E-Business
EMEA PC Market Contracts By 18.2% In Line With IDC Forecast

PC shipments in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) reached 20.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2015 — an 18.2% decrease year on year, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).
After a strong shipment push of devices under Microsoft’s Bing promotion from summer 2014 to January 2015, the focus for hardware manufacturers and their channel partners has been to deplete stock, leading to an 18% contraction for 2015 with 76.3 million PCs shipped in EMEA.
In 2014 PC shipments were driven in commercial by the end of Windows XP support as well as the need to renew the first Windows 7 portables four years after their deployment, while in the consumer segment Bing successfully targeted the needs of price sensitive users.
The strengthening of the U.S. dollar also led partners to gamble on cheap products in the fourth quarter of 2014. But 2015 turned into a very costly year for all of them as inventory clearing not only took eleven months but also strong promotions and price reductions.
Year on year comparisons were therefore unfavorable during 2015 and the introduction of new technologies such as Windows 10 or new CPUs failed to reverse the trend. But it is not all bad news— as there are some signs of stabilization and 2015 results will support a more positive comparison in 2016.
“The market contraction was to be expected,” said Chrystelle Labesque, associate director, IDC EMEA Personal Computing. “However, if you take Bing out of the comparison, the consumer market would end the year flat, which is an encouraging sign of stabilization.”
The combination of various economic and political factors led all three sub-regions to contract in 2015Q4. Western Europe (WE) declined by 13.1%, while in line with expectations, Central and Eastern Europe CEE) contracted 24.7%.
The Middle East and Africa (MEA) had the weakest performance, as shipments were down by 28.9%.
In Western Europe, the U.K. consumer market reported the best result, while in the commercial segment some public spending in particular in Austria and Italy supported shipment volumes.
A sharp decline in oil prices together with currency and political instabilities affected the CEMA region in particular, while the slowdown in the Chinese economy is worsening the business outlook in export-oriented Western European countries.
Looking at the full 2015 performance, WE was down by 13.8% over 2014, and CEMA by 24.6%. At the same time, market consolidation becomes more obvious as the top 3 players (HP, Lenovo, Dell) accounted for 54% of the market in 2015 vs 50% in 2014.
“2015 was clearly a very difficult year for the PC market. Demand remained weak across all four quarters with double-digit contractions in CEE and MEA,” said Stefania Lorenz, associate VP, IDC CEMA. “The CEE region contracted by 26.4% year-on-year in 2015. The region was negatively affected by the devaluations of local currencies and high PC inventory levels left from 2014. The worst impact on purchasing power was felt in the Eastern part of the region: Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan as well as the Rest of CEE subregion. Other factors that prevented the market from rebounding in the commercial space included government budget freezes.”
“In Q4 2015 the PC market in the CEE region was in line with the forecast at -24.7% year-on-year,” said Nikolina Jurisic, product manager, IDC CEMA. “Viewing the country mix, the “star” was Hungary, with a positive result of 11.5% growth year-on-year thanks to last minute deals in the public sector. The other countries in the CEE region reported PC market declines.
“In many cases the unfavorable comparison with Q414 (and the Bing push) resulted in a sharper decline for Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Croatia. In 2015, the MEA region declined by 22.8% year-on-year affected by the continual political instability and economic uncertainties, in addition to currency fluctuations, low oil prices and a lack of projects and IT spending. In Q4 2015 the MEA region contracted by 28.9%. The biggest markets — Turkey and the Rest of Middle East (ROME) sub-region — reported the worst results, with an annual decline of 43% and 51%, respectively. The security concerns in ROME continue to impact PC demand negatively.”
Vendor Highlights
While there were some changes in the ranking, consolidation continued with the top 5 vendors now representing more than 72% of the market.
HP performed slightly better than the market and gained further share at 23.7% in EMEA. The vendor results in desktop were above average and contributed to the positive difference.
Lenovo maintained second position. The vendor was focusing on inventory depletion and suffered in the difficult MEA context.
ASUS reached 3rd place and showed strong growth, in particular in Western Europe. Overall the vendor posted good results after a weaker 2014.
Dell grew faster than the market and consequently gained share in EMEA. The vendor continued to gain share thanks to a strong execution in the commercial area and an attractive product portfolio.
• Acer posted a softer performance, in part due to an unfavorable year-on-year comparison. The vendor focused further on inventory reduction while gaining traction on its Windows 10 consumer products.
E-Business
CBN Affirms Alpha Morgan Bank’s Capitalisation

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has affirmed the capitalisation of Alpha Morgan Bank, marking an important milestone in the bank’s growth journey and reinforcing its commitment to building a strong, resilient, and future-ready financial institution.

