E-Business
Microsoft Reveals Top IT Trends, Fresh Business Perspectives @ Summit 2014
Microsoft at its Mobility Summit Exhibition, disclosed key trends in reinventing productivity to empower individuals and businesses to do and achieve more.
At the exhibition Microsoft introduced its ‘Microsoft mobile-first and cloud-first word’, while demonstrating exciting new features of the improved operating system Windows 8.1, showing how Cloud strategy supports businesses.
In an exclusive interview with Nigeria CommunicationsWeek on the trends, Oluyomi Alarape, business group director , C& E, said, customers are collaborating with each other, sharing information and influencing decision-making and must not be overlooked by companies.
He said Microsoft has also discovered that “employees want to be able to find and talk to each other, and to build new value together across traditional hierarchies and silos. When social information becomes embedded in your tools and processes, you become a fully connected and engaged enterprise”.
Alarape added enterprises need solutions to drive deeper, become more impactful while engaging with custimers.
These entail bringing together social capabilities across networking, collaboration, email, unified communications, and business applications to create new ways of engaging customers.
Microsoft reaffirmed its efforts toward the provision of comprehensive, integrated suite of social tools that spur interactions of customers and partners within consumer and business social networks; helping people bridge their business and personal lives and creating new ways of working and collaborating together.
From the cloud perspective, Ade Ajayi, business group director, MOD, said that successful digital businesses are holistically applying the concepts of mobile, social, and big data to reimagine their business.
According to him, Microsoft holds the view that cloud creates the connections that are not just people-focused, but enterprise-graded and that is the future of businesses.
This had necessitated the continuous upgrade of its suites like Windows 8.1 that has seen about150 new features added in the last 18 months.
Ajayi said the software giant has demonstrated how this world through the Office 365.
“Through the Office 365, Microsoft has been able to showcase how cloud delivers experiences that appeal directly to employees and partners, increasing their engagement and allowing them to drive maximum productivity”, the Company explained.
The enterprise-grade fundamentally changes how business operates and competes by partnering with a company that has the experience, reach, and footprint that can be trusted.
“No business is an island. Partner with the world’s largest developer base, with an integrated portfolio of cloud services across platforms, apps, and devices”, the Microsoft Mobility Report explained.
On mobility and productivity, Onur Altintas, business group director, Windows, Microsoft Nigeria, explained that the next wave in enterprise mobile will be focused on enabling a fluid, seamless mobile experience for users.
He added that going mobile is no longer about carrying a single mobile device, rather the ability for any user to pick up any device in the context of what they are doing, and have instant access to all of the “stuff”-settings, data, and applications that follow the user and flow seamlessly from device to device.
“Embrace device choice and anywhere access without compromising security”, he advised users while emphasising that “Windows 10 to be launched by next year will become pivotal in making this happen.
According to Altintas, organisations can grant it’s users access to their information from virtually anywhere, anytime, while still helping to protect their business information.
He said, “it’s possible, with the number of innovations unleashed by Microsoft, for you to even support compliant devices when they are personally owned rather than corporate provided, for maximum flexibility for users”.
He added that mobility and productivity solutions from the Company guarantee one can stay productive on the go with familiar, connected experiences.
Microsoft had earlier indicated that minimizing the learning curve is key to helping employees become more mobile.
To this end, Altintas said “We at Microsoft are committed to delivering best-in-class productivity experiences through business and social apps that work on the devices people want to use to get work done.
“For instance, by using LOB solutions that already support a mobile experience (such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM). As well as taking advantage of an infrastructure for mobility, your developers can write one solution that delivers the best experience across the PC, tablet, and smartphone.
“This is made even easier when you can use the familiar tools, languages, and back-end infrastructure that you already have in place”.
The trio believe that by tapping into information about the users’ context like their location and integrating their other apps and data like their contacts and social network memberships, an organisation can delight her customers with rich, immersive mobile experiences.
Essentially, the cloud based solution helps in meeting the challenge of delivering content to users around the globe on a variety of devices such as scaling to meet demand, managing and distributing rich media content, streamlining development, and enabling you to focus on delivering the optimal user experience.
Microsoft also released its expectations on the part of CIOs, financial, HR, marketing, health and other sectors.
