IBM, International Business Machines Corp., and Bharti Airtel have entered into a in-principle agreement, where IBM would mange the telecom operators IT operations in the 16 African countries.

This 10 year contract that has been estimated at a more than $1 billion by an analyst, will see IBM consolidate the IT operations of the telecom major in 16 African countries and present it in one integrated system.

The IT company will also be responsible for overseeing the desktop services, data center operations, technology applications, servers and storage, the company has said in a joint statement.

They also said that this contract would be finalized in the fourth quarter.

Principal analyst at research firm Gartner Inc, Kamlesh Bhatia has said “The deal is estimated to be anywhere between $1.00 billion and $1.30 billion. It’s a good deal for Bharti, as it needs operational stability when it enters Africa…which is extremely fragmented.”

Bharti Airtel and IBM are already working together in India where the telecom major has more than 140 million subscribers. The telecom major is looking to duplicate its expertise in India, in squeezing profits from telephone calls charges as low as 1 cent a minute.

The entry barrier is being lowered by Airtel for African people; so that they are encourage to own a mobile phone, the company said in a statement.

A $9 billion acquisition of Mobile Telecommunications Co.’s assets has allowed the telecom major to enter the African market. This move was taken in an attempt to expand its business and compensate the effects of cut throat competition back in India.

In Africa where the mobile phone penetration is much lower than India, Bharti Airtel has close to 45 million subscribers and it operates across the African countries such as Madagascar, Chad, Malwai, Kenya, Ghana, Congo, Gabon, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Ugnada, Niger, Seychelles, Tanzania and Sierra Leone.

There have been indications from the domestic tyre makers that there would be an increase in the tyre prices this month by an estimated 4 percent. One of the main reasons for the increase in the prices of tyres is due t the increase in the demand for tyres from the automobile industry and due to the rise in the cost of natural rubber.

Another reason for the increase in the demand in the Indian auto market is also due to the increase in the price from automobile component makers.

Apollo Tyres has already announced their plans to increase the price of the types and the price hike is yet to be implemented, whereas Chennai based MRF Ltd has already increased the price of their tyres by 2.5 to 4 percent from August 31 2010 onwards.

Other type companies, Ceat and JK Tyre are also expected to hike their prices. The Managing Director for JK Tyre, A S Mehta has stated that they are currently watching and observing the market and the trend and would raise their tyre prices by 2 to 4 percent shortly. Even though Apollo Tyres has already announced its decisions to increase the price, they seem to be observing the market before deciding on the percent of hike.

The price hike of tyres has already been done by the tyre manufacturers in four stages starting from January 2010. The total price hike has been around 10 to 14 percent. Except for the hike in March which took place due to the increase in the excise duty, the main reasons for the hike in the prices were due to the increasing costs of natural rubber.

Natural rubber prices have gone up by 75 percent year on year as per the data from the rubber Board and currently in August 1 kg of rubber currently costs around Rs 179.52. In August last year however the prices were much lower and one kg of rubber was available at Rs 102.50. In July 2010 the rubber prices were at an all time high at Rs 181.15 per kg.

The incredible growth witnessed in the Indian telecom scene in the past few years has propelled the industry to the second spot among the telecom networks in the world. The total subscriber base crossed 670 million by the end of July 2010, pushing the teledensity in the country to above 58 percent, according to telecom regulatory authority of India (Trai).

“’It has been made possible by synergy of conducive government policies and the entrepreneurship zeal of telecom industry,” said telecom minister A Raja at the curtain raiser ceremony of ‘India Telecom 2010’ in New Delhi on Wednesday.

‘India Telecom 2010’ is an international conference on telecom sector that provides a platform for interaction between policy makers, regulators, service providers, manufacturers and content and other accessory providers from across the world, explained Vijay Laxmi K Gupta, member (finance), telecom department. This year’s event with theme ‘Broadband for All’ will be held from 9-11 December at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. An international telecom exhibition, jointly organized by the Department of Telecom (DoT) and the Federation of Indian Chambers Of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is also being planned on the same venue.

The last five years has seen teledensity in urban areas jump by leap and bounds from 26 percent to more than 125 percent. Though rural teledensity still lags behind, the percentage of increase is phenomenal. It rose from a mere 1.73 percent to above 27 percent.

With the cut-throat competition in the telecom industry, the tariffs are falling like tenpins. Together with favorable government policies and the proactive role played by the telecom industry, owning a telephone has undergone a sea change from being a luxury to a necessity that is within common man’s reach.

The imminent 3G rollout is expected to bring about a communication revolution in the country. With it, the quality of telecommunication in the country will also go up along with quantity.

The roll out of the Star Fascination Fest 2010 was announced by Mercedes Benz India today in Bangalore. The distinctive inspired by Mercedes collection designed by Manish Arora, a famous designer was unveiled here.

Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India Pvt. Ltd., Dr. Wilfried Aulbur said “Mercedes-showrooms have been designed with the whole family in mind. The objective is to engage people with the innovations and stories that have shaped automotive history and ignite young people’s passion for the future. At the same time, the premium segment is a statement of the lifestyle of the customers and Mercedes-Benz showrooms across the country reflect this approach of the brand. Our dealerships offer an experience far beyond car-ownership. They are a lifestyle statement complete with gaming consoles, designer accessories, high-end café, interactive virtual experience zones and drives total brand experience.”

State of the art customer care concept is extended by Mercedes Benz India to all its dealerships across the country.

These experiences include the range of exclusive cars displayed, the SLS AMG Play Station, which is the 3d simulator that offers a potential buyer first hand driving experience, the Mercedes Benz Experience zone, where the complete profile of the Mercedes Benz products were offered through interactive applications and other technical and specification details and videos at single touch, the BlueFi Technology where the customers could receive product contents through Bluetooth and finally the Mercedes magazines and accessories.

Inspired by Mercedes showcased the cars that were engineered with detail for luxury and immense passion. This new line was a tribute to the brand’s sophistication, style and elegance. Young, colorful and vibrant energy is now brought in while maintaining the class of the brand. These exclusively designed products are priced between Rs 3,500 and Rs 5,000 and are available at the dealerships and Manish Arora outlets.

As Mercedes and lifestyle go hand in hand, this fest offers a rewarding experience to technology fans, fashion enthusiasts and car aficionados.