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How Do You Know When to Buy Versus Build Your Software?

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dalip jaggi

By Dalip Jaggi

Businesses of all different sizes today depend on various software applications to help them manage multiple core elements of their operations. These solutions support everything from supply chain management and bookkeeping projects to detailed project tracking and customer relationship management.

As businesses grow and evolve, however, they often reach a fork in the road where they need to decide whether to continue relying on highly accessible, ready-made software or invest in building a custom solution that’s specifically designed to fit their needs.

The truth is, there is no perfect answer to this question, and the best choice will depend on various factors unique to each business. However, by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, you’ll be able to make a good decision for your organization that will help it achieve its long-term goals.

What are Ready-Made Software Solutions?

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in – there’s likely an abundance of ready-made software solutions available for you to take advantage of. These solutions, often called “enterprise solutions,” are built to be useful for a wide range of business types and can be particularly helpful for larger companies with intricate organizational structures.

One of the major benefits of these solutions is their high accessibility. They’re incredibly easy to purchase, and once you’ve set up an account or paid your subscription, you’re essentially ready to go. Depending on the software’s purpose, your organization could quickly see improvements in various areas.

However, while ready-made solutions offer versatility, their design can also be somewhat restrictive. Because they primarily focus on catering to a broad spectrum of businesses and industries, they often include a range of general features, some of which may not be relevant or valuable to your specific needs.

How are Custom Builds Different?

Custom software development differs from ready-made solutions since it provides a completely custom experience. It’s similar to going to a custom tailor to purchase a hand-made suit rather than just purchasing one off the shelf at a department store.

The main purpose of moving forward with a custom software build is to maximize the value of your investment. Instead of purchasing a generic software package with numerous features you more than likely will never use, you receive a comprehensive solution made exclusively for your business needs, ensuring minimal resource waste.

Naturally, developing a solution from scratch comes at a premium cost. The price of custom-built software can range from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars for larger organizations. However, these solutions are designed to unlock a business’s full growth potential which could very well lead to substantial returns on investment over longer periods of time.

Questions to Ask Yourself When Deciding Between Buying or Building Software

Choosing between purchasing or building software is an important decision to make. Each business should carefully evaluate its own specific requirements and budget constraints before deciding.

To help guide you through this process, consider these four key questions:

How is the Software Going to Be Used?

Each software application is designed with a core objective in mind. It’s important to ensure this objective complements your unique business goals.

Remember, many businesses share common needs, whether it’s improved financial management, better team communication, or so on. However, software solutions may not cater to every industry’s unique scope and could lack key features crucial for success in your particular sector.

If the software offers the competitive advantage and desired functionality you’re looking for, it’s worth looking into more. But, if essential elements are missing, think about exploring whether a custom solution better suits your needs.

How Will the Structure of My Company Impact Implementation?

When considering a custom software development project, it’s important to assess your organization’s current structure and capacity. Smaller businesses or those with limited resources might find it challenging to manage these types of projects. Even with outsourcing, significant internal collaboration and resources are crucial for successful implementation.

If your teams aren’t equipped to handle larger projects, consider using a ready-made solution, if not for anything but a temporary solution. This approach can be more efficient until you’ve scaled your workforce and have enough support to assist with a larger-scale development project.

What are the Features I “Want” Versus the Ones I “Need”?

Adapting ready-made software to perfectly suit your company’s needs is many times challenging or simply not doable. Often, these solutions come with limitations on customization, similar to how home renovation project scopes are limited to the foundation of a home.

To help you decide on the right path, it’s important to distinguish between the features you “want” and the features you “need.” While compromising on certain features is sometimes necessary, you can’t afford to settle for software lacking the core functions your business needs to grow.

If your research shows that many ready-made software options fall short of your requirements, consider exploring custom software solutions.

How Many Resources Can I Afford to Invest?

