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Author: Kenyaleo Editorial Team

  • Global Money Transfer Index: Kenya’s Consumers Champion for More Innovation in International Money Transfer Services

    Global Money Transfer Index: Kenya’s Consumers Champion for More Innovation in International Money Transfer Services

    • Index shows that 90% of Kenya’s consumers who receive money transfers want integrated mobile ‘super apps’ so they can manage remittances with other financial needs
    • Kenya’s receivers want choice in digital and in-person remittance platforms as they look to the future

    Kenya’s consumers are calling for greater innovation in international money transfer services so they can easily manage their personal finance needs. According to Western Union’s inaugural Global Money Transfer Index, 90% of Kenya’s receivers want providers to offer remittance services in an integrated mobile ‘super app’ so they can efficiently manage collecting remittances with other commitments, such as paying for utilities.

     

    The Global Money Transfer Index asks consumers how, when and why they use international money transfer capabilities today, as well as their expectations for tomorrow. The results bolster Western Union’s ‘Evolve 25’ strategy to combine high-value, accessible retail and digital financial services for all.

     

    Kenya has experienced remarkable growth in financial inclusion. This, in turn, creates greater awareness and expectation for innovation that could further support daily financial needs. As the country’s consumers consider what they would like more of in future, 82% would like to collect their funds in a pre-paid card or e-wallet, while the same number of receivers want providers to offer services with local language capabilities.

     

    “Kenya is a leader when it comes to financial innovation – especially in the world of mobile money. The country pioneered mobile money in Africa and is poised to become one of the most innovative and connected economies in the world,” said Mohamed Touhami El Ouazzani, Regional Vice President, Africa at Western Union. “This is reenforced by the country’s consumers, who are increasingly looking for more exciting and innovative services from money transfer brands.”

     

    Digital today, choice tomorrow

    Two in three receivers (66%) currently use only digital transfers, while 26% prefer both online and in-person platforms to be available. However, around double that proportion (53%) believe that in future all money transfer receivers should be able to choose, compared to 46% who will fully embrace digital.

     

    In contrast, Kenya’s senders name digital transfers as their first choice for the future (56% – rising to 61% of women) with 41% wanting a mix of online and in-person options. Some 61% of senders currently opt for digital-only services – rising to 67% of those aged 18 to 24.

     

    “At Western Union, we strive to listen to consumers and make strategic decisions so that we can be the money transfer provider they turn to for solutions. Whether it is sending or receiving money in person or through digital platforms, we are always looking for ways to innovate our platforms so that we never fall short of meeting consumer expectations as they manage their daily financial needs,” Ouazzani said.

  • Huawei rolls out Non-Stop Banking Initiative

    Huawei rolls out Non-Stop Banking Initiative

    Huawei today announced its ‘Non-Stop Banking’ initiative at the Intelligent Finance Summit for Africa 2023, to ramp up collaboration between the ICT and banking industries and facilitate a digital future characterized by ‘non-stop’ services, development and innovation. The Summit brought together more than 200 professionals, including key industry opinion leaders, and executives from major banks across Africa.

    In a keynote speech announcing the initiative, Leo Chen, President of Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa Region spoke about the importance of going digital as a major imperative for the banking industry, in a bid to boost customer numbers, lower operational costs, develop new innovative products, raise revenue and deepen customer relationships.

    Locally, where 25 percent of Kenyans prefer banking applications, he stated that there’s an even greater need for banks to embrace digitization, as it allows for greater financial inclusion. Lauding the innovative work done by many local banks in embracing digitization, he pointed out that all players in the industry need to go further if they’re to embrace the ‘non-stop’ approach that will characterise the future of banking.

    “To accelerate digitalization of banking services, Huawei will facilitate to innovatively improve productivity in Africa by rolling out ICT infrastructure that delivers ‘non-stop’ financial services, and achieve ‘non-stop’ development alongside ’non-stop’ innovation,” said Leo, noting that the firm already serves more than 2500 financial customers in over 60 countries and regions, including 50 of the world’s top 100 banks.

