Steve Jobs along with Steve Wozniak founded Apple in 1976 and took it public in 1980. Apple is currently the biggest company in the world by market capitalization.

Apple is the maker of popular Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad product range.

Theme: Meet The Players

Confirmed Companies: Microsoft, MTN & Nokia

Venue: TBD

Date:  29th August 2011

Eskimi.com is a Lithuania-based mobile social network which focuses on mobile flirting announced it has reached a milestone of 2.4 million users global with Nigeria making up 50%. The site founded in March 2010 internationally, in November 2010 a Nigerian version was launched. Some interesting stats were released exclusively to WebTrendsng.com;

Nigerian Stats on Eskimi:

• 1.2Millions Registered Users
• 510,000 Active Users
• 200Million page views

The company’s CEO, Vytas Paukstys says it planned to engage Nigerian developers to build on the platform and also hopes establish presence in Nigeria in coming months.

Are you on Eskimi? How cool is it?

Mobile Money is the next big thing in the world, expert will gather today to discuss the opportunities and everything in-between. The summit is starting this morning at Oriental Hotels, Lekki Lagos. Here is the programme flow, if you still want to attend, not sure if registration is still open to the fee is N50, 000,

09:00 Registration Opens

09:30 Summit opening remarks Emmanuel Okoegwale Principal Associate, MobileMoneyAfrica

09:40 Industry Overview and country status report Akin Naptal, CEO – MobileWorld  Magazine,UK

09:50 How we reached the unbanked in Ghana Derrick Dankyi – Glife Financial services, Ghana.

10:20 Refreshment Break

11:00 Why the Banks are missing the boat on alternative payment markets. Sean Owens, MobilityPay Africa

11:25 Connecting the ecosystem Ike Innamani – Medallion communications

11:40 – 12:00 PANEL DISCUSSION

12:05 Branchless Banking- Banking the Unbanked Thuranira Kinagwi – Craft Sillicon

12:25 Bank in a Box  Tagattitude’s full service offering to mobile service providers. Femi Akinware – Tagattitude

Nigeria

12:50 Examining the cross road between mobile money, Micro finance and Agency Banking.

Temitope Akin-Fadeyi

Oceanic Bank Plc

01:20 Networking Lunch

2:00 Key Note presentation-Positioning the National Postal network in the emerging mobile financial ecosystem.

Yashim Isa Bitiyong

Deputy Post master general-Nipost

02:20 PANEL DISCUSSION

Moderator – Akin Naptal MobileWorld

Discussants:

Edmund Olotu – GPAY AFRICA

Dr Kazeem Durodoye – KDD Consulting

Peter Asolo – Flashmecash, Finbank.

3:00 Key Note presentation

MobileMoney: How insecurity of the value chain could ruin it for Banks and Telcos alike.  Pieter De Villiers, Clickatell

3:30 Card less Cash Ellinas Chris – NCR Corporation.

4:10 Banking the unbanked, the home grown approach  Peter Asolo – Head of Product, Flashmecash

4:30 It is easy to offer mobile and branchless baking with a wallet. Mayank Sharma - COMVIVA

4:55 Overview of Agency roll out and sustainable implementations in Nigeria. Emmanuel Okoegwala -

MobileMoney Africa

5:10 Delegate Draw

5:15 Closing Remarks

The marriage of network(s) and personal computers (PCs) catalyzed the optimization of the internet as a collaboration and communication tool – beyond its initially planned usage as a global resource sharing super-network. Another technological conjunction is about to re-define new media, particularly in the areas relating to rural – urban communication and product advertising and information distribution.

The creation of internet communities on mobile platforms or mobile networks is a fast growing phenomenon that would modify our new media communication in the coming years. These new mobile communities are driven by three main sources:

1. Existing internet communities latching on to mobile platforms via mobile versions of their websites.

2. GSM network providers with online communities.

3. Mobile internet browsers/applications embedded in select mobile phone brands.

The forces that would sustain this new trend – particularly in developing nations include the relatively lower cost of mobile internet accessibility as against the use of conventional PCs/modems; the rural penetration of GSM technology/telephony, improving tele-density cum increasingly affordable GPRS enabled mobile phones. The awareness about mobile applications and their practical usage in education, agriculture, election monitoring and civic (i)reports among others would also promote mobile internet usage and related internet communities.

