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Orange was able to add about 37,900 new subscribers to its services last October, increasing the number of subscribers to its services from 28.2 million subscribers last September and reaching 28.3 million.
The post Mobile market adds 350,000 new subscribers, Vodafone is biggest beneficiary appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The mobile market added about 357,700 new subscribers last October, bringing the total number of mobile subscribers from 94.8 million in September to 95.2 million, according to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology .
Vodafone managed to add about 230,000 new subscribers to its network last October, increasing the number of its customers from 39.9 million subscribers in September to 40.2 million subscribers.
According to the Ministry, Egypt Telecom lost about 100,000 subscribers in October, as the number of subscribers to the company's services declined from 20 million in September to 19.9 million in October.
The mobile market had added 140,000 new subscribers last September, bringing the number of subscribers to 94.9 million in September.
The mobile market witnessed a decline in the number of its users in the past year, after the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) checked user data to remove unregistered lines. In addition, the high price of mobile lines up to EGP 70, as a result of imposing a new fee of EGP 50 per mobile line since the middle of last year, affected the number of mobile users.
]]> Egypt adds 600,000 internet users in October 2019 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/15/egypt-adds-600000-internet-users-in-october/ Wed, 15 Jan 2020 16:47:42 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=719345
The number of Internet users through USB Modem devices increased to 3.58 million customers in October, while ADSL users increased slightly to 7.17 million in October
The post Egypt adds 600,000 internet users in October 2019 appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The Internet market added about 600,000 new users in October, bringing the total number of Internet users from 48.8 million customers in September to 49.4 million customers during the month of October.
According to the report issued in January of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the number of mobile Internet users increased from 38.2 million in September to 38.7 million in October, an increase of 500,000 customers.
The number of Internet customers through USB Modem devices increased to 3.58 million customers in October compared to 3.56 million customers in September, while the number of ADSL fixed internet customers increased slightly to 7.17 million in October, compared to 7.12 million in September.
The number of users of the Internet market increased by about one million new users during September compared to August, with the support of Internet users via USB Modem devices.
As the number of Internet subscribers via USB Modem increased significantly, the number of Internet users through USB Modem increased by almost 700,000 users.
The number of USB Modem users increased from 2.87 million users in August to 3.5 million users in September.
The number of mobile Internet users increased to 38.17 million in September, compared to 37.9 million in August.
The number of fixed internet users also increased during September to 7.1 million users compared to 7 million users in August, according to the report.
On the other hand, the number of fixed-line users decreased to 8.4 million in September, compared to 8.7 million in August.
]]> MCIT min. receives 20 projects after transferring digital transformation file https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/15/mcit-min-receives-20-projects-after-transferring-digital-transformation-file/ Wed, 15 Jan 2020 14:20:16 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=719295
This comes after a decision by the Council of Ministers to transfer the obligations of the Ministry of Administrative Reform concerning digital transformation to the MCIT.
The post MCIT min. receives 20 projects after transferring digital transformation file appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala Al-Saeed meton Tuesday Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) Amr Talaat to hand over 20 projects for digital transformation and the mechanisation of services to the MCIT, in addition to some digital transformation services in Port Said, which the Ministry of Planning was responsible for.
Al-Saeed said that Egypt adopted a serious approach to digitally converting society, encouraging the use of electronic payment, and achieving financial inclusion as a pillar for comprehensive and sustainable economic, and social development. Digital transformation has become one of the main goals of the government's plans and programmes of action to implement the sustainable development strategy "Egypt Vision 2030" and its overall plan for administrative reform.
In regards to updating bureaucratic procedures, Al-Saeed said that the Ministry of Planning completed the automation of 239 traffic prosecutions, the automation of 196 traffic units and 94 commercial registry offices, in addition to linking 62 government agencies through the government data exchange system.
Within the context of achieving the speed and effectiveness of settlement procedures, Al-Saeed said that 119 courts, 89 police stations, and 29 forensic departments were developed and upgraded.
On the list of projects that were submitted to the MCIT, the Minister of Planning said that it included 20 projects represented in national digital transformation, law enforcement, development of litigation, development of traffic units and unit systems, the development of real estate registry offices, the development of commercial registry offices ( Economic Establishments), and services of the Ministry of Interior.
In addition, there is the central vaccination development, the pharmacy registration development, hospital automation, patient entry and exit, automation of oncology centres, the central laboratory automation, the care facility mechanisation, health services (and its initiatives), public service delivery outlets , electronic portals, government services portal, electronic coordination, public contracting portal, and citizens services office projects, in addition to some digital transformation services in Port Said Governorate.
Talaat said that the current stage required unity and integration of work in the digital transformation file, through which projects bring together different sectors according to the latest technologies. Through an integrated participatory government that contributes to the exchange of data and documents electronically, government entities may provide distinguished digital government services for citizens. He explained that all details were discussed between the two ministries to ensure that the transfers are made on scientific grounds to achieve positive results.
Talaat stressed that Egypt accelerates the pace towards digital transformation that will contribute to achieving transparency, governance of government performance, rationalisation of state resources, and improving the quality of life of citizens.
He pointed out that the digital transformation project was implemented in Port Said Governorate as a first stage, in addition to the mechanisation of government and other service sectors. The project also linked these sectors to unified state databases in cooperation with service providers, as a prelude to a complete national digital upgrade. Also, a project linking all government buildings kicked off recently, where the state will put in a fiber optic network in 35,000 buildings in 36 months, at a cost of EGP 6bn.
It should mentioned that during a meeting held on January 8, headed by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly, the cabinet approved a draft decision that stipulated the expansion of the powers of the MCIT to include all those of the Ministry of Administrative Reform related to mechanisation and digital transformation. This comes as part of the state's plan to reduce the amount of duplication of obligations between ministries.
]]> Egypt-made smart bag ranked among 10 best products at CES 2020 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/15/egypt-made-smart-bag-ranked-among-10-best-products-at-ces-2020/ Wed, 15 Jan 2020 14:19:45 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=719294
The smart bag is very sophisticated, as it cleans clothes inside a small device using UV rays and ozone gas.
The post Egypt-made smart bag ranked among 10 best products at CES 2020 appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The "transforma X" smart bag produced by the Egyptian start-up Sigma Fit was classified among the 10 best products exhibited at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, US.
Omar Al-Munir, CEO and co-founder of Sigma Fit, said the transforma X competed with thousands of new products by major companies participating in the exhibition.
"UV rays kill bacteria and prevent them from multiplying. As for the ozone gas, it removes bad smells and sterilises clothes," he added, noting that this technology is used in all modern countries to sterilise medical equipment and water stations, but it was never used inside a bag.
The bag is also equipped with a digital scale that tells you the weight of the items inside, as well as solar cells to provide energy for the cleaning device. It is also supplied with a power bank with a capacity of 10,000 amps.
Sigma Fit was established in 2017 and provides its services of sportswear supported by modern technology in Kuwait, the US, and Egypt, according to Al-Munir.
The participation of Sigma Fit in CES 2020 is part of the Egyptian pavilion in the exhibition, which is sponsored by the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) and the General Division of Digital Economy in the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce.
The Egyptian pavilion, held under the slogan "Time for Egypt", hosted nine start-ups.
Companies showcase digital products and solutions based on the latest technologies, including the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, blockchain, smart cities, in addition to other applications that serve electronic commerce, shipping, stock exchange, digital financial services, and smart sports tools.
The selection of participating companies came after studying more than 100 requests from local start-ups. They were also interviewed by a committee that included representatives of the ITIDA, the General Division of Digital Economy, the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, and several experts in the field of information technology and entrepreneurship.
The CES is one of the largest global gatherings of developers for the most prominent and latest technologies and producers of electronic devices, and the most famous global platform for creators and innovators of advanced technologies for more than 50 years. It's organised by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and includes more than 4,500 companies, including manufacturers, developers, and suppliers of consumer technology, content, and software systems. It's usually attended by over 180,000 people from 155 countries from all over the world.
]]> Digital Planets agrees with Swvl to secure customer data https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/13/digital-planets-agrees-with-swvl-to-secure-customer-data/ Mon, 13 Jan 2020 19:14:35 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=719122
This cooperation comes supported by the latest security systems and solutions provided by the English company Sophos, provided by Digital Planets. The cooperation also includes the provision of Call Centre services in cooperation with 3CX, which Digital Planets is an agent for in Egypt.
The post Digital Planets agrees with Swvl to secure customer data appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
Digital Planets, which specialises in providing technical solutions in Egypt and the Middle East, has announced that it signed a joint cooperation agreement with Swvl, a mass participatory transport services in Egypt, to secure its services and operations, within the state's plan for digital transformation.
According to a press release issued yesterday by Digital Planets, the cooperation project is divided into two phases, the first includes the insurance of the facility, specifically the operation phases. The second phase includes securing the application and continuing to safely operate it, which is reflected in securing credit card data used to pay the cost of services.
Ahmed Hanafy, CEO of Digital Planets, said that a plan is in place to implement the entire cooperation project before the end of the first quarter of 2020, indicating that this cooperation is one of the most important contracts concluded by the company during the last quarter of 2019, especially after a series of successful partnerships recently signed by the company, the latest of which is a partnership with Cisco and VMWare aimed at expanding its business in the Egyptian market during 2020.
Digital Planets is a major partner of Telecom Egypt (WE), which is one of the providers of communications and information technology solutions in Egypt and the Middle East, to provide high-quality communications and information technology services.
]]> Two-thirds of industrial organisations don't report cybersecurity incidents to regulators: anti-virus provider https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/08/two-thirds-of-industrial-organisations-dont-report-cybersecurity-incidents-to-regulators-anti-virus-provider/ Wed, 08 Jan 2020 18:31:03 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=718677
In a world where cybercriminals are using sophisticated attacks to breach industrial companies, robust cybersecurity policies and keeping up with regulations have never been more important. From the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to standards set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), industrial companies have a lot of requirements to adhere to.