    Numerous Huawei technologies, Chen added, are helpful on this front. Over the years, it has provided the foundation and backbone for the digitalization of the banking industry locally by supporting the construction of ICT infrastructure and digital connectivity in rural areas. Its extensive focus on research and development (R&D), meanwhile, means that it’s well-poised to help the industry shape its future too.

    Echoing his remarks, Jason Cao, CEO of Huawei Global Digital Finance pointed out that financial services are becoming mobile and intelligent at a blistering pace. The future of banking involves innovating ways to make a consumer’s daily life easier. Banks will have to create or select the right platforms that bring the most distinctive and personalized user experience.

    From a technical perspective, he pointed to the necessary multi-domain collaboration technology for banks as storage, fibre optic networks, IP networks and data communication. These for instance cover storage and optical connection coordination (SOCC) to reduce system switchover time from two minutes to two seconds after a network breakdown, ensuring zero transaction interruptions.

    It also includes a multilayer ransomware protection (MRP) that provides 6-layer protections enabling a reliable and secure ‘end-to-end’ protection to the whole bank’s system. He added that banks need an intelligent network that detects faults in 1 minute, diagnoses them in 3 minutes, and rectifies in 5 minutes.

    He noted that banks are accelerating usage of Cloud services, with hybrid multi-cloud services required by banks becoming the norm, complemented by digital energy that provide an uninterrupted and green power supply, thereby effectively addressing power deficit issues and supporting ‘non-stop’ banking.

    “The financial industry should pay acute attention to users and their demands, embracing changes,” he said. “Huawei is dedicated to helping its local banks address challenges and accelerate changes across six fields: shifting from transaction to digital engagement, cloud-native and agile businesses, data democratization, secure and reliable infrastructure, hybrid multi-cloud and Lego-style modular services, and automated and predictable operation.”

  • Samsung Electronics Tops The Global TV Market For 17 Consecutive Years

    Samsung Electronics Tops The Global TV Market For 17 Consecutive Years

    Samsung Electronics has been recognized for its global market leadership and excellence with its technical expertise and industry-leading innovation, According to market research firm Omdia, Samsung once again topped the global TV market in 2022, making it the 17th year in a row the company has ranked first in the TV industry. Locally the global electronics manufacturer was also the most preferred electronics brand according to an internal brand awareness survey conducted.  All these accomplishments can be attributed to the company’s commitment to premium viewing experiences and user-centered design.

    Head of Consumer Electronics at Samsung Electronics East Africa Ltd, Mr. Sam Odhiambo had the following to say about the global recognition, “Samsung’s commitment to innovation and technology has enabled the brand to deliver superior products and services to our customers, while continuing to drive the industry forward. The business has consistently delivered groundbreaking products that have revolutionized the TV industry, offering consumers an ever-expanding selection of features and functions. As a custodian of the Samsung brand in the East African market, we are honored to have the brand recognized by the global community for this achievement and we can assure the market that Samsung will continue to strive to provide innovative solutions that meet the needs of our customers to continue to be the world’s top TV brand for years to come.”

    By prioritizing its premium product lineup, Samsung has upheld its unparalleled leadership in the TV industry for an impressive 17 years, exemplified best by its NEO QLED lineup. In 2022, Samsung sold a staggering 9.65 million units of QLED and NEO QLED TVs globally, bringing cumulative sales to 35 million units since its launch in 2017. Samsung also dominated the ultra-large TV market segment in 2022, reporting a 36.1% and 42.9% market share for TVs over 75-inches and 80-inches respectively on the global market. For the premium TV market priced over $2,500, Samsung retained the largest market share by revenue at 48.6%.

    “Our track record of industry leadership over the past 17 years was made possible by our consumers’ continued loyalty and trust in our products,” said Cheolgi Kim, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to pave the path to create the most premium device experiences that go beyond premium picture quality.”

    Moreover, Samsung’s leadership in the TV market for 17 consecutive years is a testament to the company’s commitment to providing the most innovative products with consumer-centric designs and upgraded user experiences. The launch of the Bordeaux TV in 2006 marked the mainstream adoption of LCD TVs with sophisticated designs and light-weight form factor. It was also the first time for Samsung to rank number one in the global television market. The company continued to bring groundbreaking technologies closer to consumers by launching its first LED TV in 2009 and Smart TV in 2011, holding the top position in the market throughout each of those launches and after.

