A leading Code Division and Multiple Access (CDMA) network in Nigeria, Visafone Communications Limited,  has emerged as the Insider Magazine’s Best CDMA network nationwide which was held recently in Abuja.

The award, which coincided with the Insider Magazine’s 10 year anniversary also witnessed the conferment of other awards on Governors Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Governor Ibrahim Idris of Kogi State, Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, and business mogul, Aliko Dangote.

Visafone which won the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) award for the network with the widest spread in terms of retail outlets, shop and consumer experience and friendly initiatives recently have pledged to continuously offer innovative services to its teeming customers.

According to Srinivasa K.V, chief operating officer, Visafone, the awards the network had received this year were a strong statement buttressing the leadership role the company was taking in providing voice clarity and data. His words: “we are capping that with a clear customer experience reinforced through our 83 retails shops spread across 26 states and 71 cities nationwide.”

It could be recalled that Visafone has won several awards like ICT company of the year award at the 2009 ThisDay Awards;  Leadership CDMA Operator of the year 2008, and was conferred with the Best CDMA Operator of the year 2008 Award by the Leadership Newspapers in 2008. In 2009, Visafone was named the CDMA company of the year at the Titans of Tech ICT merit awards, and the founder of the company, Jim Ovia, was also inducted into the ICT Hall of Fame.

Armonk, NY, October 25, 2011 – The IBM board of directors has elected Virginia M. Rometty president and chief executive officer of the company, effective January 1, 2012. She was also elected a member of the board of directors, effective at that time. Ms. Rometty is currently IBM senior vice president and group executive for sales, marketing and strategy. She succeeds Samuel J. Palmisano, who currently is IBM chairman, president and chief executive officer. Mr. Palmisano will remain chairman of the board.

“Ginni Rometty has successfully led several of IBM’s most important businesses over the past decade—from the formation of IBM Global Business Services to the build-out of our Growth Markets Unit,” Mr. Palmisano said. “But she is more than a superb operational executive. With every leadership role, she has strengthened our ability to integrate IBM’s capabilities for our clients. She has spurred us to keep pace with the needs and aspirations of our clients by deepening our expertise and industry knowledge.

Ginni’s long-term strategic thinking and client focus are seen in our growth initiatives, from cloud computing and analytics to the commercialization of Watson. She brings to the role of CEO a unique combination of vision, client focus, unrelenting drive, and passion for IBMers and the company’s future. I know the board agrees with me that Ginni is the ideal CEO to lead IBM into its second century.”

Ms. Rometty said: “There is no greater privilege in business than to be asked to lead IBM, especially at this moment. Sam had the courage to transform the company based on his belief that computing technology, our industry, even world economies would shift in historic ways. All of that has come to pass. Today, IBM’s strategies and business model are correct. Our ability to execute and deliver consistent results for clients and shareholders is strong. This is due to Sam’s leadership, his discipline, and his unshakable belief in the ability of IBM and IBMers to lead into the future. Sam taught us, above all, that we must never stop reinventing IBM.”

Mr. Palmisano, 60, became IBM chief executive officer in 2002 and chairman of the board in 2003. During his tenure, IBM exited commoditizing businesses, including PCs, printers and hard disk drives, and greatly increased investments in high-value businesses and technologies. He has overseen the significant expansion of IBM in the emerging markets of China, India, Brazil, Russia and dozens of other developing countries, transforming IBM from a multinational into a globally integrated enterprise. In 2008, he launched IBM’s Smarter Planet strategy, which describes the company’s view of the next era of information technology and its impact on business and society.

Since Mr. Palmisano became CEO, IBM has set records in pre-tax earnings, earnings per share, and free cash flow. During Mr. Palmisano’s tenure, IBM increased EPS by almost five times, generated over $100 billion in free cash flow, and invested more than $50 billion in research and development—creating over $100 billion of shareholder value since 2002 through an increase in market capitalization and dividends paid.

As global sales leader for IBM, Ms. Rometty, 54, is accountable for revenue, profit, and client satisfaction in the 170 global markets in which IBM does business. She is responsible for IBM’s worldwide results, which exceeded $99 billion in 2010. She also is responsible for leading IBM’s global strategy, marketing and communications functions. Previously, Ms. Rometty was senior vice president of IBM Global Business Services.

In that role, she led the successful integration of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting—the largest acquisition in professional services history, building a global team of more than 100,000 business consultants and services experts. She has also served as general manager of IBM Global Services, Americas, and of IBM’s Global Insurance and Financial Services Sector.

 

The bar has been set for those who dare to press the boundaries of imagination and stretch the limits of the night. The world’s No. 1 selling Cognac, Hennessy, yesterday launched a new limited-edition offering: the Hennessy Privilege NyX Collector bottle.

Hennessy has presented the second bottle in the brand’s privilege collection after redesigning it to present an extra class alcohol in a modern translucent platinum glass with metallic purple trim inspired by a starry night.

Hennessy, a major Cognac brand produced by Jas Hennessy & Co, owned by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has introduced a new limited-edition product, the Hennessy Privilege NyX Collector bottle. Logos are etched in luminescent ink on the label, collar, and cork and are visible only under black light.

The bottle is the second in the Cognac brand’s ‘Privilege Collection’. The Hennessy Privilege bottle is re-cast in a translucent platinum glass with metallic purple trim. It features logos etched in luminescent ink adorn the label, collar, and cork, and are visible only under black light.

The company said this bottle reveals the intrinsic nature of the brand, a spirit of conquest, dynamism, and exploration of a world without borders. Each Hennessy Privilege NyX bottle will be marked with a limited edition number of authenticity, as well as a flash code tag that can be scanned by smart phones to unlock access to Hennessy’s mobile hub.

Hennessy NyX will retail for $45.99 – $49.99 for a 750ml and be available at fine retailers in certain markets in the US beginning 1 December 2011. It is imported and distributed in the US by Moet Hennessy USA. Hennessy distills, ages and blends a full range of marques, including Hennessy VS, Privilege VSOP, Hennessy Black, XO, Paradis and Richard Hennessy.