The post Two-thirds of industrial organisations don't report cybersecurity incidents to regulators: anti-virus provider appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
A recent Kaspersky survey discovered that two-thirds (67%) of industrial organisations do not report cybersecurity incidents to regulators. Though remaining compliant in modern industrial business is a necessity and a driver for investment, there are many factors that influence how companies follow compliance rules.
However, Kaspersky's State of Industrial Cybersecurity 2019 report shows that many companies are flouting reporting guidelines – perhaps to avoid regulatory punishments and public disclosure that can harm their reputation. In fact, respondents said that more than half (52%) of incidents lead to a violation of regulatory requirements, while 63% of them consider loss of customer confidence in the event of a breach as a major business concern.
Apart from incident reporting, other survey results show that companies are taking compliance very seriously, with only a fifth (21%) of industrial companies admitting that they do not currently comply with mandatory industry regulations. Crucially, organisations understand that regulatory demands must be met, despite their lack of reporting. Compliance is the top budget driver in cybersecurity investment strategies for 55% of respondents. However, this focus on procedures may well be leading companies to become complacent over the quality of the cybersecurity solutions and not taking into account the actual threats – only 28% identified the threat landscape as a key budget driver.
"Industrial compliance and regulations should not be taken lightly. But it is also very important to keep in mind the real threat landscape that is changing dynamically. An efficient cybersecurity solution in combination with clear policy should help companies achieve the necessary level of protection in accordance with regulatory requirements. Such solutions should contain technology-oriented measures, vulnerability assessment and incident response measures, as well as security awareness initiatives for all employees who work with industrial automation systems," comments Georgy Shebuldaev, head of Kaspersky Industrial Cybersecurity Business Development.
]]> 8 Egyptian tech startups to participate in CES 2020 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/08/8-egyptian-tech-startups-to-participate-in-ces-2020/ Wed, 08 Jan 2020 16:57:06 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=718662
With a focus on disruptive and emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Smart Cities, and the Internet of Things (IoT), eight innovative companies are competing for the show's spotlight to help accelerate their growth and innovation.
The post 8 Egyptian tech startups to participate in CES 2020 appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) and IT Federation of the Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (ITFEDCOC) are officially participating in a country-pavilion at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2020), organised by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) on 7-10 January, in Las Vegas, USA.
In order to help startups join the global market to scale up their operations, ITIDA, which is the executive IT arm of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), sponsors them in order to help attract larger and more global companies as well as investors join business.
The eight companies include:
RafiQ is a virtual assistant that can understand Arabic voice commands in a user's local dialect with localised experience. RafiQ is available in the form of Android mobile application on the Google Play Store.
Mintrics presents advanced Facebook video analytics tools using AI technology to measure the performance of content and benchmark against competitors. The company has a proven track record with a special success story where it helped one of the world's largest media company increase its Youtube viewership by 6x and achieve a 60% increase in engagement.
Furnwish, a tech company creating tools and creative solutions for the furniture industry using augmented reality and artificial intelligence. The company empowers retailers with cutting-edge solutions that can enhance customers' experiences and customise it further.
The rest of the list is Sigma Fit, Fulltact, Pass Inc., XIOT, and Hitchhiker.
Thanks to the availability of tech talents, new government policies, and the private sector's investments, Egypt's entrepreneurship and tech startups ecosystem is growing rapidly and is nabbing the spotlight in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
According to a recent study, Egyptian startups top all peers in Africa securing disclosed VC deals directed to early-stage companies in 2019. Also, Egypt recently surpassed the UAE by number of VC deals in startups in the MENA region, accounting for 27% of all deals in the last quarter of 2019.
CES is the world's gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as a breeding ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years, and has been a world stage for next-generation innovations for the global marketplace.
The show attracts the world's business leaders, pioneering thinkers, and more than 170,000 attendees from 160 countries, in a forum where the industry's most relevant issues are addressed.
]]> 75m jobs won't survive 4th Industrial Revolution: Communications Ministry https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/08/75m-jobs-wont-survive-4th-industrial-revolution-communications-ministry/ Wed, 08 Jan 2020 15:49:36 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=718647
Egypt plans to establish technological complexes in Menoufia, Mansoura, Minya, Sohag, South Valley, Qena, and Aswan universities in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education, Talaat announced.
The post 75m jobs won't survive 4th Industrial Revolution: Communications Ministry appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
A total of 75m jobs will disappear in the coming decade due to the 4th Industrial Revolution, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat said, during the inauguration of new technology projects in Sohag governorate.
The visit witnessed an open discussion between the Minister and students from the Faculty of Computers and Information, University of Sohag, and trainees from the Information Technology Institute (ITI) in the university.
Talaat emphasised the uniqueness of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the unprecedented acceleration in the rate of adoption of technology and the escalation of its pace, in addition to mixing technologies.
He pointed out that what can be provided by artificial intelligence technology alone is different from what can be provided through its combination with fifth generation technology, the Internet of Things, and cyber security, ushering in a new era of computing.
However, the 4th Industrial Revolution will create some challenges, mainly the disappearance of about 75m jobs around the world in the next ten years. Even though, Talaat mentioned, some international reports indicated that those jobs will be replaced by about 133m new jobs, stressing that youth should acquire the skills necessary for this transformation.
The digital transformation of Egypt is the responsibility of everyone in the country: the government, the private sector, the civil society, and universities.
He called upon students to continuously learn and gain new skills to keep pace with today's rapidly changing labour market, which is centred on the ability to learn.
]]> Over 1,500 youth participate in GDG DevFest Egypt conference at AUC https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/02/over-1500-youth-participate-in-gdg-devfest-egypt-conference-at-auc/ Thu, 02 Jan 2020 07:30:51 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=718122
DevFest is the largest non-profit conference focusing on software developers, engineers, and software industry in general. DevFest Egypt is organised by GDGs, local groups of developers interested in Google products and open-source technologies, from different areas around the country.
The post Over 1,500 youth participate in GDG DevFest Egypt conference at AUC appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The Google Developer Groups (GDG) DevFest Egypt conference was held on Saturday at the American University in Cairo (AUC) and was attended by more than 1,500 young participants.
These groups are located in 10 Egyptian cities. They organise workshops, events, and conferences throughout the year in Egypt and hold together the annual developer festival.
DevFest Egypt discussed many important topics, such as development of phone applications, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Engineers from Egyptian and international companies also participate in the DevFest. The festival aims to help those interested in the field by presenting the latest technology and giving them the chance to discuss related topics with the attendees.
The event also discussed the development of smart aid programmes, virtual reality, women empowerment, and support in the fields of technology with trainers from all over Egypt.
Nasser Ali, a team leader at DevFest Egypt, talked about the importance of the conference and its effect on raising technological awareness and organising volunteer programmes for youth.
Mohamed Omar, a project manager at Misr Technology Services, talked about the company's work and its keenness to support youth technological conferences and to provide an opportunity for young people to apply for jobs.
Moreover, YouTuber Ahmed Samir talked about how technology can help reduce the dangers of depression. While, Asmaa Ibrahim, a Google Developers expert in Egypt, talked about empowering cloud computing for artificial intelligence applications.
Habiba Gadallah, a software engineer and organiser of the JavaScript developer community, talked about advanced web applications.
Ahmad Abu Al-Dahab, a Google Developers expert, talked about building filters applications from Google. While, Mahmoud Elrefaey, Game Development Team Leader at Dasa Technology solutions, talked about the game development industry in Egypt.
Tarek El Sawaf, founder and CDO of Desrim, spoke about the user experience about AI products.
This edition of the event comes under the sponsorship of some Egyptian companies, led by Misr Technology Services, with the support of Google.
The festival aims to help those interested in technology in Egypt to gain a wider view of the tech industry by hosting events that present the latest development of the field and current topics. At these events, participants may have their questions answered and receive help in creating long-term aspiration with the goal of having an impact on oneself and then the world.
]]> AMOLED smartphones sales to surpass 600m units in 2020: Counterpoint https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/02/amoled-smartphones-sales-to-surpass-600m-units-in-2020-counterpoint/ Thu, 02 Jan 2020 07:00:10 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=718118
Smartphone companies have put in a lot of effort in pushing users to upgrade their smartphones.
The post AMOLED smartphones sales to surpass 600m units in 2020: Counterpoint appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
Sales of smartphones with AMOLED panels will surpass 600m units globally by the end of 2020 with an annual growth of 46%, Counterpoint Research said.
According to the report, the growth will be coming from the diffusion of AMOLED into mid-tier price bands, driven by Chinese brands like Huawei, Vivo, OPPO, Realme, and Xiaomi, as they seek to differentiate their offerings.
In addition, notable efforts in the supply chain were made to reduce the screen-to-phone ratio and increase the refresh rate, in addition to developing "Drill Camera – Pop-ups," an innovative design that allows developers to drill into the LCD screen and place a pop-up camera.
The report added that these innovations led to AMOLED growth, as technology is best suited to benefit from these trends due to superior image quality, low energy consumption, and flexible form factors.
Samsung's market dominance continues
According to the report, Samsung has been the top provider of smartphones globally, accounting for 45% of total AMOLED smartphone sales in 2019, followed by Apple with 16% share and OPPO with 11% share.
All the leading brands have launched their flagships in 2019 with AMOLED panels. But Chinese players led by Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi have now adopted OLED panels in their mid-tier portfolios ($300-$500) to differentiate their products. This is probably one of the main reasons for the growth of AMOLED smartphones.
In the future, it is expected that these brands will reduce the price of AMOLED panels to less than $200 in 2020.
Apple is likely to go into the entire OLED portfolio in its next launch. These factors will lead to the growth of AMOLED smartphones in 2020.
