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Microsoft, Viasat Partner to Broaden Internet Access to Nigerians, Others

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By Adedapo Adesanya

Microsoft and Viasat on Thursday announced a new partnership to help deliver internet access in Nigeria as part of a wider reach to 10 million people around the globe, including 50 per cent across Africa.

Viasat, a global communications company, is the first satellite partner to work with Microsoft’s Airband Initiative and together, they will deepen Airband’s work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Guatemala, Mexico and the United States, as well as prioritize expanding the program, Senegal, and Angola to deliver much-needed internet connection, often for the first time.

This first-of-its-kind global partnership for Airband is an important step in reaching the Initiative’s expanded goal of delivering internet access to a quarter of a billion people across the world, including 100 million people on the continent of Africa, by the end of 2025.

According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) at the United Nations, an estimated 37 per cent of the world’s population, or 2.9 billion people, have still never used the Internet.

Satellite allows internet access to reach remote areas that previously have had few if any, options for conventional connectivity. Working together, the companies will combine expertise and assets to help enable telehealth, distance learning and education, precision agriculture, clean power and other services to reach new areas through the transformational provision of power and connectivity.

With this in focus, the companies will collaborate to provide and pilot technologies including, but not limited to, satellites (both Geostationary Orbit and Low Earth Orbit (LEO)) and fixed wireless.

Speaking on this, Mr Kunle Awosika, Managing Director of the Africa Transformation Office, said, “While the African opportunity is immense, one of the challenges facing the continent is infrastructure expansion which would enable the acceleration of digital transformation and facilitate a connected African continent. Critical infrastructure enablers are needed to accelerate digital transformation and the adoption of digital technologies. The Airband Initiative is vital in helping to accelerate broadband access for rural communities.”

On Viasat’s part, Mr Mark Dankberg, CEO and Chairman, said connecting the world is an expansive and challenging goal, “and we believe it is equally important that it is done in a way that is sustainable, responsible, and inclusive.”

“Viasat’s mission is to keep space safe and accessible for everyone by responsibly using it as a shared resource to benefit humanity. The partnership with Microsoft is another important step in bringing affordable internet service across Africa, Latin America and the U.S., as both companies continue breaking down barriers to bridge the digital divide and make significant progress towards digital equity and inclusion.”

Through Airband, Microsoft has already delivered high-speed internet access to more than 51 million people globally, including over 4 million in unserved US rural communities and an additional 47 million in 16 unserved and underserved countries outside of the US.

Launched in 2017, Microsoft’s Airband Initiative works through partnerships with local and regional internet and energy access providers, telecom equipment makers, nonprofits, as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations, to advance access to affordable internet and relevant digital skills around the world.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Hadron by Tether Integrates Chainalysis

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By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Hadron by Tether has set a new standard for compliant tokenization with the integration of Chainalysis’ compliance and monitoring tools.

This upgrade brings institutional-grade oversight to Hadron by Tether by further strengthening its position as a trusted and regulation-ready marketplace for token issuance and asset management.

With this, the system can now monitor transactions to flag suspicious activity and enable ongoing compliance, and also streamlines onboarding and due diligence processes.

“With Hadron by Tether, we’re building the gold standard for compliant, secure, and scalable tokenization.

“By integrating Chainalysis directly into the platform, we’re offering institutional-grade transparency, compliance, and risk mitigation without compromising on decentralization or control,” the chief executive of Tether, Mr Paolo Ardoino, said.

“Chainalysis has always believed that trust is the foundation for the future of digital assets.

“We’re proud of this work with Hadron by Tether that will bring digital assets and blockchain technology to more institutions and organizations underpinned by our technology and blockchain intelligence that make the solution ready for a compliance-first world,” the chief executive of Chainalysis, Mr Jonathan Levin, stated.

Designed for institutions, corporations, and governments, Hadron by Tether enables the creation, management, and deployment of tokenized assets such as stablecoins, bonds, funds, and commodity-backed tokens across multiple blockchains.

With the integration of Chainalysis, participants now gain access to enhanced risk detection, real-time transaction monitoring, and full Know Your Transaction (KYT) support – ensuring adherence to global regulatory standards from day one.

This latest enhancement follows Tether’s broader commitment to security and accountability. As the issuer of USD₮, the most widely used stablecoin in the world, Tether has collaborated with over 255 law enforcement agencies across 55 countries and helped freeze more than $2.7 billion in illicit assets to date.

The same compliance ethos is now embedded in Hadron by Tether, empowering asset issuers to operate with confidence in an increasingly regulated environment.

The Chainalysis integration represents a major step in making Hadron by Tether not only a powerful platform for tokenization, but also a future-proof infrastructure layer for digital assets.

