E-Business
RexPay Drives Advancement in E-commerce, Online Payments
At the turn of every new decade, there is always a groundbreaking technology that comes to define that era. With the creation of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter in the 2000s, our world was never going to be the same again.
The addition of Instagram, Snapchat, Tinder, TikTok and the wholesale embracement of WhatsApp as a primary platform for communication and business in the 2010s meant that so many barriers in business had finally been removed, especially in developing countries, and with specific emphasis on Nigeria.
Anyone who might have visited Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria, some ten years ago, would have noticed how retailers were doing everything to scale the hurdles that confronted them daily.
Overpriced shops, outrageous advertising budgets and several regulatory considerations that seemed to stifle their chances at business success were short-circuited or completely bypassed by the innovative spirit of these traders. The trunk and bonnets of cars became pseudo-shops for displaying their wares instead of renting shops that cost more than any profit they could ever have hoped to make. For marketing, word-of-mouth advertising came in handy. Anything that stood in their way of survival had to give way somehow.
As social media became commonplace and people began exploring all the possibilities that lay therein, these retailers were not left out too. They soon discovered that they did not actually need to display their wares on their cars anymore, as social media surely offered a better alternative for reaching even more people, and without the usual stress associated with screaming at the top of their voices on streets and in marketplaces.
By just posting their items on social media, they could get people to indicate interest in those items and then close out the sales offline or via DMs.
But in all of these, there seemed to be a missing piece in the online sales puzzle – the issue of payments. While some retailers made do with transfers, a number of them still insisted on collecting cash from their customers because of the perceived lack of trust with that option of payment.
RexPay, an online payment gateway by Global Accelerex, has just been launched to fix that problem. It is a platform that helps social media sellers receive payments in a fast, convenient and secure manner. The interesting thing is that they do not need to own a website for this to happen.
Customers also get to enjoy the freedom to choose between multiple payment options – card, account transfers (internet banking), USSD or QR. This means people can go with their preferred mode of payment and pay seamlessly from the comfort of their homes or offices rather than being boxed into one option only.
Custom-built with the sole objective of bridging the gap between online businesses and their customers, any seller can easily sign up to the RexPay platform in less than five minutes, then begin to receive payments immediately. This is a significant departure from the practice of keeping sellers waiting till the next day before their accounts can be activated.
The safety of the platform guarantees peace of mind to customers who choose to pay with their cards, because there is no chance that their card details will ever be compromised. When considered alongside its quick sign-up process and ease of use, signing up to RexPay becomes a no-brainer for entrepreneurs who intend to scale their businesses in the shortest possible time.
For small businesses that have not grown to the point of hiring accountants, RexPay assists them with easy financial reporting, as all their payments can be simply viewed either on their mobile or desktop devices. With this in place, it is easier for sellers to gain business insight from the reporting tool, which will further help them with planning and forecasting. This, together with the other highlighted features, makes the payment product every online retailer’s best friend.
Big businesses like airlines, e-commerce platforms, revenue-collecting agencies, power distribution companies; educational institutions like schools and vocational centers; and religious organizations like churches and mosques are not left out. End users can easily buy tickets online, settle bills, pay taxes and fees, and also make donations to worthy causes, using this payment gateway.
With RexPay, online sales have come full cycle. A new vista of opportunities is now within reach for online businesses who were hitherto faced with limitations around receiving payments and balancing of books. This new payment gateway by Global Accelerex takes away all that trouble and gives them the liberty to focus on what is most important: scaling their businesses in this rapidly evolving times.
For more information, visit www.myrexpay.com. Sign up here. To learn more about Global Accelerex, visit www.globalaccelerex.com.
Equinix, global digital infrastructure company, has launched a cutting-edge LG2.3 data centre in Lagos aimed at fueling Nigeria’s booming tech scene.
Equinix officials at the launch
The data centre is designed to provide businesses with secure, reliable, and high-performance colocation and interconnection services, crucial for supporting the increasing demand for digital services across the region.
Nestled in the bustling Lekki Free Zone, LG2.3 is packed with the latest tech, offering businesses the secure and lightning-fast connections they crave. Think of it as the engine room for Nigeria’s online world, designed to handle the explosive growth of digital services.
The launch featured Bruce Owen, president, Equinix’s EMEA, who cut the ribbon to open the data centre.
“Nigeria is our focus,” Owen declared, emphasizing Equinix’s dedication to powering the nation’s digital growth. “The energy here is incredible, and we’re excited to be part of it.”
On his part, Wole Abu, managing director, Equinix’s West Africa, echoed this sentiment highlighting the increasing global demand for digital infrastructure.
“Africa is on the cusp of a digital explosion, and we’re here to support that growth,” he said.
Nigeria’s digital adoption is skyrocketing, driven by a young, tech-savvy population. Businesses are racing to embrace online platforms, and LG2.3 is perfectly positioned to meet their needs.
This investment is set to create a ripple effect, boosting the economy, creating jobs, and fostering innovation.
LG2.3 is set to be a beacon for Africa’s tech potential.
Equinix’s confidence in the continent aims to attract more global players, turning Africa into a digital powerhouse.
This data centre will act as a vital connection hub, empowering businesses to connect and collaborate, bridging the digital divide.
Equinix’s vision extends beyond Nigeria, with plans to expand across Africa.
strategic move reflects their commitment to building a connected and thriving digital ecosystem.
The success of LG2.3 is a testament to the power of public-private partnerships, with the Nigerian government playing a crucial role in attracting investment.
As Nigeria marches towards a digital future, Equinix’s LG2.3 data centre will be a key driver of progress. It’s a powerful symbol of Nigeria’s digital ambition and a catalyst for Africa’s tech revolution.