]]> Intercom aims to carry out projects worth EGP 400m in the field of information security https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/02/intercom-aims-to-carry-out-projects-worth-egp-400m-in-the-field-of-information-security/ Thu, 02 Jan 2020 06:30:52 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=718115
El-Kammash explained that the company carried out projects last year with a value of EGP 1bn, of which the governmental sector received 20% to 25 % against the 50 % for the banking sector. The remaining percentage was distributed among other sectors.
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Ismail El-Kammash, CEO of Intercom Integrated Systems Solutions, said that the company aims to implement projects in the field of information security in the coming year with a value ranging from EGP 300m to EGP 400m.
He added that the company established a new unit three months ago specialised in information security solutions and aims at growing its business volume during 2020 by up to 30%.
He hinted at the company to offer integrated solutions in the banking, governmental, oil, and telecommunications sectors. The number of its employees is estimated at about 300 engineers and technical staff and seeks to increase the number by 20% to 30 %.
He said that the Egyptian market enjoys high growth opportunities toward technological services, supported by the state's orientation to establish a digital society and improving services offered to citizens. He explained that new technologies, including artificial intelligence, contribute to supporting customers and facilitating business.
He added that Intercom is working on training and upgrading the capabilities of its human cadres and exporting experiences to the region's markets, parallel to the government's adoption of a clear and ambitious plan toward implementing the country's digital transformation through the Ministry of Communications and the Administrative Control Authority. He said that his company has already started to communicate with its customers about activating the applications of artificial intelligence.
He clarified that the company had its own technological solutions for different economic sectors, including electronic archive solutions for the banking sector, which depends on the complete mechanisation of document cycles inside banks. The company currently works with National Bank of Egypt, and Commercial International Bank Egypt and QNB.
It is worth mentioning that Intercom is an Egyptian joint stock company established in 1992 and works as an agent for many international technology companies in communication network systems and technology solutions including Cisco, IBM and Palo Alto.
]]> Egyptian company finally combines mobile advertising with GPS location https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2020/01/02/egyptian-company-finally-combines-mobile-advertising-with-gps-location/ Thu, 02 Jan 2020 06:00:15 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=718111
The company's marketing executive, Mohamed Alaa, said that the idea of mobile advertising is applied in many cities such as London and Dubai, and is a new and eye-catching idea that ensures advertiser receive sufficient attention from the consumer.
The post Egyptian company finally combines mobile advertising with GPS location appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The Egyptian Vehicle Show company devised a new mobile advertising method, which depends on placing advertisements on a moving "scooter," allowing companies to reach areas in a more cost effective and efficient way.
He told Daily News Egypt that the units on which the advertisement is installed are licenced and can move anywhere in Egypt.
On the advantages of advertising compared to traditional outdoor ads, Alaa said that the idea of this sort of advertisement is new and innovative, making it a striking spectacle in the streets, which ensures that the public is attracted to the advertisement, grabbing more attention than traditional fixed ads.
He added that fixed advertisements can only stay in a fixed location, only reaching those that pass it. Meanwhile, the new solution moves around for 8 hours a day, reaching twice the number of potential customers.
He explained that fixed ads can only stay on major streets or square, but with the mobile units, ads can now reach the smaller streets and other hard to reach locations, allowing them to broaden their audience.
He said that the cost of mobile advertising is more effective than fixed ads, as it is almost 50% less expensive, and the price of mobile advertising packages ranges between EGP 3500 to EGP 20,000, according to the number of units and the period of advertising.
According to Alaa, the company was able to implement a number of advertising campaigns for a number of companies and achieved strong results.
]]> 50% of parents in Egypt trust their kids' internet usage https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/29/50-of-parents-in-egypt-trust-their-kids-internet-usage/ Sun, 29 Dec 2019 08:00:06 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=717776
Despite this, 83% admitted that they spend too much time on the internet, while almost three quarters (73%) feel that using the internet and mobile devices in general hinders family life.
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About 50% of Egyptian parents are confident that their children knew what to do while using the internet, a recent study by cybersecurity company Kaspersky on self-regulation of online activities revealed.
According to the study, 47% of parents leave their children to set their own usage schedules, compared to 79% of mothers who control that. The study showed that 31% of parents do not feel the need to control their children's online activities or their internet use.
Although children are familiar with applications and navigating the Internet, digital dangers are sometimes only one click away.
The survey also shows that parents do not restrict their mobile phone habits or the amount of time they spend on the internet. About 83% admitted that they are somewhat addicted to the internet, while 75% of them reported they have used the internet or mobile devices in front of their children at home, and that 57% said they have allowed their online activities to interrupt their conversations with their children.
Accordingly, Kaspersky recommends the following steps to help children appropriately allocate their time online. For one, parents should demonstrate caring for children by stopping an online activity for a while when children need it. They should also avoid hurrying to put an end to the child's use when spending a lot of time on the internet, and rather calmly discuss the matter with the child, to avoid provoking any negative reactions that might harm the child in the long run.
Kaspersky added that parents should allocate more diverse and attractive activities for their children's spare time so to encourage them to spend time away from devices, such as trying a new sport or doing more family activities. In addition, researchers recommended to discuss the basic rules for using social media and other communication tools, so as not to affect the study or their interaction with friends in the real world.
The final suggestion was to set rules for all family members, so children do not feel wrong in using the internet. This may not include banning phones at the dining table or a ban on using devices before bed.
]]> Mobile market adds 140,000 new subscribers during September https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/29/mobile-market-adds-140000-new-subscribers-during-september/ Sun, 29 Dec 2019 07:30:55 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=717779
The mobile market has witnessed a decline in the number of its users over the whole year due to the procedures of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority in checking user data, which contributed to stopping many lines from working.
The post Mobile market adds 140,000 new subscribers during September appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The mobile market added 140,000 new subscribers last September, increasing the number of subscribers from 94.76 million in August to reach 94.9 million in September, according to the report of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
In addition, mobile lines sales decreased since the increase in its prices to more than EGP 70 per line, as a result of imposing a development fee of EGP 50 per line purchased since the middle of last year.
According to the report, the internet market added about 1 million new users during the month of September with the support of internet users via USB Modem devices.
The report showed a remarkable increase in the number of internet users via USB Modem, as their number increased by almost 700,000 users. The number of USB Modem users increased from 2.87 million users last August to 3.5 million users last September.
Besides, the number of mobile Internet users increased to 38.17 million in September, compared to 37.9 million in August.
The number of ADSL users also increased during last September to 7.1 million users compared to 7 million users last August, according to the report. On the other hand, the number of landline users decreased to 8.4 million last September, compared to 8.7 million last August.
]]> Egypt moves up 11 spots in 2019 UNCTAD B2C E-commerce Index https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/28/egypt-moves-up-11-spots-in-2019-unctad-b2c-e-commerce-index/ Sat, 28 Dec 2019 11:31:16 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=717639
Egypt ranked 102 out of 152 countries in the index. The report was based on the classification of countries on several axes that included account ownership in a financial institution and the proportion of Internet users and secure its services.
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The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's (UNCTAD) 2019 edition of Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-commerce Index – which measures an economy's preparedness to support online shopping – showed Egypt moving up 11 places compared to 2018.
The progress of Egypt in the index comes in line with the country's efforts to support the e-commerce sector, by setting a clear strategy for digitising and enhancing electronic payment methods.
The electronic commerce sector is one of the most promising sectors in Egypt, especially after some companies operating in this field have proven their ability to contribute effectively to its growth.
The index has been topped by the Netherlands for the second consecutive year, while Switzerland, Singapore, Finland, and the United Kingdom came in second, third, fourth, and fifth respectively.
]]> Fawry to partner with PCI SSC to help secure payment data worldwide https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/28/fawry-to-partner-with-pci-ssc-to-help-secure-payment-data-worldwide/ Sat, 28 Dec 2019 11:27:44 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=717637
As Council's newest participating organization, Fawry is to recommend new initiatives for consideration to the PCI SSC
The post Fawry to partner with PCI SSC to help secure payment data worldwide appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The leading Egyptian Platform for digital transformation and e-payments, Fawry announced that it has joined the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) as a new participating organisation, to work on securing payment data worldwide through the ongoing development and adoption of the PCI Security Standards.
The PCI SSC leads a global, cross-industry effort to increase payment security by providing flexible, industry-driven, and effective data security standards and programmes. The keystone is the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which provides an actionable framework for developing a robust payment card data security process, in addition to preventing, detecting, and mitigating criminal attacks and breaches.
As a participating organisation, Fawry adds its voice to the standards development process and will collaborate with a growing community of more than 800 participating organisations to improve payment security worldwide. Fawry will also have the opportunity to recommend new initiatives for consideration to the PCI SSC and share cross-sector experiences and best practices at the annual PCI Community Meetings.
"In an era of increasingly sophisticated attacks on systems, PCI Security Standards and resources help organisations secure payment data and prevent, detect, and mitigate attacks that can lead to costly data breaches," Operating Officer of the PCI Security Standards Council Mauro Lance.
"By joining as a participating organisation, Fawry demonstrates they are playing an active part in improving payment security globally by helping drive awareness and adoption of PCI SSC."
Ashraf Sabry, Fawry's founder and CEO, said, "It's one of the important milestones for Fawry to become PCI SSC member as a first and only company in Egypt to join global giants such as PayPal, Amazon, Microsoft, RSA, HSBC, Citi, Verifone, and Thales."
The PCI SSC is a global forum that is responsible for the development, management, education, and awareness of the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and other standards that increase payment data security.