    Samsung continued to push the boundaries of picture quality and innovation by introducing products with the latest technologies as well. In 2017, Samsung defined the term “next-generation display” by unveiling the first QLED TV, which utilized quantum dot technology to achieve 100 percent color volume for the first time in the industry. In 2018, the company launched the groundbreaking QLED 8K, followed by the Quantum Mini LED-backed NEO QLED and the self-illuminating MICRO LED in 2021. This collection of innovative technologies redefined the standard for TV picture quality and continued to set new industry benchmarks each time.

    Additionally, Samsung has been at the forefront of pioneering new categories such as the Lifestyle series. Starting with the iconic design of The Serif in 2016, Samsung has continued to evolve its product lineup with designs to enhance the user experience through products such as The Frame, The Sero, The Terrace, The Premiere and The Freestyle.

    In 2023, Samsung’s commitment to innovation continues with the development of intuitive technology designed to meet the needs of users. SmartThings will enable seamless integration and connectivity of multiple devices with security remaining a top priority, empowering users to create deeply personalized experiences that accommodate both their unique preferences and needs.

  • LG Unveils Innovative 2023 Home Entertainment Solutions to Enhance User Experience

    LG Unveils Innovative 2023 Home Entertainment Solutions to Enhance User Experience

    LG Electronics is set to transform the Middle East and Africa Entertainment market with an upgraded line-up of home entertainment products, which range from its televisions to audio and gaming products by December 2023.

    The move is aimed at underscoring the brand’s approach to creating customer-centered innovations for a better life for all.

    At the top of this product line-up sits the 97-inch LG SIGNATURE OLED M (model M3), the world’s-first consumer TV with Zero Connect technology which enables wireless transmission of real-time 4K 120Hz video and audio. The recipient of CES 2023 Innovation Awards, this revolutionary OLED TV is the pinnacle of television innovation, delivering stunning audio-visual quality and flexibility to install.

    Commenting on the event, LG Electronics East Africa Managing Director Dong Won Lee said “Our products are designed to enhance the lives of our customers. Each home entertainment product brings practical innovations centered on the lives of our customers. This is part of our goal of creating a better life by elevating everyone’s entertainment experience and the interior of their homes.”

    Besides the OLED M, LG has also lined up its OLED evo series, which provides high-quality audio-video outputs, thanks to the new α9 AI Processor Gen6 that uses sophisticated AI-assisted Deep Learning for improved upscaling for better clarity and enhanced dynamic tone mapping. LG’s new range of Lifestyle TVs, including the LG OLED Object, collection Easel, and LG OLED Object Collection Posé, were also showcased. These premium TVs, while being technologically advanced, deliver on aesthetics adding style and function to the user’s living rooms and giving it a tailored look.

    LG’s Home Entertainment line-up also includes audio solutions, among which the LG TONE Free ® true wireless earbuds were showcased at the LG MEA showcase 2023. LG displayed the TONE Free ® and the newly introduced TONE Free ® fit line-up during the event, highlighting its commitment to on-the-go audio. The earbuds provide the ultimate in sound experience thanks to its advanced audio technologies paired with a more comfortable fit. In fact, the T90 is the world’s First Dolby Atmos wireless earbuds with Dolby Head Tracking across all content and devices. The TONE Free earbuds come with active noise cancellation and ship with an UVnano™ charging case with ultraviolet light to help keep the earbuds hygienically clean while charging. LG also displayed its range of XBOOM speakers, including the XBOOM Go and XBOOM 360, which deliver high-quality audio at home or events.

    The line-up continues with the LG Cinebeam 4K laser projector, the ultimate in-home entertainment, which can produce stunning and sharp images at 90-inches when placed just 5.6 centimeters from the wall or a massive 120-inch picture at a distance of only 18.3 centimeters. The projector comes with LG’s intuitive webOS smart platform onboard allowing users to watch all their favorite shows from streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, and Apple TV without an additional device. They can also wirelessly stream content via Screen Mirroring, Apple AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth. For audio, it comes with a built-in 2.2 Channel and 40W speaker system with the capacity to connect to two LG Bluetooth speakers at once.

