SA and Nokia partner on ICT initiatives

Espoo, Finland - The Department of Science and Technology in South Africa and Nokia Corporation have announced an ambitious new partnership aimed at implementing a number of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects, targeted at providing a thrust for innovation and growth across the country.

This follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) by the DST and Nokia, establishing a framework on which potential areas of collaboration can be developed, funded and implemented.     

Addressing the media on this partnership, the Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, acknowledged the role of ICT in stimulating economic growth.

"This is why the DST is leading the implementation of the national ICT research, development and innovation strategy. In this regard, we view public-private partnerships to be of importance for us in achieving this objective," said the Minister.

One of the key expected outcomes of this plan is an innovative indigenous ICT industry that addresses South Africa's ICT needs in the public and private sectors, and attracts investment by multinationals involved in innovation and manufacturing.

In addition to a significant increase in the number of postgraduate students at Masters and PhD levels, these R&D outputs are gradually evolving into near-market prototypes, large-scale technology demonstrators and packaged solutions that can readily address key priorities of government, such as education, health and enhanced citizen interaction with government.

Vice President for Government Relations for Nokia Middle East and Africa, Jussi Hinkkanen, said South Africa has a thriving telecommunication industry with a lot of potential for disruptive innovation.

"Our objective is to support local talent in developing their skills, and then integrate them into both regional and global markets," said Mr Hinkkanen.

In addition to stimulating entrepreneurial activity and high technological innovation, the collaboration intends to stimulate the interest of South African learners, cultivating the scientists and engineers of tomorrow. The General Manager for Nokia in South Africa, Gerard Brandjes, added: "As South Africa's leading mobile company, it is our responsibility to identify areas where our technical skills can facilitate the development of society. We hope the educational focus under this collaboration will motivate thousands of South African learners to explore careers in technology."

Some key focus areas to highlight that are covered in the MOU:

- Basic Sciences Education Support Programs: In conjunction with the Department of Basic Education, the DST and the Meraka Institute of the Council for Industrial and Scientific Research (CSIR), programs aimed at improved delivery of educational services through the use of mobile devices are being implemented. These include the Mobile Learning for Math and Nokia Education Delivery initiatives which were created to assist in the education of tens of thousands of South African learners.

- Mobile applications laboratory: This is a joint initiative between the DST, infoDev, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Finland) and Nokia that intends to train and build both the business and technical capabilities of the developer community. This will help them develop locally relevant content, solutions and services, and connect them to local, regional and international markets.

- Access to broadband networks for communities: Through Nokia Siemens Network and the CSIR, the parties will explore ways to enhance access to ICT for rural communities and support the wireless mesh network project.

- Support of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) bid: Through Nokia Siemens Network, the Africa SKA Project Office and the DST, the parties will continue to seek ways to enhance collaboration on large-scale computing, data transport and sensor networks in support of the African SKA bid; a project that is expected to revolutionize the ICT industry in terms of data processing and sensor networks.

"Nokia Siemens Networks is using its global expertise in telecommunications and in-depth knowledge of the local South African market to advise the SKA bid teams, from both a technical and business perspective, about the best options to transport the huge volumes of generated data to the high-performance computer center of the SKA.

"We have been involved in the project from the start, supporting and advising the project team on all technical requirements, capacity planning, provisioning and skills," said Rufus Andrew, Managing Director of Nokia Siemens Networks South Africa.

With the commitment shown by all parties under this MOU - and the increased investment in R&D by both private and public sectors - the DST and Nokia believe that opportunities exist for bold interventions that will enable South Africa to secure a greater share of global markets, and help bridge digital divide.

Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility

Mountain View - Google Inc. and Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Google will acquire Motorola Mobility for $40.00 per share in cash, or a total of about $12.5bn, a premium of 63% to the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares on Friday, August 12, 2011.

The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

“Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”

The acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and will enhance competition in mobile computing. Motorola Mobility will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business.

Larry Page, CEO of Google, said, “Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”

Sanjay Jha, CEO of Motorola Mobility, said, “This transaction offers significant value for Motorola Mobility’s stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the world. We have shared a productive partnership with Google to advance the Android platform, and now through this combination we will be able to do even more to innovate and deliver outstanding mobility solutions across our mobile devices and home businesses.”

