Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is Re-Born Again!

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President of Nigeria

Rev. Chief. Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President and twice head of state of Nigeria has been reborn again on Sunday 22nd of March, 2009, at the eight anniversary of the Power Link Chapel of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Lekki, Lagos.

Obasanjo who was accompanied by an elderly woman simply introduced as Mrs. Obasanjo told the congregation how he was born again whilst incarcerated by the late Gen. Sani Abacha, the sadistic head of the military junta that ruled Nigeria in the 1990s. He said the divine intervention of God saved his life, because Abacha actually plotted to kill him as he killed the former Chief of Staff, Maj-Gen. Musa Shehu Yar’ Adua and Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the winner of the annulled 1993 June 12 Presidential election who died in detention. Obasanjo recalled how he converted a fellow prisoner who was a notorious armed robber and murderer, popularly known as “Baba Ali”.
He also made a presentation of his obscure book "Guides to Effective Prayer" that was published in 1998 before he won the 1999 presidential election and became the President of Nigeria. He advised Nigerians on how to pray and trust God to answer their prayers.


23 Mar 2009
11:15
UK keeps up aid commitments

Voice and SMS Converge in Nigeria

Voice and SMS Converge in Nigeria

March 13, 2009

On February 16, Visafone, the leading mobile CDMA operator in Nigeria with 2.2m active subscribers at year-end 2008, complemented its mobile value-added services by launching a voice SMS service. The service allows subscribers to record a voice message and send it to another subscriber; the recipient is then notified by SMS. Sending a message is as easy as adding a star before the receiver’s phone number, while retrieving the message is done by dialing zero when reading the notification SMS.

My recent research on data service trends in Africa and the Middle East (AME), discussed in Leveraging SMS to Attract the Low End of the Income Scale, places voice SMS at the top of a new generation of SMS-based applications that target the large base of low-income subscribers in AME markets. While peer-to-peer SMS is already generating most of the data revenue in the region – about 59% in 2008 – these new SMS-based services can help operators stabilize their eroding voice revenues. SMS-based applications such as voice SMS, balance transfer and call-me can serve two major functions: Improve call completion and generate new traffic.

In Nigeria, for example, the voice SMS service is already on offer from Glo Mobile, a GSM operator, and from Starcomms, a CDMA operator. Visafone’s service, however, is more attractive, offering a longer message time (45 seconds per message, compared with only 30 seconds per message with the other operators). Unlike the other operators, Visafone also allows its subscribers to send voice SMS messages to subscribers on other networks, although for a higher rate (see Exhibit 1).

Voice SMS, SMS and voice tariffs for Visafone, Starcomms and Glo Mobile



Source: Pyramid Research, operators
Early results show substantial uptake in the markets where voice SMS has been rolled out. Etisalat, for example, said that its 6.4m subscribers in the UAE sent about half a million messages within five days of launch. I expect service adoption to be no less substantial in Nigeria, which might entice the rest of the major operators, notably MTN and Zain, to jump on the bandwagon and offer the service. The service is attractive because it is non-intrusive, cheaper than a call and easy to use. In Africa and the Middle East, there are still many people who cannot use SMS messages because they’re illiterate or unfamiliar with roman-lettered keypads. With the adult literacy rate at only 69% in Nigeria in 2005 according to UNICEF, that’s at least 30m people locked out of the P2P SMS service. I also expect adoption to be higher among Glo’s subscriber base than those of the CDMA operators, just because of the higher discount Glo offers on its voice call rates.

I don’t expect any major cannibalization of voice or peer-to-peer business. On the contrary, I believe that the service enhances the operator’s relationship with its subscribers, and that in addition to the revenue it generates directly, voice SMS will also generate voice revenue when users replay, forward and reply to their messages.

