Tag Archive for 'East Africa'

Microsoft gets tough about software piracy in Kenya with BuyGenuine.co.ke

Published on December 1, 2011 in Uncategorized. 9 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Screen grab from BuyGenuine.co.ke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In yesterday’s Daily Nation. Microsoft had a full page ad for its anti piracy campaign in Kenya with the Kenya Copyright Board (KCB). The web site for the the campaign is BuyGenuine.co.ke and it has some of the details about this initiative.

What is important for all businesses to note is that the amnesty period for pirated Microsoft software is just around the corner as it ends on the 15th December 2011. Thereafter, with the backing of the KCB, Microsoft will be going after businesses who are NOT using genuine Microsoft software and the penalties are significant.

I heard details on one of the radio channels a couple of weeks ago and fines as high as Kes. 800,000.00 will be charged for using pirated Microsoft software in Kenya – this is clearly serious and businesses will need to buckle up and get genuine copies of Microsoft software going forward. If one is unable to settle the fines, they are liable for time in prison so clearly many are going to take the required steps to avoid being penalized.

[Video] Dealfish interview with Lizz Ntonjira on NTV PM Live.

Published on August 26, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

This is an interview I had last month on the 25th July 2011 with Lizz Ntojira on NTV’s PM Live Show. We discussed how Dealfish has performed thus far in East Africa, as well as other Internet related aspects in Kenya and the broader African continent. For those of you who missed it, here it is finally!

The East African Mobile Market from the TNS Global Mobile Life Research.

Published on March 29, 2011 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

I just received the below information on research findings from TNS Global on the East African Mobile Market. The research is part of the TNS Global Mobile Life Research that was conducted with 34,000 people in 47 countries. Therefore, this information is just for the East African region. Some interesting insights worth noting follow:

  • Despite having higher GDP Per Capita than Tanzania, Kenyans are paying less for their mobile handsets and replacing them more often – quicker therefore to adopt new technologies (and getting good prices).
  • Nokia still dominate the mobile handset market but we know from other sources that there are plenty of fakes and Chinese manufacturers such as ZTE are making inroads in Uganda (e.g. they launched a solar powered phone there a couple of years back)
  • Kenyans are expecting to pay less for their next handset than they did last year – but are wanting to do a lot more with them (expecting more for less)
  • In East Africa, in contrast to the global picture,consumers are preferring to use mobiles for a wider range of activities – social networking, finance, downloading content etc (whereas globally, consumers prefer to do those things on PC – Kenya is ahead!)
  • If we look at all the messages East Africans send, by phone or PC, the vast majority in Kenya / EA are via phone as compared to 50:50 split globally.
  • Kenyans are very social, loving Social network apps and accessing the sites regularly. They are also very into music (a high proportion download or use music apps).
  • Lots of apps though are side-loaded from other phones or PCs rather than downloaded.
  • We looked at the time of day which consumers use their phone for certain activities. For listening to music, in Uganda, there is a peak in the evening. In Kenya however there is also a peak during commuting time in the morning – probably due to the traffic jams!
  • Lots of consumers in East Africa believe that mobile finance can eventually REPLACE Banks entirely – due to convenience, ease of use etc.

You can get the full research findings for the TNS Global Mobile Life following the formal launch at http://discovermobilelife.com/

Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) East Africa Council Meeting – 07.03.2011.

Published on March 8, 2011 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

I had the opportunity to attend the Mobile Marketing Association East Africa (MMA EA) Council meeting yesterday afternoon. The MMA EA is part of the global MMA which is the premier global non-profit trade association representing all players in the mobile marketing value chain.

The MMA has more than 700 member companies and is an action-oriented organization with global focus, regional actions and local relevance. The MMA’s primary focus is to establish mobile as an indispensable part of the marketing mix.

The MMA EA event was well attended by leading mobile marketing brands such as Google, InMobi, BuzzCity, MobilePlanet, Jinny Software, etc etc. It was NOT a Kenya event as there were many representatives from South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, the UK and others. MMA EA is being guided with support from the MMA SA (South Africa) which has become quite established and successful in that market.

The 5 building blocks of the MMA at a global level in terms of furthering the mobile marketing cause are as follows:

  • Stimulate growth – 1) promote and 2) educate.
  • Reduce friction – 3) measure, 4) guide and 5) protect.

In terms of the 5 building blocks, the following is the breakdown:

  • Promote – focus is on events, publications, public relations, awards and partnerships.
  • Educate – events, training and certification.
  • Measure – web site, partner program and market data.
  • Guide – to provide direction in how mobile marketing should be done based on best practices.
  • Protect -  consumers and MMA members.

