Cassava Technologies has cleared another regulatory milestone in South Africa for the sale of shares in its Africa Data Centres (ADC) unit to STANLIB Asset Management, a private equity firm backed by Standard Bank and Liberty Global.

South Africa’s Competition Tribunal said it has “unconditionally approved” STANLIB’s acquisition of a stake in Cassava Africa Data Centres South Africa. Following the transaction, STANLIB will hold joint control of the business, with the option to acquire sole control at a later stage.

The decision follows approval granted by the Competition Commission in January, which concluded the transaction was unlikely to substantially lessen or prevent competition in any market and raised no significant public interest concerns.

ADC, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, operates nine data centres across six African countries, serving around 400 enterprise and hyperscale customers.

STANLIB made an undisclosed investment in ADC in October, aimed at accelerating the expansion of the operator’s South African footprint to meet growing demand for digital infrastructure in the country.

Elon Musk has played down reports that Starlink is developing its own smartphone, pushing back on claims the satellite operator is seeking new revenue streams through a proprietary handset.

Reuters had reported that Starlink was exploring the idea of selling a phone with unique connectivity features designed to tap directly into its low-Earth orbit satellite network. Sources said details such as the device’s design and specifications were unclear, though the company had internally discussed the concept for several years.

Musk had previously fuelled speculation. Responding to questions on X about a potential “Starlink phone” in earlier comments, he said such a device was “not out of the question at some point,” adding it could be differentiated from existing smartphones by being “optimised purely for running max performance/watt neural nets,” a nod to AI-focused hardware efficiency.

However, Musk moved quickly to dismiss the latest report, posting on X that “we are not developing a phone,” casting doubt on whether the concept has progressed beyond early-stage discussions.

Rather than entering the crowded handset market, Starlink has focused on partnerships with mobile operators to deliver direct-to-device connectivity, allowing standard smartphones to connect to satellites without specialised hardware.

Beyond connectivity, Starlink’s parent company SpaceX continues to explore adjacent opportunities, including expanded direct-to-device services and a space-tracking offering, as it looks to monetise its growing satellite infrastructure without venturing into consumer device manufacturing.

Malaysian telco Maxis revealed on Thursday it has migrated its mission-critical workloads – including those for all of its digital services – from the Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Singapore Region to the AWS Malaysia Region.

Maxis said that hosting workloads locally reduces latency for its digital services, including its Maxis and Hotlink apps, which means faster response times and a smoother experience for customers. 

The telco also said the move – which was carried out by its internal cloud engineering team – also drives operational efficiency and a more cost-effective operating model by eliminating cross-region data traffic, enabling Maxis to focus on value creation.

“By bringing our mission-critical workloads home, we are securing our data within Malaysia’s borders while improving efficiency to better serve our customers,” said Maxis CIO Ng May Ching in a statement. “This ensures our infrastructure is resilient and future-ready to support the nation’s digital agenda.”

Maxis’ chief enterprise business officer Prateek Pashine noted that bringing its cloud operations local reinforces the telco’s ability to help Malaysian businesses do the same. 

“We are well-positioned to help customers address data sovereignty requirements while delivering the fast, reliable, and secure connectivity they need for responsive performance,” he said.

« By building on the AWS Malaysia Region, Maxis’ successful migration demonstrates what’s achievable, and positions them to guide other Malaysian enterprises through their own cloud transformations,” added AWS Malaysia country manager Hussein Mohd Ali.

Maxis is an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner and AWS Direct Connect Partner in Malaysia. AWS launched its Malaysia Region in August 2024.

The People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB) Zimbabwe’s only 100% home grown savings bank, has announced a strategic collaboration with Mastercard to launch POSB Remit Outbound.

The service aims to provide a fast, secure and cost-effective way for customers in Zimbabwe to send money directly to bank accounts, mobile wallets and cash abroad.

Powered by Mastercard Move, a portfolio of global money movement capabilities, the service delivers a simple, transparent and fast way to send funds to 21 international destinations, including South Africa, the UK, the US, Canada, India, Australia and countries within Europe’s Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) region.