Fawry is the leading Egyptian Platform for digital transformation and e-payments that has revolutionised the concept of Omni-channel payment in Africa and the Middle East over the past decade. With more than 125,000 offline locations, many different digital channels, more than 24 million customers and 10 years of experience, Fawry has managed to singlehandedly revolutionise the way Egyptians carry their day-to-day payments, in addition to helping corporates, banks, and small and medium enterprises develop their business models, improving remittance and cash management
In only a few years, Fawry made it easier for entities, corporates, governmental bodies, and endless companies of different sizes to collect payments, reward clients, and increase market shares in a reliable manner through its state-of-the-art technology.
Today, over 2.5 Million daily transactions take place via Fawry, making it the leading FinTech company and the first choice of consumers and entities in payment facilitation; especially with its unmatched reachability, covering various points all over Egypt and its digital payment solutions that are further cementing its reputation as a market leader.
]]> ITIDA revokes SNS license to practice electronic signature activity https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/28/itida-revokes-sns-license-to-practice-electronic-signature-activity/ Sat, 28 Dec 2019 11:19:50 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=717635
ITIDA said that the company failed to appoint qualified technical cadres to provide those services, beside not renewing maintenance contracts for hardware and software despite their aging
The post ITIDA revokes SNS license to practice electronic signature activity appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) has announced the revocation of License No. 103 of 2010 issued to the Egyptian Company for Network Services and Information Security (SNS) to carry out the electronic signature activity.
The authority explained that the revocation of the licence was based on the Authority's Board of Directors Decision No. 14 of 2019. In a statement today, it indicated that the termination of the licence came as a result of the company's non-adherence to the terms of the licence and its repeated violations, the most prominent of which was stopping the provision of authorised services and closing the company's headquarters without notification or obtaining written approval from the authority.
ITIDA said that the company failed to appoint qualified technical cadres to provide those services, beside not renewing maintenance contracts for hardware and software despite their aging. According to ITIDA, the company also violated the technical standards specified in the executive regulations of the electronic signature law and the licensing terms granted to them and their failure to remedy those violations that the authority has repeatedly monitored.
Hence, this would harm the electronic signature system and hinder the implementation of the state's digital transformation plan, which includes enabling and disseminating the use of those services.
The authority notified the company of the decision to terminate the license and stopped its activity on the 18th of September.
Accordingly, it started termination procedures and is taking the necessary legal, financial, and technical measures within the framework of the role of the root authority for electronic signature in the authority, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 15 of 2004 and its executive regulations.
The Authority's Board of Directors has received technical reports from the Supreme Root Authority for electronic signatures, the authority's electronic signature licenses department, and periodic review committees for firms licenced for these violations.
]]> Tech Fuze Technology forum kicks off https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/14/tech-fuze-technology-forum-kicks-off/ Sat, 14 Dec 2019 18:25:52 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=716510
A large number of the most prominent personalities in the field participated in the forum, led by Head of Information Technology Sector at Etisalat Misr Amr Fathy and CEO of EFG Hermes Finance Walid Hassouna.
The post Tech Fuze Technology forum kicks off appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
Under the slogan "Together towards Future Technology", the first session of Tech Fuze forum launched highlighting Egypt as a leading technology portal in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, under the auspices of the Ministry of Military Production.
"The forum is the first platform in Egypt that brings together experts and leaders of the technology industry under one roof in order to exchange experiences safely, which helps to structure a sustainable technological environment in Egypt," said Sama Mourad, CEO of Inspira Expo.
It is worth noting that Tech Fuze's primary goal is to solve the problem of marketing technology solutions and finding the best cadres and appropriate methods.
She added, "The Tech Fuze forum includes a platform for experts who are visiting Egypt for the first time, in addition to a special platform for women in the field of engineering."
The forum includes many workshops in more than 12 main areas that are discussed over two days such as artificial intelligence, internet of things, cloud computing, financial technology, the fourth industrial revolution, and digital transformation.
It also offers workshops for software design, cloud computing, game design, and augmented reality.
The forum includes more than 100 global and local companies in the field of technology such as Etisalat Misr, Vodafone Egypt, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Commercial International Bank, Schneider Electric, Giza Systems, Nokia, and Fawry, in addition to a total attendance estimate of more than 10,000 technology sector experts, decision-makers, and sector leaders in cooperation with government agencies.
The forum takes place 13-14 December at the Nile-Ritz Carlton.
]]> Cairo ICT: Al-Sisi calls for launching African e-commerce platform https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/02/cairo-ict-al-sisi-calls-for-launching-african-e-commerce-platform/ Mon, 02 Dec 2019 06:30:16 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715410
"We will study this issue in cooperation with the private sector. We are ready to launch this platform. It will be a success for us [Egypt] and for Africa," Al-Sisi said.
The post Cairo ICT: Al-Sisi calls for launching African e-commerce platform appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi expressed his support for launching a joint e-commerce platform in Africa, as suggested by Bishar Abdirahman Hussein, Director General of the Universal Postal Union.
"We will study this issue in cooperation with the private sector. We are ready to launch this platform. It will be a success for us [Egypt] and for Africa," Al-Sisi said.
Al-Sisi's remarks came during the inauguration of the Cairo ICT exhibition and conference, taking place on 1-4 December at the Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC), under the slogan "The Digital Experience."
The president stressed that Egypt has promising digitisation opportunities.
"Egypt is a huge market, with more than 100 million people. We are moving on the digitisation path [as a country] with full power," Al-Sisi said.
He added that digitisation will lead to the success of the Egyptian state, "in governance, combating corruption, reducing human intervention, and administrative and governmental work."
More than 500 international and local companies are participating in this year edition. Several incorporated event are taking place in parallel, such as the 6th edition of financial inclusion forum (Pafix) and the 4th edition of Innovation Arena whereas participants present creative solutions.
Moreover, the exhibition also hosts the 5th editions of Defense, Security, Public Safety Technology Fair and Forum for the Middle East and Africa (DSS), and Intelli-Cities that offer modern technologies for urban communities and houses.
The president listened to a presentation by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, about the progress of Egypt's digital transformation vision and the new services offered to citizens in this regard.
]]> Egypt Post's unutilised assets reach EGP 243bn in FY19: Chairperson https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/01/egypt-posts-unutilised-assets-reach-egp-243bn-in-fy19-chairperson/ Sun, 01 Dec 2019 13:34:19 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715404
Egypt Post delivered 2.5m EasyPay cards within a year, says El-Saghir
The post Egypt Post's unutilised assets reach EGP 243bn in FY19: Chairperson appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
Egypt Post, the governmental agency responsible for postal service in Egypt, has completed an inventory of about 75% of its unutilized assets, which reached EGP 243bn by the end of last fiscal year (FY) 2018/19, compared to EGP 225bn in FY 2019/20.
Essam El-Saghir, chairperson of Egypt Post, said the authority has been able to raise its revenues from the service sector, which supports the growth of the body's total revenues.
On the occasion of the Cairo ICT 2019, Daily News Egypt interviewed El-Saghir to discuss the authority's current and future plans in line with the country's digital transformation strategy.
What has the authority achieved during the past period in light of the country's digital transformation strategy?
It achieved good results at all levels, in terms of services and solutions provided to the citizens and through the representation of Egypt in the international arena, along with signing cooperation agreements and protocols with other countries.
We also work under our own plan to develop Egypt Post in order to increase our revenues and not just settle for return of investment in other sectors.
Were you able to raise your service revenues?
The authority's revenues from services at the end of FY 2018/19 were EGP 3bn, with an increase of EGP 800m compared to the same period last year, about 25% growth.
The main reason for the increase in service revenues was the growth of investment in automation and the development of the authority's offices and service centres nationwide.
There are over 4,000 branches of Egypt Post across the country, all interconnected through an inner network equipped with the latest devices, systems, and advanced solutions that enable them to provide post services smoothly.
Egypt Post bought 6,300 new computers in its offices equipped with the latest necessary software to help employees better perform their work.
What are the most revenue-generating services for the authority?
The highest revenues came from express mail and financial and electronic services, which shows the diversification of our revenue sources.
The provision of new services must be based on a strong infrastructure, has the authority upgraded its infrastructure?
Indeed. We needed to direct investments to developing the post service infrastructure, which has not been upgraded since 2004, in order to keep up with the global development in this field.
Egypt Post now has a main information centre in the Maadi Technology Park, which improved almost all public services.
What are the total annual revenues of Egypt Post?
In the last fiscal year, Egypt Post achieved revenues of about EGP 27bn, an increase of EGP 1.8bn from the previous year. We also achieved surplus of almost EGP 1.4bn at the end of last fiscal year, ending on 30 June.
What is the size of Egypt Post's deposits?
Egypt Post's deposits totalled EGP 218bn in FY 2018/19, compared to EGP 200bn in FY 2017/18.
What is the size of internal money transfer through Egypt Post?
Money transfer inside Egypt through Egypt Post amounted to 1.5m operations per month, and the value of total transfers in FY 2018/19 ranged between EGP 0.8-1bn.
The authority previously announced a plan to reassess its assets, what is the current situation of this plan?
The value of the authority's assets amounted to about EGP 243bn by the end of FY 2018/19, an increase of EGP 18bn over the same period of the previous year.
So far, the authority has completed an inventory of 75% of its assets. Some of our assets have been reutilised, while others are under study to optimise their use, which may contribute to increasing our revenues.
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi launched the postal code project last year, what is the current situation of this project?
Egypt Post has the largest geographical database in Egypt, thanks to the new postal code project implemented in cooperation with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
We started a trial activation of the postal code in the Fifth Settlement district, where each block of five buildings has a serial postal code
Moreover, the authority signed a protocol with CAPMAS last August with the aim of establishing a regulatory framework for joint cooperation in the postal code project.
According to the protocol, Egypt Post shall use digital basemaps and population and economic data newly updated by the CAPMAS, to use it in the new postal code project.
The new postal code aims to define each group of buildings using a methodology that conforms to the state's administrative boundaries, making use of the spread of Egypt Post offices nationwide.
