Raxio Data Centre Hosts CEOs and IT Specialists from Uganda’s Insurance and Brokerage Firms on Facility Tour

Apr 17, 2023

Members of UIA and Raxio Data pose for a group photo (1) (1) — Members of UIA and Raxio Data pose for a group photo

Raxio Data Centre, the premier provider of data centre services in Uganda, is thrilled to announce that it hosted CEO’s and IT specialists from all insurance and brokerage firms in Uganda on a tour of its state-of-the-art data centre facility.

They included RIO Insurance, CIC Insurance Group, Alliance Africa General Insurance, Liberty Uganda, Mayfair Insurance, APA Insurance, ICEA Uganda, and Excel Insurance amongst others.

The visit, which took place on 13th April 2023 provided the insurance and brokerage sector professionals with an opportunity to witness firsthand the world-class infrastructure and services offered by Raxio Data Centre. The tour showcased the company’s commitment to supporting the digital transformation of Uganda’s insurance sector through the provision of secure, reliable and scalable data centre services.

James Byaruhanga, General Manager of Raxio Data Centre, said, “We are delighted to host the CEO’s and IT specialists from Uganda’s insurance and brokerage firms. We believe that Raxio’s state-of-the-art data centre facility, with its robust infrastructure, multiple redundancies and excellent connectivity, will offer the insurance sector an unparalleled level of security, resilience, and reliability that is critical to their operations.”

The tour provided the visitors with an opportunity to see the benefits that Raxio Data Centre can offer to the insurance and brokerage sector. The benefits include:

Unmatched reliability and uptime
Increased data security and protection
Cost savings through shared infrastructure
Flexibility to scale IT infrastructure as needed
Improved disaster recovery and business continuity planning

Part of what was emphasized was that Raxio Data Centre can help customers reduce their total cost of ownership by allowing them focus on their core business while leaving the data centre to manage everything else.

Bengo Badru, a Technical Officer at the Uganda Insurers Association said, “The visit to Raxio Data Centre was an eye-opener. The infrastructure is world-class, and we were impressed by the company’s commitment to providing top-notch data centre services. We believe that this partnership will be beneficial to the insurance sector, and we look forward to exploring how we can leverage Raxio’s services to improve our operations.”

Finally, James Byaruhanga spoke on the importance of digital transformation in the insurance industry and how Raxio Data Centre is equipped to support the industry transformation. ‘Raxio Data Centre is set to transform the insurance sector in Uganda through the provision of reliable, secure and cost-effective data centre services. The company’s state-of-the-art facility is a game-changer for the sector and will help insurance companies and brokerages to stay ahead in a rapidly changing business environment,’ he said.

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: PSFU and Mastercard Foundation Host Women’s Day Katale

Boses Muhinda

Mar 16, 2023

The Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and Mastercard Foundation recently hosted the second annual Women’s Day Katale 2023 event at the UMA Multi-purpose Hall. The two-day event was designed to empower women and girl entrepreneurs and recognize their contributions and potential as entrepreneurs.

The event featured a range of business clinics facilitated by industry experts and focused on various topics such as business planning, financial management, marketing, and customer service. Attendees had the opportunity to participate in the One-Stop-Centre facilitated by URA, URSB, UNBS, and Opportunity Bank which offered financial skills, business development, tax education, access to finance, and business registration among other services.

Other clinics included the Beauty Clinic facilitated by Movit Uganda, The Boss Babe Business clinic facilitated by Claire Muhire, the Creative Business Clinic facilitated by Zeus the Agency, and the Tech Clinic facilitated by SafeBoda. Each clinic provided unique insights and resources to help attendees improve their business operations.

During the opening ceremony, Ms. Minsa Kabanda, the Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan, highlighted the challenges that women entrepreneurs still face despite progress being made towards gender equality in business. She pledged to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to develop and implement policies and initiatives that encourage the expansion and development of enterprises owned by women and girls.

PSFU CEO, Mr. Stephen Asiimwe, emphasized the importance of empowering women entrepreneurs, stating that it not only benefits individuals but also contributes to the growth and development of the economy as a whole.

