Ecobank launches Ecobank Mobile App to transform Banking in Africa

The new App enables customers to open a new digital account with no more than a few clicks, with no paper references

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LAGOS, Nigeria, October 25, 2016/APO/ -- 

Ecobank (Ecobank.com) has launched the Ecobank Mobile App, an instant and convenient way of banking via the mobile phone. It is the first unified app delivered by any institution for use in 33 countries. Group CEO, Ade Ayeyemi unveiled the new App at a large product launch in Lagos, which brought together a wide range of customers, including students, various professionals, traders and transporters. Ecobank board members, shareholders, staff and media were also present at the event.

The Ecobank Mobile App uniquely leverages the power of digital to deliver real convenience to customers. The App gives Ecobank the scale and capacity to achieve its target of attaining 100 million customers in a profitable and sustainable way. 

The new App enables customers to open a new digital account with no more than a few clicks, with no paper references.

Ade Ayeyemi said: “The Ecobank Mobile App opens up opportunities for customers by allowing them to shop, transact and do business without cash. At scale, this will be transformational for Africa. Through its purchasing power and Ecobank’s partnerships with Visa and Mastercard, the Ecobank Mobile App will be an accepted means of payment. With its removal of barriers to entry and affordable price points, the Ecobank Mobile App will empower the consumer to be on the move.”

With the Ecobank Mobile App, Ecobank customers can now make and receive instant payments across 33 African countries on their mobile devices

Ecobank’s Group Executive for Consumer Banking, Patrick Akinwuntan, said: “This product launch fulfils our promise to create relevant solutions for consumers. With the Ecobank Mobile App, Ecobank customers can now make and receive instant payments across 33 African countries on their mobile devices. They can also pay in store with their mobile phones. This is genuine convenience delivered to our consumers.”

At the launch, Mr. Akinwuntan demonstrated how to make a payment, how to send funds, and how to receive money from merchants using Ecobank Masterpass QR technology. He also showed that opening an XpressAccount was an instant and easy transaction.

Ecobank Nigeria’s Managing Director, Charles Kié, said: “Nigeria is a leading hub for entrepreneurship and technology for Ecobank. This is why we chose Lagos as the venue to launch the Ecobank Mobile App. This new product will allow customers in Nigeria and other affiliates across our vast network, to grow their businesses by giving them a convenient and secure way of banking.”

The innovative new platform reduces the need to carry cash. It gives customers the opportunity to deposit money through a mobile transfer.

Legendary Red Bull Athlete Valery Rozov smashes world-record for FXTMbasejump Project

25 October 2016: Valery Rozov has broken another world-record in BASE jumping in the finale of the #FXTMbasejump project. The Red Bull athlete, who partnered with FXTM for the feat, performed a successful jump from Mount Cho Oyu in China at 7700 metres. In this astounding accomplishment, Rozov has once again raised the bar of extreme sports higher - beating his previous 2013 record - breaking jump from the Everest Massif at 7220 metres.

The jump from Cho Oyu was completed on 5^th of October, following a 21-day expedition to the exit point. The jump took 90 seconds in free fall, then the opening of the parachute and the flight under the canopy lasted approximately 2 minutes before Valery Rozov landed safely on a glacier.

Valery Rozov said: “Jumping from Cho Oyu has been one of my life-long ambitions and being able to achieve this goal as part of the #FXTMbasejump project is a fantastic feeling. The mountain itself is extremely impressive and challenging, but nevertheless having the opportunity to climb it and to BASE jump from there was a great experience.” 

Discussing the partnership with FXTM, Rozov said: “FXTM has been a great partner from the outset of this project, right up to the final jump at Cho Oyu. We both share the same drive for offering the inspiration needed to push the limits, and together our goals were achieved with the Cho Oyu jump. I am very grateful to both FXTM and Red Bull’s support that made this project and this jump possible and I’m excited for what could be in store after this."

Commenting on the finale of the #FXTMbasejump Project, Olga Rybalkina, CEO of FXTM said: “We are extremely proud of Valery Rozov for this great milestone in his career and for achieving it as part of the #FXTMbasejump project. We are honoured for the opportunity to support Valery, and to prove that by having a goal, gaining the proper training, understanding and managing the risk effectively you have the potential to achieve great things. Our shared passion for innovation ignited this project and has become a great source of inspiration for traders, investors and even athletes everywhere to achieve the most of their experience, no matter their field.”