    Topping it all off, LG proudly showcased its latest in the PC world, with the new models of the famed LG Gram line-up with the new gram Ultraslim and gram Style, which provide both power and portability, packing premium specs into sleek, ultra-lightweight form factors delivering take-anywhere convenience and exceptional user experiences.

    One of the thinnest models yet of the LGE range is the LG gram Ultraslim which weighs just 998 grams and is 10.99mm when closed. Meanwhile, it still supplies impressive image quality and processing power, packing a 15.6-inch OLED display with Anti-glare Low Reflection (AGLR) coating and a 13th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor. The LG gram Style, which delivers more on the aesthetics, is available in both 16 and 14 inches and features a 13th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor and a Gen4 NVMe™ solid-state drive (SSD).

    LG’s foray into gaming was also exhibited with the latest line-up of premium UltraGear™ OLED gaming monitors, complete with the world’s first 240Hz OLED panel, exclusively manufactured by LG, the new 27-inch and 45-inch models deliver a response time of 0.03 milliseconds Gray-to-Gray (GTG). The 27-inch OLED monitor offers a QHD resolution and covers 98.5 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut, ensuring vibrant graphics and colors.  The larger display is LG’s first-ever 45-inch curved OLED gaming monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio, WQHD (3,440 x 1,440) resolution screen, and an 800R curve which offers 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio, and 98.5 percent coverage of DCI-P3, producing the bright colors, deep blacks, and crisp images, making it the ultimate addition to any gaming setup.

  • Important Tips to Improve Your Oral Health

    Important Tips to Improve Your Oral Health

    The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people globally. That’s close to half of the world’s estimated 7.7 billion people. Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or dental cavities, is the most common untreated health condition in the world, according to the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Report.

    The rise in cases of tooth decay has been linked to changes in feeding and snacking habits, which have evolved due to factors such as higher disposable incomes, tighter work routines, and cultural changes that have come with urbanization and globalization. People are feeding and snacking more frequently and often on the go. Without proper oral health practices, this increases the risk of plaque build-up and can be bad for your teeth by predisposing you to tooth decay.

    As the world marks World Oral Health Day, observed annually on March 20, below are top tips to improve your oral health courtesy of the Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program, a global oral health initiative by Mars Wrigley.

    1. Brush your teeth regularly and correctly

    Dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride-based toothpaste to keep tooth decay at bay. The process of brushing your teeth should take at least two minutes. The technique of brushing also matters and there are plenty of free online videos from dental associations demonstrating how to brush correctly.

    It’s important for adults to lead by example in households, as many children imitate what they see grownups doing. Kids are seven times more likely to skip toothbrushing if their parents do too, according to the FDI World Dental Federation. The adult population therefore has a responsibility to take up the challenge and encourage children to pick up the right habits.

    1. Understand the science behind sugar free gum

    Did you know that chewing sugar free gum helps prevent tooth decay?  Most people chew gum to freshen breath before an important meeting, to burn up some nervous energy, or just because they like the taste. Few realize there’s extensive good science backing up the benefits of chewing sugar-free gum.

    If you feed regularly, chewing sugar free gum for 20 minutes after snacks and meals can help protect teeth. The oral healthcare benefits of chewing sugar- free gum brands like Orbit are today recognized and supported by regulatory authorities, an increasing number of governments, FDI World Dental Federation and nearly 20 national dental associations worldwide.

     

    1. Visit a dentist regularly

    Poor oral health seeking behaviors are partly to blame for the high prevalence of oral diseases such as tooth decay. Most people often seek treatment for oral diseases when complications arise or worsen, instead of seeing a dentist regularly as recommended by health experts.

    Early detection of oral health issues can help reduce the risk of serious complications in future. If left untreated, oral diseases can have further consequences on your general health. Good oral health not only enables you to functionally perform as a human being (speaking, smiling, smelling, eating), but is also important for communication and human relationships. Our vision of ourselves and how we are seen by others are all influenced by our oral appearance. Oral health outcomes can have implications for one’s mental health and ability to socialize.

