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What Carmakers Can Learn from the Mobile Industry

By
Guest Author
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Carmakers are at a crossroads. They can either follow the footsteps of the mobile industry by allowing two platforms — Apple or Android — or they can turn to open-source platforms like Automotive Grade Linux.

The idea that vehicles — self-driving, human-driven, or some combination of the two — will have internet connectivity is a foregone conclusion.

The challenge is that the automotive industry is, roughly, at about the level that the mobile industry was in about 1998, when phones and pagers and personal digital assistants first started making connections to the internet. Brands like Research in Motion (now Blackberry), Palm Pilot, and Nokia were dominant — and, importantly, they also managed their own “stack” of user experience and operating systems.

The mobile industry of the time understood that hardware was their market differentiator and a driver of what the software needed to do. This was a near-perfect inversion of the desktop model, in which the software drove the required hardware specifications.

The automotive industry now stands at the same crossroads as Palm, Nokia, Research in Motion, and others did then: They can lose control of their brands by under-investing in interoperable software ecosystems that augment their hardware, or they can take control now and recognize that vehicles represent an opportunity to expand their brand value.

The Big Mistake of Mobile: Sliding into a Platform Duopoly
In the mobile industry, there was a remarkably quick decline in platform diversity for the leading brands. Yes, the Apple iPhone’s release in 2007 changed the mobile business, but even before that, the mobile industry was forgetting key things — “open standards” — that made the desktop internet grow so fast. Mobile industry players promoted proprietary platforms and ended up sacrificing interoperability. For example, a lack of interoperability of messaging delayed the widespread adoption of SMS messaging in the U.S., with only 25% of Americans using SMS in 2003.

Many other basic communications standards and practices were walled off, with carriers and hardware makers doing everything in their power to close off the “deck” — the screens and applications that the user interacted with. If this sounds familiar, it should, as you look to the In-Vehicle Infotainment systems and philosophies that are common today.

The risk that the automotive industry is running, just like what the mobile industry has done, is that it’s heading for a software duopoly.

The parallels are clear. Rather than working to make their own software ecosystems better and more interoperable, many mobile technology makers took the simple route and decided to just put Android on their devices. This sucked as much as $31 billion out of the hardware-makers revenue, according to numbers revealed in an Oracle-Google lawsuit. Meanwhile, Apple’s closed-off ecosystem deflated the value of software, as “Apps” lopped a zero of the price of “Applications” back in 2008 — take it or leave it.

Today, although even the mighty Microsoft is still (barely) in the phone platform game, your only two realistic choices are to lose control of the hardware completely (iOS) or give up control of the core platform (Android).

Avoiding the Duopoly with Automotive
Automakers are at a crossroads today. They can decide that they want to follow the lead of the mobile industry and allow two platforms — Apple or Android — which will lead to losing control of their software product roadmaps. Or they can turn to open-source platforms and tools like Automotive Grade Linux and projects like Xen to handle the basics of connectivity and presentation control in the vehicles and concentrate on a better overall customer experience: a brand differentiation at the intersection of hardware and software. Sharing a single platform will enable quicker innovation.

Building a full customer experience and application platform for hardware — one that allows for an innovation ecosystem to form and thrive — is hard, but it’s necessary. The lessons learned in mobile must not be lost on the automotive industry — they can take control of their brand experience now or abdicate to others.

It all starts on the in-car silicon-to-cloud connection. The choice to be made here is simple: Car makers can treat connectivity as a core capability of their vehicle and engineer accordingly, or they can attempt to bolt on some version of connectivity through a mobile device.

Similarly, car makers can embrace the idea of their car as a platform for software innovation — by using open-source initiatives as a starting point — or they can let innovation happen elsewhere and hope for the best.

There are hundreds of billions of dollars at stake in the next five to 10 years. Vehicle makers can transform their business to develop fully integrated hardware and software platforms built on open systems and engineered with an ecosystem of software integrations in mind. Don’t miss your ride.

— Martin Focazio is senior director, business consulting at EPAM Systems, a global product development and digital platform engineering services company based in Newton, Pennsylvania.

Fasmicro Group Unveils Reconcia, an AI-driven Financial Reconciliation Software for the Digital Era

By
Tekedia Editors
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Owerri, Nigeria: Today, FASMICRO Group, a young and dynamic African brand built on the tripod pillars of integrity, professionalism, and entrepreneurial spirit, delivering quality across its business segments and sectors with unparalleled insights, is unveiling a new subsidiary – Reconcia.

Reconcia is smart software. It uses logical and algorithmic reconfigurable artificial intelligence engines to perform financial reconciliations at scale. It requires no programming skills; just logic engines which are available in Reconcia dashboard. Once reconciliation desired state is established, a company can automate its reconciliation across different platforms. As the data to be reconciled is fed, Reconcia uses the established logical model to effect the reconciliation. It does this by using AI and machine learning to build trend analysis and automate at scale the most repetitive reconciliation activities. This saves cost and puts companies in the dawn of the digital age where more transactions are required to be reconciled nearly in real-time.

