E-Business
The Significance of the IT Department in the Hybrid Era
By Emmanuel Asika
There’s no doubt that hybrid work has become the new norm, an irreversible way of working. This necessitates every business leader to not only establish a secure and interconnected flexible workplace but also provide the right tools to enhance employee collaboration, communication, productivity, and, most importantly, well-being.
Many business leaders are turning to IT solutions to ensure their businesses and staff have the capabilities to thrive amid numerous challenges.
The Rise of the IT
Insecurity remains the main inhibition to hybrid and remote work. In light of this, traditional methods employed by IT departments to manage and maintain networked PCs and other devices for ensuring functionality and safeguarding against cyber threats are proving to be less adaptable and proactive than needed for the demands of hybrid work.
What used to be considered reliable procedures for office device maintenance and issue reporting in the “old ways” are now relatively slow and lacking in proactivity. Conventional solutions like VPN networks are being overused and have consequently become less reliable and less stable.
Believe it or not, many a time, rudimentary chores such as acquiring the precise equipment is slow and difficult, with PC installations and placement naturally a lengthy and physical procedure, in addition to the planning needed to secure and mount newly installed PCs to the various locations they are used from.
Arbitrary workstations and processes pose an equally alarming security risk, leading to increased vulnerabilities amid growing daily concerns. Malicious actors exploit an organization’s weakened defenses outside their security networks, while the installation of reinforcements and software updates becomes progressively more challenging.
Many organizations’ IT departments are ill-prepared to manage a dispersed workforce operating from various locations. Contemporary work models demand current technologies.
Flexibility is Key
What employees want are tools that allow them to work from their preferred locations while upholding seamless connectivity with their coworkers. Similarly, employees wish to have a say in selecting the devices that align with their work style and, naturally, cater to their job’s requisites and duties.
Organizations must embrace this flexible work approach. In the post-COVID-19 era, companies are expected to encounter a growing array of external factors beyond their control. Hence, an adaptable approach to operational work models, supported by a cloud-based, modern IT infrastructure, becomes imperative.
This means that a change to a safer, automated, up-to-date cloud-based IT systems is not voluntary but mandatory. According to research conducted by Forrester Consulting in 2020, about 86% of businesses now have up-to-date IT management strategy in place.
In Nigeria, most businesses are adopting cloud services to modernize their operations, improve efficiency, and enhance customer experiences at a global scale.
A report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) reveals that the adoption of cloud computing in the country has been increasing steadily, with spending oncloud expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 35.9% from 2019 to 2024.
Think of having all your staff working quicker with bespoke, cloud-ready PCs that came with each worker’s applications, settings, cloud registration and enrollment included, something similar to equipping a brand-new smart phone with the latest apps.
Rather than being reactive in trying to fix an employee’s system that can make him redundant for several days, an up-to-date management solution enables the IT unit to preemptively resolve possible problems without even knowing that such exist.
With IT safety procedures becoming tougher to carry through as workplaces multiply, a long-lasting safety procedure established on zero-trust philosophy and a more vibrant, cloud-based design that guarantee appropriate and dependable patch management are now more critical than ever before, if we are to prevent staff exasperation and possibly costly data and monetary losses.
Future-proof tools and strategy
With comprehensive data from the world’s major telemetry catalogue of more than 26 million devices, HP gathers practical insights on how best to assist workers, no matter where they are and the way they work.
This helps businesses eliminate speculations and conjectures when applying and bolstering the shift from conventional IT methods to unified, staff-driven, cloud-first infrastructures. We are talking of bespoke safe, dependable, instinctive computing experiences for hybrid or remote work that can develop with the technology needs of the future.
Cloud-backed digital tools like the HP Proactive Insights help businesses collect performance and usage telemetry data from both applications and devices, as well as gauge staff opinion, thus assisting executives keep a tab on workers’ feelings without having to go from one office to another. This helps in guaranteeing a more efficient work atmosphere, greater staff interaction, and improved output.
In 2021, HP launched its latest insight-driven services for the Nigerian market to help IT teams in the country rise to the challenges that organisations are facing. Some of the services include the HP Active Care for proactive device support and maintenance; HP Proactive Insights for intelligent fleet monitoring; and HP Proactive Endpoint Management for multi-OS, endpoint management.
The coming years will be a phase of redefining and reshaping the landscape of work and life.