In particular, it said, “Any data, big or small, can be a powerful force to accelerate competitive advantage. As an evolution of your overall business intelligence and analytics strategy, a tactical approach to Big Data can put you on the path to reimagine your enterprise.
It thus, advised chief executives to make their organizations more ‘intelligent’ by generating rich and valuable data with internet-enabled devices and sensors – transforming business operations and creating exceptional customer experiences.
“Use Data to your advantage: extend easy-to-use, powerful analytics and dynamic data visualization to your workplace. Enable a data-driven organization by weaving data and analytics into your business processes – making Big Data a natural evolution of your strategy”.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that every Nigerian is enrolled in the national identity database before the end of 2026, according to Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general and chief executive officer of the agency.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general and chief executive officer, NIMC
Coker-Odusote, who appeared on Channels Television, said the directive forms part of the federal government’s efforts to establish a comprehensive national identity system capable of supporting effective governance, planning, and service delivery.
“The President has given us till the end of this year to make sure that we capture every single Nigerian,” she said.
According to her, NIMC is working with partners under the World Bank-supported Identification for Development (ID4D) project to accelerate nationwide enrolment.
“What we have done is we have partnered through the World Bank ID4D project with front-end partners. They are part of the digital identity ecosystem. These are private citizens that we’ve enabled and given jobs to enrol citizens on our behalf,” she explained.
She stressed that the National Identification Number (NIN) remains a unique identifier, ensuring that every individual is registered only once.
“That’s why it’s called a unique identifier, so that you’re only enrolled once,” the NIMC DG added.
Coker-Odusote said Nigeria’s actual population remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 200 million to 250 million, making a comprehensive identity database essential for national planning.
“It is estimated that we’re 200 million. When we’re done enrolling, we will then know the actual numbers that we have. Some estimates say 230 million, while a few people say 250 million.
“Your identity is basically the foundation for effective governance and service delivery. How can you plan if you don’t know the total number of persons that you have? We have been mandated by Mr President to go down to the community levels to enrol every single Nigerian”, she said.
Responding to concerns about whether an individual could obtain multiple identities by registering in different locations or under different names, the NIMC boss said the commission’s biometric verification system prevents such occurrences.
She explained that while the previous system could accept duplicate enrolments before detecting them later, the current process automatically identifies and invalidates multiple registrations.
“The legacy system had no way of verifying at the front end whether you had already been captured. Once the record comes into the system, it flags it as a duplicate or that the person already exists in the database.
“You would only have one identity generated for you. The other record goes into a deduplication bucket where it is invalidated,” she said.
The NIMC DG added that biometric verification, including fingerprints and facial recognition, makes it virtually impossible for one person to maintain multiple identities.
“Absolutely. One of the things that this Act has done is to cement our role in capturing biometrics. Private and public sector organisations will no longer capture biometrics independently. They will validate identities through API integration with NIMC.
“The telcos are already doing that with us. If you need a SIM card, they capture your facial biometrics, which are matched against our database in real time to confirm that you are who you claim to be. We’re using biometric validation to tighten security around identity confirmation,” she said.
The remarks come weeks after Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law on June 26, repealing the 2007 legislation.
The new law reinforces the “One Person, One Identity” policy by making the NIN the country’s foundational identity credential for accessing government and essential private services, including banking, passport applications, tax administration, pensions, land transactions, and consumer credit.
It also introduces stiffer penalties for identity theft, multiple registrations and unauthorised access to personal identity data, while strengthening data privacy protections and granting NIMC wider powers to investigate identity-related offences.
Cybersecurity and privacy experts are raising concerns around the growing trend of sports fans using generative AI to create World Cup-related images, mock-ups, predictions and social media content.
Whilst offering new ways for supporters to engage with major sporting events, these tools also introduce risks that many users may underestimate. In light of this, Kaspersky has shared the key risks fans should keep in mind when using generative AI tools, so they can continue enjoying the championship with peace of mind.
When fan AI goes rogue. A growing number of AI tools are being used to create World Cup-themed visuals, avatars, memes and other fan content. While these services may seem creative and harmless, not all of them come from trusted providers.
Many are launched quickly to capitalise on interest around major events, increasing the likelihood that users will interact with platforms that offer limited transparency around data handling, lack adequate privacy and security measures, or might even be designed with malicious intent.
