Vodafone Ghana is to install 2,000 telephone-booth facilities by the end of the year, and by 2011 replicate the platform in all senior high schools in the country to help bridge the communication gap of students.
It has rolled-out 1,440 V- Booths in 391 senior high schools, six junior high and primary schools and 10 communities in all the ten regions of the country.
This innovative project by Vodafone, dubbed ‘V-Booths’ and which is the first in the country, is to ensure effective and appropriate use of the facility at the schools, Dr. Kobina Quansah, Board Chairman of the company, made these known in Accra at the first stakeholder forum.
He revealed that all the school authorities have been involved with all aspects of the project so that school regulations are not flouted.
“The V-Booth has become particularly important for students as an effective means for communication with their families and friends while in boarding schools as students in senior high school are not permitted to use mobile phones when at school.”
Dr. Quansah also indicated that the company has also donated a total of 163 computers to 19 schools and institutions across the country.
“ICT is no doubt the backbone of development in all areas of our lives, and therefore it makes sense having ICT infrastructure in our schools and giving training to students who in turn will use their knowledge in contributing to national development.
“We believe that as a responsible organisation we owe it as a duty to the people that we serve to see to it the environment we live in is well-protected and safe.”
Participants for the first Vodafone Stakeholders’ Forum were drawn from Non-Governmental Organisations, industry regulators, investors, academia, entrepreneurs, telecommunication industry regulators, and Environmental organisations.
The forum, among other objectives, was to facilitate discussions among stakeholders in the areas of compliance with supply engagement procedures, health & safety policies, and Vodaphone’s quest to be an employer of Choice.
Paul Ryan, Director External Affairs, speaking at the occasion, emphasised that the eengagement with stakeholders is an important part of developing its corporate responsibility plan.
“We believe that the involvement of a broad range of stakeholders ‘will help a great deal in achieving a better corporate responsibility plan that will be implementable and easily adaptable.
“We consider stakeholders as people who can affect our business or who are affected by it; and this group includes employees, suppliers, NGOs, government agencies, regulators and the Communities within which we operate,” Mr. Ryan stated.
He said engagement with individuals and organisations will represent the full diversity of those who will be affected by the activities.
“Our expectation at the end of the workshop is that we will have succeeded in ensuring that people’s understanding of the activities of Vodafone Ghana is greatly increased - and that we have created opportunities for people to provide relevant information in the focus areas of our discussion and to the development of telecommunication business in Ghana,” Mr. Ryan remarked.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Jubilee gas to be pumped back
Natural gas produced alongside first oil from the Jubilee field will be pumped back into the well, contrary to recent expectations of gas being exploited before oil.
Tullow Oil Chief Operations Officer Stuart Wheaton said: “Associated gas from oil production in Jubilee will have to be injected back into the well until infrastructure for utilising gas is ready.”
Oil production, expected to commence towards the end of this year, will produce the equivalent of 10 times as much in cubic feet of natural gas as daily oil output. Initial oil output is expected to be about 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), ramping to 120,000 after about six months.
In a presentation at the just-ended Ghana Oil and Gas Summit, Wheaton disclosed that eight oil producer wells, and six water and two gas injectors have been drilled with one producer well to be drilled post-first oil.
In recent times, official statements have been indicating that Ghana will exploit its Jubilee gas resources ahead of first oil, with Energy Minister Dr. Joe Oteng-Adjei reportedly affirming this on the sidelines of an international conference on oil and gas in Trinidad and Tobago.
With a zero gas-flaring policy, the country hopes to utilise all associated gas from oil exploitation in the production of electric power, mainly, as well as for domestic use and other industrial uses such as fertiliser production.
Natural gas output from Jubilee is expected to be around 1.2 million cfd, with half of that injected back into the oil reservoir to boost pressure while the remaining 600,000 cfd is channelled through a pipeline attached to the flange of the FPSO (floating processing and offloading) vessel to an onshore gas processing plant to be sited at Bonyere in the Western Region.
