The AfricaCom Awards continues to grow in strength and significance. According to Adam Thompson, Head of Content at Com World Series, the 2015 applications were many and of an extremely high standard, and reinforced the importance of the Awards as a showcase for innovation within the telecoms and ICT sector across Africa.
The winners will be announced at the eagerly anticipated AfricaCom Awards event, always a highlight on the AfricaCom agenda, which this year takes place on 18th November.
The shortlisted contenders for the various categories in 2015 are:
Best Network Improvement
Airtel – NW Modernization Airtel Kenya
Botswana Fibre Networks – Best Network Improvement
Huawei Technologies – Huawei’s Lampsite Solution in Kenya
Liquid Telecom – Liquid Telecom Kenya – Nairobi metropolitan network
Millicom Ghana Limited – Best Network Improvement
World Telecom Labs – ICN and World Telecom Labs – increasing capacity in Nigeria
Excellence in Customer Experience Management
First National Bank – FNB Connect
Mahindra Comviva – Real-time Analytics of Customer Experience (RACE)
MODE – Advanced Credit Services
Orange – Vocal Emergency Credit
Safaricom – Voice of the Customer
Etisalat – 24/7 HELP LINE/SUPPORT
Breakthrough LTE Development
Ericsson – Ericsson LTE roll out
Huawei Technologies – Huawei’s eLTE Solution for Kenya
PCCW – high-performance IPX-enabled networks
Safaricom – LTE
Telkom SA SOC Ltd – LTE and LTE-A
Vodacom South Africa and Nokia Networks – Voice over LTE Service
Best Cost Efficiency Solution for Africa
CSG – International Managed Services
Huawei Technologies – MTN wireless Managed Service project
PCCW – Keeping African international voice traffic in Africa
Sigma Solutions Inc – OmniCare – a suite of telecom software solutions
ZTE – Cloud Radio
Best Connectivity Solution for Africa
Internet Solutions – CloudConnect
Liquid Telecom – 100Mbps FTTH “Fibroniks” Service
MTN SA – fibre to the home or FTTH
Orange – Always Connected Services
Polystar – Polystar Network Insight and Customer Insight Solutions
Project Isizwe – Tshwane Free WiFi project
VSAT Innovation for Africa
Liquid Telecom – Double VSAT Service
Orange – VPN VSAT Services_Orange Business Services
Vodacom DRC – Rural Coverage System
Isatafric – SkySat
Best Marketing Campaign
BigTime – Revenue Booster Campaign Suite
Millicom Ghana Limited – Best Marketing Campaign
MTN SA – MTN Sky “Win a Plane” Competition
Orange – Orange Money – Member get Member
Unitel – Kisom
Best Mobile Money Service
Airtel – Airtel Money
Ericsson – Ericsson Wallet Platform
Jumo – Access
Millicom Ghana Limited – Mobile Money
Millicom Tchad – TigoCash Paare
Orange – Orange Money – Kuma & Cash voucher PAM
Panamax Inc. – MobiFin
Safaricom – KCB M-PESA Account
WorldRemit – Pioneering safer, lower cost remittances for the African diaspora
Best App for Africa
AIM – EKYC Platform
mVentus – mVentus Self-Care app
Orange – Orange Radio
Project Isizwe – Tshwane WiFi Voice Mobile App
Unitel – Kisom
Vodacom – My Vodacom App
Best Device for Africa
Huawei Technologies – Huawei P8
MTN SA – Steppa
Orange – Orange Klif
Most Innovative Service
Airtel – Airtel Tanzania Micro Loan
EdgePoint – bimaAFYA : A Mobile Micro Health Insurance
Ericsson – Smart buses service
First National Bank – FNB Connect
PCCW – OnTap.TV
Project Isizwe (Tshwane Free WiFi Project) – WiFi TV
Trace Group – Trace Mobile
Vumatel – Fibre to the home
Best Pan-African Initiative
ISON BPO – Best Pan – African Initiative
Liquid Telecom – 100Mbps FTTH “Fibroniks” Service
Orange – STOP EBOLA INITIATIVE_Most Operators
Trace TV – Trace Music Star
Changing Lives Award
Ericsson and MTN Benin – Eco Management
GoMetro – GoMapp/GoMetro Pro
ISON BPO – BPO Services, IP to Work
Liquid Telecom – Office of the President (Kenya) and Liquid Telecom – free WiFi in Nakuru County
Millicom Ghana Limited – Changing Lives
Mindset Network – Ukusiza Project
Orange – Mobile Health Services
The Apprentice Valley – Xenophobia citizen tool
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group, Speaking Books – The Speaking Book
WIOCC – Improved connectivity transforming Somalia
The AfricaCom Awards 2015 Judges
Thecla Mbongue, Senior Analyst MEA, ITM
Thecla is a Senior Analyst within Informa Telecoms & Media’s Industry Research division and is a key contributor to Informa’s World Cellular Information Service.
