MTN, a leading telecommunications company with presence in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East has selected Ericsson to digitize their product catalog management and order management processes, leveraging Ericsson Catalog Manager and Ericsson Order Care.

Catalog Manager will enable MTN to digitalize the product lifecycle from offer creation to fulfillment. Order Care will equip MTN to realize operational improvements and service augmentation, as well as coordinate hybrid workflows (automated and manual activities) across services, systems and group. Ericsson’s Digital BSS suite will cover critical business processes, such as lead-to-service and service-to-cash, that are in the center of MTN Revenue Management and MTN’s Customer Experience focus areas.

Nikos Angelopoulos, MTN Group Executive - Information Technology says: “The modernization of the systems that support our business processes enables us to focus even more on service excellence. Ericsson's BSS solutions have played an important role in enabling our customers to enjoy our new services more quickly and efficiently. This partnership will safeguard our capability to continue enhancing the customer experience and service demands on our journey towards realizing our Digital Telco ambition.”

Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East & Africa, says: “The ever-increasing diversity of the applications, services and bundles consumers wish to use on their devices, requires ever more flexible real-time charging, simplification of offers and automation. BSS modernization empowers MTN to monetize assets while meeting customer demands with new offers, strengthen competitiveness, enable flexibility to meet market demands, outpace competition with faster time to market for new offers, reduce costs through streamlined operations and TCO-efficient solutions.”

The announcement of the cooperation takes place during the 2019 Ericsson BSS User Group Summit, Ericsson's annual global flagship event hosted by MTN in Cape Town, South Africa. The 20th edition of this event takes place where the first event was held and will give operators using Ericsson’s BSS products and services from all parts of the world the opportunity to hear from Ericsson global experts and discuss with their peers about Digital Transformation, strategy, product roadmaps and the future of BSS.

Source: biztechafrica.com

Airtel Africa, a leading global telecommunications services provider with operations in 14 countries across Africa, and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated ("ETI"), the parent company of Ecobank the leading pan-African banking group operating in 33 countries, have signed a partnership which will allows millions of Airtel Money and Ecobank customers across Africa to improve their access to mobile financial services and carry out a variety of mobile transactions.

MTN Ghana said it will step up its Know Your Customer (KYC) activities. This will be done mainly through strict adherence to regulatory requirements. Activities to ensure KYC compliance include suspending newly registered SIM cards that are not activated within 72 hours of purchase.

Registered SIM cards should have been used for making a voice call, sending an SMS, using data services or undertaking a MoMo transaction upon registration. Suspended numbers can be reactivated after the customer provides a valid ID card at an MTN service centre for reactivation.

MTN is also setting a maximum number of SIM cards that can be sold to one individual.

The operator periodically reviews its KYC database by asking customers to update their records.

Source: MTN

Vodafone’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ (SMEs) Masterclass, a capacity-building programme for SMEs, would run from Thursday, October 4 to Saturday December 15, 2019, Alfred Nkrow, the Director of Vodafone Business, has announced.

Mr. Nkrow said the SMEs Masterclass, which is part of Vodafone’s commitment to develop the potential and capacity of SMEs, would treat modules such as Corporate Governance, Social Media and Digital Selling, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Growth, Financial Management and Negotiation & Supply Chain Strategy.

Mr. Nkrow made this known to players in the SMEs at the “Vodafone SMEGA 18” held in Accra. SMEGA is SME Ghana Awards and SMEGA 18 is the sixth edition sponsored by Vodafone Ghana to honour and appreciate entrepreneurs whose operations had contributed significantly towards the promotion of socio-economic development in the country.

The Director explained that lecturers with international reputation, would teach entrepreneurs in the Masterclass. “I hope the participating companies will enjoy rare insights and guidance to continue affecting their spheres of influence in the country,” he said.

Alan Kyeremateng, the Minister of Trade and Industry in a speech delivered on his behalf, commended Vodafone and its co-organisers for honouring SMEs, as they played a crucial role in facilitating economic growth.

SMEs, he emphasized, were responsible for creating jobs for a big percent of the population and contributed massively to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. He said government had put measures in place to create a friendly environment for businesses to thrive.

Mr Kyeremateng said Ghana was fortunate to host the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and Area and urged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunity and harness the benefits to trade their products and services to other parts of the world.

SMEGA 18 rewarded SMEs under various categories including SMEGA Entrepreneurship Discovery Award won by Jilfa Trends, Rising Star Award won by Spark Food and Beverages, Service Sector Education Award won by MBA Mode Ghana Limited, and Service Sector Financial Institution Award won by Summit Vision Microfinance.

Other categories were Trades Sector Textiles and Clothing won by MBA Mode Ghana, Trade Sector Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics obtained by Aide Chemist Limited, Agri Products won by Greencesta Ventures & Consulting Limited, and Media Reportage Award given to Biz Trends Show.

Other supporting sponsors of SMEGA 18 were Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Activa International Insurance, Food IOI, GS1 Ghana, Firmus Advisory, PUM Netherlands Senior Experts, Kipindi Business Consult, MassMuv Travel and Transport Services, Vista Consults Limited, and Besiaba’s Brew.

Source: THEBFTONLINE