     

     

     

    1. Discuss your health insurance options

    Paying for dental visits out of pocket can strain household budgets. It is therefore important to discuss your health insurance options with your employer or insurance provider. There are various options in the Kenyan market tailored to the needs and budgets of different households. Having a cover not only eases the financial burden associated with accessing oral healthcare but can also help improve oral health seeking behaviors as people will more readily see a dentist if they know they are insured.

    There is, however, still a huge financing gap as many people in low-income areas and rural economies cannot access insurance covers. This leaves them at great risk. That is why the Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program recently partnered with the Kenya Dental Association to bring free oral healthcare to communities in Lamu and raise awareness about good oral health practices.

    “Our dentists and medical team screened patients, performed minor oral surgeries, and distributed medicine all through the week of March 20. We reached a total of 917 patients in the islands of Lamu, Faza and Mpeketoni,” said KDA Secretary General Dr. Douglas Oramis.

    “We continue to support oral health in Kenya and globally through our Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program, partnering with dental professionals to drive positive societal impact and raise awareness about the oral health benefits of chewing sugar free gum.  We thank our partners at KDA for working with us on this important initiative,” said Ismael Bello, General Manager Sub-Saharan Africa, Mars Wrigley.

    The company’s 2023 outreach with KDA builds on the success of a similar program in 2022 which impacted 537 patients in Lamu. The island is one of the regions impacted by poor oral health seeking behaviors due to socioeconomic factors, making the interventions in 2022 and 2023 by KDA and partners such as Mars Wrigley timely and impactful to the local community.

     

  • Baron & Cabot Launches a portal to support the expansion of local real estate agencies in Kenya

    Baron & Cabot Launches a portal to support the expansion of local real estate agencies in Kenya

    Baron and Cabot, a UK-based international real estate firm has launched a game-changing concept – a UK property portal that is offering a strategic expansion plan for real estate agencies in Kenya. The innovative approach, is a first of its kind using AI technology to predict property prices and will allow real estate agents in Kenya to sell properties, and earn in pounds, providing an unprecedented opportunity for growth and financial success. Through this portal, real estate firms will get to de-risk their investments in international markets and gain access to a wide range of fully compliant properties.

     

    Baron & Cabot, with a reputation for being one of the top fastest-growing property companies in the world and transacting on around £100 million GBP per annum ($120 m) of UK property while having access to some of the best property developments in the UK, has been particularly successful in Kenya due to inflation driving clients to move their money into GBP and Dollar to purchase assets.

     

    “We are thrilled to be launching this innovative concept that will not only provide a platform for real estate agents in Kenya to sell UK properties but will also create job opportunities and drive economic growth. We believe that by leveraging AI technology to predict property prices, we can provide our partners with a unique advantage and help them to achieve financial success. Our joint venture expansion plans are aimed at creating mutually beneficial partnerships that will bring value to all parties involved.” – Mark Pearson, Managing Director of Baron & Cabot.

     

    In addition to providing agents with access to new revenue streams, Baron and Cabot’s property portal is also expected to create new job opportunities in the Kenyan market. The company is committed to providing its agents with comprehensive 2 to 4 week training and support to help them succeed in their new roles. This training will ensure that agents are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate the real estate market and take advantage of the opportunities that Baron and Cabot’s concept provides. Real estate will have the ability to reserve properties and Baron and Cabot will process the client through legal processes.

     

    As part of its offering, Baron and Cabot will provide clients with mortgages anywhere in the world (excluding war zones), with mortgage rates lower than 6% and deposits below 35%, making it easier for clients to invest in UK properties.

     

    Mark Pearson, Managing Director of Baron & Cabot, said, “Our management company boasts an impressive occupancy rate of over 99%, with properties awaiting new tenants for an average of only 10 days. This sets us apart from other cities around the world, where the average occupancy rate is only 70%. In addition, our AirBnb or short-term rental products have an average occupancy rate of over 70%, resulting in substantial rental returns and a secure investment. Our secret to success lies in our ability to identify high-demand areas with low supply, combined with exceptional management that keeps both our tenants and landlords satisfied.”