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) recently cut its interest rates, does Egypt Post plan on reducing its interest rate?
Any interest rate change shall be decided by specialised committees, and no decision has been made yet in this regard.
The interest rate of postal deposits is currently 9.25%, which is the highest compared to other saving vessels.
Egypt Post has cut its interest rate by 1% on saving accounts which allow withdrawal and deposit.
During the last Cairo ICT, Egypt Post launched EasyPay card, how do you see its performance?
Egypt Post has launched several new e-services to facilitate financial transactions and online shopping for citizens. These new services include launching EasyPay card that facilitates online shopping. It can be purchased and recharged through different postal service centres available nationwide. There are 2.5 million EasyPay users, and most of them are young. EasyPay cards can be used to pay for several services, including traffic tickets, bills, university fees, and transfer money electronically. Other service covered by EasyPay cards include updating ration cards, reserving flats, and paying social housing instalments.
What is the situation of the development project of Egypt Post's printing presses?
The authority now has advanced printing presses that include the latest equipment and machinery after its recent renovation, and we currently have the most up-to-date printing presses in the Middle East.
You have signed an agreement with the Mauritania Post a few days ago to allow them to use your logistics centre for e-commerce, are there similar agreements in the near future?
Egypt Post has already signed cooperation protocols with 12 countries to allow usage of its logistics centre for e-commerce. Egypt Post has established the region's largest logistics hub "Consolidation Hub" to provide e-commerce and postal collection services.
During the past period, several agreements have been signed with Nigeria, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Libya, Sudan, and Cameroon, which reflects the regional and international role of Egypt Post.
What about the authority's plans to provide ATMs?
The authority has installed 354 ATMs in its main offices in multiple governorates as part of its development plans. The authority intends to install 400 new machines during the coming months and before the end of the current fiscal year.
However, the new ATMs should be installed in different locations and not only in post offices to meet the customers' needs.
What is the size of Egypt Post's investments in treasury bills?
We have invested EGP 57bn in treasury bills, being a safe investment.
What is the situation of your investments in Etisalat Misr?
Our investment in Etisalat Misr is one of our most successful investments. We get profits of EGP 65m over the past few years. Further profits should be distributed to Etisalat Misr's shareholders in the coming period.
What will Egypt Post exhibit at Cairo ICT 2019?
This year, we will focus on showcasing our electronic and smart services.
]]> TE invests $3bn to upgrade its infrastructure over five years: CEO https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/01/te-invests-3bn-to-upgrade-its-infrastructure-over-five-years-ceo/ Sun, 01 Dec 2019 13:31:37 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715402
"We Pay" application launched as part of the company's digital services plan, says Hamed
The post TE invests $3bn to upgrade its infrastructure over five years: CEO appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
Telecom Egypt (TE) has invested about $3bn since 2014 in developing its infrastructure and replacing copper cables with fibre optic cables.
Adel Hamed, managing director and CEO of TE, said the company will focus on two main fields in the coming period, namely digital services and global data movement.
On the occasion of the Cairo ICT 2019, Daily News Egypt interviewed Hamed to know more about the company's achievements and future plans in line with the state's digital transformation strategy.
What are the features of the company's plan in the coming period?
The company aims to be the technical arm of Egypt's digital vision over the upcoming period.
The company relies on two pillars in the digital services strategy, the first is it being the communications services operator, and the second is its role in global data movement through submarine communications cables.
We are constantly injecting investments to strengthen information technology infrastructure and communication networks, and we are currently working on introducing new products and services that contribute to boosting the country's digital transformation plan.
What are the most important services the company seeks to offer during the coming period?
The company has obtained an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) license and is currently in talks to provide digital television services, in addition to launching its electronic wallet "We Pay" for money transfer and e-payment services via mobile.
The experiences of local competitors in mobile money transfer were not good, what are your plans to avoid that?
We should raise the awareness about the importance of establishing a cashless society, which supports the state's vision towards financial inclusion. With that in mind, the e-wallet launched by TE would allow many electronic services.
The maximum number allowed to each national ID holder is three e-wallets and three mobile phone numbers. The maximum daily deposit is EGP 10,000, and the maximum daily withdrawal and transfer is EGP 6,000, while the maximum transfer through We Pay app is EGP 50,000 per month.
The new e-wallet allows depositing, withdrawal, and transfer of funds. Deposits and withdrawals can be made through ATMs of the contracted banks, including Banque Misr, National Bank of Egypt, Alex Bank, Banque du Caire, United Bank, Commercial International Bank, and Bank Audi.
The application also allows bill payment for WE services, including landlines, internet, mobile, and utilities like electricity, water, and gas bills.
What is the situation of the company's plan to upgrade its infrastructure and replace copper cables with fibre optic?
The company has completed the replacement of copper cables with fibre optic in 90% of the target areas, and we will continue to extend fibre cables to new cities, estimated at 17 cities so far, in including the New Administrative Capital. TE's investments in upgrading its infrastructure have reached $3bn since 2014.
After two years of providing mobile services, what is your assessment of the experience?
At the beginning, I want to mention that we are by far the best provider of data transmission services in Egypt in terms of quality or value of service.
As for the mobile market, in just two years, we managed to acquire 5% share of the mobile market, which is a good share for a fourth operator in a market with the size of Egypt.
Telecom Egypt have 4.5 million mobile subscribers until September 2019, compared to 3.5 million subscribers in September 2018.
Our revenues from mobile services grew during the third quarter of this year by 46% compared to the same period last year.
Moreover, Telecom Egypt's total revenues reached EGP 19bn in the first nine months of this year, a growth of 10% compared to the same period last year.
Telecom Egypt's net profit after taxes hit EGP 3.2bn, down 8% from the same period last year, affected by the cost of applying the early pension programme.
Are there plans to expand your services abroad?
The company is considering any expansion opportunities both inside Egypt in retail services and abroad. During the past period, agreements have been signed with major international companies including Amazon and Microsoft in the field of data centres.
What are the main projects implemented by the company in the digital transformation plan?
We have played the biggest role in transforming Port Said into a digital city where we have connected various government agencies in Port Said with fibre optic cables. The number of buildings exceeded 800, and we will continue to do so in the rest of the governorates.
The company is assigned with developing infrastructure networks for a number of governorates nationwide as a first stage in the digital transformation plan. The plan takes years and will be implemented on several stages.
The company also contributed to the establishment of the first electronic network that brings together government blood banks. The project contributes to providing safe blood for patients at all times, while bringing about 202 government blood banks in one network through the e-linking project. This would allow decision makers to know about the places that offer blood, and areas with deficits in blood across the entire country.
The project facilitates redistribution when needed. The electronic network currently includes blood banks of the Ministry of Health. The project also supports the provision of equipment and supplies for national blood service centres and the general administration of blood banks in government hospitals in all governorates.
]]> NTRA working to operate licenses of Tiba 1 satellite https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/01/ntra-working-to-operate-licenses-of-tiba-1-satellite/ Sun, 01 Dec 2019 13:26:13 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715399
We receive 5,000 weekly complaints about mobile services: Abdel Wahed
The post NTRA working to operate licenses of Tiba 1 satellite appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) is in the process of completing commercial licenses for Egyptian satellite "Tiba 1" with the company responsible for its management.
Mustafa Abdel-Wahed, Acting Executive President of the Authority, said that it played an advisory role in launching the satellite in cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), coordinating with the French side in the technical aspects and determining its orbits.
Abdel Wahed explained that the authority is currently discussing with the company responsible for the management and marketing of the satellite commercially owned by the state due to a decision from the Prime Minister- the frequencies of telecommunications and Internet services and licensing prices, as well as the service prices provided to customers.
He pointed out that the new satellite will provide great speeds for the Internet, covering all governorates of the country, pointing out that the prices of satellite Internet services are usually higher than the cost of high-speed fiber-optic cables.
The Tiba-1 satellite, weighing 5.6 tonnes, was built by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space at a cost of more than €100m. It will remain in space for 15 years and was successfully launched days ago from the French Guiana base in South America.
The satellite will provide broadband internet services to individuals and businesses in Egypt and some North African and Nile Basin countries.
On the other hand, Abdel Wahed said that the fine imposed on "WE" and "Vodafone" telecommunication companies during the last period aimed at improving the quality of services, pointing out that the imposition of the fine was due to the sudden interruption of the service and not because of the quality of service reports issued by the authority monthly.
In addition, NTRA imposed a fine of EGP 10m on Vodafone and EGP 12m on WE for disconnecting their service from customers without notice. The two companies then compensated its customers once they were all located.
As for complaints, Abdel Wahed said that the authority receives 5,000 weekly complaints on mobile services on hotline 155, mostly related to the accuracy of bills, of which 98% are resolved.
He also revealed that the authority is considering activating the system of selling new mobile chips using the customer's fingerprint inside the stores. It also makes sure to filter the subscribers' databases monthly to reduce the spread of anonymous lines.
Abdel Wahed confirmed that he is reviewing the companies' efforts in the audit of the data of line owners, without seeing the data because he is not legally entitled to that.
Responding to some companies' objections on the methods of measuring the quality of telecommunications services, he said that the objection of operators to the measurements of the quality reports of the authority is logical, especially since the previous telecommunications licenses did not set the quality of standards accurately until the introduction of the license of 4G services in 2017.
In July, the Minister of Communications inaugurated the National Center for Measuring the Quality of Telecommunication Services with investments worth EGP 50m. The German company Rohde & Schwarz was hired to implement quality measurements with the support of its expertise in other countries including Britain, Italy, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria.
He said that 20% of customers from the four mobile companies use 4G technology, noting that the customer will not feel much of a difference in services without launching applications that affect their daily life.
"Egypt's position in mobile data services is not bad," he said, stressing that companies have exceeded targets set in the deployment of 4G technology.