Over 250 women and girl entrepreneurs showcased their businesses at the Women’s Day Katale 2023 event. The exhibitors alluded to the opportunity provided to showcase their businesses, network, access the market, and acquire other skills such as financial management, marketing, tax education, and leadership skills among others.

PSFU intends to make the Katale event regional and more digital beginning in western, northern, and eastern Uganda. They are also conceptualizing a digital women entrepreneurs’ marketplace that is always open, providing more opportunities for women and girl entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses.

Overall, the Women’s Day Katale 2023 event provided a platform for dialogue and collaboration towards achieving gender equality in business. The event not only empowered women and girl entrepreneurs but also highlighted the importance of supporting and enabling them to reach their full potential.

Adult Content, Streaming, and Video Hosting Sites Pose the Highest Security Threats – Research

Boses Muhinda

Feb 23, 2023

NordVPN, a prominent cybersecurity company, has found that adult content, streaming, and video hosting websites pose the greatest security and privacy risks due to malware, intrusive ads, and trackers. NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature, designed to safeguard against these threats, prevented 344 million trackers, 341 million intrusive ads, and 506,000 malware infections in December 2022 alone, according to the research.

Here are the findings from the research

“The online world is challenging people in every single move they make. Want to read an article? Dozens of ads and pop-ups are ready to immediately cover your screen. Another privacy threat – malware – is lurking for you on websites and in files you are about to download. Websites you browse are also full of third-party trackers that analyze your browsing history to find out what you do online. It depends on you to stop it,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity advisor at NordVPN.

Adult content sites contain the biggest amount of malware

Malware is malicious software that seeks to damage or compromise a device or data. Malware’s scope varies from relatively harmless to extremely dangerous. Malicious software can track people’s data, steal sensitive information, or even delete it without your consent.

NordVPN research shows that adult content sites (21%), as well as cloud storage providers (14%) and entertainment sites (11%), contain the biggest amount of malware. In December, Threat Protection blocked 60.4K, 40.1K, and 30.9K domains of these categories respectively.

Among the most common types of malware are viruses, spyware, worms, trojans, adware, scareware, ransomware, and fireless malware.

Streaming media sites have the most intrusive ads

Intrusive advertising refers to pushing invasive and irrelevant ads in front of consumers. They irritate users by popping up unexpectedly, blocking the host page, opening new pages and windows, or playing video and audio at inopportune times.

As for intrusive ads, the majority of them were found on streaming (23%), adult content (16%), and online shopping (9%) sites. Threat Protection detected and blocked millions of them: 552M, 389M, and 226M respectively.

“Today, ad blockers are essential for both security because they block ads that can infect people’s devices and privacy because annoying ads rely on collecting data from web activity and violating people’s privacy. Also, if a website is loading slower than usual, you can blame intrusive ads. Free apps filled with unwanted ads could also drain your device’s battery faster,” explains Adrianus Warmenhoven.

Video hosting sites have the biggest number of trackers

While many trackers are a tool for advertising and improving user experience, they may also become handy for online spies. Internet service providers (ISPs), marketing agencies, social media companies, and governments can access your online actions and breach your privacy.

NordVPN’s Threat Protection showed that video hosting sites (22%), cloud storage providers (16.31%), web email (16.25%), and information technology sites (12%) have the most trackers. Video hosting sites alone had 239 billion trackers blocked by Threat Protection in December 2022.

It’s worth adding that earlier NordVPN research showed that the average number of trackers per website is highest in Hong Kong (45.4 trackers), Singapore (33.5), the United States (23.1), and Australia (18.6).

“You can become less trackable online by declining third party cookies, because the website can sell your browsing data to third parties; using a VPN, which will hide your real IP address and location; installing a tracker blocker, which will stop your browsers from collecting information about you; and using privacy browsers, which can obfuscate your browser fingerprint, or ditching Google, which tracks a lot of data about you,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven.

Threat Protection scans your files before you download them, identifies threats, and blocks them before they can harm your device. The feature is free with every NordVPN subscription – and it allows you to go online without leaving a trace, protecting your privacy and improving your digital security.

Methodology: The statistics mentioned above were acquired by analyzing aggregated data gathered by the NordVPN’s Threat Protection service in January 2023. No identifiable user information was collected, reviewed, or otherwise involved when the research and compiled results were conducted.

