Layer3, a provider of cloud and AI-driven network solutions in Nigeria, today announced the successful recertification for four internationally recognized security standards: ISO/IEC 27001:2022 for information security management, ISO/IEC 27017:2015 for cloud security, PCI-DSS for protecting cardholder data.

The independent audits were conducted by AfriAssure Digital Service, a reputable certification body. Furthermore, Layer3 has also achieved its Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) compliance for the current year.

These recertifications reinforce Layer3’s unwavering commitment to data security and privacy for its clients, across its cloud and other services. By adhering to these rigorous standards, Layer3 demonstrates its ability to manage information security risks, protect sensitive data in the cloud, ensure the confidentiality of cardholder information, and comply with Nigeria’s data protection regulations.

“We are thrilled to achieve recertification for these important security standards,” said Augustine Ani, Layer3’s Cybersecurity Manager. “This accomplishment underscores our dedication to providing a secure and compliant environment for our clients. Maintaining these certifications is an ongoing process, and it requires a company-wide commitment to data security best practices.”

ISO/IEC 27001:2022 is an internationally recognized standard for information security management systems, ensuring that organizations implement robust controls and practices to mitigate risks and protect valuable assets. ISO/IEC 27017:2015 provides guidelines for information security controls applicable to cloud services, addressing specific concerns and considerations in cloud computing environments.

Additionally, compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) demonstrates Layer3’s adherence to stringent security protocols for handling payment card data, promoting secure transactions and data protection.

Layer3 remains steadfast in its pursuit of excellence, continuously enhancing its security posture to adapt to evolving threats and industry best practices. The recertification of ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27017:2015, and PCI-DSS standards reflects Layer3’s ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional cloud and network solutions its valued clients.

Konga’s latest addition to its family of technology products, Starlink Satellite Internet Kits, has been met with overwhelming customer demand. The company is Starlink’s only authorised Shop-In-Shop eCommerce partner in Nigeria and provides immediate warranties on all Starlink kits bought from Konga.

Since the e-commerce giant broke the news of the price slash at 9pm on Tuesday night, shoppers in need of reliable, fast, low-latency internet services have trooped to konga.com to grab their share of the unbeatable deal on offer for the Space X engineered satellite kit. Until March of this year, the internet kits had been selling for N800,000 due to the devaluation of the Naira, and now go for N440,000 with the local currency regaining its strength.

As the clock races and limited stock runs out, our investigation confirms that those who purchased Starlink on Konga have begun to receive same-day delivery shipping for their orders in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Rivers State.

On its e-commerce website, the unprecedented surge in demand for the product saw web traffic triple in 4 hours as customers took advantage of the great pricing and seamless order process available via the authentic official Starlink store in Nigeria on Konga.

Konga is yet to reveal how many units of the product it will be releasing to the market at the current discounted price; however, insider reports indicate that there is limited stock available for a short time at this amount. For this reason, customers are encouraged to place their orders immediately.

According to the Head of Business for Konga’s commercial unit, Emmanuel Ekwedike, the online shopping platform always delivers deals that make sense. With the Starlink kits, while customers can buy online and have the orders shipped to their homes and offices nationwide, they can also visit any Konga retail outlet around the country to make an instant purchase.

In February, Konga announced the launch of Starlink kits on its platform with an initial selling price of N378,000 to great reviews. As the month advances, the excitement is still running high as users get high-end quality experiences from purchasing genuine kits and other products with global warranty at its retail outlets and online via the e-commerce portal.

Konga.com is Nigeria’s largest customer centric omnichannel online mall. It launched operations in July 2012 and is on a mission to become the engine of commerce and trade in Africa.

Starlink kits provide high-speed internet services to users around the world through advanced low-latency satellite technology, as a solution to internet disruptions caused by fibre cuts.

Salesforce, the #1 AI CRM, announced the general availability of Unified Conversations for WhatsApp, which transforms one-way marketing promotions or service requests into dynamic, two-way conversations from a single WhatsApp number.

Instead of managing separate threads for promotions and support, customers can automatically receive personalised opt-in marketing promotions and individual support all within a single WhatsApp chat between a brand and customer.

This allows companies like Agibank to use data stored in Salesforce from across their more than 900 hubs within WhatsApp to deliver personalised loan proposals, resolve concerns faster, and better support customers — all in a single conversation.

Why it matters: Seventy-nine percent of customers expect consistent interactions across departments and 75% want to communicate with brands using messaging. However, businesses aren’t meeting these expectations. Customers report that disconnected experiences are their top frustration when dealing with an organisation.

Salesforce perspective: “With more than two billion people using WhatsApp today, Salesforce’s new Unified Conversations for WhatsApp enables brands to connect with their customers where they are and have a single, connected, and trusted experience,” said Steve Hammond, EVP and GM, Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

“This helps brands break down barriers across their company and build stronger relationships throughout their customer’s journey, including natural handoffs from marketing to service teams, by driving the right personalised engagement, no matter where they are in the customer journey, at the right time and in the right context.”

Go deeper: Unified Conversations for WhatsApp is powered by Salesforce Data Cloud. Data Cloud allows companies to bring all of their trapped data into Salesforce and build a unified customer profile across all products, services, and interactions. This allows marketers and service agents to work off the same, shared customer profile and provides them with the relevant context needed to deliver trusted experiences across both departments in a single chat thread.

Innovation in action: By combining marketing and service conversations together in Unified Conversations for WhatsApp:

• Marketers can segment audiences and create content for marketing campaigns while giving service agents a window into customers’ interactions to provide recommended next best actions using a single WhatsApp number.

• Inside one WhatsApp conversation, healthcare organisations can schedule, confirm, and provide follow-up support for procedures and appointments.

• Financial service institutions can prevent fraud by offering a single experience in WhatsApp to proactively verify and provide assistance for unusual transactions.

• Travellers can respond to personalised trip offers and book experiences through chatbot-powered prompts in WhatsApp.