Author: Gugu Lourie

PayPal is the latest company to join a long list to ditch support for the “fringe” phone operating systems: Microsoft’s Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Amazon’s Fire OS. This decision comes on the heels of Microsoft’s announcement of getting rid of a further 1,850 jobs, most of them from what remains of the staff that came to Microsoft from its acquisition of Nokia. By David Glance Microsoft’s purchase of Nokia wasn’t simply a very bad business decision from a company that is fighting its slow slide to irrelevance, the side-effect of this singularly bad business idea, was to put nearly 25,000 people…

ShowMax is getting ready to update its series and movies catalog once again. Africa’s largest collection of video entertainment keeps getting bigger with new shows added every week. From Hollywood heavy hitters to international exclusives and local favourites. Here’s what’s coming up in June. NEW SERIES Kingdom (New episodes) Criminal Minds S1 – S9 The Great Train Robbery S1 Gangland Undercover S1 Unreal S1 The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (Mini-series) And Then There Were None S1 Mad Men S7 Hawaii Five-O Pretty Little Liars S5 NEW MOVIES You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (2010) Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)…

Submissions for the MTN Business SA App of the Year Awards 2016, the biggest and most prestigious app development awards, are now open. The App of the Year Awards is a springboard for creative developers and their original solutions. Previous winners of the awards have gone on to launch their apps internationally, been acquired by blue chip corporates, or become well-known and loved South African digital products in their own right. Previous winners and categories winners include SnapScan, Wumdrop, FNB Banking, Money4Jam, Zapper, Vula Mobile, and PriceCheck. MTN Business SA Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Alpheus Mangale says: “We are proud…

Absa has launched ChatBanking, the first service in Africa which allows you to conduct your day-to-day banking from your Twitter account, without interrupting your session on the social media website. The secure, private and convenient service was launched on Twitter on Thursday and will eventually be rolled out to other social media platforms. Changes in customer behaviour require that banking has to be available anytime, anywhere, and accessible through multiple channels. In addition, social media has transformed the traditional relationship between business and customers in the same way as it has changed how individuals interact with one another. “The launch…

MTN Business, in partnership with online accounting tool SMEasy, on Thursday announced the launch of an agile, fit for purpose business management and easy accounting solution for small business owners in Kenya – with other markets to follow. MTN Business EasyAccounting gives entrepreneurs with no accounting knowledge or training, the ability to perform crucial finance and related business tasks. The cloud-based solution features essential capabilities such as quoting and invoicing, complete money management, customer communication, simple reporting and an accountant dashboard. MTN Business EasyAccounting also includes an easy to use payroll facility which generates payslips for employees. “The small business…

The first social platform where creative individuals, create perfect travel groups, live dream experiences & travel for free, is finally on air at www.lifekiy.com. It has been designed to offer nonprofessional users, a set of tools to organize or find unique social trips, get matched with ideal travel groups to share social  travel experiences and the opportunity to fund their trips. A brand new social marketplace to prove that there are no restrictions to organize and live outstanding journeys, with the most amazing people, even in the case of lack budget. Its purpose is to inspire people to live their dreams,…

The first plug-in hybrid production car from the BMW core brand is a Sports Activity Vehicle. Permanent all-wheel drive and the BMW EfficientDynamics eDrive technology endow the BMW X5 xDrive40e with sensational sportiness and supreme poise on the one hand and outstanding efficiency on the other. The use of BMW eDrive technology for exceptionally efficient performance as well as all-electric mobility with zero tailpipe emissions as and when required ushers in a whole new form of commanding driving experience in a sports activity vehicle. At the same time, the BMW X5 xDrive40e reaps the benefits of the technology and know-how transferred from the…

Integrated ICT and infrastructure provider, Vox Telecom has launched Business Class Fibre, a world class fibre-to-the-business offering that delivers a broad spectrum of customisable solutions, to suit businesses of all sizes. Fast, reliable connectivity has become an essential requirement for every business, from the start-up running multiple applications in the cloud, to the established corporate that needs to remain always-on. “We believe that we are able to offer more than just an internet connection, and have created the ideal platform for convergence,” says Shane Chorley, executive head: Carrier and Connectivity division at Vox Telecom. “Business Class Fibre enables businesses, to…

MTN is optimistic an agreement can be reached in the ‘short term’ to settle a $3.9 billion fine dispute with the Nigerian Government, Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator informed shareholders on Wednesday. By Gugu Lourie “We continue our engagement with the Nigerian authorities and are awaiting feedback. We remain optimistic on reaching a conclusion on this matter in the short term. We will continuously monitor developments with regards to the Nigerian fine and will review the adequacy of the provision at the end of the reporting period,” MTN informed investors via the the JSE. The mobile phone giant has set…

Your security solution should never take a break. It should always be working for you, protecting your business and its staff, which is why a strong security system needs back up power – to protect security systems from ‘dirty power’ and to keep it running even when the power stops. By Marco da Silva, MD of Power Solutions at Jasco Jasco’s alternative power solutions will ensure your security system never fails, putting the power back in your hands. Jasco supplies a range of power systems that are modular and effective, offering power supply quality and assurance. But we don’t just sell…