     

    Baron and Cabot utilizes advanced machine learning and data processing to analyze millions of lines of data to identify the best investment locations and pockets of value for clients. With access to information such as the square footage of every property in England and every sold price of every residential property in the UK since 1997, along with economic forecasts, government investment plans, and knowledge of upcoming transport links for the next 5 years, Baron and Cabot is ahead of the curve when it comes to investments. This allows investors to benefit not only from the firm’s purchasing power and large discounts, but also from massive rental growth and capital growth.

  • Rotary Club Of Hurlingham And County Govt Of Nakuru Hold Free Medical Camp In Kikopey Gilgil Saturday

    Rotary Club Of Hurlingham And County Govt Of Nakuru Hold Free Medical Camp In Kikopey Gilgil Saturday

    The Rotary Club of Hurlingham will on Saturday, 25 March, 2023, hold a free medical camp in Nakuru county, in conjunction with the County Government of Nakuru, at Kikopey Medical Centre.

    Rotary Club of Hurlingham president, Hilda Gikera says, “We are happy to be back in Kikopey. This is not the first time for Rotary Club of Hurlingham. This time round, we have are focusing on eye health and we will be distributing frames.

     

    Eye diseases are rampant in this part of Nakuru county so we will have specialists for that. We will also have general practitioners and a host of other specialists.

    We are expecting over 600 people and we have worked very well with the Nakuru County Government and the Rotary Club of Gilgil, to arrange this medical outreach. We would like to urge residents of Nakuru County to turn up in large numbers for this free medical camp. It will start at 8 a.m.”

    Rotary Club of Hurlingham has been in existence for 33 years, and is proud to continue being of service to Kenyans. The last medical outreach was in December 2021 and was attended by 600 residents of Kikopey and neighbouring areas.

  • LG MEA Introduces an Innovative Lineup of Home Appliances to Enhance Customer’s Daily Living

    LG MEA Introduces an Innovative Lineup of Home Appliances to Enhance Customer’s Daily Living

    ·         A series of revolutionary premium products, these appliances offer timeless design and innovation that bring home convenience and style.

    ·         The showcase event also featured a dedicated area to exhibit their latest products and solutions that introduce a new category of evolving home appliances that are not only functional, but also offer unique upgradability and personalization.

    LG Electronics has unveiled its second-generation LG SIGNATURE home appliance line-up.

    A series of revolutionary premium products, these appliances offer timeless design and innovation that bring home convenience and style.

    The line-up, first unveiled at the LG Showcase MEA 2023 includes the LG SIGNATURE 4-Door French-Door refrigerator with Dual InstaView™, a washer and dryer pair with 7-inch LCD touch panels, Over-the-Range Microwave Oven with smart InstaView™ as well as the double Oven Slide-in Range, automatic time and temperature-setting functionality.

    Giving his remarks on the new appliances, LG Electronics East Africa Managing Director Dong Won Lee said, “Every appliance here targets a certain need from the customer. Not only do we tackle that need, but we also provide our customers with a new and unique experience with our line-up, by introducing revolutionary features to reliable home appliances. With each of these products, our customers can truly enhance their day-to-day living while giving their homes a different look altogether.”

    At the showcase, LG further introduced, for the first time, to over 400 guests the LG refrigerator with MoodUP™ to the region. LG’s MoodUP™ feature is known for its exciting and unique color options, which add a spin to any home kitchen. This time, LG has collaborated with the world-renowned Pantone Color Institute, to add a year of color, Viva Magenta, a strong crimson red.

    The refrigerator comes with LED color-changeable door panels, which can be easily swapped according to the kitchen theme. Owners of the 4-Door French-Door model can mix and match from 23 colors on the top and 19 colors on the bottom panels respectively with more than 190,000 possible color combinations at their disposal. This is all controlled through the intuitive LG ThinQ ® app and without the cost and hassle of having to physically replace any of its exterior elements.

    Also exhibited is the CordZero A9 Kompressor™ with Steam Power Mop. Displayed at CES, LG’s first stick vacuum with a Steam Power Mop nozzle provides wet and steam mopping functionality, while being completely wireless. It also comes with an All-in-One tower, an automated dustbin-emptying system that acts as a space-efficient and fast-charging docking station, features a replaceable dust bag, and an intuitive display that provides real-time status updates. While steam mopping, the mops heat up to 60 degrees Celsius for easy and complete cleaning, while dual sensors protect from overheating. An advanced, automatic water supply system also keeps the mop pads wet during mopping.