— Badii Kechiche, Analyst

Related content:

Leveraging SMS to Attract the Low End of the Income Scale
Telecom Insider published March 2009
Over the next four years, SMS-based services will be a powerful tool that operators in Africa and the Middle East can use to target their growing base of low-income subscribers and generate higher revenues from both data and voice, adding up to a minimum of US$6bn in new annual revenue by 2013. This report looks at how operators in AME can leverage the SMS platform to boost revenue from the largest, lowest-income subscriber segments. We first examine peer-to-peer SMS in the region, a service that accounted for about 60% of total mobile data revenue in AME in 2008. We also analyze some of the latest and most successful SMS-based services, examining in detail how operators have implemented four of these services in three key markets: South Africa, Egypt and the UAE.

Communications Markets in Nigeria
Country Intelligence Report published March 2009
Nigeria is one of the most attractive markets in Africa & the Middle East — the fourth largest in the region in terms of mobile revenue. Pyramid Research expects Nigeria's total telecom revenue to increase from an estimated US$8.42bn in 2008 to $11.14bn in 2013. Resolution to the Nitel/Mtel crisis and fixed infrastructure rollout will reignite the slow growth in the fixed segment, but the bulk of service revenue will continue to come from mobile. Given Nigeria’s large, young population and low penetration of households, at about 1.7% in 2008, we also expect a significant growth in pay-TV service over the next five years. This Country Intelligence Report analyzes Nigeria’s communications, media and technology industries, including key trends, regulatory pressures and the competitive landscape, making it an excellent complement to our Forecast products.

Africa & Middle East Mobile Demand Forecast, Q4 2008
Forecasts published December 2008
Updated on a quarterly basis, our Mobile Demand Forecast products provide complete pictures of demand trends for 59 geographical markets in Africa & Middle East. The Excel output includes five years of historical data and five years of market projections for metrics such as GDP, mobile penetration, subscriptions (by operator, type of package, technology), ARPS and total mobile service revenue (data and voice). The Forecasts are based on extensive field research and use a consistent methodology across all markets, aiming to capture the total spending, from an end-user perspective, on mobile communication services in each market




20 Mar 2009 15:58 Africa/Lagos

Light Reading Weekly's Picks of the Week

A look at Light Reading's collection of can't-miss stories from the past seven days

NEW YORK, March 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Following are our editor's picks for the top stories on TechWeb's Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) for the work week ending Friday, March 20, 2009, with commentary by Light Reading's Editor-in-Chief, Phil Harvey:


1) News Analysis: ZTE Ramps 2008 Revenues


ZTE Corp. defied the economic downturn in 2008 with a 27.4 percent increase in annual revenues.



http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=173864

2) News Analysis: Supercomm 2009 Delayed Until October
This is good for the industry, the new event director says.
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=173796
And only about half of our readers agree:
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=173803

3) News Analysis: Cisco's Latest Buy - Flippin' Sweet

Vendor can't seem to quench its desire to own the really crappy video market.



http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=173843

4) Light Reading Asia: Our top stories from the lands of Yen and Yangtze

* China to Top Capex Table

Mobile network expansion plans will push China to the top of the global telecom capex table in 2009.



http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=173508&

* Towering Investments

US firm buys Indian mobile tower player XCEL, and Tata unveils 100 Mbit/s broadband in Mumbai.



http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=173823&

* India Adds 13M Subs in February
Down from January, but still impressive.
http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=173867&

* LR Appoints Asia Editor
Her name: Catherine Haslam. Her game: Death-defying journalism.
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=173773

5) Heavy Reading: Review of Netbooks & Integrated 3G
Gabe Brown is not fooled by smaller PCs and larger phones.
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=173559

6) Pyramid Points: Voice and SMS Converge in Nigeria
The distribution of tiny voicemails could help carrier revenues.
http://www.pyramidresearch.com/points/item/090313.htm

7) News Analysis: Charter Plan Could Pay Execs $24M

In the great tradition of American business, Charter sweetens exec pay before bankruptcy.



http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=173865&site=cdn&

To subscribe to the Light Reading Weekly via email, visit:

http://www.lightreading.com/register.asp


About Light Reading

Founded in 2000, Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) is the leading online media, research, and focused event company serving the $3 trillion worldwide communications market. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for technology and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading's research arms, Heavy Reading and Pyramid Research, provide the most comprehensive communications research, market data, and technology analysis in close to 100 markets around the world. Light Reading produces nearly 20 targeted communications events including TelcoTV, Ethernet Expo New York and Ethernet Expo London, The Tower Summit @ CTIA, and Optical Expo, as well as focused one-day events tailored for cable, mobile, and wireline executives. Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005 and operates as a unit of TechWeb.