The installation of the FPSO is expected to begin in June after arriving from a Singaporean shipbuilding yard, but infrastructure for gas has not yet commenced.
Experts at the Ghana Oil and Gas summit said the gas infrastructure may take a little longer in being developed.
The Ghana Summit, organised by the CWC Group brought together international industry players who deliberated on how best to make Ghana’s oil industry a success story.
Experts said the country needs to focus more attention on the development of credible local content that would see Ghanaians participating more meaningfully in the emerging oil and gas industry.
Dr. Oteng-Adjei said: “The active involvement of Ghanaians in the oil and gas exploration, development, production and utilisation through local content and local participation has become a major policy issue.
“Many of our people see the oil discovery as the last opportunity for achieving the national prosperity that has eluded our nation all this while.”
Participants at the summit said a clearly defined local content is critical to the country’s nascent hydrocarbon industry if Ghana is to emerge as a successful oil economy.
The Managing Director of GNPC, Nana Asafu-Ajaye, said Ghana’s concept of resource nationalism is to get Ghanaians participating at all levels of the oil and gas industry - with the indigenes controlling about 80 percent of the resource and ultimately controlling about 90 percent.
Source: B&FT
Tullow Oil Chief Operations Officer Stuart Wheaton said: “Associated gas from oil production in Jubilee will have to be injected back into the well until infrastructure for utilising gas is ready.”
Oil production, expected to commence towards the end of this year, will produce the equivalent of 10 times as much in cubic feet of natural gas as daily oil output. Initial oil output is expected to be about 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), ramping to 120,000 after about six months.
In a presentation at the just-ended Ghana Oil and Gas Summit, Wheaton disclosed that eight oil producer wells, and six water and two gas injectors have been drilled with one producer well to be drilled post-first oil.
In recent times, official statements have been indicating that Ghana will exploit its Jubilee gas resources ahead of first oil, with Energy Minister Dr. Joe Oteng-Adjei reportedly affirming this on the sidelines of an international conference on oil and gas in Trinidad and Tobago.
With a zero gas-flaring policy, the country hopes to utilise all associated gas from oil exploitation in the production of electric power, mainly, as well as for domestic use and other industrial uses such as fertiliser production.
Natural gas output from Jubilee is expected to be around 1.2 million cfd, with half of that injected back into the oil reservoir to boost pressure while the remaining 600,000 cfd is channelled through a pipeline attached to the flange of the FPSO (floating processing and offloading) vessel to an onshore gas processing plant to be sited at Bonyere in the Western Region.
The installation of the FPSO is expected to begin in June after arriving from a Singaporean shipbuilding yard, but infrastructure for gas has not yet commenced.
Experts at the Ghana Oil and Gas summit said the gas infrastructure may take a little longer in being developed.
The Ghana Summit, organised by the CWC Group brought together international industry players who deliberated on how best to make Ghana’s oil industry a success story.
Experts said the country needs to focus more attention on the development of credible local content that would see Ghanaians participating more meaningfully in the emerging oil and gas industry.
Dr. Oteng-Adjei said: “The active involvement of Ghanaians in the oil and gas exploration, development, production and utilisation through local content and local participation has become a major policy issue.
“Many of our people see the oil discovery as the last opportunity for achieving the national prosperity that has eluded our nation all this while.”
Participants at the summit said a clearly defined local content is critical to the country’s nascent hydrocarbon industry if Ghana is to emerge as a successful oil economy.
The Managing Director of GNPC, Nana Asafu-Ajaye, said Ghana’s concept of resource nationalism is to get Ghanaians participating at all levels of the oil and gas industry - with the indigenes controlling about 80 percent of the resource and ultimately controlling about 90 percent.
Source: B&FT
LeapFrog Investments channels GH¢ 35m facility for insurance businesses
LeapFrog Investments, the world’s first microinsurance fund, has announced that it has selected Ghana as one of three priority countries on the continent, to invest GH¢35 million (US$25 million) in local companies.