Some of the advantages and benefits of MMA EA membership include access to MMA products and services,  participation in MMA initiatives, promotion of member offerings, influence in the industry and within the MMA, as well as leadership in MMA committees, councils and boards.

MMA works on the basis of global reach and local relevance. In East Africa, MMA EA is looking at faster growth, greater global access, greater participation, promotion, influence, leadership and support of mobile marketing. Opportunities that exist for participation in MMA EA project groups, via membership, include advertising guidelines, education, networking, and public relations.

Key issues discussed for the MMA EA Council.

  • Educating the market on mobile marketing pops and at the same time provide a directory of mobile marketing service providers. In addition, localize mobile marketing guidelines.
  • Protecting the consumer in cases such as SMS fraud and other related areas. This could tarnish SMS marketing in general.
  • East Africa does not have a PRSP association like WASPA in SA and as such the mobile network operators set the standards.
  • Regulators can be an impediment by implementing regulations and policies sthat limit or stagnate the potential of mobile marketing in East Africa without consulting and involving stakeholders.
  • Point made that NO local/regional mobile operators we’re present at the MMA EA Council meeting and yet they probably have the most influence with Regulators in the sector where mobile marketing is concerned. However, the Regulators and Government and mobile network operators have been invited to a roundtable session.
  • The issues affecting mobile marketing are more or less the same throughout East Africa.
  • Online forums and social networks very active at local council levels within the global MMA.
  • Creating local case studies is a key part of public relations for MMA EA.
  • Lack of research on mobile marketing data is a key issue. Its important as it forms the basis for market adoption.
  • In South Africa they created a wiki of mobile web sites – this drove adoption of mobile marketing.
  • How to run a mobile marketing campaign – the basics of what to do is key for success.

Talking Windows Phone 7 and Cloud Services with Microsoft’s Vincent Mugambi.

Published on December 28, 2010 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Finally, the long awaited and much enjoyed Christmas Holidays are coming to an end. This is the first time I have fired up this trusty Macbook in a week or so which is amazing going by my “always online” standards. It was nice to be off-grid but the blogging must continue!

Vincent Mugambi of Microsoft

I managed to snag yet another interview with Microsoft last week when I spoke to Vincent Mugambi who is in charge of Applications and Developer initiatives in East Africa. Unfortunately, I was unable to do a video interview with Vincent as I did in the last one with Lorraine Maina so I ended up doing an audio interview.

However, in true Murphy’s Law fashion, what can go wrong did go wrong and I lost that file when backing up some data So, much of what is covered is here is from the notes I took (pen and paper still do work rather effectively in capturing key details in a world that has gone incredibly digital).

In a nutshell, Vincent and I had a chat about two key areas where Microsoft has big plans for the coming year. The first is the recently unveiled Microsoft Phone 7 which has yet to come to Kenya as the handsets are not available. The second is that of Microsoft Cloud online services. This is what we covered:

Microsoft Phone 7.

Microsoft Phone 7 smartphones will be in Kenya from around January 2010. The first smartphones to make it here will come from Samsung who now have handsets on practically every mobile OS including Symbian, Android and their own proprietary Bada mobile OS. A big push for Microsoft in East Africa will be to drive local content and applications on Windows Phone 7. Already, 25,000 trial licenses for the Software Development Kit (SDK) have been downloaded in Kenya by Application Developers even before the smartphones have arrived in Kenya.

In particular, Windows Phone 7 has been designed to be tightly integrated with existing Microsoft Applications and Cloud online services in a seamless. A big draw for Application Developers in East Africa is that the platform takes advantage of their existing Microsoft skills in areas such as .NET – porting Applications therefore is a synch.

Globally, over 1.5 Million Windows Phone 7 smartphones have been sold and there are close to 5000 Applications available in the Apps store already. Microsoft intends to create a “local” marketplace for Application Developers in East Africa so that publishing and monetizing Apps will be easy to do.

Windows Phone 7 is essentially a “reboot” of everything Microsoft had done on Mobile to-date that takes cognizance of the rise of Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS ala iPhone. Microsoft built Windows Phone 7 from scratch and looked to re-invent the Mobile OS experience to be different and productive.

A big part of the philosophy behind Windows Phone 7 is to get users to “get in and get out” of their smartphones quickly to do the things that need doing. Going by current global reviews of Windows Phone 7 smartphones, it looks like Microsoft has brought a big gun to the Android and iOS gunfight.

