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Top ICT Predictions for 2013
As we move into a new year, we asked the top executives of five global ICT companies what they see as the three strongest industry trends in 2013.
Their answers are concise and all pointed to a promising yet potentially technology disruptive year.
“True mobility trend in the workplace”
1. True mobility trend. We are going through a radical shift in the way people work and use computers. Increasing availability and affordability of wireless broadband is giving the global workforce true mobility, for the first time in history.
Many of them will use mobile rugged computers for their everyday computing and communication needs, instead of traditional laptops.
2. A renewed focus on ‘total cost of ownership’ of mobile computers.
Higher productivity, increased labor costs and a strong trend towards true mobility in the work place are all factors that have put the spotlight firmly on ‘total costs of ownership’ for computers and devices.
Organizations will have to start spending more on durable and reliable mobile computers rather than looking for bargains, if they want to avoid losing valuable productive time.
3. The emergence of Android as a valid operating system choice for mobile devices for enterprises. Android has taken the smartphone market by storm since its inception and is now maturing into a real valid option for enterprises, and is challenging Microsoft’s market leadership.
Jerker Hellström, CEO, Handheld Group
Jerker Hellström is a pioneer and industry veteran in the mobile rugged computer industry. In both entrepreneurial and managerial positions, he has 25 years of experience from developing, designing, manufacturing and marketing rugged computers globally.
“Smarter mobile infrastructure”
1. Smarter mobile infrastructure. Mobile operators are being squeezed by decreasing revenues per user, and a seemingly insatiable demand by users for more data. To efficiently manage the rapidly growing increase in data traffic in their networks, mobile operators need to build and improve their infrastructure in a much smarter way.
2. A new focus on antennas for base stations. Base stations antennas, long regarded as a cheap commodity, will get a revival with so-called ultra high-efficiency antennas. They can achieve a higher signal strength, increase in area coverage, improved indoor penetration, increased traffic, improved data throughput and reduced production costs per call.
3. A quest to reduce signal wasteage. For the same reason, mobile operators will look for ways to deal with suboptimal transmission and to find solutions that do not “waste” the signal on areas outside their focus area, and that block all interference.
Einar Ahlström, CEO, Cellmax Technologies
CellMax Technologies develops and markets ultra-high efficiency base station antennas for mobile networks. It is one of Sweden and Europe’s fastest growing technology companies.
“Fixed-mobile divergence”
1. Fixed-mobile divergence is here to stay. Fixed-mobile convergence, a previously popular trend towards seamless connectivity between fixed and wireless telecommunications networks, will come to an end. Consumers and enterprises have started to display completely disparate behaviors, needs and payment patterns when compared to what can be offered over fixed and mobile access.
There is only one solution to this demand, and that is to give all consumers and enterprises access to fiber or vectoring. LTE and obsolete technologies will not cut it.
2. Sharing of networks. In order to meet the future demands of consumers and enterprises efficiently, service providers will start to more readily share the same networks, either because of the capital needed to invest in the equipment or because it suits local competition conditions and regulations.
2. Focus on advanced Operations Support Systems (OSS). It is not enough to lay fibre alone or upgrade to vectoring – an environment is also required in which multiple service providers can thrive and reach the customers simply and easily.
Advanced operations support systems are needed to provide support for automated service fulfilment and service assurance not only within an operator but more importantly between operators.
These three fundamental is the key for understanding the success of true broadband services today and in the future.
Torbjorn Sandberg, CEO, Netadmin Systems
Torbjörn Sandberg has more than 15 years of experience from leading positions in the data and telecom industry.
Netadmin Systems is the market leader in OSS systems in the Nordics.
“Green telecom trend”
Green telecom trend. Mobile operators will start making their operations more environmentally friendly.
Powering base stations in developing countries with dirty diesel fuel is not good for the brand – nor the bottom line.
– A quest to serve the “Next Billion” mobile customers. They are mainly in emerging markets, with low average revenue per user and non-existent or bad access to the grid, so focus will be on keeping operating expenses low., e.g. by powering base stations with energy efficient systems and renewables.
