Microsoft Wants Its Wearable On Your Wrist And Your Health Data In Its Hands

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="leaderboard" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 0px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;"> <div class="ad_initialized" id="article_container_0_top" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <hgroup class="prevent_widows prevent_widows_initialized" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: left;"><h1 itemprop="headline" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 42px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 15px 120px 18px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"> <img alt="" itemprop="image" src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/aarontilley/files/2014/10/Device_Explode_19fps_v01_000001-e1414647773784.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 803.328125px;" /></h1> <h1 itemprop="headline" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 42px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 15px 120px 18px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"> <a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/microsoft/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Microsoft</a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span class="quotecard_hook initialized loaded" data-exchange="NASDAQ" data-naturalid="fred/company/2854" data-quotes-closing="46.62" data-quotes-now="46.0" data-ticker="MSFT" data-type="organization" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wrapper decrease" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/microsoft/" style="background: rgb(250, 236, 235); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(246, 219, 217); box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 3px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="ticker" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">MSFT</span> <span class="change" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">-1.33%</span></a></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px;">has had a pretty tough time getting very far with smartphones. Maybe it will have better luck in wearables.</span></h1> </hgroup><div id="google_ads_iframe_/7175/fdc.forbes/article-new_0__container__" style="background: transparent; border: 0pt none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-right: 133.875px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> As Forbes staff writer Parmy Olson <a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/05/29/exclusive-a-microsoft-smartwatch-is-coming/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">first reported last May</a>, Microsoft is getting into the wearables game, and today it finally showed its hand with the announcement of the Microsoft Band, a $199 fitness wearable that continuously tracks your heart rate.</div> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-right: 133.875px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> Available immediately in both online and physical Microsoft stores, the wearable is packed with 10 sensors–such as GPS, an optical heart rate monitor and a UV light monitor. In addition to constantly tracking your heart rate, it also can track things like how many steps you’ve taken, calories burned and your sleep quality. A Bluetooth radio in the wearable syncs the data up to your phone. Microsoft is claiming two days of usage and expects you to wear it all the time.</div> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-right: 133.875px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> It also has a few so-called smartwatch capabilities with text, email, social media and calendar alerts.</div> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-right: 133.875px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Band will work on iOS, Android and Windows Phone, but if you pair it with the Windows OS, you’ll be able to use digital assistant Cortana, Microsoft version of <a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/apple/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Apple's</a> <span class="quotecard_hook initialized" data-exchange="NASDAQ" data-naturalid="fred/company/280" data-quotes-closing="107.34" data-quotes-now="106.36" data-ticker="AAPL" data-type="organization" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wrapper decrease" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/apple/" style="background: rgb(250, 236, 235); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(246, 219, 217); box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 3px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="ticker" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AAPL</span> <span class="change" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">-0.91%</span></a></span></span> Siri. You can tell Cortana on the device to give you information on weather, traffic or stocks as well as set reminders or take notes.</div> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: none; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;"> <img alt="band_891x392-659x311" class=" size-full wp-image-1124" src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/aarontilley/files/2014/10/band_891x392-659x311.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 198px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 420px;" /></div> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-right: 133.875px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> On top of the wearable announcement, Microsoft is also coming out with Microsoft Health, a cloud-based service to store and analyze health data coming from multiple sources–that includes data coming from competing health wearables. As with the watch, the cloud service is compatible with the three main mobile operation systems–iOS, Android and Windows Phone. The app will analyze information such as how many calories you’ve burned or how much sleep you’re getting and then give you feedback on fitness goals you’ve set.</div> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-right: 133.875px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Health platform has a number of partners starting out that it will work with, including UP by Jawbone, MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal and RunKeeper.</div> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-right: 133.875px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> With this move, Microsoft is finally catching up to some of the competition of its fellow tech giants. <a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/google/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Google</a> <span class="quotecard_hook initialized" data-exchange="NASDAQ" data-naturalid="fred/company/1821" data-quotes-closing="558.35" data-quotes-now="557.21" data-ticker="GOOGL" data-type="organization" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wrapper decrease" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/google/" style="background: rgb(250, 236, 235); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(246, 219, 217); box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 3px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="ticker" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">GOOGL</span> <span class="change" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">-0.2%</span></a></span></span> and Apple have already begun offering their own platforms for centralizing and analyzing health data across a number of sources. Apple brought on HealthKit with its iOS 8 update and Google has its Google Fit for Android.</div> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-right: 133.875px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> The consumer market for fitness wearables is exceedingly crowded at the moment. There have been a number of new devices with a multitude of sensors and claims about battery life and accuracy. Basis, <a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/intel/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Intel's</a> <span class="quotecard_hook initialized" data-exchange="NASDAQ" data-naturalid="fred/company/2207" data-quotes-closing="33.92" data-quotes-now="32.81" data-ticker="INTC" data-type="organization" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wrapper decrease" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/intel/" style="background: rgb(250, 236, 235); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(246, 219, 217); box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 3px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="ticker" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">INTC</span> <span class="change" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">-3.27%</span></a></span></span> fitness wearable startup it acquired this year, <a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/aarontilley/2014/09/30/intel-basis-peak/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unveiled its the Peak</a> for $199 and will be available in November. Peak offers constant heart rate monitoring and claims five days of battery life over the Band’s two. And fitness wearable maker Fitbit recently announced its $250 watch, Surge, available next year.</div> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-right: 133.875px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> Equipped with 10 sensors, the Microsoft Band is able to collect a lot more information than some of the other fitness wearables. For example, the UV sensor tracks your sun exposure and Microsoft can combine that with your other health data to find out how it relates to stress and health. But Microsoft consumer hardware products haven’t always shined. Its Zune music player went nowhere and the future of its Surface tablet remains uncertain.</div> <div class="loge_ad ad_initialized article_body_ad" id="article_container_0_loge" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: right; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 30px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div id="google_ads_iframe_/7175/fdc.forbes/article-new_3__container__" style="background: transparent; border: 0pt none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <iframe frameborder="0" height="600" id="google_ads_iframe_/7175/fdc.forbes/article-new_3" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/7175/fdc.forbes/article-new_3" scrolling="no" style="background: transparent; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" width="300"></iframe></div> </div> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-right: 133.875px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> Between April 2013 and March this year, 3.3 million fitness trackers were sold in the US, according to research firm NPD Group. But the whole wearables market is expected to grow rapidly now that Apple has staked its claim in the ground with the $349 Apple Watch that is expected out early next year.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Microsoft Wants Its Wearable On Your Wrist And Your Health Data In Its Hands