This is expected to deliver affordable and life-changing insurance in the country.
The senior officials of the company who made this disclosure in Accra at a media conference revealed that it has raised an equivalent of GH¢155 million (US$110 million) for investment in insurance businesses in Asia and Africa. It estimates that over half could be deployed in Africa.
LeapFrog Principal Doug Lacey explains: “We see significant potential in the Ghanaian market, particularly given the rapid growth of the insurance industry since it was privatised and the strong demand and need among the majority of the population – who are still underserved by insurance products.
The Commissioner of Insurance has on many occasions stressed the importance of promoting and developing microinsurance, and we see genuine openness to foreign investment. LeapFrog will invest to help Ghanaian insurance companies to grow and help the Ghanaian people to achieve greater financial inclusion and security.”
The brainchild of a largely African team of insurance and investment industry CEOs and experts, LeapFrog is a long-term and strategic investor. T
he fund commits substantial capital and expertise to supporting high-growth, high-impact insurance opportunities. LeapFrog now aims to leverage its unique resources and capabilities to make investments in, or partner with, local insurance companies, microinsurers, or businesses with significant distribution platforms that reach the mass market.
“Millions of people in Ghana still do not have access to affordable and relevant financial services. With this latest capital injection to the fund, we look forward to partnering with local companies and insurers, bringing to bear substantial capital and global best-practice to ensure microinsurance is delivered with commercial success and profound social impact in Ghana,” adds Lacey.
In addition to Ghana, Leapfrog’s priority countries for investment include Kenya, South Africa, India, and the Philippines.
Asked why LeapFrog is especially interested in Ghana, President and Founder Dr. Andrew Kuper said: “Over 96 percent of the Ghanaian population, or more than 18 million people, are classified as low-income, but they do have sufficient income to afford insurance for their families and enterprises. Insurance can have a transformative impact on their lives and livelihoods, enabling them to build futures without fear. We should be reaching everyone – it can be done on a commercial basis and no one should go without protection.”
The LeapFrog fund aims to invest amounts between around GH¢7 million and GH¢21 million (US$5 million to US$15 million) per business, so as to drive significant growth.
In describing the fund’s investment approach, Kuper said “Our success will be driven by the fact that we are meeting the escalating demand for microinsurance at the right time, with the right people. Our team can add value to portfolio companies in business planning, product design, regulatory and risk management, and development of efficient and high-volume distribution channels.”
Leading investors have aligned behind LeapFrog’s profit-with-purpose investment proposition, with four global institutions announcing investments today at a signing ceremony in Frankfurt.
The International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group, committed US$20 million. The board of the Soros Economic Development Fund has approved a US$7 million investment.
Flagstone Reinsurance, a global reinsurer, committed US$12 million. The largest amount of US$25 million was committed by KfW Entwicklungsbank and BMZ, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. LeapFrog is now by far the largest dedicated investor in the microinsurance sector worldwide.
With nearly a half a billion rand ready to be invested in Africa, LeapFrog is on the lookout for innovative insurance and financial services companies, or businesses that own strong distribution platforms who could be strong local partners.
This is expected to deliver affordable and life-changing insurance in the country.
The senior officials of the company who made this disclosure in Accra at a media conference revealed that it has raised an equivalent of GH¢155 million (US$110 million) for investment in insurance businesses in Asia and Africa. It estimates that over half could be deployed in Africa.
LeapFrog Principal Doug Lacey explains: “We see significant potential in the Ghanaian market, particularly given the rapid growth of the insurance industry since it was privatised and the strong demand and need among the majority of the population – who are still underserved by insurance products.
The Commissioner of Insurance has on many occasions stressed the importance of promoting and developing microinsurance, and we see genuine openness to foreign investment. LeapFrog will invest to help Ghanaian insurance companies to grow and help the Ghanaian people to achieve greater financial inclusion and security.”