Mastercard says the launch of this service responds to a growing need for reliable outbound money transfer solutions, which play a vital role in supporting cross-border mobility, trade and investment. It says outbound payments are increasingly important for individuals and businesses to manage education expenses, medical payments, family support and commercial transactions abroad.

POSB Remit Outbound addresses this market gap by enabling outward remittances through a trusted, accessible channel. The service is available at all POSB branches nationwide, with transfers starting from as little as US$5.00. Funds are credited directly into recipients’ bank accounts, mobile wallets or cashout agents.

Gabriel Swanepoel, Country Manager, Mastercard Southern Africa, explains: “By combining Mastercard Move’s innovative money movement solutions and extensive reach with POSB’s trusted local presence, we are enabling Zimbabweans to move money securely and transparently, with the choice and speed they need to thrive in today’s connected economy.”

Mastercard Move spans 200 countries and territories, supporting transactions in over 150 currencies.

Outbound payments do appear to be a growing market in Africa lately. A few days ago we reported that MTN Mobile Money Zambia had launched a new service that enables customers to send money directly from their Mobile Money (MoMo) wallets to international bank accounts across countries in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Papua New Guinea’s National Executive Council (NEC) – essentially its cabinet – has approved the Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative, which it has described as one of the most important digital infrastructure approvals in the nation’s recent history.

The approval relates to the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) proposal for a USD$120 million package of three new international submarine cable connections for Papua New Guinea.

Called the Pukpuk (a word meaning crocodile) Connectivity Initiative, the project is structured around a multi-route undersea cable solution, designed to bring three additional international cable connections to serve different parts of Papua New Guinea – specifically to improve redundancy and reduce single points of failure.This proposal will apparently come at no direct cost to the Papua New Guinean state.

The advantages the government cites include better reliability – there will be fewer disruptions when faults occur on any single route – along with improved service quality and stronger, more stable connectivity.

Improved affordability over time is another claim for the initiative as well as better access to essential services; the stronger backbone connectivity should be able to support education, health, banking and digital government.

This initiative is also about positioning Papua New Guinea as a credible digital investment destination with stronger redundancy and predictable wholesale capacity, notably by boosting a data centre economy, all of which would also create new employment opportunities.

The country’s Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will work closely with AIFFP and national stakeholders to undertake the preparatory phase, including preliminary technical and economic assessments, identification of suitable cable landing sites, and coordination with central agencies, regulators, and prospective private sector participants. There will also be a focus on strengthened planning for security, resilience and operational continuity, consistent with national obligations and treaty-aligned commitments.

Related to this will be comprehensive consultation with the telecommunications industry and private sector on how best these new assets should be structured and managed – consistent with competition principles that support open and fair wholesale access; strong reliability and resiliency standards; long-term affordability for consumers and businesses; and investment certainty for future expansion.

A press conference has been promised for the last week of February to outline the implementation roadmap.

Although this is not directly referenced by the government announcement, the origin of the initiative appears to lie in a mutual defence agreement between Papua New Guinea and Australia, something we reported in December last year.

Telekom Srbija Group and its subsidiary Mtel are upgrading fibre connectivity between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina using Ciena’s coherent optical technology, as the operator looks to boost cross-border capacity and prepare its network for rising data demand.

The upgrade will see Ciena’s 6500 packet-optical platform deployed on a new 150km fibre route between the two countries, enabling transmission speeds of up to 800Gb/s. Telekom Srbija said the higher-capacity, lower-latency link will support growing traffic from 5G services and hyperscale customers, while strengthening regional connectivity in Southeast Europe.

The project is being delivered in partnership with local systems integrator IGMAKO Smart Solutions.

Katarina Subotić, Chief Sales Officer at Telekom Srbija, said this is a “significant upgrade” to the operator’s network and enables it to launch “cutting edge technologies”.

Global smartphone revenues climbed to a record US$135 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, rising 7% year-on-year as higher prices and strong demand for premium devices offset ongoing pressure on shipments.

Counterpoint Research said the quarter marked the first time the average selling price (ASP) of smartphones crossed the US$400 mark, driven by consumers increasingly opting for higher-end models and rising component costs for manufacturers.