– The global data boom will force mobile operators to evaluate their business models. Focus will be on lower operating expenses and taking a step wise approach to investments.
Operators cannot easily raise prices for data or predict traffic flows and new services provided.
David King, CEO, Flexenclosure
David King is CEO of Flexenclosure, a specialist developer of intelligent power management systems and pre-fabricated data centres for the telecom industry.
Mr. King is an international executive with decade-long experience in C-level roles in high-tech companies in both Europe and the U.S.
“Mobile devices overtake desktops”
1. A shift to a device-driven and faster Internet. By 2014, mobile Internet usage is expected to exceed desktop Internet usage.
That means that in 2013 developers and marketers will be hard at work fine-tuning their mobile apps and websites to capitalize on this audience. Application testing tools will evolve to support any type of device with dynamic HTML versus device-specific code. Special protocols like WebSocket and SPDY will become mainstream.
2. Internet backup. Companies utilizing hybrid cloud solutions will realize that they need to have a reliable and redundant network connection to the Internet not only from their main headquarters but from every local branch of the office.
3. The ‘social’ DDoS attack. Social media has brought a new level of risk to IT departments as a new type of DDoS attack emerges.
Now, in addition to traditional hacking, websites need to be aware of social mediadriven “attacks” that can change traffic levels to 10 Gb/s, 100 Gb/s, or more from real users.
Regardless of whether the attack is a malicious hack or a Facebook post or organized tweet, very few enterprise infrastructures can handle this load.
Normal DDoS protection will not work. Organizations will safeguard themselves by ensuring their sites can absorb the load in a true cloud fashion (scaling to 10 or 100 times the load) and by having a well-organized and tested plan of action.
Sven Hammar, CEO, Apica
Apica is a leading provider of load testing and performance monitoring solutions that test, monitor and optimize cloud and mobile applications.
Peter Karaszi is an IT professional and writer
Glovo, a multi-category tech company, has announced its integration into the generative AI ecosystem with the launch of its “Shopping Assistant” for ChatGPT and Claude. Users can now discover retail products, compare prices, and seamlessly order any item using natural conversational language with the AI systems.
The Glovo experience inside such platforms introduces a conversational commerce model that shifts from a search-based web to an intent-based web. Rather than navigating traditional app menus and filters, users can express needs, such as asking for a “last-minute gift for a coffee lover under ₦50,000”, and the assistant handles semantic search, location validation, and product curation.
A Seamless, Concierge-Like Experience
Once both platforms have been connected through either ChatGPT or Claude apps, the user will be able to have a multi-turn dialogue where the assistant remembers context and constraints, such as budget caps. Users receive a visual carousel of up to five highly customised product options available at local stores. Each product displays its image, name, store details and ratings, and price. While the search and discovery experience takes place directly on the Generative AI platforms, selecting a product via the “view on Glovo” button takes the user to the Glovo mobile or web app, where the payment and final purchase are exclusively completed.
Strategic Focus on Retail and Growth
Glovo is prioritising the retail and grocery sectors for this initial launch, capturing the established habit of using AI for product research. Generative AI has driven a significant jump in retail traffic globally, so this first-mover advantage aims to meet customers where they are meeting Gen AI daily, and ensure it captures high-intent organic traffic as search behaviours evolve.
“We’re always looking for ways to meet our customers where they already are. Being available on Claude and ChatGPT means people can discover what Glovo has to offer as part of a natural conversation, with no friction. Glovo has always been about being the everyday app that provides choice and convenience, and this is another step in that direction”, said Shiro Theuri, Chief Technology Officer at Glovo.
How to look for products in the Glovo app through ChatGPT or Claude
- The user must sync ChatGPT or Claude with the Glovo app with the plug-in.
- Once synced, the user must type in @glovo followed by their request.
- The AI platform displays a carousel with 5 available options for the user.
