Wifi - How to get it right

Location, location, location—that  adage definitely applies when it comes to coaxing stronger Wi-Fi from your router. In fact, all those things that make your home, well, a house—doors, walls, windows—are impediments for Wi-Fi signals. Here are a few router placement tips to keep those signals moving along.

Higher is better. If you live in a two-story house, placing the router on the second floor promotes wider reach. The device's antennas

How to face the challenges of operating in emerging markets such as Africa

When it comes to global economics, uncertainty is about the only certainty businesses can prepare for. From future shocks to the Eurozone, to shifts in global economic power or unexpected environmental events, multi-nationals need to be ready to explore new markets and scale-up or adjust operations at any given time.

With European economies on the slow road to recovery, businesses are looking to emerging countries the east and south for new opportunities. If businesses are going to fully realise the potential of these markets, however, they need reliable fixed, mobile and mobility capabilities to empower their people with information and data, improve

Nigeria’s ICT industry set to explode

The leadership of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have called on local and foreign investors to key in to its economy as the telecoms sector prepares for another quarter of growth.
According to NCC, the sector has recorded an 11 percent gain in the total number of active internet subscriptions on the domestic mobile communications network.

While GSM operators exhibit higher growth rates than CDMA companies, stakeholders attribute the increase in market share to the flourishing investments in technology carried out by major telecoms operators.

“This a good trajectory for the ICT sector,” says Paul Midy, chief executive officer of Jovago.com. “It shows that the market is ready for strategic foreign direct investments. With the greater adoption of internet services, businesses

West African firms urged to invest in smart business management solutions - Sage WA

West African enterprises that want to keep pace with a changing consumer, employee and business landscape need to invest in the right business management solutions that will enable them to digitise their business processes.

Regional Director for Sage West Africa, Magnus Nmonwu has warns that companies in Nigeria and the rest of the region who do not embrace the digital world will be at a serious disadvantage to their competitors. Nmonwu’s comments are coming on the heels of the recent Connect Commerce Conference where Netplus Advisory claimed that e-commerce and online businesses in Nigeria attracted investments worth US$200m over the past three years.

“With more than 93 million Internet users in Nigeria

The Need to Shape the Future of African Start-ups for Global Competitiveness

Successful Start-ups and Companies are celebrated no matter their country of origin, from Waze to Google to Alibaba and many others. They end up becoming international brands but their countries pride. For Africa her future will largely depend on the growth of entrepreneurship and the building of companies by African young people, who make up the greater part of the population, companies that can compete globally and be listed in the NASDAQ or the NYSE. We need to build companies across the African nations that will impact on the overall economy of the continent.It is a good development that Africa is getting more attention in the Global start-up arena. This is evident in the increased attention to African start-ups.

Thanks to

Google & Etisalat highlight e-Commerce opportunities for Nigeria SMEs

Etisalat has called on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and startup businesses in the country to embrace the electronic commerce model of business to boost their capacity and efficiency.
Head of Enterprise Marketing, Etisalat Nigeria, Bidemi Ladipo made this call while speaking on the ‘Role of Mobile Penetration in Online Commerce’ at the recent Webmall Connect Commerce Conference 2015, sponsored by the telecommunication company, in Lagos. He said startup businesses and SMEs would benefit immensely from having online presence because it is a cost effective and faster way to increase their reach.

  

To underscore the huge opportunities in e-Commerce

Business Networking: Is it who you know and who knows you that matters?

IT people tend to network only when they need something. You should be like your business counterparts and never stop networking.

You may have noticed that your business counterparts talk about the people they know and that you talk about the things you have done. Business people do not do this by accident. They never stop networking because knowing the right person opens the door to success for them via a new vendor relationship, a foot in the door, or even a sale.

IT people, on the other hand, tend to network only when they need something, for example, a new job. The feeling seems to be that we have what we need inside our own company because we know our DBAs, our infrastructure team,

PERCEPTION IS NOT ALWAYS EQUAL ~ By Brad Egeland

We have a large family. A very large family. Over the past 7 years, we have adopted multiple babies, thus the large family. We also get lots of items every month from Amazon.

Diapers, laundry detergent, apple sauce-you name it. If it can come cheaper and faster with free delivery through Amazon, then my wife has it set up as a rotating standing order. We often get 1-2 packages per day. It also means we don't have to drive out in the hot 110° Las Vegas weather to buy it. Win-win.

One day we found our

HOW 20 MINUTES EACH MORNING CAN TRANSFORM YOUR DAY AS A MANAGER ~ By Sebastian Bos

Before you can be an inspirational leader and effective manager of your dynamic and energised team, you need to get your own game in shape first. Improving your personal time management skills is a lot easier said than done however, and the difference between being busy and being constantly stressed can sometimes feel paper thin.

