Broadcasting
Smart TVs Give Smartphone OS A Second Chance- IDC
On Monday 5 January, prior to the event’s opening day, CES 2015 in Las Vegas hosted a series of press events by some of the biggest Asian consumer electronics companies, in which they set out some of their new wares.
Smart TVs featured prominently among the new products, and several vendors announced that in future they would be basing their smart TVs on operating systems (OS) that started life in smartphones.
LG will be using WebOS; Samsung will be using Tizen; Panasonic will be using Firefox OS; and Sony will be using Android TV.
To John Delaney, Associate VP, Mobility – IDC Europe, “Smartphones are one of the biggest consumer electronic product categories, and they are also the hubs of ecosystems through which an increasing amount of content and media is consumed. Nowadays, the smartphone market comprises (to a good approximation) three North American companies whose devices use their own OS, and a collection of Asian companies whose devices use another American company’s OS. (Europe, alas, is now out of the picture.)
Delaney said, “That matters, because an increasing amount of a smartphone’s value resides not in its hardware, but in the ecosystem of apps, content and advertising which is founded on the device’s OS. This puts the owner of the OS in a powerful position to shape the ecosystem’s development, and to receive a share of the money that passes through it.
According to him, TV sets also started to get smart a few years ago, but smart TVs took a while to catch on because of practical difficulties in connecting them to the internet, and because of the relative dearth of content and services to make the TVs’ smartness valuable.
But now those obstacles are largely gone, and smart TVs are set to become an increasingly important category of consumer electronic device. Like smartphones, they will become hubs of content/service/advertising ecosystems.
Delaney said, actually, there are some important differences between smart TVs and smartphones. TVs are bought for households, not individuals, so the market is smaller in terms of number of devices.
The market size is reduced further by the fact that TV sets are typically replaced less often than smartphones.
Moreover, TV sets are not as suitable or useful for some types of app, such as navigation, communication and personal productivity. Nevertheless, we expect substantial and important ecosystems to develop on smart TVs, especially in the area of entertainment services.
The screen through which smart TV apps and services are accessed will be valuable to the company that controls it, because it gathers an audience for advertising, because it gives the owner a position of power in the content/services distribution chain, and because it enables usage data to be gathered and analysed. As with smartphones, that point of entry will increasingly be tied to the OS and its associated home screen and app storefront.
Most of the big smart TV makers are Asian companies.
Those companies really need to avoid a repeat of the smartphone story, where ownership of the device’s most valuable aspect – the OS and ecosystem – ends up in America.
This is the context in which we should see the CES announcements about smart TV OS.
Though not originally built for TVs, WebOS and Tizen are owned by LG and Samsung respectively; by using these assets in their TVs, these vendors hope to avoid becoming as dependent on Google in the TV market as they have become in the smartphone market.
Panasonic’s situation is a bit different: Firefox OS is owned by an American organization.
However, the Mozilla Foundation is less unambiguously commercial than Google, and less clearly positioned to dominate an ecosystem founded on its OS.
In all three cases – WebOS, Tizen and Firefox – the re-purposed OS have the folliowing advantages: they have a mature code base; they don’t need much new investment; and they are not Android.
Sony has chosen a different path by going with Andoid TV for its smart TVs. Why? Unlike LG and Samsung, it does not own an existing OS that it can re-purpose.
It could have gone with Firefox, like Panasonic, but that is quite a risky choice.
The idea of an OS based entirely on Web technologies is unproven in the mass market, and we have yet to see one ship in large volumes in any device category.
Sony seems to have have judged that its need to reverse its recent woes in the TV market is too great to take such as risk. Sony may also be hoping that user pull for the Android brand will give a much-needed boost to its TV sales.
These are John Delaney, Associate VP, Mobility – IDC Europe views on the issue.
Mr. Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, took centre stage at the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) annual end-of-year meeting on Thursday, December 18, 2025, recounting the company’s remarkable growth and reaffirming free IT training for journalists.
Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, in a group photograph with NITRA Members
Speaking directly to IT media members at the company’s training facility in Lagos, Akano acknowledged the critical role journalists played in supporting New Horizons during its formative years two decades ago.
He detailed how the firm evolved from a handful of staff to one of Africa’s leading ICT skills training organisations, now employing about 500 staff across multiple training centres nationwide.
Akano Spotlights Youth Training, University Partnerships
Akano highlighted that New Horizons has trained over 500,000 youths, particularly tertiary institution students, equipping them with practical IT skills essential for Nigeria’s digital economy.
He announced recent partnerships with universities, including a new agreement with Afe Babalola University, to scale hands-on training programmes for students.