As part of the FXTMbasejump Project's preparation for the final jump at Cho Oyu, Rozov underwent strict training throughout the season and completed several jumps in Chamonix, Peru and Dolomites.

Rozov’s next steps after his record-breaking jump are a media tour in China which will then be followed by a series of FXTM events in various regions, where FXTM’s clients will get the chance to meet Rozov in person.

Watch the video of the record-breaking jump: http://fxtm.biz/2evFPWj

YouTube: http://fxtm.biz/2dvqu76

W MALDIVES INTRODUCES THE ‘EXTREME ISLAND TAKEOVER’ PACKAGE

Maldives, October 25, 2016: W Maldives is a wonderland of lavish living, with white sandy beaches, breathtaking lagoons, simmering design and a vibe of ultimate sophistication. Now the luxury has been amped up with the introduction of the island’s private buyout package ‘Extreme Island Takeover’, which gives guests exclusive use of the island and turns it into their own private playground.

At W Maldives too much isn’t enough and the resort doesn’t do anything halves – luxury included, so go big!

Guests who purchase the buyout package ‘Extreme Island Takeover’ will have access to the 78 private escapes located both on the beach and overwater – each with its own plunge pool and sundeck; six creative gourmet eateries and lounge bars, including 15BELOW, the Maldives underground nightclub, literally located 15 steps below the island surface and the overwater AWAY® Spa for an ultimate escape.

The island buyout package includes:

·         Island buyout of all 78 rooms

·         All dining venues

·         Free flow of food and house beverages

·         Unlimited spa (inside operation hours)

·         Unlimited water sports

·         Shared seaplane transfers to and from the resort

Packages:

7 nights – USD $6,250,000

6 nights – USD $5,500,000

5 nights – USD $4,750,000

4 nights – USD $4,000,000

The island buyout is not available for less than four nights. 

Images are available for download here.

منتجع دبليو جزر المالديف يطرح عروض مثالية لأوقات لا تنسى على كامل الجزيرة

دبي، الإمارات العربية المتحدة، 25 أكتوبر 2016: يشكل منتجع "دبليو جزر المالديف" المكان الأمثل لمحبي الحياة العصرية والمترفة حيث الشواطئ الرملية البيضاء، والبحيرات الخلابة، والتصاميم الأنيقة والساحرة. وحرص المنتجع مؤخراً على تعزيز مستوى العصرية والفخامة بطرح عرض "إكستريم أيلاند تايك أوفر" الذي يتيح للضيوف إمكانية الاستخدام الحصري للجزيرة بأكملها وتحويلها إلى ملاذهم الخاص والشخصي.

ويحرص منتجع دبليو جزر المالديف على توفير أفضل التجارب المتكاملة التي ترتقي وتتجاوز توقعات كافة الزوار، إذ لا يقبل المنتجع بأقل من المثالية بما فيها الفخامة والعصرية الاستثنائية.

وسيتمكن زوار المنتجع الذين يختارون الاستفادة من عرض "إكستريم أيلاند تايك أوفر" من الوصل إلى 78 ملاذ استجمامي خاص على الشاطئ أو فوق الماء، يمتاز كل منها بحوض سباحة خاص ومنصة للاستمتاع بأشعة الشمس، بالإضافة إلى ستة مطاعم وردهات مبتكرة للذواقة، بما في ذلك 15 بيلو، النادي الليلي تحت الأرض، والذي يقع حرفيا على بعد 15 مستوى تحت سطح الجزيرة، بالإضافة إلى سبا "أويي" فوق الماء وذلك للمزيد من تجارب الاستجمام الفاخرة.

يتضمن العرض

·        الاستفادة من الجزيرة بكامل غرفها البالغة 78

·        الاستفادة من كافة أماكن الطعام

·        وجبات الطعام والشراب المجانية والدائمة

·        خدمة سبا غير محدودة (ضمن ساعات العمل)

·        ألعاب رياضية مائية غير محدودة

·        نقل مشترك في الطائرة المائية من وإلى المنتجع

الحزم:

7 ليال – 6.250.000 دولار أمريكي

6 ليال – 5.500.000 دولار أمريكي

5 ليال – 4.750.000 دولار أمريكي ليال – 4.000.000 دولار أمريكي

لا يتوفر العرض لمدة تقل عن أربع ليال.

الصور متوفرة هنا للتحميل.