About TechWeb


TechWeb (techweb.com/aboutus), the global leader in business technology media, is an innovative business focused on serving the needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology market. Today, more than 13.3 million* business technology professionals actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face events Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and VoiceCon; online resources such as the TechWeb Network, Light Reading, Intelligent Enterprise, InformationWeek.com, bMighty.com, and The Financial Technology Network; and the market leading, award-winning InformationWeek, TechNet Magazine, MSDN Magazine, Wall Street & Technology magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services ranging from next-generation performance marketing, integrated media, research, and analyst services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.


* 13.3 million business decision-makers: based on # of monthly connections

About United Business Media Limited

UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetisation of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities - from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists - with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/


Amy Averbook
Director of Corporate Marketing
Light Reading
averbook@lightreading.com
212-925-0020 x112

Source: Light Reading

CONTACT: Amy Averbook, Director of Corporate Marketing, Light Reading,
+1-212-925-0020, ext. 112, averbook@lightreading.com


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

Alder Consulting is Responsible for the Failure of the Nigeria: Heart of Africa Project

“We intend to source money from the public sector, which is government, private sector and the people of Nigeria. Re-Branding Nigeria is not a jamboree for spending money. We intend to account for all funds.”
~ Prof. Dora Akunyili

It is shocking that over N1 billion was wasted on the ill-fated Nigeria: Heart of Africa project. The honourable Minister of Information and Communication said, N750 million was appropriated for the “Heart of Africa” project in 2007, N308 million was allocated to the project in 2008 and N299 million has already been spent out of the N308 million. And N150 million has been appropriated for the Nigeria: Heart of Africa project in 2009. But believe it or not, the National Assembly is ignorant of any budget for the Nigeria: Heart of Africa project!

How can the elected lawmakers be ignorant of the budget of a national project that was conceptualized by Alder Consulting as a duly registered contractor of the Federal Government of Nigeria?

The Heart of Africa Project

In 2004, the Federal Ministry of Information & National Orientation was desirous of a cohesive image programme for Nigeria that would promote the country’s national brands while at the same time, address the negatives.

To accomplish this, Alder Consulting conceptualised what is known as the Heart of Africa Project (aka the Nigeria Image Project), a programme for Nigeria's image management and economic progression.

In developing the overall framework for the project, we conducted a Brand Asset Audit of Nigeria and evaluated the strengths & weaknesses of those assets. (This was done to identify strong and credible Nigerian brands to be marketed). We also executed extensive research to identify Nigeria's brand eroders and their effects.
Based on the results of the Audit and research, a detailed implementation plan was developed by Alder which was adopted by the Ministry. A logo (and other graphical elements) was designed for the Heart of Africa Project. The implementation plan was subsequently presented to various stakeholders using customised multimedia presentations and Cds.

Marketing materials were designed including internal/external marketing
communication materials (print adverts, billboards, marketing brochures and other publications) and a budget and comprehensive media plan were developed. During the course of the Project, we were called upon to script a series of CNN advertisements. An advance website for the Project was also developed by Alder.

The programme is currently being implemented under the auspices of The Federal Ministry of Information & National Orientation and Alder has been retained as consultants on the project. A Business Support Group has been constituted for the Project from the Private Sector.
~ Alder Consulting

The hundreds of millions of naira appropriated to the Nigeria: Heart of Africa project have been spent and Nigerians have the right to know how they were spent.

The millions of naira of public funds appropriated to the project must have been misappropriated?

Alder has questions to answer and the management of Alder and the previous ministers of the Ministry of Information and Communication must tell Nigerians how they spent over N1 billion on their White Elephant project.