Reconcia delivers a smart reconciliation technology that learns on the job – it thinks. The following are the key attributes of Reconcia:

  • Use of Cognitive Learning to absorb business knowledge and auto-learning of match rules; Cognitive Learning tools identify patterns and enhance auto matching
  • High Match Rates – High performance matching algorithm with Artificial Intelligence
  • High Processing Speed – Intelligent transaction matching algorithm which ensures high processing speed and volumes
  • Single Platform – Single solution for all the reconciliation needs (Cash/Nostro, OTC Derivatives, Trade confirmations, Forex, ETC)
  • Complete Data / Transaction Lifecycle Management – Integrated solution which can transform, cleanse, and reconcile the transactions across their lifecycle

Reconcia runs on the cloud which makes it easy for any client to implement. Reconcia Enterprise is also available and can be localized within a firm’s data center. The solution is scalable and supports any size of firm across industrial sectors. The data can be live electronic stream of data or uploaded data depending on the choice of the firm.

The Founder of Fasmicro Group, Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe, notes: “Again, we have brought the amazing power of AI in another area to facilitate innovation and productivity in Africa. Companies are spending huge resources on reconciliation because most are still manually executed requiring running departments with many headcounts. With Reconcia, you save time and resources while improving quality. I welcome African businesses to take advantage of this solution”.

To schedule a demo, please email info@reconcia.com

 

About Reconcia:

Reconcia is AI-driven reconciliation software that uses machine learning-anchored trend analysis to facilitate financial reconciliation at scale. It has built-configurable AI models which do not require any programming for clients to implement. For more visit http://reconcia.com/

 

About Fasmicro Group:

FASMICRO Group is a young and dynamic group of companies and an emerging brand in Africa. Built on the tripod pillars of integrity, professionalism, and entrepreneurial spirit, FG delivers quality across its business segments and sectors with unparalleled insights. Our key focus is Africa and we operate through three main services – technology/engineering, investments and strategic advisory – to cover a broad range of sectors including technology, education, public sector, financial services, manufacturing, real estate and agriculture. For more visit http://fasmicrogroup.com

 

Arresting Folashade Oke May Lead To Clues On The True Owners of The EFCC Seized $50m

By
Tekedia Editors
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The story is developing on the $50m corruption case in Nigeria.

While Ayodele Oke, the Director-General of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) has claimed that the $43 million, N23.2 million and £27,800 (N13billion) cash found in an apartment in Lagos last week belongs to his agency, information available to SaharaReporters suggests that the woman seen hauling the money into the apartment in Ghana-Must-Go bags may have been Folashade Oke, his wife.

It has been gathered that investigation has revealed that the owners of Apartment 7B gave Folashade Oke, with phone number +2348059833410, as their contact. Sources at the NIA confirmed Folashade to be the spouse of their Director-General, Mr Oke.

The day after the money was discovered, Mr Oke had told SaharaReporters he could not verify any information about the money as he had not read any report linking his agency to the cash.

One of the whistleblowers responsible for the discovery told our correspondent that since he started working on the property as a guard, a woman who spoke fluent Yoruba repeatedly brought huge bags of money to Apartment 7B. That particular property was known to guards as Apartment “Dash-Dash” because in the records there were two dashes where the name of the owner ought to be.

He recalled that on two occasions, he helped the woman, who was always curiously dressed in a haggardly way, to carry the money to “Dash-Dash”.

The building in Ikoyi where the money was found

 

The woman, on the first occasion, gave him N10, 000 as a gift, and on the second, N500. He said the woman would spend about two hours in the apartment, then go freshen up in the gym at the back of the building before leaving. While Mrs. Oke appears to be that person, who was quietly trying to traffic the money to the apartment for some reason, a quick check on True Caller shows phone number +2348059833410 to be customized as “Okemob Niger”.

According to the whistleblower, who is in hiding for fear of his life, there are about 19 fully occupied apartments and 2 penthouses at the 16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, property. Estate valuers estimate each of the apartment with four bedrooms and state of the art facilities to cost about N250 million.

An EFCC source also told SaharaReporters that the reason they went ahead and raided the apartment was because the EFCC has in the past year investigated several NIA operatives involved in corruption, finding widespread malfeasance within the agency, with several NIA operatives owning hotels, apartment buildings and luxury cars in Abuja and elsewhere.

That background may have emboldened the EFCC chairman to ignore pleas by Mr. Oke when he arrived suddenly at the EFCC offices asking them to call off the raid after they had already commenced. The question now is: how did Mrs Oke become involved in discreetly and personally ferrying money supposedly belonging to the federal government into a private apartment she appears to own, and apparently trying to hide it there?

Arresting this woman could help solve this case.

Five things to do to make your child’s screen time more productive

By
Guest Author
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Screen time is not what it used to be. The digital devices our kids are using today may frustrate us, annoy us, or even scare us, but with some active and mindful parenting strategies, these devices can be used in a positive way. Though I’m a realist about the dangers that exist in the digital world, I also see unprecedented opportunities for our kids to create and learn and grow into thoughtful digital leaders.