Microsoft   MSFT   -1.33%   has had a pretty tough time getting very far with smartphones. Maybe it will have better luck in wearables...

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Technology War: China to Launch own Desktop and Mobile Software in October

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">China to launch own desktop and mobile software to oust imported rivals from Microsoft, Apple and Google in October</span></span></h3> <div class="post-header" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"> <div class="post-header-line-1"> </div> </div> <div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-7367012888804250125" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 660px;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XwcJe4QzrQrNn9JukrqkTQ0liJWO5xemPCQ-MQiAZ-BVbXeRTZFXBZwgMQCTIzJnlyRqLZFrYJXePeaMZ_G-VnWAvpOUvs0lIRtdbtQ-05r3Ji8VJF0ycbrvLsxOCGCV6kH-FPTRNzI/s1600/googleapplemicrosoft.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XwcJe4QzrQrNn9JukrqkTQ0liJWO5xemPCQ-MQiAZ-BVbXeRTZFXBZwgMQCTIzJnlyRqLZFrYJXePeaMZ_G-VnWAvpOUvs0lIRtdbtQ-05r3Ji8VJF0ycbrvLsxOCGCV6kH-FPTRNzI/s1600/googleapplemicrosoft.jpeg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="400" /></span></a></div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Chinese Academy of Engineering Ni Guangnan in a small media briefing to the "<a href="http://www.cnii.com.cn/industry/2014-08/21/content_1429066.htm" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">People’s Post</a>." newspaper reporters, made a breakthrough operating system, will be the first desktop operating system from the beginning, ''our country is expected to launch in October this year to support domestic application store desktop operating system the new version.''<br /><br />Chinese authorities hope to displace Google’s Android software, and the many modified open-source versions of Android, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reported via the <a href="http://www.cnii.com.cn/industry/2014-08/21/content_1429066.htm" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">state-run People’s Post</a></span></div> </div>

Technology War: China to Launch own Desktop and Mobile Software in October

China to launch own desktop and mobile software to oust imported rivals from Microsoft, Apple and Google in October The Chinese Ac...

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Over 25m payment cards in Nigeria at risk: The Banks need to be proactive