The brainchild of a largely African team of insurance and investment industry CEOs and experts, LeapFrog is a long-term and strategic investor. T
he fund commits substantial capital and expertise to supporting high-growth, high-impact insurance opportunities. LeapFrog now aims to leverage its unique resources and capabilities to make investments in, or partner with, local insurance companies, microinsurers, or businesses with significant distribution platforms that reach the mass market.
“Millions of people in Ghana still do not have access to affordable and relevant financial services. With this latest capital injection to the fund, we look forward to partnering with local companies and insurers, bringing to bear substantial capital and global best-practice to ensure microinsurance is delivered with commercial success and profound social impact in Ghana,” adds Lacey.
In addition to Ghana, Leapfrog’s priority countries for investment include Kenya, South Africa, India, and the Philippines.
Asked why LeapFrog is especially interested in Ghana, President and Founder Dr. Andrew Kuper said: “Over 96 percent of the Ghanaian population, or more than 18 million people, are classified as low-income, but they do have sufficient income to afford insurance for their families and enterprises. Insurance can have a transformative impact on their lives and livelihoods, enabling them to build futures without fear. We should be reaching everyone – it can be done on a commercial basis and no one should go without protection.”
The LeapFrog fund aims to invest amounts between around GH¢7 million and GH¢21 million (US$5 million to US$15 million) per business, so as to drive significant growth.
In describing the fund’s investment approach, Kuper said “Our success will be driven by the fact that we are meeting the escalating demand for microinsurance at the right time, with the right people. Our team can add value to portfolio companies in business planning, product design, regulatory and risk management, and development of efficient and high-volume distribution channels.”
Leading investors have aligned behind LeapFrog’s profit-with-purpose investment proposition, with four global institutions announcing investments today at a signing ceremony in Frankfurt.
The International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group, committed US$20 million. The board of the Soros Economic Development Fund has approved a US$7 million investment.
Flagstone Reinsurance, a global reinsurer, committed US$12 million. The largest amount of US$25 million was committed by KfW Entwicklungsbank and BMZ, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. LeapFrog is now by far the largest dedicated investor in the microinsurance sector worldwide.
With nearly a half a billion rand ready to be invested in Africa, LeapFrog is on the lookout for innovative insurance and financial services companies, or businesses that own strong distribution platforms who could be strong local partners.
LG Electronics boss visits Ghana
Mr Jae Young Lee, the Managing Director of LG Electronics in Africa (LGEAF) operations, was in the country last week for a business visit.
As part of the visit, he had business discussions with Somotex Ghana Ltd. - the sole and exclusive distributors for LG Products in the country.
Mr Lee, who has 25 years working experience with LG, visited the Somovision showrooms and LG Digital Centres during his visit and also visited competition-outlets selling consumer electronics and home-appliances in Accra.
Mr Lee at a media interaction in Accra said: “This has been a very instructive and fulfilling visit. I have always wanted to visit Ghana, and the warmth and hospitality extended by all Ghanaians during my visit have been heart-warming, to say the least.
“Ghana occupies a very important position in the growth plans of LG Electronics in Africa, and we are taking more steps to ensure that our presence here is more comprehensive with a view to being able to service all segments of the Ghanaian populace. We shall, along with our partners Somotex Ghana Ltd., always endeavour to raise the bar in terms of product introductions as well as customer satisfaction norms.”
Mr Lee also expressed his concern on the entry of fake LG products as well as LG products brought in by unauthorised distributors, which were not aligned to Africa-centric conditions.
“We are starting immediate and punitive action against those sources from where fake LG and unauthorised LG products are entering Ghana. We feel very strongly about this issue because this kind of illegal representation gives low benefits to our valued Ghanaian customers - who buy LG only because they are assured of the promises that the brand delivers. We reiterate that Somotex Ghana Ltd has been our sole and exclusive sales & service distributor in Ghana for almost 20 years.