Dixon Kagurusi is not a director of Petrom Limited- Lawyer Speaks Out

Brian Code

Feb 15, 2023

David Kamukama, a lawyer to city Journalist and entrepreneur, Dixon Kagurusi Ampumuza has come out to dispel rumours that his client is a director of Petrom Limited, one of the companies that was involved in a syndicated move to siphon over USD1.8m from a Stanbic Bank account of Nile Energy Ltd.

Speaking to our correspondent, Kamukama of Byamugisha Advocates said that Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga erred when he read out his client’s name during the Monday press briefing indicating that he (Kagurusi) is a director in one of the companies (Petrom Limited) involved in the fraud case.

“My client is a law abiding and hardworking citizen. We are therefore shocked that police is citing him as a director of Petrom Limited.

Kagurusi has been pursing a Master’s Degree in International Relations at Makerere University where his research is; “Understanding Key Drivers in Illicit Financial Flows” and therefore he can be an asset to this nation,” Kamukama said.

A simple company search done by our family lawyer proves otherwise,” the family member said before showing us proof.

Company documents at URSB filed in 2019 show that Oscar Rapheal Lutaaya is the sole director of the company.

This therefore dispels any rumours that Dixon Kagurusi Ampumuza is a director in Petrom Limited.

We shall keep you posted.

Make Your Valentine’s Day Even More Special with Huawei

Brian Code

Feb 7, 2023

As Valentine’s Day draws near, Huawei is introducing an unique celebration of this season of love. Huawei is spreading the spirit of love by sharing its customers’ interest in social events all year long. The new Huawei P40 Pro+ is one of the best gadget to commemorate this event since it has several technological features that are ideal for both young people’s and adults’ everyday use. The device’s four cameras will record your unique moments during this romantic season and keep lovely recollections from these days for all time. This engaging occasion will get much more thrilling with the 18 fascinating built-in filters.

What You Need To Know About Huawei?

A third of the world’s population uses Huawei’s goods and services, which are offered in more than 170 nations. One of Huawei’s three business divisions is the Huawei Consumer BG, which includes wearables, cloud services, PCs, and tablets. The worldwide network of Huawei is committed to bringing the most recent technology advancements to customers all over the world and is founded on over 30 years of telecom industry experience.

HUAWEI’s emergence as a well-known premium brand on a worldwide scale was a result of year over year growth. HUAWEI ranked 88 on Forbes’ list of the world’s most valuable brands in 2017, 49 on BrandZ’s Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, and 40 on the Brand Finance Global 500 Most Valuable Brands lists. With sales of $78.51 billion, Huawei moved up the Fortune 500 ranking to 83rd position from 129th last year, becoming the first Chinese company to rank in the top 100 worldwide.

Leading technology giant HUAWEI has created 16 research centres throughout the world and devotes a sizeable portion of its yearly sales income to research and development. The HUAWEI Aesthetics Research Center in Paris is one of these facilities. The Max Berek Innovation Lab in Wetzler, Germany, is where HUAWEI and Leica are collaborating to study solutions to enhance the camera and picture quality of mobile devices.

Top Reasons To Choose Huawei On Valentine’s Day

Let’s go through some of the top reasons on why one should choose Huawei Valentine’s day:

The HUAWEI Great battery life

2 Days of Use, with a 4200 mAh battery that can keep you going all day on a single charge. Your smartphone may be charged up to 70% faster with 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge support in under 30 minutes.

Sexy And Modern Style

The Huawei P40 Pro+ is flawless in every way. It is svelte, beautiful to grasp, and sleek and slender. With a huge screen-to-body ratio of more than 92% and a 6.58-inch display, the smartphone is ideal for photographers, videographers, gamers, and movie buffs.

The sleek, square camera configuration is encircled by an outer ring that resembles Saturn’s rings and was inspired by four-point headlights.

High Image Quality

With its quad-camera configuration, which includes a 50MP primary camera as well as wide-angle, and Octa PD autofocus, macro, and depth effect cameras. Also, a built-in video chat tool is made available that provides better image quality with less Internet connection use, are two more unique features.

