TechPression

Tag: Amazon

  • TikTok-inspired shopping feature is now available on Amazon

    TikTok-inspired shopping feature is now available on Amazon

    Amazon’s app will offer a purchasing experience similar to TikTok. Inspire, a new short-form video and picture feed, allows users to browse items, ideas, and make purchases from content created by influencers, companies, and other users.

    The feature is intended to divert users’ attention away from TikTok and other applications that businesses may directly promote to users in order to increase sales on Amazon.com.

    The new tool, dubbed Inspire, will launch for certain US consumers and expand nationwide, according to the biggest e-commerce corporation in the world.

    Amazon was observed earlier this year experimenting with a TikTok-like shopping stream in their app, which at the time had its own navigation button at the bottom of the Amazon mobile app. However, the Inspir feed will now be accessed by tapping a light bulb symbol instead of the diamond sign observed in testing.

    Read also: Amazon Web Services (AWS) opens its second African office in Lagos

    Amazon TikTok-Inspired Shopping App: How to Start

    The Inspire experience begins when a client launches the Amazon Shopping app and taps the app’s icon to begin. Makeup, skincare, pets, games, gardening, hiking, interior design, travel, jogging, and other topics are among the more than 20 options shown to users when they first start to Inspire.

    A cross between TikTok and Instagram, Inspire prioritizes short-form video but also allows users to share photographs. Similar to Instagram, a double touch anywhere on the screen will reveal a heart icon indicating your approval of the current post. You swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go to the next video in Inspire, much as you do in TikTok’s vertical video stream. Like on TikTok, the interaction buttons are tucked away on the right side of the display.

    You may touch the little buttons at the bottom of the window to go to the item on Amazon when you find something you like. A press on these buttons will open up the product in an overlay window on top of the video, but a touch on “See full details” will take you to the product page, where you may read more, buy it, or add it to a list.

    As Inspire learns more about the user’s interests through interaction and likes, Amazon promises the stream will improve. Inspire will have more shoppable features and in-app content in the future.

    “We develop every day to make buying quick and fun,” said Amazon Shopping director Oliver Messenger. “Inspire is a new shopping experience that links Amazon customers with shoppable content produced by other customers, the newest influencers, and a wide selection of businesses.” “In just a few taps, shoppers can discover new things or gain inspiration on what to purchase, all suited to their preferences, and then shop for those items on Amazon,” Messenger added.

    Mae Badiyan, Practically Pursia, and others will post on Inspire. Amazon Influencer Program earnings will go to artists.

    “My audience expects interesting videos that expose them to new goods, so I’m pleased to utilize Inspire to feature my favorite daily basics with the convenience of buying those things instantly on Amazon,” said Badiyan.

    Amazon says brand registry suppliers and sellers with active brand stores may publish to Inspire.

    Social networking promotes Amazon purchases.

    Amazon has used social media models to recruit and convert consumers. It tried Pinterest-like Amazon Collections in 2013 and Amazon Stream in 2015, which became “Interesting Finds.” Amazon Spark, an Instagram imitator, closed in 2019 after two years. Amazon’s VP of Consumer Engagement, Chee Chew, Spark’s largest shareholder, departed at the start of 2019.

    Amazon Live is one example of how the firm has drawn lessons from streaming shopping on other portions of the site, and the company has even dabbled with its own YouTube, where users can contribute and share movies.

    Since Amazon’s social media updates solely advertise products, most are generic. Consumers use social media for more than just purchasing. They want to meet artists, have fun, and be amazed. Even with video, Inspire may not meet these requirements.

    The Amazon iOS and Android apps now provide Amazon Inspire to a restricted number of consumers.

  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) opens its second African office in Lagos

    Amazon Web Services (AWS) opens its second African office in Lagos

    Amazon Web Services (AWS) opened its first office in Lagos, Nigeria, on November 1, 2022. After opening its first office in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2017, the Lagos branch has now opened and is operational.

    With this move, AWS will be closer to supporting African companies. AWS already serves a number of Nigerian firms, including SeamlessHR, Yellow Card, BFree, Bankly, and public sector organisations.

    The Lagos location will contain teams of AWS account managers, partner managers, solutions architects, and other jobs that support Nigerian customers. It is AWS’s most recent investment in Africa.

    Amrote Abdella, regional manager of Sub -Saharan Africa at AWS, said, “Lagos offers a highly skilled and creative talent pool, and the area is home to many fast-growing startups and notable Nigerian enterprises leading the way in digital innovation.”

    Read also: Amazon To Expand to Nigeria and South Africa by 2023

    Africa’s Internet customers are expected to double to 483 million by 2025 from 239 million in 2018 as internet adoption continues to expand on the continent. Cloud-based apps are becoming an increasingly important part of the contemporary African workplace and way of life.

