E-Business
IDC Identifies Sign PC Market Improved in CY 2014

Calendar year 2014 proved to be an interesting phase for the India PC business. The results for the consumer business turned out to be unexpected both in the beginning and towards the end of the year (i.e. Q1 and Q4 2014).
While the first quarter recorded a new low, fourth quarter results turned out to be very positive, beating forecasts substantially.
Overall India PC shipments for CY 2014 stood at 9.6 million units, down -16.5% year on year from CY 2013. Outside special deals, the overall market witnessed a marginal year-on-year revenue decline of -0.4% in CY 2014.
The overall market declined initially in the run-up to the 16th general elections held in the first half of 2014.
However, PC sales recovered starting in June owing to innovative pricing actions by vendors mixed with festive buying and pent-up demand boosting the overall sales.
The consumer PC market stood at 4.9 million units in CY 2014, with year-on-year growth of 1.7% over CY 2013.
“Continuing from CY 2013, consumer sentiments remained frail until the elections.
However, stable government in the center aided hopes on reforms and economic progress boosting overall end-user confidence. Also, subsiding inflation and rapid growth of online trade coupled with the introduction of sub-$400 devices created just the right buzz for the PC business in CY 2014,” said Kiran Kumar, Research Manager, IDC.
The overall commercial PC market clocked 4.7 million units in CY 2014, with a year-on-year decline of -29.6% over CY 2013.
“The primary reason for the plunge was that barring fulfilments for ELCOT Phase III, the contribution of large education projects was not exciting in CY2014 as compared to CY2013. Also, enterprise users have been cautiously optimistic by pinning their hopes on the direction of reforms, which are still quite ambiguous. This is with the exception of BFSI, where IT spending returned to a rapid surge in CY 2014 for both capacity expansion and hardware refresh,” commented Manish Yadav, Market Analyst, IDC.
Top 3 PC Vendor Highlights:
HP
HP recorded a market share of 25.6% in the India PC market and took the first spot yet again.
The vendor remains dominant in the consumer PC business for the third year in a row. Introduction of sub-$400 notebooks proved to be a shot in the arm as they continued to thrive in the consumer PC business, in both the desktop and notebook categories.
They have equally led the commercial segment in the last two years by clinching major volumes in special projects such as ELCOT/UP.
Dell
Post privatization, Dell’s focus on growing their business in emerging markets has been made evident and they have recorded substantial year-on-year gains in the India PC business.
They have outstripped the industry average as they gained around 9% year-on-year to record a 22.1% market share in CY 2014 in the overall PC business.
Their investments towards expanding channel strength continue to swell, supported by both distribution and partner led GTMs.
In addition, their growth in the tier 2 and 3 cities is a welcome sign for increasing overall PC penetration.
Lenovo
Lenovo holds on to the third spot, with sizeable volume growth in both consumer and commercial segments.
They have gained 3.5 % year-on-year to record a market share of 15.8% in CY 2014 in the India PC business. Similar to their competitors, they have grown primarily through market consolidation supported by their strong marketing and channel engines.
In the short term, inventory issues and constrained buying from end users is likely to impact Q1 2015 sales.
However, IDC anticipates the overall PC market to witness growth in CY 2015 over CY 2014.
Special education projects and improved business sentiments in the enterprise business will continue to drive commercial PC volumes in CY 2015. Government and government aided education buying will hold the key to growth in the commercial PC business.
“On the consumer business, opportunity is ripe for vendors to drive penetration and improve overall business. We expect new entry level price points to be created for full-blown PCs with innovative form factors and that will continue to drive excitement in this category,” added Kumar
E-Business
NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), has convened a one-day workshop in Abuja to advance dialogue on the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill to confront harmful online content.
The bill, a rights-based, locally rooted, and multi-stakeholder initiative, is aimed at addressing the challenges of the digital age.
The event, which held yesterday, brought together government officials, civil society, academics, digital platforms, and legal experts to shape a policy framework designed to combat online ills such as cyberbullying, disinformation, hate speech, digital exploitation, and gender-based violence, while safeguarding democratic freedoms and digital inclusion.
In his keynote remarks, Kashifu Inuwa, director general, NITDA urged a paradigm shift in the way society engages with digital technologies.
“For almost two decades, we have viewed digital technology through a consumer lens. But these technologies are not just products and services. They are transforming how we live, work, and interact. They shape our politics, our society, and our democracy,” he said.
Warning against unaccountable digital power in the hands of private corporations, the DG likened the digital journey to the tale of Alice in Wonderland, where initial fascination with innovation has given way to deeper concerns about privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by big tech platforms.
“We thought we were using Google, but now we realise Google is using us. Social media, once a tool of expression, has become a tool of surveillance and influence,” Inuwa noted.
He, therefore, emphasised the urgency of developing a democratic and accountable framework. He explained that following the 2021 Twitter ban, NITDA facilitated dialogue between the government and platform operators, leading to a Code of Practice that stressed Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal standards.
According to him, the same process birthed the multi-stakeholder steering committee and the OHP White Paper in December 2024, laying the foundation for the current legislative push.
Earlier in her opening remarks, Victoria Manya, co-founder, API, observed the moral and civic necessity of the bill.
Her words: “The internet did not break society, it merely revealed its unfiltered version. Every day, Nigerians are exposed to harassment, disinformation, exploitation, and even algorithmic violence. The OHP Bill is not a war on the Internet. It is a peace offering to its users, a social contract for a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and democratic.
“We cannot answer the question of algorithmic power with unchecked state control. We must answer it with shared, rights-based governance. This bill must not be written for the people, but with them.”
E-Business
How AI Alert by Airtel is Transforming Mobile Security in Africa

