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Zoho Unveils Early Access to CRM for Everyone, Zoho Apptic & Catalyst

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Zoho Corporation, a leading global technology company, today announced early access to Zoho CRM for Everyone, a new set of industry-first capabilities aimed at democratising CRM to all teams involved in customer operations activities.

The company also unveiled significant enhancements to its offerings for professional developers and app development teams. These include early access to new services within Catalyst, the company’s pro-code full-stack development platform, and the general availability of Zoho Apptics, an application analytics solution that enables developers to track the in-app usage and performance of applications built on iOS, macOS, Android, and other platforms.

“Businesses are looking for unified solutions that help them optimise for value, maximise their competitive advantages, and tap into new market opportunities amid tough economic conditions,” said Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria. “At Zoho, we’re focused on continuously deepening our current offerings and expanding others to serve business needs. Zoho CRM for Everyone, for instance, is the first true democratisation of the CRM paradigm and helps unify all customer operations teams onto the CRM to deliver better customer experiences. Likewise, the upgraded Catalyst and the privacy-focused Apptics solution work hand-in-hand to deliver an unmatched developer experience from concept to code, and deployment to analytics.”

Zoho CRM for Everyone

Zoho CRM is one of the top selling products in Nigeria. The product recorded a  60% YoY growth in 2023 in the country.

Zoho CRM for Everyone allows sales teams, the primary custodian of customer relationships, to communicate and coordinate with other customer-facing teams from a single place—the CRM application—instead of holding fragmented discussions. It enables account managers, for example, to pull in a solutions engineer to coordinate a product demonstration for a customer. A marketer can perform win-loss analysis for specific deals. A community specialist can manage advocacy engagements like case studies. They may all use different core applications for deep work but can now converge on the CRM for managing shared responsibilities towards the customer.

Besides opening up CRM access cross-functionally, Zoho CRM for Everyone also empowers every team to manage their own workflows autonomously within the corporate IT framework. The new capabilities stand to improve visibility for every stakeholder in the customer journey, mitigate gaps in coordination, reduce turnaround time, and improve the quality of the customer experience.

To make CRM for Everyone possible, the following capabilities have come together in Zoho CRM:

● Team Modules and Requesters: Under team modules, business teams can create their own team-level data modules (in addition to organisation-level modules) by themselves while being governed by IT teams. Requesters is a new user profile in Zoho CRM that allows a team member to raise a request for colleagues in different teams and track the request status.
● Refreshed User Experience: To enable this fundamental shift in usage, the interface of Zoho CRM has been redesigned for better usability across roles and functions. With this release, Zoho CRM is also making a major stride in accessibility with capabilities covering areas like vision, motor activity, and interactions.

New Custom App Development Capabilities in Catalyst

Building custom solutions out of a disparate mix of tools has consistently been a source of frustration for developers. Catalyst unifies pro-code development efforts and streamlines the entire lifecycle by abstracting away complexities, providing pre-built components, and offering a comprehensive suite of developer tools.

Catalyst’s newest offerings, available under early access, expand on developer logic, design, and delivery:

● Signals: Routes events from sources like Zoho services, third-party sources, or custom applications to handlers (like Catalyst Functions, Circuits, etc.) using topics and subscriptions.
● NoSQL Database: Allows users to store structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data while supporting diverse data types and scaling dynamically with high performance.
● Slate: A fully managed frontend platform that lets developers easily build highly customised interfaces that leverage frameworks such as React.js, Next.js, Sveltekit, etc.
● CI/CD Pipeline: Automates tests and builds for continuous delivery pipelines, streamlining development workflows for faster time-to-market.

Catalyst seamlessly integrates with the Zoho ecosystem and third-party applications, enabling developers to leverage existing infrastructure and data sources. The platform stands out with its transparent and cost-effective pricing model, empowering organisations of all sizes by eliminating hidden fees and offering predictable, scalable pricing.

Privacy-Friendly Application Analytics:

Zoho Apptics delivers an extensive digital analytics platform designed for every stakeholder involved in application development and management. The solution consolidates analytics across app usage, performance, user engagement, and growth metrics into a centralised console, then synthesises these multifaceted data streams into actionable insights presented visually in dashboards and reports.