Global champions for mobile communities include Blackberry, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter among others. However, the benefits of an internet community cannot be fully realized until such communities are localized – localization need not be extensively streamlined to personal level as in Blackberry or Facebook,  a rather regional or national categorization would be more attractive. This feat is exactly what Opera mini and 2go have achieved – a global community with country-segmented participants. Users are equipped with email, multi-platform status update and blogging functionalities in Opera Mini while 2go allows for localized chat rooms within GSM numbers enabled environment. The result is interesting; in the Nigerian subsection on both networks consist of a diversified online community across the nation – from farmers in Northern Nigeria, to lecturers in the West and traders in the East.

Other strictly local internet communities are emerging and quickly getting mobile too. Aside from Zain, Etisalat, Glo, Starcomms and MTN sponsored GSM network providers, other mobile internet communities in Nigeria include naijapals, nigerianbestforum, revoda, punch, vanguard, daily trust, diamondbank. This is not an exhaustive list, thus you are encouraged you to cite some more proudly Nigerian mobile internet communities in your comments below.

Finally, the marriage of the internet and mobile phones would not only avail grannies in the village the opportunity to ensure their votes count by sending pictures of the final count sheets to election monitors in the cities; they would someday monitor (via a local online community for farmers), the price of garri in the cities before selling their heap of cassava to bustling white-collar middlemen.

Oluyemi Ogunyemi – multi-disciplinary entrepreneur blogger. Read his blog here.

As brands battle the decision whether to go social media, how to engage new media platforms and exploring the new ways to sell their products and engage their rapidly changing consumers. While some are busy considering what to do, some are brilliantly leveraging on social media to meet the rapidly changing consumer behavior to promote and build their brands, grow their market share and to flaunt consumer loyalty.

This is a roll call of 5 Nigerian’s corporate brands (and honorable mentions) that have smartly engaged social media and are using this to encourage interaction, promote their brand, products and offerings and they are doing a great job at it.

1. GTBank integrates it all

Especially in a traditionally conservative industry, GTBank braved the odds in

integrating social media into their traditional corporate communications strategy to reach and sustain communication with their target audience. The GTBank Facebook page remains one of the most engaging and active Nigerian brands on Facebook (ok, maybe after The BeatFM).

GTBank completely uses its Twitter and Facebook page in driving traffic into its websites and targeted communities. It also uses the same channel in attending to customer service, collating customer feedback and promoting programmes and events. The new Acting Managing Director, Segun Agbage was formerly in charge of corporate communications and made his first official media statement on Facebook (YouTube), with this interesting start; I believe we are set for more innovative creations from GTBank.

2. Individual Brands are driving the Heartbeat of The Beat 99.9 FM

If any media brand has consciously or unconsciously integrated traditional and social media, The Beat 99.9FM is it. The Beat 99.9FM is one of the radio channels under the management of Megalectrics Limited and they are hitting the beat hard. The strategy of ensuring that both employees and listeners gain ownership, and promote the brand using their personal networks has yielded brilliant outcomes. While I think they did ‘ojoro’ in importing ideas and methodologies, they have succeeded in patiently waiting for Nigerians in the future and we are growing to meet them there. Coinciding with the rise of radio-enabled phones and traffic jams in Lagos, The Beat 99.9 FM has continued to make traffic fun; following its fans everywhere from offices to their homes.

One interesting feature is how they have used individual brands and a careful blend in the use of Twitter and Facebook platforms in collating user feedback and comments during radio programmes. Other radio stations are catching up on the idea and with time it will soon be normal; Inspiration FM, Top Radio, and recently Star FM.

So to Oreka, Gbemi, Toolz, , Olisa, Dj Caise,Chris… who did I miss? You guys rock!

3. The Courageous News Breakers – 234next

This idea of Dele Olojede has earned him one of the most innovative CEOs in the world. They have consistently used technology as leverage to stand toe-to-toe with the older newspaper companies in Nigeria. They have pulled out every technological trick to stay afloat and to define and the reach of their target audience.

With ground breaking investigative journalism, layout and creative copy as its key differentiation factors, they are using Online Ads, Bulk SMS technology, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube in driving traffic and improving their bottom line.

