Microsoft Business News

Kenyan Exports Software as IT Sector Grows

IT OutsourcingKenya’s rising profile as a software developing nation is set to place the commodity on the country’s list of exports this year as companies and governments continue the search for effective cost-cutting tools.

Figures from the Ministry of Information reveal the sector raked in over KES 500 million (USD 6.6 million) in revenues last year, and that figure is projected to double as the country’s profile rises around the world.

Currently, Kenya biggest exports are tangible goods such as horticultural exports, tea, and soda ash.

A shift to virtual software exports would position the country to compete in the same class as India, which makes upwards of KES 4 billion (USD 52.9 million) per annum in software exports.

Local software manufacturers say they are experiencing an upswing in interest from foreign companies, who are drawn to Kenyan developers due to their ability to churn out cheap but innovative solutions. Read the rest of this entry »

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Microsoft’s Windows 7 to be Available in 10 African languages by June 2011

Microsoft Windows 7For most English speakers, computer terms such as “instant messenger,” “download” and “cut and paste” seem quite ordinary. However, for millions of African indigenous language speakers, the absence of technology in their own language simply increases the digital divide.

That’s according to Ntutule Tshenye, the Head of Citizenship at Microsoft West, East, and Central Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands (WECA & IOI). Speaking at the Local Language program (LLP) Africa Summit in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday, Tshenye said providing access to computer technology in local languages will open up new worlds for education and economic participation for millions of people across the African continent. Read the rest of this entry »

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Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Shuts Down 800 Scam Web Sites

Farida Waziri, Chairperson of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

Farida Waziri, Chairperson of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

Nigeria’s anti-corruption watch dog, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has shut down over 800 scam web sites and busted 18 syndicates of email fraudsters in a drive to check cyber-crime. “Over 800 fraudulent email addresses have been identified and shut down,” EFCC Chairperson Farida Waziri said in Las Vegas, United States, last week.

“There have been 18 arrests of high profile syndicates operating cyber-crime organizations,” she told a gathering of US mayors at the 35th Annual Convention of Black Mayors on Global Vision for Local Action: A Paradigm of Connectivity in the African Diaspora.

On a daily basis, Internet users in Nigeria and around the world receive scam emails from fraudsters who impersonate businesses like banks and mobile phone companies. These web forgeries are designed to trick people into revealing personal or financial information by imitating legitimate sources.

Some of the fraudsters hack into private email accounts of prominent personalities and send emails to their contacts claiming to be stranded and asking for emergency cash. Read the rest of this entry »

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Microsoft OneApp Unlocks the Potential of Feature Mobile Phones in Emerging Markets; OneApp Premiering in South Africa

Microsoft OneAppMicrosoft Corporation today announced Microsoft OneApp, a new software application that enables feature phones — commonly found in emerging markets — to access mobile apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Windows Live Messenger, and other popular apps and games.

The result is a better mobile experience for the many people around the world who want to do more with the phones they already own.

Microsoft OneApp complements Microsoft’s existing mobile strategy by bringing mobile apps and services to feature phones in emerging markets.

Launching first with Blue Label Telecoms in South Africa, OneApp will be used as part of the new and upcoming release of its Mibli consumer mobile service. As a result of a strategic relationship with Blue Label Telecoms, Mibli, powered by Microsoft OneApp, will ship with more than a dozen new mobile apps. Additional apps will be available in the future, focusing on areas such as healthcare. Consumers in South Africa can download and install Mibli for free. Read the rest of this entry »

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Vodacom to Offer Hosted Computing Services in South Africa

Web HostingVodacom promises to transform the hosted computing landscape in South Africa through a partnership with Microsoft. South African businesses will soon have access to business software services on a pay-as-you-go basis, thanks to a program launched last week by Vodacom Business and Microsoft. The announcement, made at Microsoft’s Partner Summit in Durban, will see Vodacom offer bundled business applications along with its mobile voice and data offerings.

Vodacom will offer Microsoft’s Hosted Exchange and Hosted SharePoint via its data center. Companies can then access these solutions according to their needs and be invoiced by usage. Read the rest of this entry »

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