Posted on September 9, 2009, at 10:10 am .
The above is a Zain network coverage map of Ghana. As you can see, major roads are the focus of coverage and BlackBerry devices will be a welcomed addition to the country’s infrastructure.
In a partnership with Zain and EMS, RIM have announced the availability of BlackBerry in Ghana, one of the most stable countries on the African continent.
The carrier Zain has a 3G network, which means that customers and government clients will be able to have access to enterprise-grade smartphones. The first devices to hit the market include the BlackBerry Storm, the Curve 8900, Bold 9000 and the Pearl Flip 8220.
The partnership brings together three crucial companies for helping to further expand the country’s infrastructure and better channel resources to the eradication of extreme poverty. Increasing productivity and transparency are two key elements of improving governmental and corporate affairs, and it’s the hope of BlackBerry Cool that RIM will be a significant player in this regard.
Imagine the following scenarios:
- BES infrastructure is implemented in all major organizations to ensure communication is instant and efficient.
- Government workers are able to send communications from the field directly to the departments responsible.
- Small businesses are able to better serve their clients and be constantly available, regardless of whether or not they are in office.
- Logistics for delivering food, materials and aid are all greatly improved by the BlackBerry solution.
This is surely going to have a positive impact on the economy.
Posted on March 30, 2009, at 10:00 am .
[The following is a letter from a BlackBerry Cool reader in Nigeria, writing about what it's like to own a BlackBerry in that part of the world.]
I couldn’t have written about BB in Nigeria without writing about the history of telecommunications in the country.
About 8 years ago, we only had about one hundred thousand wired lines for all of us. When I say “all of us”, I mean about one hundred and forty million people. In order to use a phone, we often had to wait in lines that could be as long as one thousand people.
Only one service provider, MTEL, which is a subsidiary of the national carrier NITEL, was offering mobile analogue (etac) in about four cities.
In 1999, licenses were given to three GSM operators: MTN Nigeria, V-Mobile and MTEL.The nation was about to witness a phenomenal change in telecommunications. A change in the way we communicate, a permanent change for the rest of our lives.
Continue reading about BlackBerry in Nigeria
Posted on January 30, 2009, at 11:51 am .
Press Release
Johannesburg, South Africa and Waterloo, ON – Vodacom South Africa and Research In Motion today announced the availability of the BlackBerry Storm smartphone in the South African market. The BlackBerry Storm will be available from Vodacom on January 28.
“The BlackBerry Storm is a next-generation smartphone designed to meet the communication and multimedia needs of the most demanding customers. With its renowned communications capabilities, rich multimedia features and stylish design, the BlackBerry Storm allows customers to make the most of their time on the go with a fashionable and lifestyle-friendly smartphone,” says Shameel Joosub, Managing Director, Vodacom South Africa.
The BlackBerry Storm will be available to both Vodacom’s Prepaid and Contract customers from participating Vodacom outlets, across South Africa. Customers can also call Vodacom Direct 0860 123 123 or go to www.vodacomdirect.co.za for the best deals and have the smartphone delivered to their door. Payments start as low as R59.00 per month for the BlackBerry Internet Service (Prepaid and Contract) and R98.00 for BlackBerry Enterprise Service (excluding device).
BlackBerry Storm Specifications and Preloaded Applications
Posted on January 13, 2009, at 10:39 am .
We have some happy news today, as another country has joined the BlackBerry Nation. Rwandan carriers MTN-Rwandacell and Rwandatel have announced official support for BlackBerry service is coming soon. While there is no set device listing or official launch date, Rwandacell insiders note that BlackBerry devices can already run on their network. You can most likely expect the BlackBerry Curve and BlackBerry Pearl at launch for both carriers.
Rwanda will join regional counterparts Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda currently using Blackberry services. Welcome to the club!
|via BBNews|
Posted on November 11, 2008, at 10:55 am .
Coming straight out of Johannesburg, RIM and MTN jointly announced this morning the availability of the BlackBerry Bold in South Africa. The South African contingent of the BlackBerry Nation will love the Bold’s 3G, Wi-Fi and integrated GPS capabilities.
“The BlackBerry Bold exudes style and accomplishment with its glossy black exterior and satin chrome frame. Its stunning display, sophisticated user interface and newly designed full-QWERTY keyboard all combine to make it a phone that any power user would be proud to carry,” says Pieter Verkade – MTN SA Chief Marketing Officer.
While pricing information is not yet posted on the site, you’ll be able to find it at the link below shortly. Make sure to check out our exhaustive BlackBerry Bold review as well.
BlackBerry Bold MTN South Africa
The Ultimate BlackBerry Bold Review (with full device specs)
Posted on November 6, 2008, at 10:37 am .
Press Release
SteelWork Mobile is Now Available in the Middle East and Africa Markets
SteelCloud, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of compliance-based technology solutions, today announced that it has formed a joint venture, SteelCloud Middle East & Africa Free Zone Company, with XSAT FZE, a telecommunication services company based in the United Arab Emirates. SteelCloud MEA, focused on the Middle East and Africa, will market and support SteelWorks Mobile appliances developed for BlackBerry Enterprise Server from Research In Motion.
SteelWork Mobile Press Release
Posted on March 17, 2008, at 8:11 am .
Hot on the heels of RIM’s big push into Africa, BlackBerry Connect has now been made available for a few companies in the region. Using the service, users will be able to connect to BIS and BES on select non-BlackBerry phones. It’s not clear exactly which providers provide access on which phones, but Safaricom and Celtel are specifically mentioned, with Celtel providing access on some Nokia E series phones.
Posted on February 7, 2008, at 12:53 pm .
South African carrier Vodacom looks to be the first on the continent to be supporting the new GPS Pearl, with Vodafone supplying the navigation software. Africa remains a big part of RIM’s game, especially considering the recent launches in Madagascar, Ghana and Uganda. For anyone in the neighbourhood, you can get more info here.
Posted on January 29, 2008, at 7:53 am .
RIM has announced the launch of the BlackBerry Curve 8300 in Uganda in conjunction with MTN, one of the largest telecom companies in that area. MTN will be offering two BlackBerry services in the area: Enterprise Server, which offers Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange, and Novell GroupWise integration; and Internet Service, which offers up to 10 POP3 or IMAP4 email servers including Gmail and Yahoo. RIM has been expanding all around the region, so this new release doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
Posted on January 14, 2008, at 8:25 am .
Not too long after the Ghanaian three-pronged release, we’ve got another BlackBerry launch at the other end of the continent, in Madagascar. With the help of Alcatel-Lucent, local provider Telma will be carrying the BlackBerry 8800. As a habit, I like to check out the Wikis for every country that announces a release, and it was an interesting surprise to find out that Madagascar is home to five per cent of all of the world’s species of plants and animals, with a fossil record showing the presence of gorilla-sized lemurs. Woah.