Personal data at stake. To create customised World Cup content, users are often asked to upload selfies, sign up with an email address, connect social media accounts or share other personal information. In doing so, they may reveal more information than necessary without fully understanding how that data will be stored, used, or potentially exposed.
“AI-driven fan content may seem harmless, but one of the key privacy risks is that users are often encouraged to share far more personal information than necessary. A simple request to generate a themed avatar can involve the collection of photos, contact details, account data and behavioural insights – information that may later be insufficiently protected.
“Because major global events often create an ideal environment for opportunistic actors, fans should take a closer look at how these tools manage personal data before engaging with them,” says Anna Larkina, web content analysis and privacy expert at Kaspersky.
When fan content becomes a scam. AI-generated World Cup content in some cases can also be used to support fraud. Cybercriminals may use convincing mock-ups, fake giveaways, or official-looking fan pages to attract attention and build trust. Once users engage, they may be redirected to phishing sites, fake stores, fraudulent offers, or betting-related scams. Generative AI makes these campaigns easier to produce, more persuasive and far easier to scale.
The myth of AI predictions. Another area that deserves caution is AI-powered match prediction. However advanced or data-driven these tools may appear, AI cannot reliably predict inherently uncertain sporting outcomes. When used to promote betting, paid subscriptions or “insider communities”, such services can create a false sense of confidence and encourage risky decisions.
Multi-asset global broker JustMarkets has launched its Web Terminal, an advanced browser-based trading terminal now available to all clients in any country supported by the broker.
JustMarkets
The company said the new platform forms part of its ongoing effort to expand and strengthen its trading ecosystem. Before the official launch, the Web Terminal went through a preparation phase during which the team fine-tuned its technical performance and gathered user feedback.
“At JustMarkets, we never stop evolving,” a JustMarkets representative said. “With the Web Terminal, we wanted to remove every barrier between traders and the markets. Now every client can trade directly from their browser, with all the professional tools they need at their fingertips.”
The Web Terminal is fully available for MT5 accounts, allowing traders to access a professional trading environment without downloading or installing any software. The broker said the platform runs entirely in the browser, enabling clients to start trading instantly from any device.
To access the terminal, users are required to choose a trading account, press the “Trade” button, and then select “JustMarkets Terminal” from the window that appears.
The broker said the platform includes advanced charts with technical indicators and graphical tools, flexible volume settings that allow trade volume to be set in lots or in units of the asset, detailed asset descriptions, a market sentiment tool that provides real-time trading sentiment, timely updates on trading schedules and margin changes, and tools for managing multiple trading positions and pending orders.
According to the company, the launch follows the introduction of the JustMarkets mobile app for trading on the go and represents another step in its broader innovation strategy.
JustMarkets said it remains committed to growth and has additional features, tools, and improvements already in development.
Tinubu Orders NIMC to Enrol Every Nigerian by End of this Year – DG
Nigerians Accumulate $59Bn in Cryptocurrency Assets —FDC
Nearpays, Nigerian Fintech Becomes First African Startup to Win UN’s AI for Good Innovation Factory
Nokia’s 14 Years of Mobile-Phone Supremacy Ended in an Afternoon
MTN Nigeria Slashes Cost of Broadband Internet Router, Unwraps New Data Bundles for Low-Budget Users
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
Nigeria Launches FreeTV Nationwide
NASENI Moves to Digitize CCB’s 5m Assets Declaration and Operations
Lebara Nigeria Launches Lebara Play, Africa’s First Telecom-Owned Micro-Drama Platform
CANAL+ Partners Samsung to Pre-Load DStv Stream on New Samsung TVs In Nigeria, Other African Countries
News1 day agoXora Finance, Fintech Firm Refuses to Hire Nigerians over Alleged Dishonesty
General News1 day agoFG Secures Fresh $208.3m World Bank Loan for Cash Transfer
Telecom1 day agoNCC to Keynote Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum 7.0
News1 day agoHow Ponzi Scheme Victims can Seek Legal Remedies — Lawyers
News1 day agoPalmPay Nigeria Appoints Samuel Oluyemi as Chief Operating Officer
General News1 day agoSERAP Sues INEC over Alleged N800Bn 2027 Tinubu Campaign Fund
Telecom1 day agoNCC Advances Dig Once Policy, Engages Stakeholders on Cost-Based Framework for Duct Sharing
E-Business1 day agoKaigama,Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Warns against Misuse of AI