Those who embezzled over N1 billion under the camouflage of the Nigeria: Heart of Africa Project are not invisible spirits and the new Minister of Information and Communication should probe the committee that was responsible for the failure of the last re-branding project and not sweeping it under the carpet. Nigerians should not be taking for a ride again.

Delta Makes Travel to Africa More Affordable with Special Fares to Kenya and Liberia

17 Mar 2009 19:41 Africa/Lagos


Delta Makes Travel to Africa More Affordable with Special Fares to Kenya and Liberia

ATLANTA, March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) today announced limited-time special fares on its new routes to Kenya and Liberia*, making travel to Africa more affordable on the only airline with scheduled service between the U.S. and that continent.


(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090202/DELTALOGO )


Delta is offering a one-way introductory fare of $819** for travel between Atlanta and Nairobi, Kenya (via Dakar, Senegal), from June 2 to Aug. 30, 2009; and of $989** for travel between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Monrovia, Liberia* (also via Dakar), from June 8 to Aug. 30, 2009. A round-trip ticket purchase is required and travel must be booked by April 7, 2009. **Additional taxes/fees/restrictions/baggage charges may apply. Details are included below.


Delta's new flights to Kenya and Liberia are part of the airline's expanding service to Africa, which already includes service between New York-JFK to Accra, Ghana; Dakar; Cape Town, South Africa; and Abuja, Nigeria* (via Dakar*, beginning June 10, 2009). Delta also offers nonstop service between Atlanta and Dakar; and Lagos, Nigeria. Delta's existing one-stop service between Atlanta and Johannesburg, South Africa, via Dakar, will become a nonstop flight starting June 1, 2009.


Delta's schedule between Atlanta and Nairobi (via Dakar) starting June 2:

Flight Departs Arrives Aircraft Frequency

DL34 Atlanta 4:10 p.m. Nairobi 5:25 p.m. Boeing 4 times weekly
(next day) 767-300ER

DL35 Nairobi 8:10 p.m. Atlanta 8 a.m. Boeing 4 times weekly
(next day) 767-300ER


Delta's schedule between New York-JFK and Monrovia (via Dakar), starting June 8:


Flight Departs Arrives Aircraft Frequency

DL212 New York-JFK Monrovia 8:05 a.m. Boeing 1 time
4:15 p.m. (next day) 757-200 weekly
(with Business
Elite)

DL213 Monrovia 10 a.m. New York-JFK 5:40 p.m. Boeing 1 time
757-200 weekly
(with Business
Elite)


Delta Air Lines is the world's largest airline. From its hubs in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita, Delta, its Northwest subsidiary and Delta Connection carriers offer service to 378 destinations in 66 countries and serve more than 170 million passengers each year. Delta's marketing alliances allow customers to earn and redeem either SkyMiles or WorldPerks on more than 16,000 daily flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta's more than 70,000 employees worldwide are reshaping the aviation industry as the only U.S. airline to offer a full global network. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and flight status at delta.com.


**Terms and Conditions:


Restrictions: Fares shown are available at delta.com. Tickets cost $20 more if purchased from Delta over the phone, $35 more at a Delta ticket counter or ticket office, and these amounts are nonrefundable. Tickets are non-transferable. Seats are limited. Tickets: Fares shown are round-trip. Tickets must be purchased within 72 hours after reservations are made and no later than April 7, 2009. Travel Period: Travel to Nairobi may begin June 2, 2009 through August 30, 2009. Travel to Monrovia may begin June 8, 2009 through August 30, 2009. Blackout Dates: None. Fare Validity: Fare is valid only in the Economy (Coach) cabin via nonstop flights operated by Delta Air Lines. Minimum Stay: For Monrovia 7 days; for Nairobi 5 days. Maximum Stay: 3 months Taxes/Fees: Federal Excise Tax of $3.60, Passenger Facility Charge(s) of up to $4.50, and the September 11th Security Fee of up to $2.50 for each flight segment are not included. Fares do not include U.S. International Air Transportation Tax of up to $32.20 and U.S. and foreign user, inspection, security or other similarly based charges, fees or taxes of up to $299, depending on itinerary. Taxes and fees must be paid when the ticket is purchased. Baggage Charges: For travel within the United States/PR/U.S. Virgin Islands, $15 for 1 checked bag and $25 for second checked bag. For all other travel, no fee for 2 checked bags and $200 fee for third checked bag. Allowances are subject to size/weight limits. Contact a Delta agent or visit delta.com for details. Cancellations/Refunds/Changes: Tickets are nonrefundable except in accordance with Delta's cancellation policy. Fees may apply for downgrades/reissues and itinerary changes. Contact a Delta agent or visit delta.com for details. Miscellaneous: Fares, taxes, fees, rules, and offers are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. (C)2009 Delta Air Lines, Inc.


