Brands/Products
Truecaller Introduces Voice Communication App Open Doors
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An app designed to aid communication among users via audio connection has been introduced by the world’s leading global communications platform, Truecaller.
The initiative, Open Doors, was launched on Wednesday and it will ensure safe, secure and private audio conversations among users after it is installed on the smartphone.
According to the firm, more features would be added to Open Doors based on feedback from users.
Truecaller said some innovations are already in the works after a small beta tester group, including the ability to set a close circle of contacts (so that others in contacts who have Open Doors will not always get a notification when a conversation is started), the ability to react to what people are saying and precise control over how the app notifies of new conversations.
The company said the app could be used with just one tap, especially for existing Truecaller users by signing in and for a non-Truecaller user, the phone number will be verified using a missed call or OTP.
The app needs only two permissions: contacts (so that you can share Open Doors, or connect with people in your contacts who also have Open Doors) and phone permission (needed to have audio conversations). Participants in a conversation cannot see each other’s phone numbers.
As a user of Open Doors, you are in complete control at all times. You can start a conversation and leave at will. Your friends can join conversations when they get a notification or by clicking on a link you share. At launch, the app interface will be available in English, Hindi, Spanish, Latin and French, with more languages to be added later on user demand.
Once your friend joins the conversation, their friends will be invited too. Through the network effect, you can be joined by a large number of people very soon. Do keep in mind that conversations are real-time and moderated by the community, just like Truecaller. They are not stored anywhere and neither can someone listen in without you knowing. We expect participants to foster a safe, inclusive, respectful environment during conversations.
“Thanks to Truecaller being 13 years in the business, we’ve spent a great deal of time learning about how people communicate,” said Nami Zarringhalam, co-founder of True Software Scandinavia AB.
“Our new app Open Doors was born out of a simple question – how can we help people make new connections without being intrusive? And this is what we want to do: to bridge the world using the most natural form of communication, our voices,” Zarringhalam added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Yellow Card Financial has announced the launch of its new payment feature, Yellow Pay, to make it easier for customers to send and receive money through the company’s crypto exchange platform.
The firm said the new product will be coming without any extra charges for users.
The Director of Operations for Yellow Card, Mr Oparinde Babatunde, said one of the biggest challenges in Africa is the difficulty in money transfer, stating that it is easier to send money from Nigeria to the US than it is to send money from Nigeria to Ghana or Zambia, and in the instances where it is possible, it is usually through the United States Dollars.
However, “Yellow Pay simplifies money transfer between African countries by building a solution that understands the way Africans already interact with financial products.
“We’ve managed to simplify it further by reducing costs and waiting time of remittance across the continent drastically compared to traditional money transfer rails.
“With Yellow Pay, Africans can send money across borders using their phones.”
Yellow Pay uses Yellow Card’s crypto exchange platform to complete customer transactions in USDT (Tether).
It is important to note that Yellow Pay is not a money remittance or foreign currency exchange service. Rather, Yellow Pay is an advanced crypto exchange product.
The company explained that there are several benefits to using Yellow Pay. Firstly, the service is powered by blockchain technology making it cheaper. Secondly, transactions are instant so there’s no waiting period. Lastly, money transfers are absolutely free. And lastly, the uses are endless as one can: send money for business, school and healthcare. Gift cash to friends and family across Africa, pay vendors in other countries, receive payment for services, pay bills and fees in other African currencies and so much more.
Mr Oparinde adds that “The people that will benefit from Yellow Pay the most are the unbanked and underserved people living in peri-urban areas and rural parts of the continent. They usually do not meet the necessary requirements to open a dollar account with banks and as such are cut off completely. Yellow Pay will service this market.”
The company added that the launch of Yellow Pay not only makes it easier for money transfer but also opens up the continent to more investment, access to credit, and business grants, and generally will improve the ease of doing business.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Jumia Technologies recorded a 21 per cent growth in its Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), which shows the total sales monetary value for merchandise sold through a particular marketplace over a certain time frame, in the second quarter of the year as the metric jumped to $271.1 million compared to $223.5 in the same period last year.
