MTN support MFIs financial inclusion push

In a bid to enhance the operations of Nigeria’s Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), helping them reach out better to the country’s unbanked and financially underserved population, MTN Business, the business-to-business unit of MTN Nigeria, is urging MFIs to embrace cost-effective and operationally efficient solutions in the management of their businesses. This was the focus of a recently held forum, organised in Lagos by MTN Business, with the theme: MTN XaaS – Helping MFIs Drive Financial Inclusion. Speaking at the forum, Tsola Barrow, the acting chief enterprise solutions officer, MTN Nigeria, said that technology “has become a key differentiator and enabler for businesses.” This explains why the MTN XaaS: Micro-Banking Software-as-a-Service solution was introduced to take the operations of MFIs to another level.

The idea was to provide a highly secure, cloud-based solution that, by design, could be implemented within a short time without licensing or setup costs. “MTN Business is committed to delivering value and driving business growth in Nigeria through tailor-made, productivity-enhancing solutions. We also recognise that microfinance banks provide a huge funding platform for SMEs. Thus, enhancing the service delivery of these banks makes access to funds easier for SMEs, ultimately impacting positively on the economy,” further added Barrow, who was represented by Olutayo Egunjobi, senior manager, enterprise marketing. Furthermore, Bode Ajayi, managing director of MBA Microfinance Bank Limited, described MTN XaaS as very fast and as the best of all the software solutions he had used till date.

He added that the solution provided remote access and authorisation to carry out transactions from anywhere via a secure private or public connection. “I really feel good knowing that I can login from anywhere in the world and query transactions being done in Nigeria. It gives me a sense of control and authority,” he affirmed. MTN XaaS was launched in 2012, in collaboration with Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) Plc. It offers a range of cloud-based services designed to provide server, software, storage and security benefits over a secure internet connection without any of the associated Information Technology (IT) infrastructure costs. With this Solution, MFIs can avoid tying down huge capital in expensive Information Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure since the service is offered on a subscription model.

In addition, MTN XaaS provides standard banking applications in the form of Core Modules and Value Added Services that include: Customer Services, Credit Risk Management, Fixed Deposit, Cheque Book Management, Cheque Clearing, Authorisation, Interests and Charges, Fixed Asset Depreciation, Reports and Electronic Financial Analysis Surveillance System (EFASS).

Ericsson enables better time-shifted TV experience via cloud

…New platform reduce cost and complexity in consumer homes

By the year 2020, time spent watching on-demand and time-shifted content will have reached 50:50 parity with linear and live Television (TV), according to Ericsson’s Media Vision 2020 research. As the trend for time-shifted viewing combines with ‘anywhere access’, TV service providers must ensure their service offerings keep pace by giving consumers control to record and watch live TV content anytime, on any device. In response to this change in viewing behavior, the Swedish based telecomms equipment maker, has launched its cloud DVR (Digital Video Recorder) solution, applicable to all QAM and IP-based TV platforms. This crucial consumer application is powered by the Ericsson Video Storage and Processing Platform, a high performance, software-based infrastructure. Ericsson’s new platform offers a unique, proven infrastructure, which allows for seamless augmentation and replacement of legacy TV services with new cloud-based services.

It integrates and virtualizes the storage and processing capabilities of as many Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) servers as needed, providing outstanding performance gains and allowing operators to avoid many of the complexities and costs associated with launching new services. Ove Anebygd, vice president and head of solution area media, Ericsson, said: “Today’s viewers are more prescriptive than ever. They want simplicity in discovery and immediacy of access to TV Anywhere services, and content delivered in the highest possible quality. They require the flexibility and speed to connect to huge libraries of content, and the ability to record and watch live and linear content whenever they choose. Providing these features can be expensive and many legacy infrastructures simply do not have the functionality to do it.

“Our customers need the most advanced cloud-centric solutions to drive functions from the home into the cloud, and to enable service differentiation and new efficiencies. Our new cloud DVR solution places us at the forefront of technology capability and performance, with proven deployments at the most demanding customer sites, totaling over 150 petabytes of storage capacity”. In addition to powering the most proven-at-scale cloud DVR deployments, the Ericsson Video Storage and Processing Platform also enables multiple video storage and video processing applications that include:

Master video library, which scale -out storage providing the ability to ingest, process and ubiquitously stream master or “gold copies’ of licensed content.

Long tail server is another critical application. It allows operators to store and deliver less popular, content directly from a large, central storage vault, eliminating the need to replicate entire libraries at the edge of the network.

Ben Uzor