*Subject to foreign government approval.


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090202/DELTALOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Delta Air Lines

CONTACT: Corporate Communications, +1-404-715-2554


Web Site: Delta

VIDEO: Revolutionary GOCE Spacecraft Benefits From QinetiQ Precision

Revolutionary GOCE spacecraft benefits from QinetiQ precision
Ion thrusters provide cruise control for ESA gravity mission to be launched today

London, UK, Monday 16 March 2009 /PRNewswire/ — QinetiQ's (LSE: QQL) electric engines are playing a crucial role on a revolutionary spacecraft to be launched today (Monday) from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Northern Russia.

The electric engines, known as T5 ion thrusters, are providing high-precision drag compensation for the dart-shaped GOCE spacecraft being launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) to map the Earth's gravitational field.

GOCE is the first spacecraft to be launched as part of ESA's living planet programme which is investigating the impact that human activity is having on the Earth. By measuring the Earth's gravity, GOCE will contribute significantly to our understanding of the Earth's structure, ocean circulation and climate change.

The strength of the Earth's gravitational field diminishes with altitude, so GOCE's orbit skirts the outer reaches of the atmosphere at just 200-300 kms (125-185 miles) above the Earth. As a result the spacecraft experiences small but significant disturbances in its motion from atmospheric drag. QinetiQ's electric engines act as cruise control for the spacecraft, continuously compensating for this atmospheric drag and quite literally preventing the spacecraft from falling out of the sky.

"In order to achieve its very challenging mission objectives, the GOCE spacecraft is based on cutting-edge technology, making it a jewel of innovations," commented Volker Liebig, Director of Earth Observation Programmes at ESA. "It has been designed to fly at an extremely low orbital altitude, just 250km (155 miles) above Earth. For this reason it has an eye-catching aerodynamic shape and will actively compensate for the air drag by using the finely controlled thrust of QinetiQ's ion engine."

QinetiQ's T5 ion thrusters are around ten times more efficient than rocket thrusters that have traditionally been used to propel spacecraft, requiring only 40kgs of propellant for the whole 30-month GOCE mission. The thrusters use the inert gas xenon as their propellant ensuring they are also more environmentally friendly than conventional thrusters that use volatile chemical propellant.

"This important space mission would not be possible without the precision provided by the QinetiQ's electric engines," commented Mary Carver, Managing Director of QinetiQ's Integrated Systems business. "Our space engineers have overcome a challenge that has been likened to compensating for the impact of an insect landing on the windscreen of a car travelling at 100mph."

Mary Carver added: "In the next few years electric propulsion could make previously impossible missions into deep space a reality and extend the operational life of commercial communications satellites, reducing costs."

QinetiQ is currently working with partners to qualify its T6 thruster, an even more advanced electric propulsion system that has been designed for use on the ESA BepiColombo mission to Mercury.

About the GOCE mission
The GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) mission is dedicated to measuring the Earth's gravity field and modelling the planet's geoid, essentially a gravitational contour map, with extremely high accuracy and spatial resolution. It is the first Earth Explorer Core mission to be developed as part of ESA's Living Planet Programme and is scheduled for launch from Plesetsk, Russia in March 2009.

