LG inks deal with new distributor

LG East Africa has signed a distributorship agreement with Polestar which has several brand shops in Nairobi and Mombasa. The new agreement will see LG have a second brand shop in Mombasa as well increase service centres footprint. The deal was signed shortly before Polestar opened a new brand shop on Westlands, Mpaka Road where it will only sell home and entertainment appliances.  

Polestar Kenya sales executives pose for photo with a potential client when Polestar opened a showroom in Westlands, Mpaka Road which will distribute LG Electronics home and entertainment appliances.

Speaking when he officially opened the showroom, Moses Marji, the LG East Africa Marketing Manager said the facility will help bring LG Electronics world class technology closer to Westlands.

“This will also bring after-sales-services closer to our customers in Westlands. LG Electronics will liaise closely with Polestar and Westlands customers can still reach our customer care offices directly through 0800 545454 for any queries or assistance,” said Mr Marji.

LG Electronics is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing 87,000 people working in 113 offices around the world.  

The company recently announced a raft of new innovative products an intelligent messaging service dubbed HomeChat. The service employs Natural Language Processing (NLP) and LINE, the popular mobile messenger app with over 300 million users, to let homeowners communicate, control, monitor and share content with LG’s latest smart appliances.

LG HomeChat incorporates the popular LINE application to allow users to receive recommendations and control settings of smart appliances like refrigerator, washing machine or oven when away from home.

“We are proud to be associated with a trusted brand such as LG Electronics and we ready to latch onto the company’s continued innovation and steady growth,” said Rakesh Singh, the Polestar Kenya General Manager.   

LG comprises five business units― Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning & Energy Solution and Vehicle Components ― and is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators.

LG Electronics reported recently reported an 87 percent jump in third-quarter net profit from a year ago after profits from its mobile unit surged to a five-year high. Net profit for the electronics giant in the July-September period amounted to $193 million, up 87 percent from a year ago.

LG air conditioners to keep malaria at bay for Kisumu infants

LG anti-mosquito air conditioners are providing hope in the fight against malaria in Kisumu County following their installation in children wards of two hospitals in the county.

LG mosquito-repelling air conditioners have been installed in the children’s wards of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital as well as Kisumu District Hospital.

The two hospitals which have an approximate combined bed capacity of 350 for children under the age of five will be protected from mosquitos by LG’s latest range of air conditioners powered with mosquito away technology, offering an effective, non-toxic way of repelling mosquitos.

Children under the age of five years are a key vulnerable group owing to their low immunity to malaria. “LG mosquito air conditioners are designed to assist local consumers in their daily fight against mosquitos,” said Mr. Tae-Ick Son, LG East and Central Africa Managing Director.

He added: “They are specially designed with capabilities to repel mosquitos away and prevent them from entering the room with ultrasonic technology, our innovative mosquito away air conditioners present a clean and safe, alternative,” he concluded.

The air conditioners also deliver fast and powerful cooling, along with a new system that balances temperature and humidity levels, to maintain the perfect indoor atmosphere. The air conditioners were donated by Ecobank Kenya when it unveiled an anti-malaria campaign to lower mortality from the disease in Kisumu.

Over 1,000 households will benefit from insecticide treated nets (ITNs) distributed by the bank in the campaign dubbed “Stop Malaria Now”.  Another 600 homes will benefit from indoor residual spraying to curb mosquito breeding.

Malaria remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Kenya, especially in the vulnerable groups; children under 5years, pregnant mothers and the elderly.Even though the disease is preventable, it is responsible for 30%of outpatient consultation cases, 19% of hospital admissions and 3- 5%of inpatient deaths in Kenya.

Kisumu County falls in the lake endemic zone and has a prevalence rate of 38 percent as per the Kenya malaria indicator survey of 2010, the most current survey in the country.

Base offers specialty aviation services across North Africa

Frontier Services Group Limited yesterday announced the establishment of Phoenix Aviation Malta Limited (“PAM”).   . Based on the Mediterranean island of Malta, PAM will offer specialty passenger and cargo flight services to the company’s growing list of clients active across North Africa.  

 FSG  will  reposition  two  of  its  aircraft  to  Malta  by  the  end  of  November  2014  to  support  a recent contract award and to meet the emergent requirements of other clients. 

Commenting  on  PAM’s  founding,  Erik  Prince,  Chairman  of  Frontier  Services  Group, said, “ we are excited about the formation of Phoenix Malta as we continue to expand our foot print in support of our clients’ needs, and the growth opportunities that this creates will be significant.”   

Mr. Prince continued: “PAM also represents the next logical step in the further development of FSG’s strategic vision to bring trusted and reliable air services to the entire African continent.” 

Gregg Smith, FSG’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “With two aircraft pre-positioned in Malta, we are now able to cover all of North Africa and most of West Africa, both important regions for our key clients.    We expect that our new ability to operate freely in EU jurisdictions will also appeal to our multinational clients.” 

LG first to roll out Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade

LG Electronics (LG) this week will begin rolling out the highly anticipated Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade for G3 smartphones starting in Poland this week, to be followed by other key markets in the near future. LG, the first global smartphone manufacturer to offer the Lollipop upgrade in 2014, will subsequently announce an upgrade schedule for other LG mobile devices.

This latest Android OS delivers a host of improvements including a new design language with added depth, shadows and animations. Notifications are improved with a new layout and color scheme and will be available on the new lock screen. 

A new security feature to strengthen the connectivity between devices will include enabling users to unlock their smartphone when it is physically near a pre-registered Bluetooth device such as the LG G Watch or G Watch R. Lollipop also introduces Android Runtime (ART) software to improve performance.

“LG is absolutely committed to giving our customers the best mobile experiences available and bringing Android Lollipop to G3 owners as soon as possible is a top priority,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The new features and improvements in Android 5.0 will bring a whole new user experience to the G3 and make it even better than it already is.”

Additional details related to LG devices will be announced in the near future as the Lollipop upgrade becomes available in local markets.