234next.com, closed its print business but its online business is still relevant, thanks to its coverage of the 2011 elections. It continued to see drop after shutting down offline business but still managed to finish 6^th in 2011. Thnationaonlineng.net saw the biggest move in the top-ten moving from 16^th in 2010 to 7^th in 2011,that is massive! Saharareporters.com also made it to the top-ten moving from 11^th in 2010. Forum generally is seeing drop in ranking, no wonder nigerianbestforum.com is gradually fading out. The once dearling naijahotjobs.com has drop out of the list. Nigerianbestforum.com dropped from 7^th to 9^th and tribune.com.ng finished the list on the 10^th spot.

Honourable Mentions

Top Site in 2010

The table below shows leading Nigerian sites in 2010, the table is disrupted a bit in 2011. Expect more in 2011.

I expect to see more disruption going forward, but the big question is, how long will it take for real start-ups to displace the news sites on the list?

Currently, both companies are competing in mobile technology, mobile ads and OS. As they now right into same territory, each now have their turfs to protect.

Apple will be launching is new version of iPhone next month, and romour around has it that, Apple is set to replace Google with Bing as the default search engine on iPhone. The deal has ran for 3 years and was said to be worth $100 million a year. It will be a super win for Bing and Microsoft seem to be out of fashion in the smart phone market!

Strategically, it’s a smart business (taking out users’ loyalty to Google) to do as Apple as being taking various steps to protect it’s cashcow products. Apple recently banned application developed with Adobe software.

Google on the other hand as we all know, has contiued it’s innovation and launching couple of products and deals.  Google’s acquisition of AdMob was recently clarified by FTC and Google TV was also announced a week ago..

The bottomline

Don’t expect the battle to settle down any time soon, technology is converging to mobile so they are both trying to own the future! Looking at how things are shaping up and historically, it might favour Google in the long run. It’s Android is open and available to other phone manufacturer (which will improve adoption) while Apple’s iPhone is closed. Android users are increasing by the day and will surely continue.

Apple on the other hand is not sleeping; it launched iPad less than two months ago and have sold more than 2 million units. Apple TV has also been romoured to be sold for $99.

The battler has just started, let’s keep a tab!

On March 15 1985, the first .com domain name symbolics.com was registered, kick-starting the journey of a revolutionary advancement in technology, business and entertainment. After it’s registration, just five other domains were registered same year namely; 24-Apr-1985 BBN.COM, 24-May-1985 THINK.COM, 11-Jul-1985    MCC.COM, 30-Sep-1985 DEC.COM, 07-Nov-1985 NORTHROP.COM. I’ll call them the ’85 set! Apparently, none of them are top site now! Things have changed!

The domain has now been acquired by xf.com a US based real estate and internet investment company. The company also own various precious domains.

Since then, well over 192 million domains have been registered and more than 600,000 are been registered per month.

To mark this historic event XF.com and Verisign have launched 25yearsof.com to look back and see  how things have changed, those who shaped it and honour the change agents.

Some honorees include:
Amazon – Jeff Bezos
Apple -  Steve Jobs
Craigslist
Digg
eBay – Pierre Omidyar
Facebook – Mark Zuckerberg
Google – Larry Page / Sergey Brin
Microsoft – Bill Gates
MySpace
Napster
PayPal
Skype
Twitter
Yahoo
YouTube

A gala will also be organized (in May 2010) to showcase “who is who” on the internet.

“… VeriSign will unveil at the gala details of four $75,000 research grants designed to assist those with the promise to shape the next 25 years of .com. These grants will be awarded later in the year by geography, one for each North America, Europe, Asia and India.”

It is certain that all the top sites today will not be the top in the next 25 years, the question now is… who can see the future? Who will lead the movement? Who will make the change that we long for and break new ground?

To my African friends and Nigerians, how can we put Africa on the map?

Countdown to Technology Outlook 2010

Nexus-one (Google Phone) Launched

Most Visited Nigerian Site in 2009; Analyst report

This report is an excerpt from our Nigerian Internet Report to be published next month. You can join the survey here for the reports to be published alongside the paper. We recently wrote an Analyst Report on Google Zeitgeist 2009 here.