- If the user wants to purchase any of the products or continue searching within the Glovo app, they must click “View on Glovo”, which will redirect the user to the Glovo app or website.
- After the order is confirmed, the store will prepare the item(s) and the courier will head up to the pick-up location. The user will receive the order in minutes.
Southeast Asia cybercrime networks are expanding operations into Africa as crackdowns intensify in the subregion, according to a recent report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The massive, unintended geographic shift triggered by intense pressure from international task forces in Myanmar and Cambodia,have seen highly sophisticated criminal networks now establishing footholds in major tech hubs across Kenya and Nigeria, transforming local technical talent into accomplices for industrial-scale digital theft as reported by https://streamlinefeed.co.ke/
This strategic migration represents a critical evolution in the $17 billion crypto scam economy.
Transnational scam syndicates are organized criminal networks that run industrial-scale online fraud using trapped or trafficked labor.
The UNODC has documented this diversification, noting that African nations are increasingly targeted as operational bases due to robust internet infrastructure and a surplus of unemployed tech workers.
In response, local authorities are engaged in a frantic game of catch-up against well-funded foreign cartels.
Recall that in 2025, UNODC, described the shift as part of a broader trend in which crime “spreads like a cancer,” into regions with weaker enforcement and limited digital safeguards.
The report pointed to the rapid proliferation of online fraud operations, including cryptocurrency scams and phishing schemes, moving from countries like Myanmar and Cambodia into new footholds in Africa—particularly Nigeria.
A recent case publicized June 12, 2025 by the WeChat public account West Africa Chinese Voice illustrates the trend: Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested 177 Chinese nationals in Lagos and Abuja between December 2024 and January 2025.
The suspects were allegedly running scam centers under the guise of corporate offices, where local Nigerians were trained to carry out online investment frauds—many following the “pig-butchering” model, which builds trust with victims before luring them into fraudulent crypto investments.
Authorities seized hundreds of SIM cards, high-performance computers, and prewritten scam scripts during the raids
Ugochukwu Eze, a 47 year-old man, was on Thursday arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly hacking into the server of SunTrust Bank to steal a total of N800m.
Ugochukwu also known as Amazon, was arraigned before the court by the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS).
DSS accused Ugochukwu of fraudulently hacking into the server of SunTrust Bank to remove and divert the sum of N800 million into several accounts in other financial institutions.
M. Bajela,prosecuting counsel, DSS, in the charges filed before the court alleged that the defendant and others now at large, between 2023 and 2026, conspired among themselves and unlawfully and seriously hindered the function of Suntrust Bank Plc’s computer system server and in the process fraudulently diverted over N800 million belonging to the bank.
Ugochukwu was also accused of concealing and transferring various sums of money traced to the unlawful cyber-attacks to some account in some financial institutions.
The offences alleged to have been committed by the defendant according to the prosecutor contravened sections 5; 6(1) and 8 of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2024. And Sections 10, 20 and 18(2)(D) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
Based on his plea of not guilty, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date, and prayed the court to remand the defendant in the facility of the correctional services pending the time trial will commence.
However, E. Afrogha, defendant’s lawyer, told the court that she has filed her client’s bail application. adding that her client has been in the DSS custody for over a month.
But the prosecution counsel told the court that he has not been served with the bail application, not withstanding that his witnesses are available.
Based on the counsels’ submissions, Justice Friday Ogazi, presiding judge, adjourned the matter to August 24,2026 for hearing of the bail application.
The judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) pending the hearing of the bail application.
One of the counts against the defendant reads: “That you UGOCHUKWU EZE (AKA AMAZON) (M) (47 YEARS) sometime between 2023 and 2026 in Lagos, and other places within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, unlawfully seriously hindered the function of SunTrust Bank Plc’s computer system, and in the process fraudulently diverted over N800, 000,000.00 (Eight Hundred Million Naira) belonging to the said SunTrust Bank thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 8 of the cybercrime (prohibition, prevention etc.) Act, 2024.”
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