Andy Rubin, Senior Vice President of Mobile at Google, said, “We expect that this combination will enable us to break new ground for the Android ecosystem. However, our vision for Android is unchanged and Google remains firmly committed to Android as an open platform and a vibrant open source community. We will continue to work with all of our valued Android partners to develop and distribute innovative Android-powered devices.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals in the US, the European Union and other jurisdictions, and the approval of Motorola Mobility’s stockholders. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2011 or early 2012.

Stay smart, stay out of debt

Johannesburg - It’s an exciting time – you’re finally earning your own pay cheque and proving you can make it on your own.  The things you desire most are within financial reach. But keeping your debt to manageable levels is one of the most important steps you can take to ensuring your dreams turn into reality. 

“When it comes to finances, young people are faced with a number of challenges,” says Obed Tongoane, Manager at the National Credit Regulator (NCR). “Many have a student loan to pay off, but are lured early on by credit deals which keep them permanently in debt.”

He says taking a few common-sense steps can help you manage your debt. 

Understand the different types of credit and their cost

Debt is not always bad. “It’s important to be able to build up a credit history so that when you want to apply for a car or home loan, credit providers can see that you can manage your finances responsibly,” says Tongoane. “However, make sure you understand the true cost of credit.” 

Unsecured debt, such as credit cards and personal loans are more expensive than secured debt, where assets such as a house, act as security. 

This is evident from the amount of interest credit providers are allowed to charge for different types of credit under the National Credit Act (NCA).  On a mortgage agreement, for example, credit providers can charge a maximum interest of 17.1% per year. 

This is with the repo rate currently at 5.5%. Compare this to other types of credit such as credit facilities which consist of credit cards, store cards and overdrafts. With these, credit providers can charge a maximum interest of 22.1% per year.

For unsecured credit transactions which consist of mainly personal loans, credit providers can charge a maximum interest of 32.1% per year.  If you are looking to buying a car or furniture, then the maximum interest a credit provider can charge is 22.1% per year. You will be charged 5% per month for short term credit transactions.

These are loans not exceeding R8 000 and the whole amount is repayable within a period not exceeding 6 months. You will be charged 2% per month for incidental credit agreements.  Credit providers can also charge other cots as stipulated in the National Credit Act.

Budget and plan

“Budgeting will assist you to keep track of your finances. The trick is being in control of your finances by creating a monthly budget and seeing how much money you have left over at the end of each month after basic expenses. Remember to always draw a budget and stick to it,” adds Tongoane.

“Before credit providers extend credit, they are required to conduct an affordability assessment to assess the consumer’s general understanding and appreciation of the risks and costs of the proposed credit; the rights and obligations of a consumer under the credit agreement; debt repayment history as a consumer under credit agreements; and the consumer’s existing financial means, prospects and obligations,” he says.

He adds that When you take up credit, read the small print before you sign up. It’s tempting to drive a flashy car and wear the latest designer labels, but if you get into a cycle of buying a new car every few years, you’ll simply be swapping one loan for another.

“If you’re going to borrow, invest in a more concrete asset, such as a home or property,” he adds.

Know your rights

As a consumer, you have rights and obligations under the National Credit Act. The NCR regulates credit bureaux and the consumer credit information held by the credit bureaux. The Act also assists over-indebted consumers to restructure their debt and aims to prevent over-indebtedness of consumers as well as to encourage responsible lending by credit providers.

“Debt counselling will help you to restructure your debts, but remember you need to continue paying your instalments even when under debt counselling.  Consumers who are facing financial difficulties should try and get help before they even default on their repayments,” adds Tongoane.

Reduce your debt over time

If you have negative listings at the credit bureau, you should aim to rectify those.

“Avoid being tempted by offers of more loans, especially those that target consumers with poor credit records,” says Tongoane. “Paying off one debt with another is one of the worst things you can do.”

He advises instead to put a debt reduction plan in place to ensure that you work towards paying off your debt. 

“Unfortunately there’s no quick fix and cleaning up and moving on can take a while, but it is possible,” he adds. 

“One of the ways to improve your credit rating is by proving your responsibility over time, paying your instalments on time and not taking on too much debt than you can handle,” concludes Tongoane.

Nokia enters patent license agreement with Apple

Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced that it has signed a patent license agreement with Apple. The agreement will result in settlement of all patent litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia and Apple of their respective complaints to the US International Trade Commission.

