-
Smartphones: Under pressure from Chinese companies, Panasonic to exit low-end phones segment
Japan's Panasonic Corp, about a century-old powerhouse in consumer electronics, wouldn't sell feature-and entry-level smartphones in India any longer because of the intense competition from Chinese brands. In a strategy overhaul, Panasonic would also bring the distribution responsibility in-house, and pare down the market-share targets to about 5% in two years from initial projections running into two digits.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
-
Fintech: Africa’s payments and remittances space becoming crowded
Disrupt Africa last week released its Finnovating for Africa: Exploring the African Fintech Ecosystem report, which looks at key trends in terms of the location, focus, fundraising successes and chances of acquisition of fintech start-ups. We asked Tom Jackson, co-founder of Disrupt Africa, about the report’s major takeaways.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech
-
Why mPesa will not be an instant hit in Nigeria
Having since expanded to 10 additional countries within and outside (Albania, Romania, Afghanistan and India) the African continent, mPesa has grown to a platform with over 29.5 million active customers and 287,400 agents. In 2016 alone, it processed about 6 billion transactions, at a peak rate of 529 transactions per second.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Payment Startups Lead Way In Africa’s Booming FinTech Scene
The report finds there has been a boom in the fintech space over the last two years, with more than half of the fintech startups currently operating launching after January 2015.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech, remittances
-
Can a for-profit company bring connectivity to ultra-remote villages?
An additional 4 million people will soon be able to make and receive calls, send messages and access basic internet services as a result of the multi-million dollar investment in Africa Mobile Networks — a commercial company that builds solar-powered mobile network base stations in ultra-rural communities across sub-Saharan Africa.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Android Pay now used for international P2P transfers, courtesy of WorldRemit
This is a first for Android Pay, which up to now has been used for in-app and contactless payments and to make P2P transfers to people in the same country, but never international P2P money transfers.
- Categories
- Technology
-
How innovations in AI, virtual reality are advancing healthcare in India to new frontiers
After a few more interactions, Ravikumar’s apprehensions began to wear out. Screening by AI, she sensed, could help her examine more samples in less time as the algorithm would allow her to concentrate on the ones that require her expertise. “In the hands of clinicians, it will become a force multiplier, it will make them supermen,” said Adarsh Natarajan, cofounder of AIndra.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
-
Thailand’s Largest Bank Launches $30 Million FinTech Fund ‘Beacon’
As Thailand’s largest bank by revenue, Kasikorn’s foray to back and invest in FinTech startups underlines the growing appetite for digital banking in the country. Between April and September 2016, the Bank of Thailand – the country’s central bank – revealed a marked 26% uptick in commercial mobile and internet banking transactions.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- fintech