In a season where government patronage is a lifeline for press houses, 234next is staying true to the call – they are still standing tall.

4. Virtual Window-shop - Samsung Mobile Nigeria

Samsung Mobile knows they are not directly selling a service; they sell products and they are willing to use every avenue to promote it. If you need a quick run through of Samsung’s products in the market, visit their Facebook page.

The Samsung Mobile NIgeria’s Facebook page beautifully uses the platform to help you window-shop for their products. They have also included tabs that encourage customer feedback, users’ tip and tricks and the collaboration they have with The BeatFM. The Facebook page also encourages customer interaction and thus remains one of the most active brand pages on Facebook.

5. Fame overtakes MTN brand

If you snoop around Facebook you are more likely to arrive at the MTN Project Fame page faster than the original MTN Facebook page. On every front, the people have chosen where to interact – the MTN Project Fame WA page.

MTN Nigeria is also the worst hit on unofficial pages – you will find so many MTN Facebook pages than another and will take you time to know the original one is MTNloaded on Facebook.

While being a popular service brand with lots of product offerings, they are bound to get a lot of customer service requests and enquiries and they need to get in-house managers to engage them effectively. The MTN Project Fame on YouTube also has a huge following within the Nigerian context. If any telecommunication can build an engagement on social media, MTN has the potential because the people are already waiting.

Honorable mentions:

Always brand is building a tribe with Girl power!

Facebook fans -120,165

The Always Nigeria Facebook page is seeking to promote knowledge about Teens, womanhood, growing up, puberty, first period and being a girl. It is designed o provide a supportive community for girls entering puberty and giving helpful tips and answers to many of the questions girls have and they are doing it well.

Editor’s Note: Deola Kayode is a Managing Partner at Teleios Consulting, a brand consultancy with competencies in Brand Strategy, Social Media & Communication. He can be reached via deolakayode@gmail.com

Are you ready to pitch? Register here.

We reported recently about the new filter MTN implemented to block SMS originating from alphanumeric senders. The caused brouhaha in the industry, even some advocated for hack against MTN.

MTN seem to just realized the impact of their action and as such, rescinded. In case  you are still wondering, this filtering will prevent SMS sent from your bank, service providers etc.

Were affected by the filter?

I got an email from my bulk SMS provider this week informing me of the new filtering software MTN just implemented on their system. As indicated, SMS sent to any MTN number with Sender ID (Alphanumeric) will be delayed or not delivered. In some cases message are being delivered 24hrs later or tampered with. The unique selling point of bulk SMS is Sender ID which brands the message and increases the response rate.

A copy of the message below as posted on Nairaland:

“We have received notification from our providers that there are delays and non-delivery on the MTN network where sender IDs are used when messages are sent. According to our internal investigation, the network has implemented a strict filter on incoming traffic, one that does not allow alphanumeric senders to be used. We are working hard with MTN on mitigating the issue, while closely monitoring the situation as it further develops. As soon as we have additional information regarding this change, we’ll update you accordingly.
We would like you to take note of this fact and that the problem is not on our side. Kindly ask your clients to as far as possible not to use sender ID and to test before sending”

Most bulk SMS operators in the country are small businesses helping brands reach their customers through SMS marketing. Most of them are vetting their anger at the company on Nairaland. Someone went as far as encouraging people to hack into their system and disrupt their service.

Seriously, I think regulators need to check the excesses of MTN, moreover the company has not listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange so, and money made is still being taken out of the country.

We are yet to confirm if MTN is doing this deliberately or is a software issue. Have you experienced same issue?

If you are a mobile developer or interested in mobile technology, it’s time for another interesting time for Mobile Monday, June edition. We covered the last event here. The focus this time will be on Mobile applications platforms and there will be Lawyers and Platform companies on ground. It will also be an interesting time to network with other stakeholders in the industry. If you have an interesting app to showcase to attendees, it’s a good platform to get a review of your product.

Details

• Event: MoMo Nigeria June Meetup
• Date: Monday, June 20, 2011
• Time: 5:30 – 8pm
• Venue: Robert’s (Brown’s) Cafe, V/I
• Theme: Mobile applications platforms

Register here.

(Cross-posted on MoMoNigeria.org)