    Nigeria’s minister of communications and digital economy, Isa Pantami, commented on the announcement, “The Service Infrastructure Pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) emphasizes the importance of digital platforms in the development of a robust digital economy.  The programmes of Amazon Web Services support the development of such platforms, and we look forward to partnering with AWS to accelerate the implementation of NDEPS.”

    The Progress of AWS in Nigeria in Line with Cloud Computing 

    Despite the obvious necessity for businesses to migrate to the cloud, this cannot happen without help. In addition to free cloud credit to offer new customers a taste of what’s available before they commit significant sums of money to pay for the service, technical support and training are essential for a seamless transition.

    Through initiatives like AWS Activate, which offers startups resources, including $100,000 in AWS credits, training, support, and connections to incubators, accelerators, and venture capital firms, AWS has, over the years, encouraged the migration of Nigerian businesses to the cloud.

    Students, educators, and startups can benefit from educational programmes like AWS Academy, AWS Educate, and AWS re/Start by gaining knowledge and skills about AWS Cloud computing. There are about 3500 AWS Academy members in Nigeria.

    Amazon plans €1 billion Investments on electric vehicle fleet

    Aside from AWS, Here Are Other Companies That Have Partnered with Africa 

    International cloud corporations have hurried to build data centres and create a presence on the African continent over the past six years. In 2016, IBM unveiled its first data centre in Africa. In March 2019, Huawei opened two data centres in South Africa, while Microsoft later that month announced its first Azure data centre in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Huawei also has intentions to expand to Nigeria.

    With the introduction of its first African Google Cloud region in South Africa in October 2022, Google entered the African market.

    These actions show that there is interest in the African connectivity and cloud computing sector and that there are numerous opportunities. The growth of startups in Africa, the majority of which are software firms, has raised the demand for cloud computing services. Businesses often take into account how close cloud servers are to the sources of their customers’ requests. The lower the latency, which enhances the service quality, the closer these servers are to the customers. There are presently 26 operational AWS regions and 8 more that are being developed.

    Nigeria and Africa remain open to more partnerships like this. It is also beneficial to the citizens who are consumers of these goods and services. Having an office in close proximity is a game-changer.

  • Amazon plans €1 billion Investments on electric vehicle fleet

    Amazon plans €1 billion Investments on electric vehicle fleet

    Over the next five years, Amazon will invest more than one billion euros (R17.7 billion) in electric vans, lorries, and low-emission package hubs across Europe. Taking this step accelerates the company’s efforts to reach net-zero carbon emissions.

    According to the statement made by the company, the investment was also made to foster innovation within the transportation industry and support the development of additional public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

    The US-based online store says that the investment will allow it to more than triple the number of electric vans in Europe, from 3,000 to over 10,000 by 2025.

    Read also: Amazon To Expand to Nigeria and South Africa by 2023

    Amazon places an order for 100,000 Electric Vans 

    The largest order that Amazon has placed for electric vans is with Rivian Automotive for 100,000 vehicles to be delivered between now and 2025.

    The company did not specify what proportion of its European last-mile delivery fleet is electric at present, but it did state that those 3,000 vehicles with zero emissions delivered more than 100 million products in 2021.

    Amazon has stated that it has the intention of purchasing more than 1,500 electric heavy-goods vehicles in the upcoming years. These vehicles are utilized for “middle-mile” transportation to packaging hubs.

    Even though large logistics companies like United Parcel Service and FedEx have promised to buy a lot of electric vans and trucks with no emissions, there are still not that many of these vehicles for sale.

    A number of start-up companies are engaged in a competition to be the first to bring electric vans or trucks to market. Manufacturers like Ford and General Motors are becoming more of a threat to these companies. The largest order that Amazon has placed for an electric van was with Rivian Automotive for 100,000 vehicles to be delivered between now and 2025.

    Amazon also plans to Install car chargers around Europe 

    In addition to electric cars, the company has said it plans to put money into installing thousands of chargers in different parts of Europe. 

    The store said it would also put money into expanding its network of “micro-mobility” hubs, which are already in more than 20 cities in Europe.

    Amazon has used these strategically placed hubs to try out new delivery methods, like electric cargo bikes or deliveries on foot, in an effort to reduce the company’s overall emissions.

    The corporation has set a goal to attain carbon neutrality by the year 2040.

    Nigeria Will Begin Manufacturing Electric Cars In 2023

    About Amazon 

    U.S-based Amazon.com, Inc. works in many different areas, including e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. As “one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world,” it is also one of the most valuable brands in the world. Along with Alphabet, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, it is considered one of the Big Five IT firms in the United States.