Regarding the results of the World Radiocommunication Conference, he revealed the coordination between Arab and African countries on issues related to frequencies and prevention of interference with neighbouring markets. Most of the controversial issues on the conference agenda were also resolved.
On the participation of the authority in the exhibition, Abdel Wahed said that the focus will be on presenting methods of measuring the quality of telecommunications services in 81 regions nationwide by mobile cars, compared to about 40.
In addition, they will also work on raising awareness on the crimes stipulated in the Anti-IT Crimes Law No. 175 of 2018 and the mechanisms for making a formal complaint to the body.
Regarding the coverage of new cities and highways, he noted that NTRA has recently issued a tender to mobile operators to cover some of Upper Egypt's roads with funding from the authority's Universal Service Fund.
He ruled out the idea of increasing the mobile numbering to be 12 digits, stressing that the current numbering is enough for up to a billion mobile lines.
As for President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's notes at the Africa Investment Forum on the construction of 20,000 mobile towers, he confirmed that it is expected to establish a company specialised in launching mobile towers to apply for a license from the authority to meet that requirement.
It is noteworthy that Al-Sisi asked Minister of Communications Amr Talaat to launch 20,000 mobile towers within a year instead of 10 years.
]]> Cairo ICT to discuss launching joint AI strategy in Africa: Communications Minister https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/01/cairo-ict-to-discuss-launching-joint-ai-strategy-in-africa-communications-minister/ Sun, 01 Dec 2019 13:20:41 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715384
Egypt targets 10% growth in digital exports by the end of FY20, says Amr Talaat
The post Cairo ICT to discuss launching joint AI strategy in Africa: Communications Minister appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology aims to take the contribution of the sector to the gross domestic product (GDP) to 8% within the next three years up from 4% currently, through increasing digital exports and expanding the digitisation of government services within the state's digital transformation plan.
On the occasion of the Cairo ICT conference and exhibition, taking place 1-4 December at the Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC), Daily News Egypt interviewed Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, to know about the progress of Egypt's digital transformation and the new services and plans of the ministry.
Digital transformation is Egypt's priority now, what are the ministry's efforts in this regard?
Digital transformation of Egypt is a priority for the Ministry in the coming period.
We cooperate with all ministries and government agencies in establishing an integrated digital society.
The President always stresses the need to rely on technology to improve the lives of citizens, which drives government agencies to focus their efforts on digital transformation projects.
The global digital economy is estimated now at $11.5trn, equivalent to 15.5% of the global GDP. It is expected to reach 25% of GDP in the next 10 years.
What will the government agencies exhibit at the Cairo ICT 2019?
We should know that technological development is not the responsibility of a particular ministry. Several ministries and government agencies will participate at the Cairo ICT this year.
At the ministry and affiliated entities' pavilion, we will showcase the government services that have been automated or under automation.
The pavilion will include the ministry's entities, mainly the National Telecommunications Institute (NTI) and the Information Technology Institute.
What does President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's sponsorship of the event represent?
President Al-Sisi's sponsorship of the Cairo ICT 2019 sends a strong message to the world about the importance of the sector's role in achieving the country's sustainable development strategy and Egypt 2030 vision.
Will Cairo ICT 2019 see African participants?
Of course, many African countries are keen on participating in this exhibition every year.
During thus edition, African communications ministers will hold their first meeting to discuss developing a common strategy on artificial intelligence (AI) technology across the continent, a proposal made by Egypt during the African ministerial meeting in October in Sharm El-Sheikh, where eight countries have already joined and an initial draft of the strategy was written.
What are the growth rates of Egypt's telecommunications sector?
During the first quarter of this fiscal year, the telecommunications sector grew by 16%, while its contribution to the GDP was 4%, which will reach 8% over the next three years.
What is the value of Egypt's digital exports?
Our digital exports increased to $3.6bn in FY 2018/19, compared to $3.2bn in FY 2017/18.
We aim to increase this figure by 10% by the end of FY 2019/20. In addition, last year saw the establishment of 1,500 new companies in the sector, which reflects the growing awareness of the importance of the sector.
You mentioned that digital transformation is the priority of your ministry, what are the axes of the ministry's plan in this regard?
Our plan includes raising the state's digital exports, qualifying human resources through special training programmes, and creating new job opportunities in the digitisation projects of government services. We also study the global developments of modern technology and how to benefit from them, including AI, Blockchain, and Internet of Things (IoT).
In this context, we plan to train 20,000 young people in the field of information technology by the end of next year, bringing the total number of trainees to 25,000 by the end of 2021, up from 13,000 this year.
This happens through several initiatives, including the establishment of Mahara Tech, an online learning platform which offers high-quality courses authored by ITI, Mahara Tech provides 170 hours of online lectures on technology for free, followed by a test and granting a certificate from international companies, which the ministry bears its cost.
Anyone who obtains this certificate can work in any digital company inside or outside Egypt. Moreover, there are initiatives that the ministry works on, in cooperation with international companies involved in the implementation of the digital transformation of the country.
The ministry also trains secondary school students on programming sciences, in addition to qualifying military recruits in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, especially engineers, for the labour market after the end of their military service.
Moreover, we cooperate with the private sector and freelancers working in Egypt or abroad who are part of the country's digital exporters.
What are the most prominent government services that the ministry has automated during the last period?
The ministry has completed the automation of several government services in cooperation with various ministries. We aim to launch digital traffic services, documentation, and ration cards for all citizens by the end of January 2020.
We are working on the launch of Al-Falah bank card, one of the most important projects that the ministry is preparing in cooperation with the ministries of agriculture and military production.
The project aims to help farmers access all the services supported by agricultural cooperatives. This project includes the inventory of all agricultural lands to identify the needs of farmers, to better support them and rationalise spending. The card will be linked to all state institutions.
We will also generalise the experience of Port Said as the first digital city in the country.
Port Said was transformed into a digital city by connecting 800 government agencies by fibre optic network to ensure better digital government services to all citizens.
It is scheduled to link all government agencies nationwide electronically and make their services available online within 30-36 months at a cost of EGP 6bn.
Recently, the government agreed to establish a national council for artificial intelligence, what does this mean?
It is a new idea that has been discussed since the beginning of the year and aims to develop a national strategy for artificial intelligence in line with global developments.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has issued a decision to establish the council and to be chaired by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology. It will also coordinate with various sectors to implement the goals of the digital transformation strategy.
The new council has an executive office headed by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology or his delegate, in addition to eight experienced members nominated by the council's members.
The executive office shall supervise the implementation of the council's plans, and prepare the necessary study for the organisational structure and executive management of the council.
Recently, the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) fined two telecommunication companies which has never happened before, how do you see this incident?
The NTRA has applied the terms of the licenses granted to those companies transparently and the penalties have been determined according to the number of affected customers, the hours of the service cut, and where they occur.
The NTRA fined Vodafone and WE for malfunctions in their networks by EGP 10m on Vodafone in July and EGP 12m on WE in October.
Does this mean the mobile service quality will improve soon?
Improving the quality of mobile service takes time by building cellular base stations, renovating cables, and communicating with operators to fix malfunctions in networks.
Over the past period, the global Internet bandwidth has been doubled at a cost of $20m. The efficiency of telephone exchange centres has also been increased by 260% at a cost of $400m, as well as 33,000 smart grid sensor data collection units at a cost of $650m.
Over the past 14 months, Telecom Egypt has invested $1.6bn in upgrading its Internet infrastructure. The service speed has been increased three times, and we plan to bring the Internet speed to 20 Mbps before the end of this year.
]]> Orange is heading to profitability this year after years of losses https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/01/orange-is-heading-to-profitability-this-year-after-years-of-losses/ Sun, 01 Dec 2019 13:18:36 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715395
We are in an alliance with the AOI and Fawry to operate electric mass transit buses: Shaker
The post Orange is heading to profitability this year after years of losses appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
For the first time in several years, Orange Egypt Telecommunication is moving towards profitability by the end of this year after suffering consecutive losses.
Yasser Shaker, CEO and Director of the company, said that the data transfer services will represent half of the company's total revenues during the next year, compared to 40% of revenues in the current year. He added that the company invested about EGP 4bn in 2019 and directed 90% of these investments towards improving the network and service quality. The same amount is expected to be invested in 2020 after the global group approved the new budget in December.
It is noteworthy that Orange Egypt achieved revenues of EGP 3.8bn during the third quarter of this year, equivalent to €211m, compared to €195m during the same period in 2018
He pointed out that the number of subscribers of 4G services at the Orange network ranges between 45% and 50% of the number of users of data transfer service, which amounts to six million subscribers of the fourth generation.
He pointed out that 70% of Orange Mobile Towers are currently using 4G technology, noting that the company's strategy is based on improving the quality of the communication network, expanding digital transformation services, and increasing the community role.
In a related context, he hinted that the company allied with the Arab Organisation for Industrialisation (AOI) and other companies, including Mwasalat Misr and Fawry, in order to provide technology services to operate electric buses across the country.
He also stressed that the company will operate Wi-Fi services in buses install mobile payment services for the value of subscriptions allocated to buses. Besides, he noted that the first phase of the project includes about 200 buses to begin the system within a period of three to six months.
On a separate note, Shaker said that the company is considering two projects in line with the company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) office during the next year. The first includes providing internet services to schools, while the second is in the field of education in mobile money transfer services through Orange Cash.
As for the field of CSR, he noted that during 2019 Orange implemented several initiatives, including "Orange Community Schools". It aims to develop and modernise seven schools in six governorates during the first phase, including Aswan, Sohag, and Assiut. It has opened a call centre in Assiut, which contributed to providing 400 jobs and 1000 training opportunities
In addition, Shaker revealed the company's readiness to activate an agreement signed with eFinance, the company operating the Egyptian government financial network, on the sidelines of the Cairo Information and Communications Technology (ICT) exhibition and conference 2019. The agreement is on the financial portfolio used to pay university and school expenses as well as water, electricity, and traffic bills, with a targeted plan to pay pensions and pay taxes through the e-wallet.
