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Cisco Advices Africa on IoT, Releases 2014 “Disruptive” Trends

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(L-r): Bola Adegbonmire, Unified Collaboration Architectural Play Team Africa, Den Sullivan, head, Architectures and Enterprise, Emerging Markets, and Kunle Oloruntimehin, manager, Systems Engineering Sales, all of Cisco during Cisco’s Tech Radar media roundtable held in Lagos on Wednesday.
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Cisco has advised IT organizations across Africa on the need to prepare for the Internet of Everything (IoE) while revealing key trends set to drive future of technology innovation on the Continent in 2014

The first-ever technology radar study unveiled by Cisco on Wednesday, highlighted key trends set to redefine businesses and life across the Africa in 2014.

Based on intelligence gathered by over 70 global technology “scouts”, Cisco’s pioneering study focuses on trends independent of current product roadmaps or business unit priorities.

According to Cisco, the key trends set to make a mark in 2014 include Context Aware Computing, Machine-to-Machine Connections, Browser Based Video & Collaboration, Video Mega Trends, Building the Next Internet with new Architectures, Security and Mobile Device Management.

Driving all of these is the Internet of Everything (IoE) – the interconnections of people, processes, data, and things – which Cisco believes represents a $19 trillion opportunity, globally, over the next decade ($14.4 trillion in the private sector and $4.6 trillion in the public sector). By 2020, Cisco reports that the growth of connected “things” will reach 212 billion.

“IT organizations across the Africa need to prepare for the Internet of Everything (IoE), and what we are now seeing is the emergence of an Application Economy where the focus will no longer be simply on the hardware, but also on supporting a larger number of applications on all connected devices,” said Den Sullivan, head, Architectures and Enterprise, Cisco Emerging Markets.

“Big changes now need to take place to make sense of exponentially increasing and varied types of data coming in from devices ranging from smartphone applications to information generated a city’s infrastructure.”

Cisco also reports that the Middle East and Africa is set to post the world’s strongest mobile data traffic growth for at 77 percent CAGR to 2018.

Commenting on the report, Bola Adegbonmire, unified collaboration architectural play team, Africa, said that one of the key findings of the report is the potential of context aware computing to fundamentally change how we interact with our devices. In the future, devices will learn about you, your day, where you are and where you’re going.

Hinting on Machine-to-Machine, Person-to-Machine and Person-to-Person Connections Driving Value, Adegbonmire said that in the Application Economy, practically everything – roads, jet-engine parts, shoes, refrigerators, soil, and supermarket shelves – will have cheap, tiny sensors that generate terabytes of data that can be sifted for key insights.

By 2022, Cisco predicts that person-to-machine and person-to-person combined connections will constitute 55 per cent of the total IoE value at stake, whereas machine-to-machine connections make up the remaining 45 per cent.

The trend pointed at home and workplace connectivity transformation hence the power of browser-based video and collaboration, where a new common standard can enhance employee productivity by integrating audio-visual conferences, text notepads, and whiteboards into a real-time Web-based multimedia space.

“If we want to change the way people communicate and take it to the next level, we are going to need the simple, ubiquitous and rapid deployment that the web platform can provide,” explained Tarek Ghoul Director, general manager, Cisco Gulf, Levant and Pakistan.

“We need the browsers to use new standards, open source strategies and partnerships.  At Cisco we changed the communication by driving the evolution of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and we are now changing the web to include interactive collaboration.”

Also, video mega trends will similarly transform digital imaging, with ultra HD video enhancing the viewing experience on televisions, smartphones, augmented reality glasses, tablets, and camera-equipped devices, said Kunle Oloruntimehin, Manager, Systems Engineering Sales, Cisco.

Both trends are set to have a significant impact on everything from healthcare and education to office connectivity and security.

In order to cope with the explosion of connections, the Cisco Technology Radar concludes that technology labs are now developing new Internet architectures to replace the current IP-based Internet.  Named Data Networking (NDN) has the most potential to disrupt, and would allow information to be communicated by names rather than host addresses. This represents a radical departure from the way the Internet works today.

Early stage software-defined networking (SDN) models, meanwhile, have attempted to address the challenge by focusing on network virtualization and overlay scenarios, but without true integration across physical and virtual dimensions, they have so far been handicapped by lack of transparency and visibility.

Unsurprisingly, security will be critical for business growth and adaption to the new Internet, with companies likely to ramp up the deployment of scalable, cloud-based mobile device management solutions to protect personal and corporate information. Gartner Inc. predicts half of global companies will enact Bring Your Own Device programs by 2017.

“2014 and beyond will bring a hugely influential and constructive technology explosion throughout Africa. Driven by the online growth and convergence of processes, data and things, we can now explore unprecedented opportunities that benefit both business and society as a whole,” Sullivan concluded.

 


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NDPC Commits to Balancing Data Privacy, Protection Information

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Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), has expressed its commitment to balance information around data privacy and protection.