A precise model of the Earth's geoid is crucial for deriving accurate measurements of ocean circulation, sea-level change and terrestrial ice dynamics – all of which are affected by climate change. The geoid is also used as a reference surface from which to map all topographical features on the planet.

An improved knowledge of gravity anomalies will contribute to a better understanding of the Earth's interior, such as the physics and dynamics associated with volcanism and earthquakes and also further our knowledge of land uplift due to post-glacial rebound.

The prime contractor for the mission is Thales Alenia Space Italy, with Astrium Friedrichshafen responsible for the spacecraft.

About the Ion Propulsion Assembly
The electric propulsion system is responsible for controlling and maintaining the spacecraft's orbit and as such is a vital GOCE subsystem. Uniquely it also ensures the drag free attitude control in the flight direction essential to allow the scientific objectives of the mission to be achieved.

At the heart of the system is QinetiQ's T5 ion thruster, mounted on an adjustable alignment bracket to direct the thrust vector through the spacecraft centre of mass. The thruster is extremely efficient requiring dramatically less propellant than conventional rocket thrusters, allowing the 30-month mission to be achieved using only 40 kg of propellant. For redundancy, two ion thrusters are mounted externally on the rear panel of the satellite.

The propellant is the inert xenon gas which is continuously fed into the 10 cm diameter cylindrical discharge chamber. The xenon is then ionised by electrons emitted by an internal cathode which both ignites and subsequently sustains the plasma inside the thruster chamber. A weak variable magnetic field is also applied which enhances the ionisation efficiency and also allows the number of ions created, and therefore the thrust produced, to be rapidly varied to precisely match the drag level.

In addition to providing the T5 thrusters, QinetiQ has produced control software and algorithms for the GOCE propulsion system. QinetiQ has also supported the testing of the Ion Propulsion Assembly.



Press Contact:
David Bishop
Head of External Communications
QinetiQ
01252 394573
07920 108675

FTS Selected as the Interconnect Billing Provider by Starcomms

17 Mar 2009 09:00 Africa/Lagos


FTS Selected as the Interconnect Billing Provider by Starcomms

Nigeria's Largest 3G CDMA Mobile Network Upgrades to FTS' Leap Interconnect

HERZLIYA, Israel, March 17/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- FTS (LSE: FTS), a global provider of Billing, CRM and Business Control solutions for communications and content service providers, today announced that Starcomms Ltd., Nigeria's largest 3G CDMA mobile network, has again selected FTS as its interconnect billing provider. Starcomms deployed FTS' Leap(TM) Interconnect to support its rapidly growing subscriber base, and to ensure accounting accuracy of its growing interconnect revenues.


The new implementation offers Starcomms a range of interconnect services, including retrieval of mediation records from the operator's mobile switch, rating of these records as well as generating and printing bills for Starcomms' interconnect partners. Leap Interconnect also provides Starcomms with innovative reporting and settlements capabilities as a result of its ability to flexibly integrate with other Starcomms applications.


"Our focus on innovative solutions was the reason for selecting FTS' interconnect billing solution a few years ago," said Hashem Sallam, Starcomms' Billing Manager. "As we expand the reach of our network and services, and our subscriber base continues to grow, our interconnect services have become a major revenue stream. Leap Interconnect provides us with all of the billing capabilities that we need as we continue to expand, and we are pleased to be working with a trusted vendor like FTS to ensure the accuracy of our interconnect accounting."


"This upgrade to Leap Interconnect is testimony to the strength of our relationship with Starcomms," said Shamir Efrony, Africa Sales Director, FTS. "In addition to expanding our relationship with Starcomms, it also illustrates our ongoing commitment to the Nigerian market in particular and the African continent in general. FTS' strategic focus on Africa means that we spare no effort in continuing to support our African customers with world class solutions."


About Starcomms Ltd.


Starcomms Ltd., Nigeria's largest CDMA 3G mobile network, is a provider of one-stop telecommunication solutions for mobile and fixed market segments. Providing mobile, fixed, customized and value-added services to the Nigerian individual and corporate market, Starcomms has a subscriber base of over 1,000,000 and still growing. Starcomms is the first operator to launch 3G EVDO mobile broadband in Nigeria and West Africa. Starcomms is the first CDMA operator to introduce the use of RUIM cards, and the first operator to launch instant messenger on mobiles in Nigeria. Starcomms.