Apple Acquires Quattro

We’re hearing that Apple is buying mobile advertising company Quattro Wireless for $275 million. This jives with reports earlier this evening of a deal between the two companies. Our source says that there was initially talk of a $400 million pricetag, but that has since come down. We’ve also heard that Microsoft may have been very interested as well.

Social media strategies, fishing where the fishes are

This article is in continuation of “Corporate Web Strategies” Series… read other installments here, here.

In the beginning, the web was developed as a stateless platform and ever since it has evolved to something meaningful and social. With the advent of programming languages that helped maintain states on the web so as to have a meaningful experience, the web now mimics the normal social life.

Cybercrime Bill for Nigeria; Sign petition now!

In developed countries, there are laws protecting individials and companies using the internet. As Nigeria joins the league of Nations playing in the digital world, we need digital laws.
To protect businesses and investment there need to be an enabling law to this effect. ‘Gbenga Sesan Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria initiated the bill.

Nigeria intensifies focus on broadband connectivity

Nigeria’s Communications Commission (NCC), Earnest Ndukwe, has called for focus on broadband internet connectivity by emerging markets as a means of forging ahead in global competitiveness.

Top 10 resolutions for the African wireless market in 2010

2010, the year of mobility? According to Julien Blin, Principal Analyst and CEO at technologies research and consulting services company JBB Research, based in USA, the African continent will undergo a higher focus on 4G technologies, cheaper, more capable smartphones and improved mobile social networking, payment and entertainment services for its end users in the current year, with 2010 World Cup the main driver in South Africa.

The rise and rise of Jobberman.com

A Job search website launched in September 2009, and has gained widespread usage amongst job searchers and recruiters. We have written about it here.

Nigeria seeks ways to curb online crime

The president of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPN) has called on Nigeria to invest on secured internet protocol versions to curb the menace of internet scams that allegedly originate from the West African country.

Overview: Will the future look bright for telecoms in Nigeria?

That no modern economy can be sustained without an integral growth in Information Communications Technology (ICT) is widely acknowledged. The ICT penetration in Nigeria in 1999 when the transition to democratic rule occurred was very low, and less than 1 percent of the population had access to telephone.

NATCOMS accuses NCC of interconnect rate rip-off

Nigeria’s National Association of Telecommunication Subscribers (NATCOMS) believes the recent interconnect rates method as agreed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is a rip-off strategy against telecoms subscribers in the country, writes the Lagos publication the Independent.

I last reviewed Facebook Users across (Selected) African countries in August here. Another look at the users’ increment is outlined below. Let’s first take a look at Nigeria’s Facebook Users;
Total: 901,840

Fastecash: a Nigerian e-Payment platform

As the internet users’ grow by the day in Nigeria, one of the challenges of growing the ecommerce side of it has been largely online payment solution. Interswitch is the topmost of all with their ATM cards which is usable online and issued by all Nigerian banks.

Nigerian Search Pattern; Google Zeitgeist take a look

Earlier in the week Bing release its search stats and not long Google also released its annual Zeitgeist. Google’s report is broad and includes Nigeria.

Rave of acquisition; Google acquires appJet, Apple acquires Lala

As the battle between the two companies grows, the needs to shop for creative and talented startups have seen them acquire startups here and there. Google acquired gizmo5 and adMob last month and now has acquired appJet the develop of etherPad. On the other hand Apple also acquired Lala the cloud music streaming platform that have gain wide following.

Microsoft and Yahoo seals deal

The Microsoft-Yahoo search and advertising deal, first announced back in July, has just been finalized by the two companies.

Back in October, it was revealed that details were still being mulled over because of the deal’s complexity, but this afternoon, the companies put out a statement to let the world know that the deal is now complete.

Google Gets Into The DNS Business. Here’s What That Means

Google just announced Google Public DNS, a new service that lets consumers use Google as their DNS service provider. The benefits to users are a theoretically faster and more stable browsing experience, and some additional security against malware type sites. The benefit to Google – tons more data, and some potential revenue.