NDPC Commits to Balancing Data Privacy, Protection Information

Dr. Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner, NDPC, stated this in Abuja, at the National Data Privacy Summit with the theme, “Privacy in the Era of Emerging Technologies,” organised by the commission.

Olatunji said the NDPC, at the moment, was looking at balancing information around data privacy and protection.

“What we are doing is just to look at how to balance information around privacy and protection, which is really important, because as we are innovating, at the same time, we have to consider issues around privacy and protection,” he stated.

He added that the commission has been very bold in taking risks that would bring about growth.

“Our starting point is growing at a very alarming rate, and we are not afraid of anything. We can take risks. And that is why a lot is happening in Nigeria, and this is the level of clarity,” he explained.

In his address, Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),  stated that Internet of Things holds promise for Nigeria’s economy.

The EVC, who was represented by Abraham Oshadami, executive commissioner, Technical Services (ECTS), noted that, “in an era in which digital assets, Internet of Things, future digital computing and other transformative technologies are key, and both a cornerstone of building trust for the adoption and a prerequisite for sustainable progress.

“Emerging technologies hold immense promise for Nigeria’s grand economy, but they also introduce complex risks to personal and individual rights.

“So, balancing innovation through post-ethical safeguards and public trust is the first step to ensuring that global digital advancement benefits all Nigerians without compromising their privacy or their security,” he added.

“As we just heard from the Nigeria Police, telecom operators have a vast amount of sensitive historical information daily, including connectivity apps and collaboration on privacy, security, and number protection, both to their and their inheritors,” he said.

Dr. Bako Shurkuk, commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Plateau State, who represented Caleb Mutfwang, Governor of Plateau State, said, emerging technologies can be harnessed to attain sustainable growth.

 


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OADC Lagos Reinforces Commitment to Local Data Hosting and Digital Transformation @ NDPC’s National Privacy Week Summit

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Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s data protection and digital transformation agenda through its sponsorship and active participation in the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) National Privacy Week Summit.

The National Privacy Week Summit, organised by the NDPC, convened policymakers, regulators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to promote data privacy awareness, strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), and advance conversations around data security, sovereignty, and responsible data governance.

As a sponsor of the event, OADC Lagos demonstrated its continued support for the Federal Government’s drive toward local data hosting and data domiciliation, which are increasingly critical to safeguarding sensitive information, enhancing regulatory compliance, and building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Through its carrier-neutral, Tier III Design certified data centre in Lekki, Lagos, OADC provides secure, resilient, and compliant infrastructure that enables government institutions and private sector organisations to host and manage data locally while meeting international best practices.

Commenting on the engagement, Adesola Adesugba, Country Marketing Manager, Open Access Data Centres Nigeria, said: “We are proud to have supported the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through the National Privacy Week Summit and to stand alongside the government in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.

“Strengthening local data hosting and domiciliation is fundamental to national data sovereignty, improved security, and sustainable digital growth, and OADC Lagos remains committed to enabling this future.”

OADC’s participation at National Privacy Week Summit underscores its role as a trusted digital infrastructure partner to government and enterprise, supporting secure cloud connectivity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Open Access Data Centres is part of the WIOCC Group and operates open-access, world-class data centres across Africa, serving cloud providers, network operators, enterprises, and public sector institutions.


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Kaspersky Launches OT Calculator to Align Cybersecurity Investments with Business Goals

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Kaspersky’s new online tool has been specially developed for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs associated with insufficient operational technology (OT) security.

By offering detailed financial forecasts, the calculator empowers senior management to make well-informed decisions regarding security investments.

Industrial organisations increasingly depend on interconnected systems, elevating cybersecurity to a critical factor in business resilience and profitability.

According to VDC Research, over 60% of industrial companies last year reported that cybersecurity breaches had led to significant costs. Despite this, a persistent disconnect remains between security teams and executive leadership as security professionals focus on minimising risk, while executives must balance cybersecurity concerns with broader business objectives. This misalignment often results in competing priorities and underfunded security initiatives.

To bridge this gap, Kaspersky has launched the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, an innovative online tool designed specifically for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs of inadequate operational technology (OT) security¹.

The primary aim of this tool is to translate cyber risks into tangible financial metrics and support strategic discussions around priorities and budget allocation. By entering details such as their sector, sub-sector, region, company size, breach history, and existing cybersecurity measures, organisations can estimate their potential cost savings and receive customised, actionable recommendations.

The calculator benchmarks performance against industry peers and highlights the company’s position within the current threat landscape.

“We believe this calculator is a powerful resource for transforming complex cyber risk data into straightforward financial insights. It enables OT leaders, security professionals, and executive teams to develop clear, data-driven business cases and recognise the value of cybersecurity investments. With actionable guidance, it promotes a comprehensive approach to resource management and strengthens overall organisational resilience,” comments Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product line at Kaspersky.


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