This unified view empowers organisations to make informed decisions, optimise app experiences, drive user engagement, and fuel sustainable growth throughout the application lifecycle. Apptics provides multi-platform analytics support, covering Android, iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, iPadOS, Windows, React Native, Flutter, and Unity, with web analytics capabilities coming soon.

Apptics stands out by offering a unique capability to prompt Android and iOS users for app ratings and updates directly from the Apptics console. Integrated app store reviews management helps in streamlining the process of analysing user sentiment. Additionally, Zoho Apptics prioritises data privacy and security, exceeding industry best practices and regulatory compliance standards. User information is safeguarded behind encryption and access controls, ensuring analytics insights are leveraged responsibly without compromising individual privacy.

Pricing and Availability  

Starting today, early access to Zoho CRM for Everyone is available upon request for Zoho customers worldwide. Zoho will be releasing additional capabilities to CRM for Everyone over several weeks during the early access phase.

Catalyst offers a generous Free Tier that renews monthly, alongside options for a pay-as-you-go model and subscription-based pricing. The new features are now available for early access, and interested users can sign up by visiting Zoho’s Catalyst page. Apptics is globally available now and offers a free plan and a pro plan starting at NGN18600 per month, when billed annually.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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TD Africa Secures AI ISO Certifications

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TD Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading technology distributor, has once again raised the bar for the continent’s digital transformation journey by attaining the ISO 42001 (Artificial Intelligence Management Systems) and ISO 27701 (Privacy Information Management Systems) certifications.

These globally recognized certifications, which set the highest benchmarks for responsible AI deployment and data privacy, position TD Africa as a pioneer in preparing Africa for an AI-powered future.

Speaking on the milestone, Mrs. Chioma Ekeh, CEO of TD Africa, stated: “These certifications are not just badges of compliance; they reflect our deep commitment to building Africa’s digital resilience with trust, governance, and accountability at the core. At TD Africa, we believe Africa must not remain a passive consumer of global innovation but must actively shape and co-create solutions that reflect our unique realities. From financial inclusion to agriculture, healthcare, and digital governance, AI presents limitless opportunities—our role is to ensure Africa is prepared to harness them responsibly.”

ISO 42001 provides the world’s first governance framework for the ethical and transparent deployment of artificial intelligence, ensuring solutions align with human values and global best practices. On the other hand, ISO 27701 guarantees that TD Africa manages personal data with unmatched integrity and security. This is an essential pillar in a time where data privacy is increasingly under threat.

For nearly three decades, TD Africa has anticipated and shaped the future of technology on the continent, not by chasing trends, but by building enduring structures. Beyond its certifications, the company has invested in world-class infrastructure, resilient distribution systems across 47 African countries, and a thriving technology ecosystem. Its TecHerdemy program has empowered over 400 women in technology, further cementing its position as a catalyst for inclusive digital growth.

With trusted partnerships with global technology leaders, TD Africa has consistently delivered on its promise to bridge global innovation with African realities. The attainment of these ISO certifications reinforces its ability to responsibly distribute and support advanced AI technologies across its vast network of resellers.

As the world prepares for the dawn of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) with breakthroughs such as GPT-5, TD Africa is ensuring that Africa is not left behind. The certifications demonstrate the company’s readiness to give Africa not just access to innovation, but the muscle, discipline, and confidence to use it sustainably.

“This achievement is not just about TD Africa,” Mrs. Ekeh added. “It is a milestone for Africa. The global AI conversation cannot be left to Silicon Valley or Beijing alone. Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Kigali, and Johannesburg must also have a strong voice. And TD Africa is proud to amplify that voice. We are no longer waiting for tomorrow to happen; we are preparing tomorrow, today.”

With this bold move, TD Africa has reaffirmed its legacy of leadership in technology distribution, while signaling a new era where Africa plays a decisive role in the global digital renaissance.


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Data Is Life: Why MTN Wants You to Get Smarter with Your Data

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Ugonwa Nwoye, MTN’s Chief Customer Relations and Experience Officer,
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If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s this: life today runs on data. From morning Instagram scrolls to Zoom classes and late-night Netflix binges, we’re constantly plugged in, streaming, scrolling, and sharing. But if you’ve ever wondered, “Why does my data finish so fast?” or seen that dreaded low-balance pop-up just when you need it most, you’re not alone.