The analyst house said premiumisation remained the main growth engine for the market, with vendors benefiting from consumers upgrading to more expensive devices despite shortages of memory chips pushing up production costs. Demand for silicon from AI servers and accelerators has tightened supply, feeding through into higher handset prices.

Counterpoint senior analyst Shilpi Jain said the combination of higher ASPs and resilient consumer demand delivered a “positive quarter” for the industry. “Consumers continued to upgrade to higher-priced devices in both developed and emerging markets, where year-end promotions, financing options and trade-in offers helped drive value growth,” she said.

Apple was the clear standout, delivering its strongest fourth quarter since 2021 and generating US$76 billion in revenue, up 11% year-on-year. Research director Jeff Fieldhack said growth was largely driven by the iPhone 17 series, with the Pro Max variant posting the strongest year-on-year performance. Demand remained strong across North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

Apple accounted for 57% of total smartphone revenue in the quarter, up from 54% a year earlier. Samsung followed in second place with an 11% share, unchanged year-on-year, while Oppo and Vivo each captured 5%. Xiaomi accounted for 4% of total revenues.

Looking ahead, Counterpoint warned that rising component costs could weigh on volumes in 2026. Research director Tarun Pathak said ASPs are expected to continue climbing as premiumisation deepens and demand grows for AI-enabled features, but elevated memory prices and broader cost pressures will likely squeeze shipments. “Vendors will increasingly need to focus on value growth

and portfolio optimisation rather than chasing volume,” he said.

Indian telco Bharti Airtel announced on Thursday it is giving all of its 360 million customers free access to Adobe Express Premium for a year.

Adobe Express (formerly Adobe Spark) is Adobe’s content creation tool with AI-powered features like instant background removal, custom image generation, and one-tap video editing, premium Adobe Stock assets, over 30,000 professional fonts, 100GB cloud storage, and advanced features like auto captions and instant resize, with seamless sync across devices.

Airtel said its partnership with Adobe enables its customers to produce professional-quality content, regardless of their design experience. The offer targets everyone from creators, influencers and students to SMEs, entrepreneurs and marketers, as well as ordinary consumers. Adobe Express supports English, Hindi, Tamil and Bengali.

The Adobe Express Premium subscription – which Airtel says normally costs INR4,000 (US$43.50) a year – will be available to all Airtel customers, including mobile, Wi-Fi and DTH customers. Customers can access the subscription by logging on to the Airtel Thanks App, with no credit card requirement.

« This partnership is about more than technology. It is about empowering millions of Indians with cutting-edge AI tools to create and innovate,” said Siddharth Sharma, CEO of connected homes and director of marketing at Bharti Airtel, in a statement. “From a student crafting their first resume to a small business owner designing a poster or a creator editing videos for followers, we want to empower every Airtel customer with the tools for self-expression.”

WhatsApp has become one of the most important communication channels for customer engagement. 

But for resellers offering contact center and omnichannel solutions, adding WhatsApp to the mix often comes with high costs and technical complexity.

Building on our newly established role as an official WhatsApp Tech Provider, PBXware 7.6 makes connecting WhatsApp Business Accounts easier than ever. 

A Major Milestone for Our Partners

This recognition from Meta enables us to streamline the entire setup process, reduce complexity for partners, and ensure that WhatsApp integrations meet the highest platform standards from day one, all directly within PBXware 7.6.

Confidence You Can Count On

Bicom Systems has completed all Meta’s required verification steps and reviews, including business verification, app review, and access verification, both independently and with 360dialog, Meta’s authorized Business Solution Provider (BSP).

This means you can offer WhatsApp confidently, knowing the channel is fully compliant with Meta’s standards.

This verified status helps you:

• Offer fully approved messaging services
• Deploy WhatsApp faster to your customers
• Streamline integration and technical setup

Two Integration Ways and Many Advantages

Flexibility and a simple setup matter when you’re managing multiple clients. That’s why we made sure you can choose between two verified integrations:

Direct Meta API – PBXware Meta Application

Ideal for resellers who prefer effortless setup, full control, and faster onboarding, without any third-party integration fees.

With all Meta approvals handled by Bicom Systems, partners can activate WhatsApp using our approved Meta application and connect directly via Meta’s API. 