When considering software options, budget is a crucial factor. Ready-made solutions generally offer more transparent pricing, making it easier to predict your initial investment.

Just like when renovating a home – custom projects can come with unforeseen expenses, both during development and for ongoing maintenance, upgrades, and security.

However, with custom software, you have the power to design the development roadmap and prioritize your spending. While a ready-made solution might seem cheaper upfront, the long-term benefits and cost savings of a custom solution could be more advantageous for your business.

Find the Right Fit For Your Business Needs

The market is flooded with software options that businesses can use to help them expand. However, before committing to a recurring subscription model, it’s important to weigh the factors discussed and think about whether a customized software solution might be a better idea to explore.

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AI Legal Tech Firm Ivo Gets $55m for Contract Intelligence

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AI legal tech Ivo

By Dipo Olowookere

The sum of $55 million has been injected into an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered contract intelligence platform, Ivo, to support product development and scaling as the company deepens its reach across the hundreds of organizations that already rely on its product, including Uber, Shopify, Atlassian, Reddit, and Canva.

The Series B funding round comes after a year of substantial growth in product performance, customer adoption, and market traction to accelerate its mission of making contract intelligence available to every business.

Since its last funding round, Ivo has grown annual recurring revenue by 500 per cent, increased total customers by 134 per cent, and expanded adoption within the Fortune 500 by 250 per cent.

Business Post gathered that the latest funding support came from Blackbird, Costanoa Ventures, Uncork Capital, Fika Ventures, GD1 and Icehouse Ventures.

Ivo is purpose-built for in-house teams that need both reviews with surgical accuracy as well as visibility into their complete contract library.

The company’s AI-powered contract review solution, Ivo Review, allows users to complete reviews in a fraction of the time; customers report saving up to 75 per cent of the time that manual review would demand.

The product standardizes a company’s positions and precedents using playbooks built and implemented by lawyers. This means that every contract is reviewed accurately, consistently, and efficiently, critical for large and globally distributed teams.

“Our goal has always been to make interacting with contracts fast, accurate, and enjoyable. Every key relationship in a business is defined by an agreement, yet most organizations struggle to extract the insights inside them.

“Our focus is to give in-house teams a trustworthy solution that helps them work faster and gives them visibility into their contracts that was previously impossible,” the chief executive and co-founder of Ivo, Min-Kyu Jung, stated.

Also commenting, a Principal at Blackbird, Mr James Palmer, said, “In-house legal teams demand products that are deeply accurate and aligned to how they work. The most sophisticated teams are incredibly selective about the tools they trust.

“Ivo’s traction with some of the world’s best companies shows it consistently exceeds that bar. With exceptional product execution and an uncompromising quality bar, we believe Ivo is defining and leading the category.”

The Senior Manager for Contract Operations at Uber, Ms Kate Gardner, said, “Uber selected Ivo because it was intuitive to use, demonstrated a high level of accuracy, could work in multiple languages, and met its confidentiality requirements. Furthermore, the Ivo team was highly responsive to Uber’s needs.”

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Nigeria Leads in AI for Learning, Entrepreneurship—Google

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AI for Learning Nigeria

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A new report released by global tech giant, Google, in collaboration with Ipsos, has revealed that Nigeria is writing the playbook on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it leads in AI for learning and entrepreneurship.

In the study titled Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the hands of more people, it was shown that Nigerians are using AI tools for everything from education to entrepreneurship at a remarkable rate, showing immense optimism for the technology’s future.

It was disclosed that about 88 per cent of Nigerian adults have used an AI chatbot, a huge 18-point jump from 2024, placing the West African country well ahead of the global average of 62 per cent.

It was also found out that while the top use for AI globally has shifted to learning, Nigerians are taking it a step further, using AI as a powerful tool for personal and professional development.

A staggering 93 per cent of Nigerians use AI to learn or understand complex topics, compared to 74 per cent globally, with 91 per cent using the tool to assist them with their work.