Let’s look at a few different ways to change our perspective from fear to opportunity.

From Consumption to Creation
When we lump everything into simple “screen time,” we fail to make a crucial distinction between creativity and consumption. Is your kid sprawled out in front of the TV or bingeing on her favorite YouTuber? Or is she live-tweeting the presidential debate, composing a song using GarageBand, or building a hobby website?

If kids are using their screen time for creativity instead of idle consumption, that makes you think differently about imposing limits, doesn’t it? Assess what they are doing and what value it might bring. It might not be passive “zombie time,” but learning and stretching their imaginations instead. If your kid is composing a song or creating an ebook or producing a podcast, you may still urge her to do homework or power down to get some sleep, but you might feel more positively about their screen time.

From Silence to Savviness
As parents, we can cultivate social consciousness in our kids through media literacy. If used properly, screen time can be a conversation starter for big issues. Engage with them about stereotypes and other issues in the media they consume, without forcing the issue. For instance, instead of insisting, “that video game is sexist,” ask your kids what they think about the male and female characters, or about the way that characters of different ethnicities are portrayed.

Try to stock your media library with shows that portray diverse, positive role models. Can you find movies and books with strong female heroes and smart and nuanced characters of color? Unfortunately, it won’t be as easy as it should be—but there are some gems out there. Ask your librarian, and consult websites such as A Mighty Girl as a resource. (It’s not just for parents raising girls!)

If you simply hate a show, character, genre, or company—and especially if you prohibit it—tell your children why. “Because I said so” may have our parents’ methodology, but explaining your reasoning is likely to yield more buy-in from your kids, even when you aren’t looking over their shoulders.

From Passivity to Participation
The Web offers so many opportunities to have your child “try on” different roles and responsibilities. Why not have your kid take the lead on a family project?

Does your child enjoy watching cooking shows on TV? Using the wealth of instructional content on YouTube or the numerous foodie blogs, could he make dinner for the family? Have him pick some recipes, plan a healthy meal, and create a shopping list. Help him and encourage him along the way, but make sure that he feels ownership over the process. It’s an activity you can do together, and will foster an enormous sense of pride, for you and your kid!

What about planning a family trip? Let her direct—or at least participate in the research and planning. Give her some constraints (budget, time frame, etc.) so that she understands the limits, and set age-appropriate tasks, from looking into museums or nature hikes near your potential destination to calculating the mileage and budget for gas needed on the road trip.

Maybe your child would like to create a blog, Instagram feed, or use an app like Anchor to make an audio narrative dedicated to the trip. These are useful skills!

From Customer to Critic
Since today’s teens and tweens view media as participatory, take advantage of that! Use this inclination to teach them to make critical assessments of the content they are consuming. This will allow your child to discover and develop his or her own value set, and feel ownership over it. And of course, you will be there to help guide them along the way.

In today’s media environment, we don’t have to just accept apps and content as they are. Let’s get creative and make some changes! Have them create a parody of their least favorite TV show by directing and shooting a video of their own. First, get them to articulate why they don’t like it—with specific reasons. Challenge them on this. For instance, why is this app or video game so popular? Can they see it from a perspective other than their own?

Next, what could they do to make it better? Have them try to improve one of their video games. Could the objectives be clearer, or the plot line more (or less) direct? If this is too challenging, get them to focus on one particular facet—the main character, or one “level” in the game.
There are so many great possibilities for creative criticism.

From Slavery to Citizenship
Kids are facile with technology, and many parents feel their child is enslaved to something that they can’t keep up with. Don’t use this as an excuse. We can’t rely on others to teach our kids good digital citizenship. It’s up to us!

Limiting screen time may seem like the easy solution for those parents who are paralyzed by fear of this new digital world. But let’s face it, their world already looks a lot different than ours—and it will continue to do so. What’s more is that their future success depends on the digital life skills they acquire now.

You want to play a part in helping them navigate their world. That doesn’t mean that you need to be an expert on their apps. It really doesn’t matter what the next “big thing” is. Something will be next multi-player game (like Minecraft), the next augmented reality phenomenon (like Pokemon Go), or the next social platform (like Musical.ly). Your strategy will remain the same: teach them the critical skills and self-awareness that will serve them in their future.

Heitner is the founder of Raising Digital Natives and the author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World, a guide for mentoring digital kids. This was originally pbublished as “Five Ways to Transform Your Kids’ Screen Time”

African Innovation – How Zenvus Is Using 3D Printing To Build Soil Fertility Sensors

By
Tekedia Editors
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2

Zenvus is an intelligent solution for farms that uses proprietary electronics sensors to collect soil data like moisture, nutrients, pH etc and send them to a cloud server via GSM, satellite or Wifi. Algorithms in the server analyze the data and advice farmers on farming. As the crops grow, the system deploys special cameras to build vegetative health for drought stress, pest and diseases. Our system has the capability to tell a farm what, how, and when to farm. Here are some images from the design and development of Zenvus.

The pieces

 

The 3D printing

The enclosure

 

Serving farmers in farms

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