This affirmation reflects the bank’s adherence to regulatory requirements and its strategic focus on strengthening its capital base to support sustainable growth, innovation and improved service delivery to customers.
With this milestone, Alpha Morgan Bank is well positioned to continue expanding its footprint with its 14 approved branches across different states, while deepening inclusivity and enhancing the range of banking solutions available to individuals, businesses, and institutional clients nationwide.
Commenting on the development, the Managing Director of Alpha Morgan Bank, Mr. Ade Buraimo, expressed the readiness of the bank in ensuring compliance with regulatory requirement, good governance framework while delivering satisfying banking along the long-term vision of the bank to become the best bank to work and strong financial institution to reckon with.
He said: “Capitalisation is more than a regulatory requirement; it is an opportunity to strengthen the institution for the future. The affirmation of Alpha Morgan Bank capitalisation reflects the work we have done to build a solid capital foundation that allows us to support businesses more effectively, expand financial access and continue delivering the level of service our customers expect.’’
According to him, Alpha Morgan Bank remains committed to maintaining strong corporate governance standards, sound risk management practices, and prudent financial management as it continues to support economic development and create long-term value for stakeholders.
“As Alpha Morgan Bank enters the next phase of its journey, the institution will continue to scale its operation, invest in technology, expand its branch network and digital banking presence, whilst delivering reliable and satisfying banking experiences to its growing customer base,” Buraimo added.
E-Business
Police Says Victims Enable Cyber Attacks Out of Ignorance

Mr Uche Ifeanyi, commissioner of Police in charge of the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC), said on Friday that most cyber attacks occur because victims act out of ignorance.

He spoke in Abuja at the opening of an online cybercrime awareness campaign themed “Odogwu No Dey Hide Him Face,” organised to educate and empower communities about online safety and cyber hygiene.
“Studies reveal that the majority of cyber attacks are initiated or enabled by victims due to lack of knowledge.
“Personal information is invaluable and must be protected at all times.
“Just as we maintain physical health, we must also maintain a healthy digital lifestyle,” he added, stressing that simple cyber hygiene practices could greatly reduce the risk of becoming a victim.
He urged the public not to disclose confidential information to unauthorised persons and to use strong, unique passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and apply security safeguards on digital devices.
“Keep personal information private, avoid suspicious links, and regularly update software or system patches,” he said, adding that antivirus programmes and firewalls were essential for online safety.
Ifeanyi warned against falling for “free gifts” online.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is fraud,” he said, advising caution with urgent or suspicious messages.
He also urged internet users to verify information before sharing to avoid spreading fake news, emphasising that cybercriminals could exploit everyone regardless of age, occupation, or social class.
Vincent Olatunji, director-general, National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), commended NPF-NCCC for its efforts and said the campaign theme was commendable.
He noted the importance of educating people on legitimate wealth and safe internet use.
Olatunji said that the fight against cybercrime required collective effort, warning that the risks were increasing daily as more people connected to the internet across Nigeria.
E-Business
Firm Enhances its Security Awareness Platform with SCORM and PDF Support

Kaspersky has introduced an update to its Automated Security Awareness Platform, adding full support for PDF and SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) – the industry-standard protocol for deploying and managing e-learning content.

The enhancement enables organisations to build fully customised cybersecurity training programmes that reflect their infrastructure, risk profile, and internal policies, while continuing to benefit from Kaspersky’s expert-driven security content and phishing simulations.
According to the Kaspersky report titled “Redefining the Human Factor in Cybersecurity”, employees responding to phishing attacks was one of the main causes of cyber incidents in companies worldwide, accounting for 21% of cases among other reasons.
At the same time, additional Kaspersky research reveals that social engineering attacks are predicted to increase more than any other type in the nearest future, with 87% of respondents believing that social engineering attacks will become even more effective due to the use of AI tools.
The new Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform (Kaspersky ASAP) update directly addresses several persistent challenges such as reducing the number of human-related incidents, cutting time spent on managing training programmes, decreasing regulatory and compliance risks, and minimising potential legal or reputational damage stemming from cybersecurity breaches.
With the new SCORM support, the platform becomes even more flexible: companies can now upload, track, and manage their own SCORM-based learning materials directly within the system. In addition, companies can accelerate their programmes by using easier-to-create PDF-formats.
This allows organisations to tailor training to their specific technology stacks and emerging threats targeting their industry or region. Businesses that have already invested in third-party SCORM courses or internal learning development can now seamlessly reuse their existing modules, protecting their prior investments while strengthening their cybersecurity posture.
The combination of Kaspersky’s embedded content built on real cases uncovered by the company’s world-class experts with customers’ PDF materials or SCORM modules enables a true best-of-breed approach to human risk management.
Organisations can supplement Kaspersky’s up-to-date cyberattack scenarios with internal policies, unique workflows, and industry-specific lessons, ensuring training resonates with employees and reflects real operational challenges.
“Human behaviour remains one of the most unpredictable elements in cybersecurity and also one of the easiest for attackers to exploit. By adding SCORM support to Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform, we’re giving organisations the flexibility to build training programmes that truly match their internal realities.
“Combined with Kaspersky’s expert-driven content and real-world attack data, this update empowers companies to create more adaptive, relevant, and impactful awareness programmes than ever before,” comments Svetlana Kalashnikova, Security Awareness expert at Kaspersky.
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