E-Business
Microsoft Adds Ways for Customers on AI with Azure
Elevators that respond to voice commands, cameras that notify store managers when to restock shelves and video streams that keep tabs on everything from cash register lines to parking space availability.
These are a few of the millions of scenarios becoming possible thanks to a combination of artificial intelligence and computing on the edge. Standalone edge devices can take advantage of AI tools for things like translating text or recognizing images without having to constantly access cloud computing capabilities, according to John Roach, Executive Architect, Digital Transformation Services, Microsoft.
At its Ignite digital conference, Microsoft unveiled the public preview of Azure Percept, a platform of hardware and services that aims to simplify the ways in which customers can use Azure AI technologies on the edge – including taking advantage of Azure cloud offerings such as device management, AI model development and analytics.
Roanne Sones, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s edge and platform group, said the goal of the new offering is to give customers a single, end-to-end system, from the hardware to the AI capabilities, that “just works” without requiring a lot of technical know-how.
The Azure Percept platform includes a development kit with an intelligent camera, Azure Percept Vision. There’s also a “getting started” experience called Azure Percept Studio that guides customers with or without a lot of coding expertise or experience through the entire AI lifecycle, including developing, training and deploying proof-of-concept ideas.
For example, a company may want to set up a system to automatically identify irregular produce on a production line so workers can pull those items off before shipping.
Azure Percept Vision and Azure Percept Audio, which ships separately from the development kit, connect to Azure services in the cloud and come with embedded hardware-accelerated AI modules that enable speech and vision AI at the edge, or during times when the device isn’t connected to the internet.
That’s useful for scenarios in which the device needs to make lightning-fast calculations without taking the time to connect to the cloud, or in places where there isn’t always reliable internet connectivity, such as on a factory floor or in a location with spotty service.
The Azure Percept platform makes it easy for anyone to deploy artificial intelligence on the edge. Devices include a Trusted Platform Module (center), Azure Percept Audio (left) and Azure Percept Vision (right). Photo credit: Microsoft
In addition to announcing hardware, Microsoft says it is working with third-party silicon and equipment manufacturers to build an ecosystem of intelligent edge devices that are certified to run on the Azure Percept platform, Sones said.
“We’ve started with the two most common AI workloads, vision and voice, sight and sound, and we’ve given out that blueprint so that manufacturers can take the basics of what we’ve started,” she said.
“But they can envision it in any kind of responsible form factor to cover a pattern of the world.”
Making AI at the edge more accessible
The goal of the Azure Percept platform is to simplify the process of developing, training and deploying edge AI solutions, making it easier for more customers to take advantage of these kinds of offerings, according to Moe Tanabian, a Microsoft vice president and general manager of the Azure edge and devices group.
For example, most successful edge AI implementations today require engineers to design and build devices, plus data scientists to build and train AI models to run on those devices. Engineering and data science expertise are typically unique sets of skills held by different groups of highly trained people.
“With Azure Percept, we broke that barrier,” Tanabian said. “For many use cases, we significantly lowered the technical bar needed to develop edge AI-based solutions, and citizen developers can build these without needing deep embedded engineering or data science skills.”
The hardware in the Azure Percept development kit also uses the industry standard 80/20 T-slot framing architecture, which the company says will make it easier for customers to pilot proof-of-concept ideas everywhere from retail stores to factory floors using existing industrial infrastructure, before scaling up to wider production with certified devices.
As customers work on their proof-of-concept ideas with the Azure Percept development kit, they will have access to Azure AI Cognitive Services and Azure Machine Learning models as well as AI models available from the open-source community that have been designed to run on the edge.
In addition, Azure Percept devices automatically connect to Azure IoT Hub, which helps enable reliable communication with security protections between Internet of Things, or IoT, devices and the cloud. Customers can also integrate Azure Percept-based solutions with Azure Machine Learning processes that combine data science and IT operations to help companies develop machine learning models faster.