Our diverse IT departments will remain at the core of our organizations, enabling the flexibility and capabilities that employees and organizations need to thrive in the evolving landscape of hybrid work.
Emmanuel Asika is Country Head, HP Nigeria
Microsoft is planning to unveil its new Maia 300 AI chip this fall, potentially as soon as next month, The Information reported on Monday, citing people with direct knowledge of the plans.
The company introduced its Maia AI chip in November 2023 but has lagged rivals such as Alphabet and Amazon in scaling up its in-house chip efforts as it seeks to reduce its reliance on Nvidia’s costly processors.
Google began recognizing revenue from direct sales of its custom AI chips, called Tensor Processing Units, in the quarter ended June, while Amazon has also seen growing adoption of its processors, including its Trainium chips.
Microsoft has been in talks with chipmaker TSMC to secure manufacturing capacity for more than 300,000 units of the chip for delivery in 2027, according to the report. It is also looking to significantly ramp up production and persuade major cloud customers such as Anthropic to adopt the chip.
Microsoft ultimately aims to secure capacity for more than 1 million Maia 300 chips, though component supplies and ongoing capacity negotiations with TSMC could constrain its plans, according to the report.
It unveiled its second-generation Maia 200 in January, built by TSMC using 3-nanometer technology.
Microsoft packed the chip with a significant amount of SRAM, a type of memory that can provide speed advantages for AI systems handling large numbers of user requests.
X has announced plans to discontinue its Revenue Sharing programme and introduce a new Original Content Rewards programme to reward creators for producing original content on the platform.
The social media company announced the changes at the weekend in a post on its X Creators handle, saying the new programme would reward creators who contribute original content.
“Today, we’re introducing the Original Content Rewards Program, a new way to reward creators who bring original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity, and commentary to X,” the company said.
X said it would stop accepting new enrolments into the Revenue Sharing programme from Friday, while existing participants would continue earning until September 7, 2026.
“Starting today, we’re no longer accepting new enrollments into Revenue Sharing,” it said.
According to the company, existing Revenue Sharing participants will receive three final payouts, with two scheduled for August 14 and August 28, while the final payment for earnings accrued through September 7 is expected around September 11.
X said existing Revenue Sharing participants would begin getting access to apply for the new programme from September 8, subject to meeting its eligibility requirements.
The first payout under the Original Content Rewards programme will be made on August 28, 2026, while existing Revenue Sharing creators who enrol in the new programme from September 8 will receive their first payment on September 25.
Under the new programme, eligible creators will earn from qualified impressions generated by their original content, with payments made every two weeks.
X defined qualified impressions as unique impressions from Premium users on the Home Timeline feed, where at least 50 per cent of a post is visible.
On the other hand, “The following are excluded from qualified impressions: impressions from the same account counted more than once per post; paid, promoted, or artificially generated impressions; and fraudulent impressions,” it said.
To qualify, creators must be at least 18 years old, live in a country where the programme is available, maintain an account in good standing and have either a personal or vusiness account.
They must also subscribe to X Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business, have at least 500 verified followers and record at least 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users within the previous 90 days.
X said creators must also regularly post original content to remain eligible.
“We want to recognize creators who break news, share expertise, tell stories, create entertainment, and contribute meaningful perspectives to the conversation,” the company said.
The platform said original content could include threads, videos, memes, graphics, illustrations, reporting, analysis, commentary and reactions that add meaningful value to existing conversations.
It said creators who use content produced by others would need to add meaningful commentary, context, analysis, humour or creative transformation for such posts to qualify.
“Building on existing conversations is a core part of X, but simply reposting someone else’s content is not enough,” it said.
X said minor edits such as cropping, filters, borders, watermarks, speed adjustments or simple text overlays would generally not qualify as meaningful transformation on their own.
It also warned that content copied or substantially reproduced from another creator, content downloaded and re-uploaded from X or another platform without being the original author’s, automated content, disinformation and misleading content would be ineligible.
The company said accounts that violate the programme’s requirements could be temporarily or permanently removed from it, depending on the severity of the violation.
It added that creators would be responsible for ensuring they had the necessary rights, permissions or licences to use content created by others.
“Original content is content you personally create that reflects your own voice, perspective, expertise, or creativity,” X said.
The company said the new programme was intended to reward creators who make the platform more valuable by bringing original ideas and perspectives to its conversations.