In addition, the research observed that 80 per cent of Nigerians are using AI to explore a new business or career change—nearly double the global average of 42 per cent.

Nigerians have overwhelmingly positive feelings about AI’s role in the classroom and beyond, seeing it as a game-changer for education, with 91 per cent feeling AI is having a positive impact on how we learn and access information versus 65 per cent globally.

The report showed that 95 per cent believe university students and educators are likely to benefit from AI, as 80 per cent of Nigerians are more excited about the possibilities of AI, versus just 20 per cent who are more concerned. Globally, the split is much closer at 53 per cent excited and 46 per cent concerned).

Commenting on the findings, the Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Google in West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, said, “It’s inspiring to see how Nigerians are creatively and purposefully using AI to unlock new opportunities for learning, growth, and economic empowerment.

“This report doesn’t just show high adoption rates; it tells the story of a nation that is actively shaping its future with technology, using AI as a tool to accelerate progress and achieve its ambitions. We’re committed to ensuring that AI remains a helpful and accessible tool for everyone.”

Business Post gathered that the research was conducted by Ipsos between September 22 and October 10, 2025, on behalf of Google.

For this survey, a sample of roughly 1,000 adults aged 18+ who are residents of Nigeria and were interviewed online, representing the country’s online population.

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NCC Grants Three Satellite Licences to Boost Broadband Services

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has licensed three additional global internet service providers, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, BeetleSat-1, and and Germany-based Satelio IoT Services, as part of efforts to strengthen internet connectivity via satellite and to boost competition among existing internet service providers in the country.

Amazon Leo, formerly Project Kuiper, is Amazon’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network, designed to provide fast, reliable internet to customers and communities beyond the reach of existing networks, while BeetleSat (formerly NSLComm) is an international company with strong ties to both Israel and Spain, and its corporate structure involves multiple countries, building a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation of 250 satellites to provide high-throughput, low-latency, satellite internet, cellular backhaul, and mobility services globally, and Satelio IoT was approved for its planned 491-satellite IoT system, though only one satellite is currently in orbit.

NCC granted the global internet operators seven-year licences to each to operate in Nigeria from February 28, 2026, to February 28, 2033.

These operators were granted Ka-Band for their frequency band operations, and the licence is renewable after the seven years expiration, according to the regulator.

The NCC’s landing permit authorises Project Kuiper to operate its space segment in Nigeria as part of a global constellation of up to 3,236 satellites.

According to the NCC, the approval aligns with global best practices and reflects Nigeria’s willingness to open its satellite communications market to next-generation broadband providers.

The permit positions Project Kuiper to provide satellite internet services over Nigerian territory and sets the stage for intensified competition with Starlink, currently the most visible Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet provider in the country.

The permit also gives Amazon LEO and BeetleSat-1, the legal certainty to invest in ground infrastructure, local partnerships, and enterprise contracts, while giving Nigeria a wider market opportunity to play in space internet service delivery, where Starlink currently operates.

Amazon’s Kuiper will offer three categories of satellite services in Nigeria: Fixed Satellite Service (FSS), Mobile Satellite Service (MSS), and Earth Stations at Sea (ESAS).

FSS enables broadband connectivity between satellites and fixed ground stations, such as homes, enterprises, telecom base stations, and government facilities. This is the core service behind satellite home internet and enterprise backhaul; MSS, by contrast, is designed for mobility and resilience; and ESIM extends high-speed satellite broadband to moving platforms, including aircraft, ships, trains, and vehicles.

These systems rely on sophisticated antennas that can track satellites in real time while in motion, making them critical for aviation and maritime connectivity as well as logistics and transport sectors.

BeetleSat was founded in Israel, where its groundbreaking antenna technology was developed and supported by the Israel Space Agency.

In 2021, it formed a strategic alliance with the Spanish technology group Arquimea, which is now BeetleSat’s largest shareholder and main industrial partner.

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