In the months to come, Microsoft aims to expand the number of third-party certified Azure Percept devices, so anybody who builds and trains a proof-of-concept edge AI solution with the Azure Percept development kit will be able to deploy it with a certified device from the marketplace, according to Christa St. Pierre, a product manager in Microsoft’s Azure edge and platform group.
“Anybody who builds a prototype using one of our development kits, if they buy a certified device, they don’t have to do any additional work,” she said.
Security and responsibility
Because Azure Percept runs on Azure, it includes the security protections already baked into the Azure platform, the company says.
Microsoft also says that all the components of the Azure Percept platform, from the development kit and services to Azure AI models, have gone through Microsoft’s internal assessment process to operate in accordance with Microsoft’s responsible AI principles: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability.
The Azure Percept team is currently working with select early customers to understand their concerns around the responsible development and deployment of AI on edge devices, and the team will provide them with documentation and access to toolkits such as Fairlearn and InterpretML for their own responsible AI implementations.
Ultimately, Sones said, Microsoft hopes to enable the development of an ecosystem of intelligent edge devices that can take advantage of Azure services, in the same way that the Windows operating system has helped enable the personal computer marketplace.
“We are a platform company at our core. If we’re going to truly get to a scale where the billions of devices that exist on the edge get connected to Azure, there is not going to be one hyperscale cloud that solves all that through their first-party devices portfolio,” she said. “That is why we’ve done it in an ecosystem-centric way.”
E-Business
82% of Organizations Concerned about AI Risks Even as Adoption Accelerates – Survey Reveals
At its recent Cyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region Kaspersky shared the results of a global study conducted by its internal research center which surveyed 1,800 IT and cybersecurity decision-makers and specialists from organisations across 18 countries and multiple industries.
The report shows that the pace of AI integration across organisations is rapid, despite associated risks. The company’s experts stressed that while AI adoption delivers clear efficiency gains, it must be accompanied by robust cybersecurity solutions, well-defined internal procedures, and comprehensive employee education programmes.
The report highlights a clear organisational preference for AI-enhanced technology: 68% of respondents said they would recommend a solution with AI features built in, while a mere 5% indicated they would prefer to avoid AI-enabled tools. This overwhelming endorsement underscores how deeply AI has embedded itself as a value driver across the modern enterprise.
AI has become a mainstream productivity tool spanning many business functions. The global survey findings confirm that employees across departments are already relying on AI tools for a wide range of everyday tasks, including: data analysis & visualisation (54%), project management (49%), search for information (47%), department-specific tasks (46%), text generation and editing (41%).
While organisations recognise the tangible benefits AI tools bring – including improved process efficiency and enhanced quality of deliverables – they also see the associated dangers. 82% of respondents voiced concerns about the risks AI poses to their organisation. These concerns are grounded in real-world experience.
Among the 87% of organisations worldwide that faced a cyber incident in the past year, 13% reported that they had experienced threats stemming specifically from AI-related vulnerabilities.
Notably, 74% of respondents believe that these risks can be effectively mitigated through employees’ responsible behaviour — pointing to the critical importance of security awareness and training in the AI era.
“The speed at which organisations are embracing AI is remarkable, but it must be matched with an equally strong commitment to security. We are already seeing a growing range of threats directly tied to AI adoption – whether it’s malware camouflaged as popular AI tools, vulnerabilities introduced through unsecure vibecoding, or leaked access credentials to corporate AI platforms and malicious skills by AI agents.
Managing these risks requires a holistic approach: the right technology, well-defined procedures, and a security-aware workforce,” comments Brandon Muller, senior security consultant for the META region at Kaspersky.
E-Business
How Temu Helped a Madagascan Vanilla Family Business Sell Direct to Consumers Across Europe
Malagasy Vanilla has transformed its decades-old wholesale business by embracing direct-to-consumer sales through Temu, enabling the family-run company to reach customers in 14 European markets while significantly reducing logistics costs.