The financial structure of the agreement consists of a one-time payment payable by Apple and on-going royalties to be paid by Apple to Nokia for the term of the agreement.  The specific terms of the contract are confidential.

"We are very pleased to have Apple join the growing number of Nokia licensees," said Stephen Elop, president and chief executive officer of Nokia. "This settlement demonstrates Nokia's industry leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market."

During the last two decades, Nokia has invested approximately €43bn in research and development and built one of the wireless industry's strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with over 10 000 patent families.

Nokia is a world leader in the development of handheld device and mobile communications technologies, which is also demonstrated by Nokia's strong patent position.

This agreement is expected to have a positive financial impact on Nokia's recently revised outlook for the second quarter 2011 of around break-even non-IFRS operating margin for Devices & Services.

Migration has win-win benefits: report

Johannesburg – With about 30 million Africans living outside their home countries, migration is a vital lifeline for the continent. Yet African governments need to do more to realize the full economic benefits of the phenomenon, says a new report by the African Development Bank and the World Bank.

The report, Leveraging Migration for Africa: Remittances, Skills, and Investments, presents data from new surveys. The report finds evidence that suggest migration and remittances reduce poverty in the origin communities.

Remittances lead to increased investments in health, education, and housing in Africa. Diasporas also provide capital, trade, knowledge, and technology transfers.

“Migration pressures will only rise in the future as a result of demographic changes of rising population in Africa and falling labor forces in Europe and many developed countries,” said Hans Timmer, director of development prospects at the World Bank.

“Therefore, adapting policy responses to demographic forces and crafting multilateral arrangements for managing future migration is essential.”

Two-thirds of migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly poorer migrants, go to other countries in the region, while more than 90% of migrants from North Africa have moved outside the African continent.

The top destinations for African migrants are France (9% of total emigrants), Cote d’Ivoire (8%), South Africa (6%), Saudi Arabia (5%), and the United States and the United Kingdom (4% each).

Shantayanan Devarajan, chief economist of the Africa region at the World Bank, said “Migration of skilled labor is particularly high in small and low-income African countries, which already have low levels of human capital. Fragile and post-war countries face even bigger challenges because of the flight of human capital. African governments and policy makers should focus on increasing education and skill levels and establishing an environment in which high-skilled workers have productive opportunities at home.”

“African governments need to strengthen ties between diasporas and home countries, protect migrants, and expand competition in remittance markets,” said Dilip Ratha, main author of the report and lead economist at the World Bank. “Otherwise, the potential of migration for Africa remains largely untapped.”

One innovation worth considering are diaspora bonds, which are sold by governments or private companies to nationals living abroad. These bonds have already been successful in tapping into assets of Israeli and Indian citizens living abroad.

According to Ratha¸ Sub-Saharan African countries can potentially raise $5–$10bn a year in diaspora bonds. Countries with large diasporas in high-income countries that can potentially issue diaspora bonds include Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia in Sub-Saharan Africa and Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia in North Africa.

“African banks can improve their access to international capital markets by issuing bonds that are securitized by future remittance inflows,” said Mthuli Ncube, Chief Economist of the African Development Bank.

“The African Development Bank, the World Bank and bilateral donors can play a significant role in facilitating remittance securitization and mitigating the risks to African countries of issuing these remittance-backed bonds. Efforts can include technical assistance in project design and creditworthiness analysis, prudential debt management, and helping African countries obtain sovereign ratings.”

Recorded remittances into Africa, which grew fourfold between 1990 and 2010 to reach nearly $40bn in 2010, are the continent’s largest source of foreign capital after foreign direct investments.

Recent surveys show that investments such as land purchases, building a home, and starting a business were the highest uses of remittances sent home by African diaspora.

As a share of total investment, these represented 36% in Burkina Faso, 55% in Kenya, 57% in Nigeria, 15% in Senegal, and 20% in Uganda.

Education was the second-highest use of remittances from outside Africa into Nigeria and Uganda, the third highest into Burkina Faso, and the fourth highest into Kenya.

However, official remittance flows to Africa are significantly underestimated, with only about half of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa collecting and reporting remittance data with any regularity.

The report finds it is still very expensive to send remittances to African countries, particularly within Africa. According to Ratha, these high costs encourage the use of informal channels and are an unnecessary burden for African migrants and remittance recipients.