Archive for May 15, 2018

Diamond Bank’s #TechFest2018 to Create Opportunities for African Start-Ups

Posted in Commentary on May 15, 2018 by itnerd

Nigeria’s technology space is set to witness a game-changing experiential platform with the unveiling of #TechFest2018​ by Diamond Bank Plc in partnership with MTN, Visa, Microsoft, NIBSS, Deloitte and Touche, Interswitch and Beat FM.

de618634850931e17f4bdae88abe.jpg

Scheduled for Tuesday, 15 and Wednesday, 16 May 2018 at the Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Lagos, Tech Fest will feature the best talent in the Nigerian technology space – one of the country’s fastest growing sectors. The event will showcase technological solutions for businesses, connect technology providers with new markets, provide access-to-market opportunities for tech start-ups amongst others.

The event also featured partners like Microsoft, Beat FM and NIBSS who affirmed that Tech Fest will provide opportunities for SMEs and young tech entrepreneurs to network and meet sponsors, financiers, and partners that will help them grow their businesses.

TechFest is open to all who want to connect, collaborate and co-create new ideas that solve real problems for Nigeria.

Leave a comment »

OpenTable Unveils Business Intelligence Suite for GuestCenter

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 15, 2018 by itnerd

OpenTable has today announced a business intelligence suite for its flagship restaurant management product GuestCenter. The new suite gives restaurants the tools and insights they need to seat more guests, better understand their diners’ booking habits and preferences, and personalize hospitality to help turn first-time diners into regulars.

image001.png

The business intelligence suite provides powerful insights and recommendations to help restaurants grow and thrive:

  • Shift Occupancy Analysis: Analyzes monthly and yearly historical occupancy to help identify occupancy trends and forecast demand.
  • Turn Time Optimization: Uncovers opportunities to optimize turn times to maximize busy shifts and seat more guests
  • Booking Insights: Analyzes reservation data to provide insight into where diners are coming from.
  • Referral Insights: Tracks referrals, concierge relationships and reservations, giving restaurants insight on who is referring the business and the number of guests they are sending to the restaurant.
  • Restaurant Owner app: Presents quick analytics into how the business is performing on a monthly and shift basis, giving restaurateurs the knowledge they need to make informed and strategic decisions.
  • Monthly Business Reports: Shares actionable insights for busy owners and GMs, ensuring stakeholders stay informed with top-line reporting.

Additional analytics will be rolled out in the coming months, including a first time guest and visit frequency report; and covers and reviews analysis. These additional reports will help restaurants understand where their diners come from and how to convert them into regulars.

To learn more about the business intelligence suite for GuestCenter, please visit the website here or watch the video:

Leave a comment »

Kaspersky Moving Core Infrastructure To Switzerland To Make Spying Concerns Go Away

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 15, 2018 by itnerd

Kaspersky has been accused of aiding the Russian government in its espionage of other countries and foreign companies. Being that the company makes security software, you can see how this would be seen as a potential threat to many.  Despite if the claims are true or not, people are not choosing Kaspersky software due to its connection with Russia, and the Russian government does have a trend of getting involved in its companies. Companies with sensitive information are not using the software. Which is why Kaspersky is moving core infrastructure to Swizerland in the hopes that people will trust them again. From Security Week:

It is to maintain or regain trust that is behind Kaspersky’s Global Transparency Initiative, announced in October 2017.

“The new measures,” the firm announced, “comprise the move of data storage and processing for a number of regions, the relocation of software assembly and the opening of the first Transparency Center,” which will be in Zurich. 

The measures in question include customer data storage and processing for most regions; and software assembly including threat detection updates. Transparency will be provided by making the source code available for review by responsible stakeholders in a dedicated Transparency Center. 

The company said that by the end of 2018, its products and threat detection rule databases (AV databases) “will start to be assembled and signed with a digital signature in Switzerland, before being distributed to the endpoints of customers worldwide.”

The firm is going further by making plans for its processes and source code to be independently supervised by a qualified third-party. To this end, it is supporting the creation of a new, non-profit organization able to assume this responsibility not just for itself, but for other partners and members who wish to join.

To me, moving to Switzerland doesn’t seem to fix this issue. I say that because all it will take is a request for the CEO to send or “Backup” their data to a Russian Data center, or to an 3rd party data-center that Russia may have access too. Assuming that Russia doesn’t just plug themselves into this environment that they’re building in Switzerland. Thus while this might be good PR, it really won’t solve the fact that people don’t trust Kaspersky.

Leave a comment »

WireIE Unveils New Partnership to Enhance Broadband Services for Canada’s Indigenous Communities

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 15, 2018 by itnerd

One of Canada’s premier wholesale network operators today announced a new partnership designed to significantly enhance and improve broadband services for Indigenous communities across the country.

WireIE, the nation’s industry leader in delivering high availability and secure data over networks in rural and remote regions, is teaming up with Frontline 360 Inc. to be the exclusive distributor of the company’s Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) platform for Indigenous communities and wholesale customers.

WireIE specializes in the deployment of MEF-Certified Carrier Ethernet networks to Canada’s underserved markets and has unique expertise in owning and operating Ethernet Networks for the carrier, oil and gas, utilities, healthcare and government industries.

The Frontline-powered IPTV platform will now be a part of WireIE’s broadband solution and is set to increase opportunities for local economic development in underserved markets.

WireIE is currently deploying Frontline’s IPTV platform with K-Net Services (a division of Keewaytinook Okimakanak Northern Chiefs Council), a First Nations owned and operated telecommunications provider and internet service provider (ISP) in Sioux Lookout, Ontario.

Following the successful rollout of today’s announcement, WireIE will pursue further partnerships with other Indigenous ISPs and communities.

To learn more about WireIE, visit their website at: www.wireie.com.

Leave a comment »

Chili’s Pwned…. Unknown Number Of Debit & Credit Cards Exposed

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 15, 2018 by itnerd

The parent company of the restaurant chain known as Chili’s has announced that the restaurant had been hit by a data breach that left an unknown number of customer debit and credit card numbers exposed to hackers. The firm said that the hack occurred between March and April and involved malware but little else has been revealed. Since the company doesn’t collect any other data, there’s little chance that SSN’s and the like are floating around out there. But this is clearly not good. The company suggests that you monitor your bank cards to ensure that no fraud takes place and the company has said that it will post updates on their website.

Clearly this isn’t a trivial hack and hopefully this sends a message that companies have to do a much better job of protecting themselves from pwnage.

Leave a comment »