  • Amazon To Expand to Nigeria and South Africa by 2023

    Amazon To Expand to Nigeria and South Africa by 2023

    Amazon, an American multinational technology firm that specializes in e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and A.I will be expanding its e-commerce platform to five new countries in Africa, Europe, and South America while retaining its headquarters in the United States.

    According to a report by Business Insider, the five countries are as follows: Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Nigeria, and South Africa.

    “Amazon plans to launch its online marketplace in 5 new countries by early next year, even as it dials back parts of its retail business in the US”

     

    Read Also : Shoprite Group Launches SMME Division

     

    What Does This Mean?

    This year, the company has made a series of moves toward overtaking the e-commerce space, and this move its expansion to those countries will be a threat to local e-commerce platforms,

    “The moves will likely mean more competition for local e-commerce companies, including Jumia, which operates across Africa, and Mercado Libre, a leading online marketplace in Latin America.”

     

    Amazon Expansion Details

    According to the report, the rollouts will occur between the years 2022 and 2023, per a detailed timeline.

    • Belgium’s marketplace, called Project Red Devil, is slated for late September.
    • The one in Colombia, dubbed Project Salsa, is scheduled for February 2023.
    • South Africa, codenamed Project Fela, is also expected in February 2023.
    • The marketplace in Nigeria is due to launch in April 2023. That project shares the codename Project Fela with South Africa.
    • Chile is planned for April 2023, too. That shares the Project Salsa name with Colombia.

     

    What To Face In Nigeria

    In Jan 2022, the federal government ordered non-resident companies (NRC) to give 6 percent of their revenue from digital services they provided to Nigerian customers.

    Amazon and other businesses that offer services through apps, trading platforms, online advertisements, etc. are required to charge customers for value-added tax (VAT) and remit the funds to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

    “All they need is that arrangement with FIRS where they collect VAT on behalf of FIRS and remit to FIRS.

     

    Read Also : Telkom Kenya Plans Credit Program For SMEs

     

    “And also, to clarify, that FIRS may appoint persons including non-resident companies for the purpose of VAT collection and to clarify again that appointed persons may collect and remit taxes to FIRS, pursuant to the relevant tax laws.

    “The core rationale for this is to modernize the taxation of ICT and digital economy in line with the National Development Plan 2021-2025, to enhance administrative modalities for the taxation of non-resident taxpayers and also to reduce incompliance by non-resident payers to reduce the compliance burden.”

    Observation

    NIPC reported that In the past few years, the American company has been expanding into more countries around the world.

    “According to a report sighted by NIPC Intelligence, Amazon has singled Nigeria and South Africa, believing them to be places they can easily hit the market running. Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, and Egypt are Africa’s top five largest economies. Online retail is booming in these markets thanks to companies like Jumia, Konga, Takealot, and more.”

    They grew up in Poland and Egypt last year. They had grown in Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, and Sweden the year before. They have been in India for a few years, and reports say they have invested more than $7 billion there.

    Moreover, all countries plan to open their marketplaces and give people access to Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon service.

    According to that document, Amazon’s Prime membership program should be available at launch in Belgium. It should also be available soon after launch in other countries.

    The report added that “Belgian shoppers, who are already able to sign up for Prime through some of Amazon’s other European sites, will get their own dedicated Prime service for a more consistent pricing and shopping experience”

  • Amazon Set to Launch AWS Local Zone Cloud Infrastructure in Kenya

    Amazon Set to Launch AWS Local Zone Cloud Infrastructure in Kenya

    Amazon Web Service (AWS), a subsidiary of American multinational technology company, Amazon.com Inc, has announced plans to launch an AWS Local Zone in Kenya in partnership with Safaricom Plc.

     

    About AWS Local Zone Cloud Infrastructure

    Local Zones are a type of AWS cloud infrastructure deployment that places compute, storage, and other select services closer to customers, giving them the ability to run applications on AWS that require single-digit millisecond latencies to their end-user’s on-premise installations.

    The new AWS Local Zone in Kenya will join 16 existing AWS Local Zones around the United States and 32 new AWS Local Zones set to launch in 26 countries across the world in the coming quarters of 2022. Other countries targeted include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, India, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal and South Africa.

     

    What They Are Saying About The New Local Zone Infrastructure 

    Robin Njiru, Regional Lead, East, West, and Central Africa at Amazon Web Services, said in a statement — “The new AWS Local Zone in Kenya is a continuation of our investment to support customers of all kinds and our commitment to accelerate innovation by bringing cloud infrastructure to more locations in the country. We know that delivering ultra-low latency applications for a seamless user experience matters in every business and industry. Thus, we are excited to bring the edge of the cloud closer to more customers in Kenya to help meet their requirements.”