Tether previously announced it had adopted Chainalysis’ ecosystem monitoring solution to enhance surveillance across secondary markets and bolster compliance across all Tether tokens.

Now, those same advanced tools are directly accessible to Hadron participants, reinforcing a unified compliance standard across Tether’s expanding digital asset ecosystem.

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Zoho Unveils New AI Assistant for Zoho Creator

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By Aduragbemi Omiyale

To facilitate faster, simpler, and more intelligent app building, Zoho Corporation has launched new services and features within its low-code application development platform, Zoho Creator.

The new Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant, CoCreator, can be used to build applications by using voice and written prompts, process flows and business specification documents.

In a statement to Business Post on Monday, the global technology company said this milestone reflects its commitment to investing in AI capabilities that offer real-time, practical, and secure advantages to business users.

Powered by Zia, CoCreator drives shorter go-to-market timeframes and democratises app creation for users of varying  skill levels—all without requiring add-ons to a customer’s existing subscription.

Zia has served as a bridge across Zoho’s entire product suite, including Creator, since its launch in 2015.

As AI becomes increasingly central to business operations, Zoho’s complete ownership of its tech stack and deep AI integration provides customers with a higher level of contextual AI across all company workflows compared to competitors. This empowers users with a system that truly understands their data and anticipates its usage.

Among the newly-launched capabilities is the Idea-to-App Generation feature, allowing businesses to utilise ZohoAI or OpenAI to develop full-fledged applications including contextual integrations, automations, permission sets and insightful dashboards.

By using text or voice prompts, process flow diagrams, or systems documentations like software requirement specifications (SRS), Creator will provide domain-specific suggestions, ideas for relevant fields, and modules tailored to a customer’s business

Contextual component generation AI enhances existing applications by offering prompt-based form generation. Zia also proactively suggests contextual fields within forms, a functionality missing from many low-code development platforms.

Developers of all skill levels can generate and optimise code blocks contextually within apps using Zia’s prompter, and also annotate existing code blocks for future maintenance.

Further advancing business capabilities, users can rapidly transform unstructured data from various file types and databases into custom applications and remove inconsistencies using the AI-driven data cleansing and modelling feature.

Additionally, the newly-introduced AI Skills enables businesses to build apps with specialised skills that interpret natural language instructions in the business context and automate complex chains of actions intelligently. This feature is currently available in early access and will be widely available from June 2025.

“Since we introduced Creator in 2006, our mission has been to make app development simpler and faster, without compromising on functionality.

“AI now takes us to the next level, shortening the time from an idea to an app.

“Today’s announcement significantly raises the baseline on speed of quality app creation with deep capabilities, without adding costs,” the Country Head for Zoho Nigeria, Mr Kehinde Ogundare, stated.

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The Unsung Heroes of Fintech: How Creatives Are Driving Growth and Trust in the Financial Industry

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By Samuel Olaniran

Many experts have highlighted the growing impact of creatives—especially those in product and brand design—across the financial industry, and how their work helps financial companies build trust, communicate value propositions, and drive growth.

These creatives shape the overall product and visual identity of financial brands, creating not just logos, colour schemes, and layouts, but also cohesive design systems that convey professionalism and reliability. This is crucial because trust is vital in finance. A strong, consistent brand and product design helps customers feel secure and confident in their financial decisions.

In digital platforms, product designers improve user experience. They ensure mobile apps, websites, and other tools are not only visually appealing but also functional and easy to navigate. A smooth, intuitive interface encourages users to engage more, making digital banking and investing more accessible to a wider audience. This can drive growth, as people are more likely to trust and stick with platforms that are easy to use.

Brand and product designers also simplify complex financial data through infographics and visualizations. Finance can be overwhelming, but clear visuals and product-led storytelling make it easier for customers to understand. Infographics turn complicated reports into digestible, engaging content, which can help customers make better financial decisions.

Marketing in finance also relies heavily on thoughtful brand design. Designers create visually appealing campaigns that catch the attention of potential customers. Whether it’s an ad on social media or an email newsletter, well-crafted design helps companies stand out and build a strong online presence.

In a competitive industry like fintech, where innovation is key, product and brand design can be the difference between success and failure.

As financial institutions grow globally, product designers help adapt their offerings and messaging to different cultures. By adjusting colours, symbols, and user interface elements to fit local preferences, they ensure financial products are accessible to a wider audience. This helps companies expand into new markets while keeping their brand relevant and consistent.

Looking ahead, the role of product and brand designers will only become more important. Their creative work is key to building trust, improving user experience, simplifying data, and leading marketing efforts. As finance continues to evolve, their role will remain essential in helping companies grow and connect with customers.

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