    Featuring a bright 27-inch LCD screen with a simple and sophisticated frame, LG Art Cool Gallery Air Conditioner unveiled as part of the new appliances looks more like a framed work of art rather than an advanced LG air conditioner.

    “Not only does it deliver energy-efficient cooling and heating with LG’s DUAL Inverter Compressor™ and 3-way indirect airflow, but it can be customized via the LG ThinQ ® app with a range of static and animated images or favorite family photos to give that personalized look. It provides a more hygienic performance with AI Dry™ and operates at noise levels as low as 20 decibels and closes its ‘hidden’ bottom vane in sleep mode so as not to disturb or disrupt users’ rest”. Said Dong Won Lee.

    LG also takes an interesting spin on washing and drying, showcased with the LG WashTower™ Compact laundry solution. Keeping in mind space efficiency, this home appliance combines both a washer and dryer with an all-in-one control panel and advanced AI in a single, space-efficient unit. The washer offers a generous 13-kilogram capacity and its dryer, a 10-kilogram capacity, and requires less installation space than the average stackable or side-by-side washer and dryer pair of the same laundry capacity.

    It also comes with a flat, unibody design that provides an optimal laundry experience and brings a subtle and minimalist aesthetic. The WashTower™ also uses advanced laundry technologies such as Artificial Intelligence Direct Drive™ (AI DD™) to identify the most suitable washing pattern (drum motions, water temperature and wash cycle time) for each load, reducing fabric damage to help clothing last longer.

    The Smart Pairing™ feature saves users time and hassle by syncing the dryer with the washer; automatically selecting the best drying cycle based on washer load settings, making it an excellent all-around performer.

    Additionally, LG’s range of home appliances includes air purifiers, a line-up LG has actively merged with advanced technologies, the LG PuriCare™ AeroTower™ Air Purifying Fan with its True HEPA and UVnano™ LED, ensures a powerful 3-step Filtration System for a thorough clean of the air at home, capturing 99.97% of fine dust and allergens.

    Meanwhile, the Deodorization filter removes odors and airborne chemicals for easier breathing and a more pleasant indoor environment. It is complemented by the exclusive LG UVnano™ LED Technology that kills 99.9% of bacteria on fan blades. Not only can it adapt to small or large rooms with customized airflow, but it also offers 10 fan speeds with oscillation settings, all controllable from its simple controls on top or through the remote control or LG ThinQ® app.

  • Huawei angles for piece of Kenya’s Kshs 17 billion data center industry

    Huawei angles for piece of Kenya’s Kshs 17 billion data center industry

    Huawei Technologies is angling for a slice of the multi-billion-shilling cloud computing industry in Kenya with a new solution known as the Intelligent Cloud Network that has been designed and built to address key challenges facing organizations that are going through the digitalization journey.

    With this solution, Huawei has become the first in the industry to roll out autonomous driving for datacenter networks and slashing operating expenses by up to 30 percent. This solves problems such as multiple data centers that have been built over a period of time, use different architectures, on separate clouds. In such a case, each data center may use distinct standards, leading to siloed management.

    Speaking when he announced the introduction of the service, Huawei Chief Technology Officer for Southern Africa Mr. Matamela Mashau noted that by 2025, the firm expects that more than 80 percent of organizations will have migrated their services to the cloud.

    “We are in a multi-cloud environment, characterized by the presence of public and private clouds with the former being used by the public sector and the latter, the private sector”, said Mashau.

    Kenya, pointed out Mashau, is a primary data center hub and is considered the gateway to the East African region. Nairobi, the capital city, is a favorable location for data center development. In the coming years, the market is expected to witness data center investments in other cities, with Mombasa becoming a popular hub. The country’s data center market is estimated at Kshs 17 billion (USD 170 million) currently and projected to double over the next three years to Kshs 34 billion (USD 342 million) by 2026.

    The significance of networks to enterprises, he explained, is similar to that of the blood vessels to humans, with data functioning as the blood that carries oxygen and nutrients. The quality of the network thus determines the efficiency and productivity of the organization.