“The LG brand, as represented by Somotex, brings to customers in Ghana products that have been tropicalised and designed for the African market with excellent after sales service given by Somotex - unlike the illegal importers, who do not even carry the LG Pan-Africa Warranty service promise on their products.”
As part of the visit, he had business discussions with Somotex Ghana Ltd. - the sole and exclusive distributors for LG Products in the country.
Mr Lee, who has 25 years working experience with LG, visited the Somovision showrooms and LG Digital Centres during his visit and also visited competition-outlets selling consumer electronics and home-appliances in Accra.
Mr Lee at a media interaction in Accra said: “This has been a very instructive and fulfilling visit. I have always wanted to visit Ghana, and the warmth and hospitality extended by all Ghanaians during my visit have been heart-warming, to say the least.
“Ghana occupies a very important position in the growth plans of LG Electronics in Africa, and we are taking more steps to ensure that our presence here is more comprehensive with a view to being able to service all segments of the Ghanaian populace. We shall, along with our partners Somotex Ghana Ltd., always endeavour to raise the bar in terms of product introductions as well as customer satisfaction norms.”
Mr Lee also expressed his concern on the entry of fake LG products as well as LG products brought in by unauthorised distributors, which were not aligned to Africa-centric conditions.
“We are starting immediate and punitive action against those sources from where fake LG and unauthorised LG products are entering Ghana. We feel very strongly about this issue because this kind of illegal representation gives low benefits to our valued Ghanaian customers - who buy LG only because they are assured of the promises that the brand delivers. We reiterate that Somotex Ghana Ltd has been our sole and exclusive sales & service distributor in Ghana for almost 20 years.
“The LG brand, as represented by Somotex, brings to customers in Ghana products that have been tropicalised and designed for the African market with excellent after sales service given by Somotex - unlike the illegal importers, who do not even carry the LG Pan-Africa Warranty service promise on their products.”
Systematic approach to branding advocated
Ms. Esther Amba Namuba Cobbah, Chief Executive of Stratcomm Africa, has advocated a systematic and professional approach to branding and brand identity in the country, rather than just a casual approach.
She said it is about time companies and individuals realised that effective branding adds enormous value to products and services - adding that without systematic approach to developing a brand, what a company/product communicates may simply be confused fragments of messages.
Ms. Cobbah speaking at the ‘Branding and Identity Conference 2010’ organised by Oxygen, a brand-consulting firm, to brainstorm ideas that will change the face of branding in the country, she expressed surprise at how multinational corporate bodies are quick to transpose adverts they have created in one environment into a completely different one and assume that expected outcomes would be the same.
She said branding has been an integral aspect of culture, citing the use of ‘adinkra’ symbols by our forefathers to represent a particular meaning or activity during their time.
Mr. Reginald Laryea, Chief Executive of MMRS Ogilvy, a brand consulting firm, on the challenges, development and future of branding in Ghana said lack of trained personnel and certain specialised disciplines within the marketing communication sector is one major challenge to the development of brands in the country.
He appealed to business owners to employ the right calibre of branding experts that are able to add the right value to their brands.
He said the country is fortunate to have the human resource base in the areas of brand management and identity, and that a multiplicity of training workshops and seminars would enable such resource persons to bequeath some of their expertise in the field to upcoming brand promoters as well as industry players.
‘’Effective branding also serves as a magnet to attract new customers while providing motivation to employees, increasing productivity and reducing employee turnover,’’ he added.
In a related, development, Nana Kwadwo Duah, the Principal and Creative Director of Oxygen, the branding & identity firm, the organizers of the conference, paid a courtesy call on the deputy Minister of Information, Mr. James Kwadwo Agyenim-Boateng in Accra, last week.
Mr. Duah is currently the proud winner of the global search for the most dynamic and innovative young communications entrepreneur by the British Council, a competition that pitted him with nine other outstanding young entrepreneurs from Armenia, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Latvia, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia and Slovenia.