This was announced today in its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Revenue also grew 42.5 per cent to $57.3 million from $40.2 million while it raked in a gross profit of $30.4 million from $26.8 million, a 13.6 per cent growth by comparison.
This is as Orders and Quarterly Active Consumers also grew by 35 per cent and 25 per cent respectively. In the period under review, Jumia across the board settled 10.3 million orders against 7.6 million, while its customer base in the three months grew from 2.7 million last year to 3.4 million.
Commenting on the results, Mr Jeremy Hodara and Mr Sacha Poignonnec, co-Chief Executive Officers of Jumia said, “We remain focused on scaling the business towards profitability. In the second quarter of 2022, we have successfully delivered on each building block of our path to profitability: usage growth momentum, monetization acceleration and cost discipline.
“Despite a deteriorating macro environment, we maintained a strong pace of usage growth. Orders, Quarterly Active Consumers, and GMV grew by 35 per cent, 25 per cent, and 21 per cent respectively, on a year-over-year basis.
“Leveraging robust usage growth, we further accelerated monetization. Gross Profit and Marketplace revenue were up 14 per cent and 17 per cent year-over-year respectively, the fastest growth rates of the past 5 quarters.”
In the context of rising inflation and input cost pressure, Jumia announced that cost discipline remained a top priority, adding that it drove usage growth and monetization acceleration with lower-than-expected marketing investments with Sales and Advertising expenses of $41.0 million in the first half of 2022 compared to our guidance of $50-55 million.
“We believe we are now past the peak of quarterly Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) losses reached in the fourth quarter of 2021 and intend to redouble our efforts to reach profitability, leveraging our strong business fundamentals.
“We intend to reduce Adjusted EBITDA losses starting from the second half of 2022 with a 12 per cent to 29 per cent decrease year-over-year.”
“We are confident our consistent and disciplined execution will help us reach profitability and build an even stronger and more relevant platform,” the company noted.
Speaking on its impact initiatives, Jumia noted that in Nigeria, it partnered with Errand360 to offer eco-friendly, bicycle-powered meal deliveries to our customers.
“This partnership will help us reduce our carbon emissions and delivery costs thanks to lower maintenance costs and zero spend on fuel,” it said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Chapter, the premier branch of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in collaboration with Addefort Limited is set to host the ninth Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference.
In a disclosure on Thursday, the chapter said that the conference will address Leadership and Poverty Eradication at the MUSON Centre, Lagos on Thursday, August 18, 2022.
The Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders Conference is a bridge-building initiative to interact and proffer solutions to the social, political and economic challenges plaguing our nation.
This edition themed Conversations on Leadership and Poverty Eradication is expected to feature distinguished speakers including; the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Mr Tony Elumelu, founder and Chairman, Heirs Holdings; and Mr Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/ CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Others are Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, DG Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); Mr Kayode Pitan, Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BoI); Mrs Tejumola Abisoye, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF); Mrs Cecilia Bolaji Dada, Commissioner of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Lagos State and Dr Oluseye Ajuwon, Economist and Consultant, University of Lagos.
Speaking on the conference, the Chairman, Lagos NIPR, Mrs Comfort Obot Nwankwo, explained that the theme for this years edition is timely, adding that the Institute is committed to setting agenda for stakeholders’ engagement and lead the discuss to reawaken national consciousness.
She noted that eradicating poverty in all its forms remains one of the greatest challenges facing humanity; Nigeria is not an exemption, despite the efforts of government in the country, too many are still struggling for the most basic human needs.
On the part of Mr Olabamiji Adeleye, Conference Coordinator & Lead Consultant, Addefort Limited, participants at the conference will include; representatives from government, Public Relations practitioners, economic experts, the United Nations, embassies, corporate organisations, institutions, NGOs, HODs of relevant agencies, and the media among other stakeholders.
