Nigeria: NCC approves online SIM replacements

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved Online SIM Replacement (OSR) in the new draft of its SIM Replacement Guidelines, this is according to a report via The Vanguard. The report reveals that Head of Legal Services at the Commission, Akintoye Yetunde stated that the draft rules are aimed at creating and providing a seamless, effective and efficient procedure for SIM replacement in Nigeria. Yetunde added that the intention was to curve incidences of fraudulent replacements. Yetunde said that the OSR can only be carried out either through the National Service Providers’ (NSPs) website or self-service terminal. NSPs are expected to create platforms on their websites where subscribers can login to carry out SIM Replacement using a unique identification and PIN issued by the NSP. The subscriber would be required to purchase a new SIM, to which the information from the old SIM card would be transferred. The report reveals further that a replacement SIM must be activated within two hours, said Yetunde, once verification of the subscriber information had been carried out. The regulator warned that the NSPs would be held liable for any SIM replacement carried out in violation of the guidelines or done fraudulently by its agent or dealer. She said NSPs are expected to carry out quarterly audit of SIM replacement transactions carried out by both its staff and agents, and a report forwarded to the Commission.

Don’t Let ‘Digital Money’ Make You Broke

When all your debit card could do was withdraw money from the Automated Teller Machine, ATM, you wished it could do more. But now that you can do hundreds of transactions without even knowing where your card is, you just might be rethinking the idea. You’re buying more airtime than you normally  would when all you have to do is dial a code and recharge your phone in seconds. When you’re shopping, you may not notice just how above the budget you’ve gone if you’re using your card. And when you can do bank transfers on your phone without a token, what happens when your phone gets stolen during the weekend? Of course, the endless advantages of cashless, cardless transactions mean that there’s no going back. So what you must do is ensure that you get the best out of it. Here’s how: Limit expenditure accounts Banks are now quicker than ever to give you a  debit card. It makes operations, not only easier for you, but for them as well. However, because you have many debit cards doesn’t mean you should use them all. Limit cardless and cashless expenditures to one or two accounts based on your capacity. Ensure that you save your money in an account you don’t use regularly for transactions. Password your phone Your phone is now your mobile bank. You must do your best to be careful with it, and ensure that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Sometimes, this could be beyond your control. That is why you must do your best to password your device, and keep your password as privately as you keep your debit card pin. Think before you spend Whether it is cash or cashless, a spending problem is a spending problem. If you have the tendency to  overspend, it is definitely not the fault of the cashless economy, so you must be  sure to discipline yourself. Via http://vanguardngr.com

You can now send and receive money via gmail in Nigeria.

You can now send and receive money via gmail in Nigeria. Earlier in the year, Google announced the “Send & request money with Gmail” feature, which basically ties your gmail and google wallet accounts together and lets you send, receive and request for money. The feature which literally just rolled out in Nigeria adds a “$” to the bottom tool bar in the compose area of your gmail. To send or request money 1.Open Gmail. 2.Click theComposebutton. 3.Enter the email address of the person you want to send money to. 4.Add a subject and message text (optional). 5.Click the$ icon (£for UK users). 6.If you don’t have Google Wallet yet, you’ll be asked to set up your account. 7.To send money: Enter the amount you want to send and choose a funding source. 8.To request money: Click Request at the top of the box, and enter the amount you’d like to request. 9.ClickAttach. 10.Look over your message one more time and clickSend. To receive money: The first time you receive a message with money attached, follow these directions: 1.Open Gmail. 2.Open the message with attached money. 3.ClickClaim money. 4.You’ll be prompted to sign up for Google Wallet and verify your identity. 5.Once you’ve completed identity verification, navigate back to the message and click Claim money again. After claiming money for the first time, funds will be automatically added to your Google Wallet Balance. Receiving money is always free, and you can claim funds on desktop and mobile.

Three Quick Tips for the Internet Business Owner

Three Quick Tips for the Internet Business Owner. The way that businesses operate is constantly evolving. Far from being small scale operations now, even the smallest SMEs are growing their output, using marketing techniques to reach a wider audience and using online techniques to reach more customers than ever before. With the Royal Mail shipping across the UK in a matter of days and other delivery companies shipping worldwide, even the smallest SME can be a global player. However, in order to do this, you’ll need the latest technology to keep up with the modern world. Here are just three reasons why. Market to a Wider Audience By using modern communicating tools, you can market your business to a wider audience than ever before. To do this, you need to make social media a large part of your marketing process. After all, sites like Facebook and Twitter are free to use, so there’s nothing really to lose. By using the web, you’ll be able to target customers who wouldn’t get chance to visit you in person and, if you have a sleek and responsive site, they’ll be able to buy online after seeing one of your social media posts. A wider audience at no cost? What’s there even to consider? Reach the Customer on the Go However, using the latest technology extends far beyond using a website and social media, and you have to use technology in-store, too. Customers; especially businesses, are busy people, so your business has to cater for the customer on the go. Of course, this doesn’t mean discarding customer service, it merely means using technology to speed up the process. This has two benefits as it allows the customer to shop quicker and allows your business to serve more customers in a shorter period of time. Any payment management system is the perfect way to achieve this, helping you work smarter. Conduct Meetings Around the World. Finally, if your business relies on transactions between businesses rather than customers in a retail sense, then technology is vital in setting up meetings; especially if you want to expand. Tools such as Skype can help you conduct meetings with businesses who are across the other side of the world… all for absolutely no cost. You can even conference call, making it a no brainer. There we have it. Just three reasons why you need to make sure that your business is using up to date technology. So, if you’re not using them already, then why not? Get started today.

Microsoft announces which Lumias will get Windows 10 first

The desktop PC version of Windows 10 has been out since yesterday, but the mobile variation of Microsoft’s latest OS is still in the making. Furthermore, we don’t even have an exact release date for Windows 10 Mobile yet, so it may take a few months for it to actually surface. In fact, the latest rumors on the matter talk about a November launch. In the meantime, however, you might want to know which Lumia-branded smartphones are going to get the update to Windows 10 first. Microsoft has helpfully published an official list. So, if you own a Lumia Lumia 430, Lumia 435, Lumia 532, Lumia 535, Lumia 540, Lumia 640, Lumia 640 XL, Lumia 735, Lumia 830, or Lumia 930, you’ll be among the first people on the planet to experience the final version of Windows 10 Mobile when it hits. If you have a different Lumia, there’s no reason to panic just yet. Microsoft has confirmed that the above are not the only Lumias to get Windows 10, just the first in line for the update. So the new OS should make its way to many more models at some point. In all cases, the update to Windows 10 Mobile will be free. On this occasion, Microsoft has once again promised that all Lumias running Windows Phone 8.1 with the Denim software will eventually get upgraded to Windows 10. Source[GSMARENA]