Like most of us you probably start each morning by speed-showering, stuffing toast into your mouth and running out the door at 1,000mph. If every morning is starting to feel like a Monday, it may be time to consider doing things a bit differently.

See how setting your alarm just 20 minutes earlier could transform your day.

Don't Start Your Day by Worrying About Yesterday

A good start begins the night before and going to bed in the right frame of mind. It is crucial to getting a great night's sleep. When people get stressed at work, proper sleep is often the first thing that suffers, either because you can't switch your buzzing mind off or because you take your work home at nights. Make sure you get the recommended hours but also make sure you go to bed without a brain that's heavily laden with worries. Don't take your work home, stop preparing for that client meeting and actually take charge of your overflowing emails once and for all.

Try: Make sure you clear your diary at the end of each day.

Time to Make Some Plans

This 20 minutes is for you. It's like winning a time lottery so don't waste it by starting your day checking through yesterday's emails and scanning news websites. Once you've cancelled your alarm on your mobile leave it alone. Instead use your newly found time to establish daily goals. Map out a simple task list that feeds into completing your short and long-term goals. Maybe you want to work toward a promotion: if so, now is the time to plan how you can take one step closer to achieving it.

Try: Consider a diary or planner to document your progress toward a specific goal.

Don't Skip Breakfast

Okay, so you've heard it a thousand times but you still end up skipping breakfast anyway because you don't have the time. Find the time! Even if you need to go to bed a bit earlier to make it happen, it's worth making sure you fuel yourself properly. Breakfast improves your metabolism, regulates weight better, improves your mood and fuels your ability to manage your team effectively. Speaker and writer James Clear says: Manage your energy, not your time and encourages you to understand your best creative or analytical times of the day.

Try: If you absolutely cannot fit in a sit-down breakfast, consider instead a low-fat, high protein breakfast smoothie.

Adopt a Mini Workout

It's true that even a 10-minute exercise routine can have an amazing impact on your day. Use some of your new time to get your body up and running with a quick workout or a simple stretching routine. A quick workout can help you feel more focused, more creative, less tired through the week and much less stressed.

Try: Ever heard of Tabata training? It's a 20-minute high-intensity workout that is designed for time-poor people.

Give Your Brain a Break

It's probably not something you have ever even considered but meditation isn't only for tree-hugging hippies and ass-kicking Kung Fu masters. Forget what you think you know about meditation, it's just project management but for your life. It's an exercise in stepping back from your day and viewing it objectively. You evaluate what's working for you and what's not. As Andy Puddicombe, founder of Headspace, says: The very act of meditation or mindfulness is honesty itself, seeing the mind exactly as it is, without judgement or criticism, not chasing one thing or resisting another.

Try: 10 minutes of quiet reflection, no phone, no TV, no radio, no newspaper. Just you and your brain.

For more inspiration on managing your time better check out the blog of Time Management Ninja. 

I'd love to hear your time management tips. How do you deal with stress and the pressures of work? Please share in the comments!

BEST PRACTICE: A Little Thank You Goes A Long Way..

Thank you very much!

Sincerity matters, so don't overstate a person's contribution. But, for those people who truly were helpful, let them know.

Thank you very much!

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU INHERIT A PROJECT MESS

We all inherit project's that are already underway from time to time. And sometimes they are a mess. It's what you do with that mess - quickly - that makes a difference.

How many of us have inherited a project in mid-stream? Show of hands? Everyone? Sounds about right. If you haven't yet...you will. And, much like buying a used car, there will be surprises. The question is, did you inherit something in decent working order or did you inherit a lemon?

Sometimes you can tell by the reason the previous project manager gave up the reins to the project. If he left the company

Need Professional CCTV Installation Service

If you’ve invested in a new CCTV system, why not let Dekeem help you get it installed professionally?

Dekeem has teamed up with professional installer to provide this new service to customers who purchase CCTV systems and bespoke packages. Our installation service now means Dekeem can help you get up

Can Video Surveillance boost safety and security in hospitals?

Hospitals, globally and within Africa are faced with a number of security challenges, from ensuring the safety of patients and staff to preventing theft, with the added complication of very limited budgets for security solutions.

Surveillance solutions are a critical component of hospital security, particularly in high-risk areas such as maternity wards, pharmacies and parking lots. Implementing 4K or Ultra High Definition (UHD) surveillance can assist hospitals to ensure effective monitoring in essential areas while improving cost effectiveness, reducing management and maintenance fees and improving overall safety and security.