“This growth would not have been possible without the media’s support in documenting our journey,” Akano stated, pledging continued free IT skills training for media members to remain competitive in the evolving digital landscape.
Reciprocal Support Defines Long-Standing Partnership
The venue hosting the NITRA meeting underscored Akano’s generosity; NITRA Secretary Chidiebere Nwankwo secured the free facility after contacting him—a gesture consistent with New Horizons hosting multiple association events and training IT journalists since its inception 20 years ago.
Participants shared personal testimonies of Akano’s support, including veteran journalist Aaron Ukodie, whose daughter—an Accounting graduate from the University of Johannesburg—received NYSC placement and IT scholarship at New Horizons.
The Guardian’s Yemi Adeyemi recounted Akano accommodating his editor’s child for mandatory IT training after other firms declined.
Members praised Akano’s commitment to human capital development as evidence of deep appreciation for the media community that chronicled New Horizons’ success over two decades.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has launched the NIMC Pre-Enrolment Portal to revolutionise the National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment process, enabling applicants within Nigeria and in the Diaspora to capture biodata online prior to biometric verification at enrolment centres.
NIMC
Accessible via penrol.nimc.gov.ng, the platform allows users to fill enrolment forms, schedule appointments, upload supporting documents securely, and manage personal details directly, thereby slashing congestion, minimising wait times, boosting data accuracy and enhancing overall service efficiency at centres nationwide.
NIMC Director-General and CEO, Engr. (Dr) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, spearheaded the initiative as part of the Commission’s technology-driven strategy to fortify institutional performance, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda that emphasises digital transformation, efficient public service delivery and inclusive national development.
Dr Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications, highlighted key benefits including simplified biodata handling, confidential data protection through robust security measures, reduced physical centre visits and heightened operational effectiveness, urging all prospective enrollees to adopt the portal for a faster, citizen-friendly experience.[conversation_history]
The move underscores NIMC’s mandate under the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007 to manage the National Identity Database, issue NINs and foster a reliable digital identity ecosystem vital for national planning, with users advised to complete pre-enrolment online before heading to selected centres for biometrics.
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a Pan-African film and television training institution, has announced the opening of applications for its 2026 intake.
MultiChoice
The fully funded programme is open to African graduates aspiring to become directors, filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers and storytellers.
According to MultiChoice, the nine-month accredited curriculum combines online learning with intensive in-person training, and is designed to balance theoretical knowledge with practical immersion.
MTF academies are located in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, and serve aspiring filmmakers from 14 African countries. Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has trained 296 filmmakers, with graduates producing more than 42 movies aired on DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms.
Organisers said alumni of the programme have gone on to establish over 50 production companies, while many continue to work within the MultiChoice ecosystem.
Graduates have also won accolades at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Kalasha Awards, Uganda Film Festival and Women in Film Awards.
Applications for the 2026 intake close on Feb. 27, 2026. Interested candidates can visit https://apo-opa.co/3XW53oE for programme requirements.
AfDB Group Mobilises Global Private Capital to Close Africa’s Financing Gap
FIRS says NIN, CAC Numbers to Serve as Tax IDs from 2026
Oyedele Dismisses Claims Bank Accounts Without TIN Will Be Frozen
Fidelity Bank Bolsters Ikoyi Fire Station with Hoses, Pumps for Safer Communities
Amazon Blocks 1,800 North Koreans From Job Applications
Nigeria Records Highest Weekly Cyberattacks in Africa — Report
Cyber Tsunami Hits Nigeria as Breaches Surge 1,047%, esentry Q3 Report Reveals
Minister Claims Bandits Exploit Poor Network, Bounce Calls Off Multiple Towers
GenAI Adoption Among African workers Outpace Global Peers
Jumia’s Data Shows Nigerians Turning to Digital Retail to Navigate Inflation Pressures
News2 days agoUS Okays $2.1Bn for Christian Healthcare in Nigeria
General News2 days agoThe Mood Market to Light Up Lagos with a Rooftop Gifting, Food & Lifestyle Fair this Christmas
News2 days agoSERAP Asks Tinubu to Release CTC of Tax Bill
Broadcasting2 days agoTim Akano Recounts 20-Year Growth, Media Support at NITRA End-of-Year Meet
E-Financial2 days agoSterling Bank, Water.org, Sterling One Foundation Partner on WASH Loan for Millions
General News2 days agoLeo Stan Ekeh: A “Rare Avis”, an Unconquerable Entrepreneur
General News2 days agoFCCPC Forces Ikeja Electric Into Compliance, Unseals Headquarters After Rights Breach
General News2 days agoNITDA Wins Triple SERVICOM Honours for Citizen-Centred Service Delivery