ITU has deployed emergency telecommunication equipment in Nepal following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the country on 25 April 2015. The emergency equipment includes 35 satellite mobile phones and 10 satellite Broadband Global Area Network terminals along with solar panels and laptops to support relief coordination efforts. “I would like to express my deepest condolences to the people and the Government of Nepal following loss of life even as the toll continues to rise and widespread devastation across the country,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “The emergency communication equipment sent by ITU will help restore vital communication links that are essential to coordinate relief and rescue efforts.” “Emergency telecommunications play a critical role in the immediate aftermath of disasters,” said Mr Brahima Sanou, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. “They ensure timely flow of information that is much needed by government agencies and other humanitarian actors involved in rescue operations.” According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), initial government reports confirm that 30 out of 75 districts in the country have been affected in the Western and Central Regions, including Kathmandu Valley. This includes mountainous and hilly terrain in areas where rural populations are widely dispersed as well as some very densely populated cities – the greater Kathmandu area, Bhaktapur and Pokhara. At the Third UN Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan, ITU addressed the importance of linking information and communication technologies to disaster risk reduction. ITU considers emergency telecommunications an integral part of the post-2015 development agenda.

County Governments fail to make it to OLX SOMA Awards 2015….Twitter eyes higher revenue with ads service for Kenya… Kenneth Oyolla, former Microsoft exec, now Kisumu County roving ambassador….. Netherlands Trust Fund phase III beneficiary company wins WVEF Tech Challenge 2015…and much more.

Twitter eyes higher revenue with ads service for Kenya

US social media website Twitter has set its eyes on Kenya’s businesses in a bid to boost its revenue by opening a platform for sponsored tweets. The self-service ads platform are now open to Kenyan businesses and over 200 other markets globally.

Kenneth Oyolla, former Microsoft exec, now Kisumu County roving ambassador

Kenneth Oyolla, who was until February this year the Global Head of Marketing Activation at Microsoft (formerly Nokia), has been appointed a roving Ambassador of Kisumu County by Gov Jack Ranguma. The announcement was made recently Gov Ranguma when he unveiled the economic blueprint that is set to transform Kisumu from a poor urban setting to a world class city beginning from the Financial Year 2015/2016.The ceremony was held at the MV Uhuru Pier and attended by investors and guests from within and outside the county.

Netherlands Trust Fund phase III beneficiary company wins WVEF Tech Challenge 2015

Greenbell Communications Ltd, a Kenyan Digital Marketing Agency which provides creative website solutions from creative website design, Intranets, to online marketing strategies and lead generation has won in this year’s joint ITC, Google, and CI&T WVEF Tech Challenge in addition to other web developers from Brazil, Costa Rica and Thailand. The announcement was made during the closing ceremony at the Women Vendors Exhibition and Forum (WEVF), held in São Paulo, Brazil, in partnership with Apex-Brasil.

Africa’s largest Solar Carport to open at Garden City mall in a week’s time

Africa’s largest solar carport is set to be opened at Garden City mall, a year down the line since its construction started. According to Solarcentury, the company behind the construction, they have used the dual-mode technology which is a highly innovative energy solution that provides solar energy in the daytime meaning less is used from the grid; and when the grid is down, the system also reduces the consumption of costly diesel back up. Essentially, the system is able to operate in either mode.

County Governments fail to make it to OLX SOMA Awards 2015

County governments have failed to make it to this year’s Olx Social Media Awards (SOMA 2015) list of nominees released today. OLX Social Media Awards director, Mr. Martin Muli, says county governments have continued to perform poorly in the digital space hence the decision to leave them out.

Asus to launch new PC in Kenya at Christmas time

Asus announced that they would be introducing the new Transformer T100 HA model PC, in December during the Christmas period. The Transformer T100 HA, which falls under the Asus Transformer family, is an improvement of the Transformer T100 TAF model-with slight improvements.