One of the most significant security challenges in hospitals is their layout. Buildings are often large and sprawling, with many different floors and areas linked by corridors, as well as large hallways and reception areas, entrances, parking lots and more. Hospitals also operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, so there is no downtime and as such, security solutions must be constantly operational. People are constantly moving in and out of the various areas, from doctors and patients to visitors, deliveries, maintenance and cleaning staff and more, creating a complex and constantly busy environment.

Managing the common risks in cyber security

Cybercrime is hitting epidemic proportions. 2015 has already seen a large increase in the volume of global cyber security incidents with the likes of Sony and AshleyMadison.com amongst the high profile victims.

However, a recent PWC Global State of Information Security Survey found that despite the number of detected cyber-attacks increasing 66 per cent year on year since 2009, global cyber security spending has decreased by four per cent in the same period. Cyber security provisions are not being factored into business planning and budgeting, when they could protect against massive data breaches.

So, what practical approaches can business implement to protect themselves against the most common threats?

The Internet of Things is the Land of Opportunity

The worldwide web most of us are familiar with is a place populated by about 2.5 billion people who go online to find information, entertainment and shopping, or to stay in touch with friends and share ideas with colleagues. The internet was made by people, for people.

But now it has become the Internet of Things (IoT). Experts predict that in a few years there could be 100 billion devices—actual physical things—connected to the web. Some of these devices are online today and more, many more, are coming soon.

In the IoT, devices equipped with sensors, hardware and software are networked together through the internet, where they can communicate with one another, machine-to-machine (M2M). Intelligent devices are changing the way we eat, drive, communicate, receive medical care, light our cities and consume energy.

Nigeria to leverage ICT for economic growth - ComTech Ministry

The Nigerian government says it will leverage on information communication technology (ICT) to boost the economy.

This is in the light of dwindling revenue from oil, no thanks to consistent fall in its international prices.

Dr. Tunji Olaopa, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications Technology, said ICT has become an enabler for all sectors of the economy, adding that its application to human problem has become inevitable.

He said the Federal Government is aware that ICT is one of the sectors that have steadily contributed to the growth of the national gross domestic product (GDP) from 5.46 per cent in 2011, to 112.25 per cent in the second quarter of this year with 6.26 per cent growth in real terms.

Dr. Oloapa who spoke at the last DEMO Africa 2015 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, said: "This has not happened magically without

Wireless Security Cameras for Law Enforcement Police – Think SN2 camera from eLine Technology

Policing and Wireless Camera

Surveillance cameras have proved to be a necessary tool for police and other law enforcement professionals. They create strong evidence for convictions and can also aid in protection for the officers themselves.

Now, as wireless router strength has increased and 4G cellular service areas have grown, wireless security cameras have become practical.

Wireless cameras are easy to move to new locations in minutes

On-the-fly portability allows for temporary situations such as urban police surveillance, monitoring critical situations, and public events. When the need for surveillance changes, simply unplug the camera and move it to a new location. Choose the 4G model for use in 4G cellular service areas, or WiFi. (You will need internet access for the router). With a fully charged SN2 Series camera you have a complete solar powered wireless cloud recording solution perfect for mobile surveillance.

Officers can watch live or recorded video from anywhere

If you have access to the internet you can access your surveillance cameras. Use your computer, tablet, or smart phone. No special software is required. Simply use Internet Explorer, your cell phone’s browser, or an app.

High resolution video so you can zoom in and capture evidence

The SN2 camera series has 720p video recording options, and offers up to 5 mega pixel time-lapse photography still images that gives enough added resolution to zoom in and capture license plate numbers, faces, equipment parts and other critical details.

Custom covert cameras without the tell-tale cables

No Cables, No DVR, and 100% Wireless

A truly unique product in the U.S. market – eLine Technology’s 4G and WiFi wireless cloud cameras are easy to install in almost any location without cables and without a DVR. Each camera stores its video right inside the camera until the user uploads the video to the cloud saving you on 4G and 3G data. Cloud storage keeps video and images safe and secure.

THE FUTURE OF INTERNET PROTOCOL

THE FUTURE OF INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP)

Internet Protocol, or simply IP address has been standardize ways of assigning names to the computers/devices on any network. Inasmuch as we have IPv4 there is also IPv6 - Internet Protocol version 6 on board, though which had not been given much hype.

So what is "IPv6", and why do I need to know about it?

IPv6 or IP version 6 is the next generation Internet protocol which will eventually replace the current protocol IPv4. IPv6 has a number of improvements and simplifications when compared to IPv4. 

The primary difference is that IPv6 uses 128 bit addresses as compared to the 32 bit addresses used by IPv4. This means that there are more available IP addresses when using IPv6 than are available with IPv4 alone.