And that is what makes the integration effortless, with no complicated setup steps and no extra costs usually associated with third-party BSPs.

Via 360dialog 

Perfect for partners who value an additional support channel through a BSP, benefiting from closer alignment with Meta and faster assistance when needed.

360dialog brings a proven framework that fits seamlessly into Bicom Systems’ ecosystem.

While this approach requires a bit more setup and additional fees than using Bicom’s Meta app, it gives you the flexibility to customize your integration.

Pick the Setup That Works for You

Another great thing is that you’re not limited to Bicom’s verified Meta applications. 

You also have the option to create a branded Meta app, giving you full control over branding and user experience. 

Whether you choose our effortless Meta application or create your own, Bicom Systems’ Integration Team provides comprehensive guides, configuration assistance, and best-practice advice.

Ready to Add WhatsApp?

With Bicom Systems, WhatsApp becomes a native part of your contact center offer, allowing you and your customers to start messaging without delays or third-party dependencies.

Contact our team today to learn more and start offering WhatsApp to your clients with full Meta compliance.

PBXware 7.6 introduces AI-powered features that help resellers and service providers deliver more value, faster, and within the platform you already trust.

AI-generated voice greetings and AI-driven call recording transcription are now built directly into the platform, allowing you to offer smarter and more professional UC solutions without additional tools or complexity.

Let’s see what each one means for you.

PBXware AI Voice Greeting Generation

With the new AI Voice Greeting Generation, PBXware administrators can produce professional-quality voice files in seconds using OpenAI TTS API.

That means your customers can:

• Quickly create IVR messages, voicemail greetings, and announcements.
• Automatically create consistent file names for each greeting or announcement.
• Choose from multiple realistic voices and tones for brand consistency and differentiation.
• Edit or update recordings anytime, regenerate audio, and save the final version for immediate use.

Business Benefits That Speak Volumes

All of this happens directly within PBXware, making voice greeting generation simple to use without any complicated setup or additional tools. 

It can instantly improve the quality of your service offering with:

Polished and Professional Presence

Customers can present a professional presence with every call, helping their business appear more reliable and trustworthy.

Lower Operational Costs

The feature helps businesses manage greetings and announcements without adding extra tasks or overhead, so budgets stay under control.

Consistent Brand Experience

Easily manage greetings and announcements across multiple departments or locations, maintaining a uniform voice and tone that reinforces your brand at every touchpoint.

Stronger Market Differentiation

Offer AI-driven personalized greetings to your UCaaS customers as an optional feature, enhancing value and setting your service apart from the competition.

AI-driven Call Recording Transcription

Another big time-saver in PBXware 7.6 is AI-powered Call Recording Transcription. Every recorded call can now be converted into text right inside the system. 

This feature goes beyond convenience: it gives resellers and service providers a powerful tool to enhance their service offerings with ease.

Here’s how AI-driven Call Recording Transcription helps turn recordings into actionable insights:

Instant Access to Conversations

Quickly review call transcriptions from the CDR Reports page to speed up support, agent training, and issue resolution.

Faster Response Times

Request priority transcription for urgent recordings so action can be taken immediately, without waiting in a queue.

Clearer Review Experience

View subtitles while listening to call recordings to follow and review conversations more easily.

Granular Administrative Control

Administrators get control over who can request on-demand transcriptions, and the system remains organized.

Customizable AI Options

Currently, you can choose your preferred AI provider (OpenAI or Hosted Whisper) and configure it directly in Main Tenant settings. 

Making Recordings Work for You

Call Recording Transcription turns stored recordings into a strategic resource for your business. 

Your customers will appreciate how easy it is to review calls without listening to every second or track important details and records from their conversations.

This feature gives your customers smarter ways to work with the information they already have. 

The Smarter Way Forward

PBXware 7.6 gives you more ways to stand out, while your customers can get more done and communicate clearly at no extra cost or requirement for additional tools.

Adding these AI features to your UC portfolio makes your offering stronger and shows that you provide practical and modern solutions.See how AI can modernize your UCaaS offering and request a demo of PBXware 7.6 to find out how easy it is to bring these features to your customers.