Google's Charleston wins ICANN’s auction for APP with N5bn price

ITRealms:

Charleston Road Registry Inc has won the ICANN’s auctioned one new generic top-level domain (gTLD) string: .APP with the sum of $25,001,000, about N5,063,952,550.00, reports ITRealms.

ITRealms notes that Charleston Road Registry is an American company, wholly owned by Google, which was established to provide registry services to the Internet public.

On Wednesday, 25 February 2015, ITRealms reports that Power Auctions LLC, an ICANN's authorized auction service provider, conducted a new gTLD Programme Auction to resolve string contention for one new generic top-level domain (gTLD) string: .APP.

ITRealms also reports that applicants for the string were unable to resolve contention among themselves; thus their contention set proceeded to auction, which is the method of last resort to resolve string contention as prescribed in Module 4 of the New gTLD Programme Applicant Guidebook. 

According to the Global Director, Media at ICANN, Mr. Brad White, subject to payment of the winning price and meeting all other criteria for eligibility, the winner will enter ICANN's contracting process to sign a Registry Agreement to operate the gTLD.

He also confirmed to ITRealms that the winner emerged after the auction contested by 12 applicants in the auction for APP. 

“Charleston Road Registry Inc. prevailed with a winning price of $25,001,000,” he said.

Mr. White disclosed to ITRealms that all proceeds from the auction are being segregated and withheld from use until ICANN's Board of Directors define a plan for an appropriate use of the funds through consultation with the community.

Worthy of note by ITRealms notes that Charleston Road Registry according to ICANN books, applied for 101 new top level domains including .web, .tech, .search, .cloud .chrome, .youtube and .google.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +Joseph de Jesus +ICANNnews +James Cole +Ariel Liang 

 

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Nigerian Idol Season 5: On air March 1 @13 TV channels

ITRealms:

The Nigerian Idol season five would on Sunday, March 1, 2015 go live on some 13 television across terrestrial and satellite TV stations in the country, reports ITRealms.

As anticipated millions of viewers and fans of the family-oriented talent-hunt show will be afforded the opportunity to watch mind-blowing performances from the country’s pool of talented music talents who participated in the auditions, ITRealms reports.

This year, ITRealms gathered that Nigerian Idol season 5 will be aired on NTA, STV, Hip Tv, Superscreen, ONTV, WAP Tv, Smash Tv, AMC Tv, Rave Tv, Cool Tv, Wazobia Tv, Real Star Tv, Odua Tv and V. Channels.

“Looking forward to this year’s show, and feedback from fans,” declare Andre Blaze, who would be hosting NGT for the second year.

Also ITRealms gathered that the first episode airing this Sunday, audience will be thrilled with Ibadan auditions extra, where a 5 year old boy left the judges spell bound by his dance performance, as well as a motorbike rider who has taken his profession to another level.

This episode didn’t end on a good note for Yibo Koko as he lashed out on a comedian who certainly didn’t practice his act before appearing before the judges.

“With all the drama, entertainment and excitement that Ibadan offered, it is credible enough to say that Ibadan does have some outstanding acts to showcase which I am sure viewers will be pleased to see this Sunday, “said Dan Foster.

“All I can say Nigerians should look forward to this Sunday is creativity and originality at their best level,” added Kate Henshaw. 

The premier episode of Nigeria’s Got Talent on Sunday promises to be an hour load of fun, excitement, comedy and never seen before talents. 

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Pix: Some judges and Elivis, Ugochi, Yinka, Dede and Andre Blaze

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Orosanye’s ripples: Uncertainty dominates affected govt agencies

ITRealms:

 … CPN, NACETEM, others listed

The ripples of the White Paper emanating from the Stephen Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, has left uncertainty to dominate the fate of public servants with the exposure of the latest circular on its implementation, reports ITRealms.

This is coming as the Federal Government may have stopped the payment of salaries of over 13 agencies affected including the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM), Nigerian Financial Reporting Council (NFRC) and Industrial Training Fund (ITF) among others.

ITRealms also reports that this uncertainty was heightened on realization by the affected agencies that their January salaries have been stopped through official circular by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, to the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) via the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

At the weekend, workers of the affected agencies were seen in clusters discussing the development with lamentations.

ITRealms recalls that IPPIS is an integral part of President Jonathan transformation agenda to centralised database system for public service in the country, to facilitate unhindered payment of salaries directly to employee’s account after relevant deductions and remittances, such as tax,  cooperatives, pension, union dues among others.

But the letter dated November 13, 2014 titled “Agencies, Parastatals and Commissions that should not be provided for in the 2015 budget” with reference No: SGF.12/S.11/C.9/T/3, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy to stop funding the affected agencies from the 2015 budget. 

ITRealms reports that similar directive was issued to the AGF on December 1, 2014.

Additionally, The Guardian reported that the letter had read in part: “Recall that as part of the decisions of Government in the White Paper on the Report of the Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, Government accepted the recommendation that it should cease funding the attached list of Agencies, Parastatals and Commissions with effect from the 2015 Appropriation.

“Accordingly, I wish to request that you take adequate steps to implement these decisions by ensuring that these Agencies, Parastatals and Commissions cease receiving Government funding with effect from the 2015 Appropriation. Attached herewith is a list of the Agencies, Parastatals and Commissions Affected.”

ITRealms notes that the White Paper rejected most of the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies. Government, just as it accepted some of the provisions of the report, including the scrapping of CPN and reposition of NACETEM from being funded centre to self-generating revenue entity.

Even as FG rejected the merger proposal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to name a few. Whereas the Nigerian Financial Reporting Council ceases to received government patronage through budget provision, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has since 2014 been declared self-funded initiative.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +The Guardian 
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Pix: Senator Anyim Pius Anyim

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Your SIM Card remains secure says G&D

ITRealms:

One of the leading vendors of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards, Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) has reaffirmed that SIM cards remain secure as far as security of mobile services is concerned, reports ITRealms.

G&D ITRealms reports has supplied SIM cards to over 350 mobile network operators worldwide and have played an important role in the stipulation and implementation of SIM card security standards for over two decades.

Member, Management Board and Head of the Mobile Security business unit at G&D, Stefan Auerbach, told ITRealms in a press statement that SIM card is so secure that in the case revealed recently, even intelligence services preferred to steal the key rather than attack the SIM card.

ITRealms gathered that the secure authentication of the mobile phone user on the mobile network is the main function of the SIM card.

G&D says it employs the highest security procedures and processes.

"Until now G&D has no knowledge that SIM card keys were stolen. Immediately after the attacks were brought to light we did, however, introduce additional measures to review the established security processes together with our customers," said Auerbach.

Reacting to a recent media report on targeted key theft in SIM cards by American and British intelligence services, G&D official told ITRealms that the smart card technology is characterized by secure hardware and software that G&D have decisively helped develop and continually improve from the very start. The SIM card itself was also not targeted in the now known attack.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) @G&D +Giesecke & Devrient Australasia

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