A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 24 October to Sunday 30 October 2022.
Monday, 24 October 2021
DEREK SMITH: Countering the security risk from mobile phones
Bahamas – The mobile phone has become a necessity in today’s workplace. It has become common practice for companies to allow employees access to company e-mails, read, review and respond to critical company files, and even attend video conferences via their personal devices… more
E-commerce firm WiPay promises to reduce cost of online transactions
Caribbean – nline payment company WiPay Caribbean is promising to significantly reduce the cost of electronic transactions in the region by eliminating the need for US-dollar payments to go through correspondent banks in the US… more
GTT has not responded to landline problem
Guyana – Dear Editor, I am disturbed that GTT has not responded to my landline problem reported and afforded the reference number 266735 over a month. My phone is malfunctioning and in consequence I cannot receive or give out calls… more
US fintech firm announces availability of tech solutions locally
Jamaica – American fintech company Fiserv is looking to expand its offerings to the Jamaican market and is hoping to tap financial institutions and businesses who want to improve their core banking and card issuing capabilities as well as transform their customers’ digital banking experiences… more
Tuesday, 25 October 2021
New opportunities for Kanoo following use of digital currency at festival
Bahamas – Despite the criticisms digital payment solutions provider Kanoo fielded as a result of some hiccups on the first day of the International Culture, Wine and Food Festival (ICWFF), the company gained at least 600 new Kanoo wallet holders, and the company’s ability to improve on its shortcomings for the second day of the festival has the phone ringing with new opportunities, the company’s chairman and co-founder, Nicholas Rees said yesterday… more
Sand Dollar undermined? ‘Nothing further from truth’
Bahamas – Kanoo’s chairman yesterday denied that it tried to “bite off more than we can chew” over the payments woes that beset the two-day International Culture, Wine and Food Festival over the weekend… more
Strike! BTC manager’s $198k dismissal lawsuit bowled over
Bahamas – A former senior health and safety manager with the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has lost her $198,292 wrongful/unfair dismissal claim after she obtained a fellow employee’s medical records without authorisation… more
Thousands of Sand Dollars put into circulation thanks to weekend festival
Bahamas – The Sand Dollar had a big showing over the weekend, being the only form of payment accepted at this year’s International Culture, Wine and Food Festival (ICWFF), with at least $200,000 more of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) being put into circulation, Governor of The Central Bank of The Bahamas (CBOB) John Rolle told Guardian Business… more
InKnowvation Series returns with Flow Business
Caribbean – The spotlight will once again shine on Caribbean start-ups and entrepreneurs as leading telecoms provider Flow Business hosts the third edition in its series of free InKnowvation virtual conferences, live-streamed from The Bahamas on October 28… more
Amcham T&T to focus on cybersecurity in upcoming event
Trinidad and Tobago – The issue of cybersecurity will feature as a stand alone session in the upcoming annual Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Conference & Exhibition hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago (Amcham T&T) this year… more
Wednesday, 26 October 2021
Bitt and IDEMIA win big tech award
Barbados – Bitt and IDEMIA have won the 2022 G20TechSprint global central bank digital currency (CBDC) competition. The news comes on the one-year anniversary of the eNaira, a joint project of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bitt, making Nigeria the first on the continent of Africa to be able to use a legal tender digital currency for their daily financial transactions… more
You can shut down phishing attacks
Caribbean – Most of us know what a phishing attack is. However, I think it’s worthwhile to define the term and all of the different attacks that fall under the umbrella of phishing. It is by far the number one attack vector… more
E-Networks says rolling out 5G VoLTE service
Guyana – E-Networks Inc says it has invested US$35 million to expand its services and will be launching Guyana’s first 5G mobile cellular network-VoLTE (Voice over LTE) later this year… more
Project Amazon eyes phase two
Jamaica – Having almost completed training sessions for the first batch of participants under its Project Amazon initiative, the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) is looking to extend the programme to other cohorts… more
Microsoft to host DigiGirlz Day 2022 on Friday
Trinidad and Tobago – On Friday Microsoft will be hosting its DigiGirlz Day. DigiGirlz Day is Microsoft’s annual tech seminar aimed at educating and empowering secondary school girls in the Caribbean by giving them the opportunity to learn about careers in technology, connect with Microsoft employees, and participate in hands-on computer and technology workshops via the Microsoft Teams platform… more
Thursday, 27 October 2021
Cable Bahamas creating change through strategic collaboration
Bahamas – Scores of women from all walks of life gathered at the Grand Hyatt Convention Centre at Baha Mar for “Sorry Not Sorry: Unapologetically Ambitious”, Cable Bahamas’ first ever women’s empowerment event… more
WiPay launches new network, solutions
Caribbean – WiPay celebrated its fifth anniversary with a bang at the AC Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica. The event was spectacular and brought out some of Jamaica’s biggest names in the financial industry – and saw the likes of Shaggy in attendance as well… more
BOJ governor says merchants slow to warm up to JAM-DEX
Jamaica – The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) says that, despite the approximately 100,000 persons who have obtained the central bank digital currency (CBDC), dubbed Jamaica Digital Exchange (JAM-DEX), there has been paucity in its use, as large merchants are yet to come on board… more
Hiccups hamper digital currency roll-out
Jamaica – HE central bank is urging all commercial banks to participate in the full roll-out of digital currency by the end of December 2023, but technical difficulties among large merchants have so far hampered the process… more
TelEm Group CEO: St. Martin Internet Exchange point great for telecom relations.
Sint Maarten – TelEm Group CEO, Mr. Kendall Dupersoy, says a new Internet Exchange Point (IXP) recently launched on the French side, is breaking down the telecommunication barriers between French and Dutch St. Maarten and improving services for customers on both sides of the island… more
Friday, 28 October 2021
Monkey banana and the contempt GTT has for this nation
Guyana – Yesterday, a friend of mine, Rawle Welch, formerly of the Kaieteur News sports department, called me to assist with an inquiry he was having difficulty in pursuing with the loan agency for UG students… more
Saturday, 29 October 2022
– Nil –
Sunday, 30 October 2022
After six months of talks, Reckord walks
Jamaica – tTech CEO Christopher Reckord is exploring his options with an eye on either a Caribbean or global move. This, as he announced that after nearly a decade of association with tTech, and over four years as its leader, he will be moving on… more
Cyber protection is everybody’s business
Jamaica – The news gods decreed that I write about cyberspace risks today. Cyberspace is ‘the information environment consisting of the interdependent network of information systems infrastructures including the Internet, telecommunications networks,… more
Images credit: Markus Spiske (Pexels); Trinidad and Tobago Newsday; Flow (Facebook); E-Network; Bank of Jamaica (Facebook);