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h1 class="entry-title posttitle" itemprop="name headline" style="border: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 2819px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">By Prince Osuagwu</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" class="twitter-share-button twitter-tweet-button twitter-share-button twitter-count-horizontal" data-twttr-rendered="true" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.1404859412.html#_=1406687901322&count=horizontal&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanguardngr.com%2F2014%2F07%2F25m-payment-cards-nigeria-risk%2F&related=vanguardngrnews&size=m&text=Over%2025m%20payment%20cards%20in%20Nigeria%20at%20risk%20-%20Vanguard%20News&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanguardngr.com%2F2014%2F07%2F25m-payment-cards-nigeria-risk%2F&via=vanguardngrnews" style="border-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 107px;" title="Twitter Tweet Button"></iframe></span></h1> <div id="entryContainer" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="entry entry-content" itemprop="articleBody" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 6px 0px 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Unless quick measures are put in place, your digital wallet, particularly the payment cards which you so much treasure, may sadly be like the proverbial basket used to store water. If recent developments are anything to go by, only God will prevent hackers from being smarter than you.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Finger-AtM.gif" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Finger-AtM" class="alignnone wp-image-434565" height="219" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Finger-AtM.gif" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="389" /></span></a></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Do you know why? Microsoft server 2003 and 2003 R2, which supports the platform, will come to the end of their life circles by July 2015. This is a normal support life cycle policy for Microsoft.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The implication of this expected development is that over 25 million electronic payment cards issued by 23 Nigerian banks could be at risk of malicious and targeted attacks by cyber criminals.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With unconfirmed reports that banks in Nigeria, already lost N40 billion to online fraud cases in 2013 alone, when Microsoft’s extended support period for these products cuts off, next year, which means that there may not be updates and patches for combating security issues, loss of compliance and regulatory certifications for banks, vulnerability may widen.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Industry practitioners have also expressed fears that the end of support period will also mean that support on applications and programmes will come to an end for any organisation, datacentre or server running this Operating System (OS) after the stipulated date.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This lack of compliance, according to them, may come with a huge risk for local financial services partnership with global Payment Platforms like Visa, MasterCard among others.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Meanwhile, of the 25million e-payment cards in circulation, 18 million were issued by Verve, a local card operator, which has over the years built up strategic partnerships with MasterCard and Visa, for various co-branded cards.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However, all hope is not lost for organisations that are proactive. Chief Executive Officer, Wragby Business Solutions & Technologies Limited, Mr Gbenga Iluyemi, admitted that the end of Windows 2003 support life circle will impact on payment platforms that run on the Operating System, but added that it is only if they did not quickly migrate to the latest version.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to him, there is need for organisation to conduct critical assessment on their networks and payment platforms “Payment cards, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in the country that run on Windows Server 2003 will be impacted, security wise, if they are not migrated to a latest technology platform. Between now and 2015, it is crucial for companies to make adequate plans. They will need to migrate to Windows 2008 or Windows 2012 R2. But there is also need for them to conduct critical assessment of their respective Information Technology environments before embarking on a migration process.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said that organisations that may be affected by this unfortunate development would need to do an assessment of how many servers are running on their platform, may need to understand how many apps are sitting on their server. And thereafter, do a risk assessment before deciding which of the latest platform to adopt.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Meanwhile Microsoft’s PR Lead, West Africa Anglophone, Oluwamuyemi Orimolade, in a recent interview, had warned that running WS03 after the product’s end of support date may expose the customer’s business to compliance and security risks.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said “as the threat landscape evolves, unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. As a frame of reference, 37 critical updates were released in 2013 for WS03. if a company is still using WS03, this may result in an officially recognised control failure by an internal or external audit body, leading to suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the company’s inability to maintain its systems and customer information. Staying put on the old platform costs more in the end. Hardware maintenance and advanced security systems will drive up costs. “Failing to take advantage of new technologies and application opportunities can hinder a company’s success”, he added. Microsoft believes that traditional methods of modernising applications – reinstalling, upgrading the machine or rebuilding are more complex, expensive and time consuming than migrating applications onto a new operating system. Besides, it introduces high risk to critical line-of-business applications, and add no value when it comes to modernising the infrastructure, increasing security and compliance risks.</span></div> </div> </div> <div id="nextPrevPosts" style="border: 0px; margin: 35px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="alignright" style="border: 0px; float: right; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1038px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/ncs-highlights-nigerias-hurdles-building-knowledge-based-economy/" rel="prev"></a></div> <div style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; border: 0px; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/ncs-highlights-nigerias-hurdles-building-knowledge-based-economy/" rel="prev" style="-webkit-transition: background-color, border-top-color; border: 0px; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><small style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">NEXT ARTICLE →</span></small></a></div> <div style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; border: 0px; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="-webkit-transition: background-color, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; color: black; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/ncs-highlights-nigerias-hurdles-building-knowledge-based-economy/" rel="prev" style="-webkit-transition: background-color, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; display: inline !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;">NCS highlights Nigeria’s hurdles to building knowledge </a></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">/#sthash.A3uHULFH.dpu</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 15px;">f</span></div> </div> </div>

Over 25m payment cards in Nigeria at risk: The Banks need to be proactive

By Prince Osuagwu Unless quick measures are put in place, your digital wallet, particularly the payment cards which you so much treasu...

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