About FTS


FTS (LSE: FTS) is a leading provider of Billing, CRM and Business Control solutions for communications, content and service providers. By analyzing events from a business standpoint rather than just billing them, FTS allows providers to better understand their customer base and leverage business value from every event and interaction. FTS deploys its full range of end-to-end, stand-alone and add-on solutions to customers in over 40 countries and has implemented solutions in wireless, wireline, cable, content and broadband markets including multiple cross-network installations. Serving the evolving needs of both traditional and next generation service providers, the company's operations comprise four international R&D locations and strategically-located sales support offices worldwide. For more information please visit http://www.fts-soft.com/.



For further information please contact:
Sonus PR: Martin Smith, Tel. +44-20-7851-4821, martin.smith@sonuspr.com
FTS: Moshe Peterfreund, Tel. +972-9-952-6500, press@fts-soft.com




Source: FTS

For further information please contact: Sonus PR: Martin Smith, Tel. +44-20-7851-4821, martin.smith@sonuspr.com; FTS: Moshe Peterfreund, Tel. +972-9-952-6500, press@fts-soft.com

China-Africa Development Fund Opens First Office in Africa

16 Mar 2009 11:15 Africa/Lagos

China-Africa Development Fund Opens First Office in Africa

JOHANNESBURG, March 16/PRNewswire/ --


- Major Step for Sino-African Cooperation


The China-Africa Development Fund (CADFund) opened the first representative office in Johannesburg, South Africa today. The Fund will boost economic development in Africa by encouraging investment by Chinese enterprises. Its creation stems from President Hu Jintao's pledge at the China-Africa Cooperation summit in 2006.


According to Chen Yuan, Chairman of the Board of the China Development Bank, the Fund is the first of its kind. It will encourage Chinese companies to invest in multiple industries, leading to an improved quality of life for residents throughout Africa.


The China-Africa Development Fund is a 5 billion US Dollar fund. The China Development Bank invested $1 billion, which is the fund's first phase of capital. Since its establishment in June 2007, the CADFund has facilitated over 20 investments in Africa, amounting to nearly 400 million US Dollars.


Several high-level Chinese and South African government officials and business leaders attended the office opening ceremony, including African National Congress president Jacob Zuma, China Development Bank Chairman Chen Yuan, CADFund CEO Chi Jianxin, and Zhong Jianhua, China's Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa. In total, over 300 guests were present at the event.


The creation of the China-Africa Development Fund's Representative Office in South Africa is a further step to help facilitate CADFund's investments in Africa. The CADFund aims to establish Representative Offices throughout Africa in the future to further promote economic cooperation between China and Africa and to bring about mutual benefits.


About the China-Africa Development Fund:


The China-Africa Development Fund (CADFund) is a US$5 billion equity investment fund in China focusing on investments in Africa. Established on June 26, 2007, with initial funding of US$1 billion from the China Development Bank, CADFund operates independently and assumes sole responsibility for its profits and losses. Among the investments concluded by CADFund: cotton planting and processing facility in Malawi, 560,000kW scalable power station in Ghana, glass factory in Ethiopia, Egyptian Suez Trade Park, and Nigerian Lachish Trade Zone.



For more information, please contact:

Maria Guimaraes
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Beijing
Email: Maria.guimaraes@ogilvy.com
Tel: +86-10-8520-3094

Mikko Lan
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Beijing
Email: Mikko.lan@ogilvy.com
Tel: +86-10-8520-6560




Source: The China-Africa Development Fund

Maria Guimaraes of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Beijing, Maria.guimaraes@ogilvy.com, or +86-10-8520-3094; or Mikko Lan of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Beijing, Mikko.lan@ogilvy.com, or +86-10-8520-6560