     

    Read Also : Elon Musk has made a bid to acquire Twitter for $43 billion dollars.

     

    “AWS Local Zones will empower more public and private organisations, innovative startups, and AWS partners to deliver a new generation of leading-edge, low-latency applications to end-users. Customers can take advantage of the cost savings, scalability, and high availability that AWS provides,” he added.

    Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of ICT, Innovation, and Youth Affairs, Joseph Mucheru, remarked, “We are pleased to launch AWS Local Zone in Kenya. This announcement reaffirms our country’s position as an attractive place to invest, powered by a high volume of talented local developers. It will boost the adoption of advanced cloud-based technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things while helping to ensure safe use across the Kenyan technology sector.”

    Customers in Kenya will save the cost of acquiring, running, and maintaining infrastructure in Nairobi to deliver low-latency applications since AWS administers and supports Local Zones.

     

    Read Also : Huawei’s Leap Programme to Upskill 100,000 Youths in Africa

     

    Customers with local data residency requirements in Kenya can execute parts of their applications in on-premises data centres and link to AWS using the AWS Local Zone, ensuring ultra-low latency for hybrid deployments.

    Commenting on the partnership and launch of the AWS Local Zones, Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom PLC, revealed that “We believe an AWS Local Zone will enable us to further enhance our cloud offerings, especially to our Enterprise and SME customers, and migrate more of our own services to the Cloud. Customer obsession remains a key focus for Safaricom, and with this local presence driven by our partnership with Amazon, we will now achieve increased speed, stability, reliability, and storage to support innovation and development of future-fit solutions.”

     

    About Amazon Web Services (AWS)

    Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s largest cloud computing provider, offering infrastructure-as-a-service (IAAS) to businesses worldwide. AWS is the service 150+ companies use to develop, deploy, and host their applications/websites, to streamline video services, or too vast databases of video content, whether it’s streaming platforms like Netflix, publications like the Financial Times, or state parastatals like the US Department of State. AWS also dominates the cloud computing services sector, with a 32% market share, and is currently the largest website host provider.

  • Vodacom Announces Africa’s First Amazon Web Services Innovation Lab 

    Vodacom Announces Africa’s First Amazon Web Services Innovation Lab 

    In conjunction with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Intel, Vodacom, South African connectivity, digital, and financial services firm, has announced the opening of Africa’s first Amazon Web Services (AWS) Outposts Innovation Lab.

    The laboratory will focus on accelerating technology advancements across diverse industries, delivering speedier scalability, and creating the possibility to employ infrastructure and technologies to solve business concerns, according to a statement from Vodacom.

    The laboratory is designed to assist Vodacom Business enterprise and public sector customers in accelerating their digital transformation journey by allowing them to build, manage, and scale local apps utilizing AWS services and tools.

    Africa’s First Amazon Web Services A Significant Distinction


    The laboratory’s long-term consequence is that clients will be able to save time and money in how they manage their businesses by utilizing new technologies, as well as creating better experiences for their customers. Customers may now contact Vodacom to validate their hybrid use cases and test their workloads on AWS Outposts before deploying them in production, according to the company.

     

    Read Also : Egypt’s eCommerce startup Homzmart acquires German MockUp Studio



    Customers can use the laboratory in Johannesburg as a Proof of Concept (POC) configuration to test their applications and environments for performance on AWS Outposts. AWS Outposts, powered by Intel, is a fully managed offering that brings AWS infrastructure, services, APIs, and tools to any on-premises or edge site. It allows on-premises deployment of applications with low latency, data residency, and local data processing requirements while lowering the time, resources, and operational risk associated with procuring, managing, and upgrading on-premises infrastructure.

    Synergies must be brought together.

    Intel is collaborating with AWS to promote the laboratory’s service and Vodacom leverages its position as an APN member to test and deliver the migration to AWS Outposts.

    “This offering represents a great opportunity to meet our customer’s demands for AWS hybrid cloud on-premises and off-premises—often a barrier to cloud adoption in more regulated industries where privacy and control of sensitive data and information are important considerations,” says Kabelo Makwane, Vodacom Business Managing Executive for Cloud, Hosting, and Security.

    Read Also : Nigerian API Platform, Sudo Africa Raises $3.7M in Funding to Expand Across Africa


    “While clients are increasingly seeking to cloud solutions for speedier innovation,” said Vinod Krishnan, Partner Development Lead for Europe Emerging Markets at AWS, “certain workloads need to remain on-premises where data residency is critical or where every millisecond matters.”