Engrossing show

Immerse yourself in the outstanding immersive display of the Huawei P40 Pro+. Your viewing experience is improved with this phone in every millimetre. By designing a selfie camera that appears when you need it, Huawei has eliminated the top notch region. This design is widely recognised as the greatest front camera implementation to date.

Substantial and extendable storage

8GB RAM and 128GB of storage are included and in comparison to other smartphones in the same price range, Huawei’s remarkable 8GB smart internal storage engine can run more programmes in the background thanks to its cold data.

Higher Ability To Charge

This battery can handle 44 hours of voice calls, 117 hours of music playback, 12 hours of internet browsing, 10 hours of video viewing, and 9 hours of nonstop gaming on a single full charge.

The bottom line

If you’re still looking for a present, the Huawei P40 Pro+ will be on sale starting next week. It combines the FullView Display technology with cutting-edge four cameras to capture the greatest and most stunning images of you and your loved ones.

Create Professional Websites with Ease using Strikingly

Brian Code

Feb 7, 2023

Strikingly is a web-based platform that offers an easy and affordable solution for individuals and businesses to create and host professional-looking websites. Launched in 2012, Strikingly has since become a popular choice for people who want to create a website without the need for technical skills or coding knowledge.

One of the key features of Strikingly is its user-friendly interface. The platform offers a variety of templates that can be easily customized to suit your specific needs. Users can choose from a wide range of pre-designed templates or create their own from scratch. The templates are designed to be mobile-responsive, ensuring that your website looks great on all devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Another advantage of using Strikingly is its ease of use. With its drag-and-drop interface, users can quickly and easily add elements to their website, such as text, images, videos, and buttons. The platform also offers a range of tools and features, including a blog, an e-commerce store, and the ability to embed external content, such as videos from YouTube or social media feeds from Instagram.

Strikingly also offers a range of payment and subscription plans, allowing users to choose the best plan that meets their needs and budget. The platform offers both free and paid plans, with paid plans starting at just $8 per month. The paid plans offer additional features and resources, such as unlimited storage, custom domains, and access to more advanced design tools.

In addition to its user-friendly interface and affordable pricing, Strikingly is also known for its exceptional customer support. The platform offers a comprehensive knowledge base, as well as email support and a 24/7 live chat service to assist users with any questions or issues they may have.

Overall, Strikingly is a great solution for anyone looking to create a professional-looking website without the need for technical skills or coding knowledge. With its user-friendly interface, affordable pricing, and excellent customer support, Strikingly is an excellent choice for individuals and businesses looking to establish a strong online presence.

Netflix to Begin Streaming Nike Training Club Fitness Classes

Doryn Crystal

Dec 22, 2022

Netflix has announced that it will begin streaming Nike Training Club classes on its platform starting next week. The streaming service will release 30 hours of exercise sessions in two batches, with the first batch consisting of 45 episodes launching on December 30 and the second batch releasing in 2023.

The classes, which cater to all fitness levels and will be available in multiple languages on all Netflix plans, include Kickstart Fitness with the Basics, Two Weeks to a Stronger Core, Fall in Love with Vinyasa Yoga, HIIT & Strength with Tara, and Feel-Good Fitness.

Users will be able to search “Nike” to access the classes. This marks another expansion for Netflix beyond its core TV shows and series, following the launch of Netflix Games and the addition of mindfulness and meditation content from Headspace. Depending on its success, Netflix may add more fitness content to its platform or even produce its own fitness content.

Exploring the Use of AI in Writing and Communication

Dec 16, 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way in recent years, and it is now possible for it to be used to create articles, compose emails, and write natural language.

One of the most impressive things about AI is its ability to write articles. With the help of AI, it is now possible to generate articles on a wide range of topics, including news, sports, and finance. These articles are written in a way that is similar to how a human would write, making them almost indistinguishable from those written by a person.

AI can also be used to compose emails. Many people rely on email to communicate with others, and AI can help to make this process more efficient. By using AI, it is possible to generate emails that are personalized and tailored to the recipient. This can be especially useful for businesses, as it allows them to send out emails that are more targeted and effective.