Amazon and Vente-Privee in talks over 2 billion Euro acquisition, say sources

US retailing giant Amazon is in deep and secret negotiations with Vente-Privee, the French private sales club which has taken the ecommerce and fashion industries by storm, our sources say.

Twitter Debuts New Mobile Site, Eats Its Own Dogfood

If you use Twitter frequently on your smartphone, there’s a good chance you use a native Twitter client. Between apps like Tweetie on the iPhone, Twidroid on Android, and Seesmic on Blackberry, there’s no shortage of quality apps that put advanced features at your fingertips. But, according to a post that just went live on the Twitter blog, there are still plenty of people who navigate to m.twitter.com, the Twitter mobile site that’s about as spartan as they come. Tonight, Twitter is showing off a preview of the new mobile site it’s working on, housed at mobile.twitter.com. And it’s a big improvement.

Twitter, Amiando, Obopay, And Playfish Are Named Technology Pioneers By The World Economic Forum

Every year the World Economic Forum picks a couple dozen or so up-and-coming technology startups from around the world and dubs them Technology Pioneers. In the past, Technology Pioneers have included Google and Mozilla. Last year, Mint, Etsy, and Brightcove joined the club.

Digg.com clocks Five
It was exactly five years ago today that digg.com went live as a simple site where you could vote on your favorite content from around the web. (Here is our initial profile from over 4 years ago.) They’ve grown a lot since then, to over 40 million monthly visitors and 80 employees, founder Kevin Rose writes today.

SEC Files Lawsuit Against Canopy Financial And Co-Founder For Fraud

Canopy Financial, Inc. provides technology-enabled electronic payment, account management, and investment technology platforms for health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, and health reimbursement arrangements. It recently falsified its financial statement into misleading investor to part with as much as $75 million.

Zoosk Lands Another $30 Million For Social Dating

Zoosk, the dating service with a focus on social networks, has closed a $30 million Series D funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with existing investors Canaan Partners and ATA Ventures participating as well. Bessemer’s David Cowan will be joining the Zoosk board of directors.

Meebo Gives Publishers More Control Over Meebo Bar With New API

Meebo.com once again gives users control over display of chat platform on their site.

Sidmach Technologies

They developed Waeconline.org.ng, jamb.org.ng Nigeria‘s first online examination registration websites. I will say these projects opened a new chapter in the web industry in Nigeria!

Looking at Sidmach’s portfolio, they have more government related projects than Taviatech.

They have offices in Lagos, Abuja and Portharcourt.

Taviatech

“Tavia Technologies Limited is an experienced technology company offering Web, Wireless & Business Intelligence services. We have consistently provided first class services to our valued customers in the Telecommunication, Banking, Oil & Gas, Law Firms, Insurance, Real Estate, Non-Profit, Recreational, Manufacturing Industries and other sectors. “

Taviatech has been in the business for 10 years and have deployed high-end solutions including Interswitch e-payment system (website), MTN, Access Bank, FCMB, Starcomms portal and other great solutions. Their office is located at Motor ways centre in Ikeja, Lagos.

This is just the beginning as more companies will be featured here. We will also look at individual designers that are world-class from Nigeria.

Stay tuned!

With the average age over 18, some of them started the company when they were 14 years old employing mum and friends.

Some (like Youth Blogger Network), was acquired by a more experienced firm, giving room for them to cash-out and either proceed on their education of start another one.
This Gen Z groups of Teenagers have been exposed to computer and internet at their tender age, no surprise they are able to make this happen so fast.

I am of opinion that the internet has really come to change the rule; you definitely don’t need a degree to build a multibillion dollars business (ask Mark of Facebook). While young chaps have started adding value to human life, I do believe it will inspire others to make better use of their respective time spent on the internet. It is not only to consume but also to build!

As we continue to live in a hyper-Networked world, I see getting virtually all you need with just couple of clicks away.

Back to Nigeria and Africa, I must acknowledge the challenging situation on ground but I do want to emphasize on the fact that, if we expose our young ones to technology and other human capacity development activities, building a future that will not depend on aid but sustain on trade is possible if we start now!

I do want to believe that our startups have something to learn from this..?