Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple

Steve Jobs, co-founder and two-time CEO of Apple, offered his resignation to the company’s board Wednesday.

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, that day has come.”

Jobs has been in poor health for some time. In January, he announced that he would be taking a medical leave of absence from the company. He returned to the public spotlight in March to help launch the iPad 2.

Jobs advised the board to “execute our succession plan” — by naming Tim Cook to replace him. Cook, formerly the COO of the company, has been standing in for Jobs since January and was widely tipped to be his successor. Cook also stood in for Jobs during his bout with pancreatic cancer in 2004. “The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO,” said board member Art Levinson, chairman of biotech firm Genentech, in a prepared statement.

This is the resignation letter Steve Jobs sent to the Apple board:

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

Kikwete: ICT crucial in poverty reduction

President Jakaya Kikwete said in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday that upon its completion, the NICTBB which connects all regions and districts through a 10,000km optic fibre cable will help in achieving Millennium Development Goals.

"There is need to harness ICT to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and development Vision 2025.

"The national ICT policy is geared towards making Tanzania become a hub of ICT infrastructure and solution in terms of economic development and poverty reduction efforts," he said.

Mr Kikwete was officiating at the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO) Sixth Annual Connecting Rural Communities African Forum in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday
President Kikwete noted that the theme was timely and relevant for African countries where ICT connectivity in rural areas has remained a challenging task.

"We are facing various challenges in building this network which range from inadequate funds, erratic power supply and human resources...," he said.

He noted that various border posts have already been connected to NICTBB, adding that the move would help in connecting to neighbouring countries.

Available information shows that various landlocked neighbouring countries have expressed interest to use the newly built national ICT backbone to get international links via the submarine cables laid in the Indian Ocean off the East African Coast in 2009.

Such countries include Zambia, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi.

Mr Kikwete noted that in Tanzania, ICT has facilitated rural development and has increased innovation, improved health services and general well-being of people.

"Farmers in Ifakara which is about 400kms from Dar es Salaam can now communicate to a businessman in Dar es Salaam and do all the transactions through M-pesa, this is how the cell-phones have simplified life, thanks to service providers," he said.

Earlier, the CTO Chief Operations Officer, Mr Bashir Patel, noted that African governments should ensure increased access of ICT services in rural areas.

"ICT plays a vital role in poverty alleviation and if implemented thoroughly it will help in achieving MDGs for African countries by 2015," he said.

Mr Patel noted that the fact that over 60 per cent of the population in Africa lives in rural areas and depends on agriculture, lack of connectivity poses a serious challenge for their development.

He emphasized not only in making services available but in ensuring that the services are affordable to all.

"If the government and private sectors work together in this undertaking, there will be a truly sustainable rural connectivity," he said.

In another development, President Kikwete launched a logo that will be used in a campaign to sensitize on the shift from analog to digital technology.

The target is to make sure that the country is using digital system by next year. The campaign will be engineered by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).

Helios Towers to invest US$100m in Tanzania

Helios Towers Africa – one of the continent’s leading telecommunications tower operators -  is set to invest US$100 million in Tanzania’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector for five years.

Helios Towers is planning to invest US$100m in Tanzania's telecoms (image: file)

Helios Towers Africa, which was issued its first licence by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority to independently operate a network of telecoms towers, is fast expanding its operations in the East African nation as well as increasing dominance in its country of origin – Mauritius.

Helios Towers Africa Chief Executive Officer, Charles Green, said his company had acquired 1 180 towers and the new investment drive of US$100 million would increase investment in Tanzania.

The US$100 million project is a five-year investment aimed at delivering significant benefits to the Tanzanian market, notably providing higher quality service coverage including in rural communities.

The telecommunications tower sharing plan would allow increased competition between telecoms operators thus lowering costs for customers, and improve  environmental conditions by reducing the number of towers built.

The investment will complement the injected US$130 million Helios directed last year in the acquisition of 1 180 towers.

“We are very pleased to be at the forefront of such an exciting and important new phase in Tanzania’s telecoms industry,” said Green.  “Helios Towers pioneered independent tower sharing in Africa – this model is the best way to ensure accessibility, affordability and the highest quality of communications service through increased efficiency and competition.

Speaking at the issuing of the operating licence, Helios Towers Tanzania Chief Executive Officer Simon Horner said the deal marked a significant moment in the development and growth of Tanzania’s telecoms industry.

“We are deeply committed to delivering the greatest value to all telecoms operators and their customers across Tanzania,” Horner said in a statement.