In addition to writing articles and composing emails, AI can also be used to write natural language. This is the type of language that we use in everyday conversation, and it is something that AI is becoming increasingly good at. By using natural language, AI can generate responses that are more realistic and human-like, making it easier for people to communicate with it.

Overall, AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we write and communicate. It can help us to create articles, compose emails, and write natural language in a way that is efficient and effective. As AI continues to advance, it is likely that we will see even more applications for it in the future.

Editors Note: This article was an experiment on ChatGPT and was completely written by Ai.

Raxio Data Centre Renews Drive To Support Effective Data Storage By Ugandan Businesses

GURU8 Staff

Dec 12, 2022

It is no doubt that tech is driving millions of businesses the world over today. But what is tech without adequate storage?

In Uganda, there is exciting news from Raxio. To support data storage facilities for businesses with small data storage needs, Raxio Data Centre has launched a new sales promotion campaign that offers businesses a FREE cross-connect when you buy a 1/2 rack (1KW) or 1/4 rack (500W).

Allen Najjuuko, Raxio Data Centre’s Sales Manager, shared more insight about this move:

“Since we launched Raxio Data Centre in May 2022, we have engaged strategic players in the industry to get insights about their data storage needs. From our research, there has been huge demand from MSMEs who have smaller data storage needs but require the infrastructure and support that a carrier-neutral data centre like ours provides”, she said.

“With this promotion, we are supporting the growth of corporate and MSMEs businesses in Uganda that appreciate the need for 99.999% uptime to support critical operations for their enterprise, commercial and corporate businesses”, added Abdul-Rahman Ahmed, Raxio Data Centre’s VP Tech and Operations.

The remarks were made at a workshop promoting the ongoing sales campaign held at OUTBOX under the theme “How Raxio Data Centre can power your business” attended by innovators and start up owners in the technology and innovation industry.

The promotion, which runs from 1^st November to 31^st December 2022, targets critical sectors such as FINTECH, Research & Innovation firms, microfinance, insurance, and professional services mainly drawn from the Uganda Network Operators Group (UGNOG) and the Financial Technologies Services Providers’ Association (FITSPA), the umbrella body for fintechs in Uganda with 189 members to-date.

These key sectors are at the heart of driving critical business operations in Uganda and contributing to the country’s economic prosperity.

Interested clients can contact Raxio Data Centre through email (Allen@raxio.co.ug) or phone (+256 750 123 938).

Uganda’s local music consumption is up 294% – Spotify

Sourced

Dec 1, 2022

Taylor Swift Pulls Albums From Spotify — (Credit Image: © Britta Pedersen/DPA/ZUMAPRESS.com)

Spotify today announced Spotify Wrapped, the annual lookback at the most streamed artists, songs, albums and playlists. This year’s numbers show that there has been an increase in local music consumption by 294%.

Unfortunately, the most streamed artist isn’t Ugandan but the growth of culture to stream local artist’s music Vis-à-vis piracy is on the rise.

Here is a breakdown of what Ugandans streamed the most this year:

The top streamed local artist honour goes to Azawi, who has moved up one spot this year. Fik Fameica is the second most streamed local artist. AeHil is third, followed by Winnie Nwagi. Vinka closes off the female dominated top five

Ugandans love a good party, so it’s no surprise that they stream the most music on Saturday, followed by Friday, according to the latest Spotify Wrapped data. What hour of the day do Ugandans stream the most music on Spotify? That would be 12pm, right in the middle of the day, then again at 6pm

African Heat is the most streamed playlist in Uganda

Burna Boy has moved up two spots since last year, to become the most streamed artist in Uganda. Last year’s top artist Drake, is second this year, with Fireboy DML coming in third

Pheelz collabo with BNXN fka Buju on Finesse is the most streamed song in Uganda. Unlike its name, Last Last by Burna Boy is not coming in last, the hit track i takes up the second spot in Uganda. Rema’s Calm Down, is third with Oxlade’s KU LO SA – A COLORS SHOW in fourth place.

Local music consumption is showing no signs of slowing down, registering a 294% year on year increase from 2022, an encouraging figure that shows that Ugandans are streaming almost three times as much Ugandan music in 2022, as they did last year