For years, premium Madagascan vanilla supplier Malagasy Vanilla sold exclusively to restaurants, bakeries and wholesalers because the cost of shipping a single pack to individual customers often equalled the value of the product itself. That changed after the company joined Temu’s Local Seller Program in November 2025.
The Belgian-based business, which sources high-quality vanilla from Madagascar, has leveraged Temu’s logistics network to cut domestic shipping costs by nearly half through a partnership with Belgian postal operator Bnode. The move has enabled the company to enter the retail market for the first time and quadruple its sales within four months.
According to Belinda Rabenandrasana, co-Chief Executive Officer of Malagasy Vanilla, Temu has opened up an entirely new customer segment for the company.
“Temu opened a new avenue for us,” she said. “We were finally able to explore selling to individuals.”
The platform now contributes between five and 10 per cent of the company’s overall revenue.
Expansion into 14 European Markets
Malagasy Vanilla is among businesses participating in Temu’s Local Seller Program, launched in Europe in 2024 to help local merchants expand beyond their domestic markets.
Through partnerships with more than 150 logistics providers across Europe—including Bnode in Belgium, La Poste in France and DHL Group in Germany—Temu offers sellers access to affordable shipping and delivery infrastructure without requiring major investment in logistics.
After successfully establishing direct-to-consumer sales in Belgium, Malagasy Vanilla expanded into 14 European countries, including Germany, France, Spain and Poland.
Rabenandrasana said the logistics support, competitive shipping rates and seller assistance provided by Temu made the expansion possible.
“Without Temu and its partnership with Bnode, it would have been very difficult for a small business like ours to start selling directly to consumers,” she said.
She added that Temu also assists sellers in managing regulatory requirements such as the European Union’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance, making cross-border operations easier for small businesses.
Three Generations of Vanilla Expertise
Malagasy Vanilla traces its roots to three generations of the Rabenandrasana family in Madagascar’s vanilla industry.
Belinda’s grandfather began trading vanilla locally, while her father expanded operations across Madagascar. She launched the company’s international business in 2017, supplying premium Madagascan vanilla to European restaurants, pastry shops and food wholesalers before establishing operations in Belgium in 2023.
The company partners with growers and producer associations in Madagascar, where between 20 and 40 workers oversee the six- to 10-month curing process that transforms green vanilla pods into premium black vanilla.
Operations in Belgium focus on packaging, quality assurance and distribution.
Customer Reviews Drive Growth
Under its Lavani brand, Malagasy Vanilla sells gourmet-grade whole vanilla pods targeted at both professional chefs and home baking enthusiasts.
Rather than relying heavily on paid advertising, the company has benefited from Temu’s product discovery tools and customer reviews, helping the niche brand gain visibility organically.
According to Rabenandrasana, strong customer feedback has played a significant role in increasing traffic and boosting sales.
The brand currently maintains a customer review rating exceeding 99 per cent on the platform.
Future Plans
Looking ahead, Malagasy Vanilla plans to expand its European footprint further by establishing a warehouse in France and increasing sales across the continent.
The company is also developing new products, including vanilla extract and vanilla sugar, while planning to open a physical retail and production facility in Belgium later this year.
In addition, it intends to launch a social-impact initiative aimed at supporting vanilla-growing communities in Madagascar.
Reflecting on the company’s evolution, Rabenandrasana said the business continues to build on her family’s legacy.
“My grandfather worked locally, my father expanded nationally, and now we are building internationally,” she said.
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s digital economy have urged the Federal Government to review its partnership with global recruitment platform Hello.cv under the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, citing concerns over data security, digital sovereignty and the country’s “Nigeria First” policy.
3MTT
The concerns follow the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy’s announcement on May 6 of a 10 million-dollar partnership with Hello.cv aimed at increasing the global visibility of Nigerian technology professionals.
Under the initiative, 20,000 selected 3MTT fellows will receive a global professional profile package, including an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered job search agent, a professional curriculum vitae (CV) writer and a personal .cv domain, valued at 500 dollars per participant.