    Huawei’s end to end Intelligent Cloud Network solutions include CloudCampus 3.0, CloudFabric 3.0, CloudWAN 3.0 and HiSec 3.0. These latest generation cloud technologies are all built to deliver an optimal cloudification experience across wide area networks, data center networks, campus networks and network security.

    It is digital, intelligent and service oriented. This means that the network status is digitally sensed. This real time status visualization presents the physical networks to the digital world as it is centrally managed. In addition, once the network is digitalized, the organization can then introduce enhancements including Artificial Intelligence components and Big Data to elevate their level of intelligence.

    This fixes demand and usage of the network and cloud usage, improving trouble shooting efficiency, security defense and traffic steering. Furthermore, it is available as a one-click subscription service. By being a network as a service option, it offers a more flexible full life cycle future spanning planning, construction, maintenance and optimization.

    Mashau observed that data centers are increasingly becoming central to the running of local economies and organizations, pointing out that they play a fundamental role as everything that happens online is housed in a data center.

    Challenges faced by legacy networks include long deployment where it takes some times months to install it while the cloud enables it to be done in minutes thus saving time. Huawei built the Intelligent Cloud Network Solution to speed up service cloudification. This solution is a great fit to supply non-stop computing power and intelligence to diverse industries for a leap forward in productivity and a new impetus for the digital economy just as the power grid transmits electricity to numerous households.

    The data communications industry is fast evolving as networks are gradually becoming IP based, meaning IP addresses are being assigned to everything that is electronic. The result is IP networks that connect applications on one end and devices on the other end.

    Digital transformation now expands to a digital government, digital society, digital economy and digital ecosystem leading to scenarios such as smart cities, smart healthcare and smart manufacturing. Against this backdrop, the focus is on how to coordinate and build cloud computing infrastructure, consolidate data centers and propel enterprises into cloud based and platform centric operations that aggregate data resources and promote big data industry clusters.

    The solution will be distributed locally through Huawei’s channel partners.

  • Kenyan Women Call for Unity Amid Political Grandstanding

    Kenyan Women Call for Unity Amid Political Grandstanding

    A section of women leaders and rights organisations have raised their Concern over the ongoing Political grandstanding in the country and the impact it has on vulnerable groups.

    Led by the Women of Kenya under the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) and the Women Mediation Network Kenya they said that It is essential for all stakeholders to put aside their differences and work towards a common goal of building a better country.

    Addressing a press conference Dr Jennifer Riria, the CEO of Echo Network Africa and chairperson of AWLN-Kenya chapter, said that Women, children, persons with disabilities, and the elderly are the most affected by political instability and economic strains. Therefore, it was crucial to ensure that their needs and interests are at the forefront of any political decision making process.

    “Mothers of this country are concerned about the ongoing grandstanding between Government and the Opposition. Ultimately, it is the women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and other vulnerable groups that suffer the most. Our economy is already suffering and cannot afford further strains. As women of Kenya, we are calling on Kenyans of goodwill to pull together and not tear the country apart” said Dr Riria.

    She said that they were concerned about the safety and security of Thousands of families most of whom are women and children currently displaced from their homes and camping in tents, especially in the bandit-stricken Counties.

    “Some women are giving birth in the camps and children have stopped going to school. Though welcome, the rains have made a bad situation worse. We urge the Government and other humanitarian agencies to move swiftly and provide decent accommodation, food, medicines, and other critical services to these families and help curb further suffering”

    Dr Riria futher thanked The President for appointing more women into leadership and specifically for appointing young women.

    She however said that Kenya is still lagging far behind other nations in the pursuit for gender equality.

    “As women, we are still waiting to have the constitutional provisions on the ‘Not More than Two-Thirds Gender Rule implemented.”

    She Further, noted that women with disabilities were missing in the list of appointments and implored that the matter be looked upon with urgency.

    “We remind ourselves that a society is judged by the way it treats its most vulnerable. We urge the Government to continue listening to the voices of the Kenyan people and move quickly to address the suffering of the people especially in respect to the rising costs of living.”

    By Dolphin Mige