Other insights for East Africa from Vincent include that Microsoft plans to leverage the Cloud extensively and work closely with Application Developers to make Windows Phone 7 a major player in the region. They are holding workshops and other events to familiarize the market on Windows Phone 7. They also will be doing strategic partnerships going forward to drive Windows Phone 7 adoption at retail and business level.

According to Vincent, Microsoft clearly recognizes the significance of the mobile space in the region where there over 50 million mobile subscribers – many of whom may only access the internet and other applications via their mobile devices.

Microsoft Cloud Online Services.

Microsoft already has a strong base in the region of Independent Software Vendors (ISV) in East Africa. As a result of the rise of broadband in the region as well as the growth of mobile Internet, many of ISV’s are looking to Microsoft to build their next business opportunities.

More specifically, already, 7 of the East Africa ISV’s are already migrating their Enterprise focussed Applications to the Microsoft Cloud so that they can extend their business models to include Software as a Service (SaaS). This would enable them to make subscription income to supplement their current business.

On the issue of Microsoft VS Open Source, the truth is that this is a long standing issue for the region. Many Application Developers have gone the Open Source route instead of using Microsoft Developer Tools. However, Vincent was adamant that very few Software Development tools have the maturity, support and flexibility of Microsoft.

To this end, Vincent is tasked with engaging the Application Developer community in the region through various forums and initiatives to “bring them on-board” to Microsoft’s value proposition. One of these is the Microsoft Emerging Cup which recently was launched in Kenya. In addition, Microsoft has Enterprise Development Academies and an online .NET Community Group in East Africa. Not surprisingly, they also use social networks to engage Application Developers.

Microsoft’s Cloud online services will serve as a linchpin for East Africa in providing enterprise grade Application hosting and related services. Microsoft has invested significant resources globally to move Customers and Application Developers to the Cloud.

Vincent noted that this area has a great deal of strategic focus for them since improved regional bandwidth has made it a feasible for the market. One key issue is that new regulatory frameworks in the region requires that data of a sensitive nature stays “local” and as such Microsoft stands to gain in the process if it invests in “local” Cloud services.

TNS Digital Life Research Project – Major Changes in Online Behavior in East Africa.

Published on November 2, 2010 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

Highlights of the latest TNS Digital Life Research in Kenya and East Africa.

  • Mature markets being left behind online as Kenya and other emerging markets become more active
  • Increase in mobile use as consumers seek greater access to social networking on the go
  • Online is now the media of choice

The largest ever global research project into people’s online activities and behaviour – Digital Life – has been launched in London by TNS, the world’s biggest custom research company.  Covering 88% of the world’s online population through 50,000 interviews with consumers in 46 countries, the study reveals a number of very significant findings as well as providing indicators for the future of the world’s online behaviour. The core data from the study is being made publicly available via an interactive website – www.discoverdigitallife.com

“We believe that our research data, which we intend to do on an annual basis, will become the new benchmark for information on online consumer behaviour,” says Melissa Baker, TNS Research International CEO East Africa, adding that “Providing some of the data to the world was an important first step for us and obviously we have a wealth of further information behind those basic statistics.”

Among the key findings of the study were:

  • Globally, people who have online access have digital sources as their number one media channel. 61% of online users use the internet daily against 54% for TV, 36% for Radio and 32% for Newspapers.
  • Online consumers in rapid growth markets have overtaken mature markets in terms of engaging with digital activities. When looking at behaviour online, rapid growth markets such as Egypt (56%), China (54%) and Kenya (51%) have much higher levels of digital engagement than mature markets such as Japan (20%), Denmark (25%) or Finland (26%).  This is despite mature markets usually having a more advanced internet infrastructure.
  • Activities such as blogging and social networking are gaining momentum at huge speed in rapid growth markets. The research shows four out of five online users in China (88%) and over half of those in Kenya (55%), Brazil (51%) and Tanzania (50%) have written their own blog or forum entry, compared to only 32% in the US.  The Internet has also become the default option for photo sharing among online users in rapid growth markets, particularly in Asia and Sub Saharan Africa. The number of online consumers who have ever uploaded photos to social networks or photo sharing sites is 92% in Thailand, 88% in Malaysia, 87% in Vietnam, 74% in Kenya and 72% in Tanzania whilst developed markets are more conservative.
  • Growth in social networking has been fuelled by the transition from PC to mobile. Mobile users spend on average 3.1 hours per week on social networking sites compared to just 2.2 hours on email. The drive to mobile is driven by the increased need for instant gratification and the ability of social networks to offer multiple messaging formats, including the instant message or update function. When looking at how the digital landscape will change in the future, research shows that consumers expect their use of social networking on mobiles to increase more than use through PC.  In Kenya, for example, 78% of online consumers expect their use of social networking on a PC to increase in the next 12 months compared to 84% who will be looking to their mobile to increase usage. In Uganda the figures are 66% and 74% respectively and in Tanzania 71% and 69%.

