At Home

CA Southern Africa has announced the appointment of Michael P Gregoire as the new CEO of CA Technologies, which was effective from 7 January 2013. Gregoire succeeds the retiring William E McCracken, who has served as CA’s CEO since January 2010. McCracken has also left the CA Technologies board of directors, effective 7 January 2013. Gregoire most recently served as chairman, president and CEO of software company Taleo. – ITWeb

Vodacom has brought back a prepaid promotion that effectively gives customers an hour of talk time during peak hours, now for R10. The “PowerHour” promotion gives prepaid customers who purchase a PowerHour bundle for R10, an hour of talk time, to call other Vodacom customers. The bundle can be purchased between 6am and 6pm on weekdays, and customers can make calls until 8pm on the day of purchase. The promotion runs until the end of February. – ITWeb

MWeb, SA’s second biggest Internet service provider (ISP), and Cell C, third mobile operator, have teamed up to introduce reduced mobile data packages as part of the duo’s campaign for cheaper broadband. As well a promotional offer of 2GB for R89 per month, MWeb subscribers can also sign up for 5GB, 10GB and 20GB 12-month packages for R499, R899 and R1 799 per month, respectively. This is set to run until the end of the month. MWeb CEO Derek Hershaw" rel=tag>Derek Hershaw says Cell C’s stance refl ects that of the ISP closely when it comes to broadband pricing in SA. – ITWeb

Although the use of jamming devices to avoid detection by traffic officers trapping drivers using lasers is illegal, they are freely available for purchase online, and prosecuting those who sell them is tricky due to grey areas in the law. People who use laser jamming devices are acting in contravention of the National Road Traffic Act. Recently, a report emerged that a motorist was caught with a jamming device and is set to be charged with defeating the ends of justice. – ITWeb

<a href=

Servaas Venter, EMC Southern Africa" src="http://www.iweek.co.za/images/stories/2010/jan_2013/servaas_venter.jpg" />EMC Southern Africa has appointed Servaas Venter as country manager with effect from 1 December 2012. The company says Venter has fulfilled the role in an acting capacity since August 2012, adding that he joined EMC as a senior account manager in 2000. As country manager, the storage solutions company says, Venter is responsible for EMC’s overall performance and strategy in the southern African region. Marketing, channel, HR and financial operations reporting lines have been added to his existing responsibilities, it adds. – ITWeb

MTN’s network was been restored following a recent problem that rendered data services inoperative, for a brief period, in parts of Northern Gauteng earlier this month. Customers reported broken data access on the network in the Midrand area in the late morning – a problem MTN says lasted about an hour. GM of network operations at MTN, Sidney Arnold, says the problem was identified in the Randburg Switch control room. – ITWeb

Into Africa

Mobile operator Tigo Ghana and Tropical Cables & Conductor have partnered in a bid to reduce the number of fire outbreaks in West Africa by clamping down on fake wiring products. Subsequently, Tigo and Tropical Cables plan to introduce a customer authentication and advocacy programme to promote the use of quality cables and wiring in West Africa. – ITWeb Africa

Zimbabwean state-owned fixed-line operator TelOne has appointed a new MD. Chipo Mutasa is set to take over from Hampton Mhlanga, who was previously the firm’s acting MD. Mutasa is a chartered accountant who has also been the CEO of hotel and leisure company, the Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG). – ITWeb Africa

Shareholders of Nigerian CDMA operator Starcomms have approved the reorganisation of the firm’s share structure to allow investment group Capcom to acquire the company. The deal is now subject to regulatory approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Stock Exchange and Securities and Exchange Commission. – ITWeb Africa

Telecoms equipment company, Alcatel-Lucent, plans to build an additional 350 base stations for West African mobile service provider Etisalat Nigeria. Alcatel-Lucent says the terms of the agreement also include the provision of equipment and services for the construction of the sites. According to officials, the deal forms part of phase six of an agreement between the two companies entered into in 2008. – ITWeb Africa

Mobile operator Airtel Nigeria says it has successfully trialed LTE in parts of the country. Airtel says it has completed its LTE trial in Lagos and is ready for testing in the other major cities across the country, including Abuja and Port Harcourt. The company, though, has not indicated as to when it could launch LTE commercially. – ITWeb Africa

MTN Zambia plans to invest about $50 million in its technology upgrade throughout the country in 2013, according to a senior company official. In 2012, MTN Zambia spent more than $35 million in technology upgrades in Zambia to accommodate the growing customer base, said the firm’s CEO Abdul Ismail. – ITWeb Africa

More than $20 million has been transacted by MTN Zambia through its mobile money product, according to a company official. Company chief sales and distribution officer, Collins Muyanja, said the product has received a tremendous response, with 500 000 customers registered on the mobile money product, particularly small and medium-scale enterprises. – ITWeb Africa

Abroad

Blake Krikorian, <a href=

Microsoft" src="http://www.iweek.co.za/images/stories/2010/jan_2013/blake_krikorian.jpg" />Microsoft said it hired technology entrepreneur Blake Krikorian to help run its Interactive Entertainment Business, as the world’s largest software company plans bigger things for its Xbox gaming console. The appointment follows Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Krikorian’s company, id8 Group R2 Studios, which had developed an application that allows users to control home heating and lighting systems from smartphones. – Reuters

Amazon.com, taking aim at Apple’s dominant iTunes store, unveiled a service that it hopes will boost digital music sales and encourage more people to use its cloud music service. Amazon launched Amazon AutoRip, which gives customers free digital versions of music CDs they purchase from the world’s largest Internet retailer. – Reuters

Best Buy said its online sales have increased in certain markets as archrival Amazon.com collects tax on purchases in more states. “In California, Texas and Pennsylvania where Amazon.com recently started collecting tax, Best Buy has seen a 4% to 6% increase in online sales observed in aggregate versus the rest of the chain,” spokeswoman Amy von Walter wrote in an e-mail to Reuters. – Reuters