Microsoft is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a major leap forward into artificial intelligence, unveiling significant updates to its AI assistant, Copilot.
The announcement was made on April 4, 2025, at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, marking a milestone for both Microsoft and the AI industry.
As the tech giant celebrates its golden anniversary, the company is setting its sights firmly on the future, particularly with its AI-driven tools.
Microsoft’s Copilot, which has been integrated into various software tools across its ecosystem, has now received a significant upgrade.
The new features aim to make the Copilot assistant more intelligent, personalised, and proactive, which positions Microsoft as a serious competitor in the AI space against other industry leaders such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude.
Mustafa Suleyman, head of Microsoft’s AI division, expressed the company’s ambition, saying, “We envision Copilot not just as an assistant, but as a long-term AI companion, one that can learn, adapt, and evolve alongside its users. This goes beyond just responding to commands; it’s about fostering relationships between users and their AI.”
The most notable update to Copilot is its new memory functionality. Now, the assistant can retain information such as preferences, previously used commands, and even personal context, making it more responsive and efficient in future interactions.
This means Copilot can, for example, anticipate a user’s needs based on past behaviours, from scheduling meetings to suggesting restaurants for a night out.
In addition to the memory features, Copilot’s new “Vision” capabilities extend the AI’s functionality across multiple platforms. Windows and mobile users will now be able to interact with Copilot using both the camera and on-screen elements.
This includes actions such as booking appointments, managing tasks, and even shopping online — all in a more interactive and seamless way.
Scott Guthrie, Microsoft’s Executive Vice President, shared his enthusiasm about the potential of these advancements, stating, “With these new capabilities, we’re not just reacting to AI’s capabilities — we’re shaping the future of how users interact with technology. AI can do so much more than just assist with tasks. It can enrich the human experience.”
The updated Copilot is designed to challenge industry competitors like ChatGPT and Claude, offering more personalised and context-aware interactions.
Microsoft has positioned its Copilot as a tool that not only assists users but builds a deeper, more intuitive relationship over time.
The company has also placed a strong emphasis on AI accessibility. With AI’s growing role in everyday tasks, Microsoft aims to make it easier for users to adopt and benefit from these technologies, regardless of their technological proficiency.
Despite past challenges, including legal disputes over privacy and AI ethics, Microsoft continues to push boundaries in the AI space. Guthrie remarked, “This is just the beginning. As we continue to innovate, we are reshaping how people work, interact, and live with technology.”
With Copilot’s advancements, the tech giant hopes to continue its legacy of innovation, making AI tools accessible and useful for people around the world.
By 2027 mobile app usage will decrease by 25 per cent due to AI assistants according to Gartner, Inc. Smartphone users will turn to AI assistants, such as Apple Intelligence, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Meta AI, and others to replace apps for many functions.
In addition to the impact of AI assistants, apps will be consolidated across separate brands and companies, creating mobile app partnerships or consortiums to reach more users per app at scale and defray the cost of creation and maintenance.
“CMOs should begin scenario planning for the impacts of decreased mobile app usage,” said Emily Weiss, Senior Principal for the Gartner Marketing Practice.
“Brands with low app engagement and retention will likely be first impacted – this will be a positive development for brands that are not overly reliant on driving revenue via apps as app development costs will decrease.
Other brands may be severely impacted by the disintermediation of users turning to AI assistants for services. The loss of app users will also result in the loss of first-party data collection and the ability to reach fewer users via mobile push notifications,” Emily added.
By 2026, Over 1/3 of Web Content will be Created for the Purposes of Gen-AI Powered Search According to Gartner’s 2024 CMO Spend Survey of 395 respondents between February and March 2024, the average CMO allocated almost a quarter of their digital marketing budget to search.
Other than end users directly visiting a website, search currently drives more traffic to the average commercial enterprise website than any other referral source.
Given this, a loss of search driven traffic due to algorithmic shifts by major search engines would result in tangible, negative commercial impact to any organisation.
“CMOs will need to direct their teams to hire talent with a strong understanding of how GenAI, and broader AI influences, impacts the performance of their content in search algorithms,” said Weiss.
“It will be important to upskill the function by investing in search and content talent with AI skillsets. These associates will need to have familiarity with creating or optimising content to train and rank within evolving search algorithms,” she said.
By 2028 digital Mlmarketers will move 30 per cent of their paid social budget to support advertising and partnerships on subscription-based channels It is becoming more challenging for CMOs to maintain, let alone grow, their reach and engagement among consumers.
This is especially true as consumers shift their tech and media behaviors away from social media, to other platforms and subscription based channels.
Gartner’s 2024 CMO Spend survey found that since 2022, paid social has maintained the highest budget allocation for all digital media spend. In 2024, B2C Marketing leaders reported allocating 14.3 per cent for their digital channel budget to social media advertising (an increase from 12.3% in 2023).
“Closed group communities and subscription channels of – fer a potential alternative for social media weary consumers and content creators who want to do more than feed the algorithm,” said Weiss.
“Brands can leverage closedgroup subscription channels – such as Substack, Patreon, and Discord – and the professional creators on them to reach relevant target audiences who are already engaging with content they self-selected into consuming,” she added.
Current AI models, such as large language models (LLMs), lack the agency to autonomously execute tasks and adapt in complex environments.
However, as new levels of intelligence are added, new AI agents are poised to quickly become more capable and reliable as brands seek to address customer facing use cases.
“There will be more AI agents than people, so while current approaches require humans in the loop, this idea will quickly become antiquated.
Marketers will need to determine when and how they can trust AI agents to act on behalf of the brand and customers across key areas,” said Weiss.
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