Goodbye email, hello social networking

One further finding of the study showed that online consumers are, on average, spending more time on social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn than on email, despite the former only becoming mainstream in many markets over the last few years. The heaviest users of social networking are in Malaysia (9 hours per week), Russia (8.1 hours per week) and Turkey (7.7 hours per week). Kenya (6.5 hours per week) is closely behind the heaviest users while Uganda (1.5 hours per week) and Tanzania (1.6 hours per week) are currently amongst the lowest users. In Kenya TNS are launching the local report sponsored by the Kenya ICT Board on 25th November, 2010.

About Digital Life

www.DiscoverDigitalLife.com
Digital Life is the world’s largest study into consumers’ digital behaviours and attitudes ever conducted.  The study seeks to go beyond behaviour to understand the core emotional drivers behind what consumers do online. TNS completed analysis of the results of its 46-country study into online behaviour and perspectives around the world in September 2010.  A total of 48,804 people aged 16 to 60 years old were interviewed in the following countries: Argentina , Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Uganda, UK, USA and Vietnam.

About TNS Research International
TNS Research International is part of the world’s largest custom research agency delivering actionable insights and research-based business advice to its clients so they can make more effective business decisions.  TNS has been present in the Kenya market for nearly 40 years and have extensive experience of research across Africa.  TNS Research International offers comprehensive industry knowledge within the Consumer, Technology, Finance, Automotive and Political & Social sectors, supported by a unique product offering that stretches across the entire range of marketing and business issues, specializing in product development & innovation, brand & communication, stakeholder management, retail & shopper, and qualitative research. Delivering best-in-class service across more than 75 countries, TNS is part of Kantar, one of the world’s largest research, insight and consultancy network. Visit www.tnsglobal.com for more information. TNS have offices in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda within the region. The head office in the region, located in Nairobi, Kenya.

For further information please contact:

Melissa Baker, CEO East Africa
Telephone: +254 20 4280000
Melissa.Baker@research-int.com

Nokia’s N8 smartphone coming to Kenya soon.

Published on October 1, 2010 in Uncategorized. 9 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Nokia’s highly anticipated N8 handset has started shipping and is expected to arrive in East Africa with the next few weeks. However, market availability will vary by country and operator, with broad availability in the coming weeks.

Ken Oyolla, General Manager for Nokia East and Southern Africa said “With the N8, and the new Symbian software, we are bringing a familiar, faster and more intuitive user experience to the world’s most popular smartphone platform. The Nokia N8 has received the highest amount of consumer pre-orders in Nokia history and we are thrilled to start shipments of the N8, the first of Nokia’s new Symbian smartphone range,”.

“To appeal to today’s high-end buyers, smartphones have to be enjoyable, useful and beautiful. Ease of use, excellent multimedia performance and elegant design are all essential elements of the package,” Oyolla added.

The Nokia N8 lets you take the high quality photos and shoot HD-quality videos with clarity via the 12MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics. The first of a series of smartphones based on the new Symbian, the Nokia N8 is fast and easy to use and supports true multitasking, allowing users to run multiple applications simultaneously and switch between them easily.

Nokia N8 users can edit photos and videos on-screen and choose from multiple ways to share them; transfer large files to an external hard-drive with USB-on-the-go, or upload photos to social networks like Facebook, Twitter or RenRen straight from the homescreen. All this is delivered in a robust aluminum body in a range of vibrant colors with a real-glass 3.5″ AMOLED display.

The Nokia N8 also excels in entertainment. Its WebTV apps from channels like E! Entertainment, National Geographic and CNN and the intuitive music player inject an element of fun into idle moments. Plug the device to the home entertainment center to watch HD-quality videos from the big screen with full Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound. The latest version of Ovi Store, available first on the Nokia N8, gives easy access to more apps – from social networking services like Foursquare to games like Need for Speed Shift or productivity apps like Tesco in the UK.

Like other Nokia smartphones, the Nokia N8 comes with free Ovi Maps walk and drive navigation in more than 70 countries worldwide, with no hidden costs. The latest beta release of Ovi Maps is also available for download from Nokia Beta Labs for the Nokia N8. It features visibility to public transport in 85 cities around the world, as well as real-time traffic, safety camera alerts, visibility to parking and petrol stations, and speed limit warnings.

Equity Bank appointed China UnionPay’s sole agent in East Africa.

