Ethiopian Airlines flies to 117 destinations worldwide carrying 11 million passengers over 5 continents annually. In answer to providing its customers with the maximum experiences the company setup an innovation program embracing Microsoft technologies. To take care of customer service, operational excellence and revenue increments.
Listen to Ethiopia Airline’s Director of Digital, Miretab Teklaye talk about using Microsoft Azure to power their innovation program. Receiving all the necessary support from Microsoft engineers and experts for the digital innovation program to thrive.
These technological advancements are so important to create a better life for a self-sufficient Africa.
Yohannes Berhanemeskel
Microsoft AppFactory Academy
Last year Ethiopian airlines and Microsoft 4Afrika partnered to open an AppFactory academy. This the airline says the ICT skills Development Programme has created jobs for Ethiopian graduates.
“Digital transformation is about implementing technology advancements and cultural changes. The technical capacity and skills of the youth, as engines of growth and transformation, is critical to render the country more competitive. Through programmes like 4Afrika, Microsoft remains committed to investing in and developing relevant skills and competencies across the continent.
Amrote Abdella, Regional Director Microsoft 4Afrika
“Every industry in Africa is being transformed and disrupted by technology and air transportation is no exception. Airlines are using technology to better understand their customers and offer a more personalized flying experience. We need more young people with skills in modern technology to drive this kind of innovation and transformation. We believe the partnership with Microsoft will play a fundamental role in strengthening the link between universities and industries, so as to improve the quality of skills and access to jobs.”
Tewolde Gebremariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines.
MTN Gaming Conference brings the gaming community in Ghana together. Providing a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas on the development of interactive and immersive game experiences. As well as how to shape the future of the gaming industry in Ghana and Africa.
The gaming industry in Ghana seems like an untapped resource as global gaming market revenues are projected to exceed $525 billion by 2023. Newzoo’s insight into the global games market share shows Europe, Middle East and Africa at only 21 percent. As a result of this potential, MTN believes rallying the community together will help it grow and increase economic gains.
MTN Gaming Conference highlights
https://youtu.be/soOr0c-SBrQ
Speakers at the event include Johana Riquier, Business Development Manager at game software development company Unity. Eric Elder, CEO Online Worlds Entertainment, Eyram Tawia, CEO of Leti Arts and Triforce Johnson, CEO Empire Arcadia.
Conversations from keynotes, panel and break out sessions centered on using education as a way to grow the industry. Creating relevant African content and how game developers can fund their projects.
Angry Birds, Peter Vesterbacka, joins via chat
Former chief marketing officer of Rovio Mobile Ltd, Peter Vesterbacka and Mighty Eagle of Angry Birds joins event via video call. Watch video below as he speaks to the audience about the business of gaming. He shared the history of Rovio and how it took Rovio 51 tries to get to hit game Angry Birds.
https://youtu.be/dKV4trmKR2Q
Peter joins at 6:00
The event hosted by MTN Ghana Limited took place at the Accra Digital Center, Accra.
Microsoft through its business and market development engine in Africa, 4Afrika is partnering with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The collaboration will see Microsoft co-create technology solutions in agriculture. Supporting AGRA’s digital transformation initiative to improve food security in Africa.
In a report, continued use of outdated technologies and practices is the biggest hurdle to increasing farmer productivity in Africa. Microsoft will therefore work with AGRA to build locally relevant technology solutions. Solutions that are mindful of challenges local farmers face says Microsoft 4Afrika director Amrote Abdella.
We’re excited to work with AGRA in building locally-relevant technology solutions that are mindful of challenges local farmers face. Offering solutions to farmers and policy makers alike to deliver meaningful impact.”
Amrote Abdella
The partnership is part of Microsoft’s ongoing investment in agritech across Africa. This year the company introduced a $100 million Africa Development Center investment with sites in Lagos and Nairobi. The center according to Microsoft will help to advance AI innovation in agriculture.
Technology to transform sector
The collaboration will see Microsoft supporting farmers to adopt new technologies through digital training. As well as help them develop digital skills in agriculture through an internship program. Microsoft will also support policy advocacy and government engagement around the design of national agriculture digitization strategies in the region.
Agriculture is a priority sector of investment for us not only because it sustains some 70 percent of livelihoods. But because we believe technology can significantly contribute to the transformation of the sector.
Africa has many farmers with varying farming practices. We believe technology can augment this knowledge to improve crop yields.
Amrote Abdella
Microsoft will begin to expand its FarmBeats initiative across Africa, having piloted it in Kenya.
AGRA’s digital transformation in agriculture wants to improve food security for about 30 million farming households across 11 African countries by 2021. These are Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.
AGRA president, Dr. Agnes Kalibata says “digital technologies are now firmly with us. It is increasingly important that we keep finding use of such innovations in our farms“.
“Going forward, digitalization will transcend every sphere of our life and it is highly likely that most of our farming investments will gain more yields as a result. Overall, with more innovation, farmer-centric products and services can now be deployed with great success. The goal, ultimately, is to adopt digital technologies in ways that positively impact whole agricultural and food systems.”
Microsoft is inviting developers and software architects to a one day training event in Lagos.
Microsoft is hosting a free one day Microsoft Azure Training Day event for developers and software architects. The training will be on migrating applications to the cloud.
The training is scheduled to take place 13th September 2019, 8am at the Microsoft Office in Nigeria. (6th Floor, Civic Towers Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island).
The invitation reads;
Join us at Microsoft Azure Training Day: Migrating Applications to the Cloud. A free, one-day event for developers and architects to learn the steps and decision-making process of a migration. Assume the role of a member of the fictional Tailwind Traders’ cloud-migration team as it transitions a recent acquisition, Northwind, to the Azure cloud platform. Please make sure to bring your laptops to the training
Topics will include migrating web applications and moving your database to Azure, deploying your application faster and safer and more.
How will you like the freedom to explore, learn, discover and have amazing experiences? An unlimited world of opportunities for a month, albeit at an extra cost. Vodafone Ghana announced a fixed broadband offer targeted at students on vacation. The Amazing Vacation offer. Is this offer any good?
Last month students returned home from school and Vodafone Ghana introduced an unlimited fixed broadband (FBB) monthly package. Giving customers unlimited data usage for a month. Even though it is geared towards students on holiday, anyone can subscribe to it. Currently non of Vodafone Ghana’s FBB package is unlimited. With the highest consumer data package offer being the 400GB data size ‘Office package’.
However to be able to get this unlimited offer you need to have an active FBB package subscription. Then pay an extra one hundred Cedis to get the unlimited data.
So I checked the amazing vacation offer out. I payed the extra one hundred cedis to confirm if this was true and if the experience was any good. You know how you are usually promised a thing and get another.
After paying for this I realized I received an unlimited vacation bonus data of 1TB (1023.72GB). This overrides the existing data and is valid for a month.
I haven’t experienced a throttling of internet speed as my fiber package has worked as normal. Experiencing speeds of 40 to 100 mbps.
Should you consider this package? The offer is currently available till the end of September. But should Vodafone make this happen every vacation it might be worth it. That’s if you use or want to use more data.