He said the award offers him an opportunity to educate the youth about the enormous prospect in the country.
“I am thankful for the opportunities that have come my way; this will enable me to fulfil my greatest desire by way of giving back to the next generation of young, creative professionals - through the setting up of a facility offering practical training and seminars aimed at developing their creative, technical and business acumen in the communications industry.”
Mr. Agyenim-Boateng while receiving the delegation emphasised government plans to embark on strategies to ensure the country is well-promoted through effective national branding strategies.
The strategy, which will be aimed at attracting global investors and enhancing business opportunities for the country, will be directed toward embracing the youth.
He indicated that the youth will form part of the main policy programme and that government cannot afford to let the youth down.
She said it is about time companies and individuals realised that effective branding adds enormous value to products and services - adding that without systematic approach to developing a brand, what a company/product communicates may simply be confused fragments of messages.
Ms. Cobbah speaking at the ‘Branding and Identity Conference 2010’ organised by Oxygen, a brand-consulting firm, to brainstorm ideas that will change the face of branding in the country, she expressed surprise at how multinational corporate bodies are quick to transpose adverts they have created in one environment into a completely different one and assume that expected outcomes would be the same.
She said branding has been an integral aspect of culture, citing the use of ‘adinkra’ symbols by our forefathers to represent a particular meaning or activity during their time.
Mr. Reginald Laryea, Chief Executive of MMRS Ogilvy, a brand consulting firm, on the challenges, development and future of branding in Ghana said lack of trained personnel and certain specialised disciplines within the marketing communication sector is one major challenge to the development of brands in the country.
He appealed to business owners to employ the right calibre of branding experts that are able to add the right value to their brands.
He said the country is fortunate to have the human resource base in the areas of brand management and identity, and that a multiplicity of training workshops and seminars would enable such resource persons to bequeath some of their expertise in the field to upcoming brand promoters as well as industry players.
‘’Effective branding also serves as a magnet to attract new customers while providing motivation to employees, increasing productivity and reducing employee turnover,’’ he added.
In a related, development, Nana Kwadwo Duah, the Principal and Creative Director of Oxygen, the branding & identity firm, the organizers of the conference, paid a courtesy call on the deputy Minister of Information, Mr. James Kwadwo Agyenim-Boateng in Accra, last week.
Mr. Duah is currently the proud winner of the global search for the most dynamic and innovative young communications entrepreneur by the British Council, a competition that pitted him with nine other outstanding young entrepreneurs from Armenia, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Latvia, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia and Slovenia.
He said the award offers him an opportunity to educate the youth about the enormous prospect in the country.
“I am thankful for the opportunities that have come my way; this will enable me to fulfil my greatest desire by way of giving back to the next generation of young, creative professionals - through the setting up of a facility offering practical training and seminars aimed at developing their creative, technical and business acumen in the communications industry.”
Mr. Agyenim-Boateng while receiving the delegation emphasised government plans to embark on strategies to ensure the country is well-promoted through effective national branding strategies.
The strategy, which will be aimed at attracting global investors and enhancing business opportunities for the country, will be directed toward embracing the youth.
He indicated that the youth will form part of the main policy programme and that government cannot afford to let the youth down.
Nokia’s Ovi Mail ideal for Ghana
Despite the large number of people without access to personal computers (PC) in Ghana and in other developing countries, staying in touch with business partners, friends and family can be hassle-free and fun with the introduction of Ovi Mail by Nokia.
Nokia hopes to make the use of Ovi Mail an appropriate technology that will help to bridge the information gap.
Providing 1 GB of storage, Ovi Mail provides access to one´s account anytime and anywhere as it can be used on your mobile phone or accessed as free webmail on any PC.
The inspiration for Ovi Mail, the brand for Nokia’s e-mail service, came from the growing number of people - mostly in developing countries such as Ghana - without access to a PC. Ovi Mail is a free e-mail that you can use directly from your Nokia device.