Published on September 13, 2010 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

China UnionPay cards to be accepted on Equity Bank’s ATMs and Point of Sale terminals countrywide.

Equity Bank has signed up with the China UnionPay to allow its customers in Kenya and throughout East Africa to make transactions from Equity’s ATMs and Points of Sale. China UnionPay cards will be accepted at Equity Bank’s 700 ATMs, 5,000 Points of Sale and over 1,000 merchant outlets worldwide, offering the Union’s customers a convenient and wider network.

Equally, Equity Bank customers on VISA will be able to access their accounts from China UnionPay’s ATMs and POS all around the world, making it easy and convenience for Kenya’s business community that imports goods from China to transact business. With the signing up of the new deal, Equity becomes China UnionPay’s sole agent in East Africa, and is the third bank in the continent to sign up the service after South Africa and Mauritius.

China UnionPay has issued over 2.3 billion cards globally, offering a wide market for its partners. Last year alone, it recorded over 1 trillion transactions globally.Kenya has also been keen to have close ties with China which has become a major global economic partner.

The Chinese population in East Africa has been growing steadily over the years, with China’s massive investments in infrastructure development, energy, oil and mineral exploration. Kenya’s bilateral relationship with China has also been boosted recently as the country positions itself as a major Chinese tourist destination.

It is estimated that 20,000 Chinese tourists visit Kenya every year with the figure expected to rise to at least 100,000 per year in the next three years. Earlier this year, Equity Bank signed a Sh4 billion loan in support of the SME sector in Kenya with the China Development Bank, offering the cheapest source of funding for the sector in the country.

Equity Bank recently acquired an online Card Management System known as Way 4 System from OpenWay Group, designed for multi-institution and multi-currency transaction processing, and has the ability to handle over 60 million cards with speed performance of 180,000 transactions per minute.

The system which received the highest possible rating by Gartner – the top organization for rating software in the world- also provides support for non-card based transactions over multiple self service channels, and also transacts different currencies. Equity Bank customers can use their cards at all Equity Bank terminals within the region.

Equity Bank is the first Bank in East Africa to comply with all PCI/DSS and EMV standards.

About China UnionPay

China UnionPay, also known as UnionPay or by its abbreviation, CUP, is the only domestic credit card organization in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Founded in March 2002, China UnionPay is an association for China’s banking card industry, operating under the approval of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC, central bank of China). It is also the only interbank network in China excluding Hong Kong and Macau, linking the ATMs of some fourteen major banks and many smaller banks throughout mainland China. It is also an EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale) network.

Almost all UnionPay Credit Cards are also affiliated with American Express, MasterCard or VISA, and they can be used abroad as an American Express, MasterCard or VISA. UnionPay Debit Cards, however, can only be used in the UnionPay network and a few other networks that have signed contracts with UnionPay.

Countries that accept UnionPay cards outside China include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, Mauritius, South Africa and the United States. UnionPay cards are also making inroads into other countries’ interbank networks, with some networks, such as BancNet in the Philippines, already accepting UnionPay cards at the ATM level and the point-of-sale.

SEACOM completes direct cable to Europe.

Published on June 3, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

In the news today, SEACOM, the high speed undersea cable operator has completed a new cable branch that now links East Africa directly to Europe via the Red Sea. This new development means that faster connectivity will now be possible directly to Europe from East Africa and it will also add an extra level of redundancy to the SEACOM network. The additional capacity is expected to be crucial for carrying lucrative data for television broadcasters during the 2010 FIFA World Cup from South Africa. More information on this new development from SEACOM can be found at the Business Daily here>

LG’s Android Optimus coming to Kenya in June 2010.

Published on May 16, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

I’ve been waiting for this to happen for some time! Finally, an Google Android handset is expected to be launched in Kenya in June 2010. This is the LG Optimus handset which is also known as the LG GT540. As far as I know, this is the first Android handset to be (officially) launched in Kenya so its a ground breaking moment.

The announcement was made this past week by a representative of LG in East Africa however, no announcement was made if the LG Optimus will “go to market” in conjunction with one of the mobile networks as has been the case with the Apple iPhone which is being sold on contract with Orange in Kenya.

It will be interesting to see how the LG Optimus fares in Kenya’s smartphone market. Its bound to spice things up considering that Andorid handsets are all the rage (globally) these days. What is yet to be seen is how much the LG Optimus will retail for? (possibly/probably cheaper than an Apple iPhone on the Orange mobile network).

For the time being, its safe to say that Nokia and Blackberry smartphones currently lead the market in Kenya. More information on the LP Optimus can be found on the official web site for the same here>. In addition, here is a nice video for the LG Optimus: