IBM sets up foundation, targets $22bn market

10:29 PM Technology No Comments

At the ongoing Impact 2012 , the premier conference for business and IT leadership holding in Las Vegas, United States of America, IBM  unveiled its first ever Mobile Foundation, a comprehensive portfolio of software and services designed to help organizations capitalize on the proliferation of mobile environments — including laptops, smartphones and tablets.
The Mobile Foundation, according to IBM  is targeting a $22 billion market opportunity expected to grow to $36B in 2015.
However, in an IBM survey of  more than 700 CIOs, three quarters said they are embracing a mobile strategy because a flexible workplace delivers a 20 percent improvement in employee productivity. The solution helps clients embrace growing mobile and cloud computing business opportunities.
Building on its recent acquisition of Worklight, the new foundation further expands  IBM strategy, to provide clients with a mobile platform that spans application development, integration, security and management. This year’s Impact  conference is featuring  more than 8,500 attendees and hundreds of client testimonials, presentations, workshops and product demos.
The CIOs said they are significantly reducing the cost of doing business by decreasing dependence on email, improving social collaboration and adopting cloud technologies to reach mobile workers.
“It’s no secret that throughout the last decade, the most successful organizations have been quick to leverage new technology for business advantage,”  Marie Wieck, General Manager, IBM Application and Integration Middleware told newsmen during a press conference on monday to introduce the company’s prodcts portfollio.
Accordin to her, “Over this time, we have evolved our market-leading portfolio to meet our client’s needs to extend their reach through new channels like mobile and cloud computing.  Our latest offerings are yet another step in this direction and will provide customers with everything they need to support mobile devices in their business and use them to transform the way they interact with customers, partners and employees”
She disclosed that IBM has been steadily investing in the mobile  space for more than a decade, adding that both organically and through acquisitions: building a complete portfolio of software and services that delivers enterprise-ready mobility for clients.
Senior Vice President and Group Executive of IBM software systems Group, Steve Mills who also spoke on the company;s roadmap on the mobile era disclosed that IBM has come to stay in the cutting edge solutions in mobile computing.
He said that many compnies includinmg TBC Corporation uses IBM mobile capabilities to create a new customer experience for the authomotive after market. TBC Corporation, he said will use mobile computing as a major strategy to accelerate the company’s rapid expansion.

By Emeka Aginam, in Las Vegas

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ICT stakeholders shop for best consumer behaviour to cashless effort

7:57 AM Technology No Comments

Last week, a number of notable ICT organisations including the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, telecom companies, MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and second national operator, Globacom rallied round another Nigeria ICT outfit, Logica Media group, which sought to bring the right attitudinal change to the issue of cashless society initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
For the organisations, only the right perception can best prepare a people, who have over decades, played in a heavily cash based society like Nigeria, for this change.
With a purpose of examining how the Nigerian Telecoms Consumer will be affected by the Mobile Payment platform being promoted by the Central Bank of Nigeria as a means of achieving a cashless society, the organisers wove the theme of the symposium around: “Moving towards a cashless society: What Behavioural change expected from Telecom Consumers?”
Selected to thrash out issues around the theme was the Director Consumer affairs burueau of the NCC, Mrs Mary Uduma.
In her speech, Mrs Uduma admitted that there is no doubt that the advent of Electronic Payment System has resulted in numerous benefits for consumers and suppliers in both developed and developing economies.
For her, to harness such benefits in Nigeria, there was need for behavioural and attitudinal change in the mind set of consumers towards the initiative. To achieve that, her view was that massive sensitization and awareness for the project was key. However, the sensitization and awareness campaign should be localized in order to reach all Nigerians.
She said, “consumers need to be sensitized in order to eliminate suspected fears of failure of this laudable initiative. Perception and trust can shape the adoption of branchless banking by the Consumer. On the other hand, users of mobile money must understand that one of its greatest values is not just the convenience, but the price.  So, users need to have an accurate perception of the way mobile financial services can solve concrete financial pain points in their lives”.
Uduma who was represented at the event by Emilia Nwokoro, also added that “making electronic transactions more attractive from a tax dispensation perspective, will change Consumer behaviour towards electronic payments, reducing cash and indirectly leading to growth.
People would literally have a bank account with mobile money through their mobile phones but this time, their current account number will be their mobile phone number.
At the macro level, it enlarges consumer market, and thus contributes to economic growth. I am sure you are all aware of the tremendous advantages of e-ticketing, it enhances transparency and facilitates better price discovery.
Today, we have more people with telephone than those with bank accounts. Mobile Banking will be a way to bridge that gap to see that every mobile phone owner can have a bank account”.
Meanwhile in his earlier welcome speech, chief executive officer, Logica Group, organisers of the event, Otunba Abiodun Ajiboye applauded participants for taking the issue of behavioural change seriously, saying that “Moving towards a cashless society”,was not by accident but a way to further sensitize the people at the grassroots to this change.

By Prince Osuagwu

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