Mr Phone Business Centre Limited, trading as Mr Phone Innovations Limited, has launched the Ubislate 7CZ tablet that will contribute to the communication revolution in Zambia.
This is in partnership with DataWind, a Canadian firm, and Tekaccess.
DataWind may be a new name to the Zambian people and economy, but in other parts of the world, it has won awards for its immersion in the information communication technology sector.
Some of the awards that DataWind can boast of include UK Trade & Investments, which was awarded to the firm as UK’s most innovative company for 2012.
CNBC TV18 & Mercedes Benz also awarded Data Wind as its Young Turks’ Innovator of the Year while Fast Company recognised the firm as among the world’s 50 most innovative companies just to mention a few.
The Ubislate tablet is Canada’s top-of -the-line version of the DataWind’s hand-held device. It is the first time such a technological product of high quality is making its debut in Africa.
Zambia, in particular, was chosen as the first target for the Ubislate because of its fast- growing technological market as well as being a peaceful nation with a budding economy.
According to DataWind chief executive officer Suneet Tuli, the company has a long-term commitment of adding value to the Zambian economy.
Mr Tuli explained that the company will establish an assembling plant for the Ubislate 7CZ in the next six months so that the product can be manufactured locally.
“We want products of this nature to be assembled locally because we believe that innovation comes from where you manufacture the product,” says Mr Tuli.
The Ubislate 7CZ will enable Zambia to become a technological leading supplier of the Ipad technology to other countries in the sub- Sahara region.
There are five billion mobile phone users globally today and less than two billion internet users. There is a three billion person gap that is primarily because of affordability.
The excitement about the Ubislate tablet is that it will level the playing field and bridge the gap between internet users while making it affordable for the average Zambian.
Mr Tuli explained that the Ubislate 7CZ is a world- competitive wireless web access device which has just been introduced on the Zambian market and is manufactured in India and China.
In addition, he says that the key element of the device is internet access and that it delivers the world’s biggest library in the palm of your hand while giving children a tremendous opportunity to engage and empowers them to a better quality of education.
“Despite its very low cost, it is a very powerful device, in fact, for the DataWind Ubislate series of tablets, it is our most premium, high end product.”
“In Zambia it will start out at K850, 000 and we expect to bring in other models which will end up at about half that price. We would like to have a series of products in the market starting with this premium product,” Mr Tuli explained.
Mr Tuli said the gadget has a cortex A8 1 GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, it runs Android4.0 and has dual cameras. The device, which has a Bluetooth, takes a regular SIM card and can be used as a phone and proprietor of Mr Phone Innovations Limited chief executive officer Friday Tembo said it has always been his passion to start his own technology company.
Mr Tembo reminisced his passion for technology which has been around as long as he could remember. He says that he worked hard in every job he has had to earn enough money to help him realise his childhood goal of starting his own technology business.
Mr Tembo says he will never forget the value of helping others and is grateful to people who believed in him as they have given him the opportunity to grow his business.
Although many may deem him successful, Mr Tembo’s goal is to help those who are in the same position he was in when he was young and this is what encouraged him as Mr Phone Innovations Limited to pursue the opportunity for an affordable tablet for the people of Zambia.
“Zambian children now have an opportunity that I never did of owning an affordable piece of technology and bridge the digital divide between them and the children in the West.” Mr Tembo explained.
Mr Phone Innovations Ltd, which made an enormous investment into the business venture, investing in excess of US$1.5 million, is hopeful that both young and old will embrace this revolution.
Mr Tembo says the company has ordered 10,000 units which can be excessed in all Airtel outlets and at Mr Phone Innovation in Lusaka.
Meanwhile, Government pledged its commitment to supporting the ICT sector in changing the technology landscape for Zambia.
Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Mr Christopher Yaluma explained this during the launch of the Ubislate 7CZ. “This investment was a clear demonstration and testimony of the role that the private sector plays in the development initiatives in partnership with Government,” he said.
Daily Mail Zambia