In her role, Thecla is responsible for researching the telecoms industry in sub-Saharan Africa. Thecla also manages World cellular Data Metrics, in which Informa tracks mobile data usage and up-take, including SMS and MMS traffic volumes, mobile data subscriber information, MMSC contract awards, mobile data deployments and non-voice revenues. She is a key contributor to many of Informa’s reports such as the CDMA-450, HSPA or Multiple-SIM insights.
A native French speaker, Thecla is a regular speaker and moderator at international conferences in Africa and is often quoted in the regional and global business press.
Russell Southwood, Chief Executive, Balancing Act
Russell Southwood is the Chief Executive, Balancing Act, a consultancy and online publishing company specialising in telecoms, Internet and broadcasting in Africa. His consultancy work has included: an assessment of two different sectors in the TV market in Africa; an assessment of the transition to digital broadcasting in over 20 African countries; an appraisal of an investment in a wireless broadband operator; and a study on Open Access models. He is also the co-author of Balancing Act’s African Broadcast and Film Markets and African Satellite Markets.
Prakash Patel, Chief Strategy Officer for Fogg Experiential Design Cape Town
Prakash Patel, a seasoned Tra-digitalist now Chief Strategy Officer for Fogg Experiential Design Cape Town and previously CEO of Prezence Digital – is a strategist in a suit, an innovator and blue-sky thinker, a Creative in disguise and a firm believer that all things are possible using technology as the enabler and creative as the idea-tor. Now trying to keep up with tomorrow today and helping brands add value in the Digital Era. Prakash is a digitally led, senior commercially aware marketer with over 2 decades of global and local (South Africa & Africa) experience within the advertising industry, delivering creatively led, data-driven digital and TTL marketing solutions for leading brands across industry sectors. That encompasses data insights and CRM at the heart of everything (something he is now driving in SA)
Matthew Reed, Principal Analyst, Informa Telecoms and Media
Areas of expertise: Middle East and Africa telecom markets and trends including regional operator strategy and network and regulatory developments.
Matthew Reed is a Principal Analyst with Informa Telecoms & Media and head of mobile research for the Middle East and Africa. He is responsible for ITM’s data and written research for the region, which includes detailed coverage of local markets. Matthew’s research interests include operator strategy within the MEA region as well as network and regulatory developments. Matthew is a regular speaker and chair at industry conferences in the region. He also regularly comments on industry developments for local and international media.
Tom Jackson, Co-Founder, Disrupt Africa
Tom is co-founder of Disrupt Africa, the one-stop shop for all the latest news and information on Africa’s growing tech startup ecosystem. Tom spends his time travelling the continent meeting an array of startups, investors and stakeholders in an industry which is grabbing the world’s attention, while also writing for the likes of the BBC, Economist and Fortune.
Arthur Goldstuck, Head of World Wide Worx
Arthur Goldstuck heads the World Wide Worx research organisation, and is an award-winning writer, analyst and commentator on Internet and mobile technologies. In 2013, the Institute of IT Professionals SA named him recipient of the Distinguished Service in ICT Award, and in 2014 he was appointed to the National Broadband Advisory Council by the Minister of Communications. As a journalist, he was news editor of the Weekly Mail, South African correspondent for Billboard, and a freelance feature writer for the Times of London. He publishes the online consumer technology magazine Gadget.co.za, and his weekly gadgets column is the most widely syndicated technology column in South Africa. He writes a weekly technology trends column for the Sunday Times, and is author of 18 books. He is collaborating with Nikki Bush on a new book, “The Tech-savvy Parent”, due out in 2014.
Lynette Hundermark, Co-Founder, Useful & Beautiful
With over 15 years of experience in the tech, digital marketing and mobile solutions space, Hundermark co-founded specialist mobile solutions consultancy Useful & Beautiful. With a passion for developing mobile products that are aligned to business goals, Hundermark’s appetite for keeping abreast of the latest industry trends is fast establishing her as an expert tech commentator and opinion leader in South Africa.
Former apps business director and head of product strategy at Prezence Digital, Hundermark developed some of the most successful mobile web and apps solutions in the country, such as the popular Ster-Kinekor booking app.
She was the mobile product manager for Kalahari.com and earlier in her career she served as an enterprise programmer analyst for 8 years the UK. Hundermark’s experience spans the retail, financial and entertainment sectors, where she has developed a myriad of different mobile solutions for the likes of bidorbuy, Hollard, Old Mutual and EyeWitness News, to name a few. She speaks regularly at a variety of local tech and mobile conferences and is frequently quoted in South African media.
About AfricaCom 2015
Taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 17 – 19 November 2015, AfricaCom is now in its 18th year. AfricaCom is Africa’s largest communications conference & exhibition attracting 10 000 delegates. The conference programme covers the most strategic issues affecting companies in Africa’s digital market – services, efficiency, profitability, customer experience, partnerships, policy and more – and features several co-located events: VSAT Africa, TV Connect Africa, LTE Africa and Apps World Africa.
To register: http://africa.comworldseries.
com/register/
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