Neolectum - IFA Berlin - mobile TV and IPTV - Broadcasting Media - HD camcorders - Blu-ray - High profile technologies - multimedia delivery-

AfricaCom 2010 – Cape Town, 10-11 November

AfricaCom Awards

Africa’s leading service providers and vendors convened at the 3rd annual AfricaCom Awards held in the Grand Ballroom at the CTICC - collocated with the record breaking AfricaCom conference and exhibition. The night started with relaxed cocktails and networking before an official welcome from UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador Pitso Mosimane, Coach of the Bafana Bafana – South Africa’s national football team. The meal and ceremony was a resounding success, especially thanks to the evening’s sponsors MTN, Comviva, Andrew, and Gateway Communications.

The most innovative of the continent’s companies were shortlisted for the 10 categories, and global leaders rubbed shoulders with home-grown African talent in the list of winners:

• New Entrant of the Year: Orange Tunisie
• Best Network Improvement: MTN South Africa for Optimal Network Coverage
• Best New Services: Comviva with Mobile Data Platform
• Best Cost Efficiency Solution for Africa: Dark Fibre and The Fibre to the Tower
• Green Telecoms Award: Flexenclosure and E-site
• Best Solution for Rural Services: Orange France Telecom with Village Phone
• Best Marketing Campaign: MTN South Africa and the AYOBA Campaign
• Telecoms Innovation of the Year: Sibesonke and User Generated Content
• Best Pan African Initiative: Gateway Communications with High Quality Connections
• Changing Lives Award: MTN Foundation for Rural Telephone Project 3000
  

The winning entries covered an impressively broad spectrum of networks, services and solutions, offering a true cross-section of the African telecommunications industry. The independent panel of Judges, who had an even harder time deciding the winners than last year, raised the winning entries as the most inspiring examples of telecoms innovation and progress on the continent this year.

The AfricaCom Awards (Africa’s only dedicated awards for the telecoms industry) has now been celebrating African talent for 3 years, since the inaugural ceremony in 2008. Recognition and acclaim in front of their peers were the real prizes for each of the award winners, but as ever the true beneficiaries are the growing number of Africans with access to communication services. The telecoms industry in Africa is changing lives, and the future holds even greater promise. • 11-11-10

Related: Tourism in Cape Town • 2010 Congress speakers •

MEF’s Annual Business Confidence Index

Predictions of 24% growth for mobile media and entertainment industry

5th quarterly result indicates moderate decline suggesting market caution • Direct consumer purchase forecast revenues rise from 46% to 73% • Games and apps represent highest new revenue opportunities • Southern hemisphere lead the way in growth during 2009 • MEF projects $36 billion mobile media industry for 2010

MEF’s Annual Business Confidence Index (BCI), compiled by KPMG and capturing a year’s worth of quarterly industry sentiment, points to a consistent positive growth for the mobile media and entertainment industry, with a cooling in optimism from Q3 2009.

Andrew Bud, the Global Chair of MEF stated: “Since its launch in January 2009, the BCI has underlined the industry’s ability to weather the storm of the recession and leverage the new opportunities presented by the proliferation of smartphones and digital economy business models.  With the global economic recovery underway, the first aggregate results of the Annual BCI point to a toughened industry which has readjusted growth predictions from 33% growth in Q2, down to 24%.

“Just as industry was resistant to despair in the height of the recession in the first quarter of 2009, so it has successfully resisted exultant relief during economic recovery as reflected in a more conservative forecast for the size of the mobile media market since last year from $32 to $36 billion.”

Rimma Perelmuter, MEF Executive Director added that: “By comparing each set of BCI findings, we have identified clear regional market variations between December 2008 and December 2009. Last year demonstrated significant growth in C&S America (up from a 2% share in December 2008 to 7% in December 2009), Africa & the Middle East (4% to 10%) and APAC (9% to 12%). These findings highlight a growth trend in market share across the Southern Hemisphere, but also a decline for Northern Hemisphere regions, particularly in North America and Western Europe. Looking forward to the next 12 months, general stability is projected across the global market which indicates a degree of market caution.”

Mark Harding, Director of Digital Content at KPMG, who analysed the survey findings, said: “While the industry has had to adapt to the challenges of the global economic downturn, reducing annual growth projections, there is optimism in the rise of applications, which look set to drive the industry forward as it continues towards recovery.

“Respondents now expect the value chain that develops, sells and delivers applications to account for 21% of revenue streams for the next quarter and the majority expect this to be incremental revenue. Considering applications stores only came about 18 months ago, this is a significant development, showing consumers’ willingness to embrace and consume mobile content.” • 17-2-10

2010 Eurasia Com conference • Istanbul

Eurasian telco leaders discuss Investment, New Business Models and  Leading Change

Leaders of the telecommunications sector in Turkey, Central Asia, the Black  Sea countries and across Eurasia gathered today in Istanbul for the opening  of Eurasia Com, their annual congress.

Over 300 participants attended the opening session to hear about investment  strategies in a changing telecoms ecosystem. Leading investors, incumbents,  competitive operators, new entrants, carriers and ministry representatives  were represented in a session which gave an engaging overview of the market  and its opportunities.

Gemma Bunting, Analyst at Informa Telecoms and Media, opened the day with a  market overview. "Over the many years that the Eurasia Com has been held, she  says, the region has experienced phenomenal growth; penetration stands at 70%  (not including Turkey) but there is still room for organic growth".   
A Q&A session with Mustafa Kiral, VP at Altimo, gave an idea of what a major  investor looks for in terms of opportunities. Russia-based Altimo is looking  at Africa for new growth, but the CIS is still a key investment target.

A panel discussion with Ineke Botter (CEO of Azerbaijan's Bakcell), Mehman  Hazanov (Deputy Director General of Aztelecom in Azerbaijan), Ike Kuka  (Chairman of Dardafone in Kosovo) and Patrick George (VP of Belgacom), looked  at how the telecoms ecosystem is evolving in the region, with new operator  business models and changing relationships with vendors, investors and  regulators.

Ilqar Sadigov of the Ministry of information in the Nachivan Autonomous  Republic in Azerbaijan, gave a government perspective. Robert Waaler of  Smarttrust talked on devices and applications for the region. To close the  session, Masoud Golshani of Vodafone Turkey, gave an inspiring presentation  on leading change in telecommunications companies - a great way to get  conversations going over lunch. 
The afternoon session will break into two streams focusing on the specific  aspects of broadband strategies on the one hand (3G, LTE, WiMAX) and  marketing and services strategies on the other hand.

Day 2 features our  Special Turkey Focus Day - 8 hours dedicated to the regional market  powerhouse with contributions from senior representatives of Turk Telekom,  Turkcell, Avea, Superonline and more.  If you operate in Turkey this is one NOT to miss! • 23-3-10

More contents on Eurasia Com 2010