Business
Users Now Dump Laptops, Desktops For Mobile Devises – IT Expert
An IT expert, Mr Frank Cohen, on Wednesday said that users of ICT facilities were gradually dumping laptops and personal computers for new mobile devices like smartphones and iPad.
He told our correspondent in Lagos that the demand for new mobile devices had increased globally and were gradually replacing laptops and personal computers.
Cohen, who is the President of Systems Applications Products (SAP) Ltd., said that market penetration of smart phones was growing rapidly.
He said that there were about 4.5 billion mobile phones around the globe.
According to him, the desire to communicate on phones and surf on the Internet while on the move has led to the growth of mobile phones and other mobile devices.
“Mobile devices are now transforming information and communication technology development into a mobile world.
“The use of mobile device has become the preferred choice, not only for games or shopping, but for work,” he said.
The expert quoted a survey conducted in China as showing that about 70 per cent of the population preferred using new mobile devices to do their jobs, rather than laptops.
Cohen said that SAP Ltd had the responsibility of ensuring that transactions done on a laptop could also be executed on tablet or a smart phone.
He said that efforts were being made to promote the use of mobile systems, stressing that smart phones could change the way businesses were done.
Cohen, however, said that smartphones and tablets were also susceptible to worms and virus like laptops and desktops.
He said that mobile malware could steal sensitive data, but added that high-profile mobile malware infections were few.
Cohen, therefore, advised phone users to protect their devices against malware, unauthorised access, theft and loss of data on their devices.
Cornerstone of Financial Services
A survey of more than 1 000 global finance leaders undertaken by digital payment network Ripple shows that 72% of respondents believe they need to offer a digital asset solution to remain competitive.
According to Ripple, leaders from the banking, fintech, corporate and asset management sector have made it clear that the “digital asset revolution is happening now”.
“Digital assets are quickly becoming a cornerstone of financial services, underpinned by progressive regulation, growing interest from Tier-1 banks, a steady consumer shift from banks to fintech providers, and booming stablecoin adoption,” Ripple says.
The survey was conducted in early 2026 and the findings released in March.
Stablecoin Boon or Bane?
Ripple has experienced significant success in the stablecoin sector since launching its Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin in 2024.
With a market cap of $1.56 billion, it is considered a major regulated player in the market.
No doubt the platform was pleased to learn through its own survey that financial leaders were most bullish about stablecoins.
Roughly three-quarters of respondents believed they could boost cash-flow efficiency and unlock trapped working capital.
Ripple noted that finance leaders were thinking about stablecoins as more than “just a new way to execute payments”; instead, they viewed them as effective tools for treasury management.
In March 2026, Ripple began testing a new trade finance model built around RLUSD in a bid to increase the speed of cross-border payments.
The pilot initiative, developed alongside supply chain finance company Unloq [https://unloq.com], is running on the XRP Ledger inside a testing framework developed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
The Asian city-state is one of the platform’s biggest growth markets.
The idea behind the project is to see whether stablecoin-based settlement can streamline trade finance, too often hampered by reliance on intermediaries and slow reconciliation.
The only potential drawback is that if the initiative takes off, the Ripple to USD price could be negatively affected.
Ripple has always championed its native XRP token as a bridge asset, the “middleman” in the process of a financial institution turning dollars in the US into pounds in the UK, for example.
Ripple converts dollars into XRP and then back into pounds.
If RLUSD can do exactly the same thing, questions will be asked about XRP’s relevance.
That is a bridge Ripple will have to cross if it gets to that point.
Tokenisation Partners
Another interesting finding from Ripple’s survey is that most banks and asset managers are seeking tokenisation partners to help execute their strategies.
Some 89% of respondents said digital asset storage and custody were top priority. “Token servicing/lifecycle management also ranks highly for banks at 82%, while asset managers place greater emphasis on primary distribution at 80%,” Ripple found.
The survey also revealed that just more than half of fintechs and financial institutions want an infrastructure provider that can offer a “one-stop-shop solution”. This rose to 71% among corporate financial leaders.
Ripple attributes this to institutions and firms wanting uncomplicated, cohesive systems.
Infrastructure Rules
In its final analysis, Ripple says companies across the board are looking for partners and solutions that are “secure, compliant, battle-tested and that enable growth and execution”.
“The message is clear: infrastructure decisions made today will shape competitive positioning tomorrow.”
No surprise that this is precisely where Ripple is placing much of its focus.