While stakeholders acknowledged the programme’s potential to improve global employment opportunities for Nigerian tech talent, they expressed concerns about the implications of hosting participants’ digital identities and data on a foreign domain.
Chief Executive Officer of Cyberchain and Global Digital Economy Strategist, Engr. Jude Ozinegbe, said the arrangement raised important questions about data ownership and jurisdiction.
According to him, registering domains under an entity outside Nigeria gives that entity a degree of control over activities associated with the domain.
“When you register your domain under a different entity outside your jurisdiction, that entity will have access to whatever is happening within that domain.
“In the long run, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) may have to examine the agreement and assess the security implications of such domain ownership,” he said.
Ozinegbe urged the NDPC to review the security protocols employed by Hello.cv to ensure compliance with Nigeria’s data protection regulations.
Also speaking, Ugonma Egwuatu of ECAM Global Services, an information and communications technology and data protection firm, said the security of data belonging to 20,000 fellows should be of significant interest to regulators.
She noted that while the ministry had the authority to determine how the programme was implemented, there was a need for greater transparency regarding the handling of participants’ personal information.
“The NDPC requires its registered Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs) to subscribe to the .ng domain.
“If a government ministry permits trainees to operate on a foreign domain, then the commission should examine the arrangement because we are dealing with the data of 20,000 Nigerians,” she said.
Egwuatu also called for clarity on how data generated through the platform would be processed, stored and protected.
“There should be explanations regarding the backend. What are they doing with the data of people who visit these sites? Why use a foreign domain instead of the .ng domain? These are legitimate questions that deserve answers,” she said.
She added that government should ensure appropriate third-party agreements and safeguards were in place before implementing such initiatives.
On his part, Chief Executive Officer of DNS Africa, Dr. Adebunmi Adeola Akinbo, said the objectives of the programme could still have been achieved while leveraging Nigeria’s country code top-level domain.
According to him, Hello.cv could have registered a hello.cv.ng or hellocv.ng domain in collaboration with the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).
“The .ng domain can conveniently accommodate such a platform. If Hello.cv intends to onboard millions of Nigerians, it can work with NiRA to create a local domain structure.
“That way, the investment remains within Nigeria, strengthens the digital economy and supports local internet infrastructure,” he said.
Akinbo argued that excluding the .ng domain from the initiative undermined Nigeria’s digital identity and sovereignty.
“As good as the programme may sound, leaving the .ng domain outside this engagement and taking Nigerian data outside the country’s digital jurisdiction is not the best approach,” he said.
Also commenting, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Precise Financial Systems Ltd., Yele Okeremi, stressed the importance of ensuring that investments in Nigeria’s digital economy create long-term domestic value.
According to him, building a sustainable technology ecosystem requires more than developing skilled professionals.
“Investment, particularly in technology and the knowledge economy, is not just about having smart people.
“It is also about who owns the infrastructure and who ultimately benefits from the value created. Nigeria must ensure it retains as much of that value as possible,” he said.
Similarly, Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Muhammed Rudman, described the use of foreign domains for a government-sponsored initiative as inconsistent with efforts to promote Nigeria’s digital economy.
“I don’t know where this idea came from, but it is unpatriotic for Nigerian companies funded by Nigerian resources to adopt .cv domains instead of .ng.
“Global companies such as Google register country-specific domains like google.ng when operating locally. Registering 20,000 additional .ng domains would improve Nigeria’s online visibility and strengthen the local internet ecosystem,” he said.
Rudman urged the Federal Government to support indigenous digital infrastructure by encouraging the use of the .ng domain.
The 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme is a flagship initiative of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy aimed at equipping Nigerians with globally relevant digital skills.
The programme provides free training in areas including software development, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, machine learning, animation, DevOps and user interface/user experience design through a hybrid learning model.
Stakeholders maintained that while the partnership with Hello.cv could expand international employment opportunities for Nigerian technology professionals, greater attention should be paid to safeguarding the country’s digital assets, promoting local internet infrastructure and ensuring compliance with Nigeria’s data protection framework.
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