12 Mar 2009
13:30
IPC The Hospitalist Company Presents IPC Hospitalist of the Year Award to Tim Osonma, M.D.

Invest in America--Before it's Too Late

In the March 23 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, March 16): "I Want You to Start Spending!" Daniel Gross writes about how we, as consumers, need to start taking risks again in the economy and start spending to help the recovery. Plus: Mexican drug cartel violence spreads north of the U.S. border; investigating Americans' Swiss bank accounts; the decline of Iraq's Kurdistan; how to choose the right procedure for an ailing heart and Prince's big online bet. (PRNewsFoto/Newsweek) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES 03/15/2009

15 Mar 2009 16:56 Africa/Lagos


NEWSWEEK Cover: I Want You to Start Spending!

Invest in America--Before it's Too Late

We've All Lost The Taste For Risk; For Our Economy To Recover and Thrive, 'Hoarders must open our wallets and become consumers, and businesses must once again be willing to roll the dice,' writes Daniel Gross

'We've gone from age of entitlement to age of thrift,' says PIMCO CEO

NEW YORK, March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- With the economy in its 16th month of recession and the markets cut in half, it seems we've all lost the taste for risk, writes Newsweek Senior Editor Daniel Gross in the current issue. "In the grip of a bubble mentality, we -- as investors, consumers and businesses -- blithely assumed risk and convinced ourselves it was perfectly safe to do so," he writes. But now, "the zeitgeist has spun 180 degrees. Squeeze your nickels, slash debt, stop gambling," Gross writes in the March 23 Newsweek cover, "I Want You to Start Spending!" (on newsstands Monday, March 16). "For our $14 trillion economy to recover and thrive, hoarders must open their wallets and become consumers, and businesses must once again be willing to roll the dice."


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090315/NYSU004 )


In his essay, Gross explains how not spending anything now could mean bigger problems in the future. The rush to hoard cash and pinch pennies is understandable, given that some $13 trillion in net worth evaporated between mid-2007 and the end of 2008, Gross writes. "But while it makes complete microeconomic sense for families and individual businesses, the spending freeze and collective shunning of nonguaranteed investments is macroeconomically troubling. Especially if it persists once the credit crisis passes."


"The precautionary behavior of every entity in the global economy has gone up," Mohamed El-Arian, CEO of the giant bond-investment fund PIMCO, tells Newsweek. "We've gone from an age of entitlement to an age of thrift."


Gross writes that nobody is advocating a return to the debt-fueled days of "4,000-square-foot second homes, $1,000 handbags and $6 specialty coffees. But in our economy, in which 70 percent of activity is derived from consumers, we do need our neighbors to spend. Otherwise we fall into what economist John Maynard Keynes called the 'paradox of thrift.' If everyone saves during a slack period, economic activity will decrease, thus making everyone poorer. We also need to start investing again not necessarily in the stocks of Citigroup or in condos in Miami. But rather to build skills, to create skills, to create the new companies that are so vital to growth, and to fund the discovery and development of new technologies."


Economists warn that if we don't manage to jolt the economy back into life soon, we run the risk of repeating Japan's so-called "lost decade" of the 1990s, Gross writes. Would that be so bad? After all, while Japan endured a prolonged period of slow growth, nobody starved, there was no social unrest in the aging country, and its biggest companies continued to innovate. But America is different. Thanks to our continually rising population, we need significant growth just to maintain our standards of living -- and the health of our democracy. "When people experience progress in their material living standards and they have some degree of optimism that it will continue, they're inclined to support public policies that reflect tolerance, opening of opportunity and commitments to democracy," says Benjamin Friedman, a Harvard economist and author of "The Moral Consequences of Growth."


A second moral imperative demands that America get back on the growth track, Gross writes. "The U.S. remains the single largest source of demand. Until America emerges from its bunker, the global economy -- facing its first year of contraction since World War II -- is likely to remain moribund."


(Read cover at www.Newsweek.com)


http://www.newsweek.com/id/189232


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090315/NYSU004
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Source: Newsweek

CONTACT: Jan Angilella of Newsweek, +1-212-445-5638


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

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