“The Original Content Rewards Program is designed to reward the creators who start them, shape them, and move them forward,” it said.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has introduced so-called Nigeria’s Certified Cloud Register, regulatory framework developed under the agency’s National Sovereign Cloud Initiative to determine which cloud providers are authorized to handle sensitive data, such as banking records.
In effect, from October, NITDA requires banks, fintech companies and other regulated organisations to source cloud infrastructure providers from a national register of certified firms approved to host sensitive financial and government data.
The Certified Cloud Register, is expected to strengthen data sovereignty, improve regulatory oversight and support the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) data localisation policy, which takes effect on January 1, 2027.
Under the framework, banks, fintechs, government institutions and other regulated entities will be able to verify whether cloud service providers, data centre operators, managed service providers and Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure companies have met NITDA’s certification requirements before entrusting them with critical digital workloads.
The initiative is expected to provide regulated institutions with a standardised process for selecting cloud infrastructure providers that satisfy Nigeria’s technical, security and regulatory requirements.
According to NITDA, the framework establishes “a common national standard, an independent assessment process and a public register of approved providers that banks, fintechs and government institutions can rely on when selecting cloud infrastructure partners.”
The register is expected to become a key compliance tool ahead of the CBN’s directive, which requires all payment transaction data generated within Nigeria to be stored and processed locally, effective from January 1, 2027.
The policy applies to deposit money banks, microfinance banks, mobile money operators, payment service providers, switching companies and other financial institutions.
The certification regime is also expected to reshape Nigeria’s cloud computing ecosystem, making regulatory approval a major requirement for cloud providers seeking to handle sensitive data for regulated industries.
Figures cited by NITDA showed that Nigeria’s 10 largest banks spent about N177.91 billion on information technology in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 31 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year.
A sizeable portion of the investment currently supports cloud infrastructure hosted outside Nigeria, a trend the new certification framework is expected to address by encouraging greater utilisation of compliant local infrastructure.
NITDA said the certification programme will apply the same technical and regulatory standards to indigenous cloud providers and international hyperscale operators, creating a level playing field for all companies seeking to provide cloud services to regulated sectors.
The agency also disclosed that more than 85 per cent of Nigerian businesses currently rely on cloud services, with the majority using infrastructure hosted outside the country.
It said the new framework is aimed at improving confidence in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure while promoting local capacity and enhancing oversight of critical national data.
Speaking on the objective of the initiative, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director-general of NITDA, said the programme is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy rather than exclude foreign technology companies.
According to him, the initiative is intended “to redefine the terms under which Nigeria participates in the global digital economy rather than isolate the country from international technology providers.”
The Certified Cloud Register forms part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to deepen digital trust, strengthen cybersecurity and ensure that critical financial and public sector data are managed in line with Nigeria’s evolving data governance and sovereignty objectives.
Affordable, Flexible Streaming Platforms May Kill PAYtv – Report
FG Suspends NAICOM’s N680m Insurance Recapitalisation Fees
FG Taps Indian, Chinese Technologies to Tackle $2.5Bn in Food Losses
MTN Nigeria Clocks 25, Connects over 90m People
Subscribers to Seek Legal Redress if Poor Quality of Service Continue in September
EFCC Busts NIS Visa Overstay Racket, Uncovers N700m in an Account
Fact-Check: Elon Musk’s “Tesla Pi Phone” is Internet Rumor
NBC Tasks Broadcasting Stations over 2028 DSO Global Deadline
NBC Scraps Annual Digital Access Fee on DSO
Glo Sponsored African Voices to Feature Netflix’s “The Polygamist” Stars
Telecom1 day agoMTN Alerts Subscribers over Fake 25GB Anniversary MTN Data Giveaway
E-Business1 day agoX Replaces Revenue Sharing wit New Creator Rewards Programme
E-Financial1 day agoInterswitch, Temenos Commit to Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Banking Technology
General News1 day agoFake Agency: ICPC Indicts NITDA, Others over Inadequate Due Diligence
E-Financial1 day agoFG Spent N3.1 Trillion on Domestic Debt Servicing in Q1- DMO
General News1 day agoUNESCO Taps Oguamanam,Nigerian Scholar to Advisory Body on Science, Tech Ethics
General News1 day agoTax Reform Built on Taxing Prosperity, Not Poverty– Adedeji
Broadcasting1 day agoAwba-Ofemili Unveils 2026 Health Campaign, Offers Free Medical Screening