These days, people rely heavily on their mobile phones for talking, texting, banking, social media, and storing important personal information. Because of this, scammers and spammers often target phone users.
Mobile fraud, like fake SMS messages and scams, is becoming more common and putting millions at risk of losing money or having their private details stolen.
Airtel’s new AI-powered Spam Alert Service offers a smart and timely way to fight back, marking a major step forward in protecting mobile users in Africa.
A brief look at mobile fraud and spam
Mobile fraud and spam are problems around the world, but they hit harder in places where mobile phone use is growing fast, and safety measures haven’t caught up.
A 2024 report from GSMA Mobile Economy shows that more than 20% of mobile users globally have experienced some kind of mobile fraud, with spam texts being one of the most common.
In Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has noted a sharp rise in scam messages and fake calls, leading to yearly losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
These spam texts often include fake links, harmful ads, or tricks to steal personal details. Many people get caught without knowing, which can lead to stolen bank money, identity theft, or damaged devices.
Older spam blockers only work on certain phones or apps, leaving many people, especially those using basic phones, without protection.
Why Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service stands out
Airtel, a top telecom company in Africa, has launched a new and free service called the AI Spam Alert Service. It’s the first of its kind in Africa and aims to protect mobile users from spam text messages as they come in.
What makes this service different is that it doesn’t read or check the actual message content. Instead, it uses advanced artificial intelligence to quickly study the sender’s behaviour using over 250 signs or patterns, all within a fraction of a second.
Some of those parameters, according to Airtel, includes:
- How frequently the sender changes SIM cards.
- The volume and frequency of messages sent by the message initiator to different recipients.
- The geographical spread of the recipient numbers, whether messages are targeted locally or dispersed nationwide.
- Whether the sender receives replies or only sends messages.
- A cross-reference of numbers previously reported for spam activity.
The AI completes this analysis in just 2 milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye, allowing real-time alerts to subscribers as suspected spam messages arrive.
How Airtel’s Spam Alert Service improves mobile safety and trust
Airtel’s new AI-powered spam alert system is set to make a big difference in mobile security across Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Instead of depending on users to block spam themselves, the service works directly through the network to stop suspicious messages before they reach people’s phones.
This kind of technology helps users feel safer and more confident using mobile networks—especially as more people rely on their phones for banking and other money-related services.
A 2025 report by McKinsey Digital shows that many Africans worry about mobile security when using digital financial tools. By reducing the risk of spam and fraud, Airtel is not only protecting its users but also helping to build a safer digital space where more people can take part in the growing mobile economy.
According to Airtel, within two months of its launch, the spam alert service system has identified 9,667,008 messages as potential spam.
Why this is a game changer
By building a service that is first-of-its-kind in Africa, Airtel is leading the way in offering spam alerts, powered by AI directly on its network, for over 150 million subscribers across the continent.
In addition, the service is quick, spotting suspicious sender activity in just milliseconds without reading users’ messages.
Finally, the service is free and requires no app downloads or extra setup. Airtel says the turns on automatically, making it easy for everyone to stay protected, even those using basic phones.
By sending signals to users before problems happen, Airtel boosts trust and encourages more people to safely use mobile money and other digital services.
Scammers are always finding new ways to trick consumers through the ubiquitous mobile phones, so increased demand for security improvements is, understandably, shifting to telecom companies.
Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service is a strong and timely move toward better, smarter protection for users. As more people start using the service, it should help cut down fraud, keep personal information safe, and make mobile use more enjoyable.
As African economies continue to grow more digital, users of telecom services will need more secure and reliable ways to communicate, and Airtel is leading the way towards that safe future.
E-Business
Microsoft Server Hack Likely Solo Actor, Thousands at Risk

A widespread cyberattack targeting Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) server software used by thousands of government agencies and businesses for internal document sharing was likely orchestrated by a single actor, a cybersecurity researcher said on Monday.
Microsoft issued an alert on Saturday warning of “active attacks” on on-premise SharePoint servers.
The company clarified that SharePoint Online, part of the Microsoft 365 cloud suite, was not affected by the exploit, which is considered a “zero-day” vulnerability due to its previously undiscovered nature.
“Based on the consistency of the tradecraft seen across observed attacks, the campaign launched on Friday appears to be a single actor. However, it’s possible that this will quickly change,” Rafe Pilling, director of Threat Intelligence at Sophos, a British cybersecurity firm.
That tradecraft included the sending of the same digital payload to multiple targets, Pilling added.
Microsoft said it had “provided security updates and encourages customers to install them,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
It was not clear who was behind the ongoing hack. The FBI said on Sunday it was aware of the attacks and was working closely with its federal and private-sector partners, but offered no other details.
Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Washington Post said unidentified actors in the past few days had exploited a flaw to launch an attack that targeted U.S. and international agencies and businesses.
According to data from Shodan, a search engine that helps to identify internet-linked equipment, over 8,000 servers online could theoretically have already been compromised by hackers.
Those servers include major industrial firms, banks, auditors, healthcare companies, and several U.S. state-level and international government entities.
“The SharePoint incident appears to have created a broad level of compromise across a range of servers globally,” said Daniel Card of British cybersecurity consultancy, PwnDefend.
“Taking an assumed breach approach is wise, and it’s also important to understand that just applying the patch isn’t all that is required here.”
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