At MTN’s Customer Engagement Day 2025, Ugonwa Nwoye, MTN’s Chief Customer Relations and Experience Officer, addressed this reality in a way that felt both practical and deeply relatable. She spoke about how essential data has become, calling it the lifeblood of modern living. “If you don’t have data in today’s world, you feel cut off. Isolated. That’s how important connectivity is,” she said, capturing how many of us feel when we’re disconnected even for a moment.

Her words struck a chord, especially as she shared candidly about her own experiences. She reminded everyone that many apps continue to run in the background, consuming data without our knowledge, and how video-heavy habits, such as endless TikTok reels or video calls, can quickly drain data bundles.

But the heart of Ugonwa’s message wasn’t just about the challenges; it was about empowerment. She emphasised that MTN’s goal is not simply to sell data but to help customers use it better. She explained how MTN is equipping people with the tools they already have on their phones to track usage, teaching simple ways to control consumption and sharing practical tips for managing apps more effectively. “We’re not just telling you your data is finished,” she said. “We want you to know how it was used and how to make it last longer. It’s about giving you control.”

What stood out most was her willingness to listen. Throughout the session, she engaged directly with real complaints and questions from the audience, from why smaller bundles seem to finish faster, to teachers who spend entire days on Zoom, to concerns about coverage in certain areas. Ugonwa addressed each one, acknowledging frustrations and committing to follow up. “We hear you. From data issues to service gaps, we’re taking notes and acting. Your hustle is important to us, and our job is to enable it,” she reassured the room.

Her approach made it clear that MTN isn’t shying away from customer concerns but leaning into them. In a world where data has become as necessary as food and water, Ugonwa’s session felt like a much-needed reminder that while technology connects us, what really matters is how well it serves the people who rely on it every day. As she closed, the message was simple but powerful: MTN sees you, it hears you, and it is working to make sure your digital life is not just connected but smarter and more empowering.


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Paradigm Initiative Equips Prosecutors for the Digital Age of Crime

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Paradigm Initiative is organising a capacity-building workshop to empower government prosecutors to prosecute cases committed through or facilitated by digital technologies, specifically examining new Artificial Intelligence (AI) trends in alignment with constitutional provisions and international human rights standards.

The two-day workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, is being held under the theme, “Prosecution in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” It is organised by Paradigm Initiative with support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the Stemming the Tide of Abuse in Nigeria’s Digital Space (STANDS) Project. Drawing from new trends in the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital systems into public administration and criminal investigations, it aims to find a balance through deep examination and understanding of how these technologies function, the new risks they pose, and the necessary safeguards to ensure that citizens’ fundamental rights remain protected.

This workshop comes at a crucial time, as criminal procedure laws have yet to fully catch up with the realities of the digital age and the evolving ways in which offences are committed. Increasingly, digital platforms are weaponised against victims, violating their privacy and exposing them to harm. With emerging technologies, these threats are becoming more sophisticated, placing mounting pressure on prosecutors to deliver results.

Speaking at the workshop’s opening, Khadijah El-Usman, Paradigm Initiative’s Senior Programmes Officer for Anglophone West Africa and lead on the workshop, highlighted that failure to build this capacity now risks widening the gap between the speed of technological change and the legal system’s ability to respond. This could lead to ill-equipped prosecutors, unintended violations of rights during investigations, and a further loss of public trust in the justice system.

She added, “By investing in targeted training, we can ensure prosecutors are not only keeping pace with emerging threats but are also positioned to advocate for evolving laws in the space.”

In his remarks, the deputy ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Embassy to Nigeria, Robert Sonnemans, praised the way in which Nigeria is embracing the digital age and the opportunities that come with it. “Artificial intelligence is a clear example of both promise and risk, holding immense potential to strengthen investigations and improve access to justice, but also pressing questions on how to ensure fairness and prevent bias or misuse.

The Deputy Director, Department of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Barrister Ali Baba Rijaiu, urged participants to embrace the training, in his words, “the work we do shapes the trust of citizens in the justice system. If we rise to the demand of this digital age, we will not only defeat crime, we will also safeguard freedom and show that justice in Nigeria is not left behind by technology but strengthened by it.”


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