The Sustainable City Welcomes the UNEP Delegation

The delegation included officials from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 25, 2016: A delegation from the United Nations Environment Programme visited The Sustainable City in Dubai, the region’s first fully integrated and operational sustainable community of its kind. The visit is part of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) 2016 roundtable, which is hosted by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

The delegation visit focused on exploring the Sustainable City’s shining example in applying the highest environmental, economical, and social sustainable standards in order to reduce its carbon footprint. The group observed how the development achieves this through the production and consumption of clean energy, recycling water and waste, along with other innovative solutions which create a mini-climate within the city.

Commenting on the occasion, Eng. Faris Saeed, the CEO of Diamond Developers, the developer of the project, said: “We are committed to supporting Dubai’s vision of a green economy strategy. We will continue to develop solutions contributing towards sustainable developments that are capable of dealing with climate change without wasting natural resources or impacting on quality of life.”

Faris continued: “The Sustainable City is a proven successful business model with low risks and high rewards. The misconception that going sustainable comes with extra costs is 100% false, especially as using smart and innovative technologies leads to big savings in operational costs, particularly in relation to water and energy.”

Hussain Hassan Mohamed Khansaheb, Director of Green Development at The Ministry of Climate Change & Environment, said: “The UAE has set itself an ambitious target: to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and transform itself into a knowledge-based, diversified, and innovation-driven economy. Given the solid global momentum on climate action, the timing for decisive action could not be more opportune. By gradually shifting to low carbon growth through its flagship projects such as the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park, the largest solar power plant in the Middle East and the Sustainable City, the UAE is setting an example to be followed regionally and internationally.”

The (UNEP FI) 2016 roundtable assembly will include several ministerial meetings and sessions that discussed national, regional and international environmental challenges. The participants also evaluated governments’ ability to successfully implement the goals of sustainable development.

Sophos Placed as a Leader in Endpoint Security Suites Report from Leading Industry Analyst

Sophos Receives Highest Scores for Strategy Category

Dubai, UAE, October 25, 2016 – Sophos(LSE: SOPH) today announced it has been positioned as a ‘Leader’ in Forrester Research, Inc.’s new report, The Forrester Wave™: Endpoint Security Suites, Q4 2016. Recognizing that Sophos received the highest scores in the Strategy category, Forrester refers to Sophos Endpoint Protection as delivering "the most enterprise-friendly SaaS endpoint security suite.” The report cites that “buyers will appreciate its intuitive administrative interface along with the flexibility and scalability required for most enterprise deployments, both large and small.” Forrester also found that overall Sophos customers report a “high level of satisfaction with the product’s effectiveness.”

Forrester evaluated 15 vendors against 25 criteria and categorizes vendor capabilities into three core needs: attack prevention, detection and remediation. The report recommends that before purchase, customers should consider a vendor’s ability to specifically:

·         Prevent malware and exploits from executing

·         Detect malicious activity post-execution

·         Remediate and contain malicious activity and potential vulnerabilities

The report included vendors who have products with the above capabilities and have demonstrated an enterprise market presence with a high-level of interest for their solutions from enterprise customers.

In the report, Forrester also assesses a vendor’s strategy. Sophos scored a maximum rating across the board in the cost and licensing model, product roadmap and go-to-market strategy criteria. Forrester cites, “In a field crowded with both new and legacy endpoint security technologies, Sophos’ roadmap to develop strong signatureless prevention and detection capabilities…should make the product highly competitive over the long term.”

Sophos Intercept X is a next-generation endpoint security product that stops zero-day malware, unknown exploit variants and stealth attacks and includes an advanced anti-ransomware feature that can detect previously unknown ransomware within seconds. Sophos Intercept X installs alongside existing endpoint security software from any vendor, immediately boosting endpoint protection with signatureless detection. Sophos Intercept X is now available and more information can be found on the Sophos Intercept X website.

“This study assesses both traditional and next-generation security vendors against consistent criteria. The placement of Sophos on the strategy axis to the extreme right indicates to us that Sophos is taking the lead by adding next-generation technologies to our proven endpoint protection portfolio,” commented Dan Schiappa, senior vice president and general manager of the Enduser Security Group at Sophos. “I believe that our position as a ‘Leader’ in this report is a testament to Sophos’ continued ability to assess the dynamic security landscape and listen to our customer needs to develop effective endpoint security products that exceed expectations for protection and manageability. I am proud that our customers benefit from our industry-leading technology, our strategy for both on-prem and SaaS deployment through the Sophos Central cloud-based management platform and our ability to consistently bring innovative security products to organizations of all sizes.”

To download the Forrester Wave™: Endpoint Security Suites, Q4 2016, please visit the Sophos website.