Since its inception in December 2008, Ovi Mail is now available in more than 180 countries and supports 20 languages. The Ovi Mail service saw over one million accounts activated in just over six months after launch and is quickly establishing itself as the email account for the developing world. It is fast becoming one of the leading mobile email services also for Africa.
Ovi Mail is free to set-up straight out of the box and is extremely simple to do. It also comes with spam filters to block unwanted emails. It is also accessible from a broad range of Nokia devices with the Nokia 2330 classic, Nokia 2630 and Nokia 5310 XpressMusic being some of the most popular devices used
The word "ovi" means "door" in Finnish and is a metaphor for your mobile door to a world of Internet services. In addition to Ovi Mail, which forms part of the messaging service, Ovi by Nokia also focusses on other key services such as Games, Navigation, Media, Messaging and Music.
In June last year, Nokia launched Nokia Ovi Suite for PC, the desktop part of the Ovi system, which allows the user to transfer content (pictures, music files, videos, etc.) between a mobile device and a computer; back-up their personal information on their computer and easily drag and drop pictures and videos to Share on Ovi.
A Mac OS X compatible version was announced in November 2008, and has been 'expected soon' ever since. No updates on this announcement have been made available to date.
In August, the latest version of Ovi.com was made available. It offers free functionality for syncing your calendar, contacts, notes and tasks between a Nokia mobile device and www.ovi.com.
The service can be used as a way to backup your data or to edit it in your computer to then send it back to your phone.
The Ovi Store, which was launched worldwide in May 2009, also enables customers to download mobile games, applications, videos, images, and ring-tones to their Nokia devices. Some of the items are free of charge while others can be purchased using credit cards or through operator billing in selected operators. The content in Ovi Store is sorted into the following categories: Applications, which includes social networking; Audio and video, which includes music and podcasts; Games, of which there is a huge variety; and Device Personalisation, which includes ringtones.
Ovi Store offers customers content that is compatible with their mobile device and relevant to their tastes and location. Customers can share recommendations with their friends, see what they are downloading, and let them see the items you are interested in.
With the Ovi Maps Internet service, customers can browse places from all over the world, plan trips, search for addresses and points of interest, and save them on Ovi. Ovi Maps for web-sites/pages can be used on any browser and any operating system for PCs including Macs.
If the Ovi Maps 3.0 application (formerly known as Nokia Maps) is installed in your compatible Nokia mobile device, you can synchronise places, collections, and routes between Ovi Maps and your mobile device. You need to have a Nokia account to be able to synchronise.
Nokia hopes to make the use of Ovi Mail an appropriate technology that will help to bridge the information gap.
Providing 1 GB of storage, Ovi Mail provides access to one´s account anytime and anywhere as it can be used on your mobile phone or accessed as free webmail on any PC.
The inspiration for Ovi Mail, the brand for Nokia’s e-mail service, came from the growing number of people - mostly in developing countries such as Ghana - without access to a PC. Ovi Mail is a free e-mail that you can use directly from your Nokia device.
Since its inception in December 2008, Ovi Mail is now available in more than 180 countries and supports 20 languages. The Ovi Mail service saw over one million accounts activated in just over six months after launch and is quickly establishing itself as the email account for the developing world. It is fast becoming one of the leading mobile email services also for Africa.
Ovi Mail is free to set-up straight out of the box and is extremely simple to do. It also comes with spam filters to block unwanted emails. It is also accessible from a broad range of Nokia devices with the Nokia 2330 classic, Nokia 2630 and Nokia 5310 XpressMusic being some of the most popular devices used
The word "ovi" means "door" in Finnish and is a metaphor for your mobile door to a world of Internet services. In addition to Ovi Mail, which forms part of the messaging service, Ovi by Nokia also focusses on other key services such as Games, Navigation, Media, Messaging and Music.