He predicted that the number of subscribers will not increase significantly during the next year, but he is betting on an increase data transfer services and Orange Cash, noting that Orange Cash service in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) represents about 10% of the total revenues of the global group.
The MENA region accounted for less than 15% of Orange's global revenue, which owns Orange Business Services for managing digital services in 19 countries around the world. He pointed out that the company contributes to transferring $40bn funds through Orange Cash in Africa annually, which is an equivalent of seven to eight times its revenue generated by the continent.
Regarding the 5G technology, he said that the 5G services' application needed time to be used in a practical way.
Regarding 5G technology, he said that it would need some time for people to find its practical use. Moreover, the local market introduced 4G services only two years ago and needs more time to make the most use of 4G technology before 5G technology takes over.
Shaker said that the return of Orange Egypt to the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) is not currently on the table. He explained that the decision is up to the general assembly of the company, but stressed that it does not need funding in light of the availability of credit facilities from eight banks worth EGP 7bn that have not been fully used.
Orange Egypt was one of the companies addressed by EGX in September 2017 for not meeting one or more of the conditions of compliance with the registration rules of the conditions of free-float shares, as the rules stipulate that the percentage of free-float shares must not be less than 5%, which is less than 1% for Orange Egypt. The company was given a grace period until May 2018 to comply with the registration rules before being delisted.
On another note, Shaker welcomed the country's trend to rely on mobile companies to extend the telecommunication's infrastructure for national projects, including the New Administrative Capital. According to Orange Group, the number of Orange Egypt customers reached 28.3 million by the end of September 2019, compared to 28.5 million by the end of June.
He pointed out that the company is continuously seeking to develop the customer experience through the sales outlets spread throughout the country. He also stated that his company is considered the best network in Egypt based on the measurements of International Speed Test for internet speed measurement, pointing out its intention to launch free internet services in schools, universities, and youth centres.
]]> 16,500 young people trained, 9,000 jobs created in 2019: ITIDA https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/12/01/16500-young-people-trained-9000-jobs-created-in-2019-itida/ Sun, 01 Dec 2019 12:19:21 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715383
16 startups graduated and 22 other companies were received through the business incubator programme: CEO
The post 16,500 young people trained, 9,000 jobs created in 2019: ITIDA appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
Under the motto "Digital Egypt", The Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) is participating this year with two booths in Cairo Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 2019 exhibition, covering an area of 1,400 meters.
ITIDA's CEO Hala El Gohary said that the agency's logo has been changed to comply with the country's trajectory towards a digital government, adding that it has been able to train 16,500 young people and provide about 9,000 jobs in 2019.
What is the volume of the information technology (IT) sector's exports?
This year, the volume of exports of the sector, including software, outsourcing, and consulting services, reached $ 750m, an increase of 15% from 2018.
What is the agency's strategy during the coming period?
The agency is currently focusing on five issues, the development of digital exports in terms of quality and quantity, in addition to supporting the digital transformation system in Egypt, and developing an integrated system for the development of human exports. It is also working to stimulate creativity and entrepreneurship and prepare for a good business environment.
Why did the agency change its logo? What does the new logo symbolise?
On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of ITIDA's establishment, the agency has decided to change its logo in line with the state's orientations towards digital government.
The new logo includes four colours. The first is blue to indicate confidence in the work to open new markets. Green symbolises growth through the development of the local market and companies operating in it. In addition, red is for stimulating creativity, innovation, and research and development. As for grey, it means balance, referring to the agency's balance between the three objectives mentioned in the previous colours.
How does the ITIDA measure the performance of the IT market in Egypt to assess its performance?
The agency has set five indicators to monitor the performance of the IT sector in Egypt, namely the rate of increasing digital exports, providing additional job opportunities for Egyptian cadres annually, offering additional trained cadres annually, increasing the rate of startups annually, as well as raising the volume of investments supporting startups.
What are the results of ITIDA's efforts this year?
In 2019, ITIDA created 9,000 new jobs and trained 16, 500 trainees.
Egyptian startups have received investments from investment funds and risk capital since 2016, reaching $180m, including $65m this year. Through the TIEC, ITIDA also succeeded in graduating 16 startups in the Technology Incubation Programme and the reception of 22 others.
Over 30% of the workforce in the technology sector over the past 15 years has been trained by ITIDA.
In addition, 70 cooperation agreements were signed with more than 45 foreign investors, providing 40,000 direct jobs, supporting 400 entrepreneurs, and incubating 450 start-ups over the past years.
The volume of subsidies of the Egyptian Export Program reached about EGP 350m since the beginning of the programme in 2009.
What are the details of your participation this year at Cairo ICT?
The authority will participate in this year's Cairo ICT Exhibition and Conference through two booths on an area of 1400 square meters across six sections. A large number of events, workshops, and awareness sessions on emerging technologies will also be organised.
Moreover, a number of competitions of entrepreneurs and developers will be held, in addition to signing of agreements with international companies on the establishment of centres of excellence in Egypt.
What is the status of plans to expand the establishment of technological zones?
Expansion of the free zone technology park has become the responsibility of the private sector in partnership with the Silicon Oasis Company for the management and development of technological zones, which ITIDA partly owns in terms of capital.
The Technology Zones Project is one of the strategic pillars to serve the development goals in the country in general by stimulating and nurturing creativity, and providing an ideal environment for technological incubators, capacity building centres, and technology localisation.
It is also working on creating job opportunities for Egyptian youth in various governorates. It particularly serves the work of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and ITIDA, especially the outsourcing and electronics design sectors.
Egypt is distinguished for its global outsourcing. Do you have plans to develop this? Egypt is distinguished for its global outsourcing.
The outsourcing industry is a top priority for the agency, with about 215,000 employees working for this section. It is expected to increase the number to 240,000 in 2020 according to the estimations of the International Data Corporation (IDC). There are more than 100 countries that obtain these services from Egypt with more than 20 languages.
Egypt ranks first in the Middle East and Africa region according to the consulting company AT Kearney's report, compared to the countries that provide these services, and it ranks among the top nine global locations serving European markets, according to the IT service management company Gartner's report for the third time in a row.
ITIDA plans to increase Egypt's share of the global market for IT outsourcing and existing services, which currently stands at 16%.
Egypt deserves this place as it has all the qualifications that places it among the most important and preferred destinations for these service providers in the world, whether abundant digital skills or the cost of business, it has a set of competitive advantages in the Middle East and Africa or North and Western European countries.
We aim to strengthen Egypt's position on the global map of services, technological innovation, and entrepreneurship, as well as the design and manufacture of electronics by enabling research, development, and stimulating innovation.
]]> SAP, Microsoft to carry out digital transformation of 60 public enterprises https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/11/27/sap-microsoft-to-carry-out-digital-transformation-of-60-public-enterprises/ Wed, 27 Nov 2019 21:31:01 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715171
Fiber Misr, Wadi El Nile, and Atos act as systems integrator responsible for project implementation
The post SAP, Microsoft to carry out digital transformation of 60 public enterprises appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The Ministry of Public Enterprise Sector announced the completion of the Middle East and North Africa's largest information technology tender for the digital transformation of the ministry's subsidiaries. SAP and Microsoft won the tender to manage the resources of 60 subsidiaries and holding companies, including enterprise resource planning (ERP) in six main areas: finance, human resources, sales, purchasing, warehousing, and production. A global tender was launched in August to select ERP technology and service integrators to implement the project.
The project aims to standardise, improve, and automate the work systems of companies and raise production efficiency.
SAP was selected in the Metallurgical Industries CO., chemical industries holding company (CIHC), and textile industries, and Cotton & Textile Industries Holding Co.
While Microsoft was selected in the holding companies for Holding Co. for Maritime & Land Transport, HoldiPharma, Holding Co. For Tourism, Hotels & Cinema, and Misr Insurance Holding Company.
Fiber Misr, Wadi El Nile, and Atos act as systems integrator responsible for project implementation, which is expected to start next month and take about a year and a half to complete.
Mohamed Masoud, digital transformation advisor for the ministry, told Daily News Egypt that the largest international companies have submitted the tender including SAP, Oracle and Microsoft, especially that the project is the largest digital transformation project in Egypt and the Middle East. He explained that the system will be applied to seven holding companies, and the first phase will only include 60 companies.
]]> 98% of Millennials have smartphones: research https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/11/27/98-of-millennials-have-smartphones-research/ Wed, 27 Nov 2019 20:25:19 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715144
According to the Global Web Index data, the Millennials spend an average of 2.43 hours a day on social media, with YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram as the top three social media platforms.
The post 98% of Millennials have smartphones: research appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
A research by Mediakix has revealed that the Millennials, young people born between 1995 and 2010, are estimated to reach 2.56 billion people by 2020.
The research said that 98% of this generation have smartphones, of whom about 50% have Internet access for 10 hours a day.
Infinix Mobile, a Hong Kong-based smartphone manufacturer, said that it conducted a research that showed the importance of smartphones for Millennials living in the emerging markets, considering them as basic and integrated devices for entertainment and social life. Mobile phones enable this generation to enjoy surfing the Internet and social networks, giving them the opportunity to share their experiences, mainly personal photos. It means that the design selfie cameras were very important.
Infinix said that the latest version of its series Infinix S – Infinix S5 – features the latest camera technology in the shape of "a hole hidden under the screen," where Infinix provided users with the Infinity-O Display.
The new phone Infinix S5 comes with a 6.6-inch screen with a 20:9 acquisition rate on 90.5% of the body of the device, and provides outstanding control in the device with one hand.
