By KAIKO NAMUSA? –

MTN-Zambia will continue partnering with companies with progressive?innovations aimed at growing business.
The telecommunications company has thus pledged to strengthen its?partnership with Times Printpak Zambia Limited, the publisher of the?Times of Zambia and the Sunday Times following the successful launch of the e-times, a?full electronic version of both newspapers.
MTN-Zambia chief sales and distribution officer, Amon Jere said the launch of the e-times, signalled a new era of a solid partnership between the two companies.
MTN has partnered with the Times in the sale and distribution of the e-times.?Mr Jere said MTN and the Times shared similar visions of informing and communicating by utilising cyberspace modern telecommunication infrastructure at their disposal to expand their?businesses.
The partnership, Mr Jere said, would take a leap-frog step in keeping the country well informed and in a timely and convenient manner. The e-times would be accessed through the MTN’s Mobile Money System.
MISA-Zambia chairperson Helen Mwale praised the Times for the initiative and implored other media houses in the country to emulate the strides being taken by the newspaper company.
Ms Mwale said in an interview that online media had evolved and taking centre-stage, hence it was a milestone achievement for the newspaper company to change approach in making its products more accessible to readers.
Press Association of Zambia president Andrew Sakala described the launch as a positive development to the newspaper and the media industry in Zambia.
Mr Sakala said in a separate interview that the launch of the e-paper would enable access to information by Zambians living outside the country, while locally it would have a great benefit to people in the rural areas.
He said due to limitations in the delivery of the newspaper in various parts of the country, people in the rural areas had for a long time been disadvantaged but that with the coming of the e-times, the online version would make it easy for the readers to know about various issues taking place around the country.