In June last year, Nokia launched Nokia Ovi Suite for PC, the desktop part of the Ovi system, which allows the user to transfer content (pictures, music files, videos, etc.) between a mobile device and a computer; back-up their personal information on their computer and easily drag and drop pictures and videos to Share on Ovi.
A Mac OS X compatible version was announced in November 2008, and has been 'expected soon' ever since. No updates on this announcement have been made available to date.
In August, the latest version of Ovi.com was made available. It offers free functionality for syncing your calendar, contacts, notes and tasks between a Nokia mobile device and www.ovi.com.
The service can be used as a way to backup your data or to edit it in your computer to then send it back to your phone.
The Ovi Store, which was launched worldwide in May 2009, also enables customers to download mobile games, applications, videos, images, and ring-tones to their Nokia devices. Some of the items are free of charge while others can be purchased using credit cards or through operator billing in selected operators. The content in Ovi Store is sorted into the following categories: Applications, which includes social networking; Audio and video, which includes music and podcasts; Games, of which there is a huge variety; and Device Personalisation, which includes ringtones.
Ovi Store offers customers content that is compatible with their mobile device and relevant to their tastes and location. Customers can share recommendations with their friends, see what they are downloading, and let them see the items you are interested in.
With the Ovi Maps Internet service, customers can browse places from all over the world, plan trips, search for addresses and points of interest, and save them on Ovi. Ovi Maps for web-sites/pages can be used on any browser and any operating system for PCs including Macs.
If the Ovi Maps 3.0 application (formerly known as Nokia Maps) is installed in your compatible Nokia mobile device, you can synchronise places, collections, and routes between Ovi Maps and your mobile device. You need to have a Nokia account to be able to synchronise.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Producer prices eases further
The annual Producer Price Index (PPI) dropped 3.77 percentage points in February to 22.57 percent, down from the January 2010 figure of 26.34 percent.
PPI on monthly basis, February also recorded a drop of 0.24 percent, as compared to the drop of 1.38 percent between December 2009 and January 2010.
Explaining at a media conference in Accra, Mr. Ebo Duncan, Director of Economics and Industry Statistics Division of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicated that the drop in the PPI is expected to impact on the country’s Consumer Price Index, and consequently inflation in the coming months.
On specific industry basis, the manufacturing sector which controls 69.75 percent share of all industry, recorded the highest inflation rate of 28.15 percent but represented a fall of 17.12 percentage points from February 2009.
The mining and quarrying sector which controls 13.97 per cent of all industry share, fell from 37.48 percent to close at 24.48 percent over the period.The utilities sector recorded the least drop figure of 0.49 percent in February 2010 to close at 0.42 percent in February 2010.
Mr. Duncan said the figures show appreciable inflation was recorded in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products as against mined products.
“In the mining and quarrying sub-sector, mining of metal ores recorded the highest,” he said, adding that the relatively stable nature of the utilities sector accounted for its recording of the least inflation rate.
PPI on monthly basis, February also recorded a drop of 0.24 percent, as compared to the drop of 1.38 percent between December 2009 and January 2010.
Explaining at a media conference in Accra, Mr. Ebo Duncan, Director of Economics and Industry Statistics Division of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicated that the drop in the PPI is expected to impact on the country’s Consumer Price Index, and consequently inflation in the coming months.
On specific industry basis, the manufacturing sector which controls 69.75 percent share of all industry, recorded the highest inflation rate of 28.15 percent but represented a fall of 17.12 percentage points from February 2009.
The mining and quarrying sector which controls 13.97 per cent of all industry share, fell from 37.48 percent to close at 24.48 percent over the period.The utilities sector recorded the least drop figure of 0.49 percent in February 2010 to close at 0.42 percent in February 2010.
Mr. Duncan said the figures show appreciable inflation was recorded in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products as against mined products.
“In the mining and quarrying sub-sector, mining of metal ores recorded the highest,” he said, adding that the relatively stable nature of the utilities sector accounted for its recording of the least inflation rate.
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