Zain Nigeria,
+234802-222-1120, emeka.oparah@zain.com


Web Site: http://www.harrisstratex.com/


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