In today’s corporate world, the lines between personal communication and professional production have been blurred into non-existence. As working remotely becomes the norm, not the exception, businesses are seeking ways of making their workflows streamlined in the Apps that their employees are already using.

This change has led to the appearance of powerful third-party clients like Nicegram, which allow users to fill in the gap between simple message brokers and elaborate task managers. By scraping the cream of the crop into interfaces that we’re familiar with, these tools are not only changing the way that we chat, but they are fundamentally changing the ROI of digital communication.

The History of the Super-App Philosophy

The technosphere has been pursuing the vision of the so-called Super-App – one ecosystem where a user can bank, shop, work, and be social. Where the Western market has been lagging behind the Eastern in devoting itself to a single monolithic App, we are witnessing a new form of evolution, that of the modular development of existing ones.

It is becoming apparent to the business leaders that there is fatigue that results when you attempt to make your employees cross a series of fifteen tabs (CRM systems up to project management boards). Such a mental burden may lead to a 40% loss of 40%. The solution? Taking the tools to the conversation instead of making the conversation compatible with the tools.

The Dynamics of Messaging Infrastructure to Business

The last competitive advantage in the year 2026 will be the speed of information. Agile startups tend to be too slow on traditional email, whereas specialized enterprise software can be too strict to facilitate creativity. Instant messaging networks have bridged this divide and emerged as a trade-off in the relationships between immediate, persistent, and available.

Nevertheless, in many situations, off-the-shelf messaging Apps lack the scalability and controls to be used professionally. This is the point of intersection of business and tech, and this is where the interesting part appears. Improved client access is beginning to be exploited by modern companies:

• State-of-the-art multi-accounting. Important to social media managers and consultants who are involved with various clients.
• Built-in translation tools. Enabling transnational communication between localised teams without turning off the chat interface.
• Encryption layers and privacy. Securing confidential proprietary information during transit.

The Security Imperative

The more business logic we include in our channels of communication, the greater the risk of security increasing. Cybersecurity is no longer the business of the IT department; it is a fundamental building block of business. In adopting digital tools, organisations are making a statement regarding transparency and sovereignty of the information.

The tendency is in favor of open source foundations and API based enhancements. This enables the businesses to authenticate the security measures of the business communication tools and yet access the custom functionality to enhance productivity daily.

With platforms being set upon enforced and dependable protocols, the firms can always have the best of both worlds: reliability of a worldwide giant combined with the adaptability of a niche, productive package.

Artificial Intelligence integration: the Best Frontier

AI is a vital part of tech and business that cannot be discussed. The biggest advancement in the history of communication technology in the recent past has been the inclusion of the Large Language Model (LLM) on chat windows. To illustrate this, suppose that the manager of a project was endowed with a complicated brief that was brought to him by a message. AI-boosted clients can now type a summary of it or make a calendar appointment instead of doing it manually:

• Write long lines into lists that you can;
• create expert replies depending on the distinct tone of the user;
• program the scheduling with natural language.

The tools that we employ to encrypt our information, to generate our daily reminders, and even the way we are automating our lives through the tools that we consume, determine how rapidly we are maturing. With the adoption of the strength of the improved messaging ecosystem, companies may assist in building a more connected, effective, and secure future.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Some budding entrepreneurs in Kano State recently received the backing of a leading integrated and digital commerce firm, Interswitch, at the maiden Kano Startup Weekend (KSW) themed Igniting Innovation & Empowering Entrepreneurs.

The event, which held on December 14 and 15, 2025, saw Interswitch providing practical insights, exposure to developer-friendly platforms, and guidance on building scalable digital businesses.

KSW 2025 is the flagship entrepreneurship and innovation event hosted by the Kano State Government through the Kano State Information Technology Development Agency (KASITDA).

Aligned with the Kano State Digital Transformation Agenda (2025–2030), the event aimed to ignite Kano’s startup ecosystem, foster collaboration, and position the state as a leading hub for technology and innovation in Nigeria and beyond.

The weekend featured pitch presentations from startups across technology, education, agriculture, mobility, and digital services, complemented by expert-led sessions on product development, funding readiness, customer acquisition, and scaling strategies. These engagements equipped founders with tools to refine their ideas while connecting with partners capable of supporting their next stage of growth.

Giving his keynote speech, the Chief Information Officer of Interswitch, Mr Patrick Okebu, emphasised the strategic importance of supporting regional innovation ecosystems. He said:

“Kano Startup Weekend reflects the depth of entrepreneurial potential emerging from Northern Nigeria. At Interswitch, we recognise that innovation thrives when founders have access to the right platforms, mentorship, and enabling infrastructure.

“Our support for this event aligns with our commitment to empowering startups with payment and digital commerce solutions that help them build confidently, scale sustainably, and compete effectively in today’s economy,” he said.

Beyond individual mentorship and the pitch sessions, KSW 2025 created opportunities for meaningful collaboration between the public sector, private organisations, investors, and the startup community, demonstrating how strong partnerships can accelerate innovation and drive inclusive economic growth.

The success of the inaugural Kano Startup Weekend highlighted the growing momentum within Kano State’s technology ecosystem and the increasing role of strategic partnerships in driving inclusive innovation. Interswitch noted that initiatives such as KSW are critical to expanding economic opportunity, nurturing local talent, and strengthening Nigeria’s broader digital economy.

Today, Salesforce published its AI Fluency Playbook, a practical guide for businesses to prepare their workforce to confidently collaborate with AI to give employees agents and drive business impact at speed and scale.

Why it matters: As companies look to become an Agentic Enterprise, success will depend on their workforce’s ability to harness and apply agentic AI in their daily work. Businesses that build AI-fluent workforces will drive greater growth and position themselves to attract top talent and become the best place to work. And it’s not just businesses that benefit – employees who use AI daily report 64% higher productivity, 58% better focus, and 81% greater job satisfaction.

Go deeper: The AI Fluency Playbook is built from Salesforce’s own experience deploying AI agents as Customer Zero for Agentforce. Today, Salesforce employees are collaborating with agents and 85% say they feel confident using AI tools to drive productivity in their daily work – a 16% increase year over year. The results are clear: In just one year, Agentforce in Slack saved employees over 500,000 hours, Engagement Agent worked over 190,000 leads with the sales team, and Service Agent handled 2+ million support requests for the customer service team.

AI agents are fundamentally redefining the workplace by automating repetitive, mundane tasks and augmenting the creative and strategic potential of every worker. However, simply deploying the technology is not enough; to truly transform daily operations and achieve superior business outcomes, employees must be equipped with the specific knowledge and tools required for seamless human-agent collaboration.

To bridge this gap, organizations can cultivate comprehensive AI fluency through a three-pillared approach: AI Engagement, which focuses on building employee sentiment and cultural confidence; AI Activation, which ensures consistent integration of AI into daily workflows; and AI Expertise, which develops the essential human and technical proficiencies needed to drive successful adoption at scale.

What customers are saying: “We’re focused on the most important skills that are needed for today and for the future,” said Ali Bebo, Chief Human Resources Officer at Pearson. “Today is all about learning agility – human skills like learning, adaptability, communication, and critical thinking are so important for the era of agentic AI.”