The punch-hole technology is the perfect combination of screen and selfie camera for Infinix S5.
The 32-megapixel AI selfie camera is placed in the upper-left corner of the device, embedded within an inconspicuous design, where the screen stays black in its full capacity during standby and when you activate the device.
]]> Annual mobile phone sales likely to reach 15m units in Egypt: MediaTek https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/11/27/annual-mobile-phone-sales-likely-to-reach-15m-units-in-egypt-mediatek/ Wed, 27 Nov 2019 16:55:59 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715127
We are working with US-based KaiOS Technologies to create an operating system for smartphones with a maximum price of $20 per unit, says Rami Othman
The post Annual mobile phone sales likely to reach 15m units in Egypt: MediaTek appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
The Egyptian mobile phone market is witnessing a significant sales growth which could reach 15m units annually, compared to 13m expected to be sold by the end of this year.
MediaTek, a Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company, is working with US-based KaiOS Technologies to create an operating system for smartphones with a maximum price of $20 per unit, said Rami Othman, MediaTek's regional director in the Middle East.
MediaTek processors can be found in mid-priced phones more than any other segment, why?
We have processors that offer strong performance in mid-priced phones. This type of processors targets the markets of the Middle East and Africa, where the prices of phones range between $50-500. This is the largest price segment in the world, representing about 80% of the global phone sales.
What is the size of your market share globally?
We account for almost 30% share in the global mobile market, while we control the biggest share of the TV market being the largest supplier of TV processors, WiFi, and smart home appliances in the world.
What is the size of your sales in the global mobile phone market?
We sold about 2bn phones annually, including 1.4bn smartphones and 600m basic cell phones.
Will the basic cell phone market continue?
There are many emerging markets around the world and the users there still rely on basic cell phones, especially in Africa and Asia.
For example, the Pakistani market, despite its population reached about 200m people, saw monthly sales of 1m smartphones and 2m basic cell phones, and even Egyptian users still intensively buy basic cell phones despite the launch of 4G technology almost two years ago.
How can companies attract basic cell phone users to shift to smartphones?
The main problem is the price difference between basic cell phones and smartphones; the cheapest smartphone cannot be less than $40, while the most expensive basic cell phone will not exceed $10.
So, we collaborated with Google to launch an affordable operating system "Android Go" for low-priced smartphones. We are currently working with KaiOS Technologies to create an operating system for smartphones with a maximum price of $20 per unit. The planned operating system will be a single-tasking system that can only run one programme at a time, but it will have its own app store.
What are the biggest markets for your company?
We sold more than 170m smartphones in the Middle East and Africa, divided into 110m in Africa and 60m in the Middle East. Our market shares in different countries range between 25-60%.
In the Middle East and Africa, South Africa is our biggest smartphone market, followed by Egypt.
How do you see the growth in the smartphone market in Egypt?
Egypt is one of the most important markets in the region, and we're the most competitive among different brands in Africa.
The Egyptian market is currently in a phase of growth and the sales of smartphones may reach 15m units annually, compared to 13m expected to be sold by the end of this year.
Do you work with SICO Technology, the first Egyptian smartphone manufacturer?
SICO has been cooperating with us for a while and it uses our processor in its products. We together launched a 4G mobile phone in cooperation with Vodafone that was sold at a competitive price.
Egypt has plans to manufacture tablets locally as part of the educational tablet project. Does your company plan for cooperation with the government in this regard?
In general, we support the Egyptian government's steps and projects. We have a plan to support local manufacturing in Egypt, as well as the ability to support Egypt's projects in smart cities based on Internet of Things (IOT) technology.
We contacted the Arab Organization for Industrialization and a third partner for the coordination in the manufacture of educational tablets, and once the official announcement by the government is made, we will take steps in partnership with the aforementioned authorities.
The 5G race is underway, are you ready to compete in this segment?
Of course, we launched the 7-nanometer 5G and AI chipset for higher-end phones at the beginning of this year. The new chipset is the first that supports the 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies, unlike many competitors that produce two chipsets in each phone, one for 4G and the other for 5G.
During the first quarter of 2020, a mobile phone manufacturer will launch a series of smartphones supported by the 7-nanometer 5G and AI chipset, and its price will be suitable for the mid-priced segment.
Currently, there are phones that support the 5G technology, but their prices are very high, due to using two chipsets, but our 7-nanometer chipset will make the phones that support 5G more affordable.
Are the processors supporting 5G more expensive than their 4G counterparts?
Yes, they are more expensive, but not with a major difference. They are almost 20% more expensive.
There are a limited number of processor manufactures worldwide, do you think new competitors would enter the market?
In 2015, many processor manufacturers emerged in China because of the launch of 4G, and they proved their control over the market at the expense of European companies, but the map of processor manufacturers has not changed yet.
I believe the market will not see major changes in the current period due to fierce competition in the smartphone market, which makes all processor manufacturers focus on the development of their products to beat their counterparts, which makes it difficult for the emergence of a new processor company.
How much does the company spend annually on research and development?
We spent about $2bn annually on research and development.
Smartphone usage patterns have changed recently, as some companies produce phones dedicated to games. Do you have processors that support this category?
In cooperation with Xiaomi, we launched a gaming phone powered by a strong processor, called Note 8 Pro, which achieved big sales in India.
]]> InsurTech Egypt promotes insurance technology, launches its first hackathon "InsurHack" https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/11/27/insurtech-egypt-promotes-insurance-technology-launches-its-first-hackathon-insurhack/ Wed, 27 Nov 2019 16:55:50 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=715128
Germany's development agency GIZ, on behalf the German government, announced the launch of "InsurTech Egypt" platform initiating "InsurHack", the first insurance technology hackathon – a design sprint-like event – in Egypt, which tackles challenges that face the insurance industry. According to the Financial Regulatory Authority, the insurance industry is estimated to represent almost 0.91% of …
The post InsurTech Egypt promotes insurance technology, launches its first hackathon "InsurHack" appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
Germany's development agency GIZ, on behalf the German government, announced the launch of "InsurTech Egypt" platform initiating "InsurHack", the first insurance technology hackathon – a design sprint-like event – in Egypt, which tackles challenges that face the insurance industry.
According to the Financial Regulatory Authority, the insurance industry is estimated to represent almost 0.91% of Egypt's GDP, and it is considered to be one of the most important drivers of Egyptian economic growth.
Despite the economic growth and the high investment rate, the industry is still facing a lot of challenges. From the diversification of its products to the target audience difficulty outreach, and the lack of digital interference. It's the age inevitability that demands integrating technology to create sustainable business solutions to innovatively solve the insurance industry challenges necessary for its growth.
InsurHack is InsurTech's first hackathon that aims to gather entrepreneurs, techies, and designers to formulate ten teams to work on developing ten business ideas and solve specific challenges. Through the four-day event, the ten participating teams will work under a challenge framework that is developed by insurance companies to propose expected outcomes and compete over a cash prize worth of EGP 100,000.
Under the theme of "Innovating Egypt's insurance sector," the hackathon addresses the insurance sector's main challenges in Egypt that hinder its progress and positions it to be a significant key player in the country's economy.
Through an open call that was launched at the beginning of October, InsurHack invites over 100 applicants, including innovative designers, coders, innovators in FinTech, insurance leaders, entrepreneurs, and established startups, to participate in the event.
The four-day hackathon designed a curriculum of intensive training and mentorship covering a variety of topics such as; design thinking, agile prototyping, and insurance infrastructure. The training assists the participating teams to ideate and design solutions and startup ideas that can contribute to a more technological insurance sector in Egypt.
Closing of the hackathon, the Demo Day will be held at the American University in Cairo, on 1 December, celebrating and showcasing the ten teams' projects and displaying the progress they experience over the hackathon duration.
Three winning teams will champion the hackathon receiving a cash prize worth of EGP 100,000. The teams will also receive additional benefits, such as a visit to Germany, a physical space for two months, fast selection to AUC Venture Lab boot camp, and proof of concepts.
]]> Etisalat achieves EGP 4bn profit in nine months https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/11/16/etisalat-achieves-egp-4bn-profit-in-nine-months/ Sat, 16 Nov 2019 16:56:58 +0000 https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/?p=714094
Revenues for the third quarter were about EGP 2.4bn, compared to EGP 1.8bn in the same period last year, according to the company's results.
The post Etisalat achieves EGP 4bn profit in nine months appeared first on Daily News Egypt.
Etisalat telecommunication company achieved EGP 4bn gross income by the end of the first nine months of 2019.
According to the results of Emirates Telecommunications Company, the revenues of its unit in Egypt, Etisalat Misr, amounted to nearly EGP 10.6bn compared to EGP 8.8bn during the same period last year, making up 47% of the total revenues.
Revenues for the third quarter were about EGP 2.4bn, compared to EGP 1.8bn in the same period last year, according to the company's results.
The company's mobile operations accounted for EGP 8.9bn in revenues, while fixed services accounted for EGP 488m. On the other hand, the sales of appliances and equipment hit EGP 213.5m, in addition to EGP 681m in general sales.
The company's customer base stood at 26.5m at the end of the third quarter of this year, losing 1.3 million customers compared to the same period last year, due to the National Telecom Regulatory Authority's (NTRA) government measures.
The value of the company's investments in the Egyptian market is about EGP 50bn over the past 10 years, pointing out that the company has allocated investments worth EGP 4.5bn this year in the development of its infrastructure network, part of which is directed to digital services.
Etisalat Misr's shareholders' structure is divided between 66% of Emirates Telecommunications Group, Bareed Investment Company by 20%, The Dubai International Financial Centre(DIFC LLC UAE) by 5%, Das Holding UAE by 5%, Saudi Arabian Technical Investments by 1.5%, Al Naboodah Investment by 1.5%, and Mawarid Finance UAE by 1%.