Emotions as Nokia Splashes Prizes in Cash Dash Promotion

Emotions as Nokia Splashes Prizes in Cash Dash Promotion

Mr. Rasheed Agoro is a Lagos based retiree who is being owed the sum of 450 thousand Naira as part of his retirement gratuity. Mr. Agoro’s optimism about prospect of being paid the money gradually waned as his repeated trips to Abuja yielded no fruits. Just when he gave, up got a call from Nokia informing him that he had just won the same amount of money in the Nokia Cash Splash promotion. In this age of scam calls, Mr. Agoro almost dismissed this call as another fast one by criminal elements in town. But this was real. Mr. Agoro was almost in tears when he picked up the check of 450 thousand naira in the Zain-Nokia Cash Splash promotion at a ceremony held at the Protea Hotel Ikeja. Other winners include Mrs. Bukola Aiyesimoju who was visibly excited as she received her cash prize of another 450 thousand naira.

The Zain-Nokia promotion, which was launched during Nigeria’s 50th Independence celebration, was Nigerians carting away a total of eighteen million naira in total. 5 people won N1millionwith with several others winning cash prizes ranging from 50 thousand Naira to 450 thousand naira. Before the grand draw in Lagos, draws were held in Abuja, Portharcourt and Kano.

Tunji Ademiluyi, Retail Customer Marketing Manager for Nokia West Africa said the move is part of effort by Nokia to reward loyal customers. He said the grand draw could not have come at a more auspicious time especial this yuletide when it is customary to give and receive gifts. The event is a climax of all the raffle draws that had been previously held in which several winners emerged. The promotion was aimed at encouraging Nigerians’ sense of pride in Nigeria as well as rewarding their loyalty to Nokia products and it was carried out across several states in the Nations four geo-political zones. The cash prizes ranged from fifty thousand Naira, one hundred thousand Naira, one hundred and fifty thousand Naira to four hundred and fifty thousand Naira only.

Other winners were, Okolo Victor, a student, Mrs Ronke Ajala, Wasiu Salami, Adeyinka Oshodi, Gabriel Adu and Theodore Gyuk who mentioned that the first thing he would do with the money was to purchase another Nokia phone.

Nokia is the world’s number one manufacturer of mobile devices by market share. Beyond its leadership status as a manufacturer of devices, Nokia is fast becoming a leading solutions provider in the converging Internet and communications industries providing internet services that enable users to experience media, messaging, maps and games.

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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